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
Alonso fastest as Hamilton struggles after opening practice in Australia
Fernando Alonso has ended a frenetic opening practice session ahead of the Australian Grand Prix fastest for Ferrari, after Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating premature end to his session when an oil pressure sensor alarm shut his engine down during the opening minutes. Alonso was followed at the top by the McLaren of Jenson Button and Williams of Valtteri Bottas.
The 2014 season got underway in a flurry of activity down in the pit-lane, with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso taking to the track first in the Ferrari ahead of Adrian Sutil and Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen. As many other drivers followed the trio out onto the track to begin their preparations for the weekend ahead, Lewis Hamilton frustratingly ground to a halt on the exit of Turns 9 and 10 with what looked like a technical issue plaguing his machine. Although it was later confirmed that an oil pressure sensor alarm shut the engine down as a precaution, this stoppage signified a premature conclusion to the Briton’s opening practice session Down Under.
After the mechanics had retrieved the stricken Mercedes under double-waved yellow flag conditions, Daniel Ricciardo surprisingly managed to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:37.290 in the Red Bull. Whilst his team-mate Sebastian Vettel remained stuck in the confines of the pit-lane, local hero Ricciardo continued to lower the benchmark with a 01:34.600 as the Williams of former GP3 Champion Valtteri Bottas rose up into 2nd position. As more drivers eventually returned to the Albert Park Street Circuit, the times continued to tumble in traditional fashion, with Fernando Alonso and then Nico Rosberg rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:32.784.
As Nico Rosberg continued to improve at the top with a 01:32.604, Daniel Ricciardo ran extensively wide at Turn 12 whereas Sergio Perez performed a half-spin in his Force India at Turn 3 as the drivers slowly got to grips with their new machinery for 2014. Despite the surprising flurry of track activity during the early minutes of the practice session, both Caterham drivers had their running curtailed due to separate technical issues on their cars. Whilst Kamui Kobayashi was struck with a fuel system issue, Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson suffered with an electrical issue on his CT05 machine.
Meanwhile Jenson Button stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:32.357 in his Mercedes-powered McLaren, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally left the pit-lane in his Red Bull with only 38 minutes of the session remaining. The German only managed to complete on exploratory lap, before returning immediately to the pits. As the Red Bull mechanics carried out various checks on the RB10, reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat struggled greatly through Turns 1 and 2, with the Russian rookie skipping across the grass.
Eventually Fernando Alonso returned to the top for Ferrari with a 01:31.840, as Sebastian Vettel finally completed his first timed lap with a 01:34.593 to go 13th fastest. The German managed to improve on his second run by rising up to 8th, as the Lotus duo of Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean still remained stuck in the pits with their respective mechanics working tirelessly on the cars. Eventually Pastor Maldonado gingerly left the pit-lane, however it was soon clear that various issues were still plaguing his Renault-powered car as smoke was seen ominously emanating from the cockpit of his car. The Venezuelan driver ran extensively wide at Turn 13, before his engine completely cut-out on his return to the pits.
As the opening practice session of the weekend drew to a conclusion, Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat still struggled with the opening two corners, with the Toro Rosso driver in particular struggling with brake issues on his car. Max Chilton’s session was brought to a premature conclusion when the Briton came to a halt at the end of the pit-lane, whereas Sebastian Vettel was called into the weigh-bridge. Meanwhile the action continued out on track, with Jean-Eric Vergne seemingly also suffering from brake related issues as the Frenchman lost control of his car at Turn 3 and spun into the gravel. Miraculously Vergne managed to keep his car running, and eventually continued circulating.
Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled to signify an end to what was an incredibly frenetic opening 90 minutes of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, with Fernando Alonso fastest at Ferrari ahead of Jenson Button and Valtteri Bottas. Felipe Massa was a close 4th for Williams, with Daniel Ricciardo an impressive 5th for Red Bull. The drivers will return to the Albert Park Street Circuit later in the day, for the second practice session ahead of race on Sunday.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.840s 20 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.357s +0.517s 23 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m32.403s +0.563s 27 4. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m32.431s +0.591s 19 5. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m32.599s +0.759s 26 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.604s +0.764s 17 7. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m32.793s +0.953s 10 8. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.847s +1.007s 28 9. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m32.977s +1.137s 18 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m33.446s +1.606s 30 11. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m33.533s +1.693s 23 12. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m33.855s +2.015s 24 13. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m34.272s +2.432s 27 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m35.578s +3.738s 7 15. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.445s +4.605s 13 16. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m40.859s +9.019s 6 17. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m46.922s +15.082s 4 18. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1 19. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1 20. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1 21. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 2 22. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 2
Picture Copyright © Ferrari Media
Vettel ends the season in record-breaking fashion with victory at Brazil
Sebastian Vettel has ended the 2013 season in record-breaking fashion for Red Bull, after securing his ninth successive race victory after a highly entertaining 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix. The German was joined on the podium by team-mate Mark Webber in 2nd, with Fernando Alonso 3rd for Ferrari.
With dark clouds looming ominously overhead, the race began in dry conditions for the first time all weekend. Into Turn 1 Nico Rosberg managed to master an overtaking maneuver on fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel for the lead, as Lewis Hamilton also muscled his way up into 3rd position around Mark Webber. Amazingly the field successfully negotiated the opening lap without major incident, with Jenson Button in particular enjoying a marvelous start for McLaren by rising up from 14th to 11th at the end of the opening lap.
Despite denying Sebastian Vettel the luxury of leading into Turn 1 at the start, Nico Rosberg’s lead was unsurprisingly short-lived as the World Champion instantly retaliated by retaking the lead into Turn 1 on the next lap. Lewis Hamilton also began loosing ground as the opening laps of the race unfolded, with the 2008 World Champion dropping to 4th during the second lap as former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso muscled his way back around the Briton. As the field stormed around the majestic uphill final corner of the Subida dos Boxes, Romain Grosjean’s Renault V8 bowed out in explosive fashion as the Frenchman was struck with an engine failure.
This resulted in thick white smoke billowing across the Sao Paulo circuit, as Romain Grosjean pulled over at the side of the track to prematurely bring his 2013 season to a conclusion. Eventually the smoke from Romain Grosjean’s Lotus dispersed, with a safety car deployment deemed unnecessary. As the Frenchman sprinted back to the pits, Mark Webber managed to find a way around Lewis Hamilton for 4th position, with the German marque visibly beginning to struggle with Nico Rosberg also loosing a position to Fernando Alonso in 2nd further up the road.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel once again opened up a considerable gap to the rest of the field in the lead of the race, Mark Webber became the next driver to overtake Nico Rosberg for 3rd as the Mercedes duo continued to struggle for pace in the dry conditions. With the German driver beginning to struggle with tyre degradation as the race wore on, he was instructed via the team radio not to hold up team-mate Lewis Hamilton behind him. This led to an overtaking maneuver by Lewis Hamilton on his team-mate, as Mark Webber made it a Red Bull 1-2 at the front by storming around Fernando Alonso.
By Lap 15 Nico Rosberg had continued to loose ground after initially leading the opening lap, as the German driver soon found himself in the clutches of local hero Felipe Massa. The Ferrari man made light work of the Mercedes driver, as he rose ahead of the German for 5th. Meanwhile the opening round of pit-stops had begun to ensue throughout the midfield, with Valtteri Bottas and Adrian Sutil both pitting together on Lap 17. The Force India mechanics managed to perform a sensational stop for the German, who rejoined the action ahead of Valtteri Bottas and even Jean-Eric Vergne on the run down to Turn 4.
After enjoying a superlative start to the race, Jenson Button had managed to scythe his way up through the order to 6th by Lap 20. The 2009 World Champion soon elected to carry out his first pit-stop a lap later, along with Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta. Further up the field Mark Webber made his first pit-stop for Red Bull, and subsequently endured a frustratingly slow stop after an issue on the left-rear. This saw the Australian driver exit the pit-lane behind Fernando Alonso, as his German team-mate proceeded to carry out his first pit-stop.
Unlike Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a smooth pit-stop which enabled the German to rejoin the action back in the lead of the race ahead of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Despite enduring a slow pit-stop earlier in the race, Mark Webber soon managed to repeat an overtaking maneuver on Fernando Alonso for 2nd position whilst also producing the fastest lap of the race for good measure. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton found himself stuck behind the Ferrari of Felipe Massa in the battle for 4th position, with team-mate Nico Rosberg loosing out greatly during the first round of pit-stops and dropping down to a lowly 7th position.
With Lewis Hamilton striving to find a way around Felipe Massa for 4th, the departing Ferrari driver came under investigation from the race stewards for crossing the white line at the entrance to the pit-lane. Eventually the Brazilian driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty for his misdemeanors, gifting Lewis Hamilton 4th position as light rain began to fall intermittently around the Sao Paulo circuit.
After frustratingly being forced to serve his drive-thru penalty, Felipe Massa returned to the pits for his second scheduled pit-stop on Lap 43 along with the McLaren of Jenson Button. Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez followed the duo into the pits a lap later for their second stops, as Adrian Sutil cheekily un-lapped himself by overtaking Sebastian Vettel. The race leader allowed several other drivers through to un-lap themselves shortly afterwards, raising numerous question marks within the paddock.
The race was momentarily plunged into a state of utter confusion on Lap 46, as Lewis Hamilton failed to notice the Williams of Valtteri Bottas trying to un-lap himself around the outside of Turn 4. This led to a collision between the two, with Valtteri Bottas spinning violently into retirement with left-rear damage whilst Lewis Hamilton was forced to limp back to the pits with a shredded right-rear tyre. With Red Bull understandably expecting the safety car to be deployed, both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber immediately pitted. This caused outright confusion within the Red Bull garage, with the team instead expecting Mark Webber first.
Eventually both drivers were served and were amazingly able to maintain their track position, despite stacking in the pit-lane. Although Fernando Alonso also pitted during the confusion, the Spaniard was able to close right up to the rear of Mark Webber. However, the experienced Australian driver managed to defend his 2nd position as Sebastian Vettel once again began breaking away at the front. With the race stewards investigating the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the Briton was adjudged to have been at fault and was therefore called into the pits for a drive-thru penalty.
This penalty subsequently saw Lewis Hamilton drop to a lowly 11th, as Mercedes continued to endure a difficult race. Despite the setback of being forced to pit for new tyres and also a drive-thru penalty, Lewis Hamilton soon began clawing his way back through the order as the race entered its closing stages. Meanwhile the race stewards handed Giedo van der Garde a drive-thru penalty for ignoring blue flags, striking a huge blow in Caterham’s aim of rising ahead of Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship.
The battle at the back of the pack was effectively brought to a premature conclusion of Lap 60, when Charles Pic spun on the exit of Turn 5 due to broken rear suspension on his Caterham. The Frenchman pulled to the side of the track after regaining control of his car, leaving only team-mate Giedo van der Garde out on track. As the last few laps ticked away Pastor Maldonado and Jean-Eric Vergne had a minor collision at Turns 1 and 2, with the departing Williams driver leaving the Frenchman no room at the apex of Turn 1. Luckily both drivers managed to continue circulating, with the race stewards electing to further investigate the issue after the race.
Despite the increasing rainfall over the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the order at the front remained relatively unchanged as Sebastian Vettel breezed across the line to secure his record-shattering ninth successive victory. The German finished just over ten seconds ahead of his Australian team-mate Mark Webber, with Fernando Alonso an impressive 3rd for Ferrari. Nico Rosberg finished an imperative 5th for Mercedes despite leading the opening lap, allowing the German marque to secure 2nd position the Constructors’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton’s 9th place finish wasn’t enough for him to secure 3rd place in the Drivers’ Championship, as Mark Webber leapfrogged the 2008 World Champion.
Once again the season has been brought to a frenetic conclusion around the legendary Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, with a mixture of rain and immense track action enthralling many. The end of the Brazilian Grand Prix also marked the end of an era in Formula 1, with the V8 engines bowing out in fine form amid a huge change of technical regulations for next season. Mark Webber also retires from the world of Formula 1 after securing his 42nd career podium finish, and will undoubtedly be missed by many. The Formula 1 fraternity will return once again next March, after what will surely be an intriguing winter break.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Mark Webber fastest after treacherously wet final practice at Brazil
Mark Webber has managed to end the third and final practice session fastest at Sao Paulo, despite the treacherously wet weather conditions which continued to plague proceedings. The Australian ace end the session ahead of Romain Grosjean, with the second Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen 3rd.
After a Friday plagued with inclement weather conditions over Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, the teams and drivers were once again greeted with heavy rainfall for the third and final practice session prior to the all-important qualifying hour later in the day. With standing water lurking all over the treacherous 4.309km circuit, the majority of the drivers were extremely cautious when they finally took to the track. Despite the weather, Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was quickly followed by Jules Bianchi and Pastor Maldonado.
Whilst the majority of the field elected to only carry out installation laps as the session swung into motion, Esteban Gutierrez proceeded to splash around the circuit with a seven lap stint in his Ferrari-powered Sauber. The Mexican rookie initially produced a 01:34.837, before eventually working his way down to a 01:34.129. With the track conditions failing to improve as the session continued, only the odd installation lap occurred up and down the order as the majority of the drivers unsurprisingly elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane.
As the halfway stage of the third and final practice session occurred, Max Chilton eventually became the second driver to produce a timed lap behind Esteban Gutierrez. Meanwhile team-mate Jules Bianchi managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:33.412, as more drivers eventually began to brave the Brazilian elements. Williams ace Valtteri Bottas was the next driver to rise to the top, after producing a 01:32.772. The Finnish rookie momentarily managed to improve a lap later, before World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:31.857.
With only several minutes remaining in the session, the rain eventually began to subside allowing as the track action intensified around the legendary circuit. Esteban Gutierrez managed to return to the top for Sauber with a 01:31.121, before Lewis Hamilton thwarted the Mexican rookie with an even quicker 01:29.980. Although the conditions were visibly improving around the track, both Marussia drivers’ of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi still managed to run slightly wide at various points of the circuit. Meanwhile Mark Webber managed to catapult himself to the top with a stunning 01:27.891, with the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado slotting into 2nd and 3rd behind the experienced Australian driver.
Due to the slightly improved weather conditions, many drivers began switching to Pirelli’s intermediate tyres during the closing minutes including Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez. The former managed to propel himself up into 2nd position behind Mark Webber, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen slotting into 3rd position for Lotus. Despite the majority of the field electing to run the final few minutes on the intermediate tyres, Mark Webber’s benchmark remained unchallenged as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session.
With the rain forecast to remain a strong threat for the remainder of the day, the all-important qualifying hour could well include several surprises as the drivers battle against the elements in their quest for pole. Can Sebastian Vettel remain dominant in the rain, or can Mark Webber end his career with yet another pole?
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Fernando Alonso fastest after shortened opening practice at Austin
Fernando Alonso has ended the opening practice session of the United States Grand Prix fastest for Ferrari, after a shortened session around the Circuit of the Americas. Jenson Button followed the former World Champion in 2nd for McLaren, with Valtteri Bottas an impressive 3rd fastest for Williams.
After yet another dominant performance by Sebastian Vettel last time out around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened at Austin for the second running of the United States Grand Prix around the sensational Circuit of the Americas. With numerous driver announcements rocking the paddock in the build-up to the race weekend, the many drivers were understandably eager to get proceedings underway during the opening practice session.
With Kimi Raikkonen electing to undergo back surgery in Finland, Lotus were forced to appoint Heikki Kovalainen as the Iceman’s replacement at the Enstone-based outfit. Further down the order the usual reserve drivers were eager to take to the track for their respective teams, including newly-Crowned GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso, local hero Alexander Rossi at Caterham and Rodolfo Gonzalez at Marussia. However, the start of the session was frustratingly delayed by 30 minutes due to heavy fog, leaving only an hour of track action for the awaiting drivers.
Once the fog had lifted the session was finally started, with Formula 1 returnee Heikki Kovalainen understandably becoming the first driver to take to the track for Lotus. The Finn was instantly followed by a whole host of drivers, including the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa with newly-crowned GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat also making his first official Formula 1 appearance. With several drivers electing against returning to the pits after the usual installation lap, Jenson Button produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:41.943. The 2009 World Champion soon lowered the benchmark even further to a 01:39.943, as team-mate Sergio Perez and local hero Alexander Rossi also produced lap times.
However, no sooner had the session entered full swing before it was red flagged and halted once more. With no driver making contact with the barrier or stopping out on track in a precarious location, the reason behind the sudden red flag delay was initially unclear before the race stewards explained it was due to further problems with the medical helicopter. The problem in question was the lack of a medical helicopter, which had still not made its way to the track after the earlier fog delay. After an amusing delay of over half an hour, the helicopter in question finally made an appearance which resulted in the session being resumed.
Paul di Resta led out a long queue of eager drivers once the session returned to green flag conditions, with all 22 drivers eventually taking to the Circuit of the Americas in a bid to enjoy as much track time as possible. As the times soon began to tumble, Fernando Alonso rose to the top for Ferrari with a 01:38.767, with rookie Valtteri Bottas slotting into a competitive 2nd position ahead of the Lotus of Romain Grosjean. The Spaniard was able to improve once again at the front with 01:38.343, as the likes of Charles Pic, Adrian Sutil and Jenson Button ran wide at Turns 14, 19 and 12 respectively.
As the unusual session neared its conclusion, Jenson Button managed to improve with a 01:38.371 to rise to 2nd for McLaren. Meanwhile the Briton’s team-mate returned to the pits to bring his opening session of the weekend to a conclusion, with Sergio Perez residing in 12th position. Only several minutes before the conclusion to proceedings, Marussia reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez ground to a halt at Turn 13 with a mechanical issue on his car, bringing out yellow flags in the process. This saw the timing screens remain unchanged throughout the final minute, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso surprisingly fastest despite suffering a minor back injury last time out at Abu Dhabi. The Spaniard was followed by Jenson Button, with Valtteri Bottas an impressive 3rd.
The 22 drivers will understandably be eager to return to the Circuit of the Americas later in the day for practice two, with what will hopefully be a full 90 minute session.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.343s 16 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.371s +0.028s 25 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m38.388s +0.045s 17 4. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.532s +0.189s 18 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.657s +0.314s 21 6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m38.979s +0.636s 21 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m39.005s +0.662s 17 8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.083s +0.740s 17 9. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.158s +0.815s 17 10. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m39.200s +0.857s 15 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m39.238s +0.895s 13 12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.256s +0.913s 17 13. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m39.487s +1.144s 18 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m39.699s +1.356s 15 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m39.836s +1.493s 15 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.863s +1.520s 19 17. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.065s +1.722s 20 18. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m40.662s +2.319s 21 19. Alexander Rossi Caterham-Renault 1m41.399s +3.056s 21 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m41.605s +3.262s 19 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m42.054s +3.711s 19 22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Marussia-Cosworth 1m43.716s +5.373s 17
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
Lewis Hamilton fastest after incident-filled opening practice at Japan
Lewis Hamilton has ended an incident-filled opening practice session fastest ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, after numerous drivers struggled around the iconic Suzuka circuit. The 2008 World Champion ended the session ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel 3rd for Red Bull.
Only several days after the frenetic proceedings of the Korean Grand Prix, the Formula 1 circus reconvened once again for the opening practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix at the legendary Suzuka circuit. Despite minor threats of rain throughout the day, the iconic circuit was bathed in glorious sunshine and clear skies as the session began. Down at Caterham Heikki Kovalainen once again made an appearance, this time in the place of Frenchman Charles Pic.
As soon as the session began, a flurry of cars instantly took to the Suzuka circuit with Red Bull driver Mark Webber becoming the first to do so. The Australian sensation was quickly joined by the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo, as the traditional installation laps ensued up and down the paddock. Several drivers elected to complete more than one installation lap, however no-one completed a timed lap as preparations for the weekend ahead geared up.
Eventually Pastor Maldonado and Jules Bianchi shattered the silence which had fallen over the Suzuka circuit by heading back out onto the track, as the Mercedes mechanics began busying themselves around Lewis Hamilton’s gearbox and engine with hints that something could be amiss. Meanwhile out on track Pastor Maldonado managed to produce the first timed lap of the weekend with a 01:36.969, a time which the Venezuelan ace managed to quickly improve upon with a 01:36.178 shortly afterwards. As more drivers gradually began taking to the Suzuka circuit, McLaren’s Sergio Perez rose to the top with a 01:35.871.
Whilst the Mexican ace improved upon his time at the top, Jules Bianchi’s session was brought to an explosive halt as the Frenchman lost control of his Marussia and slammed violently into the retaining tyre wall at Turn 9. Immediately after the incident Jules Bianchi was seen flexing his left hand, after clearly feeling the full force of the impact through the steering wheel. As the ever-efficient Suzuka marshals began clearing the stricken Cosworth-powered machine, Jules Bianchi gingerly extracted himself from the cockpit and ultimately back to the pits.
Once the incident had been cleared and the numerous yellow flags had been withdrawn, Mark Webber wasted no time in rising to the top for Red Bull with a 01:35.208. After producing the initial benchmark in his Williams, Pastor Maldonado’s Renault-powered machine was stuck within the pits as he mechanics busied themselves in changing the floor on the Venezuelan’s machine. Out on track Felipe Massa continued to lower the benchmark, with the Ferrari driver setting a 01:35.126 to momentarily rise to the top. However, the Scuderia’s reign was short-lived, as the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton asserted their authority over proceedings with the latter producing a 01:34.251.
As the opening session of the weekend drew to a conclusion, utter confusion occurred out on track. As Lewis Hamilton remained fastest at the top of the timing screens, both Pastor Maldonado and Giedo van der Garde suffered separate issues at once. Whilst the Williams driver’s left-rear wheel worked its way loose through the iconic Spoon Curve, F1 rookie Giedo van der Garde simply ran straight on at Turn 9 and skipped though the gravel and then lightly tapped the retaining tyre barrier. These separate incidents both sparked the end of the session for Pastor Maldonado and Giedo van der Garde respectively, in what was becoming an incident-filled morning session.
Amid further spills and thrills during the final few minutes of the opening practice session, including minor mistakes from Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and a spin for Max Chilton, Lewis Hamilton managed to remain at the top for Mercedes ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg. The Mercedes duo ended the session ahead of the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, with Felipe Massa 5th ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso in 6th. Once again the German marque has begun the weekend in fine form, however Red Bull have remained hot on their heels. The drivers will return to the iconic Suzuka circuit later in the day, as preparations continue for the 29th running of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
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
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
The Canadian Grand Prix In Pictures
After a thoroughly entertaining Canadian Grand Prix weekend, eventually dominated by reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, it’s time to review the race weekend with a look back at some of the best images taken. These range from stunning action shots of the cars on track, to images of the drivers outside their cars or on the podium. Enjoy…
Picture(s) Copyright © McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes AMG Petronas, Lotus F1 Team, Sauber Motorsport AG, Force India F1 Team, Williams F1 Team, Caterham F1 Team, Marussia F1 Team & Pirelli
Sebastian Vettel Returns To The Top With Pole At Canada
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has returned to the top of the pecking order with pole position ahead of tomorrow’s 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix, after a damp and cold qualifying hour around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The German ace will start the race alongside Lewis Hamilton, with Valtteri Bottas a strong 3rd for Williams.
The all-important qualifying hour once again began in inclement weather conditions around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with light rain just beginning to fall over a drying track. Initially the entire field spilled out onto the track on the super-soft tyre compound, before the rain intensified and forced the field to return to the pits for intermediate tyres. Max Chilton spun on his initial lap on dry tyres, as the drivers struggled for grip in the cool and damp conditions.
After switching to the intermediate tyre compound, Jean-Eric Vergne produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:28.204, before Felipe Massa lowered the benchmark for the Scuderia. The Mercedes’ duo then rose to the top with Lewis Hamilton and then Nico Rosberg, with the latter setting a 01:26.781. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel then began to trade fastest laps with Lewis Hamilton, with the former eventually rising to the top once again with a 01:24.083.
Nico Rosberg soon brought their battle to a conclusion, with the Monaco Grand Prix winner rising to the top with a 01:23.840. Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in rising back to the top for the German marque, producing a 01:23.801 as the times continued to tumble. Felipe Massa and then Mark Webber continued to lower benchmark as the session progressed, before two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso rose to the top with a 01:23.224. Just as the opening session drew to a conclusion, Sebastian Vettel stormed to the top with a 01:22.318, as Paul di Resta was once again frustratingly eliminated down in 17th. The Scotsman was joined in elimination from proceedings along with Charles Pic, Romain Grosjean, Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton and Giedo van der Garde.
As the second segment of qualifying got underway, the rain overhead gradually intensified as the race stewards confirmed a change in climactic conditions. Felipe Massa ran straight on at Turn 3, however the Brazilian managed to engage the reverse gear and continue circulating. Mark Webber set the initial pace for Red Bull, before Lewis Hamilton disposed of the Australian driver with a 01:29.259. As the rain intensified overhead, many drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel all ran wide at the final chicane.
However, the reigning World Champion managed to master a scintillating lap the next time around with a 01:28.825 despite the tricky weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Adrian Sutil still continued to struggle out on track, as the duo both ran straight on at Turn 3. Luckily they both managed to continue circulating, as Sebastian Vettel continued to improve at the front before Mark Webber disposed of his team-mate with a 01:28.145. The session was briefly halted in the dying minutes with a red flag delay, after Felipe Massa once again made a mistake at Turn 3 and slammed into the tyre barrier.
The Canadian marshals quickly cleared the Brazilian’s stricken Ferrari, allowing a flurry of drivers to immediately return to the circuit with just over a minute remaining in the session. Esteban Gutierrez led out a long queue of awaiting drivers as the session was resumed, before Lewis Hamilton rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:27.649. The session drew to a dramatic conclusion, as both McLaren’s were eliminated from proceedings. Sergio Perez and Jenson Button were joined by Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado, Esteban Gutierrez and Felipe Massa in being eliminated from proceedings.
The all-important top ten shootout began with the entire field immediately taking to the circuit, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at the front of the long and impatient queue. The reigning Champion managed to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:25.425, which eventually remained unbeaten as the rain once again intensified and prevented anyone from thwarting the German ace. Former GP3 Champion and Formula 1 rookie Valtteri Bottas produced a stunning lap time for Williams, rising himself majestically into 3rd position with a 01:25.897.
Sebastian Vettel will start tomorrow’s 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix alongside the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, in what should be a thrilling run down to Turn 1 at the start. Valtteri Bottas will commandeer 3rd position on the grid, alongside Monaco Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg. With the weather set to remain unpredictable for the race, it seems Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will once again produce a thrilling spectacle.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.425s 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m25.512s + 0.087s 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m25.897s + 0.472s 4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.008s + 0.583s 5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.208s + 0.783s 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.504s + 1.079s 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.543s + 1.118s 8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.348s + 1.923s 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m27.432s + 2.007s 10. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.946s + 2.521s Q2 cut-off time: 1m36.811s Gap ** 11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m29.435s + 1.786s 12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m29.761s + 2.112s 13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m29.917s + 2.268s 14. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.068s + 2.419s 15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m30.315s + 2.666s 16. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m30.354s + 2.705s Q1 cut-off time: 1m24.776s Gap * 17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m24.908s + 2.590 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m25.626s + 3.308 19. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m25.716s + 3.398 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m26.508s + 4.190 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.062s + 4.744 22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m27.110s + 4.792 107% time: 1m28.080s
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
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