Rosberg bounces back as Hamilton suffers mechanical woes in FP2

Nico Rosberg managed to bounce back during the second practice session at the Autodromo di Monza, as preparations were ramped up ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. Although Lewis Hamilton managed to finish a close second, the Briton was struck with mechanical woes during the first half of the session. Kimi Raikkonen ended the session third for Ferrari.

Unlike the earlier session in the morning, the second practice session began with great gusto as many drivers immediately took to the Autodromo di Monza to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead. Instead of completing the traditional installation laps, the likes of Romain Grosjean and Jules Bianchi immediately got down to business by immediately completing timed laps. The Lotus driver, who returned to driving duties after ceding his seat to Charles Pic for practice one, produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:32.995.

Almost immediately the times began to tumble, with the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen all rising to the top, whilst numerous drivers pushed beyond the limits and ran wide at the various chicanes. This included initial pace-setter Grosjean, who ran wide at turn four. Whilst Championship leader Nico Rosberg asserted his authority over proceedings with 01:27.500, the other Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton remained stuck in the garage with mechanical gremlins once again striking the team with the Briton’s car failing to start.

As the Mercedes mechanics began to dismantle Hamilton’s car in a bid to inspect the various internal components to try and discover the issue, team-mate Rosberg continued with his own preparations by improving on his benchmark with a 01:27.005. However, the German’s reign was short-lived as both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso momentarily rose to the top, before Rosberg managed to return to the sharp-end of the order with an even quicker 01:26.786. Further down the order Kamui Kobayashi ran wide at turn four in the Caterham, with the Japanese driver making his return to the sport after missing the Belgian Grand Prix.

Eventually the majority of the field elected for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the times to once again take a minor tumble, albeit with Rosberg still reigning supreme at the top with a 01:26.225 ahead of the Williams of Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile Adrian Sutil made a mistake at turn four and bounced precariously over the speed bums in the Sauber, as the German began his preparations for the weekend ahead of making way for Giedo van der Garde in practice one.

Whilst the Mercedes mechanics continued to strive frantically to rectify Hamilton’s car in a bid to get the Briton back out before the end of the session, the Lotus duo of Grosjean and Maldonado continued a woeful day of practice, with both running wide on numerous occasions. The Frenchman in particular ran extremely wide at turn six, which resulted in a brief excursion through the deep retaining gravel trap.

Meanwhile Hamilton finally left the confines of his garage after loosing roughly an hour of track time, after his mechanics managed to rectify the issue on his car. The Briton took to the Autodromo di Monza on the hard tyre compound, initially rising to 12th position with a 01:27.352. As the 2008 World Champion continued with his preparations ahead of the weekend, Grosjean in particular continued to struggle greatly, running wide at turn seven and then bumping precariously once again over the speed bumps at turn one.

Eventually Hamilton switched to Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the Briton to rise up to second position with a 01:26.286, just behind his German team-mate and arch-rival. As the session entered its closing stages Alonso ran wide at turn one in the Ferrari, as did Button several minutes later in fine style after trying to gain as much of an advantage as possible in the slipstream behind Kvyat, with Sutil exiting the pit-lane on the right.

The checkered flag was soon unfurled to signal the end of the second practice session, with Nico Rosberg fastest ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who ran wide at turn one in the dying seconds, with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen a relatively surprising third. With the return of mechanical gremlins for Hamilton and Mercedes, the German marque will understandably be hoping that such issues do not return throughout the remainder of the weekend.

Image courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas

Nico Rosberg remains on top amid further rainfall during practice two at Brazil

Nico Rosberg has remained on top after another wet practice session around Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, with the German ending the 90 minutes of track action ahead of the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Heikki Kovalainen managed to finish 4th, ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The teams and drivers were greeted with further rain for the second practice session in the afternoon, after a wet start to the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. This led to a slow start to proceedings around Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, as the majority of the teams elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane. After ceding driver duties to their respective team-mates, the second practice session marked the return of Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton.

Despite the increasingly wet weather conditions, Max Chilton became the first driver to take to the track for Marussia early on. The British rookie tiptoed around the circuit, before returning to the pits after only one installation lap. As one driver returned to the pits, another exited the pits in the form of Heikki Kovalainen. Unlike Max Chilton, the Finn elected to carry out a five lap stint which saw him produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:31.658. The Lotus driver managed to improve upon his time on several occasions, eventually working his way down to a 01:30.537 as Jules Bianchi joined him out on track.

Mark Webber soon joined the track action in his Red Bull RB9, initially posting the 2nd fastest time before bettering Heikki Kovalainen’s time to rise to the top with a 01:29.088. Although the rain failed to ease off, many other drivers soon took to the track including the two Caterhams, Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg. Charles Pic ran slightly wide at Turn 5, before Nico Rosberg stormed to the top for Mercedes with a 01:28.873. The German soon returned to the pits after rising to the top, with Romain Grosjean slotting into 3rd position for Lotus.

As the second practice session progressed, Fernando Alonso joined the track action on the intermediate tyre. The Spaniard could only manage 10th fastest on his first run, before then catapulting himself further up the order to 3rd fastest a little later. Many drivers soon began joining the former World Champion on the intermediate tyres, including the likes of Mark Webber and Felipe Massa. As Sebastian Vettel finally took to the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace sporting Pirelli’s intermediate tyres, team-mate Mark Webber was once again struck by a KERS failure on his RB9.

Although the conditions seemed to be gradually improving, Charles Pic managed to run wide at Turn 1 as the majority of the field continued switching to Pirelli’s intermediate tyre. Sebastian Vettel’s first timed lap of the session saw him slot into 5th position, before improving a lap later to go 2nd fastest with a 01:28.939 behind fellow countryman Nico Rosberg. The Mercedes ace improved at the top with a 01:28.693, before Sebastian Vettel obliterated the opposition with a scintillating 01:27.993 in the tricky weather conditions.

Whilst the entire field, except the Marussia duo, circulated the short Brazilian circuit, Lewis Hamilton perilously spun on the exit of Turn 5. The 2008 World Champion was lucky avoid colliding with the barriers, as he continued to circulate before slotting into 3rd position behind his team-mate and Sebastian Vettel. The German Champion continued to assert his authority at the top as the session entered its closing stages, with the German producing a 01:27.531.

With the track conditions continuing to improve throughout the final minutes, the times up and down the order began to tumble as Jean-Eric Vergne popped up into 3rd position in his Toro Rosso. Mark Webber soon demoted the Frenchman as he slotted into 2nd position behind his Red Bull team-mate, as Pastor Maldonado spun at Turn 1. The departing Williams driver managed to continue circulating, as Nico Rosberg thwarted the Red Bulls with an impressive 01:27.306. The checkered flag was eventually revealed signaling the end of the second practice session, with Nico Rosberg once again fastest at the top ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

After a wet day of track action around the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the teams and drivers will be hoping for a much dryer third and final practice session tomorrow before the all-important qualifying hour. However, the rain has been forecast to remain a threat over the legendary circuit, which could well spice up the action when the battle for the final pole position of the season is commenced.

Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas

Sebastian Vettel powers back to the top in second practice at Austin

Sebastian Vettel has powered back to the top in second practice ahead of the United States Grand Prix, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber around Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. The Red Bull duo were followed by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in 3rd and 4th, with Heikki Kovalainen 5th for Lotus.

After a slightly bizarre opening practice session for the United States Grand Prix weekend, the Formula 1 drivers were understandably eager to return to the Circuit of Americas for the second practice session. After ceding driving duties to their respective team-mates’, Jean-Eric Vergne, Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi returned behind the wheel for the second session. After a delayed start to the morning period, the afternoon session began with a flurry of track activity as Heikki Kovalainen and Nico Hulkenberg became the first drivers to exit the pit-lane.

This unsurprisingly saw Heikki Kovalainen produce the first timed lap of the session in his Lotus with a 01:40.335, as Jules Bianchi ran wide in his Marussia as he made his first endeavor around the Circuit of the Americas. Jenson Button soon rose to the top for McLaren with a 01:39.786, before Romain Grosjean continued to lower the benchmark during the early stages of the session with an even quicker 01:39.159. Heikki Kovalainen proceeded to slot into 2nd position behind his team-mate, to momentarily create a Lotus 1-2.

With the extensive delay to the opening practice session earlier in the morning, there was an instant rush of track action during the opening few minutes of the second session. Nico Rosberg was quick to thwart the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, before World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:38.352 in his Red Bull. Jenson Button momentarily managed to slot into 2nd position, before Mark Webber did likewise with a 01:38.660 with Lewis Hamilton a close 3rd for Mercedes.

As the many drivers continued lapping the Circuit of the Americas in preparation for the remainder of the weekend, many drivers were seen running extensively wide at Turn 19 including the likes of Adrian Sutil, Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa. The penultimate corner proved troublesome during the three practice sessions last season, when the sport first visited the Circuit of the Americas. As the session progressed many drivers began opting for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which saw the times begin to tumble once again as the likes of Nico Hulkenberg improved with the German slotting into 2nd position behind his fellow countryman.

Once again Nico Rosberg momentarily returned to the top for Mercedes on the softer tyre compound, before Mark Webber produced an even quicker lap time with a 01:37.420 to rise to the top for Red Bull. In traditional fashion the majority of the order soon began completing long timed runs as the session progressed, in a bid to continue preparing for Sunday’s 56-lap race. Despite the switch in focus for many of the teams, Sebastian Vettel soon catapulted himself back to the top with a 01:37.305 as he too opted for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound.

Despite acting as Caterham’s reserve driver for the majority of the season, Heikki Kovalainen wasted no time in returning to his former competitiveness behind the wheel of the Renault-powered Lotus E21. The Finn, who will compete in the final two races in place of Kimi Raikkonen, managed to remain ahead of team-mate Romain Grosjean by several tenths in 5th position behind the Red Bull and Mercedes’ duo.

During the final minutes of the second practice session, Max Chilton spun out at Turn 20 in what was a tough two sessions for Marussia. The Briton, who has so far finished every race this season, was heard explaining of brake failure over the team radio. As the classification remained relatively unchanged during the dying minutes, the Austin marshals endured an amusing ordeal trying to retrieve the Briton’s Marussia as the tractor struggled to carry out the task.

Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled signaling the end second practice session, with World Champion Sebastian Vettel fastest ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton was 4th fastest for the German marque, with Heikki Kovalainen an impressive 5th for Lotus. The numerous teams will undoubtedly continue crunching the numbers throughout the night, with only one more hour of track action available before the all-important qualifying hour.

Pos Driver                Team                   Time      Gap      Laps
 1. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault       1m37.305s           35
 2. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault       1m37.420s  +0.115s  37
 3. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes               1m37.785s  +0.480s  38
 4. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes               1m37.958s  +0.653s  38
 5. Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault          1m38.073s  +0.768s  41
 6. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari         1m38.229s  +0.924s  40
 7. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari         1m38.254s  +0.949s  40
 8. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault          1m38.255s  +0.950s  33
 9. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes       1m38.269s  +0.964s  34
10. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                1m38.461s  +1.156s  33
11. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1m38.719s  +1.414s  31
12. Felipe Massa          Ferrari                1m38.938s  +1.633s  37
13. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes       1m38.941s  +1.636s  31
14. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m39.246s  +1.941s  28
15. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes   1m39.410s  +2.105s  34
16. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault       1m39.512s  +2.207s  37
17. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m39.579s  +2.274s  36
18. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault       1m39.784s  +2.479s  33
19. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault       1m40.376s  +3.071s  39
20. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault       1m40.563s  +3.258s  35
21. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth      1m46.226s  +8.921s  31
22. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth      1m47.009s  +9.704s  20

Picture Copyright © Pirelli

Sebastian Vettel returns to the top in second practice at Japan

Sebastian Vettel has returned to the top of the timing sheets during practice two ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, after yet another incident-filled session around the iconic Suzuka circuit. The German ace was followed by team-mate Mark Webber, with Nico Rosberg 3rd for the German marque.

After a busy opening practice session around the iconic Suzuka circuit in preparation for the 29th running of the Japanese Grand Prix, the teams and drivers soon returned to the track for the second practice session in a bid to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead. Once again the circuit was bathed in glorious sunshine and clear blue skies, despite a minor threat of rain earlier in the week.

Due to his heavy incident during the early stages of the opening practice session, Jules Bianchi was unable to partake in the second session. The incident in question damaged the Frenchman’s chassis, which would in turn require a lengthy rebuild overnight. After ceding his seat to reserve driver Heikki Kovalainen, Caterham’s Charles Pic returned to his driving duties in the afternoon alongside team-mate Giedo van der Garde.

Unlike the opening practice session there was no immediate hurry to take to the Suzuka circuit, with the Williams of Pastor Maldonado eventually becoming the first driver to leave the confines of the pit-lane. The Venezuelan ace was quickly followed out by both Max Chilton and Nico Hulkenberg, as the Williams driver produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:36.722. Nico Hulkenberg instantly lowered the benchmark in his Ferrari-powered Sauber, by producing a 01:36.625.

As more drivers began taking to the track, the benchmark at the top quickly began to tumble as the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean and then Sebastian Vettel rose to the top with the latter setting a 01:34.746 as Adrian Sutil cut the final chicane in his Force India. Despite quickly managing to rise to the top, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s reign was relatively short-lived as Nico Rosberg proceeded to thwart his fellow countryman with a 01:34.690 as team-mate Lewis Hamilton slotted neatly into 2nd position.

After becoming the first driver to take to the track in his Renault-powered Williams, Pastor Maldonado’s session was soon brought to a premature conclusion after the Venezuelan driver carried way too much speed into Turn 9 and slammed heavily into the retaining tyre barrier. This destroyed the front-right of the car, and saw Pastor Maldonado become the third victim of Turn 9 along with Jules Bianchi Giedo van der Garde earlier in the day. Although the stricken Williams was quickly cleared, another incident occurred at the back of the circuit when Sergio Perez lost control of the rear of his McLaren and slammed into the retaining tyre wall at Turn 13.

The resulting impact initially shook the Mexican youngster, who was quick to inform the team that he was ok over the radio. Eventually Sergio Perez removed himself from the cockpit of his stricken McLaren, as the ever-efficient marshals began to clear away the car. This also sparked the end of Sergio Perez’s day, in what was becoming yet another incident-filled session at Suzuka. Whilst the two incidents occurred for both Pastor Maldonado and Sergio Perez, Red Bull ace Sebastian Vettel had managed to return to the top with a 01:34.487.

As some teams and drivers began shifting their focus to heavy fuel race simulations, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso came extremely close to becoming the next victim of Turn 9. The two-time Champion thoroughly clattered the kerb on the entry to the corner, which in turn assisted in tipping him into a perilous spin which he managed to masterfully control and keep out of the barriers. Meanwhile the times at the top were continuing to tumble, as both Mark Webber and then Sebastian Vettel lowered the benchmark even further with the reigning Champion producing a 01:33.852 to make it a Red Bull 1-2 at the top.

In traditional practice two fashion the majority of the teams and drivers soon found themselves engrossed in high fuel race simulation work, with the times at the top remaining rather unchanged as the session began to draw to a close. However, minor mistakes continued to ensued up and down the paddock, as Kimi Raikkonen spun out in his Lotus at Turn 7 and became frustratingly beached in his Lotus. Even Sebastian Vettel ran slightly wide at Turn 13, along with Esteban Gutierrez in the Sauber however both drivers managed to avoid collision with the barriers. Paul di Resta spun at the final chicane in his Force India, however the Scotsman was able to continue circulating.

Due largely to the focus on high fuel runs during the latter half of the session, Sebastian Vettel’s pace remained unchallenged as the session drew to a conclusion. Once again minor mistakes were carried out by many drivers up and down the paddock, from the likes of Nico Rosberg and Max Chilton. Both Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull looked incredibly competitive at the sharp-end of the order, with the German unquestionably aiming for his fifth successive victory on Sunday.

The teams and drivers will return to the iconic Suzuka circuit for one final practice session on Saturday morning, where the focus will once again switch from high fuel race simulations to low fuel qualifying runs as the teams finalize their preparations for the qualifying hour. Sebastian Vettel will undoubtedly head into qualifying as the favourite for pole, with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg hot on his heels.

Picture Copyright © Pirelli

Hamilton remains ahead of Vettel after second practice at Korea

Lewis Hamilton has managed to remain ahead of Championship leader Sebastian Vettel after the second practice session ahead of the Korean Grand Prix, with the leading duo finishing only just ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. The top eight were separated by only a second, with a competitive battle between Mercedes and Red Bull emerging at the front.

After a frenetic opening practice session ahead of the Korean Grand Prix, the Formula 1 teams and drivers returned to the Korea International Circuit for the second practice session in the afternoon to continue with their preparations ahead of the race on Sunday. Both Paul di Resta and Jules Bianchi returned to their respective teams for the second session, after relinquishing their seats’ for their reserve drivers during practice one. Once the session got underway, Jules Bianchi was quick to become the first driver to take to the circuit, as many drivers immediately elected to begin producing timed laps.

As more drivers gradually took to the Korea International Circuit, Jules Bianchi set the first timed lap of the session with a 01:45.027. Unlike the morning session where many drivers elected to carry out the their traditional installation laps, the times quickly began to tumble during the early stages of the second practice session. Pastor Maldonado momentarily thwarted Jules Bianchi’s initial benchmark, before Jean-Eric Vergne stormed to the top for Toro Rosso with a 01:42.310. Nico Hulkenberg soon continued the trend of lowering the benchmark during the early stages of the session with a 01:41.191, before Sergio Perez and then Sebastian Vettel stormed to the top with an even quicker 01:39.696.

Eventually the entire field had produced a timed lap during the opening half of the second practice session, including the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen after his earlier incident. Mark Webber rose to the top for Red Bull with a 01:39.598 as the session progressed, before Lewis Hamilton once again asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:39.510 for the German marque. As preparations continued up and down the paddock, Mark Webber, Nico Hulkenberg and Giedo van der Garde became the first drivers to opt for Pirelli’s super-soft tyre compound. This understandably saw Mark Webber rise to the top with a 01:38.844, before Lewis Hamilton quickly returned to the top with the Briton also sporting Pirelli’s softer tyre compound.

Whilst Sebastian Vettel rose to the sharp end of the order, albeit behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez spun at Turn 1. The Sauber driver simply lost control of the rear of his C32 machine upon the apex of the corner, yet managed to continue circulating despite momentarily disabling the first DRS zone. Eventually Sebastian Vettel opted for the super-soft tyre compound on his Red Bull, however the German was still unable to thwart to pace of the Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. Shortly after his first run on the softer compound, Vettel unexpectedly returned to the pits with a suspected KERS issue.

As the second session gradually drew to a conclusion, the classification remained relatively unchanged due largely to the focus on heavy fuel runs in preparation for the race on Sunday. Charles Pic also spun during the final minutes in his Caterham at Turn 9, however the Frenchman was able to avoid the barriers and managed to continue circulating albeit after a trip through the grass. Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled to signal the end of the second practice session, with Lewis Hamilton once again fastest ahead of Sebastian Vettel and team-mate Nico Rosberg. The 2008 World Champion will understandably be keen on continuing his pace at the front into tomorrow’s final practice session, as preparations for qualifying intensify.

Pos Driver                Team                   Time        Gap    Laps
 1. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes               1m38.673s           31
 2. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault       1m38.781s  +0.108s  30
 3. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes               1m38.797s  +0.124s  32
 4. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault       1m38.844s  +0.171s  35
 5. Felipe Massa          Ferrari                1m39.114s  +0.441s  30
 6. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault          1m39.226s  +0.553s  34
 7. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                1m39.444s  +0.771s  31
 8. Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault          1m39.757s  +1.084s  33
 9. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes       1m39.774s  +1.101s  29
10. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1m40.006s  +1.333s  34
11. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes   1m40.007s  +1.334s  34
12. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes       1m40.152s  +1.479s  31
13. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari         1m40.186s  +1.513s  33
14. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari         1m40.210s  +1.537s  34
15. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m40.446s  +1.773s  30
16. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m40.552s  +1.879s  26
17. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault       1m41.117s  +2.444s  35
18. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault       1m41.289s  +2.616s  34
19. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault       1m42.461s  +3.788s  36
20. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault       1m42.798s  +4.125s  35
21. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth      1m43.108s  +4.435s  31
22. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth      1m43.441s  +4.768s  29

Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas

Jack Harvey takes victory in frenetic GP3 race at Monza

Jack Harvey has taken his second victory in the GP3 Series, after yet another incredibly frenetic race around the legendary Autodromo di Monza in Italy. The British sensation assumed the lead at the start, after initial poleman Patric Niederhauser stalled. He was followed by race one winner Daniil Kvyat, with Lewis Williamson 3rd.

After causing the incident at the start of the opening race of the weekend, Marussia Manor Racing’s Dino Zamparelli was suspended from the second race. The GP3 field took to the grid in overcast weather conditions, with the threat of rain still looming in the distance. At the start poleman Patric Niederhauser stalled, throwing away his chances of victory as the field streamed around him. Unfortunately not all of the drivers managed to avoid the stricken Swiss ace, as team-mate and fellow countryman Alex Fontana slammed into the rear of his car. This saw Fontana’s front-left wheel fly violently into the air, luckily clattering into the adjacent catch-fencing.

Further down the road the usual freneticism ensued as the field negotiated the tight opening chicane, as Ryan Cullen slammed into the rear of David Fumanelli before also collecting Giovanni Venturini. Although Fumanelli was able to limp back to the pits for a new rear-wing, the other drivers involved in the opening corner’s shenanigans were all forced into retirement. To allow the marshals to safely retrieve the stricken machines, the safety car was deployed for one lap.

As the safety car peeled into the pits, Jack Harvey stormed into the lead of the race ahead of Championship leader Facu Regalia. During the lap, numerous battles for position raged on up and down the pack, with Nick Yelloly and Jimmy Eriksson colliding at Turn 11 and spinning into retirement in the deep retaining gravel trap. The Swedish rookie had lost his rear-wing during the restart, and was therefore lacking grid throughout the final corner. By Lap 5 Lewis Williamson had perfected an overtaking maneuver on Facu Regalia for 2nd, and began reeling in his fellow countryman for the lead of the race.

With Jack Harvey and Lewis Williamson now engrossed in a battle for the lead, race one winner Daniil Kvyat began to catch Facu Regalia for 3rd. The Russian sensation perfected a maneuver for the position around the outside of Turn 4, demoting the Championship leader down a further position in his ART Grand Prix machine. Despite his competitive pace, Lewis Williamson soon found himself in the clutches of Daniil Kvyat, who wasted no time in perfecting an overtaking maneuver for 2nd position.

As the front runners jostled for the lead of the race, Adderly Fong collided with Samin Gomez and suffered a violent incident into retirement. The Canadian-born Hong Kong driver was forced wide by the Jenzer Motorsport driver, which subsequently saw him smash through the polystyrene bollards and fly over the kerbs at Turn 1. The Status Grand Prix driver eventually came to rest just after the opening chicane, with his car irreparably damaged.

Despite Adderly Fong and Samin Gomez’s incident at Turn 1, the race continued on without a safety car interruption. This enabled Jack Harvey to hold on and secure an illustrious victory for ART Grand Prix ahead of Daniil Kvyat, with Lewis Williamson a close 3rd. Further back Conor Daly managed to snatch the final points-paying position away from Carlos Sainz, after sweeping around the outside of the Spaniard at Turn 11.

The GP3 paddock will reconvene in early November for what should be a sensational season finale, around the iconic Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Facu Regalia will be striving to retain his lead in the Championship, with the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Conor Daly and Kevin Korjus hot on his heels.

Picture Copyright © Andrew Ferraro/GP3 Series Media Service

Giovanni Venturini Storms To Maiden GP3 Victory At Silverstone

Giovanni Venturini has stormed to his maiden victory in the GP3 Series, after a mature drive from the reverse grid pole fending off the charging local hero of Nick Yelloly throughout the entire race. The leading duo were joined on the rostrum by the Jenzer Motorsport of Alex Fontana, after a thrilling 15-lap race.

At the start Giovanni Venturini stormed into the lead with Nick Yelloly in hot pursuit, with the Briton momentarily rising into the lead at Turn 3 before running slightly wide and ceding the lead to the Italian at Turn 4. Further back carnage ensued as Robert Visoiu, Conor Daly, Emanuele Zonzini, Dino Zamparelli and Adderly Fong all collided at Turn 4 and were forced into retirement. Throughout the opening few laps Nick Yelloly swarmed over the rear of Giovanni Venturini’s Trident Racing machine, but to no avail as the 21-year-old defended his lead with superb maturity.

As Nick Yelloly settled into 2nd position and began to look after his tyres, David Fumanelli came under investigation from the stewards after allegedly overtaking Jimmy Eriksson under yellow flag conditions at Turn 4. Eventually the Italian driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty,  as Kevin Korjus produced the fastest lap of the race on Lap 9 before being shown the black and white flag by the stewards for exceeding the track limits.

During the closing stages of the race, Nick Yelloly began to mount a charge for the lead of the race once again against Giovanni Venturini, however the Italian sensation continued to deny the local hero of the luxury of the lead. Try as the Carlin driver might, Venturini mastered an incredibly mature drive as Yelloly swarmed over the rear of his car in a bid to steal the lead during the closing stages of the race. The Briton managed to produce the fastest lap of the race in the process, which accounted for very little in the end as Giovanni Venturini stormed across the line to secure his maiden GP3 victory in superb fashion.

Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service

Nico Rosberg Fastest After Productive Second Practice At Silverstone

Nico Rosberg has ended the second practice session fastest for Mercedes, in what was unquestionably a highly productive 90 minutes of track action for the majority of the field after the washout that was practice one. The German ace was followed at the top by the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

After the atrociously wet conditions during the opening practice session earlier in the morning, the Formula 1 paddock was treated to improving weather conditions over the Silverstone circuit for the second practice session. Although the track was still slightly damp in places, the lack of rainfall meant only intermediate tyres were called upon by the drivers in the opening few minutes of the session. The Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were the first to take to the track at the start of the session, with the reigning Champion producing the first timed lap with a 01:44.038.

Although the majority of the drivers elected for Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate tyres, Jules Bianchi played it safe during the early stages of the session after electing for the full wet tyre compound in his Marussia. Sebastian Vettel’s reign over proceedings was short-lived, as Valtteri Bottas stormed to the top for Williams with a 01:43.929. Nico Hulkenberg momentarily rose to the top for Sauber, before local hero Paul di Resta rose to the top for Force India with a 01:43.207. With the track conditions improving greatly by the minute, Jean-Eric Vergne became the first driver to switch to slick tyres, which enabled the Frenchman to rise straight to the top for Toro Rosso with a 01:41.868, a time he improved upon next time around with a 01:37.102.

As the second session progressed, the Force India duo of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta traded fastest times at the top as the Silverstone-based outfit strive for a competitive weekend on home soil. Adrian Sutil eventually worked his way down to a 01:35.677, before Mark Webber lowered the benchmark even further with a 01:34.648. Despite the improving weather conditions, Felipe Massa found himself spearing towards the barrier once again in his Ferrari. The Brazilian driver sustained light damage to the front of his machine, in what was his third successive incident for Ferrari since Monaco.

After Felipe Massa’s stricken Ferrari was cleared by the ever-efficient Silverstone marshals, Nico Rosberg stormed to the top of the timing sheets for Mercedes with a 01:34.327. As the German improved upon his time at the top, team-mate Lewis Hamilton slotted into 2nd position for the German marque to create a Mercedes 1-2 at the top. However, the outfit’s reign at the top was quickly quelled by the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo who produced a highly competitive 01:33.550 as light rain once again began to fall upon the Silverstone circuit.

Adrian Sutil once again returned to the top for Force India as the session progressed, as Jean-Eric Vergne, Romain Grosjean, Charles Pic, Sebastian Vettel and Giedo van der Garde all became the first drivers to switch to Pirelli’s P Zero medium tyres. On the softer rubber, Sebastian Vettel blitzed the timing screens with a 01:33.068, improving a lap later with a 01:32.680. However, Nico Rosberg continued to improve for Mercedes, producing a 01:32.248 to return to the top as the majority of the field turned their attention on high-fuel runs in preparation for the race on Sunday.

As the session drew to a conclusion, the majority of the order remained unchanged with Nico Rosberg leading the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel at the front. Paul di Resta managed to finish an impressive 4th ahead of fellow countryman Lewis Hamilton, in what was a highly productive session in comparison to the morning period. The drivers will be hoping the rain stays away from the Silverstone circuit for the remainder of the weekend, as they strive to enjoy as much dry running as possible in the build-up to the all-important race on Sunday.

Pos Driver                Team                  Time      Gap        Laps
 1. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m32.248s             33
 2. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m32.547s  + 0.299s   26
 3. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m32.680s  + 0.432s   31
 4. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes  1m32.832s  + 0.584s   34
 5. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes              1m32.911s  + 0.663s   28
 6. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m33.171s  + 0.923s   34
 7. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m33.290s  + 1.042s   38
 8. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes  1m33.313s  + 1.065s   34
 9. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault         1m33.322s  + 1.074s   38
10. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m33.494s  + 1.246s   32
11. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m33.740s  + 1.492s   29
12. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari        1m33.896s  + 1.648s   36
13. Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault         1m34.120s  + 1.872s   30
14. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes      1m34.130s  + 1.882s   29
15. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari        1m34.998s  + 2.750s   32
16. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault      1m35.070s  + 2.822s   29
17. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault      1m35.127s  + 2.879s   35
18. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth     1m35.802s  + 3.554s   27
19. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault      1m35.984s  + 3.736s   32
20. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault      1m36.079s  + 3.831s   35
21. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth     1m37.329s  + 5.081s   33
22. Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m43.466s  + 11.218s   7

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Nico Rosberg Continues To Assert His Authority At Monaco

Nico Rosberg has continued to assert his authority over proceedings around the legendary Monte-Carlo street circuit, with the German leading a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The duo were followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, after yet another intriguing practice session ahead of the race on Sunday.

Once again the Formula 1 teams and drivers were welcomed back to the Monte-Carlo street circuit by glorious sunshine blue skies over the legendary circuit. Unlike the slow start to proceedings during the opening practice session, the teams and drivers immediately elected to complete timed laps with the Sauber duo once again becoming the first to take to the circuit.

Esteban Gutierrez therefore once again became the first driver to set a timed lap for Sauber, with a 01:24.850. However, the Mexican’s early benchmark was unsurprisingly instantly bettered by Max Chilton, who produced a 01:22.121. Monaco expert Pastor Maldonado soon rose to the top for Williams with a 01:18.863, before team-mate Valtteri Bottas did likewise with a 01:18.360. The times naturally continued to tumble throughout the opening stages of the session, with Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen and then Romain Grosjean rising to the top with the latter setting a 01:16.999 and continuing his competitiveness from the opening session.

Nico Rosberg momentarily rose to the top for Mercedes, before Romain Grosjean instantly returned to the top with a 01:16.096. However, the Frenchman’s reign was brought to a end when Nico Rosberg continued to improve for Mercedes with a 01:15.843. Fernando Alonso became the next driver to assert his authority over proceedings with a 01:15.519, as Sebastian Vettel finally took to the track after his mechanics carried out several major setup changes to his Red Bull machine.

Eventually Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and Kimi Raikkonen became the first drivers to opt for Pirelli’s super-soft tyre compound, as Nico Rosberg continued to improve at the top with a 01:14.759. After setting scintillating lap times throughout the opening session, Romain Grosjean came unstuck at Turn 1 as he slammed into the retaining tyre barrier and destroyed the front-left of his Lotus. This caused the Monaco marshals to expertly retrieve his stricken machine, with the session remaining green despite a local yellow.

The session was then momentarily red flagged, after a piece of kerb became damaged at Turn 13 forcing the marshals to carry out a quick fix. The delay was short-lived, as the kerb was almost instantly fixed allowing the session to resume with Nico Rosberg and Adrian Sutil becoming the first two drivers to return to the circuit.

As proceedings were resumed, the majority of the field elected to begin carrying out long-fuel race simulations in preparation for the race on Sunday. This resulted in very little action in relation to the timing screens, as Nico Rosberg remained at the top as the session progressed with team-mate Lewis Hamilton a close 2nd ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso. Whilst the drivers completed their race simulations, many missed the apex at Turn 10 including the likes of Adrian Sutil, Giedo van der Garde, Mark Webber, Valtteri Bottas and Max Chilton.

After a productive opening day of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Nico Rosberg and Mercedes managed to finish both sessions fastest. Lewis Hamilton followed his team-mate in 2nd position at the end of practice two, with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso 3rd for the Scuderia. The teams and drivers will not return to the Monte-Carlo street circuit until Saturday morning for the third and final practice session.

Pos Driver                Team                   Time       Gap     Laps
 1. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes               1m14.759s            45
 2. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes               1m15.077s  + 0.318s  50
 3. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                1m15.196s  + 0.437s  37
 4. Felipe Massa          Ferrari                1m15.278s  + 0.519s  38
 5. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault       1m15.404s  + 0.645s  41
 6. Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault          1m15.511s  + 0.752s  38
 7. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault          1m15.718s  + 0.959s  10
 8. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes       1m15.959s  + 1.200s  39
 9. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault       1m16.014s  + 1.255s  32
10. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes   1m16.046s  + 1.287s  42
11. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1m16.349s  + 1.590s  43
12. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes       1m16.434s  + 1.675s  40
13. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari         1m16.823s  + 2.064s  42
14. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault       1m16.857s  + 2.098s  40
15. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari         1m16.935s  + 2.176s  44
16. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m17.145s  + 2.386s  37
17. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m17.184s  + 2.425s  42
18. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault       1m17.264s  + 2.505s  46
19. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth      1m17.892s  + 3.133s  40
20. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault       1m18.212s  + 3.453s  43
21. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth      1m18.784s  + 4.025s  40
22. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault       1m19.031s  + 4.272s  30

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Sebastian Vettel & Red Bull Reign Supreme After Practice Two At Australia

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull have continued to dominate proceedings at the front throughout the second practice session, as preparations continue for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. The Red Bull duo were followed home at the front by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

The second practice session of the weekend got underway in slightly warmer weather conditions around Melbourne’s Albert Park street circuit, as Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to take to the track for Lotus. The Finn was followed out by the Force India of Paul di Resta, as many of the drivers elected to instantly set timed laps instead of the carrying out cautious installation laps. Kimi Raikkonen’s first timed lap of a 01:32.967 was quickly improved upon by the 2007 World Champion with a 01:29.012.

Lewis Hamilton was quick to rise to the top for Mercedes throughout the opening stages of the session, as the Briton produced a 01:27.882 as team-mate Nico Rosberg ran wide at Turn 1. Kimi Raikkonen soon returned to the top for Lotus, as Lewis Hamilton also ran wide at Turn 1. After setting the fastest time during the opening practice session earlier in the day, Sebastian Vettel stamped his authority over proceedings with a 01:26.604, which the reigning Champion was able to improve upon shortly after with a 01:26.274.

Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas soon became the first driver to take to the track on Pirelli’s super-soft tyres, however he was unable to make an impact upon the timing screens as many predicted a heavy fuel load on the Renault-powered Williams. As Pastor Maldonado joined his team-mate in running the super-soft tyre compound, Giedo van der Garde beached his Caterham in the gravel at Turn 3 and prematurely ended his session with his CT03 machine unable to be returned to the pits during the session.

As the second session progressed, more drivers began opting for Pirelli’s super-soft tyre compound, including the likes of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. However, local hero Mark Webber became the first driver to rise to the top on the softer rubber with a 01:26.172. After having his first run on the super-softs impeded by a car ahead of him, Sebastian Vettel eventually returned to the top with a 01:25.908. However, the German’s session was dealt a minor blow as he was heard complaining of a loss of KERS on the car shortly afterwards.

The session drew to an incident-filled conclusion, as Jean-Eric Vergne became the first of many to spin with the Frenchman doing so at Turn 4. Lewis Hamilton’s flying lap on the super-soft tyre was ruined after the Briton skipped through the gravel at Turn 9, after locking up on the approach to the corner. Felipe Massa almost collided with the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez, after the Mexican rookie exited the pit-lane and the duo negotiated Turn 1 side-by-side.

After producing a promising display of pace during the opening practice session, Lewis Hamilton’s day took a turn for the worse as the second session drew to a conclusion. The 2008 World Champion prematurely ended his day in the gravel at Turn 6, after seemingly running straight on at the corner. To rub salt into the wounds of Mercedes, Nico Rosberg peeled off of the track only seconds after Hamilton’s incident, with the German suffering a suspected gearbox issue. Mark Webber suffered a minor spin through Turn 13, but was able to continue circulating as the session ended with the Red Bull duo fastest with Sebastian Vettel atop the timing sheets.

Although it may look as though Red Bull have the upper hand after the opening two practice sessions, ambiguity still surrounds Pirelli’s super-soft tyre compound. The drivers now have only one more hour of track action before the all-important qualifying session tomorrow, which could still spark a fair few surprises.

Pos  Driver                Team                  Time       Gap     Laps
 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m25.908            33
 2.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m26.172s  + 0.264  31
 3.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m26.322s  + 0.414  26
 4.  Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault         1m26.361s  + 0.453  37
 5.  Romain Grosjean       Lotus Renault         1m26.680s  + 0.772  30
 6.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m26.748s  + 0.840  35
 7.  Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes              1m26.772s  + 0.864  28
 8.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m26.855s  + 0.947  32
 9.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes  1m27.435s  + 1.527  34
10.  Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari        1m28.187s  + 2.279  34
11.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m28.294s  + 2.386  30
12.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes  1m28.311s  + 2.403  37
13.  Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes      1m28.566s  + 2.658  32
14.  Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m28.627s  + 2.719  31
15.  Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari        1m28.772s  + 2.864  33
16.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault      1m28.852s  + 2.944  36
17.  Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m28.968s  + 3.060  35
18.  Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault      1m29.386s  + 3.478  38
19.  Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth     1m29.696s  + 3.788  30
20.  Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault      1m30.165s  + 4.257  37
21.  Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth     1m30.600s  + 4.692  34
22.  Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault      1m32.450s  + 6.542  11

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