Category: Previews

F1 2018: Spanish Gp Preview – Merc, Ferrari, Red Bull In The Mix

Formula heads to Spain’s circuit de Catalunya for the fifth round of the 2018 season.

Amid the enthralling on track action of the season there has been many, significant, developments off it. Firstly, it was recently announced that the aerodynamic rules for the 2019 will be modified with the aim of allowing cars to follow each more easily. This, the FIA hopes, will ultimately aid in overtaking. The revision include a wider, simplified front wing and brake duct with no aero winglets and a wider and deeper rear wing that will increase the effectiveness of DRS. These changes are a bit of a quick fix for the 2019 season while the FIA are planning a comprehensive overhaul of the sport’s technical regulations for 2021.

On the face of it anything that improves the ability to overtake is a positive. However, several teams voted against the 2019 changes and for good reason. The changes proposed by the FIA aren’t trivial and will likely force several teams into completely changing aerodynamic philosophy of their cars. And a re-designed aero package precipitates a re-design that will likely cost teams a lot of money.

Elsewhere, the local authorities of Miami will vote this week on a bid to bring F1 to Florida from 2019 onwards. The bid is being backed by Miami mayor Francis Suarez and with American-owned Liberty Media wanting to expand the sport’s presence in the US it seems like a no-brainer. The first images of a possible layout for the Miami street-track have been revealed and it features a, first-ever, bridge that runs across the water and back, an idea first touted by Bernie Ecclestone in the 1980s. With F1’s calendar already bulging with 21 races it remains to be seen how a Miami Gp will be slotted in.

Amidst it all there is a grand prix to be had this weekend around a circuit that teams and drivers know all to well. The circuit de Catalunya has long been the pre-season testing venue of choice meaning that teams arrive at the Southern-Spain track with a vast amount of data and know-how. Still the cars tested in late-February will be significantly different to what they arrive with this weekend. What’s more, it is the traditional trend that the Spanish grand prix weekend sees several teams bolt on upgrade packages to their respective cars.

While Lewis Hamilton may have taken victory in a chaotic Azerbaijan grand prix he has been decidedly lacking in his usually near-faultless form. Still, he comes into the weekend with a four-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and with the expectation of being near the sharp-end of the grid.

However, what has been most thrilling about F1 in 2018 is that no grand prix weekend has been predictable. Whether it be because of safety-cars, pit strategy, or out-right pace the potential has been there for at least six drivers to stand on top of the podium.

Your money could be on Mercedes as they traditionally excel in Spain, or Ferrari who have seemingly built a car that can perform well at all circuits, including over one lap. Or you could put your money on Red Bull. After all it was here that Max Verstappen won his first race and who would bet against an ultra-confident Daniel Ricciardo? If nothing else this is what fans of the sport have wanted, and deserved, for the last several years – the beautiful unpredictability of Formula 1.

May 11, 2018
F1 2018: Azerbaijan Gp Review: Battle in Baku

The Formula 1 paddock is set for Baku this weekend as it jets into Azerbaijan for the fourth round of the 2018 season.

On the back of the first three races the teams will arrive at this weekend’s grand prix with a varying degree of mindsets. Ferrari should arrive in a fairly decent frame of mind but all is not up to par in the Italian team’s stable. The general assumption would be that Ferrari would have learned from several dubious strategy calls in 2017 but, again, the calls in China left a lot to be desired. It is an area that in 2017 cost them race wins and if they are to genuinely take the fight to Mercedes they cannot fall into the same hole this season.

Notorious for taking Ferrari to task the Italian media has delivered a scathing rebuke of the team’s treatment of Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has started the 2018 season in fine form but was still, shamefully, used as a blocker for his teammate during the Chinese Gp. It’s a slippery slope Ferrari find themselves on. If they continue to sacrifice Raikkonen in aid of Sebastian Vettel they will, undoubtedly, forfeit any chance of winning the constructor’s title too. And if Ferrari is in the market for a replacement for their last world champion, say someone like a Daniel Ricciardo, it must be careful as to what image they are projecting to prospective drivers.

For Mercedes Baku has turned into a must-win grand prix. The German team finds itself in unprecedented territory having not yet won a race in the 2018 season. Regardless of the circumstances that led to Ferrari, and Red Bulls’, victories the fact remains that Mercedes finds itself needing to respond. More so, Lewis Hamilton has looked decidedly off colour even in comparison to teammate Valtteri Bottas. Nevertheless, the team seems confident that it can bounce back. “We just need to stick our heads together, stay calm, get the head down and come up with some solutions. Huge confidence in the team, they’ve proved that in the past,” says Toto Wolff.

The Baku circuit is one where Mercedes should do well. The circuit in Azerbaijan is the third longest on the calendar as comprises a rather unusual layout for a street circuit. The tight and twisting middle sector is bookended by long, power hungry straits, which combines in the first counter-clockwise lap of the year. While the track hasn’t shown too much tyre degradation in the two years that it’s been on the calendar it may prove a factor this weekend. In particular Ferrari has taken an aggressive approach by selecting ten sets each of the ultrasoft compound while Mercedes has gone for nine and Red Bull for eight set of the softest compound this weekend. “Baku is a bit strange,” says Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola. “Because it’s a street circuit, but with a very high speed straight. You have some sectors that are very, very fast, but also you have some parts of the track under the sun, and some parts in shadow”.

The long straits may put Red Bull into some difficulty with overall laptime when compared to Mercedes and Ferrari but they should in no way be discounted this weekend. The probability of a safety-car around the exceedingly tight mid-sector is high and Red Bull’s strategy calls have already netted them a race win. Max Verstappen’s performance this weekend will be worth noting as the young Dutchman has not only been shown up by his Aussie teammate, so far, in 2018 but also has to iron out some recklessness from his own driving.

The chances are good that this will be the weekend that Lewis Hamilton bounces back into form. The question is will Ferrari have the speed and more importantly the composure to stop him in his track, no pun intended.

April 25, 2018
Formula 1 2018: Roll on China

A short turn around and we are already at Round 3 of the Formula One World Championship in Shanghai, China.

This year marks the 15th iteration of the Chinese Grand Prix on Formula 1 Calendars. The race has been a staple on the F1 calendar since 2004.

The 5.451 km circuit, with its 7 left and 9 right turns in the F1 configuration has a good mix of fast-medium speed corners with a bit of slow corners thrown in for good measure with its party piece being the 1.175km back straight. There are some good overtaking opportunities on the back straight with or without DRS. The long, reducing radius, Turn 1 which leads into T2 is another good spot for overtaking as drivers can take different lines to get the drive to setup a pass into the Turn 6 hairpin.

Mercedes on the back foot?

Mercedes head into the Chinese Grand Prix as somewhat favorites. The Shanghai Circuit has been a happy hunting ground for them in the hybrid era with a Silver Arrows winning the Chinese Grand Prix each year since 2014. History certainly favors them. On the other hand, no driver has failed to win the Drivers Championship after winning the first two races since 1982. Both Mercedes drivers will want to get their first victory of the season out of the way, Hamilton more so as he’s the current defending world champion.

So where does that put Ferrari? The circuit being a front limited circuit, could make things a little tough for them, but they’ve shown since the start of the season that they can get over their issues rather quickly. A new floor update is scheduled for this weekend which could put them in the running once again. The cooler temperatures in Shanghai may play into the hands of Mercedes, but that’s never stopped the Ferrari’s before from getting close.

Kimi Raikkonen has been in good form lately with the 2018 Ferrari more to his liking and with his early retirement in Bahrain will be aching to get going again an hopefully another victory. Whether Ferrari let that happen with be another conversation on its own.

As for Red Bull, they’re coming into the weekend with something to prove. A double DNF in Bahrain and a 4th and 5th place finish in Australia doesn’t reflect their true potential. While they cannot match Ferrari on one-lap pace and by extension Mercedes, they know fully well that their race pace is quite good and they are able to keep up. Bahrain was shaping up to be a 2 way battle up front but their double DNF put an end to that quite early in the race.

Best of the rest

At the moment no midfield manufacturer can claim that title outright. In Bahrain it was Toro Rosso based on Pierre Gasly’s 4th place finish in the race. It’s an extraordinary start to the season for the Faenza outfit and their engine partner Honda. This in stark contrast to how Honda started with McLaren. Toro Rosso look like they’ve got their processes in place with Honda and they seem to be working well together, and Honda is delivering.

It’s close between Haas and Renault at the moment. The only thing counting against Haas at the moment is their consistency and their ability to maintain the development curve. McLaren are not too far either and their race performance shows that they could possibly sneak ahead of the works team and Haas later in the season.

Sauber who have taken some points in Bahrain will want to build on that points finish and no doubt will try to get higher up the order.

Pirelli Skips a Step

In Bahrain it can be said that Pirelli got their compound nominations spot on. There were many strategy variations and options which made for very interesting racing and gamesmanship between the teams. For China they’re bringing the white marked medium compound, yellow marked soft compound and the purple marked ultra-soft compound, skipping the super soft. Part of the reason why they can skip a compound for china is that the asphalt is smoother than in Bahrain. The rough asphalt would’ve shredded the ultra softs.

“The new wider range of 2018 P Zero compounds have allowed us to come up with some nominations this year where there is a gap in the tyres selected,” explains Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Head of Car Racing.

“There’s quite a big gap from medium to the softer compounds, which are quite close together (with the exception of the hypersoft). So, by missing out the supersoft in China, we end up with three choices that are quite evenly spaced out, which in turn opens up several different possibilities for strategy.

“These strategy calculations have, of course, already begun, with teams selecting different quantities of the ultrasoft heading into the race, and we could also see some different approaches to qualifying as well.

“With China being an unpredictable race anyway, thanks to a number of different overtaking opportunities and notoriously variable weather, this tyre nomination introduces another parameter, which should hopefully contribute to an even better spectacle.”

April 12, 2018
F1 2018: Bahrain Gp Preview – Ferrari to drive home advantage?

Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher won the first Bahrain grand prix, held in 2004. While it was a new, never before raced at, venue for F1 it didn’t produce much excitement as it earned the unfortunate moniker ‘Bore-rain’ thanks to its processional races.

However, in 2014, as the tenth anniversary of F1 in Bahrain rolled around, no pun intended, organisers decided to run the race under lights. It was a masterstroke as the formerly docile race came alive and produced some of the most exhilarating racing all season. It was Lewis Hamilton who beat then teammate Nico Rosberg to victory following thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead.

In 2017 Valtteri Bottas scored the first pole position of his career but ultimately didn’t have the composure to hold of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. It is a new season though and Australia has not done much to reveal the true pecking order of 2018.

Though Ferrari stood on the top step of the podium in the first race of the season the Sebastian Vettel was the first to admit that the opportunistic win had a definite element of luck infused. Further, he admits that the 2018 Ferrari isn’t yet where it needs to be. “I think our car has huge potential but I’m still struggling a little bit. When you talk about something that you miss as a driver, it’s because the car doesn’t respond the way you like. Ours is still sliding in places you don’t want it to slide. I want the car to be spot-on when I hit the brakes and turn in, and in that window, I’m not yet happy,” says Vettel.

The Sakhir International circuit is not the ideal test of an F1 car but it will allow them to stretch their legs a bit more than in Australia. Low speed corners dominate the circuit layout, which means that traction and tyre temperatures significantly influence the laptime. Specifically, management of rear tyre temperatures is the key in Bahrain.

The top three teams, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have made similar tyre choices for the weekend where the supersoft, soft, and medium tyre will be run. The high desert temps and difficulty in managing rear tyre wear could play to Ferrari’s favour as Mercedes has traditionally suffered on the softer compounds of the Pirelli range.

It isn’t all about what happens at the sharp-end though as the tight mid-field battle has all the potential to produce some of the closest racing of all. The team to look out for is Haas. They were desperately unlucky that cross-threaded wheel-nuts forced both cars retire in Australia. However, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were turning a genuinely quick pace and should be able to replicate it this weekend.

Many drivers including Lewis Hamilton and both Red Bulls complained about the lack of overtaking opportunities in Australia. This should be somewhat alleviated in Bahrain partly due to its kilometer long straight.

There was little question in Australia that Mercedes had a quick car. However, there are several factors, most notably the higher temperatures and rear tyre wear, that could play in Ferrari’s favour. Given that Vettel does not yet feel 100% comfortable with his Ferrari it could well be Kimi Raikkonen who has a record seven podiums in Bahrain.

April 5, 2018
F1 2018: Australian Gp Preview – Who will it be?

There are few things as sweet as the hope and eagerness that accompanies the week before the start of a new Formula 1 season. Right now every enthusiast’s expectation is sky high. Their optimisms and expectation ready to be encouraged or sunk by the unpretentious but all-powerful stopwatch.

On Friday morning the cars will trundle out of the pitlane and onto Australia’s Albert Park circuit for the first official practice session of the 2018 season. A warm, fuzzy feeling will fill your heart as a smile spreads across your face: F1 2018 is a go.

The famed part-time Albert Park circuit in Melbourne will host the season-opener for the 22^nd time. At 5.3 kilometers in length it remains somewhat of an outlier in terms of layout. As it utilizes public roads, and even part of a car park, it is more akin to a street circuit. These unique characteristics do have the ability to soften a car’s shortcomings as opposed to a track such as Bahrain’s Sakhir International circuit.

Twelve months ago in Australia Sebastian Vettel stepped onto the podium and Ferrari made a clear statement of intentions. Ultimately, 2017 didn’t go the way the Italian team would’ve predicted or wanted but they have learned valuable lessons from it. But Ferrari doesn’t start the 2018 season in quite the same standing as it did last year. A big question mark lingers over the Scuderia and if they have closed the gap to Mercedes or even fallen slightly off the pace. Pre-season testing was difficult to read but still many persist with the opinion that Ferrari is not in Mercedes’ league.

Instead it’s Red Bull who has seemingly made the bigger step forward. But still, despite the dynamite driver pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, their biggest Achilles heel remains the Renault engine’s power deficit. However, if the RB14 is what its pre-season form has suggested then they may hit the ground running in Australia.

Meanwhile the midfield looks like it is poised to deliver some close racing as several teams find themselves in close contention. The surprise of this pack may be the American Haas team who appears to have made a step forward in almost all areas. Contrastingly, Williams and Sauber are likely to duke it out at the back of the grid.

For McLaren, who have endured harrowing reliability in pre-season, there will be nowhere to hide. So many of the team’s issues over the last few years were heaped onto Honda’s shoulders. However, despite having a new partnership with Renault the problems persist. Despite this Fernando Alonso and co are optimistic about the season and insist there is nothing to be concerned about.

We may pour over countless points of data and hundred of laptimes from testing and scrutinize every picture taken in the two weeks but the fact remains that the true pace of the 2018 contenders will only be revealed come race day.

March 22, 2018
F1 2017: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Much to gain at Season Finale

The final round of the 2017 F1 season is upon us as the paddock heads east to the twilight race of Abu Dhabi.

Introduced to the calendar several years ago the Yas Marina Circuit has delivered resplendent views of F1 cars at dusk for since 2009. With no expense spared the circuit and surrounding facilities are, arguably, the grandest of the lot. Complete with an its Ferrari World theme park and several thousand coloured LED lights all the facets of the Abu Dhabi combine to deliver a visual spectacle of note.

Despite not being known for delivering the most memorable on track racing the Abu Dhabi based circuit has nevertheless seen the creation of several memorable moments for the sport. It was here after all, in 2010, that Sebastian Vettel won his first world championship title and here too where Kimi Raikkonen, en route to victory, uttered the now famous “leave me alone, I know what I’m doing” radio message.

In 2016 Lewis Hamilton turned over every trick in his book to win the title and even attempted to back rival Nico Rosberg into the clutches of other cars with the hope that he would be overtaken and thus not win the title. Alas, none of Hamilton’s moves had done the trick and Rosberg took a well-deserved win. It’s a far different story twelve months later. Not only does Hamilton arrive in Abu Dhabi as a four-time champion but also there’s no Nico Rosberg on the other side of the Mercedes garage. Instead, it’s Valtteri Bottas who sits in the other Mercedes cockpit and who has a lot to prove. It’s been a lackluster second half of the season for Bottas who has summarily been blown away by Hamilton. While he scored a pole in Brazil he folded at the first sight of the front-wing of Vettel’s Ferrari. He needs a big performance this weekend in order to beginning righting his ship for 2018. If not, Hamilton may well blow him away, again.

Similarly, Daniel Ricciardo could do with putting one over teammate Verstappen who has stolen the limelight from the Aussie this season. The Yas Marina circuit, 5.5 kilometers in length, does have several long straits in its layout but the second, more technical sector, should play to the Red Bull’s strengths. “ The final sector at Yas Marina is actually quite technical so you have to be really precise there, but it should also be our strongest part of the track” said Verstappen. “There are quite a few overtaking opportunities to make the race interesting, before the long straight at the hairpin and then at the end of the straight under braking for the next chicane section”.

While the constructor’s championship has been settled at the top of the standings the battle for sixth is going down to the wire. Only six points separate Toro Rosso, Renault, and Haas and with the promise of a big pay day for finishing sixth the battle between these three teams could be the highlight of the weekend.

Through nineteen rounds and 1147 racing laps there’s still much to play for and gain the final race of the 2017 season.

November 22, 2017
F12017: Brazilian Gp Preview – Free-for-all at Iconic Interlagos

For all the innovation that Formula 1 continues to deliver there are some things in the sport that, untouched by too much change, remain and embodies the very essence of the sport. One such example is the Brazilian grand prix and the famed Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

For decade after decade the Interlagos based circuit has delivered on everything a Formula 1 race should be. Through scorching temperatures and rain-soaked afternoons the Brazilian fan’s euphoria for F1 has always been palpable. And it has, since 1973, been driven by some of the most dramatic and memorable races in the history of the sport.

There have been many highly emotional Brazilian grand prix throughout its history but none more so than Ayrton Senna’s majestic 1991 win in the McLaren after which he was so physically exhausted that he had to be extricated from the cockpit. In the decades since there’s been no let up on the drama with several of the most theatrical moments coming in the 21^st century. In 2005 Fernando Alonso became, at the time, the youngest world champion and two years later, in 2007, Kimi Raikkonen won his world title in what had been, arguably, one of the most fascinating championship battles of all time. A year later thousands of Brazilian hearts sank as Lewis Hamilton snatched the title from local-favourite Felipe Massa, literally, on the last corner of the last lap whereas the 2012 grand prix marked the final race of the great Michael Schumacher storied career.

The circuit, at roughly 4.3 kilometers, isn’t a long one and a lap time below seventy seconds is likely, especially for quali. Besides having the iconic, and tight, Senna S as Turn One its three sectors stand in contract to each other. A strait and several medium to high-speed corners dominate the first part of the lap while the middle sector is the more technical section before its capped by Junção, the final climb up the hill to the start/finish strait.

Despite not having a Brazilian world champion since Ayrton Senna the fans have shown a fanaticism for the sport and other Brazilian drivers as fervent as you’re likely to see anywhere in the world. One driver responsible for inspiring said passion is Felipe Massa. The Williams driver has announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 season making this weekend his final Brazilian grand prix. Though never a world champion Massa has inspired countless fans, colleagues, and contemporaries with his incredible talent, generosity, passion, and sportsmanship. Obrigado Felipe.

The fact that most positions in both the drivers and constructors championships have been settled adds a further element to this weekend’s Brazilian grand prix. No longer do teams such as Force India have to impose team orders on Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. Now they’ll be free to race and bang wheels to their heart’s content and this directive, pretty much, goes for everyone up and down the pitlane too.

While the forecast predicts a dry race weekend the weather for the Brazilian grand prix has always been, at best, uncertain.

One thing that is a certainty however is that there has rarely been a dull Brazilian grand prix and it shouldn’t be any different in 2017.

November 8, 2017
2017 Mexico Grand Prix: Hamilton on the Threshold of Greatness

There are some out there that feel that Lewis Hamilton’s world titles at Mercedes came because he had the best car under him and some would give more credit to the cars that Mercedes have built than to the driver. Truth of the matter is that to win one world title is hard enough. Just look at how much it took out of Nico Rosberg. To win three takes astounding dedication and drive, not only from the driver but from everyone in the team. Hamilton, on the threshold of becoming World Champion for the 4th time, should be admired and respected and if he does clinch the title this weekend, he’ll become the most successful British driver in Formula One history.

Hamilton heads into the Mexico Grand Prix weekend a massive 66 points ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ championship and only needs to finish 5th or higher to become world champion. It won’t matter if Vettel wins, unless Hamilton is lower than 5th. A scenario that is quite unlikely given the bulletproof reliability of the Mercedes power unit this season.

After the United States Grand Prix Vettel looked resigned to the fact that he had lost the world title. It was a race that he needed to win but the pace of Hamilton in the Mercedes was too much for Ferrari. Ferrari will not give up and neither will Vettel as long as there is a chance. Hamilton, of course, is never going to take it easy. He’s a sportsman and he will do everything he can to win the race.

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

This is the 3rd installment of the Mexico Grand Prix in modern F1. The circuit is 4.304km long with 17 corners. A mix of high-speed sweeps and slow technical sections brings some balance to the circuit. The long straight preceded by the long right-handed Turn 17 sees cars reaching speeds upwards of 360km/h with a tow and DRS before Turn 1. The cars this year, with the increased downforce, are not expected to reach those speeds.

Teams tend to run full downforce setups around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez despite the high-speed nature of the circuit due to the high elevation of the circuit. The highest point of the circuit is at Turn 6 with an elevation of 2 229m above sea level. Higher elevation means the thinner air than at sea level, the thinner the air, the harder the wings and diffusers need to work.

Pirelli goes a step softer

Pirelli has brought the yellow marked soft, the red marked super soft, and the purple marked ultra soft tyres to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. It’s the first time the ultra soft will meet the tarmac in Mexico since the first race in 2015. We should see some lap records being broken this weekend.

The asphalt around the circuit is relatively new and quite smooth which puts degradation in the lower end of the scale. The twisty middle sector and slow final sector should put the ultra soft to the test.

Weather this weekend is expected to be mild so thermal degradation should be low as well.

Teams will have to get to grips with the ultra soft since it will be used for the first time. Although it will be used as a qualifying tyre, the long run pace and degradation will be important as it is expected to be a one stop race.

Mid-Field Battle for Supremacy

The top four positions in the Constructors’ Championship are all but confirmed with Mercedes already winning the Constructors’ Championship at the US Grand Prix.

The battle for 5th between Williams (68 points), Toro Rosso (53 points), Renault (48 points) and Haas (43 points) is reaching the business end in these final few races and you can expect some hard racing between them.

The circuit characteristics of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez should favour the Williams setup, but Renault with Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg are not far from closing the gap to the Grove-based outfit and Toro Rosso.

Toro Rosso who have Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley in the cars for what looks like the remaining races of the season will find it hard to hold off Renault in these final few and if Haas can get their balance issues sorted out, could potentially overhaul Toro Rosso who are just 10 points behind the Faenza based team.

As much fun as it was watching the title challenge unfold, it’s worth keeping an eye on the battle in the mid-field. We can expect some great racing and epic battles between the teams and drivers.

October 26, 2017
F1 2017: United States Gp Preview – Can Ferrari Bounce Back In Texas?

Most people would hold the opinion that the fight for the 2017 world championship is all but over. And you’d be hard pressed to make a legitimate argument against this opinion given that Hamilton holds a mammoth 59 point lead going into the United States grand prix.

It’s as good a time as any then at this weekend’s US grand prix for Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari to start cutting Hamilton’s lead. BU they need to understand and overcome their reliability woes to do that. The galling thing for Ferrari over the last few races would have been that they had the pace to win, with the possible exception of Japan, but failed to even reach the chequered flag. Some suggestions are that quality control at the Maranello factory hasn’t been up to scratch and its been painfully illustrated on track. What it is though is further evidence of how much Ferrari have flirted with the edge in the design of their 2017 car and their bid to win the title. Its evident that they’ve pushed the margins too far and have, arguably, lost the likely chance of being champions in 2017.

The question is really if Ferrari can recover. Instead, it is can they recover in time? It would be tough to find much support for the idea that Ferrari and Vettel could still walk away with the title. Still, however unlikely it seems it is never impossible especially in a sport as unpredictable as Formula 1. The silver lining in Vettel’s woes, however small it might be, is that he’ll have fresher power unit components in the bank than Hamilton which could allow him to push harder on Sunday afternoons, granted he gets the opportunity to do so.

For Hamilton the equation is a simple one. Keep racking up the points with race finished, which will invariably not be outside the top three and it’ll be enough to make him a four time champ perhaps even before the end of the season. If Hamilton were to win around the Circuit of the Americas this weekend and Vettel finishes fifth or lower he would be champion.

What are Hamilton’s chances of taking victory in Texas this weekend? Barring any sort of unreliability for anyone, it should be a good fight between Merc and Ferrari with the latter probably holding an edge on Sunday. The first important factor is that the ultra- and supersoft combination of tyre compounds are in offing this weekend. Traditionally, Ferrari has been the stronger on this combination. What’s more, it’s also expected to be slightly warmer in Texas than in Japan, which plays to Ferrari’s strength as Merc’s problem of maintaining the correct core tyre temperature, continues to be an issue for them.

The layout too of the Herman Tilke designed track is more suitable to Ferrari and their aerodynamic proficiency. The first sector is dominated by a fast and flowing Esses section which has characteristics of both Silverstone’s iconic Maggots-Becketts complex and the first sector of Japan’s Suzuka circuit. In general, the five and a half kilometer circuit is dominated by medium to high-speed corners thatreward a good aero package. Added to this are a few hairpins, which will encourage and provide overtaking opportunities.

While most of the attention is focused at the front of the grid there are a few changes in the offing further down. Carlos Sainz bid farewell to the Toro Rosso team in Japan and will this weekend race as a fully-fledged Renault works driver. It means that Daniil Kvyat returns to the Toro Rosso fold. However, he will not be alongside Pierre Gasly who will instead be looking to win the Super Formula title this weekend. In his place will be 27 year old Kiwi and WEC superstar Brendon Hartley.

Given their horrendous run in the last three rounds there is little expectation of Ferrari. However, the pressure on the team to deliver is enormous and could prove the catalyst for Vettel to simply throw caution to wind in Texas.

October 18, 2017
2017 Japanese GP Preview: Red Bull Resurgence

As quickly as the pack up in Malaysia had started, teams were in Suzuka, Japan preparing for the 16th Round of the Formula One World Championship.

The Suzuka Circuit has been a regular feature on the Formula 1 calendar and traditionally has hosted the final Grand Prix of the season which saw many drivers crowned world champions.

The current F1 layout of Suzuka is 5.807km long with 18 turns. Some famous corners such as 130R, sector one with the esses, Spoon and of course Degner 1 and 2 make this a real drivers track and it is a well known favourite of drivers.

“It’s just a great circuit. It’s extremely fast, and you have the section in sector one with all the esses – that feels amazing going through there in a Formula One car,” says Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

The drivers probably cannot wait to get these 2017 cars around the track. With all the downforce this years cars produce we can expect times to be very quick. There’s a possibility that Degner 1 could be taken flat out.

Pirelli goes one step softer

Pirelli are bringing going one step softer this year and for the first time will not bring the hard compound tyre to Suzuka this year. Instead they are bringing the white marked medium compound, yellow marked soft compound and the red marked super soft compound.

Suzuka is one of the hardest tracks on the tyres in terms of longitudinal loading on the tyres. The long fast corners like Spoon and 130R and in the Esses put large amounts of energy through the tyres. High downforce configurations are usually run by teams around Suzuka.

Pirelli expects high tyre wear and high degradation, and with the fast cornering graining can also be a factor.

Although the tyres this year are more durable we could see a two-stop race this weekend.

Red Bull Resurgence

Red Bull have been looking increasingly competitive since coming back from the summer break despite being down on power. A Red Bull car has been a regular feature on the podium since the summer break the team from Milton Keynes are the team in form at the moment.

Red Bull head into Suzuka on the back of a dominant Max Verstappen victory in Malaysia less than a week ago on a track which Mercedes were, on paper, supposed to dominate. It could be argued that Ferrari had the faster car over the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend but engine problems for both Ferrari’s cost them and they were not able to capitalise on Mercedes’ lack of pace.

The Suzuka circuit characteristics will suit Mercedes, but Red Bull will fancy their chances this weekend. They clearly have a very good package and with two drivers hungry for wins and nothing to lose, we can expect them to get in the mix between Mercedes and Ferrari.

Over in Maranello Sergio Marchionne has reportedly made some changes to the team structure following the engine problems that plagued Sebastian Vettel after FP3 and Kimi Raikkonen just before the race for the Malaysia Grand Prix. There were also concerns that Vettel may have to take a gearbox penalty following his collision after the race on the cool down lap with Williams’ Lance Stroll but Ferrari have come out and said that everything seems to be fine with the gearbox and that they will conduct tests during Friday Practice in Suzuka as a final check.

Mercedes will want to put their Malaysia weekend behind them and will no doubt be in a fighting mood come Friday in Suzuka. It’s a track where the W08 will feel right at home. Hamilton will see this as another chance to extend his championship lead over Vettel and put some breathing room between himself and German and who knows may already have one hand on the Championship trophy come Sunday.

Photo credit: Red Bull Racing Formula One Team

October 4, 2017