2014 End Of Season Thanks

Here at F1Insider, we want to make sure anyone who helped support us in 2014 got a mention here!

We'd like to first thank all the teams, main drivers, reserves and test drivers for a very special season and for making our job very fun and fast-paced. We'd also like to thank and give a huge shout out to the supporting championships: GP2 & GP3 - The new Formula E World Championship and The World Endurance Championship.

Special thanks to: The Perez Family and Rajet Aero Services for the wonderful support you've given us throughout the year.

Shout out to: ESPNF1, Sky Sports, BBC1, F1fanatic.com, autosport, TWSTEEL, Rajet Aero Services, Smirnoff, Telmex, Claro, AMG, Petronas, Gatorade, Hugo Boss, King Fisher and Telcel.

More Thank You's go to: Frances Fry (Co-Writer & Contributor), Emily Jade Lloyd (Contributor), Marcey (Contributor), Sauber F1 Team (For the love and support throughout the season), Korainen GP3 team, Dan Rigsby, Fernando Rees, Bruno Senna, Oliver Turvey, Will Buxton & NBCS, BoxBox Gaming, Ken Domik with KBD Productions, April, Andreas Backman, F1Nova, Gutifollowers, F1Ladys, Rachel, Amy, Tom & Tim Coronel, Skypes Compactors, F1StatMan, JourneyToLeMans, InsideF1_UK, autoracinglive, formulaoneworld, downforcef1blog, testdrivemex, NASMEX, Reddit F1, Chandni, Clara Gutierrez, Andres Gutierrez, Paola Ruiz, Xavi at Force India, and many many more!

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2014 Season Re-Cap & Stats

Whether you watched a few races or watched them all - 2014 brought ultimate racing action. Trophies were held high, cars were wrecked and personalities ran strong throughout the 19-race season of the Formula 1 World Championship. 

It's time to take a short look back at each race and go over the stats and outcome. 

Australia: This season the races kicked off down under in Australia: As per usual, a fantastic race was supplied. The race did its job of giving us a clue as to who would be where in the end standings. Although, obviously, very early in the season to be making any predictions, with Nico Rosberg's win, the standards of Mercedes became quite clear. One of the biggest talked about moments was Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification of his 2nd place finish due to a breech in the rules.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Kevin Magnussen
3rd: Jenson Button
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Disqualified), Kamui Kobayashi (Collision), Felipe Massa (Collision), Lewis Hamilton (Engine Failure), Sebastian Vettel (Engine Failure), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Pressure), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit)

Malaysia: In Malaysia, Lewis Hamilton came back fighting and winning the GP, leading from lights out. It suddenly became clear that neither Mercedes drivers were going to let the other win.

With both the Mercedes flying away at the front, other drivers were finding the new cars and rules hard to adapt to. Both Saubers for example, retired in the race in comparison to their finishes in the previous race. This illustrated all the development left to happen throughout the season.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Daniil Kvyat
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Sergio Perez (Did Not Start - Gearbox), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Jules Bianchi (Brakes), Jean-Eric Vergne (Turbo), Adrian Sutil (Power Unit), Esteban Gutierrez (Gearbox), Daniel Ricciardo (Wing Damage)

Bahrain: Lewis Hamilton won this race, making it his second win of the season. Reinforcing the Mercedes power with speed and reliability. The only question hanging above the team was how long these victories would last.

Perhaps the biggest occurrence of this race was the accident between Lotus driver, Pastor Maldonado and Sauber driver, Esteban Gutierrez. Gutierrez was sent head-over-heels after Maldonado drove into the side of him upon exiting the pit-lane. The younger driver was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks and was later released, unharmed.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sergio Perez
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Collision), Jean-Eric Vergne (Collision Damage), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Leak), Esteban Gutierrez (Accident), Kevin Magnussen (Clutch), Jenson Button (Clutch)

China: Lewis once again, stole a win and lead from start to finish as he began to truly show his dominance for the season. However, the race was ended on lap 54 as it ran over the 2 hour allowance. The loss of a lap didn't make a particularly massive difference however as the leader was truly ahead of the rest. It seemed the real race was for third place rather than first and second.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Fernando Alonso
Last Point: Daniil Kvyat
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Engine Failure), Romain Grosjean (Gearbox)

Spain: Lewis Hamilton took home his fourth victory at the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya. He was clearly unstoppable. As mentioned before, the new car were in need of a lot of work. Updates began flooding into the pit-lane on the weekend of the race. Teams were eager to make their cars more reliable and to do their best to catch the Silver Arrows.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Nico Hulkenberg
Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Jean-Eric Vergne (Exhaust), Kamui Kobayashi (Brakes)

Monaco: As usual, Monaco put a twist in the tale and for a change, Nico Rosberg won the race. This was not a welcome turn for Lewis as this is where their relationship as team-mates turned a bit sour. The podium was perhaps the most awkward of the season.

But of course, what would Monaco be without a few bumps? Whether you've been in Formula 1 for 10 years or 10 weeks, the circuit has the potential to catch you out.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Pastor Maldonado (Did Not Start - Fuel Pump), Sergio Perez (Collision Damage), Sebastian Vettel (Turbo), Daniil Kvyat (Exhaust), Adrian Sutil (Accident), Jean-Eric Vergne (Exhaust), Valtteri Bottas (Engine Failure), Esteban Gutierrez (Accident)

Canada: This race ended up a bit differently than the last few, as it wasn't Hamilton or Rosberg on top. It was none other than Australia's Daniel Ricciardo. This was not only an incredible accomplishment for the driver but a great bit of news for Red Bull - As their choice of bringing Ricciardo to the team seemed to be paying off, bringing them their first taste of victory for the season. Would it be their only taste though?

This was not the only surprise of the race as on the last lap there was contact between Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez. Sebastian Vettel managed to narrowly avoid the accident as the two cars touched and were unable to finish. Luckily both drivers escaped without injury.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Felipe Massa
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Jules Bianchi (Collision), Max Chilton (Collision), Marcus Ericsson (Oil Leak), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Kamui Kobayashi (Suspension Failure), Lewis Hamilton (Brakes), Daniil Kvyat (Drive Shaft), Romain Grosjean (Rear Wing Damage), Esteban Gutierrez (Power Unit), Felipe Massa (Collision - Qualified as finished), Sergio Perez (Collision - Qualified as finished)

Austria: This race brought Rosberg's third win of the season. It seemed he was catching Hamilton up on the competition. Congratulations were in order for Williams' Felipe Massa as he achieved his first pole position since 2008. However, it was Massa's younger team-mate, Valtteri Bottas who finished on the podium.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez
Pole Position: Felipe Massa
Retirements: Daniil Kvyat (Suspension), Sebastian Vettel (Electronics), Jean-Eric Vergne (Brakes)

Great Britain: The crowds were especially happy after this race as Lewis Hamilton brought a win home for the fans from his country. The celebrations were especially significant as he won starting from 6th place, which is his win from his lowest starting position.

However, it wasn't a dream race for everyone, as on lap 1, Kimi Raikkonen spun out and bounced off the barrier before sliding across the circuit and hitting the wall on the other side. Most of the drivers got past unscathed. All but Massa, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both him and Raikkonen were forced to retire from the race.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Valtteri Bottas
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Jean-Eric Vergne
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Kimi Raikkonen (Accident), Felipe Massa (Collision), Esteban Gutierrez (Collision Damage), Marcus Ericsson (Suspension Failure), Nico Rosberg (Gearbox), Pastor Maldonado (Exhaust)

Germany: With one Mercedes driver having just accomplished his home win, it was only expcted that the second one would. And he did. Nico Rosberg drove to victory in front of his home crowd in Germany. This win was very beneficial to him as he increased his lead on British team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg had a new confidence entering the next race.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Valtteri Bottas
3rd: Lewis Hamilton
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Felipe Massa (Collision), Romain Grosjean (Water Leak), Daniil Kvyat (Oil Leak), Adrian Sutil (Spun Off)

Hungary: Daniel Ricciardo found himself on top of the podium in Hungary, for the second time this season it was him who took the victory. The only thing that dampened the mood was the rain that greeted the teams. The track was so wet that every single one of the drivers had to start on Intermediate tyres. The track dried up a bit towards the end of the race, allowing drivers to change strategies and get adventurous, but as you know.. A wet Grand Prix is one spent perched on the edge of your seat.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Fernando Alonso
3rd: Lewis Hamilton
Last Point: Jenson Button
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Marcus Ericsson (Collision), Romain Grosjean (Spun Off), Nico Hulkenberg (Collision), Sergio Perez (Accident), Kamui Kobayashi (Fuel System), Esteban Gutierrez (Electrical)

Belgium: Once again, Ricciardo was on the podium. With three wins, (and two of them back to back), Ricciardo was really beginning to shine. At this point, he'd definitely started to get people excited for his future in the sport.

Despite his win, the biggest surprise of the race was the contact between the two Mercedes drivers. On lap 2, on the entry of Les Combes, the team-mates touched, resulting in a puncture for Hamilton.

1st: Daniel Ricciardo
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Nico Hulkenberg
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Pastor Maldonado (Exhaust), Andre Lotterer (Electrical), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit), Lewis Hamilton (Collision Damage), Jules Bianchi (Gearbox)

Italy: Being one of the most famous races in the season, Monza had a lot to deliver and it did not disappoint. Except for the Ferrari fans who were saddened by the retirement of Fernando Alonso.

However, Lewis Hamilton won the race after a spectacular battle. He overtook his team-mate as Rosberg missed the chicane. This happened on more than one occasion. The win was deserved as Hamilton has been on top all weekend. He qualified on pole and set the fastest lap.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Felipe Massa
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Max Chilton (Accident), Fernando Alonso (Engine Failure)

Singapore: In Singapore a lot of action took place in the formation lap. Rosberg's car stalled on the formation and after his team managed to restart the car, he began the race from the pit-lane. He wasn't the only one with unfortunate luck. Kamui Kobayashi couldn't even start the race due to electrical issues.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Sebastian Vettel
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Kevin Magnussen
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Kamui Kobayashi (Did Not Start - Power Unit), Nico Rosberg (Wiring Loom), Esteban Gutierrez (Electrical), Adrian Sutil (Water Leak), Jenson Buton (Power Box)

Japan: This was perhaps the most shocking race of the season, and not in a good way. In Japan, the weather was more than bad as a Typhoon was hitting around the location of the circuit, making the conditions wet and dangerous. Things sometimes end badly during wet races and it was Marussia's Jules Bianchi who suffered an unfortunate accident.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him and his family as he continues to recover.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Sebastian Vettel
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Fernando Alonso (Electronics), Adrian Sutil (Accident), Jules Bianchi (Accident)

Russia: This race was the first ever race at the new Sochi track in Russia. However, it seemed the surface was a little too smooth as wear on the tyres was almost non-existent. If the drivers didn't need to use both required compounds, they may have not even pitted.

Before the race, however.. The drivers stood in a linked circle at the front of the grid for a silent moment for their absent friend and driver, Jules Bianchi. It was a touching moment, reminding us all, that even if you're fighting for first or fighting for that last point.. At the end of the day, everyone comes together to stand united.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Sergio Perez
Fastest Lap: Valtteri Bottas
Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton
Retirements: Max Chilton (Suspension Failure), Kamui Kobayashi (Brakes)

United States: In America, there were two teams missing due to financial issues, both Marussia and Caterham were given permission to miss the race. Th two teams remained absent in the next race as well. Marussia's return looks less than likely while the future of Caterham is still not confirmed for 2015.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Nico Rosberg
3rd: Daniel Ricciardo
Last Point: Jean-Eric Vergne
Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Adrian Sutil (Collision), Sergio Perez (Collision), Nico Hulkenberg (Engine Failure)

Brazil: It was time for the penultimate race of the season and the drivers championship was due to be decided at the end of the last race. In Brazil, all was still to play for. The race ended in another 1-2 finish for Mercedes. On top of the two was Nico Rosberg. It seemed he was entering the final race with the psychological advantage.

1st: Nico Rosberg
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Felipe Massa
Last Point: Valtteri Bottas
Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Suspension Failure), Romain Grosjean (Power Unit - Qualified As Finished)

Abu Dhabi: This race featured everyone's favourite controversial topic! Double Points! Despite this, there was everything to race for as Rosberg and Hamilton went head-to-head for the last time of the 2014 Season.

Hamilton won in the end but unfortunately Rosberg wasn't able to give much of a fight due to reliability issues. However, Rosberg deserves praise as when he was told he could retire the car, he asked to continue the race and finish. Additionally, after he race, the team-mates managed to put their feud aside as they congratulated each other.

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Felipe Massa
3rd: Valtteri Bottas
Last Point: Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo
Pole Position: Nico Rosberg
Retirements: Daniil Kvyat (Power Unit), Pastor Maldonado (Power Unit), Kamui Kobayashi (Vibrations)

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Article Written By: Frances Fry
Edited By: Amy Hawk
No Copyright Infringement Intended
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Feature: Star Drivers Of The Abu Dhabi GP

Frances Fry - "This time, I have to acknowledge the championship winner. He had some tough times at the start of the season but he never gave up and pushed on. Clearly this faith paid off as he is now the 2014 Formula 1 World Champion and that is a title to be proud of. I'm sure if you asked him how he felt, Lewis Hamilton would be speechless. Winning a second world championship can do that to a person. 

The reason he's my driver of the weekend is not just because he won the championship, but because despite all the hype that he could win, he kept his cool and pushed for the entire race. He kept a strong faith in himself and his team and trusted his judgment. 

I would like to congratulate Lewis, his family and his team but also, Rosberg, for finishing the race and coming second in a championship. That too is a great achievement."

Amy Hawk - "My driver of the weekend is the same as Frances' choice. Lewis Hamilton. What a humble and deserving driver. Getting that first Championship is a good feeling, but getting your second really tops the list.

He really held on through the whole season, fighting his way through troublesome qualifying sessions and tough races. In the end, he came out on top and never lost his cool while doing so. So huge congrats to Lewis and the Mercedes team! It's been a spectacular year! On to 2015 now!"

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In-Season Test #4 - Abu Dhabi - Day 1 Re-Cap & Times

It was a warm day of testing at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi & the teams were hard at work trying out different programs on the cars and testing out the 2015 Pirelli tyres.

McLaren-Honda also made its public debut today with GP2 driver Stoffel Vandoorne behind the wheel.

There were a few red flag's during the session. The first due to Max Verstappen crashing the Toro Rosso into the wall at turn 19. However, the young driver was not at fault as the Toro Rosso team confirmed there had been a suspension failure.

2 other red flags were due to the Force India stopping on track with Jolyon Palmer behjnd the wheel. The team confirmed it was an issue with the engine.

Here are the times from the session.

TIMES:

1. Valtteri Bottas - 1:43.396 / Williams-Mercedes

2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:43.888 / Ferrari-Ferrari

3. Nico Rosberg - 1:44.512 / Mercedes-Mercedes

4. Jolyon Palmer - 1:44.516 / Force India-Mercedes

5. Carlos Sainz Jr. - 1:45.339 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Will Stevens - 1:45.436 / Caterham-Renault

7. Charles Pic - 1:46.167 / Lotus-Renault

8. Marcus Ericsson - 1:46.253 / Sauber-Ferrari

9. Max Verstappen - 1:47.194 / Toro Rosso-Renault

10. Stoffel Vandoorne - No Time Set / McLaren-Honda

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

#ForzaJules

Abu Dhabi GP: Schedule

We are now heading towards the final F1 race week of 2014. The last stop on the calendar? Abu Dhabi.

Here is the schedule for the upcoming week. Please note: The times are local for Abu Dhabi. If you'd like the times converted to your local region, don't hesitate to ask.

SCHEDULE:

November 20th / Thursday

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

November 21st / Friday

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

16:05 - 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)

November 22nd / Saturday 

11:05 - 11:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

11:15 - 11:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

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

15:05 - 16:20 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

17:00 - Qualifying

November 23rd / Sunday

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

15:20 - Fastest Lap of 2014 Award (Presented on the grid)

15:25 - End of 2014 Season Drivers Photograph (Grid)

15:30 - Drivers Track Parade

15:45 - 16:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

16:46 - National Anthem

17:00 - Race Start

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

#ForzaJules

Feature: Brazilian GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Amy Hawk - "Brazil always brings lots of fans and it was great to see the stands full. People were waving flags and banners as always, gearing up for the start of the race.

I think the battle between Nico (Rosberg) and Lewis (Hamilton)  is getting more and more intense as this season draws to an end. There's only one more race and there's the factor of double points, which is pretty much going to decide the Drivers Championship and also where a lot of other drivers will end their season in the standings.

It was a tough day for Force India. A tough weekend, really. Daniel (Juncadella) crashed Sergio's (Perez) car in FP1, which limited his running until FP3 on Saturday. He also had the 7-place-grid-penalty from Austin, which meant he had to play catch-up for most of the race. Nico (Hulkenberg) managed to get 4 points for the team, but McLaren is further ahead in the points now.

As for Sauber, the weekend overall looked promising, but due Sutil starting from pit-lane and Esteban needing that last pit-stop to comply with the tyre rules, points were out of the picture. I still strongly believe that they have a good chance of points in Abu Dhabi. 

Huge congratulations to Nico Rosberg on his win, and also to Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa for their podium finish. All 3 drove an amazing race and I'm sure they'll be heading to Abu Dhabi with heads held high."

Frances Fry - "The topic at the track this weekend of course was Marussia and Caterham's financial state. Well, that and the commencing of "who will be where?" for next season. But let's not allow that to distract us from the incredible race that Brazil gave us! 

Due to resurfacing of the track and high levels of bitumen, tyre wear was very significant and hence, there were pit stops taking place here, there and everywhere! It was expected that the cars would make 3-4 stops during the race and we all know what pit stops mean. A shuffling of places! Perhaps the most surprising one was when Esteban Gutierrez spent a lap in 2nd place before pitting on the next lap. The race looked promising for the Mexican but towards the end of the race he found himself struggling and ended in 14th. 

Additionally, we saw Hulkenberg leading the race in his Force India. Although this was momentary, it wasn't the first time this had happened for the driver as several years ago he lead the Brazilian GP for around 30 laps! 

I think what I'm trying to say is that I appreciate the opportunities this track offers to driers further down the grid that you wouldn't necessarily expect to see in the front. I think the track definitely served a good race and I understand why it was the last race of the season in previous years.

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Quotes available for use with permission. Please visit the contact page.

Brazilian GP: Schedule

With just 2 races left, it's time for the teams to head to São Paulo, Brazil!

Here's the schedule for race weekend. Times are Local for São Paulo and surrounding cities. Let us know if you'd like the times converted to your local region.

SCHEDULE:

November 6th / Thursday

11:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

November 7th / Friday

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

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

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

November 8th / Saturday

09:45 - 10:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

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

14:00 - Qualifying

November 9th / Sunday

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:45 - National Anthem

14:00 - Race Start

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Russian GP: Schedule

We are now heading into the Russian GP weekend and there is just 4 races left before the end of this season.

Before we go on with the schedule for the weekend.. I ask that everyone continue to keep Jules Bianchi and his family in your thoughts. His condition is now stable, but still critical. #ForzaJules - Keep fighting.

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SCHEDULE: (Times are Local for Russia)

October 9th / Thursday

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

October 10th / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

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

12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

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

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in The Press Room)

October 11th / Saturday

10:15 - 11:20 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

10:30 - 11:00 - Team Pit Stop Practice

12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice #3

14:20 - 14:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

15:00 - Qualifying

October 12th / Sunday

13:00 - 14:25 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

13:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:45 - 14:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

14:46 - National Anthem

15:00 - Race 

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Japanese GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo credit belongs to: www.selectmotorracing.com - All rights belong to the owner.)

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As we head into the next round of the 2014 season, it's time to take a look at the circuit the drivers will be racing at!

The 'Suzuka International Racing Course' is located in Suzuka, Japan and is the last race in Asia for the year. The drivers have already been to China, Malaysia and Singapore this year. Japan is their last stop in Asia before they head to the new Sochi circuit in Russia.

The Suzuka circuit originally opened in 1962, but didn't host it's first F1 race until many years later. The layout has undergone many different changes over the years and the current one is 3.609 miles in length and has 17 turns. It runs Clockwise and has a capacity of 155,000. That gives plenty of seating options for F1 fans!

The race itself runs 53 laps and is packed full of tight turns and quick corners. The tyre wear level is high, so pit-stop strategies will have to be planned just right in order for a good race result.

Let's just go over what happened last year.

Mark Webber, who announced he'd be retiring at the end of the year, started on Pole Position. Unlucky enough, he didn't win the race, but instead, it was his team-mate, Sebastian Vettel, who was continuing his winning-streak.

While Webber scored Second, Romain Grosjean found himself in Third, making the Lotus driver one of the main talking points at the end of the year.

Retirements included: Lewis Hamilton, Giedo Van Der Garde, and Jules Bianchi, all due to collision damage. 

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Photo belongs to: www.selectmotorracing.com - All rights belong to owner.)

Japanese GP: Schedule

Japanese GP: Schedule

In just over a week, it will be time for one of the last few race weekends of the 2014 F1 Season. Teams head to Suzuka, Japan for this upcoming round! Here's the Track Schedule. All time are local for Japan. If you'd like them converted, let us know.

SCHEDULE:

October 2nd / Thursday

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

October 3rd / Friday

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

12:35 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

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

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference

October 4th / Saturday

08:30 - 9:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:30 - 10:40 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

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

12:05 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

14:00 - Qualifying

October 5th / Sunday

10:40 - 11:50 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

13:00 - 14:00 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

13:30 - Drivers Track Parade

13:45 - 14:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

14:46 - National Anthem 

15:00 - Race Start

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Feature: Singapore GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Frances Fry - "What an eventful race weekend! Not just on the track either. The race in the night wasn't without its excitement and tests of skill for the drivers, but one of the most talked about occurrences happened off the track. This was the retirement of Mexican driver, Esteban Gutierrez. Gutierrez has had a very difficult season with his team, Sauber, struggling with reliability issues. On several occasions the 23-year-old has said how difficult he has been finding the season. However, this race, it really showed. Gutierrez faced some electrical faults in the first half of the Grand Prix and was forced to retire. After pulling into the pit lane and parking his car up in the Sauber garage, Gutierrez took his gloves off and threw them onto a work surface with quite a force, before walking himself to the corner of the garage to compose himself. 

It was a sad sight to see. If anything, it shows how passionate these drivers are about their sport. At the end of the day, they love this sport as much as me and you, and I think that's great to know! 

Additionally, these two Mercedes drivers seem to have switched luck with Hamilton taking the win, and Rosberg having to start from the pit lane after being left on the grid on the formation lap. The bad luck seemed to continue as Rosberg had to retire after not being able to select gears, even after a reboot of the car. So, Hamilton seemed to be off to a good start and things were only going to get better. Now the Brit leads the championship by 3 points and I simply cannot wait to see how long he can keep the lead. I guess we'll have to wait and see!"

Amy Hawk - "What a race. It was everything fans wanted. Lots of wheel-to-wheel racing and what better than under the stars? Singapore is always pleasing. I quite enjoy street circuits which is why Marina Bay and Monte Carlo are my favourites. Force India really had a great run. I was certainly nervous during the last few laps when Checo (Perez) was overtaking all those cars. Sauber, unfortunately had another double retirement, but.. Things happen and looking forward is important. So next up is Japan at Suzuka. I can't wait. Our congrats to Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo!"

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Singapore GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Race - Re-Cap & Result:

Another incredible race is done and gone, but we have a full re-cap for you! This is our favourite circuit, so of course, we were thrilled by the action-packed race. 

With only 10 minutes until lights out, Nico Rosberg was experiencing problems with his steering wheel. It wouldn't turn on and the team worked frantically to get things in order. Nico was unable to start on the formation lap, so the mechanics swiftly moved the car back to the garage and he was able to start from pit-lane.

Kamui Kobayashi, however did not get to start this race after reporting that he had no brakes and smelled smoke. He pulled the car off at an exit and jumped from the car. 

With Hamilton not having to worry about racing Rosberg, he fought to get a good lead ahead of Red Bull's, Sebastian Vettel. While Rosberg had been able to start, he and the team later decided to retire the car after numerous other problems. He'd been trying to switch gears, but they were jumping two at a time. The team attempted to replace the steering wheel in the pit-lane, but he could not resume.

Not a good day for Sauber when Esteban Gutierrez had to retire due to an ERS issue and his team-mate later retired due to a water leak. This was after Adrian was involved in a minor scuff, when his car clipped Perez's front wing.

With this being a very hot and high humidity race, there was a lot of risks for drivers. Kevin Magnussen mentioned he felt like his seat was 'Burning' and was even shown putting his hands out of the cockpit to cool down. Daniil Kvyat was frantic in telling the team over the radio that he needed a drink, after going nearly the whole race without a working drinks-system.

Both drivers were treated after the race. Daniil for dehydration and Kevin for minor burns to his back.

Jean-Eric Vergne, who is completing his last season with Toro Rosso, was fighting hard, maybe too hard. He was investigated numerous times for exceeding track limits and contact with other cars. In the end he got a 5-second-drive-through-penalty which he opted not to take. It was added to his final race time afterwards. He remained in 6th.

Vettel lead the race for awhile after Hamilton took a much-needed pit-stop when he reported his rear tyres were going. However, Vettel had to stop too and Lewis regained the lead and went on to win the 2014 Singapore GP, with Vettel in Second and Daniel Ricciardo in Third. Ricciardo had been battling with Fernando Alonso, but the Spaniard was unable to pass him.

Jenson Button was unable to finish the race, when his car lost all power and he was forced to pull it over and hop out. It was later confirmed it was a Power Box issue.

Sergio Perez, who'd started in 15th but fell back to 17th after an unplanned pit stop to replace his front wing, had caught up to 13th, passed both Lotus's and then Magnussen, before finding himself racing against his own team-mate. With only a lap left, Sergio passed both Hulkenberg, Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, ending his race in 7th. A fantastic finish after a rough start. Both SFI drivers got points and now the team is back in 5th in the Constructors Championship.

Overall, a fantastic race! We enjoyed it and so did the fans. Here are the final race results.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 15 Points

4. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 12 Points

5. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 10 Points

6. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / + 8 Points

7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 6 Points

8. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 4 Points

9. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 2 Points

10. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark / + 1 Point

11. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland 

12. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela

13. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

14. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia 

15. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden

16. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari / France

17. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain

DNF - Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / Power Box 

DNF -  Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Water Leak

DNF - Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico / ERS Failure

DNF - Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / Wiring Loom Issue

DNF - Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan / Power Unit Failure

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Thank you to everyone who joined us on Twitter this F1 weekend! We're looking forward to Japan in just a couple of weeks! Follow us @F1Insider78

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Singapore GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Preview Quotes - Marussia


Max Chilton - “It’s great to be heading back to Singapore. It’s a fantastic city and the atmosphere of the night race is totally electric. I have great memories of winning there in GP2 in 2012, so it’s always nice to come back and race here. The track is not dissimilar to Monaco, another street circuit, and we know our car is well-suited to those track characteristics. I had quite a good race here last year and with only six races remaining, it’s important that we have a good showing at every round.”

Jules Bianchi - “I really enjoyed my first night race experience here last year; it’s such an unusual and exciting event with a really great atmosphere. It’s fun, doing things differently. Having to push yourself to adopt a new regime is an interesting challenge that requires real discipline. The track characteristics are quite a lot like Monaco, which is a race that is special for a couple of reasons, not least because I finished in the points there. With so many similarities, this is a circuit that also gives me a good feeling. Last year the race did not pan out so well for me, but we learned a great deal and I hope we can bring that experience together to achieve a good result this year. Our car should work well here with all the corners, and as it is often an eventful race, we will be fighting to take advantage of every opportunity.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended
Quotes made by Drivers.

 

Singapore GP: Schedule

It's almost time for the 14th round of the 2014 F1 Season and we're excited! Singapore is one of the most popular races on the calendar, combining the fact it's a street circuit with the brilliance of it being a night race is bound to make it a popular event for the fans.

Here is the Track Schedule for the upcoming F1 week! Remember times are for Local Singapore Time Zones. If you'd like it converted into your local time zone just let us know. 

SCHEDULE:


September 18th / Thurday

18:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

September 19th / Friday

15:00 - 16:30 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
18:00 - 19:30 - Free Practice #1
20:45 - 21:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
21:30 - 23:00 - Free Practice #2
23:15 - 00:15 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

September 20th / Saturday

15:00 -15:30 - Team Pit Stop Practice
18:00 - 19:00 - Free Practice #3
19:30 - 20:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
21:00 - Qualifying

September 21st / Sunday

17:40 - 19:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
18:30 - Drivers Track Parade
18:45 - 19:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
19:46 - National Anthem
20:00 - Race Start

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Make sure you follow us @F1Insider78 on Twitter for all updates during the 2014 Season including our LIVE Commentary Coverage of the Singapore Free Practice Sessions and Updates throughout Qualifying + Post-Race info.
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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.