Vettel and Ricciardo preview The Red Bull Ring [Video]
Video Copyright © Red Bull Racing Media
Hamilton pips local hero Ricciardo to pole in Australia
Lewis Hamilton has managed to pip local hero Daniel Ricciardo to pole for the Australian Grand Prix, after an utterly sensational qualifying hour ran in inclement weather conditions around the Albert Park Circuit. Nico Rosberg and McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen will form the second row of the grid, after reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel was eliminated from proceedings after Q2 and will start from a lowly 13th.
With a serious threat of rain looming overhead at the start of the qualifying hour, almost the entire field immediately elected to spill out onto the track in a bid to complete a dry lap before the forecast downpour. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were the first out once the opening segment got underway, with Sebastian Vettel electing to remain in the confines of the pits. Lewis Hamilton managed to produce the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:31.699, as Sebastian Vettel finally took to the track on Pirelli’s soft tyre compound.
Unsurprisingly the benchmark at the top tumbled tremendously during the opening minutes of Q1, with the likes of Felipe Massa, Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo all rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:30.775. Whilst one Red Bull sat at the top of the standings, the other of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel fought incredibly hard to control his car, in doing so lightly tapping the concrete barrier on the exit of Turn 10. Although no damage was sustained, the German failed to trouble the sharp end of the order as the segment progressed. Elsewhere on the track Romain Grosjean’s woeful weekend continued, with the Frenchman running wide and into the gravel at Turn 13, whilst his new team-mate also struggled at same corner.
As the opening segment of qualifying drew to a conclusion, heavy rain began to fall over the track, preventing anyone from improving greatly. Pastor Maldonado became one of the first drivers to get caught out in the tricky conditions, as the Venezuelan driver spun at Turn 3 and miraculously managed to continue circulating. With three minutes remaining in the session the track fell silent, with the classification remaining relatively unchanged. This saw both Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Esteban Gutierrez, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado eliminated from proceedings.
During the short interval between Q1 and Q2 the rain subsided somewhat, however the track remained wet enough to force the drivers to start the second segment on Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate tyre compound, with Valtteri Bottas becoming the first driver to take to the track for Williams. The Finn, who would incur a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, ran wide at Turns 9 and 10 in the tricky conditions. Nico Hulkenberg also ran wide at the same part of the circuit, as Bottas produced the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:47.160. As the conditions slowly began to improve, the times at the top once again took a tumble with the likes of Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo rising to the top, before Valtteri Bottas returned to the sharp-end of the order with a 01:45.689.
After completing the fastest time of the segment so far, the Williams driver then spun at Turn 1 in the still treacherous weather conditions. As the Finn managed to continued circulating, Daniel Ricciardo momentarily returned to the top for Red Bull before Fernando Alonso lowered the benchmark even further with a 01:45.034. With the conditions constantly evolving, the times continued to plummet as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso all rose to the top before the local hero managed to produce a 01:44.031. Nico Rosberg eventually produced a 01:42.264 to rise to the top for Mercedes, before Kimi Raikkonen threw the cat amongst the pigeons at Turn 3 as the Finn spun into the wall.
Although the 2007 World Champion only lightly tapped the retaining concrete barrier, his session was brought to a premature conclusion with yellow flags fluttering at the scene of the incident. This forced the entire field to adhere to yellow flag conditions through Turn 3, and ultimately saw the classification remain relatively unchanged during the dying seconds. This proved detrimental to reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who found himself frustratingly eliminated from proceedings in Q2 for the first time since the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix. The German was joined in elimination by Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez.
As the second segment of qualifying was brought to an explosive conclusion, heavy rain once again began to fall over the circuit. This created an even wetter start to the final top ten shootout, which started with Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo becoming the first drivers to take to the Albert Park Circuit. Due to the increased rainfall, every driver apart from Fernando Alonso was on the full wet tyre, as Nico Rosberg produced the first timed lap with a 01:45.550. Lewis Hamilton soon thwarted his team-mate’s initial advantage, as Felipe Massa returned to the pits for the intermediate tyre as the rain once again subsided. The majority of the field soon followed the Brazilian into the pits to change compounds, with the track constantly evolving.
Despite electing for the intermediate tyre compound, Nico Rosberg ran wide at Turns 9 and 10, after initially producing the fastest first sector. Daniel Ricciardo rose to the top with a 01:45.314, however Lewis Hamilton soon returned to the top with an even quicker 01:44.762 to defend his reign. Although reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat had managed to progress into the top ten shootout on his debut, the Russian rookie ended his qualifying hour by lightly tapping the wall on the entry to Turns 11 and 12, with the track conditions still perilous.
As the checkered flag was unfurled the times took yet one more tumble, with Nico Rosberg initially rising to the top for Mercedes with a 01:44.595. However, local hero Daniel Ricciardo wowed his adoring fans by leaping to the top with a 01:44.548, before Lewis Hamilton fully asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:44.231 to secure the first pole position of the new season and the 32nd of his career. With inclement weather conditions a possibility for the 58-lap race on Sunday, the 2014 Australian Grand Prix could prove to be spectacular as the sport roars back into life!
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m44.231s
2. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m44.548s +0.317s
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.595s +0.364s
4. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m45.745s +1.514s
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m45.819s +1.588s
6. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m45.864s +1.633s
7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m46.030s +1.799s
8. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m47.360s +3.129s
9. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m48.079s +3.848s
10. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m48.147s +3.916s
Q3 cut-off: 1m44.331s **
11. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.437s +2.173s
12. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m44.494s +2.230s
13. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.668s +2.404s
14. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m45.655s +3.391s
15. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1m45.867s +3.603s
16. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m47.293s +5.029s
Q2 cut-off: 1m34.274s ***
17. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.293s +4.118s
18. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.794s +4.619s
19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m35.117s +4.942s
20. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1m35.157s +4.982s
21. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m36.993s +6.818s
22. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Da Costa joins Buemi as Red Bull reserve driver for 2014
Antonio Felix Da Costa will join former Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi as Red Bull’s reserve drivers’ for the 2014 season, which will see the duo back main drivers Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo for the new season. Both Sebastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa have assumed the role on previous occasions.
After yet another competitive season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series with Arden Caterham, which consisted of three victories and six podium finishes, Antonio Felix da Costa will officially assume the role of test and reserve driver for the new season alongside Sebastien Buemi. The former Macau Grand Prix winner has completed numerous show car runs for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, including several days of testing in the Young Drivers’ Test throughout the last two years.
Despite his commitments in the Le Mans 24-Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship, Sebastien Buemi will also join the reigning Champions as their test and reserve driver once again alongside Antonio Felix da Costa. With da Costa still a member of Red Bull’s coveted junior programme and Sebastien Buemi a former member prior to his time in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso, this confirmation makes Red Bull’s complete 2014 driver line-up the first to include a full combination of either current or former members.
“It’s great to be able to announce the signing of Sebastien [Buemi] and Antonio [Felix da Costa] for 2014,” enthused Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner. “Next year sees the biggest change to the Formula One regulations for some time and the return of multiple in-season tests. To therefore be able to call on two such capable drivers is of huge benefit to the team. In Sebastien we have a great resource, a driver with extensive Grand Prix experience and that will be invaluable. Antonio, on the other hand, is an up-and-coming talent with whom we already have a good working relationship. I’m sure that his contribution will be just as important during what is sure to be an intensely busy season.”
With the reintroduction of in-season testing once again for next season, both Sebastien Buemi and Antonio Felix da Costa will be keen to assist Red Bull in defending their Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. However, they will both also be keen to continue pursuing their individual careers’, with Buemi undoubtedly set to continue in the FIA World Endurance Series and Antonio Felix da Costs most likely eager to secure a drive in one of the sport’s top feeder categories once again.
Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP3 Series Media Service
Daniel Ricciardo Fastest As Rain Strikes Again At Silverstone
Daniel Ricciardo has ended the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix weekend fastest overall, as heavy rain once again struck the legendary Silverstone circuit. For the majority of the session the drivers remained in the pits, before Daniel Ricciardo led them out in the closing minutes in the still treacherous conditions.
The Formula 1 paddock reconvened in typical British weather for the opening practice session of the weekend, as the teams and drivers were greeted with heavy and persistent rain over the legendary Silverstone circuit. Despite several installation laps up and down the field at the start of the session, the awaiting masses were treated to very little track action during the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez were the first to brave the elements at the start, before many others including local favorites Paul di Resta, Max Chilton and Jenson Button also took to the track.
During the opening hour of the session, the majority of the drivers elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane with only a handful of drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and Esteban Gutierrez tip-toeing around the Silverstone circuit on Pirelli’s Cinturato full wet tyres. The Sauber driver completed several laps, however he failed to produce a timed lap during his stint after passing through the pits to carry out practice starts at the pit exit.
As the damp proceedings drew to a miserable conclusion, Daniel Ricciardo injected some track action as the Australian sensation finally shattered the monotonous silence and took to the track once again to produce the first timed lap of the day with a 02:00.029. The Toro Rosso driver managed to improve by several seconds during his next lap with a 01:57.992, as many other drivers followed his trend and finally took to the Silverstone circuit with only ten minutes remaining in the session.
Local hero Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in giving his adoring home fans something to cheer about, as the 2008 World Champion quickly rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:55.458. Whilst Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of the session for the German marque, Charles Pic was caught out in the still treacherous weather conditions as the Frenchman spun into the retaining tyre barrier at Turn 18 and lightly damaged his car. The ever-efficient marshals swiftly cleared the stricken machine, before Daniel Ricciardo pounded around the track to produce a 01:54.249 to return to the top and end of the session fastest for Toro Rosso. The Australian driver was followed at the top by Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado, with rain still falling overhead.
Naturally the teams, drivers and fans will be hoping for better weather conditions for the second practice session of the weekend later in the afternoon, when further track action should allow the drivers to continue their vigorous preparations for the weekend ahead.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m54.249s 10 2. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.033s + 0.784s 7 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m55.354s + 1.105s 7 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m55.458s + 1.209s 5 5. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.825s + 1.576s 9 6. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m56.361s + 2.112s 7 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m57.891s + 3.642s 4 8. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m58.859s + 4.610s 6 9. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.719s + 5.470s 7 10. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.876s + 5.627s 8 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 2m06.534s + 12.285 6 12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes no time 3 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes no time 4 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault no time 1 15. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes no time 4 17. Fernando Alonso Ferrari no time 4 18. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault no time 1 19. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault no time 3 21. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault no time 4 22. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault no time 0
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Romain Grosjean Struck With Ten-Place Grid Penalty For Canada
Romain Grosjean has been struck with a ten-place grid penalty for the Canadian Grand Prix next time out, after the Frenchman seemed to return to his old incident-prone ways during the Monaco Grand Prix. In the latter stages of the race, the 27-year-old slammed into the rear of Daniel Ricciardo and eventually into retirement.
After a 2012 season where Romain Grosjean seemed to constantly be involved in incidents throughout each Grand Prix weekend, it was initially thought that the Frenchman had managed to change his ways over the winter period ahead of the new season. However, after four separate altercations throughout the entire Monaco Grand Prix weekend, it seems as though the Frenchman’s demons are continuing to plague him. Towards the latter stages of the Monaco Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean simply misjudged his braking for Turn 10 and slammed into the rear of Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso.
Naturally this incident infuriated the Australian driver, who described Romain Grosjean as dangerous. After an investigation by the race stewards, it was finally decided to impose a ten-place grid penalty for Romain Grosjean for the Canadian Grand Prix next time out. Romain Grosjean feels frustrated with the incident, as he feels Daniel Ricciardo broke early in the middle of the circuit.
“Daniel [Ricciardo] seemed to be really struggling with his rear tyres and they looked to have a lot of graining.” Explained Romain Grosjean, “I’d been following him for almost all of the 61 laps but I was caught out by him braking early in the middle of the circuit and there was nowhere for me to go. It’s a frustrating end to the weekend, but the real damage was done in qualifying when I didn’t get through to Q3. That was Daniel again who I was held up by, but it certainly wasn’t my intention to end my race in the back of his car!”
Romain Grosjean’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was also under investigation by the stewards after the race, with the Finn being deemed to have produced a time two seconds below the minimum time set by the FIA ECU when following the safety car. However, the former World Champion and Monaco Grand Prix winner avoided a penalty after only being issued with a reprimand.
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
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
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Eight Drivers Avoid Penalty After DRS Activation
Eight drivers including the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel have avoided a penalty after allegedly activating the DRS device during a yellow flag zone shortly after the incident between Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil. Due to ongoing technical glitches with the marshaling system, race control could not govern the activation of the device.
Usually throughout a Grand Prix weekend race control has complete jurisdiction over the usage of the DRS overtaking device, preventing drivers accidentally activating the device whilst not within a second of the car in front or not within the activation zone. However, throughout the opening three races of the season technical glitches have continued to plague the electronic marshaling system. This therefore prevents the lights corresponding to the red, yellow and blue flags from working within the cockpit, as well as the safety car mode being automatically engaged should it be deployed.
Probably the most troublesome issue with the ongoing technical glitch is the inability for race control to remain in command of the activation of the DRS device. Due to this issue, the DRS device can theoretically be activated at any stage of the race by the drivers. After the collision between Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil at Turn 14, the DRS activation zone down the back straight was disabled as the marshals cleared away the stricken Sauber. Unfortunately, race control were unable to fully disable the device and therefore Jenson Button, Romain Grosjean, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton were all put under investigation for allegedly activating the device throughout the yellow flag zone.
However, after being called up to the race stewards after the race, it was eventually decided that no penalty was to be issued to any of the drivers in question. This decision came about due to three facts regarding the activation, namely that the display of yellow flags failed to appear on the official messaging system until a minute after the incident, the DRS disable function was not fully operational and that the DRS usage was on the main straight where a green light was displayed.
If the race stewards had decided to impose timed penalties to the drivers in question, the official classification of the race could well have looked much different with Lewis Hamilton likely to have finished ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Luckily, however, the classification was not altered and the drivers were able to retain their finishing positions.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Romain Grosjean Fastest On Day Two Of Final Test
Romain Grosjean has ended the second day of the final pre-season test fastest overall for Lotus, in a frenetic day which both began and ended in inclement weather conditions. The Frenchman was followed at the top by the McLaren of Jenson Button, with Pastor Maldonado a distant 3rd for Williams.
The second day of the test dawned in foul weather conditions at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, with wet and windy conditions meeting the drivers as the session got underway. Romain Grosjean and Nico Rosberg became the first drivers’ to brave the elements, as others followed soon after. Naturally only installation laps were completed early on, with no-one keen on setting the first timed lap of the session during the first 20 minutes of the day.
Jenson Button eventually came around to complete the first timed lap of the day for McLaren, with the 2009 World Champion setting a 01:48.748. The benchmark was gradually lowered as the session wore on, as both Daniel Ricciardo and then Nico Rosberg rose to the top for Toro Rosso and Mercedes respectively. The German driver improved at the top with a 01:43.298, before the first red flag delay of the day was caused when the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo stopped on the track at Turn 9.
Once the session was resumed, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:42.760. The German ace continue to improve at the front, as the track conditions marginally began to improve. Nico Rosberg returned to the top for Mercedes, with the German driver setting a 01:40.940 to thwart the reigning World Champion. Rosberg was able to improve at the front as the track continued to dry out, before the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo stormed to the top with a 01:39.615.
As the morning session wore on the times at the top quickly began to improve as the drivers switched from the intermediate tyres to the dry tyres, as local hero Fernando Alonso set the fastest time with a 01:38.190. Romain Grosjean momentarily rose to the top for Lotus, before the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg continued to lower the benchmark with a scintillating 01:35.894. Adrian Sutil briefly rose to the top for Force India, before Pastor Maldonado switched to the super-soft tyres and instantly reaped the rewards with several impressive lap times which eventually saw the Venezuelan driver set a 01:31.341.
Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso both momentarily shared the top spot as the morning session neared its conclusion, before Nico Rosberg returned to the top with a 01:27.672 as he continued to gather valuable track time for Mercedes. In the final minutes of the session, Jenson Button stormed to the top for McLaren with a 01:25.936 and remained at the top as the session was brought to a premature conclusion after the Lotus of Romain Grosjean caused the second red flag delay of the day after stopping at Turn 9.
After the damp start to the morning session, the afternoon period began in dry weather conditions as Nico Rosberg became the first driver to return to the track after the one hour lunch break. Eventually more cars took to the Barcelona circuit, as Jenson Button improved at the top with a 01:25.225. The Briton’s reign was short-lived, however, as the Force India of Adrian Sutil shot to the top with a 01:24.286 on his first day of track action after being confirmed as the second Force India driver. Sutil marginally improved upon his time at the top as the afternoon session wore on, before Jenson Button returned his McLaren to the top.
Despite causing a red flag delay earlier in the day, Romain Grosjean stormed to the top of the timing sheets as the session drew to a conclusion with a 01:22.716. This time from the Frenchman remained unchallenged as the rain returned over the Circuit de Catalunya. This forced the drivers to return to the circuit on the intermediate tyres, therefore preventing any driver from setting a faster lap time that Grosjean. Two final red flag delays were caused within the final few minutes of the afternoon session, as Giedo van der Garde suffered a mechanical issue on his CT03 and Pastor Maldonado came to a halt between Turns 3 and 4.
This saw the second day of the final pre-season test end under red flag conditions, with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean fastest ahead of Jenson Button and the Williams of Pastor Maldonado. The test will continue tomorrow morning around the Circuit de Catalunya, as the teams and drivers hope to carry out some running uninterrupted by rain.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyres 1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m22.716s 88 Soft 2. Jenson Button McLaren 1m23.181s + 0.465s 72 Medium 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m23.628s + 0.912s 75 Soft 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m23.743s + 1.027s 65 Medium 5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m23.744s + 1.028s 79 Medium 6. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m24.215s + 1.499s 62 Medium 7. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m25.483s + 2.767s 61 Soft 8. Max Chilton Marussia 1m25.598s + 2.882s 75 Soft 9. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m26.316s + 3.600s 48 Medium 10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.655s + 3.939s 120 Medium 11. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m27.878s + 5.162s 102 Medium
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Romain Grosjean Fastest In Action-Packed Second Day At Jerez
Romain Grosjean has ended an action-packed second day of the Jerez test fastest for Lotus, nearly a second ahead of the Force India of Paul di Resta. Daniel Ricciardo was 3rd for Toro Rosso, after topping the timing sheets throughout the majority of the morning period.
After a frenetic opening day to the Jerez test, day two dawned in gloriously sunny yet chilly weather conditions and a slightly revised driver line-up. This included Lewis Hamilton replacing Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, Sergio Perez replacing Jenson Button at McLaren and newly confirmed Marussia driver Luiz Razia replacing Max Chilton. The Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg became the first driver to take to the track once again as the day began, with the German starting his final day before handing over driving duties to Esteban Gutierrez for Thursday and Friday.
As per usual the majority of the grid began the day with various installation laps, before the Red Bull of Mark Webber produced the first timed lap of the day with a 01:23.565, which the Australian driver was able to improve upon by just under a second as the morning progressed. The 36-year-old’s fellow compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo, was able to rise to the top for Toro Rosso as the remainder of the field began setting their first timed laps. Ricciardo managed to work his way down to a 01:21.176, before causing the first red flag delay of the day when his Toro Rosso STR8 came to a halt between Turns 10 and 11.
However, the session was quickly resumed as Nico Hulkenberg and Giedo van der Garde returned to the track once the session returned to green flag conditions. Mark Webber then reasserted his authority over proceedings with several impressive lap times, as the Australian driver worked his way down to a 01:19.921. Despite stopping out on the track earlier in the morning, Daniel Ricciardo was quick to return to the track and rose back to the top with a 01:19.487. The Toro Rosso driver was continuing to set impressive lap times when the session was once again brought to an abrupt halt.
This time the delay was caused by Lewis Hamilton, who had skipped through the gravel trap at the end of the back straight and collided with the barrier in exactly the same location as Max Chilton’s incident yesterday. Mercedes were initially coy on the reasons behind the incident, as the W04 was returned to the pits on a low-loader. The Spanish marshals were efficient in clearing away the stricken Mercedes, and the session was able to return to green flag conditions as Giedo van der Garde and Paul di Resta returned to the track.
Romain Grosjean became the next driver to top the timing sheets for Lotus, with the Frenchman repeating his promising pace of the previous year’s pre-season tests with a 01:19.080. Whilst Romain Grosjean set upon improving his time at the top, Mercedes confirmed that Lewis Hamilton’s incident had been caused due to a loss of rear brake pressure, and was not due to a driver error.
A third red flag delay was caused shortly after, as Marussia debutant Luiz Razia stopped along the start/finish straight. However, the marshals and arriving Marussia mechanics were quick to clear the MR-02, allowing the session to be quickly resumed. Whilst the majority of the teams up and down the paddock carried out numerous miles of running, Pastor Maldonado and Williams had remained rather quiet. The reason behind this was due to a clutch issue on the revised FW34, however the Williams mechanics finally managed to fix the issue allowing Maldonado to return to the track.
Romain Grosjean continued to produce impressive lap times at the front of the order, with the Frenchman managing to bring his time down to a 01:18.218 as the afternoon session progressed. Whilst the likes of Grosjean and di Resta produced impressive lap times, Mercedes confirmed they would not return to the track after Hamilton’s incident. Marussia also decided against returning to the circuit, after Luiz Razia’s stoppage earlier in the day.
James Rossiter replaced Paul di Resta at the Force India towards the end of the day as planned, with the Silverstone-based outfit still yet to confirm a team-mate for the Scot. Rossiter gradually got to grips with the VJM06, rising above rookies Luiz Razia and Giedo van der Garde. The latter returned to the pits after a slight excursion through the gravel, and will hand over driving duties to Charles Pic tomorrow.
Romain Grosjean remained fastest as the day drew to a close, despite bringing proceedings to a premature end after running out of fuel between Turns 3 and 4. Nico Hulkenberg also stopped out on track between Turns 8 and 9, with the German driver set to hand driving duties over to Esteban Gutierrez for the final two days. Paul di Resta ended the day 2nd fastest, with Daniel Ricciardo a close 3rd.
Tomorrow will see the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Esteban Gutierrez and Charles Pic gets their first taste of their respective machines. Nico Rosberg will resume his driving duties with Mercedes, and will be hoping for a much more productive day behind the wheel of the W04.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m18.218s 95 2. Paul di Resta Force India 1m19.003s + 0.785s 95 3. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m19.134s + 0.916s 83 4. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m19.338s + 1.120s 101 5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 1m19.502s + 1.284s 99 6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.519s + 1.301s 15 7. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m19.572s + 1.354s 81 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.914s + 1.696s 78 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m20.693s + 2.475s 71 10. James Rossiter Force India 1m21.273s + 3.055s 19 11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m21.311s + 3.093s 88 12. Luiz Razia Marussia 1m23.537s + 5.319s 31
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Toro Rosso Launch STR8 With High Expectations
Toro Rosso have become the latest team to unveil their new 2013 challenger ahead of the new season, with Red Bull proteges Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne taking the wraps off of their new STR8 machine. The duo will be entering their second full seasons in the sport, with high expectations on their shoulders.
Only several hours after the unveiling of the new Mercedes W04, Toro Rosso revealed the car they hope will propel them further up the pecking order once the season gets underway next month. Last year saw Toro Rosso initially struggle towards the rear of the order, however minor improvements were made in the latter half of the season. For 2013, team boss Franz Tost is aiming for 6th in the Constructors’ Championship. This would be a major improvement from last season, when Toro Rosso only managed 9th ahead of Caterham, Marussia and HRT, all of whom failed to score any points.
“It’s very emotional,” explained Franz Tost. “The team has worked with a very high level of effort to come up with a great car and met the high expectations for this year. The goal is to finish sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. The STR8 is the first car under James Key and Luca Furbatto. Both drivers did a really good job last year, and I’m convinced if we supply them with a good car they’ll come up with surprise results.”
Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo suffered a lackluster 2012 season for the Faenza-based outfit, struggling to score any points whatsoever between the Chinese and Hungarian Grands Prix. However, the team is optimistic that such a lack of consistency will change in the coming season. For 2013, Toro Rosso have elected to implement the modesty panel to cover up the step-nose design, including an aggressive sidepod layout which culminates in an semi-coanda exhaust layout reminiscent of the design towards the end of last season.
This unveiling by Toro Rosso leaves only three teams on the grid to reveal their 2013 challengers, two of which are scheduled to be unveiled tomorrow morning prior to the start of pre-season testing. Marussia and Caterham will launch their new cars early in the morning, which will then leave Williams as the only remaining outfit to be unveiled prior to the second test at Barcelona.
Picture Copyright © Toro Rosso F1 Team
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