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  • 2017 Monaco ePrix Preview

    Six weeks ago in Mexico City the Formula E Championship was treated to one of the most enthralling races in its brief history. NextEV’s Oliver Turvey led the field away after the stewards sent original polesitter Daniel Abt to the back of the grid, only to break down early on and surrender the lead to José María López; but when the pit stops came around it was Lucas di Grassi in front, having leapfrogged the field with a remarkably brave early strategy call, and the Brazilian eventually came home to take his first win of the season.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Aut—dromo Hermanos Rodr’guez, Mexico City, Mexico
    Saturday 1 April 2017.
    Lucas Di Grassi (BRA), ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, Spark-Abt Sportsline, ABT Schaeffler FE02.
    Photo: Sam BloxhamLAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _J6I7741

    Now the 2016–17 championship begins its European leg, a four-race stretch beginning this weekend on the streets of Monte Carlo.

    This will be the second running of the Monaco ePrix—the event not featuring last season after forming part of the sport’s inaugural calendar in 2015. Of the twenty drivers who contested that first race around the principality, twelve are returning in 2017, including ten of the eleven previous points scorers.

    One such driver who will be hoping to repeat his previous Monaco ePrix result is Sébastien Buemi. Up until the chequered flag fell in Mexico City, Buemi had been known as “runaway championship leader”, but an off-colour fourteenth-place finish for the Swiss driver saw his title lead slashed to just five points by di Grassi’s win.

    It will be a boon, then, for Buemi to reset and return to an event he not only won last time around, but dominated from pole position. Another such win on Saturday would be the perfect way for the defending champion to put his difficult Mexico weekend behind him and reassert his authority over the title race.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Mexico City ePrix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico.
    Saturday 1 April 2017.
    Sebastien Buemi (SUI), Renault e.Dams, Spark-Renault, Renault Z.E 16.
    Photo: Zak Mauger/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _56I5814

    Also on the lookout for a strong finish in Monaco will be Nico Prost and Daniel Abt. With their respective teammates contesting the Formula E title, both drivers have been left somewhat in the shadow this season, but with consistent results in the four races so far neither should be discounted from the sharp end of the grid this weekend.

    So too will Jaguar be hoping for another visit to top ten on Saturday after securing its first points in Formula E last time out. Admittedly the competition from NextEV, Andretti and Dragon will be tough to overcome a second time running, but the British marque can take some hope from the success its two drivers have had around the principality—one win and three podiums between them—throughout their respective junior formula careers.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico
    Friday 31 March 2017.
    Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _J6I6362

    At the other end of the spectrum are Mahindra and DS Virgin. Although both teams have taken two podiums each from the opening four races, their overall results have been variable at best; a double points haul on Saturday—and another podium if possible—will be crucial for either outfit if they are to close the gap to the front and avoid being overhauled for third by Techeetah.

    However, DS Virgin may already be on the back foot this weekend—after sustaining vertebrae damage in a heavy crash during the 6 Hours of Silverstone, López may be forced to sit out the Monaco ePrix on medical grounds. The team does have reserve driver Alex Lynn on standby, but any late substitution is far from ideal at a circuit such as Monte Carlo.

    Similarly, there could well be another fresh face in the Andretti garage as well, as a knee injury for Robin Frijns has brought the possibility that the Dutchman’s car could instead be piloted by BMW GT and Andretti development driver Alexander Sims. However, Frijns has insisted that his plan is still to race on Saturday, providing his injury does not hamper him changing into his second car.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico
    Friday 31 March 2017.
    Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _J6I6116

    And finally, if any team is hungrier than the rest for a solid performance in Monaco this weekend, it has to be Venturi. Coming into their home event, the team currently sits well adrift at the bottom of the standings on just three points, thirteen behind ninth-placed Jaguar.

    Various mechanical and electrical problems have so far blighted Venturi’s running in season three—contributing to retirements for Maro Engel in each of the last three races in succession—but with a little luck on home soil both he and Stéphane Sarrazin are more than capable of bringing home a top ten finish for the Monegasque team.

    James Matthews, Deputy Editor

    All images courtesy of FIA Formula E

  • Let the Kismet Decide, Spanish GP Preview

    BARCELLONA (SPAGNA) – 15/05/16
    © FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

    Spanish Grand Prix Preview 12-14 May

    One of the most exciting races of the season is taking place in Spain this weekend. In Barcelona, Ferrari will try to overtake Mercedes in the constructors’ championship and Hamilton aims to get closer or even ahead of Vettel on the drivers’ championship.

    Bottas’ victory in Russia, was a pleasant surprise for the Formula One community, if the Finn remains fast and concentrate during the season, he will play a key role in the championship in his debut year with Mercedes.

    Barcelona is a familiar track for most of the Formula 1 drivers as they were driving there during the pre-season tests in winter, but that does not mean that it is an easy track to drive.

    Last season, kismet decided that Max Verstappen must win one of the most thrilling races in 2016 and celebrate a victory on his debut with Red Bull Racing. A collision between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton forced both Mercedes out of the race and the safety car was deployed for the first time.

    Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen were on a different strategy from their team-mates, they pitted two times while Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel stopped three times. That gave them an advantage and also gave the lead to Max Verstappen. After 66 laps the Dutch became the youngest ever race winner in Formula One.

    Circuit De Barcelona – Catalunya

    Laps: 66

    Circuit Length: 4.655 km

    Race Distance: 307.104 km

    Lap Record: 1:21.670 (Kimi Raikkonen – 2008)

    Nominated Compounds: Soft (Yellow), Medium (White), Hard (Orange)

    Personal Race Prediction: Vettel (Ferrari), Hamilton (Mercedes), Bottas (Mercedes)

    During the pre-season tests in Barcelona, a 1.5 second gap between medium and soft tyre compounds was detected, this is expected to be lower this weekend as the fuel load will be different and most of the teams are expected to present new upgrades on their cars.

    It will be Fernando Alonso’s and Carlos Sainz’s home race and it will be nice to see them racing alongside their fans.

    Carlos Sainz – “When racing at home, the feeling is so different to any other race – every time you drive out on track you know there’s more people watching and cheering for you, and this makes the whole weekend very special. I’ve been to the Barcelona track since I was nine years old, and now I’m the one racing there, it’s just amazing. Of course the whole weekend is also a bit busier than normal, but you just do everything with a big smile on your face, as I know I’m a very lucky person.”

    Fernando Alonso – “I’m really excited about returning to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. It’s my home race, I’ve had some great times there, and the atmosphere is always crazy. We spend a lot of time there in pre-season testing, but there’s nothing quite like the emotion of racing there in front of your home fans. It’s a very special feeling. After a run of difficult races for us, I’m not sure what we can expect from this weekend. We’re expecting some various new parts – which we bring to every race – but we can’t really focus too much on performance until we have solved our reliability issues. That’s always our focus.”

    The upgrades which the teams are bringing might play a critical role in the race, but personally, I don’t see Red Bull to be able to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari, the new parts will affect the battle between the ‘middle’ teams.

    Bellow you can watch Red Bull Racing’s head of Aerodynamics, Dan Fallows, Spanish Grand Prix Preview via Mobil 1 The Grid.

    Victor Archakis – @FP_Passion

    (Images Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

  • Marquez Breaks Morbidelli’s Spell

     

    In front of an ecstatic, partisan home crowd, Alex Marquez claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory in the intermediate class today, ending the early season domination of his team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

    Venue: Circuito de Jerez de la Frontera

    Race Distance: 71.5 miles (26 Laps)

    Weather: Dry, Sunny.

    Starting from pole, the Estrella-Galicia MarcVDS rider was rarely troubled as he produced a near faultless performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. Marquez had looked the faster of the two all weekend, with the circuit seeming to suit his trail-braking riding style perfectly. Despite one mistake, running wide at the sweeping turn 5, he had the measure of Morbidelli. Having briefly lost the lead to his team-mate, Marquez refound his rhythm and homed in on the championship leader.

    In contrast, Franco Morbidelli seemed less of his composed self throughout the weekend, which culminated in a very uncharacteristic crash on lap 9, ending his race early. It may have been his first non-finish of the season and, having taken victory in the three previous rounds he still maintains a decent lead in the standings. Nevertheless, the question can now be asked as to whether Morbidelli has the mental strength to keep Marquez at bay for the rest of the championship. Given the performance levels of the MarcVDS machine, it looks increasingly likely that the battle for the World title will be an in-house affair.

    Filling the remainder of the podium were Sky-VR|46’s Francesco Bagnaia and KTM’s Miguel Oliveira in second and third places respectively. Both riders continue to impress, particularly Bagnaia, who is in his rookie season in the championship. The 20-year old from Turin, who started from the second row on the grid, looked as if he’d been riding the 600cc prototype machine for years, comfortably fending off numerous attacks from the vastly more experienced Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team). Oliveira once more produced a strong race to support his efforts from qualifying on Saturday. The Portuguese rider was understandably ecstatic post-race and paid tribute to his mechanics for providing him with “the orange-rocket”. Both he and Bagnaia left Jerez quietly confident that it will not be too long before they get their turns to stand on the top step of the podium.

    Behind, it was a case of damage limitation for pre-season favourite, Thomas Luthi. The Swiss rider had endured a pretty torrid weekend and started the race in P12 following a disastrous qualifying session. After the opening lap, it looked like it was going to be a completely barren result for the CarXpert-Interwetten rider, having lost touch with the front runners. Luthi needed to call upon all of his experience to bring the bike home in a credible P8. Damage limited but needs a much stronger showing next time out in Le Mans.

    Finally, it was an excellent result for AGR’s sole Moto2 entrant, Yonny Hernandez. The former premier class rider has endured a difficult start to life in the intermediate category, and seemed destined for more of the same after qualifying in P22. From there, the Columbian carved his way through the field, passing multiple established competitors (Takaaki Nakagami, Hafiz Syahrin, Lorenzo Balderssarri etc) to finish P9. Just the breakthrough needed to set himself and the team up nicely for the European leg of the season.

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • Moto2 Race Preview: Day of Reckoning Awaits Marquez

    With the Grand-Prix paddock now back for the long European leg of the season, one question has been on everybody’s lips: Can anyone stop Franco Morbidelli?

    Judging from Friday’s practice and Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the answer is yes.

    Alex Marquez (Estrella-Galicia MarcVDS team) has been in irresistible form so far this weekend, finishing as the fastest rider in all three free practice sessions. The Spaniard claimed pole position in a frenetic qualifying session ahead of his team-mate, Franco Morbidelli, by 0.043 of a second. With riders tripping over each other, Marquez was very nearly undone by Tech3’s Remy Gardner, when their bikes made contact in the latter stages of the session. Having squandered the chance to claim victory in Argentina, Marquez will be desperate to take the spoils in front of the Spanish crowd. Additionally, a win here will not only silence the doubters, but also get his championship challenge firmly back on track.

    Whilst the MarcVDS team have been fighting almost exclusively so far for victory, the KTM outfit continue to push as best of the rest. All the more impressive when one considers that this is the Austrian team’s maiden season in the class. Miguel Oliveira, will start Sunday’s race heading up the second row of the grid in P4. Having moved across from the Leopard outfit at the end of last season to join KTM, the Portuguese rider continues to go from strength to strength in Moto2 and is quietly confident of a podium finish in the race.

    It was an equally impressive qualifying display from the Sky-VR|46 team, as rookie Francesco Bagnaia secured a place on the second row in P6. The Italian has won almost universal praise from supporters and onlookers alike this season. Having been promoted from Moto3 the 20-year old from Turin has not just settled into the category, but is already a regular points scorer so far this season. Having surpassed his previous best qualifying performance (P9 in Qatar), a podium finish would not be impossible on Sunday by any stretch of the imagination.

    It was a difficult day for the likes of Luca Marini (Forward-Racing) and Thomas Luthi (CarXpert-Interwetten). The latter has struggled all weekend, citing a general lack of grip from the rear tyre and ‘chatter’ from the front suspension. Having to start the race in P12, on the fourth row of the grid, the veteran Swiss will need to produce a strong performance to prevent his championship hopes from derailing.

    Of course, with three wins out of three already to his name, nobody is going to rule out the chance of four in a row for Morbidelli. The Italian has once again been at the sharp end of the timesheets throughout all the track sessions – both in practice and qualifying. True, he has not topped the timesheets yet this weekend, but with a miniscule gap to his team-mate and a 26-lap race distance on Sunday, the Italian is still the bookies’ favourite.

    Can anyone stop Franco Morbidelli? Yes.

    Will they stop him?

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • GP2 to F2: what does it mean?

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 1.
    Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain.
    Saturday 15 April 2017.
    Charles Leclerc (MCO, PREMA Racing) leads Norman Nato (FRA, Pertamina Arden)
    Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image _W6I0209

     

    To many, it may have seemed like a rather rushed decision to transform the GP2 Series into the FIA Formula 2 Championship, but this was a move that was just waiting to happen for years.

    Though the newly formed series technically represents a new category of single seater racing, there is not much that sets it apart from the former GP2 series. The championship has retained almost all the hallmarks of its predecessor, right down to the name of the year’s chassis: GP2/11. The change was only announced in March, and with the first round of the championship taking place in April, that meant there was little time to implement anything beyond the change in name. But even this itself will have, and has had, a sizeable impact on the image of the category.

    For someone unfamiliar with junior categories of motorsport, it would have been unclear where GP2 sat on the single seater ladder. The Formula 2 (or F2) moniker however, makes it abundantly clear that this represents the very peak of the junior categories, sitting just one rung below Formula 1. While GP2 was always meant to represent this, the acquisition of the new name is a step in the right direction for the category in gaining the recognition it needs.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 1.
    Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain.
    Saturday 15 April 2017.
    Norman Nato (FRA, Pertamina Arden) leads Charles Leclerc (MCO, PREMA Racing)
    Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image _W6I0306

    The other change that has already come into effect is the affiliation of F2 with the FIA.

    This is the most important aspect regarding the integration of Formula 2 into the FIA Global Pathway – the official name for the road laid out by the federation that aims to take a driver from karting all the way to Formula 1. It has long been a project of FIA President Jean Todt to create an efficient and complete pyramid for single seater racing, and he described the creation of Formula 2 as “a very important step” in this process.

    No doubt, this particular move was enabled by the takeover of the Formula One Group by Liberty Media. The GP2 Series was the brainchild of Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, so with Ecclestone ousted, it made it far easier to pull GP2 into the mainstream.

    New CEO of the Formula One Group Chase Carey has previously stated that strengthening junior motorsport categories was a priority for Liberty Media, and this move was most likely the first step in that mission. FIA affiliation will go a long way in ensuring the longevity of Formula 2 as well as bolstering its reputation.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 1.
    Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain.
    Saturday 15 April 2017.
    Antonio Fuoco (ITA, PREMA Racing)
    Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image _W6I0276

    These are only the first steps in what will probably transpire to be a total overhaul of the Formula 2 championship. There is no doubt that we will see more changes to the series before the 2018 season, when there is more time over the winter break to set about restructuring and reorganising.

    Next season expect the cars to be remodelled so that they reflect the new regulations that have been introduce in Formula 1 this season. Last year, the cars were very similar in the two categories, but with the wider, lower degradation tyres and new aero regulations introduced in F1 the difference has become substantial. If Formula 2 is to act as preparation for the very pinnacle of motorsport, then the gulf between the two categories will need to be closed.

    The implication of this announcement is that it places a very large question mark over the future of GP3, which will return in Barcelona to begin its 2017 season. Is there really room for the series in this perfectly planned pathway that Todt and the FIA have envisioned? With Formula 3 and Formula 4 fully supported by the FIA, and already well established in their own right, it is difficult to see where GP3 could fit in.

    There have already been signs pointing towards uncertainty surrounding the GP3 Series, with race winner Jake Hughes opting to switch to Formula 3 for the 2017 season. Traditionally, this would be seen as a step down, but with F3 and F4 quickly becoming the more attractive categories for young drivers, it’s a move that makes sense. Don’t be too surprised if by the end of the year we see the scrapping of this particular support series

    The formation of the new Formula 2 championship might just have saved it from this stagnation, and secured its future.

    Georgia Beith, F2 Correspondent

  • F1 to return to the Glen?

    Ever since purchasing Formula 1, Liberty Media have sought after increasing the calendar, especially in North America as it is such an untapped market to enter.

    Watkins Glen could be the answer. The interest in F1 cannot be higher especially after the now success of the Circuit of the Americas at Austin and Alonso’s Indy 500 participation this year.

    Watkins Glen International, or known as The Glen for short, is full of history, and has the experience to hold an event. The track was part of the Formula 1 calendar for 20 years, last held in 1980, traditionally in autumn. This could allow a back-to-back with Austin on the current calendar structure.

    The Glen has an annual schedule, and is regularly used, from its traditional 6 hour endurance to the various NASCAR events and Verizon IndyCar events throughout the year. Hulman & Company, owners of the IndyCar series, are in talks with extending the contract, only back on the 2017 calendar this year due to the collapse of the planned street track in Boston.

    In recent years various redevelopments on and off track have been completed which have increased interest in the track. The much out-of-date media centre has been taken down and completely reconstructed with a state of the art control tower which allowed the full 43-car NASCAR grid last year.

    Whilst on track in recent years from 2010 onwards the track has been repaved, including its extension ‘the boot’ which was added to the track in the early 90’s.

    To make the track look more modern, they took away the rumble strips and added the more common red & yellow designs with extending the asphalt run off areas for safety.

    Charlie Whiting, Formula 1’s race director, is a big fan of Watkins Glen. “It is a wonderful circuit,” he stated last year. Every few years he inspects the track, with a visit in 2016 after the most recent repave increasing speculation that Formula 1 was to return. This was before Liberty Media bought the sport but still led to major rumours around the paddock.

    Above you can see a layout of the Watkins Glen track; as you can see though, we have colour co-ordinated it to accommodate possible areas for DRS zones. The only amendment you could make to the layout really is to make the pit entrance before the last corner for safety concerns. The Glen has a lovely flow to it, especially in the chute through to the boot section on the bottom right of the track.

    Liberty Media want more races in America; Bernie Ecclestone for many years sought Formula 1 to be in New York, for the Grand Prix of New Jersey as it would be known.

    But when you have a fully fledged historic race track in the state of New York, so why let it go to waste? The Glen currently holds an estimated 38,000 on race days, but with a few more stands it could easily have space to accommodate 45,000+ fans.

    Currently an FIA grade 2 track, Watkins Glen is compliant with every racing series except for Formula 1, similar to established tracks like Sebring and Le Mans; but if a contract can be put in place, plans can made to bring the track up to the Grade 1 that it needs. Most recently, look at the renovation that was put into place with Mexico to increase the grading of that venue.

    The Glen has had great entertainment in recent years, and with a contract with Formula 1 that could only continue to grow.

    Chris Lord, F1 Correspondent

  • Valtteri Bottas, F1’s 107th Different Winner

    Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia.
    Sunday 30 April 2017.
    World Copyright: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images
    ref: Digital Image _31I1948

    Valtteri Bottas, in Russia, won his first Grand Prix in his Formula One career after 81 starts. The Finn started from the third position, passed the two Ferraris on the first lap and led the race until the end.

    Sebastian Vettel with his Ferrari finished only 0.617s behind Bottas. The German had a fresher set of tyres and tried to take advantage of that in the final laps. The Finn defended his position even when Vettel was in the DRS zone and remained until the chequered flag.

    In Sochi, Valtteri Bottas became F1’s 107th different winner and the fifth Finn who has won a race, the other four are Keke Rosberg, Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki Kovalainen.

    Get in PitCrew’s time travel machine, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a trip to the past! Where and when did some of the greatest drivers, in Formula 1, won their first race?

    Ayrton Senna

    In the second race of the 1985 Formula One season, Ayrton Senna with Lotus-Renault, celebrated his first victory in his F1 career. The Brazilian started the race from the pole and he was leading for 67 laps. Michele Alboreto with Ferrari and Patrick Tambay with Renault finished second and third respectively. Sixteen drivers retired in that race and Manfred Winelhock was not classified.

    The race was originally scheduled for 70 laps, but at the beginning of lap 67, Ayrton Senna received a ‘one lap to go’ signal from the race director as the race esceeded the two-hour time limit.

    The Portuguese Grand Prix was held in Estoril on April 21, 1985, and it was Senna’s first of the 41 Formula One victories.

    Michael Schumacher

    BELGIAN GRAND PRIX F1/2012 – SPA FRANCORCHAMPS 31/08/2012 – MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

    Michael Schumacher raced for the first time in Formula 1 in 1991 at the Belgian Grand Prix, it took him almost a year and in 1992 at the same race, he won his first Grand Prix in F1. The German won with Benetton and it was the first of his 91 victories. Eighteen drivers finished that race, Nigel Mansell with his Williams-Renault took the pole position, but Michael Schumacher, who started third, took the chequered flag.

    It was a wet race at the Spa circuit which gave to the German his first F1 victory. At that season, Schumacher finished third in the Drivers’ Championship and scored 53 points. Michael Schumacher’s last Grand Prix was in 2012 at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

    Nigel Mansell

    Two races before the end of the 1985 Formula One season, Nigel Mansell at the European Grand Prix, took his first chequered flag. The race held at Brands Hatch on October 6, 1985. Ayrton Senna was the fastest driver during the qualifying session and with 1:07.169 he took the pole position. Nigel Mansell qualified third and started the race behind the two Brazilians, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.

    Frank Williams signed Mansell to drive alongside Keke Rosberg and the Brit said that ‘Keke was probably one of the best team-mates I’ve had in my career’. The British driver won 31 races in total, took 32 pole positions and celebrated one championship in 1992. During his Formula One career, he drove for Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and McLaren.

    Jenson Button

    2011 Spanish Grand Prix – Sunday
    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
    22nd May 2011
    Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes.
    World Copyright:Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic
    ref: Digital Image _Q0C4200

    Jenson made his Formula One debut in 2000 at the Australian Grand Prix with Williams. The British replaced Alex Zanardi and became the British youngest Formula 1, driver. On August 2006, in Hungary, Button after a long waiting, won his first Grand Prix and finished on the highest step of the podium followed by Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld. In qualifying, Kimi Raikkonen secured the pole position, while Button qualified fourth, but received a 10 place grid penalty due to an engine change.

    The track was wet when the race started and Jenson Button fought all the way up to the first position. A collision between Raikkonen and Vitantonio Liuzzi deployed the safety car, at that moment Jenson Button decided to stay out on track and that led him up to the second position behind Fernando Alonso. When the safety car returned into the pits, Button was pushing Alonso but the Britt pitted for fuel, whilst the Spaniard pitted for dry tyres.

    When Alonso rejoined the track he had problems with his rear wheel nut, Alonso lost the control of his car and crashed. That allowed to Button to take the lead and remained first until the end of the race.

    Sebastian Vettel

    2011 Australian Grand Prix – Sunday
    Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia
    27th March 2011.
    Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing RB7 Renault.
    World Copyright:Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic
    ref: Digital Image _Q0C1424

    Four world titles, 90 podiums, 44 points and 2,194 points are some interesting numbers in Sebastian Vettel’s career. The German, made his F1 debut in Indianapolis Motor Speedway with BMW Sauber and replaced the injured Robert Kubica. Almost a year later, Vettel became the youngest driver in the history of Formula One to win a Grand Prix.

    Heavy rain before the start of the race, made the track slippery and that forced the stewards to start the race behind the safety car. When the safety car returned to the pits, Sebastian Vettel increased his lead, from Kovalainen to two seconds and secured his first victory as an F1 driver.

    Sebastian Vettel with his Toro Rosso-Ferrari scored 10 points and he was leading the Italian Grand Prix for 306.720 km.

    These were a few of the 107 different winners in Formula 1 and I believe that the current grid has some skilful drivers which can increase that number.

    Victor Archakis – @FP_Passion

     

  • Moto3 Spanish GP Preview: Home Victory or Home Defeat

     

    Moto3 rolls back into life this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix. Following Romano Fenati’s victory at COTA, the front four in the championship are covered by a mere 13 points, with Joan Mir leading the way from Jorge Martin and John McPhee. However, the return to Europe always shows us who the real deal is and who is going to be in the championship hunt to the end. We have yet to see the likes of Enea Bastianini, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Nicolo Bulega up at the sharp end, promising us a frantic next few races. The question is whether or not Spain will take a win or if one of the other nations will beat them on their home territory.

    Joan Mir’s 8th place at COTA was his worst finish of the year, but he maintained the championship lead, despite it shrinking to just six points. The Spaniard will be searching for a good result at home and an improvement on last year’s sixth place at Jerez.

    Jorge Martin will be wanting his first race win of the year, having started with two 3rd places and a 2nd at COTA. The young Spaniard scored a 14th at Jerez back in 2015 and that remains his best result, seeing as he crashed out last year. He and Mir may end up in a Spanish showdown on who will take honours in their home race.

    Of course, it may be neither of them. John McPhee has had his best ever start to a year with two 2nd places and a 7th last time out in The States. Having spoken to the young Scot at the Oulton Park BSB meeting, it may well be worth watching him, as he is confident at more familiar circuits. Britain’s Danny Kent won the Moto3 race in 2015 and a repeat performance from McPhee would do us Brits just nicely indeed.

    Romano Fenati elevated himself up the leaderboard after his first win of the year at COTA. Having won their in 2016, Fenati made amends whilst those around him fell and languished. The Italian has a winning history at Jerez too, with a dominant 36 second win in 2012 in just his 2nd ever GP. Can the diminutive Italian force his Honda to work around Jerez?

    There’s more Italians in behind Fenati too. In 5th, Andrea Migno has finished every race in the points so far, with a worst result of 12th coming last time around. The VR46 rider will hope his form at Jerez will change, with 11th last year being his best. He is the first KTM rider in the championship and the manufacturer scored an excellent one-two last year. Could that signify something special on race day?

    Fabio Di Giannantonio took 3rd place in COTA for his first podium of the year. The young Italian whipper-snapper returning to the form we know he has after being punted off by Bulega in Argentina. He crashed out of the race last year at Jerez but will be looking for the first back to back podiums of his career and maybe even his first win, to launch his title charge properly.

    Nicolo Bulega’s 2nd at Jerez last year is his best Moto3 result to date and one of only two podiums. With a return to form at COTA with 5th, Bulega will be hopeful of a shot at the podium under the Spanish sun.

    Watch out for other riders such as Aron Canet, Phillip Oettl and Juanfran Guevara, with Gabriel Rodrigo, Enea Bastianini and Livio Loi also hoping for good results. Former CEV riders Kaito Toba, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat, Tony Arbolino, Ayumu Sasaki and Marcos Ramirez will also feel more at home this weekend, coming to a circuit they are familiar with.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • MotoGP Spanish GP Preview: A Sherry On Top of the Cake

    The first European round of the 2017 MotoGP championship comes from Jerez de la Frontera for the Spanish Grand Prix. Situated over 600km away from the country’s capital Madrid, Jerez has seen some memorable scenes acted out around the 2.7 mile track. From Michael Doohan and Alex Criville in 1996 to Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau in 2005, this circuit has seen it all and we could be in for a weekend filled with action and drama as well as thrills and spills.

    Valentino Rossi, for the first time since November 2015, leads the series. The Movistar Yamaha veteran has finished on the podium in every race so far this year and arrives at a track at which he has triumphed on nine occasions, the most recent being last year. With a six point lead over teammate Maverick Vinales, The Doctor will need to bring his ‘A’ game to Jerez. Should he win at Jerez, it will be his 10th at the track and his 22nd in Spain, as well as 115th in his GP career. The scene of many incidents in his career, Jerez is steeped in Rossi history but what will the future hold for 38-year-old Italian, as he continues his quest for title number 10. He’s like a good Spanish wine: he gets better with age.

    Chasing him in the championship is Maverick Vinales, making it a dream start to Movistar Yamaha’s 2017 championship aspirations. However, Vinales couldn’t handle the heat in Texas, falling in the opening laps, gifting teammate Rossi the series lead by a mere six points. Having won at Jerez in his 2013 Moto3 championship year, Maverick’s best result in the MotoGP category was 6th place last season on the Suzuki. Two wins to his name so far this year indicate Vinales’ pace but now we arrive at circuits which are familiar to all MotoGP riders. Yamaha have won at the track for the last two seasons with two different riders and Maverick will be hoping he can be the 3rd. Competition will be tough and it may well be a matter of Vinales maintaining his composure, seeing as the speed is most definitely there.

    18 points back of Valentino and 12 back from Maverick, Americas GP’s winner Marc Marquez got his season kick-started in the States. The Repsol Honda rider arrives at his home GP off the back of domination but his form in Spain doesn’t indicate a certain win this time. 3rd last season and 2nd the year before, Marquez knows that he has to take points off the Movistar Yamaha men whilst the season is still young. Honda haven’t won since Marc was in his winning form in 2014 and there will be big pressure from team sponsor Repsol to end the drought. Can he perform in front of his home crowd to take his first back to back victories in 2017 and close down the leading Yamaha duo before they build an unassailable lead on the five time champ?

    Despite finishing just 6th in the USA and not finishing in Argentina, Andrea Dovizioso remains 4th in the series, 8 points behind Marquez in 3rd and 26 behind leader Rossi. Dovi hasn’t had the best luck so far in 2017 but a lacklustre display in the USA highlighted that the Ducati is struggling in both his and Jorge’s hands. The Ducati hasn’t got a particularly amazing record at Jerez either, with their last podium coming in 2009 with Casey Stoner and their last win with Loris Capirossi in 2006. Will they solve the problem with Dovi? Can he return the Bologna Bullet to the Spanish GP rostrum? We will soon see! Dovi hasn’t won at the track and he’s not taken a premier class podium either, so form may suggest not this weekend.

    Cal Crutchlow sits pretty in 5th place in the championship, just one point behind his former Tech 3 Yamaha and Ducati Factory teammate. The British rider has had a good start to the season on Lucio Cecchinello’s Honda, despite crashing twice under the lights at Losail. A 3rd in Argentina and a 4th in America mean Crutchlow comes back to Europe without the sense of needing to prove himself to doubters. His Spanish Grand Prix results speak for themselves, with a stunning 4th in 2012 and 2015, and a 5th in 2013. If he does manage to mount the podium, he will be the first British rider on the premier class podium at Jerez since Niall Mackenzie in 1992. Now, I will leave you with that thought.

    The second of the Repsol Hondas is occupying 6th place, with Dani Pedrosa’s third place in America elevating him up the championship pecking order. Pedrosa sits just 2 points behind Cal and 3 points behind Dovi in the series standings. The Spaniard has been very successful around Jerez, accumulating three victories and 10 podiums, although the last time he stood on the rostrum was 2013. Pedrosa feels confident with the Honda now that he has a podium under his belt and this weekend could be a Pedrosa weekend if he can get away with the leaders. If he gets on the podium, it will be the first time since Sepang and Valencia 2015 that he has had back to back podiums. An astonishing statistic for such a high-profile name.

    The two Tech 3 Yamaha riders are 7th and 8th in the championship, with Zarco ahead of Folger by a mere one point as they continue their battle for top rookie. Both riders have had podiums at Jerez but Jonas Folger is the only winner, back on the AGR Kalex Moto2 bike in 2015. There has never been a German or French rider on the podium of a premier class Grand Prix at Jerez, a statistic Folger and Zarco will both want to change.

    Tied on 21 points with Folger is Pramac Ducati’s Scott Redding and Marc VDS Honda’s Jack Miller. Both riders finished outside the points last season and will want to change that as they try and hunt down Cal Crutchlow for top independent rider. With Jack Miller yet to finish outside the top 10 and Redding’s podium at the track in 2013, don’t expect to be seeing them vacate the top 10 at Jerez.

    A difficult start to the year has seen Danilo Petrucci drop to 11th in the championship on the 2nd of the Pramac Ducatis but on the Factory version. The Italian has hit back though in the past two races, with a seventh and an 8th, with the latter involving him beating Factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo late-on in the race. Jerez is a track that hasn’t been too kind to him however, with no top 10 finish to date. Can that change in 2017?

    Alvaro Bautista has shown us that he has some amazing pace for 2017, pace that can either be challenging the top four or throwing it on the floor. Two crashes have seen Bautista drop to 12th in the championship, despite recovering to finish 15th in the USA. His best premier class result at the track is sixth, on three occasions between 2012 and 2014. He has one victory to his name, in 2006 on his way to his 125cc title. Will he be able to cause a shock this weekend?

    Jorge Lorenzo is 13th in the championship and the fourth Ducati. A wretched start to his 2017 campaign looked to be recovered when he qualified 6th at COTA, only for him to drop back to 9th come race day. He has some impressive form around Jerez, including premier class wins in 2015, 2011 and 2010, as well as podiums every year apart from 2014 and 2009. Like we have already discussed, the Ducati is a handful around Jerez and that may mean that Jorge may well be relying on his form at the track to haul the cumbersome bike onto the podium.

    Aleix Espargaro leads Andrea Iannone in 14th and 15th, with the Aprilia and Suzuki rider desperate to turn their season around and rapidly. Aleix had a terrible time of things at COTA, describing the Saturday as the “worst day of his life”. Things didn’t get better for the Losail revelation either, when the team attended a private test at Mugello, only to be hindered by rain. His best result at the track is 5th. However, Andrea Iannone has got some form. Having finally finished a race in the points at COTA (7th), he can build on what he found. The trouble is for Iannone, out of 12 starts at Jerez, there’s been just 1 win and 9 results have been outside the top 10 or DNFs. Now, if that isn’t a bogey track…

    Loris Baz and Karel Abraham are in 16th and 17th, with both riders failing to score points last time out in The States. Baz’ best finish around Jerez was 13th last year, although a 7th in WSBK might suggest that he doesn’t enjoy the track. As for Karel – who is injured following COTA – his best result was 7th in 2011, although this was his last points at the track to date.

    Tito Rabat and Hector Barbera, whilst languishing in the championship have actually scored points in every race this season. With both riders on 8 points, they are actually level with Abraham so with some luck this weekend, positions could change. Barbera’s best result consists of 6th in the premier class but a 3rd in 125s in 2004. For Rabat, he was 18th last season but finished 3rd in 2015 on the Moto2 bike and also took his first ever Grand Prix victory at the track in 2013. Will happy memories return for the former champion?

    Alex Rins sits 20th in the championship for Suzuki but following his accident in Austin that led to a broken wrist, he is missing out Jerez and possibly Le Mans and Mugello. His replacement rider is Takuya Tsuda, the Suzuki development rider who makes his Grand Prix debut this weekend. He becomes the first Japanese rider since Hiroshi Aoyama at the Sacshsenring in 2015 to start a European MotoGP race.

    The KTM pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith head to Jerez hoping for a better weekend than their America visit. No points for either and a retirement along the way mean that the bike may well need a solid showing in Jerez to prove to doubters that it has the capabilities to match the skill set of both riders on board. Both have won at Jerez, with Espargaro winning in 2012 in Moto2 and Bradley Smith in 2009 (his first ever GP win) in the 125cc class. Both riders finished in the points last year (8th for Pol and 12th for Bradley) and will be looking for a repeat performance again this year, even if it isn’t to the positions.

    In last place in the championship, Sam Lowes is point-less at the foot of the championship. His Aprilia has been a handful and a series of crashes at COTA won’t have done his confidence any good at all. He won the Moto2 race at Jerez last season so he will take the positives of that to Sunday but he must start to bring the bike home within the top 15. His other two GP results at Jerez have been outside the top 15 but in 2013, he did win the World Supersport championship at the track with a win.

    With every rider analysed and the build up underway to an amazing weekend of racing, we now look forward to Sunday for the day that matters. Will Valentino Rossi repeat last years feat and build his points lead in the title or will Maverick fight back after a disaster in America? Can Marquez win back-to-back or can teammate Pedrosa shock us all? Those are the questions and you can get the answers by keeping up with our live text commentary across the weekend.

     

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Russian Grand Prix: winners and losers

    Großer Preis von Russland 2017, Freitag – Steve Etherington / Mercedes AMG Petronas

     

    Winners

    Valtteri Bottas: He claimed his first victory in F1, even starting from third and managed to hold his nerve to cross the line ahead of the chasing Vettel. Even with all the talk before the weekend about him going to be the “number two” driver and moving over to let Hamilton past, this weekend Hamilton was off the pace all three days. Will we now see Bottas joining the championship battle and giving Mercedes another driver headache?

    Ferrari: They managed to claim their first front row lock out for 9 years on Saturday with Vettel on pole and Räikkönen behind. Even though they lost they lost the lead going into Turn 1, they managed to keep Hamilton behind and take the remaining podium positions, which allowed Vettel to build on his championship lead by another six points. It was also a much needed confidence boost for Räikkönen to get back on the podium after struggling in the first three races. This might keep the “Kimi out” rumours a bit quieter for another couple of weeks.

    Force India: What a brilliant weekend for the small team from Silverstone: with both cars in the top ten in qualifying for the first time this season, they managed to build on that in the race to finish sixth and seventh while their main championship rivals struggled. This keeps their 100% points finishes with both cars, and makes Perez the best-of-the-rest in the championship as he ties on points with Ricciardo in seventh. As for Ocon in his first full season in the sport he managed to improve on his run of tenth-place finishes from the previous races, with a superdrive bringing it home in seventh that helped Force India pull a small gap from Williams in the standings.

    Nico Hülkenberg: One side of the Renault garage can be happy with a new front wing seemingly helping Hülkenberg’s and Renault’s race pace. He once again managed to get into Q3 and qualified eighth, where he managed to finish the race once again collecting valuable points for the team.

    Losers

    Lewis Hamilton: Even though he still managed to finish fourth and collect good points, his main championship rival extended his lead, and he was totally out-paced all weekend by his teammate. He only qualified fourth, which was extremely disappointing by his standards, and stayed there all race.

    Red Bull: With a second brake failure in as many races costing them even more championship points it’s not looking good for Red Bull. Already a full second slower than Ferrari and Mercedes and with poor reliability too, they really need their B-Spec car to be a huge improvement or it could be a long year.

    Williams: Falling behind Force India again, with Massa only managing ninth with a late slow puncture issue which cost him three positions and the team a lot of points. Stroll was also off the pace only finishing eleventh, though doing a good job to take his first race finish, and he has to improve quickly or with the midfield battle so close we could see Williams dropping down the championship. And to make things worse, they even missed out on the fastest pit stop this weekend.

    McLaren: Already acquiring penalties for using more engine parts at race four of twenty, its going to be a very long season for Alonso and Vandoorne: even if Honda can fix their reliability issues, there will be many back row starts guaranteed—but at least that’s better than breaking down on the formation lap. It’s not good enough from a team with such great history.

    Jolyon Palmer: A very poor weekend for him: crashing in qualifying was the start, and with his teammate Hulkenberg setting a time 1.3s quicker than him Palmer has to quickly rethink his strategy over the next two weeks. Crashing during the race going into Turn 1 didn’t help either, and with many other drivers waiting for a seat could Palmer’s time be running out fast.

    Richard Hindson, F1 Correspondent