Australian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE

    The first race of the 2016 season got off to a slightly dramatic start when the start was actually aborted. This was due to Daniil Kvyat not making it back to his grid-slot after the pre-race formation lap. The drivers then had to take another formation lap while the Red Bull crew helped get Kvyat's car off track and back to the garage.

    When the lights went out, it was Sebastian Vettel who stormed right by the two Mercedes drivers and his team-mate, Raikkonen, had no issue doing the same thing. Hamilton and Rosberg were quick to go after them, not wanting to waste any time.

    On lap 18, Esteban Gutierrez and Fernando Alonso were involved in a high-speed collision. Alonso clipped the back of the Haas, which spent Gutierrez spinning nearly 3 times before resting in the gravel. However, for Alonso, it was a lot more than just a spin. His McLaren got airborne and flipped twice before crashing in pieces into the barrier. Gutierrez was quick on the radio to ask if Alonso was OK. Both drivers are OK and Alonso was able to crawl out from under the wrecked McLaren. Both drivers were checked at the on-site Medical Centre and passed checks before being released.

    The race was red flagged for about 10-15 minutes while the track was cleaned up. Drivers got a chance to go into the pits, get out of their cars and change tyres if they wanted to. Rio Haryanto and Kimi Raikkonen were the next two cars to retire. Haryanto retired during the red flag period due to a driveline issue and Raikkonen due to his engine. Raikkonen had entered the pits later after the race had resumed and his airbox caught fire. He quickly jumped out but it was race over for him.

    Marcus Ericsson recieved a drive-through-penalty for his crew working on his car past the 15-second-signal. However, it didn't matter much as he retired later in the race due to what is believed to be either a suspension or brake issue. He had reported feeling "Vibrations" in his back tyres during the race.

    The Toro Rosso duo found themselves battling intensely with the renault of Jolyon Palmer and things got pretty heated. Verstappen had been running in a higher position earlier on, but the team had pitted Sainz first, despite him being further back. He then asked if the team would allow him to pass Sainz due to him being faster than his older team-mate, but he was denied this situation and the two ended up colliding just slightly. No major harm done, but tensions were running high.

    Vettel lost out on the win and it was mostly due to a troubled pit-stop. He ended up chasing Hamilton down to try for 2nd, but with two laps left, Vettel spun out and ended up off track for a moment before he was able to get back into the race. He did finished 3rd and got Ferrari their first podium of 2016. Nico Rosberg won the race, just ahead of Hamilton. A good start for Mercedes as well.

    Haas definitely had reason to celebrate. While Gutierrez was unable to finish the race, due to the collision, their other drivers, Romain Grosjean, was able to bring home 8 points by finishing in 6th place. A remarkable start for the new American team. And many more point finished to come undoubtedly. Also good news for Renault with both cars finishing the race. Although not in the points, they came very close.

RACE RESULTS: 

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points

3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia / + 12 Points

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

6. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 8 Points

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 4 Points

9. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain / + 2 Points

10. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Netherlands / + 1 Point

11. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

12. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

13. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

14. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

15. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

16. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Suspension/Brakes?

RETIRED - Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / Engine

RETIRED - Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia / Driveline Issue

RETIRED - Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico / Collision

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Collision

DID NOT START - Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Russia / Electrical Issue

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Italian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

    It was a full house for the Italian GP, with most of the crowds wearing red &/or Ferrari gear. The Tifosi were definitely showing their support and not just on race day, but all weekend - as they eagerly wanted to see how Vettel and Raikkonen would perform around Monza & also hoped they could produce podium results.

        Before the race, there was a touching moment of silence for Justin Wilson, IndyCar & Ex-F1 driver. Wilson passed away recently due to injuries sustained during the Indy race at Pocono. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this time.

        When the lights went out, most were expecting Raikkonen to jump right past Lewis Hamilton, as the Ferrari driver was starting from 2nd on the grid. However, instead, Raikkonen stalled and nearly the whole rest of the grid swerved to avoid him as they passed his slow-rolling car. He managed to get it going but it was going to be a game of catch-up for the rest of the race.

        During laps 1-2, Lotus ended up with a double retirement with both cars out due to accident damage. While neither collided with other cars, it's being said that Maldonado hit a kerb on the escape path, causing damage to his car while Grosjean possibly had contact with a Sauber - However, there was no investigation regarding a collision.

        Force India got an impressive start with Perez easily making his way up to P5 with his team-mate, Hulkenberg, close behing in P7. Williams were also enjoying an easy start. Massa was able to get up to P3 after Raikkonen's faulted start. Bottas was right behind him in P4.

         As for Mercedes, while Hamilton was leading the race, Rosberg was being warned about his brakes. The team went over the radio to tell him that the temperatures were high and he needed to be cautious. They later told him the situation had improved, but that didn't mean there wasn't another issue. Rosberg was using components from the race in Spa and it was unknown whether or not the engine would be reliable for the whole race.

        While there wasn't any unsafe releases this time around, there was plenty of lock-ups from cars as they headed into Pit-Lane, one where Merhi almost ran into the back of Hamilton's car as they both pitted. Luckily, no damage to either car.

        By lap 48, it was clear that something had gone wrong as Hamilton got a radio message, telling him to "Execute" and "Don't ask questions" - They also said it would be explained later after the race. Fans were left wondering if there was an engine or brake problem that wasn't being talked about. To make matters worse for Mercedes, Rosberg retired on Lap 51 with the back of his car on fire due to an engine failure.

        Fernando Alonso had retired just a few laps before Rosberg, also because of an engine problem and it was just after he and Button had been trying to pass each other.. Suddenly Alonso was not on track, but instead in the pits, his race over and another disappointing day for McLaren-Honda.

        Hamilton brought home the win & while the Tifosi were hoping to see Vettel in 1st - The German still finished second and held the trophy high & also held up a huge Ferrari flag on the Podium, thanking the fans in Italian. Felipe Massa finished in 3rd and was also greeted with cheers from the crowds below.

        However, it was the drama that happened after the race that caused quite a stir among the spectators. Mercedes were under investigation for a "Tyre breach" - Both drivers left-rear tyres were found to be under the legal minimum pressure. Hamilton's was 0.3 below and Rosberg's was 1.1 below. It was talked about that Hamilton could possibly be disqualified from the race all together and lose his win. However, the FIA stated that no further action would be taken and the race results stand as they were at the end of the race.

    Here are the results - The next race will see the teams leave Europe and head to Asia for the Singapore GP. It's a stunning night race on a street circuit & definitely a favourite.

RACE RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points
3. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 15 Points
4. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points
6. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 8 Points
7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 6 Points
8. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 4 Points
9. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / + 2 Points
10. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-Renault / Russia / + 1 Point
11. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / 
12. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Renault / Netherlands /
13. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil / 
14. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / 
15. Will Stevens / Manor-Ferrari / Great Britain / 
16. Roberto Merhi / Manor-Ferrari / Spain /

RETIRED - Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / Engine
RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Engine
RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Mercedes / France / Damage
RETIRED - Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Mercedes / Venezuela / Damage

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk
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Belgian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

The Belgian GP had quite the turnout & It was a spectacular race indeed. The weather threatened a shower towards the end of the race, but luckily, no drop of rain hit the circuit during the event.

    Before the lights went out, there was plenty of drama on the starting grid. Nico Hulkenberg waved his hands back and forth, signaling trouble with his car. During the formation lap, the team had told him to pit and that there was a problem, but ended up deciding he would take the start. However, that did not happen and he retired before he even got a chance to begin. He was not the only one in trouble - Carlos Sainz also had car issues and after being in the garage for quite awhile, the team was able to send him out from pit-lane to start the race.

    The start of the race was a problem for some with the new start procedure. Rosberg had a poor start, leaving Lewis Hamilton up in front to battle with Force India's, Sergio Perez, who moved from 4th to 2nd quickly. With Hulkenberg unable to start the race, it was up to Perez to bring Force India the most points he could.

    Pastor Maldonado was the first to retire due to engine issues. Romain Grosjean, however was playing catch up from where he'd started in 9th after a grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

    It was not a good day for Williams, especially Bottas, who was the victim of a bad pit-stop. When he came in for a new set of tyres, he got 3 of one and 1 of the other. He was given a drive through penalty for this and it cost him a lot of time and the potential for a podium. Felipe Massa was having trouble staying ahead of quite a few cars.

    Daniel Ricciardo retired next with a Hydraulics issue & the Virtual Safety Car was put into action while they moved his car off the track. This gave drivers a chance to pit without worrying too much. A bit later after this, Toro Rosso retired Carlos Sainz, due to earlier issues with the car.

    Meanwhile, up in front, the battle for the last place on the podium was between Sebastian Vettel & Romain Grosjean. Grosjean had passed Ricciardo and Perez and was coming up on Vettel quickly. With only a few laps to go, it looked like it would be Vettel holding a trophy. However, it was not the case. Vettel's rear right tyre suddenly exploded into bits and he was limping the Ferrari around the circuit. The team told him to pit and it was race over for him. Grosjean then sped around the circuit for the final few laps before coming across the finish line in 3rd. Lotus's first podium since 2013.

    Hamilton brought home the win in Spa and added more points to his lead in the Drivers Championship. However, with plenty of races left this season, the title is still up for grabs for the likes of Rosberg and Vettel. Both Max Verstappen & Sergio Perez proved to be the mid-field heroes of the race with both making phenomenal passes and battling with some of the top drivers. Perez finished 5th and Verstappen 8th & both moved up in the drivers standings.

Both McLaren-Honda drivers finished the race, although there was little to celebrate after both had such hefty grid penalties and a lack of pace throughout the pace. However, things continue to look up for the Woking-based team. Both Button & Alonso continue to be optimistic about the teams progress.

Here are the race results - Next up is the Italian GP at Monza.

RACE RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points
3. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Mercedes / France / + 15 Points
4. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-Renault / Russia / + 12 Points
5. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 10 Points
6. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 8 Points
7. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 6 Points
8. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Renault / Netherlands / + 4 Points
9. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 2 Points
10. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / + 1 Point
11. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil
12. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / ( RETIRED - Qualified as finished - Tyre)
13. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain
14. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain
15. Roberto Merhi / Manor-Ferrari / Spain
16. Will Stevens / Manor-Ferrari / Great Britain

RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso / Spain / ENGINE
RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / HYDRAULICS
RETIRED - Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Mercedes / Venezuela / ENGINE
DID NOT START - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / ENGINE

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk
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Feature: British GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

Amy Hawk (Lead Writer & Editor) - "I'm still thinking about the race. It had so much to offer and I was on edge the whole time with nerves. I'm overly relieved that no one got hurt in the accident during the opening lap and of course I'm also relieved that all that wheel-to-wheel battling was safe and clean. It was thrilling and action-packed and I enjoyed it very much. Silverstone is a really nice track and that burst of rain at the end really gave it an extra edge.

Congratulations to Hamilton for winning his home-race & Also to Rosberg and Vettel for their podium finish. It's always great when someone can win at their home race, it just makes the win extra-special and you could tell it meant a lot to Lewis (Hamilton) to be up there.

Force India looks to be heading for really good things with the new B-Spec car. You can already tell it's working for them. They just need a bit more time to get adjusted to how it handles and also to get them set-up just right. But I think the rest of the season is going to be great for both Nico (Hulkenberg) and Checo (Perez).

Hungary is next and I can't wait. Then there's the Summer Break. Everyone will have a chance to go home and relax before heading to Belgium for the race at Spa. Can't wait! Cheers!"

Frances Fry (Assistant Writer) - "Silverstone! Oh, you absolute beauty! I am incredibly proud of my home GP to have produced the race it did. I believe we all need to thank everyone that played any part in the planning or execution of the race. I'm sure you've all noticed that I say this every race but THIS was the race of the season! Almost a day afterwards and I still have the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I don't know how I slept last night.

I can't really make a precise highlight of the race because it was so intense. It was almost painful to look away from the screen for too long. I just wish I'd have been there! The atmosphere must have been electric. Especially considering our very own Lewis Hamilton brought home the maximum 25 points! In the last couple of laps it was incredible to hear the crowd roar as he passed. I don't believe this race is one any of us will be forgetting in a while. For those of you that aren't British, I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the UK and liked what you saw, even if it was limited to Silverstone. None we have a three week break which, if you're anything like me, you'll use to get over the race we just witnessed."

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Austrian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

With this being Austria's second year back on the FIA Formula 1 calendar, it was sure to be quite the show & and it sure was. Things were quite chaotic as soon as the lights went out at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Marcus Ericsson was first to cause a talking point when he Jump-Started and was put under investigation for doing so. The Swedish driver ended up with a 5-Second-Drive-Through-Penalty and received 2 Penalty Points after the race.

Only one lap in, Kimi Raikkonen had an issue with is Ferrari and it began to swerve out of his control, causing him to start spinning. McLaren's Fernando Alonso was unlucky to be behind him at the time and crashed into Raikkonen, causing his McLaren to land on top of the Ferrari. Both cars slid onto the grass and against the barrier before coming to a stop with the McLaren still on the top of the Ferrari, just narrowly missing Raikkonen in the cockpit. Both drivers emerged unscathed but however it was an early retirement for both.

Will Stevens was the next unfortunate retirement when his Manor came to a stop in a patch of grass. It's not been the best year for the Manor/Marussia team, but they have definitely improved over the last few races. Roberto Merhi finished the race in 14th.

There was plenty of Wheel-To-Wheel racing to be seen on track with some intense battles between Bottas & Hulkenberg, Verstappen & Maldonado and at the end of the race it was Vettel & Massa in a fight for Third, with Massa taking the position and finishing on the podium. Vettel could've very well had the third place in his hands but lost time due to a lengthy pit-stop earlier on.

As for the fight up in front, Rosberg had taken the lead early on in the race despite his team-mate, Hamilton, starting from his 7th Pole Position of the season. The German was fighting hard to make the win his and in the end he did, standing at the top of the podium. Hamilton finished Second. Making it another Mercedes 1-2 & bringing even more points to the team. A very happy day for Niki Lauda, who is Austrian and was able to celebrate in his home country.

However, it was not a good day for all teams and one in particular was McLaren. With Alonso's retirement on the first lap, it was up to Button to produce a good result - But his race came to an early end as well when he was told on the radio that they needed to retire the car due to a mechanical issue. Something Button has heard quite a lot this season. 

Force India got back in the groove with both drivers scoring points. Hulkenberg finished in 6th after a lengthy battle with Valtteri Bottas & Sergio Perez brought his car home in 9th after he spent the first half of the race defending against Romain Grosjean. Grosjean retired halfway through the race due to a gearbox issue. The same reason for Carlos Sainz' retirement which happened just before Grosjean's.

The teams head off to Silverstone next for the British Grand Prix, but for now - Tuesday & Wednesday the teams stay at Red Bull Ring for the 2nd and last In-Season test. We will have LIVE Commentary coverage of that on our Twitter @F1Insider78

RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points

3. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 15 Points

4. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 12 Points

5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 8 Points

7. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Mercedes / Venezuela / + 6 Points

8. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Renault / Netherlands / + 4 Points

9. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 2 Points

10. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 1 Point

11. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil 

12. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-Renault / Russia

13. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

14. Roberto Merhi / Manor-Ferrari / Spain

RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Mercedes / France / Gearbox

RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / Gearbox

RETIRED - Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / Electronics

RETIRED - Will Stevens / Manor-Ferrari / Great Britain / Oil Leak

RETIRED - Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / Collision

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Collision

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Monaco GP: Circuit Preview

(Image belongs to: www.allf1.info - All rights belong to the owner)

The "Circuit De Monaco" is one of the most talked about, loved and famous circuits in Formula 1 & motorsports in general. The circuit held its first Grand Prix in 1929, making it one of the oldest circuits. It's located in the glam & beautiful city of Monte Carlo. 

The current version of the circuit has 19 turns and runs clockwise. It has a capacity of 120,000 and is 2.075 miles in length. The Formula 1 race runs 78 laps. Being a Street Circuit, it is also known to be one of the most dangerous circuits in motorsports. 

Last year, Nico Rosberg took pole and went on to win the race, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, finishing in second and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finishing third. Marussia (Now Manor-Marussia) took home their first points when Jules Bianchi finished 9th for the team & Manor hopes they can honor him this year by finishing the race with good results.

Retirements included: Pastor Maldonado (Did Not Start), Sergio Perez (Collision), Sebastian Vettel (Turbo), Daniil Kvyat (Exhaust), Adrian Sutil (Accident), Jean-Eric Vergne (Exhaust), Valtteri Bottas (Engine) & Esteban Gutierrez (Suspension).

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Feature - Chinese GP: Our Post-Race Quotes

Amy Hawk (Main writer & editor) - "I really enjoyed this race - First of all a huge congrats to Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel. To see Ferrari up there in the results again is great. The team is doing a great job and I know there will be plenty more podiums to come. It was definitely a tough weekend for Force India. Hulkenberg's retirement was very sudden and then Perez was very close to getting a few points, but in the end it just didn't work out unfortunately. Overall, it was a great race and I'm very excited that this is a back-to-back race weekend with Bahrain coming up. Cheers!"

Frances Fry (Assistant writer) - "This season is electric! Not a race passes without its thrills. This race kept in with the pattern as we saw wheel-to-wheel racing, from the core of F1. Although the Ferraris were not able to race against the Mercedes, their racing and tactics cannot be faulted as they completed the race faultlessly, finishing in 3rd and 4th. Without a doubt the best of the rest. At the other end of the places we have Manor Marussia who also finished the race, with both cars crossing the line. The team should be very proud of themselves as they have defied all the odds stacked against them.

The most shocking part of the race was when McLaren driver Jenson Button and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado had contact. Button was ruled responsible for the accident that lead to the Lotus' retirement. Since the race Button has apologised for the accident and received a penalty in time and license points. I hope McLaren's car and lick improves soon. It would be good to see them get some points! Overall the race was not short of supplying gasps as the drivers took to the track. A few teams have a little way to go but it is only the third race. Nothing is set in stone! I can't wait for the next race to see if Rosberg can pull a pole position out of the bag!"

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American GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

It was bright, sunny & overall great conditions for racing in Austin, Texas & what a race, what a race indeed. This season has not failed to disappoint and there's still 2 races left.

When the lights went out, the 17 cars were ready for 56 laps of pure adrenaline. Rosberg had a strong start & was eager to gain a lead to stay ahead of team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. But the Brit was right in Nico's mirrors, ready to fight for that win.

In the middle of the pack, we saw the collision between Perez, Sutil & Raikkonen. Perez was closing in on a gap, trying to overtake the Sauber, while also trying to avoid the Ferrari. But things didn't work. As Kimi rounded the corner, Perez unfortunately made contact with the back of the Ferrari, which caused his car to slide into the side of Sutil's Sauber. This caused damage to both of the cars, ending the race for both Perez and Sutil. Kimi was lucky to escape with minor damage to the rear of his car.

It ended up being a double DNF for Sahara Force India when only a handful of laps later, Nico Hulkenberg slowed and pulled over to a stop, before hopping out of the car. He'd reported a loss of power. It turned out to be an engine issue that ended his race.

Meanwhile, up at the front, Lewis was continuing to fight, trying to overtake his team-mate. It was not an easy task as Nico was not about to let his chance of a victory slip away. British and German flags were held up high and people cheered as the two Mercedes passed by at nerve-raising speeds.

Two other drivers who had their own wheel-to-wheel battle going were Jenson Button & Fernando Alonso. Around every turn it seemed one was in front of the other, until Alonso gained the position and Jenson was called in for a pit-stop.

Esteban Gutierrez, the lone Sauber on the track, was putting in his best efforts to catch up after having to take a 5 second drive through penalty for speeding behind the earlier Safety Car. He was not the only one either. Button, Maldonado & Vergne were all investigated for either speeding in the Pit-Lane or speeding behind the Safety car. Button was the only one who was cleared from investigation & did not receive a penalty.

Maldonado impressed when he fought his way to the end in Tenth and got his first point of the season. However, that changed when Jean-Eric Vergne was given 5 seconds added to his race time for a collision with Pastor's team-mate, Romain Grosjean. That meant Maldonado was promoted to 9th with now 2 championship points.

In the end, Lewis Hamilton was the one who brought home the win in Austin, making it his 5th consecutive win and also his second win at COTA. Rosberg came in second while Ricciardo held back the Williams duo long enough for that last spot on the podium.

So, with the race complete and another victory celebrated, it's time for the next race. The teams are off to Sao Paulo, Brazil! 

RESULTS:

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

2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points

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

4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 12 Points

5. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 10 Points

6. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 8 Points

7. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark / + 4 Points

9. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela / + 2 Points

10. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / + 1 Point

11. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain

13. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

15. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

DNF - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / Engine Failure

DNF - Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / Collision Damage

DNF - Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Collision Damage

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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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.

Hungarian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Race: Re-Cap & Results 

The Hungarian GP is now over and this was quite an impressive race in all ways. About 2 hours before the usual lights out, it began to rain and hard. Puddles were building on the circuit and the clouds were hangin low over the Hungaroring.

Luckily, the rain let up around the time of the race start and shockingly, we had a clean first lap, even in the slightly wet conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen were starting from pit-lane and Lewis had a mild spin but managed to get the car back under control and keep going. They both knew they had many spaces to catch up if they wanted to get into the points.

Daniil Kvyat was lucky to start the race at all after stalling on the grid and having to be wheeled off. Luckily, the issue was not too big and the team was able to get him out into the race.

The first crash of the race belonged to Marcus Ericsson who spun out in the Caterham, sending it into the barriers. It was a very heavy crash but luckily he is OK. It was unlucky enough but to add to it, Kobayasi later retired due to a Fuel System failure.

Romain Grosjean was next to crash and pretty much in the same area. The crash had apparently happened when he was trying to warm up his fresh set of tyres. His team-mate Pastor Maldonado had a spin during the race, but was lucky to keep going and finish the race.

Force India, like Caterham, ended the race with a double retirement. Hulkenberg first when he spun out and hit the barriers. Perez was next when he was rounding the last turn and heading for the grid, his back wheels touched the grass and it sent the car spinning and smashing into the walls in the grid area. Both drivers are OK but disappointed to end their points-scoring streak.

The last retirement of the race belonged to Esteban Gutierrez who was looking for a strong finish when he was holding 8th position. Unfortunately, Esteban's car came to a hault when his ERS failed. His team-mate Sutil, finished right outside of he points in 11th.

Lewis Hamilton made the most of his race, catching up to the front after starting from Pit-Lane. He was told in the final laps to let his team-mate, Rosberg, pass. But Lewis wasn't letting him by easily. He kept his lead and ended up finishing in 3rd.

It looked like Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was going to take the win, when Daniel Ricciardo made a late pass to get into first position in the final laps. Ricciardo brought home Red Bull's second win of the year and Alonso was able to hold Second to finish on the podium.

Here are the final race results:

1. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 25 Points

2. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 18 Points

3. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 15 Points

4. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 12

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

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

7. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 4 Points

9. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / + 2 Points

10. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 1 Point

11. Adrain Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

12. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark

13. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela

14. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

15. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari / France

16. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain

Retired - Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico (ERS Failure)

Retired - Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan (Fuel System Issue)

Retired - Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico (Crash)

Retired - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany (Crash)

Retired - Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France (Crash)

Retired - Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden (Crash)

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Thank you all for sticking around with us for the first half of the 2014 season, we're now into the 3-4 weeks of Summer Break and of course we'll be bringing you articles during those weeks! We'll also be tweeting news and info daily so make sure you follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

German GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Race - Re-Cap

Another GP down, and the next one is in just a few days as the Hungarian GP is back to back with Germany. But before we talk about the Hungaroring - It's time for this weekend's race re-cap.

The weather was sending down buckets of rain during the GP3 and GP2 races that took place before F1, but when the weather cleared up during the drivers parade, teams and drivers knew they had to make critical tyre choices and plans for pit-stop strategies, now that rain was nowhere in sight.

As soon as the lights went out, the cars were off and Rosberg was eager to get a lead in front of Bottas. Meanwhile, Bottas just wanted to stay ahead of his team-mate Felipe Massa, who in the first lap was involved in a massive accident when him and Kevin Magnussen collided. Massa was sent into a flip and skidded upside down for a few seconds, before his car landed right-side-up and came to a halt. Massa emerged uninjured, but angry at how his race was ended.

Kevin Magnussen was able to keep his car going and the Dane managed to get the McLaren to the end of the race and even score points for the team.

Lewis Hamilton who started from 20th after a bad crash in Q1 and a penalty for needing his gearbox changed, managed to jump up to 10th within just a handful of laps. He was closing in on a tight wheel-to-wheel battle involving Raikkonen, Vettel and Perez. All three were trying to overtake one another and Raikkonen lost quite a few pieces off the nose of his car. Perez was trying to avoid getting hit after earlier when Daniil Kvyat collided with the Force India. While neither suffered damage, Kvyat later retired due to an ignition failure that caused his Toro Rosso to burst into a roar of flames. He was quick to jump out, unharmed.

Lotus was also unlucky when Grosjean's car lost power seemingly due to a cooling problem. His team-mate, Pastor Maldonado was able to finish the race, although it was another no-points finish for them. 

The only other retirement to take place was Adrian Sutil, whose car spun out and stopped in the middle of the track. Lots of speculation and confusion over why no safety car was called out. Instead, yellow flags were waved and marshals risked their lives to run out and push the Sauber off of the track. 

Up in front, Rosberg had a miraculous lead over Bottas, around near 16 seconds. Bottas, meanwhile, was concentrating on keeping Hamilton behind. The Briton had made it all the way up to 3rd place and was closing in on the talented Fin. Rosberg, who suffered a retirement at Silverstone, went on to win this race, his Home GP and Bottas held off Hamilton long enough for another Second place finish.

McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen both finished in the points despite Jenson having an odd accident with former team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. At one point, Hamilton thought Jenson was going to let Lewis pass him during a sharp corner turn. This, however was not Jenson's intention, but was just giving himself needed room to avoid a collision with Lewis. However, they ended up bumping cars. While the two settled this after the race, it looked pretty intense on track.

Force India had another strong performance with Hulkenberg finishing 7th and Perez in 10th. Another double-points finish for the team and they stand in 5th in the constructors championship. 

Here are the final results of the 2014 German Grand Prix.

RACE RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points

3. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 15 Points

4. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 12 Points

5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 10 Points

6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 8 Points

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 4 Points

9. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark / + 2 Points

10. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 1 Point

11. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

12. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela 

13. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France 

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico 

15. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari / France

16. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan

17. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain

18. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden

RETIRED: Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Accident

RETIRED: Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia / Ignition Failure

RETIRED: Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France / Cooling 

RETIRED: Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / Accident

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.