Tag: force india

F1 2014: Italian GP Review- Hamilton Rises To The Challenge

After all is said and done it is still on track where the real talking is done. Two weeks on from enormous disappointment Lewis Hamilton turned up in Italy ready to do the talking. A comfortable pole position started the ball rolling.

It wasn’t all picture perfect though as a poor start dropped Hamilton down to fourth at the start of the race. But there wasn’t very much that was going to douse the fiery determination of the Brit. He fought back first with an overtake on Kevin Magnussen and later a fearless move around the outside of Felipe Massa into the first chicane. Rosberg tried to maintain the four second gap he’d built up but a mistake caused him to straight-line the first chicane which halved the gap over Hamilton.

In the first laps after the one round of pit stops Hamilton unleashed his superior pace and reduced the gap to Rosberg to 1.2 seconds. A bit of pressure to the mix and Rosberg soon out-braked himself and missed the first chicane. This mistake was enough to hand Hamilton the lead of the race who went on to win his sixth race of the season.

The storm of controversy wouldn’t be nearly as juicy if someone wasn’t there continually stirring the pot. Some suggest that Rosberg’s mistake at turn one was actually not a mishap at all. The conspiracy theorists reckon that Rosberg was serving his punishment from the goings on at Spa. Since sanity does tend to dominate our consciousness for most of the day this theory is easily dismissed as utter rubbish. Ask yourself how weak a driver, a person for that matter, Rosberg would have to be to agree to something so blatantly spineless.

Elsewhere, newly re-signed Williams driver Felipe Massa recorded his first podium for the British team ahead of his recovering teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn had to fight his way back from tenth after a dreadful start to the race. He was able overtake several drivers, via slipstreaming, with the help of his super-slippery-in-a-straight-line Williams. Daniel Ricciardo yet again put on display his staggering race craft with several extravagant overtakes which ultimately netted him a fifth place finish ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel.

McLaren carried over their improved pace from Belgium to Italy which enabled Kevin Magnussen to finish seventh on the road. However, the rookie was demoted to tenth after he’d been given a five second penalty for forcing Bottas off the track earlier in the race. Force India’s Sergio Perez inherited seventh as he held off former teammate Jenson Button in a tantalizing wheel-to-wheel battle.

Ferrari fans turned up in droves to cheer on their beloved team but the two prancing horses could never muster much more than a simple trot across the line. To add insult to a serious lack of pace Fernando Alonso suffered an ERS (Energy Recovery System) failure on his car. The Spaniard succumbed to his first mechanical retirement since 2009. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen dragged the lacklustre Ferrari around the Monza circuit and eventually finished ninth overall.

The short cool down before the podium was rather telling of the relationship between the Merc drivers. There was no congratulatory handshake and in fact for most of the time Lewis Hamilton had his back to his teammate chatting away to Felipe Massa. The podium interview, conducted by Jean Alesi, was as awkward. The former Ferrari driver wanted to know if Hamilton and Rosberg were still friends to which the Brit reflexively answered: “yes, we’re teammates.” So that’s a no then.

Lewis Hamilton may only have pulled back seven points on the championship lead but the psychological victory was far greater. For one, Hamilton will be delighted with the knowledge that he could pressure Rosberg into a mistake. What’s more, Hamilton will savour the realization that he has exposed some cracks in the Rosberg armour.

September 8, 2014
Hamilton takes comfortable pole for Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton comfortably secured pole position for the Italian Grand Prix during qualifying on Saturday at Monza.

Hamilton took the pole grid spot by two tenths of a second over warring Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg. Rosberg went into qualifying without being able to take part in the full final practice session – completing only three laps in FP3 due to a gearbox issue. However, the Mercedes team were able to sort out the problem without having to break any of the FIA seals on the gearbox and as such will not receive a grid penalty for Sunday’s race at Monza.

The Williams duo of Valterri Bottas and Felipe Massa will lock out the second row of the grid.McLaren suprised everyone with Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button lining up fifth and sixth, while Fernando Alonso could only manage seventh for Ferrari’s home Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel finished in eighth place ahead of his Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo and Force India’s Sergio Perez to round out the top 10.

Daniil Kvyat only just missed out on making it through to Q3 but will drop to 21^st on the grid due to a 10 place grid penalty for using a sixth engine this season.

Kimi Raikkonen was the biggest casualty during qualifying, managing only 12th after a pretty scruffy lap.

Your full timesheets and results are below. Please join us tomorrow for live commentary and chat on @F1_Madness on Twitter as we bring you blow-by-blow action of the Italian Grand Prix.

September 6, 2014
F1 2014: Hungarian GP Preview – Tricky Hungarian Test Awaits

Less than seven days later the Formula 1 paddock descends on the city of Budapest for the Hungarian GP. Technical in nature the 4.381 km circuit will require high downforce, efficient cooling and most importantly a good qualifying performance.

The Hungaroring is often referred to as Monaco without the barriers because of its tricky layout which for the most part has only one racing line. Consequently, there won’t be much opportunity for overtaking nor will all mistakes go unpunished. The Hungaroring retains some of the old-school Formula 1 characteristics which means that gravel traps and barriers loom in close proximity. Contrastingly, there are several tarmac run-off areas which offer some reprieve for error-stricken drivers.

Given the lack of proper overtaking opportunities strategy will be particularly important. The extremely high track temperatures seen at Hockenheim has given the teams vital information as to how to Pirelli rubber will react when exposed to similar conditions in Hungary. The tyres we are bringing to Hungary are a step harder, to deal with the increased demands, so we would expect the usual two pit stops,” predicted Pirelli’s Paul Hembery.

The circuit’s layout is dominated by medium to high-speed corners with little time spent at full throttle. However, the average speed of the lap remains fairly high. “The Hungaroring is a great track,” says McLaren’s Jenson Button. “Everybody thinks of it as a slow circuit, but, out the back, it’s got some pretty decent corners – Turn Four requires some serious commitment, and it’s made harder because it has a blind apex. Equally, the sequence of S-bends that make up Turns Eight to 11 are really satisfying to drive.”

Lewis Hamilton has been dogged by issues in qualifying for the last several races as he trails fourteen points behind teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg. However, Hamilton is prepared to come out fighting once more and resolutely said that enjoys having to fight for victories and the title.

The 2008 champion may have more to fight against this weekend than just his teammate. The Williams team has been on the cusp several times of mounting a serious battle for victory and if they can continue their stunning momentum Hungary may be their best chance yet.

Williams’ chance to win the Hungarian GP will come on Saturday. The Hungaroring, much like Monte Carlo, is notoriously difficult to overtake on. Despite the fact that race pace is always priority for Bottas, Massa and their engineers they may devote a bit more time and effort than usual to enhancing their one lap pace. But locking out the front row or securing pole position won’t be all that is required. The team will have to take an aggressive approach on strategy as they still lack on overall race pace when compared to the Silver Arrows.

By this stage of the season the duel between the Mercedes drivers is as intense as at any other point.

However, their attention may be required elsewhere this weekend. Can Williams steal the all mighty Mercedes’ thunder?

July 23, 2014
Rosberg leads the pack in final practice

Nico Rosberg topped the time sheets during the final practice ahead of qualifying for the German Grand Prix with a time of 1:17.779.

Rosberg’s time is a surprising 0.601 clear of his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton.

Despite a spin in at turn eight halfway through the session, Fernando Alonso recovered to set the third quickest time of the practice session, a mere 0.004 down on Hamilton.

The Williams duo of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas led much of the practice session on prime tyres, but ended up fourth and fifth respectively after the supersoft runs.

Kevin Magnussen finished sixth after setting the pace during the opening stages of final practice, with Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen behind him.

Raikkonen switched to options very early on, but was unable to continue in the final stages of practice due to a problem with his fuel pump. The Ferrari team are working ferverishly to change the fuel pump before qualifying gets underway.

Red Bull’s performance was either lacklustre, or one big sandbag as reigning world champ Sebastian Vettel parked his car in ninth place.

Nico Hulkenberg took the last spot in the top ten for Force India.

Jenson Button had much complaining about understeer and problems with his braking during practice, most likely a result of no longer having FRIC suspension. None of the teams will be running FRIC this weekend after it was deemed illegal by the FIA earlier this week.

Full timesheet for the session is below. Please join us on Twitter @F1_Madness for qualifying later this afternoon at 14h00 GMT +2.

Photo credit: Mercedes

July 19, 2014
2014 Formula 1 Santander German Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS:

Nico HULKENBERG (Force India)

Kevin MAGNUSSEN (McLaren)

Adrian SUTIL (Sauber)

Kimi RAIKKONEN (Ferrari)

Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)

Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Nico Hulkenberg, if we could start with you. Points in every race so far this season, only you and [Fernando] Alonso have managed that so far and you’re seven to two against your team-mate in qualifying. How positive is that for you and how do you think that is perceived within the Formula One paddock?

Nico HULKENBERG: I think it’s very positive in general. I think it’s a very good achievement to have scored points in every race – probably Nico and Lewis would have been the same without the technical failures. I think it has been a very positive start to the season, first half, many, many points, much better than we expected going into the season and I think that is also the perception of the paddock. However, we’re only in the middle of the season and there’s still a long way to go before the end and our aim is to get the fourth position in the Constructors’ Championship. We have a big challenge on our hands there against Williams, McLaren and many others. I look forward to that.

You’ve largely been fighting for fifth and sixth places in races this season but just recently, the last couple of races, it was more like eight and ninth. What brought about that change and where do you think you’ll be fighting this weekend?

NH: I think Silverstone was overall a bit difficult for us. The track didn’t suit us so well, plus the conditions made it even more difficult. Therefore, it was still a very good achievement to get points on the board there. In Austria we were a bit compromised by a few issues, which we found out after the race, otherwise that could have been better. So hopefully here we’ll be back to bigger points but it’s difficult to know. Obviously it’s very hot this weekend, so it will be interesting to see how the tyres behave and who will manage it the best.

Kevin, coming to you, points in the last four grands prix for you, six points finishes in total this season with one podium but McLaren still seem to be quite up and down dependent on circuit, why is that?

Kevin MAGNUSSEN: It’s difficult… it’s a good question. It’s something we don’t really quite understand 100 per cent, but surely it has a lot to do with tyres, they behave quite differently race to race. I think we are improving, the car is improving, we’re putting downforce on the car at nearly every race so I think we’re moving in a positive direction.

We’re coming up to the summer break and there’s a lot of talk about the driver market – as there always is at this point. Where do you think you stand with regard to staying at McLaren next season.

KM: I can only do my best and hope that is good enough. Anyone at McLaren should feel that you have to deliver to your best to deserve to be there and that goes for me and Jenson as well.

Kimi, the first question has to be how are you feeling after your accident at Silverstone, any after-effects and what happened?

Kimi RAIKKONEN: Well, I crashed, I guess you saw it. No, I had some pain but it’s all fine.

Just in your leg?

KR: No actually it was in my ribs the most, that’s why I didn’t do the test, but it’s all gone away now.

You’re 100 per cent now?

KR: Yeah.

Many things have not gone the way you expected them to this season in your rejoining Ferrari, but can you tell us what has gone the way you’ve expected it and what positives you’ve drawn so far?

KR: We’ve been in every race at least. That’s what you expect at least. It’s been a difficult year, hopefully it will turn around at some point – it must, it cannot go much longer like this, it’s not fun. But this kind of thing has happened to me before and we always managed to turn it around, so I have a strong belief it will turn around. We have to just fix issues and get things as I want and I’m sure we can be back where we should be.

Nico, coming to you: a new contract extension with Mercedes, congratulations on that, you also got married since we last saw you, but you’ve never been on the podium in Germany, I see from your record, so I guess that’s this weekend’s first objective. You’re still on top of the championship, just four points clear, but your team-mate Lewis Hamilton said that this is a ‘reset moment’ in the title race and that he’s been on the back foot all season. How do you see it?

Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, it’s been a very exciting week for sure. We also became world champions, which was awesome. In terms of the championship, how do I see it? I just see it as the next race, which is Hockenheim. It’s our home race. I really look forward to driving here. I’m here to win, of course. I’m here to try to extend the championship leads. That’s where it ends for me. I’m really just looking at the moment, taking it race by race.

As you say it’s been a great week for Germany on the sporting front. As a keen follower and friend of the national team is there a way you can harness some of that positivity into your challenge this weekend?

NR: The effort of the team as a whole, how they all played together and everything was really great to see and that’s what won them the tournament I think, not any individual strength or anything. That’s what we’re trying to do as well, to really work well, everybody together, to really make the most of it. I think we’re also on the right track with that, in that respect, because to dominate the sport as we are doing at the moment, I think that indicates we work pretty well together as a team and of course there’s room for improvement but we’re going in the right direction.

Adrian, you qualified 13^th at the first race in Australia at the start of the year and 13^th at Silverstone. There seems to be some continuity there. If you look at the ultimate pace of all the cars, Sauber doesn’t seem to be progressing. Is that the way it’s seen internally and what’s the plan?

Adrian SUTIL: Yes, more or less a consistent season but also a few changes and progress of course. I think the car is a better car compared to the first races but you can’t really see it in results. Nevertheless Silverstone was a bit better. You could see already in the free practice the car was a bit more competitive and also I think in qualifying in the rain we were closer to the top 10, which was good. We are still struggling sometimes with the tyres, especially with the hard compound, in the race, which slowed us down a lot. I can’t really say more. Of course we want to try to improve the situation. It’s not where we want to be but everyone in the factory is trying the maximum to improve that. It’s not an easy situation but we’re going to get out of it pretty soon.

You’ve said several times that stability is the problem, that the car lacks stability. Can you elaborate on that and what plans are in place to fix that?

AS: Well, the window is very small where the car operates and also the window when you are close to the limit, whether it stays on the line or is completely off – it’s easy to make a mistake with this car. So you need to have a lot of confidence in the car, you need to drive and learn as much as possible about the car behaviour to feel well. It’s getting better very race. But yeah, it’s a little diva to control. It’s just a situation like that so we try to make it more easy to drive. The stability is sometimes there, [then] you have a bit too much understeer in the other areas, so you are shifting the problem from one end to the other but it’s very difficult to get rid of the problem completely so this is where we are struggling most at the moment.

Sebastian, obviously winner of the German Grand Prix last year, your first F1 win on home soil. Tell us about the feeling of racing here at home, especially with the country on such a sporting high at the moment?

Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, obviously last year was very special – I had been trying many times before, so it was definitely a good feeling to succeed. I think this year should be a very good weekend. Mostly good weather forecast and obviously the whole of Germany still has the German flags from the World Cup around, so it would be nice to see a lot of those on the track and get a little bit of that support as well here on the circuit.

Obviously the battle with Fernando Alonso in Silverstone was one of the highlights of this season so far. There were quite a lot of radio messages from the pair of you at the time but looking back and thinking about it now, how much did you enjoy it?

SV: Yeah, I probably enjoyed it more than I probably said after the race. I still think it took a little bit too long because obviously I lost quite a lot of time fighting him and couldn’t progress to probably finish higher up. But it was definitely very tight, it’s always very tight when you fight with Fernando, he’s very tough to overtake, he doesn’t give you a lot of room, but eventually I squeezed past, so for sure I was happy to finally overtake him on the track.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Ian Parkes – PA) Question to Nico. First of all, congratulations on becoming a married man. Secondly, you’ve obviously had to change your helmet design this week. You showed it off on Twitter with the World Cup on top of the helmet. I’ve spoken to FIFA and they’ve expressed their reason why you’re not allowed to have the World Cup: intellectual commercial property rights and all that. You’re obviously disappointed I guess, but can you understand their reasoning behind it?

NR: All the things you have to think about, it’s amazing that even a trophy has its trademark or whatever, just sticking it on a helmet you know. That was a surprise but of course I fully understand. It was a pity as it looked really cool, with the trophy on top. Anyways, replaced it now with a big star and no-one can take that away. The star is ours.

Q: (Graham Keilloh – F1Plus.com) A question for all the drivers. We all recall the incident at last year’s German Grand Prix with Mark Webber where a wheel fell off after a pit stop. In recent days there have been moves afoot for there to be a little bit of rowing back on the tough sanctions that were put in place following the Webber incident. I just want to know what each driver feels about more leniency for unsafe releases that may be coming in?

NH: To be honest I didn’t really understand the question. I’ll pass it on to Kevin.

KM: It’s good if us drivers don’t get points or penalties [that are] that harsh , as it’s not really our fault. Of course we are a team and we should be penalised somehow together but I think it’s good if it doesn’t just go to the drivers.

Adrian, anything to add?

AS: No.

Kimi?

KR: No.

Sebastian, do you have a view?

SV: I think it’s like going to prison for stealing a chocolate bar. I think it’s too harsh for the drivers, it’s more for the team. There’s not much you can do as a driver, but it is what it is.

Nico?

NR: Obviously it is one of the most dangerous situations for all of the people working in the pitlane you know. So definitely it should be harsh to try to avoid people doing that or things like that happening. We need to find the best way, what sort of penalties to do.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi there has been a lot of criticism around you in the past few months. Do you feel that your position in Ferrari could be threatened next year or do you feel confident that you will sort your problems and that everything is going to be OK for the future?

KR: Like I said, I’m sure we can fix them. How fast? I hope quickly but it depends on many things. I have a contract so I’m not worried about that for the future.

Q: (Abhishek Takle – Midday) A question for Sebastian. Hockenheim obviously hold some special memories for you because this is where you watched your first Friday practice session. You won the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. What would it mean for you to win here at Hockenheim, at some point in your career?

SV: Well, I hope I can turn things around and that we can have a good race on Sunday and a good weekend in general. But of course we are not the favourites going into the weekend but there’s always a chance of winning. For sure, this circuit is very special to me because my home town is only 30 minutes from here, it’s where I grew up. I also started go-karting not far from here, just around the corner, so a lot of memories. I know a lot of people that work here, so it always feels like a second home. In that regard it would be nice. So definitely a very special place for me, special memories. The first car race I did was here in 2003, so yeah, it’s definitely one of the tracks I want to win at.

Q: (Luis Fernando Ramos – Racing Magazine) A question for all drivers. Many teams will race without the FRIC system. Is there a feeling that this might change the gap between the teams significantly or not; that it will stay more or less the same, like it was before?

NR: Everybody has it to some extent. It’s impossible to predict. For sure it can have some influence but we just need to wait and see what happens.

Sebastian?

SV: Well I said it is one of the things that obviously got banned now. I hope it brings the field closer to Mercedes but it’s difficult to say. All of the teams have been playing with it to some extent. How much it has an impact? I think it has to be seen this weekend and also probably next week in Hungary. After those two races I think you can have another judgement.

Kimi, your thoughts on the FRIC suspension?

KR: Yeah, I mean it’s the rule and obviously that decides if we can use it or not. It’s not in our car, I don’t expect it’s going to be a completely different world but until we run it, the cars, and see what the other teams do, it’s hard to say. I guess we’ll know a bit more after this weekend.

Adrian?

AS: I think… we hope… it will be better for us, that we are closer – but very hard to say, for sure. Some, they rely more on it, some less. Let’s see. After the weekend we’ll be wiser.

Kevin, your thoughts.

KM: Not much to say really. We ‘ll try to get the best out of the car without it.

Nico?

NH: It’s pretty much how Nico said, it’s really hard to predict if and how much people will lose due to it. It’s just a case of wait and see how much it impacts on different cars.

Q: (Koen Verhelst – Media Group Limburg) A question for all the German drivers: where did you watch the World Cup soccer finals last Sunday and, in relation to that, how to you explain the success of Germany both in Formula One at the moment and football and perhaps also in the economy?

SV: I watched in on TV at home. I wasn’t there! Thank God they showed it. At home, with a couple of friends. I think the reason, it has been 24 years since we last won the World Cup. I hope that the next one doesn’t take 24 years again. I think we had a very strong team for the last World Cups as well and were very close to win. It’s good that we succeeded now. For the Formula One drivers, I don’t think there’s a particular reason. Obviously, for us, to some extent we’re the generation after Michael and Michael was a big inspiration, so for sure, when Michael made Formula One really a sport in Germany and made it big a lot of fathers with their sons went to the go-kart tracks and wanted to do like him. I think it’s chances, in the end, if you have a thousand kids trying rather than ten, the chances that one or two end up in Formula One are obviously a lot greater. The economy… I’m not a specialist – but I think we like to work.

Adrian?

AS: The same, I watched on TV at home. Very quiet. It was a great game, I think. Very exciting and both played very well. One minute the Germans were a bit better than the other ones and scored a goal. I think something to be very proud of. It’s great to see Germany being very happy about it. So many festivals and parties after it, so really, really good. Good mood in the air, so, great also for this weekend here, for the German Grand Prix. The drivers? I think it all started back in the 90s, probably. When Michael went into Formula One there was a big boom of racing in Germany – but also a lot of car manufacturers are based in Germany, it’s a very strong country for cars, for technology in general – and they’re supporting young drivers from the early ages, especially BMW was involved for many years with the Formula BMW. That’s where I started the racing, I think also Sebastian as well and Nico. Most of the drivers took the step and went into Formula 3. So there are clear categories where you can go. Still, I think it’s very hard to say it’s a really good support because it’s so expensive. When I see the number for young kids coming up into racing, in go-karts you have to spend so much money, not having a real… let’s say you can’t be sure that you’re going to make it. So, even there. Football has a better structure behind. We could still improve it but Germany, for sure, it one of the leading countries and that’s great. They’re pushing it really hard.

Nico Hülkenberg, anything to add.

NH: I also watched it at home with some friends. I think we won because we had the strongest team and a great team spirit, a very clever coach. I think I agree with what Sebastian says about the drivers and why we have it strong now and the economy, I think is just German mentality and appetite to be strong in the economy.

Nico Rosberg, your thoughts.

NR: I watched it at my parents place, as is tradition in our family because my Mum is the biggest soccer fanatic in our family, so I watched it there with friends and went absolutely crazy when they scored. It was a great time. I agree with the others on the other parts.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Nico, last week Lewis was putting in doubt your true nationality about being German, real German supporter – and your helmet problem proves the opposite. How big is this… the pressure that Lewis is putting on you? Are you feeling it? Is it also big the pressure to have a championship that is open now completely, and to race at home and try to win this race?

NR: On the media, I generally don’t read the media, so most of the time I don’t know what’s going on – but this I did know about it. I really don’t get into such things. Everybody’s free to have his opinions, and I was there anyway and it was more or less a joke discussion, so for me it’s not really relevant to discuss it in any way. Other than that, yeah, it’s a great battle between us. Every race it’s been us two fighting it out for the win. It’s fantastic – a tough battle also – but good. I’m sure it’s going to continue for a long time and it will be very close – and I look forward to the race here now in front of… it’s my second home race, I have Monaco and here. I’m very fortunate in that sense, I have two home races, and look forward to all the support and I really hope to do a fantastic job. It would be a great end to already the great times I’ve been having recently if I could win here at the German Grand Prix.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, do you remember having any heavier shunt than you had in Silverstone?

KR: Yeah, probably I have had. Hopefully not too many more but it’s just part of the thing. It hurt a little bit but quite often you can have a quite slow accident and get badly hurt, so it’s not about that really, it was just an unfortunate thing. Nothing serious happened. It’s part of the sport.

July 17, 2014
F1 2014: British GP – Hamilton Roars Back Into Contention

It is uncanny how even in the most dominant of seasons Formula 1 still manages to deliver one of the most thrilling races in years.

The 2014 Silverstone grand prix was chock-full of amazing drives and drama from the very first lap. The field had not completed one lap before Kimi Raikkonen crashed heavily into the barriers on the Wellington Straight, bringing out the red flag.

Raikkonen appeared to lose control as he tried to rejoin the circuit after running wide onto the tarmac run-off at Aintree. The Finn hit a bump in the grass which put him headfirst into the barriers. Despite an impact of 47 G the Ferrari driver escaped serious injury. It was only through Felipe Massa’s exceptionally quick reaction that the crash was not much worse. Massa, in his 200^th GP, pitched his car into a spin to avoid Raikkonen as he speared across the track. Unfortunately the Williams driver sustained terminal damage to his left-rear suspension. Raikkonen suffered a bruised leg and ankle which has put him in doubt for testing at Silverstone this week. It is often taken for granted just what special talents all of these driver’s posses and it was Felipe Massa’s actions which reminds us all of the unrivaled ability of these drivers.

The race resumed an hour later after marshals repaired the heavily damaged guard rail. Mercedes’ Niki Lauda lamented race direction for the red flag interruption and said that there was “zero possibility” of another driver crashing into the damaged guard rail. However unlikely a second accident in the same area would or would not be it is unconscionable to speculate where safety is concerned.

Nico Rosberg restarted in first position ahead of McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen. Hamilton soon made his way through from fourth to run five seconds behind Rosberg.

An alternative strategy by Hamilton left him on the harder and slower compound tyres towards the closing stages of the race. Even though it was Rosberg who should have had the upper hand on the faster tyre he was no match for Hamilton’s doggedness. The Brit was rapidly closing the gap to his championship rival when Rosberg’s car suddenly slowed. As Hamilton swept into the lead of the race a gearbox issue brought an end Rosberg’s race.

An inspired Valterri Bottas scythed through the field from fourteenth and overtook the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, both McLarens and the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel. The Williams’ driver perfected a one-stop strategy and delivered a stunning drive to score back-to-back podiums with a career best second place.

Behind Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, also on a one-stop strategy, successfully fought to hold onto third place. Allbeit on different strategies on the day the impressive Australian once again out-performed his four-time world champion teammate. Mid-way through the season Ricciardo has proven that he has successfully taken the step to the next echelon of grand prix drivers. He isn’t yet going to be mentioned in the same breath as the Alonsos and Hamiltons of the racing world but everything suggest that he is an incredibly talented driver.

Jenson Button drove superbly to finish the race a mere eight tenths off the final podium spot. Although narrowly missing out on the podium in what was surely an emotional weekend JB did his dad proud with a fighting fourth place. A tip of the hat to the British fans for showing their support for JB with scores of pink in the crowd.

Further down, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel were involved in a classic duel for fifth. The two champions battled for several laps within inches of each other. Both drivers comically complained on the radio of the other exceeding track limits but ultimately the battle royal between the two was a breathtaking display of driving skill. In the end Vettel got the better of the Spaniard.

Kevin Magnussen improved McLaren’s day with seventh place ahead of Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg. The most impressive rookie of the year Daniil Kvyat led teammate Jean-Eric Vergne home in the final points paying positions. Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez has been given a three-place grid penalty for the next race after the Mexican clashed with Lotus’ Pastor Maldonado.

Lewis Hamilton roared back into contention for the driver’s title with a fine victory on home soil. Although it came at a cost to Rosberg Hamilton’s prodigious pace on the supposedly slower tyre was telling. Victory at Silverstone means a lot to Hamilton and is an even more significant boost to his title aspirations.

(Podium image by courtesy of Pirelli)

July 7, 2014
F1 2014: Austrian GP Review – Nifty Nico Bests Hamilton

What was once old was made new again as the Formula 1 paddock jetted into central Europe for the Austrian grand prix for the first time in eleven years.

The practice sessions suggested that the weekend would follow the familiar pattern of Mercedes domination. However, Saturday qualifying was turned on its head as the Williams pair of Felipe Massa and Valterri Bottas stunningly locked out the front row of the grid.

The two Williams drivers were able to spring this surprise due to some good luck but also by delivering a great turn of pace. Pole position for the Austrian GP was Felipe Massa’s first since the 2008 Brazilian GP. Nico Rosberg lined up third while a mistake from Hamilton relegated him to ninth with no time on the board.

Massa led away from the start but teammate Bottas fell to third behind Rosberg. It was Hamilton who blitzed the start to end the first lap in a sensational fourth position. The Williams and Mercedes cars were closely matched for pace on the supersoft tyres and it was Mercedes who led the way into the pitlane. Both Williams drivers were able to complete two more laps but it would cost them track position as Rosberg emerged to lead the train of Bottas, Hamilton and Massa.

In the lead of the race was Force India’s Sergio Perez who started in 16^th position. On the soft compound tyres the Mexican was able to run a long enough first stint to put him in the lead of the race. Despite a five-place grid penalty, from Canada, he was able to deliver consistently fast laptimes without putting a wheel wrong for all of the 71 laps. Checo is known for his ability of making the most of alternative strategies. Add to the fact that he had to overcome a grid penalty and his sixth place finish was one of the drives of the day.

As the Force India driver eventually pitted Rosberg was promoted to the lead of the race and by the end of the second round of stops the Mercedes pair were line astern in first and second. However, the Silver Arrows did not disappear into the distance as in previous races as Valterri Bottas kept the pair honest. The Finn translated his front-row starts into his first podium in Formula 1 ahead of teammate Felipe Massa who saw off a late charge from Fernando Alonso.

For Ferrari there was little good news and a fifth place finish Alonso left uninspired by the performance of his car. Similarly, Kimi Raikkonen endured a difficult afternoon after he was told to slow down and cool his brakes after only the second lap of the race. Raikkonen scored the final point on offer in tenth in what was yet another nail in Ferrari’s 2014 coffin.

McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen finished seventh while teammate Jenson Button’s gamble on a long strategy didn’t yield the same results as that of his former teammate Perez. Button eventually finished eleventh.

Regardless of the fact that the Red Bull company owns the circuit its two teams endured a dreadful afternoon. Sebastian Vettel suffered his third retirement of the season when his Renault power unit failed. Both Toro Rosso’s drivers joined the retirement list to leave Daniel Ricciardo as the only Red Bull driver in the race. The Australian was able to finish eighth after overtaking Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg on the final lap of the race.

Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner branded Renault’s performance as “unacceptable” and insisted that the supplier overcome its issues quickly. “There needs to be change at Renault. It can’t continue like this. It’s not good for Renault and it’s not good for Red Bull,” said Horner.

Sebastian Vettel became the first beneficiary of new driver rules instituted after the Canadian GP. The incident at the end of that race between Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez has prompted race stewards to take a more lenient approach in dishing out penalties to drivers. A driver will be given a penalty only if he is found to be 75% responsible for causing a collision. On Sunday Vettel lost part of his front-wing in a collision whilst trying to overtake Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez. Under the old rules Vettel would have been given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision.

The race ultimately culminated in a fight between Rosberg and Hamilton. The gap between the two was only two seconds but Hamilton was unable to make an impression on Rosberg. Victory in Austria has given Rosberg a 29 point lead in the championship. The German is yet to finish outside the top two in 2014 and it is this sort of consistency which could just be enough to undo Lewis Hamilton.

June 23, 2014
Bottas puts Williams on top in FP3

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas set the quickest time during FP3 ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend.Bottas set a time of 1:09.848 to end the session 0.050s faster than Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at the Red Bull Ring.

Felipe Massa was third fastest, and Daniil Kvyat put his Toro Rosso in a surprise fourth place. Nico Rosberg had a couple of off-track excursions during FP3 but ended the session fifth fastest ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Top 10 were rounded out by Kevin Magnussen, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

Sergio Perez, who finished in 15th place on the timesheets, ran wide twice at the final corner, airlifting his Force India the second time around.

Max Chilton and Jenson Button were both unable to set a time on option tyres due to mechanical problems. Button damaged the floor of his McLaren which will need replacing before qualifying, along with his right rear brake caliper.

The session was a positive one for Ferrari and reports are that they will be running their new set up for qualifying and the race tomorrow.

It’s highly unlikely that anyone will snatch the top places away from the Mercedes drivers come qualifying later on, but if anyone poses the slightest threat right now it’ll be the Williams duo. Keep your eyes on that team, they’re really progressing nicely!

Your full FP3 timesheet is below. Join us 2pm GMT+2 on Twitter for live chat and commentary throughout the session. And don’t forget to enter to WIN A VIP TRIP TO THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX!

June 21, 2014
FIA to Further Investigate Perez-Massa Crash

The FIA have announced that they will further investigate the incident between Williams’ Felipe Massa and Force India’s Sergio Perez at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The crash, which Perez was penalized for, happened in the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix when Massa attempted to pass a struggling Perez into turn 1. The TV pictures showed Perez jinked a bit to the left which resulted in contact with Massa which sent the pair of them careening into the barriers with Massa narrowly avoiding contact with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

The hearing will be heard by the Austrian Grand Prix stewards at the Red Bull Ring tomorrow, after a request from Force India, who say that they have new evidence to bring to light.

Below is the statement from the FIA:

The FIA has received a request from Sahara Force India F1 Team, the entrant of Car 11, requesting a review of the Stewards’ Decision (Document 44 of June 8, 2014) in accordance with Article 13.10 of the FIA International Sporting Code. The request refers to the emergence of “new elements”.

The FIA has been advised that it is physically impossible for the Stewards of the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix to process this request prior to the Austrian Grand Prix and in accordance with Article 13.10.1 of the Code, has designated the Stewards of the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix to:

1. Determine as to whether or not a new element exists under Article 13.10.2 of the Code; and
2. If such an element is determined to exist, convene a new hearing to consider any such new element(s).

In order to determine whether or not a new element exists the Stewards will convene at 09:00 hrs on Friday June 20, 2014. The driver and team representative of Car 11 are required to attend to present their case as to the existence of any new element(s).

In the event that the Stewards decide, in accordance with Article 13.10.1 of the Code, that a new element(s) exists, a hearing will be convened at 1600 hours on Friday June 20, 2014. The drivers and team representatives of Car 11 and Car 19 (Felipe Massa – Williams Martini Racing), will be required at this hearing.

Photo courtesy Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team

June 19, 2014
F1 2014: Austrian GP Preview – Formula 1 Re-opens Austrian Chapter

History is nothing new to Formula 1 and it re-opens one of its oldest chapters this weekend at the Austrian grand prix.
The Formula 1 world championship returns to Styria, at the foot of the Alps, for the first time in a decade. The Austrian grand prix has featured on the F1 calendar in several different forms; from the one-off airfield in Zeltweg in 1963 to the Österreichring throughout the 80s to its current guise of the A1-Ring in Spielberg.

The A1-Ring was purchased by Red Bull who agreed with Bernie Ecclestone to reinstate the circuit as part of the championship. The last meeting in 2003 was won by then Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher who was well on his way to title number six.

It was during the now infamous 2002 Austrian GP where the contentious issue of team-orders took centre stage. It was here that the Ferrari team instructed Rubens Barrichello to give way to teammate Michael Schumacher. The move was met with much negativity and the unprecedented jeering of Schumacher on the podium. Schumacher would lift off the throttle in the final few meters of the 2002 US grand prix handing victory to Barrichello.

The renamed Red Bull Ring’s layout remains unchanged and its 4.326km length is dominated by several straights. Therefore, it requires a medium downforce set-up with a particular emphasis on braking which translates to a high rate of fuel consumption. Similar to Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit the Red Bull Ring’s middle sector is dominate by medium speed corners. Pirelli’s analysis of the track has reveals a moderately abrasive surface suitable for the soft and supersoft compounds.

The circuit’s high altitude venue will place serious demand on the 2014 power units which will have to cope with a lap spent at full throttle for nearly 70%. The track only has nine corners but its character is derived from the significant undulation throughout lap and four opportunities for overtaking.

The Canadian grand prix demonstrated how quickly fortunes could change and proved that Mercedes are not bulletproof. A failure on both cars revealed their fallibility and gave Nico Rosberg a significant advantage in the driver’s championship. The hammer-blow in Monaco and a bit of luck in Canada has Rosberg on an ominous high. The German won’t have any difficulty with the Ring which suggests that Lewis Hamilton will need to be on top of his game to begin recouping his losses. “I caught up before and I can catch up again,” says Hamilton. “It’s going to take another four wins to make the difference so I’m going to do my best to get those results.”

Ferrari’s abundant struggles in 2014 would suggest that recovery is the main aim. However, the latest rhetoric from the team seems almost defiant. Only new team Principal Marco Mattiacci has pointed to an ineffective trend of development as the reason for the team remaining “behind the curve.”
Contrastingly, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo went so far as to suggest that the Italian team could quit the sport altogether. Yet, something suggests that this lamenting of the new F1 rules would most likely not have seen the light of day if Ferrari were leading the 2014 field. It is rather silly of di Montezemolo to throw his toys of the cot because of his team’s woeful season. The fact remains that all teams are bound by the same set of rules and some simply did a better job of interpreting them than others.

It seems obvious that Red Bull will be in the spotlight this weekend. But how much of that spotlight will transfer to the track in the face of the mightily dominant Mercedes team remains to be seen.

June 18, 2014