In a thrilling final qualifying session of the 2010 Formula 1 Grand Prix, Williams F1 rookie driver Nico Hulkenberg claimed his maiden pole more than a second faster than the following championship contenders.
Qualifying was declared wet due to the rain preceding the sessions. The usual suspects were eliminated in Q1 along with Force India's Adrian Sutil. Sutil was pipped by his own team mate Tonio Liuzzi in the final moments of the qualifying session. Liuzzi nearly had a collision with Sutil in the qualifying session after Liuzzi who had an off track excursion joined back right in front of Sutil, who was on a fast lap. Sutil evidently was unhappy with team mate and it does look like all is not well within Force India. Force India F1 are yet to announce their driver line up for next year.
Jenson Button was the next causality in Q2. Button failed to impress and he along with Nico Rosberg were among the lead drivers to be eliminated in Q2. The track was drying out fast towards the end of Q2 which made Q3 all that more interesting as teams had to chose between dry and intermediate tyres for Q3.
Everyone started out with inters in the final qualifying session, in order to set a banker lap. But soon the track was too dry for inters and most drivers struggled in the final sectors of the lap. All the drivers soon entered the pits for dry tyres with less the 5 minutes remaining in the session. Lewis Hamilton was the first to claim provisional pole on dry tyres. But the real star of the session was Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg was the most comfortable with his setup and was easily setting fast sector times.
Championship leader Alonso claimed provisional pole on his dry set of tyres, but soon the lap times tumbled and the flying Nico Hulkenberg claimed provisional pole. Sebastian Vettel claimed second followed up by Mark Webber. Hamilton moved up to fourth. At the end of the qualifying session it seemed that Hulkenberg had done enough to claim the first pole of his career but the German wasn't satisfied. On his final flying lap he went even faster, more than a second of the pack of the championship contenders.
Hulkenberg's pole had added another interesting dimension to this years championship battles. While it remains to be seen if he can convert this pole to a win or a podium, he certainly is in a position to shake up the championship a bit. Fernando Alonso would be the most disappointed having qualified in 5th. While its not too bad a position, he must ensure that the Red Bull's do not close up to him after this race. For Jenson Button his title defence seems to be all but over.
Interestingly Hulkenberg is most likely without a race seat at the end of this year if Pastor Maldonado were to claim his drive. Hopefully Hulkenberg can pull something special out of this race to turn things his way. Hulkenberg has been very impressive in the later half of this season.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Korean Grand Prix Preview
With three races remaining in the 2010 Formula 1 season, we are heading towards an exciting finish. The first of the three races in the inaugural Korean Grand Prix. After months of uncertainty over the venue being ready in time, the F1 circus is finally here at Yeongam.
One of the factors which would make the Grand Prix interesting is that at this point in the season no team really knows the circuit other than in what would be observed with the track simulations.
Mark Webber leads the championship with 220 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso who are tied for second with 204 points. The McLaren drivers have lost their way in the past few races, Hamilton having the worst of luck with 2 non finishes in three races. That said Hamilton and Button are still in with a chance and a win at Korea would do them a world of good.
Webber is the most comfortably placed among the title contenders and barring any bad luck should be in contention for the title till the last race. Should Webber win the title he would be only the third Australian to win the Driver's title. Sir Jack Brabham won the championship three time in 1959, 1960 and 1966. Alan Jones won the championship in 1980.
Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have made huge strides in the later half of the season and with two wins and three podiums in as many races, the momentum is definitely with Ferrari. To add to the mix Vettel has shown impressive form in the last two races. A win at the Japanese Grand Prix and a second at Singapore has brought him back right into contention and its fair to say that the momentum is slowly swinging his way.
With the championship battle so close, each race tends to be a decider for the contenders.
One of the factors which would make the Grand Prix interesting is that at this point in the season no team really knows the circuit other than in what would be observed with the track simulations.
Mark Webber leads the championship with 220 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso who are tied for second with 204 points. The McLaren drivers have lost their way in the past few races, Hamilton having the worst of luck with 2 non finishes in three races. That said Hamilton and Button are still in with a chance and a win at Korea would do them a world of good.
Webber is the most comfortably placed among the title contenders and barring any bad luck should be in contention for the title till the last race. Should Webber win the title he would be only the third Australian to win the Driver's title. Sir Jack Brabham won the championship three time in 1959, 1960 and 1966. Alan Jones won the championship in 1980.
Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have made huge strides in the later half of the season and with two wins and three podiums in as many races, the momentum is definitely with Ferrari. To add to the mix Vettel has shown impressive form in the last two races. A win at the Japanese Grand Prix and a second at Singapore has brought him back right into contention and its fair to say that the momentum is slowly swinging his way.
With the championship battle so close, each race tends to be a decider for the contenders.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Michael Schumacher answers back on quit rumours
Well the man himself has said it now. He isn't quitting at the end of the 2010 season. And hopefully should stop the murmurs. Thursday is the day when the circuit is alive with media and drivers and the lucky fans. While the drivers are settling down before their hectic three day stint, the media get more of an opportunity to talk to the drivers than after the practice or race sessions.
One reporter was straight to the point in asking Schumacher if he was retiring at the end of the year :-) Anyway Schumacher interview to the media reporters gives a clearer idea of what the man is thinking.
An interesting point said by Schumacher is that he won his first title with Benetton after four years and his first with Ferrari after five. He pointed out that it takes time to win a title which obviously would involve working with team, engineers, getting to understand the car, its design etc. Ofcourse this time round Schumacher has only a three year contract with the team, but he hopes that its sufficient.
The issue for Schumacher this year has been the comparisons made with this teammate. Nico Rosberg has had a better year with their car. That obviously didn't work in favour of the 7 time world champion. While some said that we give time, soon people realised that this was the trend of the season. Things were the opposite for Rosberg at the start of the season, the hype of the former champion returning was well handled by Rosberg.
Schumacher mentioned that he is yet to come to grips with the current car and tyres. The initial car would have been designed based on the inputs they had with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello last year and it seems that they have been unsucessful in turning around certain aspects of the car to suit Schumacher. Rosberg on the other hand is faring better and probably has no issues adapting to the car characteristics, only that the car isn't a winner is keeping him away from better results.
Schumacher has said that they have made a good choice in shifting focus to 2011 early enough while the top three teams would be fighting till the last race for this years title. He is hoping that they should have a slight amount of advantage with that.
Next year would be the key for Schumacher. The first target for him would be to be on par or better than his team mate and the world would be keenly watching him even more.
One reporter was straight to the point in asking Schumacher if he was retiring at the end of the year :-) Anyway Schumacher interview to the media reporters gives a clearer idea of what the man is thinking.
An interesting point said by Schumacher is that he won his first title with Benetton after four years and his first with Ferrari after five. He pointed out that it takes time to win a title which obviously would involve working with team, engineers, getting to understand the car, its design etc. Ofcourse this time round Schumacher has only a three year contract with the team, but he hopes that its sufficient.
The issue for Schumacher this year has been the comparisons made with this teammate. Nico Rosberg has had a better year with their car. That obviously didn't work in favour of the 7 time world champion. While some said that we give time, soon people realised that this was the trend of the season. Things were the opposite for Rosberg at the start of the season, the hype of the former champion returning was well handled by Rosberg.
Schumacher mentioned that he is yet to come to grips with the current car and tyres. The initial car would have been designed based on the inputs they had with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello last year and it seems that they have been unsucessful in turning around certain aspects of the car to suit Schumacher. Rosberg on the other hand is faring better and probably has no issues adapting to the car characteristics, only that the car isn't a winner is keeping him away from better results.
Schumacher has said that they have made a good choice in shifting focus to 2011 early enough while the top three teams would be fighting till the last race for this years title. He is hoping that they should have a slight amount of advantage with that.
Next year would be the key for Schumacher. The first target for him would be to be on par or better than his team mate and the world would be keenly watching him even more.
Singapore GP: Pre Grand Prix updates
This year we could see a first night race in the wet. We have had two night races so far and a day-night race at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but none that were run under wet conditions. Rain drops glitter under lights (although not an issue when you aren't looking up) and could lead to poor visibility conditions. It would be interesting to see the issues faced by the drivers and the teams if that were to happen.
This has been the closest championship in years. Any of the top five drivers has a realistic chance at winning the championship. The points systems was changed to accommodate the larger grid and to award more for winning a race. For the curious below is how the drivers standings would have been with the old system
Okay so were are back at another high downforce circuit. Marna Bay circuit characteristics is considered to be similar to Hungary and Monaco. Red Bull was ahead of the rest in those races while McLaren struggled. McLaren however expect to be strong this time round. Ferrari expect to be strong too with a new updated diffuser floor and other aero improvements. Take out Ferrari's disappointment at Belgium and in the last four races they have upped their development efforts and the results have shown. Two wins and a second for Fernando Alonso and 5 podiums for Ferrari in the last four races.
We are now at a point where new engines can come at the expense of a 10 place grid penalty. Alonso used his 8th new engine last race while Hamilton, Button and Vettel have 1 available. Mark Webber has two available he alright. Alonso is facing a situation similar to that faced by Vettel last year.
Lotus Racing are set to make a big announcement this week, most likely regarding their engine and transmissions partner for next year. Earlier Cosworth had announced that their deal with Lotus ends this year. With the reintroduction of KERS next year it could be a wise move on their side. Renault is seemingly the front runner at the moment.
Michael Schumacher was caught on camera driving a motorbike on the Sachsenring circuit. Although for it was for fun some might question the risk involved and seems to have attracted negative publicity for Schumacher. All we can say is leave the champion alone. Let him have his fun. Driving that motorbike is something many of us can only dream of :-)
This has been the closest championship in years. Any of the top five drivers has a realistic chance at winning the championship. The points systems was changed to accommodate the larger grid and to award more for winning a race. For the curious below is how the drivers standings would have been with the old system
1 Lewis Hamilton 75After each race the standings as per the old system can be got at our site - http://www.nowf1.com/formula-1-2010-standings-old-points-system.html
2 Mark Webber 74
3 Jenson Button 67
4 Fernando Alonso 67
5 Sebastian Vettel 66
Okay so were are back at another high downforce circuit. Marna Bay circuit characteristics is considered to be similar to Hungary and Monaco. Red Bull was ahead of the rest in those races while McLaren struggled. McLaren however expect to be strong this time round. Ferrari expect to be strong too with a new updated diffuser floor and other aero improvements. Take out Ferrari's disappointment at Belgium and in the last four races they have upped their development efforts and the results have shown. Two wins and a second for Fernando Alonso and 5 podiums for Ferrari in the last four races.
We are now at a point where new engines can come at the expense of a 10 place grid penalty. Alonso used his 8th new engine last race while Hamilton, Button and Vettel have 1 available. Mark Webber has two available he alright. Alonso is facing a situation similar to that faced by Vettel last year.
Lotus Racing are set to make a big announcement this week, most likely regarding their engine and transmissions partner for next year. Earlier Cosworth had announced that their deal with Lotus ends this year. With the reintroduction of KERS next year it could be a wise move on their side. Renault is seemingly the front runner at the moment.
Michael Schumacher was caught on camera driving a motorbike on the Sachsenring circuit. Although for it was for fun some might question the risk involved and seems to have attracted negative publicity for Schumacher. All we can say is leave the champion alone. Let him have his fun. Driving that motorbike is something many of us can only dream of :-)
Singapore GP: Pre Grand Prix updates
This year we could see a first night race in the wet. We have had two night races so far and a day-night race at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but none that were run under wet conditions. Raindrops glitter under lights (although not an issue when you aren't looking up) It would be interesting to see the issues faced by the drivers and the teams if that were to happen.
Lotus Racing are set to make a big announcement this week, most likely regarding their engine and transmissions partner for next year. Earlier Cosworth had announced that their deal with Lotus ends this year. With the reintroduction of KERS next year it could be a wise move on their side. Renault is seemingly the front runner at the moment.
Michael Schumacher was caught on camera driving a motorbike on the Sachsenring circuit. Although for it was for fun some might question the risk involved and seems to have attracted negavitve publicity for Schumacher. Some have even gone on to ask Mercedes about its :-) We say, leave the champion alone. Let him have his fun. Driving that motorbike is something many of us can only dream of.
Okay so were are back at another high downforce circuit. Marna Bay circuit characteristics is considered to be similar to Hungary and Monaco. Red Bull was ahead of the rest in those races while McLaren have struggled. McLaren however expect to be strong this time round. Ferrari expect to be strong too with a new updated diffuser floor and other aero improvements. Take out Ferrari's disappointment at Belgium and in the last four races they have upped their development efforts and the results have shown. Two wins and a second for Fernando Alonso and 5 podiums for Ferrari in the last four races.
This has been the closest championship in years. Each of the top five drives has a realistic chance at winning the championship. The points systems was changed to accommodate the larger grid and to award more for winning a race. A look at how the championship would have been if we were using the old system is below
For the curious this link would give the updated standings after each race as per the old scoring system. http://www.nowf1.com/formula-1-2010-standings-old-points-system.html
Lotus Racing are set to make a big announcement this week, most likely regarding their engine and transmissions partner for next year. Earlier Cosworth had announced that their deal with Lotus ends this year. With the reintroduction of KERS next year it could be a wise move on their side. Renault is seemingly the front runner at the moment.
Michael Schumacher was caught on camera driving a motorbike on the Sachsenring circuit. Although for it was for fun some might question the risk involved and seems to have attracted negavitve publicity for Schumacher. Some have even gone on to ask Mercedes about its :-) We say, leave the champion alone. Let him have his fun. Driving that motorbike is something many of us can only dream of.
Okay so were are back at another high downforce circuit. Marna Bay circuit characteristics is considered to be similar to Hungary and Monaco. Red Bull was ahead of the rest in those races while McLaren have struggled. McLaren however expect to be strong this time round. Ferrari expect to be strong too with a new updated diffuser floor and other aero improvements. Take out Ferrari's disappointment at Belgium and in the last four races they have upped their development efforts and the results have shown. Two wins and a second for Fernando Alonso and 5 podiums for Ferrari in the last four races.
This has been the closest championship in years. Each of the top five drives has a realistic chance at winning the championship. The points systems was changed to accommodate the larger grid and to award more for winning a race. A look at how the championship would have been if we were using the old system is below
Hamilton would have been leading with the older system. One thinks that at the end of the year atleast one driver would be thinking that the old system should have been in place :-).
1 Lewis Hamilton 75
2 Mark Webber 74
3 Jenson Button 67
4 Fernando Alonso 67
5 Sebastian Vettel 66
For the curious this link would give the updated standings after each race as per the old scoring system. http://www.nowf1.com/formula-1-2010-standings-old-points-system.html
Friday, September 17, 2010
Rumours about Michael Schumacher quitting F1
Well the F1 media has woken up again with the rumours about Michael Schumacher quitting F1. Eddie Jordan has been reported as saying that Schumacher might quit F1 at the end of the year by AutoSport. BBC commentator Jonathan Legard has posted on his twitter that Adrian Sutil might be the first in line to replace him. Sutil being a German and no contract for next year might be the ideal option for the Mercedes GP team. Eddie Jordan was one of the first to speculate Schumacher's return last year. But that was based on information he had rather than based on observation this time round.
For most fans and including Michael Schumacher the season hasn't been as expected. One would have thought that Schumacher would be fighting for the title but instead of late is fighting to make the cut to Q3 in qualifying. On the other hand his team mate Nico Rosberg has been able to get the most out of the slower Mercedes including a few podiums.
Schumacher had shown a few flashes of his brilliance but only a few. The problem Schumacher and Mercedes have attributed is to the newer front tyres and their understeer issues. The initial wow factor of Schumacher's return is now gone. So next year there will be immense pressure on him to perform if he were to continue.
While the quit rumours will continue till the start of the next season, there are many factors for Schumacher to continue. The single most motivating factor for Schumacher is a eight Driver's championship. One would assume that only if he believes that he cannot get that title would he retire. With the telemetry data, his physical conditioning Schumacher would be in a position to gauge why he is slower than his team mate. In all probability Schumacher is not or not willing to adapt to a driving style that he feels would slow him down. The car this year would not have been designed with Schumacher's inputs, preferences etc. And for a long time Schumacher has said that his focus is on 2011. So he is probably taking the remaining races for to understand the newer aspects of F1.
True, this year has been lack lustre for him. Maybe an inspired drive on of the race weekend in the remaining races would keep the critics quite for some time. But Mercedes and Schumacher would know that a better year would be the next year. With new regulations in 2011 - KERS, Movable rear wing, new tyre supplier etc. Mercedes might be trying to pull one like last year with Brawn GP and that would be something Schumacher would not want to miss. So if 2011 were like this year then we can assume he might call it off sometime during next year. But in probability not this year.
The bad news for Schumacher fans is Mercedes GP record. Brawn GP/Mercedes GP haven't been on the league of the McLaren, Ferrari or Red Bull. Their inability to quickly resolve their issues this year would be a proof of that. Renault F1 and Williams F1 have shown a better rate of development than them so far. Now that is something that Schumacher would have observed this year working closely with the team. So if he feels that Mercedes might not be in a position to challenge for the titles the next year or the year after next he might take a decision to call it off this year (unlikely but probable)
But at the end of the day one would feel still that Schumacher wouldn't give up yet based on his season so far this year. Not when many of his fans have yet to see him cross the chequered flag first. So keep your fingers crossed :-)
For most fans and including Michael Schumacher the season hasn't been as expected. One would have thought that Schumacher would be fighting for the title but instead of late is fighting to make the cut to Q3 in qualifying. On the other hand his team mate Nico Rosberg has been able to get the most out of the slower Mercedes including a few podiums.
Schumacher had shown a few flashes of his brilliance but only a few. The problem Schumacher and Mercedes have attributed is to the newer front tyres and their understeer issues. The initial wow factor of Schumacher's return is now gone. So next year there will be immense pressure on him to perform if he were to continue.
While the quit rumours will continue till the start of the next season, there are many factors for Schumacher to continue. The single most motivating factor for Schumacher is a eight Driver's championship. One would assume that only if he believes that he cannot get that title would he retire. With the telemetry data, his physical conditioning Schumacher would be in a position to gauge why he is slower than his team mate. In all probability Schumacher is not or not willing to adapt to a driving style that he feels would slow him down. The car this year would not have been designed with Schumacher's inputs, preferences etc. And for a long time Schumacher has said that his focus is on 2011. So he is probably taking the remaining races for to understand the newer aspects of F1.
True, this year has been lack lustre for him. Maybe an inspired drive on of the race weekend in the remaining races would keep the critics quite for some time. But Mercedes and Schumacher would know that a better year would be the next year. With new regulations in 2011 - KERS, Movable rear wing, new tyre supplier etc. Mercedes might be trying to pull one like last year with Brawn GP and that would be something Schumacher would not want to miss. So if 2011 were like this year then we can assume he might call it off sometime during next year. But in probability not this year.
The bad news for Schumacher fans is Mercedes GP record. Brawn GP/Mercedes GP haven't been on the league of the McLaren, Ferrari or Red Bull. Their inability to quickly resolve their issues this year would be a proof of that. Renault F1 and Williams F1 have shown a better rate of development than them so far. Now that is something that Schumacher would have observed this year working closely with the team. So if he feels that Mercedes might not be in a position to challenge for the titles the next year or the year after next he might take a decision to call it off this year (unlikely but probable)
But at the end of the day one would feel still that Schumacher wouldn't give up yet based on his season so far this year. Not when many of his fans have yet to see him cross the chequered flag first. So keep your fingers crossed :-)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Nick Heidfeld to replace Pedro de la Rosa ?
If the latest rumours doing the rounds in the F1 media are to be believed Nick Heidfeld might be driving for Sauber as soon as the Singapore Grand Prix.
Pedro De la Rosa isn't having a good season so far after a come back to racing for Sauber this year. He has been overshadowed by his rookie teammate Kamui Kobayashi. De la Rosa so far has scored only 6 points, far less when compared to Kobayashi who has 21 points. Also Kobayashi has put in a few impressive drives such as Valencia this year.
The rumours however could be very well true. One of the reasons for an interest in Heidfeld is due to his experience with the new Pirelli tyres. Heidfeld was till recently Mercedes GP test and reserve driver but was released out of his contract to perform testing duties for Pirelli. Heidfeld isn't new to Sauber and was a part of the BMW-Sauber team till last year. A delay in Heidfeld's decision for this year meant that he lost of a race seat with Sauber.
Pedro De la Rosa isn't having a good season so far after a come back to racing for Sauber this year. He has been overshadowed by his rookie teammate Kamui Kobayashi. De la Rosa so far has scored only 6 points, far less when compared to Kobayashi who has 21 points. Also Kobayashi has put in a few impressive drives such as Valencia this year.
The rumours however could be very well true. One of the reasons for an interest in Heidfeld is due to his experience with the new Pirelli tyres. Heidfeld was till recently Mercedes GP test and reserve driver but was released out of his contract to perform testing duties for Pirelli. Heidfeld isn't new to Sauber and was a part of the BMW-Sauber team till last year. A delay in Heidfeld's decision for this year meant that he lost of a race seat with Sauber.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Fernando Alonso wins an all important Italian GP
Alonso couldn't have asked for a better Grand Prix victory than his win today at the 2010 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 1 after his front suspension suffered from impact with Felipe Massa in the initial corners of the first lap.
Starting from pole Alonso failed to retain his lead and Jenson Button who had a better start leaped ahead into the lead. Alonso however maintained a close distance to Button before the first round of pit stops. The front runners were on the option tyres but were able to run more than half distance on those tyres.
With Lewis Hamilton out of the race the running order was Alonso, Button, Massa, Rosberg, Kubica, Hulkenberg and Vettel. Mark Webber failed to get a good start and dropped to 9th behind Michael Schumacher on lap 1. Schumacher however failed to retain his postion and soon Webber overtook Schumacher for eighth on lap 7.
On lap 22, Sebastian Vettel dropped back to eighth after reporting problems with his engine. Vettel however was able to maintain a good distance to Schumacher.
The pit lane closed momentarily around lap 30 after one of the HRT mechanics was reportedly hurt during Sakon Yamamoto's pit stop. The pit lanes were open again around on lap 31 just about time for the leaders to take their first pit stops.
Button takes his stop for the harder tyres on lap 37. The Ferrari pit were alert to the change and immediately pit Alonso on lap 38. A super pit stop by the Ferrari team coupled with a hot inlap by Alonso ensured that the double world champion jumped to the lead after his pit stop, but only by a small margin. Button tried to overtake Alonso around the outside, but Alonso had the inside line and was able to maintain his lead. That was the only opportunity for Button to retake his lead. Alonso set a series of fastest laps after that and soon was 3 seconds ahead of Button.
Vettel had started the race on the prime tyres and only pitted on the penultimate lap. By then he had built enough of a lead over Rosberg and finished ahead of Rosberg and Webber in 4th. Rosberg completed a good day for Mercedes in 5th with Schumacher in 9th. Webber who finished in 6th will see the race as damage limitation, in a race where the Red Bulls haven't been strong.
With two laps remaining Alonso had a scary moment at turn 1 after he ran over the first chicane. Button however was too far behind to take any advantage. Massa finished on in third completing a great weekend for Ferrari.
With his win at Monza, Alonso is definitely back in the championship. Mark Webber now leads the championship with 187 points. Hamilton drops back to second with 182 points. Importantly Alonso is now third in the championship with 166 points, 21 points behind Webber.
Starting from pole Alonso failed to retain his lead and Jenson Button who had a better start leaped ahead into the lead. Alonso however maintained a close distance to Button before the first round of pit stops. The front runners were on the option tyres but were able to run more than half distance on those tyres.
With Lewis Hamilton out of the race the running order was Alonso, Button, Massa, Rosberg, Kubica, Hulkenberg and Vettel. Mark Webber failed to get a good start and dropped to 9th behind Michael Schumacher on lap 1. Schumacher however failed to retain his postion and soon Webber overtook Schumacher for eighth on lap 7.
On lap 22, Sebastian Vettel dropped back to eighth after reporting problems with his engine. Vettel however was able to maintain a good distance to Schumacher.
The pit lane closed momentarily around lap 30 after one of the HRT mechanics was reportedly hurt during Sakon Yamamoto's pit stop. The pit lanes were open again around on lap 31 just about time for the leaders to take their first pit stops.
Button takes his stop for the harder tyres on lap 37. The Ferrari pit were alert to the change and immediately pit Alonso on lap 38. A super pit stop by the Ferrari team coupled with a hot inlap by Alonso ensured that the double world champion jumped to the lead after his pit stop, but only by a small margin. Button tried to overtake Alonso around the outside, but Alonso had the inside line and was able to maintain his lead. That was the only opportunity for Button to retake his lead. Alonso set a series of fastest laps after that and soon was 3 seconds ahead of Button.
Vettel had started the race on the prime tyres and only pitted on the penultimate lap. By then he had built enough of a lead over Rosberg and finished ahead of Rosberg and Webber in 4th. Rosberg completed a good day for Mercedes in 5th with Schumacher in 9th. Webber who finished in 6th will see the race as damage limitation, in a race where the Red Bulls haven't been strong.
With two laps remaining Alonso had a scary moment at turn 1 after he ran over the first chicane. Button however was too far behind to take any advantage. Massa finished on in third completing a great weekend for Ferrari.
With his win at Monza, Alonso is definitely back in the championship. Mark Webber now leads the championship with 187 points. Hamilton drops back to second with 182 points. Importantly Alonso is now third in the championship with 166 points, 21 points behind Webber.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Belgian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso's chances ruined by Barrichello incident
Fernando Alonso started the race in 10th and although he couldn't make a few places at the start the end of the first lap all but finished his race. The track was already slippery by lap 1 and most of the drivers had missed the Bus Stop chicane. Barrichello like others was caught out at the chicane and crashed right into Fernando Alonso. It was a racing incident and Rubens Barrichello later apologised to Alonso for the accident.
But the crash meant that Alonso had to dive back to pits for intermediates and a front wing change. Although it was raining at that time and inters could have proved to be the right choice, safety car was deployed at that time to clear Barrichello's car off the track. That meant the front runners opted to stay on the track as it had stopped raining. Inters proved to be the wrong choice and Alonso had to pit again for slick tyres soon after the restart.
Alonso eventually crashed out after it rained again towards the end of the race causing another safety car incident. He was running in 9th at that the time of his crash and could have salvaged a few points from the race. The Drivers Championship has become that much tougher for the two time World Champion. With zero points from the race Alonso still maintains his 5th position but is now 41 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton
But the crash meant that Alonso had to dive back to pits for intermediates and a front wing change. Although it was raining at that time and inters could have proved to be the right choice, safety car was deployed at that time to clear Barrichello's car off the track. That meant the front runners opted to stay on the track as it had stopped raining. Inters proved to be the wrong choice and Alonso had to pit again for slick tyres soon after the restart.
Alonso eventually crashed out after it rained again towards the end of the race causing another safety car incident. He was running in 9th at that the time of his crash and could have salvaged a few points from the race. The Drivers Championship has become that much tougher for the two time World Champion. With zero points from the race Alonso still maintains his 5th position but is now 41 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton
Belgian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel crashes into Jenson Button
Before the start of the Belgian GP, the Drivers World Championship was a closely fought battle. Only 20 points separated the top 5 drivers. On Lap 16 Jenson Button was running in second with a slight front wing damage. Vettel closed right up the Briton at final corner and tried to overtake Button around the outside. As soon as Vettel moved out of the slip stream he lost control of his car and crashed into the side of Button's car. On board shots from Vettel's car show slight drops of rain at that point which could have led to Vettel losing control of his car.
The race stewards determined that the incident was Vettel's fault and handed him a drive through penalty. But the incident has changed the championship standings significantly. Lewis Hamilton went on to win the race with Mark Webber in second. Hamilton now leads the championship with 182 points and Webber is second with 179 points. But more significantly Vettel is 31 points off the lead with 151 points and Button is in fourth with 147 points.
Vettel would definitely rue this incident if he were to lose the championship this year. It was a bit of a hasty move on Vettel's part although the slippery conditions at that point would have contributed to the crash. Button on the other hand will be furious at the incident. Having done nothing wrong till that point he was needlessly taken out of the race. Button has questioned Vettel's driving after the race.
It would be interesting to see if Red Bull Racing and McLaren would take a stand of supporting one driver for the championship. Although a bit early as there are six more races to go assuming that the Korean GP does take place as scheduled. That would mean a total of 150 championship points for the taking. However barring any misfortune to Webber or Hamilton like today for Alonso, Button and Vettel, the two drivers are on track to fight it out for the championship title.
The race stewards determined that the incident was Vettel's fault and handed him a drive through penalty. But the incident has changed the championship standings significantly. Lewis Hamilton went on to win the race with Mark Webber in second. Hamilton now leads the championship with 182 points and Webber is second with 179 points. But more significantly Vettel is 31 points off the lead with 151 points and Button is in fourth with 147 points.
Vettel would definitely rue this incident if he were to lose the championship this year. It was a bit of a hasty move on Vettel's part although the slippery conditions at that point would have contributed to the crash. Button on the other hand will be furious at the incident. Having done nothing wrong till that point he was needlessly taken out of the race. Button has questioned Vettel's driving after the race.
It would be interesting to see if Red Bull Racing and McLaren would take a stand of supporting one driver for the championship. Although a bit early as there are six more races to go assuming that the Korean GP does take place as scheduled. That would mean a total of 150 championship points for the taking. However barring any misfortune to Webber or Hamilton like today for Alonso, Button and Vettel, the two drivers are on track to fight it out for the championship title.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying and Updates
Mark Webber took his fifth pole of the season. In the last qualifying session Webber took provisional pole and rain towards the end of the session meant that the drivers couldn't improve upon their earlier times. The exception to that is Lewis Hamilton who moved ahead of Kubica to take second place.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished outside the top ten in Q2 and would now have to contend with their grid penalties also. Rosberg was given a 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change prior to qualifying. Both Mercedes GP narrowly missed the Q3 cut due to a slow moving Sebastien Buemi who was on his inlap.
Sebastian Buemi has been handed a 3 place grid penalty for impeding Nico Rosberg during the second session of qualifying.
Rain has played a major part during the Belgium Grand Prix weekend and is expect during the race tomorrow. The two Mercedes GP drivers would be hoping for rain, so would Fernando Alonso who will be starting in 10th.
Robert Kubica would be pleased with the new F-duct on the Renault. This is the first time this year Renault are running the F-duct and it seems to work well for them. They have performed consistently well during free practice and Kubica will start the race tomorrow in 3rd. Kubica however couldn't start his final qualifying run as his engine cut off while he was entering the pits after his first run. That didn't matter however as no one except for Hamilton could improve on their times, due to rain towards the closing stages of qualifying.
Vitaly Petrov would however be disappointed. Petrov ran off the track during his out lap in the first few minutes of Q1 and stalled his engine. He would be starting the race from last on the grid.
Both Sauber drivers would be disappointed too. The Sauber drivers went out on slicks while the track was still slippery during Q1 of qualifying. Both drivers ran out of the track and took no further part.
Timo Glock has been dropped 5 grid positions for impeding Sakon Yamamoto during Q1 of qualifying and Jarno Trulli get a €4,400 fine for pit lane speeding.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished outside the top ten in Q2 and would now have to contend with their grid penalties also. Rosberg was given a 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change prior to qualifying. Both Mercedes GP narrowly missed the Q3 cut due to a slow moving Sebastien Buemi who was on his inlap.
Sebastian Buemi has been handed a 3 place grid penalty for impeding Nico Rosberg during the second session of qualifying.
Rain has played a major part during the Belgium Grand Prix weekend and is expect during the race tomorrow. The two Mercedes GP drivers would be hoping for rain, so would Fernando Alonso who will be starting in 10th.
Robert Kubica would be pleased with the new F-duct on the Renault. This is the first time this year Renault are running the F-duct and it seems to work well for them. They have performed consistently well during free practice and Kubica will start the race tomorrow in 3rd. Kubica however couldn't start his final qualifying run as his engine cut off while he was entering the pits after his first run. That didn't matter however as no one except for Hamilton could improve on their times, due to rain towards the closing stages of qualifying.
Vitaly Petrov would however be disappointed. Petrov ran off the track during his out lap in the first few minutes of Q1 and stalled his engine. He would be starting the race from last on the grid.
Both Sauber drivers would be disappointed too. The Sauber drivers went out on slicks while the track was still slippery during Q1 of qualifying. Both drivers ran out of the track and took no further part.
Timo Glock has been dropped 5 grid positions for impeding Sakon Yamamoto during Q1 of qualifying and Jarno Trulli get a €4,400 fine for pit lane speeding.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Mercedes GP shifts focus to 2011
It was speculated before that Mercedes GP would be focusing on 2011 despite the Mercedes team insisting that they are not giving up on their 2010 car. Today in the Belgian GP Thursday press conference, Michael Schumacher gave the first clear indication of where their focus lies. For the remainder of the season for Mercedes would focus on staying ahead of Renault in the Constructors championship.
Many factors would have contributed for Mercedes' decision. Brawn GP last year was fighting for the championships till almost the end of the season. That meant that they were quite late on the development for this year's car.
Early on in the season they had weight distribution issues which they tried to fix by introducing a longer wheel base car in Spain. But that couldn't fix the issues their car had with this year tyres, and they have struggled during qualifying although their race pace has been slightly better.
With the exhaust blown diffusers the hot air from the exhaust outlets is channeled to the diffuser floor but that would lead to higher temperatures of the rear suspension and rear tyres. Although Mercedes introduced their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade by Valencia it took them a couple of races more till they could manage the rear tyres overheating issues.
With the cap on the team personnel to 300 by 2011 Mercedes has already downsized their employees, while some of the top teams still operate with a higher number of staff. While it remains to be seen how Formula 1 teams manage a cap on workforce size Mercedes seem to have the edge over other teams in this aspect. However that has hurt their development efforts for this season. With the reduced workforce it would be near impossible to concentrate both on 2010 and 2011. With little chances at both the championships, Mercedes have a better shot at next years title.
Additionally Pirelli has started testing for next years tyres. Teams would soon have data on the tyre specifications for next year and it would make sense Mercedes, Renault to shift focus to 2011 and get a jumpstart on Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari who are fighting a closely fought championship.
In addition to a new tyre supplier for next year, KERS would be used again by teams next year. Although KERS is not mandatory for all teams most of the top teams would be working on it. Ferrari, Williams etc have already run with KERS in the 2009 season. Force India have said they would use KERS 2011. While some of the teams are keen on KERS in 2013 when a new set of regulations would be in force, it could well be that a standard supplier for KERS could be used.
Another key change that would be introduced is the moveable rear wing which can give an extra tenths on the straights and can be used by a driver when close behind a rival. The F-duct is banned from next year but the moveable rear wing can be thought of as a replacement.
From Schumacher's point of view the remainder of the season would give him the needed race experience after the three year long layoff from the sport. While this year hasn't turned out how his fans would have expected it, a head start for the 2011 season would help in Schumacher's quest for a 8th Drivers title.
Many factors would have contributed for Mercedes' decision. Brawn GP last year was fighting for the championships till almost the end of the season. That meant that they were quite late on the development for this year's car.
Early on in the season they had weight distribution issues which they tried to fix by introducing a longer wheel base car in Spain. But that couldn't fix the issues their car had with this year tyres, and they have struggled during qualifying although their race pace has been slightly better.
With the exhaust blown diffusers the hot air from the exhaust outlets is channeled to the diffuser floor but that would lead to higher temperatures of the rear suspension and rear tyres. Although Mercedes introduced their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade by Valencia it took them a couple of races more till they could manage the rear tyres overheating issues.
With the cap on the team personnel to 300 by 2011 Mercedes has already downsized their employees, while some of the top teams still operate with a higher number of staff. While it remains to be seen how Formula 1 teams manage a cap on workforce size Mercedes seem to have the edge over other teams in this aspect. However that has hurt their development efforts for this season. With the reduced workforce it would be near impossible to concentrate both on 2010 and 2011. With little chances at both the championships, Mercedes have a better shot at next years title.
Additionally Pirelli has started testing for next years tyres. Teams would soon have data on the tyre specifications for next year and it would make sense Mercedes, Renault to shift focus to 2011 and get a jumpstart on Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari who are fighting a closely fought championship.
In addition to a new tyre supplier for next year, KERS would be used again by teams next year. Although KERS is not mandatory for all teams most of the top teams would be working on it. Ferrari, Williams etc have already run with KERS in the 2009 season. Force India have said they would use KERS 2011. While some of the teams are keen on KERS in 2013 when a new set of regulations would be in force, it could well be that a standard supplier for KERS could be used.
Another key change that would be introduced is the moveable rear wing which can give an extra tenths on the straights and can be used by a driver when close behind a rival. The F-duct is banned from next year but the moveable rear wing can be thought of as a replacement.
From Schumacher's point of view the remainder of the season would give him the needed race experience after the three year long layoff from the sport. While this year hasn't turned out how his fans would have expected it, a head start for the 2011 season would help in Schumacher's quest for a 8th Drivers title.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ferrari disciplinary hearing, What can be expected ?
Fernando Alonso took a controversial victory in the German Grand Prix after team orders were used to get Alonso ahead of race leader Felipe Massa. After the race Ferrari were fined $100000 for using team orders and the case was referred to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. The WMSC disciplinary hearing will be held on the 8th of September.
Ferrari were found guilty of using team orders at the end of the race and Ferrari haven't officially lodged any protest on the $100000 fine. It could be assumed that Ferrari would not try to protest the stewards decision at the council hearing but would justify their stance for the events during the race.
Ferrari have been involved in team order controversies before. In the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix, Ruben Barrichello had to concede second place to Michael Schumacher. Barrichello let Schumacher overtake him on the last lap of the race. Intrestingly the same situation present itself to Ferrari the next Austrian Grand Prix in 2002. This time Barrichello conceded his lead to Schumacher on the last lap of the race. During the trophy presentation ceremony of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, Schumacher took the second step of the podium and insisted on Barrichello taking the top step. Ferrari received a huge fine of one million dollars for not observing the sport's regulations during the presentation ceremony. The new rules against team orders were due to the events of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.
The opinion about team orders itself has been a divided one. Some teams have said that team orders should be allowed and the rule be scrapped, but others feel that it spoils the show. However many were disappointed with the outcome of the German GP. Fans expect racing at all times during a race, an opinion which is not necessarily shared by the teams.
Former FIA president Max Mosely has been quoted as saying that both Ferrari drivers should be docked their points in the race. Ferrari would definitely take a harder stance if that were to happen. A few media reports say that Ferrari are prepared for a civil court action if the decision of the WMSC is to dock any points from the race. While docking points wouldn't affect Ferrari in the constructors championship it would have a huge impact on Fernando Alonso's title hopes. The drivers title is very closely fought this year and if Alonso were to lose the points from the German Grand Prix its almost curtains for his title hopes.
Ferrari reaction of a civil suit might be to let the WMSC know beforehand how they would feel about any drastic decision against them. Precedents do suggest the WMSC might take a sterner action against Ferrari. In the spy controvery McLaren were docked all constructor points and imposed a fine of 100 million dollars while the drivers - Hamilton and Alonso escaped any penalty. In the 2009 lie-gate controversy McLaren were docked points for three races and Hamilton for the Australian race. The WMSC might feel obliged to hand a bigger penalty to Ferrari and set a deterrent against teams imposing team orders.
While Ferrari are focusing on the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, the upcoming hearing will most certainly be on the back of their mind. The F1 media and fans would most certainly divert their attention to the hearing soon after the Belgian Grand Prix. Interestingly the hearing is set to be held on Wednesday during the Monza race week, which is Ferrari's home race.
Ferrari were found guilty of using team orders at the end of the race and Ferrari haven't officially lodged any protest on the $100000 fine. It could be assumed that Ferrari would not try to protest the stewards decision at the council hearing but would justify their stance for the events during the race.
Ferrari have been involved in team order controversies before. In the 2001 Austrian Grand Prix, Ruben Barrichello had to concede second place to Michael Schumacher. Barrichello let Schumacher overtake him on the last lap of the race. Intrestingly the same situation present itself to Ferrari the next Austrian Grand Prix in 2002. This time Barrichello conceded his lead to Schumacher on the last lap of the race. During the trophy presentation ceremony of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, Schumacher took the second step of the podium and insisted on Barrichello taking the top step. Ferrari received a huge fine of one million dollars for not observing the sport's regulations during the presentation ceremony. The new rules against team orders were due to the events of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.
The opinion about team orders itself has been a divided one. Some teams have said that team orders should be allowed and the rule be scrapped, but others feel that it spoils the show. However many were disappointed with the outcome of the German GP. Fans expect racing at all times during a race, an opinion which is not necessarily shared by the teams.
Former FIA president Max Mosely has been quoted as saying that both Ferrari drivers should be docked their points in the race. Ferrari would definitely take a harder stance if that were to happen. A few media reports say that Ferrari are prepared for a civil court action if the decision of the WMSC is to dock any points from the race. While docking points wouldn't affect Ferrari in the constructors championship it would have a huge impact on Fernando Alonso's title hopes. The drivers title is very closely fought this year and if Alonso were to lose the points from the German Grand Prix its almost curtains for his title hopes.
Ferrari reaction of a civil suit might be to let the WMSC know beforehand how they would feel about any drastic decision against them. Precedents do suggest the WMSC might take a sterner action against Ferrari. In the spy controvery McLaren were docked all constructor points and imposed a fine of 100 million dollars while the drivers - Hamilton and Alonso escaped any penalty. In the 2009 lie-gate controversy McLaren were docked points for three races and Hamilton for the Australian race. The WMSC might feel obliged to hand a bigger penalty to Ferrari and set a deterrent against teams imposing team orders.
While Ferrari are focusing on the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, the upcoming hearing will most certainly be on the back of their mind. The F1 media and fans would most certainly divert their attention to the hearing soon after the Belgian Grand Prix. Interestingly the hearing is set to be held on Wednesday during the Monza race week, which is Ferrari's home race.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Kimi Raikkonen never to return to F1 ?
When Kimi Raikkonen decided to leave F1 for WRC many would have thought of it as a temporary move. However in the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Raikkonen is quoted as saying he may never return to F1
Kimi Raikkonen left F1 with one year pending in his contract after it was announced that Fernando Alonso would be driving for Ferrari. Raikkonen would have considered other F1 teams including his former team McLaren before moving to WRC with Citroen . While there were rumours of Kimi Raikkonen coming back to F1 notably with Red Bull since they are one of his team sponsors in WRC and probably Renault since there is no indication of a contract yet for the second seat at Renault, it seems like Raikkonen might want to continue with rallying and other challenges. In his debut year in the WRC Kimi Raikkonen has registered a best result of 5th overall in the Rally of Turkey and also won the last stage in the Rallye Deutschland.
One of the reasons for Raikkonen's non commitment to his future F1 plans could also be due to the lack of openings with the top teams. The driver market would really open out during the 2012 season with most of the driver contracts in the top teams ending by the end of 2012. Maybe a new challenge in F1 would get Raikkonen to reconsider F1.
Kimi Raikkonen left F1 with one year pending in his contract after it was announced that Fernando Alonso would be driving for Ferrari. Raikkonen would have considered other F1 teams including his former team McLaren before moving to WRC with Citroen . While there were rumours of Kimi Raikkonen coming back to F1 notably with Red Bull since they are one of his team sponsors in WRC and probably Renault since there is no indication of a contract yet for the second seat at Renault, it seems like Raikkonen might want to continue with rallying and other challenges. In his debut year in the WRC Kimi Raikkonen has registered a best result of 5th overall in the Rally of Turkey and also won the last stage in the Rallye Deutschland.
One of the reasons for Raikkonen's non commitment to his future F1 plans could also be due to the lack of openings with the top teams. The driver market would really open out during the 2012 season with most of the driver contracts in the top teams ending by the end of 2012. Maybe a new challenge in F1 would get Raikkonen to reconsider F1.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
F1 - Who goes where in 2011
Now that we are in the summer break and approaching the last part of the 2010 Formula 1 season its probably time to review the drivers and teams for next year
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are set to stay. In 2008 it was reported that he had signed a 5 year contract with McLaren after his successful debut year. That means Hamilton is set to stay till the end of 2012. Jenson Button too has a three year contract with McLaren, that would mean he is with them till the end of 2012.
With both drivers comfortable in the team and the team's ability to provide a car that can challenge for titles it hard to see either not seeing out the contract. One wonders if Hamilton would ever drive for another team.
Mercedes GP
For the current constructor champions they have had a rough year. It didn't start all that bad for them. Ross Brawn was able to successfully bring back Schumacher out of retirement for a three year deal. I couldn't find any information on the tenure of Rosberg's contract. But three years should be the norm and for next year the same driver pairing should continue. Never mind the rumours that Schumacher will retire by the end of the year. He won't.
Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel has a contract till the end of 2012 and Red Bull may well be trying to add another three years to that. Mark Webber extended his contract by a year till the end of 2011. Although Red Bull are yet to win a championship this year and to some extent last year proved that they are a big force in the years to come. The two drivers are confirmed to drive for next year.
Ferrari
No surprises here. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa's contract are till the end of 2012. Interestingly most of the drivers in the top team's contract are set to expire by the end of the 2012. The driver market is wide open in 2012.
Renault
Like most of the top drivers Kubica has extended his contract with Renault till the end of 2012. Vitaly Petrov however has a single year's contract with Renault. Hungary was the best race for him this season but he needs more like that. There is speculation about other drivers for Petrov's race seat - Nick Heidfeld, Adrian Sutil, Kimi Raikkonen, Kamui Kobayashi, but nothing concrete as of now.
Force India
The contracts of two Force India drivers can only be speculated. Liuzzi has a contract for 2011 but its not clear if its a race seat contract. Liuzzi started out as their test driver in 2009 but graduated to the race seat after Giancarlo Fisichella moved to Ferrari. Adrian Sutil's contract was to end in 2009 and it was extended for this year. It would be interesting to see if Paul di Resta will be give a few races next year. He has been a regular friday driver for the team.
Torro Rosso
Torro Rosso are set to continue with their existing line up for next year. Buemi is probably looking at a race seat at Red Bull when there is an opening there.
Sauber
Kamui Kobayashi has a better part of the season of late. He now has 17 points while Pedro de la Rosa has 6. Sometime back De la Rosa said he is not sure about next year yet. Kobayashi might continue with Sauber next year unless the speculation linking him to a Renault seat turns out to be true
Williams F1
It does seem that Williams is happy with their current driver lineup. I believe that the contract with these drivers is for 2010 as of now, but we may well see an extension of their contracts.
Lotus Racing
Lotus Racing have done the best so far among the new teams and also seem the most stable. All the new teams have contracts with their drivers only for 2010 which seems the obvious. But we may see both Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli continuing for next year. Next year Lotus may also be eyeing a race for one of their Malaysian drivers, maybe Fairuz Fauzy. Lotus Racing recently announced that a 16 year old Karting driver Nabil Jeffri would be doing an aero test on their car next month.
Virgin Racing
Timo Glock is probably set for next year, but he might be looking to graduate to one of the established teams. When Toyota left F1 he couldn't get a race seat with one the established teams. Ironically when he was injured last year, Kobayashi replaced him for the last two races of the season and impressed enough to land a Sauber seat. Nothing is clear about Lucas di Grassi yet.
HRT
Hispania Racing has four drivers in their team, but none of them have a secure deal for next year. HRT have had a rough year so far and would probably delay thinking about the driver lineup till after the season.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are set to stay. In 2008 it was reported that he had signed a 5 year contract with McLaren after his successful debut year. That means Hamilton is set to stay till the end of 2012. Jenson Button too has a three year contract with McLaren, that would mean he is with them till the end of 2012.
With both drivers comfortable in the team and the team's ability to provide a car that can challenge for titles it hard to see either not seeing out the contract. One wonders if Hamilton would ever drive for another team.
Mercedes GP
For the current constructor champions they have had a rough year. It didn't start all that bad for them. Ross Brawn was able to successfully bring back Schumacher out of retirement for a three year deal. I couldn't find any information on the tenure of Rosberg's contract. But three years should be the norm and for next year the same driver pairing should continue. Never mind the rumours that Schumacher will retire by the end of the year. He won't.
Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel has a contract till the end of 2012 and Red Bull may well be trying to add another three years to that. Mark Webber extended his contract by a year till the end of 2011. Although Red Bull are yet to win a championship this year and to some extent last year proved that they are a big force in the years to come. The two drivers are confirmed to drive for next year.
Ferrari
No surprises here. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa's contract are till the end of 2012. Interestingly most of the drivers in the top team's contract are set to expire by the end of the 2012. The driver market is wide open in 2012.
Renault
Like most of the top drivers Kubica has extended his contract with Renault till the end of 2012. Vitaly Petrov however has a single year's contract with Renault. Hungary was the best race for him this season but he needs more like that. There is speculation about other drivers for Petrov's race seat - Nick Heidfeld, Adrian Sutil, Kimi Raikkonen, Kamui Kobayashi, but nothing concrete as of now.
Force India
The contracts of two Force India drivers can only be speculated. Liuzzi has a contract for 2011 but its not clear if its a race seat contract. Liuzzi started out as their test driver in 2009 but graduated to the race seat after Giancarlo Fisichella moved to Ferrari. Adrian Sutil's contract was to end in 2009 and it was extended for this year. It would be interesting to see if Paul di Resta will be give a few races next year. He has been a regular friday driver for the team.
Torro Rosso
Torro Rosso are set to continue with their existing line up for next year. Buemi is probably looking at a race seat at Red Bull when there is an opening there.
Sauber
Kamui Kobayashi has a better part of the season of late. He now has 17 points while Pedro de la Rosa has 6. Sometime back De la Rosa said he is not sure about next year yet. Kobayashi might continue with Sauber next year unless the speculation linking him to a Renault seat turns out to be true
Williams F1
It does seem that Williams is happy with their current driver lineup. I believe that the contract with these drivers is for 2010 as of now, but we may well see an extension of their contracts.
Lotus Racing
Lotus Racing have done the best so far among the new teams and also seem the most stable. All the new teams have contracts with their drivers only for 2010 which seems the obvious. But we may see both Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli continuing for next year. Next year Lotus may also be eyeing a race for one of their Malaysian drivers, maybe Fairuz Fauzy. Lotus Racing recently announced that a 16 year old Karting driver Nabil Jeffri would be doing an aero test on their car next month.
Virgin Racing
Timo Glock is probably set for next year, but he might be looking to graduate to one of the established teams. When Toyota left F1 he couldn't get a race seat with one the established teams. Ironically when he was injured last year, Kobayashi replaced him for the last two races of the season and impressed enough to land a Sauber seat. Nothing is clear about Lucas di Grassi yet.
HRT
Hispania Racing has four drivers in their team, but none of them have a secure deal for next year. HRT have had a rough year so far and would probably delay thinking about the driver lineup till after the season.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Hungarian Grand Prix post race updates
In the post race press conference Webber called for engine parity. It is widely known that the Mercedes engine is the most powerful engine on the grid and there have repeated calls from Renault for engine equality. With the engine specification freeze in effect till 2012 engine manufactures are allowed only changes meant for improving reliablity after approval from the governing body.
Red Bull would have to continue with Renault next year as Mercedes are unlikely to supply another team. Mercedes currently supply engines to McLaren, Mercedes GP (their works team) and Force India. A fourth team is unlikely. Red Bull were looking at a switch to Mercedes prior to the start of this season but were unable to get the engine supply. The Renault engine although down on power is considered the most fuel economical engine on the grid. With the ban on refuelling the teams running the Renault engine have the ability to run with a lot less fuel in the tanks than the other teams.
As expected the media is centered around Michael Schumacher for his maneuver on Rubens Barrichello. Derek Warwick the driver race steward at the Hungarian Grand Prix has said that Schumacher was close to being black flagged at the race. But with three laps remaining they were unable to review the video footage in time to issue the penalty and had to take up the issue post race. Ex F1 drivers have joined the band wagon in criticizing Schumacher - Alex Wurz, Sir Jackie Stewart, Eddie Irvine and the list goes on.
Schumacher has apologised to Ruben Barrichello on his official website. He said that it was never his intention to cause any harm to Rubens but was only trying to protect the inside line so that it was clear to Barrichello that he would have to overtake hime around the outside. But he said if Rubens felt otherwise he is sorry.
Most of F1 teams, personnel, drivers are on vacation. The team factories are shut for two weeks before the week of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Red Bull would have to continue with Renault next year as Mercedes are unlikely to supply another team. Mercedes currently supply engines to McLaren, Mercedes GP (their works team) and Force India. A fourth team is unlikely. Red Bull were looking at a switch to Mercedes prior to the start of this season but were unable to get the engine supply. The Renault engine although down on power is considered the most fuel economical engine on the grid. With the ban on refuelling the teams running the Renault engine have the ability to run with a lot less fuel in the tanks than the other teams.
As expected the media is centered around Michael Schumacher for his maneuver on Rubens Barrichello. Derek Warwick the driver race steward at the Hungarian Grand Prix has said that Schumacher was close to being black flagged at the race. But with three laps remaining they were unable to review the video footage in time to issue the penalty and had to take up the issue post race. Ex F1 drivers have joined the band wagon in criticizing Schumacher - Alex Wurz, Sir Jackie Stewart, Eddie Irvine and the list goes on.
Schumacher has apologised to Ruben Barrichello on his official website. He said that it was never his intention to cause any harm to Rubens but was only trying to protect the inside line so that it was clear to Barrichello that he would have to overtake hime around the outside. But he said if Rubens felt otherwise he is sorry.
Most of F1 teams, personnel, drivers are on vacation. The team factories are shut for two weeks before the week of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Michael Schumacher vs Rubens Barrichello
The safety car was deployed on lap 15 and Schumacher along with most of the other drivers dived into the pits for their pit stop. Webber and Barrichello however stayed on. The safety car deployment was too early in the race for Barrichello who had started on the prime tyres.
Barrichello eventually took his pit stop with only 14 laps remaining in the race. He rejoined the race in 11th about 8 seconds behind Schumacher. In the space of 4 laps Barrichello caught up with Schumacher.
A big battle between Barrichello and Schumacher then started for the 10th place on Lap 61. Barrichello was evidently much faster than Schumacher. Schumacher however was able to hold his ground for about 5 laps. At the end of Lap 66 Barrichello sees his chance. Barrichello exited the final corner much closer to Schumacher this time and was able to gain a straightline advantage. He moves to the right close to the pit wall. Schumacher move to the right too leaving little space between the pit wall and himself. Barrichello however didn't ease off the pedal and both cars continued till the end of the pit wall at which point with reaching the braking zone Schumacher braked first and Barrichello with the inside line was able to brake later and move take the position. Replays show a few centimeters between Barrichello's car and the pit wall.
Barrichello was fuming inside the car and told his team over the pit radio that Schumacher should be black flagged. Schumacher did receive a 10 place grid penalty for the next race. He would be docked ten places of his qualifying position. Later Barrichello told the media that it was the most dangerous overtaking move he had ever encountered.
Schumacher in his defense said that he left enough space between him and Barrichello and also that as a driver he was allowed to change his line once which he did.
It looks like the F1 community is divided about Schumacher's move. Some are obviously say that Schumacher overstepped the line and tried to push Barrichello against the wall - well many infact and including the race stewards who had to penalise Schumacher and prevent setting a precedent for the others.
But there is quite a strong voice who actually enjoyed the racing. They say thats racing and even the fight is for tenth it showed Schumacher's racing instinct. They may well be true. Schumacher is in an unknown territory this year with a car which seems to go backwards rather than forward. His teammate is doing much better which may not show on the outside but Schumacher is well aware of that. Canada and here showed that even if its for a single point he would not give the place away easily.
But every Grand Prix these days has given something to talk and read about. With three weeks before the next Grand Prix Schumacher's move on Barrichello and Vettel's drive through penalty should give enough for the fans and the media in these weeks.
Strange, i said Schumacher's move on Barrichello when it was actually Barrichello who overtook Schumacher :-)
Hungarian Grand Prix Webber Victorious, Vettel fails to win from pole.. again
Sebastian Vettel has claimed 7 poles this year and only one win from Pole. The race was full of twists and turns once the safety car was deployed which otherwise would have been another processional race.
Vettel made a clean start and was soon way ahead of the lead from Alonso. Alonso moved to second after a poor start by Webber. Webber started from the dirty side of the track and didn't have a clean getaway.
After the first lap the race order was Vettel, Alonso, Webber, Massa, Hamilton and Petrov.
On lap 15 things turned quite a bit. Safety car was deployed and every one headed into the pits. The pit lane was crowded with the pit crew and the race cars each trying to jump ahead of another during the stop.
The lollipop in front of Robert Kubica was lifted just when Adrian Sutil was entering his pits and both the cars collided. That ended the race for Sutil and Kubica rejoined later a lap down. He was issued a stop-go penalty which served later. But he soon retired from the race which any way seemed fruitless for him.
Nico Rosberg right rear wheel flew off his car and was bouncing up and down in the pit lane. This happened immediately after he was released by his pit crew and that ended his race. Luckily no one was hurt from the flying wheel which could have been quite dangerous. Both Mercedes and Renault have been fined 50000 dollars for unsafely releasing their cars.
Red Bull didn't pit Webber during the safety car period. Vettel however came in for his pit stop and rejoined the track behind Webber.
The order behind the safety car was Webber, Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa. Hamilton gained position over Massa during the pit stops. The idea from Red Bull would have been to let Webber run ahead with a empty track ahead of him, gain enough advantage and then take his pit stop. That would have meant that Vettel would have finished in first and Webber in second if everything went right for Red Bull. But things didn't work out as they planned.
Webber was right behind the safety car as it came in and literally flew ahead in the race. Vettel however was slow and there was quite a gap between him and Webber. It could have been Red Bull's plan to slow the cars behind or it probably was Webber jumped ahead much faster than Vettel could have reacted. Nevertheless Vettel failed to maintain less than 10 cars lengths between him and Webber when following the safety car and he was handed a stop go penalty. Vettel was absolutely fuming when he took his penalty. 'Why am i given a drive through ?' he asked over his pit radio.
The Red Bull were a league apart from the rest of the cars. Webber with an empty track behind him took his pit stop on lap 44 a full 23 seconds ahead of Alonso and rejoined the track comfortably ahead of Alonso. Vettel after knowing about his investigation was able to build a lead sufficient to be ahead of Massa after his drive through. Vettel however even with superior pace couldn't get ahead of Alonso and had to settle for third.
Lewis Hamilton's championship challenge suffered a setback. The championship leader retired from the race after a gear box failure on lap 24. His team mate Jenson Button would be dissappointed with eight.
Fernando Alonso has gained massively from his win last weekend and his second here. Alonso is now only 20 points behind Webber.
Webber leads the championship with 161 points. Hamilton is second with 157 points and Sebasitan Vettel is third with 151 points
Michael Schumacher has been given a 10 place grid penalty for moving to right to block an overtaking move by Barrichello. Barrichello was pushed right against the pit wall. The race stewards after investigation by the stewards found Schumacher guilty of illegimately impeding Barrichello in an overtaking move.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying - Red Bull Unbeatable
Once again a Red Bull Racing car is on pole. Sebastian Vettel leads his teammate Mark Webber for an all Red Bull front row. Only once this year has any other team beaten Red Bull for pole. This is Sebastian Vettel's 7th pole position this year. Interestingly Vettel has only won twice this year and only once from Pole.
The Hungarian Grand Prix is known to be difficult for overtaking. Also the track is very dirty outside the racing line. Cars which start on the dirty side of the grid are at a great disadvantage. Fernando Alonso who is in third has a great chance to jump ahead of Webber. The gap between Vettel and Alonso's qualifying time is 1.2 seconds, would want to make most of hist start.
Vitaly Petrov qualified ahead of Robert Kubica after an impressive qualifying performance. He would be starting on the clean side of the grid and would be hoping to better his 7th place finish in China.
Force India decided against their exhaust blown diffuser for the race after friday practice. Adrian Sutil later qualified in 13th and Vitantonio Liuzzi in 16th.
Kamui Kobayashi was the first among the established teams to miss the next round of qualifying. The Japanese driver failed to make the Q2 cut. Kobayashi was later given a 5 place grid penalty for ignoring the stewards call to the weight bridge. Kobayashi failed to see the red light as he entered the pits and proceeded to his pit garage.
Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher failed to make the Q3 cut. For Schumacher this is the second race in a row where he failed to do so. Schumacher however is optimistic of a better race pace as they had changed the setup of his car with the race in mind. With the hotter temperatures during qualifying he struggled with the setup.
Sakon Yamamoto, Vitaly Petrov, Timo Glock and Lucas Di Grassi were given a reprimand for lapping too slowly on their in laps
Friday, July 30, 2010
Hungarian Grand Prix Friday Updates
It looks like a race between Red Bull and Ferrari again this weekend. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in both the practice sessions, but Alonso caught up in the afternoon session and is trailing by one a tenth of a second.
McLaren are off the pace from Red Bull and Ferrari. They probably would be going for the points rather than the win this race.
Schumacher thinks they are off the pace and doesn't expect much yet. Mercedes have a revised aero package which isn't yet suiting this circuit.
Qualifying tomorrow might be under wet conditions. The forecast is for heavy showers post lunch so we can expect an interesting session tomorrow.
Heikki Kovalainen's car suffered from a hydraulics failure and he couldn't take part for the entire afternoon session.
Interestingly Vitaly Petrov posted a much faster time than Robert Kubica in the afternoon practice, but the times were set under slightly different track conditions as explained later by Eric Boullier in the friday press conference.
HRT team principal was asked if Christian Klien might get a race later in the season. He said there is a possiblity. It seems that HRT have employed a driver rotation policy between their four drivers.
For Kubica and Kovalainen this race is more of a home race. A lot of Finnish and Polish fans are expected for the race since this race is the closest to their homes.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Hungarian Grand Prix Preview
This weekend the Hungarian Grand Prix will be emotional for Felipe Massa. Last year during qualifying for this race Massa suffered a serious head injury when a loose spring which fell off Ruben's Barrichello's car hit him.
Sakon Yamamoto continues to drive for Hispania Racing Team which means Karun Chandhok will be on the HRT bench. Chandhok is hoping for his race seat back by Spa, Belgium.
Mercedes will be back tracking on some of their W01 upgrades after Hockenheim. Most likely the upgrades are with their exhaust blown diffuser. The blown diffuser was introduced at Valencia but they had a troublesome race there. Silverstone was better where Rosberg scored a podium but Germany turned out to be bad again.
In the Thursday press conference Massa was asked if he is number 2 in the team now. Massa replied back that if he is the number two driver he will not race anymore.
Forecast is for rain tomorrow during practice. So its going to be a repeat of Friday practice at Hockenheim. There is a possibility of rain for Saturday, but Sunday should be dry.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Fernando Alonso and the Hungarian Grand Prix
There is something about Alonso and Hungary. Fernando Alonso recorded his first ever win in Formula 1 at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. By winning this race Fernando Alonso became the youngest ever Grand Prix winner beating Bruce McLaren's record (which was later beaten by Sebastian Vettel). This race Alonso dominated every one in the field and even lapping Michael Schumacher who was running in 8th. And as a measure for his dominance in this race he lapped his team mate Jarno Trulli who was running in 7th.
Flashback again to 2006, this was the time when the championship rivalry between Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso was really heating up and this race saw many twist and turns. Renault had decided not use their 'Mass dampers' concept in Hungary even though the race stewards at Germany considered it legal. Renault did this as the FIA had considered them illegal. On top of that Alonso was given a two second qualifying time penalty for brake testing Robert Doornbos and for overtaking under the yellow flags. This was on saturday and coincidentally after saturday practice, Michael Schumacher was given a two second qualifying penalty for overtaking Robert Kubica and Alonso under the red flags. Qualifying was tight with both drivers trying to make it to Q3, Schumacher failing to make it by about half a second with the penalty added and Alonso failed to make it by about a second after the penalty.
So the race started with Schumacher in 12th and Alonso in 15th. The race started with a wet track and for the first time ever it rained on race day at this Grand Prix. Schumacher made ground up to 6th, but Alonso was way ahead of anybody in terms of speed and was easily in the lead. There was a safety car during the race and once the safety car left Alonso was away. Unfortunately for him once the track dried out and he made his pit stop for dry tyres, a loose wheel nut caused him to crash out of the race. Incidentally Jenson Button won that race which was the first win of his career in F1.
A year later Alonso joined McLaren and by Hungary the rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso had already reached its heights. This was one of the years where the last qualifying session was run with race fuel weight on board so the first 8 or so minutes of the qualifying is where the drivers burn as much fuel as possible. Hamilton went ahead of Alonso and as per their rotation basis Alonso was supposed to go ahead of Hamilton but wasn't given way. This irked Alonso and for his last tyre change before the final qualifying run, even after the lollipop was raised Alonso waited another 10 seconds before going ahead for his qualifying run. For that 10 seconds Hamilton was stacked up behind Alonso and he he missed setting his final run as by the time reached the start line the chequered flag was already raised. Following the stewards investigation of the incident, Alonso was given a five place penalty and McLaren were docked the points they would get in the constructors championship. Probably this race decided the Alonso - McLaren relationship.
2008 was uneventful for Alonso and he finished in 4th. But it was the turn of Heikki Kovalainen to record his first win.
Back to 2009 Hungary, this was the year that Massa had a shocking accident after hit by spring in the face which fell of Barrichello's car. The timing information failed for the last qualifying and after the session the drivers were unsure of the grid positions. But after the timing systems were back - Fernando Alonso was on pole. And since 2009 Hungary Alonso has not been on pole. He could have in the German Grand Prix last weekend only to be beaten by a whisker by Sebastian Vettel.
Come the Hungarian Grand Prix you can expect something from Alonso :-). But if you were to bet on any one to win this race most would put their money on Alonso. I would...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
German Grand Prix Post race updates
Heikki Kovalainen was given a reprimand for causing the collision between himself and Pedro de la Rosa by the race stewards. De la Rosa was not too happy with the incident and with the back markers in the race.
Force India too were given a reprimand for using tyres allocated for Vitantonio Liuzzi on Adrian Sutil's car. Both cars collided against each other and Liuzzi had a damaged front wing. There was some confusion in their pits and probably were expecting Liuzzi to pit first and even had a new nose ready. But it was Sutil who entered the pit first. Ironically both Torro Rosso cars collided with each other too.
McLaren would be happy to come in 4th and 5th. For McLaren this race would be more of a consolidation race for their new exhaust blown diffuser upgrade. The concern for McLaren would be that they finished the race 30 seconds off the leaders time.
The bigger concern would be for Renault and Mercedes as all teams other than Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were one lap down by the end of the race. Hockenheim is a short circuit compared to the other tracks but being 1 lap down brings the confidence levels down a bit.
McLaren leave the German GP with 22 points leading the constructors world championship with 300 points. Hamilton leads the championship with 157 points and Button is second with 143 now. The two Red Bulls are on equal points with 136. Alonso gained most and is now on 123 points.
Ferrari apparently will not be appealing the fine of $100000 they received. Back in Austria 2002 Ferrari had received a bigger fine of 1 million dollars for team orders.
Force India too were given a reprimand for using tyres allocated for Vitantonio Liuzzi on Adrian Sutil's car. Both cars collided against each other and Liuzzi had a damaged front wing. There was some confusion in their pits and probably were expecting Liuzzi to pit first and even had a new nose ready. But it was Sutil who entered the pit first. Ironically both Torro Rosso cars collided with each other too.
McLaren would be happy to come in 4th and 5th. For McLaren this race would be more of a consolidation race for their new exhaust blown diffuser upgrade. The concern for McLaren would be that they finished the race 30 seconds off the leaders time.
The bigger concern would be for Renault and Mercedes as all teams other than Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were one lap down by the end of the race. Hockenheim is a short circuit compared to the other tracks but being 1 lap down brings the confidence levels down a bit.
McLaren leave the German GP with 22 points leading the constructors world championship with 300 points. Hamilton leads the championship with 157 points and Button is second with 143 now. The two Red Bulls are on equal points with 136. Alonso gained most and is now on 123 points.
Ferrari apparently will not be appealing the fine of $100000 they received. Back in Austria 2002 Ferrari had received a bigger fine of 1 million dollars for team orders.
Press give Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa a hard time in the German GP post race conference
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa had a hard time answering the questions from the floor. The questions from the journalists were direct and probably was a bit uncomfortable for Alonso in the end. Most of the questions were directed at Alonso.
After Valencia, Alonso had said that the race was manipulated. One journalist told Alonso that those words seem hollow now and asked Alonso where would he rate his victory at Germany. Of course Alonso didn't like the question.
Another journalist was straight to the point. He asked/told Alonso that since he couldn't beat Massa on track he had to get his team to do it for him.
It didn't end there. Another one asked Alonso that he didn't look happy at the podium, and at the press conference, why he doesn't admit that the win was handed in a plate for him. At this point Sebastian Vettel interrupts and says "Can i go ?" :-)
Alonso however stressed on the fact that Ferrari and he was the fastest throughout the weekend and that the deserved the victory etc.. Which is true, had Alonso gone ahead in the first corner looking at Ferrari and Alonso's pace it would have been tough for anyone to keep up with Alonso. Massa wasn't too bad either and he would have held on to a win if he hadn't slowed down. But yeah it would be hard to keep the media quiet for sometime now. Apparently Eddie Jordan has said that Alonso and Massa should be disqualified from the race.
From Ferrari's point of view a victory for Alonso means now he is closer to the leaders in the drivers championship. 7 points will really matter come this season end.
The race stewards have investigated the incident and Ferrari have been give a fine for what they have decided as team orders. Team orders have been banned since Rubens Barrichello moved over for Michael Schumacher and let him take victory at Austria 2002. Ferrari were handed a heavy fine in that race as well.
After Valencia, Alonso had said that the race was manipulated. One journalist told Alonso that those words seem hollow now and asked Alonso where would he rate his victory at Germany. Of course Alonso didn't like the question.
Another journalist was straight to the point. He asked/told Alonso that since he couldn't beat Massa on track he had to get his team to do it for him.
It didn't end there. Another one asked Alonso that he didn't look happy at the podium, and at the press conference, why he doesn't admit that the win was handed in a plate for him. At this point Sebastian Vettel interrupts and says "Can i go ?" :-)
Alonso however stressed on the fact that Ferrari and he was the fastest throughout the weekend and that the deserved the victory etc.. Which is true, had Alonso gone ahead in the first corner looking at Ferrari and Alonso's pace it would have been tough for anyone to keep up with Alonso. Massa wasn't too bad either and he would have held on to a win if he hadn't slowed down. But yeah it would be hard to keep the media quiet for sometime now. Apparently Eddie Jordan has said that Alonso and Massa should be disqualified from the race.
From Ferrari's point of view a victory for Alonso means now he is closer to the leaders in the drivers championship. 7 points will really matter come this season end.
The race stewards have investigated the incident and Ferrari have been give a fine for what they have decided as team orders. Team orders have been banned since Rubens Barrichello moved over for Michael Schumacher and let him take victory at Austria 2002. Ferrari were handed a heavy fine in that race as well.
Ferrari fined $100000 after the German GP for team orders
The stewards investigated the Ferrari team orders incident where in Massa slowed down at the hair pin allowing Alonso to take the lead. The stewards have now reached a decision where in Ferrari have been fined $100000 for breach of article 39.1 under the FIA 2010 Sporting regulations and of Article 151 para c of the 2010 FIA International sporting code.
The case would also be referred to the World Motorsport Council. Ferrari may expect more penalties there.
The case would also be referred to the World Motorsport Council. Ferrari may expect more penalties there.
Fernando Alonso takes victory at the German GP - well under controversial circumstances
Felipe Massa had a super start at Hockenheim and moved ahead into the lead by the first lap. Sebastian Vettel however had a poor start and although he tried to leave little space for Alonso, by the end of the first corner Vettel had dropped down to third. The two Ferraris lead the entire race except for a short duration where in Button was in the lead. But that was only because Button had yet to take his pit stop.
On lap 48 Massa slowed down at the hair pin which allowed Alonso to move ahead in the race. But that was under controversial circumstances as prior to that Rob Smedley (Massa's race engineer) told Massa over the pit radio - "Fernando is faster than you, can you confirm you understood the message". After Alonso overtook him there was another communication by Smedley something on the lines of - "Ok, good lad. Stay with him now... Sorry..."
Ferrari have been summoned by the race stewards who are investigating this issue. Were there any team orders ? And if true will Ferrari be penalised. Ferrari definitely cannot afford one after such a strong showing this weekend.
On lap 48 Massa slowed down at the hair pin which allowed Alonso to move ahead in the race. But that was under controversial circumstances as prior to that Rob Smedley (Massa's race engineer) told Massa over the pit radio - "Fernando is faster than you, can you confirm you understood the message". After Alonso overtook him there was another communication by Smedley something on the lines of - "Ok, good lad. Stay with him now... Sorry..."
Ferrari have been summoned by the race stewards who are investigating this issue. Were there any team orders ? And if true will Ferrari be penalised. Ferrari definitely cannot afford one after such a strong showing this weekend.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
German Grand Prix Qualifying: Sebastian Vettel clinches pole
It was an exciting last few minutes of qualifying, Alonso looked like taking pole for the first time this year (and since Hungary last year for him), but Sebastian Vettel managed to clinch pole from by just 0.002 seconds.
Ferrari are looking strong at this circuit and should be challenging for a win tomorrow.
Mark Webber ran wide on his final flying lap and had to settle in 4th behind the Ferrari of Felipe Massa
McLaren have yet to show their good form from the last few Grands Prix. They are running their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade and might take this Grand Prix for consolidating on their upgrades. Jenson Button qualified in 5th ahead of Lewis Hamilton in 6th.
Robert Kubica qualified in 7th ahead of the Williams of Rubens Barrichello. Both the Williams cars are in the top 10 with Hulkenberg qualifying in 10th. Nico Rosberg came ahead of Michael Schumacher again after qualifying in 9th.
Schumacher however failed to make it Q3 again after Nico Hulkenberg moved ahead to 8th in Q2 pushing Schumacher down to 11th.
Force India had a terrible qualifying session with Vitantonio Luzzi crashing out in the final corner about five minutes into Q1. Adrian Sutil managed to qualify in 14th, but a gear box change prior to qualifying would push him down to 19th due a five place grid penalty
The rain stayed away for the qualifying session although it looked like it might affect Q3. However later during the race tomorrow there is a possibility of rain which should change a few things tomorrow.
Tomorrow's race should be interesting. Ferrari are looking a win since Bahrain. The Red Bulls are better placed than the McLarens. And rain should spice things up (if it rains that is. In F1 it rains only when you dont expect it to :-))
Ferrari are looking strong at this circuit and should be challenging for a win tomorrow.
Mark Webber ran wide on his final flying lap and had to settle in 4th behind the Ferrari of Felipe Massa
McLaren have yet to show their good form from the last few Grands Prix. They are running their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade and might take this Grand Prix for consolidating on their upgrades. Jenson Button qualified in 5th ahead of Lewis Hamilton in 6th.
Robert Kubica qualified in 7th ahead of the Williams of Rubens Barrichello. Both the Williams cars are in the top 10 with Hulkenberg qualifying in 10th. Nico Rosberg came ahead of Michael Schumacher again after qualifying in 9th.
Schumacher however failed to make it Q3 again after Nico Hulkenberg moved ahead to 8th in Q2 pushing Schumacher down to 11th.
Force India had a terrible qualifying session with Vitantonio Luzzi crashing out in the final corner about five minutes into Q1. Adrian Sutil managed to qualify in 14th, but a gear box change prior to qualifying would push him down to 19th due a five place grid penalty
The rain stayed away for the qualifying session although it looked like it might affect Q3. However later during the race tomorrow there is a possibility of rain which should change a few things tomorrow.
Tomorrow's race should be interesting. Ferrari are looking a win since Bahrain. The Red Bulls are better placed than the McLarens. And rain should spice things up (if it rains that is. In F1 it rains only when you dont expect it to :-))
For full report and results - http://www.nowf1.com/editorials/4896-vettel-edges-past-alonso-to-clinch-german-grand-prix-pole.html
Friday, July 23, 2010
German Grand Prix Friday Practice 2
Ferrari are looking strong this weekend. Fernando Alonso topped the timing sheets in afternoon practice. Although there was a hint of rain during the session, it stayed away until after the session. Sebastian Vettel finished the session in second, his best time about three hundredths of a second off Alonso's best. Lewis Hamilton had to wait in the pit garage for most of the session due to the damage suffered to his car during his crash in the morning practice. He however managed to complete 10 laps towards the end.
McLaren are most likely running their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade for the entire weekend now.
Mercedes are reasonably happy with their 5th and 6th in the afternoon session.
Nico Rosberg damaged his front wing during the afternoon practice. During the friday press conference where Rosberg was also present he was asked if he was given a new front wing. To which he replied that he took Michael's (Schumacher) and that Schumacher was given an old one :-)
If Ferrari continue their Friday form on Saturday and on Sunday we may as well see three teams fighting for podiums. Tyres may be factor too with most teams unable to evaluate the harder tyres fully.
For full practice results - http://nowf1.com/editorials/4788-2010-german-grand-prix-friday-practice-2-results.html
McLaren are most likely running their exhaust blown diffuser upgrade for the entire weekend now.
Mercedes are reasonably happy with their 5th and 6th in the afternoon session.
Nico Rosberg damaged his front wing during the afternoon practice. During the friday press conference where Rosberg was also present he was asked if he was given a new front wing. To which he replied that he took Michael's (Schumacher) and that Schumacher was given an old one :-)
If Ferrari continue their Friday form on Saturday and on Sunday we may as well see three teams fighting for podiums. Tyres may be factor too with most teams unable to evaluate the harder tyres fully.
For full practice results - http://nowf1.com/editorials/4788-2010-german-grand-prix-friday-practice-2-results.html
German Grand Prix Friday Practice 1
Friday Practice 1 was a wet session. There was some amount of rain for most part of the session and the track was drying towards the end. Adrian Sutil set the fastest lap, followed by Felipe Massa and Jenson Button. Lewis Hamiton spun off the track and damaged his car after crashing into the barriers. The car had to be craned back to his pit garage and the championship leader must be hoping for no signifcant damage to his car. Meanwhile Michael Schumacher's session didn't go as he would have expected. The seven times world champion finished near last in 23rd only ahead of the HRT of Sakon Yamamoto. However Schumacher had only 11 laps of running in the session and would have a better running in the next session. Most of the drivers struggled in the wet spinning out of track quite a few times. The forecast for the afternoon session is for a wet session again.
For full practice results - http://www.nowf1.com/editorials/4757-2010-german-grand-prix-friday-practice-1-results.html
Thursday, July 22, 2010
2010 German GP thursday conference
Sebastian Vettel had the opportunity to drive the Reb Bull in his home town of Heppenheim on Sunday. Vettel also had a minor injury scare early this week after he injured his leg while running. He had to cancel his participation in a football match, but he can walk fine and there should be no issues for him during the race
In the thursday conference press were mainly interested in how things are faring between Vettel and Mark Webber. Seems like each is going about their business at the moment. One of the journalists asked Webber what would he say over the pit radio this Sunday should he win the race.
Michael Schumacher was also present in the press conference. He was asked what his target would be for this year and the next. To which he replied that his target for next year is the World title. Another journalist asked him whether that means he would be continuing next year, to which Schumacher replied - "yes". Schumacher has a three year contract with Mercedes till 2012 and should atleast see out two years out three based on his comments
In the thursday conference press were mainly interested in how things are faring between Vettel and Mark Webber. Seems like each is going about their business at the moment. One of the journalists asked Webber what would he say over the pit radio this Sunday should he win the race.
Michael Schumacher was also present in the press conference. He was asked what his target would be for this year and the next. To which he replied that his target for next year is the World title. Another journalist asked him whether that means he would be continuing next year, to which Schumacher replied - "yes". Schumacher has a three year contract with Mercedes till 2012 and should atleast see out two years out three based on his comments
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
German Grand Prix
Back to back Grands Prix ! Germany and the Hungary before the summer break. Quite a bit of action off track since the British GP.
Mark Webber wasn't really happy with the preference given to Sebastian Vettel over the front wing at the British GP. "Not bad for a number 2" he said after the race over the pit radio. But it probably didn't end there. Apparently Red Bull Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko isn't too happy with Webber over that. Things may have cooled down now during the two weeks.
On the other hand the press tried in and out to try and get some sense of friction between Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Sakon Yamamoto replaces Karun Chandhok for the German Grand Prix and maybe a few more. Chandhok may get a few more races later this year. Bruno Senna gets his race seat back.
Michael Schumacher will be racing in front of his home crowd as a Mercedes driver for the first time. Well pretty much all the German drivers will be racing for a new team in front of their home crowd. Schumacher last raced for Ferrari, Nico Rosberg for Williams, Timo Glock for Toyota, Nico Hulkenberg will debut. Vettel and Adrian Sutil race for the same team as last year.
McLaren will be trying out their exhaust blown diffuser again this friday. After friday practice at the British GP they decided that the upgrades wasn’t really ready and took it off for Saturday and the race. Now with two weeks of time since most likely they should race the new diffuser for the race
Torro Rosso confirm the same driver line up for 2011. Jamie Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi will continue as their race drivers
Rumours of Jacques Villenueve trying for the 13th team bid are around. (I think there was some confirmation about that, but i'm not sure)
Mark Webber wasn't really happy with the preference given to Sebastian Vettel over the front wing at the British GP. "Not bad for a number 2" he said after the race over the pit radio. But it probably didn't end there. Apparently Red Bull Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko isn't too happy with Webber over that. Things may have cooled down now during the two weeks.
On the other hand the press tried in and out to try and get some sense of friction between Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Sakon Yamamoto replaces Karun Chandhok for the German Grand Prix and maybe a few more. Chandhok may get a few more races later this year. Bruno Senna gets his race seat back.
Michael Schumacher will be racing in front of his home crowd as a Mercedes driver for the first time. Well pretty much all the German drivers will be racing for a new team in front of their home crowd. Schumacher last raced for Ferrari, Nico Rosberg for Williams, Timo Glock for Toyota, Nico Hulkenberg will debut. Vettel and Adrian Sutil race for the same team as last year.
McLaren will be trying out their exhaust blown diffuser again this friday. After friday practice at the British GP they decided that the upgrades wasn’t really ready and took it off for Saturday and the race. Now with two weeks of time since most likely they should race the new diffuser for the race
Torro Rosso confirm the same driver line up for 2011. Jamie Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi will continue as their race drivers
Rumours of Jacques Villenueve trying for the 13th team bid are around. (I think there was some confirmation about that, but i'm not sure)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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The website uses cookie store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. A cookie is a small file that is transferred on to your local hard disk using your web browser. While most web browsers automatically accept cookies, you can edit your browser options, to stop accepting cookies or to prompt you before accepting a cookie from the websites you visit.. This website uses Google Analytics for tracking usage of this site by our visitors. We use google analytics for gathering information such as browser type and operating system , tracking the number of visitors to the Site, and understanding how visitors use the Site.
Advertisements
We display advertisements from Google Adsense on this site. Google Adsense uses cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website and/or other sites on the Internet. Google Adsense uses the DoubleClick DART cookie technology when serving ads to this website. You may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting this advertising opt-out page.
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