Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. Sunday 14 May 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONZ6737
The fifth race of the season belongs to Formula One’s history book, Lewis Hamilton started the race from the pole and after a thrilling race, he secured his second victory of the 2017 season and closed the difference to Vettel, in the championship standings, to six points.
Lights out
Lights out, and one of the most exciting starts took place in Barcelona. Sebastian Vettel qualified behind Hamilton, but he had a quicker start and passed the British on the first lap. Valtteri Bottas tagged Raikkonen’s car, into the first corner, and Kimi’s Ferrari collided with Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Kimi Raikkonen forced to retire after a broken suspension, while Max Verstappen retired after a few more meters.
The other Ferrari, which was still on track, was increasing the lead from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel had a comfortable lead, and his team called him into the pits on lap 14 for a fresher set of soft compounds. At that point Mercedes, decided to keep Hamilton and Bottas on track for a few more laps.
Mercedes’ strategy paid off, Hamilton pitted a few laps later, switched on mediums, while Bottas defended his leading position from Sebastian Vettel who was running on softs. The silver arrows, knew that Hamilton will have an advantage at the end, because Vettel had to go on mediums and Hamilton would be able to switch on softs and go faster than the German.
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. Sunday 14 May 2017. World Copyright: Charles Coates/LAT Images ref: Digital Image DJ5R0535
After a thrilling battle between Bottas and Vettel, the German managed to retain the lead and started to increase his gap by his competitors.
An incident between Stoffel Vandoorne and Massa forced the first driver in the gravel, which caused the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car.
Hamilton pitted, in order to switch on softs, whilst Vettel remained on the track and Ferrari called him one later, but Hamilton had an advantage at that point as green flags were waving and the race was on again.
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. Sunday 14 May 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONZ6499
When Vettel rejoined the track, Hamilton was already close and tried to take the outside, but Sebastian closed the way, they touched and Hamilton forced to run-off. The British remained very close to Ferrari and five laps later made a move, used the DRS, and passed the German.
Hamilton retained the lead of the race and secured his second victory of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo was the third driver on the podium, an easy afternoon for the Australian, he took advantage of Raikkonen’s, Bottas’ and Verstappen’s retirement and finished on the podium once again.
A very good day for Sahara Force India, both Perez and Ocon finished in the points, fourth and fifth respectively. Force India, have a good season so far, they are fourth in the constructors’ championship ahead of Toro Rosso and Williams.
Amazing race for Pascal Wehrlein, who, despite the five second time penalty, for failing to remain to the correct side of the pit entry bollard, he managed to finish eighth and scored four critical points for Sauber.
Positive evening for Toro Rosso as Carlos Sainz and Daniel Kvyat finished seventh and ninth respectively. Romain Grosjean, with Haas, was the final driver who finished in the top-10.
Sebastian Vettel remains first in the drivers’ championship with 104 points, followed by Lewis Hamilton who is just six points behind.
The next race will take place in Monaco in two weeks, it will be Red Bull’s chance to take the pole position and try to win their first race of the season.
Best moment of the day, Kimi’s reaction to invite a young fan, who was crying when the Finn retired, in Ferrari’s garage and give him the chance to meet him personally.
Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom has extended his lead in the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy after taking a lights-to-flag victory at the Cooper Tires World RX of Hockenheim. It is the EKS driver’s third win in a row – and made even more impressive as Ekstrom also raced in DTM during the same weekend. Twenty minutes after stepping off the World RX podium, Ekstrom was back in his DTM car to take part in race two qualifying.
Hockenheim RX runner-up Johan Kristoffersson had another strong weekend after winning his semi-final which allowed the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver to line up alongside Ekstrom on the front row of today’s final. Ekstrom was quickest to turn one and Kristoffersson remained second for the duration of the race. Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen finished third in his Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar – two spots ahead of his team-mate Sebastien Loeb who won two qualifying races and was placed top qualifier at the end of Q4.
PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s Petter Solberg finished fourth, slowed by a bad getaway in the final. EKS driver Topi Heikkinen finished sixth and also won the Monster Energy Super Charge Award – a prize given to the driver who had the quickest reaction off the lights during the final. EKS has won all three Monster Energy Super Charge Awards so far this season with Ekstrom winning the first two in Barcelona and Portugal.
“I am super happy for Audi and for the whole team – thanks to the guys for the all their hard work which has really paid off,” said Hockenheim RX winner, Ekstrom before jumping into his DTM car for his next race.
Ekstrom’s team-mate Heikkinen added: “Friday was really hard for us so overnight we made some changes to the car that were hugely important. As a team, we are working really hard and getting very little sleep over race weekends which is obviously paying off as Mattias has now won three events in a row. He is always wanting to make changes to the car until everything is perfect. EKS has won Belgium for the last three years in a row [Heikkinen 2014 and 2015, Ekstrom in 2016] so it is a obviously a good event for us – hopefully we can take some more silverware home for the team.”
Runner-up Kristoffersson commended Ekstrom’s efforts in today’s event. He explained: “Mattias had a very good start in the final, and I tried to follow and put the pressure on him but he did not make a single mistake for six whole laps – he was driving so well. For that, he deserves this win and I wish him all the best in the DTM race this afternoon too.
Reflecting on his own performance, Kristoffersson added: “Overall it was a good weekend for us – we struggled with the balance in the car during Q1 and Q2 but the launches were very good so that left me in a good position. Everything felt better for Q3 and in Q4, it was almost perfect and I was able to push the guys out front. I had a good battle with Sebastien [Loeb] in the semi-final and it was good to show we had really picked up the pace. Both myself and Petter have been in the final for the last three events and we continue to leads the teams’ standings which we are really happy with.”
Sweden’s Timmy Hansen was pleased to have secured his first podium of the year and complimented the performance of the car. “The car was so good today,” explained the 24-year-old. “Obviously I didn’t want any rain before today’s races but it was about trying to adapt to the situation as best as I could and the start line was very slippery. I was leading for most of my semi-final but I pushed a bit too hard and I went off at the Sachs Curve which was when Mattias got in front. The final was a big challenge, Mattias and Johan were tough competitors but I’m pleased to get my first top three of the year which is an important result for the team.”
Elsewhere, MJP Racing Team Austria’s Timo Schieder was seventh. Kevin Hansen – younger brother of Timmy – was eighth, the 18-year-old having suffered a setback earlier in the day when he damaged the rear of his car after an impact during the sighting laps. Kevin Hansen, Kevin Eriksson and Reinis Nitiss were then caught in a collision in turn two of their semi-final. Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block spun in his semi-final.
After the first three rounds of the 2017 season, Ekstrom leads the overall standings with a total of 85 points – 16 points ahead of Kristoffersson in second. Solberg remains third with 62 points, while Loeb has moved up to fourth with 48 points – one point ahead of his team-mate Hansen. In the teams’ standings, PSRX Volkswagen Sweden lead the way with 131 points – 17 points ahead of EKS.
World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded: “We’ve had 79,500 fans attend the Hockenheim RX/DTM double header and once again the rallycross Supercars have put on a fantastic display. Congratulations to Mattias, Audi and EKS for another flawless performance this weekend. The fact that Mattias is able to swap from a rallycross Supercar to a DTM car in a matter of minutes and deliver so well in both championships is testament to his sheer talent behind the wheel. Well done to Johan and Timmy also – both drivers thoroughly deserve a spot on the podium. Now the teams have very little rest as it’s straight to Mettet in Belgium for round four of the season.”
PENALTIES
Kornel Lukacs “CsuCsu” #10, Q1, Reprimand for “causing a collision”
Kornel Lukacs “CsuCsu” #10, Q2, 30 second penalty for “pushing”
Andreas Bakkerud #13, Q2, Reprimand and 20 second penalty for “pushing”
For weeks, we have been promised huge upgrades from nearly every team. Red Bull were rumoured to be bringing a whole new car, whilst Ferrari had hinted at the improvements they were making on their engine. Well, now we have arrived in Barcelona and it is time to see what they have managed to bring.
With most teams using special engine modes for qualifying, the lowest levels of fuel and a brand-new set of tyres, there is no time in a weekend when a car should be faster. That means that Barcelona qualifying is a great barometer to allow us to judge the scale of each team’s improvements.
We’ve chosen two ways to assess the teams, comparing the cars against pole and then against their testing times.
Pole Comparision
Our first comparison is the difference in times to pole position. Taking the best placed car for each team and comparing it to the pole position time, allows us to see the relative improvement each team has made to each other.
With Mercedes sitting in pole for both Australia and Barcelona we can’t deem anything interesting using this method.
Ferrari have managed to pull two-tenths of a second back on the Mercedes and this was highlighted with Vettel’s pole in Russia. They are now genuine contenders during the qualifying sessions and if Vettel hadn’t made a mistake in the last sector in Barcelona, they might even have been in front of the Silver Arrows.
Interestingly, Red Bull’s ‘whole new car’ upgrade appears to have been worth the hours in the factory. Closing by nearly three-quarters of a second is a huge step, but when we can all see that the Factory Renault team have improved by only a tenth less, is this improvement coming from an engine upgrade?
Unsurprisingly enough, those with the most to work on, have been able to gain the most time. McLaren and Sauber were three and four back, respectively, in Australia, so had scope to make massive gains. Both teams have closed the gap to front of the grid by over a second and Sauber have closed up by over a second and a half.
The only team which hasn’t been able to keep up in the performance race are Haas. Compared to the other teams, they have taken a step backwards. Losing nearly three-tenths of a second to the pole time although they still seemed to be able to grab 11th and 14th this weekend.
Testing Comparison
Luckily for everyone involved in F1, we have pre-season testing in Barcelona. It means that no team is very far from their base and it makes it easy and quick to get parts back and forth from the factory. Luckily for us, the fifth race allows us to directly compare lap times with the pre-season testing.
What really came to light was that the teams have managed to lose lap time since the March tests. Somehow every team, with the exception of McLaren, posted slower qualifying times on Saturday compared to their fastest times during the testing sessions.
The difference in track conditions, the amount of rubber laid down after eight days of testing compared to a race weekend, the higher temperatures in May compared to March; there are many reasons and many excuses which could all be genuine.
But despite these, the differences in times is staggering.
To work out the comparative difference, where McLaren are the benchmark as the only team to be quicker. We can take McLaren and then work out the comparative difference from the McLaren improvement.
McLaren seem to have made over a second on Force India, Toro Rosso, Renault and Haas. They’ve even claimed two seconds on Williams and a large chunk of a second on Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
The best news for all racing fans is that it is getting competitive at the front and with Red Bull making gains on the front two, then McLaren closing in on Force India and Williams, we are looking at a really competitive season.
Lewis Hamilton secured his 64th career pole position ahead of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix with a blistering time of 1.19.194 – nearly three seconds quicker than the time to beat last year, again set by the number 44 car.
The Mercedes man edged out nearest rival Sebastian Vettel, who will start alongside the Brit after crossing the line .051 seconds behind his title challenger and managing to split what looked set to be the Silver Arrows’ fourth consecutive lockout at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
It was a particularly impressive result for the German who, if it were not for his experience, would have been starting alongside Daniil Kvyat at the back of the grid after receiving team instructions to turn the engine off at the start of Q1.
This came as a result of Ferrari mechanics having to complete a full engine change before the beginning of qualifying in under two hours, and seemingly being unable to cure a water leakage which occurred at the end of FP3.
However, Vettel questioned the radio communications and managed to alter in-car settings to remain on track and boost his chances of maintaining the Driver’s Championship lead come the end of tomorrow’s race.
It was not the start Mercedes wanted in terms of reliability on Saturday morning either, with Valtteri Bottas also suffering from a similar engine issue overnight meaning the Finn had very little time out on track during FP3; a session in which Ferrari dominated with Kimi Raikkonen setting the fastest lap; .242 ahead of his teammate and .381 in front of Hamilton.
But the two countrymen will line-up together on the second row of the grid after both lost time in sector three whilst seemingly on course to pip pole position– with the chicane catching several drivers out throughout the weekend including Hamilton, Vettel, Max Verstappen and particularly Romain Grosjean – who starts 14th after abandoning his final lap in Q2 following a second lock-up of the afternoon.
The top six is completed by the two Red Bulls with, as has been the case all weekend so far, Verstappen coming out on top of their battle for supremacy, with Daniel Ricciardo seemingly struggling to match the pace of his Dutch teammate.
It was here 12 months ago the exciting youngster truly arrived on the F1 scene after a collision between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg allowed the former Toro Rosso man to take a maiden victory for the senior team. Something when asked if it could be repeated this year Verstappen joked would have to be involving the top four for him to stand any chance of taking away full points again.
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso was somehow able to drag the McLaren up to seventh on the starting grid after more technical issues on Friday which forced the Spaniard to take some time way from the track to de-stress achieved by a game of tennis, seemed to be yet another episode in the long-line of disasters this season.
But the veteran was able to overcome no time on the track in FP1 and the colossal achievement sparked celebrations similar to those of the days the 35-year-old became a double world champion with Renault, leaving a sad comparison to see how much the great has fallen.
It was not all smiles in the McLaren garage however as Stoffel Vandoorne was unable to match the heroics of his teammate and lines up alongside Kvyat at the back of the grid – who claimed there was something broken on the car following the session.
There were similar looks of disappointment etched across the faces of Lance Stroll and Joylon Palmer, who both had Q1’s to forget and will begin Sunday’s race on the second row from the back.
It will be especially disappointing for the Renault driver after the Brit set a solid pace in Friday’s FP1 and FP2 and arrived in high spirits ahead of Saturday’s sessions only to comment after stating he was unhappy in the car and that it seemed to have lost its speed overnight.
Teammate Nico Hulkenberg was also unable to continue his good qualifying run which had seen him secure a place in Q3 for the last three consecutive races. The German’s 1.21.397 leaves him 12th on the tomorrow’s grid, again a disappointment following the weekend’s previous sessions.
A Look Ahead
The Silver Arrows and Hamilton will be hoping they can repeat the standings of FP1, FP2 and all of qualifying in which the three-time world champion secured top spot.
However, Vettel and Raikkonen will take spirit from their FP3 dominance and believe they have what it takes to force Mercedes all the way.
One thing that was certainly noticeable throughout both Friday and Saturday are the upgrades that have been placed on and in both the Mercedes and Ferrari’s ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix seem to have improved all four cars, however have not dampened the ferocity of the teams’ rivalry and it is sure to be another tense encounter in Barcelona.
2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship. Monte-Carlo, Monaco Saturday 13 May 2017. Sebastien Buemi (SUI), Renault e.Dams, Spark-Renault, Renault Z.E 16. Photo: Alastair Staley/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image 585A1174
Sébastien Buemi has extended his championship lead by taking a commanding victory from pole in the 2017 Monaco ePrix.
The Swiss driver came into the event with much to prove, following a difficult last round in Mexico City, and immediately reestablished himself by topping both practice sessions before becoming the season’s fifth different polesitter in as many races.
From there, he rarely had cause to look back—a good start off the line saw off any challenge into Sainte Devote from front row rival Lucas di Grassi, and over the course of the opening stint he set about building up a five-second gap back to the rest of the pack.
Behind Buemi, Mexico City winner di Grassi settled into a rhythm in second place, whilst third became a hotly-contested duel between Nelson Piquet and Jean-Éric Vergne. Maro Engel, who qualified an impressive fifth in Venturi’s home ePrix, lost out to Nick Heidfeld at the start, as did Heidfeld’s teammate Felix Rosenqvist. Further back, Stéphane Sarrazin stalled on the grid and fell to the back of the field.
2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship. Monte-Carlo, Monaco Saturday 13 May 2017. Maro Engel (GER), Venturi, Spark-Venturi, Venturi VM200-FE-02. Photo: Alastair Staley/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _X0W0950
Piquet and Vergne continued to fight for position right from the off, but as the race approached its halfway mark their battle was brought to an abrupt halt.
Vergne had been making several attempts to pass Piquet around the outside of the Nouvelle Hairpin and appeared to finally make the move stick on lap 21, only to make contact with the NextEV on the exit of the corner and be forced into the barriers.
Piquet was able to continue on back to the pits, albeit after losing third place to Heidfeld, but Vergne’s race was over—to make matters worse, the Frenchman also picked up an injury to his right hand, which could hurt his chances in next weekend’s Paris ePrix.
2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship. Monte-Carlo, Monaco Saturday 13 May 2017. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA), Techeetah, Spark-Renault, Renault Z.E 16, walks back the pits. Photo: Malcolm Griffiths/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image MALC2047
Their accident triggered a safety car, which in turn caused a flurry of action in the pits as the entire field stopped within the first few neutralised laps.
On lap 26 the race resumed, and Buemi launched into a second’s advantage over di Grassi almost straight away. But this time, the Renault driver was unable to leave his main rival completely in his mirrors, and in the closing laps di Grassi managed to slash the gap down to mere tenths.
Formula E
However, despite forcing Buemi to defend through the Swimming Pool complex on the final lap, di Grassi was unable to find a way through and prevent Buemi taking his fourth victory in five races.
Nick Heidfeld finished some thirteen seconds behind in the third place he inherited from Nelson Piquet, taking his second podium of the season, whilst Piquet himself recovered from his contact with Vergne to take fourth.
Maro Engel fought off a resolute challenge from Felix Rosenqvist to cross the line in fifth, his best result in Formula E so far. Daniel Abt battled his way into the top ten after a disappointing qualifying to finish seventh, and Esteban Gutiérrez continued his profitable start in Formula E by taking four points in eighth, somewhat consoling Techeetah for Vergne’s retirement.
António Félix da Costa originally returned Andretti to the points for the first time since Hong Kong by finishing ninth, but was penalised for an unsafe release and dropped back to eleventh in the final classification. This promoted Nico Prost to ninth, and gifted the final point to Jaguar’s Mitch Evans.
Dragon and DS Virgin both endured torrid afternoons with both of their respective duos joining Vergne in retirement, although Sam Bird did manage to bring home a single point for his team by setting the fastest lap.
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. Saturday 13 May 2017. World Copyright: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _31I4862
Lewis Hamilton secured his 64th career pole position ahead of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix with a blistering time of 1.19.194 – nearly three seconds quicker than the time to beat last year, again set by the number 44 car.
The Mercedes man edged out nearest rival Sebastian Vettel, who will start alongside the Brit after crossing the line .051 seconds behind his title challenger and managing to split what looked set to be the Silver Arrows’ fourth consecutive lockout at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
It was a particularly impressive result for the German who, if it were not for his experience, would have been starting alongside Daniil Kvyat at the back of the grid after receiving team instructions to turn the engine off at the start of Q1.
This came as a result of Ferrari mechanics having to complete a full engine change before the beginning of qualifying in under two hours, and seemingly being unable to cure a water leakage which occurred at the end of FP3.
However, Vettel questioned the radio communications and managed to alter in-car settings to remain on track and boost his chances of maintaining the Driver’s Championship lead come the end of tomorrow’s race.
It was not the start Mercedes wanted in terms of reliability on Saturday morning either, with Valtteri Bottas also suffering from a similar engine issue overnight meaning the Finn had very little time out on track during FP3; a session in which Ferrari dominated with Kimi Raikkonen setting the fastest lap; .242 ahead of his teammate and .381 in front of Hamilton.
But the two countrymen will line-up together on the second row of the grid after both lost time in sector three whilst seemingly on course to pip pole position– with the chicane catching several drivers out throughout the weekend including Hamilton, Vettel, Max Verstappen and particularly Romain Grosjean – who starts 14th after abandoning his final lap in Q2 following a second lock-up of the afternoon.
The top six is completed by the two Red Bulls with, as has been the case all weekend so far, Verstappen coming out on top of their battle for supremacy, with Daniel Ricciardo seemingly struggling to match the pace of his Dutch teammate.
It was here 12 months ago the exciting youngster truly arrived on the F1 scene after a collision between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg allowed the former Toro Rosso man to take a maiden victory for the senior team. Something when asked if it could be repeated this year Verstappen joked would have to be involving the top four for him to stand any chance of taking away full points again.
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso was somehow able to drag the McLaren up to seventh on the starting grid after more technical issues on Friday which forced the Spaniard to take some time way from the track to de-stress achieved by a game of tennis, seemed to be yet another episode in the long-line of disasters this season.
But the veteran was able to overcome no time on the track in FP1 and the colossal achievement sparked celebrations similar to those of the days the 35-year-old became a double world champion with Renault, leaving a sad comparison to see how much the great has fallen.
It was not all smiles in the McLaren garage however as Stoffel Vandoorne was unable to match the heroics of his teammate and lines up alongside Kvyat at the back of the grid – who claimed there was something broken on the car following the session.
There were similar looks of disappointment etched across the faces of Lance Stroll and Joylon Palmer, who both had Q1’s to forget and will begin Sunday’s race on the second row from the back.
It will be especially disappointing for the Renault driver after the Brit set a solid pace in Friday’s FP1 and FP2 and arrived in high spirits ahead of Saturday’s sessions only to comment after stating he was unhappy in the car and that it seemed to have lost its speed overnight.
Teammate Nico Hulkenberg was also unable to continue his good qualifying run which had seen him secure a place in Q3 for the last three consecutive races. The German’s 1.21.397 leaves him 12th on the tomorrow’s grid, again a disappointment following the weekend’s previous sessions.
A Look Ahead
The Silver Arrows and Hamilton will be hoping they can repeat the standings of FP1, FP2 and all of qualifying in which the three-time world champion secured top spot.
However, Vettel and Raikkonen will take spirit from their FP3 dominance and believe they have what it takes to force Mercedes all the way.
One thing that was certainly noticeable throughout both Friday and Saturday are the upgrades that have been placed on and in both the Mercedes and Ferrari’s ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix seem to have improved all four cars, however have not dampened the ferocity of the teams’ rivalry and it is sure to be another tense encounter in Barcelona.
When I wrote that this is the modern-day Acropolis Rally, I meant it. It’s tough on the cars and drivers. We saw all sorts of problems, and through it all, the margin between first and second place came down to just seven tenths of a second.
A reminder then of the 18 stages that made this year’s Rally Argentina such a thriller!
FRIDAY 28 APRIL
7.00am: Service A (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)
8.38am: SS2 – San Agustin – Villa General Belgrano 1 (19.95km)
9.41am: SS3 – Amboy / Santa Monica 1 (20.44km)
10.24am: SS4 – Santa Rosa / San Agustin 1 (23.85km)
12.29pm: SS5 – Super Especial Fernet Branca 1 (6.04km)
1.09pm: Service B (Villa Carlos Paz – 30 min)
3.02pm: SS6 – San Agustin – Villa General Belgrano 2 (19.95km)
4.05pm: SS7 – Amboy / Santa Monica 2 (20.44km)
4.48pm: SS8 – Santa Rosa / San Agustin 2 (23.85km)
7.08pm: SS9 – Super Especial Fernet Branca 2 (6.04km)
7.43pm: Flexi Service C (Villa Carlos Paz – 45 min)
SATURDAY 29 APRIL
7.20am: Service D (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)
8.08am: SS10 – Tanti – Villa Bustos 1 (20.80km)
9.21am: SS11 – Los Gigantes – Cantera El Condor 1 (38.68km)
10.14am: SS12 – Boca del Arroyo – Bajo del Pungo 1 (20.52km)
12.04pm: Service E (Villa Carlos Paz – 30 min)
1.08pm: SS13 – Tanti – Villa Bustos 2 (20.80km)
2.21pm: SS14 – Los Gigantes – Cantera El Condor 2 (38.68km)
3.14pm: SS15 – Boca del Arroyo – Bajo del Pungo 2 (20.52km)
5.04pm: Flexi Service F (Villa Carlos Paz – 45 min)
SUNDAY 30 APRIL
7.15am: Service G (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)
9.13am: SS16 – El Condor – Copina (16.32km)
10.56am: SS17 – Mina Clavero – Giulio Cesare (22.64km)
12.18pm: SS18 – Power Stage El Condor (16.32km)
1.41pm: Service H (Villa Carlos Paz – 10 min)
2.01pm: Finish
On Thursday morning shakedown showed that once again the cars were pretty close to each other.
Stage one was held on the Thursday evening and the short 1,75km stage would confirm the close pace!
The leaderboard would look as so.
1. Ogier 1:53.8
2. Evans +0:00,9
3. Sordo +0:00,9
4. Neuville +0:01,6
5. Latvala +0:02,1
6. Ostberg +0:02,4
7. Paddon +0:02,5
8. Meeke +0:02,7
9. Tanak +0:03,1
10. Hanninen +0:03,8
It was a cold start on Friday morning and Elfyn Evans in his D-Mack shod Fiesta would power through and take the lead on the 19,95km stage at an average speed of 94,2km. Clearly road position would be an advantage to those further down in the championship standings. Ogier could only manage seventh fastest after sliding wide on a left-hander. Kris was the closest challenger to the young welsh wizard, just a few seconds behind in his Citroen C3. Dani was also enjoying a good start to the event! Ogier would slide wide after a wrong pacenote, and would drop some time. Hayden would roll in this stage, but not in a big way. He would lose two and a half minutes though.
SS2 – San Agustin – Villa General Belgrano 1 (19,95km)
1. Evans – 12:42,3 (94,2kph)
2. Meeke +0:04,6
3. Sordo +0:06,9
Stage three next of course, and there was drama for Dani, who ran wide and damaged a steering arm. Whilst he replaced it, he would lose 11 minutes!
SS3 – Amboy – Saint Monica 1 (20,44km)
1. Evans – 10:18,8 (118,9kph)
2. Meeke +0:02,3
3. Tanak +0:02,7
Stage four next, and there would be big drama for both Kris and Craig in their Citroen’s! Kris would roll in the stage after hitting a bump in the road which launched the car into a big roll. Incredibly, Craig would hit the same bump, and this would damage his gearbox leaving him stuck in fifth gear. With the demise of Kris, Jari-Matti would move into second place overall and Mads third! His secret plan was working well!
SS4 – Santa Rosa – San Agustin 1 (23,85km)
1. Evans – 13:44,8 (104,1kph)
2. Latvala +0:02,8
3. Tanak +0:05,6
The short six km stage before service was next. Elfyn was driving really well and now had increased his lead to thirty seconds!
SS5 – Super Especial Parque Tematico (6,04km)
1. Evans – 4:43,5 (76,7kph)
2. Neuville +0:02,2
3. Ostberg +0:03,4
Stage six then, and Jari-Matti would get some problems with overheating in his Toyota, and he just could not understand why there was a problem! It was a great time though for Mads, and he would move ahead of Jari-Matti into second place overall!
SS6 – San Agustin – Villa General Belgrano 2 (19,95km)
1. Evans – 12:35,9 (95,0kph)
2. Neuville +0:08,7
3. Ostberg +0:12,0
Stage seven next and Seb would start to push hard and move up as would Thierry in his Hyundai. Hayden would go well though here as well, clearly getting back in the groove.
SS7 – Amboy – Santa Monica 2 (20,44km)
1. Evans – 10:21,1 (118,5kph)
2. Paddon +0:00,0
3. Ostberg +0:00,1
Hayden would go one better in the next stage, becoming the first driver to beat Elfyn all day in a stage. The big mover was Thierry, who moved from fifth overall, into third and only ten seconds behind the flying Mads!
SS8 – Santa Rosa – San Agustin 2 (23,85km)
1. Paddon – 13:39,0 (104,8kph)
2. Evans +0:04,0
3. Neuville +0:07,1
So the final stage of the day, and this would be won by Thierry, but Elfyn would remain in the lead, from Mads, who was now just five seconds ahead of Thierry.
SS9 – Super Especial Parque Tematico 2 (6,04km)
1. Neuville – 4:49,4 (75,1kph)
2. Latvala +0:00,3
3. Ogier +0:01,4
Here’s the thoughts then of the top three at the end of the first day.
Elfyn Evans (1st) said:
“It’s been a really positive day for us – everything has been working well and we got ourselves into a pretty good rhythm from the word go. I’ve really enjoyed the driving and what more can I say…? The car has performed really well and the driver’s not been too bad either!
“We’re really glad to be here with no dramas and in such a strong position. But we need to remember that there is still a long way to go. The stages tomorrow are really nice, but quite challenging and we’re expecting another tough day out there which is always the case in Argentina.
“But right now, it feels pretty good. Tomorrow, we just need to go out there and continue to enjoy it. We’ll try not to think too much about the result and just focus on ourselves as if it’s a brand new day.”
Mads Østberg (2nd) said:
I had a good feeling before the start, but still a bit unsure of where we would find ourselves after the first stages as I have not competed since Sweden. But the day has been good and has confirmed that the development work we have done on the car, has been successful
The result today is a team effort. We have a small but competent team, and everybody is working in the same direction. I got a very good feeling during our test in Portugal in the beginning of April, when I felt that the whole team worked according to my own ideas for set-up of the car. We all have the same goal and that is to fight for podiums in the WRC, which is exactly what we are doing right now.
I really didn`t know what to expect, even if I felt the speed was good. Now I have got that confirmation and we will continue working to go even faster. Tomorrow will be a long and tough day and tyre choice and strategy will be important, but we will push as hard as we can to stay in the fight for a podium.
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Thierry Neuville (3rd) commented:
“We are pretty happy to end today in third place overall considering just how difficult it has been for everyone. Argentina has always been a demanding event but that is the case even more so this weekend. We had a hard morning loop. A lot of things happened in the stages so we were pleased to make it to service. We picked up some damage to the rear damper, which meant we couldn’t push and didn’t feel as comfortable. The mechanics did an exceptional job over lunchtime to get all our team’s cars ready for the afternoon. Although it was still tricky, I felt better and we could make up some positions to keep firmly in the podium fight. There’s a long way to go!”
M-Sport WRT
Sébastien Ogier (4th) said:
“Like expected, it’s been a tough day and difficult for everyone. Many people had a lot of trouble and, on top of that, we knew that we would suffer from opening the road. We were fighting as much as we could and I’m happy with where we are tonight. We’re still in a good fight for the podium and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
“We will keep pushing and tomorrow should be a much more enjoyable day. These long stages are very beautiful and I’m sure we will have good fun driving them.
“Elfyn has had incredible speed today and no one could match his performance. It’s been an impressive drive from him and Dan. If they continue like this then no one will have a chance of catching them. But of course, we always need to remember that there is still a long way to go.”
Ott Tänak (5th) said:
“It’s been a tricky day. We knew that this rally would be hard on the cars and my plan was always to drive quite safely and to look after the car. Maybe we were a bit too cautious in some of the rougher sections, but we made it through which has been the most important thing today.
“On the smoother sections, we’ve still been driving quite fast and the times have been okay so I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be able to fight for at least second place tomorrow.
“It’s still all very close and anything can happen. Tomorrow’s stages aren’t as rough as the ones we saw today and they should be easier on the cars – and for sure more enjoyable to drive.
“There’s still a long way to go but I’m looking forward to a good battle tomorrow.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Jari-Matti Latvala (6th)
“I was surprised by how rough it was right from the very first stage: we hit the sump guard hard in about five places, so I knew it was going to be tough. In the afternoon conditions were even rougher, with all the cars having already passed through the stage once, so we raised our car to play safe. This set-up was definitely safer, but I didn’t feel so confident with it. On stage eight we were avoiding a rock, went wide, and put the tyre off the rim. There were about 15 kilometres to go and we drove on the rim to the finish, which is where we lost the time. That was bad luck, but at least we are still here and ready to improve some more over the next challenging two days.”
Juho Hänninen (9th)
“It was really rough all day, which meant that you focused simply on getting through the stages. In the morning, we had a power loss, which cost us a bit of time, but we were able to find the problem and fix it at service easily. Then we had no issues for the rest of the day. In the morning, we also lost part of the aero package over the bumps: it made the handling quite tricky but it was still OK. Tomorrow, we will hopefully be able to make up some more places: this is definitely a rally of endurance.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Hayden Paddon (7th) said: “Things definitely went better in the afternoon! Conditions have been very rough out there today. It’s a lot tougher this year, especially with the extra speed for the new cars. In the first stage of the day, we were caught out at a hairpin and the car rolled. It was very slow and thankfully we could get out and get it back over. The car wasn’t quite as competitive as it was before but we were still in the rally. The team worked fantastically at service to get us ready for the afternoon. It is good to take our first stage win of the season, but we know this will be a rally of attrition so we have plenty still to fight for.”
John Kennard (NZL) seen after crash during the FIA World Rally Championship 2017 in Carloz-Paz, Argentina on April 28, 2017
Dani Sordo (13th) said: “It was really bad luck! There were lots of loose rocks and I knew it would be hard on the cars. We reached a fast-right-hand corner in the second stage this morning and touched something on the inside. The result was a broken steering arm, which we had to stop and fix. We just lost so much time. It’s hugely disappointing because I really enjoy this rally and the car felt quick. Thanks to the team, we could continue into the afternoon. My aim now is to try and make the most of the weekend and see what we can pick up.”
Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT
Kris Meeke
“This fourth stage turned into something of a nightmare for the team, since both cars were forced to retire at the same time. It’s a shame because before that, my pace was good and I was holding second place behind Elfyn. Then we were surprised by this bump in the road: it just launched the car and I couldn’t regain control before the next corner. We hit the bank on the outside of the corner and rolled. It wasn’t a massive crash, but it did a lot of damage to the car.”
Craig Breen
“Right from the start this morning, I had moments in several places, the road surface was just so difficult to judge. I wasn’t pushing that much, but I knew that’s what I needed to do and stay patient. On the fourth stage, I was caught out by this compression on a fast-left-hand corner. The bottom of the car hit the ground hard and that damaged the gearbox. We tried to keep going to make it to service, but oil leaked out and we had to retire. We’ll be back tomorrow to keep picking up experience.”
Top ten at the end of the first day
1. Evans 1:24:55,4
2. Ostberg +0:55,7
3. Neuville +1:00,7
4. Ogier +1:06,7
5. Tanak +1:11,3
6. Latvala +1:29,9
7. Paddon +3:41,8
8. Bertelli +4:13,9
9. Hanninen +4:48,6
10. Tidemand +6:32.3
Day two then and could anyone catch Elfyn and Dan in their D-Mack Fiesta with the six stages and 160km of stages? Seb didn’t have a good start and had to avoid a dog and then he got stuck in a water splash, losing him more time. Thierry had a huge moment on the exit of a right-hander, nearly spinning which caused a puncture on the rear right tyre. The sun was so low, that he couldn’t see the apex of the corner and went in too fast. In the same stage Mads lost his rear diffuser and then also started to spin in the same corner as Thierry. He’d also started to get hydraulic problems, meaning that his handbrake was not working and the centre diff was affected as well. Elfyn did a great stage and won it, extending his lead over Thierry, but how impressive was the Belgian, only eight tenths down from the young Welshman?! Kris returned to the fray with a rebuilt C3, going third fastest.
SS10 – Tanti – Villa Bustos 1 (20,8km)
1. Evans – 11:00,2 (113,4kph)
2. Neuville +0:00,8
3. Meeke +0:02,1
Kris would win stage eleven, showing good pace in his Citroen and Ott would go ahead of Seb in this stage as well and in doing so close on Mads who was really struggling without his rear diffuser.
SS11 – Los Gigantes – Cantera El Condor 1 (38,68km)
1. Meeke – 20:01,6 (115,9kph)
2. Neuville +0:00,6
3. Tanak +0:01,5
Stage twelve would see another mistake from Seb, running wide and having to rejoin the road, costing him more precious seconds. Kris won the stage, with Mads just behind, clearly getting a handle of his car woes. There was a little drama though for Elfyn who misheard a note from Dan and they picked up a puncture on the right rear.
SS12 – Boca del Arroyo – Bajo del Pungo 1 (20,52km)
1. Meeke – 13:18,2 (92,5kph)
2. Ostberg +0:01,1
3. Tanak +0:01,8
Stage thirteen now and Ott was on a mission targeting both Mads and Thierry ahead of him. The smoother roads were suiting his style and he got past Mads into third place and was only nine seconds down on Thierry.
SS13 – Tanti – Villa Bustos 2 (20,8km)
1. Tanak – 10:47,9 (115,6kph)
2. Ogier +0:01,2
3. Meeke +0:01,8
Stage fourteen would see the retirement of Mads. He hit a rock and damaged the right-rear suspension. A sorry end after a massively heroic drive. Thierry was right in the groove now and closing on Elfyn. Hardly a surprise given that he’d lost downforce at the rear of the car. Sadly, this was the stage which saw Kris roll spectacularly out. The car was totaled and they were out.
SS14 – Los Gigantes – Cantera El Condor 2 (38,68km)
1. Tanak – 19:45,5 (117,5kph)
2. Neuville +0:00,0
3. Paddon +0:02,0
Stage fifteen would see Thierry close even more, going nearly 19 seconds faster than Elfyn with Ott and Hayden second and third fastest.
SS 15 – Boca del Arroyo – Bajo del Pungo 1 (20,52km)
1. Neuville 12:59,5 (94,8kph)
2. Tanak +0:06,9
3. Paddon +0:10,4
That was the last stage of the day, and Elfyns’ lead was just 11.9 seconds. Could he hang on and take his maiden WRC victory, or would Thierry nick it?
1. Evans 2:40:27,3
2. Neuville +0:30,4
3. Tanak +0:38,8
4. Ogier +0:57,2
5. Latvala +1:25,1
6. Paddon +4:35,2
7. Bertelli +8:02,0
8. Hanninen +8:43,4
9. Sordo +13:20,3
10. Tidemand +13:57.5
Let’s hear then from all of the drivers, starting with the top three.
Elfyn Evans (1st) said:
“We’ve not had the best of days with a few issues here and there. Some small mistake from myself and a few little niggles with the car have dented our advantage quite a lot, but it’s still an advantage and it’s all to play for tomorrow.
“We’re here to do a job so we’ll focus on that and do the best we possibly can. There’s still a hard 50 kilometres to go and anything can happen, but we’ll be giving it our all.
“After all the hard work over the past two days, we didn’t come here to finish second. If Thierry wants this victory, we’re going to make him fight for it!”
Thierry Neuville (2nd) commented:
“We couldn’t have asked for more from our Saturday. The day didn’t start too well after I got caught out on the opening stage, and picked up a puncture. Things improved after that and we were able to catch Mads to extend our grasp on second place. The balance of the car was good and for the most part I felt comfortable. We gave a bit of a push in the final stages to try and reduce the gap to Elfyn, which we were able to do. The aim is always to win but it’s going to be a tough fight, not only for the victory but also to defend our current position from those chasing behind us. We will see what happens!”
Ott Tänak (3rd) said:
“It was always the plan to play it quite safe through the first day. Maybe we were a bit too cautious in places, but today it was a lot easier on the car and we could enjoy the driving a lot more.
“I think it was a good drive from us today. We made some quite big changes to the car during service and things got even better in the afternoon.
“Tomorrow will be a really tough day with two very tricky stages. In these stages, 20 seconds is nothing so we need to keep going and keep concentrated. Anything is possible so we’ll keep focused and keep pushing.”
Sébastien Ogier (4th) said:
“We’ve had some small issues today and struggled to find the speed that we wanted. This morning we had some problems with the rear of the car. It felt very unstable but the team changed everything during the midday service and it felt a lot better after that.
“We had a good first stage in the afternoon, but I started to struggle again towards the end of the loop. During the last stage, in particular we had massive wheel-spin which knocked our confidence.
“It’s not been the day we wanted and we’re not in the best position to fight for the podium, but with these two stages a lot can still happen. Our target will be to get through them without issue and then see what we can gain from the Power Stage. We still have to push, because anything can still happen.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Jari-Matti Latvala (5th)
“We started the day really well, although in the morning it was tricky to see because the sun was in my eyes. The second stage of the morning loop was actually where I had an accident last year, so I was maybe a little bit too careful. We’re more or less there on pace, but we’re missing just a little bit; I’m not entirely sure what it is. I seem to be losing small chunks of time to the leaders; I think maybe through being a little bit too aggressive in the corners. But still we’re going to keep the pressure on and see how it goes. The final day tomorrow is a bit shorter, but it’s still going to be one of the most challenging days of the whole rally.”
Juho Hänninen (7th)
“The car felt a bit nervous today in the rough conditions but it was reliable, although not so easy to drive. I just wanted to be careful and make sure that we got to the end with no problems. In the end, we managed to do that and even make up some places. I’ve obviously been talking with the engineers and we think we can make some changes to make the car better for me tomorrow. Again, the priority will be to have a clean day and try to score some points.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Hayden Paddon (6th) said:
“I was happy with our speed in the morning loop, considering our road position. We had a good feeling in the car and were preparing to push in the afternoon. A broken roll bar in the first stage of the repeat loop was definitely not what we wanted. We had to fix that and in doing so we were six minutes late to check-in for the following stage, incurring a time penalty. Generally, though, the stages today were smooth, flowing and enjoyable to drive. There was still a bit of frustration over what happened on Friday because without that we could have been in the fight for second place – and, from there, who knows what could have happened. We can’t dwell on that, though. We will instead aim to finish the rally strongly and secure some valuable Championship points for a top-six finish.”
Dani Sordo (9th) said: “Being first on the road today made it almost impossible to set good times, but these are the rules. We’ve had very little luck this weekend, but I am sure it will be better next time. We simply wanted to go out there and enjoy ourselves. We have benefited from other crews’ misfortune to make up some positions, and we are now inside the top-ten. Tomorrow, we will adopt a similar approach, trying to bring the car home safely and then look forward to Portugal.”
Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT
Kris Meeke
“This morning, I was pleased to be able to repay my mechanics for the incredible job they did in repairing the car last night with two stage wins. It was also good to be able to contest these stages, which are new for all the crews, and find some good pace with the car again. On SS14, I lost control of the car on a very fast corner. I oversteered, the car span and we hit a bank. We were then thrown into a series of rolls…”
The final day dawned bright and warm. Thierry was poised, but could Elfyn get that win?
Stage 16 beckoned and Ott continued his push, winning the stage. Elfyn lost more time, after experiencing brakes that would not work at first, but then came back to him later in the stage. His lead was now 9 seconds.
SS16 El Condor – Copina (16,32km)
1. Tanak 13:07,0
2. Neuville +0:01,3
3. Evans +0:03,8
Stage 17 and Thierry flew through the stage, an incredible 8.4 seconds faster and this meant that the gap was just 6 tenths of a second, with Elfyn just in the lead. Elfyn’s car started to overheat again. One stage remained.
SS17 Mina Clavero – Giulio Cesare (22,64km)
1. Neuville 18:05,0 (75,1kph)
2. Evans +0:08.4
3. Breen +0:11,7
It was time for the final stage and Thierry won the stage. The question was, could Elfyn do enough to keep the Hyundai driver behind? Well, 5.7km into the stage, Elfyn was 3.1 seconds up on Thierry! Mega drive! Coming to a bridge, the Fiesta rear slid and hit the post. He lost all of his advantage there sadly crossing the line 1.3 seconds slower in the stage. Thierry had won the event by seven tenths of a second, the closest finish for six years!
SS18 El Condor (16,32km)
1. Neuville 3:38:10.6
2. Evans +0.7
3. Tanak +29.9
It’s his second victory in a row and takes him closer to second place in the world championship. Let’s hear what the top three had to say then.
Thierry Neuville (1st) commented:
“I cannot believe it. I have never had such a nerve-wracking final few minutes of a rally in my career. It’s an amazing result and I have to say thanks first of all to the team for everything they’ve done. Congratulations also to Elfyn, who put up an incredible fight this weekend. I gave it absolutely everything I had in today’s final stages. After the difficult start to the rally, I would have been happy to take second but it’s a special feeling to win again. It has been an exciting but crazy rally from the start, so to come away with the victory is fantastic. We wanted to build up our momentum after Corsica and this was the perfect way to do just that. To have the Power Stage win is just the icing on the cake and gives us a very important boost in the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championship. We could not have asked for more.”
2017 FIA World Rally Championship Round 05, Rally Argentina 27-30 April 2017 Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Elfyn Evans (2nd) said:
“We’ve got mixed emotions at the end of this one. It’s obviously disappointing to have missed out on victory by such a fine margin but it was definitely a rally of two halves.
“Thierry had his own problems on Friday whilst we had a really good day and were able to establish a fairly reasonable lead. But it was a case of role reversal over the next two days.
“Thierry drove really well and no one can take that away from him, but we had a fair amount of problems – some self-inflicted and some not. To be honest, we didn’t have a clean run since the opening stage on Saturday morning so it was a big push to keep the battle so close.
“It’s a long story and I could probably write a list as long as my arm for why we didn’t manage to make it stick this weekend – but all credit to Thierry. He’s driven really well and from our side there are still a lot of positives that we can take away.
“When everything was working well, our speed was really strong. We just need to make sure that we learn from this weekend and come back stronger.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Ott Tänak (3rd) said:
“It’s been a very good weekend for us. In the past I’ve not been so lucky here so we decided to change the approach and had a clear strategy of what we wanted to do.
“We played it safe through the rough stages on Friday – maybe a bit too safe to be honest as we gave a lot of time away. But since Saturday morning when the conditions became a lot smoother we have been on the pace.
“The guys at the front have been really on it today so we weren’t able to build on third position, but we come away with another podium and some good points so we’re happy with that.
“Coming up next, Portugal is one of my favourite rallies. I’m really excited to get back to Europe and tackle some of the more ‘traditional’ gravel events. We’re in a strong position in both championships and the plan will be to build on that as the season continues.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
The rest of the drivers
M-Sport WRT
Sébastien Ogier (4th) said:
“It’s been a very difficult weekend for us. For much of the rally we’ve had a strange feeling with the car and lacked confidence as a result. For the moment, we’re not sure what is causing the issue so we’ll have to look into that before the next event and ensure we get to the bottom of it.
“Regarding the hard weekend, we’ve had, to score 14 points is not too bad and we’re still leading the championship which is the most important thing.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Jari-Matti Latvala (5th)
“The final day of the rally was consistent. I tried not to be a superhero and just finish the rally safely! Our car is very tough, we can say that for sure, and we certainly improved the performance compared to the last gravel round in Mexico. We got one point for the Power Stage and took fifth overall, but the most important thing was that we kept our consistent run of points that we had from Monte-Carlo, and so the championship stays open. It’s incredible, but in all of my career I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to the front after just five rallies. Now I’m looking forward to the next test and the next rally, so that we can keep on making the car better.”
Juho Hänninen (7th)
“Our last day went without a problem and that was good because I needed to finish. We drove quite carefully as there was some big gaps in front and behind us, so no point in taking any risks. El Condor was actually much rougher than I expected, so my goal was just to bring the car back in one piece. In general this has been an extremely tough and demanding rally, with some especially rough roads, but now we have got to the end of it, scored some points, and learned a lot, so I am happy.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Hyundai Motorsport
Hayden Paddon (6th) said: “You could not have written a script more opposite to what we had here last season. We’ve gone from a career high to a result that is much lower on the scale. I just can’t believe our luck. Our issue on Friday was long behind us as we started to show some improved performance. There was not much we could do about our position but we wanted to build a rhythm. I didn’t have the feeling with the car in this morning’s stages, and that culminated with a power steering problem in the Power Stage. We struggled to the finish but sixth place is not where we want to be.”
2017 FIA World Rally Championship Round 05, Rally Argentina 27-30 April 2017 Hayden Paddon, John Kennard, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC Photographer: Austral Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Dani Sordo (8th) said: “It has been a horrible weekend for us. The rally was over almost as soon as it had begun, really. When you lose so much time early on in the event, as we did, it is impossible to regain that. We just had to concentrate on bringing the car to the end but even that was difficult. The puncture on El Condor came at the beginning of the stage, and it typified our luck this weekend. Incredibly unfortunate and it’s a shame because I feel that we had the car to do better. I just want to put this behind us and look ahead to Portugal.”
Well, what an amazing event! Just incredible. Elfyn will win this season I believe. What about Thierry as well? He’s definitely offering up a challenge for this year’s title. Seb is doing just enough to remain in front with his fourth-place finish. Finally, Kris and Citroen, what must they be thinking? Their season has to be due some luck soon.
The fifth round of the 2017 Formula 1 championship beckons this weekend with the paddock descending on Barcelona for the start of the “European” leg of the F1 calendar. The trip to Circuit de Catalunya will see Sauber F1 introduce an aerodynamic upgrade to the car, as they hope to open their points tally at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The circuit should not spring any surprises given that its layout has been favoured for testing during the winter and both drivers are eager to see how the developments will pan out over the weekend as we head into busy period of the season:
Marcus Ericsson
“We will also bring first modifications to the car, which we will then enhance and further develop within the next GPs. I am looking forward to this weekend being confident that we make another step in the right direction.”
Pascal Wehrlein
“Considering the race weekend, it will be important for us to introduce some new aerodynamic parts on the car. I am positive that we can further develop the car in order to make progress, and thus improve the performance on track.”
Despite being a well-known circuit, given the extensive testing that takes place there, Barcelona can be tricky to set up for, given the cornering speed differentials seen at different points on the circuit layout. Downforce is an area that Sauber had struggled with in 2016 and hope to improve upon this weekend as the circuit places great emphasis on this area. Both drivers have chosen to go with 2 Hard Tyres, 4 Medium and 7 Softs for the race weekend.
Although the team is at a slight power differential, running the 2016 Ferrari power unit, by introducing upgrades alongside the other teams in 2017, they are light years beyond the gloom that faced them at this point in 2016. While Sauber may not necessarily score any points this weekend, we think the positive steps at Hinwil will see them ending the European leg with points in the kitty.
I spoke to former BSB champion Josh Brookes exclusively at Oulton Park about many things. From fear in racing to the mental approach, to the TT and preparation, this comprehensive interview gives a real insight into the mind of one of the fastest motorcycle racers on the planet.
How much are you looking forward to getting back onto the roads in 2017?
I probably wouldn’t have left the TT but I’m not really bothered about the other roads. If I hadn’t been steered away by the other teams then I would’ve carried on. I’m back now and happy to be back riding it. There will be no NW200 because the Norton bike isn’t homologated. They did pursue the NW but the insurance doesn’t cover it to be on track. The organisers were happy to have it but the insurance company wouldn’t allow it.
How do the roads compare to the short circuits?
The NW is a bit closer to circuit style racing because it’s in a bunch and it’s a grid start, whereas the TT is a time trial. There’s a lot of difference between the TT and NW200 compared to the circuit racing but even those two aren’t that similar. It’s another discipline really.
How do you adapt to the roads from the circuits?
I think that it is your experience that dictates how you ride. The first lap you take it steady and then you get comfortable with how you ride and the next lap you get quicker and quicker. It’s a bit like natural progression. If you compare it to water skiing for the first time, obviously you learn how to do it, but over time you become more accomplished and able to do it as you practice. It’s the exact same in our sport: you start where you feel comfortable and then you just build speed as the bike and your confidence will allow you. At the TT, you never really ride to the capabilities of the bike. Often there is far more in every corner that the bike is capable of but it isn’t healthy to ride to the capabilities of the bike because there is far more risk. You ride to what you feel comfortable with but you’re also trying to make that comfort point as fast as it can be.
Was there a fear aspect at the TT for your first time?
Yes. There’s always fear, even in BSB. It’s natural to have fear – it is a human emotion. If you have fear, you’re alive, if you don’t have fear then you won’t be alive for very long. It is a normal sensation to have fear. You’ve got to listen and engage in that feeling and ride appropriately. The fear is more or less the same on both the TT and BSB. Inside your helmet you have your own thoughts and you’re still recognising what you can do in that moment. With thoughts, you’re always on your own. The thought process is very similar for both disciplines but the surroundings are very different.
How do you prepare for the TT, is it different to the circuits?
No, not really. The TT is far more mentally tiring than BSB. You are constantly evaluating every aspect of racing in the TT. The TT has different physical demands, such as you remaining in one position for a long period of time. If you sat in a regular chair for a long period of time then it would get uncomfortable. It is similar to that, not that it is so tiring but it is the repetitive nature of being in the same position for a long period of time doing the same process. The short circuit preparation is enough to see you through.
What are your first thoughts of the Norton?
I’ve ridden it a couple of times now. It’s very good. The bike is fast, the engine is strong and the bike itself is quite stable which is one of the most important elements to being comfortable and confident on the roads, so to have that there already is a big plus. I made a few adjustments to riding position and things to try and get more comfortable. I made suspension changes so it goes over the bumps a bit better. They’re all very small setting changes really, they’re not welding new parts to the frame or anything like that. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the bike. It’s all fairly normal BSB type stuff, adjusting springs and damping to find that comfortable setting.
How do you become confident riding the TT course?
I think it is all relative to the bike. If you have a bike capable of doing a 132mph lap, put it has been in storage for a year and then rode it around the TT again, the first few laps wouldn’t be at 132mph. Even though the bike is capable of that speed, it still takes time to get confidence and ride the bike to that speed, which is where those laps are important. If you’ve got a bike that’s only capable of 129mph, it doesn’t matter how many laps you get in at the start of the week, you are only going to do a 129mph lap. There are two vital areas. The bike has to be able to improve to the point where it can do the target time and if the bike is already there, it’s up to you to gain those laps and confidence. It’s like a see-saw. The bike improves and then you get better, you make the bike better and you move forward again. It is a step by step process. Another thing is cornering. If you take a corner at 80mph each lap, you get confident and gain familiarity with it and get comfortable with the exits. At 90mph, it’s like a new corner. You arrive faster, go through faster and exit faster, before arriving at the next corner even quicker because the momentum is there. As soon as you go a bit quicker, the whole course changes. So, as I said, its a bit like a see-saw. As you go quicker, you require more from the bike. You have to make changes to the bike to do that speed and if the bike can do that speed then it is up to you to perform at the level the bike is at. Early in the week is super important if you can get a dry track and lots of laps. However, for every lap that you do, your competition is doing the same, so everyone gets better at more or less the same rate.
Does having a rider in front (leaderboard or on track) help at the TT?
Yeah for sure. You would get motivated but I think at a short circuit race, you would take more risk to try and go quicker than them. Taking more risk and riding closer to the edge is the key to gaining speed. Whoever can ride at the maximum for the most amount of laps for the longest period of time is usually the winner. The short circuits are great for that mental process, whereas the TT, you don’t really follow that process. You shouldn’t really try to do – or match – what someone else is doing because that is dangerous. What their bike and riding style can achieve in the corner might be totally different to what you can do. If you go ‘he can make it so I can make it’, then that isn’t necessarily true. At short circuits, you have the room to make a mistake and run wide or whatever, whereas at the TT, you don’t want that situation. It is safer to try and improve your speed by focussing on what is stopping you from going quicker and look at improving yourself and not the others.
Having a rider further ahead though is a confidence gauge. When you get to the point you normally brake at and you’ve got someone just ahead of you doing what you’re doing, you can use them as a marker. Their movements indicate what is possible. It is sometimes an encouragement to have someone just their ahead of you but if you have caught them it is because you’re going faster anyway. Often, the reason you was able to catch them is because you was already faster. It is a double edged sword. You don’t want to catch anyone because if they’re similar speed then it is harder to overtake, whereas if you’re quicker then it is easier.
How does overtaking compare between the TT and circuit racing?
I can’t speak for other riders but I am more reserved at the TT. You don’t know where everyone brakes. One guy might be early on the breaks and be quick on the way out, whereas you may well be late on the brakes and lose a bit on the way out. It isn’t until you’ve gone through the corner that you realise you may have been able to make a pass there but then you might have to wait a whole lap to try again. It is quite difficult but with a fast bike, obviously it is a lot easier. As you are behind for a lot of the time, the drafting effect is really efficient. If you have a long period of time on a straight with a fast bike, you can use that draft to overtake quite quickly.
How did you learn the TT?
Just laps. I did watch the onboard laps but they were insignificant to me because they had no value. If you haven’t ridden the circuit at that speed, watching it at the speed doesn’t offer you much in terms of learning. However, laps and laps in the car and getting familiar with the ground do help. As a newcomer however, doing laps and laps on your own and then watching onboards is good, that is when they become relevant.
Was there any push from the Anvil Hire Team to put on the NW200 grid this year?
They were talking about doing the Superstock races but it was one of the those things where the conversation fizzled out. It was a proper talk though, it appeared very possible at one point.
How do you prepare for bike racing on a whole?
I just think bike skills. You need to ride as much as you can. I’ve said in other interviews that if you compare it to other sports, like skateboarding, where you’re a kid and you want to learn a trick, you have to do the trick over and over and over again to master it. It is just a repetitive process that makes you good at something; you’re not born with that ability, it is just practice that allows you to do that. That kid on the skateboard will only be doing that one thing too, he wont be playing basketball, computer games, BMX or squash and all he’s doing every day is practicing his skateboard tricks.
It is the same for a motorbike rider. Unfortunately, we can’t ride our Superbikes on a race track every week. It’s too expensive, it’s impractical, track days aren’t suitable because of the different skill levels, tyres are expensive, the bikes are expensive to build, the engine running costs are too expensive etc. But even if you did ride all the time, rules in the championship stipulate that you can only test for ‘x’ amount of days a year.
For me, preparation is finding an alternative method to riding a bike. Obviously trials aren’t like a Superbike, but I ride a Jetski, a BMX, a mountain bike, a motocross and a road bike. It is about always being active, there is no substitute for being on two wheels all the time. A lot of people cross from different sports, from say BMX to motocross racing and get to a high level. The skills they learn in BMX – the jumps, the way a bike reacts in the air, in a corner, when the front goes, what to do, when the back goes, what to do and how to recover – they’re things you learn and reactions without even thinking about it. It is second nature.
When you go to another sport, those same impulses are still there, you’ve grown up with them as a kid but now, you just use them in a different manner. When you lose the front on a road race bike, it is the same process to stop crashing as it is on a motocross bike. Yes, the speed is different, the grip is different, there are variants but ultimately the input on the human side and science is still the same. As you lose the front on either bike, you actually have to turn into the corner to make it slide more initially but then as the physics come into play – often along with bike set-up – you stand the bike up and may well be able to recover.
How many front/rear end moments do you have around the track?
Definitely more rear because you open the throttle and control the slide. A front slide is more difficult to recover from because you have no engine. It is literally from speed and too much lean angle. It is much easier to create and control a rear slide. We probably have them as a ratio of 9:1 in terms of slides. Almost every session you have a moment of some kind because you push so hard. Sometimes it is every lap. In qualifying, it can be up to four corners in succession that you have a moment because you are exposing yourself by pushing so hard. In a race, if you was to push like that, there is only going to be a handful of times before your number comes up. As fuel loads come down, tyre grid levels come down, body fatigue and mental fatigue are becoming more prominent, you would definitely crash if you rode on the limit in the race.
For one lap however, you can get away with it for a few times and if luck is on your side then you can make it to the finishing line. Often it depends on all the variants. If you have a bike set-up for your confidence then you can ride it to the level where you think you’re going to crash but you don’t. If you have a bike that isn’t set up to your confidence level then you will never have a slide because if you did, you would have crashed. Sometimes you have a bike that you have so much confidence in that you think you’re going to crash at every corner but you know you won’t.
How much change is there between qualifying and racing for the bike then?
I think there is elements in qualifying that are different than the race, such as a using less fuel with a new tyre. Every time you go out, you’re experimenting with the limit. When you are at the start of the race, when the tyre is at it’s best there are variants that mean that you won’t be, such as coming from lunch, pre-race nerves etc. As the tyre starts to decrease in performance, you’re in a rhythm, you are starting to get a feel for the track, whether it be track temperature or wind speed and direction. The environment is changing a lot during a race whereas in qualifying you try and create a controlled environment. The set up on the bike hardly changes between racing and qualifying, it is the other, outside elements that do.
If I was to offer a 2nd BSB title or a Isle of Man TT Superbike win, which would you take?
Err, a 2nd BSB title. Of course I’d like a TT win, but I’ve had a couple of years off and I’ve lost the connection with it. Hopefully, me riding this year will rekindle those memories. At the moment, I’d take the 2nd BSB title.
Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko
Norton image courtesy of Gareth Davies of Full Factory Photography.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is preparing to host its 26th annual Formula 1 Spanish Grand-Prix this Sunday since its inception into the race calendar in 1991. Its construction coincided with the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, where the circuit was used as the start-finish line for the road team time trial cycling event.
The 4.65 kilometre track containing 16 corners; nine right-handers and seven left, boasts five main overtaking points at turns 1, 2, 4, 10 and 13, as well as a 1.3km flat-out section where cars reach speeds of 332kph.
The left-hand side pole position sits 730 metres away from turn one, making it one of the most important starts of the season. However, wind-speed often violently fluctuates around the municipality of Montmelo, meaning without correct aerodynamic set-ups, the Catalan tarmac can particularly be a tough place to maintain a lead.
So, taking all the challenges that lay ahead for the 20 drivers this weekend into account, let’s look at this race-weekend’s track preview: The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Familiarity.
The circuit is a familiar one to all teams with it not only playing host to the Spanish Grand Prix, but is also the home of F1 winter testing. The FIA often receives criticism that there is little overtaking during the 66-lap race nowadays due to drivers being so knowledgeable of the track – with races during the early stages after construction littered with daring manoeuvres, particularly in the last two corners.
However, with track temperatures expected to be between 40.5 and 42.4 degrees Celsius, conditions are vastly different to those experienced during testing. Combining this with the ever-changing aerodynamics, the 307km-long battle can provide as many twists and turns as anywhere on the calendar.
We only have to take a look at last year’s collision between Mercedes pairing Lewis Hamiltion and Nico Rosberg to know Barcelona can provide thrilling entertainment.
Tyres.
We have already discussed how influential aerodynamics can be, however not many tracks provide as much tyre strain as that of Barcelona.
The circuit is known for being tough on tyres and teams often split between a two and three-stop strategy with Soft, Medium and Hard compounds the three options for this weekend.
History.
The 4.65km ribbon of tarmac has played host to the Spanish Grand Prix for the last 26 years, however it is someone who will be on the starting grid on Sunday who holds the current record.
Ferrari-man Kimi Raikkonen set a blistering lap of 1:21.670 back in 2008, 5.278 seconds faster than the fastest lap of last year’s race set by Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso.
The Spanish Grand Prix in general has been a happy hunting ground for Ferrari throughout its 104-year history, with the Italian Racehorse taking 12 wins – their most recent coming from Fernando Alonso in 2013 before the Silver Arrows’ hybrid dominance thereafter.
However, Mercedes have only been victorious six times in Spain, with two coming at Barcelona, a number that could have been three if it were not for their first-lap disaster last year.
Hamilton and Rosberg’s antics paved the way for a historic moment on Spain’s east coast, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen securing his first ever win in Formula 1 during his team debut – making him the youngest winner in the sport’s history.
What to expect from the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix.
This season has started out a very much two-horse manufacturer’s race, with Ferrari finally showing the race-pace practice and qualifying sessions promised last year.
With three different winners in the opening weeks of the campaign already, it would come as no surprise if Sunday gave us the fourth.
Ferrari’s testing pace pre-season looked promising, and Maurizio Arrivabene will be hoping they can emulate that success. Toto Wolff and the Mercedes garage on the other hand will be keen to secure their first back-to-back win of this term in a season they were expected to walk away with again.
