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F1 2013: Singapore GP Review – Invincible Vettel Shatters Competitors

It has been a well-known fact for a number of years now that Red Bull cars have a leg up on the competition. However, Sebastian Vettel’s complete domination of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend will strike fear in the most resolute of hearts.

Nico Rosberg flew out of the blocks and momentarily snatched the lead of the race. However, the Mercedes driver ran slightly wide into turn one allowing Vettel the opportunity to re-take the lead of the race. Master-of-the-starts Fernando Alonso started seventh but scythed his way into third ensuring that Ferrari’s afternoon wouldn’t be as glum as previously expected.

Nevertheless, by the end of the first lap Vettel had scampered nearly two seconds clear of Rosberg and continued to pull dramatically away from the field. It looked set to be an afternoon of which Vettel would be firmly in control but a rare driver error from Daniel Ricciardo brought out the safety car mid-way through the race on lap 24. As several drivers dove into the pits the deployment of the safety car was expected to add some spice to the race at the front. Nothing could have been more unlikely.

Sebastian Vettel was able to turn a scintillating pace at the start of the 61 lap race. But as the safety car pulled into the pitlane at the end of the 31st the pace that Vettel churned was so ludicrously quick it bordered on the nigh impossible. To conclusively prove that there was no one near the level of Vettel this weekend the three-time champ pulled out a mind-boggling twenty seconds in nine laps over second placed Nico Rosberg.

Overtaking manoeuvres on a street track are usually at a premium and Singapore was no exception. Nevertheless, Kimi Raikkonen managed to pull off some audacious moves regardless. Despite back pain, which required a cortisone injection before the race, Raikkonen delivered an amazing drive from thirteenth on the grid to third. Teammate Romain Grosjean was on for a decent haul of points but an air consumption issue brought an end to his race.

Only Vettel, Webber, the two Mercedes and Grosjean elected not to pit with the deployment of the safety car. This left Fernando Alonso in second, Raikkonen battling with Button for third and Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez on course for some championship points. Alonso and Raikkonen were able to nurse their medium compound tyres to the end but the McLarens and Saubers were struggling for grip towards the closing stages of the race.

It was Raikkonen who opened the overtaking floodgates with a brilliant move around the outside of turn 14 on Jenson Button. Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, all on much fresher rubber, made short work of the McLarens and Saubers and Felipe Massa fought his way into sixth behind the Mercedes duo.

Webber looked on course for a potential podium finish but was forced into retirement on the final lap with a gearbox issue. The Australian hitched a ride back to the pits with friend Alonso but with hindsight may have elected to take a stroll back to the garage. Webber has been given a ten place grid penalty as this is his third reprimand. Ultimately, the penalty is a bit harsh considering that it provided the fans with a moment worth remembering.

Jenson Button came close to the scoring McLaren’s first podium of the season but ultimately came home in seventh ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in eight. Nico Hulkenberg earned a welcome two points for Sauber with a ninth place finish ahead of Force India’s Adrian Sutil in tenth. Paul di Resta had been in the fight for the minor points but crashed his Force India six laps from the chequer.

Many criticize Sebastian Vettel and declare that the only explanation for his success is the Red Bull. His pace defies logic; many drivers in the fastest cars on the grid couldn’t deliver the same stunning pace. Sebastian Vettel was not in a class of his own this weekend; he was on a whole different planet. To lap nearly two and a half seconds per lap faster is mind-blowing and reminiscent of greats like Senna and Schumacher. That is class.

Red Bull sent a deafening, crystal-clear, message to their competitors – there is not even the slightest of hints that they will be relaxing their grip on this title fight. The pace of Sebastian Vettel this weekend was truly stupendous and at this stage of the game, with a 60 point lead, it is becoming more and more difficult to imagine anyone other than him grasping the world championship trophy at the end of the season.

September 22, 2013
Video footage of Alonso giving Webber a lift

Video footage of Alonso giving Webber a lift, which resulted in a reprimand for both drivers, and ultimately a 10 place penalty for Mark Webber since this was his third reprimand.

September 22, 2013
F1 Singapore Qualifying – Sebastian Vettel takes pole

Sebastian Vettel has secured pole position for the Singapore GP.

The stars seemed aligned for Vettel even before the qualifying session had gotten underway. Although the German secured the coveted pole position the fight was decidedly closer than expected.

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg got to within a tenth of snatching the first slot on the grid & Lotus’ Romain Grosjean was a further three tenths back in third. Significantly closer than the second gap Vettel enjoyed in the third free practice session.

The biggest casualty of the session was Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn failed to advance to the top ten shoot-out and will start the race in 13th position. It was reported that Raikkonen was suffering from back pain sustained as a result of his seat not being fastened correctly in the cockpit of his Lotus.

The stand-out driver of qualifying was Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez. The Mexican put in a mega lap to advance to the top ten and in the process out-qualified his highly rated teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Mark Webber set a time only quick enough for fourth and Lewis Hamilton won’t be too pleased down in fifth and three tenths off his teammate.

Perhaps there was some truth in Felipe Massa’s statement that he would be racing for himself from this point onward. The Brazilian out-qualified teammate Fernando Alonso albeit by just about a tenth of a second. The two Ferrari drivers will start sixth and seventh respectively. Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Gutierrez round out the top ten.

Full qualifying time sheet below.

Due to technical difficulties with a certain ISP, this report was compiled using an instant messenger, an iPhone 5, some duct tape and a Canadian squirrel.

September 21, 2013
Vettel stays on top as Grosjean ups his pace in FP3

Sebastian Vettel remained fastest in Singapore this morning, improving on his time from yesterday by a tenth of a second but his rivals are closing the gap.

Romain Grosjean finished the third practice session in second place, less than two tenths away from Vettel’s time.

Nico Rosberg finished in third place at the end of the session but his time was half a second slower than Vettel.

As was the case in yesterday’s FP2 session, drivers found that the supersoft tyres were over two seconds per lap faster than the medium tyres – quite a considerable difference.

Mark Webber who finished fourth today, was the fastest man on track before the switch to supersofts so that will certainly be something to look out for during the race.

Lewis Hamilton brought the other Mercedes home in fifth ahead of Fernando Alonso who finished 6th on the time sheets today in his Ferrari which is clearly lacking pace around this circuit.

Kimi Raikkonen managed only 12th this session, not setting a representative time on the supersofts.

Here is the full time sheet for the session. Follow us on Twitter (@F1_Madness) for live updates throughout qualifying later today and the race tomorrow.

September 21, 2013
2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 2 Report

The preparations for Sunday’s Singapore grand prix kicked off today with three hours of free practice around the floodlit Marina Bay circuit.

The first free practice session was topped by the 2009 winner of the Singapore GP, Lewis Hamilton. However, free practice two is where Sebastian Vettel stamped his, and Red Bull’s authority, quite ominously.

The three-time reigning world champion dominated the timing sheets for the majority of the session. Vettel not only set a time six tenths of a second quicker than teammate Mark Webber but more stunningly a full second faster than the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Vettel’s closest rival in the world championship fight, Fernando Alonso, managed the 6th quickest time.

An initial flurry of activity had the entire field out on the red walled supersoft tyres simulating a qualifying run. The difference between the two compounds ranged from eight tenths of a second up to 1.4 seconds in the case of Mark Webber. Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen was the only driver who elected not to run a quali sim instead focusing on the set-up and long run pace of the E21.

A few minor excursions included both Mark Webber and Felipe Massa kissing the wall towards the end of the lap. Both these driver’s escaped without damage to their cars but Pastor Maldonado wasn’t as lucky. The Williams driver spent the majority of the session sliding his car around perilously close to the barriers; unfortunately for the Venezuelan it was one slide too many as he lost his front wing after skidding into the barriers. In his defence, the Williams looked a right handful from the moment it left the pitlane. Romain Grosjean reported to his team that he had “hit something” and that he had lost the brakes.

As the session settled in so the driver’s got on with the task of evaluating their long run pace. The differing fuel loads in the various cars is privileged information but irrespective of this knowledge the Red Bull looked on rails around the Marina Bay circuit. More importantly, was Vettel’s ability to set metronomically consistent lap times.

It’s early days yet in this race weekend but Red Bull again look the odds on favourite to feature prominently. Nevertheless, some of the best qualifying laps that has been seen this season has come from Lewis Hamilton. The Brit may yet find something overnight and should be a good bet for a front row starting position if not a stolen pole.

September 20, 2013
Video: Ayrton Senna’s McLaren Honda Sound Around Suzuka

Engineers recreate Ayrton Senna’s record lap around the Suzuka track by using telemetry from the car and the sound of the engine.

September 20, 2013
2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 1 Report

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the first free practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit

Mercedes look to be back on top after the first free practice session with Lewis Hamilton setting the quickest time of the session with a 1:47.055. Red Bull’s Mark Webber finished P2 with a 1:47.420, 0.365s slower than Hamilton’s time. Webber’s team mate, Sebastian Vettel finished the session in P3, 0.830s slower than Hamilton’s P1 time. Nico Rosberg, and Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen rounded up the top 5 in P4 and P5 respectively.

As expected, Mercedes and Red Bull are looking very strong so far. Ferrari and Lotus are quite a long way behind and its going to take something special from them to get ahead of Red Bull and Mercedes.

With this being FP1, we’ll get a better gauge of pace after FP2 later this afternoon.

You can join us for updates throughout the FP2 session later on.

Below is the full time sheet for the FP1 session:

September 20, 2013
McLaren want Fernando Alonso for 2014

According to BBC Sport, Mclaren are now targeting Fernando Alonso to beef up their driver line up for next season.

Yes, you guessed it, the Silly Season rumour mill is back in full swing.

BBC Sport‘s chief F1 Writer, Andrew Benson, Alonso is unsettled at Ferrari, and McLaren are hoping to use this to persuade the Spaniard to return to the team – who he drove for in 2007.

When asked whether he wanted Alonso, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, “Yes – any team would. He’s the best driver. “I don’t know his contractual situation. I assume he’s under contract”.

This news comes just after Jenson Button confirmed to SkySportsF1 yesterday that his contract with McLaren is sorted saying, “It’s done, I’ll be here next year.”

Sergio Perez also seemed pretty confident that his McLaren seat is secure for next year, but this news is bound to be a bit of a cat amongst the pigeons. It would seem that if Alonso did join McLaren next season, it is the Mexican who will be replaced.

Alonso is contractually bound to Ferrari until the end of the 2016 season but there has been plenty of friction between himself and the team in recent weeks.

Di Montezemelo was exceptionally unhappy about Alonso’s critical remarks about his car. Then there’s the signing of Kimi Raikkonen as his team mate for next season. Alonso has said he is “happy” about the team choosing Raikkonen as his team mate but this move puts his number 1 spot at the team in great jeopardy.

We’re not too sure that Alonso would be keen on a move back to McLaren though. The massive fallout with Ron Dennis and then team mate Lewis Hamilton – over Hamilton getting priority status over him.

Then there’s his contract of course. If Alonso wanted to terminate his contract with Ferrari, there would need to be talks around this and it’s not likely that Ferrari – who now have the strongest driver pairing for the 2014 grid, would be keen on doing this.

Whitmarsh has however confirmed to SkySportsF1 that he most certainly is interested in signing Alonso, “I would if I could,” he told them. He also refused to confirm that either Jenson Button or Sergio Perez will continue driving for McLaren next season.

Only time will tell really. We will of course, keep you posted!

September 20, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Marussia F1 Team

Jules Bianchi, Marussia
“The Singapore Grand Prix will be a totally new experience for me as my first night race. In my debut season, where everything is new, it is certainly one of the highlights of the calendar for me and I can’t wait for next weekend. Having been to the race previously I know that there are so many different aspects to the weekend – staying on European hours, going to bed when I should be getting up and eating breakfast in the middle of the afternoon. I’ve driven the track on the simulator and it looks like a lot of fun, although it will be pretty hot in the cockpit. The next part of the season is going to be quite a challenge for everyone, but the Team is pushing so hard to maintain 10th place in the championship and I really hope that is going to be possible for us.”

Max Chilton, Marussia
“Singapore is a great city and I can’t wait for my first Formula One night race experience there next weekend, although it’s not a new circuit for me and I have great memories of winning there last year in GP2. The track is quite reminiscent of one of my favourite circuits, Monaco, and I would be happy to achieve the same sort of result as I did that weekend in Monte Carlo. Working to European hours is always interesting but I’ve seen the floodlights first-hand, so I know that while it feels like night-time in the paddock, it’s like daylight on the track. We’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes to try to optimise our current package and for my part I’m quite pleased with how my pace is really building, so my first objective for Singapore is to maintain that momentum.”

John Booth, Marussia team principal
“We always feel a little sad putting Europe behind us, along with some of the classic motor racing venues. Having said that, we’re never sorry to head to be heading to Singapore, for one of the team’s favourite races. The atmosphere and spectacle are quite unique and this year it will be nice to share our experience with two drivers who are very excited to be competing in their first night race. The conditions are quite tough for the race team and drivers, with the fierce heat and humidity, but the unique racing environment soon overshadows those factors and I’m sure we’ll look forward to enjoy every second of the Singapore Grand Prix.”

Photo by Marussia F1 Twitter team

September 20, 2013
Singapore GP Preview Quotes – Caterham F1 Team

Here’s what the Caterham boys had to say ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP.

Giedo van der Garde, Caterham
“I have really happy memories of Singapore as the last time I crossed the finish line there in 2012 I won the GP2 sprint race and finished Caterham Racing’s season on a real high. That was all part of my preparation for F1 and with that experience of the Singapore circuit under my belt I’m really excited about getting back out there in an F1 car!

“The team have already warned me it’s going to be a very busy week! We’re doing a load of sponsor events and Tony’s going to be unveiling a new Caterham car over the race weekend, and whenever he’s on track, especially in South East Asia, there’s always a real buzz, so I think the whole week we’re there will be one of the best weeks of the year.

“On track it’s a great challenge, both for me in the car and the whole team. I obviously train and prepare for the heat, but the team makes sure everyone’s drinking enough water and that sleep patterns stick to European time so we avoid any issues with jetlag. Once in the car I think this could be one of the circuits that suits us, a bit like Monaco. You need to have the confidence to be able to push around what are usually normal city streets, and I think we showed in Monaco that that sort of challenge is exactly what we like!”

Charles Pic, Caterham
“The European season’s now over for 2013 and we’re back to the flyaway races, starting with Singapore. For me this is one of the best races of the year. It’s an amazing city and the fact we race at night obviously makes the whole event unique. Last year was my first time racing in Singapore and I had a good race, finishing 16th – this time I’d obviously like to finish higher, but I’m sure it’ll be another good week, whatever happens!

“One thing I know for sure is it’s going to be busy! Tony Fernandes is going to be in town and we have lots of sponsor and team partner activities taking place on and off track, so one of the challenges throughout the week is finding the time to step back from everything going on around us and focus on the main priority which is having as strong a weekend as we can on track.

“Everyone will be talking about how hot and humid it’s going to be, but for me that’s not really an issue. I like the heat – it gets very hot in France as well, even though it’s never really as humid as it is in Singapore, but we start preparing for races like Singapore way back in winter with the hours put in training, and then fine tuning the physical and mental preparation in the week leading up to the race. I’ll arrive earlier than I would for a European race so I can start acclimatising to the heat, and my fluid intake over the week will increase each day to the point where I’ll take on up to five or six litres of liquid before the race starts. That’s one of the keys to performing to the maximum – being properly hydrated means you can focus 100 percent in the car, and that’s vital around a circuit as technical as Singapore.”

Photo by the Caterham Twitter Team

September 20, 2013