Category: Previews

F1 2015: Monaco Grand Prix Preview – Magical Monaco Is Back

Often words are used to describe things and situations and just as often the true meaning of these over-used words are lost. But if you have ever looked for a true definition of opulence, then look no further than Monte Carlo.

The Monaco grand prix weekend is arguably the most looked forward to race on the F1 calendar. It’s the visual representation of what Formula 1 can and should be. It’s glamorous, drenched in money and diamonds, daringly fast and dramatically out-of-place.

The history of the famous Monte Carlo race alone is enough of a tale to weave the most majestic of Formula 1 stories. For around these famous streets the definitive legends of the sport artfully plied their trade. So rapt was the great Ayrton Senna with the Anthony Noghes circuit that he described it as the most extreme out of body experience he ever had behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, as if it was a sixth sense driving him around the narrow streets, centimetres from the barriers.

Even in the year 2015 this venue and circuit has lost none of its magnificent charm and remains the jewel in the Formula 1 crown. This means too that qualifying for the Monaco grand prix is as important as ever. It could spell the end before the weekend has even begun considering the definite advantage that Mercedes hold over one lap.

But don’t consign anyone else’s chances to the scrapheap just yet. In 2009, Jenson Button all-dominant Brawn secured the Monaco Grand Prix pole position by a few thousandths of a second over the lacklustre attempt of a car Ferrari slapped together that year.

Then there is the potential undercut on new Pirelli rubber. The supersoft is a choice this weekend and the performance advantage of this particular compound has been nearly two seconds in some circumstances. It has been the case so far this season that Ferrari are lot kinder to their tyres than Mercedes and they will undoubtedly be looking to exploit such an advantage this weekend. However, Ferrari’s advantage isn’t quite as clear-cut as that. Much will depend on the temperatures and it will have to err on the sizzling side of things for Ferrari to have a genuine leg up on Mercedes. Alas, if no one else can stem the Silver Arrows’ dominance this weekend at least the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg should be quite intense.

Last year’s Monaco grand prix was shrouded in controversy thanks mostly to Nico Rosberg’s “mistake” in qualifying. It cost Lewis Hamilton the chance of snapping up the coveted pole position and put the fraying tension between the two on display for the world to see.

In 2015 the story reads a bit differently. Although Hamilton starts the weekend in the lead of the drivers’ championship for the first time this season, he is the one who will have to make the running around these famous streets. Consider Rosberg’s dominant win in Spain and add to the equation that he has quite an affinity for Monaco grand prix and has won on the last two visits to the Principality then it certainly looks like a leg up on his teammate.

The Monaco grand prix is literally the most regal event on the F1 calendar given that the trophies at the end of the race are presented by the Monegasque Royal family. Now all we need to know is who will be crowned maestro of the Monaco streets.

May 20, 2015
Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2015

Round 6 of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to one of the most anticipated races of the season. The Monaco Grand Prix.

The 3.340 km street circuit with 19 corners, winds its way around the principality of Monaco through famous landmarks such as the Fairmont hairpin, the tunnel and the swimming pool section. The circuit is tough on the drivers both mentally and physically. Concentration levels need to be kept at maximum levels throughout the race as there is no room for error around the Circuit de Monaco. The awaiting barriers will punish any driver that has the slightest lapse in concentration or even puts a wheel wrong.

With the narrow streets, overtaking is a very rare commodity at the circuit. Although not impossible, there is a reduced amount of overtaking that goes on. The two most common overtaking spots are Sainte Devote(Turn 1) and the Nouvelle Chicane coming out of the tunnel. The Fairmont hairpin has also become quite a popular overtaking spot in the past few years.

After winning the Spanish Grand Prix in rather dominating fashion with a 1-2 finish, Mercedes are once again the firm favorites for this weekend. However, teams see the Monaco Grand Prix as a bit of an equalizer as aerodynamics do not play as big of a role as it would on any other circuit. Monaco is mostly about mechanical rear grip and teams that were struggling feel that they may have half a chance around Monaco.

McLaren’s Fernando Alonso thinks that points are possible in Sunday’s race and he feels confident that he can get McLaren’s first points since switching to Honda power units.

After finishing more than half a minute down the road from Mercedes at the previous race in Spain, Ferrari are hoping that their rear grip issues have been sorted out. Williams on the other hand are making steady progress with every race and seem to be closing the gap to Ferrari.

Lotus’ Pastor Maldonado feels that they will be able to challenge Red Bull this weekend and says that they are not too far off the pace.

After getting some good mileage in testing, Red Bull are hoping to put their reliability issues behind them and will want to challenge for a higher points finish.

Things happen a bit different during the Monaco Grand Prix. Free Practice 1 and 2 will take place on Thursday with Friday being a rest day. The action resumes as normal on Saturday for FP3 and Qualifying with the race on Sunday. Below are the broadcast times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2015(Times are GMT+2).

Free Practice 1: Thursday 10:00

Free Practice 2: Thursday 14:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

Race: Sunday 14:00

May 18, 2015
F1 2015: Spanish GP Preview – Formula 1 To Raise Its Game In Spain

The three week wait is over and the battle is ready to resume at this weekend’s Spanish GP. The question is which battle; will it be a battle between Mercedes teammates or will Ferrari ascend to true championship contenders?

The Spanish GP doesn’t necessarily have the definitive answer to these questions but it will be more than indicator for the rest of the season. The first European round of a Formula 1 season coincides with the first major upgrade package of the year. It’s the first point in the season where teams can potentially raise their game.

The Lotus F1 team is planning to up the ante by fitting a major upgrade package to its E23 while Ferrari team Principal Maurizio Arrivebene confirms that the Italian team will be arriving for the Spanish GP with its own bits and pieces. “I heard a lot of teams are coming with new things,” he said.”We are now preparing, as all the others are, some solutions for Barcelona. We are doing all of our development step-by-step but I think in Barcelona, we are going to finally take a good package.”

The three week gap will have helped French manufacturer Renault who has faced serious pressure to produce a better power unit. Since the Bahrain GP Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has made a stop at the Paris factory to urge Renault into speeding up their development plan. “For Barcelona we will be bringing a few bits and pieces, as will all the teams,” said Horner. “The significant thing for us is what specification of engine will we have in Barcelona, because it’s a bit earlier than Renault had in their plan for the next step.”

One of McLaren’s upgrades for the Spanish GP will include a new livery. Sadly, it’s rumoured to be rather dull shades of grey scheme, yes you read that correctly, as described by the team. The new livery is seen more as a move away from the Silver that characterised their latter partnership with Mercedes.

More significant is the team’s progress on track and Ron Dennis’, still steadfast, prediction that they will be winning races … soon. There is something however that has been troubling about the McLaren Honda partnership. The claims that 2015 is a “development year” are complete rubbish. There can be no such thing at the pinnacle of motorsport and it is embarrassing for a company of Honda’s pedigree to say so. What McLaren could have and should have done is hold off on bolting the Honda to the back of their car until 2016 while the Japanese company offered their “development” unit to a smaller team to iron out the kinks. It would have saved McLaren more than a few awkward teething problems.

McLaren has definitely made progress, taken huge steps even, since the opening round of the season. Where they were four seconds a lap off the ultimate pace in qualifying its Honda powered car is now less than two seconds off in quali trim. Here’s hoping that their upward trend continues in Barcelona.

Formula 1 has never been an easy sport topredict. It doesn’t solely depend on a driver’s form or ability but a piece of highly engineered, but fallible, machinery. Given this, Mercedes should, and does, start the weekend as favourites for the Spanish GP win. After all, they have the quickest car with the most in-form driver behind the wheel.

But with an aggressive strategy, a few new upgrades to play with, and higher temperatures Ferrari will be a good deal stronger than they have been at any point in the season. Given the volatility of the sport why not flirt with the forecast of a Ferrari victory?

The three week gap has made for a long wait but the first European round of the season at Spain’s circuit de Catalunya, and all it involves, automatically doubles the keenness to see Formula 1 back in action.

May 6, 2015
Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Pirelli Spanish Grand prix

The 5th round of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Montmelo, Spain for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalumya.

The circuit is very familiar to the teams as it used quite extensively for testing. The final two pre-season tests were held at the circuit before the start of the 2015 season. There are 16 corners with one long main straight and a few long, fast corners. There are also a few low speed and medium speed corners which makes this track very technical and hard on the tyres. Teams tend to run high down force which means there will be much more energy going through the tyres with the front left being the most stressed.

Pirelli have chosen the white medium(option) compound and the orange hard(prime) compound tyre for the Spanish Grand Prix. This tyre choice, according to Pirelli, will suit the rough asphalt and the high speed corners and the quick direction changes. The circuit is a front limited circuit which means the cars will depend heavily on the front mechanical grip from the tyres to change direction quickly. A two-stop race is predicted.

As the seasons start to change in the northern hemisphere temperatures will remain mild throughout the entire weekend. The expected temperatures will hover in the low-to-mid 20’s with the hottest day on Friday at 24 degrees Celsius. Saturday and Sunday we can expect sun throughout both days with temperatures peaking at 22 degrees Celsius.

Below is a snapshot of the weekends weather and a live update of the current conditions in Catalunya.

May 5, 2015
Broadcast Times for the Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana Pirelli 2015

The first round of fly away races are done and dusted. We’ve had a little break and now we get back to the European leg of the Formula 1 World Championship.

The first circuit the teams visit on the European leg of the F1 calendar is the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo. All the teams know this track extremely well. Two of the three pre-season tests were held at the circuit. The Circuit de Catalunya has held it’s spot on the F1 calendar since 1991.It is a highly technical circuit with 16 corners in total and has a good blend of fast, slow and medium speed corners which tests a Formula 1 car to its limit.

The first European race is also the first race where teams usually bring major upgrades to their cars. We can expect most of the teams to have updated body work and many new parts underneath said body work.

Lotus are feeling quite confident ahead of the weekend and they are expecting a good points finish. They are bringing some aerodynamic updates which they feel will earn them some well deserved points.

“It will be an interesting weekend as many teams will bring decent upgrades to the first European race of the season and we are working on bringing a reasonably significant package in terms of bodywork upgrades ourselves,” said Lotus Technical Director Nick Chester.

“There’s nothing to say that we shouldn’t have another strong race in Barcelona, just as we did in China and Bahrain,”

Williams who are currently in 3rd on the Constructors table are hoping to close the gap to the teams up front. “Barcelona is a good measure of everyone’s upgrade packages and shows how well teams have developed their cars,” commented Williams Head of Performance Engineering Rob Smedley.

Ferrari are still chasing down Mercedes who seem to be holding on to their pace advantage and also, have no doubt, been working on their car and are expected to bring some aerodynamic changes to the car.

We return to the normal viewing time for European audiences this weekend. Below are your broadcast times for the Formula 1 Grand Premio de Espana Pirelli 2015. All times are GMT+2

Free Practice 1: Friday 10:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 14:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00

Qualifying: Saturday 14:00

Race: Sunday 14:00

May 5, 2015
Weather Forecast for the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

Round 4 of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to the Bahrain International Circuit in the Gulf state of Bahrain.

The circuit has a good blend of high to medium speed corners, heavy braking zones and long straights to test just about every aspect of a F1 car’s handling characteristics. Teams will need to find the balance between optimum down force and straight line speed. The tyres play an important part in the race as the rough asphalt at the circuit accelerates thermal degradation.

Pirelli have brought the yellow soft(option) tyre and the white medium(prime) tyre to the circuit for the weekend. This is the same tyre that was nominated last season the only difference this season is that the tyres have a different construction with a slightly altered compound.

Because the track is surrounded by desert, the is a large amount of sand that is blown onto the circuit which results in reduced grip levels at the beggining of a session. As the session progresses the sand gets cleaned away and the track rubbers down. Picking the right time to go out in qualifying will be crucial. Drivers will want to hit that sweet spot during the track evolution cycle during qualifying.

During the day the temperatures are high, which means the tyres degrade quicker, but this is not representative of the race. We’ll get a true sense of pace during FP2 when track temperatures have dropped slightly.

With the race taking place in the desert, the weather outlook is sunny and hot throughout the weekend during the day with temperatures hovering in the high twenties and lower thirties. The one thing that may put a damper on things is the wind. There is a sandstorm forecast for Saturday’s qualifying session with a northerly wind remaining steady at around 40km/h forecast throughout the day. Evening temperatures are much cooler with ambient temperatures dropping to the mid twenties in the evening. This should help with tyre degredation.

Below is a snapshot of this weekend’s weather and a live forecast that updates throughout the day. Be sure to check in before each session to get the latest weather conditions.

April 15, 2015
F1 2015: Bahrain GP Preview – Hamilton vs Rosberg In Bahrain

It was just about a month ago that the agonising wait for the start of the 2015 season was all but over as the Australian grand prix loomed large within touching distance of starved Formula 1 fans.

As the Bahrain grand prix approaches, a mere seven days after the third round in China, Lewis Hamilton is firmly in the lead of the driver’s championship and Mercedes still have the quickest car on the grid.

But there is much that is different about the 2015 season. The narrative has changed slightly and now includes Ferrari’s captivating turnaround. Even though the SF15-T isn’t on par with Silver Arrows it has given Mercedes something to ponder. Sebastian Vettel’s debut with the team he idolised as a youngster has gone better than he likely could have dreamed. Three podiums, including a stunning victory, have proven that 2015 may not be all about misters Hamilton and Rosberg.

It is going to take some time however for Ferrari to be genuine threat to Mercedes in all conditions, on all circuits. Kimi Raikkonen concedes that Bahrain will likely produce the same result as China but the Finn is sure that Ferrari will catch up to Mercedes. “I think we have good plans already since last year and made big gains and will make big gains during this year,” says Raikkonen. “Everybody improves and it depends what the rest are doing but we trust the way our team is working altogether and what we are doing.”(sic)

Notwithstanding the fact that Bahrain will host the first night race of the season temperatures are still expected to be appreciably higher than in China. Pirelli have brought the medium and soft compound tyre to this circuit at which the management of rear tyre degradation will be vital. The first sessions may not be indicative of true tyre performance at the circuit characteristics continue to change throughout the weekend. “A defining characteristic of Bahrain now is that tyre performance changes over the course of the weekend as we slowly edge towards afternoon sessions,” predicts Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hembery.

Twelve months ago the Sakhir International circuit was the one and only site of a true wheel-to-wheel battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. It was the eventual champion, Hamilton, who got the better of his teammate in the spicy fight for supremacy in this race and the ensuing season.

It’s safe to assume that, before the season started, Rosberg would have predicted himself to be ahead of Hamilton or, at least, a very close second. On the face of it this battle appears much the same as in 2014. However, the tone of this inter-team battle is quite different and decidedly tilted to Hamilton’s advantage.

Not only has Rosberg not been able to match his reigning champion teammate he appears to have lost significant ground. It wasn’t long ago that Rosberg vowed to give Hamilton the fight of his life in 2015 but the German is yet to deliver on his boisterous declaration. Significantly, it also appears that Rosberg is losing the psychological battle and quite early on at that. The moaning about his teammate in Chinese Gp was not indicative of a driver with the mental toughness to beat his highly talented teammate.

Bahrain has been a good hunting ground for Nico Rosberg and if he is indeed serious about winning the world championship then he has to transform all of the talk into action.

April 15, 2015
Broadcast Times for the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

The Bahrain Grand Prix is back-to-back with the Chinese Grand Prix. We here at Madness HQ really enjoy these back-to-back races. It keeps us busy and eases with withdrawal. Round 04 of the Formula 1 World Championship takes us to the Bahrain International Circuit where for the second time it will play host to the seasons first day-into-night race.

The circuit is well known to the teams, the year round warm temperatures made it a favorite test venue for the teams. The track has 15 corners in total with 2 DRS zones.

Mercedes have once again stamped their authority on the season after a completely dominant weekend by Lewis Hamilton. He took P1 in all three practice sessions, pole position in qualifying, fastest lap and race win in the race. A royal flush so to speak.

Ferrari have now cemented their place as best of the rest with Sebastian Vettel finishing P3, behind the Mercedes pair. Ferrari tried their best to manage expectations for the Chinese Grand Prix after their win in Malaysia, but the fans were hungry for the victory. It became very clear during the race on Sunday that Mercedes were just too quick for the Maranello team. Nevertheless, they are continuing with developing the car and are getting closer to Mercedes. They have not ruled out a few more wins this season.

Further down the field it looks as Renault have made an improvement with their power units which brings Red Bull back up the order. This is some good news but the team face the inevitable penalty of a power unit change as they have already used 6 of their 8 allocated power units for the season and we are just 4 races in.

Sauber are quietly going about their business and are getting good points. They are currently 4th in the Constructors Championship ahead of Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

Although they say they are making progress, McLaren are lagging at the bottom of the constructors table with no points to their name. Both McLaren drivers are towing the line and are hiding their frustrations very well at the moment. The team is making improvements throughout every race weekend. Things should get better for them once the European leg of the season begins.

Below are the television broadcast times for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix. All times are GMT+2

Free Practice 1: Friday 13:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 17:00

Free Practice 3: Saturday 14:00

Qualifying: Saturday 17:00

Race: Sunday 17:00

April 14, 2015
F1 2015: Chinese GP Preview – Advantage Mercedes in Shanghai

If you’re not mulling several burning questions and theories at the same time then you’re more than likely not thinking about Formula 1 and the upcoming Chinese grand prix.

The biggest of these burning questions is whether Ferrari’s stunning Malaysian grand prix victory was indicative of something or just a flash in the Mercedes dominated pan. But things are rarely ever as simple as either answering yes or no either way. This is after all Formula 1 and there are a plethora of variables and circumstances that have to enter into providing a carefully thought out response to this poser.

The biggest determining factor will be the temperature. In Malaysia the scorching track temperature played to Ferrari’s strength but it wasn’t the only advantage they put on the table. In comparison to Mercedes the Ferrari driver’s did a much better job at managing their tyre degradation.

The Pirelli tyres are far less temperamental than when they were first introduced to Formula 1 but the benefit of eeking a bit more performance out of them than the competition is a big advantage. The temperatures in China won’t be anything like that of Sepang but the track surface is quite an abrasive one. Add to this that Pirelli have selected the medium and soft compounds for the weekend and Ferrari is still in with a shout.

Sebastian Vettel’s win in Malaysia doesn’t mean that he or Ferrari will be able to consistently beat Mercedes. But it’s given Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his team something to think about. “In two weeks you are caught up and you lose the race fair and square on track which is a bit of a wake-up call, which is good for us.”

The pace of development in Formula 1 has always been staggering but never quite something you can get used to. In 2014 Williams were, by far, the second quickest team on the grid and even locked out the front row for the Austrian grand prix. Several months later the Grove based team has, so far, fallen short of the frontrunners. We are missing race pace – and quite a big amount,” said Valtteri Bottas. “With the ideal race, starting at the front, the gap wouldn’t be that big but it is too big, much bigger than we expected.

The FW34 Williams shouldn’t have too bad a time of it this weekend because China’s Shanghai circuit is a marvellous mixture of intricate, technical corners and wide-open straights prepared to test the limits of the modern F1 hybrid technology. Turn one is a test in patience as it makes a 180 degree turn before accelerating into a slightly off-camber turn two. “The circuit has a very long straight, where a good top speed is important, and an interesting mix of low, medium and high speed corners. In addition, it has several technical sections where unique corners, such as turns one and 13, lead straight into further corners requiring a good car balance and precise driving,” says Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering at Sauber.

All the teams like coming to these parts too. It’s bustling juggernaut economy and bustling automotive industry is a big target for the manufacturer’s involved in the sport. Achieve commercial success in the densely populated Chinese region and you’ll be smiling at the way to the bank.

There will be more than just the battle up front to whet the appetite this weekend. The Lotus F1 team maintain that they have made big gains from last year but have not yet been able to show this on track. If they are able the fight in the mid-field, with Toro Rosso and Sauber, may yield quite a battle.

The saying goes that you’re only as good as your last race. In this case it means a dazzling Ferrari victory and Mercedes being, slightly, found out. But the pragmatic part of the brain will remind you that though Ferrari’s victory was stunning it is still up against the juggernaut of Mercedes. Then again, pragmatism is terribly over-rated.

April 9, 2015
Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

In no time at all we are at round 3 of the Formula 1 World Championship which takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China.

The circuit is characterized by the smooth surface, one very long straight,, a mixture of medium to high speed corners and the tightening radius turn 1 which is almost a full circle.. The circuit is a front limited circuit which means that the front tyres and front end grip is important at this track. Cars need a quick turn in to rapidly change direction.

According to Pirelli the cars spend 80% of the lap cornering which means there is a tremendous amount of energy going through the tyres. It is for this reason that Pirelli have nominated the white medium and yellow soft compound tyre for the race. With temperatures remaining relatively cool during the race weekend the one problem that drivers may face is the graining of the tyres. The graining affects the grip and increases the rate of degradation on the tyres.

With the northern hemisphere coming out of winter, the temperatures will be on the cold side for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. Temperatures are not expected to go higher that 21 degrees Celsius. The forecast is partly cloudy for the entire weekend with a 10% chance of rain expected on race day. The conditions will change throughout the weekend though.

This is the complete opposite to the scorching temperatures teams experienced two weeks ago. It will be interesting to see if Ferrari can maintain their momentum while Mercedes have come out guns blazing in the battle with Ferrari. McLaren have said that they will have trouble getting heat into their tyres in the colder temperatures while Red Bull are looking to get further up the field after a disappointing start to the season.

Below is a summary for this weekend’s weather and a live forecast of the current conditions in Shanghai which will update throughout the day.

April 8, 2015