F1 Madness

Tag: italy

  • F1 2020: Belgium Gp Review – Hamilton, One hand on the trophy

    F1 2020: Belgium Gp Review – Hamilton, One hand on the trophy

    The writing was on the wall as early as Saturday qualifying during which Lewis Hamilton secured a dominant pole position. The only chance, and it was a small one, that anyone would have of delaying his progress was at the start of the race. However, he led serenely from the front and strolled on to the top step of the podium for his fourth win in Belgium.

    Valtteri Bottas came home in second place some eight seconds adrift of Hamilton. The Finn now languishes a massive fifty points behind in the driver’s standings and has seemingly no chance of getting his hands on the coveted trophy. For some of the opening laps Bottas kept himself relatively close to Hamilton’s gearbox. However, we he asked for an increased power mode in order to attack his teammate it was shot down by the pitwall. Effectively, the team had ordered Bottas not to race his teammate and he obeyed. For Mercedes Bottas is the perfect wingman to Hamilton. Yes, he may sometimes score a pole and maybe even a few wins but he is never going to disrupt Hamilton enough to truly take the fight to him over an entire season. The chance to win the title this year has already gone for Valtteri Bottas. Since joining in 2017 he has never mounted a serious and sustained challenge and is very much in danger of becoming F1’s nearly man. For while Mercedes will be happy with Bottas as a second driver at this stage there is some serious talent, in the form of George Russell, ready and waiting to slot into the Mercedes team.

    2020 Belgian GPMax Verstappen racked up another podium finish but described his race as fairly boring. The Red Bull driver was caught somewhat in no man’s land, as he wasn’t quick enough to challenge the Mercs and saw no one behind mounting an assault on his third place either. There is no doubt that Verstappen is ready to win a championship however he simply doesn’t have the car to challenge the might of Mercedes weekend in and weekend out. He can try his level best and sometimes even snatch the odd win but the reality is that Mercedes will not be conquered in 2020.

    Formula 1 has always been better off when it has produced a battle for the championship titles but in 2020 the question is not if Hamilton will take his seventh crown but rather when. A dominant pole on Saturday saw the writing on the wall for 47 points It will have to be a bungling of monumental proportions for Mercedes and Hamilton to lose the titles from here.

    Daniel Ricciardo not only set the fastest lap of the race but also drove a stellar race to finish fourth in the Renault ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon in fifth. The low-downforce setup adopted by Renault for the race paid huge dividends and will bode well for this weekend’s race in Monza too. Alex Albon was sixth in other Red Bull ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris in seventh. Pierre Gasly’s choice to start of the hard compound tyre paid off the final stint of the race as he netted an impressive eighth place finish. Racing Point would likely have hoped for more on the power-dominant Spa circuit but has to be satisfied with ninth and tenth for Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez respectively.

    2020 Belgian GPWhile Carlos Sainz was unable to take the start of the race due to an exhaust failure only two driver retired from the race proper. Antonio Giovinazzi lost the rear of his and destroyed his Alfa Romeo. The pursuing George Russell had to take avoiding action which pitched the Williams into the barriers. Though both drivers escaped unscathed the incident brought out the safety car.

    It was by all accounts as miserable a day for Ferrari as they have experienced in some time. With thirteenth for Seb Vettel and fourteenth for Charles Leclerc there was never even an inkling of scoring any point. In fact so poor was the works Ferrari team performance that Kimi Raikkonen easily finished ahead of the pair of them in a customer Alfa Romeo. It used to be an honour to don the red overalls and drive for Ferrari and maybe one day it would be again. But what is happening in 2020 is utterly embarrassing. Some serious conversations need to be had over the next while and some serious changes will need to be implemented if Ferrari is ever going to recover from the doldrums.

    To add insult to an epic lack of pace F1 heads to Monza this weekend, an even more power sensitive circuit. If Spa was a painful experience Monza is likely to be even more so. The only saving grace is that the grandstands around Monza will be empty which means that, at the very least, Ferrari wont have to face up to the Tifosi.

    All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport
  • F1 2020: Opening Races Officially Announced

    F1 2020: Opening Races Officially Announced

    For most 2020 has been an unprecedented year, so far. Nearly all the plans and ideas and intentions have fallen by the wayside or at the very least significantly delayed. Amongst many other areas of life the world of sport has found itself in suspended animation for several months. Astonishingly, it has been six months, or half a year, since the last F1 race in Abu Dhabi.

    Fortunately the official announcement of the opening eight races for the 2020 season signals an end to the long wait. With due considerations towards health and safety Formula 1, in partnership with the FIA and teams, has facilitated a return to the track. F1 will look markedly different in this new world, as all eight races will take place behind ‘closed doors’. The thought of no fans at Monza, devoid of the passionate Tifosi is nearly unimaginable. But these are the compromises that had to be made in order to go racing.

    The opening two rounds will take place at Austria’s Red Bull Ring. The race scheduled for 3 – 5 July will officially be known as the Formula 1 Rolex Grosser Preis von Osterreich while round two, slated for 10 – 12 July will be known as the Formula 1 Pirelli Grosser Preis der Steiermark.

    The paddock will be sans motorhomes for the opening stint of the season and team members will make use of the paddock club facilities for mealtimes. Teams will also keep to themselves during the race weekend and not mingle with members from other teams so as to insure a relative isolation.

    The third round of the season will take place at Hungary’s Hungaroring from 17 – 19 July. Though the 2020 cars have not turned a wheel in anger Austria’s Red Bull Ring and the Hungaroring are traditionally strong circuits for Red Bull. It could be just what Max Verstappen and co needs to be serious contenders right off the bat.

    After several long consultations Formula 1 and other elite sports have obtained a special exemption from the British government to forego the compulsory 14-day self-quarantine upon entering the country. It means that the British grand prix can go ahead. In fact, the brilliant Silverstone circuit will host back-to-back race weekends with the first to take place from 31 July to 02 August. The second race, on 07 – 09 August, is being billed as the Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. As the site of the first ever Formula 1 world championship race in 1950 it seems more than fitting.

    From 14 – 16 August Formula 1 will be at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in Spain for round 6 of the championship. Interestingly, the much hotter weather could have a significantly impact on the racing as Spain’s traditional slot on the F1 calendar sees much cooler conditions.  Round 7 of the calendar has been reserved for the Belgian grand prix around the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The Belgium grand prix retains its original of 28 – 30 August. One week later, on 04 – 06 September, Monza has been penned in as round 8

    While only eight races have been announced the expectation is to run a calendar of 15 – 18 races, which is expected to end in December. Ferrari, which owns the Mugello circuit, has given their consent for a race to be run on the Italian track. Amongst others, Hockenheim and Imola are also believed to be in the mix for addition to the 2020 F1 calendar.

  • F1 2018: Belgian Gp Review – Ferrari Stroll To Spa Victory

    F1 2018: Belgian Gp Review – Ferrari Stroll To Spa Victory

    Untroubled, Sebastian Vettel drove the perfect race to secure victory at the 2018 Belgian grand prix. While Saturday qualifying, wet in the final part, went the way of Lewis Hamilton Sunday was brought a completely different complexion as the Ferrari driver skillfully scythed past pole sitter Hamilton into the lead of the race.

    Both Force India cars, starting on the second row thanks to a dramatic quali, started equally well and slotted in behind the front two. It all went off behind them however as a dramatic first corner crash, triggered by Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, saw Fernando Alonso’s McLaren fly over the cockpit of Charles Leclerc. The halo, significantly scuffed by Alonso’s tyre, played a significant role in keeping the Sauber driver safe and uninjured in an otherwise dangerous crash. An example of how well the halo works was never needed or wanted but this serves as the perfect illustration for all those that continually criticized and moaned about the aesthetics of why it is needed in Formula 1. It’s certain that without it there would have been a different outcome for Charles Leclerc.

    Though they retired slightly later the first lap also laid claim to Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo. The Red Bull driver was tagged from behind by Alonso and lost his rear wing. While he did get back out he was a lap down without little prospect of gaining anything meaningful from the race consequently Red Bull retired Ricciardo’s no. 3 car.

    spa For Kimi Raikkonen it was desperately unlucky as Ricciardo’s front wing caused a right-rear puncture on the Ferrari. It subsequently damaged the right endplate of the rear wing, the DRS, and caused enough floor damage to render the car un-driveable.

    While first lap crashes are part and parcel of racing Ferrari only has itself to blame for Raikkonen’s ultimate retirement. The day before an awkward blunder in quali left Raikkonen without enough fuel to complete the final part of the session. While others improved their laptimes the Finn was left to start sixth on the grid. This position often referred to as the ‘carbon fibre zone’ is notoriously where most incidents occur. But Ferrari was flustered when the rain came down in the final part of qualifying and they made mistakes that ultimately cost Raikkonen a shot at a decent result. As if to add insult to injury Raikkonen was fastest well the mix for pole on a circuit where he is considered a specialist and has won on four previous occasions.

    spa1Up front it was as easy a Sunday afternoon drive for Vettel. While both Mercedes and Ferrari introduced upgraded internal combustion engines for this weekend Hamilton and Mercedes just didn’t have the pace to live with the Ferrari. This was something that Hamilton bemoaned after the race too by saying that Ferrari has some “tricks”. Whatever he was implying if he is hoping to play a psychological game it wont land with neither Vettel nor Ferrari.

    Hamilton went on to paint himself as the underdog despite being in the lead of the driver’s championship. But the likelihood is that he doesn’t really believe himself to be the downtrodden. After all, he is the reigning champion in a works Mercedes that will be a force at Monza.

    As Vettel and Hamilton took the first two steps on the podium Max Verstappen drove a lonely race into third while Valtteri Bottas ably recovered to fourth after starting nearly last on the grid. Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon delivered fourth and fifth for Force India in what has been a difficult time for the team off the track. Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were sixth and seventh for Haas while Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly and Marcus Ericsson completed the top ten for Sauber.

    Vettel’s win brings him to within 17 points of Hamilton in the drivers standing and more importantly gives Ferrari some much-needed momentum ahead of their home race this weekend.

    *Podium Image courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport
    *First lap Images courtesy of Racing Point Force India
  • F1 2017: Ferrari Launch SF-70H

    F1 2017: Ferrari Launch SF-70H

    The Ferrari Formula 1 team has launched its car for the 2017 Formula 1 season, the SF70-H.

    Ferrari is celebrating its 70th year which is commemorated in the naming of their latest Formula 1 challenger. The video, streamed live on Facebook and the team’s website, laster roughly five minutes. The start of the video depicted the assembly of the car at the team’s Marnello factory. Further, the video depicted every single seater racer car built by the Italian mark before lifting the garage door on the 2017 car at Fiorano. The livery reveals that Ferrari has chosen to return to all red livery in 2017.

    On hand at the presentation, decked out in the 2017 gear, were team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, chief technical officer Mattia Binotto, and race drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

    From the brief view of the car during the live stream, and the images released it appears as if Ferrari has opted to, initially, run with a type of thinner wing in front of the main rear wing. In addition, the Ferrari nose is also sporting a stub-nose design already seen on several other 2017 cars. Unlike Mercedes, Ferrari’s SF70-H has a prevalent shark-fin engine cover as well as narrow side pod air intakes.

    The car will hit the Fiorano circuit later today to complete a few laps as part of a filming day.

    The SF-70H: 

  • F1 2016: Italian Gp Review – Rosberg Romps to Italian Win

    F1 2016: Italian Gp Review – Rosberg Romps to Italian Win

    When Lewis Hamilton secured pole position on Saturday by half a second over his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg looked a beaten man. But little did he know that he would be gifted the lead of the Italian grand prix mere seconds after the red lights went out.

    A mistake from Hamilton on the starting grid dropped him down to sixth and presented Rosberg the perfect opportunity to make it two wins in two weeks. Hamilton’s trouble promoted the Ferrari’s of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen into second and third but the red cars weren’t a match for Rosberg’s Mercedes.

    As Rosberg strolled to career victory number 21 Hamilton recovered to second overall. The two Ferraris ran a two-stop strategy, as opposed to Mercedes’ one-stop, and put on a descent show for the Tifosi. Though they were never in contention their third and fourth place finishes were not as far off Mercedes as many feared it would be. Both drivers reported that the engine upgrade introduced in Italy worked well.

    GP ITALIA F1/2016 - MONZA (ITALIA) 04/09/2016 © FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

    Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo pulled off a stunning move into turn one on Williams’ Valtteri Bottas finish fifth. It was a weekend of damage limitation for Red Bull on a circuit where it always going to be difficult for the Renault engine to stand up to the Mercedes and Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas delivered solid points for Williams in sixth while the second Red Bull of Max Verstappen came home in seventh. Force India’s Sergio Perez had a quiet afternoon, which eventually netted him eighth place. Felipe Massa, who announced that he would be retiring at the end of the 2016 season, scored two points in ninth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India in tenth.

    Though it didn’t deliver a spectacular result the Italian Gp proved vital for Williams. The sixth and ninth place finishes by Bottas and Massa has allowed Williams to take back into fourth in the constructor’s standings from Force India. This battle is likely to endure for the remainder of the season and has serious financial rewards for whichever teams comes out on top. Jenson Button, who will be taking a sabbatical in 2017, finished twelfth while teammate Fernando Alonso was fourteenth.

    rosberg-podiumRosberg’s first Italian Gp win puts him only two points off the championship lead. Rosberg remarked in a post-race interview that the battle between himself and Hamilton will carry on for the rest of the season. Rosberg has done a perfect job since the summer break and, as it stands the battle has been as close as it’s ever been on points. But it’s on the track where we are still waiting to see that wheel-to-wheel battle between the two championship contenders.

    The 2016 Italian grand prix wasn’t the most exciting in recent memory. However, the scene from the podium, which stretches partly onto the start/finish straight, was something to behold. For as far as the eye could see were adoring racing fans waving their flags, cheering their favourites, and sharing their passion for this sport. That is why Monza can never be left off any F1 calendar.

  • F1 2016: Italian Gp Free Practice 3 Report – Hamilton Dominates

    F1 2016: Italian Gp Free Practice 3 Report – Hamilton Dominates

    Championship leader Lewis Hamilton dominated the field in the final free practice session ahead of the 2016 Italian grand prix.

    The number 44 Mercedes set a quickest time of 1:22:008 while teammate Nico Rosberg’s 1:22:401 was some 0.393 adrift in second. The first of the Ferrari’s came in the form of Sebastian Vettel who set a quickest time of 1:22:946. Kimi Raikkonen, in the other Ferrari, set a 1:23:196.

    The Williams pair of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were fifth and sixth respectively. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were only quick enough for seventh and eighth while Force India’s Sergio Perez and Haas F1’s Esteban Gutierrez rounded out the top ten.

    The session endured a brief interruption earlier when Romain Grosjean’s beached Haas brought out the virtual safety car.

    Final Free Practice Three Standings

    Screen Shot 2016-09-03 at 12.03.44 PM

  • F1 2016: Italian GP Free Practice 2 Report – Merc Maintain Lead

    F1 2016: Italian GP Free Practice 2 Report – Merc Maintain Lead

    The Mercedes driver pairing maintained their position on top of the timing sheets with Lewis Hamilton setting the quickest time ahead of Nico Rosberg in the second free practice session.

    The normal format for the second one-and-a-half hour session on Friday’s include a qualifying simulation run as well as a focus on the long run pace of the respective drivers and teams. In both cases Mercedes showed a clear advantage as Hamilton set a quickest time of 1:22:801 on the red-walled supersoft tyre. Nico Rosberg followed some 0.193 tenths adrift with a 1:22:994.

    The two Ferrari’s set the third and fourth quickest times followed by two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.  Fernando Alonso set the seventh quickest time for McLaren but the Spaniard is unlikely to maintain this position throughout the weekend as McLaren tend to run a higher engine mode during the early stage of the weekend.

    While Ferrari’s pace appear comfortably off that of the Mercedes drivers it should be noted that the Italian team ran a truncated programme in terms of mileage and are only expected to make the introduction of their upgraded power unit on Saturday.

    Final Free Practice Two Standings

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  • F1 2016: Italian Gp Free Practice 1 Report – Merc Lead The Way

    F1 2016: Italian Gp Free Practice 1 Report – Merc Lead The Way

    The Mercedes of Nico Rosberg set the quickest time of the first free practice ahead of Sunday’s Italian grand prix.

    The session got underway under sunny skies and in front of a boisterous Italian crowd. Nico Rosberg set the quickest time overall with a 1:22:959 ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton who set a 1:23:162.

    The local favourite Ferrari team were third and fourth with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel respectively. However, the Italian team limited running in the first free practice session and are expected to introduce an engine upgrade on Saturday.

    Sergio Perez continued Force India’s uptick in pace with fifth ahead  of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas in sixth. Max Verstappen set the seventh quickest time in his Red Bull while the first of the Haas F1 cars appeared in eighth in the form of Esteban Gutierrez. Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top ten in the second Red Bull in a weekend that team principal Christian Horner describes “would be difficult”.

    No major incidents befell any driver as they got into the rhythm of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. However, Felipe Massa lost most of the first half of the session due to a turbo issue on his Williams while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso ended the session with a suspected gearbox issue.

    Final Free Practice One Standings

    Pos. Driver Car Time Gap Laps
    1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.959s – 37
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:23.162s +0.203 36
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:24.047s +1.088 16
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:24.307s +1.348 17
    5 Sergio Perez Force India 1:24.650s +1.691 32
    6 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:24.763s +1.804 17
    7 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:24.785s +1.826 37
    8 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:24.982s +2.023 25
    9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas 1:25.113s +2.154 19
    10 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:25.120s +2.161 17
    11 Jenson Button McLaren 1:25.351s +2.392 23
    12 Alfonso Celis Force India 1:25.367s +2.408 30
    13 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:25.507s +2.548 14
    14 Felipe Massa Williams 1:25.840s +2.881 18
    15 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:25.853s +2.894 20
    16 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:25.973s +3.014 20
    17 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:26.074s +3.115 20
    18 Esteban Ocon Manor 1:26.391s +3.432 30
    19 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:26.439s +3.480 21
    20 Pascal Wehrlein Manor 1:26.762s +3.803 28
    21 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:26.811s +3.852 35
    22 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1:26.956s +3.997 32

     

  • F1 2016: Italian GP Preview – Uniquely Monza

    F1 2016: Italian GP Preview – Uniquely Monza

    Most would agree that the Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the most unique circuits on the F1 calendar. It’s uniqueness doesn’t just stem from one thing either.

    When you describe Monza as a classic it is a literal description as the first grand prix it ever hosted was in 1950. It may have undergone a few tweaks but every legend that has ever inscribed their name in the folklore of Formula 1 history has raced around this circuit. The infamous Ferrari one-two for  Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto in 1988, to Sebastian Vettel first grand prix win in 2008, to the emotional announcement of Michael Schumacher’s (first) retirement here in 2006.

    The layout too is another factor which adds to Monza’s uniqueness. The long straights places an overwhelming demand on a low downforce setup and pushes the engine to its absolute limit. There are some quite famous twiddly bits in between which demand precision on braking and good traction. “People often think that Monza is all about the straights, with tight, small corners – but that’s not really true: corners like the Lesmos, the Ascari chicane and Parabolica are big, fast corners that require precision and commitment. It’s a great track,” says McLaren’s Jenson Button.

    And then there is the Tifosi. Ferrari’s fanatically passionate supporters who only see red. Ferrari’s 2016 season has made for some uncomfortable viewing and that’s without the two red cars swopping paint. Despite this, there will be high expectations for the Italian team this weekend. Ferrari are determined to meet the expectation head on and are expected to role out an engine upgrade this weekend in the hopes of thrilling their Tifosi.

    MonzaHowever, as far as beating rivals go putting one over them on home soil as hallowed as Monza is always going to rank high on the priority list regardless of the era. Therefore, Mercedes will be more determined than ever to climb onto the top step of the podium on Sunday. The Italian circuit has always been a favourite of Hamilton who currently holds a nine point lead over teammate Rosberg and a significant advantage where spare power unit elements are concerned.

    Red Bull performed well in Belgium but will find the going a bit tougher given the extra emphasis on engine power. Dutchman Max Verstappen arrives in any paddock with a bunch of attention how there will be a bit of a different air to it in Italy after his shenanigans at Spa. It won’t bother him though, nothing much seems to get under the 18 year old’s skin…yet.

    If a definition for pure, unadulterated passion is being searched for then look no further than the Italian grand prix. It is passion defined. And should a red car make it to the chequered flag first expect an outpouring of emotion and elation the likes of which have not been seen in many a year.

  • F1 2016: Breaking News: Felipe Massa Announcement

    F1 2016: Breaking News: Felipe Massa Announcement

    In a conference at the Monza circuit Felipe Massa has announced his retirement from Formula 1.

    The conference took place with the Brazilian driver and Williams team boss Claire Williams alongside. The Massa family were also in attendance at the announcement.

    Mass joined the Williams team from Ferrari in 2014 alongside Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas. His debut into Formula 1 came in 2002 with the Sauber team. He made the move to Ferrari in 2006 as replacement for fellow Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.

    Massa won his first grand prix at Turkey’s Istanbul circuit in 2006 and finished as runner-up in 2008 driver’s world championship. Massa’s victories at his home Brazilian grand prix will likely rank high up in the memory banks of the popular Brazilian.

    “I must start by especially thanking my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all the people who have supported me throughout my career,” said an emotional Massa at the press conference.

    “Thank you to God for giving me the opportunities I have had in life and, above all, for protecting me. A huge thank you as well to everyone I have worked with over the years.

    “Every team I have been a part of has been a special experience, and not only in Formula One. I have so many great memories over the years and thank everyone in all the teams I have come through to help me get to where I am today.

    “My career has been more than I ever expected and I am proud of what I have achieved.

    “Finally, it is a great honour to finish my career at such an amazing team as Williams Martini Racing. It will be an emotional day when I finally conclude my Formula One career with my 250th Grand Prix start in Abu Dhabi.”

    Deputy Team Principal of Williams, Claire Williams thanked Massa for his contribution to the team for the past three years and acknowledged that it was not a difficult decision for Massa to take.

    “It has been a pleasure to work with Felipe these past three seasons and we will all be sad to see him leave.

    “Felipe came to us at a time of huge change and his blend of experience, talent and enthusiasm have been an important factor in the turnaround of the team.

    “Anyone who knows Felipe knows what a warm and caring person he is, with an infectious personality. He has done a great deal for our sport over the years and I think every team that has had the pleasure of working with him has great affection for him.

    “I know this has not been an easy decision for him, but we all respect his decision to bring his Formula One career to its conclusion at the end of this season. I would like to thank him, on behalf of all the team, for all his hard work over the last three years and we wish him the best of luck for whatever the future holds.

    “He will always be a member of the Williams family and we hope that he will always feel welcome within our team.”