British GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BRITISH GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS 

    Sebastian Vettel wins a thrilling British Grand Prix to extend his lead at the top of the 2018 Formula 1 championship.

    Vettel snatched the lead off the line while pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen collided as they battled for position. He held the lead through the first set of pit stops, but fell behind the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas when the Ferrari returned to the pits during a late safety car. He pushed back on fresh tyres, trying to find a way past Bottas before finally finding a way through in the closing laps of the race.

    Hamilton was bogged down off the line, falling behind Vettel, Bottas and Raikkonen. He attempted a move around the outside of Raikkonen to reclaim the position, but a lock up from Raikkonen caused a collision and Hamilton was sent into a spin. The Brit dropped to the back of the field, starting an impressive climb up the order.

    Both cars appeared relatively unharmed, and Raikkonen was handed a 10 second penalty for the incident.

    Within six laps, Hamilton was up in the top 10. The Mercedes pitted late in the pit stop window, emerging sixth, behind Raikkonen.

    After the early pit stops, Vettel led Bottas, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Hamilton, with both Red Bull drivers pitting early.

    With tyre wear looking marginal at Silverstone, Red Bull gambled and brought Ricciardo in for fresh tyres 30 laps into the 52 lap race, with the expectation neither Ferrari would make it to the chequered flag without mimicking the move.

    Any advantage was undone moments later when the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson span into the tyre barriers at Abby, bringing out the safety car and gifting the front runners a free stop.

    Ferrari opted to take fresh rubber while Mercedes, who didn’t have any new soft tyres, left both drivers out. It put Bottas in the lead, with Vettel ahead of Hamilton in second.

    On the restart, Bottas held onto the lead while Raikkonen and Verstappen ran side by side. The Ferrari managed to get through into third, but Verstappen retook the position at the following corner.

    The fight for third was cut short when Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean came together, sending both cars into the gravel and bringing out a second safety car.

    When the race restarted, it was a frantic dash to the flag. Raikkonen managed to pass Verstappen and closed the gap to the top three, making it a four way fight for the race lead. Bottas, struggling on old tyres, came under pressure from Vettel, but the Mercedes driver managed to defend well, holding on to the lead until the final laps of the race.

    Vettel made a move up the inside to take the race lead and immediately managed to build a gap to Bottas, finishing more than two seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

    Bottas continued to struggle on old tyres, dropping back to fourth, while Hamilton and Raikkonen were inherited to the podium positions.

    The Red Bull duo had been running fifth and sixth when slight contact sent Verstappen into a spin. He was able to continue, but later pulled to the side of the track to retire with a brake-by-wire issue.

    Nico Hulkenberg, who started outside the top 10 in P11, climbed up to sixth at the start of the race. Though he dropped down a position as Hamilton climbed up the order, he picked up the position again after Verstappen was forced to retire.

    Esteban Ocon took seventh after a strong start, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Kevin Magnussen, and Pierre Gasly.

    Charles Leclerc had been running at the sharp end of the field in the early stages of the race, but a problem in his pit stop forced him to pull over soon after returning to the track, retiring just 18 laps in.

    Brendon Hartley, who suffered a heavy crash after a suspension failure in FP3, retired after one lap due to more mechanical issues.

    Sergio Perez dropped to the back of the field after a collision with Ericsson off the line. The Force India was sent into a spin, almost collecting the Williams duo, who were forced to start from the pits. He managed a strong recovery, finishing 11th, ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne, Lance Stroll, and Sergey Sirotkin.

    While Gasly had originally finished in 10th, he was demoted to 13th after receiving a time penalty for causing a collision with Perez. This promoted Perez up into the points.

RESULTS: 

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points
3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 12 Points
5. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 10 Points
6. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points
7. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 6 Points
8. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / + 4 Points
9. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 2 Points
10. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 1 Point
11. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium 
12. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
13. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France*
14. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
15. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / Brake-By-Wire**

RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / Collision damage
RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / Collision damage
RETIRED -  Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Collision
RETIRED - Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / Tyre
RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / Power Unit Connector 

* - (Gasly) 5-Second-Time-Penalty added to final race time for causing a collision with Perez
** - Notes Max Verstappen completed at least 90% of the race distance and was qualified as finished, despite his retirement

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Australian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

AUSTRALIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel took advantage of a mid-race virtual safety car to snatch victory in the first race of the 2018 Formula 1 championship.

    The Ferrari driver had been running third for most of the first half of the race, but inherited the lead when team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton pitted for fresh tyres. Vettel stayed out as Ferrari split its strategy but pitted a handful of laps later when the virtual safety car was deployed.

    Hamiilton was left stunned and frustrated as the Ferrari emerged from the pits just ahead of him. The virtual safety car soon turned to a real safety car, bunching up the field. Hamilton remained close to Vettel on the restart but couldn’t find a way past the Ferrari. He fell away in the closing stages of the race as he tried to preserve his engine and finished five seconds behind Vettel.

    Raikkonen, who had challenged Hamilton early in the race, came home third.

    The safety car had been called out to remove the striken Haas of Romain Grosjean, who had retired only one lap after team-mate Kevin Magnussen had come to a stop with the same problem.

    Magnussen, who had jumped Max Verstappen for fourth at the start of the race, came into the pits on lap 22 of 58. The Dane managed to make it to turn three before coming to a stop with a loose wheel nut on the left-rear wheel. Grosjean suffered the safe fate, pulling to a stop at turn 1 and triggering the caution period.

    Daniel Ricciardo, who had also benefitted from the virtual safety car, was promoted to fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Verstappen.

    Verstappen had a difficult race. Having lost out to Magnussen at the start of the race, the Dutchman followed close behind Haas but ran wide at the turn 11/12 complex on lap six. The incident left him with damage that led to an intermitted loss of downforce. He struggled with the imbalance for the rest of the race, spinning a handful of laps later, but managed to recover to take sixth.

    Nico Hulkenberg finished seventh ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who had been awarded a five place grid penalty having changed gearbox after his qualifying crash.

    Stoffel Vandoorne and Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.

    The Force India duo of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon narrowly missed out on points, finished 11th and 12th, ahead of rookie Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll, and Brendon Hartley.

    Williams’  Sergey Sirotkin retired just 10 minutes into the race with a brakes problem caused by a loose sandwich bag that had found its way on track, just before Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson retired with a loss of power steering.

    Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly was the only other retirement, suffering a power unit failure on lap 13.

RESULTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 18 Points
3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / +12 Points
5. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / + 10 Points
6. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 8 Points
7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points
8. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 4 Points
9. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / +2 Points
10. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / + 1 Point
11. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
12. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France
13. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
14. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
15. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / Wheel Nut
RETIRED - Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / Wheel Nut
RETIRED - Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France / Power Unit
RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Hydraulics
RETIRED – Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia / Brakes

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Ferrari Launch 2018 Car

(Image credit to: Scuderia Ferrari)

    Ferrari has revealed its latest Formula 1 car, the SF71H, ahead of preseason testing.

    Its unchanged driver line-up of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, as well as development driver Daniil Kvyat and Antonio Giovinazzi, were at the launch at the team’s base in Maranello.

    One year into the current set of technical regulations, Ferrari’s 2018 challenger is built on what the team learned last season. It is similar to its predecessor, the most successful Ferrari in recent years, but has a longer wheel base and a revised cooling system.

    Unsurprisingly, Ferrari has stuck with the traditional red livery, including on the mandatory halo head protection device, with the absence of white features differentiating it from its immediate predecessors.

    Also absent is the Santander branding – which has featured on Ferrari machines since 2009 – as the Spanish bank has opted to end its F1 sponsorship deals.

    Like all engine manufacturers, Ferrari has focused on durability this winter as drivers are limited to just three power units this season.

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Brazilian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

BRAZILIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix after passing pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas off of the line.

    The Ferrari driver managed a safety car restart on the way to his fifth win of the season, finishing 2.762s ahead of Bottas.

    Newly crowned champion Lewis Hamilton battled his way up through the order to take fourth after starting from the pit lane.

    Vettel was already building up a gap to Bottas when a number of opening lap collisions bunched up the field again.

    Kevin Magnussen collided with Stoffel Vandoorne and Daniel Ricciardo. Vandoorne and Magnussen both retired, though Ricciardo was able to continue after a pit stop.

    A little later in the lap, Romain Grosjean had spun into Esteban Ocon at the start of the lap, causing the Force India to retire and leaving debris strewn over the start-finish straight. Grosjean was handed a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for the incident.

    A poor restart from Bottas allowed Vettel to get away again. The Mercedes tried to stay on terms with the race leader, but there was no catching up. Bottas later tried to undercut Vettel in the pit stops, but Vettel came out just ahead of the silver Mercedes. He managed the distance back to second and Bottas was unable to challenge again.

    Meanwhile, Hamilton was on the move again. The Brit was up into eighth in only a handful of laps and soon looking to find a way past Sergio Perez. The Force India tried to make the move hard for Hamilton, pushing him to the outside of turn one as Hamilton passed. Perez tried to fight back for a number of corners, but Hamilton eventually pulled away.

    His next target was the battling Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. The Mercedes flew past Alonso’s Honda powered McLaren, but passing Massa proved a little harder. A late move up the inside was enough to put him ahead of the Williams, though, and he set about closing the gap to Max Verstappen in fourth.

    A number of backmarkers and a pitstop for fresh tyres meant catching Verstappen had to wait until the closing stages of the race. With less than 15 laps of the 71 lap race remaining, Hamilton was on Verstappen’s gearbox, trying to pressure the Red Bull into making a mistake. Verstappen held firm, but couldn’t stay ahead when Hamilton pulled a move around the outside of turn three to take fourth with just 12 laps remaining.

    Five seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen, taking a podium after starting from the pit lane seemed like a realistic goal in the closing laps. Hamilton was in DRS range of Raikkonen when a small lock up meant he fell away from the Ferrari a little. Right up until the chequered flag, Hamilton searched for a way past Raikkonen, but Raikkonen kept the Ferrari ahead to take his third consecutive third place finish.

    Ricciardo had an equally exciting climb up through the field after the early pit stop to take sixth, just behind team-mate Verstappen.

    The Massa-Alonso battle continued throughout the race, albeit paused at various moments to allow front runners to pass. In the closing stages of the race, Alonso was right on the back of Massa but he couldn’t find a way through and, with Perez not too far behind, the Spaniard didn’t want to attempt anything too risky.

    Even as the leaders took the chequered flag, Alonso was still all over the back of Massa, forcing the Brazilian to defend hard in front of his home crown. The Williams was sliding all over the track as it approached the finish line, but it was just enough for Massa to take seventh – best of the rest – at his home GP. It moves Massa ahead of team-mate Stroll in the drivers’ championship, and marks his best result since Bahrain early in the season.

    Alonso also moved ahead of his team-mate in the championship. Eighth place and the four points that comes with it moves him ahead of Vandoorne and just four points behind Magnussen with one race remaining.

    Perez took ninth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly.

    Brendon Hartley suffered another retirement when he was called into the pits midway through the race.

    Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein finished 13th and 14th, ahead of Grosjean and Stroll, who spent the entire race battling to not finish last, often to the frustration of those trying to lap them. Stroll was forced to pit on the penultimate lap after a series of lock-ups caused a puncture.

RESULTS:

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

RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Toro Rosso-Renault / New Zealand / Engine
RETIRED - Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium / Collision
RETIRED - Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / Collision
RETIRED - Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / Collision

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Mexican GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Ferrari

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA FERRARI F1 TEAM

Kimi Raikkonen - “Because of the altitude, this track is quite slippery, with very little grip, so it’s easy to lose lap time. In the first part you have a long straight where it’s possible to overtake, while the rest of the track is more similar to a street circuit and there it gets more difficult to pass. But for sure, if you have the speed it should be possible to gain positions. This year we have been pretty strong in most places, so I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be the same here. Let’s see how it is tomorrow: with the new cars, given the increased down force they generate, it should be a bit better. In these last three races we are aiming to do the best we can, hopefully fighting for wins.”

Sebastian Vettel - “We are still here to fight and we want to do it till the end. We are trying to do our best and win and then we’ll go from there. Everything that we can learn today will help us for the future, this is the thinking inside the whole team. We need to keep going and push on our development. Last year, the start for us was important as it gave us the best opportunity to attack, but this year, we should have better chances during the race. We have had a mixed year with ups and downs, which I think is normal for a team. There were races we couldn’t finish and that hurts. But we have a good car and on paper we should be more competitive here, so let’s see what happens.”

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Ferrari Retains Sebastian Vettel

FERRARI RETAINS SEBASTIAN VETTEL FOR 2018

    Sebastian Vettel has secured his Formula 1 future with Ferrari after brief discussions with Mercedes.

    Vettel’s contract with the Italian team was due to end at the end of this season, but a three-year extension means he will remain at Ferrari until 2021.

    The German had been linked to a possible move to Mercedes but Niki Lauda confirmed they had stopped discussions when it became clear Vettel didn’t want to leave Ferrari.

    The deal means Ferrari will not change its driver line-up for a fourth consecutive season, with Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen already confirmed for 2018.

    Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015 and has so far taken seven wins for the Italian teams. This season he became the first Ferrari driver since Fernando Alonso in 2013 to lead a Formula 1 championship.

    He is currently second in the championship just three points behind points leader Lewis Hamilton.

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Italian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

ITALIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton ended the Tifosi's hope of a Ferrari win as he soared to victory in Monza. This win  also gave Hamilton a points lead over Sebastian Vettel in the Championship standings. Team-mate, Bottas, was second on the podium and Vettel brought his Ferrari home in 3rd.

    Despite finishing in 3rd, Vettel got the whole crowd cheering and chanting in a huge cloud of red smoke while he was up on the podium. He even manned one of the TV cameras and filmed the crowd below. 

    Daniel Ricciardo finished in 4th, but Verstappen had a less than perfect race after colliding with Felipe Massa in the beginning of the race and ending up with a puncture from the clash. Verstappen ended up finishing in 10th and got the last championship point. He could at least breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn't another retirement.

    It was a clean race for the Force India duo. The two worked together on track and managed to avoid contact. Esteban Ocon, who had a better start, finished in 6th and brought 8 points home for the team. Perez also received points, finishing a bit further back in 9th.

    Jolyon Palmer was the first to retire a few laps after a tangle with McLaren's, Fernando Alonso. Palmer was given a 5-Second-Time-Penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the tussle and then soon retired with a transmission issue. 

    Both McLaren drivers retired from the race as well. Vandoorne was first with electrical issues and then Alonso with a clutch problem. 

    The only other driver to retire was Marcus Ericsson, who suffered from suspension troubles. His team-mate, Wehrlein, finished 16th.

    Hulkenberg, the Toro Rosso duo, both Haas drivers and Raikkonen also finished the race, with only Raikkonen scoring points out of the 6 drivers.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 12 Points
5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points
6. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 8 Points
7. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / + 6 Points
8. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 4 Points
9. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 2 Points
10. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 1 Point
11. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
12. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia
13. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany
14. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain
15. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
16. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Clutch*
RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Suspension*
RETIRED - Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium / Electrical
RETIRED - Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain / Transmission

* - Notes Ericsson retired on lap 49 and Alonso on lap 50, but both qualified as finishing the race as they had completed over 90% of the race distance.

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Belgian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

BELGIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton took another victory on Sunday at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. He fought hard to hold of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the final laps and was able to make it a weekend to remember. 

    Sauber's day got off to a completely unlucky start when Pascal Wehrlein was forced to retire on lap 3 with suspension damage. His team-mate, Ericsson, finished the race last. Sauber currently stand 10th in the constructors standings with a total of 5 points.

    Max Verstappen was the next retiree, only 5 laps later. Verstappen's car slowed to a stop and the crowd was clearly disappointed, as was Verstappen himself. Being Half Dutch/Half Belgian, the Red Bull driver considered this his home race and it was not how he had wanted his day to go.

    More feisty racing between the Force India duo caused drama on and off track. Perez and Ocon made contact more than once throughout the race. In the beginning of the race, Perez collided with his younger team-mate, and then the two came together again at the end of the race. They both suffered damage to their cars, with Perez retiring from the race with only 2 laps to go. Ocon was able to finish the race in 9th and grab 2 points.

    Ocon wasn't the only one who Perez ran into trouble with either. The Force India driver angered Grosjean as he passed him but left the track when doing so. Perez was slapped with a 5-Second-Time-Penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He was also given 1 penalty point to his license.

    Kimi Raikkonen was another driver to receive punishment. After failing to slow sufficiently under double-waved yellow flags, the Ferrari driver was given a 10-Second-Stop-Go-Penalty and 3 penalty points to his license. He finished the race in 4th, just 2 places behind Vettel.

    Stoffel Vandoorne, who had an unlucky start to his home-race weekend, with that 65-Place-Grid-Penalty for multiple engine component changes, was able to turn things around and safely bring his McLaren-Honda across the finish line. It may not have been in the points, but finishing the race was victory enough. The same couldn't be said for his team-mate. Alonso's retired on lap 26 due to an engine issue.

    With Hamilton taking the win and Vettel close behind in second, it was Daniel Ricciardo who completed the podium. Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Massa, Ocon and Sainz also scored points in the race.

RESULTS:

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

2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points

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

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 12 Points

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

6. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points

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

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

9. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 2 Points

10. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / + 1 Point

11. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

12. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

13. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

14. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

15. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

16. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

RETIRED - Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / Collision Damage*

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

RETIRED - Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / Engine

RETIRED - Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Suspension

* - Notes Sergio Perez retired on Lap 43 but qualified as finishing the race as he had completed over 90% of the race distance.

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Hungarian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

HUNGARIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    It was a Ferrari 1-2 on the podium as Vettel brought the Italian team another win this season. It didn't come easy either. He struggled throughout the race with the steering and towards the final laps it was suggested that he even let Raikkonen pass as it appeared he was going faster.

    Going back to Lap 1, it was all chaos at the Red Bull garage following first lap contact between Verstappen and Ricciardo. The two had collided and Ricciardo was sent into a spin that ended his race before it could even really begin. Verstappen was found guilty of causing the collision and was handed a 10-Second-Time-Penalty which was added to his final race time. Following the accident, Ricciardo had some choice words about his younger team-mate. Verstappen, however, apologized to Ricciardo.

    More contact was also happening in the beginning of the race and this time it was between Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg. The two bumped wheels more than once throughout the race and Grosjean eventually retired after a failed pit-stop that left him with a loose tyre. He ended up having to pull over and stop the car before things became any more unsafe for the other drivers. The team ended up being fine for the unsafe release.

    Hulkenberg was also involved in a minor incident with other Haas driver, Kevin Magnussen, While Magnussen was clear to put the blame on Hulkenberg, even going as far as telling him to "Suck my b***s", the stewards found Magnussen responsible for forcing Hulkenberg off track and he was handed a 5-Second-Time-Penalty.

    Paul di Resta, who replaced an unwell Felipe Massa, was having a decent race considering it was the first time he'd driven a 2017 F1 car outside of the simulator. However, his race ended early due to an oil leak. Stroll was unable to get into the points this time around as he finished in 14th.

    Both Force India drivers were able to keep things clean on the track and managed to score another double-points finish. Perez in 8th, grabbed 4 points while Ocon finished 9th and got 2 points for the team. Force India still stand strong in 4th in the constructors championship and it doesn't look like Williams will be catching them anytime soon.

    There was a tight battle for third place between the two Mercedes drivers and Lewis Hamilton proved to be faster on his tyres. Early on in the race he suffered from a radio malfunction that left him unable to contact his engineer and the team. He could hear them, but for the team it was silence. 

    The team eventually decided to ask Bottas to let Hamilton past and that if he could not pass Raikkonen or catch either Ferrari within 5 laps, he was to give 3rd back to Bottas and at the final lap, Hamilton did as he was told. While he lost out on a podium, he still got 12 points for his 4th place finish.

    Hungary proved to be one of McLaren's best performances so far this season with both drivers scoring points and managing to finish the race without any engine failures. Fernando Alonso finished in 6th place and Vandoorne in 10th, grabbing the last championship point. This could be a sign of better things yet to come for the struggling team.

    Nico Hulkenberg ended up being the last retirement of the race due to brake issues but still qualified as finished as he completed over 90% of the race distance. His team-mate, Palmer, finished in 12th, just ahead of Magnussen, Stroll, Wehrlein and Ericsson.

    Formula 1 now heads on to its Summer Break but not everyone gets to go on vacation so quickly. The teams and a handful of drivers from F1, F2 and GP3 will stick around to complete a 2-Day in-season test at the Hungaroring. 

RESULTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points

2. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 18 Points

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 15 Points

4. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 12 Points

5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 10 Points*

6. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / + 8 Points

7. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / + 6 Points

8. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 4 Points

9. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 2 Points

10. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium / + 1 Point

11. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

12. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

13. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark**

14. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

15. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

16. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / Brakes***

RETIRED - Paul di Resta / Williams-Mercedes / Great Britain / Oi Leak****

RETIRED - Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / Wheel Nut

RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / Collision Damage

* - Notes Verstappen had 10 seconds added to his final race time

** - Notes Magnussen had 5 seconds added to his final race time

*** - Notes Hulkenberg retired on lap 69 but qualified as finishing the race as he had completed over 90% of the race distance

**** - Notes Paul di Resta replaced Felipe Massa (Illness)

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Austrian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

AUSTRIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Between kerb controversy and a possibility of storms, the Austrian Grand Prix got underway, following the GP3 and Formula 2 rounds that took place just hours before. 

    It was a clean and quick start for Valtteri Bottas, who practically fled away from the rest of the field and caused a commotion among some other drivers. Both Vettel and Ricciardo came over their radio systems to suggest that Bottas may have jumped the start. The Mercedes driver was investigated but he was found not to have done so and no further action was warranted.

    While everyone hoped to get through the opening laps without any accidents or too-harsh wheel-banging, it was an unfortunate end for Max Verstappen, who was hit by Alonso, due to his McLaren being tagged by Daniil Kvyat. 

    The crowd was instantly upset, as it was Red Bull's home race and before it could hardly begin, one of their drivers was out. Verstappen retired due to clutch issues and damage from the collision. Alonso also retired with damage to his car as well.

    Daniil Kvyat was given a Drive-Through-Penalty for causing a collision and got handed two penalty points to his license as well. Kvyat was not the only one to receive penalty points. Lone McLaren driver, Vandoorne, was handed the same punishments as well for ignoring blue flags.

    Kevin Magnussen was the next to retire due to a hydraulics issue and before he could be censored, his radio message was played loud and clear. A very audible and drawn out "F*** this." was heard from the Danish driver as he was forced to pit and abandon the race. Magnussen had been looking towards a points finish, but it was Grosjean who managed to keep his Haas together to bring it home in 6th for 8 points.

    Carlos Sainz was the final retirement due to an engine problem. This was not the first issue that Sainz had had during the weekend either. Mechanical gremlins had hampered him from getting in any lap times during the first half of Free Practice 3. His team-mate, Kvyat, didn't have a much better race as he brought his Toro Rosso across the finish line in 16th.

    It was a solid performance for Force India, following their Baku clash that sent tensions rising. This time it was a smooth and clean race for both Perez and Ocon, with Perez finishing in 7th to grab 6 points and Ocon just behind in 8th to take 4 points. Perez has now moved up to 6th in the Drivers Championship standings and Force India remains 4th in the Constructors Standings.

    Lance Stroll kept his points-scoring finishes alive by bringing home the last championship point as he finished in 10th and denied Palmer his first point of the season. Massa finished 9th, adding a couple more points to Williams' tally. 

    Valtteri Bottas kept his focus and was able to grab his second win for Mercedes and his second win in F1 altogether. Vettel had come close to catching him in the final laps but Bottas remained calm and collected and was able to keep the Ferrari driver at bay.

    

    Lewis Hamilton, who started 8th following his 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change, had no issues charging through the pack of cars to try and fight for a chance at the podium. Unfortunately in the end, Hamilton missed out as Ricciardo was able to hold him back for third, giving the crowd the Red Bull podium finish that they had been hoping for.

RESULTS:

1. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 25 Points

2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 18 Points

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

4. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 12 Points

5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 10 Points

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

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

8. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 4 Points

9. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 2 Points

10. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / + 1 Point

11. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

12. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

14. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

15. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

16. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

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

RETIRED - Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / Hydraulics

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

RETIRED - Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / Clutch + Collision Damage

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Monaco GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

MONACO GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel secured a Ferrari 1-2 around the streets of Monaco after overtaking team mate Kimi Raikkonen in the pit stops.

    Vettel pitted five laps later than Raikkonen and emerged just ahead of his team mate. It was a strategy that worked elsewhere in the pit lane. Raikkonen didn’t have the pace to answer Vettel, and had to focus on defense rather than attack.

    The championship leader was able to build up a small gap, before a safety car paused the race and bunched up the field.

    An opportunistic move from the returning Jenson Button saw him collide with Pascal Wehrlein just 18 laps before the end of the race. The Sauber ended the race on its side and against the barrier, whilst Button retired with damaged suspension.

    The incident brought out the safety car as the marshals cleared Wehrlein’s car, and then his team mate’s car. Marcus Ericsson was overtaking the safety car to unlap himself when he collided with the wall.

    On the restart, Vettel made a perfect get away, though Raikkonen was also able to pull away from Daniel Ricciardo behind him, who survived hitting the wall.

    Ricciardo also benefited from a late pit stop. He jumped up to third past team mate Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. The strategic mistake left Verstappen frustrated, and though he tried to challenge Bottas, he ended the race fifth.

    The final few laps saw a series of challenges at the back of the points. Stoffel Vandoorne looked set to take McLaren’s first win of 2017 when a move from Sergio Perez saw him hit the wall at the same place as Ericsson.

    Perez was also witness to Daniil Kvyat’s retirement. The pair came together as Perez tried to find a way past, ending Kvyat’s race and Perez’s recovery from an early pit stop. Perez was able to get back to the pits, receiving a new front wing and heading back out to take the fastest lap of the race.

    Kvyat’s team mate Carlos Sainz took sixth, ahead of championship contender Lewis Hamilton. A poor qualifying saw Hamilton start out of position, but the Brit was able to make up places around the tight circuit.

    Both Haas drivers took points for the first time this season, with Romain Grosjean finishing eighth and Kevin Magnussen 10th. Williams’ Felipe Massa split the pair.

    Jolyon Palmer finished 11th, with the Force India duo the only other finishers. Esteban Ocon, who suffered a puncture, took 12th, ahead of Perez.

    Nico Hulkenberg was the first driver to retire from the race as smoke poured from the back of his Renault after only 15 laps. The team said it was a gearbox problem rather than engine.

    Lance Stroll retired from his first Monaco GP. The teenager had been complaining about cold brakes and tyres during the safety car period, saying he would crash if something didn’t change. He didn’t crash, though did come into the pits a few laps later due to a brake problem.

RESULTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points
2. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / +18 Points
3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 15 Points
4. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / +12 Points
5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / 10 Points
6. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / + 8 Points
7. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 6 Points
8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 4 Point
9. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 2 Points
10. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 1 Point
11. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain
12. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France
13. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
14. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia / DNF - Collision*
15. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / DNF - Brakes*

RETIRED - Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium / Collision
RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Collision
RETIRED – Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / Collision**
RETIRED - Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany / Collision
RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / Gearbox

* - Qualified as finished
** - Notes Jenson Button is replacing Fernando Alonso during the Monaco GP weekend.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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