Category: News

A New 21-Race Calendar Released By The FIA and a Few Rule Tweaks
The World Motor Sport Council of the FIA met on Wednesday 3 December in Doha to discuss numerous issues and points of interest about the sport.

When it came to Formula 1, a 21-race calendar was revealed with the Korean Grand Prix returning to the F1 calendar on 3 May 2015. The event is still to be confirmed though. The F1 season will kick off in Australia on 15 March 2015 and will end on 29 November in Abu Dhabi.

A few changes were also made to the sporting regulations.

The double points scheme for the final race of the season that was in place for the 2014, will be scrapped for 2015. Standing re-starts after a safety car period have also been scrapped.

The virtual safety car that was being tested in the final three races of the season will be implemented in 2015. This is designed to neutralise the race when double-yellow flags are waved, or when officials or other drivers may be in danger anywhere on an active track.

Other sporting regulation changes
- Suspending a race: Upon suspension of a race, the pit exit will be closed and all cars must line up into the pit lane and not on the starting grid.
- Power unit penalties: A complete power unit replacement will not carry a penalty. Instead, penalties will be applied cumulatively for individual components of the power unit.
- Grid Penalties; If a grid place penalty is imposed, and the driver’s grid position is such that the full penalty cannot be applied, the remainder of the penalty will be applied in the form of a time penalty during the race (not at the next race as was previously the case).
- Time penalties: In addition to the 5-second stop-and-go penalty an additional 10-second stop-and-go penalty has been introduced.
Below is the 2015 Formula 1 Calendar:

15 March – Grand Prix of Australia

29 March – Grand Prix of Malaysia

12 April – Grand Prix of China

19 April – Grand Prix of Bahrain

3 May – Grand Prix of Korea (TBC)

10 May – Grand Prix of Spain

24 May – Grand Prix of Monaco

7 June – Grand Prix of Canada

21 June – Grand Prix of Austria

5 July – Grand Prix of Great Britain

19 July – Grand Prix of Germany

26 July – Grand Prix of Hungary

23 August – Grand Prix of Belgium

6 September – Grand Prix of Italy

20 September – Grand Prix of Singapore

27 September – Grand Prix of Japan

11 October – Grand Prix of Russia (Sochi)

25 October – Grand Prix of USA (Austin)

1 November – Grand Prix of Mexico

15 November – Grand Prix of Brazil

29 November – Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
December 3, 2014
BREAKING: Raikkonen Mystery Revealed!

Once upon a time in a land far away we were told mythical tales of a man who travels around the world on a sleigh. As time passed Santa Clause became nothing more than an illusion of childhood…or is it? There may be proof that St. Nick is after all real and closer than you might think. In fact he seems to have a lot in common with a certain monosyllabic Finn.

Here are ten reasons why Kimi Raikkonen could be Santa Clause:

– Santa is apparently from Finland – Kimi is Finnish.

– Santa doesn’t mind a drink, especially not on Christmas Eve – I think it’s common knowledge that Kimi doesn’t mind a drink at anytime!

– You never see Kimi just before Christmas, the time when Santa is getting ready for Christmas.

– Kimi is one of the fastest drivers in the world, and we all know Santa has to be speedy getting round the whole world – surely a poignant factor.

– Kimi wears red, and so does Santa.

– But wait I hear you say that ‘Kimi is too toned to be Santa’. Well, as you don’t see him just before Christmas, it is possible he could ‘bulk up’ but there’s also things known as ‘fat suits’…

– However, you never seem to see Kimi without his personal trainer for the rest of the year… it’s all a conspiracy!

– According to In Gear magazine, Santa has an interest in cars, as does Kimi.

– Children like Kimi as well as Santa.

– Finally, lots of people still believe in Santa, and lots of people believe in Kimi too.

December 2, 2014
Ferrari Debut for Vettel “Really, really special”

Sebastian Vettel described his debut in a Ferrari F1 car as “really, really special” and said that it was like a fairy tale.

Vettel spent the past few days at Ferrari getting to know the team and engineers and also got to meet with the top brass at Ferrari and Fiat.

On Saturday, Vettel drove the F2012 around the Fiorano test track at Ferrari’s factory in Maranello emblazoned with his chosen #5 on the car. Incidentally, this was the same number Fernando Alonso drove with in 2012 when he lost the world championship to Vettel at the final race in Brazil. He spent Sunday in the simulator and met the senior team members which included recently appointed Ferrari Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, and Technical Director James Allison. Ferrari and Fiat Chairman Sergio Marchionne was also there to meet the young German.

Vettel was quite emotional talking about is first time in a Ferrari.

“There are a lot of fairy tales about Ferrari and how it feels to drive a red car,” said Vettel

“In the end I can only confirm these fairy tales. It’s not just a story; it’s a true legend that exists.

“And it feels really, really special to become part of that and to be inside the car, to see the people coming, running to the track and trying to climb the walls to see the car.

The Ferrari engineers were very impressed with Vettel’s attention to detail. He apparently spent the whole day of Sunday from 10am till 6pm in the simulator breaking only for lunch.

Vettel will get a chance to drive the 2015 car at the Jerez test next year, but this gave him an opportunity to get his seating position and his seat fitted properly, get a sense of how the team works and to get acquainted with the different steering controls on the Ferrari.

December 1, 2014
Caterham Allowed to Use 2014 Car Next Season

The Caterham F1 Team was given special dispensation by the FIA and the F1 Commission to use their 2014 car next season.

Although the team raced at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, they are still under administration and could make it to the race courtesy of a crowd-funding scheme after missing the United States and Brazilian Grands Prix.

The decision to allow the Leafield based team to use their 2014 car needs to be ratified at World Motorsport Council in Doha on 3 December 2014.

“The F1 Commission and FIA agreed if it would assist the weaker teams they can use the 2014 car next year, so giving them more time and options,” said Caterham administrator and Team Principal Finbarr O’Connell.

“That is of interest to all the parties I’m talking to because it gives them a choice, an easier start to get into F1 if they chose that route. It helps.”

O’Connell hopes that he will be able to find a buyer for the team before Christmas. Although there is not an urgent need to find a buyer before Christmas, it would be advantageous as it allows the teams to prepare for testing which is two months away.

According to O’Connell there are three potential buyers for the team, of the three, two have expressed greater interest and seem like “strong candidates”.

He does remain confident that the team can be sold.

December 1, 2014
Mark Webber in horror crash at Interlagos WEC finale, escapes serious injury

Former F1 Red Bull Driver Mark Webber was incredibly lucky to escape serious injury in a horrror crash during the 2014 WEC season finale in Sao Paolo. The Australian is reported to be in a ‘satisfactory condition’.

Webber and Matteo Cressoni made contact in the final kink and both cars were sent hurtling into the safety barrier at Interlagos. Webber’s car went spinning onto the track and burst into flames.

You can view the video of the crash here.

Shortly after the crash his team tweeted, “Heavy crash for @AussieGrit in #porsche919hybrid no 20. Driver is ok.”

The Australian driver, who quit F1 for WEC at the end of the 2013 season, was the favourite for the race win having taken pole, however the late collision with Cressoni’s Ferrari 458 on the long run up the hill after the final corner ended his hopes of securing Porsche’s maiden win on its return to Sports Cars. The team did however get the maiden win with team mates Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas in the sister car, taking the victory.

Webber took an extremely long time to get out of his car but when he eventually emerged, he gave a thumbs-up to the crowd before being taken to the medical centre on a stretcher.

An official statement issued by the WEC read:

“At 18h33 local, during the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, an accident occurred between the no20 Porsche 919 hybrid of Mark Webber and no90 8Star Motorsport Ferrari of Matteo Cressoni.

Mark Webber is reported to be awake and alert and taken to the circuit’s medical centre for further examination. Matteo Cressoni was examined at the side of the track and did not go to the Medical Centre.

We will issue further updates as we get them.”

Interlagos has always been a special place for Webber and he was looking forward to returning to the track. Prior to the race he published on his website, “Interlagos has always been good to me, I won there twice and have been on the podium a few times so would it be great to finish my first season with Porsche in the WEC with another great result.

“It has always been one of my most favourite tracks because of the history with the drivers they’ve had; Senna, Piquet and Fittipaldi did a huge amount for the sport,” he added. “The Brazilians love motorsport and are very passionate about it, it’s got a great atmosphere and there’s always been a bit of drama as well with unpredictable weather.”

The Aussie suffered a major accident in the exact same spot at the very wet 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix – you can view the footage of that incredible accident here.

December 1, 2014
Toro Rosso Secures Sainz Jr For 2015

The Toro Rosso Formula 1 team announced on Friday evening that Carlos Sainz Jr will drive for the team in 2015.

This comes two days after Jean-Eric Vergne announced on Twitter that he will not be driving for the team in 2015.

It also means that Toro Rosso have finalised their line up for 2015 after announcing earlier this year that Dutch rookie Max Verstappen will drive for them next year, which will make it a fresh new line-up for the Faenza based team.

Sainz made his single seat debut in 2010 in Formula BMW after starting out in karting. He moved up the ranks to Formula Renault 2.0, onto British Formula 3 and then to GP3 n 2013. This year Sainz became the youngest ever winner of the World Series by Renault 3.5 Championship. Sainz secured a test with the Red Bull Formula 1 team at Abu Dhabi which took place two days ago.

“I am really happy to have landed the drive with Scuderia Toro Rosso,” said the 20 year-old Spaniard.

“Ever since I have been part of Red Bull’s Young Driver Programme, this has been my aim and I want to thank Red Bull for putting their faith in me.

“I have had a very successful season in World Series by Renault this year and now I am looking forward to taking the step up to Formula 1.

“I tested for a day with Toro Rosso last year and I liked the atmosphere in the team. In the next few months I will be working hard on my preparation, ready to get in the cockpit in Jerez for the first test of next year. It will be nice to make my “official” debut as a Formula 1 driver in my home country!”

Team Principal Franz Tost had this to say about the rookie: “With Carlos Sainz joining Max Verstappen in our driver line-up next year, we continue the Toro Rosso tradition of providing youngsters from the Red Bull Junior Driver Programme with their first steps in Formula 1.”

“I have watched Carlos progress through the junior categories, always improving as he moved higher up the ladder, culminating in a well-deserved win in this year’s World Series.

“However, I also remember the day’s testing he did with us at Silverstone in 2013 in the STR8. He really surprised me and his engineers that day, with his mature approach and his speed.”

Photo Credit: Toro Rosso Formula 1 Team

November 28, 2014
Hulkenberg to Compete in Le Mans 24 Hours

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg announced today that he will driver for Porsche during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Hulkenberg made the announcement on Twitter to his followers. In his tweet he also thanked Managing Director and Team Principal Vijay Mallya for allowing him to compete at Le Mans.

Hulkenberg becomes the first driver since 2009 when Sebastian Bourdais, who raced for Toro Rosso, also competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours with Peugeot.

He wont just climb into the Porsche WEC car and start racing. He has a program mapped out for him to follow which will involve him learning how to deal with the traffic of the the slower GT cars and most importantly he will have to get used to the conditions for driving at night.

“Porsche and Le Mans – this combination probably attracts every race driver,” said Hulkenberg.

“I’ve been a Porsche fan for a long time and have been watching their return to the LMP1 class closely.

“I am very pleased the 2015 Formula 1 calendar allows for it and I’m grateful to my Force India Formula 1 team’s generosity to let me go for it.

“Now it’s up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments.”

The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on 13th-14th June 2015, right between the Canadian Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix.

“Having caught the interest of another world class driver like Nico is validation for the job the entire Porsche LMP1 crew had done in our first WEC season,” said Porsche team principal Andreas Seidl.

“Having caught the interest of another world class driver like Nico is validation for the job the entire Porsche LMP1 crew had done in our first WEC season,” he added.

“Now we will prepare Nico for his new challenges such as dealing with the traffic of the slower GT cars and racing into the Le Mans night.

We’re looking forward to working with Nico and we want to thank the Sahara Force India F1 team and team principal Vijay Mallya for loaning him to us.”

Photo Credit: Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team

November 27, 2014
Vergne Departs Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne announced this afternoon (26 November 2014), that he will not be driving for Toro Rosso in 2015.

The Frenchman made his announcement in a tweet this afternoon. “Despite a good season and 22 points, I’ll not drive any more for Toro Rosso in 2015,” read the tweet.

Although Toro Rosso have not finalised their driver line up for 2015, it is expected that Carlos Sainz Jr is tipped to be driving alongside 17 year-old Max Verstappen.

Vergne has not said anything about his future plans yet. As is stands, all the seats on the F1 grid are occupied. There has been ramblings about him joining Williams in a test driver capacity now that Felipe Nasr has a driver with Sauber. If nothing comes off for the Frenchman for 2015 in F1 he may have find something in another race series.

November 26, 2014
F1 2014 Abu Dhabi Test: Day 2

Mercedes ended the second day of testing at Abu Dhabi on top of the timing sheets.

Test driver Pascal Wehrlein brought the Abu Dhabi test to a close with the fastest lap on the timing sheets. The 20-year-old official Mercedes test driver set a fastest time of 1:42:624 roughly half a second ahead of the pack.

McLaren’s newly minted Honda partnership underwent further teething problems today as Stoffel Vandoorne was only able to complete two laps. Vandoorne’s times were not timed and adds to a rather unspectacular first outing for the highly anticipated Honda hybrid power unit. The team discovered an electrical issue which severely compromised the team’s program. As Vandoorne finally emerged from the garage he grinded to a halt on track a few minutes later signalling the end of the testing session for the McLaren team.

Toro Rosso’s 2015 prospect Max Verstappen set the third fastest time of the day as Raffaele Marciello made his debut for Ferrari. Verstappen clocked a total of 78 laps before a power unit issue in the afternoon brought his running to an end.

Alex Lynn put the Lotus through its paces and managed the ninth fastest time of the day. Formula Three Champion Esteban Ocon took over the Lotus seat in the afternoon and set the tenth quickest lap with a total of 34 laps.

Unofficial Wednesday times from Abu Dhabi:

November 26, 2014
2014 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Test: Day 1

The first day of the 2014 Abu Dhabi test ended with Valtteri Bottas on top of the time sheets with a time of 1:43.396.

The headline act for the day was McLaren who were debuting their MP4-29H/1X1 with the Honda power unit. However, due to electrical issues and a fuel/data exchange issue the Woking based team was delayed for most of the morning. Reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne did have some track time for a mere three laps where he broke down on all three laps. The second of which resulted in a red flag as his car had to be recovered.

“We’d hoped to get a few more laps today, but we had a fuel data-logging issue that stopped the car a couple of times,” Vandoorne explained.

“However, the team are already analysing the situation and we’ll hopefully cure it ahead of tomorrow”

Although McLaren suffered a setback today, Vandoorne remained upbeat for the second and final day of the test.

Nevertheless, it’s been a very positive day for us. At this stage of development, any lap we complete has a benefit – and it’s better to be solving these initial teething problems in November rather than in Jerez next February,” he explained.

GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer in his first outing in an F1 car for Force India was very excited about his experience. After some problems in the morning they were able to get going and the rookie clocked up 37 laps for the day and managed to finish in P4.

“I really enjoyed my first experience at the wheel of a Formula One car,” said Palmer.

“I always had the ambition to drive a Formula One car: it was surreal when I first got out of the pits, but after the first moment I was just focusing on getting the job done for the team and doing my best.”

Nico Rosberg, on the back of loosing the championship to Lewis Hamilton clocked up a mighty 114 laps for Mercedes, the most of any driver on the day. He finished in P3 with a time of 1:44.512

Kimi Riakkonen finished P2 for Ferrari, with a little under half a second down on Bottas’s time. The highlight of the day for Ferrari was their new singing, four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel paying the team a visit in the Ferari pit garage and getting to know the crew.

Red Bull had Formula Renault 3.5 Champion Carlos Sainz Jr at the wheel of the RB10. He clocked up an impressive 100 laps for the team and set the fifth fastest time.

Will Stevens was at the wheel for Caterham today. Fresh after his F1 debut at the race on Sunday he was given another go in the Caterham. He finished in P6 with a lap time of 1:45.436 and posted 102 laps.

Charles Pic ended the day in P7 with 89 laps under his belt for Lotus. Former Caterham driver, Marcus Ericsson drove for Sauber and finished behind Charles Pic in P8.

Max Verstappen had a suspension issue which ended his session in the morning. He ended up in the barriers because of this on only his third lap of the session. The team managed to get the car repaired for the afternoon session and he was back out on track

Below is the unofficial running order of the day

November 25, 2014