F1 Madness

Tag: f1 weather

  • Weather Forecast for the 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix

    Weather Forecast for the 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix

    We are over the halfway point in the Formula 1 season and on the home stretch now. Round 11 of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to the magnificent Spa-Francorchamps.

    The Circuit de Spa-Francprchamps is a very fast and flowing circuit with long straights and fast corners. It’s a favorite of many drivers and they all look forward to racing at Spa.

    Coming to Spa, Pirelli have nominated the yellow soft (option) and white medium (prime) compound tyres for the race weekend. Due to the high speed nature of the track, the emphasis on the tyre is for good front end grip to get the car rotated into the corners without scrubbing off too much speed. Pirelli feels that the tyre choice fits the criteria. The changes in elevation of the circuit means that there is an enormous amount of energy going through the tyres. At the Eau Rouge-Radillon complex the tyres undergo compression of 1g. With temperatures not expected to be as high as they were in Hungary the soft and medium compound tyres should hold up under the conditions and a two stop race strategy is predicted with a delta time of about 2.0 seconds between the compounds.

    The temperatures are expected to stay in the mid 20s during the weekend with sunny and pleasant weather for Friday and Saturday. A 60% chance of thundershowers is expected on Sunday around the start of the race with the rain intensity increasing throughout the afternoon. The forecast will change throughout the weekend. You can keep an eye on this page throughout the weekend for our live forecast.

    Belgium 2015_Weather

     


  • Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix

    Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix

    We return to the Austrian Alps for round 8 of the Formula 1 World Championship and the Austrian Grand Prix.

    What makes the Red Bull Ring exciting is the sloping terrain around the circuit which makes it feel almost like an arena. The steep climbs and elevation changes make it quite challenging for the drivers under braking and during cornering which makes the car setup and balance important to get right. The circuit has a low abrasion surface which makes for low tyre degradation.

    Pirelli have nominated the red super soft and the yellow soft compound tyres for the race weekend. This is the third consecutive race we’re seeing these compounds. Pirelli say that the tyre choice is the best suited for the track characteristics. The slow corners will require the mechanical grip from the tyres to enable the drivers to get on the power as early as possible. Temperatures in Austria can remain towards the low side of the scale which makes the tyre choices ideal.

    The weather this weekend in Austria will be rather cold. Temperatures are not expected to be any higher than 20 degrees Celsius with rain forecast on Friday and Saturday. The rain may miss the Friday practice sessions but it is expected to interrupt the Saturday practice session. The forecast could clear up by the weekend. Sunday’s race seems clear and sunny with a maximum temperature of 14 degrees Celsius.

    Below is a snapshot of the weekend’s weather with a live forecast that updates throughout the day.

    Austria 2015_Weather

     



  • Weather Report for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2015

    Weather Report for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2015

    The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal Canada plays host to round 7 of the Formula 1 World Championship. A few drivers have fond memories of the circuit while others have not so happy memories. The unpredictability of the weather in Montreal has always made it a tough race to call which leads to some very exciting racing.

    The circuit is built on the Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St Lawrence River. There are not many high speed corners which places the emphasis, like Monaco, on the rear of the car and mechanical grip from the tyres. Grip under braking and grip under acceleration is important around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Being a semi permanent facility the track is very “green” at the start of the race weekend. The grip levels do improve but there are some places where grip is still quite low.

    Pirelli have chosen the red super soft(option) and yellow soft(prime) compound tyres for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The tyre choice is identical to Monaco but speeds will be much higher this time round and energy going through the tyres will be much greater which means that tyre degradation and wear will be different to Monaco.

    The weather around Montreal can be quite unpredictable at times but for this weekends Canadian Grand Prix things look a bit more simple. A 40% chance of Showers are forecast for Friday morning and afternoon. This could mean a wet FP1. Although rainy maximum temperatures are to peak in the low 20s.

    Saturday and Sunday are clear with lots of sun. Temperatures are forecast to hover in the low 20s with no rain forecast.

    Canada 2015_Weather

     

    Below is the live forecast for Montreal, Canada. Any changes to the weather will be shown below.

     


  • Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix

    Formula 1 returns to Monte Carlo, Monaco for Round 6 of the Formula 1 World Championship.

    As Formula 1 weekends go, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most exciting weekends on the F1 calendar. Although the race ends up in a procession, the build up to the race is what makes things exciting.

    Pirelli have brought their two softest compounds to the Circuit de Monaco, the red super soft compound and the yellow soft compound tyre. The circuit is the slowest on the F1 calendar and also has the slowest corner of the entire championship. This puts emphasis on mechanical grip rather than aerodynamic grip. The slow corners and stop-start nature of the circuit the new compound super soft tyre is ideal for just such conditions.

    The super soft tyre from Pirelli has a new rubber compound for the 2015 season and a new construction. The new compound makes the tyre more resistant to graining and blistering.

    The weather in Monaco is expected to be sunny with a few clouds around and some rain forecast in the afternoons. Maximum temperatures will hover in the low-to-mid 20’s. The weather is expected to remain the same throughout the weekend. Rain is forecast for the afternoon sessions, but there’s a chance that it may hold off.

    Below is the snap shot of the weather for the weekend and our live forecast that updates throughout the day.

    Monaco 2015 Weather

     


  • Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Pirelli Spanish Grand prix

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

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

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

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

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

    Spain 2015 Weather


  • Weather Forecast for the 2015 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Bahrain 2015_Weather

     

     



  • Weather Report for the 2015 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

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

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

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

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

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

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

    China 2015 weather

     

     


  • 2014 Formula 1 Ethiad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Weather Report

    The 19th and final round of the Formula 1 World Championship and we at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

    Two drivers competing for the title and both of them from the same team. Lewis Hamilton the current championship leader is 17 points ahead of his team mate and title contender Nico Rosberg. Either driver could win the title, although it may be a bit of a tough ask for Rosberg. But this is Formula 1 and we know that anything can happen and with double points being awarded at this race, things can become interesting.

    Pirelli are bringing the red super soft and the yellow soft compound tyres to the race this weekend. This is a step down from last year where they had the yellow soft and white medium. Pirelli know the 5.55km long Yas Marina Circuit very well. The post season test will take place at the circuit after the race and it has been the host of many F1 tests. Pirelli have also done private testing at the circuit prior to their entry in F1 in 2011.

    Pirelli feel that the super soft and the soft compound tyres will provide the balance for the drivers for the slow 90 degree corners where maximum mechanical grip is needed and for the medium speed corners. With this being a day-into-night race, they feel that the drop in track temperature will be managed more effectively with their choice of tyre.

    The weather for the weekend can be described as glorious. There is no rain forecast for the entire race weekend and it will remain warm and dry throughout with temperatures in the high 20s during the day. Lower temperatures are forecast for the evening but nothing below 20 degrees centigrade.

    Below is a snap shot of the weather for the weekend and a live radar image of Abu Dhabi with an hourly forecast.

    Abu Dhabi Weather 2014

     

     


  • Weather Report for the 2014 Formula 1 Grande Premio Petrobras do Brazil 2014(Brazilian Grand Prix)

    Round 18 of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Sao Paulo Brazil for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

    We can always count on the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace to throw us a curve ball or two and it almost never disappoints. When it rains at the circuit, it pours down with reckless abandon and throws things out of balance. We can expect some of that rain for this weekend’s race as thundershowers and rain is expected throughout the weekend. It should be fine and dry in the mornings but towards the afternoon we can expect the thundershowers to hit the circuit.

    Although F1 is the most technologically advanced sport in the world, they still have not figured out to accurately predict the weather. Temperatures will start warm for the weekend but things will gradually cool down till the race, with temperatures expected to peak at just 21 degrees Celsius for the race. Friday we can expect some sun with thundershowers predicted in the afternoons. The same can be said for Saturday.

    Pirelli will bring along the yellow soft compound tyre and the while medium compound tyre. This was revised from their previous choice of medium and hard after the circuit was resurfaced. Pirelli say that the soft and the medium compound tyres will suit the circuit’s slow to medium speed corners where there cars rely on the mechanical grip and also some of the fast corners.

    With the rain expected we could see the intermediates and the full wet tyres, which means a whole different tyre strategy all together. We can be sure however, it will be an exciting one.

    Below is a snapshot of the weekends weather for the 2014 Formula 1 Grand Premio Petrobras do Brasil and also the current conditions in Sao Paulo complete with weather satellite.

    Brazil 2014 Weather

     

     



  • Weather Report for the 2014 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix

    Round 16 of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Sochi in Russia for the Russian Grand Prix.

    The Sochi Autodrom navigates the Olympic park in Sochi that was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The track is a semi permanent facility much like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada. This is the first new track that has been added to the formula 1 calendar since the Circuit of the Americas in 2012.

    A new Grand Prix is always an unknown for the teams and drivers. The track is new and having just been recently completed there is not much data about the track properties and conditions. After running many simulations Pirelli have decided to bring the yellow soft and the white medium compound tyres to Sochi. With some few tight corners, fast straights and the long triple apex turns 3, 4 and 5 Pirelli feel that these are the best tyres for the track.

    The weather for this weekend in Sochi will be sunny and fine. Throughout the weekend we can expect sunny and clear weather with temperatures hovering in the low-to-mid 20s which will gradually increase as the weekend progresses.

    Below is a snapshot of the weather for this weekends Russian Grand Prix