Force India have today confirmed the signing of 20-year-old Canadian racer Lance Stroll from Williams.
After two years with the British team, Stroll has joined the Indian Constructor to replace Frenchman Esteban Ocon, who will be Mercedes’ reserve driver next year following his ousting from the team.
Force India was taken over by Lance Stroll’s father, Lawrence, in the summer after previous owner and founder Vijay Mallya was forced to sell the team following legal and financial troubles surrounding him.
As a result, Stroll has been handed a drive by his father to partner Sergio Perez, who is also a pay driver bringing a lot of money into the team, which has officially left Ocon without a drive for 2019, as he does not bring any sponsorship money into the team.
Stroll’s previous team Williams had already announced their driver line-up in the knowledge that Stroll was going to depart; young British driver George Russell and Polish driver Robert Kubica, who is returning to the sport 8 years after a horrific rally crash that severed his hand, will be racing for them next year.
When it was announced that Lawrence Stroll would take control of Force India, it was already generally known that Lance would be joining the team for 2019, and having completed the Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi during the week, Stroll has today officially been announced.
People are hyping Charles Leclerc saying that he will be right in the mix next year with him moving to Ferrari. But, most are forgetting Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who is joining Red Bull for 2019. Both Gasly and Leclerc got their first action in their new teams at the end of season test.
Pierre made his entry into the Red Bull programme in 2014 when he joined Formula Renault 3.5 alongside Carlos Sainz, and in his debut season he finished runner up taking eight podiums, after which he moved up to GP2.
The Frenchman then had a solid 2015 season taking three podiums and four poles, showing the outright speed needed to carve a successful career in the higher echelons of motorsport. He just needed to show stability across the whole season, which he showed in 2016. He moved to the PREMA team where he partned Ferrari-backed Antonio Giovinazzi. This season Gasly was impeccable and won the championship, proving himself to be a feature race specialist with four victories.
Gasly’s debut at Toro Rosso in Malaysia in 2017 was brilliant. He showed his speed with limited access to the car. He was only one tenth slower than Carlos Sainz in qualifying, incredible seeing as he had never raced in junior categories at Malaysia. He didn’t score any points but Toro Rosso were struggling for performance and reliability much more than this current season.
In 2018 Toro Rosso had a much better package, especially with them being the only team running the Honda power unit. He had some outstanding performances across 2018, with the main one that comes to mind being at the second round in Bahrain. He finished fourth, claiming the best result of a Honda-powered car since their re-entry into the sport, and also the best finish for Toro Rosso since Sebastian Vettel’s victory in 2008.
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Still struggling with power early in the season at the less dependent tracks of Monaco and Hungary, Pierre nonetheless finished high in the field with solid points crucial to the team. Honda brought a big upgrade after the summer break, which showed when Gasly finished ninth in Belgium. One of his more overlooked drives happened at Mexico where he started last but finished ninth, overshadowed due to Verstappen winning and Hamilton taking his fifth world title. Across the season this showed the speed and passing characteristics required to battle at the front.
Red Bull may have Verstappen who has shown his speed on multiple occasions at the front, but don’t rule out Gasly. He has multiple titles to his name and has shown speed in the midfield. If the Honda power unit shows improvement and Red Bull chassis continues to be one of, if not maybe the best, then Gasly could be very much so battling for victories.
Featured image – Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
New McLaren signing Carlos Sainz has called his first day with the team “a dream come true”, as he completed 150 laps on the second day of the post-season test.
“Going out of the garage today on my first day as a McLaren driver was pretty much a dream come true,” he said. “When I finally completed my first run I felt extremely good, and I must say it’s been a very straightforward day.
“The team has made me feel at home from lap one and from day one yesterday when I started working with them. I did a lot of laps today and I’m grateful to the team for giving me such a reliable car to be able to initiate me in this new chapter and new style of car.”
Sainz made the jump to McLaren on the back of a 2018 campaign that saw him help Renault secure P4 in the constructors’ championship alongside Nico Hulkenberg, the team’s best performance since their return to F1.
Sainz himself finished P10 in the drivers’ championship with 53 points, three points ahead of the man he has replaced at McLaren, Fernando Alonso, with the highlights of the Sainz’s campaign being a fifth-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and a sixth-place finish in Abu Dhabi.
Renault released Sainz early once the chequered flag fell on the last race, allowing him to drive for McLaren in the test just two days later, and he was pleased with the initial results from his outing despite having a lot to learn.
“From the first lap to the 150th lap, I enjoyed them all; the feeling was good and we’ve been able to end the season in the best way possible. As soon as I got out of the box I felt comfortable in the car. Of course, there are always going to be details to improve and new things to adapt to, like the seat and driving style, but from the first lap I could spend time adapting and getting to know all the new controls and procedures. It’s been great.
“It’s been an intense few days after the race finished here in Abu Dhabi, learning a lot of names and understanding how the car works. I’m looking forward to spending more time back at the factory over the winter getting to know the team better and preparing as much as we can for 2019.”
McLaren will be the third team Sainz will have driven for in his career, having made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen and switching to Renault in the later stages of 2017 to replace Jolyon Palmer.
Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul praised Sainz’s efforts for the Enstone-based team, saying he’d “like to thank [him] for all he has done for the team since joining us. He’s been a massive team player and wish him all the best as he joins our partner McLaren next year.”
Young 21-year-old Monegasque Charles Leclerc has impressed on his first outing for Ferrari this week during day two of the Pirelli tyre tests in Abu Dhabi. With the 2016 GP3 title and 2017 Formula 2 championships already under his belt, it’s hard not to imagine this young talent becoming Formula One champion in the future.
Day one of the testing, which was held on Tuesday, ended with teammate Sebastian Vettel at the top of the timesheets after sixty-nine laps on the 2018 hypersoft compound, setting an impressive time of 1m 36.812s in front of Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, who set a 1m 37.231 on what Pirelli called ‘Compound 5’ – the softest tyre that will be on offer next year.
Over the course of day one, twelve drivers took to the Yas Marina circuit, including newbie for 2019 Lando Norris driving for McLaren and George Russell for Williams. It was also an opportunity for Polish driver Robert Kubica to get back into the car after his horrifying rally accident eight years ago. Kubica took over from George Russell during the afternoon stint.
Vettel struggled at the beginning of the day after a minor crash at turn one which brought out the red flag. However, he was able to set decent enough times throughout the long nine-hour session.
YAS MARINA CIRCUIT, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 27: Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 during the Test Days at Yas Marina Circuit on November 27, 2018 in Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Joe Portlock / LAT Images)
Kimi Raikkonen had a disappointing end to his first outing for Alfa Romeo Sauber after suffering a technical issue in the closing stages of the test. In his F1 test debut, Pietro Fittipaldi also ran into some issues when his Haas stopped on track early on in the session, this too bringing out the red flag.
Decent times were set by all on day one, Vettel topping the times from Bottas, Stroll, Verstappen and Perez, with Lando Norris an impressive sixth. Hulkenberg finished the day in seventh followed by Fittipaldi, Kubica and Russell. Raikkonen finished in eleventh place after his earlier struggles and Toro Rosso’s Sean Gelael finished last with a 1m 40.435s.
Day two of the testing brought many surprises, most impressive of all being Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished at the top of the timesheets after a whopping 135 laps on the new ‘Compound 5’. Leclerc’s fastest lap, a 1m36.450s, was quicker than the time Sebastian Vettel had set on the previous day, however Sebastian set his time on the 2018 compound.
(L to R): Lance Stroll (CDN) Racing Point Force India F1 Team with Bradley Joyce (GBR) Racing Point Force India F1 Race Engineer. Formula One Testing, Tuesday 27th November 2018. Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Pierre Gasly, in his first outing for Red Bull Racing, finished the session on P2 setting a time of 1m37.916s, also on the new 2019 compound tyres. Lance Stroll who was testing for Force India slotted in third place, followed by Valtteri Bottas and new McLaren driver Carlos Sainz. In sixth place was Renault’s Artem Markelov, followed by George Russell and returning Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat. In ninth was Haas’ debutant test driver, F2’s Louis Deletraz, in tenth was Robert Kubica and in eleventh position was Sauber’s Antonio Giovinazzi.
The session was mainly incident free, however in the afternoon Giovinazzi caused the red flag to come out after his Sauber came to a halt in the tunnel exiting the pitlane.
This test in Abu Dhabi officially marks the end of the 2018 season, the next set of testing days being pre-season in Barcelona. Will Leclerc’s top form continue into the new season? Could we see the youngest Formula One champion ever be crowned? With just over one hundred days to go until lights out in Melbourne, we are eager to see what happens in 2019!
2018 has been a great year for George Russell and Lando Norris. They finished first and second respectively in the Formula 2 championship, and this year got the news that they would have dreamed about all of their lives.
Earlier this year, Norris was greeted with the news that he will be joining McLaren in 2019, partnering Carlos Sainz. It followed the news of the retirement of Fernando Alonso and the exit of Stoffel Vandoorne from the team after a disappointing couple of seasons at the Woking-based outfit.
A few weeks later, it was announced that George Russell will be joining the Williams team for next year. Russell is a Mercedes development driver and Williams have agreed to take him on in a “multi-year deal”.
This is fantastic news for British motorsport. Two prodigiously talented young British drivers are joining forces with two prestigious British teams with a vast history in Formula One.
Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. Wednesday 2 August 2017. Lando Norris, McLaren. World Copyright: Zak Mauger/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _54I8852
They are, however, joining two teams who have somewhat fallen from grace over the last few years. Williams, one of the most successful team in the 1980s and 1990s, was created by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. From its humble beginnings, Williams became one of the greatest ever teams in the sport. Fast forward to 2018, however, and Williams are languishing at the very bottom of the championship, with no race wins to their name since the Spanish Grand Prix of 2012.
You have to go back to 1999 for McLaren’s last championship win with Mika Hakkinen. The team was started by Kiwi Bruce McLaren, who would go on to break the record for the youngest ever winner in Formula One. This has, of course, been beaten since, but McLaren have a rich history of success in the sport, which makes it such a shame to see them struggling to get into the points with a Renault engine they were hoping would take them near to the top of the championship this year.
But the injection of home-grown youth may be just what they need. These are two drivers who will have a perfect understanding of what it means to driver for infamous British teams like Williams and McLaren. It’s an opportunity they will embrace and they will desperately want to lead their respective teams out of the dark and back onto a path of success and glory.
The addition of these two drivers means that there will be three British drivers on the grid next year, along with Lewis Hamilton.
2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Saturday – Paul Ripke
All of this means that we are entering an exciting period for British motorsport. McLaren and Williams will have young enthusiastic drivers eager to return the teams to the top, and Britain will have two more representatives in the sport in 2019.
As for the battle between Norris and Russell, they have met on the track before in 2018, most notably in Monza, where they had a fantastic duel, and if Williams and McLaren turn out to be level on pace next year, this will bode well for an on-track battle.
As the 2018 season comes to close, the British world champion Lewis Hamilton is joined by to young British pretenders on the grid, as British motorsport enters a new and incredibly exciting era in 2019.
Lando Norris, and George Russell Silverstone, Sprint Race. Image courtesy of F2
After a special training program prepared by Gosia Rdest, three Polish finalists of the “The Girls on Track – Karting Challenge” program were selected. The girls will represent Poland in the European final of the challenge in Le Mans.
On Sunday, November 18th, during the Warsaw Motor Show, the names of three finalists of the Polish edition of the “The Girls on Track – Karting Challenge” program were revealed. After the successful, special training program prepared by Gosia Rdest, lasting from September to November, the jury chose: Natalia Lelek from Nosówka near Rzeszów, Joanna Piwowarek from Piaseczno near Warsaw and Michalina Sabaj from Krakow. In March 2019, the girls will go to Le Mans, where they will take part in the European final. As reserve drivers the jury selected Sara Kałuzińska from Gdynia and Kornelia Olkucka from Chotomów near Warsaw. For all of them, the D & D Motorsport karting team host a several-day test in the Italian Lonato as the preparation for the final of the challenge.
The “The Girls on Track” program is a FIA project for girls aged 13-18, aimed at discovering talents and creating an easier access to start their careers in motorsport. The long-term goal is to create a culture that facilitates and appreciates the participation of women in all aspects of motorsport.
The project consists of several stages. National eliminations took place this year in 8 European countries (Poland, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden). Three winners of national elimination from each country will take a part in the European Final in March 2019, and six of the best athletes will take part in the professional Training Camps for FIA Drivers in 2019.
The Polish elimination of the project took place on 26th-27th May in Tychy and on August 11th in Rzeszów. The project gained a lot of interest – a total of over 170 drivers were recorded on a karting slalom specially set up for the elimination of the event.
Additionally, only in Poland, for the winners (14 girls), there were organized training sessions by Gosia Rdest. Under her supervision, Gosia Serbin and other specialists, there were practise seasons held on karting tracks, simulator training, conditioning classes, lectures on communication, presentations, etc.
Gosia Rdest, the author of the training program, sums up: “My goal was to share my knowledge and experience with the girls. I started my adventure with motorsport with karting, so I can fully identify with them. What surprised me the most during the training, it was great satisfaction for me to appear in a new role for me – a person who shares experience with young drivers. It was great to be able to observe/watch the participants’/girls’ progress, their enthusiasm and motivation. Each of them was unique and the selection became to be really tough. I hope to continue the program in the future. ”
The finalist Natalia Lelek is 15 years old and has so far she was karting amateurly, with her family. She wasn’t hiding the joy of choice: “I am very excited, I am very happy that I have been chosen. I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me because I want to present myself at Le Mans as best as I can to proudly represent myself and Poland. I believe this program is a great initiative, and the training what we had with Gosia really gave us a lot. For all of us, also for those girls who are not going further, it was a wonderful time and opportunity for self-development. ”
The next finalist Joanna Piwowarek from Piaseczno near Warsaw is 17 years old and has been karting four times a week for 5 years. Joanna, when she answered the question about the program, said: “Certainly, these were classes with Ms Joanna Janowicz (business advisor of interpersonal communication [editorial note]) during the first meeting, which helped us improve our self-esteem and self-confidence. The program was a great opportunity for me to further develop in the motorsport and an opportunity for others to notice the potential of Polish kart drivers. I am proud that I can represent Poland in the European final in Le Mans. ”
Michalina Sabaj, the last of the winning three, is 16 years old and has been karting for 8 years. She drives with a license in the ROK Cup competitions. Michalina says about the program: “Thanks to the training program, I learned how much work should be done to become a fully fledged driver. Now I know how many factors contribute to the good results on the track and what I need to work on. In addition, I learned to work in a group with other drivers. During the meetings, I gained new experiences and made many new and valuable acquaintances. I enjoyed the meeting in Gdynia the most. During this training I took part in practice on simulators, which was a new experience for me. Also very interesting were classes conducted by Gosia Rdest on social media in motorsport. The whole team of organisers, headed by Ms. Gosia Serbin and Mikołaj Pogonowski, created an atmosphere that gave me security and great joy. All competitors presented a very high level. I am really surprised by the choice. “
Po specjalnym programie szkoleniowym, przygotowanym przez Gosię Rdest, zostały wyłonione trzy polskie finalistki programu „The Girls on Track – Karting Challenge”. Dziewczyny pojadą reprezentować Polskę w europejskim finale w Le Mans.
W niedzielę 18 listopada podczas Warsaw Motor Show poznaliśmy nazwiska trzech finalistek polskiej edycji programu „The Girls on Track – Karting Challenge”. Po zakończonym sukcesem, specjalnym programie szkoleniowym przygotowanym przez Gosię Rdest, trwającym od września do listopada, jury wybrało: Natalię Lelek z Nosówki k. Rzeszowa, Joannę Piwowarek z Piaseczna pod Warszawą i Michalinę Sabaj z Krakowa. W marcu 2019 dziewczyny pojadą do Le Mans, gdzie wezmą udział w europejskim finale. Jako zawodniczki rezerwowe wyłoniono Sarę Kałuzińską z Gdyni i Kornelię Olkucką z Chotomowa koło Warszawy. Dla całej piątki zespół kartingowy D&D Motorsport ufundował kilkudniowe testy we włoskim Lonato w ramach przygotowań do finału.
Program „The Girls on Track” to projekt FIA skierowany do dziewczyn w wieku 13-18 lat, mający na celu odkrycie talentów oraz stworzenie łatwiejszego dostępu do rozpoczęcia kariery w motorsporcie. Celem długofalowym jest stworzenie kultury, która ułatwia i docenia pełny udział kobiet we wszystkich aspektach motorsportu.
Projekt składa się z kilku etapów. Eliminacje krajowe odbyły się w tym roku w 8 krajach europejskich (Polsce, Belgii, Finlandii, Holandii, Niemczech, Portugalii, Słowacji i Szwecji). Po trzy zwyciężczynie eliminacji z każdego kraju pojadą na Finał Europejski w marcu 2019 roku, a sześć jego najlepszych zawodniczek weźmie udział w profesjonalnych Obozach Szkoleniowych dla Kierowców FIA w 2019 roku.
Polskie eliminacje projektu odbyły się w dniach 26-27 maja w Tychach oraz 11 sierpnia w Rzeszowie. Projekt cieszył się dużym zainteresowaniem – odnotowano w sumie ponad 170 przejazdów na ustawionym specjalnie na potrzeby eliminacji slalomie kartingowym.
Dodatkowo, tylko w naszym kraju, dla wybranych podczas eliminacji 14 dziewcząt, odbył się cykl szkoleń autorstwa Gosi Rdest. Pod okiem jej, Gosi Serbin oraz innych specjalistów odbyły się zajęcia na torach kartingowych, treningi na symulatorze, zajęcia kondycyjne, wykłady z komunikacji, prezentacji, itp.
Gosia Rdest, autorka programu szkoleniowego, podsumowuje: „Moim celem było podzielenie się swoją wiedzą i doświadczeniem z dziewczynami. Sama zaczynałam swoją przygodę z motorsportem od kartingu, mogę się z nimi w pełni utożsamić. Co najbardziej zaskoczyło mnie w trakcie szkoleń, to jak wielką satysfakcję sprawiło mi wystąpienie w nowej dla mnie roli, osoby dzielącej się doświadczeniem z młodszymi zawodniczkami. Wspaniale było móc obserwować progres uczestniczek, ich zapał i motywację. Każda z nich była wyjątkowa, a wybór okazał się bardzo ciężki. Mam nadzieję na kontynuację programu w przyszłości”.
Finalistka Natalia Lelek ma 15 lat i do tej pory jeździła amatorsko, z rodziną. Nie kryła radości z wyboru: „Jestem bardzo rozemocjonowana, bardzo się cieszę, że zostałam wybrana. Wiem, że przede mną sporo pracy, ponieważ chcę zaprezentować się w Le Mans jak najlepiej, godnie reprezentować siebie, a także nasz kraj. Uważam, że ten program jest super inicjatywą, a szkolenia, które miałyśmy z Gosią, naprawdę dużo nam dały. Dla nas wszystkich, również dla tych dziewczyn, które nie jadą dalej, był to cudowny czas i możliwość do samorozwoju.”
Finalistka Joanna Piwowarek z Piaseczna pod Warszawą ma 17 lat i od 5 lat trenuje karting po 4 razy w tygodniu. Joanna odpowiadając na pytanie o program, mówi: „Co w programie szkoleniowym podobało mi się najbardziej? Z pewnością były to zajęcia z Panią Joanną Janowicz (doradca biznesowy w zakresie komunikacji interpersonalnej – przyp.red.) podczas pierwszego zjazdu, które pomogły nam poprawić własną samoocenę i pewność siebie. Program był dla mnie ogromną szansą na dalszy rozwój w motosporcie i okazją, aby inni zauważyli potencjał polskich zawodniczek kartingowych. Jestem dumna z tego, że mogę reprezentować nasz kraj w finale europejskim w Le Mans”.
Michalina Sabaj, ostatnia ze zwycięskiej trójki, ma 16 lat i od 8 lat trenuje karting. Jeździ z licencją w zawodach ROK Cup. O programie mówi: „Dzięki programowi szkoleniowemu dowiedziałam się, jak dużo pracy należy włożyć w to, aby być pełnowartościowym kierowcą. Teraz wiem, ile czynników składa się na dobre wyniki na torze oraz nad czym muszę popracować. Dodatkowo nauczyłam się pracy w grupie z innymi zawodniczkami. Podczas zjazdów zyskałam nowe doświadczenia oraz zawarłam wiele nowych i cennych znajomości. Najbardziej podobał mi się zjazd w Gdyni. Podczas tego szkolenia brałam udział w zajęciach na symulatorach, co było dla mnie nowym doświadczeniem. Bardzo ciekawe były również zajęcia prowadzone przez Gosię Rdest o mediach społecznościowych w motorsporcie. Cały zespół organizatorów, na czele z Panią Gosią Serbin oraz Mikołajem Pogonowskim, tworzył atmosferę która dawała mi bezpieczeństwo i dużą radość. Wszystkie zawodniczki prezentowały bardzo wysoki i wyrównany poziom. Jestem bardzo miłe zaskoczona wyborem”.
A mere 14 hours after his emotional goodbye to F1, Fernando Alonso was already back at a race track and at the wheel of an F1 car. The car in question was the 2013 McLaren, the last of the V8’s in F1, though that was not his main focus for the day. Alonso was there to try out Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR, with growing speculation around a potential Daytona 500 entry for the Spaniard in the coming years. While Alonso got his first taste of NASCAR, Johnson, in turn, got his first experience in an F1 car, having already spent a day in the McLaren simulator in Woking.
As day broke at the Bahrain International Circuit, Johnson headed out for an installation lap in his #48 NASCAR. He gave Alonso a few pointers and showed him how to exit the car in the customary NASCAR way… through the window. After that, Alonso emerged onto the Bahrain track for the first time since his seventh-place finish in April, with the two-time F1 champion also completing installation laps in the McLaren.
Jimmie’s warmed up the No.48, and debriefs with Fernando on his way back into the garage. Also gives a quick lesson in how to get out. ? #JJxALOpic.twitter.com/3tB9K4I2NQ
They’d given their own cars a run, but now it was time for them to have a go in each other’s cars, as that was the whole reason they were all there in the first place! Alonso, impatient as ever, was the first to head out, taking time to adapt to the different challenges that the NASCAR posed compared to his F1 car. The biggest change for Alonso was the braking and downforce of the NASCAR, which were nowhere near the levels of F1, as well as the sheer weight of the #48 and its tendency to slide through corners.
For all the difficulties Alonso had, Johnson had them pretty much in reverse. He had to deal with huge levels of acceleration and deceleration, not to mention the G-forces that go with it, and the increased downforce of the F1 car, meaning he had to completely rethink his driving style. While some of that could’ve been recreated on the simulator, the over 6 Gs of loading could not, so Johnson was in for quite a shock when he hit the brakes for the first time. Afterwards, he took to Twitter to say how this loading made his eyes ‘lose focus’ and his ‘vision to go blurry’.
The braking point is so late in @F1, it’s insane. The G Forces from hitting the brakes so hard actually make your eyes lose focus and vision go blurry ? Unreal feeling #JJxALO
But, despite the challenges, Johnson certainly impressed Alonso with his attitude and times, ending the day only a few tenths shy of the Spaniard’s morning benchmark. Equally, Alonso impressed in the NASCAR, but then that was to be expected – he’s already proven he’s a weapon in any car he drives, and this was no exception.
Alonso ended his F1 career by doing donuts on the start/finish straight at Abu Dhabi with fellow champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. He ended the car swap by doing donuts with Johnson, with both soon mastering the donut technique needed in their new cars.
Although this was all posed as a bit of fun, it did have true meaning, for Alonso at least, as he eyes up opportunities across the racing world. He’s likely to be driving a NASCAR in anger in the not too distant future while Johnson, as impressive as his times were, is unlikely to climb in an F1 car again unless it’s for an event like this. But, either way, both drivers seemed to have a brilliant time in Bahrain, getting a taste of each other’s worlds and attracting a lot of media attention in the process.
Knowing Alonso and Johnson, that probably won’t be the last of their adventures together… who knows what the next chapter might involve!
After another impressive season with Mercedes, it seems that nothing could stop five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from dominating the race track once again on Sunday afternoon in a somewhat dramatic fashion.
Qualifying results meant that Mercedes had a front row lockout, Hamilton taking prime place on pole position followed by Bottas in second, ahead of the two Ferrari’s of Vettel and Raikkonen in third and fourth, and the two Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in fifth and sixth. The top ten was completed by Romain Grosjean in seventh, an impressive lap time put Charles Leclerc in eighth, Esteban Ocon was ninth and rounding out the top ten was Nico Hulkenberg for Renault.
As daylight faded and the floodlights dominated the night sky, the drivers lined up on the grid, many facing an emotional race ahead; the likes of Kimi Raikkonen who was about to take on his last race for Ferrari, Daniel Ricciardo’s last dance for Red Bull Racing, and of course Fernando Alonso’s final ever Formula One race. It was going to be a challenging afternoon in the desert.
Lights out and both Mercedes, followed by both Ferraris and Daniel Ricciardo, got a clean start into turn one, chased by the rest of the pack. Grosjean and Alonso both ran wide but quickly rejoined, with Fernando losing a few places to Ericsson and Gasly. Max Verstappen was strong off the line, however he encountered a problem with a water temperature sensor which temporarily slowed him into turn two, dropping him down the order. After speaking over the team radio, Max managed to reset the system and the sensor issue was resolved.
2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sunday – Steve Etherington
Leclerc shot up the order to sixth followed by Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Verstappen, Ocon, Sainz and Perez. Leclerc was closing in on Ricciardo and the two switched places numerous times, with Daniel eventually fighting his way back up the field.
Meanwhile, Grosjean and Hulkenberg were fighting behind them for position. Grosjean’s Haas was on the outside line going into the corner, Hulkenberg right alongside him. Nico attempted to move across in front of Grosjean, however he misjudged the corner and, as a result, the pair locked wheels, forcing Hulkenberg’s car to barrel through the air into the barriers, the car coming to rest upside down and with some flames igniting in some of the rear bodywork. The Safety Car was deployed and, thankfully, Nico was unscathed if not a little shaken from the accident.
It was a disappointing race for Kimi Raikkonen whose Ferrari came to a stand still on the start-finish straight at the end of lap seven, the display on his steering wheel going black; a disappointing end to his last race for Ferrari.
Kimi’s technical issue meant that Virtual Safety Car was deployed and Mercedes took the plunge, deciding to bring Hamilton in for supersoft tyres on lap eight of fifty-five. He emerged in P5.
Numerous battles were being had across the board, notably between Ocon and Verstappen who had collided in Brazil. This time, Max got the place without any problems. Gasly and Ericsson were having a scrap before Ericsson’s car suffered a technical failure, and Ocon and Sainz were scrapping for P7.
2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sunday – Steve Etherington
By lap 23, many of the drivers had pitted. However, Red Bull decided to keep Daniel Ricciardo out for a long stint on the ultrasofts, the Australian leading the race before pitting on lap 34 for supersofts, the slower of the compounds. He came out of the pitlane in P5 behind teammate Verstappen.
By lap 35 Bottas was struggling, locking up on several occasions. Sebastian Vettel took advantage of this and managed to steal second place. Both Red Bulls soon closed up on a struggling Bottas and snatched another two places from him, Max up to the final podium spot and Daniel in 4th position.
As the race reached its closing stages, technical issues arose for Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Marcus Ericsson who all were forced to retire, a disappointing end to each of their seasons.
Despite the drama behind him, Lewis Hamilton had a faultless race, cruising to his 73rd career victory in Formula One. The podium was completed by Sebastian Vettel in 2nd place and Max Verstappen in 3rd, Daniel Ricciardo finishing his 100th race and last for Red Bull Racing in an admirable 4th position.
Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Valtteri Bottas finished in 5th followed by an impressive result for Renaults’ Carlos Sainz in 6th and Alfa Romeo Saubers’ Charles Leclerc in 7th, both in their final races for their respective teams before moving on to pastures new at McLaren and Ferrari.
It was a well fought but disappointing final race for double world champion Fernando Alonso, who just missed out on the points in P11. At the end of the race, Alonso was joined by Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel who all performed doughnuts on the home straight for the Abu Dhabi crowds as a farewell to the 2018 season and the legendary Spanish driver, a truly remarkable end to the championship. The countdown is on for 2019!
Featured Image: 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Ferrari Media
Seb Loeb took Citroen Racing’s only victory this year in Spain. Photo credit Citroen Racing
It really was an up and down season for the former champions. The second season with the new C3 yielded a few podiums and just one win. Kris Meeke had his contract terminated after Rally Italia Sardegna, when he crashed again. Mads Ostberg, who had started the season as a part-time driver, then completed the year.
In Monte Carlo Kris Meeke finished in 4th place and Craig Breen 11th. A good start on the whole, given that Kris was targeting the championship.
Sweden however, saw Kris have an accident which gave him no chance of scoring points, and it was Craig who came through and scored his best result yet with second place behind winner Thierry. In his first event of the year and after a battle with Lappi, Mads scored a fine sixth place in his first drive in the C3.
Mexico was next up, the return to the event which Kris had won the year before, and it was a second consecutive podium for the lead driver, Kris finishing in third. It was a false dawn, though. Seb Loeb also impressed, challenging for the top spots, before finally finishing in fifth place.
This is how the championship positions looked after those three rounds
DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Sébastien Ogier – 60 points
Thierry Neuville – 51 points
Andreas Mikkelsen – 34 points
Kris Meeke – 32 points
Jari-Matti Latvala – 30 points
Ott Tänak – 26 points
Esapekka Lappi – 23 points
Craig Breen – 20 points
Dani Sordo – 18 points
Sébastien Loeb – 10 points
MANUFACTURERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Hyundai WRT – 84 points
M-Sport Ford WRT – 72 points
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT – 71 points
Toyota Gazoo Racing – 67 points
Next up was Tour de Corse, which again Kris had led in 2017, but an oil leak put him out then. This year he was challenging well, but slid off the road after a pacenote mistake from Paul in the final stage of Saturday whilst running in second overall. Seb Loeb was also doing well too, but slid off the road as his tyres hadn’t come up to temperature enough for the dirty road in front of them. They both finished, but down in ninth and fourteenth positions respectively. A shame given the pace that had been shown.
Argentina was next, round five. This would be the final rally Kris would complete for the team, finishing in seventh overall after getting a puncture whilst challenging again near the front. Craig Breen would also go well, until a roll which would damage his rollcage beyond repair, putting him out of the event, whilst Al Qassimi in the other car would finish twelfth.
Portugal next up and with three cars entered for Kris, Craig and Mads the team were looking for good points. Mads finished in sixth place, with Craig in seventh, but all of this was overshadowed by the crash on Saturday for Kris and Paul where the car left the road and crashed into some trees. It was a big one, and at this point there was no suggestion he was heading out of the door. Yet, six days later we got the huge news that the team had terminated their contract over safety reasons.
Italia Sardegna was next, with two cars being run for Mads and Craig. Rain on day one made tyre choice hard, with some stages as muddy as Wales, and others dry! With the following days stages being dry, the two crews ultimately finished in fifth (Mads) and sixth (Craig). For Mads, this was the best finishing position for him so far in this car.
The amazing Rally Finland was next, and the schedule had had some tweaks to make it less friendly for the non-Scandinavian drivers. Three cars were entered for Mads, Craig and Khalid. Craig suffered a puncture during Friday’s stages, leaving him to sweep the roads on his way to eighth place. Khalid went off the road, re-joining under Rally2 regs, but it was the performance of Norwegian, Mads that stood out. He held off a determined drive from three-time winner Latvala to clinch second place.
Mads and Torstein scored a brilliant second place in Rally Finland. Photo credit Citroen Racing
The summer break followed, and the points standings looked like this after eight rounds, with five still to go.
DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Thierry Neuville – 153 points
Sébastien Ogier – 132 points
Ott Tänak – 107 points
Esapekka Lappi – 70 points
Dani Sordo – 60 points
Andreas Mikkelsen – 57 points
Jari-Matti Latvala – 55 points
Elfyn Evans – 52 points
Mads Ostberg – 48 points
Kris Meeke – 43 points
Craig Breen – 39 points
MANUFACTURERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Hyundai WRT – 228 points
M-Sport Ford WRT – 202 points
Toyota Gazoo Racing – 201 points
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT – 153 points
Following the long summer break, Rally Germany restarted the season after a six-week break. Mads and Craig once again would be in the cars. A tricky event, with rain on Friday, really mixed things up. Unfortunately, Mads didn’t complete the event, after going off the road and damaging the cooling system, whilst Craig finished in seventh place.
The return of Rally Turkey to the championship would definitely make things interesting. A totally new event for this year, therefore the crews would have to create new pacenotes from scratch. Three cars were entered for Mads, Craig and Khalid. After taking the lead on Friday, Craig then suffered two punctures, dropping him down the field. After climbing back up the standings, his car burst into flames on Saturday, completely gutting it. Meantime, Mads was doing well, till broken suspension followed by turbo failure then put him well down the order. Khalid also suffered turbo failure, but he re-joined and finished in fifteenth.
Next up was Wales Rally GB, and with two cars for Mads and Craig, what would this event hold? Well, after a very spirited attack, and finally getting some good luck during Friday with no punctures, Craig finished in fourth overall after challenging for a podium throughout Saturday and Sunday. Mads also had a good event running in the top five, before a spin on Sunday relegated him to eighth in the end.
Rally Spain was next, the dual surface event. Seb Loeb, Craig and Khalid would drive the cars. The nine-time champion was taking part for the last time this year and he didn’t disappoint! After good runs through Friday and Saturday, he seized the lead on Sunday after taking a gamble on hard tyres and won for the 79th time! Meantime Craig had a couple of spins on the wet tarmac, finishing in ninth and Khalid in twenty-third in his final appearance this year.
The last event of the year, Rally Australia saw Mads and Craig line-up. They both drove really well, with Mads and Craig holding first and second at the end of day one. Moving into day two, Mads continued to show good pace, but Craig suffered first with a sticking throttle, before then damaging his suspension, which he fixed after the stage, but gained time penalties dropping him down after arriving at the stage late. When the rain arrived on Sunday, Mads put a great performance together and kept the car on the road for his second podium of the year, ultimately finishing in third. Craig put his troubles from Saturday behind him and drove to seventh overall.
After leading at the end of day one of Rally Australia, Mads and Torstein came through and finished in third overall. Photo credit, Citroen Racing
The Citroen team had a tricky year, and ultimately didn’t get the results that you’d expect. Sacking Kris the way they did was certainly a surprise, and they didn’t really have the person that could really lead the team. Next year will be very different, with Seb Ogier and Esapekka Lappi joining the so-called Red Army. What this means for Mads and Craig, it’s hard to say right now. Khalid will almost certainly be driving the car at some points and perhaps we’ll see either Craig or Mads in a third car on occasions.
By signing Seb, they’re certainly making a statement of intention that they want next year’s world championship. These last two years, with finishing bottom of the pile the manufacturers championship will have been very painful for them.
Image courtesy of Racing Point F1 team.
