Spanish GP: Circuit Preview

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to: www.ticketsgpbarcelona.com)

Alright, time for the 2014 Circuit Preview of the Spanish GP!

What was once called the Circuit De Catalunya is now called the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya and is located in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The circuit opened in 1991 and has 16 turns. This race has a total of 66 laps and the circuit runs Clockwise.

The circuit is 2.892 Miles in length and jas a capacity of around 140,700 - This is one of the circuits that has the most round shapes in the layout.

Now, let's go ahead and take a look back at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.

Things looked good for Nico Rosberg who snagged Pole Position for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team on Saturday, but unfortunately he wasn't even able to make the podium that following Sunday. Instead it was a double Ferrari Podium with Alonso winning the race and his then team-mate, Felipe Massa coming in 3rd. Kimi Raikkonen who was driving for Lotus-Renault, finished in Second.

Retirements during the race were: Jean-Eric Vergne with Collision Damage, Romain Grosjean with Suspension issues and Giedo Van Der Garde with wheel problems.

Fastest lap of the race went to rookie, Esteban Gutierrez in the Sauber.

This year will hopefully bring just as many fans to the circuit!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Spanish GP: Schedule

Alright, we're heading into the 5th GP week of the 2014 F1 season and the next race will be held in Spain, so here is the schedule! Remember, the times are local times for Barcelona, Spain. If you'd like the times converted to your local location, just let me know!

SCHEDULE:

May 8th - Thursday

10:00 - 12:00 - Pit Lane Walk (For 3-Day Ticket Holders)
15:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)
16:00 - 19:00 - Pit Lane Walk (For 3-Day Ticket Holders)

May 9th - Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1
12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 10th - Saturday

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit Stop Practice
08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3
13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - Qualifying

May 11th - Sunday

12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:30 - Drivers Track Parade
12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
13:46 - National Anthem
14:00 - Race

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Chinese GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Welcome to the Re-Cap of the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix.

While the weather was unpredictable all weekend, it was a dry race, after a very rainy Qualifying had taken place the day before. Teams had to change plans and strategies because of this.

Although there were no major accidents during this race, the first lap had some major wheel-bumping going on between multiple cars, including: Massa, Ricciardo, Rosberg and Alonso.

Sutil retired within the first few laps due to engine problems, which is unfortunate as Sauber is 1 of many team this year that are yet to score a point.

Lewis Hamilton, who started on pole, led the race pretty much the whole time and went on to win his 3rd Grand Prix in a row, which is absolutely incredible. Rosberg finished second. The year is definitely showing Mercedes dominance. It's nice to see the team doing so well and we're only 4 races in.

Felipe Massa had bad luck, when during a pit stop, the pit crew messed up when putting on the rear tyres. They had accidently switched the left and the right and had to re-do them. By the time he left the pit lane, he was all the way back in 20th position. Meanwhile, his former team-mate, Fernando Alonso finished on the podium, in Third for Ferrari.

The Force India boys didn't have any problems and both finished again, in the points. Great driving from both Perez and Hulkenberg. Force India is one of the strongest teams this year and it's great to see them up at the top.

Another disappointing race for Romain Grosjean who was unable to finish the race with a gearbox problem, but shockingly, his team-mate Pastor Maldonado did finish the race after having multiple incidents over the weekend in practice and not being able to even qualify.

At the end, the chequered flag was waved nearly 2 laps early, but Mercedes told Hamilton to keep driving, as the race was not over. However, the standings were recorded when the flag was waved and they count. Kobayashi made a pass on Jules Bianchi after which does not count due to the rules stating when the flag is waved early, the standings will not count any pass after the waving of the chequered flag.

Overall, it was a good, solid race. Here are the results

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany
3. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia
5. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany
6. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany
7. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland
8. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland
9. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico
10. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia
11. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain
12. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France
13. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark
14. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela
15. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil
16. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico
17. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France
18. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan
19. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain
20. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden
21. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France / Retired - Gearbox
22. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / Retired - Engine

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Chinese GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Welcome to the Re-Cap of 2014 Qualifying of the Chinese GP Weekend! It was rainy and cloudy, but action-packed and amazing as always!

For those of you who are new to Qualifying or F1 in general, I will go over the rules and how it works. Qualifying is divided into three different sessions that all take place over the span of about an hour or so. Session 1 (Or Q1 as we call it!) all 22 drivers go out (Unless they have car issues, of course.) and try to set the fastest times that they can and have 18 minutes to do it. The 6 slowest cars get knocked out and start on grid where their times place them. The fastest 16 move on to Q2.

Same rules in Q2 except that there is 15 minutes. 6 slowest knocked out and start where their times place them. Last 10 cars move on to Q3 and have 12 minutes to see who can go quick enough to get pole. Their final times line them up and make the complete Grid.

So, this time around, in Q1, not fast enough and knocked out were: Max Chilton & Jules Bianchi (Marussia), Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson (Caterham) and Esteban Gutierres (Sauber) - Pastor Maldonado did not even start the session, so he also did not move on to Q2 and will have to get permission from the Stewards to even start the race.

Knocked out in Q2 was: Sergio Perez (Force India), Kevin Magnussen & Jenson Button (McLaren), Adrian Sutil (Sauber), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

After Q3 took place and the grid was complete, here's how it looks for tomorrow, although I might come back and have to edit this if there's any grid penalties. Maldonado does hoever have a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty, but since he didn't Qualify at all, that puts him at the back anyways.. I'm hoping his Penalty carries over to the next GP Weekend. 

RESULTS:

1. (Pole Position) - Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain - 1:53.860
2. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia - 1:54.455
3. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany - 1:54.960 
4. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany - 1:55.143
5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain - 1:55.637
6. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil - 1:56.147
7. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland - 1:56.282
8. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany - 1:56.366
9. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France - 1:56.773
10. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France - 1:57.079
11. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland - 1:56.860
12. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain - 1:56.963
13. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - 1:57.289
14. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany - 1:57.393
15. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark - 1:57.675
16. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico - 1:58.264
17. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico - 1:58.988
18. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan - 1:59.260
19. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France - 1:59.326
20. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden - 2:00.646
21. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain - 2:00.865
DID NOT QUALIFY - Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela - NO TIME SET

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Chinese GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

Time for a Re-Cap of Free Practice #3 - It was wet and rainy during the session and there were some problems for the drivers. 

Lots of people still struggling with locking up and running off the track at certain turns. Some drivers even opted not to set a time, including: Rosberg, Hamilton, Alonso and Magnussen. Pastor Maldonado was told to stop his car during the session. When he asked what had happened, he got no quick response. 

Daniel Ricciardo climbed to take the top time of the session, with Massa and Grosjean also showing pace and shining during the hour. Force India also looked good and staed within the top 10 as did the Williams drivers. And with that said, here's the times!

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:53.958 / Redbull
2. Felipe Massa - 1:54.492 / Williams
3. Romain Grosjean - 1:54.514 / Lotus
4. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:55.032 / Force India
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:55.062 / Ferrari
6. Pastor Maldonado - 1:55.228 / Lotus
7. Daniil Kvyat - 1:55.235 / Toro Rosso
8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:55.381 / Williams
9. Jenson Button - 1:55.673 / McLaren
10. Sergio Perez - 1:56.019 / Force India
11. Sebastian Vettel - 1:56.233 / Redbull
12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:56.380 / Toro Rosso
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:56.760 / Sauber
14. Max Chilton - 1:56.841 / Marussia
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:57.468 / Sauber
16. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:57.812 / Caterham
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:57.976 / Marussia
18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:59.507 / Caterham
19. Nico Rosberg - NO TIME SET / Mercedes
20. Kevin Magnussen - NO TIME SET / McLaren
21. Fernando Alonso - NO TIME SET / Ferrari
22. Lewis Hamilton - NO TIME SET / Mercedes

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Chinese GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

Alright, time for a quick Re-Cap of Free Practice #2! First of all, thanks to all who joined me on Twitter tonight for my commentary coverage & Thanks for your questions. I'll be back again tomorrow for coverage of Free Practice 3!

Also wanted to note that Bottas and Sutil were in this session after Nasr and Van Der Garde did Free Practice #1!

So, let's start with Maldonado, who crashed the Lotus into the wall as he was heading for the pits. He radioed in, saying, "I crashed - Sorry" - Everyone knows the first step is admitting you did something wrong. (Bad joke!)

Mercedes were keeping good pace with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest time of the session, although Alonso was close in Second, after he'd put in fastest time for Session #1. Redbull is also improving with both cars in the top 5 times. Force India was doing some long-runs, so no need to read too much into their times as they were focusing on balance and performance. We know they're fast!

An issue that's being noticed is that with the colder weather, the drivers are having an issue getting (and keeping) the tyres warm. Makes you wonder what'll happen next year when the Tyre Warmer ban is put in place. Yikes. So, with that said, we're seeing a lot of spinning and running off of the track, due to lack of grip. Another issue this weekend seems to be the brakes locking up. Not sure if this is weather related or not, but looking into it!

Now, on to the times!

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.315 / Mercedes
2. Fernando Alonso - 1:38.456 / Ferrari
3. Nico Rosberg - 1:38.726 / Mercedes
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.811 / Redbull
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.015 / Redbull
6. Felipe Massa - 1:39.118 / Williams
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.283 / Ferrari
8. Jenson Button - 1:39.491 / McLaren
9. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.537 / Lotus
10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.648 / Toro Ross
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.736 / Force India
12: Kevin Magnussen - 1:39.744 / McLaren
13. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:39.759 / Toro Rosso
14. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.830 / Williams
15. Sergio Perez - 1:40.124 / Force India
16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:40.359 / Sauber
17. Adrian Sutil - 1:40.395 / Sauber
18. Pastor Maldonado - 1:40.455 / Lotus
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:42.327 / Marussia
20. Max Chilton - 1:43.473 / Marussia
21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:43.530 / Caterham
22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:43.679 / Caterham

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Chinese GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

We're about an hour away from Free Practice 2 at Shanghai International Circuit, so it's time for a Re-Cap of what happened earlier in Free Practice 1. As always, I'm doing LIVE COMMENTARY COVERAGE on my Twitter @F1Insider78 - So make sure to join in for FP2!

The session started out with a very cloudy and overcast appearance, along with cold temperatures. Cold temperatures make it hard to get heat into the tyres and we saw some drivers struggling with that in the Session. I must note that Giedo Van Der Garde took over for Adrian Sutil for the session while Felipe Nasr took over for Bottas. Although there wasn't any Red Flags, we did see quite a few drivers going off into the gravel and/or spinning the car. It started with Maldonado, who spun out, and while he was emerging back out onto the circuit, he spun again. Kvyat also spun into the gravel, but luckily recovered.

Kimi Raikkonen was one of the few who were unable to get out there during the session, with his Ferrari having more than 1 issue. Another driver who was out of the session for 40 minutes was Esteban Gutierrez, who had his Chassis replaced after Bahrain, but was now facing Clutch issues. He did however get to do a few laps at the end of the session. As for Sergio Perez, he was having problems with the rear brakes locking up, early in the session and by the end of it, he ended up with DRS and Technical issues, which had him heading back into the pits. The car should be ready by Free Practice 2. 

Lewis Hamilton also had an unlucky later half of the session, when he headed back into his garage and they covered it up. Supposedly they had the whole floor of the car off and are still working on it. His team-mate, was having troubles with his brakes locking up as well.

All-In-All, not a very action-packed session, but we'll probably see more laps being completed in FP2. Fastest of the Session was Fernando Alonso, while ironically, his team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen did not even set a time.

Here is the full list of times:

TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:39.783 / Ferrari
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:40.181 / Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.772 / Redbull
4. Jenson Button - 1:40.970 / McLaren
5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.175 / Force India
6. Kevin Magnussen - 1:41.366 / McLaren
7. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:41.505 / Toro Rosso
8. Lewis Hamilton - 1:41.560 / Mercedes
9. Sebastian Vettel - 1:41.629 / Redbull
10. Felipe Massa - 1:41.699 / Williams
11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:41.977 / Toro Rosso
12. Romain Grosjean - 1:42.090 / Lotus
13. Felipe Nasr - 1:42.265 / Williams
14. Giedo Van Der Garde - 1:42.615 / Sauber
15. Sergio Perez - 1:42.733 / Force India 
16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:43.731 / Lotus
17. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:44.038 / Caterham
18. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:44.162 / Sauber
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:44.270 / Marussia
20. Max Chilton - 1:44.782 / Marussia
21. Marcus Ericssson - 1:44.836 / Caterham
22. Kimi Raikkonen - NO TIME SET / Ferrari

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Next quotes are from the drivers of the Marussia F1 Team!

Max Chilton - “There has literally been no let-up over the past couple of months and here we are again, heading off to the next race in China, just a few days after returning from Bahrain. I really enjoyed my first taste of the Shanghai International Circuit last year; it’s a nice challenge and the weather often throws up a few opportunities, particularly in the race. I left Bahrain on a real high and I hope we can enjoy a similarly strong race this weekend and maintain what feels like a bit of an advantage over our nearest competitors at the moment.”

Jules Bianchi - “I am hoping all my bad luck is behind me now and that China will mark a turning point for a better rest of the season. If we look at the positives, there have been good signs that we have been able to raise our performance level and have a few interesting battles in the races; I hope we can enjoy a few more in Shanghai this weekend. The test ran smoothly in Bahrain last week and I think this will help us with our preparations this week as we are finding out lots of new things about the package and getting strong all the time. I like the track and I am looking forward to the final long haul race before we get back to Europe.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.  

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Next quotes are from Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team!

Nico Rosberg - “Even though the last race was a bit disappointing from my perspective in terms of the result, it's been great to see all the positive comments that came afterwards. We've demonstrated already that we're pushing harder than ever to stay ahead of the pack. It will only get more difficult as the season goes on but I've got confidence in the team. Every day and in every area you can see that determination to win. This gives you a big boost as a driver: to know the people around you want it just as badly as you do. I've got good memories from China after taking my first pole position and race win in Formula One at this circuit in 2012. The layout seems to suit my driving style, it's a track I enjoy racing at and I want to be back on that top step of the podium this weekend. The Chinese fans are great too: really enthusiastic. It's nice to see how much they like our sport and how they cheer us on during the race weekend. It's a very different culture and getting to know it is always fun, so hopefully we can keep them as entertained on track as they do off it!”

Lewis Hamilton - “It's been good to have a bit of a break after such a long stint away but I'm already looking forward to getting back in the car. The last race in Bahrain was fantastic: not just for us as a team but for the sport and I'm sure it won't be the last time we see a great show this year. I'm in a really good place at the moment and walking around the garage too, you can see the positive energy within the team right now. Everyone is focused on getting the maximum from these early races and continuing to build beyond the strong start we've made to the season. I've had some ups and downs in China. On one side I've only finished outside of the podium places twice at this circuit. On the other, in my first season in Formula One I threw away a championship lead here by going into the gravel coming into the pits. Generally, though, I'm getting stronger every time I come to this track and it suits my driving style quite well. The aim, as always, is to win and if I could make it three in a row this weekend that would be incredible.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.  

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

 Next quotes come from the McLaren-Mercedes F1 Team!

Jenson Button - “After a disappointing race in Bahrain, I think we head to China with a bit of a point to prove - we need to get some points on the board, and get another race under our belts that demonstrates the pace that we feel this year’s car has. That won’t necessarily be straightforward - Bahrain showed that, the top two cars aside, the racing this year is fast, fraught and very evenly matched. The margins are so slim that it’ll require us to get everything right: a focused practice, problem-free qualifying sessions and a clean race to try and establish ourselves at the forefront of that chasing pack. But I’ve always enjoyed racing in China - I won here in 2010, and I’ve always had good results here for McLaren. While it’s not necessarily a track that perfectly suits our package, I think we can pull everything together and have a stronger weekend.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I came away from the last race feeling like I didn’t get the maximum from either myself or the car, so the couple of days’ testing in Bahrain, and my preparations for this race, will hopefully allow me to rediscover my comfort zone with MP4-29. I’m looking forward to this race - it’s a track I’ve only seen on the TV, but it looks to have a real variety of corners. The first turn looks like a real challenge, but, most interestingly, I think we’ve going to see some spectacular speeds, and a lot of overtaking along the back straight, which is one of the longest in Formula 1. The first three races have seen different cars and drivers emerge as the closest challengers to the Mercedes drivers. I still think it’s a bit early to be able to see a competitive order emerge among all the teams battling for points, but our aim this weekend will be to try and consolidate our position at the forefront of that chasing pack.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Redbull

Next preview quotes are from Redbull.

Sebastian Vettel -"The Grand Prix in China is still something special for me, because I won my first race there with Red Bull Racing in 2009. Due to its size, the circuit is unique. The wide stretches mean there are many possible places and opportunities to overtake. Also, the large run-off areas ensure the highest standard of safety. Even the usually narrow pit complex offers plenty of space in Shanghai. As far as the city of Shanghai goes, if I have time to go into the city I like to go to the Bund."

Daniel Ricciardo - "Shanghai is a very open, very wide circuit but it does flow nicely and the middle sector is a lot of fun. The back straight provides a good overtaking opportunity into the hairpin but it is quite long; I always think back to when I came here as a kid in Formula BMW – massive hair and lots of enthusiasm – and trust me, then, it was the sort of straight where I’d have definitely been reaching for a book if I’d had one! It’s a bit different driving it in an F1 car. The circuit has a decent mix of low- and high-speed corners and one of the key things is to have a set-up that gives you good traction out of the two tight ‘snail’ corners."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

These quotes come from the drivers of the Sauber F1 Team! Good to hear Esteban is recovered and will be racing in China!

Adrian Sutil - "I am positive about the next race in China. The Shanghai International Circuit is interesting. It is not my favourite track, but I still like driving there. The layout is special in comparison to the other ones. It consists of some fast corners, which get tighter towards the end of the corner. Besides that, the track has a long straight which is the longest on the race calendar. On this track a good balance for the car and a lot of grip on the front axle is needed. I believe the layout should be a good fit for the C33. I am positive about the weekend. We have to look forward, and every future race will move us furthermore up to the front. Shanghai is an interesting city, which is very modern and growing all the time. The city has a lot to offer, such as restaurants and also some spectacular buildings. I would like to visit the Great Wall of China, but so far I have not had the time.

Esteban Gutierrez -"I have nice memories of Shanghai from last year. It was probably one of the best race starts in my Formula 1 career. I had a tough qualifying, but after the start and during the opening laps, I was able to overtake a lot of cars. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the race. Regarding the track, I really like it, especially the entry into Turn 1. Looking back to the last three races, my performance will help me to get the maximum out of the car, in both, qualifying and the race. With the updates on the car, I hope we can increase our level of competition so we can achieve better results. Talking about China, it is an interesting place to visit. I will travel to Shanghai early to adapt to the time difference and climate, and I will use this time to learn about the Chinese culture."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Chinese GP: Circuit Preview

Welcome to my Circuit Preview for Round #4 of the 2014 F1 Season!
Today we look at China's circuit. The Shanghai International Circuit, located in Jiading, Shanghai, China. The Circuit opened in 2004 and runs Clockwise. It has a total of 16 laps and is 3.387 Miles in length. It has a capacity of 200,000 and the crowd will watch the drivers complete a total of 56 eyebrow-raising laps.

Let's take a bit of a look-back at the 2013 Chinese GP.
Pole-Sitter for the start of the race was Lewis Hamilton, who did not actually end up winning the race. Fastest lap belonged to Sebastian Vettel, but he not win the race either. The winner was Fernando Alonso and second place went to the Fin, Kimi Raikkonen, while third was secured by Lewis Hamilton

Retirements of the race included: Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Mark Webber and Esteban Gutierrez.

Force India has proved itself last week in Bahrain and I believe they will do another fantastic job in China. Mercedes will also do well and probably Williams. It'll definitely be a stunning race and I can't wait!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.  No Copyright Infringement Intended.
(Photo Credit belongs to: oknation.net
I do not own the photo.)

In-Season Test #1 - Bahrain / Day 2 Re-Cap

         The first set of In-Season testing is now done and complete and I have a quick Re-Cap of Day #2, along with the times from the end of the session.

        The session started off with Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso stopping on the circuit, causing the first Red Flag of the session. After his car was taken back to the garages, the session continued and Mercedes began racking up the laps with Lewis behind the wheel. 

           Red Flag #2 was right before lunch and was caused when Kevin Magnussen spun out into the gravel, although there was no injury to the driver, the car had to be returned to the garages and then it was time for the Lunch Break, with Hamilton being the fastest of the Morning Session.

     After lunch, the Afternoon Session began and it was only a bit before Red Flag #3 happened and this time, it was Romain Grosjean, in the Lotus, who stopped. While their car was returned to the garages, it was also something to note that Ferrari had to retire from the Test Session early do to a damaged Chassis, which they did not want to further damage.

       The last Red Flag, which made #4 for the day, happened when Marcus Ericsson's Caterham stopped and began smoking. Although there was no fire, it was definitely time to return to the garages and that's where the Caterham was taken.

   Lewis Hamilton ended the Afternoon Session at the top of the time sheets as well, and now, here is the full Time Results.

TIMES: 

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.136 / Mercedes
2. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:35.557 / Toro Rosso
3. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.203 / McLaren
4. Sergio Perez - 1:36.586 / Force India
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:37.310 / Redbull
6. Jules Bianchi - 1:37.316 / Marussia
7. Giedo Van Der Garde - 1:37.623 / Sauber
8. Fernando Alonso - 1:37.912 / Ferrari
9. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.263 / Caterham
10. Felipe Nasr - 1:39.879 / Williams
11. Romain Grosjean - 1:43.732 / Lotus

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

In-Season Test #1 - Bahrain / Day 1 Re-Cap

The first in-season test got underway yesterday and while some teams such as Mercedes and Force India had great results, other teams were having some problems.

Lotus had 2 power unit failures, while Fernando Alonso stopped on the circuit only a few minutes into the session. Young Russian, Sergey Sirotkin, although saying they made good process, he said his shoes were too tight and causing him pain during breaking. 

The second day of testing is currently underway, so lets go ahead and get to the times from Day 1.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:35.697 / Mercedes
2. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.064 / Force India
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.626 / Ferari
4. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.634 / McLaren
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:37.305 / Williams
6. Max Chilton - 1:37.678 / Marussia
7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.326 / Redbull
8. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:39.023 / Sauber
9. Robin Frijns - 1:40.027 / Caterham
10. Pastor Maldonado - 1:40.183 / Lotus
11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:40.452 / Toro Rosso

I know I stated yesterday that Vergne was driving on the first day but he's actually driving today! Kvyat drove yesterday! Sorry for the confusion. 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Bahrain GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Just a quick Re-Cap of Qualifying before I get to the Bahrain GP Race Re-Cap. Boy, it was a good one!

So, for those of you who are new to F1 or just new to how Qualifying works, let me just go over the rules! There are 3 rounds of Qualifying and it takes around an hour. In Q1 (Or Round 1, if you want to call it), all 22 cars go out and see who can go fastest. The 6 slowest cars do not move on to round 2 and will start on the grid, where their times qualify them. Same rules for Q2, six slowest get knocked out and in Round 3, the final 10 will battle it out to see who gets Pole Position (Front of the grid), and who else will start near the front!

Here are the results after all 3 Rounds:

1. (Pole) - Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain
3. v Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia / Recieved 10-Place-Grid-Penalty and demoted to 13th
4. ^ Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland
5. ^ Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico
6. ^ Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland
7. ^ Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain
8. ^ Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil
9. ^ Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark
10. ^ Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain
11. ^ Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany
12. ^ Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany
13. ^ Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia
14. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France
15. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico
16. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France
17. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela 
18. v Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / Demoted 5 placed for forcing Grosjean off track in Q1
19. ^ Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan
20. ^ Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France
21. ^ Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden
22. ^ Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Bahrain GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

    Free Practice 2 sure did bring some drama this time around. Nico Rosberg was given a Reprimand after the session when he pulled a dangerous move infront of Sergio Perez, who was planning for a smooth pass by him, since Rosberg seemed to be coasting, but at Sergio approached, Nico quickly swerved into his path. 

          We also had some drivers gaining air while launching off of the Kerb at Turn 4. Many drivers have expressed their concerns about the kerb at that corner and apparently there are some plans to change it to make it a bit safer.

    Marussia, Lotus & Sauber all had some issues, with Chilton spinning out, Sutil losing power in the car and Maldonado having damage to the floor of the chassis after the kerb-launch caused the car to come back down on to the surface of the circuit, very heavily and abruptly.

      Lets go ahead and get to those times.

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.325 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:34.690 / Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:35.360 / Ferrari
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.433 / Redbull
5. Felipe Massa - 1:35.442 / Williams
6. Jenson Button - 1:35.528 / McLaren
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:35.606 / Redbull
8. Daniil Kvyat - 1:35.640 / Toro Rosso
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:35.662 / McLaren
10. Sergio Perez - 1:35.802 / Force India
11. Valtteri Bottas - 1:35.920 / Williams
12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:35.972 / Toro Rosso
13. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:35.998 / Force India
14. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:36.366 / Ferrari
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:36.962 / Sauber
16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:36.975 / Sauber
17. Pastor Maldonado - 1:37.259 / Lotus
18. Romain Grosjean - 1:37.599 / Lotus
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:37.800 / Marussia
20. Max Chilton - 1:38.247 / Marussia
21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:38.257 / Caterham
22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.136 / Caterham


Free Practice #3 is going on right now and I'm doing Live-Commentary-Coverage on my twitter @F1Insider78 - Come join for all the action and fun, and don't forget to say "Hi.".

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Next quotes come from the Williams F1 Team!

Felipe Massa - "Bahrain will be different from last season, normally it’s a very hot race but it’s not humid like Malaysia, it’s really dry which helps from a driver’s physical point of view. It will be a change this year as it’s a night race so we expect the temperatures to be cooler. We’ve been testing there in the winter so all the teams will have an idea about what set-up to use; we know what we have to focus on and where we can improve as well. Bahrain is a really nice place; I’ve won there twice in the past so I’m looking forward to getting back there."

Valtteri Bottas - "We have had a lot of testing in Bahrain so we have more of an idea about our set-up which makes things easier. Obviously the weather will be different as it will be night, but I think it’s going to be a great sight to see the cars under the lights, so I’m looking forward to that. We didn’t look too bad in testing in Bahrain, so we are looking to the race as a potential for some good points."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Next quotes are from the Lotus F1 team!

Romain Grosjean - "It’s a good track and I’m happy to go back there. I’m especially looking forward to the first night race at a circuit I like. Twice I’ve raced there in Formula One and twice I’ve been on the podium. So that’s a good record! We were not very successful in the pre-season tests, but hopefully there will be some more updates and performance from our side. I’m sure everyone is going to work hard even though there are just a few days before Bahrain. The race finish at Sepang is a big encouragement. No matter what the challenge, we are aiming for podiums and strong performances wherever we go. To make major progress we need more days like Saturday and Sunday in Malaysia, where we learned a lot about the car. There are some encouraging signs. We know we have a lot of work ahead, but we also know which areas to work on. We will try new things in Bahrain and I’m confident the car will be better. We’ve been able to perform well there in the past. With the E20 and E21 we were able to take advantage of the car’s good balance and kindness to tyres. It’s early to say how the E22 will perform, but we head there with a positive frame of mind."

Pastor Maldonado - "Bahrain is a good circuit. We’ve been there in the pre-season and I think all the teams will be happy to return, especially for the weather and the type of track. I would say it is a ‘complete’ circuit because it has a mix of high, medium and low speed turns, plus good sequences of corners. So it’s a good venue to test at, which is exactly what we need to evaluate our new developments. The facilities for the teams are great as well. I’m here to race so you never want to be sat in the garage when the car should be out on track. I had more than my fair share of unreliability in Malaysia, but every time we expose a problem it means we have something to fix and we take a step forwards. Good reliable laps in the car [in Bahrain] will be the starting point. It’s the first time at night in Bahrain so something new for us all to discover."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.
 

Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

More quotes - These ones are from Caterham!

Kamui Kobayashi - "Next it's back to Bahrain for race three, back at a track we've already spent a couple of weeks at this year in the pre-season test where we managed to build up some pretty good mileage at a time when our reliability was good, something that will be really important this weekend. We also now have something to build on, both in terms of performance and from where we are now, in tenth place in the championship and with targets ahead that we know we can race with. Reliability really is the main focus for Bahrain. We need to have three good practice sessions so we can go into qualifying and the race with an optimised setup giving us the chance to really find out what the real performance level of this car is. On my last day of the test in Bahrain we weren't able to do the final performance run because of a clutch issue, and we really haven't had a chance since then to run the car in full quali spec with optimised setups because of the reliability problems we've had, and the wet quali sessions we had in both Australia and Malaysia. Yes, we performed well in Malaysia for much of the race, but that was with a car that had almost no meaningful setup work done on it and with more still to come from the power unit. It's vital we have a full weekend so we can pick up where we left off in Sepang and continue to improve across all areas of the car's performance. Our ability to develop is what will be crucial this year. Our development program is starting in Bahrain with the first new parts coming from the work we've been doing in the TMG wind tunnel and it'll be good to see how they perform."

Marcus Ericsson - "I left Malaysia feeling pleased that I'd finished my first full race, and excited about what we achieved on Sunday at Sepang. It was tough - even though we'd completed quite a few laps on Friday and Saturday, we still went into the race without an optimised setup due to the issues we had on Friday and the work we had to do overnight to rebuild the car on Saturday and Sunday, so the most important thing in Bahrain is to have a trouble free weekend. Also, the Bahrain circuit characteristics should suit our car better than Sepang so we may be stronger here than in Malaysia, relative to the competition. I obviously know the Bahrain circuit well after the tests and, like Malaysia, that means we can get on with the program right from the first laps in FP1. We have a lot of data that's helping us go to the race with a much clearer idea of where we want to go with setup than we've had in either Australia or Malaysia, but it would also be really helpful if we can have the sort of reliability we had in the second pre-season test - mileage is what will help us unlock the full performance of this year's car, and I know how hard both Renault and our team are working to make sure we can do that."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.