Mark Webber pips Sebastian Vettel to pole at Suzuka
Mark Webber has managed to secure his first pole of the season after a frenetic and highly entertaining qualifying hour around the legendary Suzuka circuit, ahead of tomorrow’s 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix. The Australian ace will start the race alongside team-mate Sebastian Vettel, with Lewis Hamilton 3rd.
The all-important qualifying session began in glorious weather conditions above the circuit, as Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track at the start of the opening qualifying segment. The Mexican rookie proceeded to produce the first timed lap with a 01:33.547, before further improving his time at the top as several more drivers gradually left the confines of the pits to begin their qualifying runs. Kimi Raikkonen soon ended the Sauber driver’s reign with a 01:32.841, as the times at the top began to tumble.
As Jenson Button produced a highly competitive 01:32.606 to storm to the top for McLaren, a brief fire erupted in the Sauber garage on Esteban Gutierrez’s car. The blaze was almost instantly quelled, however the Mexican rookie wasted no time in leaping from his machine. Despite the issue, Gutierrez managed to eventually return to the track to continue with his qualifying session. Meanwhile out on the circuit Fernando Alonso rose to the top for Ferrari with an impressive 01:32.371, before Lewis Hamilton then pipped his former McLaren team-mate with an even quicker 01:32.340.
Mark Webber then stormed to the top for Red Bull as the opening segment neared it’s conclusion, before a brief red flag delay was caused when Jean-Eric Vergne’s rear brakes spontaneously burst into flames at Turn 11. The Frenchman immediately came to a halt on the circuit and leaped from his burning Toro Rosso, as the ever-efficient Suzuka marshals put out the blaze. Once the flames had been extinguished the session was resumed, with Nico Rosberg leading out a long queue of awaiting drivers who were all naturally eager to produce one more timed lap.
As the checkered flag emerged Nico Rosberg shot to the top with a 01:32.244, before Romain Grosjean disposed of the German with a 01:31.824. Further down the order Felipe Massa only just managed to progress into the next segment, as Adrian Sutil and Jean-Eric Vergne joined Max Chilton, Charles Pic, Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi in elimination from proceedings.
The Force India of Paul di Resta became the first driver to take to the track as the second segment of qualifying got underway, with the Scotsman eager to enjoy a competitive weekend after enduring five consecutive retirements. Although he was able to produce the initial benchmark with a 01:33.059, Nico Hulkenberg and then Kimi Raikkonen instantly managed to better his time with the latter producing a 01:32.020. Lewis Hamilton momentarily rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:31.852, before the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso disposed of the 2008 World Champion with an even quicker 01:31.828.
During the closing minutes of the second segment, Sebastian Vettel fully asserted his authority over proceedings with a scintillating 01:31.290 as team-mate Mark Webber slotted into 2nd position. The Red Bulls had finally shown their hand, as the usual freneticism ensued further down the order. Felipe Massa once again waited until the final seconds to leap out of the drop zone, with the Brazilian ace managing to produce the fastest final sector time in the process. Ultimately Sergio Perez was joined by Paul Di Resta, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez, Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo in being eliminated from proceedings in what remains to be a highly competitive midfield section.
After two highly entertaining segments, the all-important top ten shootout was poised to enthrall the amassing spectators as the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean continued to strive to dispose of the Red Bull duo. As soon as the final segment began, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel elected to take to the track first ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso. During the German’s first timed lap his race engineer informed him that KERS was momentarily offline, with the mechanical gremlins which plagued the team during morning practice looking to have resurfaced at a pivotal moment in the weekend.
Regardless of the lack of KERS, Sebastian Vettel still managed to produce a 01:31.312 as the initial benchmark. However, it was not enough to fend off team-mate Mark Webber, who immediately thwarted the German with an even quicker 01:30.975. In traditional fashion the drivers returned to the pits after their first runs, as Red Bull quickly set upon correcting Vettel’s frustrating KERS issue. With only minutes remaining in the session the German’s mechanics were successful in fixing the KERS issue, however the 26-year-old was still unable to beat his team-mate’s benchmark. In the meantime Mark Webber crossed the line to improve once again, this time with a 01:30.915.
Further down the order Lewis Hamilton managed to slot into 3rd position behind the Red Bull duo, and will start tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix alongside the Lotus of Romain Grosjean. Felipe Massa once again managed to out-qualify Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, with the Spaniard only managing a disappointing 8th. Should the former Champion finish any lower than 8th during tomorrow’s race, all Sebastian Vettel will be required to do is win the race to clinch his fourth successive Drivers’ Crown. However, the legendary Suzuka circuit is a tough beast to tame, which should provide us with an enthralling 53-lap race.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m30.915s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m31.089s +0.174s 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m31.253s +0.338s 4. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m31.365s +0.450s 5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.378s +0.463s 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m31.397s +0.482s 7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m31.644s +0.729s 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.665s +0.750s 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m31.684s +0.769s 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.827s +0.912s Q2 cut-off time: 1m31.848s Gap ** 11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.989s +0.699s 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m31.992s +0.702s 13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m32.013s +0.723s 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.063s +0.773s 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m32.093s +0.803s 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m32.485s +1.195s Q1 cut-off time: 1m32.875s Gap * 17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m32.890s +1.066s 18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.357s +1.533s 19. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.320s +2.496s 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m34.556s +2.732s 21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m34.879s +3.055s 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.958s +3.134s 107% time: 1m38.251s
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Mark Webber Handed Three-Place Grid Penalty For Bahrain
Mark Webber has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix, after the Australian driver collided with the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne. The collision between the sister outfits saw both pit for repairs, however Mark Webber was eventually forced to retire after his right-rear wheel feel off after his stop.
After the controversial proceedings during the closing stages of the Malaysian Grand Prix, further bad luck plagued the Australian driver throughout the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. During qualifying he was forced to stop at the side of the track after a bowser issue saw him run out of fuel, which in turn saw him excluded from the results of qualifying. After electing to start from the pit-lane and pitting on the first lap to avoid excess usage of the soft tyre compound, Webber had worked his way up to 11th position by Lap 14.
Mark Webber’s rogue wheel after his retirement at China.
Shortly after his team-mates first pit stop of the race, Mark Webber collided with the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne at Turn 6. This saw the Australian driver sustain damage to his front wing, as he returned to the pits for repairs. During this pit stop, his right-rear tyre was not secured properly which in turn saw it fall off at Turn 14. The wheel ominously rolled across the track and in front of numerous cars including Sebastian Vettel, however luckily no-one struck the tyre. The incident between the two drivers was naturally investigated by the stewards, with the Australian driver deemed to be at fault and issued with a grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix next weekend.
Mark Webber will understandably be eager to forget his demons of the last two race weekends next time out at Bahrain, as rumors continue to circulate the world of motor sport pertaining to his future in the sport. The Australian driver could well have picked up a decent amount of points during the race, however the collision with Vergne was the catalyst for yet more bad luck.
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Fernando Alonso Secures Victory In Tyre Dominated Chinese Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso has stormed to a sensational race victory in a Chinese Grand Prix utterly dominated by Pirelli’s P Zero tyres, which also saw a mesmerizing nine lead changes. The Spaniard was followed home by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with Lewis Hamilton only just holding on for 3rd ahead of Sebastian Vettel.
At the start the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa stormed into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, as Kimi Raikkonen fell through the order to 4th through the opening three corners. Lewis Hamilton retained the lead at the front, as the field tightly negotiated the opening lap of the race. Towards the end of the opening lap, the Force India duo collided as Adrian Sutil barged team-mate Paul di Resta onto the grass at Turn 15.
The Ferrari duo rob Lewis Hamilton of the lead.
By Lap 3, the DRS device was activated allowing the various drivers within one second of the car in front to utilize to overtaking assist. This greatly assisted the Ferrari duo of Alonso and Massa, who instantly pounced around Lewis Hamilton to progress to 1st and 2nd. Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez’s race was short-lived, after the Mexican driver was woefully late on the brakes into Turn 14 and slammed into the rear of the Force India of Adrian Sutil. The two were forced into retirement, as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg pitted together on Lap 6.
Eventually Fernando Alonso pitted on Lap 7 along with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Felipe Massa. However, the Brazilian driver remained out on the track for too long on the soft tyre compound, and rejoined further down the order after his pit stop on Lap 8. This saw the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg assume the lead of the race, the first time he had led for the Swiss outfit this season. After falling through the order due to his first pit stop, Fernando Alonso gradually began to rise through the order to 4th by Lap 14.
After electing to start the race on the medium tyre compound, Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian Vettel were one of the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 15. The Sauber mechanics failed to produce a pit stop to match Red Bull, as Vettel leapfrogged his fellow countryman during the stop. Meanwhile the McLaren of Jenson Button assumed the lead, after he too elected to start the race on the medium tyre compound. Sebastian Vettel rejoined the race behind his team-mate of Mark Webber, who had started the race in the pits after his exclusion from qualifying.
Mark Webber’s race weekend went from bad to worse on Lap 15, as the Australian driver collided with Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso at Turn 6. The saw Webber suffer a damaged front wing, and forced both he and Vergne to pit after sustaining damage. Whereas Jean-Eric Vergne pitted and rejoined without incident, Mark Webber immediately slowed after his pit-stop with the right-rear tyre loose on his car. After crawling at a snails pace for the majority of the lap, the Australian’s right-rear tyre eventually flew off of his car as he negotiated Turn 14.
Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen then came together at Turn 6 a lap later, with the Finn sustaining light damage to his front nose. However, Lotus elected not to pit Raikkonen as he continued with visible damage on his car. As much confusion ensued throughout the order, Fernando Alonso caught and overtook Jenson Button for the lead of the race on Lap 21. A lap later Raikkonen and Hamilton pitted together, with the duo now battling for the final podium places. Whereas one Mercedes driver was battling towards the front, the other of Nico Rosberg was forced into a frustrating retirement on Lap 23 with a suspension issue.
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button pitted on Lap 24, allowing Sebastian Vettel to take the lead of the race for the first time. With Gutierrez and Sutil’s incident earlier in the race occurring in a DRS zone, the device was disabled as the marshals cleared the stricken machines. This saw almost half of the field come under investigation by the stewards for allegedly using the device during the yellow flag zone, including Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton.
After once again dropping through the order after his second pit stop, Fernando Alonso slowly progressed back through the order. Firstly he overtook Nico Hulkenberg for 2nd before storming around Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Throughout the next few laps both Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton pitted for a second time. Fernando Alonso looked uncatchable out in front, and eventually pitted for a third and final time on Lap 41. The Spaniard only momentarily lost the lead to Vettel, and managed to retake it several laps later.
Jenson Button’s gamble of a two-stop strategy failed to pay off, as he began to plummet through the order from 3rd to 5th as both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton simply breezed around the Briton. The McLaren driver eventually pitted on Lap 50 for the soft tyre compound, which last for only a lap and a half before they began to wear out. Sebastian Vettel became the last of the front runners to pit on Lap 51, as he too switched to the soft tyres.
Unlike Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel managed to make the pace of the soft compound last much longer. As Fernando Alonso simply cruised to his 31st career victory, Vettel began to seriously catch Lewis Hamilton for 3rd. The reigning Champion was a mesmerizing three seconds a lap quicker on the soft tyres, but failed to find a way around the Briton in a frenetic end to a tyre dominated race. Kimi Raikkonen ended the race 2nd, his 20th consecutive race finish in the points.
The Chinese Grand Prix may well have disappointed the purist of Formula 1 fans after being dominated by Pirelli’s tyres and the DRS overtaking device, however it is unquestionable that they combined to create one of the most exciting and memorable races around the Shanghai International Circuit. The excitement is sure to continue next weekend, when the sport reconvenes at Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai, China; 56 laps; 305.066km; Weather: Dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Alonso Ferrari 1h36:26.945 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 10.100s 3. Hamilton Mercedes + 12.300s 4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 12.500s 5. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.200s 6. Massa Ferrari + 40.800s 7. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 42.600s 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 51.000s 9. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 53.400s 10. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 56.500s 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1m03.800s 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1m12.600s 13. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1m33.800s 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1m35.400s 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap Fastest lap: Vettel, 1m36.808s Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Rosberg Mercedes 22 Webber Red Bull-Renault 16 Sutil Force India-Mercedes 6 Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 5
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Mark Webber Fastest In Rain Struck Opening Day At Barcelona
Mark Webber has ended the opening day of the third and final pre-season test fastest overall, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Jean-Eric Vergne. The day featured much action in changeable weather conditions, and made F1 history by becoming the first F1 event to be broadcast in 3D.
After an early morning rain shower the third and final pre-season test began in damp yet sunny weather conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya, with the eleven teams struggling to decide whether to opt for the Cinturato intermediate or full wet weather tyre. The Caterham of Charles Pic became the first driver to take to the track once proceedings got underway, and was quickly followed by many other drivers. In familiar fashion the majority of the drivers completed only installation laps at first, as Sergio Perez set the early benchmark.
Romain Grosjean’s day began with an early spin as he lost control of his Lotus through Turn 12, beaching his E21 machine deep within the gravel. This caused the first red flag delay of the day, however the Barcelona officials were quick to retrieve the stricken Lotus and return the session to green flag conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Jean-Eric Vergne became the first to return to the track, as light rain began to fall upon the circuit. Despite the inclement weather conditions, Mark Webber was able to rise to the top with a 01:44.057.
Jean-Eric Vergne then lowered the benchmark further, as the Frenchman set a 01:43.059. Felipe Massa momentarily disposed of the Toro Rosso driver, before Vergne returned to the top with a 01:42.155. The rain returned as the session progressed, hampering many who ventured out onto the track in the worsening weather conditions. This failed to deter the drivers, who continued to circulate around the Circuit de Catalunya on Pirelli’s Cinturato wet weather tyres.
As the morning session progressed, the rain slowly began to subside. This in turn allowed the drivers to begin switching from the wet to the intermediate tyre, and also saw the times quickly begin to improve as the track dried out. Lewis Hamilton asserted his authority over proceedings in the improving conditions for Mercedes, as the 2008 World Champion set a 01:41.614. The rain returned once again as the morning session neared its conclusion, however the drivers remained out on track as they continued to gather valuable wet weather data.
A second red flag delay was caused only minutes before the end of the morning period, when the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez spun at the high-speed Turn 3 and lightly damaged his C32 machine. The session was quickly resumed, however due to the heavy rain the times failed to improve at the front. This therefore saw Lewis Hamilton remain at the top as the morning session came to an end, with the Briton finishing just ahead of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari and the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne.
The weather conditions gradually improved during the hour lunch break, with the rain stopping. Sergio Perez was the first driver to take to the track as the session resumed for McLaren, still sporting the wet weather tyres despite the improved conditions. Mark Webber blitzed the timing screens as the field began to opt for the intermediate tyre, with the Australian driver setting a 01:40.152 for Red Bull. Valtteri Bottas momentarily rose to the top for Williams, before Mark Webber reasserted his authority over proceedings.
As the track continued to dry out, the times at the top quickly began to improve as Felipe Massa set several consistently fast times for Ferrari. Valtteri Bottas had a scare through Turn 8 as the Finn skipped through the gravel trap. Lewis Hamilton rose his Mercedes to the top with a 01:31.689, before his McLaren replacement, Sergio Perez, shot to the top with a 01:30.127
Towards the end of the afternoon session, the time at the top continued to improve as numerous drivers rose to the top of the timing sheets. Mark Webber, Esteban Gutierrez and Valtteri Bottas each shared the top spot, before the Red Bull driver stormed to the top with a 01:25.061. Felipe Massa caused a brief red flag delay several minutes before the end of the day, as his Ferrari F138 came to a halt at Campsa. Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in returning to the top once the session was resumed, before Mark Webber fully cemented his intentions for the day by returning to the top with a scintillating 01:22.693.
The Australian driver remained unchallenged at the top as the opening day drew to a close, with Webber being followed home by Lewis Hamilton in 2nd and Jean-Eric Vergne in 3rd. The final pre-season test will continue tomorrow morning at the Barcelona circuit, as F1 returnee Adrian Sutil continues to rekindle his career in the sport.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps Tyre 1. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m22.693s 90 Soft 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.348s + 1.655s 113 Medium 3. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m25.017s + 2.324s 59 Medium 4. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m26.458s + 3.765s 85 Soft 5. Sergio Perez McLaren 1m26.538s + 3.845s 100 Hard 6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m26.574s + 3.881s 92 Soft 7. Paul di Resta Force India 1m27.107s + 4.414s 57 Medium 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.541s + 4.848s 112 Medium 9. Max Chilton Marussia 1m28.166s + 5.473s 78 Medium 10. Charles Pic Caterham 1m28.644s + 5.951s 83 Medium 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m34.928s + 12.235s 52 Medium
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Lewis Hamilton Fastest On Final Day Of Second Test In Rain-Struck Session
Lewis Hamilton has ended the second test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya fastest overall, in a day plagued by inclement weather conditions. The day started in chilly and overcast conditions, and despite a dry end to the morning period ended with further rainfall. The Briton was followed by Jenson Button and Jean-Eric Vergne.
Unlike the previous days at the Circuit de Catalunya, the fourth and final day dawned with rain in the air and overcast conditions. Despite the inclement weather conditions, many drivers immediately elected to take to the track once the green flag signaled the start of the morning session. Both Felipe Massa and Jules Bianchi were making their first appearances for their respective teams, however Massa almost instantly brought proceedings to a halt after spinning at Turn 4.
The Brazilian driver, who had carried out the majority of Ferrari’s running at Jerez, became the first of many drivers to be caught out by the tricky track conditions. Luckily Massa did not make contact with the tyre barrier, and was quickly cleared to allow the session to resume. Whilst Massa’s car was being recovered, light rain had begun to fall upon the circuit, forcing numerous teams to elect for Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate and wet weather tyres for the first time this year.
Lewis Hamilton managed to set the pace early on for Mercedes, with the Briton eventually working his way down to a 01:43.074. The 2008 World Champion’s former team-mate, Jenson Button, then rose to the top with a 01:41.409, which he too was able to improve upon. However, Romain Grosjean went fastest with a 01:40.068 before the second red flag delay of the day was caused when the Caterham of Giedo van der Garde spun at the final corner. During this relatively short delay, the rain subsided somewhat, before the session was resumed.
The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to return to the Barcelona circuit once the session returned to green, with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa wasting no time in also returning to the track after his minor excursion early on. Lewis Hamilton managed to return to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:38.206 before yet another spin brought proceedings to a halt. This time it was the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez who had spun at Turn 5, however Mark Webber’s Red Bull had also ground to a halt between Turns 9 and 10. The session was only momentarily returned to green flag conditions, before the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne spun at Turn 5 also, bringing yet another delay to the session.
Once the session was resumed, Felipe Massa redeemed himself after his earlier spin by flying to the top with a 01:36.568. However, Lewis Hamilton disposed of the Brazilian driver by setting a 01:34.201 on the medium tyres, with the track beginning to quickly dry out after the earlier rainfall. The Briton was able to improve by just under three seconds, before the Ferrari of Felipe Massa returned to the top with a 01:31.298. Whilst Esteban Gutierrez made a slight error through Turn 1, Felipe Massa continued setting blisteringly quick times at the top, eventually working his way down to a 01:27.351.
Lewis Hamilton ended Felipe Massa’s reign at the top with a 01:25.929 as the morning session continued, with the track now relatively dry after the earlier sprinkling of rain. Jules Bianchi and then Jenson Button momentarily rose to the top respectively, before Lewis Hamilton continued to assert his authority over proceedings with a 01:23.282. As the morning session drew to a close, rain began to once again fall over the Circuit de Catalunya. A fifth red flag delay was caused when Giedo van der Garde stopped on the track, therefore allowing the times to remain unchanged heading into the lunch interval with Lewis Hamilton fastest overall.
During the lunch hour, the rain continued to pound the Barcelona circuit, therefore making track conditions treacherous when the day was resumed. Jean-Eric Vergne decided to venture out in his Toro Rosso early on, and was quickly followed by others who opted to brave the elements with Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate and wet weather tyres. Proceedings were once again brought to a halt in the trying conditions, as Esteban Gutierrez once again spun, this time into the gravel at Turn 4.
Lewis Hamilton elected to immediately return to the circuit once the session was resumed, despite informing the media trackside that he would most likely not return in the afternoon due to the pointlessness of running in the wet. A further red flag delay was caused as the day drew to a soggy close, this time featuring non-other than the 2008 World Champion who stopped between Turns 6 and 7. Jean-Eric Vergne returned to the track once the session returned to green flag conditions, only for Jules Bianchi to come to a halt at the end of the pit-lane, causing the eighth delay of the day and subsequently ending the fourth and final day under red flag conditions.
Lewis Hamilton topped the timing sheets with his time from the morning period, and was followed home by his former team-mate of Jenson Button. Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne came home a strong 3rd, with Bianchi, Gutierrez, van der Garde, Massa, Webber, Chilton and Grosjean rounding out the top ten. The third and final test session will take place next week, with day one scheduled for Thursday around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
TODAY'S TIMES Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m23.282s 52 2. Jenson Button McLaren 1m23.633s +0.351 70 3. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m24.071s +0.789 80 4. Jules Bianchi Force India 1m25.732s +2.450 96 5. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m26.239s +1.957 61 6. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m27.429s +4.147 50 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.563s +4.281 80 8. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m27.616s +4.334 64 9. Max Chilton Marussia 1m29.902s +6.620 51 10. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m34.800s +11.518 41 11. Valtteri Bottas Williams no time 23 12. Pastor Maldonado Williams no time 13
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Felipe Massa Fastest After Day Three At Jerez
Felipe Massa has ended the third day fastest for Ferrari, after another productive day for the Scuderia. The Brazilian driver was followed home by the busy Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, with the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel 3rd for Red Bull on his first day behind the wheel of the RB9.
The day once again dawned in sunny but chilly weather conditions, with the Ferrari of Felipe Massa becoming the first driver to take to the track. The Brazilian driver was quickly followed out by Max Chilton, Jean-Eric Vergne and Kimi Raikkonen, with latter two making their first appearances of the week. Once the traditional installation laps had been completed, Valtteri Bottas completed the first timed lap of the day with a 01:29.697 on his opening day with the team.
However, the Finn’s time was quickly thwarted by the Marussia of Max Chilton who wasted no time in completing several quick lap times which eventually saw the Briton work his way down from a 01:27.581 to an impressive 01:23.938. Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez, who was also making his first appearance of the week, then shot to the top with a 01:23.232 before Nico Rosberg lowered the benchmark with a 01:19.687. The German driver was hoping for a much more productive day with the team, after the previous two days were plagued by mechanical issues.
As the morning progressed Felipe Massa rose to the top on his final day testing with the team, as the Brazilian driver set a 01:19.005, which was later bettered by Nico Rosberg who once again managed to surpass the Ferrari by only +0.001 seconds. The first red flag of the day was caused by the Caterham of Charles Pic, who took over from team-mate Giedo van der Garde for the final two days. The Frenchman came to a halt around Turn 2, with a suspected technical glitch striking his car.
Shortly after the resumption of track action, Felipe Massa completely obliterated the timing screens with a 01:17.879, becoming the first driver to set a sub-01:18s lap. Nico Rosberg managed to improve upon his time as the day progressed, with the German carrying out many laps to make up for the lost time from the previous two days. Paul di Resta took over driving duties from fellow countryman James Rossiter for the afternoon period, with the Briton carrying out his last period of work of the week before Jules Bianchi takes over the reigns for the final day.
However, the Silverstone-based outfit’s day was brought to a premature end, after their VJM06 suffered an exhaust failure after only seven laps for Paul di Resta. Marussia also suffered from technical gremlins throughout the afternoon period, with Max Chilton’s progression plagued with onboard electrical issues with the MR-02. Jean-Eric Vergne caused a momentary red flag delay in the afternoon, with the Frenchman’s STR8 coming to a halt at the end of the pit-lane.
The session was quickly resumed however, with many drivers once again returning to the Jerez circuit in the final hour of the day. Nico Rosberg surpassed a stunning 140 laps as the day drew to a close, more than anyone achieved during testing last year. The German eventually finished the day with 148 laps completed. The day was once again brought to a premature end under red flag conditions, with the McLaren of Jenson Button stopping out on track between Turns 7 and 8.
This saw Felipe Massa end the day fastest overall, ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and the Red Bull of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel. The fourth and final day will see the likes of Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, Pedro de la Rosa and Jules Bianchi take to the track, as the Jerez test draws to a conclusion.
Today’s times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m17.879s 85 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m18.766s +0.887 148 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m19.052s +1.173 102 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m19.200s +1.321 40 5. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m19.247s +1.368 85 6. James Rossiter Force India 1m19.303s +1.424 42 7. Jenson Button McLaren 1m19.603s +1.724 83 8. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m19.934s +2.055 110 9. Max Chilton Marussia 1m21.269s +3.390 78 10. Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m21.575s +3.696 86 11. Charles Pic Caterham 1m22.352s +4.473 57 12. Paul di Resta Force India 1m23.729s +5.850 7
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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
Collision With Jean-Eric Vergne Destroyed Timo Glock’s Race
Timo Glock’s hopes of retaining tenth position in the Constructors’ Championship for Marussia were destroyed during the Brazilian Grand Prix, after a collision with the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne upon the restart after the first safety car period. This forced Glock to pit, and saw him plummet to the back of the pack.
As utter mayhem ensued throughout the early stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Marussias and Caterhams slowly rose through the order as they opted to remain out on track as the rain continued to fall. This saw the likes of Glock, Kovalainen, Petrov and Pic race competitively within the top ten as the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa all struggled in the treacherous conditions and decided to pit for wet tyres.
Eventually the safety car was deployed as the amount of debris on the track rose due to the numerous collisions throughout the opening few laps, therefore allowing the marshals to clear the track. Upon the restart, the difference in speed between the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne and the Marussia of Timo Glock was so great that the two collided, with Glock being forced to pit after the incident. The German driver was understandably upset, as this practically ended Marussia’s chances of retaining tenth in the Constructors’ Championship.
“There isn’t much we can say really; the result speaks for itself and we were just not lucky today.” Explained a dispirited Timo Glock, “It is a crying shame for everyone associated with the team as we have all worked so hard together to come this far. It’s so sad to lose 10th like this because we were right on it and we had everything lined up to stay ahead of the other guys. Unfortunately, Vergne crashed into the back of my car and destroyed the race for me because it was right at the restart and I had to pit under the green flag. I went straight to the back of the field and worked hard from there, but there was very little we could do.”
Jean-Eric Vergne was very apologetic to Timo Glock after the race, which saw the Frenchman eventually finish 8th and in the points. The rookie has finished in the points four times this season, interestingly finishing each race in 8th position. Vergne coped well in the inclement weather conditions, despite running on dry tyres on a very greasy track surface.
“At the restart after the safety car came in, I was hanging back to get a run on Glock,” said Jean-Eric Vergne. “But as I caught up, those in front were braking hard and I ran into him and I’ve already apologized to him for that. My pace on the slick tyres in the damp conditions was very good and it’s nice to finish the final race of the season in the points.”
Both Timo Glock and Jean-Eric Vergne will be aiming for a much more competitive season in 2013, as they both struggled greatly throughout this past year. Glock was both out-qualified and out-raced by rookie team-mate Charles Pic on numerous occasions, and Jean-Eric Vergne has struggled with the pace of his Toro Rosso. Both will return in 2013, and both will be after improvements from their respective outfits.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Jean-Eric Vergne Forced Intro Retirement With Suspension Issues
Jean-Eric Vergne became the first retirement of the United States Grand Prix after the Frenchman’s suspension broke on Lap 14. This ended what had up until that point been a strong race for the Toro Rosso driver, who despite loosing several positions at the start looked competitive throughout the early stages of the race.
This incident was the second time throughout the weekend that Jean-Eric Vergne had damaged his suspension, after striking the kerbs during the third and final practice session on Saturday forced the Frenchman to stop at practically the exact same location on the track. Despite this unfortunate retirement, Jean-Eric Vergne has remained upbeat after enjoying racing around the new Circuit of the Americas.
“I got a really good start and I had about a tenth of a second to decide whether to go to the left or the right going into the first corner.” Explained Jean-Eric Vergne, “Everyone seemed to be going right, so I went left aiming for the inside of the hairpin, as I was much quicker. But it didn’t pay off, because I lost many positions and got stuck behind other cars and therefore could not warm up my tyres properly. Despite this, I was able to fight and make up some positions. Unfortunately, the suspension broke and the team told me to park the car rather than risk bringing it back. A shame, as this new circuit is fun to race on.”
Although Jean-Eric Vergne was unfortunately forced into retirement in the early stages of the race, team-mate Daniel Ricciardo enjoyed an exceedingly competitive race. The Australian driver progressed as high as 5th at one stage, before he carried out his one and only pit stop. The 23-year-old produced many overtaking maneuvers throughout the race, despite being unable to score any valuable points for himself and Toro Rosso.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Toro Rosso Officially Confirm Ricciardo And Vergne For 2013
Toro Rosso have officially confirmed they are retaining both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne for the 2013 season, confirming rumors that the two were set to stay put at the Faenza-based outfit. Despite a tough 2012 season, the duo have both shone throughout the due course of the season, and are eager to continue improving next season.
Daniel Ricciardo made his debut in Formula 1 last season for HRT at the British Grand Prix, and has since improved greatly up the F1 ladder to Toro Rosso. The Australian driver has so far scored nine points this season, and will undoubtedly be striving to impress next season within the team, especially with the Red Bull presence at the Italian outfit.
“I am really pumped to know that I am continuing with Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season and want to thank the team and Red Bull.” Said Daniel Ricciardo, “There are big expectations for next year and I’m ready and willing to fulfill them. I feel I have been growing and developing as a driver and my approach to the technical side of the sport has also progressed this year, so I am sure that will serve me well in my second season with Toro Rosso. We have had quite a tough season, but despite that, I have always enjoyed a good relationship with all the guys and I am delighted at the idea of working with them for another year.”
Jean-Eric Vergne made his debut this season with Toro Rosso, and after a highly successful season in the World Series by Renault the previous year was tipped as one to watch at the start of the season. Just like team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, the Frenchman managed to score his first points in the early stages of the season. However, since then Vergne has also struggled, although he is adamant of a much more competitive 2013 season.
“I am really happy about this great news.” Enthused Jean-Eric Vergne, “Thank you Toro Rosso and thank you Red Bull, who have backed me since the early days of my career. It has been a difficult season and, as a rookie, I have learned a lot, thanks to the support I got and the excellent relationship I have enjoyed with all the guys. I feel much stronger now and I know I have become a better driver over the course of the season. I really believe in this team and with all the experience I have gained, combined with the team’s ambitious plans for next year, I think we can look forward to great things in 2013, attacking all the way.”
With Toro Rosso announcing both of their drivers for next season, as well as Nico Hulkenberg being confirmed at Sauber for 2013, this still leaves half of the grid for next season unconfirmed. Lotus have yet to confirm Kimi Raikkonen’s team-mate, however it is firmly believed that Romain Grosjean will be retained. Both Force India, Williams, Marussia, Caterham and HRT have yet to confirm their driver line-ups, with Sauber still yet to confirm Hulkenberg’s team-mate.
Picture Copyright © Toro Rosso F1 Team
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