Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Valtteri Bottas topped the second session of the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, ahead of the Red Bull duo.

    Bottas put himself first with a 1:37.236, while Max Verstappen, who topped FP1, was second with a 1:37.280.

    Daniel Ricciardo was third, followed by Lewis Hamilton who came fourth with a 1:37.443, just ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who completed the top 5.

    Charles Leclerc, who sat out FP1 as Giovinazzi took over the car, finished this session in 15th with a 1:38.831. Team-mate and soon-to-be Indycar driver, Ericsson, finished in 17th with a 1:39.502.

    Sirotkin, who is without a seat in 2019, was back as well after Robert Kubica took over his seat in FP1. The young Russian driver finished the session in 20th with a 1:40.935. Team-mate, Stroll, was only one place ahead in 19th with a 1:40.046.

    Vettel, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Magnussen and Ocon were the other drivers in the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Valtteri Bottas - 1:37.236 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
2. Max Verstappen - 1:37.280 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:37.428 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.443 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:37.461 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
6. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.569 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
7. Romain Grosjean - 1:38.060 / Haas-Ferrari / France
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:38.230 / Renault-Renault / Germany
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:38.318 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
10. Esteban Ocon - 1:38.402 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
11. Pierre Gasly - 1:38.506 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
12. Carlos Sainz - 1:38.511 / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.725 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
14. Sergio Perez - 1:38.806 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
15. Charles Leclerc - 1:38.831 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:38.957 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.502 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:39.938 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
19. Lance Stroll - 1:40.046 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
20. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:40.935 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

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GP3 - Abu Dhabi - Qualifying - RESULTS

GP3 - ABU DHABI - QUALIFYING - RESULTS

1. Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia

2. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy

3. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France

4. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

5. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

6. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany

7. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

8. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA

9. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland

10. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA

11. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

12. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

13. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

14. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

15. Jehan Daruvala / MP Motorsport / India*

16. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France

17. Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico

18. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France

19. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

20. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia

* - Notes Daruvala joins MP Motorsport for the rounds of Abu Dhabi 

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Max Verstappen led the first free practice session of the last F1 weekend of 2018.

    The Dutch driver set a 1:38.491, to go ahead of team-mate, Ricciardo, who was close behind with a 1:38.945. 

    Valtteri Bottas was next in the order with a 1:39.452, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon, who completed the top 5 with a 1:40.102.

    Robert Kubica, who has been confirmed to drive for Williams full-time in 2019, was a participant in this session, filling in for Sergey Sirotkin, who has been left without a seat for next year. The Polish driver was last on the time-sheets with a 1:42.992.

    Antonio Giovinazzi, who also has a full-time seat next year with Sauber, got to drive for them in this session as well, in place of Ferrari-bound, Charles Leclerc. Giovinazzi's fastest time was 1:41.662, placing him in 16th.

    Fernando Alonso was presented with special livery for the weekend, as he prepares to leave Formula 1 for other motorsport options. He finished in 19th with a 1:42.313. Stoffel Vandoorne, who is also leaving McLaren and Formula 1, to race in Formula E, finished one space ahead of Alonso, in 18th with a 1:42.114.

    Marcus Ericsson, who will stay with Sauber as their 3rd driver, had a crash during the session near Turn 1. He hit the barriers but managed not to do too much damage to the car, as he was able to drive away and get back to the pits. He finished the session in 17th with a 1:41.928.

TIMES:

1. Max Verstappen - 1:38.491 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.945 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.452 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.543 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

5. Esteban Ocon - 1:40.102 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

6. Kevin Magnussen - 1:40.235 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.417 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Sebastian Vettel - 1:40.453 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

9. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.588 / Renault-Renault / Spain

10. Romain Grosjean - 1:40.663 / Haas-Ferrari / France

11. Pierre Gasly - 1:40.671 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.023 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Sergio Perez - 1:41.075 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

14. Brendon Hartley - 1:41.137 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

15. Lance Stroll - 1:41.493 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

16. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:41.662 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.928 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:42.114 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

19. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.313 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

20. Robert Kubica - 1:42.992 / Williams-Mercedes / Poland*

* - Notes drivers are participating in FP1 only

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Formula 2 - Abu Dhabi - Free Practice - TIMES

FORMULA 2 - ABU DHABI - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. George Russell - 1:51.720 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

2. Antonio Fuoco - 1:51.884 / Charouz Racing System / Italy

3. Luca Ghiotto - 1:52.315 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

4. Nirei Fukuzumi - 1:52.323 / BWT Arden / Japan

5. Nyck de Vries - 1:52.386 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands

6. Roberto Merhi - 1:52.395 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain

7. Louis Deletraz - 1:52.518 / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

8. Lando Norris - 1:52.611 / Carlin / Great Britain

9 Alexander Albon - 1:52.655 / DAMS / Thailand

10. Artem Markelov - 1:52.940 / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia

11. Jack Aitken - 1:53.012 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

12. Sergio Sette Camara - 1:53.037 / Carlin / Brazil

13. Alessio Lorandi - 1:53.216 / Trident / Italy

14. Tadasuke Makino - 1:53.360 / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

15. Sean Gelael - 1:53.398 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

16. Arjun Maini - 1:53.483 / Trident / India

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:53.507 / DAMS / Canada

18. Niko Kari - 1:53.605 / MP Motorsport / Finland

19. Dorian Boccolacci - 1:53.875 / MP Motorsport / France

20. Daniel Ticktum - 1:54.317 / BWT Arden / Great Britain*

* - Notes Ticktum is replacing Gunther for the rounds of Abu Dhabi

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GP3 - Abu Dhabi - Free Practice - TIMES

GP3 - ABU DHABI - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Giuliano Alesi - 1:55.676 / Trident / France

2. David Beckmann - 1:56.568 / Trident / Germany

3. Gabriel Aubry - 1:56.568 / Arden International / France

4. Jehan Daruvala - 1:56.589 / MP Motorsport / India*

5. Joey Mawson - 1:56.655 / Arden International / Australia

6. Sacha Fenestraz - 1:57.053 / Arden International / France

7. Leonardo Pulcini - 1:57.116 / Campos Racing / Italy

8. Anthoine Hubert - 1:57.170 / ART Grand Prix / France

9. Devlin DeFrancesco - 1:57.170 / MP Motorsport / Canada

10. Richard Verschoor - 1:57.259 / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

11. Ryan Tveter - 1:57.277 / Trident / USA

12. Jake Hughes - 1:57.311 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

13. Nikita Mazepin - 1:57.393 / ART Grand Prix / Russia

14. Juan Manuel Correa - 1:57.453 / Jenzer Motorsport / USA

15. Diego Menchaca - 1:57.579 / Campos Racing / Mexico

16. Simo Laaksonen - 1:57.588 / Campos Racing / Finland

17. Pedro Piquet - 1:57.727 / Trident / Brazil

18. Tatiana Calderon - 1:57.826 / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

19. Callum Ilott  - 1:57.847 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

20. Jannes Fittje - 1:58.579 / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

* - Notes Daruvala joins MP Motorsport for the rounds of Abu Dhabi 

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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Abu Dhabi has always been a pretty good track for me and I enjoy going there. I’m yet to get an Abu Dhabi podium, but that would be a pretty awesome way to end my stint with Red Bull and to end the season. Having a twilight race is always cool, the weather is good, so there’s not much not to like about the place. I love the third sector, it’s my favourite part of the track for sure, through the hotel and all that is good fun. Abu Dhabi marks the end of five years with the team and 10 years with Red Bull itself. I’m sure it’s going to be emotional afterwards, especially when I cross the line for the last time with the team. But I’m going there guns a-blazing, showing a lot of love. Hopefully the love shows me back and I can spray some fake champagne on Sunday, which would be a fitting farewell.”

Max Verstappen - “Apart from being the last race of the year, Abu Dhabi is always a special one due to the atmosphere. The crowds are big and noisy, and being a sunset race adds to the unique feeling. After a busy few races I think everyone looks forward to getting to Abu Dhabi. The nice weather and a more relaxed feel in the paddock means everyone is smiling. The track itself is fun to drive, passing the yachts in the final sector has a similar feel to Monaco, but it's not as tight. There are some long straights that do not really play to our strong points but we will try to make up for this in the twisty sectors. Once the race is done the team can relax a bit, and have some well-earned downtime. We of course have testing shortly after but I will definitely try to chill out and get some sun on the Monday. Before we know it, we’ll be testing and working hard towards 2019 throughout the winter, which is very exciting.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - “Abu Dhabi has been the scene of the season finale for the last couple of years and it’s definitely a good venue to round off the year. There’s a lot at stake for the team in the constructors’ championship. Last year it went down to the wire and, while this season we have more of a points cushion. We go there knowing there’s a job to do and anything can happen.”

Carlos Sainz - “I’m definitely looking forward to Abu Dhabi as it will be an interesting finale. We would like a bit more performance from the car for the last race and I know the team is working hard to get back into the points there. Hopefully it will be a good last race for the team and I can end this spell on a really bright note.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

    Sergio Perez - “Abu Dhabi will be the closing chapter of a very unusual year for both me and the team. It was probably the most complicated season of my career, having to deal with so many things happening inside and outside the cockpit. The final race of the year is the opportunity to look back at the work we have done in the last twelve months and I am proud and grateful to everyone working back at the factory, in the garage, and in the hospitality. This team never stops fighting; we never stop working and now we are looking at a very promising future. I am really happy to be part of this family and I am already looking forward to 2019.

    I enjoy the Abu Dhabi race. You drive into the sunset and when all the lights come on it looks really cool. It’s a track that is very hard on the brakes, with a lot of emphasis on traction out of some slow corners. You need a very stable car at the rear to make the most of those braking areas. There are some unusual corner combinations that are interesting in the car and there are overtaking chances at the end of both long straights, so you often find yourself either attacking or defending, especially towards the end of the race.

    It’s a track where we have been competitive for the last few years and I would love to end the season with a strong result. I am still aiming for seventh place in the drivers’ championship. I know it is going to be hard, but on Sunday anything can happen and I want to be ready if the chance is there. The team is also aiming for sixth place in the constructors’ so we need to deliver a perfect weekend.

    After the race and next week’s test it’s finally going to be time for some holidays. I am looking forward to enjoying my family, time with my wife and my baby, and seeing my friends before work starts for next season.”

Esteban Ocon - “It’s always a bittersweet feeling when you get to the end of the season, but the main motivation is to finish on a high, especially when there is so much at stake in the championship. The last couple of races have been very disappointing, but there’s still one last chance to score a good result before the end of the year.

    Abu Dhabi is always good fun. We travel there when it’s getting cold in Europe so it feels a bit like you’re going on a holiday. It’s a wonderful paddock too – one of the best – and I always feel very relaxed there.

    I have a lot of good memories from Abu Dhabi: it’s the place where I first drove during a Formula One weekend and I was crowned GP3 champion there. The start of that race in 2015 was incredible – I knew I had to take the title right there on lap one and I did it."

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “The most difficult thing in Abu Dhabi are the conditions between FP1 and FP2. You only actually have one session that is representative of the race and qualifying, and that’s FP2. FP1 and FP3 are warm, therefore you have an hour-and-a-half to determine the best set-up. It’s always about compromise and finding the best set-up to go faster. You just have to find where you can find the lap time. That’s the key. You’re never going to be perfect in every corner, but you can try to be as good as you can over the lap.

    I won there in GT1 (in 2010 with Matech Competition). That was my first ever GT World Championship start, and the first race with that team, and we won. It was a pretty good moment taking the win and leading the championship.

    (In 2018) there’s been a lot of improvement within the team, a lot of progress made. It’s not finished either. There’ll be more in the future. Whatever the outcome in Abu Dhabi, we can be proud of our season.”

Kevin Magnussen - “Yas Marina’s a pretty good track. Obviously, the challenge is that you’re racing in the night but practising during the day. The track is hugely different between qualifying and then the race, when it’s dark. It’s a low-speed track, so it can be difficult to get energy into the tyres. Hopefully, we can do better than last year when we struggled a little bit with tyres.

    It’s a very glamorous race to go to as a spectator. It’s obviously a race that goes into the night, which makes it more spectacular. It’s the finale of the season, so it’s always a special race no matter where that is, but I think Abu Dhabi does a good job hosting it.

    In terms of the race, it’s not too bad. Setting up your car, working on the set-up over the weekend, it’s difficult because all the sessions are in different temperatures. What you get in FP1 is never what you get in FP2. It’s never comparable, and it’s the same with FP3 in relation to qualifying. It’s a challenging event in terms of building up your weekend.”

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “We are off to the last Grand Prix of the year – the last race for me in this stint in Formula One. It will be a special weekend, and I aim to finish it on a high. We have had some good results recently, and our form is strong. The car is competitive, and we will push to bring home some more points. I look forward to this season finale very much.”

Charles Leclerc - “I am looking forward to going to Abu Dhabi. I know the circut and enjoy driving there. It is the last race of the season, and the ambience is always great. I also like the city very much – it is one of my favourite destinations on the calendar. The track is quite technical, and hopefully we will be as competitive as we have been in the past few races.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - “I think it is a good race to end the season, as we drive into the night, which is cool. It is quite spectacular what they have done with the place, and it is certainly unique. The circuit itself wouldn't be my favourite as it is very stop and go and doesn't have a great flow to it, but, despite that, the show is good for the fans. From a driver's point of view, driving at day or night doesn't make any difference as for us it is just pedal to the metal.”

Sergey Sirotkin - “I have very good memories of Abu Dhabi, as it was my debut test with Williams last year. The track is challenging and requires good tyre management throughout the lap with a very demanding sector three. The lap has a combination of mid and low-speed corners, with not so many high-speed corners, which is a shame for me. Sector three is difficult and is trickier than it looks. Overall, I am really looking forward to returning to Abu Dhabi, it is a great race for the season to end with.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “Abu Dhabi will certainly be very emotional race for me, as it will be the end of a long and happy 17 years in Formula 1. The time has come for me to move on, but I’m looking forward to ending the season – and my F1 career – on a positive note.

    I’m also pleased that my relationship with McLaren will continue with the Indy 500, and there will be more new challenges together. There are very exciting things ahead, and I’m enthusiastic for what the future will bring. For now, I’m not ruling anything out.

    I’m fully focused on this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and making the most of every day – in the car, with the team, and with my friends and family. Abu Dhabi is a tough circuit, but we don’t have anything to lose, so both Stoffel and I will be fighting hard as always.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “I’m heading to Abu Dhabi with mixed emotions. Although I’ve spent two years as a Formula 1 driver with McLaren, I’ve been with the team for five years and call many of them my friends. I’ve built a great relationship with McLaren and it’s been a significant part of my life. My final Grand Prix as a McLaren driver on Sunday will be sentimental, but also the right time to say goodbye to this chapter in my career.

    I want to leave Abu Dhabi on a high, so we’ll be putting everything we can into maximizing our weekend and getting the most out of it. I have great memories from Abu Dhabi in my junior career, and it’s a really cool atmosphere as you race from day into night.

    I’m excited for the next challenge – which begins in only a few weeks – but I also want to enjoy every moment in the car and with the team this weekend for the final time.”

RED BULL TORO ROSSO

Pierre Gasly - “It will be a special weekend, my last one racing with Toro Rosso, so Sunday will be emotional as we tackle our last race together. But I think that once you have been part of this team, you are always a member of the Toro Rosso family. I’ve really appreciated our time together and I hope we can end on a high note in Abu Dhabi. I plan to give it my very best shot, especially as it’s on a track that I really like.

    I’ve always gone well here, with two poles and a win in GP2 and it was at this track that I clinched the GP2 championship title. So I like the track and it’s always a special feeling when you are racing in the dark. Also, the fact that it’s the last race of the year means there’s a great mood in the paddock, everyone’s a bit excited and buzzing. It’s a really great atmosphere and once it’s over you realise the season has ended. As for the track itself, it provides some challenges, especially in the final sector, which is very technical with many changes of direction where you need to get into a good rhythm. So the circuit has two distinct characters, with the first two sectors featuring long straights and high speed long turns. But it’s that final technical part I like best and it’s where a driver can make a difference. I hope the weekend will be good for us, it would be a great way to say bye bye to everyone.”

Brendon Hartley - “It’s the last race of the season and I’m approaching it in a positive frame of mind. I have had a strong end to the season, performing well in the last few races, even when the car wasn’t quick enough to score big points. I’m happy with my relative performance and my improvement throughout the season. So I’m looking forward to having a good weekend and finishing the year on a high. Abu Dhabi is an interesting track, with a street circuit feel to it, especially in the final part, where the track goes under the hotel. It’s very flat with not a lot of camber or undulation and overtaking can be tricky. Tyre management is critical here, even in qualifying when it’s very hard to keep the rears under control in the final sector. We struggled with that in Brazil and we need to work on understanding why. However, with the latest spec Honda PU, we can be confident that a good Qualifying is possible.”

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Abu Dhabi GP: Circuit Preview

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW

Name: Yas Marina Circuit
Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Opened: October, 2009
Length: 3.451 Miles
Capacity: 60,000
Runs: Anti-Clockwise
Turns: 21
Race Laps: 55

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Valtteri Bottas
1st Place: Valtteri Bottas
2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton
3rd Place: Sebastian Vettel
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Hydraulics) & Carlos Sainz (Wheel)

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Abu Dhabi GP: Track Schedule

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

November 22nd / Thursday

11:00 - 16:15 - Pit-Lane Wall (Public) (Valid for Thursday Grandstand Ticket Holders only)
15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference
18:30 - 20:00 - Pit-Lane Walk/Truck Your (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

November 23rd / Friday

13:00 - 14:30 - Free Practice #1
15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference
15:45 - 16:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
17:00 - 18:30 - Free Practice #2
19:45 - 20:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

November 24th / Saturday

10:30 - 11:50 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
11:15 - 11:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice
14:00 - 15:00 - Free Practice #3
15:10 - 16:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
15:25 - 15:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
16:15 - 16:35 - Aerobatic Display (Al Fursan) (TBC)
17:00 - 18:00 - Qualifying
18:00 - 19:00 - Press Conference
19:00 - 20:00 - Fernando Alonso Celebratory BBQ
20:00 - 20:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
21:40 - 23:40 - Pirelli Formula 1 Team Cycle Even

November 25th / Sunday

15:05 - 16:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
15:08 - 15:13 - Fastest Lap & Pit-Stop Of The Year Award
15:13 - 15:15 - 2018 Pirelli Pole Position Award
15:15 - 15:20 - End Of The Year F1 Drivers Photograph
15:25 - 15:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
15:30 - 16:00 - Drivers Track Parade
15:35 - 16:05 - Starting Grid Presentation
16:54 - 16:55 - National Anthem
16:55 - 16:56 - Etihad Fly Past & Aerobatic Display (Al Fursan) (TBC)
17:10 - 19:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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George Russell Confirmed At Williams For 2019

WILLIAMS CONFIRMS GEORGE RUSSELL FOR 2019 SEASON

     Mercedes junior George Russell will make the step up to Formula 1 after signing a multi-year deal with Williams.

    Russell will make his debut for the squad at the 2019 Australian grand Prix, and is the first driver to be confirmed for Williams’ 2019 line-up.

    The 20-year-old looks set to join F1 as Formula 2 champion. Having taken the GP3 crown last year, He leads the F2 championship by 37 points with only two races remaining.

     “It is a huge honour to join a team of Williams’ prestige and heritage,” Russell said.

     “Formula 1 has been a life-long dream. From watching the races when I was a child, it feels surreal that I will not be lining up on the grid, alongside drivers whom I have admired for years.

     I would like to thank Claire and everyone at Williams for their faith in making this decision, as well as Toto [Wolff] and the team at Mercedes for their fantastic support throughout GP3 and Formula 2. I am incredibly excited to start working with everyone at Grove and to take my first steps as a Formula 1 race driver.

     I cannot wait for Melbourne next year and to join Williams at the start of an exciting new journey.”

     Russell, who spent the year as Mercedes reserve driver, has already tested in modern F1 machinery, running with Force India and Mercedes over the past two season.

     Unlike fellow F2 graduate Lando Norris, Russell is yet to make any Free Practice 1 appearances this year, preferring to focus on the F2 title.

    Williams has endured a difficult 2018 and currently lies bottom of the championship standings. The team hopes to change its fortunes with Russell on board next season.

    “We have already tried to promote and develop young talent and Williams, and George fits that ethos perfectly,” said deputy team principal Claire Williams.

    “He is already highly regarded in the paddock and a driver whose career we have been watching for a while.

     In the time we have spent with him so far, we believe that he will be a great fit for our team; his commitment, passion and dedication is exactly what we need to drive the positive momentum building at Grove as we focus on our future.

     We are extremely excited to welcome George and work with him moving forward.”

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Brazilian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BRAZILIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton claimed his 10th win of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen collided with a backmarker and span out of the lead.

    Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen joined the five-time champion on the podium, though Verstappen made an early exit to confront Esteban Ocon, who cost him the victory.

    Hamilton had maintained his pole position advantage in the first half of the race while Verstappen quickly recovered from a relatively poor qualifying to move up to P3, behind Valtteri Bottas.

    He snatched second from the Mercedes on lap 10, passing Bottas at turn one, the same place he’d made moves on both Ferraris earlier in the race.

    Verstappen inherited the lead when Hamilton came in for fresh tyres nine laps. At first, it looked like he may be able to build enough of a gap to the Mercedes to earn a free pit stop, but Hamilton began to reel Verstappen in towards the end of the Red Bull’s 36-lap opening stint.

    Hamilton reclaimed the lead when Verstappen came in for fresh tyres but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. On much younger, softer tyres, Verstappen was able to blast past the Mercedes on the start-finish straight 31 laps before the chequered flag.

    Cautious of engine problems, Hamilton opted not to fight back, and it looked like a clear run for Verstappen to take his first back-to-back victory.

    The hard work was undone on lap 44, however, when Force India’s Esteban Ocon tried to unlap himself. Ocon made a move up the inside of Verstappen and collided with the Red Bull, sending both cars into a spin and allowing Hamilton to come back through to take P1.

    Verstappen was able to recover and managed to close the gap to Hamilton but ran out of laps before he could make a move.

    Hamilton’s victory sealed the constructors’ championship for Mercedes, who are now 87 points ahead of Ferrari.

    The Ferrari duo were running fourth and fifth, behind Bottas, when Sebastian Vettel was ordered to let his faster team-mate past. Raikkonen came through and quickly made the move on Bottas in the closing stages of the race, taking his third consecutive podium.

    The recovering Daniel Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Bottas and Vettel.

    Charles Leclerc was best of the rest in P7, ahead of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10.

    Brendon Hartley took 11th after his team-mate was ordered to let him past. He and Pierre Gasly were running nose to tail, with Renault’s Carlos Sainz close behind. Gasly held up his team-mate for a number of laps the engineers tried to reverse the order, but eventually let Hartley through. Unfortunately for the Red Bull-bound Toro Rosso driver, Sainz also managed to gain a position and Gasly dropped back to P13.

    After his spin, Ocon came home P14, ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne, and Sergey Sirotkin.

    Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were the final finishers, with Nico Hulkenberg ordered to stop with overheating issues, and Marcus Ericsson retiring early after losing bodywork throughout the first part of the race.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 18 Points
3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 12 Points
5. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 10 Points
6. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 8 Points
7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / + 6 Points
8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 4 Points
9. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 2 Points
10. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / + 1 Point
11. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
12. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
14. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
15. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
16. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
17. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain
18. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / Overheated 
RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Collision Damage

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Brazilian GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BRAZILIAN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton secured Pole Position, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel after an intense Q3 battle, while Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon were handed 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. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

6. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

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

10. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

11. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia*

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

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

14. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

15. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

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

17. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

18. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France**

19. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

20. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

* - (Ricciardo) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for engine component change

** - (Ocon) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for unscheduled gearbox change

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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