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  • Azerbaijan layout for Baku street circuit revealed

    Azerbaijan layout for Baku street circuit revealed

    The layout for the Baku European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan has been unveiled by Bernie Ecclestone and Azad Rahimov, the country’s Minister of Youth and Sport.

    The Baku European Grand Prix will join the Formula One race calendar in 2016 and will see Formula One cars racing around on the streets of Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku. The Hermann Tilke-designed anti-clockwise street circuit features sharp right-angled bends, a long high-speed section and a tight and twisty section through the town.

    baku-grand-prix

    “Azerbaijan is the latest addition to the Formula One calendar and I am pleased to see they have designed an innovative new street circuit that will definitely help to create a world class event when we race there in 2016,” said Bernie Ecclestone

    Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov says the country is looking forward to becoming one of the most exciting venues on the Formula One Calendar. “We have been working very closely on the circuit layout with Hermann Tilke and his team since early 2013. Our brief to Tilke Engineering was simple – create a circuit that is unique, one that will help the Grand Prix in Baku quickly establish itself as one of the most exciting, thrilling venues on the F1 calendar, and one that the fans and teams alike are excited about. Most importantly, we wanted a track that would showcase the best of Baku, our capital city, and I am delighted that the circuit the F1 teams will race on in 2016 has achieved exactly that aim.”

    Hermann Tilke told the official F1 website that the design incorporates a number of unique features.

    “Obviously street circuits present a number of challenges, in terms of circuit design, but we have been able to incorporate some unique features that will provide the teams and fans with fascinating racing. For example, there will be an extremely narrow uphill section at the old town wall that will reward pinpoint accuracy and courage, and we have an acceleration section of almost 2.2 kilometres along the promenade which will see the cars running flat out at very high top speeds – something that will create an incredible spectacle for the race fans on track and the viewers at home.”

    Image Credits:

    Baku streets – Creative Commons – Public domain

    Street circuit layout – F1.com

     

  • Official update: Bianchi has suffered a ‘diffuse axonal injury’

    Official update: Bianchi has suffered a ‘diffuse axonal injury’

    Marussia have released a statement on behalf of the family of Jules Bianchi confirming that he remains in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of the Mie General Hospital after suffering a “diffuse axonal injury” in his horrific accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.

    Bianchi crashed into a recovery vehicle which was removing the Sauber of Adrian Sutil who crashed minutes earlier.

    The following statement was released by the Marussia F1 Team on behalf of the Bianchi family and in conjunction with the hospital.

    “This is a very difficult time for our family, but the messages of support and affection for Jules from all over the world have been a source of great comfort to us,” read a statement. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation.

    “Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition. The medical professionals at the hospital are providing the very best treatment and care and we are grateful for everything they have done for Jules since his accident.

    “We are also grateful for the presence of Professor Gerard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, and Professor Alessandro Frati, Neurosurgeon of the University of Rome La Sapienza, who has travelled to Japan at the request of Scuderia Ferrari.

    “They arrived at the hospital today and met with the medical personnel responsible for Jules’ treatment, in order to be fully informed of his clinical status so that they are able to advise the family. Professors Saillant and Frati acknowledge the excellent care being provided by the Mie General Medical Center and would like to thank their Japanese colleagues.

    “The hospital will continue to monitor and treat Jules and further medical updates will be provided when appropriate.”

    You can read more about diffuse axonal injury on Former F1 Doc – Dr Gary Harstein’s blog here: http://formerf1doc.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/diffuse-axonal-injury/

  • Schumacher “can live a relatively normal life” soon

    Schumacher “can live a relatively normal life” soon

    FIA president and former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, has delivered some very promising news about Michael Schumacher’s condition since his skiing accident last December.

    Todt and Schumacher are close friends and the FIA president has apparently been visiting the Schumacher family regularly since the F1 legend returned home to continue his recovery.

    Very little has been made public about Schumacher’s condition and how is recovery is progressing but Todt has reportedly offered the Belgian broadcaster RTL some very positive news.

    “We may assume that Schumacher can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time,” Todt said.

    “What we can say is that he will probably never again drive a Formula One car.”

    According to RTL, Todt visited Schumacher in the week before the Japanese Grand Prix.

    “He fights. His condition improves, which is very important,” said Todt, “as is the fact that he is now home with his family.”

    There have been no official updates from Schumacher’s spokesperson or his family as yet and we continue to wish him and his family well. #ForzaMichael

    Photo Credit: WRi2

     

  • Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

    Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

    There’s always an air of excitement when a new circuit gets included on the Formula 1 Calendar. The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi makes it debut this weekend.

    The Sochi Autodrom is a 5.853km, semi permanent facility much like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada and the Sydney Olympic Park Circuit in Australia, it is run around a venue previously used for Olympic games. The circuit features 19 corners. Included in these 19 corners is a long swooping, triple apex left hander that emulates turn 7 at Istanbul Park. The circuit will navigate past the Olympic Village, and will go past the  Adler Arena Skating Center and the  Bolshoy Ice Dome.

    It will be hard to become excited for the Russian Grand Prix after the Jules Bianchi incident. No doubt the drivers and teams will be keeping him in their thoughts throughout the weekend and until he is fully recovered. We will be hoping and praying that he makes a full recovery.

    Below is are the broadcast times for the Russian Grand Prix. All times are GMT+2

    Free Practice 1: Friday 08:00

    Free Practice 2: Friday 12:00

    Free Practice 3: Saturday 10:00

    Qualifying: Saturday 13:00

    Race: Sunday 13:00

  • Bianchi Update: Jules is in ‘critical but stable’ condition

    Bianchi Update: Jules is in ‘critical but stable’ condition

    French Formula One driver, Jules Bianchi, remains in a “critical but stable” condition in the intensive care unit of the Mie General Hospital in Japan.

    This follows emergency surgery after sustaining severe head injuries in the horrendous crash into a recovery vehicle at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

    FIA spokesperson Matteo Bonciani said that, “The situation is really serious. Very serious but stable.”

    “That’s all I can say, and I’m doing this update on Jules’ parents’ behalf,” he added. “Tomorrow (Tuesday), the family will see all the doctors and have all the information.”

    Jules’ parents, Philippe and Christine Bianchi, who had been at home in the south of France, arrived late on Monday after their flight had been delayed by Typhoon Phanfone.

    Bonciani also added that Bianchi’s agent, Nicolas Todt, has also made his way to Japan and that Professor Gerard Saillant, who oversaw Michael Schumacher’s medical treatment following his skiing accident is also on route to help in any way he can.

    FIA President Jean Todt has demanded a full, detailed report of the events and circumstances leading up to the horrific accident.

    The Marussia F1 Team issued a statement yesterday expressing their appreciation for the outpouring of support that the team and Jules Bianchi have received and asked for “patience and understanding” with regard to further medical updates.

  • Marussia statement asks for patience on Jules Bianchi updates

    Marussia statement asks for patience on Jules Bianchi updates

    The Marussia F1 Team has asked Formula One fans and members of the media for patience regarding updates on the condition of Jules Bianchi, who sustained severe head injuries at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

    Bianchi crashed into a recovery vehicle which had been deployed to recover the Sauber of Adrian Sutil who had crashed in the same spot just minutes earlier. Bianchi was taken to Mie General Hospital where emergency surgery was performed for a ‘severe head injury’.

    The Marussia F1 Team released the first official statement since the FIA’s last communication on Sunday evening which confirmed that Bianchi had undergone the operation and had been moved to intensive care.

    The following is the full statement from the Marussia F1 Team:

    “Following the accident involving Jules Bianchi during yesterday’s 2014 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, the Marussia F1 Team would like to acknowledge the huge outpouring of support and affection for Jules and the team at this very difficult time,” read a statement from the squad.

    “With regard to the communication of information concerning Jules’ medical condition, we will respect, and be guided by, the wishes of the Bianchi family. Together with Jules’ care, they will remain our highest priority.

    “Therefore, we would ask for patience and understanding with regard to further medical updates, which will be communicated in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, where Jules is being treated, when they feel it is appropriate.

    “Representatives of the Marussia F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari will remain at the hospital to support Jules and the Bianchi family.”

    The F1 Madness team continues to keep Jules Bianchi, his family, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers during this critical time. #ForzaJules

     

  • Official confirmation: Bianchi transferred to ICU

    Official confirmation: Bianchi transferred to ICU

    Official reports are in that Jules Bianchi is out of surgery and has been transferred to ICU after suffering severe head trauma in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

    Earlier today F1 governing body, the FIA, said that the Frenchman would be operated on before being moved to the intensive care unit of the Mie General Hospital in Japan.

    Bianchi was severely injured after he hit a recovery vehicle – sent out to recover the Sauber of Adrian Sutil. The accident prompted a red flag which effectively ended the race at Suzuka after 44 of 53 laps.

    Reports from French media sources had stated that Bianchi was breathing on his own after surgery but there seem to be conflicting reports on the situation and we will await official confirmation before updating on the matter.

  • F1 2014: Hamilton Wins Overshadowed Japanese GP

    F1 2014: Hamilton Wins Overshadowed Japanese GP

    Every now and then we lapse into an almost oblivious comfort zone where we’re inclined to almost forget that we’re witnessing some of the greatest motorsport talent in the world.

    Treacherous conditions at the Japanese GP brought these driver’s tremendous talents into sharp focus this weekend. The grand prix had been under threat of a typhoon for several days but the worst of it was always predicted for Sunday.  The calculations proved spot on as the heavens opened a few hours before the start of the race. Streams of water across the track surface and poor visibility demanded a start behind the safety car but it was soon evident that even this precaution would not be enough. The race was red-flagged after two laps behind the safety car.

    Pole sitter Nico Rosberg was led into the pitlane for what would become a 25 minute delay. The safety car restart brought drama for Ferrari as Fernando Alonso was forced into retirement with an electronic problem. The resumption of racing brought with it the much anticipated battle between Rosberg and Hamilton. It was Hamilton, renowned for his wet weather skills, who piled on the pressure and eventually took the lead with a terrifyingly courageous move around the outside of turn one. If Rosberg was struggling with his tyres, or conditions or even car performance the fact remains that when it comes time to go wheel-to-wheel with Hamilton he has not yet stepped up. By being consigned to second place Rosberg finds himself ten points adrift of the championship leader.

    Suzuka Podium 2014Another master in wet conditions Jenson Button made an early call for intermediate tyres and was running as high as third. JB eventually fell prey to the much faster Red Bulls and brought the McLaren home in fifth. Although the 2009 champion is yet to nail down his seat for 2015 his display in this race underlined his class.

    The superstar that is Daniel Ricciardo once again lit up the race with several brilliant overtaking manoeuvres.  The Aussie boldly overtook both Williams’ drivers in the Esses in indescribably difficult conditions. Of Williams there was regrettably not much to get excited about. Despite locking out the second row of the grid Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were decidedly absent from proceedings. So much so, that you wouldn’t have been blamed for thinking that they had already closed up shop and headed off to Russia.

    Sebastian Vettel, who announced that he will be leaving Red Bull at the end of the season, kept close quarters with his teammate but a late stop for fresh tyres dropped him to fourth. However, on count back, following the second and final red flag the future Ferrari driver was elevated to third.

    Sadly, the Japanese GP was overshadowed by an accident for Marussia’s Jules Bianchi. The 25-year-old went off at Turn seven on lap 43 and crashed heavily into a recovery vehicle which was in the process of removing the Sauber of Adrian Sutil who had crashed a lap earlier. The accident resulted in the second red flag and prompted race control to call the race result. The Frenchman was taken to the circuit medical centre and soon afterward transported to a nearby hospital. The official news, confirmed by the FIA, is that Bianchi suffered a severe head injury which has required surgery.

    The mood amongst Japanese GP podium finishers Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel was decidedly sombre after having learnt of Bianchi’s crash as it was for all Jules Bianchimotorsport fans. In a show of respect and great sportsmanship no champagne was sprayed on the podium.

    We get used to it when nothing happens and when something does happen we are surprised, understandably upset and looking to place blame where it seems to be most convenient. The truth is, and will remain, that hindsight is always 20/20. We want to blame the FIA for not starting the race earlier; we want to blame race control for not hanging out the red flag earlier or putting out a safety car, we’ll even  speculate as to why Bianchi did not slow in the face of double waved yellow flags.

    Ultimately, this is a reminder that regardless of how well organised or how many contingencies are put in place there will occasionally be a situation that exposes the danger of Formula 1. All our thoughts and prayers reside with Jules Bianchi. Forza Jules.

  • 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference

    2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference

    Drivers:

    1st Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

    2nd Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

    3rd Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

    PODIUM INTERVIEWS
    (Conducted by Nigel Mansell)

    Q: What a race we just had ladies and gentlemen, a very tough one at the office for these gentlemen. Brilliant drives everybody. Lewis, your 30th win, my goodness me, how did you enjoy that?
    Lewis Hamilton:     It was great. What a day it’s been. It’s been a very difficult weekend. Today, to be raining so much, it was very difficult, tricky conditions. We hope that Bianchi is OK. But we had a great crowd this weekend, as every year.

    Q: Tell us about those hot laps, 15 or 16 laps before the end there. You were putting in some hot laps, a second or second and a half quicker than anyone?
    LH:     Yeah, I really got into a groove. In terms of feeling it was very reminiscent of Silverstone 2008.

    Q: Tell the fans what you really thought when you went off at the first turn when you were really pushing hard early in the race?
    LH:     I was pushing to get by Nico and I had the DRS open and I forgot to turn it off. When I went into the corner the rear end stepped out. It was very, very close but I saved it.

    Q: Well, a brilliant win. Nico, you did everything perfect, great pole position yesterday and then great drive. You were doing all the hard work, acting as the brake, because being out front is difficult isn’t it?
    Nico Rosberg:     It’s been a good weekend for us as a team. Of course it’s great for us as a team to get a one-two. And you fans have been absolutely spectacular again this weekend, it’s very, very special to drive here and to really get an impression of the whole atmosphere here. Congrats to Lewis for winning today, of course with my thoughts at the moment with our colleagues Jules, because it seems quite serious, so I really wish him all the best.

    Q: As we all do. Unfortunately, we don’t have any news about that at the moment. But brilliant drive and congratulations Nico. Seb, unbelievable drive, you made things very exciting with the Williams drivers, getting on the inside and then the outside. How did you enjoy that today?
    Sebastian Vettel:     As they both touched on it was very, very tricky. Took a while to get the race started, waiting for the conditions but then I think it was very good fun. Concentration has to be very, very high when it’s wet; it’s so easy to do a mistake. In the end obviously we pitted, decided to go for fresh tyres, lost one position only. Obviously I got lucky to have the safety car coming before, so I’m quite lucky to be up here. Great race, we seemed to have great at some times as well. Overall, very happy and last but not least best to Jules Bianchi.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: Lewis, an excellent race, the right result for you in very difficult conditions.
    LH:     Yeah, absolutely. It’s been an interesting weekend. Obviously a great result for the team. I think we’re all very concerned about our colleague, Bianchi. Don’t really know what to say. But again, to have the result, this has been a great weekend with the car; qualifying obviously wasn’t perfect for me but generally the car was absolutely fantastic through the race and once I was passed Nico I was able to really manage the gap and enjoy the ride. Obviously didn’t finish the way we would have hoped but really, my prayers are with him (Bianchi) and his family.

    Q: A great overtaking manoeuvre round the outside of Nico going down into the first corner; tell us about that.
    LH:     Fairly straightforward, really. I had a lot more pace than Nico. This is not a very easy circuit to follow but fortunately I was able to get quite close and particularly in the last corner and I think perhaps he had a small oversteer moment out of the last corner and I didn’t. Obviously the DRS enabled me to get alongside. I was fairly confident with the balance of the car so I put it there and stuck it out. And after that it was really about trying to… you know, the whole approach changed after that because I was attacking, attacking and after that, I kind of took different lines and managed it differently. But it felt very reminiscent of a time years and years ago, of 2008, and it was a great feeling in that respect.

    Q: And you had a couple of excursions but they didn’t really seem to hurt you at all.
    LH:     Yeah, I only remember one of them but yeah, I went into turn one with the DRS open and there’s so much less downforce when that wing is open. You’ve got to remember to close it again and then I started to turn and brake and it was still open, so the back end stepped out. It was very, very close but yeah, kept hold of it, didn’t really lose too much time so fortunate.

    Q: Nico, we heard you talking about a lot of oversteer, is that what the problem was throughout the race?
    NR:     I was definitely not happy with my balance but I think we had pretty much the same set-up so Lewis must have had the same oversteer. I just wasn’t happy with that and tried to figure out a way to reduce that and found some improvements then with the pit stop, put down the front wing so that was a bit better but still not good so just need to look into that. But all in all, Lewis just did a better job today and deserves to win. OK, second place is damage limitation and taking everything into consideration, it was very, very difficult conditions out there on this track and everything so seven points lost to Lewis… you know, there’s worse than that.

    Q: Sebastian, a late stop and we weren’t awfully certain if we’d see you or Daniel in here; it was a bit worrying with that late stop.
    SV:     Yeah, obviously we didn’t know what happened. The safety car came out and I think we were aware that Adrian went off in turn seven and obviously it was difficult to see what happened after that. From a racing point of view, the safety car comes in and we saw that there was quite a good gap and so we decided to pit and lost only one position. Obviously, as it turned out with the red flag, we thought initially we were not on the podium, but as the rules are similar to… I think a little bit of confusion. Five years ago in Malaysia I think we had a similar scenario and we found ourselves back in third. Obviously it was great to be on the podium, this is my favourite track, it’s for sure very nice in those tricky conditions. In the end, I don’t think it really matters. I think the most important thing, as we’re all probably thinking, is that we hope the best for Jules, obviously currently not in the best shape but we hope that we get some very good news very soon.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Question to all three of you: you were out in the last few laps on intermediates as well when the accidents happened. How slippery was it and was it already too wet for intermediates at that period of the race?
    LH:     For me personally it wasn’t. There was more and more rain coming and you could see the circuit… you started to see more reflections and so you could see that it was increasing – the amount of water that was on the track, but it wasn’t… I didn’t notice any difference so I was still able to maintain the same pace. I would imagine that we would probably have been able to finish on those tyres since there was only ten laps left. Yeah, but the tyres performed quite well today.
    NR: Yeah, it was fine but the thing is that we have so much more downforce than some other people, so I can imagine that maybe for them… because it was starting to get a little bit more difficult for us and maybe for them, with so much less downforce, it was already on the limit of needing to go to full wets. That’s very possible and I myself was a little bit surprised to hear that other people were already going for full wets but I guess that must be the explanation.
    SV: Yeah, it was borderline. At some stage, towards the end, just before the safety car, it started to rain a little bit less with a little bit less intensity. Also when the race was stopped it was just a drizzle and a couple of laps before it was getting quite bad, that’s why we decided to pit and we decided to go for intermediates again. I think the problem, in general, is that once there is a lot of water, visibility is very poor and once there’s too much water, the inter doesn’t work anymore and the extreme wet only has a very, very narrow window where it works because also, with a lot of water on the track, water drainage on the extreme tyres is not as good as it probably should be, so that’s why I think the window is narrow and that’s why other people probably decided to pit. For us, I think it was borderline but for sure, the better your car, the better – Nico explained it well – the better it is for you.

    Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Nico and Lewis, do you have any kind of explanation of the difference of balance and settings for the car and the difference during the race between the two of you?
    NR:     We had pretty much the same set-up, so I’m sure the balance was similar for Lewis and I just struggled more with it I suppose: a lot of oversteer and I don’t like that.
    LH: Yeah, we had pretty much exactly the same set-up so as Nico said, maybe he took out some wing later on in the race. I didn’t really have any problems with the balance of the car. It was oversteery but it was manageable.

  • FIA confirm severe head injury for Bianchi

    FIA confirm severe head injury for Bianchi

    The FIA has confirmed in an official statement that Marussia Formula One driver Jules Bianchi has suffered a severe head injury and is undergoing surgery following his crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

    Bianchi crashed at Turn 7 on Lap 43 of the race at Suzuka a couple of minutes after Adrian Sutil had spun into the barriers at the same corner. Bianchi’s Marussia crashed into a recovery vehicle that had been deployed to recover Sutil’s Sauber.

    Bianchi was taken to the circuit’s medical centre and then transported to the Mie General hospital by an ambulance, remaining unconscious throughout.

    In a statement issued by the FIA the Formula One governing body said that, “The CT scan shows that he has suffered a severe head injury and is currently undergoing surgery.

    “Following this, he will be moved to intensive care where he will be monitored.

    “Mie General Hospital will issue an update as soon as further information becomes available.”

    Adrian Sutil says that he believes the safety car should have been deployed but the FIA has stated that double yellows were waved at the corner to warn drivers of the danger following his accident.