Tag: jenson button

F1 2015: British GP Review – Hamilton Shines At Silverstone

One-hundred and forty thousand fans were treated to quite a race around the famed Silverstone circuit.

Lewis Hamilton thrilled the home crowd with pole position on Saturday ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg while Williams locked out the second row of the grid. At this point you would’ve been forgiven if you’d assumed that it was going to be another Mercedes dominated afternoon. Felipe Massa rocketed off the starting line and straight into the lead of the race followed by teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The Finnish Williams driver soon fell prey to a determined Lewis Hamilton but held of Nico Rosberg to settle in third. An accident involving both Lotus and both McLaren’s brought out the safety car and saw the end of the race for Romain Grosjean and Jenson Button. Fernando Alonso clunked into the side of his teammate but was able to continue after a stop for a new nose.

The restart of the race saw Hamilton launch an attack on race leader Felipe Massa but the canny Brazilian held his line and the position. The move sent Hamilton off the circuit at Club corner and into third as Valtteri Bottas seized second place. The fight for the lead of the race was a welcome sight and more so was Hamilton’s doggedness. In truth Hamilton’s championship fight is not with Massa and he couldn’t have been faulted for choosing the cautious route, but he didn’t. At the heart of Lewis Hamilton is still an out-and-out racing driver whose sole ambition is to win and that is what he put on display in that move.

The Williams driver couldn’t manage to run away from Mercedes but they were holding their own. As if to underline the difficulty of overtaking in Formula 1 Felipe Massa was able to resist a visibly quicker Bottas during the phase of the race. The Williams pitwall initially called off the fight between their drivers but quickly changed course and gave their drivers the freedom to fight. Despite this Bottas was unable to overtake his teammate.

Lewis Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners into the pitlane and used the undercut to perfection as he took the lead of the race as the two Williams made their respective stops. The front running back had now reshuffled with Hamilton in the lead from Massa, Rosberg and Bottas.

It wouldn’t be Silverstone if the weather didn’t have some sort of impact on proceedings. At first the rain was steadily falling on one side of the circuit while the other remained bone dry. As drivers were slipping and sliding their way around several drivers including Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso gambled with a switch to intermediate tyres. It proved a touch too early for Raikkonen who shredded his intermediates on the drying surface.

Lewis Hamilton timed his tyre switch to perfection as the rain started falling once more as he exited the pits on the green-walled intermediate tyre and retook the lead of the race. Rosberg made his stop a lap later and emerged in second place where he would remain until the chequered flag. Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas chances of the podium evaporated as the pair struggled for pace in the wet conditions. The duo eventually finished fourth and fifth as a slightly later call for intermediates from Vettel meant that the Ferrari jumped both Williams’ into third place.

Red Bull Racing’s Daniil Kvyat finished sixth while Nico Hulkenberg brought home his heavily revised Force India in seventh ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. The sister Force India of Sergio Perez finished ninth ahead of Fernando Alonso who ended a miserable non-point scoring run with tenth place.

To win on home ground is something special and Hamilton has now done it three times. This win is an invaluable boost of confidence that could carry him all the way to that coveted third world championship title.

July 6, 2015
Grosjean Feels Ricciardo is Responsible for First Lap Incident

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean feels that Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo is to blame for his premature exit on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix race.

Ricciardo made contact with Grosjean going into Turn 3. This sent Grosjean into the side of his team mate Pastor Maldonado. Both Maldonado and Ricciardo were able to continue for a while until both of them had to retire from the race. Maldonado due to damage sustained in the crash and Ricciardo due to an electrical problem.

“There were a lot of cars into turn three,” said the Frenchman.

“Daniel came in hard and hit me, and I collided with the Sauber on the outside, breaking the front wing and it created a puncture.

“The car went left and I hit Pastor which was a shame.”

“That was a very short race for the team and I feel for everyone here at Silverstone and at Enstone,” he said.

“No-one likes to end a Grand Prix like that as so much effort goes into making and preparing the cars.”

Grosjean’s crash also caused the retirement of McLaren’s Jenson Button after his team-mate Fernando Alonso, while trying to avoid the colliding Lotus’, had half a spin and made contact with Button’s left sidepod which shut off the McLaren’s engine immediately.

All the drivers that were involved in the first lap incident were called to the stewards after the race. The stewards decided that no one was responsible for the incident an no penalties were levied.

Deputy Team Principal at Lotus Federico Gastaldi has described the teams home race as frustrating.

“Motorsport is sometimes a cruel sport and we saw that today,” he said.

“There was nothing either of our drivers could have done to avoid the first lap incident and that was our race over.

“It’s been a frustrating home weekend for us.”

“We weren’t able to show the pace we have in the car, we’ve suffered from a few niggles, then it was a very early bath for both our guys.”

July 5, 2015
Alonso Feels Points Finish Will Lift Morale

After collecting his first championship point for the 2015 F1 Season, McLaren driver Fernando Alonso feels that the point will boost morale in the team.

It was not the best race start for the Spaniard when, at Turn 3, he spun to avoid making contact with the two Lotus’ ahead of him who had come together. In doing so, he T-boned his team mate Jenson Button. Button’s engine shut off immediately after contact with Alonso’s front wing and had to retire from the race. Alonso limped back to the pits for a wing change and new tyres. He then kept his head down and continued racing till the rain fell.

Alonso was one of the first few drivers to make the switch to intermediate tyres. At the time the track was mostly dry and was only wet in sector 2. Alonso, running in 11th, stuck with it and gained a place when Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson ahead of him changed from intermediate tyres to slick tyres and back to intermediate tyres. From then Alonso kept it on the track to take the final points paying position, 10th.

“It’s not the best of results, but 10th position helps to motivate everyone,” commented Alonso after the race.

“The whole team is incredibly focused – they’ve been working day and night to improve the car – and we all know this is a long-term project, and there are no magic solutions, but to get a decent result, and to put some points on the table, is always important.

Alonso felt that the two Lotus drivers ahead of him were being too aggressive and felt the contact between the two was unnecessary.

“The start was unbelievable,” he said.

“It was a big mess as we arrived at Turn Three. The two Lotus drivers were far too aggressive, and they touched each other; in avoiding them, I had a half-spin, and touched Jenson.

“There were a lot of retirements, and little common sense on display.”

Although a tough 10th place finish is all McLaren could do today. Alonso feels McLaren took a step forward today.

“Still, we know we’re improving, and today has been a good day for morale.”

July 5, 2015
F1 2015: British GP – Rosberg Sets The Pace In FP2

Nico Rosberg set the fastest time in the second free practice session ahead of Sunday’s British grand prix.

The second one-and-a-half hour session is usually reserved to evaluate how the various cars will perform in race trim but it also allows for a quali sim. Pirelli have made the medium and hard compound tyre available to drivers this weekend and it already looks as if a one-stop strategy will be the order of the day. However, with weather conditions predicted to be cooler for Sunday’s race the issue of graining could come into play.

The session was red flagged early on as Romain Grosjean beached his Lotus in the gravel on the exit of Luffield. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) and Roberto Merhi (Manor) had similar incidents at the same corner but managed to recover their cars from the gravel trap. Toro Rosso underlined their morning pace with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. ending the session seventh and ninth quickest.

Lewis Hamilton wouldve have been slightly annoyed at his afternoon as the reigning champion never quite seemed to have the Mercedes under him as he would like. His qualifying simulation lap left fourth overall nearly half a second adrift of teammate Nico Rosberg. Kimi Raikkonen’s first quick run on the medium tyres left him somewhat off the pace but the Finn was one of very few drivers to improve his time on a second flying lap. Raikkonen set a 1:34:502 some three and a half tenths of Rosberg’s time.

The long runs weren’t going much better for Hamilton who bailed out after running only five laps in the stint. Rosberg set a competitive and importantly consistent pace on the medium tyre. Sebastian Vettel was able to run close to the Mercedes pace as was Raikkonen on the hard compound tyre. The relative fuel loads at this stage of the weekend is unknown but Ferrari principal Maurizio Arrivabene said after the Austrian GP that he was “tired” of the false Friday pace Ferrari produced on race weekends.

July 3, 2015
2015 Formula 1 British Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS:

Valtteri BOTTAS (Williams)

Jenson BUTTON (McLaren)

Kimi RAIKKONEN (Ferrari)

Marcus ERICSSON (Sauber)

Pastor MALDONADO (Lotus)

Will STEVENS (Manor)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Valtteri, why don’t we start with you? You finished second here last year from, I think, 14th on the grid – equal best result so far in Formula One, your finish. Is this one of your favourite tracks?

Valtteri BOTTAS: Well, it’s one of them, definitely. It’s one of these old school tracks and really high speed, so it’s always really fun to drive here. I think it should be good for our car as well, like we saw last year. We had some new bits for Austria and I think they should work maybe slightly better here, so looking forward to the weekend.

Well, podiums for Williams at the last two races, but can you tell us a bit more about why you think your car particularly suits this circuit and the things that you’re bringing here that are going to help that?

VB: Long straights – that’s where we have been strong the last one-and-a-half years and I think we’ve been this year pretty good in high-speed corners as well and probably the updates we had in Austria… they definitely created more downforce but maybe were a bit too draggy for that circuit. Maybe we can make better use of that and if we just get everything right it could be a strong weekend but let’s see.

Jenson, coming to you, this year I think it’s fair to say it’s been ‘hard yards’ as we say here in England, but does racing here on home soil raise the spirits a bit?

Jenson BUTTON: It does. Every race that we race in is a special race, you can find reasons to be excited, but when it’s your home grand prix it’s always very special. The British fans and public whether it’s raining, 32 degrees, there’s a British guy at the front or a British guy at the back, they will always be here to support us, which is fantastic. It’s always a very, very special atmosphere here and I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

World champion drivers are obviously leaders within a team. What’s the message to Honda and the McLaren management? What strategy do you want to adopt in terms of performance, reliability and what would be a win at the moment?

JB: Well, first of all I don’t think a press conference is the best place to do that, you know. We are one team and we work together and if we have issues we talk amongst ourselves and that’s the only way to improve a situation. The confidence is high within the team. You might say why is that, as the last two races have been very difficult, which they have, but there is a massive belief within the team that we will improve. There is a lot in the pipeline. I don’t want to look too far into the future, you know, I’m on of those people that wants to live in the moment and do the best I can right now. It’s the British Grand Prix, in front of them home crowd and I’m really looking forward to it and I will maximise what we have this weekend.

Thank you for that. Kimi, coming to you, the GPDA fans’ survey revealed that you are the most popular Formula One driver it would seem, amongst those polled. What’s your reaction to that?

Kimi RAIKKONEN: I think it’s a good thing. I would rather take the fans than not having them. Obviously, some people… maybe I was lucky that they were ones that answered the survey, but I’m happy to have fans and obviously that’s a good thing.

What do you think it is about your character that appeals to them?

KR: You’d have to go and ask them who voted, so…

There’s a few too many to do that I think. The team is telling us that retaining your seat for next season is in your hands, do you feel you are on the right track to meet their targets.

KR: I don’t know. Obviously they’ll make the decision. We try to do good races. Obviously the last race was a bit difficult but that’s part of the game, sometimes you have that. Who knows: I don’t know anything more than you guys, so I will know hopefully at some point what will happen. There are always speculations to start off the year and it’s always the same stories. It doesn’t really surprise me a lot so let’s see what happens.

Thanks. Marcus, coming to you, you edged it over your team-mate in Canada, he edged it over you in Austria, describe the duel between you this season at Sauber and what the atmosphere is like within the team.

Marcus ERICSSON: The atmosphere is good. I think me and Felipe are working well together. Obviously he has had the upper hand so far but I’m looking to change that, working hard for that. Now, coming to Silverstone, it’s one of my favourite tracks, I really enjoy driving here, some really great corner combinations, so hopefully I can fight back and have a good weekend.

It looks like Sauber has been caught after that strong start, with the big points finished in the early races – only one points finish in the last five races for the team. Do you have some answers up your sleeve in development terms for the second half of the season and how much of a boost do you think Mark Smith, the new technical director, will be?

ME: I think we knew that the summer would be a bit difficult for us; we have a big upgrade coming after the summer. We are hurting a bit at the moment with people bringing updates to the recent races and we lost a bit of touch to some of them. But I think still we showed in Austria last time out that if we maximise what we have we can still be competitive and fight in the midfield, so that’s what we needs to focus on doing. On Mark Smith, obviously I worked with him a bit last year at Caterham and I have a very positive feeling with him joining the team. Obviously he’s not going to be able to much short-term, but I think in the longer term he is a very good person to have in the team, with his experience, so it’s a good thing for Sauber.

Q: Pastor, points scored in the last two races but you’ve never scored points at Silverstone, amazingly. Looking to put that right this weekend?

Pastor MALDONADO: I hope so. Do my best.

Q: How did you leave it with Max Verstappen after the battle in the last race, in Austria? Spectacular action on track. How have you left it on a personal level?

PM: I mean it was a great battle. This kind of battle I always enjoy, y’know? This is real fight in Formula One, which is always fair. For sure a couple of times it was very close, because he was trying to put me over the track – but this is part of the race. I really like the stewards that allowed us to race and to have more opportunities to fight in the track. Yeah, it was great. For me it was OK. After that, the race started very badly, we had some problems in the start and then we recovered quite well, thanks to the strategy, thanks to the team as well, and I drove quite well.

Q: Will, celebrated your 24th birthday last weekend – what are your feelings on making your home Formula One debut in front of a capacity crowd on Sunday at the British Grand Prix?

Will STEVENS: I’m really looking forward to this race. I have been for a long time. Clearly for us, growing up we watch this race and have come to it for many years. So, to be here for my first home grand prix is really exciting. Can’t wait to get out there on Friday and see everybody around the circuit.

Q: The last couple of races haven’t been so good for you or the team. The margin – particularly in Austria – seemed to be bigger than it’s been elsewhere. Are there technical reasons for that due to the package that you’ve got – and how do you think you’ll be fixed this weekend?

WS: I think the last few races have been a little more up-and-down. I think the actual times from the free practice sessions in Austria were pretty strong. Quali for us didn’t really work out because of the conditions – but looking ahead to this weekend, we should be making some steps forwards with the car for sure. We have quite a few upgrades here, which is nice. So, looking forwards to Friday to see how much that can help us out.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, accident here last year, accident in last race in Austria, how difficult is it for you to come to this weekend?

KR: It’s a new race, different weekend. It doesn’t matter if you have an accident. It was obviously bad for our race but that’s part of the game. It doesn’t change this weekend at all. I’ve had accidents before and probably will in the future, you pay the price when things do wrong.

Q: (Mike Doodson – Grand Prix Plus) A question for Jenson and Kimi. Last weekend we had Formula E racing in London, there were a few good, old F1 names among the drivers. Did either of you see the race and would you seriously consider switching to electric racing after Formula One?

JB: To answer the second question: no. And did I watch the race? No. I have watched a race this year and the reason is, it’s not because of the cars themselves, it’s because of the drivers. There’s a lot of drivers that I’ve raced against over the years, I think there’s 13 ex-F1 drivers, and that’s what makes the category exciting: they’ve got some real talent there; they’ve done a good job of getting talented drivers in the cars. I think there’s a great place for electric racing – if that’s what you want to call it – but I think it’s great and there’s a good fight amongst the talented drivers that are there. But it’s not something that interests me. Motorsport is motorsport for me. Something that I love is the smell, the sound and the speed – and that’s what Formula One is all about.

Kimi?

KR: yeah, actually I saw it. I saw the race and I’m not so interested in the future in some point to race them. It’s… I mean they’ve done well to go in the places that they race – I think it’s nice for people but, I mean, for me, unfortunately… we always talk here: it doesn’t go fast; it doesn’t look spectacular. They are… in my view they are pretty slow. The concept is probably nice in the future. Right now, yes, they get the good racing out of it but it doesn’t really… it’s something that doesn’t really excite me really – but obviously I’m happy for them to make such a good race series out of it.

Q: (Daan de Geus – NU.NL) Kimi, you let it be known earlier in the season that you were quite happy about the 2015 Ferrari and the way it handles and it fits your driving style. Ferrari have obviously been updating the car and made some changes to it. Do you still like the way it handles and the way it suits your way of driving?

KR: I don’t see why I wouldn’t suddenly like it; because I’ve had an accident doesn’t change anything. I’ve had accidents sometimes, like I said, it’s part of the game. We improved the car and it’s still a great car, obviously probably not fast enough to challenge Mercedes all the time but it’s a very good car and it’s a massive improvement from last year. Things go wrong sometimes but it doesn’t mean that you suddenly hate the car or you don’t like things. It’s just a part of the game. Like I said, it’s a good package and obviously we want to improve it and make it faster. Things could always be better. Even if you’re in a winning car you’re always wanting more out of it. Like I said, we’ve come such a long way from last year which people always forget. We’re still a work in progress to improve things.

Q: (Daniel Ortelli – Agence France Presse) Jenson, you were very vocal and supportive when the survey came out in Monaco and you’re one of the most experienced drivers; what’s your general comment or specific comment about the results of that survey? Were there some things that surprised you, is it in keeping with what you think of F1? Is there anything you can tell us about the reaction to the results?

JB: I don’t think there are any massive surprises in there. Obviously Kimi being the favourite driver of the fans – we knew that anyway, didn’t we? No, I don’t think there were any massive surprises. I think it’s really nice to get the view of the people that are out there that are watching us race, whether it’s at the circuit or on TV or read about Formula One. It’s nice to see their opinions. I think a lot of us agree – probably not with everything – but we all have our own opinions of the ways that Formula One can be improved. It’s great to see that there are lots of ideas that are floating around for the future in terms of making the cars wider, tyres wider, lighter, hopefully more sound. These are all things that are interesting and I think that’s great to see so hopefully they will happen in the near future.

Q: Do any of the other drivers have anything they would like to add on the findings of the survey?

Q: (Joe Bernstein – Daily Mail) Question to Will: you said that you used to watch the British Grand Prix as a kid when growing up. Can you tell us your first memory and also maybe your favourite race memory, watching it?

WS: Being British, obviously it’s a race I come to a lot so… Probably the first race I’ve been to was probably ten, twelve years ago. I remember it was wet but that’s not really too unusual for England. There’s been lots of good races here, more so on the old circuit and now obviously with the new layout – personally, I really like it. The racing here is always exciting, there’s always a good atmosphere here and that’s where the British fans do a good job. I’m sure this year’s going to be the same and I’m looking forward to seeing what it brings.

Q: (Joe Bernstein – Daily Mail) Is there one stand-out memory that you have?

WS: Not particularly for here, no.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, you seem to be very happy with the car after the Austrian test. Is this the best Williams car you’ve ever driven and is it good enough to repeat last year’s result here?

VB: I think we’ve been improving all the time so I think every race it’s the best car we’ve had, I think. It’s good that we’re making the right things because it seems like since last year nearly every single bit we’ve put on the car has made the car better so it’s a good direction and like I said, I’m just looking forward for this weekend to see how strong we can be, possibly even stronger than Austria but let’s see.

July 2, 2015
GPDA 2015 Fan Survey Results – Popularity Contest?

There is an age-old question that all Formula 1 are inevitably asked – Who do you support?

In the GPDA global fan survey a third of the fans said that they support more than one team and driver with less than 10% only following one team. It doesn’t really come as surprise that Ferrari ranked as the favourite team with McLaren and Williams in second and third respectively. After all, there are the teams that started Formula 1, the teams that embody the history of the sport.

When asked about favourite drivers Kimi Raikkonen came out on top with Fernando Alonso second and Jenson Button in third. Some may be perplexed as to how Raikkonen could be the favourite driver among F1 fans who participated in this survey. Much of Raikkonen’s appeal surely centers on his genuine personality. He tells it like it is, no matter what and that is something that is appreciated. The infamous quotes and ice cool demeanour help too.

Fernando Alonso is regarded by many as the best all-round driver on the grid and seems like a fairly approachable lad. What’s more Alonso has always understood the importance of his fans; a perfect instance of this was during the 2008 street race around Valencia. Then a Renault driver Alonso sustained damage in a collision, returned to the pits and urged his team to get him back out on the track despite being a few laps down. He understood what it would mean to the Spanish fans to see him on track. Kudos Fernando.

Jenson Button embodies much of the fighting, never-give-up spirit that most adore about Formula 1 drivers. Several years of struggle at BAR and Honda didn’t dull JB’s love and enthusiasm for the sport. There couldn’t have been many who would’ve begrudged Jenson Button his championship winning 2009 season. Similarly, there was a real feeling of sorrow at the thought of Button’s career coming to an end one year ago amongst fans.

That person or team that makes is the reason why your racing heart pumps a little faster. Sure, you can be a neutral but the euphoria of seeing your favourite team or driver succeed is without comparison.

July 2, 2015
F1 2015: British GP Preview – Time-tested Silverstone

The first ever Formula 1 world championship season took place sixty-five years ago in 1950. The British grand prix was the first official world championship race in that 1950 season and it remains, though altered, on the Formula 1 calendar.

The high speed circuit of Silverstone and the famously quick sequence of Maggots and Becketts are where Formula 1 cars are pushed to the limit of adhesion. The circuit and the venue is a part of many team’s history as some make their home’s literally down the street from the Silverstone gates. It’s one that all driver’s love to race on. “I mean, Silverstone’s great in a Formula Renault 2.0. In an F1 car? Epic,” says Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

The British weather is always in doubt even with talks of a possible heat wave. Yet, whether it is wet or dry Silverstone presents a stiff set-up challenge for drivers and engineers because of the assortment of low, medium and high speed corners.

It is here two years ago that Pirelli faced its biggest controversy as tyres appeared to completely disintegrate. It prompted an almost instantaneous change to the tyre construction and a complete redesign of the rubber. While tyre safety has improved Formula 1 in 2015 isn’t exactly in a happy place.

Yes, Mercedes’ dominance takes away a bit from the spectacle but they’re only getting their dues. They, like the rest of the paddock, were given a set of rules which they hit perfectly on the head. This is the way Formula 1 has always worked, in cycles. A period of dominance is not unusual as most Ferrari and even Sebastian Vettel fans will know.

But what is detracting from the showpiece is what Pirelli has brought to Formula 1. The Italian tyre manufacturer will say that they are simply dancing to Formula 1’s tune and producing what they are asked for. But to be able to complete 50 laps on one set of tyres is ludicrous. It leaves zero room for any sort of bold strategy which the 2012 and 2013 version of their tyres encouraged. At that stage the tyres were criticised for their fragility but what we wouldn’t give know for teams to have to think outside of the boring Pirelli box on tyre strategy. Hopefully the recent addition of Michelin as a potential tyre supplier spurs Pirelli to supply a range of tyres that will to the sport rather than detract from it.

A driver that needs a good weekend is Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The second place to Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain grand prix feels like a long time ago and a few unflattering results has stunted the Finn’s momentum since then. But while some are questioning the 2007 champion’s future at the team Ferrari team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene has ruled out making a decision “so early in the season.” Nevertheless, a solid run this weekend almost certainly won’t go unnoticed in the greater scheme of things.

The passion of the British Formula 1 fan has never been in doubt. Come serious rain or come shine nothing can stand in the way of these devoted enthusiasts. They have a lot to shout about too as Lewis Hamilton is aiming at world championship title number three. A win this weekend, on home soil, would be big for the Brit too. To win his home grand prix will come with a sort of euphoria that could carry Hamilton all the way to that coveted third title and importantly extend his points lead.

It is quite something to think that sixty-five years ago pundits of a different era sat down to write about the driver’s of their time ahead of the British grand prix. It goes to show that while the times may change where Formula 1 is there the legendary Silverstone will be.

June 30, 2015
F1 2015: Austrian GP Review – Rosberg Strikes In Spielberg

Control is a concept that when given up is difficult to regain. Yet, Nico Rosberg overcame his pole starting teammate and controlled all seventy-one laps for an important victory in Austria.

The multi-lingual German secured his third victory of the season and second consecutive Austrian race win. But for a “vibration” late on in the race the afternoon was smooth as it could be with Rosberg firmly in the lead. This was an important victory for Rosberg to stymie Hamilton’s momentum ahead of the British Grand Prix.

For Lewis Hamilton a supposed issue with the clutch complicated his afternoon. The reigning champion also cut the white line on pit exit for which he was given a five second penalty.

It didn’t influence his second position as he brought the number 44 Mercedes home in a rather quiet afternoon.

The Austrian country side is a beautiful vista of mountains and greenery but Kimi Raikkonen probably had enough of it. A communication error on Saturday landed the Finn at the back of the grid and Sunday’s race lasted all of three corners before a hefty clash with Fernando Alonso ended his race.

The crash itself was quite strange as Raikkonen appeared to lose rear grip and collected the front of Alonso’s McLaren. Some sources suggest that Raikkonen had a rear puncture which contributed to the rear end becoming unstuck but the Finn himself could not pinpoint a specific reason.

Sebastian Vettel fared slightly better and was running third but a problem with a wheelnut cost the German third place as he fell behind Williams’ Felipe Massa. The four time champion was able to close the gap in the closing stages but similar to the Bahrain Grand Prix was unable to overtake the Williams. Vettel declared the Williams the most difficult car to overtake after finishing the race in fourth.

McLaren’s afternoon only got worse and that in the presence of new Honda managing director Takahiro Hachigo. Jenson Button’s McLaren gave up the ghost after only ten laps of which at least six were behind the safety car. Sadly, McLaren’s Honda issues have not gotten any better since pre-season testing and its drivers were given a combination of fifty grid place penalties, in Austria, for changing several parts of their power units.

The issue of power unit penalties has been a point of heated contention. Nevertheless, the validity of this particular gripe is mostly unfounded. All manufacturers started with the same set of rules and the reality is that some, namely Merc, did a significantly better job than others. In all probability the manufacturers in Formula 1 would have thought that the second year of the hybrid power unit era would have looked far better in terms of power and reliability. In Renault’s case it’s showing a significant downturn in performance and reliability. Improvement from year one is possible though as Ferrari has proven. For Honda and Renault the level of frustration is further inflated by penalties but they are a consequence of a much bigger problem.

The race up front wasn’t as exciting as many would’ve liked but there were several juicy battles further down the field. For fifth place, Valtteri Bottas duked it out with an inspired Nico Hulkenberg. Bottas ultimately got the better of the tussle but the Force India driver, still on a high from winning Le Mans, put together a brilliant weekend which culminated with a sixth place finish.

The fight for seventh too was an exhilarating scrap between Pastor Maldonado and Max Verstappen. The teenager’s never-say-die approach made for a great spectacle but didn’t go down too well with Maldonado who felt that the youngster didn’t “respect the rules.” Ninth place went to Force India’s Sergio Perez ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

There are many factors which contribute to the current state of Formula 1 not least of all the tyres provided by Pirelli. Daniel Ricciardo was able to run fifty laps on the yellow-walled soft tyres before having to pit. The blame isn’t solely on Pirelli but surely a nigh indestructible tyre is not going to add to the showpiece. Even the 2012 and 2013 version of their tyres, which dramatically fell away, would be a welcome return at this uninspiring point. Michelin has announced their interest in becoming the official tyre supplier of Formula 1 with a promise of allowing drivers to push to the limit at all times. It’s easier said than done of course but it’s clear that, on the tyre front, things have to change.

The start of the 2015 season didn’t go to plan for Rosberg who was being summarily spanked by Hamilton. But little by little Rosberg has clawed his way back both on the leaderboard and mentally. With his confidence soaring a ten point gap doesn’t seem much at all.

Rosberg Hamilton Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG F1

June 22, 2015
Hamilton secures pole after both Merc drivers spin off

Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix during a pretty dramatic final qualifying shootout session at the Red Bull Ring, after both Mercedes drivers went off track in their final runs.

Hamilton claimed the pole position with a time of 1:08.455, beating team mate Nico Rosberg, who was comfortably quickest in Q1 and Q2.

Rosberg had already claimed provisional pole four tenths of a second clear of Hamilton, but despite improving on his next lap, Hamilton went even quicker and moved two tenths up on his team mate.

Both drivers came out for their final flying laps – Rosberg ahead of Hamilton on track.

Hamilton was first to spin off. He spun under braking for Turn 1 while Rosberg set a personal best in the first sector and went fastest of all in the second sector. But, the German ran a little wide at Turn 8 and slid off at Turn 9, parking his car in the gravel.

That sealed the deal for Hamilton, securing his pole position, ahead of Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel who’s team mate had a horrid session, getting knocked out in Q1.

Kimi Raikkonen was caught out in Q1, ending the session in 18th place. He will however move up to 14th following penalties for both McLaren and Red Bull drivers.

Felipe Massa, who locked out the front row of the grid with team mate Valtteri Bottas last season, will start from fourth place on the grid ahead of 2015 Le Mans winner Nico Hulkenberg and team mate Bottas.

Young Max Verstappen starts in seventh place for Toro Rosso, with Daniil Kvyat qualifying eighth but will drop to 18th after his engine penalty.

Felipe Nasr qualified in 9th place and Romain Grosjean 10th. He however did not register a Q3 lap due to brake issues. His team mate Pastor Maldonado was 11th fastest with Marcus Ericsson and Carlos Sainz Jr behind him.

Daniel Ricciardo managed only 14th after going off at Turn 3. Fernando Alonso registered 15th on the time sheets but both drivers will slip further back due to their engine penalties.

Sergio Perez was 16th quickest and Jenson Button 17th but he’ll start at the back of the grid and also serve a 10 second stop and go penalty as a result of changes to his car.

The two Manor drivers finish up the grid, with Roberto Merhi beating team mate Will Stevens who also headed through the gravel at Turn 7.

June 21, 2015
Grid Drops for Both McLaren Drivers

The McLaren F1 team face a difficult Austrian Grand Prix after confirming that both their drivers will incur grid penalties.

It was announced on Friday that Fernando Alonso will incur a 20-place grid drop for replacing an engine, a turbo charger and a MGU-H.

During a rain hit Free Practice 3 on Saturday , Alonso came to a stop on the pit straight. It later emerged that he suffered from a gearbox problem and that his gearbox needed to be replaced. This means that Alonso will incur a further 5-place grid penalty for the gearbox change which makes it a 25-place grid drop in total.

On Saturday morning McLaren confirmed a complete power unit change for Jenson Button. This would mean a 25 place grid drop for the Briton.

With McLaren not qualifying very high on the grid there is a high probability that neither of their drivers will be able to completely serve their grip drop penalties. This will mean that the stewards, at their discretion, convey a time penalty. The time penalties are applied based on the number of places a driver will drop after qualifying.

If a driver drops 4 places or less, he will incur a 10 second stop-and-go penalty. A 1-5 place drop or less will get the driver a 5 second stop-and-go or a 5 second post race time penalty. For a driver that drops between 6-10 places it will be a 10 second stop-and-go or a 10 second time penalty after the race. A drop of less than 11-20 places is a drive through or 20 second penalty after the race. The big one is if a driver drops less than 20 places. He will then incur a 10 second stop-and-go or a 30 second time penalty after the race.

This is a bit confusing but for example, if Button or Alonso qualify in P18, after their grip drop penalty is applied, Alonso would still need to drop 18 more places which means he will incur a drive through penalty during the race or a 20 second stop and go. It is likely that both drivers will get drive through penalties for the race.

Else where on the grid, both Red Bull’s of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will drop 10 places due to engine changes.

June 20, 2015