Tag: manor marussia

Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes – Manor Marussia

Abu Dhabi GP Preview Quotes from the Manor Marussia F1 Team

Will Stevens

“I’m really looking forward to this weekend in Abu Dhabi. It was here 12 months ago that I made my F1 debut, so this track has happy memories for me and it’s one I really enjoy racing at. I had a really strong race in Brazil, so I’d really like to replicate that performance on Sunday and I plan to approach the weekend in a similar fashion, focusing much more on the race than my single lap pace. Beating my team-mate is a moving target once again, with Roberto back in the car rather than Alex, but my aim is still to be the lead Manor driver going into the race, and the first to cross the line at the end of it.”

Roberto Merhi

“I’m so excited to be back in the car this weekend for the season finale. As any reserve driver will tell you, I really missed the racing; it will be a long time yet before I’m ready to hang up my racing gloves for a full-time career in TV commentary! I’ve kept a close eye on everything the team has been doing over the past five races, so I don’t think it will be too difficult to get back up to speed on Friday and see how I stand versus Will. I’ve missed the competitive spirit between us. The most important thing is to do the best job possible for the team on Sunday, and ensure we have a Abu Dhabi GP result to celebrate. It has been a long, hard season, so I want to say thank you for this opportunity and I hope I can deliver another strong performance to reward the faith the team has shown in me.”

John Booth, team principal

“It is great to be back in Abu Dhabi, having missed this race last season due to our team’s difficult situation. Yas Marina is a fantastic venue at which to conclude the season, and although both championships were decided some time ago, it will be a race that everyone wants to do well in before a well-deserved celebration.

“It’s great to have Roberto back in the car this weekend. He’s been by our side in the role of reserve driver over the past five races, but I know he has been champing at the bit to be racing again. For Will, this race marks a year since he made his F1 debut here. After a more positive showing in Brazil, I know he will be eager to carry that momentum through to this weekend.

“Abu Dhabi marks our final race with Scuderia Ferrari as our Powertrain Partner. We have enjoyed a fantastically collaborative relationship over the past two seasons, working together very much as one team. Our Ferrari colleagues have been our teammates, like any other. We have shared a few highs and lows together, but our abiding memory will be that special day in Monaco 2014, when together we achieved our team’s first championship points.

“On a personal note, on Sunday evening I’ll be bidding the F1 paddock farewell for now. I can’t deny it will be a strange feeling for me; after all, we have been through so much together. But I am comfortable knowing that I will leave the team in the best shape possible, ready for its new chapter.”

November 26, 2015
Jules Bianchi Update: Condition ‘more terrible than if he had died,’ says his father

Jules Bianchi’s father, Philippe, has admitted that he is becoming a lot less optimistic about the chances of his son recovering from the injuries suffered during a horrific crash at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Jules Bianchi remains in a coma at a hospital in Nice, nine months after his horrific collision with a recovery vehicle at the grand prix at Suzuka and his father describes the situation as one that his putting the Bianchi family through “daily torture”.

Bianchi suffered severe brain injuries in the crash and his family have remained hopeful, remaining at his bedside, but his father wass a lot less optimistic in an interview with France Info, a local radio station.

“It’s unbearable, it’s a daily torture,” Philippe Bianchi told the radio station. “We sometimes feel like we’re going crazy, because for me, it certainly is more terrible than if he had died. For we’re not able to help him more than we can.

“Time goes by and I am now less optimistic than I may have been two or three months after the crash, when we could hope for a better evolution. At some point, you need to be well-grounded and realise how serious the situation is.”

Bianchi, who was driving for Marussia and was part of Ferrari’s young driver programme, has not made any significant progress in his recovery. His father went on to say that waking up from the coma would lead to further complications as he struggles with a conversation he had with Jules following Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident in December 2013.

“If he finds himself with huge disabilities, we’re pretty sure it’s not at all what Jules would want. We had talked about it. He told us that if he were to have an accident similar to Michael Schumacher’s, if he were even just not to be able to drive anymore, it would be very hard for him to accept it. Because it was his life.”

We all continue to hope for a full recover for Jules and our thoughts remain with the Bianchi family throughout their struggle.

#ForzaJules

July 13, 2015
Hamilton holds the lead in second practice

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton continued to set the pace during Friday’s practice sessions for the Chinese Grand Prix as he ended the second practice session almost half a second faster than Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton posted a time of 1:37.219 during the low-fuel runs on Option tyres finishing 0.443s ahead of Raikkonen. The Finn’s performance on the soft tyres was very impressive and long run pace on the Prime tyres was also right up there with Mercedes. The stage certainly seems set for an epic battle this weekend.

Red Bull’s struggles continued with Daniel Ricciardo only making it out of the garage at the 45 minute mark, but the Australian driver managed to post the third fastest time of the session – just over a second down on Hamilton’s time.

His team mate, Daniil Kvyat posted the sixth fastest time but his session came to an early end in the barriers after he suffered a brake failure. He had left the pits with a brake problem and Red Bull called him back to the garage informing him to slowly make his way back, but he headed into the gravel at the hairpin, into the barrier and damaged his front wing.

Sebastian Vettel spun off early in on in the session but recovered to finish fourth fastest, with Nico Rosberg managing fifth after running wide at the final corner on his hot lap.

Valtteri Bottas finished seventh for Williams and Sauber’s Felipe Nasr was eighth.

After sitting out the first practice session, Romain Grosjean headed out to finish ninth and Jenson Button rounded out the Top 10 in his McLaren. The McLaren team have made some definite improvements with Button only about 0.4 seconds off Grosjean’s pace on the soft tyres.

Pastor Maldonado was fastest through the speed trap but finished only 11th fastest, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Marcus Ericsson and the Toro Rosso youngsters Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Nico Hulkenberg placed his Force India in 16th, ahead of Felipe Massa.

The Brazilian driver’s session also ended early when he locked his rear tyres under braking at the hairpin and spinning off into the barriers – also damaging his front wing. His spin brought out a brief red flag while his Williams was recovered from the track.

Sergio Perez was 18th quickest, ahead of Robert Merhi and Will Stevens for the Manor Marussia team.

Stevens spent most of the session in the garage with a power unit problem but was able to head out onto track in the final few minutes of the session.

The session was punctuated by a spectator who ran across the pit straight between the flying cars of Ericsson and Hulkenberg.

The idiotic fan was arrested and taken into police custody.

You can watch the madness here.

And is if that didn’t make the session interesting enough, a couple was spotted in the stands having their wedding photos taken.

Talk about a High Speed Wedding and all. Let’s hope their marriage is a little slower paced and longer lasting.

If today’s practice sessions are anything to go by, Sunday’s race is going to be very interesting! A lot will depend on who can make their soft tyres last longest – with Ferrari already proving at the Malaysian Grand Prix that their cars are very easy on the rubber. Today too, the Ferraris showed their ability to make their tyres last. Lewis Hamilton completed 11 laps on the soft tyre before seeing a significant drop-off. Sebastian Vettel on the other hand, was still setting decent times after 14 laps on the softer rubber.

There’s still plenty to play for though – Hamilton’s pace advantage is a lot bigger than in Malaysia so Ferrari will need to work hard to catch him if he races off into a lead.

Please join us on Twitter @F1_Madness tomorrow for live coverage and chat throughout the third practice and qualifying sessions.

Here is your timesheet for the second practice session:

April 10, 2015