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

Free Practice 2 got underway yesterday and luckily the weather was once again dry and clear. However, I have word that it's currently raining at Silverstone just ahead of FP3.

As for the second practice session, we saw many drivers struggle with engine problems, including Marcus Ericsson and Lewis Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas's engine cover actually came loose and started to flap off, while Vergne's front left tyre's nut popped off while he was on a lap, and he had to end the session early as did the others listed above.

Overall, it was still another good run for Mercedes AMG Petronas as they topped the times again. Force India started to struggle getting the steering right for the session, as the wind was really becoming an issue. 

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.508 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:34.736 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:35:224 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.511 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:35.627 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:36.016 / Williams-Mercedes

7. Jenson Button - 1:36.228 / McLaren-Mercedes

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.299 / McLaren-Mercedes

9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:36.554 / Ferrari-Ferrari

10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:36.583 / Toro Rosso-Renault

11. Felipe Massa - 1:36.671 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:36.778 / Toro Rosso-Renault

13. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:36.951 / Sauber-Ferrari

14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:37.064 / Lotus-Renault

15. Romain Grosjean - 1:37.097 / Lotus-Renault

16. Sergio Perez - 1:37.236 / Force India-Mercedes

17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:37.449 / Force India-Mercedes

18. Adrian Sutil - 1:37.520 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Jules Bianchi - 1:38.658 / Marussia-Ferrari

20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:39.068 / Caterham-Renault

21. Max Chilton - 1:39.224 / Marussia-Ferrari

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:39.762 / Caterham-Renault

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Ferrari

Preview Quotes - Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - “I think Silverstone is a very challenging circuit, very demanding with its high-speed corners and the whole track is tough on the car and for the driver too. There’s a great sense of tradition here, so all the drivers want to do well at this event in front of the English fans. Not only are they very passionate about the sport, they also know their Formula One.”

Kimi Raikkonen - “Silverstone is a track with a great tradition and on top of that, the fans are very knowledgeable and they are happy to support you whatever team you drive for. The track has changed a bit in recent years, but I like it a lot, as all the very fast corners make it very challenging. It often rains, which means it can all become a lottery, but it’s the same for everyone. All I can say is that, as usual, we will be trying our best.”

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

Thanks to all who joined us on Twitter for our live commentary for FP1! We'll be back again for session 2, so make sure you're following us @F1Insider78

The weather was nice and dry for this session but was halted only 30-ish minutes in due to Felipe Massa losing control of the car at Stowe and smashing into the wall. Although unhurt, his session was ended there. He also had a similar incident last year at the same spot.

Susie Wolff who drove in place of Valtteri Bottas for this session was eager to show her talent. But her run was ended after only 4 laps due to a "Oil Pressure" issue. Basically.. The engine was failing. She is not too disappointed as she will get to run again in FP1 for the German GP in a few weeks.

Car troubles also halted Pastor Maldonado who was told to turn his car off after heading down pit-lane. He was pushed back into the garages and never came back out. He was the only driver to not set a time. But Pastor wasn't the only one with car troubles as Robin Frijns who was taking the place of Kamui Kobayashi this session in the Caterham, had issues as well and was in the garage for most of the session. Luckily, the Caterham team got the car up and running with 14 minutes left in the session.

Both Marcus Ericsson and Sebastian Vettel took turns ending up in the grass throughout the session, while Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez had some steering issues. One man who had no troubles was Daniel Juncadella who was in for Nico Hulkenberg. He racked up a huge amount of laps and managed to do fairly well. So, lets get on to the times.

TIME SHEET:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:35.424 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:36.155 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.263 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:36.623 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:36.703 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Sebastian Vettel - 1:36.921 / Red Bull-Renault

7. Jenson Button - 1:36.963 / McLaren-Mercedes

8. Daniil Kvyat - 1:37.175 / Toro Rosso-Renault

9. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:37.227 / Toro Rosso-Renault

10. Kevin Magnussen - 1:37.231 / McLaren-Mercedes

11. Sergio Perez - 1:37.720 / Force India-Mercedes

12. Romain Grosjean - 1:37.910 / Lotus-Renault

13. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:38.056 / Sauber-Ferrari

14. Daniel Juncadella (R) - 1:38.083 / Force India-Mercedes

15. Giedo Van Der Garde (R) - 1:38.328 / Sauber-Ferrari

16. Jules Bianchi - 1:38.917 / Marussia-Ferrari

17. Felipe Massa - 1:39.461 / Williams-Mercedes

18. Max Chilton - 1:39.814 / Marussia-Ferrari

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:40.597 / Caterham-Renault

20. Robin Frijns (R) - 1:42.261 / Caterham-Renault

21. Susie Wolff (R) - 1:44.212 / Williams-Mercedes

22. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus-Renault

(R) = Driver is a reserve and took part in the respective session.

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Preview Quotes - Caterham

Kamui Kobayashi - “The British Grand Prix is our second home race of the season and one everybody likes for many reasons! For the drivers it’s a good challenge as it’s one of the classic circuits, and the fans love it as there are so many F1 supporters in the UK. I am always amazed at how enthusiastic British motorsport fans are and I am excited about seeing them - It’s one of the good ones. On track we’re obviously aiming to pick up from where we were in Austria. I’ve been speaking to the guys at the factory a lot since they returned from Austria and we think that we can start with the good baseline setup on Friday. We’ve had a chance to look in much more detail at the data from Austria and know where we need to go to cut the gap even more and that’s the goal. With the improved reliability we had at the last race, and the nature of the Silverstone circuit, I think it could be a good weekend for us. Whatever happens, I’m sure the fans will enjoy every second, and our aim is to give those in green something to cheer for.”

Marcus Ericsson - “Next it’s my first British Grand Prix as an F1 driver at one of the great circuits of the season, Silverstone. I understand it’s the 50th anniversary of the race this year and there’s obviously so much history about the place - honestly it’ll be an honour to race there in its 50th year and I’m sure it’ll be a special weekend for everyone taking part. I’ve obviously raced at Silverstone many times before.  I was on the podium back in 2011 in GP2 and one of the things that really makes Silverstone stand out is the fans. It’s like Austria was last week, and Germany and a few other races - it’s packed right from Thursday morning until late Sunday night and that makes an amazing atmosphere. The British fans are among the most knowledgeable, passionate fans anywhere, and they absolutely love F1, whatever the weather! For us this is another chance to keep fighting back against our nearest rivals and after we made some progress in Austria we want to pick up where we left off. Silverstone should actually suit the car better than Austria as we’ve been working on improving further the setup that allows us to maximise the aero package, and at a track like Silverstone, where aero performance is crucial, we’re aiming to build on the step forward we made in Austria.”

Robin Frijns (Reserve) - “I’m back in the 2014 car for the first time since Bahrain and excited about getting back in the cockpit and helping us make some progress again, and seeing how the car has developed since early April. I was in our 2010 car a couple of weeks ago at the City Racing event in Kazan, Russia, and that was cool, but the real work is in the current season car in an official session and that’s what Friday morning is all about. The last few races have obviously been pretty tough for the team, but we clearly made some progress in Austria and we think we can do the same again at Silverstone, a track where we should see more from the setups we ran on Saturday and Sunday at the Red Bull Ring. Hopefully the weather will be good, not something that you can ever guarantee in England, but with us being able to use two sets of tyres in FP1 sunshine will help us get the most out of the session, for me and the whole team.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Preview Quotes - Marussia

Jules Bianchi - “I think this will be a very exciting weekend for the team as we will be racing not only in front of the British fans but also many of the staff from the factory, as well as their friends and families. Of course, this brings a certain pressure, but the car performs well at a high speed circuit like this so I’m sure we can have a good race and achieve a nice reward for the team. I like Silverstone very much. It’s a fast track, so fun to drive, and also there is a lot of history to the circuit. Perhaps the British weather will play a part, which will help to make things even more interesting.”

Max Chilton - “This weekend is naturally one of the big highlights of the season, both for me and the whole team. It’s a fantastic occasion, made all the more special this year by the 50th anniversary celebrations, which I’m sure will be amazing. It’s always a special feeling to race in front of the wider team and of course the British fans, who are so passionate and create that incredible sea of Union Jacks in the grandstands. I can’t wait for the weekend. Silverstone is a great track and I hope we can achieve a really good result there.”

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Preview Quotes - Williams

Felipe Massa - “Silverstone will be a special race, not just because it is the team's home race, but also because I shall celebrate my 200th Grand Prix. British fans are passionate about Formula One and it will be great to see the support for the team. Silverstone is a very quick track and good downforce is needed. I really like the Maggotts-Becketts complex; it's a really fast part of the track and very important to get right. It will be interesting to see if we can maintain the pace we had in Austria, but the main focus will be on getting some good points.”

Valtteri Bottas - “I am really looking forward to Silverstone. It's always a great event and means a lot to us as it's the team's home Grand Prix, so hopefully some of the guys from the factory can come up and support us as well. We are hoping for a good result again, but will have to wait and see how the track suits us. We are aiming to be strong and to build on the momentum we have coming from Austria.”

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Preview Quotes - McLaren

Jenson Button - “The Santander British Grand Prix is one of Formula One’s most important races because so much of our sport has been grown and developed using British technology, passion and determination. For any driver, your home Grand Prix is massively important - but, like Monza and Monaco, Silverstone is special for everyone. The fast corners of the Grand Prix circuit aren’t necessarily going to suit our package, but we’re bringing improvements to the car all the time, and we’re now seeing some really positive correlation between the tunnel and the track, which is encouraging for our ongoing development programme. Finally, and on a personal note, this race is going to be a special one for me because it was always such an important race for my dad. I’ll be wearing a special pink helmet for the race weekend, and I’m hoping people will enter into the spirit of supporting the #pinkforpapa effort to wear something pink on Sunday to honour his memory. He won’t be there this year, but he’ll always be with us in spirit - I hope he brings me some extra luck on Sunday.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I tested at Silverstone last year during the young driver test, so it’s a circuit that I’m already pretty familiar with. It’s a great track, with lots of fast, sweeping turns - really enjoyable, and, with such high-commitment corners, a real challenge to wring the last few tenths from the car. For me, this race weekend will be a particularly important one because it’s the team’s home race - there’s an added pressure to do well in front of your home fans, and the families of many of the people who’ve worked so hard to put our cars on the grid. I know that this race won’t be best suited to our package, but I nevertheless hope we can repay some of their hard work this weekend. Racing at Silverstone is going to be something special for me: it’s a circuit with some of the richest history in Formula One. It’s where the world championship started, it’s a race I grew up watching, and it’s a place where you can still feet a solid connection to the past. It’s an honour to be racing at Silverstone’s 50th Grand Prix this weekend - as a British team, I hope we can do something a bit special to mark the occasion.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - "It's a track I love, one of the best on the calendar, because of all the high speed corners. It is very important to have an excellent aero package here as it is all about those high speed turns. With this year's car it might prove quite tricky as everyone has less downforce to work with. It will be interesting to see how the new type of Formula One cars perform around this circuit. I'm looking forward to this race, because driving a Formula One car at Silverstone is really thrilling. I even lived in Milton Keynes for two years, so I know the area well."

Daniil Kvyat - "I really like this track, with plenty of great sections, like Maggotts and Becketts and Copse. The new section is quite technical. The weather can have an effect of course, especially the wind which can catch you out in the high speed corners. Track conditions, wind, it's England. It's a bit of a home race for me as I have a flat in Milton Keynes, which is where I spend most of my time. I won't stay at home for the race weekend though, as it's better if I can stay closer to the track. It means I won't have to cook my own breakfast and do my own laundry. I enjoy my time there. We will be trying to make the most of any opportunity."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez - "With its fast corners, the track in Silverstone is nice to drive. In terms of the performance, we are quite limited at the moment. I hope the updates will help us to improve the driveability and the overall performance of the car to a certain extent. However, the weather there is tricky, which can provide some opportunities for us. We need to keep ourselves motivated and have to take any chances, as anything can happen during a race. Regarding my accommodation in Silverstone, I will be staying in a motorhome, so it will be a different but enjoyable atmosphere."

Adrian Sutil - "I like the Silverstone track. Many fast corners demand high aerodymic requirements on the car, and a good downforce in order to be fast. It will be interesting to see how we perform there. The weather can also play a major role, as it rains quite often in Silverstone. It is traditionally a nice event as there are many fans at the track and the Brits are generally enthusiastic when it comes to motorsport. Last year I had a good race that I finished in the points."

Giedo Van Der Garde (Reserve) - "The Silverstone track is a nice one. It has an interesting layout with some high speed corners. It has been a while since I was in the far. The last time was at the test in Barcelona almost two months aho. I have to get back into the game, and I am looking forward to jumping in the car again."

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - "Silverstone is definitely one of my favourite races. We had a full house at the last race in Austria and I expect the same at Silverstone. The fans are great and it's a race with so much history. Because it's the home of the team, I can spend a lot of time at the factory seeing the faces that I don't get to see that often. There's always a good feeling about the whole week. All of the drivers enjoy the quick parts of the lap and you have to be committed. When you hook up all the corners in one lap it's a great feeling. It's difficult to know how the harder compounds will impact us, but I hope I can continue my run of points."

Sergio Perez - "Austria was a very strong race for us and an important result. I think we had the pace to fight for a podium, but allowing for the circumstances I think we did a good job. The approach we take is to think about how we can be competitive over a 70 lap race. In the last few events I've done really well, apart from Monaco, where we didn't have the opportunity. We're getting there, but it's just unfortunate that we've been unlucky. I think Silverstone will be a bit more of a challenge compared to the last few races, but I am sure we can still do a good job. It's a track I enjoy and I usually go well there. We have been performing solidly on every track so far and I see no reason we can't put in a similar performance this weekend. It's also the team's local race so this adds an extra motivation for us to do well."

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus F1 Team

Romain Grosjean - "It's a fantastic track with a lot of high speed corners which should suit the E22 a lot better than the circuits we've visited recently which have seemed to jump on every weakness with our current package. Silverstone is challenging, but it has a good feel. It's one of the quickest tracks of the year. There are corners which are legendary like the Magotts, Becketts, Chapel complex. It's quite a feeling going through there and I can't wait to feel that sensation once more. It's also a special Grand Prix for the team as the factory is very close to the track. It's always nice to see not only the race team, but also some of the many people from the factory come to see us out in action. It's thanks to all their hard work that we're out on track and they are all doing an amazing job, always working so hard."

Pastor Maldonado - "I've won at Silverstone in the GP2 Series and I've always really liked the circuit. I've spent so much time in England that it's like a second home to me, especially as I have family who live very close to the circuit in Oxfordshire. It's a great event coming mid-season and it always provides an interesting race. I have always enjoyed racing at Silverstone since my first visit back in 2007. I also have good memories of it as I have had some great races there, including winning in both 2009 and 2010 in the GP2 Series. Hopefully the high speed corners will work better with our car and it would be great to be back to where we were in Barcelona which is quite a similar circuit to Silverstone. Obviously, at the Barcelona test teams were all running to different programmes, so I don't think we're suddenly going to be the fastest car, but I do expect to be further up the order than we have been at recent races."

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Infiniti Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel - "I always like going to Silverstone, the track is incredible to drive and the British crowd that turns out to watch the weekend is always massive - whether it's wet or dry everyone always looks like they are having a really good time. This year I will be staying in the UK after the race which is good because normally we have to leave straight after. It's a busy time right now, we had Red Bull's home race in Austria, the team's local event here and then we go to my home race in Germany! This race has an extra element as it's so close to the factory and a lot of the staff who work so hard on the car will be watching from the grandstands with their families - I hope we can get a good result for them. As the factory is only about half an hour or so from the track a lot of the race team live nearby and can sleep in their own beds for the weekend which surely is a nice thing for them. I have good memories of Silverstone, the best must be winning there in 2009 and Mark won there in 2010 and 2012 so we have a good record at the track."

Daniel Ricciardo - "Silverstone is great. It's just a great, great racing circuit. It's fast, it's flowing and you really get to rag your car for all it's worth. There's nowhere better at letting you know how very, very good an F1 car is than Silverstone, and in particular through that ultra-fast Maggots-Becketts-Chapel complex. The two hairpins at Turns Three and Four give you quite a variation of racing lines, even though they're ‘just' hairpins. You can push hard through the first one and sacrifice the second or you can do the contrary. The more I drive it, the more I also enjoy the new section because it creates more chances for overtaking and it's not as straightforward as it looks. I'm looking forward to my first race with Infiniti Red Bull Racing this year at Silverstone, I know a lot of the guys are going to be watching at the track so I'll be going at it for a good result."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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British GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Preview Quotes - Mercedes AMG Petronas

Lewis Hamilton - "It was great to get another one-two finish for the team in Austria and I'm so proud of all the hard work everyone is putting in to keep us at the front this season. Of course, it wasn't the result I wanted personally and it was disappointing not to be able to capitalise on my pace when it was clearly there. But in the end, coming back to second place was positive in terms of damage limitation. Silverstone is obviously a special race for me and the support I have there is just incredible. The British fans are the absolute best in the world and it's really humbling to see thousands of people out there cheering you on - no matter what the weather or the result. I won the race in the wet in 2008, which was just the best feeling. I think the gap was around 60 seconds at the end, and I'd lapped everyone up to third place which was just unreal. I could never have hoped or dreamed for a race like that - especially at my home Grand Prix. That has to be one of the best moments of my career. I loved raising that gold trophy in front of the home crowds and I'm determined to get my hands on it again this year."

Nico Rosberg - "The last race weekend in Austria was not an easy one for us overall, so I was delighted to come away with the win and even more so for the team to have both cars at the front when we crossed the line. The atmosphere at the circuit was really great and, being so close to Germany, it almost felt like a home race for me. Silverstone is another special one for me, as I managed to win there last season. It was actually very close to my birthday and I had a really cool experience after the race. There's usually a fan festival with rock bands and all sorts after the track action finishes, which is something I go to almost every year. This time, I was up on stage doing a quick interview and the whole crowd started singing Happy Birthday to me, which was very cool! The British fans are absolutely fantastic. So I enjoy going to Silverstone personally, but really this one is all about the team. For the hundreds of people at Brackley and Brixworth it's a home race and many of them will be there with their families and friends across the weekend. I want to put on a good show and get the best result possible out of it for them after all their hard work this season."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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British GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo belongs to www.GPsurvival.com)

8 races in, and we are now on to the British Grand Prix. This is one of my favourite circuits. Tons of turns and lots of  room for good over-taking. Let's go ahead and go over the circuit info.

Silverstone Circuit is located in Silverstone, Northhamptonshire & Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1943, while the first Formula 1 Grand Prix there wasn't held until 1950. 

The circuit has a capacity of 90,000+ and is 3.660 Miles in length. It runs Clockwise and the race lap total is 52. The current version of the circuit has 18 turns.

The weather is usually a bit rainy, and last year's qualifying was delayed for over 90 minutes, but nothing can keep the fans from this GP Weekend. It's got a beautiful atmosphere and draws in the biggest of crowds.

Let's take a look back at the 2013 British GP. 

While Britain's own Lewis Hamilton took pole, he was unable to win after he was 1 of 4 drivers to have a tyre explode during the race. 

This ended up being Nico Rosberg's second win of 2013, while Mark Webber finished in Second and Fernando Alonso came in Third. 

Retirements included Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Sebastian Vettel and Jean Eric Vergne. Vettel had suffered from a Gearbox Failure while Grosjean had handling problems.

Vergne and Perez's retirements were due to tyre punctures. Massa and Hamilton were the other two to suffer from tyre punctures.

Testing happened a few days later in order to ensure that Pirelli's tyres would be safe in time for the German GP. The tyre company had been testing new compounds during the season.

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

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Photo belongs to: www.GPsurvival.com