F1 Madness

Tag: sebastian vettel

  • F1 2017: Official Testing Day 1 Wrap-Up

    F1 2017: Official Testing Day 1 Wrap-Up

    The first official day of testing commenced at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya on Monday.

    The eagerly awaited first day of testing got off to an expected slow start as the new cars trickled out of their respective garages to set the first installations laps. First out on circuit was Renault’s RS17 but the rest quickly followed suit.

    The first red flag of the testing session was brought out by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who parked his brand-new RB13 at turn 3. Nevertheless, before the stoppage Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas had set a quickest time in the 1:24s with a set of Pirelli’s new medium compound tyre.

    This time was soon eclipsed by Sebastian Vettel who put the Ferrari on top of the timing sheets with a 1:23:560. The Ferrari and Mercedes teams easily set the most number of laps in the opening morning of testing. Meanwhile, gremlins struck in the McLaren garage as Fernando Alonso’s car developed an oil system problem. The team estimated a four to five hour period to get to the bottom of the issue.

    McLaren’s problems with their engine seem like a repeat of last years testing and was summed up by AutoSport’s Gary Anderson rather eloquently.

    “It’s not good news for McLaren-Honda to be sat in the garage chasing some kind of oil system problem. The engines coming to this test should all be test-bench run and where the engine connects up to the system of the car should be bulletproof. Using the excuse that this is testing and things will go wrong is rubbish because you only have eight days and you need to hit the ground running. Losing a big part of a day is time you will never recover, and by the time the McLaren runs again, most of its rivals will have built up a lot of mileage. We’ve seen a lot of finger problems for McLaren and Honda during the past few years, and maybe this is the same again. Not a good start to testing.”

     

    The second half of the day was more productive for the teams that were off to a slow start in the mornings.

    McLaren changed the engine in the MCL32 and sent Alonso out on track for a few laps and to catch on on some running he missed during the morning. Alonso ended his day with 14 laps on the board with a fastest time of 1:24.852.

     

    Ricciardo was the first one to emerge from the pits after the lunch break and Red Bull were able to get going with their testing program and managed to complete 50-laps before the end of the day. Ricciardo’s fastest lap put him 5th fastest on the day with a time of 1:22.926.

    Mercedes topped the time sheets at the end of the day and had the highest tally of completed laps on the day. Lewis Hamilton jumped into the car after lunch and set the fastest time of the day of 1:21.765. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was the second fastest with a 1:21.878. Vettel completed 128 laps and will welcome a day’s rest when Kimi Raikkonen takes over testing duties on Tuesday.

     

    After a brief retirement, Felipe Massa completed 103 laps on his return. He set the 3rd fastest time of the day with a time of 1:22.706.

    With limited running, Sergio Perez completed 39 laps for Force India and finished the day 7th fastest ahead of Carlos Sainz who was 8th fastest on the day. ON his first outing for Renault, Nico Hulkenberg set the 9th fastest time of the day completing 57 laps around the Circuit de Catalunya.

    Compared to last year the times are already much quicker and are set to become faster as testing goes on. The times have almost no meaning at this point. The objective for the teams is to get as much mileage on the cars during these few days as possible and learn as much about the car as they can. Engineers will be pouring over the data and will be ready with new setup parameters tomorrow

     

  • 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 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    F1 2017: Team-by-team Guide, Part 1

    Mercedes – Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas

    Given their ominous and unbeatable run since the start of the hybrid era Merc automatically start the new year as favourites. However, this ‘theory’ is based solely on what’s gone before. In reality, there is nothing to suggest that the Silver Arrows’ dominance will continue into the vastly different 2017 season. Nevertheless, even if they don’t brandish the same sort of advantage over the rest of the field there is a reasonable expectation that they’ll be mixing it at the front.

    The Silver Arrows enter an interesting period where its driver line-up is concerned too. In Lewis Hamilton they have a three-time world champion who is prodigiously fast and who still seems to have an incredible hunger for winning. However, Hamilton showed his fallibility through several costly errors on track and a few peppery statements off it.

    Red Bull Racing RB12 launchRed Bull – Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen

    With the virtuoso Adrian Newey in the stable the new aero rules could play right into Red Bull’s hands. In 2016 the Austrian team proved that their power unit was the only hindrance to their competitiveness. If the Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit can match its Merc counterpart the Red Bull will be exceptionally difficult to beat.

    Although Max Verstappen exploded onto the scene and electrified more than a few supporters Daniel Ricciardo still had the measure of the teenaged Dutchman. Verstappen’s biggest test this season will be to, firstly, consistently out-perform his Aussie teammate. What’s more, Verstappen’s biggest challenge will be to deal with the weight of expectation. In 2016 he had near free reign; if he performed well it was a bonus for the team, if he didn’t they would understand that he was dropped into the deep-end. Now he is expected to deliver every time he’s strapped into cockpit.

    Ferrari Kimi Raikkonen Canadian Grand PrixFerrari – Kimi Raikkonen & Sebastian Vettel

    There is such a thing as famous last words but Ferrari’s season could hardly be worse than in 2016. The team failed to win a single race and made several, embarrassing mistakes. Nevertheless, the Maranello-based team is keen to turn things around. They’re reportedly doing so with an innovative new multi-jet system for its internal combustion engine that will limit reliance on the turbocharger.

    It’s unlikely that there is a more harmonious driver pairing in the paddock than Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. The two teammates work in perfect symmetry with the team with little to no ego getting in the way of the task at hand. Rumours of Raikkonen’s future will undoubtedly begin to swirl as soon as he hits the track that but as history has shown it couldn’t bother him any less. There is little question about the Ferrari drivers’ ability to deliver. Rather the question is about what they’ll be given to drive.

    Force India F1 Team Preview QuotesForce India – Sergio Perez & Esteban Ocon

    For a privately-owned team Force India’s likely expectation will be to finish fourth in the constructor’s championship as they did in 2016, perhaps to score a first win if the cards fall their way. They’re a team that regularly punches above its weight but is unlikely to do better than last season.

    It’s a big year for Sergio Perez and his future in F1. Several outstanding performances have proven his ability but he’s yet to translate it into a drive for a top team. With Bottas on a one-year deal at Mercedes a standout season from Perez could catapult him into the seat in 2018. Despite being favoured over Pascal Wehrlein Merc prodigy Esteban Ocon, who is still finding his feet in the sport, is highly unlikely to show Perez the way in 2017.

    Felipe Massa_Brazil 2016Williams – Felipe Massa & Lance Stroll

    The Claire Williams-run operation’s ambition is unlikely to be a title in 2017. However, the aim will be to restore the legendary team’s name to at least fourth in the standings. They’ve already completed a massive coup by snatching Paddy Lowe from Mercedes. While it’s unclear if Lowe will take up his new position immediately the Englishman is one of the most highly regarded leaders in F1.

    Valtteri Bottas’ departure to Merc has cut short Felipe Massa’s retirement and while the Brazilian’s stock in F1 isn’t nearly as high as it was in the mid-2000s his level of experience was attractive enough to Williams. Alongside the one-time runner-up will be Canadian teenager Lance Stroll. It will be a learning curve for Stroll but expect him to take the fight to his veteran teammate in terms of outright speed.

    Part 2 coming soon. 

  • F1 2017: The Case For Valtteri Bottas

    F1 2017: The Case For Valtteri Bottas

    By now the news has spread far and wide that Mercedes have, officially, picked Valtteri Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2017 season. Instinctively, the dominant question will be how he will shape up against his three-time world champion teammate.

    It wasn’t the electrifying choice many were looking for but Bottas is a known quantity with a solid track record, literally. He isn’t considered as exciting as a Max Verstappen but that has more to do with his circumstances rather than his ability. For an independent mid-field team such as Williams the constructor’s championship is vitally important. Hence, Bottas could not afford to throw caution to the wind as Red Bull drivers often do. Williams needed a consistent driver and one that would convert his points-scoring opportunities and this is what Bottas delivered.

    Since it didn’t include flashy overtakes it’s easy to forget Bottas’ performances in 2014 and 2015 that ensured Williams finished ahead of significantly richer teams Ferrari and Red Bull respectively in the constructor’s standings. His four years at Williams has undoubtedly ensured that is much better prepared to step into the Merc seat, and into the limelight, than any younger driver would be.

    What’s more, over their three years as teammates Bottas regularly out-qualified his veteran teammate Felipe Massa. While Lewis Hamilton will undoubtedly be a much tougher benchmark Bottas has the potential to challenge his new teammate in this arena.

    Bottas_Barcelona 2015 - CopyNevertheless, while the Finnish driver has spent four seasons at Williams he remains somewhat unproven. At Williams his good performance were praised, but they were just that good. Not great, not awesome, never enough to induce a genuine thrill amongst those watching. What he has now is a golden opportunity to unleash all of his talent and show what he is truly capable of without inhibitions.

    There is no doubt that Mercedes’ first choice for Nico Rosberg’s replacement would have been either a Sebastian Vettel, or Fernando Alonso, or even Daniel Ricciardo. Since these drivers were all locked into contracts Valtteri Bottas was the next best option. However, the likes of Vettel and Alonso are only signed up with their respective teams until the end of 2017. Therefore, Bottas has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes and he’ll have twenty-one races to prove that he deserves to be signed ahead of them.

    The other aspect of being a driver in a top team is life outside the car. The media focus on Valtteri Bottas will be intense, unrelenting, with a microscopic level of interest. But he is Finnish and like most of the great Finns in Formula 1 history, like Kimi Raikkonen, Mika Hakkinen, Bottas will likely be unflustered by the pomp and circumstance.

    All this assumes that Mercedes’ 2017 car will be at the sharp-end of the grid. Given the comprehensive rule changes this prediction is impossible. But wherever Merc stack up in the pecking order Bottas’ performance against Hamilton will be one of the most fascinating developing stories of the season.

    Will Bottas beat Hamilton in 2017? Probably not, but he will be closer to Hamilton than many predict.

  • Top 10 F1 Overtakes of 2016

    Top 10 F1 Overtakes of 2016

    Have a look at this great compilation of the Top 10 F1 overtakes of 2016. Some absolutely fantastic overtaking here with Max Verstappen coming out at the top of the pack after fans voted in the official F1 website’s Twitter polls. Interesting to note how Lewis Hamilton must have spent so much time leading races that he doesn’t even feature.

  • F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp – Rosberg Holds Nerve To Win Title

    F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp – Rosberg Holds Nerve To Win Title

    Since that first weekend of the F1 season, back in mid-March, there has been a menacing steeliness about Nico Rosberg that seemed unbreakable. This steeliness, along with astonishing form, has, after eleven seasons and 206 grand prix, made Nico Rosberg the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion.

    The season-ending Abu Dhabi grand prix delivered a tension filled race from beginning to end. Lewis Hamilton, starting on pole, needed to win the race with Rosberg in fourth to take the title. Unfortunately for Hamilton Rosberg stayed in a close second for the majority of the race and as would be expected Hamilton tried all he could to win the championship. In fact, Hamilton attempted to back his teammate into the clutches of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen by deliberately slowing his pace. Less than two seconds covered the top four by the chequered flag but just as in the other twenty races of this season Rosberg held his nerve and finished second.

    Ultimately, Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Gp ahead of Rosberg and a late-charging Vettel. Meanwhile, the two Red Bulls of Verstappen and Ricciardo finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Raikkonen brought his Ferrari home in sixth. Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez’ seventh and eighth capped a tremendous season for Force India who finished a superb fourth in the constructor’s championship. In his final F1 race Felipe Massa finished ninth ahead of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso. Jenson Button’s 17-year F1 career, sadly, came to a premature end with the failure of a wishbone on the right-front suspension.

    GP ABU DHABI F1/2016There will be those who question whether Nico Rosberg deserves to be the 2016 drivers champion but the answer to their question is an easy yes. He’s won nine grand prix this season and most vitally, delivered stunning qualifying performances under extreme pressure. His ability to absorb the pressure and not buckle under it has been the key to Rosberg’s success in 2016. In 2014, his inability to handle pressure from Hamilton was there for all to see as he buckled first in Russia and then in Italy and Texas while leading. He went away with the aim of coming back stronger, and he did. His heightened mental strength allowed him the ability to focus on one race at a time. While it seems an easy enough concept the mental strength required to successfully accomplish it, under extreme conditions, cannot be underestimated and must be commended.

    Some will crow about unreliability, specifically Hamilton’s failure in Malaysia. But unreliability has been a part of the sport for as long as it’s been in existence and it will be going forward. It’s as much a part of a grand prix season as changeable weather or safety cars. In context, the ‘unreliability-argument’ only goes so far though. For example, while the headlines after the Malaysian Gp screamed of Hamilton’s truly unfortunate failure it didn’t focus much on Rosberg’s drive in the same race. After all Rosberg was dead last after a collision with Sebastian Vettel and recovered brilliantly to ultimately finish third. What’s more Hamilton’s ‘finger-trouble’ off the start-line in Japan and Italy, and the crash in Baku, that prompted a gearbox penalty, were all his own doing. The simple, but telling, fact is that Hamilton was simply out-performed by Rosberg.

    GP ABU DHABI F1/2016Any world championship triumph depends on the consistency of the eventual winner and the proof of Rosberg deserved success is in the numbers. Of the 1268 laps in the 2016 season the German driver has spent 957, or 75%, in the top three. In addition, in all of the 21 races he never qualified outside the top two and only spent thirteen laps outside the top ten in the entire season.

    While all these numbers reveal an emphatically imposing season the only number that Nico Rosberg will care about is the 285 points which have made him the 2016 Formula 1 World Champion.

  • F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Free Practice Three Report – Vettel Quickest

    F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Free Practice Three Report – Vettel Quickest

    Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time overall in the third free practice session ahead of the Abu Dhabi grand prix.

    The Ferrari driver’s quickest time of 1:40:775 was a tenth and a half quicker than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen while the sister Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top three some tenths adrift. The first Mercedes, in the shape of Lewis Hamilton was fourth with championship leader Nico Rosberg in fifth.

    Daniel Ricciardo chose to run an alternate strategy to the rest of the frontrunners which saw not use the quickest ultrasoft tyre compound in the sixty minute session. The session ran uneventfully save for a few lazy spins and presented a potentially close battle amongst the mid-field; positions seven to thirteen were covered by only seven tenths of a second.

    While Mercedes did not dominate the final practice session all expectations are that it will be Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg who duke it out for pole in the all important final quali session of the season.

    Final Free Practice Three Standings:

    screen-shot-2016-11-26-at-1-13-44-pm

  • F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Season Finale, Title Decider

    F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Season Finale, Title Decider

    There is much significance to the 2016 season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. For one, it is going to decide if Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton walks away with the ultimate prize of driver’s champion.

    What’s more, Formula 1 bids farewell to two drivers who have left their indelible mark in the history books of the sport. Brazilian Felipe Massa entered the sport as an erratic Sauber driver but spectacularly found his feet as teammate to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. It was during his time at the Italian team that he truly shone and put the best of his talent on display. At the peak of his powers there were few in the business that could’ve trumped Massa’s qualifying speed or his seemingly unbeatable form around Turkey’s Istanbul circuit. There is no reference to Felipe Massa without conjuring the images of the 2008 Brazilian grand prix. Though he felt heartbreakingly short of claiming the title his emotional response to the defeat revealed a man of great character and passion that will remain as one of the most successful Brazilians ever to be a Formula 1 driver.

    felipeJenson Button has not officially announced his retirement from F1 but it is unlikely that he will be seen in the cockpit after his 2017 sabbatical. A fresh-faced Button made his debut for Williams in 2000 before moving to Benneton and Renault for the next two seasons. By the mid-way point of 2002 team boss Flavio Briatore announced that Button would be replaced and called him a “lazy playboy” and said that “time will tell if I’m wrong”. It turns out that Briatore was wrong, categorically so. Button went on to perform solidly for BAR Honda and capped it with a first career win at the 2006 Hungarian grand prix. Four months before the 2009 season Honda announced a sudden departure from F1 and left JB without a drive. The Honda team, bought by Ross Brawn, morphed in Brawn Gp, trounced the field and delivered JB to his much-deserved world championship.

    He then boldly made the move to McLaren to partner a highly vaunted Hamilton. Button not only held his own against Hamilton but also showed him the way in 2012. Unfortunately JB exits the sport after two difficult seasons at McLaren-Honda but his super-smooth driving style, his incredible feel for conditions, great racing brain, and typically dry humour will be missed and remembered.

    Jenson Button grid penalty now 70 placesBesides the farewell parties that are sure to happen there will be a victory party for one of the Mercedes drivers after Sunday’s race. With a 12-point lead Rosberg and barring unreliability is standing in front of an open goal. The permutations for a Hamilton-championship win aren’t easy. Seeing that’s he’s pretty handy around this circuit lets, hypothetically, give him the win on Sunday. Still, he would need Rosberg to finish fourth or lower to win the title. Furthermore, if the drivers are tied on points at the end Rosberg will take the title as he has won more races in 2016.

    With all the permutations running rampant the expectations for the Abu Dhabi Gp are grand so spare a though for both Merc drivers amidst all of it. One is on the cusp of achieving everything he’s ever dreamt of. The other has a chance to join a very select list of drivers who have four world titles. Aint F1 grand?

  • F1 2016: Brazilian Gp Review – Hamilton Cruises Amid Chaos

    F1 2016: Brazilian Gp Review – Hamilton Cruises Amid Chaos

    Three hours, five safety cars, and two red flags all combined to deliver a Brazilian grand prix that was high on intensity and high on emotion. But none of it fazed Lewis Hamilton as he cruised to his first ever victory in Brazil.

    Conditions proved so difficult that race director Charlie Whiting ordered a ten minute delay to the start of the proceedings in the hopes that the rain would ease. This wasn’t enough for Romain Grosjean though as his Haas speared into the wall while making his way to the starting grid. The race commenced behind the safety car and it quickly became apparent that visibility up the long start/finish straight was the biggest issue.

    Nevertheless, a handful of laps later conditions calmed enough to get some proper racing underway. Pole man Lewis Hamilton easily controlled proceedings and scampered off into the distance while Rosberg fended off a feisty Max Verstappen who had already made short work of Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari at the start.

    Ferrari’s afternoon got more difficult as Sebastian Vettel spun at the exit of the final corner which dropped him down to fifteenth. Several drivers dived into the pitlane for intermediate tyres despite track conditions being more conducive to the full wet tyre. The first big crash came in the form of Marcus Ericsson who clipped a white line in the run-in to the pitlane and destroying the Sauber in the process. Ericsson’s stricken car ended up in the pitlane entry which prompted its closure. However, quick thinking from Red Bull saw Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo into the box. While Verstappen made it into the pitlane before the red light Ricciardo was as fortunate and was given a five second penalty for his troubles.

    GP BRASILE F1/2016The safety car once again led the field and just as racing commenced on lap 20 Kimi Raikkonen lost control of his car on the main straight which left him facing oncoming traffic in a situation with low visibility. Several drivers, including Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon, reacted brilliantly to avoid hitting Raikkonen’s car. This prompted the first red flag of the race with Hamilton still in the lead.

    Nearly fifty minutes later the race re-started behind the safety car but the field completed only eight laps before another red flag stopped it. It wasn’t too long before drivers clambered back into their cockpits for the re-start and this time the race ran until lap 48 until the safety car was required in order to recover the Williams of Felipe Massa which had shunted in a similar fashion to Ericsson. It was an bittersweet end the popular Brazilian’s last home race. While a solid result eluded Massa it did afford him an opportunity to salute the thousands of fans in the grandstands with a Brazilian flag draped over his shoulders and a few tears to boot. As Massa made his way into the pitlane it produced one of the most emotional scenes as team mechanics and personnel from several teams, including Mercedes and Ferrari, stood outside the garage to applaud him.

    GP BRASILE F1/2016On lap 55 the race re-started with the spotlight focused on a fast-charging Verstappen in 14th who swopped inters for new full wets. The teenager scythed through the field with some stunning overtakes which had more to do with his bravery than his new rubber. Verstappen eventually finished a miraculous third.

    As rain transformed the Interlagos circuit into a treacherous roller-coaster every F1 driver had to ply the maximum of their ability to keep their cars on track. Several drivers failed to reach the chequered flag but others impressed. Force India’s Sergio Perez was fourth ahead Vettel in fifth and Carlos Sainz in sixth. Nico Hulkenberg took seventh ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in eighth while Felipe Nasr scored Sauber’s first points of the season with a fine ninth place finish. McLaren’s Fernando Alonso survived his own spin to finish tenth.

    Nico Rosberg wasn’t able to clinch the title but he delivered the next best thing with a second place finish. He now takes a 12 point lead to the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi.

  • F1 2016: Brazil Gp Qualifying Report – Hamilton On Top

    F1 2016: Brazil Gp Qualifying Report – Hamilton On Top

    Lewis Hamilton qualified in pole position for Sunday’s Brazilian grand prix.

    The Mercedes driver locked out the 60th pole of his career and will start the race alongside his championship leading teammate Nico Rosberg.

    Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen delivered an impressive lap to secure third however the Finnish driver called it merely an average performance. In fourth place was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with Sebastian Vettel in fifth and Daniel Ricciardo in sixth.

    Romain Grosjean delivered the stand-out performance in the quali session to put his Haas in seventh place overall. The Force India’s of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were eighth and ninth while McLaren’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.

    Final Qualifying Standings:

    screen-shot-2016-11-12-at-8-10-26-pm