Category: Previews

F1 2017: Russian Gp Preview – Game On In Sochi

From the middle of the Bahrain desert the Formula 1 paddock travels to coast of Russia for the fourth round of the 2017 season.

The Sochi Autodrom made its debut on the F1 calendar in 2014 and received a fairly lukewarm reception from fans. For one thing the circuit lacks any sort of elevation change, which normally accounts for a trickier cambers and braking zones. The layout of the track, at 5.8 kilometers, is characterized by long straits and ninety-degree corners, which will test a car’s efficiently in traction and how well it rotates on its axis. “It’s always challenging to come from high speed into a low-speed corner and achieve the best out of braking,” says Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

In the three races at the Sochi Autodrom the amount of tyre degradation experienced has been negligible. Memorably, in 2014, after flat-spotting his tyres into turn one, Nico Rosberg pitted on the first lap of the race and completed 52 laps on one set of tyres. But it might be a bit different in 2017 for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the paddock arrives in Russia slightly later in the year than normal and, temperature-wise, it should be hotter. Secondly, this will be the third race weekend on the track surface, which will have ‘settled’ in a bit more and therefore should produce more grip. The 2017 cars will also corner a lot faster than in previous years which will place significantly more stress on the tyres which should effect tyre-life. Pirelli have nominated the soft, super-soft, and ultra-soft compounds for this weekend’s race.

Who will it suit? With all things being equal Mercedes has proven that on Saturday’s, in qualifying, they are still king. But even so Sunday is where the points are awarded and this is where Ferrari is likely to come into its own. Traditionally, Ferrari has performed better on the super-soft tyre than Mercedes and this, along with their inherent pace, will likely by their trump card. Nevertheless, it will still require a perfect all-round performance from the team, including the pitwall’s calls on strategy.

On paper it shouldn’t be a circuit where Red Bull does well but they have in the past. It’s unlikely that they’ll be going for the win or even the podium. Nevertheless, where there is a Max there almost always seems to be a way. There is something special in the make-up and performance from the young Dutchman that demands attention and which makes it impossible for him to be ruled out of the equation. It’s always an exciting prospect to imagine what he might pull out of his bag of tricks come race day.

In the mid-field Williams should do well given the Mercedes power unit bolted to the back of their car. Though through no fault of his own Lance Stroll is yet to finish a race in 2017. It will be a tall order but it needs to be the Canadian driver who shines for the British team this weekend.

Who would’ve thought at the height of Mercedes domination last year that in 2017, on the cusp of the fourth round of the season, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel would be leading the driver’s championship by seven points. And in truth, any one of four drivers has a legitimate chance of winning the Russian grand prix this weekend.

April 26, 2017
2017 Bahrain GP Preview: The Battle in Bahrain

Not long after the chequered flag dropped at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix, the big pack up had already begun for the next round in Bahrain for Round 3 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

The Bahrain International Circuit situated about 30km south of the Bahraini capital Manama was completed in 2004 and has been hosting F1 races ever since. The circuit is an ultra modern facility with many possible configurations. The F1 configuration consists of 15 corners with 4 straights which precede heavy braking zones and potential overtaking chances. The twisty in-filed section has a stop start nature with slow and medium speed corners. There are two DRS zones. One the main straight to Turn 1 and the second between Turn 10 and Turn 11.

The abrasive track surface puts tyre degradation on the upper end of the scale and with the stop-start nature of the circuit the cars require lots of mechanical grip from the tyres. Playing it safe for the first few races, Pirelli have opted for the white medium, yellow soft and red super soft tyres this weekend. Although degradation is quite high the new Pirelli compounds, which we’ve seen in the past two races are quite durable, should hold it’s own around the Bahrain International Circuit and we should see a two-stop race compared to three stops last year.

Hamilton vs. Vettel

If there was any doubt that Ferrari’s performance was a once off in Australia, their showing in China may have put some of those doubts to rest. Although still lacking a bit on one lap pace in qualifying trim, the SF70-H holds it’s own during the race and has shown that it is the better car on race day. However, we are only two races into the season, so one should be weary about singing their praises just yet.

We did not get to see a full on Hamilton vs. Vettel fight in China. Vettel’s strategy in China was compromised by the safety car after Antonio Giovinazzi’s crash. We could see a close battle between the two this coming weekend. Perhaps similar to the Rosberg v Hamilton battle in 2014.

The Battle in the Middle

This year the battle is in the mid field is as close as it can ever get. With Red Bull not on pace with Ferrari and Mercedes and with Williams very close on pace to Red Bull, we’ve seen two tiers emerge in the mid field. The second tier is very close between Force India, Toro Rosso, Haas and to some extent, Renault. The on-track battles that are being served up is great for the fans as the drivers leave nothing to chance and snap up every chance they get.

It’s shaping up to be a long hard slog for superiority in the mid field and it could be the source of many talking points in the races to come. Few teams will be looking very closely as the young guns fighting it out as they look to replace drivers that are out of contract at the end of the season.

Further down the field we have Sauber and Mclaren. Since the departure of the Manor team, Sauber has picked up the label of the back marker team. Antonio Giovinazzi who subbed in for the injured Pascal Wehrlein put in an impressive performance at the first round in Australia. Two weeks later and he was less impressive after crashing out in Qualifying and crashing again in the same spot in the race.

Over at McLaren it just seems that the team is on a knife edge. Alonso is growing increasingly frustrated in the car and is not shy to make his frustrations known over the team radio. One wonders what he may be saying behind closed doors. Make no mistake, McLaren do seem to have a good package put together, and just like last year, the engine is letting them down. Honda say they their confidence is increasing with the new engine and that upgrades should make things better. In the mean time Stoffel Vandoorne and Alonso will have to put on a brave face.

Battle in Bahrain

Meredes and Ferrari will be fighting it out in front. The warm conditions may suit the Ferrari’s more than the Mercedes. Mercedes are also bringing their longer wheelbase car to Bahrain to try and maintain their small advantage now.

While Hamilton and Vettel were clear ahead of the field in China, both their team mates had races they would rather forget. Bottas spinning twice under the safety car dropped him down the field. After the race he apologised for his “amateur” mistake. Raikkonen was unable to pass Daniel Ricciardo which held up Vettel behind. Vettel was able to eventually pass his team mate and Ricciardo but Raikkonen remained stuck behind Ricciardo. The Finn feels confident enough to turn things around this weekend.

As we get settled into the season it’s plain to see that Vettel and Hamilton will battle it out till the end. On the way there, they will definitely be thrown some curve balls and do not rule out Red Bull just yet. When they get over their issues and move to tracks that are more suited for their car they should be able to take the challenge to Mercedes and Ferrari. But for now it’s a damage limiting exercise for them.

Fans have been waiting for the day when Mercedes gets challenged. It looks like that day is here. The battle continues in Bahrain.

April 12, 2017
F1 2017: Chinese Gp Preview – China Set For Mercedes Reaction

From the quaint streets of the Albert Park circuit in Australia the Formula 1 paddock heads the grand architecture of the Shanghai International circuit in China for the second round of the 2017 season.

Remarkably, F1’s latest visit to China marks the 14^th year that the Shanghai circuit has been on the calendar. There is a bit of history about the circuit too. Its inaugural race in 2004 was won by then Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello and in 2006 Michael Schumacher scored what would be his 91^st and final victory. A year later Kimi Raikkonen’s win in changeable conditions would set up an unlikely championship triumph while, in 2012, the Chinese grand prix was also the very first race win for the reigning champion Nico Rosberg.

Nevertheless, while these stats and victories remain firmly in the history books the 2017 crop arrives with what is still very much an era in its infancy. While Ferrari has won the first race of the season the Shanghai International circuit demands a far different type of car performance. For one, this circuit is far more front limited which means that a car will need to work well with its front tyres to set competitive lap times. The tyres too will be tested more than in Australia as the Chinese circuit is far more abrasive.

Tyre wear may prove to be a significant factor, especially for Mercedes. It was this issue that Lewis Hamilton singled out as the reason for his defeat by Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari. What’s more, in Australia it was clear that Mercedes W08 is not as comfortable following other cars as the Ferrari appears to be which, by itself, can substantially influence tyre degradation and wear.

However, these aren’t the only issues Mercedes are facing and the team has admitted that it needs to reduce the weight of its 2017 car. An overweight car not only costs lap time but also takes away the teams ability to position ballast in the car to aid handling. What’s more, Haas team principal Guenter Steiner thinks that Ferrari’s 2017 power unit might be on a par with than that of Mercedes, if not better. The make up of the Chinese circuit, which includes several high speed corners, and long straits, will be a good test of Steiner’s theory.

But by no means is Mercedes ruled out of taking the top step of podium this weekend. The prediction of fairly low temperatures for the race weekend will be in their favour as cooler condition will mean less overheating of their tyres. But they’ll have to work hard if they are to withstand the threat of Ferrari. For Red Bull the fight is highly unlikely to be for the podium considering the deficit of the Renault engine to that of Mercedes and Ferrari.

Several critics have railed about the difficultly of overtaking in 2017. The detractors felt vindicated by the overall lack of overtaking in Australia but Albert Park, as a semi-street circuit, is not the best barometer in this case. While the jury is still out in what is still a fairly immature point of the season the Shanghai International circuit, thanks to its two long straits, will offer more overtaking opportunities. It will not be definitive but it will begin to reveal how easy or difficult overtaking will be in 2017.

Since the start of the hybrid era in 2014 Mercedes have been an unstoppable juggernaut only rarely tripped up by themselves. In these three years the world has witnessed how the Mercedes team runs and conducts itself as the dominant force. At the start of 2017 they are by no means down and out but are, at the very least, perceived to be ever so slightly on the back foot. Therefore, it will be fascinating to observe how they respond.

April 6, 2017
Australian Gp Preview: F1 2017 Finally Comes To Life

The wait for the 2017 Formula 1 season is nearly over as it heads into the first round at Australia’s Albert Park circuit.

This weekend one of the most dramatic overhauls of F1 regulations will finally come to life as the battle commences for the 2017 championship. From a purely visual perspective the wider tyres and different aerodynamic layout of the cars present a rather different, but appealing, new look to Formula 1. They will be much faster too and may be up to five seconds a lap quicker than their predecessors.

With the new era comes a change in several sporting regulations too. For the tyres Pirelli have attempted to provide more durability so as to allow drivers to push harder for longer before it begins to degrade. Whether this will have a detrimental effect on strategy, cutting down on the number of stops, remains to be seen.

Should it rain Down Under the race will longer start behind a safety-car. Instead, the safety-car will take the field around the track until it is deemed safe to re-start in which case the cars will line up on the grid for a standing start. Further, the launch off the grid has been tightened up where it concerns the clutch. It’s now up to the driver to find the correct bite point, without any pre-programmed settings, and to ensure the best start without getting wheelspin or bogging down the engine.

The eight days of running, across two sessions of testing, suggested that the top three teams might be the closest they’ve been since the start of the hybrid era. Lewis Hamilton has been on record calling Ferrari the favourite. Race drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen shied away from such declarations but there is no denying that the Scuderia have made an impressive step forward. So impressive in fact that it is likely the team to beat in Australia. But they aren’t buying into the hype though as Ferrari president, Sergio Marcionne, has insisted that Mercedes are still ahead.

For their part Mercedes have announced that it will be running a second, upgraded, specification of engine in Australia. While reports are that it would’ve been introduced later on because of reliability concerns to the timetable has been moved up. There could be several reasons for this but the likelihood is that Mercedes is feeling slightly nervous about the Ferrari hence the early introduction.

What is a fact is that both Ferrari and Mercedes were sandbagging at different times during testing in Spain and the true pace of both cars will only be revealed in Saturday’s qualifying session.

Along with Ferrari and Mercedes, Red Bull are tipped to be part of the front-running group the true pace of the RB13 is the biggest mystery of the top three teams. While Renault has made impressive progressive with its 2017 power unit it is still behind the Mercedes and Ferrari. Despite this, given the street-like layout of Albert Park, Red Bull is very much the dark horse. While they are well capable of springing a surprise with all things being equal it’s unlikely to be for the top step of the podium.

As part street-track with a layout comprised, mostly, of medium speed corners, the Albert Park circuit is an outlier on the calendar that is unlikely to present the truest representation of the pecking order in 2017. Nevertheless, at the end of it there will be twenty-five important points and it is the first step of a 2017 season in which it seems that there might finally be a three-horse race.

March 22, 2017
Weather Preview for the 2016 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The longest F1 season in history is coming to a close at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit.

The battle between the two title contenders from Mercedes will come to an end. Nico Rosberg just needs a podium finish to secure his first drivers title of his career. Credit should be given to Hamilton who has fought tooth-and-nail to overcome the points deficit over the past few races and has slashed the gap to just 12-points in the past three races.

All of Hamilton’s hard work may or may not pay off this weekend. He’ll be fighting till the chequered flag on Sunday evening. Rosberg is in championship mode racing well within the limits of the car and doing just what he needs to do.

The stop-start nature of the Yas Marina circuit plays to Red Bull’s strengths. The mechanical grip out of the slow corners has been one of Red Bull’s strengths throughout the season and they will be looking to make Mercedes sweat a bit.

We’re not only seeing the end of the season, F1 is saying goodbye to two drivers at the end of the season, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button, arguably the two nicest guys in F1.

In the constructors championship Red Bull look like they will take 2nd place followed by Ferrari in 3rd. After their points haul in Brazil, Force India are on the verge of finishing in their highest constructors position since they started in F1.

Weather in Abu Dhabi is never really an issue. The weekend is expected to remain dry with temperatures in the 30s during the day cooling to the mid 20s in the evenings.

November 24, 2016
F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Season Finale, Title Decider

There is much significance to the 2016 season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. For one, it is going to decide if Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton walks away with the ultimate prize of driver’s champion.

What’s more, Formula 1 bids farewell to two drivers who have left their indelible mark in the history books of the sport. Brazilian Felipe Massa entered the sport as an erratic Sauber driver but spectacularly found his feet as teammate to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. It was during his time at the Italian team that he truly shone and put the best of his talent on display. At the peak of his powers there were few in the business that could’ve trumped Massa’s qualifying speed or his seemingly unbeatable form around Turkey’s Istanbul circuit. There is no reference to Felipe Massa without conjuring the images of the 2008 Brazilian grand prix. Though he felt heartbreakingly short of claiming the title his emotional response to the defeat revealed a man of great character and passion that will remain as one of the most successful Brazilians ever to be a Formula 1 driver.

Jenson Button has not officially announced his retirement from F1 but it is unlikely that he will be seen in the cockpit after his 2017 sabbatical. A fresh-faced Button made his debut for Williams in 2000 before moving to Benneton and Renault for the next two seasons. By the mid-way point of 2002 team boss Flavio Briatore announced that Button would be replaced and called him a “lazy playboy” and said that “time will tell if I’m wrong”. It turns out that Briatore was wrong, categorically so. Button went on to perform solidly for BAR Honda and capped it with a first career win at the 2006 Hungarian grand prix. Four months before the 2009 season Honda announced a sudden departure from F1 and left JB without a drive. The Honda team, bought by Ross Brawn, morphed in Brawn Gp, trounced the field and delivered JB to his much-deserved world championship.

He then boldly made the move to McLaren to partner a highly vaunted Hamilton. Button not only held his own against Hamilton but also showed him the way in 2012. Unfortunately JB exits the sport after two difficult seasons at McLaren-Honda but his super-smooth driving style, his incredible feel for conditions, great racing brain, and typically dry humour will be missed and remembered.

Besides the farewell parties that are sure to happen there will be a victory party for one of the Mercedes drivers after Sunday’s race. With a 12-point lead Rosberg and barring unreliability is standing in front of an open goal. The permutations for a Hamilton-championship win aren’t easy. Seeing that’s he’s pretty handy around this circuit lets, hypothetically, give him the win on Sunday. Still, he would need Rosberg to finish fourth or lower to win the title. Furthermore, if the drivers are tied on points at the end Rosberg will take the title as he has won more races in 2016.

With all the permutations running rampant the expectations for the Abu Dhabi Gp are grand so spare a though for both Merc drivers amidst all of it. One is on the cusp of achieving everything he’s ever dreamt of. The other has a chance to join a very select list of drivers who have four world titles. Aint F1 grand?

November 23, 2016
Weather Preview for the 2016 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix

This week the Formula 1 circus is in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the penultimate round of the Formula One World Championship.

This weekend has the makings to be the crowning of a new world champion should Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg take victory in Sunday’s race. If his team mate, Lewis Hamilton, were to win and Rosberg placed 2nd, the title battle would move to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi where Rosberg would just need a 2nd place finish to be crowned the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion.

Further down the paddock the battle between 2nd place in the constructors championship seems to be a done deal with Red Bull ahead of Ferrari with just two races to go.

The battle between Force India and Williams will step up a notch this weekend as they battle for 4th place in the constructors championship. The characteristics of the Interlagos circuit will suit the Force India better than the Williams cars with it’s medium to slow corners.

The weather in Sao Paulo can be unpredictable at times. The sudden changes make for great racing. Thunder showers are expected throughout the weekend. Temperatures on Friday will remain in the low 30s. Saturday and Sunday will be much cooler where the temperatures will hover in the low 20s with some cloud and thunder showers expected.

November 10, 2016
F1 2016: Brazilian Gp Preview – Sao Paolo Ready For Drama

There is something about the Brazilian grand prix that brings out the very best that Formula 1 has to offer. For years the South American circuit has delivered some of the most memorable races and visuals in the sports history.

The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace has immortalised itself by crowning five world champion in the 21st Century, so far. In 2005 and 2006 Fernando Alonso wrapped both of his titles here and in 2007 Kimi Raikkonen won the championship by one point over then rookie Lewis Hamilton. In 2008 one of the most dramatic endings to any championship season culminated in Hamilton’s first title. The unlikely story of Brawn resulted in Jenson Button’s title at the end of the 2009 season. The last champion here was crowned in 2012 as Sebastian Vettel swept to his third driver’s crown.

In 2016 the opportunity for another champion to be crowned has once again come to the fore. Nico Rosberg currently leads his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by nineteen points with a maximum of fifty still on the table. For Rosberg the equation is clear – win the race and he will become the world champion. It sounds like a simple enough task but there is of course one rather large obstacle in way – Lewis Hamilton. Granted, Hamilton doesn’t have the greatest of records in Brazil but he must throw caution to the wind in order to stop Rosberg. This weekend there is no percentage game to be played, no damage limitation. It is the type of situation where a true champion thrives and one that, arguably, all F1 fans relish.

The Autodromo is one of the shortest circuits on the calendar but still provides a specific challenge to drivers. “The track is quite a technical layout, especially sector 2, it’s important to get this right for a quick lap. Like many of the circuits we race at it has had a lot of history and great moments over the years, this makes it one of the ‘special’ ones on the calendar,” says Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Red Bull could be in with a good chance this weekend as despite the long start/finish strait the layout should suit their car.

Sebastian Vettel is likely to lay off the radio commentary this weekend after his rather colourful Mexican grand prix. The German driver apologised to all parties involved and will most likely opt to do his talking on track where Ferrari should be able to deliver a turn of pace which could make proceedings quite interesting.

The track surface is quite an abrasive one for which Pirelli have brought the hard, medium, and soft compound. This doesn’t provide any profound insight as to what will happen in the race though. In truth, over the years the Brazilian grand prix has been one of the most unpredictable races of the year with a tendency to err towards the dramatic. Naturally, the expectation is that Mercedes are the favourites going into the weekend but at this history-laden South American circuit nothing is a given.

It’s already primed to be a weekend of high stakes but it’s likely to be an emotional one too. Brazilian driver Felipe Massa will contest his final home race ahead of his retirement from the sport. The image of Massa winning this grand prix amid the euphoria of the crowd is a special memory. What’s more, few will ever forget the gracious manner in which Massa conducted himself as he fell agonisingly short of winning the 2008 title. While his star may have waned slightly over the last few seasons we will never forget Felipe Massa’s prodigious quali speed, his glorious wins in Brazil, and the grace he showed in 2008. Obrigado Felipe.

November 9, 2016
F1 2016: Mexican Gp Preview – All Eyes On Rosberg

The eyes of the racing world will be on Nico Rosberg this weekend as the Mercedes driver has his first chance to win the driver’s title.

It isn’t a straightforward chance though. For Rosberg to clinch his first title he’ll have to win the race and Lewis Hamilton will have to finish tenth or lower. While it’s certainly not impossible [insert image of painful Malaysian engine failure here] it does seem improbable. Many are waiting with bated breath to see how Rosberg will react to the situation he now finds himself in. There probably won’t be a reaction from Rosberg because one isn’t needed. He’s gotten himself to this point and this position with a method that has worked for him the entire season, why change that now? A smart person once said: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The reality is that Rosberg has to keep doing what he’s done since the end of the 2015 season. It’s up to Hamilton now to pull something out of his bag of tricks.

Rosberg’s first chance to take the crown comes at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez just south of Texas. If there is one thing that is true about Mexico it’s that they love Formula 1. A record-breaking crowd at last year electrified the grand prix. The final sector’s stadium section is likely one of the most visually stunning aspects of any circuit anywhere in the world. The hundreds of thousands of fans clambering for a glimpse of the heroes and raucous passion of all of them is truly something to behold.

It might have something to do with the fact that they have two Mexican drivers on the grid in the form of Sergio Perez at Force India and Esteban Gutierrez at Haas F1. “It’s a very special week for my whole career. It’s probably one of the best two weeks of my career because it represents so much to racing, to motorsports in Mexico in general, and to me,” says Gutierrez. “It’s a kind of connection where I can share my passion for racing and what I do with all Mexicans. I feel grateful for their support”.

Besides the second highest top speed, after Baku, the Mexican circuit provides several other challenges. “The primary feature of the circuit is its altitude which tests the turbo charger of the power unit, as well as the vehicle’s cooling systems. The altitude is not only a test for the car, but indeed the drivers and the whole pit crew,” says Williams’ Chief Technical Head, Pat Symonds. “Of particular note is the brake duty cycle, with this circuit now being one of the highest benchmarks we need to achieve. For the second time in a row, the teams also have to handle back-to-back race events as we continue through the busy final stint of the season.”

The circuit’s demand on power unit performance will be prevalent this weekend. Normally, this would mean that Ferrari should have the edge over Red Bull and their Tag Heuer branded Renault engine. However, it has been a season of decline for the Italian team and not just on car performance. If they are to get anything out of this weekend they’ll have to inch perfect.

Nico Rosberg stands on the cusp of realising his biggest dream – to become a Formula 1 World Champion. Despite this overwhelming prospect there is a feeling that Rosberg will continue to do what he’s done best this season and see how the chips land at the end of it. One thing is certain though he will not relent.

October 28, 2016
2016 Mexican Grand Prix: Weather Preview

The Formula 1 season is almost at a close. We’re in the final three races of the season with Round 19 and the Mexican Grand Prix the first up of the three.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will host the Mexican Grand Prix in as many years. The 4.304km, 17 corner circuit was remodeled by Formula 1’s preferred track designer, Herman Tilke.

The major point of the circuit is the 1.2km pit straight, where last year cars were reaching speeds over 350km/h. It kept most of the original layout. Turns 7-13 have been modified and are more angular. The old high speed, banked Peraltada has been modified and the circuit now cuts into a stadium section which then joins the previous Peraltada corner which has now been named after 1991 Mexican Grand Prix winner Nigel Mansell.

The high speed nature of the track usually means that teams run lower than usual down-force on their cars. However, this race is the highest race in terms of elevation on the F1 calendar which means the thinner air up at altitude means that teams can run a bit more down-force without impacting the top end speed.

This time last year Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton had already wrapped up the world championship. This year the title is still to play for with just 26 points separating Nico Rosberg from his team-mate Hamilton. Rosberg could potentially win the championship in Mexico by winning the race, but it would need Hamilton not to finish in the points.

The weather this year is slightly cooler with the northern hemisphere well into Autumn. Temperatures throughout the weekend will remain in the low 20s which means the cooler track temperatures should help with tyre degradation. Some rain is in the forecast but does not look like it will threaten the race weekend.

October 27, 2016