Singapore GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

SINGAPORE GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Kimi Raikkonen topped the second practice session of the weekend, taking Ferrari to the top with a 1:38.699. 

    Lewis Hamilton came 2nd with a 1:38.710, ahead of the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas completed the top 5 with a 1:39.368. 

    Sebastian Vettel experienced a minor crash that resulted in a leak for his Ferrari. It ended his session a bit early but he was still able to secure 9th with a fastest time of 1:40.633.

    After finished in 20th in FP1, Vandoorne had a slightly better session this time around, managing to get his McLaren into 16th. Fernando Alonso broke into the top 10, slotting into 8th with a 1:40.459.

    The Williams duo was at the bottom of the time-sheet with Stroll in 19th and Sirotkin in 20th. It is still unknown if Sirotkin will get to keep his seat at Williams in 2019, but it's looking more and more likely that Lance Stroll is heading to Force India, in place of Esteban Ocon.

    Charles Leclerc was able to get out for this session after his FP1 crash that left his Sauber damaged. The team was able to fix it up and send him on his way. He ended in 14th with a 1:41.062. Team-mate, Ericsson, was a couple of spaces ahead in 12th with a 1:40.812.

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:38.699 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:38.710 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Max Verstappen - 1:39.221 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.309 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:39.368 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

6. Carlos Sainz - 1:40.274 / Renault-Renault / Spain

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:40.384 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Fernando Alonso - 1:40.459 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

9. Sebastian Vettel - 1:40.633 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:40.668 / Renault-Renault / Germany

11. Sergio Perez - 1:40.774 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Marcus Ericsson - 1:40.812 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

13. Esteban Ocon - 1:40.870 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

14. Charles Leclerc - 1:41.062 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

15. Kevin Magnussen - 1:41.154 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:41.164 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

17. Brendon Hartley - 1:41.542 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

18. Pierre Gasly - 1:41.615 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

19. Lance Stroll - 1:42.141 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

20. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:42.181 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

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Singapore GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

SINGAPORE GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES 

    It was 1-2 finish on the time-sheets for Red Bull in the first practice session of the Singapore GP weekend. 

    Daniel Ricciardo took the top spot with a fastest time of 1:39.711. While Ricciardo is leaving the Austrian team at the end of the year, it's clear he's still giving his all.

    Max Verstappen was close behind in 2nd with a 1:39.912. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel took 3rd, ahead of team-mate, Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg, who had flying times in the Renault.

    Some drivers were caught out by Marina Bay's tight corners. Stroll went for a spin and Charles Leclerc, who is freshly signed to Ferrari, had a minor crash at the very end of the session, leaving plenty of work for the Sauber mechanics.

    Mercedes seemed to be having a tough start to the weekend as neither driver finished in the top 5. Hamilton was close however, in 6th with a 1:41.232. Bottas was a bit further down in 8th with a 1:41.429.

    Esteban Ocon, who still doesn't have a seat for next season, finished in 15th, while team-mate, Perez was a few places higher up in 12th. The most likely replacement for Ocon at Force India is Lance Stroll, considering his father does own the team, which has since been re-branded as Racing Point Force India.

    Stoffel Vandoorne, who is also searching for answers to his future, was last in the times, with a 1:45.160. Fernando Alonso managed 14th with a 1:42.630.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:39.711 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
2. Max Verstappen - 1:39.912 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:39.997 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:40.486 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:41.105 / Renault-Renault / Germany
6. Lewis Hamilton - 1:41.232 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
7. Carlos Sainz - 1:41.329 / Renault-Renault / Spain
8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:41.429 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
9. Charles Leclerc - 1:42.035 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
10. Romain Grosjean - 1:42.108 / Haas-Ferrari / France
11. Marcus Ericsson - 1:42.408 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
12. Sergio Perez - 1:42.412 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
13. Kevin Magnussen - 1:42.452 / Haas-Ferrari / Haas
14. Fernando Alonso - 1:42.630 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
15. Esteban Ocon - 1:43.177 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
16. Pierre Gasly - 1:43.240 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
17. Brendon Hartley - 1:43.485 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
18. Lance Stroll - 1:43.849 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:44.036 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:45.160 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

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Singapore GP: Driver Preview Quotes

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - "The circuit itself is very physical and puts a lot of strain on the body. It’s up there as one of the toughest circuits of the season. It’s a long lap with corners coming thick and fast, with not many straights to have a break. The humidity makes it hard combined with all the action we’re doing at the wheel with non-stop corner combinations and frequent gear changes."

Carlos Sainz - "Last season’s Singapore Grand Prix was probably my best-ever race in my Formula 1 career. Everything clicked on the day and we ended up in fourth place. It was a very difficult race starting on the intermediate tyre and then picking the right time to go onto the supersofts, which took a bit of getting used to in the early running. But it was an incredible day, an amazing race and one which I’ll never forget. That said, every time I’m in the car, I’m gunning to better it."

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING 

Daniel Ricciardo - "I have learnt to love the challenge of Singapore. For me, the first year I raced there in 2011 was one of the worst races I have been involved in. Physically it was so intense, I just underestimated how hard it would be. I wasn’t in a happy place after that race, it gave me a feeling I never want to experience in a race car again, so I made a promise to myself that I would always come to Singapore over-prepared. In a way this is now something I take pride in; I always get there feeling really sharp and well prepared. I now really like that challenge and I also thrive in the heat. In a strange way, the pain has become pleasure over the years. As everyone knows, I love street circuits. The feeling of driving on the edge, so close to the walls, is something you just can’t get enough of. It’s the original night race and the schedule is always pretty hectic but there is something kind of romantic about going to the track at night and then to bed at four or five in the morning. It’s a place where I also have good races and finish pretty strong. I’ve had four podiums and three second places in a row there, so it’s about time I win the damn thing.”

Max Verstappen - “I think the whole team is looking forward to Singapore because we know we have a real chance to have a good result there. The race has been a strong one for us in the past and I think we should be able to challenge for a podium this year. I really enjoy driving there; the track has a lot of corners and is quite bumpy but it makes it all the more interesting to find a good set-up for the car. The night race and hot temperatures really test you to the limit, for me Singapore is physically the hardest race of the season. I have been preparing for quite a while. A night race in general is a bit different with the lights, it adds an extra aspect that we don’t have at the majority of races. The atmosphere around the whole weekend creates a great buzz and is a perfect way to kick off the fly away races.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - "I am really looking forward to racing this weekend. The last couple of events went really well for us and you can feel the positive atmosphere in the whole team, so we want to keep the momentum going.

    Singapore is a special event and I don't think there's any other race in the world like it. The city is buzzing and the circuit looks amazing when all the lights are on. The hotel is close to the paddock, so we walk to the track and that's a way to see the city and feel the atmosphere - something you can't really do at other races.

    The race is a big test for the body. When you're in the car, it is hard to breathe and you're sweating a lot. In the days leading up to the race I train in the toughest conditions I can to get used to it. The race is also the longest of the year in terms of time in the cockpit, so fitness is important. The best preparation is to sleep well and keep hydrated. The weird schedule makes it a bit strange, especially at the beginning of the week, but after a couple of days in Singapore it’s not a problem anymore.

    The Marina Bay Circuit is one of my favourites because I have scored points every time I’ve raced there. That’s seven times from seven races and I’m looking forward to making it eight out of eight. I love driving street circuits because you have to be aggressive and accurate, and Marina Bay is the type of track where you can make a difference as a driver.

    Being so close to the walls is always challenging but it’s fun as well. With the wide cars it’s tougher to overtake, but is not as tight as Monaco and there is enough space to make some overtaking moves.

    We're bringing an upgrade to the race, so I expect us to be competitive. Last year I finished fifth and after the breakthrough we had at Spa and Monza, I definitely expect to be fighting for a good amount of points this time as well.”

Esteban Ocon - “In the two races after the summer break we have shown good pace and scored a lot of points, so we go to Singapore aiming to continue this run of great races.

    Singapore is the toughest race of the year from a physical point of view. It’s hot and it’s humid, but I have been preparing for it with lots of cardio training. It’s important to eat the right things and drink a lot even before we travel to Singapore. Other than training in the heat, my routine doesn’t change much because we have to be very fit for all the other races already.

    This Singapore weekend has a unique schedule but I have a little trick for it. I always keep two different time zones on my watch – local and European. I keep to European timings and still manage to go to bed every night at 9pm, Paris time!

    The Singapore race is a fantastic event. Night races are always different and there is the added challenge of a street circuit. I admit I am not the biggest fan of the track layout, but it is a very challenging one. There are so many corners and lots of places where you can gain time or make a mistake, so it’s difficult to put together a perfect lap. My favourite part is the final sector where you have to get really close to the walls.

    We are bringing an upgrade to this race and we look forward to testing it on Friday. If we can get everything working properly then hopefully we can keep our position at the front of the midfield.”

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “The Singapore Grand Prix is one of the highlights of each season. It is probably the most spectacular circuit to drive on, as it is located in the city centre and takes place at night. It is also one of the toughest races of the year, with extreme heat and humidity making it challenging to drive, both physically and mentally. As a team, we are eager to bounce back after a difficult weekend in Italy, and we are determined to fight for a good result again. I look forward to being back in Singapore.”

Charles Leclerc - “The circuit in Singapore will be completely new to me. I have done some simulator work on the track, but it will be a special experience to drive there in real life. It will also be my first real night race, which is exciting. I look forward to that very much. It is one of the most renowned and popular Grands Prix on the calendar, and it will be a pleasure to meet the fans there. The track looks interesting, and the city vibrant – I can’t wait for this race weekend to begin.”

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “My only experience of Singapore is when I attended the race as third driver for Red Bull Racing. So at least I got to see the race at first hand and it gave me an understanding of just how hot and humid it is and what it’s like having a night race, getting up in the afternoon and going to bed in the early hours of the morning. I found it quite straightforward, sticking on European time and you just have to get used to driving under the artificial lights. It’s a different rhythm, but I quite enjoyed it when I was there.

    The super-sticky conditions mean it’s the most physically demanding race of the year. Even if I’ve never driven the track, looking at the layout, I can see it’s the sort of circuit I like, where you can get into a rhythm with a lot of corners. It turns a lot and it’s very technical. We knew the last two races in Spa and Monza were going to be complicated but, on paper, Singapore should suit our car a bit better. I’m looking forward to seeing how we go. I’ve been training for the heat, wearing lots of clothes and sweating a lot, making sure I felt much too hot and I will be doing that sort of training right up until the weekend, as well as spending time in the sauna. Marina Bay is one of my favourite tracks to drive on the video games, so I’m looking forward to experiencing the real thing.”

Brendon Hartley - “Singapore will be a new track for me and one that I have very much been looking forward to. All the drivers I have spoken to tell me it’s the most physical race on the calendar, partly because it’s a busy lap, but also because of the heat and humidity. Of course, I have done a lot of night racing throughout my career, at events like Le Mans, but with the floodlights it won’t be very noticeable, unless it rains.

    Historically, Toro Rosso has gone well here and while we knew the last two races would be tough, all of us at Toro Rosso see Singapore as a good opportunity to perform well. Last week, I drove the track on the simulator, which, as usual, is half for the benefit of the team and half for the driver. The track is accurately 3-D mapped so it was an opportunity to learn every bump and kerb. It allows me to get all my reference points and hit the ground running when practice starts on Friday. From a team point of view, it means we can do a lot of set-up changes before even getting to the track, trying them out to see if the driver gets a good feeling from them in the car. It’s not quite 100% the same as actually driving the track itself, as it’s not as hot and you don’t have the same forces going through the body. All the same, it’s a perfect way to prepare as you get some visual markers and an idea of where you are going. Apart from that, I have also done some heat training by exercising with a few more layers on. I am feeling fit and healthy, which can give you an edge come Sunday night and I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "Obviously this year I know exactly what to expect in terms of how the Marina Bay Street Circuit is. It is tight and twisty and one of the toughest both mentally and physically, especially because of the hot and humid conditions. I have great memories from last year as I started 18th and finished eighth. It was a pretty wild race with some rain before the start and I was able to make up five places on the opening lap. After that it dried out and then it was down to strategy and all that. We came away from a difficult weekend with a handful of points, which was great, and the party after the race was great."

Sergey Sirotkin - "Singapore is one of the races I’m looking forward to the most. It’s been really nice to race at some well-known European tracks, but I also feel like now is a good time to start doing some flyaway races again, and to see some new tracks. Singapore is somewhere everyone wants to race at. It’s a very challenging track which could potentially give us a lot of hopes, so I’m looking forward to it a lot. I’ve been there before but there’s not much I can say until I drive the track. It’s a special weekend with it being a night race, and the schedule being on European time."

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “I do like the Singapore Grand Prix. I do like competing in the night. It’s pretty good fun. It makes some great footage, and clearly Singapore is one of the most beautiful races you can have by night. It’s pretty awesome. It provides something a bit different on the calendar. I’m very much looking forward to it and seeing what we can do there.

    It can be very physical. All week we never see the sunlight, so that takes a bit of energy away. Then it’s humid, it’s hot and it’s always a long race. We usually reach the two-hour limit. It’s very, very demanding. I remember back in 2013, I lost four kilos of water during the race, which is quite a lot.

    One of the big challenges is the heat and humidity, which is very, very difficult in Singapore. Another challenge is the race, as it’s usually about two hours long, and it’s a street circuit, so it’s very difficult. Mentally, it’s very difficult, as much as it is physical. It’s clearly one of the races where you need to be at your fittest in the season.

    I will do my best and do my best for the team. Hopefully, it will be a really good race for us with some strong points.”

Kevin Magnussen - “The biggest challenge (of Singapore) is probably physically, as it’s very hot and the race is extremely long. It always goes close to the two-hour limit. Physically, it’s a tough track, mentally as well. You don’t get a lot of rest on the track, and there are 23 corners, so you’re always working. There’s not a lot of time to relax over a lap in Singapore.

    There are some bumps around the track. You’re trying to avoid them as much as you can. It’s not possible to avoid all of the bumps as you need to take your racing line. It makes it easy to lock up in some places. If you miss your braking or get on the power a bit too early, there’s a wall and you’ll be likely to hit it. This makes the consequences a bit bigger for any mistake, which is cool.

    My expectations are that we can fight at the front of the midfield and that we can take the fight to Renault and fight for best of the rest like we’ve done many times this year.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - "After difficult races in Belgium and Italy we say goodbye to Europe and start the fly-away chapter of the season. We were hoping to come away with points instead of two DNFs, but on the positive side we managed to find some pace on Sunday in Monza.

    The important thing for us to focus on is reliability, especially since Marina Bay street circuit should be better for us and our package, so we need to maximize our performance. Points are still definitely the target.

    The field is becoming very competitive as we progress through the season so we know we need to work hard to maintain the pace of development compared to our competitors. I’m looking forward to racing under the lights in Singapore and it’s always a fantastic weekend of racing for the fans.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “Last year was my first experience of racing in Singapore and I really enjoyed it. In fact, it was there and in Malaysia that I scored my best result yet in Formula 1, in seventh place. It’s a track that definitely suits the strengths of our package more than others, so I’m hopeful of a more positive weekend where we can show improved pace and take the fight to our competitors.

    Although I’m very much looking to the future since I confirmed I won’t be racing for McLaren next season, I’m also 100 per cent determined to give everything for the remaining grands prix this season. Both the team and I are pushing very hard to get the best results we can with what we have, and it’s certainly not over yet.

    Racing at Singapore was an incredible experience last year and I’m really looking forward to doing it again. Going through the whole weekend on European time is one of the coolest things about this race and it’s a totally unique experience that we don’t get anywhere else we travel to on the calendar. Let’s hope we can have a positive weekend for the fans.”

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Singapore GP: Circuit Preview

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW 

Name: Marina Bay Street Circuit

Location: Marina Bay, Singapore

Opened: August 31st, 2008

Length: 3.146 Miles

Capacity: 90,000

Runs: Anti-Clockwise

Turns: 23 

Race Laps: 61

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Sebastian Vettel

1st Place: Lewis Hamilton

2nd Place: Daniel Ricciardo

3rd Place: Valtteri Bottas

Retirements: Kimi Raikkonen (Collision), Max Verstappen (Collision), Sebastian Vettel (Collision Damage), Fernando Alonso (Collision Damage), Daniil Kvyat (Accident), Marcus Ericsson (Accident), Nico Hulkenberg (Oil Leak) & Kevin Magnussen (Engine)

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Singapore GP: Track Schedule

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE 

September 13th / Thursday

18:00 - 19:00 - Press Conference

20:00 - 21:30 - Drivers Autograph Session

September 14th / Friday

16:30 - 18:00 - Free Practice #1

18:05 - 19:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

18:30 - 19:00 - Press Conference

20:30 - 22:00 - Free Practice #2

September 15th / Saturday

15:10 - 15:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

18:00 - 19:00 - Free Practice #3

19:10 - 20:25 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

21:00 - 22:00 - Qualifying

22:00 - 23:00 - Press Conference

September 16th / Sunday

17:30 - 19:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

18:30 - 19:00 - Drivers Track Parade

18:45 - 19:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

19:54 - 19:56 - National Anthem

20:10 - 22:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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Lando Norris Joins McLaren In 2019, Vandoorne Out

NORRIS JOINS McLAREN IN 2019, STOFFEL VANDOORNE TO LEAVE

    Lando Norris will replace Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren for the 2019 Formula 1 season.

    The European Formula 3 champion and Formula 2 front-runner joins Carlos Sainz Jnr at the team, becoming the first rookie to be confirmed for the upcoming season.

    Norris became McLaren’s test and reserve driver after winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for young drivers in 2016. He’s completed a number of tests with the team, including two FP1 outings.

    “To be announced as a race driver for McLaren is a dream come true,” he said. “Although I’ve been part of the team for a while now, this is a special moment, one I could only hope would become reality.

    I’d like to thank the whole team for this amazing opportunity and for believing in me. I’m also extremely grateful for the commitment McLaren has already shown my development, allowing me to build my experience in a Formula 1 car in both testing and on Fridays during the past two race weekends.

    For the remainder of 2018, my focus remains firmly on the Formula 2 championship. My objective is to win the title before joining McLaren full-time, which will be tough but I will fight as hard as I can for the remaining four races.

    I’ll also be working closely with McLaren at every opportunity to learn as much as possible from the drivers, engineers, and mechanics to give myself the best preparation ahead of next year.”

    Norris started his car racing career in the Ginetta Junior championship in 2014, before switching to single seaters with the MSA Formula in 2015. Since 2015, Norris has claimed the MSA Formula title, Formula Renault Eurocup and NEC titles, Toyota Racing Series title, and the European Formula 3 championship victory.

    He finished second in last year’s Macau Grand Prix and is currently second in the Formula 2 championship, behind Mercedes junior George Russel.

    Norris is the fourth McLaren junior driver to be promoted to F1, following in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, Kevin Magnussen, and Vandoorne.

    The move means Vandoorne joins the list of current drivers out of a seat for the upcoming season.

    “I’m very grateful to McLaren for investing their faith in me over the past five years,” he said. “I joined McLaren as a young driver and have since seen my career progress within the team from test and development driver to reserve driver and then to full-time race driver.

    While we haven’t achieved the success we’d all hoped for, I’ve really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team.”

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2019 Provisional Calendar

FIA RELEASE PROVISIONAL CALENDAR FOR 2019

    The FIA has revealed a 21 race calendar for the 2019 Formula 1 season.

    The championship will run from early March to early December, once again starting with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and ending at the Yas Marina Circuit with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    After many complaints concerning this year’s European triple header, where the French, Austrian, and British grands prix took place on consecutive weekends, it has been removed for the 2019 season. The French and Austrian races will be back to back, but teams have been afforded a weekend off before the British race.

    The move has pushed back the summer break, with the Hungarian Grand Prix taking place in early August before the break, which ends with the Belgian Grand Prix at the start of September.

    The only other difference to this season’s calendar is the positions of the Mexican and United States grands prix in the running order. Mexico is scheduled to host its race before the US, but organizers may try to move the US race, which is set to take place on the same weekend as a NASCAR meeting at the Texas Motor Speedway.

1 – 17th March – Melbourne – Australia
2 – 31st March – Shanghai – China
3 – 14th April – Sakhir – Bahrain
4 – 28th April – Baku – Azerbaijan
5 – 12th May – Barcelona – Spain
6 – 26th May – Monte Carlo – Monaco
7 – 9th June – Montreal – Canada
8 – 23rd June – Le Castellet – France
9 – 30th June – Spielberg – Austria
10 – 14th July – Silverstone – Great Britain
11 – 29th July – Hockenheim – Germany
12 – 4th August – Budapest – Hungary
13 – 1st September – Spa-Francorchamps – Belgium
14 – 8th September – Monza – Italy
15 – 22nd September – Singapore – Singapore
16 – 29th September – Sochi – Russia
17 – 13th October – Suzuka – Japan
18 – 27th October – Mexico City – Mexico
19 – 3rd November – Austin – USA
20 – 17th November  - Sao Paulo – Brazil
21 – 1st December – Yas Marina – Abu Dhabi

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Italian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

ITALIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS 

    Lewis Hamilton extended his championship lead with victory in front of Ferrari’s home crowd, while Sebastian Vettel battled up through the field after an opening lap spin.

    Hamilton and Vettel collided at the chicane on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix as they battled for second behind pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen. Vettel was forced wide and sent into a spin, dropping back to eighteenth with damage to his front wing.

    Vettel was able to come into the pits during a brief safety car period, brought out to recover Brendon Hartley’s damaged Toro Rosso. He spent the remainder of the race climbing up through the field, eventually crossing the line fifth.

    At the front of the field, Raikkonen was ahead of Hamilton after both cars had pitted, but the Ferrari was being held up by the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, who was yet to pit. The slower Bottas allowed Hamilton to catch Raikkonen, whose tyres were a handful of laps older than those of the Mercedes.

    By the time Bottas finally came into the pits, Hamilton was on Raikkonen’s tail, but making the move past the Ferrari didn’t come easy. He eventually passed Raikkonen around the outside just eight laps before the chequered flag, snatching the race lead in front of Ferrari’s home crowds.

    Once in the clear air, Hamilton quickly pulled away from Raikkonen, who was now nursing blistered tyres. He finished more than eight second ahead of Raikkonen to take his sixth victory of the season.

    Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas was pushing to find a way past Max Verstappen in the battle for the final podium position. Verstappen put up a strong defence, at one bouncing over the kerbs in order to keep the position. In the closing stages of the race, the pair came together and Bottas was forced up the escape road at the chicane. He managed to continue and continued to push, but his fight for third was aided when Verstappen was handed a five second penalty for the incident.

    Even though he’d already lost the position, Verstappen continued to defend P3 on track. He told the team he was aware he was losing time to Vettel, who was now charging after the pair, but that he didn’t care and continued to battle Bottas.

    The Red Bull eventually crossed the line third, but the five second penalty dropped him behind Vettel on the corrected timings, classifying him fifth.

    Verstappen’s team-mate Daniel Riccardo endured an even worse race. After taking a new engine for the Italian GP – and the grid-penalty that came with it – Ricciardo had been working his way up through the order when he came to a stop at the side of the track, smoke pouring from the rear of his Red Bull.

    Many initially suspected an engine problem, but Renault later claimed the issue was clutch related.

    Ricciardo was the third man to retire from the race, with Fernando Alonso also retiring due to a mechanical issue.

    Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez also ran into trouble when the pair came together early in the race while battling for 12th and 13th. Both suffered bodywork damage, but it was enough to force Magnussen into the pits. He managed to return to the race, but could only run around at the back of the field, eventually finishing 17th.

    Perez didn’t appear to suffer too much damage and continued to climb through the order. He joined team-mate Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Romain Grosjean in a battle for the best of the rest position. Grosjean finished top of the group to take sixth, ahead of Ocon and Perez.

    Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll completed the top 10 while Sergey Sirotkin finished just outside the points with his best result of the season.

    Charles Leclerc, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Nico Hulkenberg took 12th, 13th, and 14th, with Pierre Gasly and Marcus Ericsson completing the order.

    Following the race, Romain Grosjean was later disqualified from the official race results after Renault launched an investigation concerning Grosjean's car. The FIA found that Haas had run an illegal floor and therefore decided that Grosjean would be excluded from the results, losing his points and promoting everyone else up a spot.

RESULTS:

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

RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / Clutch
RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / Electrical 
RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / Collision Damage

DISQUALIFIED - Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France*

* - Notes Grosjean was disqualified after the stewards found Haas had run an illegal floor on his car

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Formula 2 - Italy - Sprint Race - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - ITALY - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 15 Points

2. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia / + 12 Points

3. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil / + 10 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

4. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada / + 8 Points

5. Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain / + 6 Points

6. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy / + 4 Points

7. Dorian Boccolacci / MP Motorsport / France / + 2 Points

8. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 1 Point

9. Arjun Maini / Trident / India 

10. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy

11. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

12. Alessio Lorandi / Trident / Italy

13. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan

14. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

15. Roy Nissany / Campos Vexatec Racing / Israel

16. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany

17. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands

RETIRED - Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand / Mechanical

RETIRED - Ralph Boschung / MP Motorsport / Switzerland / Collision*

RETIRED - Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Collision Damage

* - Notes Boschung was handed a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for the Feature Race at Sochi for causing the collision between him and Gelael

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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GP3 - Italy - Sprint Race - RESULTS

GP3 - ITALY - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil / + 15 Points

2. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France / + 12 Points

3. Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia / + 10 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

4. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 8 Points

5. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany / + 6 Points

6. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia / + 4 Points

7. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy / + 2 Points

8. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland / + 1 Point

9. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

10. Niko Kari / MP Motorsport / Finland

11. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada*

12. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

13. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia

14. Julien Falchero / Arden International / France

15. Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico

16. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA

RETIRED - Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA / Collision Damage

RETIRED - Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France / Collision Damage

DISQUALIFIED - Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain**

DISQUALIFIED - Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France**

* - Notes DeFrancesco was given a 20-Second-Time-Penalty added to his final race time for causing the collision between Correa and Aubry

** - Notes Ilott and Hubert were both disqualified from the final race results as the rear-left tyre of each car was found to be under the allowed minimum pressure

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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