Hamilton finally takes first Mercedes victory in frenetic Hungarian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has finally secured his first victory for Mercedes, after an exhilarating and frenetic Hungarian Grand Prix around the Hungaroring. The 2008 World Champion was followed by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with Sebastian Vettel a close 3rd after failing to find a way around the Finnish ace.
At the start Lewis Hamilton managed to maintain his lead into Turn 1, as further back his German team-mate Nico Rosberg endured a frustrating first few corners. The 28-year-old suffered a minor collision with Felipe Massa at Turn 5, which saw him momentarily leave the track as the Brazilian suffered front-wing damage. Meanwhile Sebastian Vettel began to reel in Lewis Hamilton, with Romain Grosjean hot on the German’s heels in the Lotus.
However, after momentarily rising into the DRS zone Sebastian Vettel began to loose time in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, therefore allowing Romain Grosjean to greatly catch the reigning Champion. On Lap 8 Jean-Eric Vergne and Giedo van der Garde became the first drivers to complete a scheduled pit-stop, one lap before Lewis Hamilton did likewise at the front and therefore gifted the lead down to Sebastian Vettel. However, the German’s lead was short-lived before he also pitted several laps later and allowed Romain Grosjean to assume the lead for Lotus.
The German driver frustratingly returned to the track not only behind Lewis Hamilton but also the McLaren of Jenson Button, who elected to start the race on the medium tyre compound and was therefore on a longer stint. Lewis Hamilton had quickly managed to dispose of his former team-mate, however Sebastian Vettel struggled greatly to match his rivals maneuver. Fernando Alonso pitted from 2nd position on Lap 12, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to rise up into 2nd position and create a Lotus 1-2 at the front. On Lap 13 the Enstone-based outfit elected to perform and double-stop, with both Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen pitting at the same time, albeit separated by just under ten seconds.
After starting from way down in 10th position, Mark Webber assumed the lead once the Lotus duo pitted. Whilst one Red Bull circulated in the lead of the race, the other was surprisingly struggling behind the McLaren of Jenson Button with both Romain Grosjean and Fernando Alonso catching them both. The three-time Champion lightly collided with the rear of Jenson Button through Turn 2 on Lap 16, as frustrations ran high within the cockpit of the RB9.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel continued to struggle to find a way around the McLaren of Jenson Button, the Force India of Adrian Sutil was forced into an unfortunate retirement due to a hydraulic issue on his car, prematurely ending his 100th Grand Prix. Mark Webber eventually pitted from the lead of the race on Lap 23, allowing Lewis Hamilton to resume his lead at the front. Several laps later Sebastian Vettel finally managed to overtake Jenson Button at Turn 4, in doing so allowing Romain Grosjean to catch the Briton. As the duo negotiated Turns 6 and 7, they collided and subsequently both quickly returned to the pits to check for any damage sustained.
After confirming that no damage had been sustained to either Jenson Button or Romain Grosjean, the two drivers returned to the action with the Frenchman behind Felipe Massa. However, the former GP2 Champion quickly disposed of the Brazilian around the outside of Turn 4. Initially it was perceived as a sensational maneuver, however it was later discovered that he had allegedly gained an advantage by running wide and off of the circuit. The Frenchman was subsequently struck with a drive-thru penalty, ruining his chances of finishing on the podium.
Esteban Gutierrez became the next retirement on Lap 30, after a drive train issue struck his Ferrari-powered Sauber and ended a miserable weekend. Whilst the Mexican returned to the pits, Lewis Hamilton pitted once again from the lead of the race, ceding his lead at the front to the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel. The Mercedes driver rejoined just behind Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso, however he wasted no time in storming around the outside of the Australian driver at Turn 2, perfecting a masterful overtaking maneuver as Webber ran wide at Turn 3.
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel both pitted on Lap 34, allowing Lewis Hamilton to quickly resume his lead at the front. Nico Hulkenberg was struck with a drive-thru penalty for speeding the pit-lane on Lap 39, with the German striving to add to Sauber’s meager tally in the Constructors’ Championship. Kimi Raikkonen pitted on Lap 42 from 3rd, before Mark Webber did likewise a lap later. Valtteri Bottas became the third retirement of the race on Lap 44, after the Finnish rookie suffered an engine-related issue and stopped along the start/finish straight. At first it was thought the safety car would be called upon, however the Hungarian marshals soon managed to efficiently clear the stricken Williams under double-waved yellow flags.
Lewis Hamilton pitted for a third time on Lap 50, once again loosing the lead to Sebastian Vettel. Five laps later the German ace also pitted for a third and final time, rejoining behind Kimi Raikkonen as Lewis Hamilton returned into the lead of the race. Mark Webber soon pitted on Lap 59 for soft tyres, creating a thrilling final few laps as Kimi Raikkonen defended heavily against Sebastian Vettel in 3rd with Mark Webber catching the duo at a phenomenal rate.
Nico Rosberg suffered a catastrophic engine failure during the closing stages of the race, as over-heating became an increasing worry for the teams and drivers. Sebastian Vettel almost perfected an overtaking maneuver on Kimi Raikkonen on Lap 68, however the 2007 World Champion was wise to the challenge and defended heavily. Despite the dominant pace witnessed earlier in the weekend, Sebastian Vettel was unable to overtake the Finn as Lewis Hamilton stormed across the line to secure his first ever victory for Mercedes and the German marque’s first with a British driver since Sir Stirling Moss in 1955. Mark Webber failed to catch and challenge his team-mate for 3rd, after his soft tyres eventually degraded during the final laps.
Although Sebastian Vettel was once again unable to secure victory around the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring, the German remains in control at the top of the Drivers’ Championship on 172 points, 38 ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus. The Finnish sensation will be looking to catch the German next time out around the iconic and daunting Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, after the lengthy summer break.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS Pos Driver Team 1. Hamilton Mercedes 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 4. Webber Red Bull-Renault 5. Alonso Ferrari 6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault 7. Button McLaren-Mercedes 8. Massa Ferrari 9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes 10. Maldonado Williams-Renault 11. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 14. van der Garde Caterham-Renault 15. Pic Caterham-Renault 16. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth DNF Di Resta Force India-Mercedes DNF Rosberg Mercedes DNF Bottas Williams-Renault DNF Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari DNF Sutil Force India-Mercedes
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Caterham Aiming For Competitive Results Around The Streets Of Monaco
Caterham are hoping for competitive results from their two drivers around the twisty confines of the Monte-Carlo street circuit this weekend, where the high rate of attrition could enable the smaller teams to fight for decent results come Sunday. Caterham are currently 11th and last in the Constructors’ Championship, behind rivals Marussia.
After a slightly frustrating start to the season for the Leafield-based outfit, which saw them initially fall behind arch-rivals Marussia, Caterham has recently returned to their former competitiveness in relation to the Anglo-Russian outfit. Despite Jules Bianchi’s stellar start to the season for Marussia, the Banbury-based outfit has recently fallen back behind Caterham in the race for 10th in the Constructors’ Championship. With Caterham currently enjoying a return to their competitiveness, both Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde are optimistic ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
“Monaco is a great race and a track I’ve won on before in Formula Renault 3.5 and in GP2.” Enthused Charles Pic, who will be regarding the Monaco Grand Prix as a home race. “You can hope that it can be a good chance for you to finish in a good position, but with such a tight circuit and so many chances for something to happen it’s something we can’t control so we have to be focused on optimizing the car, extracting 100 per cent for qualifying and then focusing on the race. We’ll have to make sure we go the right way on tyre choice and strategy, and then we’ll see. We’ve definitely been improving over the last couple of races, so the aim is to carry that through to Monaco.”
Giedo van der Garde is also of the opinion that a competitive result is on the cards this weekend in Monaco, where a high attrition rate has always allowed smaller teams to rise through the order with little effort. This weekend will be the Dutchman’s first around the streets of Monte-Carlo in Formula 1 machinery, and he will undoubtedly be calling upon all of his knowledge from the lower categories throughout the weekend.
“Monaco’s also a place where the smaller teams, like us, can do something special.” Explained Giedo van der Garde, “It’s a shorter lap than many of the other tracks we race on, and everyone has to run as much downforce as possible, so outright speed isn’t the key. You need good traction to really attack the exits of the corners, and the package we introduced in Spain had exactly that, so what we want to do is build on the progress we made in Spain, show a bit more of our potential, and with a bit of luck we can come close to the top 10.”
For Caterham to rise ahead of Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship this weekend, the outfit will require a 12th place finish or higher after Jules Bianchi’s 13th place finish at the start of the season at Malaysia for the Banbury-based outfit. Last season Heikki Kovalainen managed to finish a strong 13th around the streets of Monte-Carlo, a result both Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde will be aiming to emulate this weekend.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Pastor Maldonado Looking Forward To 2013 Alongside Valtteri Bottas
Pastor Maldonado believes 2013 will be an important season for Williams, as they strive to build upon their competitiveness witnessed throughout the 2012 season. Despite the Venezuelan driver securing the team’s first victory since 2004 at Barcelona, Williams still struggled on regular occasions within the midfield.
After taking an illustrious victory at the Spanish Grand Prix back in May, Pastor Maldonado entered a frustrating points-drought which lasted until the Japanese Grand Prix in October. During this period, Bruno Senna scored all the points for Williams as Maldonado struggled to return to his once highly competitive ways. However, it was clear during the season that Maldonado was an exceedingly quick driver, with the 27-year-old qualifying 3rd at Valencia, 2nd at Singapore and 3rd at Abu Dhabi.
Pastor Maldonado is confident that he and the team will continue to build upon their success in 2012 next season, and is aiming to challenge for points and podium finishes on a regular basis. Apart from the team’s victory in Barcelona, Williams failed to return to the podium all season with 5th at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the best the team could achieve.
“2013 will be an important season for the team.” Explained Pastor Maldonado, “In my first season we had a lot of problems with the car, but this year we made a big step forward in performance and managed to capture a memorable win in Barcelona. We have a lot of potential as a team and next year we must continue this upward trend and produce a car that can challenge for strong points finishes and podiums at a wide range of circuits.
“The goal is to be more competitive next year and have a car that is consistently in the points and challenging for podiums. This year we showed excellent pace at a number of tracks such as Barcelona, Monaco and Abu Dhabi, but we didn’t have the consistency to maintain that at every Grand Prix. We have all the tools needed to push the top teams, and hopefully we can learn from this year and move further up the field.”
Valtteri Bottas will replace Bruno Senna alongside Pastor Maldonado in 2013.
However, next season the Venezuelan driver will be partnered at Williams by the team’s former reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, who will be replacing Bruno Senna within the team. The 23-year-old Finn has already shown his skill behind the wheel of Formula 1 machinery, after partaking in fifteen practice sessions throughout the season. Bottas was also crowned the 2011 GP3 Champion, a fact which will make him only the second former GP3 driver to start an official race next March alongside the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.
Pastor Maldonado is looking forward to the 2013 season alongside his new team-mate, with the two already having worked together for the last two seasons in the sport. Pastor Maldonado is eager to offer advice to the rookie, with the Venezuelan driver hopeful both he and Bottas can start scoring points at the first race in March.
“It will be a new experience and one that I am looking forward to.” Said Pastor Maldonado, “As a rookie he will have a lot to learn, but from what I have seen so far he has a lot of talent. It’s in the team’s interest for both of us to be scoring points from the very first race, so I can provide advice to him as someone who has two seasons under my belt. I’ve spent a lot of time with him this year as he has driven in many FP1 sessions and travelled with the team and we get on very well which is always helpful.”
Williams enjoyed a far more successful season this year in comparison to 2011, when the team scored a miserable five points all year. This season saw the Grove-based outfit storm to 76 points in the Constructors’ Championship, a tally both Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas will be hoping to emulate in 2013. Both have shown they are capable of winning races throughout their careers’, and they will unquestionably be striving to do so once again when the 2013 Formula 1 season kicks off in March.
Picture(s) Copyright © Williams 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
FIA Considering Penalty Points System For 2013
The FIA have confirmed they are considering a penalty points system for 2013, which would be similar to the points system on road licenses whereby accumulating too many points would see the driver in question incur a race ban. This comes after questionable driving from many drivers this season, most notably Romain Grosjean.
At the start of the Belgian Grand Prix in September, Romain Grosjean was the catalyst in a huge multi-car incident as the field negotiated the tight La Source hairpin at Turn 1. This resulted in Championship contenders Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton both retiring, with the former very lucky not to be struck on the head by Grosjean’s out-of-control Lotus. With this incident not being the first, nor the last, of Grosjean’s infamous opening lap incidences, the FIA decided to impose a one race ban upon the Frenchman.
Despite being involved in another opening lap incident at the Japanese Grand Prix with Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean has unquestionably become more cautious at the start of races. However, with many other drivers causing various incidences over the due course of the season, the FIA have confirmed they are considering a points system which would see drivers penalized for continuous bad behavior.
“We would like to see a system, and indeed we could discuss it with the teams next Wednesday in Brazil, similar to the sort of thing you have with your road license where you will accumulate points on your Super License,” explained race director Charlie Whiting to AutoSport. “If you get to 12 points, or whatever it is, you will have a race [ban]. That’s the sort of thing we will discuss.”
There is currently no penalty system for repeat offenses on track in Formula 1, apart from a driver potentially incurring a 10-place grid penalty for being issued three reprimands in one season. This potential change in the penalty system could well change that fact, and reform what is unarguably an inconsistent penalty system currently in operation in F1.
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Williams Aiming To Catch Force India In Constructors’ Championship
Williams are aiming to catch and pass Force India for seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, as the 2012 Formula 1 season draws to a conclusion with the final two races at the United States and Brazil. Williams are currently 22 points behind Force India, and are aiming to continue introducing upgrades at each of the remaining race weekends.
As Williams prepare for this weekend’s highly anticipated United States Grand Prix around the brand-new circuit in Austin, Texas, the Grove-based outfit are looking to once again introduce several updates with an aim of continuing their competitiveness witnessed at Abu Dhabi. During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, Pastor Maldonado was able to qualify a very competitive 4th and finished the race 5th with team-mate Bruno Senna 8th.
“On the back of a good result in Abu Dhabi the whole team is really looking forward to the last two races of the season.” Explained the team’s Chief Operations Engineer, Mark Gillan. “We will be pushing hard right to the end with further updates in order to try to secure seventh position in the Constructors Championship. As this is a new track, with no historic database of information to call upon, it places even more importance on one’s circuit simulation tools and simulator to ensure that we’re fully prepared in terms of both car set-up and proposed run programme.”
Pastor Maldonado, who won the Spanish Grand Prix back in May, is eager to continue the recent competitiveness of the team this weekend. Despite his superlative victory earlier in the season, Maldonado has struggled throughout the majority of the season, and will be striving to end the season on a positive note for the Grove-based outfit.
“After a good performance in the last race in Abu Dhabi I’m looking forward to getting in the car again and seeing what we can achieve in Austin.” Said Pastor Maldonado, “The team has worked very hard to get the car back to the sort of pace that can consistently challenge for points and that is what we will be looking for in this race. The track is new so it will be challenging to get the right set up, but that is the same for all the teams. It looks like a fun and challenging track to drive from the work we have done in the simulator.”
Although there is only 22 points between Williams and Force India in the Constructors’ Championship, both teams have cars capable of consistently finishing within the points. With Sauber striving to catch Mercedes and Caterham also aiming to catch Marussia in the Constructors Championship, the season is far from over throughout the majority of the paddock.
Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team
Rosberg Aiming To End The Season On A High For Mercedes
Nico Rosberg is aiming to end the season on a high for Mercedes, as the Formula 1 paddock gears up for the final two races of the season at the United States and Brazil. Mercedes have failed to score a World Championship point since the Singapore Grand Prix, and are only 12 points ahead of Sauber in the Championship.
Despite winning the Chinese Grand Prix at the start of the season, Nico Rosberg and Mercedes have endured a frustrating run of uncompetitiveness throughout recent races. Since the Singapore Grand Prix back in September, Nico Rosberg has retired from three of the last four races. Although Michael Schumacher has finished more races in comparison to Rosberg of late, the seven-time World Champion has failed to finish within the points, finishing 11th at both the Japanese and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.
With only two races of the season remaining, Nico Rosberg is aiming to end the season on a high, and bring an end to Mercedes’ recent run of bad luck. The new track at Austin in Texas is an unknown entity for the drivers on the grid, although Nico Rosberg has enjoyed extensive time in the simulator to try and learn the new circuit.
“It will be very exciting to race in the USA again and I’m really looking forward to our visit.” Explained Nico Rosberg, “I spent some time practicing on the simulator at the factory this week so I know what to expect and, as a team, we are as well prepared as we can be from our simulator work. The track looks cool with a great double S section to begin the lap and it looks like there should be some good opportunities for overtaking. We really want to end the season on a positive note so we’ll be aiming to score some points next weekend.”
Michael Schumacher will also be striving for a positive result in the next two races, as the German legend once again prepares to retire from racing. Schumacher has unfortunately endured a very uncompetitive return to the sport with the German marque, and will be eager to score points at both the United States and the Brazilian Grands Prix.
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
McLaren Confirm Doubts Over Sergio Perez
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed doubts over whether Sergio Perez will be a success for the Woking-based outfit, after a particularly uncompetitive run of form from the Mexican driver. Since his announcement as Lewis Hamilton’s successor, Perez has failed to finish within the points for Sauber.
In an interview with British newspaper The Daily Mail, Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed he is unsure as to whether Sergio Perez could become a race or Championship winner with McLaren. When rumors began linking Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes, many were intrigued as to who McLaren would sign as the Briton’s replacement. The candidates varied from Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey (McLaren’s reserve and test drivers), to the likes of Paul di Resta. However, many were very surprised when reports linking Sergio Perez to McLaren became true.
Admittedly, Sergio Perez has performed sensationally throughout the 2012 season, finishing on the podium on numerous occasions and nearly taking victory at the wet/dry Malaysian Grand Prix. However, recently the 22-year-old Mexican has somewhat underperformed with Sauber, retiring from two of the last four races, and failing to score a single World Championship point since the Singapore Grand Prix.
“He is going to find a different world at McLaren,” explained Martin Whitmarsh, in an interview with The Daily Mail. “He will turn up in Australia next year with so much more pressure on his shoulders and that is something he has to be groomed to deal with.
“If you turn up and we’re not on the first two rows and not competing for the win, then ourselves and Ferrari get that pressure in the way that no other F1 team does. When Red Bull weren’t competitive no one was piling into them so there is an added pressure to being a McLaren driver. He might think he understands it, but he doesn’t.”
With Sergio Perez preparing for his final two races as a Sauber driver, the Mexican will be hoping he can end the 2012 season and his career with the Swiss outfit on a positive note, as Sauber continue to reel in Mercedes for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. With Martin Whitmarsh now skeptical as to whether Perez can be a race winner with McLaren, the Mexican will be eager to prove Whitmarsh wrong once the 2013 season gets underway.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Kimi Raikkonen Aiming To Make Another Step Forward In 2013
Kimi Raikkonen has explained how he is aiming to make further steps forward next season, following on from his announcement earlier this morning confirming his allegiance with Lotus for 2013. After enjoying a highly competitive return to the sport this season with the Enstone-based outfit, Raikkonen will be striving for much of the same in 2013.
From lights-out in Australia right the way through the season, Kimi Raikkonen has shown that he has lost none of his competitiveness during his absence from the sport. By the Bahrain Grand Prix in April, Kimi Raikkonen nearly took victory from Sebastian Vettel, however the Finn had to settle for 2nd with team-mate Romain Grosjean a close 3rd. Raikkonen finished on the podium once again next time out at the Spanish Grand Prix, and has done so consistently at the European, German, Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.
Not only has Kimi Raikkonen impressed many by his ability to return almost instantly to the podium, the Finn has also managed to finish every racing lap of the season, taking points at every single race except China at the start of the year. Kimi Raikkonen remains to the only driver with such consistency on the 2012 grid, and has expressed a desire to continue this competitiveness next season with the new E21 machine.
“I think my return to Formula 1 has gone pretty well and the team has done a very good job all year so far.” Explained Kimi Raikkonen, “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship this season when you look at where the team was in 2011, so it has been great to be on the podium so many times and to score points on a regular basis. I feel very comfortable with Lotus F1 Team and we share the same philosophy of racing. Continuing with the team was an obvious choice for me and I’m looking forward to making another step forward together next year.”
Kimi Raikkonen’s incredible 2012 season has not gone unnoticed throughout the Lotus outfit, with Lotus team principal Eric Boullier believing it was simply a natural conclusion to have the Finn re-sign with the Enstone-based outfit. Despite the team not winning a race so far this season, they have unquestionably been one of the most impressive outfits throughout the highly competitive grid.
“Kimi has made an exceptional comeback to Formula 1.” Said Eric Boullier, “From the first time he sat in the car this year it was clear he had lost none of his pace or technical feedback and we have been rewarded by a focused and motivated driver all season. For Lotus F1 Team to be fighting for such strong Championship positions this year is in no small part attributed to Kimi’s talent and experience of racing. It was a natural conclusion for us to confirm that we will be harnessing his abilities for next season.”
Kimi Raikkonen will most likely be partnered with Romain Grosjean for next season, which would see the Lotus line-up remain unchanged for 2013 despite the Frenchman’s incident-filled season. It’s no question that both Raikkonen and Grosjean have the ability to be victorious, and if the next year’s Lotus E21 is as competitive as this year’s E20, victories could come in abundance for the Enstone-based outfit.
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
Mercedes Eager For First Points Finish Since Singapore
Mercedes are searching for their first points finish since the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend in India, after two disastrous races for the German marque which has seen them fall into the clutches of Sauber in the Constructors’ Championship. Nico Rosberg has failed to finish the last two races, after collisions on the opening laps.
With Rosberg enduring copious amounts of bad luck during the last two races, Michael Schumacher has failed to be competitive and has become stuck towards the back of the highly competitive midfield. With Kamui Kobayashi finishing a tremendous 3rd at the Japanese Grand Prix, Sauber have become reinvigorated in their plight to catch the German marque for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
However, Mercedes are hopeful that a return to their points scoring ways is imminent this weekend, with both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg eager to enjoy a competitive race weekend at the still relatively new Buddh International Circuit. Last season saw Mercedes finish 5th and 6th respectively at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, a result which would greatly benefit the team this weekend.
“The Formula One debut of India last year was certainly a success.” Explained Michael Schumacher, “After two races which have not been totally satisfying, we naturally wish for a more positive trend to come, and I can say that everybody in the team has put in a lot of effort to achieve it. Let’s see what we can make out of it.”
Nico Rosberg has unquestionably been dealt the worst luck of any driver up and down the paddock throughout the last two races, with the German driver on the receiving end of other drivers’ mistakes during the opening few corners.
In Japan, Bruno Senna was the culprit in making contact with the Mercedes driver during the first corner melee which also saw Fernando Alonso retire from the race. The same misfortune plagued Rosberg in Korea, only this time it was Kamui Kobayashi who made contact. The 27-year-old is understandably hoping for an incident-free race weekend at India, and will be striving to avoid contact on the opening lap in particular.
“The Buddh International Circuit is very challenging with an interesting combination of slow speed corners and long fast straights.” Said Nico Rosberg, “The track also has one of the highest average speeds in Formula One and is good for overtaking. I hope that I will have a bit more luck than recently next weekend, and I will have the chance to achieve a good result.”
With Sauber hot on their heels, Mercedes are most certainly having the pressure piled upon them as this highly entertaining season draws to a conclusion. The German marque have already been victorious this season, and will definitely prefer to finish ahead of Sauber who have only so far managed podium finishes at best.
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
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