Ericsson & Nasr team up for Sauber 2015

After a tough 2014 season, Sauber is already hard at work preparing for 2015. This includes a completely different driver line-up. First announced was Marcus Ericsson. The young Swede who drove for Caterham in 2014 but parted ways before the end of the season. Caterham became the center of multiple financial and legal issues, forcing the team to withdrawal from Austin and Brazil. Marcus has already gotten a taste of driving in the Swiss team's car during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. 

Their second driver for 2015 will be Felipe Nasr. Felipe, who competed in GP2 for Carlin in 2014 and was a reserve for Williams Martini Racing, will get to make his F1 racing this year. Felipe finished 3rd in the GP2 Drivers Championship.  While this is good news for the two young drivers, it leaves question as to what the future hold for Adrian Sutil and Giedo Van Der Garde. The 2 were part of Sauber's 2014 line-up, along with young driver Esteban Gutierrez, who now serves as Ferrari's Reserve driver. 

Completing Sauber's line-up is Italian driver, Raffaele Marciello, who will be their Reserve driver for the 2015 season. The Swiss team will be eager to get back into the groove of things with Pre-Season testing starting in just a few days.

---- Article Written By: Amy Hawk / No Copyright Infringement Intended / Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 

 

Austrian GP: Schedule

We're headed into the Austrian GP F1 Week and here is the schedule. Times are for Spielberg Local, if you need them converted, let us know.

SCHEDULE:

June 19th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

15:05 - 18:00 - Pit Lane Walk (3-Day Ticket Holders Only.)

June 20th / 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

June 21st / 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

June 22nd / 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 Start

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

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

Thanks to all who joined me during my live commentary coverage of Free Practice 1 of the Monaco GP Weekend. For those who didn't get a chance to watch/listen or read the coverage of FP1 - Here's the Re-Cap plus all the times from the session!

With the session started and clouds already rolling about in the sky of Monaco, it was no clue rain would be expected. Although it didn't rain during the session, it did start afterwards. Hoping for a dry FP2!

Chilton was the reason for the first Yellow Flags when he had a spin. After the car was recovered, the session continued. It was a battle for fastest time between Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with Redbull driver, Daniel Ricciardo trying to edge in-between them.

Kevin Magnussen was having a great lap until he had to slow down when he nearly drove into the back of Sergio Perez's Force India

Sutil crashed into the Barriers near Mirabeau, causing another Yellow Flag moment for the session, thus ending his FP1 along with Chilton who had his ended with that spin. Sutil's team mate, Esteban made a quick turn into the escape path near the chicane, not long after and then his car locked up and stopped. Luckily, the session was over and all 3 cars should be fine by FP2.

With only a minute or so left, Alonso also hair a nerve raising moment when he ran wide near the same part of Mirabeau where Sutil crashed.

No major damage done and no one hurt, so overall, not a bad session! Now, onto the times.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:18.271 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:18.303 / Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:18.506 / Red Bull
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:18.930 / Ferrari
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:19.043 / Red Bull
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:19.467 / Ferrari
7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:19.494 / Williams
8. Sergio Perez - 1:19.666 / Force India
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:19.789 / McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:19.856 / Force India
11. Jenson Button - 1:20.033 / McLaren
12. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:20.118 / Sauber
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:20.207 / Lotus
14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:20.241 / Lotus
15. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:20.260 / Toro Rosso
16. Felipe Massa - 1:20.517 / Williams
17. Adrian Sutil - 1:20.736 / Sauber
18. Daniil Kvyat - 1:20.914 / Toro Rosso
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:21.310 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:22.063 / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:22.492 / Caterham
22. Max Chilton - 1:25.817 / Marussia

Remember to follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 for LIVE COMMENTARY coverage of Free Practice 2, starting in about 45 minutes!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

More quotes and these ones are from Williams!

Felipe Massa - “I love Monaco. I live there so it's great to be able to go home and see the family and sleep in my own bed after each day in the car. I am luckier than most as this happens at two races for me (Monaco and Brazil). The track is amazing and steeped in history. We will need good stability for the circuit as it's so tight and traction is more important than top speed. The slow corners are very slow, but the track demands a lot of focus. The barriers are close, and it takes time getting use to driving right up against them, sometimes you can even touch them and still do a good lap. Monaco is a special place, there are no tracks like it on the calendar and that makes us enjoy it even more.”

Valtteri Bottas - 

“Qualifying in Monaco is the most important of the season as the design of the circuit makes it very hard to overtake in the race. Strategy is also important in the race as you want to make sure that no time or positions are lost during the pit stop, it will be hard to make those positions up. There is no room for mistakes in Monaco as the barriers will punish you. I am really confident driving there now that I have experience and so am looking forward to the race. It's also the closest thing I will have to a home Grand Prix as I live in Monaco, it will be nice to go from home in the morning.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

More quotes and these ones are from McLaren-Mercedes!

Jenson Button - "Obviously, I’ve never driven a turbocharged F1 car around Monaco before - and I’m relishing the opportunity. More than any other 2014 race, I think this event will show us the most pronounced difference between ‘old F1’ and the new formula we have. There’s far less of an aerodynamic influence here - it’s just about bolting as much to the car as possible in a bid to find grip - so I think the engine’s influence will be greater. So, with less significance placed on aerodynamics, I hope we can enjoy a better race than our two previous outings in China and Spain. Monaco is such a special case - in every respect - I just hope we can string together a good weekend: we’ll need to get the absolute maximum from the car in qualifying and on the first lap to be in with a chance to put up a fair showing. I’m up for the challenge, and the whole team is doing a great job of staying strong and working flat-out to bring updates to every race - and Monaco is no exception.”

Kevin Magnussen - 

“It’s strange to come away from a Grand Prix having finished 12th and feel satisfied with my performance. But the Barcelona weekend taught me quite a lot about managing and setting my expectations, and, more importantly, it gave me the best opportunity so far this year to really get to grips with the MP4-29. And, had I not had that quali problem, I’m certain I’d have scored points. 

I’m happier with the car, not just in terms of my own driving, but also with the way I work with my engineers to set it up. We haven’t totally cracked it, but things are going in the right direction. My [World Series] race in Monaco last year was a bit of a missed opportunity - I didn’t hook it all together and ended up finishing only fourth - so, more than anything, I want to have a clean and constructive race this weekend. We don’t have the pace in the car to challenge at the front, but, wherever I am, I’m determined to make a fight of it.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Next quotes are from the Caterham F1 Team!

Kamui Kobayashi - "Next it's Monaco, one of the most famous races in the world. I like the challenge of the circuit, I think every driver does, but there is so much going on all over Monaco for the whole week it's pretty intense. Sometimes you just need to focus on your job but that's almost impossible while the race week is on, so I like to do the best work I can for the team on track. Monaco's also one of the shortest tracks of the year, and because it's not a really high speed circuit it's one where the gap to the cars ahead is always less. That's obviously good for us as one of the smaller teams as it means we have a better chance to do something special and I think it would be a fair reward for us to have something to celebrate after a couple of tough last races. I know that everyone in the team is working even harder than ever to fight back from where we are right now – the amount of hard work and effort that's always put in is one of the things that most impresses me about our team whenever I'm on track or at the factory, and it's about time our luck changed. Even though we only tested for one day in Spain, we still achieved a lot there. We were doing more aero evaluations of the new parts we took to Barcelona and were also looking closely at why we couldn't get the tyres working over the whole weekend in Spain. The good news is that the tests allowed us to assess alternative setups that pointed to a very clear direction for future development so we can overcome the problems we had in Spain. I also want to thank the whole team for working even harder than ever to prepare the cars for Monaco after what was a pretty big accident I had at the end of day one - now we'll take everything we have to Monaco and aim for a much better weekend there."

Marcus Ericsson - 

"As a rookie Monaco is obviously one of the races you're most excited about, and I'm no different! I obviously have a lot of experience of racing there in GP2, I finished on the podium in 2012 with iSport, but racing F1 cars around Monaco is one of the things I've dreamed about ever since I first wanted to be in F1, and I can't wait to get started. It's also going to be a very special race for all Swedish fans as it's 40 years since Ronnie Peterson won in Monaco in 1974. It's a huge honour for me to be another Swedish F1 driver following in his footsteps, especially as he and I come from the same part of Sweden, and while I know we won't be competing for a win like he was, I want to do the best job I can to pay homage to him and his legacy. I've obviously been asked a lot about what Senna meant to me over the last few weeks, but I always say it's Ronnie that really inspired me, obviously not because I saw him race, but because where I'm from in Sweden, Kumla, Ronnie is the number one hero. We have a couple of very cool things planned to celebrate his memory over the race week and I'm sure it'll be emotional for the people who are in the paddock today who remember him. If I can give them something to cheer for, that would be pretty cool for them and our whole team. In GP2 the race week is obviously very different to F1 for the drivers, but I know that the one of the main things is to switch off all the distractions whenever I'm in the car and focus on doing the best job I can on track. I have a few events going on over the week, and I'm sure they'll be good, but really it's about giving ourselves the best chance to take advantage of anything that happens on track in quali and the race so that means making every lap count on Friday and Saturday. It's almost inevitable that there will be a higher retirement rate than we've seen in the last couple of races, and that may give us a chance, but we need to be there when it counts and that's what I want to focus on."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Next quotes come from The Force India boys!

Nico Hulkenberg - "It's the event of the year. Your heartbeat goes up when you arrive there and walk over the bridge into the pits. The place looks amazing with the buildings, the scenery and the mountains. Of course the biggest thrill is driving the track because it's so unique and gives you the biggest excitement of the year. In terms of precision it's right up there with Singapore as the toughest race of the year. You never get a break during the lap; you are always working hard because it's corner after corner. Even the straights are really short and it's high-speed for such a narrow track. I particularly enjoy the swimming pool area, which is very quick, and the two right-hand corners before the tunnel. I think it will be a normal track for us. As far as the pecking order is concerned, it's very tight and competitive at the moment so we need to keep working hard and keep developing."

Sergio Perez - "It's a big challenge and I have always believed it's a circuit where ýthe driver can really make a difference. So you always have the chance to do something special there. It's not the most difficult lap of the year, but you have to always keep your concentration. I don't believe that there will be a major surprise and I expect the same teams to be at the front. It's hard to predict how strong we will be, but I hope we can continue our good form."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Next quotes are from the Sauber boys!

Adrian Sutil - "The Monaco Grand Prix is a very nice event every year. I really like the track. For us, the most important aspect will be that our car works well and we can achieve a good performance. My objective is to travel back home with some points in my pocket. Looking back, I have good memories from the races in Monte Carlo as I collected some points almost every year. Last year it was an exciting race for me which I finished in fifth position. It is always a special Grand Prix, and I am looking forward to it."

Esteban Gutierrez - 

"The street circuit in Monaco is a very special track and one of my favourites on the calendar. As the track has many slow speed corners, we need to have a stable car. Our focus will be to get things sorted out and to make sure we are on target. What I like the most in Monte Carlo is driving on the narrow track between the guardrails. It is very challenging as you don't have a lot of space, and for a perfect lap you get very close to the barriers. The closer you get, the more you are pushing to the limit, so using every centimetre of the track. It is very exciting and racing on the streets of Monte Carlo is always a different kind of feeling."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Next quotes from Lotus!

Romain Grosjean - "It's an exciting and glamorous Grand Prix and always a step into the unknown, because it's difficult to predict how well each car will work there. It's a crazy week with all the focus and attention, but everyone loves Monaco. As a driver you have to stay calm and relaxed on a track that doesn't allow for any mistakes. I've been super quick in the past, but also hit the walls! There will be less grip than in the past, so we will have to be careful with the right foot. The emphasis at Monaco is on low speed corners, which is not our greatest strength, but the team worked with Monaco in mind during the Barcelona test. We'll do our best with set-up and of course Monaco is less engine dependent than most circuits, which is better for us. It was nice not only to score points in Barcelona, but also to be fifth on the grid in qualifying - if we can do that again in Monaco it'll be very good for us..."

Pastor Maldonado - "I really love Monaco. I've been very quick in the past and I think it is one of the most special weekends of the year. The car has made a big step forward from where we were, which I think is a great boost for everyone at Enstone and of course as a driver it gives me more confidence in the car so I can aim to achieve better results. If you think about where we were and where we are now it is an incredible step forward – particularly when the other teams are moving forward with their development too. It's a true testament to the team's capabilities and I hope we can start to get the results on track that we so deserve."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by drivers. 

Monaco GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

First preview quotes for the Monaco GP come from Mercedes!

Lewis Hamilton - “It's been a busy few weeks for me, both on track and away from it, but I'm pleased to be getting back to racing again next weekend. And what a place to get back to it! Monaco is just incredible to drive and any driver will tell you that's the race they want to win. So many great names become legends around this circuit. It's an honour to fight for your place amongst them and a real test of your skills behind the wheel. The last few races have been just incredible. I honestly never expected I'd win four consecutive Grands Prix in my career and I'd love to continue that run here. I've had some work to do in terms of getting the car exactly as I want it after the weekend in Spain: it was so close between our cars at the end and I need to keep pushing to find any extra edge I can. The car has been strong at every race so far and I'm sure it'll be the same in Monaco, so we should be set for an entertaining weekend.”

Nico Rosberg - “Monaco: my home town! Obviously, I associate many wonderful memories with this place. It's where I grew up and where I now live as an adult. But in sporting terms too, I have had some great moments there: in particular last year when I won there for the first time in my Formula One career. That was an absolutely incredible feeling. Driving a Formula One car there is simply fantastic and it's an event every driver looks forward to each year. Overall I was quite pleased with the last race weekend in Barcelona. Disappointed, of course, not to have taken the win but happy that the team achieved another one-two finish. The Championship battle is very close and to re-gain the advantage at my home race would be fantastic, so I'll be pushing harder than ever to make that happen. I had a productive day of testing in Barcelona where we made some good progress with braking and starts: two areas that I feel are costing me time at the moment. Hopefully that will give me the extra edge next weekend. It should be an exciting weekend and I can't wait to get started.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by drivers. 

Monaco GP: Circuit Preview

  (I do not own this image. Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk) 

My favourite Grand Prix is almost here, the beautiful and incredible Monaco GP. This street circuit is one of the most popular on the current F1 Calendar. There are many events that are held during the GP weekend including the Amber Lounge Fashion Show and the Charity soccer event. F1 drivers tend to take part in both of those events and also attend multiple parties and media events.

The "Circuit De Monaco" is located in Monte Carlo, Monaco and is a Street Circuit. It opened back in 1929 and the current version of the circuit is 2.075 miles and has 19 turns. As many, this one also runs clockwise. The drivers will do a whopping 78 laps here and it's one of the few circuits where the lap total is over 65.

This is by far, one of the most dangerous circuits as well and one of the only ones with a tunnel. If the tunnel wasn't distracting enough for a driver, when you exit, you're faced with a tight chicane. Many people have crashed at that area, but recently, the safety has become much better. 

Now, let's take a quick look-back at last years Monaco GP!

Nico Rosberg took Pole Position for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team and was the leader for the entire race. Sebastian Vettel came in Second and Mark Webber in Third, making it a double Red Bull podium. 

One of the most exciting moments was a very tight passing battle between Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez. There was a moment they were so close to eachother that Kimi ended up giving Perez no room and the McLaren was scraping the side of the wall. Although there was no crash, it was still a hair-raising moment.

Retirements included: 

Sergio Perez with brake failure, but he still qualified as finishing 16th, as he had completed over 90% of the race. 

Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado & Daniel Ricciardo all had to retire from collisions.

Charles Pic retired with a Gearbox issue and Jules Bianchi retired with a brake problem.

Felipe Massa was forced to retire with a Suspension issue.

So, with everything said, we're probably in for another exciting and head-turning race at Monaco and I'll be bringing you all the updates and commentary for the Free Practice Sessions as well as the Drivers quotes and re-caps of all sessions. 

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Photo credit goes to: www.vr.picparc.co.uk

Monaco GP: Schedule

We're in the middle of May and that means it's time for one of my favourite Grand Prixs! The Grand Prix de Monaco! Monaco has one of the most famed street circuits and I always look forward to this race. 

One thing that is different is that there is no F1 Activities on Friday, where as usually, that's when the first two Free Practice Sessions take place, instead they will take place on Thursday and the drivers press conference will take place on Wednesday. So, here is the full schedule and remember the times are in Local Monaco Time, if you'd like it converted to your time zone, just let me know.

SCHEDULE:

May 21st - Wednesday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 22nd - Thursday

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located In Press Room)

May 23rd - Friday

- No F1 Activities

May 24th - Saturday 

08:00 - 08:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:00 - 08:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3

12:15 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

14:00 - Qualifying

May 25th - Sunday

08:00 - 09:00 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:45 - National Anthem

14:00 - Race

(Times & Schedule subject to change.)

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

In-Season Test #2 - Barcelona - Day 2 Re-Cap & Results

The in-season test at Barcelona is now over and it's time for a re-cap of day 2. I was unable, (once again), to complete commentary as there were technical issues. But - I still have all the time results and it was Lotus who finished fastest yesterday! 

We had multiple red flags with cars stopping again, including Daniil Kvyat, Daniel Juncadella, Susie Wolff and then Esteban Gutierrez's Sauber caught fire at the rear. Mechanics were quick to put the fire out though and no injuries were sustained. 

Overall, the star of the day was Pastor Maldonado. Yep, you read that right. Maldonado ended up getting the Lotus to go fastest overall and held his place at the top of the time-sheets all day. Now, here are the rest of the times.

TIMES:

1. Pastor Maldonado - 1:24.871 / Lotus
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:25.805 / Mercedes
3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:26.480 / Ferrari
4. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:26.972 / Sauber
5. Susie Wolff - 1:27.280 - William
6. Jules Bianchi - 1:27.718 / Marussia
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:27.973 / Redbull
8. Daniel Juncadella - 1:28.278 / Force India
9. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:28.441 / McLaren
10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:28.910 / Toro Rosso 

Caterham did not take part in Day 2, as the Chassis of the car was too damaged due to Kobayashi's crash on Day 1.

I will be posting the Circuit Preview and Schedule for the Monaco GP soon, so look for it in the next day or so!

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended. 

Spanish GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Next quotes are from the Williams F1 Team!

Felipe Massa - "I have won in Barcelona before which is important as it means I can enjoy the race a little more. I know what it takes to win at the circuit so I can have a little confidence when driving there. Downforce is really important in Spain so we have to make sure the aerodynamic set-up is correct. We have been working on developing the car in this area. Barcelona is historically a place where teams bring upgrades, but as every team does this it's a case of whose upgrades make the most difference. I am really looking forward to racing again in Europe."

Valtteri Bottas - 

"As a team we are looking forward to Spain, once we are in Europe it's easier to bring upgrades out over a race weekend. The time gap between China and Spain has been really important as we have had time to improve the car, although how much we have moved forward is hard to say until we drive it. We haven't driven in Spain with the current car, which is unusual as in previous years we completed a lot of laps in testing, so we all know the layout well, but will need to work on the set-up."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Quotes made by Drivers.

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: 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.)

Bahrain GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

    The Bahrain GP is now over, and let me just start by saying it was the most thrilling and exciting race of this season so-far. 

       This was a very special race as it was the official 900th Grand Prix of Forumula 1 and it also marked Jenson Button's 250th GP start. With Nico Rosberg on Pole and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton starting beside him, it was a sure thing that Mercedes was going to dominate this Grand Prix and they absolutely did just that. 

    Rosberg spent most of the race leading, but it wasn't long before Hamilton took over and gained 1st Position. It was also a very exciting race for Force India, when Sergio Perez held 3rd for pretty much the entire race and gave Force India their second Podium, the first one being in 2009. For Sergio, it was his first Podium with Force India and his 4th Podium altogether. His last was in Monza in 2012. Sergio's team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg became unlucky when he got trapped by The Williams and Daniel Ricciardo, who passed him on the last few laps. He still managed to finish 5th, bringing Force India into 2nd for the Constructors Championship and 3rd for the drivers Championship. Perez, who was unable to start in Malaysia is now currently in 9th for the drivers Championship.

       It was an unlucky day for McLaren when they faced a double-retirement due to a sort of Clutch failure/issue. Also enduring a double-retirement was Sauber, with Adrian Sutil retiring with damage from a minor incident with Jules Bianchi. Meanwhile, Esteban Gutierrez was unable to continue racing when Pastor Maldonado came speeding into him and flipped his car into the air. The Sauber came crashing down heavily and abruptly. Esteban remained still for a few moments, before he climbed out of the car, unharmed and without assistance. He was sent to a local Hospital for a routine check-up and tests and was released later with no injuries or harm done. However, what Maldonado did was extremely dangerous and he was given a 10-Second-Drive-Through-Penalty, along with a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for China and 3 Penalty points on his Super License. To me, this seems not enough for what he did. I would highly prefer a race ban for Maldonado.

   Other unlucky drivers included Jean-Eric Vergne who had to retire with damage to the car and Marcus Ericsson who had an oil leak. Redbull finished in the top 10, with Ricciardo in 4th, unable to get past the incredibly fast Sergio Perez, while Vettel finished in 6th, unable to pass Sergio's fast team-mate, Hulkenberg. The Williams finished in 7th (Massa) and 8th (Bottas) - Not the ideal race they had in mind, but at least they were able to both finish the race.

  Now, on to the final results from the race!

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain - + 25 Points
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany - + 18 Points
3. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico - + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Redbull / Australia - + 12 Points
5. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany - + 10 Points
6. Sebastian Vettel / Redbull / Germany - + 8 Points
7. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil - + 6 Points
8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland - + 4 Points
9. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain - + 2 Points
10. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland - + 1 Point
11. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - + 0 Points
12. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France - + 0 Points
13. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain - + 0 Points
14. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela - + 0 Points
15. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan - + 0 Points
16. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France - + 0 Points
17. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain - + 0 Points / Finished over 90% Of the race.
18. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark - + 0 Points / RETIRED / Clutch Issue
19. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico - + 0 Points / RETIRED / Accident
20. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden - + 0 Points / RETIRED / Oil Leak
21. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France - + 0 Points / RETIRED / Accident
22. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany - + 0 Points / RETIRED / Accident

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


 

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.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

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

       We're officially into Round 3 of the F1 2014 season and this GP Weekend is taking place in the warm and Sunny, Sakhir, Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit. Free Practicce 1 took place around 24 hours ago and there wasn't too much drama going on. Some drivers were having issues with the rear locking up at certain turns. We also had some new names for the day including: Felipe Nasr taking over for Valtteri Bottas at Williams, Robin Frijns taking over for Kamui Kobayashi at Caterham and Giedo Van Der Garde taking over for Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber! 

    Now, let's go ahead and get right to those times!

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.502 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:37.733 / Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:37.953 /Ferrari
4. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:38.120 / Force India
5. Jenson Button - 1:38.636 / McLaren
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.783 / Ferrari
7. Kevin Magnussen - 1:38.949 / McLaren
8. Daniil Kvyat - 1:39.056 / Toro Rosso
9. Sergio Perez - 1:39.102 / Force India
10. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.389 / Redbull
11. Felipe Massa - 1:39.533 / Williams
12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:39.862 / Toro Rosso
13. Felipe Nasr - 1:40.078 / Williams
14. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.406 / Redbull
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:40.652 / Sauber
16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:40.793 / Lotus
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:40.889 / Marussia
18. Giedo Van Der Garde - 1:40.913 / Sauber
19. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.036 / Lotus
20. Max Chilton - 1:41.794 / Marussia
21. Robin Frijns - 1:42.417 / Caterham
22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:42.711 / Caterham

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