US GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

US GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton took pole position ahead of the US Grand Prix, while 4 other drivers picked up grid penalties.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany*

6. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

9. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

11. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

12. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

13. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

14. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

15. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

16. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

17. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

18. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands**

19. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France+

20. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand**+

* - (Vettel) 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under Red Flags during FP1

** - (Verstappen & Hartley) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes

+ - (Gasly & Hartley) Grid-Penalty for multiple engine component changes

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US GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

US GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Sebastian Vettel topped the final practice session of the weekend as the rain finally seemed to give the drivers a break.

    Vettel's quickest time was a 1:33.797. He was followed by team-mate, Raikkonen, who was second with a 1:33.843.

    Hamilton was next in 3rd, with Bottas close behind in 4th, while the top 5 was completed by Max Verstappen with a 1:34.703.

    Charles Leclerc, who is just a few races away from being a Ferrari driver, finished in 7th with a quickest time of 1:35.365. Team-mate, Ericsson, who was unable to secure a drive but will stay on at Sauber as a third driver, finished further down in 15th with a 1:36.000.

    It was a rough session for McLaren with Alonso finishing all the way down in 20th with a 1:36.332, and Vandoorne finishing only 2 spots ahead in 18th with a 1:36.302.

    Sergio Perez helped stick Force India in the top 10 with a 1:35.411, placing him in 8th, while Ocon was unable to do the same with his car, stuck down in 11th.

    Ricciardo, Sainz and Grosjean also finished in the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:33.797 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:33.843 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:33.870 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:34.556 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
5. Max Verstappen - 1:34.703 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:34.910 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Charles Leclerc - 1:35.365 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
8. Sergio Perez - 1:35.411 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
9. Carlos Sainz - 1:35.450 / Renault-Renault / Spain
10. Romain Grosjean - 1:35.468 / Haas-Ferrari / France
11. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.562 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
12. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.713 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
13. Kevin Magnussen - 1:35.770 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:35.882 / Renault-Renault / Germany
15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:36.000 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
16. Lance Stroll - 1:36.188 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
17. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.193 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:36.302 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
19. Brendon Hartley - 1:36.330 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
20. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.332 / McLaren-Renault / Spain 

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US GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

US GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton topped another rain-filled practice session, bringing in a fastest time of 1:48.716

    Pierre Gasly in the Toro Rosso was second fastest with a 1:49.728, followed by Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg.

    It wasn't the usual Mercedes & Ferrari top 4 that people are used to seeing but running was limited and some teams didn't even have proper tyres to use.

    Brendon Hartley and Stoffel Vandoorne were back in their cars after Sean Gelael and Lando Norris took over in FP1, respectively.

    Hartley finished 6th with a 1:52.505 and Vandoorne was 8th with a 1:53.354.

    Sainz, Bottas, Ricciardo and the Haas duo of Grosjean and Magnussen all failed to set a time in the session.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:48.716 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Pierre Gasly - 1:49.728 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
3. Max Verstappen - 1:49.798 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:51.728 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:52.208 / Renault-Renault / Germany
6. Brendon Hartley - 1:52.505 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
7. Marcus Ericsson - 1:53.070 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
8. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:53.354 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:53.443 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
10. Sebastian Vettel - 1:53.912 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
11. Charles Leclerc - 1:54.101 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
12. Lance Stroll - 1:54.637 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
13. Sergio Perez - 1:54.963 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
14. Esteban Ocon - 1:55.348 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
15. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:55.446 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
16. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / NO TIME SET
17. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / NO TIME SET
18. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / NO TIME SET
19. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / NO TIME SET
20. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / NO TIME SET

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US GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

US GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton topped the first free practice session of the weekend in the wet conditions at COTA.

    Hamilton's quickest lap was a 1:47.502. He has the possibility of claiming the Championship title on Sunday, although things could go Vettel's way this time around.

    Bottas was close behind with a 1:48.806, while the Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Ricciardo were 3rd and 4th respectively.

    Sebastian Vettel came 5th with a 1:49.489.

    Lando Norris filled in for Stoffel Vandoorne and finished the session in 12th with a 1:51.232.

    Sean Gelael was also in the session, driving in place of Hartley at Toro Rosso. Gelael was last on the charts with a 1:52.625

    Nicholas Latifi was supposed to run for Force India but the team opted to run Ocon instead and decided to give Latifi the wheel in Abu Dhabi.

    Red Flags came out after Charles Leclerc lost his Sauber in the grass and then drove through the gravel to rejoin the track. Bits of the gravel ended up spread out on the circuit, causing the session to be stopped.

    Sebastian Vettel ended up with a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for not slowing sufficiently under the red flag conditions.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:47.502 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:48.806 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Max Verstappen - 1:48.847 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:49.326 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:49.489 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:49.928 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:50.665 / Renault-Renault / Spain
8. Romain Grosjean - 1:50.821 / Haas-Ferrari / France
9. Charles Leclerc - 1:50.961 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
10. Marcus Ericsson - 1:51.016 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
11. Fernando Alonso - 1:51.036 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
12. Lando Norris - 1:51.232 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*
13. Pierre Gasly - 1:51.234 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
14. Sergio Perez - 1:51.459 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
15. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:51.589 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
16. Kevin Magnussen - 1:51.614 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
17. Esteban Ocon - 1:51.655 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
18. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:51.717 / Renault-Renault / Germany
19. Lance Stroll - 1:51.896 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
20. Sean Gelael - 1:52.625 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / Indonesia*

* - Notes driving in FP1 only

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US GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Hell, I’m gonna take this opportunity to perfect my American accent for y’all (laughs). So read with your best Southern Drawl. Damn, I love the city of Austin and the country of America, I think it’s beautiful. Firstly, I think it’s one of the best circuits we go to on the calendar for racing. You can pass in four different places. There’s some tracks you struggle to pass on once, so to have four different opportunities with the shape of the corners and the apexes, everything just creates a real good atmosphere which encourages you to battle. It encourages you to fight. Fight in the spirit of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Boy, I love the feeling of racing at COTA.

    Beyond that, it’s also a great circuit for the spectators. If you get perched up on the hill at Turn 1, boy, you can nearly see the whole circuit. Turn 1 is a great place for the start, for overtaking and pit stops. If there’s racing out of the pits you’re in prime seat, that’s right, prime seat. Then you’ve got the COTA Tower. If you know someone, who knows someone, who might just know someone and you can get up the COTA Tower you’ll have a whole view of Austin, hell, that’s really something special.

    And then there’s the city. Boy, don’t get me started on the great city of Austin. I’m not gonna drop names on y’all now and give away all the places we go because I love em all, but the food is something special. I love my ribs, my brisket and boy, they got nachos coming out of their tachitos. What’s a tachito, I have no idea! I feel when I talk in this accent, I become this person. Oh boy, I’m gonna stop this right now as I got a bit carried away. See y’all in Austin.”

Max Verstappen - “As always I am really looking forward to getting back to the US. COTA is really fun to drive, it has long fast straights, slow tight corners and quick flowing sectors, all you want from a race track in one. The trickiest part is probably Turn 1 as you are blind to the apex coming up the hill. When we race in America it is always unique to any other round, as you saw last year with the driver presentation they always go the extra mile.

    While staying in Austin there are so many options for good food, the meat and BBQ restaurants make you venture out and get stuck in. This year I will stop off in Miami for an event on the way to Austin so I’m excited to see a bit more of the country and sample a few of their local dishes.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - "It’s been a tough couple of races, but we remain positive and eager to bounce back for the last four weekends of the season. Japan didn’t go to plan, but we’re aiming to learn from what happened to be best prepared for Austin. I’m determined to be in the points for the last four races – as is Carlos on the other side of the garage – so it’s going to be maximum effort to extract the most from the current package and ensure we keep fourth place in the constructors’ championship."

Carlos Sainz - "After scoring a point in Japan, I’m feeling hopeful for Austin. The circuit should suit the car better than Suzuka, so we remain positive. We have to keep fighting. We know the second-half of the season has been tough for everyone involved with the team, but it shows we have a lot of spirit. Even if we don’t have all the pace we want, we’re still scoring points, so we need to hold onto that and keep fighting and pushing. We can meet our targets."

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - “Austin was my home race before the arrival of the Mexican Grand Prix and it’s still one of the best events on the calendar. All weekend long you can see plenty of Mexican fans and you feel all their love and support. It makes it a really special weekend for me and I also have my family and friends there as well, so it really is like the perfect race.

    Austin is a small town but the vibe is great. It’s a college town so you see a lot of young people and it’s a great environment to be in. The place comes alive at night and there are so many nice things to do and places to go, so I really like it.

    The Circuit of the Americas is very enjoyable. It’s a very interesting circuit and it has some very challenging parts, especially the first sector. Turn one is really unusual and it’s the corner I enjoy the most: it’s very hard to pick your braking point and not miss the blind apex. The Esses that follow make this sector really fun to drive. Last year was the first time we got to try it with the high down force cars and I’m looking forward to having another go this weekend.

    The circuit layout has a bit of everything so a balanced set-up is the key to doing well. There are slow and fast corners, tough braking zones and you need a car you can trust. We have had this kind of great balance in the last few races, so I think we can be competitive and pick up some good points.”

Esteban Ocon - “Austin is a fantastic track and it features lots of nice bits from other circuits combined into one. You have a first sector that looks like Suzuka and a tight section that reminds me of Mexico: it’s a good track for fighting, with some quick corners and some chances to overtake. Turn one and the left hander at the end of the back straight are quite good opportunities.

    The first sector is my favourite section. It’s very quick, very technical and in the Esses you need to position the car well otherwise you end up losing time in all the following corners. It’s good fun, but so tricky to get right. Setting the car up is a big challenge. You need a car you can trust in the quick sections and a good car in the slow section – not an easy compromise.

    What makes this weekend special is also the city of Austin. It’s such a cool place, with a lot of nice venues with live music. It has a very young vibe; it’s definitely an enjoyable place and it’s nice to stay there a bit longer to experience the town before going on to Mexico. There are lot of cool things to do and last year I went to enjoy a proper, big American steak. When I was a kid, one of my dreams was to travel to the United States and I didn’t come here until my first race in Austin in 2016, so I have a lot of catching up to do!”

HAAS F1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - “There’s absolutely an extra will, or motivation, to do well in the US. We always try our best. We’re always on maximum attack to get the best result possible. It just carries a bit more significance to get a good result in America and at our home track. America’s obviously not my home country, but you feel like it is racing there that weekend.

    COTA is a little bit better than most other circuits in that it doesn’t just have one place to overtake. That much is correct. It has a few places to overtake, not just the one or two that most tracks have. Some tracks don’t have any. COTA has a few places where you can line it up for a move. It’s a good track for racing.”

Romain Grosjean - “We’ve made a good step this year. I think 2017 was maybe the year where we underperformed, but in 2018 we’ve come back to the route being planned out since the start of the team. The team has been growing a lot and improving in every single area. There’s still room for improvement, which is amazing to know and to see.

    It’s special. It’s like when I’m in the French Grand Prix, I get an extra feeling, something special. At COTA, it’s the same thing. You expect a lot of fans to be coming and cheering for you. You can see them there wearing the Haas colors, T-shirts, caps, scarfs, whatever. It’s just great to know that it’s not always about, say, Lewis (Hamilton) or Max (Verstappen), but that it’s about Haas F1 Team as well."

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “Austin is one of the best race locations each season. The city itself has a lot to offer, and the track as well as the atmosphere around it are always great. It is a challenging circuit. The first sector reminds me a bit of Suzuka, with very high-speed parts to it. There are some good opportunities for overtaking, and the mix of the track’s characteristics make it an interesting one to drive. With the good pace we have shown over the past few weeks, we should be able to fight for good results, and I look forward to seeing what we will be able to achieve there.”

Charles Leclerc - “The United States Grand Prix will be an exciting one. I like the circuit very much, and have driven some free practice sessions there in the past. It would be interesting to discover the track in dry conditions, as I have only ever driven there in the wet. Going to Austin is always something special, and the ambience at the track it will surely make for an exciting race weekend.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "Texas is Texas and it is awesome. I love everything about the place and especially the barbeques. I will be wearing my cowboy hat and boots again. It is a great track and I can't say anything bad about it. There is always a great turn out for the race and the fans are really enthusiastic. The track itself has a great flow to it. There is the first sector with the esses and the elevation going up into Turn One is quite impressive. Driving a lap there is a lot of fun. Last year there were a lot of tyre problems and I had to stop twice as I had a lot of degradation, which was a lot more than expected and not ideal."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I think Austin is one of the greatest modern tracks currently in Formula One. For a modern circuit, sector one is exciting with its high-speed change of direction. In general, Austin is quite like other newly built tracks. Sector two provides a good opportunity for overtaking, due to a slow corner, big DRS zone followed by another slow corner and heavy braking, before long corners throughout sector three."

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “I’m very happy to go back to the US. I obviously raced there in January at Daytona, and then I went to Barber in Alabama a few weeks ago for the Indycar test. Now, I’m going to another circuit – one of my favourite ones, Austin – for the last time in Formula 1 in the US.

    I’m ready to enjoy the magic atmosphere there. For me, it’s always very nice to race in front of the American fans. Hopefully we can get back into the points that we need for the constructors’ championship, to help the team and to give us a boost in motivation.

    We had a good race in Singapore a few weeks ago, but we weren’t in the points in the last two races, so in Austin we want to change that. It’s going to be a fun weekend and I’m also looking forward to seeing a lot of friends there.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “I’m really looking forward to heading back to the US. I’m a big fan and have been spending more and more time there recently. Austin is a really cool city and every year I spend time with the team exploring and trying out cool restaurants. You can’t go to Austin and not have Texan barbecue!

    I also really like the COTA track. It has a great mix of corners and is fun to drive. The fans too are really enthusiastic and we seem to have bigger and noisier crowds every year we go there.

    It’s tricky to make predictions, but this track will hopefully be a bit more favourable to our car. The last couple of races have been difficult for us but we hope that in Austin we’ll be able to show a bit more performance.”

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “The first time I went to the USA was a long time ago for a karting race at Las Vegas, where I finished third. More recently, I have come to Austin as a third driver for Red Bull Racing but I’ve never driven the track there, so this will be my first time. It looks like a really technical track and most drivers reckon it’s one of the best of the year. I’m looking forward to my first race weekend there. Last year, I would have been racing in Austin, but it clashed with the final round of the Super Formula Championship at Suzuka in Japan. I had a chance of winning that, but the race was cancelled because of the bad weather: so it wasn’t the best weekend for me… We saw in qualifying in Japan that our car has made a good step forward and our pace was good in the race, so we have made real progress and I hope that continues in the United States and Mexico.”

Brendon Hartley - “It's one year on since I made my Formula 1 debut in the United States GP. I’m very excited to be going back to Austin because it’s a city I love and a track I enjoy. We go there off the back of a really positive qualifying performance in Japan, which showed we have clearly made some steps forward and I think we will be aiming for another good qualifying performance, this time with some points on Sunday. The anniversary of one year in Formula 1 is a small milestone and it marks the first time this season that we come to a track that I have already driven in a Formula 1 car.

    As for the circuit itself, for a new track it has a lot of character, with plenty of undulation, a very quick first section which has some similarities with the “snake” in Japan. I’ll never forget driving a Formula 1 car for the first time, going through that section and having my neck almost ripped off from left to right! It’s one of the most impressive sectors on the F1 calendar. The whole track has a very bumpy surface and it’s very technical.”

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US GP: Circuit Preview

US GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW

Name: Circuit of the Americas (COTA)
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Opened: October 21st, 2012
Length: 3.427 Miles
Capacity: 120,000
Runs: Anti-Clockwise
Turns: 20
Race Laps: 56

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton 
1st Place: Lewis Hamilton
2nd Place: Sebastian Vettel
3rd Place: Kimi Raikkonen
Retirements: Nico Hulkenberg (Engine), Pascal Wehrlein (Collision Damage), Daniel Ricciardo (Engine) & Fernando Alonso (Engine)

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US GP: Track Schedule

US GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

October 18th / Thursday

11:00 - 12:00 - Press Conference
17:45 - 19:15 - Pit-Lane Walk/Truck Tour (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

October 19th / Friday

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1
12:00 - 13:00 - Press Conference
12:30 - 13:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2 
17:20 - 17:50 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

October 20th / Saturday

10:00 - 10:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
10:00 - 11:00 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
10:15 - 10:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice
12:15 - 12:25 - ESPN Hot Lap - High Speed
13:00 - 14:00 - Free Practice #3
14:20 - 15:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
14:45 - 15:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
14:45 - 15:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane
16:00 - 17:00 - Qualifying
17:00 - 18:00 - Press Conference
18:10 - 18:40 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

October 21st / Sunday

11:00 - 12:00 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
11:25 - 11:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
11:30 - 12:00 - Drivers Track Parade
12:00 - 12:20 - Starting Grid Presentation
12:45 - 12:50 - Sky Diving Display 
12:54 - 12:56 - National Anthem
12:58 - 12:59 - Helicopter Fly Past (TBC)
13:10 - 15:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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Kvyat Confirmed At Toro Rosso For 2019

TORO ROSSO CONFIRMS DANIIL KVYAT FOR 2019

    Daniil Kvyat will return to Formula 1 in 2019 after taking a year away from the championship.

    The Russian racer will replace Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso as the Frenchman moves up to the Red Bull senior team.

    It will be Kvyat’s third spell at Toro Rosso, having made his debut for the team in 2014 before moving up to Red Bull. He returned to the junior squad in early 2016 and spent a difficult two years with the team before being demoted again at the end of last year.

    Although he was signed as Ferrari’s development driver for 2018, he has been feed up to race with his former team once again next season.

    “I would like to thank Red Bull and Toro Rosso for giving me this opportunity to race in Formula 1 again and I am particularly pleased to be returning to a team I know very well,” Kvyat said.

    “Toro Rosso has always made me feel at home and I’m sure it will be the same next season.

    I would also like to thank Ferrari for trusting my driving skills which allowed me to stay connected to F1 as their development driver. Even if my duties were primarily simulator based I’ve learned a lot and I now feel stronger and better prepared than when I left Toro Rosso.

    I never gave up the hope of racing again. I am still young and I have kept in good shape to always be prepared in case another opportunity presented itself. I will give my best to deliver what the team expects from me and I can’t wait for everything to start again.”

    Kvyat enjoyed a strong start to his F1 career, picking up points in his first two races and finishing 15th in the overall championship in 2014.

    At Red Bull, he picked up two podium finishes, including a second place in Hungary, but struggled to continue his strong results after returning to Toro Rosso.

    Team boss Franz Tost believes the Russian has matured in his time away from the race seat and will be ready to replace Gasly.

    “I believe [Kvyat] deserves another chance in Formula 1,” he said. “Daniil is a high skilled driver with fantastic natural speed, which he has prven several times in his career.

    There were some difficult situations he had to face in the past, but I’m convinced that having had the time to mature as a person away from the races will help him show his undeniable capabilities on track. We’ll push very hard to prove him with a good package, and I feel the best is yet to come from 
his side.

    That’s why we are happy to welcome him back to our team, to start a successful season together.”

     Toro Rosso is yet to confirm who will race alongside Kvyat at the team, with Esteban Ocon on the shortlist for the seat.

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Haas Retains Grosjean & Magnussen For 2019

HAAS CONFIRMS ROMAIN GROSJEAN AND KEVIN MAGNUSSEN FOR 2019

    Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will remain at Haas for the 2019 Formula 1 championship.

    The American team will retain the same driver pairing for the third consecutive year and is the seventh team to confirm its line-up for the upcoming season.

    Team boss Guenther Steiner believes the driver consistency will help the team continue to develop as it heads into its fourth season in F1.

    “From the very beginning, we needed experienced drievrs to hasten the development of our car and our team, and we have two very good and experienced drievrs in Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen,” he said.

    “We’ve improved drastically from last year to this year, so retaining both drivers was a pretty easy decision.

    I think the 100-point barrier should be and will be broken, and we’ll do it with Romain and Kevin. Both drivers push each other to be better and their collective feedback allows us to be better.

    It’s not a coincidence that in their second year as team-mates Haas F1 Team is having its best year. By keeping Romain and Kevin together we aim to do even better next year.”

    Haas has regularly been best of the rest so far this season, with Magnussen lying seventh in the drivers’ championship behind the Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes drivers. Grosjean, who endured a string of retirements early in the season, lies 14th overall, while Haas is currently fifth in the teams’ championship.

    “It’s impressive to see what this team has accomplished in such a relatively short time, and for someone who has been here since the very beginning, I take a lot of pride in the time, effort and sacrifice we’ve all put forth to make Haas F2 team so competitive,” Grosjean said.

    “I’m very happy to continue with Haas F1 team and represent Haas Automation and all our partners. Gene Haas has built something very special – something we can make even better – and it’s an honour to be a part of it.”

    Magnussen added: “I’ve never been in a better situation than the one I’m in here at Haas. This is a team filled with racers and we’re all striving for the same thing.

    There’s no bureaucracy and everything is straightforward. Gene Haas is all about efficiency and he and Guenther Steiner have created a very efficient environment that gets the best from its people.

    We all believe in each other and that’s why we’ve achieved as much as we have.”

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Sauber Confirms Giovinazzi

SAUBER CONFIRMS ANTONIO GIOVINAZZI FOR 2019

    Antonio Giovinazzi will run alongside Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber for the 2019 Formula 1 championship, the team has confirmed.

    The current Ferrari third driver will make the step up to a full time seat after making a handful of appearances for the team last year.

    Giovinazzi made his F1 debut as a replacement for the injured Pascal Wehrlein in 2017. He took a 12th place finish in the opening race of the season before retiring in Bahrain.

    Since then he’s run in free practice one for Haas and Sauber, and competed in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with AF Corse.

    “This is a dream come true and it is a great pleasure to have the chance to race for this team,” said Giovinazzi.

    “As an Italian, it is a huge honour for me to represent a brand as iconic and successful as Afa Romeo in our sport.

    I would like to thank the Scuderia Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for giving me this great opportunity. I am very motivated and cannot wait to start working towards achieving great results together.”

    Giovinazzi has enjoyed a strong junior career up until this point. He finished second in the 2015 European Formula 3 championship, behind Felix Rosenqvist, and on the Masters of Formula 3 race the same year. From there he progressed to GP2, where he again finished second, this time behind Red Bull backed Pierre Gasly.

    Despite having now spent two years without a full time seat, Sauber team boss Frederic Vasseur is confident Giovinazzi will continue his success next season.

    “Together with Alfa Romeo, we are delighted to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi, who will take the place of Charles Leclerc,” he said.

    “We have already had the opportunity to work with him in the past and he has proven to have great potential. We are very determined and motivated. Our target is to continue progressing and fighting together for positions that count.”

    He added that Kimi Raikkonen, who has already been confirmed, will be crucial to helping develop the team.

    Marcus Ericsson, who has raced with Sauber since 2015, will continue as a reserve driver for the team.

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Japanese GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

JAPANESE GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton took his fourth consecutive victory in the Japanese Grand Prix after title rival Sebastian Vettel collided with Max Verstappen.

    Vettel had already made life difficult for himself after a number of mistakes in qualifying put him eighth on the grid. The Ferrari driver made quick work of the mid-field, managing to climb up to fifth behind the battling Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen.

    A lock up from Verstappen allowed Raikkonen to pull alongside, but he wasn’t about to let the Ferrari through. Verstappen pushed Raikkonen wide as he retired to the track and the Finn ran onto the grass, allowing Vettel to move up to fourth.

    The move earned Verstappen a five second penalty for not returning to the track safely. But Vettel opted not to wit for the Red Bull to take the penalty, trying to take P3 on track.

    He tried to dive up the inside of Verstappen, but the pair made contact and Vettel was sent into a spin. He was able to continue, but dropped to the back of the field.

    The Ferrari driver eventually managed to climb back up to sixth but, with Hamilton earning a relatively simple lights-to-flag victory, he left Suzuka  67 points behind the championship leader.

    Despite his penalty, Verstappen was able to challenge Bottas for second in the closing stages of the race. Bottas put up a strong defence to bring home Mercedes’ fourth 1-2 of the season.

    Daniel Ricciardo climbed up from 15th on the grid to take fourth, ahead of Raikkonen and Vettel.

    Racing was paused twice in Japan. The first interlude came when Kevin Magnussen brought out the safety car. The Haas driver had been trying to defend against Charles Leclerc on the start finish straight but moved late and collided with the Sauber.

    The contact damaged Leclerc’s front wing and Magnussen suffered a puncture. He continued around the track to try to make it back to the pits, leaving debris across the circuit.

    While the pair pitted, the safety car was brought out so marshals could clear the debris.

    Despite the early stop, Leclerc was enjoying a strong come back, battling with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. But his race came to an early end when he ran into the gravel at the second degner. He rejoined the track but was moving slowly and the Suber soon pulled to the side of the track, prompting a virtual safety car.

    Perez eventually finished best of the rest in P6 while a problem with the back of Hulkenberg’s Renault took him out of the race.

    Romain Grosjean took seventh, with Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz rounding out the top 10.

    Pierre Gasly finished 11th, ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Brendon Hartley.

    After clashing multiple times, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both handed penalties. Alonso came home 14th, ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne, Sergey Sirotkin, and Stroll.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points

3. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 15 Points

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 12 Points

5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 8 Points

7. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / + 6 Points

8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 4 Points

9. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / + 2 Points

10. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / + 1 Point

11. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

12. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

13. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

14. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

15. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

16. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

17. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

RETIRED - Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / Mechanical

RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / Engine

RETIRED - Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / Collision Damage

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