HRT Hindered By Traffic During Indian Grand Prix Qualifying
HRT were unable to extract the most out of their cars during qualifying for the Indian Grand Prix, after both Pedro de la Rosa and local hero Narain Karthikeyan were hindered by traffic throughout the closing stages of Q1. However, both drivers are extremely satisfied and will start tomorrow’s race from 22nd and 23rd respectively.
After improving greatly during the third and final practice session prior to qualifying, HRT were confident of a competitive performance with improvements in the balance and handling of their F112 machine. Although Pedro de la Rosa was able to set a decent first timed lap during qualifying, Narain Karthikeyan made a slight error on his opening lap and was hindered thereafter by traffic. Pedro de la Rosa was also at a disadvantage due to traffic, but was able to out-qualify his team-mate.
“Although we didn’t find the lap we were hoping for, we did complete a very good qualifying session.” Enthused Pedro de la Rosa, “With the first set of tyres the car performed very well and I was able to complete three clean laps. However, with the second set and with more rubber on the track when times could be improved significantly, I encountered a lot of traffic and I was unable to complete a clean lap. The car was better today than yesterday and we could’ve been even quicker but with the traffic it was impossible.”
Tomorrow’s 60-lap Indian Grand Prix will be Narain Karthikeyan’s second in front of his home fans, and despite being out-qualified by team-mate de la Rosa will not be starting the race plum last. Due to Charles Pic’s lack of knowledge around the Buddh International Circuit, Karthikeyan will start 23rd alongside the Frenchman on the back row of the grid.
“Overall I’m happy with the performance we showed in the qualifying session.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “On my second run I made a mistake on lap 10 which cost me a couple of tenths but the large amount of cars on the track was the main problem as we didn’t find a gap to go as quick as we would have liked. Despite this I’m happy because we finished ahead of one of the Marussias, my time was almost identical to Pedro’s and we’ve got good pace so we can be satisfied.”
HRT have enjoyed a recent improvement in form, despite still remaining towards the back of the pack. With Narain Karthikeyan’s future as a HRT driver under speculation for next season, the Indian driver will be aiming for a positive race as he strives to retain his seat alongside Pedro de la Rosa. The Spaniard, on the other hand, is expected to remain at HRT next season and has unquestionably been the number one driver at the team this season.
Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team
McLaren Remain Confident They Can Catch Red Bull
McLaren have confirmed that they are remaining confident they can catch Red Bull in the closing four rounds of this exceedingly entertaining season, with both Button and Hamilton remaining fully focused on finishing first and second in the remaining races. This comes as Sam Michael confirms the team will be introducing several upgrades in the closing stages of the season.
Despite Red Bull’s sudden resurgence in the last two race weekends at Japan and Korea, which has seen reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel dominate by leading every racing lap, the Woking-based outfit are remaining focused on catching the Red Bull duo and winning the remaining four races. With a certain Fernando Alonso also undoubtedly set on the same ambition, the final four races of the season have all the ingredients of being a sensational spectacle as several previous World Champions aim at reeling in Sebastian Vettel.
“We’re going to push to the end – our target at McLaren is to win every race, and we’ll do our best to achieve that,” explained Sam Michael, during a Vodafone phone-in. “Red Bull took quite a big step across Singapore and Suzuka, so they will be tough competitors, but our target is still to beat them. The gaps are very small now, so it only takes one or two tenths to swing from one way to another, and that can be driven off [one team’s] development working, or another team not bringing enough.”
The final four races of the season includes several tracks of differing characteristics, including a semi-street circuit at Abu Dhabi and an entirely new circuit in America which is undoubtedly going to cause a few surprises up and down the paddock. Throughout these final races, Sam Michael has confirmed that McLaren will continue to introduce upgrades on their car, as they continue their aim of remaining a competitive force.
“We do believe we can take the challenge to them; we are turning up trying to finish first and second in the last four races.” Continued Sam Michael, “Our target is still to do as well as we can, and to achieve that we need the car. At this point we normally don’t go into specific details, but we do have upgrades coming [for the next races].”
Whether or not these ambitious aims work out for McLaren will be an intriguing factor in the final races of the season, as Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel battle for the Drivers’ Crown in what has been an incredibly competitive season. Although both Button and Hamilton agree that their Championship chances are now over, their burning desire for victory obviously remains red hot!
Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team
Sebastian Vettel Caught Out By Felipe Massa In Q3
Sebastian Vettel was highly frustrated after qualifying for the Korean Grand Prix, after the reigning World Champion failed to secure pole position largely due to being caught out by the slow moving Ferrari of Felipe Massa. Instead of pitting, like Vettel initially thought, the Brazilian driver continued on the track forcing Vettel to back-off.
This minor altercation ultimately led to Sebastian Vettel qualifying only 2nd for the race, whereas team-mate Mark Webber stormed to a surprise pole. Although the German driver still has a tremendous opportunity to secure his fourth victory of the season during tomorrow’s race, the disappointment was still visible on the 25-year-old’s face after the qualifying session drew to conclusion with Mark Webber the centre of attention.
During the post-qualifying press conference, Sebastian Vettel was questioned about his remarks regarding Felipe Massa. The Red Bull driver stipulated that he was not blaming the Ferrari driver for allegedly blocking him, only that he caught him out by carrying on circulating on track instead of pitting. Sebastian Vettel still blames himself for not achieving pole, after a lap he has described as not good enough regardless of being caught out by Felipe Massa.
“We were quite quick in the first qualifying session, quite quick in the second one and then had a good start to Q3.” Explained Sebastian Vettel after the qualifying session, “But the last run, I don’t want to blame it on Felipe, I thought he was coming in but then on the last sector he was right in front of me so I had to back-off. Not ideal, just starting a timed lap, and just before that to back off but I think nevertheless the second lap wasn’t good enough. Surely the lap was fine but I should have been a little bit quicker, so yeah, wasn’t able in the end to do the final step, especially in the second sector.”
When questioned further with regards to Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel continued to reiterate that he did not blame Felipe Massa for ruining his final lap. The German driver even admitted it was his own fault for not realizing where Massa was on the circuit, and that his final lap would most likely not have beaten team-mate Mark Webber regardless of Massa’s location on the circuit.
“I don’t want to blame it on Felipe.” Continued Sebastian Vettel, “I don’t like all these discussions; we’ve had a lot of them lately. These things happen, it’s not Felipe’s fault at all. I should have known earlier. If anything it was my mistake. I might have lost a little bit but I’m not a fan of blaming anyone or anything for a certain result or not.”
Sebastian Vettel will unarguably be striving to overtake his team-mate as soon as possible when the lights go out at the start of tomorrow’s 55-lap race, even though he starts with a slight disadvantage on the dirtier side of circuit. The German driver stormed to victory last season at the Korean Grand Prix by starting 2nd on the grid, denying then poleman Lewis Hamilton of victory.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Daniel Abt Wins Frenetic GP3 Race At Monza
Daniel Abt has taken an highly important victory at Monza in the penultimate race of the final GP3 weekend, in which Championship leader Mitch Evans retired on the opening lap after a series a errors. Antonio Felix da Costa momentarily led the race, before suffering a gearbox issue. Ellinas came home 2nd, with Laine in 3rd.
In similar fashion to the GP2 race beforehand, the pack safely negotiated the opening chicane without any major incident. Both Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa ran wide at turn 1, taking drastic avoiding action as the likes of Fumanelli, Ellinas and Laine jostled for position. Mitch Evans, who had an opportunity to take the Drivers’ Championship, ran exceedingly wide at turn 7. This ultimately led to the Kiwi returning to the pits after the opening lap, and eventually retiring and throwing the Championship wide open.
With Mitch Evans out of the race, Antonio Felix da Costa wasted no time in reaping the rewards and storming into the lead, the Drivers’ Championship now a very realistic target for the Portuguese driver. Fabiano Machado became the first retirement after the opening lap, as Daniel Abt began to scythe through the field in hot pursuit of Antonio Felix da Costa.
By lap 4, and Daniel Abt had caught race leader Antonio Felix da Costa. With the German driver also a Championship contender, he immediately passed the Carlin driver as he too pursued Championship glory, especially with Mitch Evans disconsolately sat in the pits and out of the race. David Fumanelli straight lined turns 4 and 5 as the race progressed, whilst Conor Daly ran wide at turn 7 and skipped through the punishing gravel trap. Antonio Felix da Costa was passed by Aaro Vainio as the leaders negotiated turn 11, as the Portuguese driver was seen bumping the rear of Vainio’s car as they sped down the start/finish straight.
The Championship then took yet another fascinating twist, as Antonio Felix da Costa was seen cruising around stuck in gear. The Portuguese driver was able to continue racing, albeit further down the order, after he carried out a cunning tactic in turning the engine on and then off to fix his gearbox issue and continue to race. These turn of events had taken Antonio Felix da Costa out of the Championship hunt, leaving the Lotus duo of Daniel Abt and Aaro Vainio the remaining drivers battling at the sharp end of the pack for Championship supremacy.
Alex Brundle was then issued a black flag for failing to pit, with the Briton amazingly still circulating without a rear wing. The Carlin driver had previously been issued a black and orange flag, but Brundle seemingly ignored these warnings and continued racing. As the race entered the closing stages, Daniel Abt and Aaro Vainio became locked in a grueling battle for the lead, however the Cypriot of Tio Ellinas wasn’t far behind and overtook the Finn for the 2nd place.
On the last lap of the race, with Tio Ellinas striving to find a way around the Lotus of Daniel Abt, Dmitry Suranovich spun at turn 11 and became the fourth retirement of the race. This meant yellow flags were fluttering at the final corner, forcing the leaders to back off on the final lap. This enabled Daniel Abt to take victory ahead of Tio Ellinas, however Aaro Vainio was issued a post-race 20-second timed penalty for ignoring yellow flags throughout the final corner. This demoted the Finn down the order and out of the points, thus promoting fellow countryman Matias Laine to 3rd.
This fascinating race means that only Mitch Evans and Daniel Abt can be crowned Champion during tomorrow morning’s final race. Mitch Evans will be starting 25th and last, whereas Daniel Abt will be starting from 8th due to the reverse grid ruling. The final race of the season will unquestionably be one of the entertaining of the year, as the fight for the Championship comes down to the wire around the historic Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.
Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP3 Series Media Service
First Blood To Mitch Evans In GP3 Practice At Monza
The Kiwi of Mitch Evans took first blood at this weekend’s GP3 finale, as the MW Arden driver ended this morning’s practice session fastest in preparation for this weekend’s two final races of the season. The MW Arden driver was followed home in 2nd by team-mate Matias Laine, with Championship contender Aaro Vainio a close 3rd for Lotus.
The session got underway in glorious sunshine earlier this morning at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, with Dmitry Suranovich and Fabiano Machado the first two drivers to take to the track as proceedings got underway. Kevin Ceccon became the first local driver to take to the track, as the Cypriot of Tio Ellinas stopped on the circuit after only two laps at turn 2.
Alex Brundle set the initial pace for Carlin, and at one stage was followed closely by his two team-mates of Antonio Felix da Costa and William Buller, thus momentarily creating a Carlin 1-2-3. However, the Hungarian driver of Tamas Pal Kiss ended Carlin’s reign at the top, before he and Fabiano Machado collided through turn 11. This prematurely ended both of their sessions, the two coming to rest in the gravel trap.
The dominant Kiwi of Mitch Evans then reasserted his authority over proceedings, becoming the first driver to break into the 01:44s and setting himself up perfectly for the remainder of the weekend. Fellow Championship contender Aaro Vainio ended the Kiwi’s reign as the session entered its closing stages, however Mitch Evans clinched the top spot in the final minute with a 01:44.477.
The GP3 cars will return to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza early tomorrow morning for qualifying, which will determine the grid for the final feature race of the season later in the afternoon. Both Mitch Evans and Aaro Vainio will undoubtedly be striving to achieve Championship glory, but only one will succeed.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Mitch Evans MW Arden 1m44.477s 2. Matias Laine MW Arden 1m44.520s + 0.043s 3. Aaro Vainio Lotus 1m44.621s + 0.144s 4. David Fumanelli MW Arden 1m44.750s + 0.273s 5. Daniel Abt Lotus 1m44.989s + 0.512s 6. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 1m45.098s + 0.621s 7. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 1m45.163s + 0.686s 8. Giovanni Venturini Trident 1m45.445s + 0.968s 9. Will Buller Carlin 1m45.475s + 0.998s 10. Robert Visoiu Jenzer 1m45.555s + 1.078s 11. Conor Daly Lotus 1m45.654s + 1.177s 12. Alice Powell Status 1m45.657s + 1.180s 13. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 1m45.684s + 1.207s 14. Marlon Stockinger Status 1m45.695s + 1.218s 15. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 1m45.778s + 1.301s 16. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 1m45.825s + 1.348s 17. Lewis Williamson Status 1m46.026s + 1.549s 18. Alex Brundle Carlin 1m46.445s + 1.968s 19. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 1m46.472s + 1.995s 20. Fabiano Machado Manor 1m46.940s + 2.463s 21. Vicky Piria Trident 1m46.962s + 2.485s 22. John Wartique Atech CRS 1m46.963s + 2.486s 23. Carmen Jorda Ocean 1m48.610s + 4.133s 24. Robert Cregan Ocean 1m51.803s + 7.326s 25. Tio Ellinas Manor 1m55.083s + 10.606
Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP3 Series Media Service
William Buller Tops Final Day Of GP3 Valencia Test
Carlin’s William Buller ended the second and final day of the GP3 mid-season test fastest around Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with a 01:26.389 which was set in the morning period. Kiwi Mitch Evans ended the afternoon period only one thousandth of a second ahead of Buller, as the GP3 paddock now prepares for round three next weekend.
There was only one change to the driving line-up, as Irishman Gary Thompson replaced Robert Visoiu for Jenzer Motorsport, with the Romanian driver absent due to an exam. Debutant Gary Thompson managed to finish 6th in the afternoon session, roughly seven tenths off the pace.
The session got underway in glorious sunshine and extremely hot conditions, as Nico Muller set the initial pace for Trident Racing early on. The Swiss driver immediately looked set to produce another quick lap when his team-mate Vicky Piria brought out the first red flag period of the day, as the Italian driver spun her car into the gravel after only 20 minutes. Once the session returned to green flag conditions, William Buller shot to the top a tenth faster than Muller.
As the morning session wore on, many drivers returned to the pits to work on their setups, and prepare for longer runs in the afternoon period. William Buller’s time at the top remained unbeaten, as Kevin Ceccon made a slight excursion off track causing the second red flag period of the day.
After the lunch break, the MW Arden trio were first out along with the Status Grand Prix drivers. Mitch Evans topped the timing sheets early on, with Marlon Stockinger slotting into 2nd position. Unlike the morning period, the main focus of the teams and drivers was race simulation work as well as pit stop practice for some teams. Patric Niederhauser went 3rd as the session wore on, with Tamas Pal Kiss progressing to 4th for Atech CRS GP.
William Buller was able to jump to 2nd position as the afternoon session came to a close, as Marlon Stockinger went 3rd for Status Grand Prix. However, Mitch Evan’s time remained unbeaten at the top as the day came to a close, as the GP3 fraternity now prepares to head to the Valencia Street Circuit for round three of the 2012 GP3 Series.
Morning times:
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Will Buller Carlin 1m26.389s 2. Nico Muller Trident 1m26.481s + 0.092s 3. Mitch Evans MW Arden 1m26.543s + 0.154s 4. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 1m26.641s + 0.252s 5. Tio Ellinas Manor 1m26.654s + 0.265s 6. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 1m26.693s + 0.304s 7. Aaro Vainio Lotus 1m26.810s + 0.421s 8. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 1m26.865s + 0.476s 9. Daniel Abt Lotus 1m26.879s + 0.490s 10. Marlon Stockinger Status 1m26.956s + 0.567s 11. David Fumanelli MW Arden 1m27.006s + 0.617s 12. Conor Daly Lotus 1m27.067s + 0.678s 13. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 1m27.077s + 0.688s 14. Matias Laine MW Arden 1m27.188s + 0.799s 15. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 1m27.645s + 1.256s 16. Antonio Spavone Trident 1m27.825s + 1.436s 17. Vicky Piria Trident 1m27.993s + 1.604s 18. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 1m28.092s + 1.703s 19. Alice Powell Status 1m28.117s + 1.728s 20. Gary Thompson Jenzer 1m28.318s + 1.929s 21. Samin Gomez Jenzer 1m28.343s + 1.954s 22. John Wartique Atech CRS 1m28.414s + 2.025s 23. Fabiano Machado Manor 1m28.486s + 2.097s 24. Robert Cregan Ocean 1m28.762s + 2.373s 25. Carmen Jorda Ocean 1m29.328s + 2.939s Afternoon times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Mitch Evans MW Arden 1m27.543s 2. Will Buller Carlin 1m27.544s + 0.001s 3. Marlon Stockinger Status 1m27.566s + 0.023s 4. Tio Ellinas Manor 1m27.853s + 0.310s 5. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 1m28.164s + 0.621s 6. Gary Thompson Jenzer 1m28.275s + 0.732s 7. David Fumanelli MW Arden 1m28.286s + 0.743s 8. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 1m28.294s + 0.751s 9. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 1m28.301s + 0.758s 10. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 1m28.542s + 0.999s 11. Matias Laine MW Arden 1m28.661s + 1.118s 12. Alice Powell Status 1m28.678s + 1.135s 13. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 1m28.799s + 1.256s 14. Fabiano Machado Manor 1m28.859s + 1.316s 15. Conor Daly Lotus 1m28.905s + 1.362s 16. Aaro Vainio Lotus 1m29.208s + 1.665s 17. John Wartique Atech CRS 1m29.223s + 1.680s 18. Daniel Abt Lotus 1m29.380s + 1.837s 19. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 1m29.508s + 1.965s 20. Samin Gomez Jenzer 1m29.509s + 1.966s 21. Antonio Spavone Trident 1m29.897s + 2.354s 22. Robert Cregan Ocean 1m30.333s + 2.790s 23. Carmen Jorda Ocean 1m30.916s + 3.373s 24. Vicky Piria Trident 1m30.967s + 3.424s
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Sebastian Vettel Ends Final Practice Fastest In Spain
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has ended the final practice session fastest in preparation for tomorrows Spanish Grand Prix, only a tenth ahead of the Williams of Pastor Maldonado. The Venezuelan driver completed a rather impressive time towards the end of the session, with uncertainties still surrounding the true pace of the field.
As the session got underway, it was Kamui Kobayashi and Heikki Kovalainen who were first out as the majority of the field set to completing their installation laps. It was a slow start to the session, as the drivers’ played the waiting game with the track still rather dirty after the mornings GP3 qualifying session.
However, once Charles Pic set the first timed lap with a 01:28.495, the times quickly began to tumble as the rest of the field followed suit. Daniel Ricciardo quickly beat Pic’s early pace with a 01:27.907 as Romain Grosjean was seen slowly rolling backwards at turn 10. This unfortunate issue caused Grosjean to miss the rest of the session, with the Frenchman failing to set a time.
Nico Rosberg brought the times down to a 01:25.158, before Sergio Perez went blisteringly quick with a 01:24.554. Lewis Hamilton, who has yet to win around the Circuit de Catalunya, had a nervy moment through turn 3. The 2008 World Champion almost lost the car on the marbles, which saw him run extremely wide on the tarmac run-off.
The times continued to get quicker as the session wore on, with both Nico Rosberg, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez setting quick times respectively. Worried faces were spotted down at Red Bull, as Sebastian Vettel’s session was momentarily suspended as the mechanics discovered a problem with a control unit beneath the German’s seat. This issue was quickly resolved, as Vettel returned to the track shortly after.
Kamui Kobayashi went quickest as the session entered its closing stages, briefly making it a Sauber 1-2 on the timing sheets. This was ended when Pastor Maldonado set a spectacular lap with a 01:23.350, a time which even his team-mate Bruno Senna was unable to match. With many drivers now taking to the track with the soft Pirelli tyres and low fuel loads, it was no surprise when Sebastian Vettel eventually crossed the line with a 01:23.168. However, this time was only a tenth ahead of the Williams
Timo Glock suffered a dismal end to his session, as the German driver stopped his Marussia at the end of the pit-lane. Glock’s left rear tyre was seen working its way loose on a replay, which could have resulted in a very serious incident had it occurred through turn 3 and not turn 16.
The drivers’ have now completed all three practice sessions, and will now be preparing for the all-important qualifying session. With all but one of the previous winners’ around the Circuit de Catalunya coming from the front row of the grid, pole position at this track is a good omen for tomorrows race.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.168 13 2. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.336s + 0.168 19 3. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.350s + 0.182 19 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.578s + 0.410 16 5. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.742s + 0.574 22 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m23.807s + 0.639 15 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.833s + 0.665 14 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.909s + 0.741 13 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m23.936s + 0.768 16 10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.070s + 0.902 23 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.179s + 1.011 16 12. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m24.323s + 1.155 17 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.331s + 1.163 15 14. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m24.409s + 1.241 18 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m24.599s + 1.431 15 16. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.778s + 1.610 15 17. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m24.825s + 1.657 17 18. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m25.911s + 2.743 20 19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m26.587s + 3.419 20 20. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.469s + 4.301 18 21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.689s + 4.521 16 22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m28.207s + 5.039 24 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m28.373s + 5.205 13 24. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault no time 2
Sauber Enters Partnership With Chelsea FC
Swiss Formula 1 team Sauber have confirmed that they have entered into a partnership with Chelsea Football Club, one of the English Premier League’s top teams. These reports confirm speculation after Sauber had “Out of the Blue” and “True Blue” on their cars at the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix.
This new partnership will see Chelsea’s club logo on the Sauber, which will be first seen at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks time. In return, Chelsea will have Sauber’s F1 logo at home matches at Stamford Bridge on advertising boards which surround the pitch. The Sauber logo will also be seen on Chelsea’s interview walls, which will further enable the logo to be seen on TV.
“A partnership like this between Formula One and Football has never existed before in this form, yet there are numerous commonalities and possible synergies.” Explained Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber’s CEO. “In either case we are talking about team sport at the highest – and international – level. The Sauber F1 Team and Chelsea FC are dealing with many of the same sporting and commercial topics and we want to strengthen each other in these areas.”
Sauber have had a very competitive start to the season, with a phenomenal race in Malaysia where Sergio Perez finished 2nd behind the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso. The Mexican could’ve won the wet/dry race, yet made a slight error in the closing stages of the race whilst hunting down Alonso in the lead.
“This is an innovative partnership that will see a football club link up with a Formula 1 team like never before, bringing together two of the world’s biggest sports and uniting our fans.” Said Chelsea’s Chief Executive, Ron Gourlay, “We felt that this Swiss team, the fourth oldest of the existing teams, reflects our own ideals perfectly. We share many philosophies when it comes to how the respective organizations are run, from the development of young talent to constantly striving for success. Sauber’s philosophy towards grassroots development has produced some of the best drivers in F1, which mirrors our dedication to develop promising young football talent through our Academy.”
As Sauber prepare for the Mugello test tomorrow, and the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix later in May, Chelsea are currently locked in a grueling Premier League fight with the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. The London side are also gearing up for the FA Cup final next weekend against Liverpool, before the Champions League final against Bayern München.
Hamilton Fastest As McLaren Finish Top In Final Practice In China
After the dreary conditions at the Shanghai International Circuit yesterday for the Friday practice sessions’, sunshine was forcing its way through the cloud cover as third practice got underway for the Chinese Grand Prix. The one hour session is the last chance for the teams’ to alter their setups prior to qualifying and the race.
The Caterham of Heikki Kovalainen was first out as the session got underway, and was quickly followed by the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi and the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan. All of the drivers’ up and down the grid eventually joined the track, all completing their installation laps before returning to the pits.
Narain Karthikeyan set the first timed lap of the day, with a 01:43.624 which was immediately beaten by Romain Grosjean and then Sergio Perez as the majority of the field took to the track to set their first timed laps of the day. Kimi Raikkonen wasted no time in setting a quick time, as the Iceman shot to the top with a 01:37.276 with the two Mercedes’ of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg slotting into 2nd and 3rd behind the Finn.
It wasn’t long before the Mercedes’ began setting much quicker times, as Nico Rosberg went quickest with a 01:36.985 before the Red Bull of Mark Webber went a tenth quicker. The other Red Bull of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel had a dismal session, as his mechanics were forced to make a rear torsion bar change on the car. This lost Vettel valuable track time, as the double World Champion’s season continued its unnaturally uncompetitive streak.
As the session wore on, many drivers’ began opting for the softer Pirelli tyre and qualifying simulation runs. 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher was the first driver to utilize the softer compound, flying straight to the top with a 01:36.512. However, his reign at the top was short-lived as Nico Rosberg went several tenths quicker almost instantly.
With the majority of the pack now using the softer compound, the McLaren of Jenson Button went fastest with only 10 minutes remaining in the session, before Lewis Hamilton became the only driver to enter the 01:35s with a 01:35.940. Whilst the McLaren’s and the Mercedes’ exchanged fastest laps atop the timing sheets, the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso was loosing out as his mechanics carried out a front suspension change. Ferrari, however, are not expecting to be competitive this weekend, even though they won last time out in Malaysia.
As the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session, Paul di Resta had a last minute scare as his Force India became unstable over the bumps under braking for turn 14. The car twitched and nearly pitched di Resta into the wall, with an excellent helmet camera shot portraying the heart-in-the-mouth moment for the Scot.
With all three practice sessions now over, it’s crunch time in China as the teams’ and drivers’ prepare for the all important qualifying session which will determine the grid for tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m35.940s 13 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.093s + 0.123 12 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m36.389s + 0.449 16 4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m36.512s + 0.572 17 5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.635s + 0.695 16 6. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m36.765s + 0.825 17 7. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.781s + 0.841 19 8. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.880s + 0.940 17 9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.039s + 1.099 15 10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m37.061s + 1.121 17 11. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m37.237s + 1.297 16 12. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m37.274s + 1.334 19 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m37.288s + 1.348 16 14. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m37.425s + 1.485 14 15. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.465s + 1.525 12 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m37.493s + 1.553 13 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m37.628s + 1.688 14 18. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m37.831s + 1.891 14 19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m38.701s + 2.761 19 20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m39.198s + 3.258 19 21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m39.796s + 3.856 18 22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m40.048s + 4.108 17 23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m41.263s + 5.323 14 24. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m41.499s + 5.559 18
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Toro Rosso achieve points finish in chaotic final lap
After a race long battle stuck in the midfield, Toro Rosso are please to be heading to Malaysia with two points in the bag after a chaotic final lap which saw a throng of drivers’ battling for the final few points paying positions. Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne finished their first race at Albert Park 9th and 11th respectively.
After being involved in a first lap incident with the Williams of Bruno Senna, Daniel Ricciardo was able to battle on to two World Championship points as he passed his own team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne and Nico Rosberg on the final lap as Pastor Maldonado retired after a heavy shunt.
“I don’t really know how that happened on the last lap.” Explained Daniel Ricciardo, who gained three places on the last lap, “I saw blue flags and a lot of cars in front and I was sure I could make up at least one place because it was chaos. I was a bit lucky to be the last one in that group because I could have a clear picture of the other cars going off in front. Then I had a chance to attack Jean-Eric. He defended into Turn 13 and I thought I could make the switch back and I did, which put me in P9. The last few laps were crazy and I was pushing like hell.”
After a strong showing of pace throughout the race weekend, Toro Rosso and their drivers’ are confident as they pack up and head off to Malaysia for round two of the 2012 F1 season.
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