Nico Hulkenberg returns to Force India on multi-year deal for 2014
Nico Hulkenberg has been officially confirmed at Force India for the 2014 season, after the Silverstone-based outfit announced that the German would return on a ‘multi-year’ deal after only one season at Sauber. Despite the 26-year-old’s confirmation, his team-mate at Force India has yet to be announced.
After leaving Force India at the end of the 2012 season for Sauber, many were expecting the German sensation to partner Romain Grosjean at Lotus following Kimi Raikkonen’s return to Ferrari. However, after the Enstone-based outfit elected for Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado, Nico Hulkenberg’s options for the new season consisted of either another season at Sauber or a return to Force India. Throughout the 2013 campaign Sauber struggled in comparison to the previous season, with the Swiss outfit unable to return to the podium as Nico Hulkenberg managed to bring home the lion share of the team’s points alongside rookie Esteban Gutierrez.
For the 2014 season Formula 1 will enter a new era of technical regulations, with a new 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engine formula being introduced. Although testing with the new engines has not yet begun, Mercedes are hopeful of offering a competitive engine when the new era of Formula 1 dawns in March. Nico Hulkenberg has expressed great delight in making his return to Force India for the new season, with hopes that the new Mercedes engine package will enable the Silverstone-based outfit to enjoy a competitive season.
“I am happy to come back to Sahara Force India,” explained Nico Hulkenberg, who scored 63 points with the outfit in 2012. “The team is aiming high for next year and I believe that the experience I have gained over the years will help us achieve those goals. I genuinely believe we can have a competitive package in 2014. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about the Mercedes engine as well, so I think there is a lot to be excited about for next year. I know this team and I can see their determination; it’s a great bunch of people and we all share the same hunger for success.”
Whilst the rumour-mill surrounding Nico Hulkenberg’s future endeavours for 2014 will now evaporate, speculations will surely continue with regards to the German’s eventual team-mate for the new season. Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta will unquestionably remain candidates, with the former team-mates enduring a topsy-turvy 2013 season which ultimately ran out of steam after Pirelli made amendments to their tyres. Other likely candidates such as former McLaren driver Sergio Perez could also remain a possibility for the Silverstone-based outfit, as the pieces of the 2014 driver market slowly begin falling into place.
Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team
Vettel makes F1 history in Texas with victory number eight in succession
Sebastian Vettel has made Formula 1 history in Texas with his eighth successive race victory, surpassing the legends of Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari. The German sensation was joined on the podium by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, who only just managed to finish ahead of the second Red Bull of Mark Webber.
At the start Sebastian Vettel was able to glide unchallenged into the lead of the race, whereas behind him his team-mate Mark Webber was pounced upon by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. As the field negotiated the opening corners of the race, Adrian Sutil made contact with the Williams of Pastor Maldonado along the straight betweens Turn 11 and 12. This contact saw the German spear into the retaining barrier, destroying the front of his Force India and bringing out the safety car for good measure.
Luckily Adrian Sutil was unscathed after his race-ending incident, as the Austin marshals began clearing his stricken Force India. After only several laps behind the safety car, the race was resumed which allowed Sebastian Vettel to romp away into the distance with Romain Grosjean 2nd behind the World Champion. Further down the order Max Chilton served his drive-thru penalty, which the British rookie was issued with after several blocking misdemeanors during qualifying. After being forced to pit during the earlier safety car period, the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez soon began clawing his way back through the order with the Mexican rookie running 17th by Lap 7.
After being involved in the first lap incident with Adrian Sutil, Pastor Maldonado’s race weekend failed to improve as the departing Venezuelan was shown the black and orange flag due to severe damage to his front-wing. The Williams driver was quick to adhere to the race stewards, as he returned to the pits for a new front-wing which dropped him to last position. With Sebastian Vettel clearly in a league of his own at the front, all eyes were on the battle for 3rd between Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, with the 2008 World Champion beginning to come under severe pressure from the soon-to-retire Australian ace. On Lap 14, Webber shot around the outside of Lewis Hamilton at Turn 12, making the sensational move stick.
Whilst Lewis Hamilton vented his frustrations via the team radio, Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas began reeling in the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso in his quest for his maiden points in Formula 1. Meanwhile Heikki Kovalainen performed the first scheduled pit-stop of the race on Lap 17, with the Finn switching to the harder tyre compound with ambitions of leapfrogging the field later on. After enduring a torrid qualifying performance for Mercedes, Nico Rosberg found himself in a battle for 10th with the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo on Lap 19. The German eventually stormed up the inside of the future Red Bull driver at Turn 12, as Jenson Button became the latest driver to make a pit-stop from 13th.
In an bid to remain ahead of the McLaren driver, Felipe Massa reacted to Jenson Button’s pit-stop by pitting a lap later. This enabled the Brazilian driver to just remain ahead of his British rival, as many other drivers made their first scheduled pit-stops including Nico Rosberg, Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas also made his one and only stop on Lap 23, with the Finn rejoining the action in 10th position as he kept his sights firmly placed on his maiden points.
As Sebastian Vettel continued to control proceedings at the front with a lead of over six seconds to Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton made his first stop as Esteban Gutierrez stormed up into 7th position at Turn 12 after perfecting an overtaking maneuver on Jean-Eric Vergne. The Frenchman soon found himself under the pressure of another Mexican driver during the next lap, as Sergio Perez swept around his Toro Rosso and into 8th position. Meanwhile race leader Sebastian Vettel made his stop on Lap 28 along with Nico Hulkenberg, which in turn allowed Romain Grosjean to assume the lead of the race in his Lotus ahead of Mark Webber. The Frenchman’s lead at the front was short-lived, as he pitted on Lap 30 and therefore allowed Sebastian Vettel the luxury of resuming his lead at the front.
After enjoying a relatively competitive return to Formula 1, Heikki Kovalainen struggled during the 56-lap race. The Finn endured a highly uncompetitive start, before dropping through the order shortly after his first pit-stop as the likes of Paul di Resta and then Nico Rosberg muscled their way around the Lotus driver. On Lap 32 Kovalainen returned to the pits for a second pit-stop, changing his front-wing in the process which dropped him way down to 17th position. After overtaking the Finn earlier in the race, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta began jostling for 10th position, with the German eventually making the move stick through Turn 12.
As the race entered its closing stages, Mark Webber began producing successive fastest laps in a bid to catch Romain Grosjean for 2nd position. After momentarily dropping back in a bid to extend the life of his tyres, the Australian ace soon pounced back by adding further pressure onto the rear of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus. With tyre wear once again the talking point up and down the paddock, Felipe Massa and Ferrari threw caution to the wind by pitting on Lap 39 for the medium tyre compound in a bid to rise through the order in what was becoming a frustratingly uncompetitive race for the Brazilian.
Paul di Resta also elected to make a second stop for the medium tyre compound, after the Scotsman lost another position to the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. Further up the order Fernando Alonso perfected an overtaking maneuver on Nico Hulkenberg for 5th, as Heikki Kovalainen’s return to racing was dealt with yet another blow as a KERS issue materialized on his Lotus. Charles Pic was struck with a drive-thru penalty during the closing stages of the race, after the Frenchman failed to adhere to numerous blue flags as Lewis Hamilton tried desperately to lap him with Fernando Alonso quickly reeling in his former McLaren team-mate.
Despite the threat of tyre wear once again hanging over the teams and drivers like a black cloud, Sebastian Vettel was able to cross the line once again to secure yet another unchallenged victory for Red Bull. The German was followed by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, who was able to defend from Mark Webber to retain his 2nd position. On the final lap Esteban Gutierrez and Jean-Eric Vergne made contact, which tipped the Mexican into a spin. Although he was able to make it to the finish despite his altercation with Jean-Eric Vergne, the race stewards confirmed they would investigate the issue after the race.
With only one race remaining this season, Sebastian Vettel is remaining to look almost unbeatable at the front. The German could well make it nine in a row next weekend at Sao Paulo, when the 2013 Formula 1 season is finally brought to a conclusion around the iconic Interlagos circuit.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Webber fastest in final practice as Vettel suffers KERS issue at Japan
Mark Webber has ended the third and final practice session fastest ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, after team-mate and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel suffered from a KERS issue. The German driver failed to complete a qualifying simulation run, as Webber ended the session ahead of the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
After two incident-filled practice sessions on the Friday, the Formula 1 teams and drivers returned to the Suzuka circuit for the third and final practice session in a bid to finalize their preparations ahead of the all-important qualifying hour. Once again the iconic circuit was dry despite the threat of rain, with slight cloud cover in comparison to yesterday’s glorious sunshine. After heavy incidents during the opening day of the weekend both Sergio Perez and Jules Bianchi entered the session with extensive rebuilds, with the Mexican driver sporting a return to an older chassis.
Esteban Gutierrez was quick to become the first driver to take to the track when the session got underway, and was soon followed out by the likes of Jules Bianchi and Pastor Maldonado, both of whom were understandably eager to make up for lost time after their separate incidents on the Friday. Many drivers elected to complete installation laps during the opening minutes of the session, however the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean continued to produce the opening timed laps of the session. The 2007 World Champion managed to set the initial benchmark with a 01:40.877, before team-mate Romain Grosjean thwarted him with an even quicker 01:36.187 despite cutting the final chicane.
The Lotus duo continued to trade fastest laps at the front during the opening minutes of the session, with Romain Grosjean eventually working his way down to a 01:33.232 despite making yet another mistake through the final chicane and running slightly wide. Max Chilton became the next driver to make a slight mistake through the final chicane, as more drivers gradually began taking to the track to begin their preparations ahead of the qualifying hour. Mark Webber soon rose to the top to bring an end to Romain Grosjean’s reign, with the Australian ace producing a 01:32.722.
As the final practice session the Japanese Grand Prix weekend continued, Nico Hulkenberg was forced to return to the pits with the German complaining of a potentially broken exhaust. The saw the Sauber mechanics begin work on the car to ascertain the issue, as Pastor Maldonado ran extensively wide at Turn 11 and off onto the grass. The Venezuelan driver managed to continue circulating despite his minor error, as Sebastian Vettel returned to the pits with a KERS failure on his RB9.
Meanwhile Romain Grosjean returned to the top for Lotus with a 01:32.707, with the Frenchman clearly improving with each passing minute behind the wheel of his Renault-powered machine. Whilst Lotus continued to take the fight to Red Bull at the top of the timing sheets, Lewis Hamilton ran slightly wide on the exit of Turn 9. This saw the Briton kick up excessive amounts of dirt, and quickly return to the pits for a floor inspection. Minor errors ensued as the session wore on up and down the paddock, as Romain Grosjean ran extensively wide at Turn 1 but was luckily able to avoid the barriers due to the tarmac run-off area.
Adrian Sutil’s qualifying preparations took a blow during the latter stages of the session, as the German lost control of the rear of his Force India on the exit of Turn 14 and spun into the retaining tyre barrier. The incident ripped off the front-wing of the Force India, and lightly damaged the rear-suspension. The stricken machine was efficiently retrieved by the Japanese marshals, as Adrian Sutil observed from the sidelines.
As the final practice session entered its final minutes, many drivers up and down the paddock began switching their attention to qualifying simulations on Pirelli’s P Zero medium tyre compound, with the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean becoming the first to do so. Whilst the track action intensified during the final few minutes, Sebastian Vettel’s session was brought to a premature conclusion as the German’s KERS issues continued to plague his RB9. This forced his ever-efficient mechanics to remove both the exhaust and floor of Vettel’s car just to access the KERS battery in question. This will see the reigning World Champion enter the all-important qualifying hour without running a qualifying simulation on low fuel settings.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel changed out of his racing overalls, team-mate Mark Webber shot to the top of the timings sheets with a 01:32.053 as Romain Grosjean once again ran extensively wide at Turn 1. As many drivers began producing low-fuel laps, F1 rookie Valtteri Bottas was also spotted running wide at Turn 1. During the final minutes of the session, both Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton rose to 2nd position behind the Red Bull of Mark Webber. However, the Australian sensation managed to end the session fastest overall for Red Bull in what was another intriguing practice session around the Suzuka circuit.
Although Sebastian Vettel will enter the all-important qualifying hour with hardly any low-fuel running in his Renault-powered RB9, the ever-dominant German is still regarded by many as the man to beat ahead of the all-important qualifying hour. With all three practice sessions now complete, the teams and drivers will return to the track later in the day to battle for the coveted pole position for Sunday’s 53-lap race.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m32.053s 17 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m32.187s +0.134s 18 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.355s +0.302s 18 4. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m32.707s +0.654s 26 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m32.800s +0.747s 14 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m32.815s +0.762s 14 7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.869s +0.816s 17 8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m32.946s +0.893s 25 9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m33.036s +0.983s 8 10. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.076s +1.023s 12 11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.158s +1.105s 15 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.260s +1.207s 15 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.490s +1.437s 16 14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m33.638s +1.585s 17 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m33.660s +1.607s 19 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.732s +1.679s 15 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m33.955s +1.902s 18 18. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m34.773s +2.720s 8 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m35.473s +3.420s 20 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m35.518s +3.465s 18 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m35.844s +3.791s 16 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m39.378s +7.325s 20
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Tempers Rose Within Force India Camp After Qualifying
Reports have emerged from the Formula 1 fraternity suggesting that a fight allegedly broke out within the Force India camp after Paul di Resta’s woeful qualifying performance ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. Varying newspaper reports suggest that the incident could well have involved the Scotsman’s trainer and a team mechanic.
After a yet another frustrating qualifying performance for the 27-year-old, Paul di Resta found himself a lowly 17th on the grid whereas returning team-mate Adrian Sutil managed to progress to the top ten shootout and qualify a promising 8th. Although Paul di Resta eventually managed to out-perform his German team-mate throughout the 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix, tempers allegedly rose to breaking-point shortly after the all-important qualifying hour.
During the morning period leading up to the race on Sunday, rumors were rife within the paddock that a fight had broken out between members in the Force India camp. After his poor qualifying performance, Paul di Resta’a anger was clearly evident as he slated his team’s performance during the session. Although his comments were extremely negative, reports within the paddock suggest that theses comments weren’t necessarily the catalyst for the argument which allegedly broke out.
However, any issues which arose after qualifying were quickly quelled with a stellar performance from both the team and Paul di Resta during the race. After starting way down in 17th, the Scotsman mastered a one-stop strategy to eventually finish a strong 7th and ahead of Adrian Sutil. Despite this positive result, Paul di Resta will unquestionably be hoping for a more competitive qualifying performance on home soil next time out at the British Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team
Mark Webber Fastest In Shortened Final Practice Session At Canada
Mark Webber has ended a shortened third and final practice session fastest overall for Red Bull, in drying conditions around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Australian ace produced the time in the dying seconds of the session, and was followed by Adrian Sutil in 2nd and Lewis Hamilton in 3rd.
Once again the teams and drivers were greeted with damp weather conditions around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the start of the third and final practice session, which was frustratingly delayed for 30 minutes due to repairs being carried out on the barriers at Turn 11. This was due to a heavy incident earlier in the day during the Ferrari Challenge support event, and required a lengthy delay as repairs were carried out.
Eventually it was confirmed that the session would begin at 10:30 local time, and would last only for 30 minutes. This led to a hectic final practice session, as the entire field instantly took to the track on both the intermediate and full wet tyres in a bid to finalize their preparations for the weekend ahead. The Caterham duo were the first to take to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with Giedo van der Garde in particular setting the initial benchmark with a 01:30.873. The times naturally tumbled drastically as the session progressed, with Esteban Gutierrez and then Sergio Perez rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:27.984.
Adrian Sutil then rose to the top for Force India, before former Canadian Grand Prix winner Jenson Button continued to lower the benchmark with an impressive 01:26.340. Esteban Gutierrez, Nico Hulkenberg and then Valtteri Bottas rose to the top, with the latter producing a 01:25.126 before team-mate Pastor Maldonado disposed of his rookie team-mate. However, Valtteri Bottas immediately bounced back with a 01:24.314.
Although the track conditions continued to improve, many drivers were unwilling to switch to Pirelli’s P Zero range of tyres as wet patches continued to linger around the circuit. Giedo van der Garde ran extensively wide at Turns 3 and 4, skipping across the grass and narrowly avoiding the tyre barriers. Nico Hulkenberg then rose to the top for Sauber, with the Hinwil-based outfit continuing to search for improvements after a disappointing day yesterday.
Felipe Massa and then Esteban Gutierrez rose to the top, before the entire field switched to Pirelli’s P Zero dry tyres for the final few minutes of the final practice session. Sergio Perez was the first man to do so on the medium tyres, however he soon switch to the super-soft compound as did the entire field. Felipe Massa produced the first fastest dry lap of the session for Ferrari with a 01:22.482, before Kimi Raikkonen, Pastor Maldonado and then Jenson Button continued to lower the benchmark on slick rubber with the latter producing a 01:20.520.
As the checkered flag emerged, the times continued to tumble drastically with Paul di Resta, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil and then Mark Webber all rising to the top. However, it was the Australian sensation who eventually ended the session fastest overall for Red Bull, after producing a 01:17.895 in the dying seconds of the session. Although the session ended in drying conditions, uncertainty still surrounds the weather forecast for the all-important qualifying hour later in the afternoon.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.895s 7 2. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m18.248s + 0.353s 8 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m18.732s + 0.837s 7 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m18.977s + 1.082s 10 5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m19.131s + 1.236s 6 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m19.457s + 1.562s 7 7. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m19.496s + 1.601s 6 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.750s + 1.855s 9 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m19.790s + 1.895s 9 10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m20.316s + 2.421s 8 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m20.596s + 2.701s 9 12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.035s + 3.140s 12 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m21.364s + 3.469s 7 14. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m21.652s + 3.757s 9 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.021s + 4.126s 14 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.720s + 4.825s 15 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.058s + 5.163s 7 18. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m23.132s + 5.237s 14 19. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.309s + 5.414s 8 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m23.620s + 5.725s 12 21. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m24.317s + 6.422s 12 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m26.195s + 8.300s 9
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Nico Rosberg Romps To A Dominant Monaco GP Victory
Nico Rosberg has romped to a dominant victory around the streets of Monte-Carlo, after a thrilling and incident-filled 78-lap race which featured everything from safety car periods to a red flag delay. The Mercedes ace was followed home by fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel, with Mark Webber just holding off Lewis Hamilton for 3rd.
After the damp and dreary weather conditions which plagued qualifying, the Monte-Carlo street circuit was once again bathed in glorious sunshine for the legendary race. As the field began the traditional formation lap, the Marussia of Jules Bianchi stalled on the grid and was subsequently forced to start the race from the pit-lane. At the start Nico Rosberg stormed into a commanding lead, as Lewis Hamilton defended heavily from the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.
The Silver Arrows led at the front as the lights went out.
As the field negotiated the opening lap of the race, Giedo van der Garde collided with the Williams of Pastor Maldonado at Turn 6 and lost his front-wing. The duo were forced to return to the pits after the opening lap for repairs, loosing them valuable track time. Throughout the opening laps, Nico Rosberg continued to open up a considerable gap to his team-mate, as Charles Pic became the first retirement of the race after his gearbox suffered a seizure and caused a fire on his Caterham.
Luckily the ever-efficient Monegasque marshals were able to clear the stricken Caterham and quickly extinguish the flames without the need of a safety car intervention. The order remained relatively unchanged for the first part of the race, until Mark Webber became the first front-runner to pit on Lap 25. With a one-stop strategy the plan for the majority of the front-runners, the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso all pitted within the next two laps.
The race was thrown into utter confusion on Lap 29, when Felipe Massa once again slammed into the retaining barriers at Turn 1 in similar fashion to his incident during practice three. The Brazilian driver violently embedded his Ferrari into the barriers at Turn 1, causing the first of many safety car periods. As soon as the safety car was deployed, Sebastian Vettel and the two Mercedes’ immediately pitted. With Lewis Hamilton being forced to complete a slow in-lap due to the German marque stacking their drivers in the pits, the Briton lost track position to the Red Bull duo whereas Nico Rosberg managed to retain the lead.
After several laps behind the safety car, the race was resumed with Nico Rosberg once again opening up a comfortable lead at the front. Lewis Hamilton was visibly frustrated behind the Red Bull of Mark Webber, and tried an overtaking maneuver at Turn 18. However, the former Monaco Grand Prix winner managed to defend his position heavily through Turn 19. During the early stages of the race the McLaren duo fought perilously close, and continued to do so as the race progressed.
Jenson Button tried an overtaking maneuver on Fernando Alonso at Turn 6, but failed to complete the move and lightly tapped the rear of the Spaniard’s Ferrari. This enabled Sergio Perez to close right up on his team-mate, and master an overtaking maneuver into Turn 10. The race was momentarily red flagged on Lap 45, when Pastor Maldonado and Max Chilton came together at the high-speed at Turn 12.
After running wide following a battle with the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton slowed on the run down to Turn 12 allowing Pastor Maldonado to catch the Briton. Just before the corner, the duo touched which launched Maldonado momentarily into the air and then into the retaining barrier. Upon impact, the barrier absorbed Maldonado’s Williams and then flung it back out onto the track. The barrier itself became dislodged from its placing and was also spat out onto the track. This caused a red flag delay, forcing the field to line up at the grid.
Eventually after a delay of several minutes, the race was resumed behind the safety car. After only one lap of safety car control, the race returned to green flag conditions with Nico Rosberg scampering away at the front as Lewis Hamilton continued to try and find a way around Mark Webber’s Red Bull. Max Chilton was subsequently issued with a drive-thru penalty for causing the incident with Pastor Maldonado, which the Briton served immediately.
As the majority of the field continued to follow each other, Adrian Sutil threw caution to the wind and stormed up the inside of firstly Jenson Button and then Fernando Alonso several laps later at Turn 6. Jules Bianchi became the next retirement of Lap 60, as the Frenchman lost control of his Marussia and spun into the retaining tyre barrier at Turn 1. The third and final safety car delay of the day was caused when Romain Grosjean’s incident-filled weekend continued when he slammed into the rear of Daniel Ricciardo at Turn 10, ruining both of their races.
The safety car period was short-lived, as Nico Rosberg managed to continue his lead at the front over reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Further down the order saw Sergio Perez continue his feisty drive through the field, resulting in an altercation with the Finn of Kimi Raikkonen. This resulted in a puncture for the Lotus driver and saw Sergio Perez forced into retirement at Turn 19. Kimi Raikkonen therefore pitted for replace his delaminated tyre, dropping him right to the back of the field.
However, as Nico Rosberg stormed across the line to secure a memorable and historic victory, Kimi Raikkonen simply scythed through the field during the closing laps to finish 10th and secure himself another sensational points finish. Nico Rosberg, however, created history as the first son of a former Monaco Grand Prix winner to win the race himself, after his father Keke Rosberg’s victory in 1983.
Despite such a dominant race weekend for the Mercedes duo, Sebastian Vettel still managed to increase his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship with another strong result in 2nd position. The reigning World Champion will be striving to utilize Pirelli’s revised tyres next time out at the Canadian Grand Prix around Montreal’s Circuit du Gilles Villeneuve. However, the Mercedes’ duo will once again be out to upset the Red Bull party at the front.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo, Monaco; 78 laps; 260.520km; Weather: . Classified: Pos Driver Team 1. Rosberg Mercedes 2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 3. Webber Red Bull-Renault 4. Hamilton Mercedes 5. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 6. Button McLaren-Mercedes 7. Alonso Ferrari 8. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 9. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 10. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 11. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 12. Bottas Williams-Renault 13. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 14. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 15. van der Garde Caterham-Renault DNF. Perez McLaren-Mercedes DNF. Grosjean Lotus-Renault DNF. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari DNF. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth DNF. Maldonado Williams-Renault DNF. Massa Ferrari DNF. Pic Caterham-Renault
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Nico Rosberg Fastest In Incident-Filled Final Practice At Monaco
Nico Rosberg has once again managed to finish fastest after the third and final practice session, in what was an incident-filled final hour of practice ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. The German was followed by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, with Sebastian Vettel a close 3rd for Red Bull.
After a day without any Formula 1 action around the tight and twisty confines of the Monte-Carlo street circuit, the teams and drivers reconvened once again under glorious weather conditions around the Principality. However, dark clouds were looming the distance, with showers a strong possibility for qualifying. Nico Hulkenberg become the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was instantly followed by many others who were all eager to continue their preparations for the weekend ahead.
Although many drivers elected to pit after completing their first installation lap, Esteban Gutierrez was the only driver who continued circulating to eventually complete the first timed lap of the session with a 01:26.137. The Mexican ace continued to improve at the top, eventually working his way down to a 01:17.716. Jean-Eric Vergne soon ended the Mexican’s reign at the top, with the Frenchman producing a 01:17.664. The Toro Rosso driver then momentarily traded fastest times at the top with Nico Hulkenberg, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:15.791.
The Red Bull sensation managed to continue improving at the sharp-end of the order, working his way down to a 01:15.261 despite the Austrian outfit’s initial worries with regards to their one-lap pace ahead of qualifying. Romain Grosjean’s incident-filled weekend continued as the session wore on, with the Frenchman just lightly tapping the barrier at Turn 10 and damaging his left-rear tyre. Luckily the Lotus driver was able to continue back to the pits, despite the damage sustained.
As the session entered its closing stages, Felipe Massa crashed violently into the barriers at Turn 1, utterly destroying his Ferrari and causing a momentary red flag delay as the ever-efficient Monegasque marshals cleared the stricken machine. The Brazilian driver was luckily unscathed after the heavy impact, and was able to extract himself from his car moments after the incident. Only several minutes after the session had been resumed, Adrian Sutil became the next driver to slam into the barrier at Turn 3 after loosing the rear of his Force India.
Despite the rather heavy impact with the wall, the Monegasque marshals were able to clear the stricken Force India without requiring a red flag delay. Once the Force India had been cleared, many drivers up and down the order began opting for the super-soft tyres, enabling Romain Grosjean to rise to the top with an impressive 01:15.051. However, Grosjean’s time at the top was short-lived, as Nico Rosberg continued to impress many after producing a scintillating 01:14.378.
The German’s time atop the timing sheets remained unbeaten, largely thanks to Romain Grosjean who caused the third and final session to end under red flag conditions. Despite setting the 2nd fastest time overall in the session, the Frenchman’s incident-filled weekend simply failed to improve as he lost the rear of his Lotus heading into Turn 1 and tapped the barrier. Just prior to his incident, Romain Grosjean seemed to swerve towards the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who was exiting the pit-lane, prompting several questions over his sudden change of direction.
With Nico Rosberg topping all three practice sessions throughout the weekend, many are beginning to strongly tip the German for pole position later today. With passing ever so difficult around the Principality, pole position for the Mercedes ace could well be translated into a victory come the race on Sunday. However, the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will almost certainly be out to deny the German.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m14.378s 22 2. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m15.039s + 0.661s 13 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m15.261s + 0.883s 17 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.286s + 0.908s 17 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m15.311s + 0.933s 20 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m15.380s + 1.002s 19 7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m15.550s + 1.172s 20 8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m15.594s + 1.216s 17 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m15.861s + 1.483s 15 10. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.926s + 1.548s 25 11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.958s + 1.580s 23 12. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.976s + 1.598s 19 13. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.976s + 1.598s 21 14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.060s + 1.682s 16 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.068s + 1.690s 12 16. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.105s + 1.727s 8 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.427s + 2.049s 26 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m16.933s + 2.555s 17 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m17.902s + 3.524s 20 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m18.102s + 3.724s 20 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m18.706s + 4.328s 22 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m19.228s + 4.850s 22
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Esteban Gutierrez Receives Five-Place Grid Penalty For Bahrain
Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez has been issued with a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend, after the 21-year-old slammed into the rear of Adrian Sutil at Turn 14 and forced both into retirement. Esteban Gutierrez has taken full responsibility for the incident, after admitting to misjudging his braking for Turn 14.
After initially qualifying a lowly 18th for his third Grand Prix, the rookie had worked his way up to 11th position by Lap 4 when the incident occurred. As he stormed down the exceptionally long back straight at the Shanghai International Circuit, Esteban Gutierrez explained that he simply misjudged the loss of downforce on his car whilst fighting for position with fellow countryman Sergio Perez. The ensuing carnage saw Gutierrez slam violently into the rear of Adrian Sutil’s Force India, ending both of their races.
“First of all, I had a good start, and a good first lap.” Explained Esteban Gutierrez, “At that point in the race when the accident happened, we had a reasonable speed and were able to keep the pace in order to stay with the group in front. Right before going into the long straight I had Checo [Perez] fighting behind me, and I approached the corner too fast. I was braking at the same place where I usually brake, however, didn’t anticipate the loss of downforce and the amount of speed I had. I tried my best to stop, but didn’t succeed. It was definitely my fault, and I apologize to Adrian [Sutil] and to his team.”
Naturally the race stewards decided to investigate the collision between Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil, eventually concluding after the race that the Mexican driver was at fault and worthy of a five-place grid penalty next weekend in Bahrain. Looking back at Gutierrez’s poor qualifying performances so far, this will more than likely see the rookie start the Bahrain Grand Prix alongside the Caterhams and Marussias.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Fernando Alonso Secures Victory In Tyre Dominated Chinese Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso has stormed to a sensational race victory in a Chinese Grand Prix utterly dominated by Pirelli’s P Zero tyres, which also saw a mesmerizing nine lead changes. The Spaniard was followed home by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with Lewis Hamilton only just holding on for 3rd ahead of Sebastian Vettel.
At the start the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa stormed into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, as Kimi Raikkonen fell through the order to 4th through the opening three corners. Lewis Hamilton retained the lead at the front, as the field tightly negotiated the opening lap of the race. Towards the end of the opening lap, the Force India duo collided as Adrian Sutil barged team-mate Paul di Resta onto the grass at Turn 15.
The Ferrari duo rob Lewis Hamilton of the lead.
By Lap 3, the DRS device was activated allowing the various drivers within one second of the car in front to utilize to overtaking assist. This greatly assisted the Ferrari duo of Alonso and Massa, who instantly pounced around Lewis Hamilton to progress to 1st and 2nd. Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez’s race was short-lived, after the Mexican driver was woefully late on the brakes into Turn 14 and slammed into the rear of the Force India of Adrian Sutil. The two were forced into retirement, as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pitted together on Lap 6.
Eventually Fernando Alonso pitted on Lap 7 along with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Felipe Massa. However, the Brazilian driver remained out on the track for too long on the soft tyre compound, and rejoined further down the order after his pit stop on Lap 8. This saw the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg assume the lead of the race, the first time he had led for the Swiss outfit this season. After falling through the order due to his first pit stop, Fernando Alonso gradually began to rise through the order to 4th by Lap 14.
After electing to start the race on the medium tyre compound, Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian Vettel were one of the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 15. The Sauber mechanics failed to produce a pit stop to match Red Bull, as Vettel leapfrogged his fellow countryman during the stop. Meanwhile the McLaren of Jenson Button assumed the lead, after he too elected to start the race on the medium tyre compound. Sebastian Vettel rejoined the race behind his team-mate of Mark Webber, who had started the race in the pits after his exclusion from qualifying.
Mark Webber’s race weekend went from bad to worse on Lap 15, as the Australian driver collided with Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso at Turn 6. The saw Webber suffer a damaged front wing, and forced both he and Vergne to pit after sustaining damage. Whereas Jean-Eric Vergne pitted and rejoined without incident, Mark Webber immediately slowed after his pit-stop with the right-rear tyre loose on his car. After crawling at a snails pace for the majority of the lap, the Australian’s right-rear tyre eventually flew off of his car as he negotiated Turn 14.
Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen then came together at Turn 6 a lap later, with the Finn sustaining light damage to his front nose. However, Lotus elected not to pit Raikkonen as he continued with visible damage on his car. As much confusion ensued throughout the order, Fernando Alonso caught and overtook Jenson Button for the lead of the race on Lap 21. A lap later Raikkonen and Hamilton pitted together, with the duo now battling for the final podium places. Whereas one Mercedes driver was battling towards the front, the other of Nico Rosberg was forced into a frustrating retirement on Lap 23 with a suspension issue.
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button pitted on Lap 24, allowing Sebastian Vettel to take the lead of the race for the first time. With Gutierrez and Sutil’s incident earlier in the race occurring in a DRS zone, the device was disabled as the marshals cleared the stricken machines. This saw almost half of the field come under investigation by the stewards for allegedly using the device during the yellow flag zone, including Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton.
After once again dropping through the order after his second pit stop, Fernando Alonso slowly progressed back through the order. Firstly he overtook Nico Hulkenberg for 2nd before storming around Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Throughout the next few laps both Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton pitted for a second time. Fernando Alonso looked uncatchable out in front, and eventually pitted for a third and final time on Lap 41. The Spaniard only momentarily lost the lead to Vettel, and managed to retake it several laps later.
Jenson Button’s gamble of a two-stop strategy failed to pay off, as he began to plummet through the order from 3rd to 5th as both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton simply breezed around the Briton. The McLaren driver eventually pitted on Lap 50 for the soft tyre compound, which last for only a lap and a half before they began to wear out. Sebastian Vettel became the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 51, as he too switched to the soft tyres.
Unlike Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel managed to make the pace of the soft compound last much longer. As Fernando Alonso simply cruised to his 31st career victory, Vettel began to seriously catch Lewis Hamilton for 3rd. The reigning Champion was a mesmerizing three seconds a lap quicker on the soft tyres, but failed to find a way around the Briton in a frenetic end to a tyre dominated race. Kimi Raikkonen ended the race 2nd, his 20th consecutive race finish in the points.
The Chinese Grand Prix may well have disappointed the purist of Formula 1 fans after being dominated by Pirelli’s tyres and the DRS overtaking device, however it is unquestionable that they combined to create one of the most exciting and memorable races around the Shanghai International Circuit. The excitement is sure to continue next weekend, when the sport reconvenes at Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai, China; 56 laps; 305.066km; Weather: Dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Alonso Ferrari 1h36:26.945 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 10.100s 3. Hamilton Mercedes + 12.300s 4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 12.500s 5. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.200s 6. Massa Ferrari + 40.800s 7. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 42.600s 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 51.000s 9. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 53.400s 10. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 56.500s 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1m03.800s 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1m12.600s 13. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1m33.800s 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1m35.400s 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap Fastest lap: Vettel, 1m36.808s Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Rosberg Mercedes 22 Webber Red Bull-Renault 16 Sutil Force India-Mercedes 6 Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 5
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Force India Duo Left Lamenting After Pit Stop Woes At Malaysia
The Force India duo of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta have been left lamenting after an extremely tough Malaysian Grand Prix, which saw both drivers forced into premature retirement due to issues with the wheel nuts during their pit-stops. The Silverstone-based outfit aims to return stronger in China next time out.
After leading the Australian Grand Prix for numerous laps during the season-opener, Force India were brought back down to earth with a bump during the 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. The duo pitted during the early stages of the race to switch from intermediates to slicks, as the track gradually began to dry out. However, when both Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta pitted together, the German driver suffered a catastrophic delay when his front-left tyre failed to connect to the car.
The same issue struck Paul di Resta during his next pit-stop, and the duo were eventually retired due to safety reasons several laps later. The exact cause of the issue still remains a mystery for the outfit, however they aim to rectify the issue and return in China with another strong performance. Adrian Sutil was one of the fastest drivers on the track at one stage, and is continuing to overshadow Paul di Resta on his return to the sport.
“An early end to a race that promised so much for us.” Explained Adrian Sutil, “Both cars had the same problem with the wheel nuts and it cost us a lot of time in the pits. We’re not sure exactly what happened yet so the team stopped the cars to make sure we understand the issue. It’s a shame that this happened here because we had a very quick car today and I felt very comfortable as the track dried out. We have to stay positive, keep our heads up and remember that there are plenty of races left where we can make up for the disappointment of today.”
Although it’s still early in the 2013 season, Adrian Sutil is currently ahead of team-mate Paul di Resta in the Drivers’ Championship. The Scotsman will be hoping for more competitive results when the sport reconvenes at China in three weeks time, as he strives to prove his worthiness within the Silverstone-based outfit.
Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team
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