Daniel Ricciardo Fastest As Rain Strikes Again At Silverstone
Daniel Ricciardo has ended the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix weekend fastest overall, as heavy rain once again struck the legendary Silverstone circuit. For the majority of the session the drivers remained in the pits, before Daniel Ricciardo led them out in the closing minutes in the still treacherous conditions.
The Formula 1 paddock reconvened in typical British weather for the opening practice session of the weekend, as the teams and drivers were greeted with heavy and persistent rain over the legendary Silverstone circuit. Despite several installation laps up and down the field at the start of the session, the awaiting masses were treated to very little track action during the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez were the first to brave the elements at the start, before many others including local favorites Paul di Resta, Max Chilton and Jenson Button also took to the track.
During the opening hour of the session, the majority of the drivers elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane with only a handful of drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and Esteban Gutierrez tip-toeing around the Silverstone circuit on Pirelli’s Cinturato full wet tyres. The Sauber driver completed several laps, however he failed to produce a timed lap during his stint after passing through the pits to carry out practice starts at the pit exit.
As the damp proceedings drew to a miserable conclusion, Daniel Ricciardo injected some track action as the Australian sensation finally shattered the monotonous silence and took to the track once again to produce the first timed lap of the day with a 02:00.029. The Toro Rosso driver managed to improve by several seconds during his next lap with a 01:57.992, as many other drivers followed his trend and finally took to the Silverstone circuit with only ten minutes remaining in the session.
Local hero Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in giving his adoring home fans something to cheer about, as the 2008 World Champion quickly rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:55.458. Whilst Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of the session for the German marque, Charles Pic was caught out in the still treacherous weather conditions as the Frenchman spun into the retaining tyre barrier at Turn 18 and lightly damaged his car. The ever-efficient marshals swiftly cleared the stricken machine, before Daniel Ricciardo pounded around the track to produce a 01:54.249 to return to the top and end of the session fastest for Toro Rosso. The Australian driver was followed at the top by Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado, with rain still falling overhead.
Naturally the teams, drivers and fans will be hoping for better weather conditions for the second practice session of the weekend later in the afternoon, when further track action should allow the drivers to continue their vigorous preparations for the weekend ahead.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m54.249s 10 2. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.033s + 0.784s 7 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m55.354s + 1.105s 7 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m55.458s + 1.209s 5 5. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.825s + 1.576s 9 6. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m56.361s + 2.112s 7 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m57.891s + 3.642s 4 8. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m58.859s + 4.610s 6 9. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.719s + 5.470s 7 10. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.876s + 5.627s 8 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 2m06.534s + 12.285 6 12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes no time 3 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes no time 4 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault no time 1 15. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes no time 4 17. Fernando Alonso Ferrari no time 4 18. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault no time 1 19. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault no time 3 21. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault no time 4 22. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault no time 0
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Nico Rosberg Shines In Damp Conditions At Monaco To Secure Pole
Nico Rosberg has continued to shine for Mercedes after securing his third consecutive pole position for the German marque, after a damp qualifying hour around Monaco’s Monte-Carlo street circuit. The German will start the race alongside team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with the Red Bull duo starting on the second row.
After three practice sessions run in glorious sunshine around the Monte-Carlo street circuit, many were surprised when the all-important qualifying hour began in wet weather conditions. This forced the entire field to rush out onto the street circuit sporting the intermediate tyre, in treacherous and unknown weather conditions. The Caterham duo led out the entire field, as Jules Bianchi’s session was brought to an immediate and premature conclusion when a mechanical issue struck his Marussia.
The Caterham duo of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde naturally set the initial pace at the top, however the benchmark unsurprisingly plummeted as many drivers all improved in the tricky weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton and then Jenson Button rose to the top, before Mark Webber, Paul di Resta, Fernando Alonso and Jean-Eric Vergne both continued to lower the benchmark. Lewis Hamilton then returned to the top for Mercedes with a 01:32.920, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:31.431.
As the conditions began to gradually improve, so did the times as Monaco expert Pastor Maldonado rose to the top for Williams with a 01:30.126. Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and then Mark Webber both momentarily returned to the top, before Sebastian Vettel continued to keep Red Bull at the top with 01:25.352. As the opening segment of qualifying drew to a close, Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton traded fastest times at the top, before Jenson Button rose McLaren to the front.
After his incident at the end of the final practice session earlier in the day, Romain Grosjean only just managed to take to the track as the session drew to a close. With only a handful of laps for the Frenchman to set a time, he stormed around the Monte-Carlo street circuit to produce a mesmerizing 01:23.738 to go fastest.
In the final minutes, Pastor Maldonado returned to the top for Williams with a 01:23.452, as the Caterham of Giedo van der Garde managed to progress through to Q2 for the first time in his career. As Q1 drew to a close, Paul Di Resta, Charles Pic, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi and Felipe Massa were eventually eliminated with the latter unable to partake in the session after his earlier incident in practice.
The rain continued to lightly fall over the Monte-Carlo street circuit as Q2 got underway, with Jean-Eric Vergne and Nico Rosberg becoming the first two drivers to take to the track. Once again the benchmark was instantly lowered as the first timed laps were completed, with Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and then Mark Webber rising to the top. With the track conditions still perilous in the damp conditions, Jenson Button, Sergio Perez, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean all momentarily rose to the top in a frenetic session.
Kimi Raikkonen and then Jenson Button set the pace once again at the front, before Nico Rosberg produced a 01:22.119. With the conditions continuing to improve, Giedo van der Garde became the first driver to opt for he super-soft tyres, which then led to the entire field joining the Dutchman on slick tyres. This naturally saw the times continue to plummet, as the first dry lap times of the session were completed. Mark Webber instantly rose to the top for Red Bull, before Sebastian Vettel silenced the opposition with a 01:15.988.
After a frenetic end to the second segment of qualifying, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean, Valtteri Bottas, Giedo van der Garde and Pastor Maldonado were all eliminated from proceedings. This left a mouth-watering spectacle for the top ten shootout, with the usual suspects joined by the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne who managed to rise to the top ten shootout for the first time in his career.
In drying weather conditions, Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to take to the track on the super-soft tyre compound. The Finn naturally set the first timed lap of the segment, however Lewis Hamilton and then Mark Webber quickly disposed of the Finn with the latter setting a 01:15.134. The trend of the times tumbling continued as the session progressed, with no-one certain as to who would eventually secure the pivotal pole position. Sebastian Vettel set a superb time late in the session with a 01:14.333, however the Mercedes duo simply obliterated the remainder of the field with Nico Rosberg leading Lewis Hamilton after producing a 01:13.876.
The Mercedes ace has now secured pole position for the third consecutive race weekend, and will be striving to convert such a positive result into a race victory tomorrow. The Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will line-up on row two behind the Silver Arrows, in what will surely be a fascinating 78-lap race. Last year the Silver Arrows would have started from pole with Michael Schumacher, however a penalty from the previous race denied such a luxury. The German marque will be out to redeem themselves this weekend, with a 1-2 finish in their sights.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.876s 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m13.967s + 0.091s 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.980s + 0.104s 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m14.181s + 0.305s 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m14.822s + 0.946s 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m14.824s + 0.948s 7. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.138s + 1.262s 8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m15.383s + 1.507s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.647s + 1.771s 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.703s + 1.827s Q2 cut-off time: 1m17.748s Gap ** 11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.331s + 2.343s 12. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.344s + 2.356s 13. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m18.603s + 2.615s 14. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m19.077s + 3.089s 15. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.408s + 3.420s 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.688s + 5.700s Q1 cut-off time: 1m26.095s Gap * 17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.322s + 2.870s 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m26.633s + 3.181s 19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.917s + 3.465s 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.303s + 3.851s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 22. Felipe Massa Ferrari 107% time: 1m29.293s
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Yvan Muller Storms To Race 2 Victory At Monza In Treacherous Conditions
Yvan Muller stormed to a sensational victory in the second World Touring Car Championship race at Monza, starting his 2013 campaign in sensational style with two consecutive race victories. Michel Nykjær finished a competitive 2nd, as Gabriele Tarquini only just hung on for 3rd ahead of rookie Marc Basseng.
Despite taking place several hours after the first race around Italy’s legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the weather conditions had failed to improve as the rain continued to lash down upon the circuit. However, the race stewards elected not to start the race under safety car conditions, unlike the first race. This saw proceedings get underway in the traditional standing-start format. Both Robert Huff and Tom Boardman started the race from the pits, with Darryl O’Young and Marc Basseng starting the race on the front row of the grid.
At the start Gabriele Tarquini enjoyed another of his absolutely sensational starts. scything his way through the order from 5th to the lead by the opening three corners. Franz Engstler ran straight on and through the escape road at Turn 1, as the field tip-toed their way through the opening lap in almost undriveable conditions. With visibility absolutely atrocious, it was no surprise that several drivers made minor mistakes on the opening lap including Fredy Barth who spun through the Ascari chicane.
After starting from 22nd and last on the grid after crashing out of the opening race, many were surprised when Stefano D’Aste had worked his way up to 12th by Lap 2. Alex MacDowall suffered a disastrous end to the second lap, after running extensively wide through the gravel at the final corner. At the start of Lap 3, many drivers ran down the escape road after striking an almighty puddle which was forming at Turn 1, including both Jean-Philippe Dayraut, Mehdi Bennani and Alex MacDowell.
By Lap 4, opening race winner Yvan Muller was already up to 2nd position after starting 9th and was clearly catching the Honda of Gabriele Tarquini. Towards the end of the lap, Muller had muscled his way around the Italian driver for the lead, whereas rookie Marc Basseng was impressing many by holding onto 3rd position. Mehdi Bennani was issued with a drive-thru penalty for exceeding track limits, just as Marc Basseng’s luck ran out as he ran down the escape road at Turn 1 and lost 3rd position to Michel Nykjær.
As the race entered its closing stages, the Danish driver began to reel in Gabriele Tarquini for 2nd. The duo battled hard for the position throughout Lap 8, before Nykjær managed to make the move stick through the Ascari chicane. Further down the order saw Tom Boardman spin at Turns 4 and 5, whereas Gabriele Tarquini began to come to under severe pressure from Marc Basseng. As Yvan Muller crossed the line to secure his second consecutive race victory of the day, with Michel Nykjær 2nd, Gabriele Tarquini only just managed to hold on for 3rd ahead of the charging Marc Basseng by less than a tenth of a second.
Despite the utterly treacherous weather conditions, the opening race weekend of the new World Touring Car Championship season was one of pure excitement, and should remain an enthralling spectacle throughout the entire season. The paddock will reconvene in several weeks time for the Race of Morocco, around the tight and twisty confines of Marrakech’s Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan.
Results - 10 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Yvan Muller RML Chevrolet 23m27.254s 2. Michel Nykjaer NIKA Chevrolet + 2.482s 3. Gabriele Tarquini Honda + 4.994s 4. Marc Basseng Munnich SEAT + 5.081s 5. Tom Chilton RML Chevrolet + 5.612s 6. Pepe Oriola Tuenti SEAT + 6.755s 7. James Nash Bamboo Chevrolet + 14.445s 8. Tiago Monteiro Honda + 20.573s 9. Stefano d'Aste PB BMW + 23.722s 10. Rob Huff Munnich SEAT + 25.442s 11. Tom Coronel ROAL BMW + 37.126s 12. Darryl O'Young ROAL BMW + 41.394s 13. Franz Engstler Engstler BMW + 43.904s 14. Fredy Barth Wiechers BMW + 45.921s 15. Fernando Monje Campos SEAT + 50.678s 16. Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT + 53.591s 17. Charles Ng Engstler BMW + 59.157s 18. Jean-Philippe Dayraut Anome BMW + 1m06.537s 19. Mehdi Bennani Proteam BMW + 1m26.721s 20. Alex MacDowall Bamboo Chevrolet + 1 lap 21. Rene Munnich Munnich SEAT + 1 lap 22. Norbert Michelisz Zengo Honda + 1 lap
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Sebastian Vettel Takes Controversial Race Victory At Malaysia
Sebastian Vettel has taken a controversial race victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, after a race long-battle with his Red Bull team-mate of Mark Webber who eventually finished 2nd. Lewis Hamilton managed to finish an decent 3rd, as he too fought with his team-mate of Nico Rosberg.
Prior to the start of the race, rain struck parts of the Sepang International Circuit, resulting in several drivers spinning off of the track on their way to the grid. This forced the entire grid to start the race on the intermediate tyre, with the opening sector of the track extremely wet in particular. At the start, Sebastian Vettel glided into the lead, as Mark Webber enjoyed a surprisingly competitive getaway and stormed into 3rd position around the opening two corners.
Fernando Alonso crashes out of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
In the ensuing melee of the opening few corners, Fernando Alonso damaged his front wing whilst battling with Sebastian Vettel for the lead. The Spaniard surprisingly elected to remain out on the track at the end of the opening lap, and subsequently suffered a front wing failure as Mark Webber overtook the Ferrari driver at Turn 1. With his front-wing utterly destroyed and stuck underneath his Ferrari, Fernando Alonso ran straight on at Turn 1 and beached his car in the retaining gravel trap, forcing him into retirement.
By Lap 5 Sebastian Vettel elected to pit for slick tyres, with the Sepang International Circuit quickly drying out in the humid weather conditions. This move was met with skepticism throughout the paddock as the German driver struggled for grip early on. However, many more drivers eventually decided to pit throughout the next few laps, including Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber.
Many were amused when Lewis Hamilton mistakingly stopped at the McLaren garage, with the Briton clearly forgetting he had changed teams for a split second. Force India suffered a disastrous pit stop for their two drivers, after an issue with the front-left tyre held them up. Jean-Eric Vergne collided with Charles Pic in the pits, as the Toro Rosso driver was unsafely released into the path of the Caterham driver.
As the majority of the field pitted, Nico Rosberg assumed the lead for Mercedes however the German driver eventually pitted on Lap 9 to hand the lead of the race to Mark Webber who had overtaken his German team-mate during the opening pit-stops. As Mark Webber continued to lead at the front, Lewis Hamilton gradually began to catch the Red Bull duo at the front. Pastor Maldonado’s torrid start to the new season continued on Lap 14, when the Venezuelan driver ran extensively wide at Turn 11 and damaged his front wing, forcing him to pit for a new one.
After winning the Australian Grand Prix last time out, Kimi Raikkonen was enduring a tough race in the midfield for Lotus after starting 10th. The Finn found himself frustratingly stuck behind the McLaren of Sergio Perez after his first pit-stop, and finally managed to perfect an overtaking maneuver on Lap 15. Mark Webber pitted from the lead on Lap 19, handing the lead down to team-mate Sebastian Vettel. However, the reigning World Champion pitted several laps later, allowing Mark Webber to reassume his lead at the front.
The Force India duo suffered another string of disastrous stops with both of their drivers, which later forced both Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil to retire from the race. Lewis Hamilton pitted from 3rd, this time managing to find the correct pit box. Several laps later saw both Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg pit once again, as Sebastian Vettel took the lead. However, the German driver once again failed to retain the lead at the front when he pitted, exiting the pits behind both Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton down in 3rd position.
After the front runners had completed their third pit-stops, Jenson Button was left in the lead of the race for McLaren. The 2009 World Champion eventually pitted on Lap 36, however a disastrous stop for McLaren saw the Briton grind to a halt just after exiting his pit box with a loose front-right wheel. Out on track saw Sebastian Vettel overtake Lewis Hamilton for 2nd position, as the Briton was ordered to save fuel in his Mercedes. The final round of pit-stops began on Lap 41, with Lewis Hamilton pitting first for Mercedes.
Both Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg were next, with Mark Webber pitting on Lap 43 and only just resuming in the lead ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The next lap saw the Red Bull duo battle extremely hard for the lead, with Mark Webber almost forcing Sebastian Vettel into the pit-wall down the start/finish straight. Eventually Sebastian Vettel muscled his way around his team-mate, as Lewis Hamilton was forced to defend from Nico Rosberg for the final podium position.
As the race entered its closing stages, both Pastor Maldonado, Daniel Ricciardo and Jenson Button retired from the race. Nico Rosberg was forced to settle for 4th position in the latter stages of the race, despite being visibly quicker than his British team-mate. At the front, Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to secure his 27th career victory, ahead of a disgruntled Mark Webber who thought the victory was his. Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium finish for Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg 4th.
Despite a controversial conclusion, the Malaysian Grand Prix was one of pure excitement as two teams at the front battled relentlessly for both the race victory and the final podium position. With the podium an extremely tense affair, the paddock will reconvene in several weeks time for the Chinese Grand Prix.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang, Malaysia; 56 laps; 310.408km; Weather: . Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 4.298 3. Hamilton Mercedes + 12.1 4. Rosberg Mercedes + 12.640 5. Massa Ferrari + 25.6 6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 35.5 7. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 48.4 8. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 53.0 9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 72.3 10. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 87.1 11. Bottas Williams-Renault + 88.6 12. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 13. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 14. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 15. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 16. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 17. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 18. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 19. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 20. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 21. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 22. Alonso Ferrari + Fastest lap: Perez, 1m39.199
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Lewis Hamilton Hoping For Dry Malaysian GP After Qualifying Fourth
Lewis Hamilton is hoping for a dry Malaysian Grand Prix, after the Briton qualified a strong 4th for the 56-lap race during the wet conclusion of the imperative qualifying hour. Although Lewis Hamilton believes the balance could have been better on his car, he is remaining positive after securing another strong grid position for the race.
Throughout the weekend Lewis Hamilton has remained extremely competitive towards the sharp-end of the order, along with the likes of Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. Despite minor balance issues for the 2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton’s strong pace continued into qualifying which saw him eventually out-qualify his team-mate for the second consecutive weekend. Nico Rosberg has also been quick throughout the weekend, yet struggled once the rain began to fall.
Although Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify 4th for the race in the inclement weather conditions which struck the circuit, the Briton is hopeful that the 56-lap race on Sunday will remain dry as he aims for another strong result for the German marque. However, rain is predicted, and could well create utter mayhem when it arrives.
“I’m pretty happy with fourth place considering the conditions today.” Explained Lewis Hamilton, who last year secured pole position with McLaren. “The car was not too bad in the dry but the balance could have been a lot better, then it was pretty tricky conditions in the wet during Q3. We did our lap with older tyres than the guys in front, which was a bit unfortunate, but our pace was good overall so I can’t complain. It’s the second race on the second row for me and there are lots of positives to take out of the weekend so far. Our long run pace looked pretty good compared to the other teams so I’m hoping for dry conditions tomorrow.”
Lewis Hamilton has yet to win a race around Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang International Circuit, and is remaining realistic in not expecting a victory during tomorrow’s race. However, another decent points haulage for the Briton is on the cards in what could be a topsy-turvy race affected greatly by the weather and the extreme tyre degradation.
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Sebastian Vettel Storms To Pole For The Malaysian Grand Prix In The Wet
Sebastian Vettel has stormed to his 38th career pole position for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, after rain struck the latter half of the all-important qualifying hour. The German will start the race alongside the Ferrari of Felipe Massa, with a second row consisting of Fernando Alonso and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
After three practice sessions of inconclusive results with regards to the true pecking order, the all-important qualifying hour got underway with dark rain clouds looming ominously in the distance. Max Chilton was the first driver to take to the track for Marussia, as the Briton set the initial pace along with his team-mate Jules Bianchi. However, the Marussia’s early pace at the front was quickly thwarted by the Williams of Valtteri Bottas who set a 01:38.376.
Nico Rosberg became the next driver to rise to the top for Mercedes, as the Red Bull duo elected to remain in the pits during the early stages of the session. Eventually both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel left the pit-lane, electing to run the medium tyre compound. Adrian Sutil continued to impress many throughout the paddock by rising to the top with a 01:36.809, whereas Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber confused many by a considerable lack of pace. Luckily the duo managed to progress to Q2, however both Jean-Eric Vergne, Valtteri Bottas, Jules Bianchi, Charles Pic, Max Chilton and Giedo van der Garde were eliminated.
Paul di Resta was the first driver to take to the track for Q2, however the Scotsman decided to abort his first timed lap as Esteban Gutierrez set the pace with a 01:39.221. Adrian Sutil was quick to once again rise to the top for Force India, before Nico Rosberg once again asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:36.190. As Q2 continued, light rain began to fall around Turns 7 and 8, catching out Paul di Resta on several occasions as the Briton struggled in the inclement conditions.
As the rain intensified, it became clear that the drivers within the drop zone would be unable to progress through to Q3. This therefore saw qualifying come to a wet and quiet conclusion, as Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Gutierrez, Paul di Resta and Pastor Maldonado were all eliminated and dealt a major blow by the inclement weather which seemed to sweep across the circuit without much warning. In the short period between Q2 and Q3, the rain continued to lash down upon the Sepang International Circuit, forcing the entire field to take to the track with the intermediate tyre compound once the top ten shootout began.
Force India’s Adrian Sutil led out a long queue of awaiting drivers once the session got underway, as the German driver set the early benchmark. However, as the drivers crossed the line the time at the top tumbled immensely as Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and then Sebastian Vettel rose to the top. The latter set a 01:52.576 for Red Bull, before his team-mate of Mark Webber thwarted him with an even quicker time. The Australian driver managed to improve upon his time at the top, as Sebastian Vettel elected to pit for a fresh set of the intermediate tyre.
Lewis Hamilton managed to momentarily rise to provisional pole position for Mercedes with a 01:51.699, however the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel soon reasserted his authority over proceedings with a sensational 01:49.674. Felipe Massa managed to out-qualify team-mate Fernando Alonso in 2nd, with a second row which consists of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
The rain was always a threat for qualifying, and remains so for the 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. With tyre degradation levels extremely high, and rain a threat once again for the race, expect the Malaysian Grand Prix to be an absolutely thrilling spectacle as the 22-car field strives to manage their tyres well as the rain poses a strong threat.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m49.674s 2. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m50.587s + 0.913s 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m50.727s + 1.053s 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m51.699s + 2.025s 5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m52.244s + 2.570s 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m52.519s + 2.845s 7. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m52.970s + 3.296s 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m53.175s + 3.501s 9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m53.439s + 3.765s 10. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m54.136s + 4.462s Q2 cut-off time: 1m37.342s Gap ** 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m37.636s + 1.446s 12. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.125s + 1.935s 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.822s + 2.632s 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.221s + 3.031s 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m44.509s + 8.319s 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault no time Q1 cut-off time: 1m37.931s Gap * 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.157s + 1.348s 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m38.207s + 1.398s 19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m38.434s + 1.625s 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m39.314s + 2.505s 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m39.672s + 2.863s 22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m39.932s + 3.123s 107% time: 1m43.585s
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2013 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix Preview
Only several days after the exciting proceedings at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the Formula 1 circus has moved swiftly on to Kuala Lumpur for the 15th running of the Malaysian Grand Prix around the glorious Sepang International Circuit. First held in 1999, the race has become notorious for its heavy rain and intense heat.
The Sepang International Circuit has been the host of several highly entertaining races, most of which have been struck by ferocious monsoons during the weekend. The rain forced the 2009 race to be abandoned after only 31 of the 56 scheduled laps, and also created a lengthy delay last year before it was eventually restarted. Once again rainfall is expected by many this coming weekend, and could well provide a scenario similar to qualifying last time out in Australia.
Initially the Malaysian Grand Prix was held towards the end of the season, however for 2001 the race was moved to the beginning of the season. Since then the race has become a traditional event towards the beginning of the season, usually coinciding only a week after the race in Australia. In stark contrast to the race around Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit, the Malaysian Grand Prix takes place on a circuit which has become renowned for its sensational width. Despite this width, the opening two corners of the circuit are extremely tight, and therefore presents an exciting opening lap when the field jostles for position in close proximity.
Last time out it was the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen which thwarted the paddock and stormed to a sensational race victory, due largely to his two-stop strategy in comparison to the majority of the remainder of the field who carried out a three-stop strategy. The Finn, who recorded his first race victory at Malaysia in 2003, is remaining coy on his chances this weekend, however many see him as the favorite for race victory seeing as tyres will once again be one of the pivotal factors of the weekend (second only to the weather).
Pastor Maldonado fights through the spray during last season’s Malaysian Grand Prix.
This weekend will see Pirelli opt for their two hardest compounds for the Malaysian Grand Prix, due largely to the abrasive surface of the track and the intense heat which has become a notoriety over the years. The medium tyre was also used last time out, although it will this weekend be regarded as the option tyre as the newly rebranded “orange” hard tyre becomes the prime tyre. However, with rain a strong possibility this weekend it is highly likely that Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate and wet weather tyre will be used.
Both Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso share the most amount of victories at the Malaysian Grand Prix, with the former winning races in ’00, ’01 and ’04 with the latter winning races in ’05, ’07 and ’12. However, Ferrari have won the most amount of races as a Constructor at Sepang, with the Scuderia winning in ’99, ’00, ’01, ’04, ’08 and ’12. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have won twice at the Malaysian Grand Prix, which means either of them could join Schumacher and Alonso at the top if they succeed this weekend.
Just like Australia last time out, this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix will feature two DRS Zones. The detection area for the first zone is located 54m after Turn 12, with the activation 104m after Turn 14 [the long back straight]. The second DRS zone is situated in relatively the same location as last season, down the start/finish straight which should offer the drivers with a splendid overtaking opportunity into the tight section of Turns 1 and 2. Last season’s Malaysian Grand Prix featured only one DRS Zone, however the FIA are striving to introduce two DRS Zones at each event this season.
The Driver Representative Steward for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix will once again be former Arrows and Lotus driver Derek Warwick, who last assumed the role at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season. The Briton contested in 146 Grands Prix during his career in Formula 1, before then taking part in varying forms of motorsport including Le Mans and the BTCC. Derek Warwick will be joined in stewardship of the Malaysian Grand Prix by Paul Gutjahr, the President of the FIA Hill Climb Commission, and Nish Shetty who is a member of the FIA International Court of Appeal.
Last weekend many predicted a Red Bull walkover once the duo managed to lock-out the front row of the grid. However, the race was a completely different story as the tyres played a pivotal role in the outcome of the race. The same is expected this weekend, hence why many see Kimi Raikkonen as a likely contender for the victory. However, with rain always a factor at the Malaysian Grand Prix, could a completely unexpected driver rise to the top?
Picture(s) Copyright © Force India F1 Team & Williams F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen Storms To Superlative Victory At The Australian Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen has stormed to an impressive victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, during a 58-lap race which was dominated by the ever-changing Pirelli tyres. The Finn was followed home by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 3rd for Red Bull.
Despite locking-out the front row of the grid during qualifying earlier in the morning, the Red Bull’s advantage was thwarted during the opening race of the season as tyre strategies dominated proceedings. At the start Sebastian Vettel stormed into the lead for Red Bull, whereas the German’s team-mate of Mark Webber visibly struggled off of the line and was robbed by the Ferrari duo and Lewis Hamilton. The local hero continued to struggle during the opening lap, whereas Felipe Massa aimed at catching race leader Sebastian Vettel at the front.
Lewis Hamilton became locked in a grueling battle for 4th with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with the Finn eventually muscling his way around the Briton during the frenetic opening laps. The first laps of the race were disastrous for the two local drivers, as Daniel Ricciardo fell to the back of the pack for Toro Rosso after fellow countryman Mark Webber’s terrible start. Jenson Button became the first driver to pit for new tyres on Lap 5 for McLaren, with the Briton being followed into the pits during the next few laps by many others including Mark Webber.
Sebastian Vettel leads at the front as the pack negotiates Turn 1.
Whilst many drivers decided to pit early for new tyres, Felipe Massa began to seriously catch the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Eventually the reigning Champion elected to pit from the lead on Lap 8, whereas the Ferrari duo elected to remain out on track with Felipe Massa in the lead. The next lap saw Felipe Massa finally decide to pit, as team-mate Fernando Alonso took the lead ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen. The duo also pitted on Lap 10, allowing Lewis Hamilton to assume the lead for Mercedes.
Pastor Maldonado struggled greatly during the opening stages of the Grand Prix, as the Venezuelan driver skipped through the gravel at Turn 1. Further down the order saw McLaren’s Sergio Perez visibly struggle for grip, as he plummeted through the pack. Kimi Raikkonen began to display his superlative pace after his opening pit stop for Lotus, whereas Lewis Hamilton remained in the lead for Mercedes despite not yet pitting. However, the 2008 World Champion elected to pit on Lap 14, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Once the German driver had also pitted for Mercedes, the lead was surprisingly assumed by the Force India of Formula 1 returnee Adrian Sutil. Many expected the German driver to also pit soon after taking the lead, however after starting the race on the medium tyre the German driver was able to remain out on track much longer than predicted. Sebastian Vettel was unable to catch and overtake the Force India, with Felipe Massa close behind the reigning World Champion.
Whilst Adrian Sutil continued to command the race at the front, Mark Webber pitted once again for Red Bull. The Australian driver was followed a lap later by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who pitted earlier than his team-mate to try and perfect the “undercut”. Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Vettel pitted together on Lap 22, with the Force India driver amazingly exiting the pit-lane ahead of his fellow compatriot. However, Fernando Alonso stormed around both of them after they exited the pit-lane, as Felipe Massa led out in front.
Felipe Massa’s chances of a strong result were scuppered when the Ferrari driver pitted on Lap 24, which saw the Brazilian driver exit behind both Alonso, Vettel and even Sutil. Pastor Maldonado’s race failed to improve, as the Williams driver spun out of the race at Turn 1 on Lap 26 and beached his car in the unforgiving gravel. Nico Rosberg followed the Venezuelan driver into retirement shortly after, with an electrical fault striking the German’s Mercedes.
As the race progressed light rain began to sprinkle down upon the Albert Park street circuit, however it failed to amount to anything like the rainfall witnessed the day before. Lewis Hamilton struggled greatly on his set of medium tyres, and was passed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso before he pitted for a second time. This handed the lead to Kimi Raikkonen, who elected to pit shortly after despite a promising display of pace from the Finn at the front.
Fernando Alonso assumed the lead at the front of the pack, whilst reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel pitted on Lap 38. When the Spaniard eventually pitted once again on Lap 40, Adrian Sutil once again assumed the lead of the race after a superlative display of pace from the Force India driver. Daniel Ricciardo became the next driver to retire from the race of Lap 42, after a broken exhaust on the Toro Rosso.
Just prior to Adrian Sutil’s final pit-stop of the race of the super-soft tyre compound, Kimi Raikkonen streamed around the Force India driver at Turn 14 for the lead of the race. After taking the lead, the Finn simply romped into the distance to secure his first win at the Albert Park street circuit since 2007. Adrian Sutil’s race ended miserably, after his switch to the super-soft tyre failed to work and he plummeted through the order.
Such misfortune failed to find Kimi Raikkonen, who led home a podium which included a combined six World Championships with Fernando Alonso 2nd and Sebastian Vettel 3rd. The “Iceman” will unquestionably be looking to replicate such successes next time out at the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, at a venue where the Finn secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in 2003.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, Australia; 58 laps; 307.574km; Weather: Cloudy. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1h30:03.225 2. Alonso Ferrari + 12.451 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 22.346 4. Massa Ferrari + 33.577 5. Hamilton Mercedes + 45.561 6. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 46.800 7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:05.068 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:08.449 9. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1:21.630 10. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 1:22.759 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1:23.367 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:23.857 13. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1 lap 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 2 laps 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 2 laps Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:29.274 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 40 Rosberg Mercedes 26 Maldonado Williams-Renault 25 Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Is F1’s Start Time Too Late In The Far East?
Once again a Formula 1 track event has been postponed due to an occurrence which used to bring excitement and unpredictability to the sport… rain. Now, the prospect of heavy rain at a Grand Prix results in an arduous wait for the bulk of the rain to pass before proceedings to begin…and then you discover you have run out of daylight!
This has become a common occurrence in the world of Formula 1, with races such as Malaysia, Korea, Japan and now even Australia being struck by postponements. Years ago races used to usually always have an early-to-mid afternoon start time, which used to always account for any unfortunate delays due to bad weather or a large incident. However, recently Formula 1 event start times in the Far East have been moved to later in the day, resulting in very little time remaining in the day should a lengthy delay ensue. This therefore forces the event in question to be postponed, as the fading light at the circuit prevents any further track action.
This unfortunate eventuality has reared its ugly head this weekend at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with both Q1 and Q2 delayed before proceedings were eventually postponed after Q1. At European and North American venues, delays are usually the worse things get as the events’ start times are roughly in the early afternoon. However, for the Asian and Australian events, any delays are a major blow as the events’ usually get underway in the late afternoon. Why? To allegedly benefit the European TV audiences, who are sat thousands of miles away in a warm sitting room, whereas fans at the circuit who have paid decent prices are forced to sit in the gloomy conditions and wait for a session which is likely to be postponed.
This never used to be the case in Formula 1, with the start times for the varying sessions of a weekend normally starting early-to-mid afternoon. However, recent years has seen the Asian and Australian Grands Prix start times manipulated beyond belief to benefit the European time zone, just so fans can wake up at a reasonable hour to watch the race. If Formula 1 is a true “World Championship”, then surely the events’ start times should benefit those local fans and not any other time zone.
The 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix featured monsoon-like rain, and forced the race to be stopped.
Let’s take the Malaysian Grand Prix for example, a race held in a climate which usually always features evening thunderstorms. Anybody who has visited these Asian nations will know that monsoon-styled rainfall and thunderstorms are a common occurrence in the late-afternoon/early-evening, exactly the same time the Malaysian Grand Prix is held. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that numerous races around the Sepang International Circuit have been plagued by unbelievably ferocious rainstorms. In 2009, the race lasted only 31 of the scheduled 56 laps before the unrelenting rain struck the circuit.
The same amount of rainfall plagued proceedings last season at Sepang, however despite a minor delay in which the teams were forced to erect gazebos to keep their cars dry on the grid, the race eventually ran its course. Last season the race start time was 4pm local time, practically prime time for a late-afternoon thunderstorm to effect proceedings. However, if the race had started at the normal start time of around 1-2pm, the heavy rain could’ve been avoided and therefore a dry and un-delayed event would have ensued.
For many Formula 1 is the best sport in existence, with hardcore European fans more than happy to wake up whenever required to watch the event live. Less enthusiastic fans could surely utilize their various TV gadgets to record the event, allowing the fans at the event to enjoy their race at a time which suits them and which should avoid “bad light stopped play”, a term used mainly in cricket.
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images & Williams F1 Team
Qualifying Postponed As Torrential Rain Strikes The Albert Park Street Circuit
Qualifying for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix has been postponed until 11am Sunday morning due to torrential rainfall, which frustratingly prevented the qualifying hour to be completed in it’s entirety. Q1 was held in treacherous weather conditions, with Q2 and Q3 set to be completed prior to the 58-lap race.
The start of the opening segment of qualifying was delayed for 30 minutes due to the heavy rain which struck the circuit, as the many marshals around the circuit set to brushing away the standing water. Eventually Lewis Hamilton led out the entire field as Q1 finally got underway, with the whole field understandably electing to run the full wet weather tyre. As the drivers got to grips with the treacherous weather conditions, mayhem ensued out on track as drivers naturally made various errors.
Dutch rookie Giedo van der Garde was the the first driver to make a serious error, as the Caterham driver ran too wide through Turn 5 and lost his front nose. Luckily he was able to continue circulating out on track, and return to the pits for a new nose cone. Nico Rosberg managed to set the initial benchmark for Mercedes, with a 01:48.028 as team-mate Lewis Hamilton almost ruined his session by spinning and lightly tapping the tyre barrier.
Luckily the 2008 World Champion was able to engage the reverse gear and continue on the track, despite minor damage to his rear-wing. Nico Rosberg continued to improve on his pace at the front, as the Ferrari of Felipe Massa slammed into the wall on the exit of Turn 12. Amazingly the Brazilian driver only lost his front wing, and was able to continue without sustaining any serious damage. Local hero Mark Webber also made a mistake through Turns 11 and 12, running wide and across the grass.
Further up the order saw Jean-Eric Vergne and then reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel rise to the top, with the latter setting a 01:46.188. New McLaren driver Sergio Perez suffered a minor spin at Turn 11, as he struggled to get to grips with both the track conditions and his Mercedes-powered machine. Pastor Maldonado also ran wide at Turns 11 and 12, as he pushed to the limit to rise himself out of the bottom six.
Eventually a drier line began to emerge on the circuit, prompting many drivers to switch from the full wet to the intermediate tyres. Jenson Button and Paul di Resta were two of the first drivers to do so, with the former flying to the top for McLaren with a 01:45.192. Fernando Alonso then asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:43.850, before Nico Rosberg went fastest for Mercedes. The session was brought to an explosive conclusion as both Charles Pic and Esteban Gutierrez spun off at Turns 10 and 12 respectively. This saw Pastor Maldonado, Esteban Gutierrez, Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton, Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic eliminated from the session.
Proceedings were once again delayed as Esteban Gutierrez’s stricken Sauber was retrieved by the ever-efficient Melbourne marshals, however further heavy rainfall saw yet more delays issued by the race stewards. Eventually the final two segments of qualifying were postponed until 11am the following morning, with the rain only increasing in ferocity around the circuit and the daylight fading fast in the gloomy conditions.
This will present the teams and drivers with an incredibly busy race day, with the race then scheduled to get underway at 5pm local time only hours after the grid has been decided. Nico Rosberg ended the wet Q1 fastest overall, but many will be predicting Red Bull to reign should Sunday’s qualifying session be held in dry weather conditions. However, anything can happen in Formula 1, as today’s qualifying session showed.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m43.380s
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m43.850s + 0.470s
3. Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault 1m44.284s + 0.904s
4. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.300s + 0.920s
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m44.472s + 1.092s
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m44.635s + 1.255s
7. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.657s + 1.277s
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.688s + 1.308s
9. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.871s + 1.491s
10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m45.456s + 2.076s
11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m45.545s + 2.165s
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m45.601s + 2.221s
13. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m45.930s + 2.550s
14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.450s + 3.070s
15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m47.328s + 3.948s
16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m47.330s + 3.950s
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m47.614s + 4.234s
18. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m47.776s + 4.396s
19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m48.147s + 4.767s
20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m48.909s + 5.529s
21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m49.519s + 6.139s
22. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m50.626s + 7.246s
107% time: 1m45.301s
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
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