Tag: lewis hamilton

Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Mercedes

Preview Quotes from the Mercedes Team ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2012 Qualifying – 8th, 2012 Race – DNF
“The Abu Dhabi weekend is a real favourite of mine and it’s a great event for the fans, our partners and the team. It’s also very unique as a twilight race and working on a different timetable makes a nice change from the usual race weekend. On the track, we will be looking to continue the pace and performance of the car that we saw in India and hopefully the result. It was a really positive weekend for me and I’m pleased that the team now has renewed momentum in our fight for second place.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2012 Qualifying – 1st, 2012 Race – DNF
“The race in Abu Dhabi is always a fun weekend and one which I really enjoy. The circuit and the whole Yas Marina complex are so impressive and racing from the sunshine into the twilight is quite special. With three races left of the season, we are still pushing and there is a lot that our team can achieve in that period. It’s all about consistency now and making sure that both Nico and I score good points so that we can keep the other teams behind us. We’re up for the challenge!”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is undoubtedly one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and a weekend that everyone at the team always enjoys. The uniqueness of the twilight racing and the wonderful facilities at the Yas Marina Circuit make for quite a spectacular show, both for the crowds at the track and for those watching on television. The circuit layout is challenging with the brakes under particular strain and overtaking can be tricky despite the long straights. This is a demanding period with four of the seven season-ending flyaway races now completed and I am pleased with how the motivation and commitment levels at our team are remaining so high. India was a strong weekend for us with some valuable points scored and we will aim to have another positive weekend in Abu Dhabi to consolidate our position.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director
“We delivered a good team result in India, with podium number eight this year and our biggest points total since the Belgian Grand Prix. Our target now is to build on that momentum in Abu Dhabi. We know what to expect at Yas Marina: a circuit where good traction is important, as well as strong straightline speed, and conditions in which it’s important to look after the rear tyres, especially through the first stint when the track temperatures are still high. All of us in the team know that the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship will go down to the final race. We are ready for the fight.”

October 31, 2013
Ross Brawn to Leave Mercedes at the end of the Season

The BBC reported that Mercedes AMG Pertronas Team Pricipal Ross Brawn will leave the Brackley based team at the end of the 2013 Formula 1 season.

This comes after much speculation of Brawn’s future after Mercedes hired Paddy Lowe from McLaren earlier this year. The plan Mercedes had in mind was for Brawn to eventually hand over to Lowe in the future, but no specific time was given. He made it very clear that if he were to stay on, he was to retain his influence in the team.

Despite Niki Lauda urging Brawn to stay and with both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton expressing their opinion that Brawn should stay on it seems that talks between Brawn and Mercedes have broken down with either party unable to agree on terms which left Ross Brawn with no option but to leave.

From next season Mercedes will be run by their two executive directors, Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe. Wolff will run the financial and commercial aspects of the team while Lowe will take over the operations and technical side of the team.

With Brawn being a free agent from next season there is lots of speculation where he may end up. Word is that he might move to McLaren with them being powered by Honda engines from next year since he’s had experience with Honda in 2007 and 2008. Some are hoping that he goes back to Ferrari to bring the team to its former glory.

Update: After the the report Mercedes neither confirmed nor denied that Ross Brawn will leave the team at the end of the year.

October 29, 2013
F1 2013: Indian GP Review – Super Seb Achieves Greatness

The Indian grand prix has found itself in the privileged position of crowning Sebastian Vettel as the 2013 driver’s world champion.

There are few greater moments in this majestic sport than seeing a driver crowned champion. Whether you are a fan of Sebastian Vettel or not seems irrelevant in the face of this massive achievement. Only Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and now Sebastian Vettel has won four consecutive world titles. It not only deserves recognition but tremendous respect.

The Budhh International circuit played host to the third Indian GP and tyre strategy dominated the headlines from the first free practice session on Friday. It was evident early on that the yellow walled soft compound tyres were extremely fragile and would, presumably, dictate the rest of the weekend. Unsurprisingly, Saturday’s qualifying session saw a split in tyre strategy with several drivers opting to set their fastest time in Q3 on the medium tyre. Mark Webber emerged as the best of those on the alternate strategy with fourth place and seemed in the pound seats for Sunday’s race. The untouchable Sebastian Vettel went about his business and wrapped up yet another pole position ahead of the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

The dicey option tyres were given the short prognosis of lasting a maximum of six to seven laps. Sebastian Vettel made his customary break in the first lap of the race and by the end of it was leading Felipe Massa by 3.5 seconds.

Not wanting to risk anything on the perilous Pirelli rubber Vettel dived into the pits on the second lap and fitted the medium compound tyres for his second stint. The German dropped into masses of traffic and seventeenth place overall. This was the moment that those who started on the more durable tyre were expected to craft a sizeable gap over the number one Red Bull. But Sebastian Vettel is never one to be outdone not by rivals and certainly not by strategy. He scythed his way through the pack and by the end of the twentieth lap he was right on the gearbox of Sergio Perez’s third placed McLaren.

The only man who could mathematically stop Vettel from winning the title was Fernando Alonso. However, the Ferrari driver’s race got off to a disastrous start as collisions with Mark Webber and Jenson Button demanded a front-wing change. The Spaniard never recovered from his early set back and ended the race in eleventh place. Teammate Felipe Massa enjoyed a far better outing and led the Indian GP for a spell before pitting for fresh rubber. The Brazilian ultimately finished a solid fourth place. Sergio Perez provided a boost for McLaren with a fifth place finish after pulling off a great overtake on Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton finished a quiet race in sixth place for Mercedes.

Raikkonen, after having made a late race pitstop, finished seventh whilst struggling with overheating brakes in the beginning of the race and fuel issues towards the closing stages. Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil came home eighth and ninth at Force India’s home race as Daniel Ricciardo secured the final point on offer for Toro Rosso.

The podium finishers looked as if they would include both Red Bull drivers but an alternator failure felled Mark Webber and promoted Nico Rosberg to second overall. The German’s second place finish was his and Mercedes’ first of the season. Rosberg’s other visits to the podium this season have all been victories. Romain Grosjean delivered a stunning drive to recover from 17th place in qualifying. The Frenchman and his ever improving consistency netted him third place over all; but not without some controversy for his Lotus team.

Lotus tried to play the long game with Kimi Raikkonen’s tyre strategy by suggesting a more than 50 lap stint on the medium tyre. Pirelli had advised teams that a thirty-five lap stint was potentially the most tyres would be able to stand and although some drivers pushed a bit further than the 35 lap limit Lotus’ pitwall thought they would the exception to the rule. The appalling strategy called failed, as it did in China, and Raikkonen was left defenseless and losing nearly two and a half seconds per lap. It smacks again of Lotus being a team who are not able to handle complicated strategy calls in the heat of the moment.

Logic suggests that as soon as Raikkonen starting losing chunks of time, around lap 40 to 45 with a nineteen second gap over Massa and Hamilton, the call to pit should have been made. Raikkonen’s tyres were shot by the time Grosjean caught up to the back of the Lotus nevertheless the Finn’s racer’s heart demanded that he fight for his position; and fight for the place against Grosjean he did.

Alan Permane, head of trackside operations for Lotus, revealed the less than cordial feelings the team has for Raikkonen with vulgar radio message: “Kimi, get out of the f&^$ing way.” Raikkonen responded by asking the team not to shout at him. Raikkonen has also responded by driving without being payed for the majority of the season, paying his own traveling costs, and with 183 of Lotus’ 285 constructor’s points. Since Raikkonen put pen to paper to join Ferrari in 2014 Lotus’ attitude toward the Finn has taken a significant turn. Snide comments in the press about Raikkonen being “ungrateful” were a small insight to this shift. However, this radio message painted the picture a lot more clearly. Permane revealed after the race that he was “disappointed” that Raikkonen had chosen to fight for position. Perhaps his disappointment could be better served by aiming it at the strategic calls made by the team.

In the end, the day belonged to the incomparable Sebastian Vettel. Four times a world champion Vettel has earned the respect of the motorsport world with a sublimely flawless racing craft that is second to none. Success in Formula 1 demands the perfect blend of man and machine and Vettel has flawlessly delivered his end of the deal.

Personally, he has handled the jeering of the crowds with great character; professionally he has blown away any suggestion that he is anything less than pure class. Vettel thrilled the Indian crowd with several donuts on the start/finish straight but in truth he has thrilled motorsport fans with a superlative talent that knows no bounds. At only 26 years old Sebastian Vettel has entered into Formula 1 immortality.

October 27, 2013
F1 2013: Free Practice 1 Report – Indian GP

The first free practice session for the Indian GP was headed by the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Proceedings took nearly forty minutes to get underway at a hazy Budhh International circuit. The first driver out on track and setting flyers was McLaren’s Sergio Perez. The rest of the front-running teams seemed reluctant to venture out on circuit.

Nevertheless, several cars gradually made their way onto circuit and got on with the task of preparing for Sunday’s race. Lotus are believed to be trying some bit and pieces on the E21 this weekend as they bid for second place in the constructor’s championship. Britian’s James Calado took over the Force India from an “under the weather” Paul Di Resta. However, the Scot was seen in the paddock and pointed out that he had to give up some friday practice time to the young Brit at some stage during the remainder of the season.

Lewis Hamilton reported his car as being “all over the place” throughout the session but Nico Rosberg showed encouraging pace for the Mercedes team. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean, still in doubt about his future with the Enstone team, featured near the top of the timing sheets while teammate Raikkonen went about his business quietly down the bottom end of the table.

Fernando Alonso spent the first half hour of the session sat in the back of the garage. And when the Spaniard did venture out a suspected gearbox issue brought an end to his session. Felipe Massa has also confirmed that he is in talks with Williams for the 2014 season.

Jenson Button is carrying Porsche SuperCup racer Sean Edward’s helmet emblem on the top of his lid for the weekend and Sebastian Vettel is sporting a carbon inspired design for the Indian grand prix. The Mercedes team is also running an Airtel sponsor for the weekend as Nico Rosberg invited some kids to the circuit earlier in the weekend to see a Formula 1 car and steering wheel up close. Apparently, the steering wheel shown to the kids was Lewis Hamilton’s and Rosberg later joked that should the Brit be missing some pace that a few adjustments may have been made on the wheel by the kids.

All images – www.twitter.com

October 25, 2013
India GP Preview Quotes – Mercedes F1 Team

Preview Quotes from the Mercedes F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes Preview Quotes

“I’m looking forward to our trip to India. It really is a fascinating country and there is always something new to see or experience when you are there for the race weekend. The track itself is pretty challenging and there are good overtaking opportunities at the end of the long straight so the race should hopefully be quite exciting. The Indian fans are very passionate and increasingly knowledgeable about our sport and I hope they will enjoy the experience and provide some good support for our team. The last few races haven’t been the best for us so I am hoping for a good weekend. We are all determined to finish the season strongly and to continue our challenge for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Preview Quotes

“I have really enjoyed our two visits to India so far. It’s such a vibrant country and the support that we’ve received from the fans there has been fantastic. They love sport and the knowledge that some of the fans that I’ve met have had about Formula One has been great to see. I really hope that we can see the country take Formula One to heart in the future. I also really like the Buddh International Circuit. The layout has a great rhythm and I love the fast turns and high speeds. We’re hoping for a strong weekend after a couple of difficult races and I know that everyone has been working really hard to make sure that we can get all of the performance possible from the car over the last four races. We know that we have a good car and, if we can put together a good race weekend, then we have the potential for some great results before the season is over.”

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal Preview Quotes
“The Buddh International Circuit presents a good challenge for the drivers and engineers with its combination of low-speed corners and long straights. The track also has one of the highest average speeds of the year. After two visits to India, we hope to see our sport continue to grow in popularity and look forward to more fantastic support from the Indian fans. We are once again pleased to have agreed a race partnership with Airtel, title sponsors of the Indian Grand Prix, and we look forward to welcoming them to our team over the weekend. There has been a great deal of analysis and hard work taking place at Brackley and Brixworth since we returned from Japan and I am pleased with the continued work ethic of the team and the determination to achieve our goal of second place in the championship. Both Nico and Lewis have been in the factory this week to assist with our preparations for the next two races and we are all looking forward to the challenge of securing strong finishes for both drivers.”

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team executive director Preview Quotes
“The last three races have shown us that we have a real fight on our hands to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship – but also that we have the performance to achieve our goal if we consistently deliver the full potential of the car. We quickly put the disappointing weekend in Japan behind us and are now fully focused on the final four races of the season. The engineering team has been working hard to extract every last bit of performance and Nico and Lewis are both hungry to achieve strong finishes. We have no reason to fear any of the upcoming circuits, as we have been strong on all types of track so far this season. That should once again be the case this weekend in India, on a circuit that includes one of the most demanding corners of the year at turn 10. We will aim to do our usual, professional job, maximise the performance of the car and our target for both drivers will be a podium finish.”

October 23, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Review – Seb Rules Suzuka

Demanding or easy, big or small Sebastian Vettel will win them all. The Red Bull driver has increased his tally of victories for the 2013 season to nine with another fine victory in Japan.

Saturday qualifying delivered a first pole of the season for Mark Webber but the Australian couldn’t quite manage to seal the deal on Sunday. However, AussieGrit gave it a good go in a race defined by strategy and patience.

Neither of the front row starting Red Bulls covered themselves in glory as the red lights extinguished. Instead they fell prey to the fast starting Romain Grosjean. The Lotus driver blitzed both Red Bulls and sensationally snatched the lead of the race.

The merest of touches between third placed Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race completely wrecked the Brit’s afternoon. A trip into to the pits with a right rear puncture only postponed the inevitable as Hamilton pulled his Silver Arrow into the garage only a few laps later.

The factor that added to and made the show in Japan was the unknown. For the better part of 53 laps there was no definitive certainty who the eventual victor of the race would be. Romain Grosjean had the lead of the race right off the bat and appeared to have the pace to beat Red Bull. But he is after all in the cockpit of a Lotus and though he got heartbreakingly close beating a Red Bull, much less two, is nigh impossible. Mark Webber’s three stop strategy nearly gave him enough of an undercut to take the victory from Vettel but he ran out of laps before he was able to fully exploit his astute plan. The final stint of the race on fresh medium tyres did however reward Webber with second place at the chequered flag.

There was a third driver in this mix too. Sebastian Vettel patiently waited for his chance to make his own strategy talk. Electing to pit later than his two rivals in the first round of stops meant he would have to stick to a two stopper if victory was to be on the cards. Vettel’s unfailing ability to reel off quick laps paid dividends in the end as he took over the lead of the race from Webber.

Finger boy, selfish, lucky – whatever you want to call Sebastian Vettel he revealed a bit more of what makes him so unbeatable in this race. Beneath that quirky, sort of cheeky, grin there is more talent and skill than we have even begun to glimpse. The regularity with which he is able to set fast laps isn’t in the repertoire of someone who is lucky, that is a skill of a champion.

Further down the field Fernando Alonso played second fiddle for a big part of the race to teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso failed on more than one occasion to overtake the Brazilian; surprising given Alonso’s performances relative to his departing teammate throughout the years. Nevertheless, Alonso managed to get the better of Massa eventually but could not advance much further through the field. “We weren’t as quick as the Red Bulls or Grosjean so fourth was the maximum. We recovered some of the pace we didn’t have earlier in the weekend, but the top three were too strong for us even without traffic,” Alonso concluded.

The traffic Alonso referred to came in the form Daniel Ricciardo. The Toro Rosso driver started his race on the orange side walled hard tyres enabling him to run a good deal further into the race than those immediately around him. The Aussie was lapping three seconds off the front running pace and drivers stuck in the Ricciardo-train included both Ferrari’s and Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn ultimately finished fifth ahead of Sauber pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is the first of the 2013 rookies this season to score points and aptly on the weekend of Peter Sauber’s 70^th birthday. Nico Rosberg’s race was dealt a blow when the pit crew released him into the path of Sergio Perez; the McLaren driver had to take avoiding action and Rosberg incurred a drive through penalty but was still able to salvage eighth place. Jenson Button said a late set-up change made his McLaren quite difficult to drive and that ninth was the maximum. Felipe Massa scored the final point on offer.

Notwithstanding Red Bull’s dominance of the season it has taken until the fifteenth race of the year for any of the rookies to score a point. Add to this that points are awarded all the way down to tenth place, as opposed to sixth in the past; it is an indication that competition for those elusive points is a closely fought affair and more importantly that Formula 1 is healthy and highly competitive.

It will take at least two more weeks for Sebastian Vettel to become a four times world champion. Fifth place is all the German will need to clinch the title in India. If the Japanese GP showed anything it solidified that Seb Vettel is entirely unruffled and that very little is going to keep him from making Formula 1 history, again.

October 13, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Qualifying Report – Webber Snatches Suzuka Pole

Mark Webber has secured pole position for the 2013 Japanese grand prix.

The Australian eased his way through qualifying and pounced on his first run on the final ten minute session. Webber did slightly improve his time in his second run but it was ultimately not required. Sebastian Vettel lines up second for Sunday’s race as the German miraculously managed to secure a spot on the front row of the grid despite losing the kers in the final part of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton secured third in the Mercedes and said, post-qualifying, that tyre management will be the most important factor in the race.

The first part of qualifying ended in a fiery mess for Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne. The Frenchman brought his car to a stop as both rear brakes caught fire after being stuck open. The red flag was momentarily out as the marshals cleared the Toro Rosso; the session resumed with just about three minutes remaining. Adrian Sutil was the biggest loser as the Force India driver failed to advance to the second part of qualifying. Sutil has also incurred a five place grid penalty for changing a gearbox.

Max Chilton optimised conditions perfectly as out-qualified both Caterham drivers and teammate Jules Bianchi. Perfect timing for Chilton who is yet to confirm his future in Formula 1.

Despite their best efforts Sergio Perez, Valterri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez, Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo were cut at the end of the second session. Though also being caught in the drop zone in Q2 Force India’s Paul di Resta was upbeat after his qualifying performance. The Scot praised the effort made by the team especially considering the fact that new updates have not been brought to the car this weekend. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean set the fastest time in the second part of qualifying, seemingly preparing himself for a duel with the Red Bull duo of Webber and Vettel.

Ultimately, Grosjean could only muster a time quick enough for fourth but has saved a brand new set of the medium compound tyres for the race. Felipe Massa was able to slot his Ferrari into fifth ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes in sixth. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg continued to impress as he set the seventh fastest time. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen’s lacklustre runs in qualifying continued with eighth and ninth respectively. Raikkonen should be slightly upset given that his pace throughout the weekend suggested a better position was possible. Jenson Button rounded out the top ten in his McLaren.

Although the qualifying session at Suzuka demanded the utmost concentration thoughts about former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota was not far from the driver’s minds. Several drivers were seen sporting Villota’s trademark star on their crash helmets as a show of support.

Mark Webber had earmarked the qualifying session for the Japanese GP as the one his most looked forward to earlier this year. By taking first pole position of the season he has certainly achieved half his goal of leaving this majestic circuit with the best memories possible. This seventh pole of the season for Red Bull also marks a historical moment in Renault’s participation in Formula 1 as the French engine manufacturer has now secured more pole positions than Ferrari.

Sunday’s race holds great potential for cracking grand prix. The challenge could come from Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes but the form this weekend also suggests that Lotus may yet have a thing or two to say about who stands where on those three podium steps.

October 12, 2013
Mark Webber Fastest in FP3 in Suzuka

Red Bull’s Mark Webber topped the time sheets at the end of the third free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

Webber, set a time of 1:32.053 for P1. Hamilton, in his Mercedes set a time of 1:32.187 for P2, only 0.134s slower than Webber. Nico Rosberg finished the session in P3 with a 1:32.255.

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean looked very strong on the prime tyre and held the fastest time until the options came out, finished the session in P4, while both the Ferrari’s of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa finished the session in P5 and P6 respectively.

The session was not without incident with Force India’s Adrian Sutil having a spin at the exit of the Spoon Corner. He seemed to have lost the rear end on the exit and spun off into the barrier damaging his rear wing, rear suspension and front wing.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg reported and exhaust problem early on in the session. The Sauber mechanics worked very quick and had him out for a run on the options.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was out of FP3 with 30mins left in the session with a suspected KERS battery failure. No doubt his car will be ready before the start of Qualifying.

The full time sheet for the session is included below:

Join us for out live qualifying coverage from 07:00(GMT+2

October 12, 2013
F1 2013: Free Practice 1 Report – Japanese GP

The first free practice session for the 2013 Japanese grand prix was topped by Lewis Hamilton.

The notoriously difficult Suzuka circuit didn’t take long to snare its first victim as Marussia’s Jules Bianchi ended his first session in the tyre barrier of the Degner 2. It was later reported that Bianchi had gotten his elbow stuck between the steering wheel and the chassis and was unable to reduce the steering wheel lock which resulted in the crash. The Frenchman was seen icing his forearm in the Marussia motorhome. Bianchi completed only eight laps in the first free practice session.

The track looked in great nick for the session with slightly overcast conditions doing nothing to hamper the pace set by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton set the quickest time for the session on the orange side-walled Pirelli tyres, a 1:34:178. The standings had a familiar look about them towards the closing stages of the session as Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber occupied second through fourth on the sheets.

Two separate incidents for Williams’ Pastor Maldonado and Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde brought out several yellow flags. The first incident involved Maldonado running wide at the Spoon curve and losing his left right wheel. The tyre bounced into the gravel trap around the edge of the circuit and was quickly recovered by the Japanese marshals. At the same time van der Garde parked his Caterham in the barriers of Degner 2, thankfully without too much damage to the car. The famous Degners have already claimed two victims and there is sure to be a few more this weekend.

The level of tyre degradation seemed minimal however the long runs completed by some drivers lasted on a handful of laps. A clearer picture should emerge in the second free practice session. The news coming into the Japanese GP this weekend was about the possible retirement of Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn. However, during an interview with the BBC Brawn was adamant that nothing had been decided and that no discussions had taken place between himself and Honda nor McLaren. In fact, Brawn made it quite clear that negotiations are on the go with Mercedes for 2014.

Over at McLaren Martin Whitmarsh neither confirmed nor denied the rumour about Fernando Alonso rejoining the Woking based team. Whitmarsh also declined to reveal details about Sergio Perez’ future with McLaren. Rumours suggest that Alonso wants to make the move to McLaren in 2014; however this is pure speculation at this stage.

Jenson Button has long since considered the Japanese GP as his second home race of the season and is sporting quite a nifty new helmet design for the weekend. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

Sebastian Vettel considers every race weekend a special occasion and is also sporting a new lid design. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

October 11, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Preview – Spectacular Suzuka

There are few things that are greater than the sport Formula 1. But if there was ever a possibility of it being transcended, of something being greater than the sport that so is beloved then Japan’s Suzuka circuit would be that mystical exception.

The circuit lap record is held by Kimi Raikkonen, set during the exceptionally memorable 2005 Japanese GP. Suzuka made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 1987 and this race, where Raikkonen blasted his way through the field from seventeenth to first, is highly regarded as one of the best Japanese GP in F1 history.

The history of this circuit is saturated with some of the sport’s most unforgettable moments. One of the most grandiose and infamous moments between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the rivals who defined F1 in the 90s, transpired here. Both in contention for the 1990 world title Senna’s cunning plan was set into motion the moment the lights turned to luminous green. As Prost turned his Ferrari into turn 1 Senna held station in his McLaren resulting in a collision that sent both into the turn 1 gravel trap. Both retired from the race and Senna was crowned champion ensuring not only one the most memorable moments in Japan but in all of Formula 1.

Aside from its history, drivers are unanimous in their praise of Suzuka calling “one of the best tracks in the world.” The circuit’s old school, classic, layout and limited run-off area is reminiscent of traditional F1 tracks that required intense concentration and precision. The 5.807 km long lap is uncompromising and ready to punish the slightest lapse in discipline. “If you touch the grass at any point, it’s going to spin you off into the wall, so it’s a much more demanding circuit in terms of precision, positioning and turning points for each corner,” said Lewis Hamilton.

The adrenaline charged layout is a combination of medium to high-speed with first sector of the lap characterised by the flowing Esses, more commonly known as the Snake. Spoon curve, a double apex left-hander in sector two, is taken at fairly high-speed and is crucial for a good end to the lap as it leads directly onto the back straight. The figure-of-eight layout adds the element of elevation changes to the mix along with hairpins, Esses, 130R and a chicane, Suzuka is the perfect blend of a prodigious racing track.

A good front-end, a descent amount of drag and few mistakes should translate into a good result at the end of the 53 lap Japanese GP on Sunday. Both Lotus drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, showed good pace in Korea and could be a threat this weekend. As throughout the year the Lotus has shown adequate long run pace in comparison to its one lap speed; at least in the case of Raikkonen. A better run in qualifying should put Raikkonen in prime position to challenge for race victory; assuming that a certain Mr. Vettel isn’t able to unleash his Singapore-style pace.

Of late, Ferrari’s challenge seems to have faded and not even Fernando Alonso’s Samurai inspired tweets have been enough to enthuse his championship bid. Given that the Suzuka circuit is similar, in terms of corner speed, to Silverstone it may be yet another uphill battle for the Italian squad.

It’s all over bar the singing as Sebastian Vettel’s run of recent victories has led to the possibility that he could clinch his fourth consecutive title in Japan. Four world championships crowns in a row has only been achieved twice in the history of F1; first by Juan Manuel Fangio and secondly, by Michael Schumacher who racked up five consecutive titles between 2001 – 2004. Should Sebastian Vettel find himself first to the chequered flag this weekend, and closest rival Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower, the German will secure a fourth driver’s world title at the Japanese GP.

There appears to be no a definite challenge to the all-conquering dominance of Sebastian Vettel. But perhaps the splendour and palpable history is a combination great enough to conjure a Japanese GP to remember.

October 10, 2013