Tag: f1

F1 2014 Rule Changes: Double Points For Season Finale

The points tally for the season ending Abu Dhabi grand prix in 2014 will be doubled.

The decision to double the points tally at the 2014 season finale was taken by the F1 Strategy Group and Formula One Commission at a meeting in Paris. An FIA statement said that the change had been agreed “in order to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”.

The specialised points system will apply to both the driver’s and constructor’s world championships. This means that the winner of the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP will be awarded 50 points, second place will receive 36 and so throughout the top ten points paying positions.

The move has been met with great scepticism and comment that Formula 1 is becoming to ‘gimmicky.’

December 10, 2013
F1 Brazilian GP Review: Brazil Brilliance for Red Bull

The myth that the number thirteen has any negative connotation to it is of little consequence to Sebastian Vettel. A fourth world title and thirteen grand prix wins in 2013 has made sure of that.

It is difficult to fathom the true impact and understanding of Red Bull Racing and Vettel’s domination this season. Therefore, statistics are the only possible way of putting this incredible run of results into some sort of perspective. Out of a possible maximum of 475 points Vettel scored 397, taken nine pole positions and equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of thirteen grand prix wins in a season. However, Vettel took this record a step further and became the only driver in the history of Formula 1 to win nine consecutive races in the same season.

To get to his ninth victory in a row Vettel was given the merest of challenges at the start of the Brazilian GP as Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg charged into the lead of the race. However, within two laps Vettel dispatched of the Silver Arrow, retook the lead of the race and set off on building a gap. Behind the German the battle for the podium positions saw Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber duking it out. Webber was able to overtake first Hamilton then good friend Alonso to run second by lap 13.

The race settled quite quickly as Rosberg faded with an oversteering Mercedes and Vettel merrily built his lead to more than ten seconds over teammate Webber.

Felipe Massa, in his final race for Ferrari, was running in fourth position roughly six seconds off a podium position. However, as the Ferrari driver held off Lewis Hamilton he was given a drive-through penalty for cutting the pit-entry line. No driver was impeded nor put in danger by something that Massa did but the stewards took a hard line. On an emotional day such as this for the Brazilian the stewards could have issued a warning. Other hardliners may say that rules are rules but you can’t help feeling that it was rather heartless from the stewards to slap Massa with a penalty.

Confusion reigned on lap 47 as a collision between Hamilton and Williams’ Valterri Bottas had Red Bull unprepared for the arrival of Sebastian Vettel in the pitlane. Vettel lost nearly ten seconds in the box and Christian Horner admitted after the race that they feared a safety-car deployment for the Hamilton/Bottas incident. Despite the delay in the pits Vettel maintained the lead but Webber lost second place to Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton was given a drive-through penalty for ‘causing a collision’ with Bottas. As Hamilton took up position for the corner he drifted slightly towards Bottas leaving the Finn with nowhere to go. Bottas was forced into retirement as Hamilton had to pit with a destroyed right-rear tyre. Gentle rain fell throughout the 71 laps of the race but it never reached the level needed to switch to the intermediate tyres.

As the top three in the form of Vettel, Webber and Alonso settled, it was Jenson Button who delivered one of his best drives of the season. A 14^th place starting position would have done little to buoy the mood of McLaren after experiencing one of their most difficult seasons ever. Nevertheless, Button drove brilliantly to finish fourth, McLaren’s best position of the season. “For Checo, myself and the whole Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, today was an incredible day. I’m pleased to have finished fourth: it’s almost the podium position that I came here aiming for. We really needed today’s result. The 2013 season hasn’t been an easy one – it’s been tough for all of us at the circuits, but it’s probably been even tougher for the guys back at the factory, working flat-out to make parts. They’re a really amazing bunch of totally passionate and utterly dedicated people, and they richly deserve the ‘lift’ that today’s result will have given them,” said Jenson Button.

Sergio Perez finished sixth behind Nico Rosberg ensuring that McLaren become the only team in Formula 1 history to have both cars classified in every race this season. “As of today, McLaren became the first team in Formula One history to have both its cars classified in every Grand Prix during the season. And, also as of today, McLaren completed 99.17% of the season’s total possible race distance – 7139 miles [11,488km] out of a possible 7198 miles [11,584km] – which is not only better than every other team managed this season but is also a new world record, beating the previous record of 98.30% set by BMW-Sauber in 2008. Those two stats constitute compelling proof of the fact that our trackside mechanics and engineers possess the three D’s in impressive abundance: dedication, determination and discipline,” beamed McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

Felipe Massa eventually finished eighth ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg while Lewis Hamilton recovered to ninth. Daniel Ricciardo finished in tenth place in his final race for the Toro Rosso team before heading to Red Bull for the 2014 season. The day didn’t have a fairytale ending many would’ve hoped it would have for Felipe Massa but the Brazilian was able to see the big picture after the race. “I want to thank everyone who gave me this opportunity and maximum support all the time, including President Montezemolo, Stefano Domenicali and all the mechanics and engineers who work at the track and back home, as well as all the Ferrari fans who, over the years, have rejoiced with me and also suffered with me during the most difficult moments,” said Felipe Massa after the race.

Second or even third place in the constructor’s title wasn’t intended for Lotus as Romain Grosjean was forced into retirement on the first lap with an engine oil leak and Heikki Kovalainen could only muster 14^th place. Despite a difficult afternoon Mercedes pipped Ferrari to second in the constructor’s championship by six points.

This race in Brazil will be remembered for some time to come. The farewell of the V8 engine, Felipe Massa’s last race as a Ferrari driver and the last time Mark Webber stood on a Formula 1 podium.

The 2013 season has been one of a peerless German and his Austrian team’s absolute domination. Never before has this level of supremacy been seen in the sport. Although it may not have been everyone’s cup of tea as a sheer piece of inspired engineering the RB9 commands tremendous respect and appreciation.

Take a bow Red Bull Racing.

November 25, 2013
F1 2013: Free Practice 3 Report – Brazilian GP

Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber topped the timing sheets at the end of the third free practice session ahead of the 2013 Brazilian grand prix.

The rain soaked session took quite a while to spark into life and it was Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez that topped the timing sheets in the initial part of the third free practice session.

Condition around Interlagos were incredibly tricky given the circuit’s poor drainage system which led to a big amount of standing water on the circuit. Nevertheless, few drivers ventured out in the wet condition for the sole reason of saving the green side-walled Intermediate tyres for the all important qualifying session.

Eventually conditions improved enough for the intermediate tyres to be tried out and Mark Webber was the first of the drivers to do so. Webber seemed to get the best of condition and set the overall fastest time of the session. Sebastian Vettel ended in session in 17th place while Mercedes and Ferrari ended their program of running ten minutes before the chequered flag signalled the end of practice. Jenson Button did not set a representative time.

Full times below.

November 23, 2013
F1 2013: Brazilian GP – The End Of An Era

Transformation and evolution are as much a part of every Formula 1 season as the champagne flavoured victories and those breathtaking flashes of brilliance. The 2013 Brazilian grand prix will be more than a race, it will be the end of an era.

The South American city of Sao Paulo has within its hills one of the most historic racing circuits in all of motorsport. Several world titles have been clinched on its hallowed ground including those of Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and most recently Sebastian Vettel. The original circuit layout stretched to nearly eight kilometres with twenty-six turns with a lap record of 2:21.40 held by Jean-Pierre Jabouille. However, the circuit was streamlined in 1990 to the 4.3 km lap that is now familiar as the Interlagos circuit. Despite the shortened lap the anti-clockwise circuit is still a commanding venue with a distinctive challenge. The track is best known for its high speed sectors which are separated by twisty in-field section that requires good grip and stability from the car. The altitude of Interlagos additionally provides a unique challenge for the engines.

“Sao Paulo is around 800m above sea level, which has a big impact on the power of the engine. As the altitude increases the air pressure drops and the air is thinner with a lower oxygen content,” said Renault Sport F1 head of track operations Remi Taffin. “For every 100m the engine loses around 1 percent of its potential power output, meaning the RS27 will produce around 8 percent less power than at a sea-level race such as Korea.”

But Brazil is more than just the Interlagos circuit. The country’s list of motorsport greats runs from Emerson Fittippaldi to three time champion Nelson Piquet to the transcendent Ayrton Senna. More recently Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa has enjoyed the fervent support of the Brazilian fans. “The passion of the Brazilian fans is amazing and it’s fantastic to see their support over the weekend,” said Lewis Hamilton.

The weather around the Autodromo Carlos Pace has a tendency to dramatically veer to both ends of the extreme. Track temperatures of 63 degress Celcuis has been recorded here in the past and on the other end of the scale epic levels of rain is nothing spectators and drivers havent seen before. The forecast for this weekend is fickle at best with some rain predicted during the weekend. Given the dominance of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull several drivers will be hoping for the unknown weather element to shake up the pack. “The weather forecast for Interlagos looks interesting this weekend and if it does rain, that would be a good opportunity for us as our car is generally quick in the wet,” said Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg.

When the chequered flag falls after 71 laps of Sunday’s Brazilian grand prix it will bring with the end of an era. Twelve years ago an Aussie named Mark Webber started his first Formula 1 career behind the wheel of a Minardi. He scored points on debut at his home race but this was only to be cusp of what would become a great Formula 1 career. Webber joined Jaguar for the 2003 and 2004 season and qualified a career best second at the 2004 Malaysian grand prix. In 2005 Webber joined the Williams team with whom he would record several points finishes. The Red Bull partnership would commence in 2007 and be highlighted by several sublime victories. Webber’s first race victory at the 2009 German GP saw the Aussie deliver one of the most memorable drives of his career.

Webber has since won eight more races and through all of them he has been the straight-talking Aussie that many have to revere as one of the greatest racers Australia has produced. There aren’t many people who wouldn’t want to see Webber on the top step of the podium for the final time this weekend. Few people have raced and conducted themselves with more integrity than Mark Webber and whatever may happen AussieGrit and his tenacious character will be remembered in Formula 1 circles for some time to come.

Ferrari bid farewell to Felipe Massa this weekend after eight seasons. Eleven race victories and an achingly close championship battle in 2008 tells the story of a glittering Ferrari career for Felipe Massa. At some points there were few drivers could match the Brazilian in terms of pace and he all but owned the Bahrain and Turkish grand prix circuits; winning at Istanbul three consecutive times. The memorable moments of Massa’s career with Ferrari have been etched into Formula 1 history not least of all being his emotional victory at the 2006 Brazilian GP. Massa became the first Brazilian driver since Ayrton Senna in 1993 to win at Interlagos. Felipe Massa repeated victory at his home race in 2008 as he came perilously close to becoming the Formula 1 world champion. But gracious in defeat to Lewis Hamilton Massa dedicated his victory to the fans. Massa starts the next chapter of his Formula 1 career as a Williams driver in 2014. He will unquestionably be a great asset to his new team.

The 2013 Brazilian grand prix will mark the end of the V8 engine era after eight seasons in Formula 1. Fernando Alonso became the first ever V8 champion in 2006. French engine manufacturer Renault will end the V8 era as the most successful manufacturer with five constructor’s and five driver’s world championship titles. The Renault engine annihilated the competition with 59 wins, 65 pole positions and 55 fastest laps.

The conclusion of the 2013 season brings with it the end of an era as we bid farewell to Mark Webber and the V8 engine. There is no more fitting place to do so than a magical racing circuit named Interlagos.

Photo credits:

lotusf1team.com

Daily Mail

November 21, 2013
F1 2013: Texas GP Preview – F1 Giddy’s Up For Austin

It seems appropriate that Texas is the second biggest state in America as it gears up to host the biggest motorsport series in the world.

Legendary racing tracks from Watkins Glen to Indianapolis have hosted the Formula 1 world championship and in total ten different circuits throughout the United States have featured on the F1 calendar. In 2012 Austin’s Circuit of the Americas joined this list as it welcomed the F1 paddock to the lone star state. The inaugural race in Texas was lauded by drivers and fans as highly successful. “It’s a real credit to everyone involved in organising the inaugural event (last year) that it passed so smoothly. And Austin is a great city, so I see no reason why F1 can’t gain a true foothold in the US at this venue,” said Red Bull driver Mark Webber.

The saying in racing is that you can’t win the race in the first corner. However, it can certainly be lost in the first corner and the Austin GP’s first corner is a mammoth climb with twenty-two Formula 1 cars heading for its blind apex. The remainder of the first sector is features a series of several high speed changes of direction similar to Korea’s Yeongam circuit.

The second sector of the lap includes the straight and medium to low speed turns requiring good traction and precision on throttle application. The long continuous curve from turns fifteen to seventeen highlights the final part of the 5.513 km lap.

Drivers are expected to make 59 gear changes every lap and run at an average speed of 200 kph. The circuit’s demand on engines is quite high with 63% of the lap spent at full throttle. Pirelli has made the white side-walled medium compound and orange side-walled hard compound tyre available for this weekend. Coincidentally, neither Pirelli’s green Cinturato Intermediate tyre nor its blue full wet tyre has been used in a race this season. This stat is unlikely to change for the 18th round of the season as the typical weather around these parts predict a warm & sunny weekend.

From a set-up point of view, drivers’ and engineers’ first priority will be to understand how the track surface has evolved in twelve months since F1’s last visit. “Last year we were all sliding quite a lot because the tarmac was still so new, especially on the tight and twisty bit towards the end. It was sometimes almost more rally style than Formula One, because it was so slippery! The section after the steep hill at the beginning is particularly challenging. Last year it took me quite a while to get my bearings and to position the car correctly,” said Sebastian Vettel.

Then McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural race in Texas by delivering a fine drive which included overtaking four time champ Sebastian Vettel on track. The Brit called it one of the best wins of his career and will unquestionably want to defend his victory this weekend. It is debatable however whether or not Hamilton’s Mercedes will be up to the task. Despite solid performances in Saturday’s qualifying sessions Hamilton has been, for most of the time, unable to translate the pace to race day. Nevertheless, the Brit may not be such a bad bet this weekend.

The fight of second place in the driver’s title will be contested without Kimi Raikkonen as the Finn will miss the final two races of the season to undergo back surgery in Salzburg on Thursday. The Finn’s manager Steve Robertson shared the news on Sunday morning and said the 2007 champion will need four weeks to recover; thereby ruling Raikkonen out of both the Austin and Brazilian GP. Lotus are expected to promote development driver Davide Valsecchi to the race seat for the final two rounds of the 2013 season.

The saying goes that everything is bigger and better in Texas and as Formula 1 finds a foothold in the States here’s hoping the on track racing takes this adage to heart. Giddy Up!

Photo credit: Lewis Hamilton at 2012 Austin GP via mclaren.com

November 11, 2013
Ferrari and 15000 fans pay tribute to Felipe Massa

Over 15000 fans were at Mugello this weekend to pay tribute to Felipe Massa ahead of his final two races for the Scuderia before he is replaced next season by Kimi Raikkonen.

Massa who has been with Ferrari since 2006, partnering Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, has had 136 outings for the team which includes 11 race wins.

During the farewell event – held at the same track where Massa had his first F1 test with Sauber back in 2001, Massa was given a 1.2 metre trophy inscribed with each of his eleven race wins.

Speaking at the gala event, Massa said that he is truly going to miss the Ferrari family and the friends he has made over the years.

“I’ve been lucky, I have had a great career with Ferrari, longer than I had ever dreamed of at the start,” Massa said. “When I began racing in go-karts as a kid, I had a red Ferrari suit and it’s always been the team I supported. Even when Senna was at McLaren and Piquet at Williams, I was cheering for Ferrari!

“We began our relationship in 2001 and I have raced for them for eight seasons, which is a very important part of my life. I have so many friends at Ferrari and I will miss them, as I will also miss the nice days I spent at the factory in Maranello. I am happy with the way my time with the Prancing Horse turned out.”

Massa reminisced about the memories he will take away with him but said that the wins, particularly in Brazil when the title slipped through his fingers, will stay with him for the longest.

“These are memories that will stay with me always, just like so many other beautiful moments spent together, starting with the wins. For example, I think back to the wins at Interlagos, because for a Brazilian, to win your home race is something amazing. Sure, the dream just slipped out of my grasp, namely winning the world title in front of my home crowd, but that wasn’t the race where I lost the 2008 title: when you finish second by a point the key moment could have come at so many different places and I’m thinking of Singapore for example, or Budapest, or others still…”

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo spoke of Massa with great praise and thanks. “Felipe has been a true Ferrari man and he will always be part of our history,” he said. “For all the Grands Prix he drove for us, for the wins, the pole positions and for those few seconds when he was world champion that day in Brazil, before that overtaking move that always seemed a bit strange to me,” he continued. “We spent some great times together, while some others were more difficult, such as the accident in Budapest.

“These have been very busy years and today, I wanted to thank him publicly, having already done so privately, just the two of us,” he continued. “I think the decision to go our separate ways is the right one, both for us and for him. It’s time for a change and also to find new motivation. I wish Felipe every success, starting with the last two races of this championship. As for the rest of his Formula 1 career, I wish him the very best, but naturally, behind a Ferrari and anyway, I am sure we will get many chances to meet up again, because life is long and he will always be part of our family. When one has a mutually agreed separation, in the best interests of both parties, it can be done calmly in a friendly and constructive manner, and that has been the case this time.”

Photo credit: Massa photo by Ferrari

November 11, 2013
F1 2013: Abu Dhabi GP Review – Juggernaut Vettel Crushes Competition

It isn’t only Kimi Raikkonen who knows what he’s doing around the Yas Marina circuit. Sebastian Vettel delivered yet another dominant display to take victory by half a minute at the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mark Webber secured pole position with a stonker of a lap from Vettel on Saturday and if one driver had the ability to challenge the four time champ it was the Australian; or so it appeared. A controversial weekend for the Lotus team got significantly worse as Raikkonen, who qualified fifth overall, was relegated to the back of the starting grid. The Lotus failed a floor deflection test after the qualifying session.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton secured the second row of the grid in their quest for second overall in the constructor’s championship. Contrastingly, Fernando Alonso endured a difficult session in which he failed to advance to the third part of qualifying. Felipe Massa, supposedly on the verge of signing a 2014 deal with Williams, managed to squeak through to the top ten shoot-out.

Nevertheless, race day is the one that counts and seeing as Vettel has put together a near perfect season there was no reason to suspect he would not ace the start of this race either. He did exactly that as he swooped into the lead of the race as the red lights extinguished and never looked back. A Singapore-style domination ensued and Vettel was more than a minute ahead of sixth place by lap 35. Alonso was the sixth placed man.

There was to be no repeat of 2012 for Raikkonen as the Finn suffered damage to his steering in a collision with Giedo van der Garde’s Caterham in Turn One. Raikkonen was the only retirement in the race but insisted that he had no regrets about the decision not to start from the pitlane after his exclusion from qualifying. “I went to the inside and then somehow managed to touch with a Caterham,” Raikkonen explained. “We didn’t touch hard but I think the angle was very unlucky and it broke the steering.” It was also revealed that Raikkonen’s management and Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez had reached a provisional agreement to settle their financial issues. The agreement will see the Finn race at the final two races of the season.

Without a care in the world, Vettel was in a class of one with an untouchable pace of 1.5 to 2 seconds faster than anyone else. The most frightening thing was that Vettel was hardly pushing to the limit of what the Red Bull is capable of. The competition must shudder to think what the Red Bull would truly be able to pull out if it was under pressure.

As Vettel disappeared down the road quicker than the sun could set, the dice for second remained close all the way to the chequered flag. Rosberg ran second for the first quarter of the race ahead of Mark Webber who was suffering with a slight KERS issue. By the 20th lap however, AussieGrit was on it once more and took second place from Rosberg. Romain Grosjean kept both the Mercedes and Red Bull honest throughout the race but was unable to mount a challenge for the remaining steps of the podium.

Hamilton endured a difficult afternoon after qualifying on the second row of the grid. The Brit fell back into the field and admitted after the race that he had to do a better job to match teammate Rosberg. “Clearly with Nico’s result the car’s better than what I’m able to bring home with it,” said Hamilton. “Same old … different day. It’s the same every race. It can’t be other people’s fault. Nico’s been getting great points for the team. I just need to work harder to try to do the same.”

Several incidents throughout the race required the stewards’ attention but only Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was given a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release in the pitlane. Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado were under investigation for exceeding the track limits as was Alonso. The incident involving Sutil and Maldonado was chalked up to a racing incident, but Alonso’s off track excursion was reserved for judgement after the race. The Spaniard switched to the soft compound tyres on lap 44 and rejoined the circuit alongside Jean-Eric Vergne. However, Alonso was outside of the track limits, as indicated by the white lines, when he made the pass on the Toro Rosso driver. Alonso was quoted post race as saying that Vergne should have given him more space. The stewards agreed with Alonso and no penalty was imposed.

As Vettel, Webber and Rosberg wrapped up the podium ahead of Grosjean, Alonso’s last dash on the soft compound tyres earned him the fastest lap and fifth overall. Paul di Resta resisted pressure from Hamilton in the closing stages of the race to finish sixth. Hamilton managed seventh place on the day as Felipe Massa, who enjoyed a long stint ahead of his teammate, brought his Ferrari home in eighth place. Sergio Perez snatched ninth place from Sutil on the final lap as they rounded out the points paying positions.

The untouchable Sebastian Vettel celebrated his seventh consecutive victory with several donuts. Vettel was fined 25 000 Euros in India for celebrating his fourth world title in the same manner but didn’t receive the same punishment this time as he returned the car to parc ferme.

Vettel’s race engineer, Rocky, instructed the German to bring the car back to the pits to which Vettel responded : “Let me quote: Yeah, yeah, yeah I know what I’m doing.” It seems he most certainly does.

November 3, 2013
F1 2013: Practice 3 Report – Abu Dhabi GP

Sebastian Vettel headed the timing sheets of the third free practice session ahead of the Abu Dhabi grand prix.

The newly crowned four time world champion was followed by teammate Mark Webber as Red Bull again locked out the top two positions in the standings. The session got underway with a track temperature of 47 degrees Celcius; three degrees warmer than Friday’s first free practice session.

Several drivers including Lotus’ Romain Grosjean and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso endured several off track excursions during the session but sustained no damage. Marussia’s Jules Bianchi was as fortunate as contact with the barrier brought a slightly premature end to his session. However, the Ferrari of Alonso looked a handful as the Spaniard was shown sawing away at the wheel of the car as the coaxed it through the corners around Yas Marina circuit.

Pastor Maldonado and Valterri Bottas ran the Williams with a revised exhaust system and both driver’s provided encouraging feedback. The system is a reversion to an ‘old-style’ system which sees the exhaust exit to top of the body work.

The qualifying simulation, run on the yellow walled soft tyres, revealed an average gain of 1,7 seconds but several drivers were able to gain more than two seconds during their run. Nevertheless, we are of course unaware of the different fuel levels that are being run by teams in practice sessions.

The Mercedes pairing of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton appeared as the best of the rest behind the Red Bulls. Interestingly, Mark Webber set the quickest first and second sector while Vettel came out tops in the final sector of the lap. Abu Dhabi has never been a happy hunting ground for the Aussie but Webber may yet prove Vettel’s stiffest competition in qualifying later on this afternoon.

November 2, 2013
F1 2013: Race Preview – Amazing Abu Dhabi

Less than twelve months ago Sebastian Vettel stood on the cusp of becoming a three-time world champion ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. One year later Vettel returns as a four-time champion and no less hungry for victory that the first time he rolled out onto a Formula 1 starting grid.

The only twilight race on the F1 calendar is unquestionably one of the most stunning venues of the season. Set against the fabulous backdrop of the setting Arabian sun the cars hardly look more spectacular at any other stage of the season. Even though the Yas Marina circuit still feels like a fairly recent addition to the calendar, the 2013 grand prix will be the fifth visit to the east coast of Abu Dhabi.

Similar to the Indian GP, Pirelli will provide the medium and soft compound tyres to the teams. The Budhh International circuit rendered the yellow walled soft tyre extremely fragile but in Abu Dhabi is expected to have a significantly longer lifespan. “The way that the track temperature falls in Abu Dhabi obviously has an effect on both wear and degradation, meaning that teams are able to do longer runs even on the softer compound later in the race,” said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery.

It is an important time of the season for those drivers who still need to secure a 2014 seat. Despite being linked to several front-running teams it seems as if Nico Hulkenberg will not be jumping into a leading car, at least not in 2014. The immensely talented Hulkenberg has been linked with a move to Lotus with the German having supposedly signed a provisional agreement during the Japanese GP weekend. However, recent rumbling suggest that this agreement has been scrapped because the team cannot afford Hulkenberg. Instead Pastor Maldonado, and his PDVSA sponsor, look set to snatch the Lotus seat.

Nevertheless, Hulkenberg will be focusing on the task at hand this weekend and getting the best possible position by the end of the fifty-five lap race. The Yas Marina circuit should play to the strengths of the Sauber.

The first sector is relatively short and punctuated with several medium speed corners and bolstered with turns two and three acting as the two high-speed corners in the sector. The middle sector mainly distinguished by long straights with low-speed corners in the mix to provide some challenge to the drivers. The final sector of the 5.554km long lap is an unyielding series slow to medium speed corners which require the utmost precision. “The track is pretty tricky and technical, especially the last sector which has a lot of twisty, 90-degree corners. It’s easy to get it wrong and overdo it in qualifying,” said Nico Hulkenberg.

Red Bull has already sewn up both driver’s and constructor’s titles for 2013 but the battle for second and third place rages on. Whilst second place in the constructor’s standings for Ferrari holds an important psychological connotation, Lotus’ quest for the top three is purely financially motivated. Reports about financial trouble have hounded the Enstone based team throughout the season and the supposedly ‘done deal’ with Quantam (formerly Infinity) has allegedly hit a snag in recent times.

While several important stories develop behind the scenes it is on the track where the attention will be focused this weekend. Fernando Alonso is due a better result than he has been able to achieve in the last few races. It will be a difficult task however since the Ferrari doesn’t have a great record around Abu Dhabi. In addition, Alonso has appeared to be slightly dejected at the last few race meetings but Ferrari has dismissed talks about tension between the team and the Spaniard.

A team that cannot talk away the tension amidst their ranks is Lotus. Alan Permane’s now infamous race message to Kimi Raikkonen has been well publicised and met with a vast amount of criticism. Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has released a subsequent statement apologising for the message and the team will undoubtedly want to focus on fighting for a better position in the constructor’s championship.

There is nothing to suggest that Sebastian Vettel won’t be the odds on favourite to yet again occupy the top step of the podium. But just maybe the stars are aligning for someone else. However the cards fall for the Abu Dhabi GP, a cracking race is surely in prospect.

October 30, 2013
Post Qualifying Report: Korean GP – Vettel Continues Domination

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel has secured pole position ahead of the Korean grand prix.

The qualifying session for the Korean GP got underway under blue skies with the threat of rain having completely sub-sided. The first session saw the elimation of both the Marussia and Caterham teams and suprisingly both the Williams’ drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valterri Bottas failed to advance beyond the first part of qualifying.

The elimination of both Williams drivers was somewhat surprising given the relative pace both drivers were able to show throughout the free practice sessions. The Williams team has also brought several upgrades to the car including a new front-wing on Maldonado’s car.

The second session of qualifying seemed to follow the two-by-two elimination process as both Force India’s, both Toro Rosso’s and both McLaren’s didn’t make the cut. Jenson Button and Force India’s Paul di Resta complained about traffic towards the end of their laps. The biggest improvement was shown by the Sauber duo of Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg as both drivers advanced to the final part of qualifying.

The final top ten shoot-out was expected to a be close fight between Mercedes’ s Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. While Vettel did not annihilate Hamilton in terms of pace it decidedly comfortable for the three time champ. margin of two tenths ultimately secured pole position for Vettel. Mark Webber set the third quickest time in the session but slide back to thirteenth as a result a ten place grid penalty.

Romain Grosjean recorded the fourth fastest time but will move onto the second row of the grid at the expence of Webber. Nico Rosberg quietly slotted into fifth ahead of Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez was quick enough for 8th and ninth as Kimi Raikkonen bailed out of his final qualifying run after making a mistake on his one and only set of new supersport tyres.

Sebastian Vettel continues his domination with yet another pole position and the rest as they say is record breaking history.

October 5, 2013