Ryan Briscoe Replaces Outbound JR Hildebrand At Panther Racing
It has been confirmed that Ryan Briscoe will replace JR Hildebrand at Panther Racing for this weekend’s Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit, following the 25-year-old American’s contract termination with the Indianapolis-based outfit. Ryan Briscoe finished 12th last weekend in the Indianapolis 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Since storming to Championship success in the Firestone Indy Lights Series back in 2009 with AFS Racing, JR Hildebrand has enjoyed a relatively successful career in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Panther Racing. However, after only five races this season, the Californian-born 25-year-old has had his contract terminated with Panther Racing. For this weekend’s dual races in Detroit, the outfit has appointed Ryan Briscoe as Hildebrand’s replacement, however a full-time replacement has yet to be confirmed.
JR Hildebrand began his IZOD IndyCar career in 2010.
“I want to thank Panther Racing for the opportunity to drive the No. 4 National Guard Chevrolet,” explained JR Hildebrand in a statement. “It was a privilege to represent our men and women in uniform, along with the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe and the team’s veteran employment initiatives. I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter in my IndyCar career.”
After numerous Formula 1 tests with Toyota in 2003 and 2004, Ryan Briscoe made his debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2005. During his debut season, Briscoe was involved in a horrific incident at Chicagoland where he was launched into the catch-fencing. Despite being injured during the incident, the Australian driver made a full recovery and joined Dreyer & Reinbold racing the following season. After a season in the American Le Mans Series with Penske, Briscoe returned to IndyCar in 2008 with Team Penske.
Towards the end of the 2012 season it became apparent that Ryan Briscoe’s drive at Team Penske was under threat, and the Australian driver left the outfit after finishing 6th in the Drivers’ Championship with 370 points. Ryan Briscoe returned to the IZOD IndyCar Series last weekend for the Indianapolis 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing, and is understandably thrilled to be preparing to compete once again this weekend in Detroit.
“I’m unbelievably excited to be back in the IndyCar Series with Panther Racing and to have the opportunity to drive the National Guard Chevrolet this weekend,” enthused Ryan Briscoe. “I’ve competed against this team for a long time and it will be great to have the opportunity to work with John Barnes and the Panther guys. I’m confident we’ll all work well together and be able to hit the ground running this weekend in Detroit.”
Last season Ryan Briscoe finished 16th around the Belle Isle street circuit for Team Penske, a season when the Sydney-born 31-year-old only won one race at Sonoma. With a full-time replacement currently unconfirmed by Panther Racing, Ryan Briscoe will be out to impress this weekend in a bid prolong his time with the Indianapolis-based outfit.
Picture(s) Copyright © Jim Haines & Chris Jones/IndyCar
Toro Rosso Officially Confirm Ricciardo And Vergne For 2013
Toro Rosso have officially confirmed they are retaining both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne for the 2013 season, confirming rumors that the two were set to stay put at the Faenza-based outfit. Despite a tough 2012 season, the duo have both shone throughout the due course of the season, and are eager to continue improving next season.
Daniel Ricciardo made his debut in Formula 1 last season for HRT at the British Grand Prix, and has since improved greatly up the F1 ladder to Toro Rosso. The Australian driver has so far scored nine points this season, and will undoubtedly be striving to impress next season within the team, especially with the Red Bull presence at the Italian outfit.
“I am really pumped to know that I am continuing with Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season and want to thank the team and Red Bull.” Said Daniel Ricciardo, “There are big expectations for next year and I’m ready and willing to fulfill them. I feel I have been growing and developing as a driver and my approach to the technical side of the sport has also progressed this year, so I am sure that will serve me well in my second season with Toro Rosso. We have had quite a tough season, but despite that, I have always enjoyed a good relationship with all the guys and I am delighted at the idea of working with them for another year.”
Jean-Eric Vergne made his debut this season with Toro Rosso, and after a highly successful season in the World Series by Renault the previous year was tipped as one to watch at the start of the season. Just like team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, the Frenchman managed to score his first points in the early stages of the season. However, since then Vergne has also struggled, although he is adamant of a much more competitive 2013 season.
“I am really happy about this great news.” Enthused Jean-Eric Vergne, “Thank you Toro Rosso and thank you Red Bull, who have backed me since the early days of my career. It has been a difficult season and, as a rookie, I have learned a lot, thanks to the support I got and the excellent relationship I have enjoyed with all the guys. I feel much stronger now and I know I have become a better driver over the course of the season. I really believe in this team and with all the experience I have gained, combined with the team’s ambitious plans for next year, I think we can look forward to great things in 2013, attacking all the way.”
With Toro Rosso announcing both of their drivers for next season, as well as Nico Hulkenberg being confirmed at Sauber for 2013, this still leaves half of the grid for next season unconfirmed. Lotus have yet to confirm Kimi Raikkonen’s team-mate, however it is firmly believed that Romain Grosjean will be retained. Both Force India, Williams, Marussia, Caterham and HRT have yet to confirm their driver line-ups, with Sauber still yet to confirm Hulkenberg’s team-mate.
Picture Copyright © Toro Rosso F1 Team
Alan Jones Believes Mark Webber Should Race For Ferrari
Former Australian World Champion Alan Jones believes Mark Webber should consider a move to Ferrari if the opportunity to replace Felipe Massa arises. After taking his second Monaco Grand Prix victory last weekend, the Australian driver showed his worth to any top team on the grid.
“Mark has already done one of the two things that most Formula 1 drivers would like to do, and that’s win Monaco.” Explained Alan Jones, in a podcast put together by the organizers of the Australian Grand Prix. “The other one is to drive for Ferrari. I’m sure he’d have a look at it. If he goes to Ferrari, it could be a breath of fresh air – it’s very prestigious and something really good to have on your CV. He gets on extremely well with [Fernando] Alonso, so maybe that could be a good way for him to go.”
However, if Mark Webber was to make the move to the Maranello-based team, racing alongside the dominant figure of Fernando Alonso would undoubtedly be a difficult task to undertake. However, this was also thought about the move Jenson Button completed from Brawn GP to McLaren for the 2010 season, yet by 2011 Button had become the No. 1 driver in McLaren as Lewis Hamilton suffered a less-than-successful season.
Alan Jones also believes that Mark Webber already has his work cutout racing alongside Sebastian Vettel, and that Alonso wouldn’t be any more difficult as a team-mate for the 35-year-old. If Webber was to make the move to Ferrari, he would become the first Australian driver to race for the Italian outfit in the history of Formula 1.
With his contract with Red Bull coming to an end this season, and Felipe Massa’s seat at Ferrari coming under serious scrutiny after a disastrous start to the season, these rumors could well begin to gather momentum as the season unfolds.
Vitaly Petrov Believes Mugello Is An Unsafe Track
Russian Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov has become the first and as of yet only driver to speak out negatively about the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello circuit, with the Caterham driver stating that the track isn’t wide enough and is too dangerous for F1 cars.
This statement comes after the remaining drivers’ who have driven on the track this week announced their pleasure and sense of fulfillment in driving around the Mugello circuit. Mark Webber likened 10 laps around the track to 1000 around Abu Dhabi in sense of satisfaction, whereas fellow Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo stated: “Love driving the beast round here. Awesome high speed circuit.”
“I don’t think we should have come here,” explained Petrov, who has contrasting views on the Mugello circuit. “It is not safe and wide enough. If you lose it, the walls are so close and you will smash into the tyres. It is not for Formula 1 and, if you lost the steering or the tyre pressure dropped or whatever, then it will be a big crash.”
It was earlier announced that the director of the Mugello circuit, which is owned by Ferrari, is eager to one day see the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello circuit host a Grand Prix. With other drivers adoring their time on the Italian circuit, it seems Vitaly Petrov won’t be returning to the Mugello circuit anytime soon.
Daniel Ricciardo Frustrated After A Tough Bahrain Grand Prix
After a stunningly competitive qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is frustrated with what turned out to be a tough race. The 22-year-old had a difficult start to the race, and after suffering damage to his front wing dropped back and eventually finished 15th, one place behind team-mate Vergne.
This poor result for Toro Rosso means they also leave Bahrain without scoring a single point, with only six to their name so far in the Constructors’ Championship. Both drivers’ have scored points in 2012, however they have only come from 9th and 8th place finishes in what is turning out to be a highly competitive midfield in 2012.
“That was not what I was hoping for after starting from sixth on the grid.” Explained a frustrated Daniel Ricciardo, “The opening lap changed my whole race. My initial launch off the line wasn’t great and after that I seemed to go backwards, which made for a very frustrating afternoon. The front wing damage also made matters worse. I need to be hard on myself now and find out what I did wrong to make sure I don’t do it again. It was a race to forget.”
The team see Daniel Ricciardo’s stellar qualifying performance as the only positive to take away from Bahrain, and even that was marred by the poor qualifying performance of Jean-Eric Vergne, will was eliminated after Q1.
With a three day test at Mugello at the start of May, Toro Rosso will be eager to iron out the creases in preparation for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Jean-Eric Vergne Reprimanded After Missing Weighbridge
French rookie Jean-Eric Vergne has been lucky to get away with only a reprimand from the FIA after missing the weighbridge after his qualifying effort in Q1. The Toro Rosso driver suffered an overall disastrous qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix tomorrow, and only managed 19th overall.
After completing his run in Q1, the Frenchman was signaled to enter the weighbridge so the FIA could weigh his car before returning it to the pits. However, Vergne missed the gesticulating FIA official and red light and drove straight on towards his garage.
Luckily for Jean-Eric Vergne, the FIA decided to only reprimand the Toro Rosso driver, with the FIA stating that “upon realizing the error, the team, under supervision of a scrutineer, brought the car back to the FIA garage.” With a grid penalty the possible alternate decision for the FIA, Vergne is lucky to be able to retain his 19th grid position for tomorrow’s race.
In stark contrast to Vergne’s disastrous qualifying position, his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was able to qualify a superlative 6th position on the grid. The Australian was able to out-qualify both Lotus’ and both Ferrari’s, in a qualifying session which showcased what a tight and highly competitive midfield there is in 2012.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Toro Rosso Disappointed After Qualifying
Both Toro Rosso drivers’ of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are openly disappointed with their qualifying efforts for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, with Frenchman Vergne being eliminated after Q1 with the likes of Caterham, Marussia and HRT.
With all hope for a decent qualifying position resting on the shoulders of Daniel Ricciardo for the Italian outfit, the Australian failed excel and only qualified a position ahead of Vergne in 17th. With the team trying a different approach regarding their set-up in China, thoughts within Toro Rosso is that maybe the changes could have altered the teams pace for the worse.
“Obviously, this was a disappointing qualifying for us and today we clearly lacked the pace we needed to be in the fight.” Explained Toro Rosso’s Chief Engineer, Laurent Mekies, “We now have to look at where we lost this performance. We made quite a few changes to the cars from yesterday and during this morning’s free practice and we must assess where we did not go in the right direction. So far this weekend, we explored a quite different direction in terms of set-up and maybe it cost something in terms of ultimate pace in qualifying.”
Daniel Ricciardo was expecting Toro Rosso to have the pace to qualify much higher for the Chinese Grand Prix, and was ultimately highly disappointed with the final result for the team.
“P17 is not going to put a smile on my face, as I had expected to do better today.” Said Daniel Ricciardo, “I drove as hard as I could, but that did not produce a good enough lap time. With the package we had, I don’t think I could have got much more out of it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and then we must look at trying to improve our qualifying performance for the next race. This weekend, we had a few small updates but we also tried a few drastic measures in a way that required me to drive differently, so either we can make it work in Bahrain or we could go back to something we understand a bit better.”
With both Toro Rosso’s qualifying so far back on the grid, the two drivers’ are set for a difficult 56-lap race as they will inevitably become locked in a midfield battle with the likes of Williams, Force India and Felipe Massa. A points finish is unlikely for Vergne or Ricciardo, yet in 2012 anything seems possible in what is becoming a highly unpredictable season.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Daniel Ricciardo Determined To Shine In 2012
For the first time in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship, two Australian drivers’ are set to line-up on the grid for this weekends season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Those two drivers’ are Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, who starts his first full season in the sport after making his debut with HRT mid-way through last year.
On the eve of the opening weekend of the season, Daniel Ricciardo has acknowledged the fact that he could easily be replaced at Toro Rosso if he doesn’t deliver decent results. The Australian driver will partner French rookie Jean-Eric Vergne this season at Toro Rosso, with both eager to impress in front of Red Bull.
After a less-than-successful 2011 season, question marks are now over the security of Mark Webber’s drive at Red Bull. With this the case, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are undoubtably the two likely candidates.
“It could be my one and only [year] if it’s not good enough so I’ve definitely got to step up and do as good as I can,” Explained Daniel Ricciardo to AAP. “I plan on staying in Formula One and competing at a very high level for many years to come and it’s a good start if I have a good year this year.”
With Mark Webber vying to have a successful 2012 season and take the fight to Sebastian Vettel, both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne need to have a highly successful season if they stand any chance of replacing Webber in 2013.
Picture Copyright © Toro Rosso
Barcelona Day 2 – Afternoon Session – Grosjean Fastest Again
The French contingent of the 2012 Formula 1 grid have dominated the proceedings of the second day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, with Jean-Eric Vergne and Romain Grosjean ending each session fastest respectively.
The morning session was delayed by 30 minutes due to heavy fog, and because of this delay an extra 30 minutes was added to the end of the day. The morning session was plagued with seven red flag delays, with everything from debris on the track to cars embedding themselves in the gravel keeping the track marshals busy.
As with the week so far, the majority of the teams focused extensively on race simulations, with Jean-Eric Vergne’s time from the morning period going unbeaten for the majority of the afternoon.
However, it was fellow countryman Romain Grosjean who finally went top. The Lotus driver completed a 60-lap race simulation early on in the afternoon period, before switching to faster runs. It was whilst he was completing these faster runs that he set a 01:22.614.
The Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne caught fire momentarily towards the end of the morning period, which forced the rookie to sit out the majority of the afternoon session as the mechanics fixed the issue. Vergne was able to return to the track with roughly 30 minutes to go, however he was restricted to completing pit-stop practice only.
Sebastian Vettel was another driver who improved in the afternoon session, as the reigning World Champion went 3rd with a 01:23.361. Sauber suffered from a hydraulic leak in the afternoon period, restricting their track time. Kamui Kobayashi completed 77 laps in total, ending the day 6th fastest +1.222 seconds off the the pace.
The test session continues tomorrow, as pre-season testing enters its final two days before the teams head off for the season opening Australian Grand Prix.
Today’s times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Grosjean Lotus 1m22.614s 123 2. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m23.126s +0.512 31 3. Vettel Red Bull 1m23.361s +0.747 85 4. Alonso Ferrari 1m23.447s +0.833 124 5. Kovalainen Caterham 1m23.828s +1.214 104 6. Kobayashi Sauber 1m23.836s +1.222 77 7. Hulkenberg Force India 1m23.893s +1.279 33 8. Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.978s +1.364 79 9. Hamilton McLaren 1m24.111s +1.497 65 10. Senna Williams 1m24.925s +2.311 48 11. Maldonado Williams 1m25.801s +3.187 20
Barcelona Day 1 – Afternoon Session – Grosjean Fastest
As the cars returned to the track after the lunch period, the majority of the teams’ elected to run longer race simulations. This tactic has been used almost every day throughout pre-season testing, as teams’ try and gather as much information for their race setups as possible.
As the afternoon wore on, it looked likely that Jenson Button’s fastest time set in the morning session was to remain unbeaten. That was until the Lotus of Romain Grosjean set a surprisingly quick 01:23.252, on the soft Pirelli compound. The Frenchman was one of only two drivers’ to improve their time in the afternoon session, the other driver being Mark Webber who improved by only a tenth from his morning time. The Australian ended the day 4th, with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez between himself and Grosjean.
Vitaly Petrov was testing in place of the ill Heikki Kovalainen today, after the Finn picked up food poising. Kovalainen will return to testing on Friday, with HRT aiming to be on the track by Sunday.
Today's times Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Grosjean Lotus 1m23.252s 73 2. Button McLaren 1m23.510s +0.258 64 3. Perez Sauber 1m23.820s +0.568 118 4. Webber Red Bull 1m23.830s +0.578 102 5. Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.992s +0.740 128 6. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m24.216s +0.964 113 7. Di Resta Force India 1m24.305s +1.053 98 8. Massa Ferrari 1m24.318s +1.066 105 9. Petrov Caterham 1m24.876s +1.624 123 10. Maldonado Williams 1m25.587s +2.335 58
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