Abu Dhabi GP: Circuit Preview

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW

Name: Yas Marina Circuit
Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Opened: October, 2009
Length: 3.451 Miles
Capacity: 60,000
Runs: Anti-Clockwise
Turns: 21
Race Laps: 55

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Valtteri Bottas
1st Place: Valtteri Bottas
2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton
3rd Place: Sebastian Vettel
Retirements: Daniel Ricciardo (Hydraulics) & Carlos Sainz (Wheel)

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Abu Dhabi GP: Track Schedule

ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

November 22nd / Thursday

11:00 - 16:15 - Pit-Lane Wall (Public) (Valid for Thursday Grandstand Ticket Holders only)
15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference
18:30 - 20:00 - Pit-Lane Walk/Truck Your (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

November 23rd / Friday

13:00 - 14:30 - Free Practice #1
15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference
15:45 - 16:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
17:00 - 18:30 - Free Practice #2
19:45 - 20:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

November 24th / Saturday

10:30 - 11:50 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
11:15 - 11:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice
14:00 - 15:00 - Free Practice #3
15:10 - 16:20 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
15:25 - 15:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
16:15 - 16:35 - Aerobatic Display (Al Fursan) (TBC)
17:00 - 18:00 - Qualifying
18:00 - 19:00 - Press Conference
19:00 - 20:00 - Fernando Alonso Celebratory BBQ
20:00 - 20:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
21:40 - 23:40 - Pirelli Formula 1 Team Cycle Even

November 25th / Sunday

15:05 - 16:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk
15:08 - 15:13 - Fastest Lap & Pit-Stop Of The Year Award
15:13 - 15:15 - 2018 Pirelli Pole Position Award
15:15 - 15:20 - End Of The Year F1 Drivers Photograph
15:25 - 15:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour
15:30 - 16:00 - Drivers Track Parade
15:35 - 16:05 - Starting Grid Presentation
16:54 - 16:55 - National Anthem
16:55 - 16:56 - Etihad Fly Past & Aerobatic Display (Al Fursan) (TBC)
17:10 - 19:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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George Russell Confirmed At Williams For 2019

WILLIAMS CONFIRMS GEORGE RUSSELL FOR 2019 SEASON

     Mercedes junior George Russell will make the step up to Formula 1 after signing a multi-year deal with Williams.

    Russell will make his debut for the squad at the 2019 Australian grand Prix, and is the first driver to be confirmed for Williams’ 2019 line-up.

    The 20-year-old looks set to join F1 as Formula 2 champion. Having taken the GP3 crown last year, He leads the F2 championship by 37 points with only two races remaining.

     “It is a huge honour to join a team of Williams’ prestige and heritage,” Russell said.

     “Formula 1 has been a life-long dream. From watching the races when I was a child, it feels surreal that I will not be lining up on the grid, alongside drivers whom I have admired for years.

     I would like to thank Claire and everyone at Williams for their faith in making this decision, as well as Toto [Wolff] and the team at Mercedes for their fantastic support throughout GP3 and Formula 2. I am incredibly excited to start working with everyone at Grove and to take my first steps as a Formula 1 race driver.

     I cannot wait for Melbourne next year and to join Williams at the start of an exciting new journey.”

     Russell, who spent the year as Mercedes reserve driver, has already tested in modern F1 machinery, running with Force India and Mercedes over the past two season.

     Unlike fellow F2 graduate Lando Norris, Russell is yet to make any Free Practice 1 appearances this year, preferring to focus on the F2 title.

    Williams has endured a difficult 2018 and currently lies bottom of the championship standings. The team hopes to change its fortunes with Russell on board next season.

    “We have already tried to promote and develop young talent and Williams, and George fits that ethos perfectly,” said deputy team principal Claire Williams.

    “He is already highly regarded in the paddock and a driver whose career we have been watching for a while.

     In the time we have spent with him so far, we believe that he will be a great fit for our team; his commitment, passion and dedication is exactly what we need to drive the positive momentum building at Grove as we focus on our future.

     We are extremely excited to welcome George and work with him moving forward.”

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Brazilian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BRAZILIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton claimed his 10th win of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen collided with a backmarker and span out of the lead.

    Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen joined the five-time champion on the podium, though Verstappen made an early exit to confront Esteban Ocon, who cost him the victory.

    Hamilton had maintained his pole position advantage in the first half of the race while Verstappen quickly recovered from a relatively poor qualifying to move up to P3, behind Valtteri Bottas.

    He snatched second from the Mercedes on lap 10, passing Bottas at turn one, the same place he’d made moves on both Ferraris earlier in the race.

    Verstappen inherited the lead when Hamilton came in for fresh tyres nine laps. At first, it looked like he may be able to build enough of a gap to the Mercedes to earn a free pit stop, but Hamilton began to reel Verstappen in towards the end of the Red Bull’s 36-lap opening stint.

    Hamilton reclaimed the lead when Verstappen came in for fresh tyres but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. On much younger, softer tyres, Verstappen was able to blast past the Mercedes on the start-finish straight 31 laps before the chequered flag.

    Cautious of engine problems, Hamilton opted not to fight back, and it looked like a clear run for Verstappen to take his first back-to-back victory.

    The hard work was undone on lap 44, however, when Force India’s Esteban Ocon tried to unlap himself. Ocon made a move up the inside of Verstappen and collided with the Red Bull, sending both cars into a spin and allowing Hamilton to come back through to take P1.

    Verstappen was able to recover and managed to close the gap to Hamilton but ran out of laps before he could make a move.

    Hamilton’s victory sealed the constructors’ championship for Mercedes, who are now 87 points ahead of Ferrari.

    The Ferrari duo were running fourth and fifth, behind Bottas, when Sebastian Vettel was ordered to let his faster team-mate past. Raikkonen came through and quickly made the move on Bottas in the closing stages of the race, taking his third consecutive podium.

    The recovering Daniel Ricciardo took fourth, ahead of Bottas and Vettel.

    Charles Leclerc was best of the rest in P7, ahead of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10.

    Brendon Hartley took 11th after his team-mate was ordered to let him past. He and Pierre Gasly were running nose to tail, with Renault’s Carlos Sainz close behind. Gasly held up his team-mate for a number of laps the engineers tried to reverse the order, but eventually let Hartley through. Unfortunately for the Red Bull-bound Toro Rosso driver, Sainz also managed to gain a position and Gasly dropped back to P13.

    After his spin, Ocon came home P14, ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne, and Sergey Sirotkin.

    Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were the final finishers, with Nico Hulkenberg ordered to stop with overheating issues, and Marcus Ericsson retiring early after losing bodywork throughout the first part of the race.

RESULTS:

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

RETIRED - Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / Overheated 
RETIRED - Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / Collision Damage

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Brazilian GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

BRAZILIAN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton secured Pole Position, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel after an intense Q3 battle, while Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon were handed grid penalties.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

6. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

8. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

9. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

10. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

11. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia*

12. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

13. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

14. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

15. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

16. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

17. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

18. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France**

19. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

20. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

* - (Ricciardo) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for engine component change

** - (Ocon) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for unscheduled gearbox change

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Brazilian GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

BRAZILIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Sebastian Vettel topped the times in the final free practice session ahead of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

    The Ferrari driver was the only man to set a time under 1m18s around the Interlagos circuit, lowering the benchmark to 1m07.948s before the end of the morning.

    Newly-crowned champion Lewis Hamilton finished second fastest, 0.217s slower than Vettel, after spending much of the first half of the session confined to the pits.

    A breather pipe in Hamilton’s car had become dislodged and the Mercedes mechanics spent the first half hour repairing Hamilton’s car. When he eventually managed to get on track, puffs of smoke came out of the Brit’s car on a number of occasions, but there didn’t seem to be any serious issue.

    On his first lap of the day, Hamilton  put himself second, ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas, before improving to push Vettel off the top spot.

    Kimi Raikkonen, the first man to set a time earlier in the session, quickly pushed Hamilton back down to second, before Vettel put in his fastest time of the day to go P1.

    With smoke still coming out of the back of his car, Hamilton put in another flying lap. He set the fastest second sector but couldn’t quite hook up the lap and had to settle for second quickest.

    Bottas took third, ahead of Raikkonen, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo.

    A late improvement from Kevin Magnussen put him best of the rest, finishing the morning just 0.358s behind the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.

    Romain Grosjean took eighth, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc, making it five Ferrari powered cars inside the top 10.

    Nico Hulkenberg was the fastest of the works Renaults in P11, finishing 1.513s off Vettel’s pace.

    Esteban Ocon ended the morning 12th quickest, ahead of Marcus Ericsson, Carlos Sainz, and Sergey Sirotkin.

    Brendon Hartley, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Stoffel Vandoorne completed the order.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:07.948 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:08.165 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:08.465 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:08.490 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Max Verstappen - 1:08.733 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:08.788 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Kevin Magnussen – 1:09.146 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark 
8. Romain Grosjean - 1:09.257 / Haas-Ferrari / France
9. Pierre Gasly - 1:09.402 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
10. Charles Leclerc - 1:09.448 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:09.461 / Renault-Renault / Germany
12. Esteban Ocon - 1:09.588 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
13. Marcus Ericsson - 1:09.808 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
14. Carlos Sainz - 1:09.864 / Renault-Renault / Spain
15. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:09.885 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:09.985 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Lance Stroll - 1:10.001 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
18. Fernando Alonso - 1:10.020 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
19. Sergio Perez - 1:10.116 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:10.289 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

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

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

    Valtteri Bottas topped the second practice session on Friday, beating the time Verstappen set in FP1.

    The Finn set a quickest time of 1:08.846 to put himself ahead of team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, who came extremely close, finishing in second with a 1:08.849.

    Sebastian Vettel was third, followed by the Red Bull duo of Ricciardo and Verstappen, who finished 4th and 5th, respectively.

    Despite finishing in 5th with a 1:09.339, Verstappen missed the first half of the session due to an oil leak.

    Nico Hulkenberg caused red flags in the opening minutes of the session after he crashed heavily. While he wasn't injured in the crash, his session was over, leaving him down in 20th with a 1:11.674.

    Raikkonen, Grosjean, Leclerc, Magnussen and Ocon were the other drivers who finished within the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Valtteri Bottas - 1:08.846 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:08.849 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:08.919 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:09.164 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Max Verstappen - 1:09.339 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:09.412 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:09.769 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Charles Leclerc - 1:09.943 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:10.007 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:10.159 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

11. Sergio Perez - 1:10.320 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Pierre Gasly - 1:10.330 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

13. Fernando Alonso - 1:10.332 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

14. Carlos Sainz - 1:10.458 / Renault-Renault / Spain

15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:10.532 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

16. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:10.569 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

17. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:10.596 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

18. Lance Stroll - 1:10.662 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

19. Brendon Hartley - 1:10.734 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

20. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:11.674 / Renault-Renault / Germany

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

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

    Max Verstappen topped the times of the first practice session of the Brazilian GP weekend. The Dutch driver set a 1:09.011, just ahead of Vettel in the Ferrari, who came remarkably close with a 1:09.060.

    Hamilton was next in the order, finishing with a 1:09.107. Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen finished 4th and 5th, respectively, completing the top 5.

    Antonio Giovinazzi was a part of the session as he replaced Ericsson at Sauber. The Italian driver, who joins the team full-time in 2019, finished in 13th with a 1:10.685. Leclerc, in the other Sauber, finished in 9th with a 1:10.346.

    Lando Norris was also in the session, in place of Fernando Alonso. The young F1 driver finished in 16th with a 1:11.013. Latifi was the last Friday driver to be in the session, taking over for Sergio Perez at Force India. Latifi was last with a 1:11.493.

    Bottas, Grosjean, Magnussen and Ocon were the other four to finish in the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Max Verstappen - 1:09.011 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:09.060 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:09.107 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:09.395 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:09.573 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Valtteri Bottas - 1:09.679 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:09.922 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:10.236 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Charles Leclerc - 1:10.346 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:10.361 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:10.662 / Renault-Renault / Spain

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:10.679 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:10.685 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

14. Lance Stroll - 1:10.799 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

15. Pierre Gasly - 1:10.934 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

16. Lando Norris - 1:11.013 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

17. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:11.037 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

18. Brendon Hartley - 1:11.176 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

19. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:11.452 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

20. Nicholas Latifi - 1:11.493 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

* - Notes drivers participating in FP1 only

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Brazilian GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “The atmosphere in Brazil is cool and I had a good race coming through the field there last year. It’s a track that isn’t always that easy to pass on, but last year proved that it can be done and I’m looking forward to going back. The lap is quite short and lacks high speed corners but it’s definitely grown on me over the years. The weather can also play a big part in this race, so let’s hope the on-track action can live up to the off-track atmosphere.

    The Drivers’ Parade there is cool with the noise from all the local fans and the air horns, it has a kind of carnival feel which gives you a boost of energy before you get in the car. We always have a big team dinner there which creates a great atmosphere for everyone. It goes without saying that I’m looking for a strong finish to round off the season with the Team and I will be pushing as hard as ever to achieve this.”

Max Verstappen - “In general Interlagos doesn’t suit our car that well, but after finishing on the podium there in 2016 and winning last week in Mexico, anything can happen in the race. I’ve had some great battles and overtakes there and I’m hoping for another exciting race. The Brazilian fans are so loud and because the narrow starting grid is so close to the grandstand you can hear them cheering when you’re sat on the grid.

    The food in Brazil is really good and the Churrascaria restaurants have amazing grilled meat. Although it’s nearly the end of the season I still have to be careful what I eat in order to stay in shape, which is a shame as I would like to enjoy the local cuisine even more.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - “Interlagos is a circuit which carries so much history. There have been so many world championship titles decided in Interlagos, as well as a lot of other prominent Formula 1 moments. You feel all the emotions on a lap of the circuit and that’s why I find it so special. Maybe that’s why I seem to go well there!”

Carlos Sainz - “The track is quite challenging with a number of elevation changes and a variety of cambers in the corners. It feels like a rollercoaster ride! The in-field bit is tough as it’s twisty with a couple of blind and sharp turns where it can be easy to lock the inside wheel. You have to get into a rhythm around the circuit and try not to compromise any corners as that hampers you for next the turn.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - “Racing in Brazil is always special because it’s the home of my hero, Ayrton Senna. The circuit is filled with history and on race day the fans show so much support. There’s a special atmosphere in the city during race week and we are lucky to visit some amazing restaurants too – I love the food there.

    Interlagos is a really fun track: a proper Formula One classic. It’s a short lap with a good flow but you need to be precise in every corner, otherwise your rhythm is compromised. There are many interesting corners but a really important one is the final left-hander before the uphill run to the finish line. You need to carry good speed through it and onto the straight in order to attack the first corner going into the next lap.

    The circuit is a real drivers’ track: it’s fun to drive, but it’s pretty bumpy. It reminds me a bit of a karting circuit in some ways. You need a car that is stable at the rear, with not much understeer, so that you can make the most of all the changes of direction in the middle sector. The weather can also be interesting: it can be very warm and humid and it rains often, and I enjoy this unpredictability.

    We had a couple of difficult races in Austin and Mexico, where we didn’t maximize our potential. We’ve missed out on good points, especially in Mexico. I’m still aiming to finish as “best of the rest” in the drivers’ championship and I need a strong weekend to make up the points we have missed recently.”

Esteban Ocon - “I really enjoy racing in Brazil and it’s just a fun weekend. The atmosphere on the grid is special: the fans love Formula One and you can feel the legacy of Ayrton Senna everywhere. There is so much passion from the people, from the moment we land to the moment we leave – we get so much support.

    The track itself is one of my favourites because you have all type of corners. You need a good car in the high-speed sections – a car you can trust – but at the same time you need a car that doesn’t slide around in the low-speed corners. This is very important, especially not to compromise the final part of the lap.

    I have good memories of racing at Interlagos. In 2016 I was in the points in a Manor for most of the race and only got passed on the last lap. It was a tough race because of the wet conditions. There is usually a risk of rain during the weekend and if we get some this year it would probably make things a bit more interesting.

    I felt really disappointed after the Mexico race. When you have a quick car and your race if effectively over on lap one it’s so frustrating. I've learned

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “We are arriving in Brazil with a good feeling after a strong weekend in Mexico, where we finished with both cars in Q3 and the points. Our confidence is high and we will fight hard to keep this good form. The track in Sao Paolo is a classic. I have been there a few times now, and it is always fun to drive. The lap is short, so the lap times across the teams are very close, which will be a challenge. The weather is changeable and that always plays a significant role. I am motivated to finish the season on a high and will do the best job possible.”

Charles Leclerc - “We are heading to Brazil for one of the last two races of the season. After a great result with both cars scoring points in Mexico, we are confident of our potential and will build on the progress we have made so far. We will fight to have another strong result at Interlagos, and give our all to end the season on a positive note. It is an interesting circuit to drive, and I look forward to racing there.”

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “Interlagos should be a good Grand Prix for us. It’s a track I particularly like. I’m very much looking forward to going there.

    It’s a pretty tough track with not much opportunity for a rest. Even in the straight lines you can’t rest as much as you would like. You’re at altitude as well, at 800 meters [2,625 feet], so coming from Mexico that’s nothing, but you’re still not at sea level. The weather can be challenging. It can be very warm and humid. It’s a pretty intense challenge but, at the end of the day, that’s what we’re looking for.

    The curbs have been changed, which is a bit of a shame as it’s lost a bit of the spirit of Interlagos. Generally, it’s an amazing track. The tarmac – we now have a good understanding of it – so, hopefully, we’ll have a good weekend.”

Kevin Magnussen - “It’s a great track. It’s one of the old-school circuits with a good flow to it. It has banking, it goes up and down – it’s not just a track full of tarmac run-offs. It’s a fun track to drive. I’m looking forward to racing there. You can overtake there, but it’s not easy. You really need to get qualifying right. I think we have as good a chance there as we do any other race.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "To be honest, there is not a lot I can say about Brazil as it is not my favourite track and it is rather bumpy. I love the enthusiasm of the Brazilians, but last year I had a tough race and didn't enjoy it. I hope I can turn this round this year and come away with good memories."

Sergey Sirotkin - "Brazil is a very old school track which I am really looking forward to. It is a proper old school track with lots of ups and downs, along with nice banking. The track features braking downhill to then accelerate up the hill, so you need to use the layout of the track to gain the advantage. I am looking forward to this race as I find this track exciting and I enjoy its history."

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “Last year was my first race in Sao Paulo and I enjoyed the experience. You get a real feel for just how important Formula 1 is in Brazil, with Ayrton Senna and the other champions it produced in the past. I really appreciated that and I also thought the track layout was very good. It has a lot of character with an interesting variety of corners and kerbs that you have to ride, I enjoyed driving it. In the race, I started from down the back of the grid with penalties and managed to finish not far off the points in twelfth.

    I’m looking forward to fighting for points again, after we have taken tactical penalties in the last few races to maximize our chances in these final two races of the season. It often rains in Sao Paulo and I love driving in the wet, because it makes life a bit more complicated for the drivers so it can be more fun and the driver has a greater impact on performance. Naturally, coming from Normandy, I drove a lot in the wet when I was starting in karts. Another interesting point is that the track is anticlockwise and all of the straights are not really straight, so even there you are always turning, sometimes for around 15 seconds in the opposite direction to usual. I remember from last year you can feel it in your neck, but I’ve prepared for that specifically, so I don’t expect any problems.”

Brendon Hartley - “My pace in the last few events has been really fantastic and I had a great points finish in Austin, followed by a strong turn of speed in Mexico, even if it didn’t deliver the result we might have deserved. Therefore, I’m going into the last two races of the year in a really positive frame of mind. We will have the latest spec Honda engine on board and we know that it delivers much more performance. On top of that, the new aero kit adds some value and seems to suit my driving style.

    I enjoy going to Brazil. It’s an old-school track, with the fans making for a great atmosphere. It’s got interesting changes of elevation and camber and a bit of everything. I know the track well having raced there in WEC. Last year in F1, I unfortunately had to retire with a technical problem, so I’m definitely looking forward to this weekend. The weather can be a factor, producing interesting races at this track in the past, and this year we’ve seen our package goes well in tricky conditions. Whatever the weather, I believe we can be in good shape and we will be targeting some more points.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “I’m excited to return to Interlagos because it’s an incredible circuit and I’ve always enjoyed racing there. It’s a track where many great races have taken place and it’s always a little bit unpredictable.

    I’m also looking forward to putting the last two race weekends behind me and focusing on extracting the performance we have been working hard to maximize in our car, but haven’t been able to show. I haven’t had the chance to fight for a couple of Grands Prix now, so I hope we can have a clean battle and show what’s possible.

    The Brazilian fans are always super passionate and it’s clear Interlagos is one of those legendary tracks that is so famous in the motorsport world. Great champions have driven on this circuit, and with this year’s cars it’ll feel even faster and more exciting than before.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “Last year my experience of Interlagos was a short one as I was involved in an incident on the first lap and was forced to retire, so I hope we don’t see a repeat for either myself or Fernando this weekend!

    From the time I did spend driving the track, I thought it was a really cool circuit and can see why so many drivers from history talk about it as being one of the best in the world. It’s fast and flowing and you can really attack the corners.

    Points in Mexico were a great boost for the team, and both Fernando and I will be chasing a solid performance in Brazil. As usual we’ll work hard on our preparation and strategy to try and get the best possible result in front of the Brazilian fans.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended - Quotes belong to Drivers

Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost 

Brazilian GP: Circuit Preview

BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW

Name: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos)
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Opened: 1940
Length: 2.677 Miles
Capacity: 60,000
Runs: Anti-Clockwise
Turns: 15
Race Laps: 71

2017 STATS:

Pole Position: Valtteri Bottas
1st Place: Sebastian Vettel
2nd Place: Valtteri Bottas
3rd Place: Kimi Raikkonen 
Retirements: Kevin Magnussen (Collision), Stoffel Vandoorne (Collision), Esteban Ocon (Collision) & Brendon Hartley (Engine)

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended
Follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78 & @bethonieboost