Ma Qing Hua To Take Part In Young Drivers Test With HRT
Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua will complete his first outing in a Formula 1 car with HRT at the Young Drivers’ Test at Silverstone in July, as the Spanish outfit opt to take part at the Silverstone test in July instead of the traditional Abu Dhabi test later in the year. The test will take place the week after the British Grand Prix, between the 10th-12th of July.
The 24-year-old Chinese driver is part of HRT’s young driver programme, and has already completed valuable steps towards his career ambition of one day becoming a Formula 1 driver. Ma Qing Hua has tested in World Series by Renault and Formula 3 cars as well as carrying out tests in the teams simulator.
“I’m very happy and fortunate to have the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car at the Young Driver Test and do it with HRT Formula 1 Team.” Said Ma Qing Hua, “I’ve dreamed of this all my life and am aware of the great responsibility that comes with it as I’ll be the first Chinese driver ever to take part in the Young Driver Test. I hope that with the backing of all my compatriots, both in China and elsewhere, the commitment and link between my nation and the pinnacle of motorsport grows stronger every day.”
The young drivers test has traditionally taken part towards the end of the season, at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. However, in 2012 the young drivers test will take place both at Silverstone in July and Abu Dhabi later in the year, with teams split over which venue to test at. This event has seen many up-and-coming drivers test Formula 1 machinery, including GP2 and World Series by Renault drivers.
There has never been a Chinese driver in Formula 1 before, and Ma Qing Hua could well be on the road to becoming the first. His three days in the F112 in July could well be the beginning of a new era in Chinese sport.
Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team
Mugello Test Preview
For the first time since 2008, Formula 1 teams’ and drivers’ are preparing to take part in an in-season test at the Italian circuit of Mugello. After in-season testing was banned for the 2009 season, only pre-season and young drivers’ tests allowed the teams’ to run their cars outside of official F1 weekends.
The 2012 Formula 1 season has got off to a highly competitive and unpredictable start, with four different drivers’ in four different cars’ having won the opening races in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain. Although the season has been highly unpredictable, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel currently sits atop the Drivers’ Championship, with Red Bull currently leading the Constructors’ Championship.
For the next three days, the teams and drivers will partake in a three-day test at the 5.245km (3.259m) Mugello circuit in Italy, as they prepare for the European season which could determine the potential Championship contenders for 2012.
The opening day of the test tomorrow will see many teams run their reserve drivers’, with McLaren opting for Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey in favor of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Day one will see the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Jules Bianchi and Jerome D’Ambrosio driving for their respective teams on day one.
The track action will get underway at 9am local time, and run through until 6pm local time with an hours lunch break at 1pm. The weather for day one looks set to start with sunny intervals before the threat of rain creeps in towards the afternoon, with days two and three set for glorious sunshine in which teams will be eager to test various upgrades in preparation for the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix in May.
Mercedes: Nico Rosberg (AM), Michael Schumacher (PM), May 1; Michael Schumacher, May 2; Nico Rosberg, May 3.
Marussia: Charles Pic, May 1; Charles Pic (AM), Timo Glock (PM), May 2; Timo Glock, May 3.
Red Bull: Mark Webber, May 1; Mark Webber (AM, Sebastian Vettel (PM), May 2; Sebastian Vettel, May 3
Caterham: Rodolfo Gonzalez, May 1; Vitaly Petrov, May 2; Heikki Kovalainen, May 3.
Ferrari: Fernando Alonso May 1 and 2; Felipe Massa, May 3.
Lotus: Jerome D’Ambrosio, May 1; Kimi Raikkonen, May 2; Romain Grosjean May 3.
Sauber: Kamui Kobayashi, May 1 and 2; Sergio Perez, May 3.
Force India: Jules Bianchi, May 1; Paul di Resta, May 2; Nico Hulkenberg, May 3.
Williams: Valtteri Bottas, May 1; Bruno Senna, May 2; Pastor Maldonado, May 3.
McLaren: Oliver Turvey (AM), Gary Paffett (PM), May 1; Gary Paffett, May 2; Oliver Turvey, May 3.
Toro Rosso: Jean Eric-Vergne, May 1 and 2 (AM); Daniel Ricciardo, May 2 (PM), and 3.
Picture Copyright © Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton Wishes To Test At Mugello
After a disastrous Bahrain Grand Prix, British driver Lewis Hamilton is eager to get back into his McLaren to iron out the pit-stop issues which plagued him during the fourth round of the Championship. During two of his three pit-stops, the left-rear tyre nut stuck, an issue which dropped him down the order during the race.
With this issue a recurring factor within McLaren, with Jenson Button getting hit by the same misfortune in China, Lewis Hamilton has expressed a desire to test at Mugello next week. However, the team have already announced they would not take either of their drivers’ to the test, and would instead have their test and reserve drivers’ Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey in the car.
“It might change,” explained Lewis Hamilton in The Daily Telegraph. “I need to get back in the car. We need to figure out why the tyres are going off. If there are other things to test or ways to figure out I will be the one to do it, not let someone else do it.”
The Mugello test is scheduled to take place next week on the 1st – 3rd May, and will feature other test and reserve drivers’ including Jerome D’Ambrosio for Lotus and Rodolfo Gonzalez for Caterham.
Picture Copyright © AP Photo
Romain Grosjean Becomes 200th Different Driver On The Podium
Romain Grosjean made Formula 1 history in Bahrain, becoming the 200th different driver to step onto the podium since the sports inaugural season in 1950. With Grosjean joining his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel on the podium, it was all change once again on the top step of the F1 rostrum.
For Grosjean, it was his first step on an F1 podium in only his 11th start. The Frenchman began his career in 2009 with Renault, however he was replaced by Vitaly Petrov for the 2010 season. Grosjean then returned to the GP2 Series and in 2011 won both the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series’.
In 2012, Grosjean has returned to the top tier of motorsport along with his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, and the two have already shown high amounts of competitiveness in only the first four races of the season. Although Grosjean failed to complete more than seven laps in the first two races due to two DNF’s, he seems to have made up for his errors with two points finishes in China and Bahrain.
The last Frenchman to step onto the podium was 14 years ago, when Jean Alesi did so in unforgettable circumstances at the crazy 1998 Belgian Grand Prix for Sauber. The French veteran was joined by the Jordan duo of Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher, who had memorably achieved Jordan’s first F1 victory with a 1-2 finish in the rain at Spa.
Romain Grosjean has ended this drought for France and has returned the French flag to the podium once again, becoming the 21st Frenchman on the podium. He now joins the likes of Jean Alesi, Rene Arnoux, Alain Prost, Didier Pironi and Olivier Panis as French drivers’ who have reached the podium in their career.
With Grosjean only several races into 2012, his aim now will naturally be to become the first French winner since 1996, when Olivier Panis won the Monaco Grand Prix for Ligier in a race which amazingly saw only three cars eventually cross the finish line at the end of the race, the least amount in F1 history.
Lotus showed promising pace in pre-season testing at both Jerez and Barcelona, with Raikkonen and Grosjean both setting the fastest times throughout the testing period. It now seems that Lotus are beginning to show that pace once again, when it all counts during the race on Sunday. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean know how to win races, and they will undoubtedly be striving to do so in 2012.
Picture Copyright © AFP
Nico Rosberg Escapes Penalties After Bahrain Grand Prix
After reaping the rewards of winning his maiden Grand Prix last weekend in China, Nico Rosberg came under the spotlight of the race stewards this weekend in Bahrain after questionable defending against Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
At the time, the race stewards decided the review the various incidents after the race, a decision which could have affected the outcome of Rosberg’s race with either a time penalty or a grid penalty for the next race in Spain. However, the German has escaped such penalties, with the race stewards satisfied that no driver breached the rules in any such way.
The first of the two incidents occurred on lap 10, only moments after Lewis Hamilton suffered disastrous pit-stop. The British driver came out in close proximity of Nico Rosberg, and made a move on the Mercedes driver. Rosberg defended his position as strongly as possible, appearing to force Hamilton momentarily off the track and onto the run-off area.
After having heard from both drivers’, including team representatives from both Mercedes and McLaren, and having examined telemetry and video footage, the race stewards made their decision to not penalize Nico Rosberg. The race stewards stated that Rosberg made his defensive move in a constant and continuous straight manner, and that Rosberg made his move to the right prior to Hamilton making the same move. The race stewards continued by explaining that if Hamilton’s car had been a significant portion alongside Rosberg, the move many not have been considered legitimate.
The second incident between Rosberg and Alonso occurred on lap 26, and was also seen in the same light by the race stewards, with similar reasons behind the decision as to the Hamilton incident. As well as stating that Rosberg commenced his move in a constant and continuous straight manner, they also stated that no part of Alonso’s Ferrari was alongside Rosberg during the incident.
Nico Rosberg finally finished the Bahrain Grand Prix 5th, with Alonso and Hamilton coming home 7th and 8th respectively after a tough race. The three drivers’ will now be able to catch their breath after an exhilarating couple of races, and prepare for the Mugello test before the Spanish Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © LAT Photographic
Sauber Fail To Score Points For The First Time In 2012
For the first time in 2012, Sauber have left a Grand Prix empty handed as both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi failed to finish within the top ten. After Sergio Perez’s fantastic 2nd place in Malaysia, the team have unfortunately only scored one World Championship point, from Kobayashi in China.
Sergio Perez suffered from tyre degradation throughout the race in Bahrain, and subsequently lost out to Michael Schumacher in the closing stages of the race. The German was sprinting up the field after starting 22nd, and managed to pass Perez for 10th and the final points scoring position.
The other Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi finished just behind Perez, in 13th position. The initial race strategy from Sauber was to have the Japanese driver on a 2-stop strategy, but when tyre degradation came earlier than expected in the second stint, Sauber were forced to pit Kobayashi for a third time with only seven laps remaining.
Kamui Kobayashi was also very disappointed with the start of the race, with the Sauber apparently having too much wheel spin off the line at the start.
“Well, for me the start was too slow.” Explained Kobayashi, after a disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix. “I had too much wheel spin and we will look into that. I started on a set of new medium compound tyres and we tried a two stop strategy but in the end it didn’t work out. Our problem was a general lack of speed and we will work hard to fix it.”
“The key point of the race was on lap one when we lost positions.” Commented Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Sauber’s Head of Track Engineering. “The start was possibly not so good. That’s something we have to look into. From that point on we were unable to recover. Altogether we were not strong enough today to recover from all that.”
Sauber head to the Mugello test at the beginning of May and the next Grand Prix in Spain scratching their heads slightly, trying to work out what went wrong this weekend in Bahrain.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Michael Schumacher Endures 5-Place Grid Drop
After a highly disappointing and somewhat embarrassing qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher drop out after Q1 in 18th position, it has been confirmed the German will also suffer a 5-place grid drop due to a gearbox change.
This penalty has been a recurring factor at the opening few races of the season, with the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado all suffering the consequences of changing a gearbox before the gearbox has completed a certain amount of races.
With the Mercedes driver initially expected to start 18th for the race, the ex-Ferrari Champion will now find himself starting the race from 23rd on the grid and on the back row alongside the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan. However, Mercedes could well opt to change Schumacher’s set-up, which in turn will allow him to start the race from the confines of the pit-lane.
Michael Schumacher’s team-mate, Nico Rosberg, will start the race from 5th place. The German won last time out in China, achieving what was his maiden Grand Prix victory. If Rosberg wishes to repeat such glories, he’ll have to not only control his tyres but also pass the likes of Button, Hamilton and Vettel.
Picture Copyright © Reuters
Pastor Maldonado Receives Gearbox Penalty For Bahrain
The Williams of Pastor Maldonado will take an unfortunate 5-place grid penalty for this weekends Bahrain Grand Prix, as the Venezuelan driver will suffer a gearbox change. The same penalty has struck both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton this season, and could well result in a tough race for Maldonado.
With the two Williams’ drivers’ of Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado scoring a wonderful double points finish in China, the Williams team found an issue with the gearbox used during that race and therefore require a new one in the Venezuelan’s car.
The regulations stipulate that a driver must complete a minimum of five races with one particular gearbox, with the only exception being if a driver fails to finish a Grand Prix. With Maldonado finishing 8th in China, this was not the case and as a result he has suffered the penalty.
Pastor Maldonado has only ever raced at the Sakhir International Circuit twice, in both GP2 and GP2 Asia. In GP2 he only ever managed to finish as high as 16th in 2007 with Trident Racing, whereas in the 2008-09 GP2 Asia season he failed to finish both races in Bahrain with ART Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team
2012 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Preview
After three unbelievably exciting and unpredictable races in 2012, the F1 fraternity now travel to Sakhir for the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix. With a serious debate over whether the race would go ahead or not due to violent protests, the FIA controversially certified that the event will definitely go ahead as planned this weekend.
During the first three races of the season in Australia, Malaysia and China rain has been a major threat and even caused the Malaysian Grand Prix to be momentarily suspended as a tropical storm hit the circuit. This trend is naturally set to end this weekend, with the sand and heat of the Sakhir International Circuit set to offers the teams’ with other worries.
With the temperatures at Sakhir set to reach 50°C (122°F) throughout the weekend, the teams’ will have their work cut out as they try and keep the cars cool. Another prominent factor of the weekend, once again, will be tyre degradation as the track will undoubtedly have sand blown across it during the course of the weekend. This eventuality could well have high implications on tyre wear, as well as the nature of the circuit which features long straights and heavy braking zones. Pirelli are bringing the P-Zero Soft (yellow) and the P-Zero Medium (white) tyre compounds this weekend, the same that were on offer in Australia and China earlier in the season.
The first ever Bahrain Grand Prix was held in 2004, and was won by the then dominant Michael Schumacher for Ferrari. The German was followed home by his team-mate Rubens Barrichello with Jenson Button finishing 3rd for BAR. Fernando Alonso won the next two races for Renault on his way to winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 2005 and 2006, before Felipe Massa won in both 2007 and 2008 for Ferrari. One thing is for certain, and it’s that Felipe Massa will most definitely have his work cut out to win his third race around the Sakhir circuit this weekend.
In 2009, Jenson Button won for Brawn GP after the two Toyota’s of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock lined-up on the front row. Button was finished seven seconds ahead of eventual title contender Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull with Jarno Trulli in 3rd.
For the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, the race took part on the lengthened 6.299km circuit. This layout involved 24 corners, and ran the distance of only 49 laps, in comparison to the usual 57 laps on the Grand Prix circuit. Fernando Alonso won this race, and was followed home by team-mate Massa for a Ferrari 1-2.
Last season, the race was postponed and then eventually canceled after violent protests rocked the Kingdom. At the time, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill was highly against the event going ahead. However, during the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend, the FIA controversially confirmed that the 2012 race would definitely go ahead.
This year, the track has been reverted to the original 5.406km ‘Grand Prix’ layout, and will run it’s usual 57 laps. The race weekend will be supported by the GP2 Series, as they take part in round two of their World Championship.
With the violence of the protesters ongoing in the Kingdom, question marks are still being raised as to whether the event will go ahead or not. However, with both Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone confident that it will, the teams’ and drivers’ seem happy to travel to Bahrain, for what will be the 8th running of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Every winner of the event will be on the grid come Sunday, however with a highly competitive field this season so far, many drivers’ have an opportunity to win the race.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Pirelli Expecting Sand Issues In Bahrain
With Bahrain’s Sakhir International Circuit located in a desert, sand can quite often be blown onto the track, causing lack of grip for the cars. This was evident for Pirelli when they tested at the track in 2010, when a sandstorm halted proceedings. No sandstorms are expected this weekend, but sand on the track is expected to be a factor.
After having three rain affected race weekends in Australia, Malaysia and China, the trend is naturally expected to stop as the F1 paddock travels to the heat and sandy surroundings of the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain. This is one of three tracks which Pirelli will visit this season which they haven’t raced on before, the others being Hockenheim and Austin in America.
However, with extensive knowledge of the track through testing in December 2010 and January 2011, Pirelli are confident on returning to the track. The only aspect of the track which gives cause for concern is the sand that can easily get swept onto the track, which could potentially cause havoc for the tyres.
“We’re expecting a notable degree of degradation that should certainly test the teams in terms of strategy.” Explained Pirelli’s motorsport director, Paul Hembrey. “With the circuit not having been frequently used, we are anticipating quite a high degree of track evolution over the course of the weekend. The risk of sand on the track can be an issue, as it takes time to clear and can cause graining. So tyre management will again be crucial in Bahrain, with rear traction in particular the key to a strong qualifying and race pace.”
Spanish driver, Pedro de la Rosa, has had first hand experience when the sand has hit the Sakhir International Circuit. During Pirelli’s first test at the track in December 2010, the Spaniard was behind the wheel when the sandstorm hit. Now driving for HRT, de la Rosa reflects on the occasion.
“We tested there with Pirelli twice, when I was the test driver.” Said Pedro de la Rosa, “It was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed it a lot, as we even got struck by a sandstorm! I’ve experienced rain, hail and even snow but I’ve never encountered a sandstorm in a Formula 1 car, so that was quite incredible.
“You must try to reduce camber as much as possible, in order to put the maximum amount of the surface of the rubber on the asphalt to achieve good braking and traction.” Continued the Spaniard, “You need to reduce downforce because of the large number of straights. It is quite a standard circuit in terms of pit stops. I expect teams to carry out two-stop strategies since the tyres are holding out longer this year and the new Pirelli profile is very beneficial to make the most out of the rubber.”
Coupled with the track layout, heat and sand the fourth round of the Championship is once again shaping up to be all about tyre management. Last weekend in China, Nico Rosberg surprised the field and managed his tyres in superlative fashion. It looks as though the same trick is once again going to be the winner in Bahrain.
Picture Copyright © LAT Photographic
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