Australian GP: Free Practice 2 - Results

The Free Practice 2 Session which just finished up awhile ago, has many people talking now. There was a lot of near-inccidents with some of the cars having trouble at turn 11 including Vettel, Vergne, Hulkenberg and Perez. Hulkenberg was the only one of those four people to actually stop and have to be towed away, but over-all, it could still act as a more-dangerous spot on the circuit for Qualifying and Race day. Once again, Caterham was unable to send out their cars due to Hydraulics issues.

Here are the times from the Second Free Practice Session

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:29.623 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:29.782 / Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:30.132 / Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:30.381 / Redbull
5. Jenson Button - 1:30.510 / McLaren
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:30.538 / Redbull
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:30.898 / Ferrari 
8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:30.920 / Williams
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:31.031 / McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:31.054 / Force India
11. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:31.060 / Toro Rosso
12. Felipe Massa - 1:31.119 / Williams
13. Sergio Perez - 1:31.283 / Force India
14. Adrian Sutil - 1:32.355 / Sauber
15. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:32.468 / Sauber
16. Daniil Kvyat - 1:32.495 / Toro Rosso
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:33.486 / Marussia
18. Romain Grosjean - 1:33.646 / Lotus
19. Max Chilton - 1:34.757 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - No Time Set / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobayashi - No Time Set / Caterham
22. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Free Practice 1 - Results

With day 1 of the Australian GP weekend complete, I now have all the times from the first 2 practice sessions. Let's go over what happened in Session 1.

The day started off (And stayed) hot, hot, hot. Track temp' was over 95 degrees with the air temperature got to around 77-ish. One of the biggest questions for the start of the session was "Will Redbull run?" - Well, indeed they did. They may not have had the best times, but at least they set times. Some teams including Caterham and Lotus were unfortunate and did not set times in the first session. Here is how things turned out.

 TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:31.840 / Ferrari
2. Jenson Button - 1:32.357 / McLaren
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:32.403 / Williams
4. Felipe Massa - 1:32.431 / Williams
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:32.599 / Redbull
6. Nico Rosberg - 1:32.604 / Mercedes
7. Sebastian Vettel - 1:32.793 / Redbull
8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:32.847 / McLaren
9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:32.997 / Ferrari
10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:33.446 / Toro Rosso
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:33.533 / Force India
12. Sergio Perez - 1:33.855 / Force India
13. Daniil Kvyat - 1:34.272 / Toro Rosso
14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:35.578 / Sauber
15. Adrian Sutil - 1:36.445 / Sauber
16. Max Chilton - 1:40.859 / Marussia
17. Jules Bianchi - 1:46.922 / Marussia
18. Marcus Ericsson - No Time Set / Caterham
19. Lewis Hamilton - No Time Set / Mercedes
20. Kamui Kobayashi - No Time Set / Caterham
21. Pastor Maldonado - No Time Set / Lotus
22. Romain Grosjean - No Time Set / Lotus


Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Quotes from the Marussia F1 Team are next!

Jules Bianchi - “I am very excited to be starting the new season finally. It has been a very interesting winter preparing for this and I can’t wait to see where we stand versus the competition. The car feels good to drive and, especially in Bahrain last week, we saw a little more of its true potential. There is a lot of work still to do to start getting the most from it, but I feel quite optimistic about our chances to improve this year. It has not been easy for a small team like ours as we do not have the same resources as the bigger teams, but I think we can be proud of the job that we have done in comparison and now I am looking forward to delivering some reward for that hard work. Our first objective for Melbourne is to enjoy a reliable race but I hope we can create some opportunity for ourselves along the way.”

Max Chilton - “I didn’t think much could come close to the feeling I had making my Grand Prix debut last season, but I’m every bit as excited one year on as we head to Australia for the first round of the championship. There have been some very positive signs in testing, which lead us to believe that we can have a good season. Until we get though the first race it’s difficult to expand on that, but the performance is there and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Of course, it would be great if we could match last year’s fantastic reliability record, but that is likely to be a much bigger task this season. Personally, I’m ready to get my teeth into the races. I’m entering my second season so I have my own goals as a driver, but what matters most is working together as a team to rise to the challenge as this will be a tough but exciting year.”

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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Next quotes are from my main team for this year, Force India with the pairing of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.

Nico Hulkenberg - “It’s been three races in Melbourne and I’ve still not completed a racing lap! They say bad luck comes in groups of three so hopefully attempt number four will work out better! The car has come a long way since Jerez. We made steps at each test and I think we made very good use of the time we had available. We signed off a lot of things during testing and I don’t think we’re in bad shape. There is always more you can do, but we’re pretty well prepared. I feel comfortable (in the car), but I think this feeling will grow stronger during the season. The cars are different compared to last year: the corner speeds are lower because there is less downforce and the engine behaviour is quite different. So it’s a new challenge and it’s difficult to tell just from testing how it will feel during a race weekend. It’s not easy (to set expectations). Testing only tells you so much, but I think we still have some performance in our pocket. I just hope we are competitive and can race for good points.”

Sergio Perez - “It’s the first race of the year so I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I hope we can have a great start of the season. The new rules are interesting and the cars are quite challenging. There is less downforce now, but there is a lot of torque from the engine so it’s quite a different feeling. You also have to think about managing the fuel load and we know that Melbourne is a circuit with high fuel consumption. There are more things to do in terms of managing the systems on the car so it’s more complicated than last year. The pre-season testing has given us enough time to get to know the new systems so I don't foresee any issue come the first race. I think we are feeling well prepared going into Melbourne. Testing has had its ups and downs, as always, but we ended the second Bahrain test in a good position. There are still areas we need to improve, but I think we have made a good start and we can build on that. It's always a good feeling to start with a new team. I had a full winter to get to know everyone and I’m feeling ready now. The team is very hungry and I hope we can achieve some great things this year.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Here are the quotes from the Mercedes-Mercedes duo!

Lewis Hamilton - “The Australian Grand Prix is always an exciting race and the fans are fantastic. They love their motorsport, so it's an event that every driver looks forward to. I'm excited about the new season not just as a driver but as a fan. As a fan, you want to see overtaking throughout the field, you want to see different race winners, you want to see the championship go down to the wire... I hope that the changes for this year will make that happen. This is the year you need to watch Formula One! I think we're as ready as we can be for Melbourne and I'm more fired up than ever. With all the changes within the sport and the hard work that's been going on within the team, I believe this can be our year to really show what we're capable of. That's not to take anything away from our opposition, who will be incredibly tough to beat as always, but I feel like I'm equipped with the tools I need to succeed. I can't wait to get started.”

Nico Rosberg - “I always look forward to the season opener. Melbourne is a fantastic city and Australia is an exciting country all round. It's a great place to start the year and you can always have lots of fun here. The fans are incredibly friendly and laid-back but they are also very enthusiastic and mad about sport. The food is pretty great too! I always fly in a week in advance to get over the jet lag. This year, after completing the final test in Bahrain, I returned to the factory at Brackley for final preparations in the simulator and went straight on to Melbourne from there. Overall, I think our winter testing programme went better than expected. Having said that, the first Grand Prix is the first real opportunity to judge how well we have done against our competition. Pre-season doesn't tell the full story, especially this year with the new regulations. I'm really looking forward to getting the season underway and can't wait to be back in the car again.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

These quotes are from the Sauber F1 team, who have switched out Hulkenberg for Adrian Sutil whilst Hulkenberg went back to Force India. 

Adrian Sutil - “Melbourne is always a great place for the first race of the season. I am looking forward to it. The city is beautiful and the track always good for a surprise. The weather plays a role there as well, as a bit of rain is likely. In addition, we have the new cars, which are still at a very early development stage. Everything is new. Driving in qualifying will be very different to the race, because the cars will have more power than in the race. Less downforce and more power will be a challenge for us drivers. Higher top speed and less grip on a street circuit like Melbourne will be exciting. Also the 100 kg of fuel will see nervous faces on the pit walls. We were able to gain experience regarding the fuel management during testing, but over a race distance everything has to come together flawlessly. It will be a lottery as to who will finish the race in front, and the excitement will be extremely high.”

Esteban Gutierrez - “It’s quite special to be back in Melbourne, as this is where I had my Formula One debut last year. Now we are returning to Albert Park, and it’s a new era for Formula One. This is an opportunity for everyone, and it’s my role to extract the most out of the tools I’m given by the team. It has been challenging to adapt to the new cars and rules, but now we come to the first race and everything has to settle down. The track is a bit bumpy, because it’s a street circuit, but I like the layout and enjoy driving there a lot. I like Australia, it’s a nice place, and I usually arrive a few days earlier to enjoy the city. The fans are also very enthusiastic every year - it’s a great event.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Next quotes are from the Caterham team who switched out both their drivers and now have Kamui Kobayashi (Former Sauber driver) and Rookie Marcus Ericsson who is debuting in F1 this year!


Marcus Ericsson - “Honestly, I cannot wait for it all to start in Australia. It will be my first ever F1 race weekend as a race driver and I’m so excited about my debut season in F1 starting, and in Australia, a country with a lot of F1 history and seriously passionate fans, that’s just going to be cool. I’ve been working for this chance since I started racing, and now it’s finally coming true, thanks to all the people who’ve supported me, and to the team for giving me this chance. We’ve done everything we can to prepare, but, honestly, I don’t think you can ever prepare for what it’ll feel like in the car, sitting on the grid as the lights go out in my debut race - however, that feeling will go very quickly and I know I’m ready to race. The pre-season tests were tough, but at the end of them we’d got through most of what we planned, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises in Melbourne. By the end of the tests our reliability was best of the Renault teams and we ran through a race sim, including the formation lap procedure, starts and pit stops, so with the mileage we completed in both Bahrain tests, we’re as ready as we can be. I’ve also been back at the factory since leaving Bahrain and been driving the Melbourne track on the sim which means it’ll only take a lap or two for me to get up to speed when we’re there. Since the tests finished there’s been a lot of talk about what’ll happen in Australia, but until we’re actually on track it’s impossible to predict what might happen. We weren’t able to do full performance runs on either of the last two days - for me because it was my first ever lap on supersofts and I know how much more I will get out of them with more experience, and for Kamui (Kobayashi) because a clutch issue problem stopped him before he could have a go at supersoft runs - so I think the first time we’ll really see where we are on pace compared to the other teams will be in quali. What we do know is that in the race itself fuel and energy management strategies are going to be critical, so I’m glad we were able to work on them with Renault as much as we did in the tests. It might well be confusing for the fans, a bit watching driver manage tyres was for the first half of last year, but it will all be clear when the chequered flag falls.”

Kamui Kobayashi - “We start the season in Melbourne and I’m excited about getting back to racing F1 cars again! Last time I raced in Melbourne (in 2012 with Sauber) I was sixth and while I don’t think that’s a realistic target for us this year, I think the race will be very interesting. There could be reliability problems for lots of teams, us as well obviously, but by the end of the tests our reliability was ok, certainly better than a few other teams, and that could be very important on Sunday in Melbourne. Obviously for me this is my first race back, and I’m really pleased it’s with Caterham. I guarantee that they are working as hard as anyone else to have a good year in 2014 and I’ve been very impressed with how determined they are to succeed. They have a very good base to work from in Leafield, so there’s no reason we can’t have a good year, particularly with what we have planned to improve the car as the season goes on. We still don’t know exactly where we are on performance, partly because you never do in tests because you don’t know what everyone else is doing, but also because we didn’t really have a chance to do a proper quali sim in Bahrain. We have some new parts coming to Australia, including some revisions to the front wing, so we’ll be working on them on Friday and Saturday morning and know more about where we are when qualifying’s finished on Saturday.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Next quotes from the Williams team, who have brought in former Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa and paired him up with Valtteri Bottas who is now in his Sophmore year of F1.

Felipe Massa - “I love Melbourne, it's a fantastic place and a really good atmosphere. The people there really love racing and Formula 1 and so are always really welcoming towards us. I like the track and it's quite a challenging circuit. I am really looking forward to racing there this year and having a good start to the season with Williams Martini Racing.”

Valtteri Bottas - “I am really looking forward to going to Melbourne. It's a very nice track with a great atmosphere. It's a new season and a new challenge, not just for me but for everyone. We will finally get to see where every team's performance is. The track improves a lot throughout the weekend because it's not a permanent race track which means that we have more grip each time we go out and so you have to make the right set-up changes for each session. I really enjoy the track and I can't wait to get racing again.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Next quotes from the McLaren-Mercedes team who have new driver Kevin Magnussen driving for them this year, alongside Jenson Button.

Jenson Button - “I think this year’s Australian Grand Prix is going to be an absolutely fascinating sporting contest. Even with stable regulations, Melbourne is usually unpredictable. This year, I don’t think anybody knows quite what to expect - will we see more than half the field at the end of the race? Will we see good, close racing? Will the pecking order pan out as we expect? Those are all questions that we’ve yet to see answered, and part of what makes for such a fun weekend. The other element that I enjoy about this race is the atmosphere and vibe that you always get in Melbourne. It’s a beautiful city, a place I always love visiting - in fact, I get there early enough to settle my body-clock and to do some training ahead of the Grand Prix - and the fans at the circuit are always passionate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It’s a great place to start what will hopefully be a fantastic year. In terms of performance, while there’s plenty of potential within MP4-29, we still think it’ll take a little time to unlock that promise. It’s not quite where we’d like it to be, so I don’t think we go to Melbourne with a package that accurately reflects our progress with the car - it’ll take a little longer for that to become apparent. In general, this season is going to be all about continuous development. Our stated aim has always been to try and scoop up a useful haul of points from the opening races - by virtue of solid engineering and good reliability - and then to quickly refine and develop the package, and deliver further performance in due course. Nonetheless, I do think the potential is there: MP4-29 has given us what last year’s MP4-28 didn’t - namely, a reliable and predictable platform upon which we can build and develop. In every respect, this year’s car feels different to last year’s, and that makes me excited - which is exactly as things should be as you head off for the first race of the year.”

Kevin Magnussen - “Wow - it feels strange knowing that the next time I drive my car out of the garage, it will be for free practice at the Australian Grand Prix. It’s crazy to even think about racing in Melbourne - I’ve never been to Australia before, and the Grand Prix has always been something that I’ve watched very early in the morning on TV back in Europe. To not only be arriving in a new country, but also taking part in the Grand Prix is incredibly exciting. I think we head down under having had a solid winter - we know we have a lot of work left to do, but we have a good basis from which to go forward. We know where the car is strong, and where there’s more work left to do - and we’re addressing those areas. But I’ve said it all along: the car is driveable and predictable; it does what we ask it to do, which is a positive. Personally, it’ll be important for me to finish these early races in order to get some good mileage under my belt. Even though I’ve had a good winter, I’m under no illusions that I’m a still a rookie, and that I’m giving something away to the guys with more experience. However, the new regulations have made it more of an even playing field, so a couple of good practice sessions and some race distances will help enormously in getting me fully race-ready. There’s no substitute for being in the car - and there’s so much for me to still learn about driving a Formula One as close to the limit as possible while still focusing on tyre management, fuel-saving and the controls and switches we operate from the cockpit. But I’m really looking forward to being in a race - that’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to get started!”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Australian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Next quotes come from the Toro Rosso team, with new driver Daniil Kvyat making his F1 debut in Melbourne!

Jean-Eric Vergne - “I really like this track as it has a great layout and its location in a park makes it a great place to be. From a driving perspective, it is like a street circuit but with every type of corner, including some high speed turns. I have always felt quite comfortable at this circuit but have not gone so well there in the past, so I’m hoping that it will be different this year, although who knows what we can expect as the championship starts. But I like coming to Australia and this is definitely one of my top three races of the year. Australia in a few words? Faraway, hot, and a bit mysterious.”

Daniil Kvyat - “I have never driven the Albert Park circuit, but I’ve watched lots of the races there and seen the on-board footage, so I have a reasonable idea what to expect. The track is unusual and looks tricky. It will be my first time in Australia and I’m looking forward to that, especially as Daniel (Ricciardo) and his trainer Stuart are both from there and keep going on about how great it is. I hope to find time to visit the city. I’ll have to get a fridge magnet to add to my collection! As to how the race might go, it’s much too early to say, after just six days in the car in winter testing. This year, no one has any idea what to expect as you can tell from what happened in Jerez and Bahrain. It should be very interesting and I can’t wait to be on the grid for my first Grand Prix.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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