Winter Testing Day 1 - Re-Cap & Times / Barcelona

Day 1 of testing got off to a fantastic start with multiple teams lauching their cars in the pit-lane. Mercedes, Force India and others revealed their cars, showing off new livery, colors and specs of their 2016 rides. Sauber is the only team to be using their 2015 model for this round of testing.

    Toro Rosso looked to be having a pretty good run until gearbox problems hampered Sainz' run on the track. However, it was still a productive day and the young Spaniard racked up 55 laps altogether.

    The only who was driving who is not one of the main drivers of the 2016 line-up was, Alfonso Celis, for Force India. He was recently brought in and is part of the team as a development driver.

    Haas F1 team made their debut with Romain Grosjean behind the wheel. Grosjean was dropped from Lotus (Now Renault), in favor of Jolyon Palmer, who took over most of Grosjean's 2015 FP1 sessions. Grosjean had a productive day behind the wheel apart from a slight mishap that left the car without a front wing.

Here are the times from the session.

TIMES/LAPS

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:24.939 / Ferrari-Ferrari / 69 Laps
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:25.409 / Mercedes-Mercedes / 156 Laps
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:26.044 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / 87 Laps
4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:26.091 / Williams-Mercedes / 80 Laps
5. Alfonso Celis - 1:26.298 / Force India-Mercedes / 58 Laps
6. Jenson Button - 1:26.735 / McLaren-Honda / 84 Laps
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:27.180 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / 55 Laps
8. Marcus Ericsson - 1:27.555 / Sauber-Ferrari* / 88 Laps
9. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:28.282 / Manor-Mercedes / 54 Laps
10. Romain Grosjean - 1:28.399 / Haas-Ferrari / 31 Laps
11. Jolyon Palmer - 1:29.365 / Renault-Renault / 37 Laps


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Red Bull Launches 2016 Car

Red Bull have revealed their 2016 challenger.

The traditional purple-blue is gone, replaced with a striking matt black. Of course, title sponsor Infiniti is also gone, replaced by Tag Heuer.

“We decided that with a clean sheet of paper to go with something a bit more innovative, aggressive, that will stand out in the crowd and stand out in a few more driver’s mirrors,” said Horner.

Red Bull’s chassis will be launched at the pre-season testing in Barcelona.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
Edited By: Amy Hawk
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Winter Testing Day 1 - Line-Up / Barcelona

Winter Break is officially over and it's time for everyone to get back to work. The first test of the pre-season is upon us and as always, we'll be reporting everything! So, let's kick off day one with who will be driving! 

BARCELONA TEST - DAY 1 - LINE-UP:

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo

Williams: Valtteri Bottas

Force India: Alfonso Celis

Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz

Renault: Jolyon Palmer

Sauber: Marcus Ericsson

McLaren: Jenson Button

Manor: Pascal Wehrlein

Haas: Romain Grosjean

(Subject to change)

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

Renault Launch 2016 Livery - Magnussen & Palmer Confirmed

Renault’s return to Formula One has caused quite a stir in the motorsports world and, when the company called the world’s motorsports media to a launch in France, they went rushing.

It appeared, afterwards, that there wasn’t really much to see. The car they put on display wasn’t the one they will be racing in next year, and the livery might change before too long too. The news that ex-McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen would be replacing Pastor Maldonado was already common knowledge, so did we really learn anything from the launch?

Formula One isn’t the only motorsports venture the car manufacturer is a part of. Renault’s name reaches far and wide and we really caught a glimpse of that at the launch.

“Motorsports still spark the imagination of both enthusiasts and everyday drivers,” said CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We are putting a comprehensive programme in place today.”

Renault has two aims going into the future. First, it wants to promote the Renault Sport brand to wider audiences, which is where the Formula One team comes in. The plan is that Renault’s involvement in the world wide sport will boost awareness of the brand, especially in markets where it is a newcomer.

The second is to showcase other aspects of the Renault range through their ventures in the Clio Cup series and Formula E. Renault committed itself to Formula E until at least season four with Renault e.dams, the current team champions. Renault will develop and supply the full powertrain to the team in the coming seasons.

So we didn’t see the car and we might not even have seen the livery, but the launch did show us the key personnel for Renault’s return to Formula One.

First, there are the drivers. Jolyon Palmer was confirmed at the end of last season to be racing for the outfit Renault took over from, alongside Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. Recently, it became clear that Magnussen would be taking over from Maldonado, which was confirmed at the launch in France.

Mercedes development programme driver, Esteban Ocon, was also confirmed as the Third and Reserve driver.

Behind the scenes will be Bob Bell, who was appointed F1 Chief Technical Officer, Nick Chester, the Chassis Technical Director, and Rémi Taffin, the Engine Technical Director.

We also learned where things would be taking place. The Renault R.S.16 Chassis will be developed at Enstone, UK, whilst the power until will continue to be developed in Viry-Châtillon in France.

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Wet Weather Tyre Test - Re-Cap & Times

Pirelli are to get set analysing the results of the two days of wet tyre testing held this week.

Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull all took to the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France to test the prototype tyres.

The test wasn’t perfect, with temperatures consistently low throughout both days, but the circuit’s sophisticated sprinkler system allowed Pirelli to mimic a wide range of wet conditions.

A number of different wet tyre prototypes were tested as Pirelli work on a combination of different compounds, tread depths, and configurations.

It was a “blind test”, meaning the walls of the tyres didn’t carry any colour markings and the teams didn’t know which specifications they were testing.

Pirelli will continue to work on the development of the tyres off track, but say they are sure they have a good compound for extreme wet conditions.

Further conclusions will be released once proper analysis has been conducted.

Criticism from Kimi Raikkonen, one of the five drivers that took part in the test, did not worry Pirelli, as the Finn was testing different prototypes in full wet conditions.

Speed was not an important factor in the test, but Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was fastest over the two day test. The German completed 134 laps overall.

Stoffel Vandoorne, who was driving for McLaren on both days, had his testing cut short on the first day, due to an engine failure, unsurprising given the test was completed using the unaltered 2015 specifications for the car.

The next outing for Pirelli will be the first pre-season test in Barcelona on February 22-25.

Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Abu Dhabi: Race - Re-Cap & Results

The last race of the season was indeed spectacular and while Lewis Hamilton won the 2015 F1 world championship, he was unable to win the race.

    Nico Rosberg stunned at Yas Marina, taking home the last win of the season. Hamilton came in Second and Raikkonen finished off the Podium in Third. 

    Pastor Maldonado was the only retirement of the race after suffering car damage after the start of the race when Alonso tagged the Lotus. Alonso was given a Drive-Through-Penalty later on in the race. 

    McLaren was able to secure a double finish with Button in 12th and Alonso in 17th. Not exactly what the team was hoping for in the last race, but a decent result after the troubled season they'd had. Button was also involved in some Pit-Lane drama with Bottas. Bottas had an unsafe release as Button was going through the Pit-Lane and Bottas hit the back of the McLaren. Bottas ended up with wing damage and also received a 5-Second-Time-Penalty.

The rest of the race results are below.

RACE RESULTS: 

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

8. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

9. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France

10. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-Renault / Russia

11. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

13. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

14. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

15. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

16. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Renault / Netherlands

17. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

18. Will Stevens / Manor-Ferrari / Great Britain

19. Roberto Merhi / Manor-Ferrari / Spain 

RETIRED - Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela / Accident Damage

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Abu Dhabi GP: Qualifying - Results

RESULTS:

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

5. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia

6. Valtteri Bottas / Wiliams-Williams / Finland

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany

8. Felipe Massa / Williams-Williams / Brazil

9. Daniil Kvyat / Red Bull-Renault / Russia

10. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

11. Max Verstappen / Toro Rosso-Renault / Netherlands

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

13. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela

14. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

15. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

16. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

17. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

18. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France*

19. Will Stevens / Manor-Ferrari / Great Britain**

20. Roberto Merhi / Manor-Ferrari / Spain

* = 5-Place-Grid-Penalty

** = 5-Place-Grid-Penalty

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

A missed session for Daniil Kvyat due to electrical issues. The young Red Bull driver was unable to take part in final practice, but it wasn't all bad for the team as Kvyat's team-mate, Ricciardo, finished the session in 6th.

    It was another Mercedes 1-2 session, despite a huge spin from Lewis Hamilton. It was also a productive session for both Force India drivers with Perez in 4th and Hulkenberg in 7th.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:41.856 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:42.137 / Mercedes-Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:42.185 / Ferrari-Ferrari
4. Sergio Perez - 1:42.448 / Force India-Mercedes
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:42.627 / Ferrari-Ferrari
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:42.726 / Red Bull-Renault
7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:42.859 / Force India-Mercedes
8. Felipe Massa - 1:43.173 / Williams-Mercedes
9. Valtteri Bottas - 1:43.239 / Williams-Mercedes
10. Carlos Sainz - 1:43.429 / Toro Rosso-Renault
11. Jenson Button - 1:43.508 / McLaren-Honda
12. Pastor Maldonado - 1:43.680 / Lotus-Mercedes
13. Felipe Nasr - 1:43.718 / Sauber-Ferrari
14. Max Verstappen - 1:43.826 / Toro Rosso-Renault
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:43.928 / Lotus-Mercedes
16. Fernando Alonso - 1:44.014 / McLaren-Honda
17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:44.325 / Sauber-Ferrari
18. Will Stevens - 1:47.283 / Manor-Ferrari
19. Roberto Merhi - 1:47.520 / Manor-Ferrari 
20. Daniil Kvyat - No Time Set / Toro Rosso-Renault

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

It was another good day for Mercedes with both drivers finishing in the top two with Rosberg up in front. The third spot in the session belonged to Sergio Perez, who had previously finished third on the podium in the Russian GP.

 For Carlos Sainz, it wasn't the best session. He ended in 14th and had to park his car with only 30 minutes left in the session due to technical issues with his Toro Rosso. Team-Mate, Max Verstappen finished just ahead of him in 13th.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:41.983 / Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:42.121 / Mercedes-Mercdes
3. Sergio Perez - 1:42.610 / Force India-Mercedes
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:42.647 / Red Bull-Renault
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:42.717 / Ferrari-Ferrari
6. Daniil Kvyat - 1:42:798 / Toro Rosso-Renault
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:42.849 / Ferrari-Ferrari
8. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:42.928 / Force India-Mercedes
9. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.955 / McLaren-Honda
10. Pastor Maldonado - 1:43.431 / Lotus-Mercedes
11. Valtteri Bottas - 1:43.441 / Williams-Mercedes
12. Felipe Masssa - 1:43.506 / Williams-Mercedes
13. Max Verstappen - 1:43.662 / Toro Rosso-Renault
14. Carlos Sainz - 1:43.854 / Toro Rosso-Renault
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:43.929 / Lotus-Mercedes
16. Jenson Button - 1:44.050 / McLaren-Honda
17. Felipe Nasr - 1:44.116 / Sauber-Ferrari
18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:45.245 / Sauber-Ferrari
19. Will Stevens - 1:46.450 / Manor-Ferrari
20. Roberto Merhi - 1:47.022 / Manor-Ferrari

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Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

In the first practice session of the last race of the year, Kimi Raikkonen got off to an unlucky start when he encountered problems with his MGU-K. However, things did get turned around and he finished the session in third behind the two Mercedes drivers.

Roberto Merhi got back to Manor for the last race after Alexander Rossi had previously raced in Brazil.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:43.754 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:43.895 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:44.500 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Daniil Kvyat - 1:44.702 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:44.742 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:44.751 / Force India-Mercedes

7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:44.893 / Red Bull-Renault

8. Sergio Perez - 1:44.934 / Force India-Mercedes

9. Pastor Maldonado - 1:45.314 / Lotus-Mercedes

10. Felipe Massa - 1:45.433 / Williams-Mercedes

11. Valtteri Bottas - 1:45.603 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Max Verstappen - 1:45.718 / Toro Rosso-Renault

13. Jenson Button - 1:45.773 / McLaren-Honda

14. Fernando Alonso - 1:45.865 / McLaren-Honda

15. Felipe Nasr - 1:46.115 / Sauber-Ferrari

16. Carlos Sainz - 1:46.220 / Toro Rosso-Renault

17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:46.407 / Sauber-Ferrari

18. Jolyon Palmer* - 1:46.501 / Lotus-Mercedes

19. Will Stevens - 1:48.836 / Manor-Ferrari

20. Roberto Merhi - 1:49.888 / Manor-Ferrari

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