Friday, June 13, 2014

Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes


Quotes from Mercedes drivers!

Lewis Hamilton - "Montreal was a bit of a strange one for me. I felt I had the pace right from the beginning of the weekend, but things just never quite came together. It's frustrating when these things are out of your hands. The two DNF's so far this season have not been ideal but that's racing and there's a long, long way to go. I caught up before and I can catch up again. It's going to take another four wins to make the difference so I'm going to do my best to get those results. Right now, I'm just looking ahead to the next race in Austria and another chance to catch up to the lead. I've never driven the circuit but I've been working on it in the simulator and I'm sure I'll learn it pretty quickly when we get out on track. It's always exciting to go to a new venue, so it should be an interesting weekend. I'm feeling good in the car right now and I'll be pushing flat out to come away with maximum points this time around."

Nico Rosberg - "Although it was a really, really tough day, I'm pleased with the result in Montreal. The car was strong throughout the weekend, so to have the problems we experienced in the race was not what we expected. It just goes to show that you can never be too well prepared and our priority has been to make sure the car is bullet-proof for the rest of the season. When you take everything into account, finishing second in that race was quite an achievement for everyone in the team. But we know we cannot afford to slip up, as our rivals are always there to take advantage. I'm looking forward to the next race in Austria and a chance to get back to our winning form once again. Although I've driven the circuit before, that was more than ten years ago in F3, back when it was still called the A1 Ring! Of course, it will be very different in a Turbocharged, V6 Hybrid Formula One car, so it's basically like starting from scratch for everyone on the grid. Personally, I love that kind of challenge, so I'm excited to get back in the car and go for another top result."

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Austrian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull


First quotes come from Red Bull, who are looking forward to the Austrian GP.

Sebastian Vettel - “I have great memories of the Red Bull Ring. I was 13 years old when I first drove around it. I had the chance to test a Formula car from the Auinger family. That is a huge step if you’re coming from a karting background. It was something completely new and it took me a while to get used to it. I’m really happy that we will race there. The circuit is actually very pretty, not only the track, but the whole area. The circuit’s set amid a beautiful natural landscape. There are not many distractions there - it’s just about racing. The Red Bull Ring is a short track, with only a few turns, but it’s very challenging. There are also a lot of elevation changes, which makes it interesting and fun. The fans will have a great time as every grandstand offers a great view of the circuit.”

Daniel Ricciardo - “It’s great to be going to Red Bull’s home race after an awesome weekend in Canada. I’ve only driven the Red Bull Ring on filming days, essentially a handful of laps without the out-and-out aggression that you’ll see at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. It’s a tidy circuit, not the longest and not many corners, but what is there is good. Turn 1 is cool as it climbs up the hill. It looks tight, but actually isn’t. Turn 2 is quite a tight right-hand corner, going uphill and off-camber as well. Then it drops back down all the way through the rest of the track. It’s very odd going to what, essentially, is a new race but in a place where the racing history is firmly established. It sounds as though there will be a massive crowd up in the mountains and I’m sure the return of the Austrian Grand Prix will get off to a really good start.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.

Austrian GP: Circuit Preview


The Austrian Grand Prix hasn't been on the F1 calendar for years now, but it's finally making its return. Home race of Niki Lauda and also know for its long straights, the return is sure to impress.

The "Red Bull Ring" is located in Spielberg , Styria, Austria and opened in 1964. It's gone through many changes over the years, including the removing of turns and changing names. The current version has 10 turns and is 2.688 Miles in length.

The last race, had 69 laps, but this year it will be 71. Like most, this circuit also runs Clockwise. This circuit gives so many opportunities to overtake thanks to its many long straights.

The last race was held in 2003, where Michael who started on Pole Position, went on to win. Kimi Raikkonen, then driving for Mclaren, finished in Second. Rubens Barrichello, Michael's team-mate, made it a double podium for Ferrari, when he scored Third.

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Sources: wikipedia.com & f1.com

Austrian GP: Schedule


We're headed into the Austrian GP F1 Week and here is the schedule. Times are for Spielberg Local, if you need them converted, let us know.

SCHEDULE:

June 19th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located In Press Room)
15:05 - 18:00 - Pit Lane Walk (3-Day Ticket Holders Only.)

June 20th / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1
12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference

June 21st / Saturday

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice
08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3
13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - Qualifying

June 22nd / Sunday

12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:30 - Drivers Track Parade
12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
13:46 - National Anthem
14:00 - Race Start

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Canadian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results





If you missed the Canadian GP this morning, then you missed quite race. This one was up there with Bahrain. Filled with excitement, drama and some scary moments. There were a lot of retirements, disappointed drivers and also a lot of smiles from the people who finished in the Top 10. Before we get into the re-cap, I'd like to take a moment to say we are planning on debuting a website by the end of the year, while we also continue to post here.
    
   The race opened with a first lap accident between both Marussia drivers, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton. This happened when Max clipped Jules' rear wheel and sent Jules into a spin. There was quite a commotion as many cars were rounding the turn at the time of the collision. Pieces of debri were flying and landing on the circuit. The safety car was called out immedietley. Both Jules Bianchi and Max chilton had to retire due to the accident. 

    The next person to retire was Caterham's Marcus Ericsson, who endured issues with his engine. Retiring was the only option. He wasn't the only one to have to miss out on the rest of the race, as his team-mate also had to retire due to suspension failure. That already puts the race at 2 Team Double-Retirements. Marussia & Caterham. Lotus was another team to end up with a double retirement, when both of their cars had troubles as well. 

    By this time, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were batteling it out with eachother, when they were both notified by the team that both cars were suddenly suffering from what appeared to be the same problem. While Nico Rosberg was able to carry on, the Mercedes team had to retire Hamilton's car, as it was all over the place from suffering brake loss. A very disappointing end to Hamilton's strong run throughout the season. His last retirement was all the way back in Australia, the first race of the 2014 Season. 

    Daniil Kvyat and Esteban Gutierrez both retired with only a few laps left in the race. It's always devastating to see rookies fighting so hard and then ending up with car troubles. Throughout the season so far, Sauber drivers, Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil have noted that the car is hard to control and is often "Snappy" at the rear, making it very easy to spin-out. Kvyat, who has managed a good tally of points with the Toro Rosso, has now had two consecutive retirements. His last, being in Monte Carlo, Monaco. But just when you thought everything was fine and dandy, the worst of the accidents was yet to come.

    On lap 66-67, Sergio Perez, who was fighting to stay in Second, radioed to his team that he had no brakes, not to mention that he'd also been running without DRS for quite awhile, so the brakes just topped the issues he was struggeling to keep under control. While he sounded calm over the radio, he fought hard to not lose his position, but he couldn't, and Daniel Ricciardo made a pass on him. Sergio, now in 3rd, was fighting around the second to last lap, when Felipe Massa came soaring up behind him. One second it seemed everything in the stands had gone silent, until Massa's car jumped over the Force India, sending them both spinning and smashing into the wall/barriers. Peices flew off of their cars and went flying, while the impacts sounded like blasts.

    Luckily, both drivers escaped without injuries. Both able to climb out of their wrecked cars, were later checked out by medical staff and send to a local hospital for mandatory checks. Both passed and were released later. Many people will argue about who caused the accident. But in the end, unfortunately, it was Perez who was handed a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix. Not only he, but Max Chilton was given the same penalty as well, for hitting his team-ate, Jules.

    The safety car was called out for the last lap, but before that, Daniel Ricciardo made a pass on Nico Rosberg and was able to take home his first F1 victory and also, Red Bull's first win of the 2014 season. Rosberg finished in Second, while Vettel nabbed 3rd, to share the podium with Daniel. A huge congratulations to Daniel on his first win. I can only imagine how thrilling it must be.

    Personally, while I'm disappointed the race had a bad ending for a lot of drivers, we are absolutely thankful no one was hurt. We must appreciate that the drivers were not injured and will be able to continue in their careers. With that being said, let's go ahead and look at the results from this amazing, crazy and breath-taking Grand Prix.

RESULTS:

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

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

3. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany / + 15 Points

4. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain / + 12 Points

5. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany / + 10 Points

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

7. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland / + 6 Points

8. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso / France / + 4 Points

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

10. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland / + 1 Point

11. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico / + 0 Points / DNF (Accident)*

12. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil / + 0 Points / DNF (Accident)*

13. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany / + 0 Points / (One Lap Behind)*

14. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico / + 0 Points / DNF (Energy System Failure)*

RETIRED:

Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France - Wing

Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia - Drive Train

Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain - Brake Failure

Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan - Suspension Failure

Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela - Power Unit Failure

Marcus Ericsson / Caterham / Sweden - Engine

Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain - Accident

Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France - Accident

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
Bo copyright infringement intended.




Sunday, June 8, 2014

Canadian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

Time to see how the Grid is lined up for the Canadian GP in the morning. For those of you who don't know the rules of Qualifying, or how it works, let me go over it for you.

Qualifying is all about who starts at the front of the grid (Also called Pole Position) And all cars get a chance to fight for that position. Qualifying is split up into three sessions. Session one is 18 minutes, session 2 is 15 minutes and session 3 is 12 minutes.

So, Session 1, 18 minutes on the clock and all 22 cars will usually go out and try to set the fastest times that they can. However, yesterday it was only 21 cars, as Esteban was unable to take part, after an accident earlier on in Free Practice 3, damaged his chassis. Esteban will start tomorrow's race from the Pt-Lane.

After the 18 minutes were up, the 6 slowest cars, (They include Gutierrez as one of the 6, in order to apply to the rules.), got knocked out and will start in their respective places on the grid. The 6 slowest were: Esteban Gutierrez, Pastor Maldonado, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Marcus Ericsson and Kamui Kobayashi.

Session 2 then started and the remaining cars went out and set laps. The 6 slowest at the end of the 15 minutes were: Adrian Sutil, Daniil Kvyat, Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

After the 3rd and Final session, the last 10 cars were done and were to start wherever their times had placed them. Sometimes, there is penalties later after the session, so I tend to wait to post this until the grid is final and official. So, here is how the revised grid looks for the race.

1. (Pole Position.) Nico Rosberg / Mercedes / Germany
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / Great Britain
3. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull / Germany
4. Valtteri Bottas / Williams / Finland
5. Felipe Massa / Williams / Brazil
6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull / Australia
7. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / Spain
8. Jean-Eric Vergne /Toro Rosso / France
9. Jenson Button / McLaren / Great Britain
10. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari / Finland
11. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India / Germany
12. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren / Denmark
13. Sergio Perez / Force India / Mexico
14. Romain Grosjean / Lotus / France
15. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso / Russia
16. Adrian Sutil / Sauber / Germany
17. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus / Venezuela 
18. Max Chilton / Marussia / Great Britain
19. Jules Bianchi / Marussia / France
20. Marcus Ericsson/ Caterham / Sweden
21. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham / Japan (5-Place-Grid-Penalty for Gearbox Change)
Pit-Lane: Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber / Mexico (Was unable to take part in Qualifying.)

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Canadian GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

Sorry we were unable to get things fixed in time for Free Practice 3, but we still have the re-cap for you and of course all the times from the session.

There was quite a bad accident, when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez, lost control and hit the barriers, causing a lot of damage to the chassis. Luckily, Esteban is unharmed and fine and he will race on Sunday. He however, had to sit-out of Qualifying, since the team had to replace the chassis of his car.

Let's go ahead and get straight to the times, now.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:15.610 / Mercedes
2. Felipe Massa - 1:16.086 / Williams
3. Nico Rosberg - 1:16.120 / Mercedes
4. Fernando Alonso - 1:16.488 / Ferrari
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:16.504 / Red Bull
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:16.528 / Ferrari
7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:16.684 / Williams
8. Daniil Kvyat - 1:16.820 / Toro Rosso
9. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:16.16.824 / Toro Rosso
10. Sebastian Vettel - 1:16.884 / Red Bull
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:16.944 / Force India
12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:16.993 / McLaren
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:17.121 / Lotus
14. Sergio Perez - 1:17.188 / Force India
15. Pastor Maldonado - 1:17.224 / Lotus
16. Jenson Button - 1:17.360 / McLaren
17. Adrian Sutil - 1:17.900 / Sauber
18. Jules Bianchi - 1:18.518 / Marussia
19. Max Chilton - 1:18.525 / Marussia
20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:19.865 / Caterham
21. Kamui Kobyashi - 1:20.227 / Caterham
22. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:22.388 / Sauber

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Canadian GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

Alright, now it's time for a quick re-cap of FP2. Like I mentioned, we were unable to do coverage of this session and we're sincerely sorry. We hope to make up for it with this article and we will attempt to bring you commentary for FP3!

So, in this session, Rossi handed Kamui's car back, making it all 22 regular drivers for this session. The temperature had risen since FP1 and there was no sign of rain.

Kamui Kobayashi was having some problems with this session, where he spun at one point and then later on lost a piece from under his back wing. It practically just fell off, onto the circuit. Quite unfortunate, but the team is sure to have his car ready for FP3. His team-mate, Marcus Ericsson, stopped on track in the session.

Pastor Maldonado had issues as well, as he was unable to make it past Pit-Lane, before the team called him back and pushed the car back into the garage. Later they replaced his rear wing. 

There was only a minor inccident that involved Adrian Sutil and Kevin Magnussen. While Magnussen had the track pretty much to himself, he was rounding the chicane at a slower-than-usual speed, and Adrian Sutil came from behind and had to run off the kerb to avoid smashing into the back of the McLaren. 

So, now on to the times.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:16.118 / Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg - 1:16.293 / Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:16.573 / Red Bull
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:16.648 / Ferrari
5. Fernando Alonso - 1:16.701 / Ferrari
6. Felipe Massa - 1:16.774 / Williams
7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:16.893 / Williams
8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:17.052 / McLaren
9. Jenson Button - 1:17.059 / McLaren
10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:17.180 / Toro Rosso
11. Romain Grosjean - 1:17.626 / Lotus
12. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:17.644 / Red Bull
13. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:17.712 / Force India
14. Sergio Perez - 1:17.819 / Force India
15. Pastor Maldonado - 1:17.868 / Lotus 
16. Adrian Sutil - 1:17.964 / Sauber
17. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:18.340 / Sauber
18. Max Chilton - 1:18.693 / Marussia
19. Daniil Kvyat - 1:18.732 / Toro Rosso
20. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:20.244 / Caterham
21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:22.418 / Caterham
22. Jules Bianchi - 1:32.127 / Caterham

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.




Canadian GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

Good morning everyone, it's time for a re-cap of Free Practice 1. My sincere apologies for anyone following me on twitter yesterday for commentary coverage. We were unable to bring you much due to technical issues. We're trying to have it fixed by Free Practice 3 in about 4 and a half hours. Hopefully, it will be ok!

So, let's start with P1, luckily no major rain fall and the drivers had a nice hour and a half to get some good times in. Only a few incidents, with Nico Hulkenberg spinning out at the chicane and Romain Grosjean heading to the Force India pit crew on accident, instead of Lotus. 

Alexander Rossi made an appearance, driving for Kamui Kobayashi. Rossi is from America and currently races in GP2, for those unfamiliar with the name. Rossi hopes to have a future in F1 sometime in the next year or so. 

It was Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari, who topped this session, with the Mercedes close behind, rounding up the top 3. 

So, on to the times:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:17.238 / Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:17.254 / Mercedes
3. Nico Rosberg - 1:17.384 / Mercedes
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:18.131 / Red Bull
5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.361 / Williams
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:18.435 / Red Bull
7. Jenson Button - 1:18.446 / McLaren
8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:18.514 / McLaren
9. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:18.578 / Ferrari
10. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:18.643 / Toro Rosso
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:18.733 / Force India
12. Sergio Perez - 1:18.959 / Force India
13. Adrian Sutil - 1:19.108 / Sauber
14. Romain Grosjean - 1:19.142 / Lotus
15. Daniil Kvyat - 1:19.177 / Toro Rosso
16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:19.340 / Lotus
17. Felipe Massa - 1:19.575 / Williams
18. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:19.804 / Sauber
19. Jules Bianchi - 1:20.200 / Marussia
20. Max Chilton - 1:20.844 / Marussia
21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:21.404 / Caterham
22. Alexander Rossi - 1:21.757 / Caterham

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia


Last quotes come from Marussia!

Jules Bianchi - “I’m very excited for this weekend. The car seems so good at the moment that it feels we can go to every race feeling optimistic for a positive outcome. It has been such a fantastic week or so since Monaco and it has been nice to celebrate with the team after all the hard work it has taken to get this far. I don’t know if we can get two points again in Canada, but we need to consistently demonstrate that we can keep pace with the Saubers and have a good race, and this I think we can do. I think the points success will live with us for a very long time, but equally we have to switch focus to the next races to ensure we keep moving forward, as it is still a long season ahead and the Montreal circuit is by no means a straightforward challenge.”

Max Chilton - “I’m really excited about the Canadian Grand Prix. After such a positive test in Barcelona, and a very positive qualifying in Monaco off the back of that, I am hoping that we can piece together all of the positives into a more competitive result in Montreal. I am really encouraged by the work we have done and the obvious progress that we are making with the car. I think the whole team loves coming to Montreal. It’s such a great venue for the race and the fans are so enthusiastic. After a successful team result last time out, it’s shaping up to being busier than usual. I can’t wait to get back down to the racing.”

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Quotes made by Drivers.