Spanish GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - "Barcelona is always an exciting time of the year, it’s the start of the European season, the time where you see lots of car development and in a way the start of summer which I love. The Barcelona circuit is fun, we’ve done a lot of laps around there and we know it very well, nonetheless it’s certainly not boring and we always enjoy going back.

    The race is kind of a staple in the F1 calendar now. The track has a bit of everything, Turns 1, 2 and 3 are nice flowing corners and the last section is very technical. Last year I got my first podium of the season there which was cool, so we will try and go for the same or better this year.”

Max Verstappen - "Everybody has done a lot of laps in Barcelona but I’m looking forward to seeing how the cars progress this year. We have many updates coming, hopefully they will be positive and we can be even closer to the front, but of course everybody else will also bring new parts. It could be quite a defining moment for the season and I’m interested to see how everyone will perform.

    I believe our car is very fast, we still need a bit more top speed but hopefully that will come. I am of course also looking forward to the weekend as I have good memories from my first F1 win there and I will be happy to start the European season and have the comforts of the Energy Station.”

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Alfa Romeo Partners With Sauber

ALFA ROMEO RETURNS TO F1 WITH SAUBER

    Sauber have officially partnered with Alfa Romeo in a long-term, multi-year agreement. They will now be known in F1 as the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team from 2018 onward.

    The Italian car manufacturer, founded in Milan back in 1910, has not been in Formula 1 since back in 1985.

    Their return is not only going to bring a new look for the Swiss team, but also the potential for a stronger success as well as the potential for more points and the possibility of their drivers finishing on the podium, something Sauber has not seen since 2012, when Sergio Perez drove alongside Kamui Kobayashi.

    Sauber only scored 5 points during the 2017, all of which were achieved by Pascal Wehrlein, who will not be returning with the team in 2018. Marcus Ericsson, however, will stay put and is partnered with new team-mate and recent 2017 Formula 2 Champion, Charles Leclerc.

    Alfa Romeo has achieved many great things in motorsport over the years and have not only been in Formula 1 but Formula 3 and Indycar as well, so their return is much anticipated and clearly welcomed by fans and the motorsport community.

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Pirelli Reveals 2 New Compounds

PIRELLI REVEALS HYPER-SOFT AND SUPER-HARD COMPOUNDS

    Pirelli has extended its range of slick tyre options for the 2018 Formula 1 season with the introduction of hyper-soft and super-hard compounds.

    Seven different dry weather compounds will be available to teams next year, as well as the intermediate and wet tyres for wet conditions.

    All the compounds will be a step softer than their 2017 counterparts.

    “We realize that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative,” said Pirelli’s Head of Car Racing, Mario Isola.

    “The tyres we have created for 2018 address this, in line with the objective of having around two pit stops at most races.

    However, the fundamental design concept of the tyres hasn’t changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each sting."

    “The new range consists of faster tyres that should lead to even harder and more spectacular racing in 2018.”

    The hyper-soft tyre was designed for circuits like Monaco, where maximum mechanical grip is required. The super-hard compound, however, isn’t likely to be seen during a race next year, with some claiming the tyre will only be used for demonstration events.

    Teams got a chance to trial the new tyres during the post season tests last week.

    The colours of the tyres have been switched to make room for the new compounds. The super-hard tyre will be orange, which was used for the hard compound this season. The hard tyre will now be blue, while the medium, softs, super-softs, and ultra-softs remaining white, yellow, red, and purple respectively. The hyper-soft compound will be pink.

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New F1 Logo Revealed

F1 GETS LOGO REVAMP

    After 23 years, Formula 1 bosses have changed the iconic logo of the series to a simpler design.

    As the championship enters a new era under Liberty Media control, a full re-brand is expected, with the new logo taking centre stage.

    F1’s managing director of motorsport, Ross Brawn, said the redesign was essential as the simpler logo will be more effective on digital platforms.

    “It has impact,” he said in a newsletter after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “The old logo was neither iconic or memorable.

    “It was important to let Formula 1 fans see that we are entering a new era."

    “Our sport is changing and must look to the future and also outside its own environment if it is to attract new fans, especially among the young."

    “We believe the logo exemplifies this desire: in a world where visual communication is ever more important, we must also move in this direction.”

    The design, which was revealed during the podium ceremony after the 2017 season finale, is supposed to represent two cars going around a circuit and crossing the finishing line.

    F1’s marketing head Ellie Norman said the logo is more flexible and versatile.

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Sauber Confirm 2018 Line-Up

(Image Credit: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team)

SAUBER CONFIRMS THEIR 2018 DRIVER LINE-UP & REVEAL CONCEPT LIVERY

    Sauber have confirmed their 2018 driver line-up after many rumours and much speculation about if both seats would need to be filled or if one of Sauber's 2017 drivers would stay put.
    
    In the end, Sauber chose to keep long-time driver, Marcus Ericsson, and bring in GP3 (2016) and F2 (2017) Champion, Charles Leclerc. The young talent from Monaco, has proven himself over the last few years and brought race-goers to their feet with his risky, yet precise and accomplished overtaking skills.

    Leclerc recently drove for Sauber in the post-Abu Dhabi GP test and also completed multiple Free Practice sessions during the 2017 season. 

    Sauber finished the 2017 Constructors Championship in 11th, but a new and recent partnership with Alfa Romeo may change things around for the Swiss team. The team also revealed their concept livery, although it won't be confirmed what their 2018 car will actually look like, the concept gives a good idea of what it could be. 

    The car displays a nearly all-white paint scheme, with a huge splash of pearlescent red along the top, where the Alfa Romeo logo has been placed.

    Along with the new concept livery and driver pairing, the team also signed Antonio Giovinazzi as their 2018 reserve driver.

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Post-Season Test - Day #2 - Re-Cap & Times

POST-SEASON TEST - DAY #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lando Norris and Robert Kubica impressed in the final Formula 1 test of 2017.

    It was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel at the top of the order, but the McLaren reserve driver and F1 race winner were the main attractions in Abu Dhabi.

    Kubica only completed a handful of laps, sharing testing duties for Williams with Sergey Sirotkin, a new addition to the list of drivers rumoured to be replacing the retiring Felipe Massa. Despite completing less than half as many laps as Sirotkin, Kubica was half a second quicker than the Renault reserve driver. His 1m39.485s lap time was also a tenth of a second faster than Lance Stroll’s best lap on Tuesday.

    McLaren’s Lando Norris also impressed in his first outing in an F1 car since being announced as the team’s reserve driver. He was completing the tyre test that was scheduled to take place after the Brazilian Grand Prix and finished 12th fastest, nearly two seconds slower than Stoffel Vandoorne, who finished eighth fastest in the other McLaren despite running into the tyre barriers in the first half of the day.

    Norris has been confirmed at Carlin’s Formula 2 team for the 2018 season.

    At the top of the order, Vettel set his best time of the day – a 1m37.551s – in the first hour of running. He put in 118 laps over the course of the day, but couldn’t better his time. Nobody else could even get close to it, though, with Mercedes Valtteri Bottas the next best and nearly a second slower.

    Max Verstappen was third quickest ahead of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, who shared testing duties for Force India.

    Just 0.41s faster than Kubica, Carlos Sainz Jnr was sixth quickest.

    Kevin Magnussen and Sirotkin rounded out the top 10.

    With news that Alfa Romeo would be sponsoring Sauber in 2018 breaking, Ferrari junior driver Charles Leclerc was in the car. He could only manage 11th quickest, but his 1m40.666s lap was more than a second faster than Marcus Ericsson’s best effort on Tuesday.

    Toro Rosso duo Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly completed the order.

TIMES: 

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:37.551 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / 118 Laps
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38.490 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / 141 Laps
3. Max Verstappen - 1:38.736 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / 132 Laps
4. Sergio Perez (PM) - 1:38.818 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / 52 Laps
5. Esteban Ocon (AM) - 1:39.148 / Force India-Mercedes / France / 72 Laps
6. Carlos Sainz - 1:39.444 / Renault-Renault / Spain / 109 Laps
7. Robert Kubica (PM) - 1:39.485 / Williams-Mercedes / Poland / 28 Laps
8. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:39.782 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium / 105 Laps*
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:39.810 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / 124 Laps
10. Serge Sirotkin (AM & PM) - 1:39.947 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia / 86 Laps
11. Charles Leclerc - 1:40.666 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / 148 Laps
12. Lando Norris - 1:41.714 / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / 118 Laps*
13. Brendon Hartley (PM) - 1:43.345 / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand / 61 Laps
14. Pierre Gasly (AM)  - 1:44.827 / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / 63 Laps

* - Notes McLaren is running 2 cars during this test.

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Post-Season Test - Day #2 - Line-Up

POST-SEASON TEST - DAY #2 - LINE-UP

Mercedes-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas

Ferrari-Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull-TAG-Heuer: Max Verstappen

Williams-Mercedes: Sergey Sirotkin (AM & PM) / Robert Kubica (PM)*

Renault-Renault: Carlos Sainz

McLaren-Honda: Lando Norris & Stoffel Vandoorne**

Toro Rosso-Renault: Pierre Gasly (AM) / Brendon Hartley (PM)*

Force India-Mercedes: Esteban Ocon (AM) / Sergio Perez (PM)*
Sauber-Ferrari: Charles Leclerc

Haas-Ferrari: Kevin Magnussen

* - Notes drivers are sharing testing duties
** - Notes McLaren is running 2 cars during this test

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Post-Season Test - Day #1 - Re-Cap & Times

POST-SEASON TEST - DAY #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

   The first day of the last test of 2017 got underway on Tuesday with all teams running. Mostly all drivers stayed behind at the Yas Marina circuit to do testing for their teams and also for Pirelli, who have introduced 2 new compounds for 2018: The Hyper-Soft and Super-Hard compounds.

    Kimi Raikkonen topped the time sheets with a 1:37.768, while Ricciardo was close behind in the Red Bull with a 1:38.066. Hamilton, Grosjean and Stroll completed the top 5.

    McLaren decided to run 2 cars, following the post-Brazilian GP test cancellation. Alonso ran one car while long-time development driver and current Formula E driver, Oliver Turvey, ran the other. Alonso brought out the first red flag of the session after a crash he described as a 'kiss'. It was a small hit to the wall and he walked away unharmed. He was also able to get back out later on in the session and finished in 6th with a 1:39.762. Turvey finished last on the time-sheets with a 1:41.914.

    Williams opted to run Robert Kubica in the AM portion of the session and Stroll later on in the PM portion. Kubica, who many think will make an F1 return with the Williams team in 2018, finished in 9th and racked up a total of 100 laps. Fans were waiting in the stands, chanting and singing while waving banners and photos, showing their support for him and their obvious want to see him have a full-time seat next year. Lance Stroll finished up in 5th with a 1:39.580 and completed 29 laps.

    Sean Gelael ran for Toro Rosso, despite missing out on a seat with the team for 2018. Gelael was recently confirmed to drive for PREMA Racing team in Formula 2 next year, alongside Nyck de Vries. Gelael finished in 10th and managed to do 117 laps.

    Force India ran young Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin, who currently competes in European Formula 3. Mazepin finished in 8th with a 1:39.959 and completed 90 laps.

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:37.768 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / 99 Laps

2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.066 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / 109 Laps

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.551 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / 136 Laps

4. Romain Grosjean - 1:39.270 / Haas-Ferrari / France / 137 Laps

5. Lance Stroll (PM) - 1:39.580 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / 29 Laps

6. Fernando Alonso - 1:39.762 / McLaren-Honda / Spain / 115 Laps*

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.803 / Renault-Renault / Germany / 85 Laps

8. Nikita Mazepin - 1:39.959 / Force India-Mercedes / Russia / 90 Laps

9. Robert Kubica (AM) - 1:41.296 / Williams-Mercedes / Poland / 100 Laps

10. Sean Gelael - 1:41.428 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Indonesia / 117 Laps

11. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.681 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / 97 Laps

12. Oliver Turvey - 1:41.914 / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / 105 Laps*

* - Notes McLaren is running 2 cars during this test.

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Post-Season Test - Day #1 - Line-Up

POST-SEASON TEST - DAY #1 - LINE-UP

Mercedes-Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari-Ferrari: Kimi Raikkonen 

Red Bull-TAG-Heuer: Daniel Ricciardo

Williams-Mercedes: Robert Kubica (AM) / Lance Stroll (PM)*

Renault-Renault: Nico Hulkenberg

McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso & Oliver Turvey**

Toro Rosso-Renault: Sean Gelael

Force India-Mercedes: Nikita Mazepin

Sauber-Ferrari: Marcus Ericsson

Haas-Ferrari: Romain Grosjean

* - Notes drivers are sharing testing duties

** - Notes McLaren is running 2 cars during this test

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Abu Dhabi GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

ABU DHABI GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Valtteri Bottas claimed his third Formula 1 victory in the final Grand Prix of the 2017 season, finishing just ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

    Starting from pole position, Bottas held the position at the start of the race and slowly began to build up a gap before the midrace pit stops. Hamilton, with a fresher engine after a replacement during the Brazilian GP weekend, closed in in the second half of the race. The four-time world champion repeatedly cut the gap to his team-mate in the first two sectors of the Yas Marina circuit, only to fall away again in the twisty final sector.

    In the closing stages of the race, Bottas started to pump in fastest laps again and extended the gap to his more experienced team-mate to finish 3.899s clear of Hamilton.

    Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium positions, but it was a quiet race for the once championship contender. Vettel made a strong start but claimed he had nowhere to go and couldn’t find a way past Hamilton.

    As the race went on, Vettel fell further and further away from the Mercedes duo, crossing the line 15 seconds after Hamilton. There was no pressure from behind, either, as team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was a further 26 seconds back.

    Having managed put his car on the second row of the grid in qualifying, Daniel Ricciardo was set to round off the season with one of his strongest results in the year. He spent the first stint with Raikkonen on his tail, but kept the Ferrari behind him before heading into the pits.

    Not long after the pit stop, though, it became clear there was a problem. Ricciardo ran off into the grass and was told to stop his Red Bull as the engineers had noticed a hydraulics problem. The retirement, his sixth of the season, allowed Raikkonen to take fourth position and secure fourth in the drivers’ championship.

    Carlos Sainz was the only other driver to suffer a retirement. The Renault driver had been battling with Fernando Alonso’s Honda before the pit stops, where his front left tyre wasn’t secured properly. He nearly crashed as he exited the pit lane, and then again at turn three, before coming to a stop.

    Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg also suffered a rocky race. After starting ahead of the two Force Indias, Hulkenberg had a poor start and fell back behind Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon on the opening lap.

    Though he managed to get ahead of Ocon without a problem, Hulkenberg cut a corner to get past Perez and was handed a five second penalty for the incident. The Renault driver managed to build up a gap to Perez though and didn’t lose the position in the pits. He finished sixth, behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

    Perez and Ocon took seventh and eighth, ahead of Alonso, who made a strong pass past Felipe Massa on the run up to the first chicane midway through the race. A strong exit for the Spaniard meant Massa couldn’t stay within DRS range and the retiring Williams driver had to settle for 10th.

    After battling with Lance Stroll early in the race, Romain Grosjean claimed 11th, ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne and Kevin Magnussen.

    Pascal Wehrlein finished 14th, followed by Brendon Hartley, Pierre Gasly, and Marcus Ericsson. Stroll, in 18th, was the final finisher.

RESULTS:

1. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 25 Points
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points
4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 10 Points
6. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points
7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 6 Points
8. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 4 Points
9. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / + 2 Points
10. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 1 Point
11. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
12. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium
13. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
14. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany
15. Brendon Hartley / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand
16. Pierre Gasly / Toro Rosso-Renault / France
17. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
18. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / Loose Wheel
RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / Hydraulics

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Abu Dhabi GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

ABU DHABI GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    It was Valtteri Bottas who took pole position ahead of the last race of the season. Team-mate, Hamilton, finished just behind in 2nd. Newly signed Toro Rosso driver, Brendon Hartley, endured another grid penalty due to more engine component changes.

HOW IT WORKS:

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

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five 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. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

8. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

9. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France

10. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

11. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

12. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

13. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

14. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

15. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

16. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

17. Pierre Gasly / Toro Rosso-Renault / France

18. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

19. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

20. Brendon Hartley / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand*

* - (Hartley) 10-Place-Grid-Penalty for multiple engine component changes

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #3 - Re-Cap & Times

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    The final practice session of 2017 saw Lewis Hamilton top the time-sheets with a 1:37.627. Team-mate, Bottas, was close behind with a 1:37.900. Raikkonen, Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were also in the top 5.

    Felipe Massa completed his last F1 practice session and ended in 11th with a 1:39.383. The Brazilian had decided to retire at the end of 2016 but came back to Williams when Bottas got the call to partner Hamilton at Mercedes. Now everyone is eagerly awaiting to find out who will partner teenager, Lance Stroll, at the team.

    Yellow flags were brought out when an umbrella that was being used for the marshals, flew out onto the circuit. Drivers steered away from it until a marshal was able to run out and grab it swiftly. Over the years, everyone has seen a lot of odd/random objects making their way onto multiple circuits, but this was definitely a new one.

    Another troublesome session for the newly signed 2018 Toro Rosso duo of Hartley and Gasly. Hartley placed last in the session with a 1:40.883 and was also reeling at the news of another grid penalty for multiple engine component changes. Team-mate, Gasly, managed to finished just 2 spaces ahead in 18th with a 1:40.737.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.627 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:37.900 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.157 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:38.174 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.340 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

6. Max Verstappen - 1:38.587 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:39.155 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

8. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:39.277 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

9. Carlos Sainz - 1:39.340 / Renault-Renault / Spain

10. Sergio Perez - 1:39.367 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

11. Felipe Massa - 1:39.383 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.396 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Esteban Ocon - 1:39.500 / Force India-Mercedes / France

14. Kevin Magnussen - 1:39.831 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

15. Romain Grosjean - 1:40.079 / Haas-Ferrari / France

16. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:40.307 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

17. Lance Stroll - 1:40.572 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

18. Pierre Gasly - 1:40.737 / Toro Rosso-Renault / France

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:40.789 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

20. Brendon Hartley - 1:40.883 / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #2 - Re-Cap & Times

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton set a new lap record around the Yas Marina circuit as he topped the second free practice ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    In the only truly representative practice session, Hamilton finished 0.149s quicker than Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who topped the times in FP1.

    It was a relatively messy session for the newly crowned champion, who ran off at the chicane early in in the 90-minute practice. There was no damage to his Mercedes and he went on to top the order on super- and ultra-soft tyres, but ran wide with a big lock up at the end of the qualifying simulations.

    Vettel enjoyed a cleaner session, but couldn’t beat Hamilton’s 1m37.877s lap in the qualifying simulation, but the Ferrari just had the edge over the Mercedes in the longer stints.

    Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest, more than three tenths of a second slower than Hamilton. Team-mate Max Verstappen could only manage sixth fastest after problems with his tyres 
early in the session.

    Kimi Raikkonen took fourth quickest, 0.2s quicker than Valtteri Bottas, who was the first man to finish his qualifying run.

    Force India was best of the rest, with Sergio Perez beating Esteban Ocon by just a hundredth of a second.

    Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10, with Felipe Massa just behind in P11.

    Stoffel Vandoorne, who finished 12th, suffered a spin at turn 20 early in the qualifying simulations. After restarting his McLaren Honda, he was able to continue, lapping 0.112s slower than team-mate Alonso.

    Carlos Sainz Jnr, Lance Stroll, and Pierre Gasly finished 13th to 15th, ahead of Kevin Magnussen and the Sauber duo. Pascal Wehrlein beat team-mate Marcus Ericsson by just 0.032s.

    Brendon Hartley, who suffered a spin late in the qualifying runs after losing control of the rear of his Toro Rosso, finished 19th overall.

    Haas’ Romain Grosjean spent most of the session in the garage with an electrical problem. He was slowest after just 12 laps.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:37.877 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:38.026 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:38.180 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.352 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:38.537 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
6. Max Verstappen - 1:38.894 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
7. Sergio Perez - 1:39.323 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
8. Esteban Ocon - 1:39.333 / Force India-Mercedes / France
9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:39.529 / Renault-Renault / Germany
10. Fernando Alonso - 1:39.559 / McLaren-Honda / Spain
11. Felipe Massa - 1:39.635 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil
12. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:39.671 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium
13. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.201 / Renault-Renault / Spain
14. Lance Stroll – 1:40.329 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
15. Pierre Gasly - 1:40.694 / Toro Rosso-Renault / France
16. Kevin Magnussen - 1:41.128 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
17. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:41.270 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany
18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:41.302 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
19. Brendon Hartley - 1:41.496 / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand
20. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.560 / Haas-Ferrari / France

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice #1 - Re-Cap & Times

ABU DHABI GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Sebastian Vettel pipped Lewis Hamilton to the top spot in the first free practice ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    With the top three drivers separated by just 0.15s, FP1 promised a close battle in the final race of the 2017 season, though conditions in the session were unrepresentative of those predicted for qualifying and the race.

    Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen topped the times early in the session, with Daniel Ricciardo close behind. Improvements from Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, and Max Verstapen pushed them both down the order, but Raikkonen improved late in the session to finish fourth.

    Hamilton ran quickest for most of the session, before Vettel jumped up the order late in the day. The Ferrari driver set a 1m39.006s lap around the Yas Marina circuit to finish 0.120s faster than Hamilton.

    Verstappen claimed third quickest, just 0.028s slower than Hamilton in his first lap on the ultra-soft tyres.

    Bottas finished fifth overall, behind Raikkonen, with Force India’s Sergio Perez half a second behind him in sixth.

    The McLaren duo slotted in at seventh and eighth, with Fernando Alonso beating Stoffel Vandoorne by just 0.047s.

    Felipe Massa and Ricciardo rounded out the top 10.

    Friday drivers George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi were both in action. Russell, in the second Force India, finished 11th overall, just before taking his fourth GP3 pole position of the season. Giovinazzi, driving one of the Haas cars, could only manage 18th fastest after spinning at turn 17.

    His team-mate Romain Grosjean also suffered a spin. Grosjean lost control of his Haas late in the session, briefly touching the barriers at the exit of turn 19. He ended the session 12th, ahead of Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly.

    Carlos Sainz Jnr, who didn’t set a time on the quickest ultra-soft tyre, finished 15th quickest, just 0.004s faster than Pascal Wehrlein and 0.116s faster than team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.

    Marcus Ericsson and Brendon Hartley completed the order.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.006 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:39.126 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
3. Max Verstappen - 1:39.154 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:39.518 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.741 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
6. Sergio Perez - 1:40.293 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
7. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.522 / McLaren-Honda / Spain
8. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:40.569 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium
9. Felipe Massa - 1:40.723 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil
10. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:40.773 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia
11. George Russell - 1:41.131 / Force India-Mercedes / Great Britain*
12. Romain Grosjean - 1:41.306 / Haas-Ferrari / France
13. Lance Stroll - 1:41.581 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
14. Pierre Gasly - 1:41.646 / Toro Rosso-Renault / France
15. Carlos Sainz - 1:41.748 / Renault-Renault / Spain
16. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:41.752 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany
17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.864 / Renault-Renault / Germany
18. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:42.065 / Haas-Ferrari / Italy*
19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:42.344 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
20. Brendon Hartley – 1:42.585 / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand

* - Notes driving in FP#1 only.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Brendon Hartley - "Wow, what a way to end a year... Abu Dhabi will mark the end of a very busy and surreal few months for me! This will be my fourth Formula 1 Grand Prix of my career and I have to say that I've been feeling more and more comfortable in the Toro Rosso F1 car if I compare it to the first time I drove it. I now feel right at home within the team too, which is always a nice feeling to have. Abu Dhabi is a track I have raced and tested on in other categories and I remain optimistic that I can score my first F1 point!"

Pierre Gasly - “I’m really excited and looking forward to the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi! It’s a track I really like, especially because I have some really good memories from racing there last year, where I won the GP2 Series title. It’s a place that therefore means a lot to me, also because I was on pole position there for the last two GP2 seasons! It’s also a race that starts in day light but ends at night time under the floodlights, so it’s a bit different to usual and makes it even more special. The fireworks at the end of the race are also quite spectacular and I like it because they always try to create an amazing atmosphere… and they really manage!! I will give my very best; we need to really push and keep our sixth position in the constructors’ championship – it’s really important for the team and us drivers, as we want to make sure the team can develop the car as much as we’d like for next year. I will do my best and hopefully finish the season on a high in order to start with a strong baseline for 2018.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Abu Dhabi GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “The most difficult thing in Abu Dhabi are the conditions between FP1 and FP2. You only actually have one session that is representative of the race and qualifying, and that’s FP2. FP1 and FP3 are warm, therefore you have an hour-and-a-half to determine the best set-up.

    It’s always about compromise and finding the best set-up to go faster. You just have to find where you can find the lap time. That’s the key. You’re never going to be perfect in every corner, but you can try to be as good as you can over the lap.

    I won there in GT1 (in 2010 with Matech Competition). That was my first-ever GT World Championship start, and the first race with that team, and we won. It was a pretty good moment taking the win and leading the championship.”

Kevin Magnussen - “It’s a very glamorous race to go to as a spectator. It’s obviously a race that goes into the night, which makes it more spectacular. It’s the finale of the season, so it’s always a special race no matter where that is, but I think Abu Dhabi does a good job hosting it.

    In terms of the race, it’s not too bad. Setting up your car, working on the setup over the weekend, it’s difficult because all the sessions are in different temperatures. What you get in FP1 is never what you get in FP2. It’s never comparable, and it’s the same with FP3 in relation to qualifying. It’s a challenging event in terms of building up your weekend.

    I’ve only ever raced at Abu Dhabi in Formula 1. I had my first test in a Formula 1 car there back in 2012. That’s obviously a good memory.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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