European GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX (AZERBAIJAN) - RACE

Nico Rosberg dominated the European grand prix whilst team mate and championship rival Lewis Hamilton struggled with the technology.

    Rosberg started at the front of a mixed up grid, with Hamilton starting tenth after crashing out in qualifying.

    With the narrow style of the fast street circuit, chaos was expected on the opening lap, but everybody managed to make it around the first lap unscathed.

    The first big battle came on lap four, when Valtteri Bottas closed in on Max Verstappen. The Williams managed to get past the Red Bull, only to give Verstappen a tow and allow the teenager to re-pass.

    Bottas was only able to make the move stick when Verstappen ran wide at turn one, allowing a recovering Hamilton past too and Romain Grosjean to close in. The teenager closed the door before the Frenchman could get past, but the Red Bull soon pitted for soft tyres.

    Ahead of him, team mate Daniel Ricciardo had lost sight of Rosberg. The Australian had started on the front row of the grid after Sergio Perez’s five place penalty, but the Red Bull didn’t have the pace on the fast street circuit. Third place starter Sebastian Vettel soon took advantage of that, moving into second on the fifth lap and immediately pulling away from his former team mate.

    Everybody was being careful around the beautiful streets of Baku, and the first retirement surprisingly wasn’t due to a crash. Daniil Kvyat came into the pits on the eighth lap with suspension problems. The Russian’s luck just keeps getting worse and worse, this is his second retirement of the season.

    Hamilton was slowly making his way through the field, picking off drivers one by one, when he began to complain about brake vibrations. It was a sign that the tyres were coming to the end of their lives, and he pitted on the next lap, coming out ahead of Verstappen. Once he’d pitted, Hamilton soon set the fastest lap of the race, closing in on Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa.

    By the time Rosberg came into the pits just before the half way mark, he’d built up enough of a lead to the second place driver that he managed to come out of the pits in first. It was one of the few points of the race for Rosberg, as he spent most of the race on his own.

    Kimi Raikkonen was running in second ahead of team mate Vettel by this point, with Vettel only pitting a few laps before. The Finn had a five second penalty for crossing the line at pit entry earlier in the race and he soon gave the second place up to his team mate, telling his engineer to make sure Vettel didn’t keep him up. He didn’t, quickly setting off to catch up with Rosberg, who was eighteen seconds ahead.

    Further back, Hamilton was having more problems, and this time a pit stop couldn’t stop him. The Mercedes was stuck in the wrong setting, meaning it couldn’t use the electrical power the way it should. It would have a simple fix but, unfortunately, Hamilton’s engineers couldn’t tell him what that fix was, the new radio rules banning them. The defending champion was left to fiddle with switches and struggle on his own.

    Hamilton wasn’t the only one having trouble, though Raikkonen’s was more conventional for racing drivers. Perez was catching up, the Mexican driver looking to match the best ever podium finishes for a Mexican in Formula One.

    Perez was, due to Raikkonen’s penalty, technically third already, but he wanted to make the place on the track, and the Mexican was putting pressure on the Ferrari driver. Raikkonen’s experience served him well, though, and he defended well against Perez.

    Sainz was the second retirement of the day, a problem with suspension sending him down an escape road in the first sector. Pascal Wehrlein in the Manor was doing amazingly. After staying out longer than anybody, the Manor driver was having a surprisingly interesting race, getting stuck into battles and not just looking out for blue flags. That came to a stop on the forty first lap, when he said over the radio that he had no brakes, and he was forced to retire.

    Fernando Alonso was the fourth and final retirement of the weekend. The McLaren driver had been stuck in fourth gear and, with the problem only getting worse, he pitted six laps before the end of the race to retire.

    Back on track, Hamilton had solved the problem with his engine, and was soon making up for that with a fastest lap. He was running in fifth, far enough ahead of Bottas to not have to worry about the Williams but a little too far behind the battle between Perez and Raikkonen to challenge.

    The laps ticked down and, on the final Perez was still pushing hard against Raikkonen. The Mexican was now less than a second behind the Ferrari, well within the penalty range. On lap fifty one of fifty one, he managed to get past Raikkonen, into third. Raikkonen was far enough ahead of Hamilton to keep fourth place.

    Rosberg had a reasonably quiet race. Two backmarkers making contact right in front of him was the height of the German’s excitement, but the win and the extension of his lead at the top of the championship leaves him with nothing to complain about.

 RESULTS: 

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points
2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points
3. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 15 Points
4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 10 Points
6. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 8 Points
7. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia / + 6 Points
8. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Netherlands / + 4 Points
9. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 2 Points
10. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 1 Point
11. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain
12. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil
13. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
14. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark
15. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain
16. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico
17. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
18. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

RETIRED – Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Gearbox
RETIRED – Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany / Brakes
RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain / Suspension
RETIRED - Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Russia / Suspension

----
Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @Bethonie_Waring & @F1Insider78

European GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX (AZERBAIJAN) - QUALIFYING

It's Nico Rosberg on Pole Position, but it won't be Lewis Hamilton starting next to him due to a crash in Q3. Sergio Perez picked up a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty following a gearbox change after a crash in FP3. The Force India driver qualified in 2nd but will start 7th.

HOW IT WORKS:

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

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

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

GRID LINE-UP

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia

3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

6. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Russia

7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico*

8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

9. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Netherlands

10. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

11. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

12. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

13. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

15. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

16. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

17. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

18. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain**

19. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

20. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

21. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

PIT-LANE - Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark***

* - (Perez) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for gearbox change

** - (Sainz) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for gearbox change

*** (Magnussen) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for gearbox change

----

Article written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost 

European GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Times

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX (AZERBAIJAN) - FREE PRACTICE #3

The last practice session saw Mercedes leading the time sheets again, with Hamilton in 1st and Rosberg in 2nd. Nico Hulkenberg rounded up the top 3. 

    Valtteri Bottas missed the full session due to damage to his car after hitting a loose drain cover at the end of pit-lane. The team was unable to get him out for the session but managed to get the car ready in time for Qualifying.

    Sergio Perez was looking to have a strong time at the end of the session, but ended up crashing at turn 15, the same turn that took out Ricciardo in FP1. Perez ended up needing a gearbox change and will take a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for the race. He was able to make it out in time for Qualifying and finished 2nd. But with the penalty, Perez will instead start 7th.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:44.352 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:44.610 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:45.540 / Force India-Mercedes

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:45.620 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:45.630 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Sergio Perez - 1:45.735 / Force India-Mercedes

7. Max Verstappen - 1:45.901 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

8. Jenson Button - 1:45.954 / McLaren-Honda

9. Daniil Kvyat - 1:45.981 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

10. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:46.024 / Ferrari-Ferrari

11. Fernando Alonso - 1:46.131 / McLaren-Honda

12. Carlos Sainz - 1:46.190 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

13. Romain Grosjean - 1:46.361 / Haas-Ferrari

14. Felipe Massa - 1:46.510 / Williams-Mercedes

15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:46.670 / Haas-Ferrari

16. Kevin Magnussen - 1:47.024 / Renault-Renault

17. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:47.100 / Manor-Mercedes

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:47.158 / Renault-Renault

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:47.328 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Felipe Nasr - 1:47.379 / Sauber-Ferrari

21. Rio Haryanto - 1:47.556 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Valtteri Bottas / NO TIME SET / Williams-Mercedes

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost 

European GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Times

EUROPEAN GRAND PPRIX (AZERBAIJAN) - FREE PRACTICE #2

The second practice session faced a possible cancelation after there was a concern about loose kerb covers. It was found that the covers had cut up about 90% of the tyres in FP1. GP2 Qualifying was canceled and moved to take place after the F1 FP2 session. The kerb problems were fixed and the session went ahead.

    Mercedes once again took the top spots, with Hamilton in 1st and Rosberg in 2nd, despite his session cut short due to a loss of power. Sergio Perez in the Force India completed the top 3. Force India has shown that they're not phased by the new track and feel quite comfortable with it already.

    Plenty more yellow flags waved during the session, due to multiple drivers using the run-off areas and having to safely rejoin the circuit. Turn 1 and 3 seem to be trickiest for the drivers, while Turn 15 is also proving to be quite hairy.

    Kimi Raikkonen stopped in one of the run-off areas with a mechanical issue and that was his session over. Near the end of the session, Vettel was then told to box as the team suspected a similar problem with his car.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:44.223 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:44.913 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sergio Perez - 1:45.336 / Force India-Mercedes

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:45.764 / Williams-Mercedes

5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:45.920 / Force India-Mercedes

6. Carlos Sainz - 1:46.027 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

7. Max Verstappen - 1:46.068 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

8. Sebastian Vettel - 1:46.219 / Ferrari-Ferrari

9. Jenson Button - 1:46.234 / McLaren-Honda

10. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:46.293 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

11. Fernando Alonso - 1:46.498 / McLaren-Honda

12. Romain Grosjean - 1:46.681 / Haas-Ferrari

13. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:46.744 / Ferrari-Ferrari

14. Daniil Kvyat - 1:46.744 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:46.830 / Haas-Ferrari

16. Felipe Massa - 1:47.060 / Williams-Mercedes

17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:47.329 / Renault-Renault

18. Rio Haryanto - 1:47.487 / Manor-Mercedes

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:47.772 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Jolyon Palmer - 1:47.794 / Renault-Renault

21. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:48.018 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Felipe Nasr - 1:48.081 / Sauber-Ferrari

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost

European GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Times

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX (AZERBAIJAN) - FREE PRACTICE #1

It was an interesting and exciting day as the drivers took to the brand new Baku City Circuit for the first time for the first practice session of the weekend. Nico Rosberg made history as the first driver to set a time on the circuit. Mercedes also managed to top the time sheets for the session, with Hamilton in 1st and Rosberg in 2nd.

    Plenty use of the run-off areas and multiple yellow flags caused because of this. Lots of drivers trying to find the limits and learn the circuit the best they can before Sunday. The only red flag of the session was caused by Daniel Ricciardo, who clipped the barriers and then slid against the wall. Ricciardo emerged without injury, but his session was over. His team-mate, Max Verstappen, had his session cut short due to technical issues.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:46:435 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:46.812 / Mercedes-Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:47.096 / Williams-Mercedes
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:47.989 / McLaren-Honda
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:48.627 / Ferrari-Ferrari
6. Sergio Perez - 1:48.922 / Force India-Mercedes
7. Jenson Button - 1:49.019 / McLaren-Honda
8. Felipe Massa - 1:49.125 / Williams-Mercedes
9. Carlos Sainz - 1:49.267 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:49.301 / Force India-Mercedes
11. Romain Grosjean - 1:49.611 / Haas-Ferrari
12. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:49.635 / Ferrari-Ferrari
13. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:49.778 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER
14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:50.167 / Haas-Ferrari
15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:50.473 / Sauber-Ferrari
16. Max Verstappen - 1:50.485 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER
17. Daniil Kvyat - 1:50.551 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari
18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:50.910 / Renault-Renault
19. Kevin Magnussen - 1:50.939 / Renault-Renault
20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:51.219 / Manor-Mercedes
21. Felipe Nasr - 1:51.771 / Sauber-Ferrari
22. Rio Haryanto - 1:51.925 / Manor-Mercedes 

----
Article Written By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Manor

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MANOR RACING F1 TEAM

Rio Haryanto - “(Baku is) awesome. I don’t really know what I was expecting but it has exceeded all my expectations. The diversity of the city is really striking; the mix of old and new makes it a pretty spectacular setting for a Grand Prix. I really like it here and I’m sure the fans will too. I think it’s going to be incredible to drive. It’s certainly one of the faster tracks on the calendar and in particular Turn 15 looks really exciting. The walls are so close yet the track is really narrow and fast there. It’s a bit like Monaco in that one little mistake could be punished quite severely.”

Pascal Wehrlein - “The great thing about Baku is that it’s new for everyone - all the teams and all the drivers - so it’s a case of mastering the circuit better than your competition. It’s a high-speed circuit so, much like Canada, will be well-suited to our package. There were some positive signs in Montreal but we missed some opportunities there, so I hope we can show more of our improvement here versus Sauber in particular.”


----
Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - "We had a (Baku) session on the simulator, and that’s about everything you can do. The simulators are getting better year after year, but it’s still not a real race car. There’s a lot you can do with a simulator, which is great, but nothing is as good as being in the car out on track. On the simulator, you can try a few different set-up ideas for direction. You can also try different philosophies and updates you’d like to try on the car later in the year and before you prepare them for actual racing.

The more experience you have as a team, the better prepared you are for new tracks and different layouts. On the other hand, no one knows what to expect from Baku, so that’s going to be interesting for us.

It’s certainly a circuit that’s very different from everything we’ve been used to. We’ll have to see how it goes in real life. There are very long, straight lines and a lot of 90 degree corners with low curves. There’s a very high section up to the castle and down again to the last corner, which will be quite interesting.”

Esteban Gutierrez - “The simulator has been very important (in preparing). It’s been quite an experience. Baku is a very challenging track and I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to getting there in person. I feel that it will be a bit more [of a level playing field], but that doesn’t clear the fact that as a team we have a bit less experience overall. That makes it complicated to predict things, because when you have more information and more experience, you can make better predictions. It will be interesting to get to know Baku and its characteristics and see where we stand. No matter what, we’ll approach it in a positive way and try to extract the maximum amount from our car at this new circuit.

I cannot compare it to anything. From what I saw on the simulator, it’s a completely different racetrack. It’s really going to be quite a challenge, and I think that’s going to make things interesting for everybody. I liked it in the simulator, so I hope it’s going to be like that in reality. I didn’t know anything of Azerbaijan before the race was announced, but then I did a little bit of research to try and learn about the country and Baku. I’m looking forward to seeing it and enjoying the area.”

----
Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Sergio Perez - “The last weekend in Canada was not one of the easiest for me, so to come away from it with a point was a good result. I have now been in the points for the last four races on a range of very different tracks: this builds our confidence and makes us believe we can challenge for a place in the top ten in every race.

To prepare for Baku I have watched the onboard video that was circulated and the first impression is that the track is going to be really challenging. There are a lot of tight sections, as you would expect from a street track, but it looks more high-speed than Monaco: it’s the kind of circuit I enjoy driving and it should make for a good show.

I’ve never been to Azerbaijan, so it feels like an adventure. It’s always interesting to explore a new place for the first time and take in the sights of a new city. It’s great that our sport keeps going to new countries and reaching out to new fans. Once we get to the track, though, it’s business as usual. It’s important to learn the circuit quickly, so the track walk with the engineers and the first practice session are crucial. You need to get up to speed within a handful of laps.”

Nico Hulkenberg - “Canada was a positive race as we were able to get the most out of a relatively straightforward weekend. To finish eighth in a race with such low attrition was a very good result and it showed we can fight for points everywhere. There is every reason to believe we can continue this run as we approach the summer break, and this obviously spurs us on.

I’m massively excited about the race in Baku, actually! New venues are cool; everything is fresh and everyone welcomes you. I have to admit I don’t know a lot about Azerbaijan, so it will be exciting to get to know this new place. I like to arrive in a place and get out to discover it: it’s one of the perks of our job, being able to see so much of the world.

Learning the track is crucial. I haven’t had a chance to try it in the simulator yet but I saw the video on YouTube earlier last week. In any case, it really is all about getting there, getting into the car and finding out about the track in those first few laps. The layout looks fast, especially for a street circuit: there is a massive straight, with just a few flat-out kinks, and some more twisty sections which will require a compromise in terms of set-up. I am a big fan of street circuits: they provide you with unique thrills, you drive close to the walls and it’s much more of a challenge to push your car and yourself to the limit.”

----
Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Daniil Kvyat - “It's always interesting to go somewhere new. As it's a street circuit it will require plenty of work on the pedals and with the steering wheel and that's always exciting. You are looking for new ‘tricks’ in your driving style on a street circuit, because this type of track means the driver has more freedom in terms of how he approaches the corners, experimenting with different lines.

I've driven the track on the simulator, which can give you a rough idea of what to expect and it helps the engineers come up with a baseline set-up, but there is no substitute for driving it for real. From the sim, the first thing that stands out when you look at the Baku circuit layout is the long straight that goes from Turn 16 to Turn 1. The start of the lap consists of four 90-degree corners and after that it gets very exciting: we drive through the city's historic centre, which looks like being a very tight section, where we will need to be very precise.

There's another fast section through turns 13, 14 and 15 and I think the braking into Turn 15 will be quite tricky. We will see when we get there! After that you arrive at Turn 16, a medium-speed 90-degree turn, and you don't brake again until you reach the first corner. This track reminds me a bit of the Valencia street circuit. It will definitely be an interesting challenge that I'm ready for! I expect there will be a lot of Russian fans making the trip to Baku and I will have plenty of support from the crowd. It's going to be cool.”

Carlos Sainz  - “I'm really looking forward to this race even if, to be honest, I don't know what to expect! I've driven this track a few times on the sim, but experiencing a new circuit for the first time is always an exciting challenge.

The first four turns are all 90-degree corners. Then, from Turn 5 onwards, it starts to get very interesting. It reminds me a lot of the Macau circuit: the section from Turn 7 to 12 is very similar to its tight section, while the long straight that goes from the exit of Turn 16 all the way to Turn 1 is very like its straight.

The top speed here in Baku should be one of the highest of the season and it looks like you are flat out from the exit of Turn 16 all the way to the first corner! I think that the braking at Turn 15 will be tricky - at least it was on the sim! I can't say much more as I've never been there. I just hope it's actually as nice as Macau, which I've always regarded as the most iconic track and it would be great for Formula One to have a circuit like it.”


----
Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “I’ve never been to Azerbaijan, so it should be interesting. In general, it’s a bit of an unknown for me. The track, from what we have seen, looks nice and very quick. I like going to new places, discovering new cultures and seeing new cities. I’m looking forward to learning more about the country, the city and especially the race track.”

Felipe Massa - “It will be my first time in Azerbaijan so I don’t know what to expect from the country. I’m really looking forward to discovering a nice country, good people, and also a race track which will be in the middle of the town. I don’t know yet if it will be more like Monaco, or maybe a mix between Monaco and Singapore. We will wait and see. I’ve heard the straights will be longer, so maybe there will be more overtaking on this track compared to the other street tracks that we race on. I hope we come away from Azerbaijan for the first time with a good result.”

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “I’m already really looking forward to getting out on track for the first time in Baku on Friday. In my role as Baku Ambassador, I’m lucky enough to have already seen the plans in detail for the new circuit and watch the venue come together over the past few months. The track layout is a really impressive hybrid of the buzz of a street circuit, with its tight narrow streets and close racing, and a more traditional track, where there are high speeds and solid overtaking opportunities.

Having seen the development work in Baku as it’s neared completion over the past few months, it’s clear that the organisers have put a lot of planning and resources into the infrastructure around the circuit, and it promises to be a very significant event in the region. There are a lot of fans who’ve been excited about this Grand Prix for a long time now, so I’m looking forward to racing in front of them and putting on a good show in front of a new audience of fans that we’ve never reached before.

This circuit is a great mix of both worlds, and as the fastest of any previous street track, I’m excited for the challenge and to see what’s possible in these kinds of conditions, where everything is a little bit unknown. I’ve already driven the track on the simulator and there’s certainly a lot that makes it unique - medieval walls close to the edge of the newly-laid asphalt, anti-clockwise corners, minimal run-off - so it seems to have all of the ingredients to give us a bit of drama and the prospect of exciting racing.

The Canada race weekend started relatively well, but in the race we were outpaced by stronger teams. It was difficult to maintain heat in the tyres in cooler temperatures, which meant they didn’t perform as well, so we struggled to keep up with the guys in front. Some of Baku’s characteristics are similar, and despite being a street circuit will still be very demanding on power units and chassis. But, we’ll attack the weekend in our usual way, and keep pushing for more improvements in each session.”

Jenson Button - “After a disappointing end to what was a fairly positive weekend in Canada until I had to retire the car, I’m already relishing the prospect of the next race - and at a new track, too. From what I’ve seen of it, the Baku City Circuit looks pretty cool - especially as the city centre has so much history attached to it, yet we’ll be roaring over the cobbles there at over 300km/h (186mph) in the middle of the city walls.

I’m looking forward to seeing how they’ve transformed the area to accommodate a Grand Prix race. I’ve heard good things from Fernando about the layout too, with some really exciting narrow sections mixed in with wider areas that should be promising for overtaking. It’ll be tough on the car with its long, fast straight, strong loads on the ERS and high fuel consumption, so we need to buckle down and work hard to get our package set up as quickly as possible for the demands of this circuit.

In terms of things like strategy, tyres, temperatures, of course we have a lot of simulator data - a few of the guys in the team have visited and already have a pretty good handle on the conditions - but until we get there, it’s all a bit of unfamiliar. Having a new circuit on the calendar definitely does spice things up a bit and puts everyone back on a more level playing field, at least initially, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of a new track.

It’s imperative we bounce back quickly from the disappointment of Canada and the fact we go to a completely new Grand Prix means the focus will rapidly shift from one to the other - there’s definitely a heightened sense of anticipation and excitement for the next race. We’re working hard to keep improving race to race and despite the blip in Canada, hopefully we can continue seeing gains - however small - in the next few crazy weeks of back-to-back Grands Prix.”

----
Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Ferrari

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA FERRARI F1 TEAM

Sebastian Vettel - "I don't know much about Azerbaijan. I'm really looking forward to getting there, as I've heard a lot of good things about it. I've heard that the track is very exciting, with parts leading through the whole town and narrow in places. So, I think it should be exciting. I am a big fan of street circuits. Usually, they are very tricky, bumpy, rough, very narrow places. So, hopefully Baku fulfills these expectations and goes in line with other street circuit classics."

Kimi Raikkonen - N/A

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA 1 TEAM

Daniel Ricciardo - "On to Baku. I'm excited because it's a new track so it's going to be a challenge for everyone, but the fact that it's a street circuit is really cool. I'm pretty optimistic that the city itself will be quite good fun. I've seen some pictures of the city and it looks cool – it sort of reminds me of Budapest a little bit, so let's see, I'm pretty excited to go there."

Max Verstappen - "Baku is new for everyone. You start from zero which I always like, and it's always good to discover new countries and new tracks. My dad has raced there back in 2012, and I've watched the races online and some parts of the track are pretty similar. He was pretty positive about the whole city in general saying it's a nice place to go so I'm looking forward to it. The track looks very interesting because it has such a long straight for a street circuit which will be difficult for the wing setting because on a street circuit you want lots of down force but with such a long straight you have to find a good compromise."

----

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Quotes belong to Drivers 

European GP: Circuit Preview

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX 2016 (AZERBAIJAN) - CIRCUIT PREVIEW 

Name: Baku City Circuit

Location: Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan

Opened: 2016

Length: 3.730 Miles

Capacity: 18,500

Runs: Anti-Clockwise

Turns: 20

Race Laps: 51

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost 

European GP: Track Schedule

EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX 2016 (AZERBAIJAN) - TRACK SCHEDULE

June 16th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

18:30 - 20:30 - Pit-Lane Walk (3-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

June 17th / Friday

12:00 - 12:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:00 - 14:30 - Free Practice #1

15:40 - 16:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

17:00 - 18:30 - Free Practice #2

19:00 - 20:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

June 18th / Saturday

10:00 - 11:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

11:00 - 11:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

14:00 - 15:00 - Free Practice #3

15:05 - 16:40 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

17:00 - 18:00 - Qualifying

June 19th / Sunday

12:30 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - Drivers Track Parade

15:45 - 16:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

16:46 - National Anthem

17:00 - 19:00 - Race

(Times subject to change)

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @Bethonie_Boost