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An Ode To Jenson Button: Thanks For The Memories

Next year marks my 15th year in being a Formula One fan, and while usually that’d be reason to celebrate, it will be a horribly bittersweet year for myself.

It will be the first year in my life that my favourite driver won’t be on the grid, the first year I’ll have no one I look for first on a results screen, the first year I’ll be nothing more than a neutral. 2017 sees McLaren promote young Stoffel Vandoorne in place of the ever popular Jenson Button, and having followed his career with a keen eye for all these years, it’ll be a weird feeling watching the first race in Melbourne next season without Frome’s finest on the grid.

Way back in 2002 JB was driving for the Renault team, before it’s rise to success, he was in his third season and was partnered by Jarno Trulli. While I enjoyed watching Michael Schumacher race, he was barely on the TV screens, only at the end when he took the chequered flag. The F2002 was an incredible piece of machinery, and he walked to the title that season.

With this in mind, I looked for British drivers to support, David Coulthard was thriving at McLaren as he had for six or seven years before. Eddie Irvine was in his swansong year in the sport with Jaguar. Alan McNish was driving for the new Toyota team, and Jenson was at Renault. Something drew me to Jenson, his driving style was smooth and he was young, and full of raw passion.

So from then on in I followed Jenson, and while 2002 and 2003 were somewhat mediocre, 2004 was a year I never saw coming as a Jenson fan.

Having moved to BAR in 2003, I followed but was starting to get frustrated by how many disappointing results he was having. His horror crash at Monaco being a scary moment, having lost it into the Nouvelle Chicane I remember seeing the car and being in shock. ‘How has he walked away from that?’ I remember thinking.

The frustrating thing was something I had to get used to as a Jenson fan, which has made the last six or seven years following him even sweeter, but more on that later.

2004 and Jenson was partnered by Takuma Sato, something of a cult hero in Formula One, and I’m not sure they imagined what was to come. Two podiums in Malaysia and Bahrain for JB before he went to Imola and showed just what he could do.

I’ll never forget being sat in front of the TV as Jenson put in a 1:19:753, over two tenths quicker than Schumacher in the almost bulletproof Ferrari F2004. I was jumping up and down, my first truly proud moment as an F1 fan. Unfortunately he couldn’t go on to win as the mercurial Schumacher took the win. However Sato retired from the race with an engine failure six laps from the end, and it was panic time as JB was nervously bringing the car home hoping to avoid the

same fate. He brought it home in second place, and his best result in Formula One to that date.

Ten podiums that year including second at Imola, Monaco, Hockenheim and China secured him third in the drivers standings that year, behind Schumacher and future team mate Rubens Barrichello in the Ferrari’s.

I was only a young kid at this time so I really wasn’t too interested in what happened off the track. As a kid of nine years old I just wanted to tune in as the parade lap started and watch a load of cars go as fast as they could. So all the politics and comments made off track went over my head. Having looked back at what people said about Jenson and his ‘playboy’ era as it’s become known, it’s all rather harsh.

He was a guy in his twenties who was risking his life week in week out, if he wanted to buy an apartment in Monaco and a Bugatti Veyron so what? You have to ponder if DC did the same thing would it be acting like a ‘playboy?’

But I was unaware of these comments and just enjoyed Jenson’s race craft. He was fantastic, especially in the rain, as we found out in 2006. The Hungarian Grand Prix is etched in my mind as one of my all time favourite races, we all know why.

JB qualified 14th, giving me no hope or expectation of what was to happen. In the changing conditions he made his way up the grid and only went and won it! I remember being beside myself, shouting at my TV and willing him on as he took the chequered flag. A truly magnificent moment for Jenson as he took his maiden win.

It appeared this was a mere flash in the pan though, as 2007 and 2008 saw Honda turn their attention to trying to promote an earth-friendly message, and that rather fetching earth design from 2007, which we no longer speak about. Two drab years for Jenson and it looked to be the end of his career in 2008 when Honda pulled out the sport at the eleventh hour.

I remember thinking it was all over, having just watched Lewis Hamilton take the title in his second year I remember being happy that a Brit had won the title, but upset that it wasn’t Jenson.

However Ross Brawn being the utter legend he is became the hero as he bought out Honda and formed his own team, Brawn GP, and employed Jenson and Rubens Barrichello to drive for him. I was glad he was back in the sport but had no clue as to the amount of success they’d have.

Five wins in the first six races, as well as a win at Monaco saw Jenson race into a lead at the top of the drivers standings. I was confident this was his year at last. After a stuttering European season in which he picked up points but not as many wins, it all came to Brazil, Jenson could seal the title with a decent result.

I was on the edge of my seat from the parade lap onwards, JB was down in 14th, again, and title rival Barrichello was on pole. In another scenario I’d have loved Rubens to win the title, but I’d been following Jenson for too long to see him lose it now.

Some great racing from the Brawn team mates saw Jenson in fifth coming towards the end of the race. All these years I’d watched him race, retire, not have the car to give him results, and now here he was about to win the title.

He crossed the line and it was great seeing him celebrate, his rendition of We Are The Champions was something else. Celebrating with his dad and finally being World Champion, it had been quite a journey from Australia 2002 to here.

A move to McLaren followed and I thought this’d be an ideal place for title number two, however it just never materialised for him. This move of course co-incided with the rise of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, and so JB just couldn’t get near the top, but he got one over on the young German on one torrential day in Montreal…

Canada 2011 was just, chaos. There’s no other words for it, and I’m going to try and condense JB’s race as much as I can. (takes breath)

JB started seventh, hit team mate Lewis Hamilton and the pitwall and brought out the safety car. He then received a drive through penalty for speeding under said safety car, coming out in 15th. The race was suspended on lap 26 due to immense rain.

Two hours passed, race gets back underway. Shortly after Button and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso collided at turn three, putting Alonso out and giving JB a puncture, he came out in 21st and last place. However in six laps he jumped up to 14th. A steady rise up the grid saw him in fourth as the race entered its final stages. He caught and overtook Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher and was second coming into the final lap.

Vettel went wide at turn six and almost span it in the changing conditions, handing victory to Jenson Button. What a race that was. I wasn’t sure if I actually saw what I saw, it was just one of those races you need to watch as an F1 fan.

After 2011 Jenson’s career never really hit the same heights, and after getting his and McLaren’s last win in Brazil 2012, he and McLaren have slowly dropped in to the midfield.

While this is unfortunate, it’s somewhat a good thing. As this means we’ve been able to back Jenson even longer, as had he won another title he’d have probably retired on his own accord, gone out with a bang so to speak.

So when it was announced that Stoffel will replace Jenson for 2017 I was sad to see him go, but knew it was inevitable and had come to peace with it a few months ago.

All I will say is Jenson Button has been a privilege to watch these last 14 seasons and I’m glad I grew up in an era where I got to watch him and will him on every race. He’ll always be my favourite driver, but now I’ll have to just simply enjoy the sport, not enjoying the heartache, joy, delirium these last few seasons have given me.

Thank you Jenson, from a young fan who’s had years of fun watching you race, and congratulations on a unique and stellar career.

Aaron Irwin

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Sayonara Japan, Hello USA!

Suzuka Circuit, Japan.
Sunday 09 October 2016.
World Copyright: Sam Bloxham/LAT Photographic
ref: Digital Image _SBB9737

After 2 completely miserable race weekends in south east Asia, Haas F1 Team arrived in Japan full of optimism.

In addition to being a favorite for both Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez, Suzuka Circuit had provided both drivers with some of their best career finishes in the past.

While not experiencing an entirely trouble-free Friday, the team avoiding the extreme drama of Singapore and Malaysia and looked to be finally able to take advantage of recent engine updates and a new front wing and appeared to be well position to make a run at Q3 on Saturday.

Friday was not a fluke.

For the first time in the team’s short history, both drivers were able to pilot their VF-16’s into the top 10 and participate in the run for the pole in Q3.

Here’s how qualifying went down:

Q1
Grosjean: 7th quick (1:32.458), advanced to Q2
Gutiérrez: 11th quick (1:32.620), advanced to Q2
Cutoff: 16th-quick Fernando Alonso of McLaren (1:32.819)

Q2
Gutiérrez: 7th quick (1:32.155), advanced to Q3
Grosjean: 8th quick (1:32.176), advanced to Q3
Cutoff: 10th-quick Sergio Perez of Force India (1:32.237)

Q3
Grosjean: 8th quick (1:31.961)
Gutiérrez: 10th quick (1:32.547)
Pole Winner: Nico Rosberg of Mercedes (1:30.647)

Grosjean would roll off on Sunday from the seventh spot after Kimi Raikkonen was penalized five grid spots for a gearbox change. It was easily the best combined starting spots for the Haas F1 drivers.

Both drivers got away cleanly as the lights went out but Grosjean was pushed wide in turn 1 by the Sahara Force India of Nico Hulkenberg and lost a couple of spots down to ninth, one spot ahead of his teammate.

The team opted for a 2 stop strategy as did much of the field but were just off on the timing for hitting the pits and after the first round of stops were complete, Grosjean had dropped to 14th and Gutiérrez had plummeted to 20th with 38 laps left to reclaim some positions.

When the second round of stops had cycled through, Grosjean had regained three spots to P11 but Gutiérrez could not make up any ground and was mired down in P20. Grosjean would make a run at Valtteri Bottas for the last points paying spot in the final laps but come up short as the teammates had to settle for finishing a disappointing P11 and P20.

Nico Rosberg beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 4.978 seconds after Max was able to hold off Lewis Hamilton in a spirited last lap battle. Hamilton would finish third. The victory allowed Rosberg to extend his lead in the championship standings to 33 points over Hamilton with but 4 races remaining in the 2016 campaign.

Seventeen rounds into the 21-race Formula One schedule, Haas F1 Team remains eighth in the constructor standings with 28 points. The American squad maintained its 19-point gap to seventh-place Toro Rosso and the 20-point advantage it holds over ninth-place Renault. Mercedes clinched the constructor championship via Rosberg’s victory and Hamilton’s podium.

Four races remain on the 2016 Formula One schedule, with the series heading to Haas F1 Team’s home race in two weeks. The United States Grand Prix takes place Oct. 23 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Romain Grosjean – Driver #8
“Well, we struggled on the first stint with a green track, and with the soft tires, we had a lot of graining. But then the car was flying. It was really good. I had some good overtakes. I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated as today at the end of a race. I thought we deserved much more. With the pace of the car, I was much faster than the Williams’. We just got the life on the hard tires wrong. We could have pitted earlier for the last stint, but overall the pace was amazing. It shows a lot of promise for the future. I’m optimistic about these updates and the pace we had in the car.”

Esteban Gutiérrez – Driver #21
“Everything started pretty good. We’ve been working a lot on getting the best out of our start and today that proved to be better. On the first stint, things were going well. We were managing the gap, pushing to get higher up to the front of the grid. I then came into the pits and I ended back out behind a lot of traffic, and that was it. I was trying to push forward, trying to overtake, and then I had an incident with Carlos (Sainz Jr.). He braked a bit early, closing the door, and I had nowhere to go as I was preparing the corner to overtake him on the straight. After that, I had some damage on the front wing which wasn’t ideal. Unfortunately, this is how the race went. It was not what we wanted, but now we need to keep pushing and keep a good rhythm and really put in a good performance as we head to our home race in Texas.”

Guenther Steiner – Team Principal
“Not really the race we wanted today finishing 11th again with one car and 20th with the other having started seventh and 10th. I think a few things happened today – everyone else had a good race and everybody finished, so nobody dropped out. We tried to take the fight to the Williams, but we didn’t manage it in the end. They were able to make a better strategy by starting on tires they wanted, but that’s racing. This weekend we’ve seen that our car shows speed and we were also competitive in the race. So we’re able to take that away from here.”

We’ll see y’all in Texas in 2 weeks!

Image courtesy of Haas F1 Media

Eric Barnes @ebarnes442

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2009: Nice Guys Don’t Always Finish Last.

If there was one year that confounded critics, fans and even a few drivers alike, 2009 was that season.

For that was the year in which Brawn GP and Jenson Button achieved something that will never be repeated again in Formula One, as they became the last privateer entry to win both the World Drivers’ and World Constructors’ Championship, and probably the last ever team to do that.

The story begins in December 2008 when Honda, after three dismal years in Formula One, pulled out of the sport with immediate effect and left two of the most experienced drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello potentially on the F1 scrapheap.

That was until March, just days before the new season was about to begin, when ex-team principal Ross Brawn announced a deal to take over the fallen team had been completed. Brawn then took part in pre-season testing and Button and Barrichello suddenly had another chance.

Many were surprised despite their strong pre-season pace at just how quick Brawn were at the Australian Grand Prix, with Button and Barrichello dominating the weekend. Button would go on to win the race and start a streak that would prove pivotal as the season wore on, while Barrichello’s second meant Brawn took a 1-2 on their Grand Prix debut.

Button won again in Malaysia, which was stopped after 31 laps due to appalling weather conditions and thus half points were awarded, before a third place in China that was to be his worst result in the opening seven races.

Button’s early-season juggernaut was to roll on into Bahrain while in Spain and Monaco he headed two more Brawn 1-2s. After his sixth win in seven races at the Turkish Grand Prix in ultimately his last victory of 2009, Jenson was 26 points clear of Barrichello in second, and 32 clear of Sebastian Vettel.

At the British Grand Prix he was sixth with this result followed up with a fifth place in Germany, where Mark Webber took his first ever win, before two seventh places in Hungary and at the European Grand Prix in Valencia before his first lap retirement in Belgium following a collision with Romain Grosjean, after he qualified down in 14th.

After Belgium, Button’s lead at the top of the standings had been cut to 16 points over Barrichello, while Vettel was a further three points back going into the Italian Grand Prix. A return to form at Monza was enough for second place, though Barrichello cut further into Button’s lead with a victory that left him 14 points behind with 40 to race for.

In Singapore, he was fifth while Vettel was only a place ahead and Barrichello sixth. At the Japanese Grand Prix Barrichello and Button finished seventh and eighth respectively to leave Brawn half a point away from an unlikely Constructors’ Championship.

Barrichello was 14 points back with two races left with Vettel a further two behind and the World Championship could be wrapped up at the next race in Brazil.

The Brazilian Grand Prix was a weekend that seemed to encapsulate Button’s career and his journey in F1 from his debut season in 2000.

Button qualified 14th in a rain-interrupted session that ended up at 2 hours 41 minutes being the longest in Formula One history, while Barrichello took pole position at his home race. His other rival, Vettel, was 16th having also been caught out.

By the end of the first lap due to various incidents, Button had climbed five positions to ninth and this quickly became seventh as Grosjean and Nakajima were dispatched in short order, while debutant Kamui Kobayashi’s Toyota took more persuading.

He eventually got the pass done with a bold move down the inside at turn one, a manoeuvre made famous by a small kick of oversteer to keep the Japanese charger at bay.

Barrichello’s annual dose of bad luck at Interlagos was to strike again as the Brazilian suffered a puncture that relegated him to eighth and put Button in a now crucial fifth place, and the title was now his if the result stayed as it was.

Button was to finish fifth to wrap up the most unlikely of World Drivers’ Championships with a race to spare. His rendition of Queen’s “We are the Champions” remains famous to this day.

The Brit’s season was rounded off with a third place in Abu Dhabi and the eventual margin at the top of the standings was 11 points to Vettel.

The 2009 F1 World Championship was a season of the underdog and Formula One simply will not see another story like this again.

Button’s World Championship win, his sole title in a glittering 17-season career remains the example to many Formula One drivers about perseverance, with many having written him off in seasons past following an awful 2007-08 with Honda.

But the biggest compliment to Jenson Button?

You will have to go to great lengths to find a more popular title winner.

Jack Prentice

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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen breaks Mercedes dominance at Suzuka

GP GIAPPONE F1/2016 – SUZUKA 08/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo finished in second and sixth place respectively in the Japanese Grand Prix.

The man from Holland is showing the world that he has the talent to win the Drivers’ Championship in a few years as he defied the more powerful Mercedes to end the race in Suzuka on the podium for the second time in successive weeks.

Although Mercedes made a complaint against the 18-year-old as they believed he drove ‘dangerously’ to thwart Lewis Hamilton’s chances of finishing behind Nico Rosberg. Subsequently the complaint was later withdrawn after it was learnt that they decision would not be cleared up before the American Grand Prix.

“Lewis (Hamilton) was obviously a bit quicker in the final stages and I knew he was going to catch me, the gap time on the pit board was dropping every lap. Into the last chicane I saw him coming in my mirrors so I defended my position, said Verstappen.

Christian Horner defended his young protégé after his manoeuvres hampered Mercedes chances of locking out the first two positions on the podium:

“A fantastic drive by Max today. A very mature performance, moving into second place and then really looking after his tyres resisting pressure initially from Sebastian and then at the end of the race from Lewis, with some great racing. It was fantastic to see him split the Mercedes and achieve our eighth 2nd place of the year.”

Daniel Ricciardo didn’t have the best of performance however he still finished the race in a commendable position and the Australian is looking ahead to Austin, he said:

“Today wasn’t a very exciting race for me, and unfortunately it just wasn’t my day. We struggled in the traffic and fell behind the eight ball. In the final stint towards the end I had a clear track and I was able put in some good laps but it wasn’t enough. We’ll come back in Austin ready to have a good weekend on track.”

Dominic Rust

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2016 Tour de Corse Review

Seb came to this event having never won on the roads of Corsica. He was looking to set the record straight. Here’s the story of his victory which has taken him to the brink of his fourth world championship.

Jari-Matti won the event last year becoming the first Finn to do so for three decades.

Now as well as the usual protagonists’ in this event, Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT were here as well, with Kris and Craig each having a DS3 to drive.

Here’s a reminder of the stages that made this year’s Tour de Corse.

Friday 30th September: Leg 1

SS 1-3: Acqua Doria – Albitreccia (49.72 Km)

SS 2/4: Plage Du Liamone – Sarolla Carcopino (29,12 Km)

Saturday 1st October: Leg 2

SS 5-7: Orezza – La Porta – Valle Di Rostino (53.72 Km)

SS 6/8: Novella – Pietralba (30,80 Km)

Sunday 2nd October: Leg 3

SS 9: Antisanti – Poggio Di Nazza (53,78 Km)

SS 10: Porto-Vecchio – Palombaggia (10,42 Km) – Power Stage

So, the action started early on Friday morning! First driver in was championship leader Seb… He stormed through the nearly 50km stage in 30 minutes, 24 seconds, setting an average speed of 98 kph! Kris was just 4 seconds behind that time in second place with Spanish ace Dani a further 8 tenths behind in third. Last year’s winner, Jari-Matti was already 18 seconds off the leader, he just couldn’t get on the pace at all.

Stage two then and Seb made it look easy, going 8.7 seconds faster the Thierry, and Kris had a spin in this one, thus setting the fourth quickest time, but crucially keeping his second place on the overall leaderboard. Dani fell down to fourth, as he was 4 seconds slower than Thierry through the 30km stage.

Moving into the afternoon stages then and with a rerun of the same two stages, they all lined up, ready to blast into the 50km stage again.

It was another stage win for Seb with him averaging 98.8kph through here, and sadly this is where the challenge from Kris and Paul in the Citroen came to an end. They picked up a puncture somewhere in the stage and given the length of it, pulled over and changed the tyre, thus losing over two minutes and 27 seconds to Seb. This of course meant that everyone behind moved up a place. Now Jari-Matti was still losing more time and was now nearly 50 seconds off first place, albeit running in fourth place. Craig, Kris’ teammate was now in sixth place, so finding his feet on the tricky stages.

Now the last stage of the day, but with 130km’s already behind them, certainly not an easy day! Well, Seb made it four stage wins out of four! Kris was making good progress though setting the second fastest time on the same stage that he got the puncture earlier, just ten seconds slower that Seb through here and with Jari-Matti just 6 tenths behind Kris. With this he’d moved up into a podium position.

So, here was the leaderboard at the end of day one:

01 Ogier (VW) 1h 37m 52.8s

02 Neuville +44.0s

03 Latvala (VW) +58.0s

04 Mikkelsen (VW) +59.3s

05 Breen +1m 18.7s

06 Paddon +1m 26.2s

07 Camilli +2m 00.7s

08 Sordo +2m 39.1s

09 Østberg +2m 41.9s

10 Meeke +2m 51.9s

Here’s the thoughts of the top three then:

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1: “An ideal opening day for Julien and me – beautiful stages, superb weather and a perfect car. The key to stage one was to find our rhythm. Looking at the lead we opened, we appear to have done just that. It was pretty hot in the cockpit in the afternoon, particularly on the long 50-kilometre stage. We have a similarly demanding day ahead of us tomorrow, particularly if the weather deteriorates. However, we obviously want to continue as we were today, to make sure we win in the end. That is definitely the goal at our home rally.”

Thierry Neuville said: “We had a good morning loop despite experiencing some small issues with the brakes towards the end of the opening stage. We could see on the last split that I lost around five seconds. That was a shame but we made improvements on the second stage. We haven’t been able to take the fight to Ogier today, but we are second, which will hopefully set us up nicely for the rest of the weekend. There are a few more details we want to adjust to make the behaviour of the car more consistent, but it’s a decent start to the rally.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2: “We were a little too cautious at first, but gradually found our rhythm the further into the rally we got. We can make a few improvements here and there, for example when braking, but apart from that we are racing the right way for the Rally Corsica. That only makes the outstanding times set by our team-mate Sébastien Ogier all the more astonishing. Hats off to his performance. We will obviously try to stick with him tomorrow and on Sunday. If we can, we have a good chance of finishing on the podium.”

The rest of the drivers:

Volkswagen Motorsport:

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9: “We are not so much focusing on winning the world championship, but more on securing second place. With that in mind, we are going nicely in fourth place. I struggled to know how hard to brake in the morning. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time as a result. Apart from that, though, it was a good day for us, but we have two more challenging days ahead to come.”

Hyundai Motorsport:

Hayden Paddon said: “I’m definitely feeling more comfortable on these Corsican stages in the dry conditions we have had today. It’s not been a perfect day but we can see some positives, as well as some places to improve. We needed some adjustments to our pace notes after the opening run. The car was sliding around too much but we found a better direction for the repeat loop. It was a case of building things up step by step. We were doing precisely that but we had a puncture 8km from the end of the final stage, which lost us a bit of time. We’ll just work to take the positives from today forward into the rest of the weekend and see if we can break into the top-five.”

Dani Sordo said: “It’s been far from a good start to the rally for us. I didn’t have a good feeling in the first stage this morning but we had a decent time. It was then the opposite in stage two; I felt good in the car but the time was not there. We also had some issues with the brakes, the same as some other drivers. We wanted to make improvements in the afternoon loop and to consolidate our top-three position. Unfortunately that wasn’t possible because we had a rear puncture in the first half of the final stage, so we had to stop to change tyre. We lost nearly two minutes of time as a result which has dropped us down the classification. We will try to make up ground tomorrow and see what we can pick up.”

M-Sport WRT:

Éric Camilli (7th) said: “It has been a really good day for us. We started carefully and stage after stage our confidence grew and we were able to push a little bit more.

“We had a good run this afternoon and I was happy with our pace. In the last stage, the pacenotes for every single corner were exactly as they should be – for the entire 30 kilometres. That was a very important milestone and it gives us more confidence moving forward.

“I still have a lot of things to learn, but I think we have made a really good step today and I’m looking forward to what tomorrow has to offer.”

Mads Østberg (10th) said: “We’re trying something different with our driving on Tarmac. It’s not been an easy day, but it has been an interesting one and I am quite happy with all of the things that we have been able to try.

“We had some issues with the brake cooling this afternoon and lost quite a lot of time but, to be honest, that doesn’t matter so much. We are here to test our training and we can still work on that.

“We have a new plan for tomorrow – which isn’t too far away from where we were today. Step by step we are just trying to make something that doesn’t feel comfortable to me, comfortable. It will take some time, but it is a positive thing to be trying something different.”

Elfyn Evans (8th / 1st WRC 2) said: “It’s been a good day, but not an easy one by all means. These stages are absolutely fantastic but they can also be quite demanding and I’m really pleased to be where we are at the moment as we didn’t have the opportunity for a pre-event test.

“The plan will be to keep extending our lead tomorrow. It’s still quite a close fight with Jan [Kopecky]. He’s been driving pretty hard and won two of the stages so we need to keep on it.”

Abu Dhabi WRT:

Craig Breen: “I was pleasantly surprised today. I didn’t know what to expect at the start of the first stage, because I still have so many things to learn on tarmac in a WRC. My rhythm was good, but I had a few problems managing the tyres over these long stages. For the second loop, we decided to take two spare tyres – even if it meant losing a bit of time – and I also adjusted my driving style. Overall, I’m very pleased to finish in the top five on my first day on tarmac. We’ll need to put into practice some of the things we’ve learned today, especially as tomorrow’s stages look more difficult to me.”

Kris Meeke: “The morning went pretty well. On the opening stage of the afternoon, I don’t know what happened but I felt that we had lost some grip on the left-hand side. I kept going for a bit before it became clear that we had a puncture. We stopped to change the wheel because there were still a lot of kilometres left on the stage. It’s really strange because it didn’t feel like we had hit anything at all. As I’m not competing in the championship, I can’t be too frustrated by the situation, but I would have liked to keep fighting for the lead all the same. Having said that, I’m pleased with my rhythm and my speed throughout the day. We’ll try to keep doing the same thing tomorrow and just enjoy ourselves in the car.”

Saturday morning then and with 169km and four stages again, the Tour de Corse was definitely showing its character.

It was Kris who drove a stormer through here and won the stage by seventeen seconds from Andreas, with Seb only third, a further three tenths adrift. There was a change for third place with Jari-Matti dropping behind Andreas having been eight seconds slower than Andreas. Kris was now up to eighth place overall.

Stage six next. Seb and Andreas set identical times through this one! Kris was out though after he miss heard a note from Paul and showing that these stages can bite! He didn’t go far off the road, but with trees lining the road, it was enough to damage the right front of the car. A real shame really. His teammate Craig was doing really well, now in fifth place overall and just like in Finland, showing his qualities!

Stage seven then and once more it was Seb fastest from Andreas who was consolidating his third place on the overall leaderboard, now 28 seconds ahead of Jari-Matti. Thierry was looking good for second place, but was now 59 seconds behind Seb.

So, the last stage of the day and Thierry won it with Dani and Craig second and third, so great to have a different top three with just six seconds covering them at the end of the 30km stage.

01 Ogier (VW) 3h 27m 10.0s

02 Neuville +46.5s

03 Mikkelsen (VW) +1m 08.0s

04 Latvala (VW) +1m 41.3s

05 Breen +2m 04.6s

06 Paddon +2m 42.7s

07 Sordo +3m 03.9s

08 Camilli +4m 18.2s

09 Østberg +5m 10.5s

10 Tänak +6m 00.2s

The thoughts then of the top three:

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1: “I did not want to take too many chances today, as the risk of suffering a puncture is quite high on these long stages. Given the lead we had, Julien and I could afford to lose a few seconds to the opposition. However, that does not mean that we were slow. Our priority was to drive a clean line. The rain made things even more exciting in the afternoon, but the combination of four hard and two soft Michelin tyres was definitely the correct choice. Right now, it looks as though Julien and I have a very good chance of finishing on the top step of the podium at our home rally. However, the 53-kilometre stage tomorrow morning demands full concentration – one mistake can shake everything up again.”

Thierry Neuville said: “We’ve had another good day and I was really happy with our performance in all stages. We started this morning taking more care with the brakes after our experience from yesterday, and we were able to maintain good speed. The New Generation i20 WRC has been working well and we’ve had a positive feeling. The weather conditions this afternoon put a focus on tyre selection, as we expected conditions to be slippery. In the final stage, we had a soft tyre at the rear, which was a good choice. I went wide at the beginning and hit a stone. There was some vibration but that went away, thankfully, and we could continue to take the stage win. The fight has been close with Andreas, but I hope we can keep our hold on second tomorrow. We have a monster stage to start off, and that will be the key to our result this weekend.”

Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9: “I had a good feel for the car this morning, and went on the attack a bit. We fought our way into third place and made up some good time on Thierry Neuville, who is ahead of us in second place. We then lost a little ground in the afternoon, as we found it tough to match the opposition’s pace, particularly on a drying route. All in all, we are happy and are obviously hoping for a podium finish tomorrow. However, we have far from given up on second place. It will definitely be interesting again tomorrow, as the longest stage of the rally is still to come.”

The rest of the drivers:

Volkswagen Motorsport:

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2: “I never really had a good feel for the brakes today, and was not really happy with my times. Unfortunately, this meant I was unable to attack as I had hoped. Instead, I just had to do what I could. We tried out a slightly softer set-up towards the end, which worked well. All in all, fourth place is a good result, although not what I had hoped for. However, we will not give up in the battle for the podium.”

Hyundai Motorsport:

Hayden Paddon said: “I’m not going to hide away from the fact that it’s not been the best of days for us. Our times in the morning loop were not so good. We used the long regroup and service at lunchtime to understand where we could improve. It’s not been easy to put our finger on the reason why we’ve been struggling. We’ve tried a variety of things inside the car to get more speed. The weather played its part in the afternoon. As we’re not in the battle up front, we decided to cross over tyres in the final stage. That changed the balance of the car but we have to try these things. We’ve made it safely to the end of the day, so we will now look closely into all the data and see what we can do in the final two stages on Sunday.”

Dani Sordo said: “We wanted to put the puncture from yesterday behind us and quickly get back into the competitive rhythm. The morning went OK. We were out of the mix, so we tried a different suspension, which made the car a bit softer. The car felt good and the times helped us to move up a few positions. The final stage was difficult in places. We had chosen all hard tyres, so I was pleased we could finish second. We are not too far off the top-six, but we have a very long stage to start on Sunday. That will be important to get right if we are to pick up a good collection of Championship points this weekend.”

M-Sport WRT:

Éric Camilli (8th) said: “Like yesterday, it’s been another very good day for us. We proved that we can have some speed on Tarmac and that was very encouraging because it is never easy here in Corsica – and especially for us as we are experiencing the stages for the first time in a world rally car.

“I was really happy with my pace this morning with some very positive splits. And to be honest, I was quite happy with my pace this afternoon too but we were a little unlucky on the road. We got caught in the worst of the rain and lost almost 50 seconds in 10 kilometres!

“But that’s the way it is and our objective was not to fight for position this weekend. We want to make it through all of the stages, to learn, and to push when we feel comfortable. So far, that is what we have done and I hope it continues tomorrow.”

Mads Østberg (9th) said: “We’ve manged to get through the day without any big problems and when everything was working well I could focus on our strategy. This new style goes against my natural way of driving. It’s not so comfortable at the moment, but it’s positive that we are trying something different.

“I knew before the rally that we would lose time here, but we need to do it. We need to do this training in competition, and hopefully we will see a benefit in the future.”

Elfyn Evans (10th / 1st WRC 2) said:

“It’s been a pretty good day. We had a clean run with no problems and managed to build on our advantage from last night which was our objective for the day.

“We got caught in the worst of the rain this afternoon so that didn’t help us in the overall standings. When the conditions are like that, you really have to concentrate on your driving technique and that seemed to work pretty well for us, but we lost out to those who were running in the dry further up the road.

“Overall, and in terms of the WRC 2 championship, the day has been good.”

Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT:

Craig Breen: “Once again, I’m very pleased how today’s leg went. The only really frustrating part of the day was at the end of SS7, when I got caught in the rain. Starting quite far back in the running order counted against me, because the rain just got heavier and heavier. I felt better after setting the third fastest time on the next stage and overall, it’s been a positive day. I don’t think I could ask for much more, really. I can feel that my confidence is growing as we get through more stages. I’ll try to finish the job tomorrow. Jari-Matti isn’t too far ahead, but I won’t be trying to go after him. I would be delighted to finish in the top five.”

Kris Meeke: “I had good pace on today’s first stage and set a very good time at the end. On the next test, I listened to the pace notes as we took the first proper corner… but they weren’t correct. During recce, I hadn’t noticed just how much the corner tightened. We hit a tree and that put an end to our day. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. On the ‘Rally of 10,000 Corners’, you need 10,000 correct pace notes and we didn’t have them on this occasion! In any event, I’m pleased to have had a good rhythm at this rally and I can’t wait to come back to Corsica next year. In the meantime, we’ll contest the last two stages tomorrow to get the experience.”

Sunday then and two stages to go. Kris had a rebuilt car and boy did he go for it! He motored through stage nine a full 35 seconds faster, setting an average speed of 97kph to beat Hayden and Jari-Matti into second and third.

So, the last stage and once more, it was Kris quickest again, getting great experience and knowledge for next year. He won the stage by only half a second from Andreas with Seb a further second off.

So that was that, just ten stages, but definitely one of the longer rallies on the world stage. Seb won from Thierry and Andreas was third. Stand out drive for me was Craig. He’d never driven a WRC car on these stages, yet finished in fifth place.

The final standings then:

01 Ogier (VW) 4h 07m 17.0s

02 Neuville +46.4s

03 Mikkelsen (VW) +1m 10.0s

04 Latvala (VW) +1m 35.6s

05 Breen +2m 18.6s

06 Paddon +2m 36.1s

07 Sordo +3m 06.9s

08 Camilli +4m 53.9s

09 Østberg +5m 37.7s

10 Tänak +6m 26.6s

Here’s the interviews with the top three then:

Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1: “What we really wanted this weekend was to get the win at our home rally. It is the first time that Julien and I have won a WRC event on Corsica and it feels fantastic. It’s a real classic. We had a strong start on Friday and were able to manage the lead on Saturday and Sunday. It went perfectly. I couldn’t be happier. The chances of being able to celebrate the championship title here were only really theoretical, but now we have a real possibility of clinching it in Spain. We are so close to getting our fourth star. It’s fantastic and naturally we will turn all of our attention to that now. We want to take the momentum from Corsica with us. But we won’t be driving tactically at all, we want to fight for the win there, too.”

Thierry Neuville said: “It has been a very positive and competitive weekend. We have made no mistakes in some tricky but enjoyable stages; it was pretty much the perfect event, really. Everyone in the team has done a good job, and I’m happy with what we have achieved. The New Generation i20 WRC has had great pace, as we have seen from some of the stage times. We were able to build a gap over Andreas on Saturday so we just had to stay focused on our driving in the final stages to bring the car home. Working with my new engineer, we have made continuous improvements to the car so I’m satisfied with the weekend. We’ve built some excellent momentum since Sardinia so I hope we can continue in this direction as we look ahead to Spain.”

Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2: “Unfortunately we didn’t manage to get any points from the Power Stage because I was a little bit too cautious in places. Overall we aren’t overly happy with our performance – but I only have myself to blame. In terms of set-up, we went in a direction that didn’t work. Now we are looking to the future, since we want to do much better at the Rally Spain and finish on the podium again there at least. Last year we were involved in a thrilling battle for second place with our team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen, which we want to win this time.”

The thoughts of the rest of the drivers:

Hyundai Motorsport:

Dani Sordo said: “A really frustrating weekend for us after the puncture on Friday afternoon. That ended any chance we had of finishing on the podium. We have shown on occasions what would have been possible without that two-minute time loss. We’ve had some encouraging stages as well as some difficult ones, but we have to put this down to experience and move on. The next rally is my home event in Spain so I’ll come back fighting!”

Hayden Paddon said: “We had a much stronger finish to the rally after a tough two days. It’s been a case of going back to the basics to try and find a way forward. Looking at the results from this morning’s two stages, I’d say that we’ve made a step in the right direction. Second place on the long opening stage was much more like where we want to be. That gives us confidence as we prepare for Spain.”

Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT:

Craig Breen: “This week has been pretty intense and tough, but we’re obviously delighted to finish in the top five at the Tour de Corse. Everything went really well and we have got a bit more experience under out belt, both in a World Rally Car and at what is undoubtedly the most difficult tarmac rally. Fifth overall is very much in line with the target we had set ourselves before the start. And we’ve also improved with every kilometre and set some really good times. I’d like to thank everyone who has made it possible for me to compete here and who have supported me throughout this rally!”

Kris Meeke: “For me, it was very important to get back to top form this morning. I had to get back the confidence in my pace notes, after the mistake we made in recce had led to yesterday’s incident. It’s a timely reminder that this part of the race is important. The rally doesn’t start on Friday, it starts on Monday, when we have to describe every corner during the two runs on each stage at low speed. It’s a good lesson for us and one we’ll take on board for the future. This morning, I was pleased with my time on SS9 and I’m also happy to have won the Power Stage, even though the points are rather meaningless as I’m not competing in the championship. I’m looking forward to coming back to the Tour de Corse, to try and fight for the win.”

M-Sport WRT:

Éric Camilli (8th) said: “I’m really happy with this weekend. Our target was to complete all of the stages without mistakes and we did that. When we felt comfortable, we could push a bit more and when we did that it was good to see that we had some really competitive split times. That was a big confidence boost and we know that we are going in the right direction – we just need the experience.”

Mads Østberg (9th) said: “This rally has been really good practice for me. We’ve been trying a new strategy this weekend – changing our style to improve our driving on asphalt. Before the rally we knew that it would not be easy and that we would lose a lot of time, but it is definitely a positive to be trying something different.

“I haven’t set any blinding times, but we have to be patient. I feel that we progressed throughout the weekend and by the last stage I felt that we had some really good settings. The plan now will be to take everything we have learnt this weekend and continue the progress in Spain.”

D-Mack:

Ott Tänak, DMACK World Rally Team driver, said: “It was a difficult weekend and we weren’t able to push for a higher result but it was important to complete all the stages and get the experience for next season. These roads are very specialised and now at least we have more knowledge for 2017.”

So, after win number 40 for the Polo WRC, Seb now holds a 68 point advantage over Andreas in the championship. It’s a question of when, rather than if Seb wins his fourth title. Just three rounds remain this year now.

Drivers’ Championship:

1. Sébastien Ogier, 195 points

2. Andreas Mikkelsen, 127

3. Thierry Neuville, 112

4. Hayden Paddon, 102

5. Jari-Matti Latvala, 101

6. Dani Sordo, 92

7. Mads Østberg, 80

8. Kris Meeke, 54

9. Ott Tänak, 52

10. Craig Breen, 35

Manufacturers’ Championship:

1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 293 points

2. Hyundai Motorsport, 227

3. Volkswagen Motorsport II, 136

4. M-Sport, 132

5. Hyundai Motorsport N, 106

6. DMACK, 66

7. Jipocar Czech National Team, 18

8. Yazeed Racing, 4

Join me soon for all the details.

Warren Nel, WRC editor

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Talking Points: 2016 Hong Kong ePrix

The rookies shone

One of the most obvious takeaways from the Hong Kong ePrix was the remarkable job done by Formula E’s five rookie drivers in establishing themselves amongst an already impressive grid. José María López in particular showed his potential pace in qualifying third, as did Felix Rosenqvist by starting sixth and setting the fastest lap of the race; and not to mention Maro Engel, who was not only the highest rookie finisher in ninth but also consistently outperformed his more experienced teammate Sarrazin through qualifying and the race.

 

The series’ two rookie teams also made strong impressions on their respective debuts. Although Techeetah’s day ended with a double DNF brought on by technical issues and a first lap collision, the Chinese team displayed considerable speed all weekend, suggesting even that Jean-Éric Vergne might have been a contender for pole had qualifying run uninterrupted. Jaguar also ran well despite lacking the pace to challenge the front, and it was a shame that their strategic dare of a long first stint could only net them twelfth.

Track layouts are still an issue

Formula E’s logistical side once again came under scrutiny in Hong Kong, after the profile of the Turn 3-4 chicane was controversially altered prior to qualifying. With the change contributing to heavy crashes from di Grassi, Frijns and Lopez across the day, it was no wonder the decision came under heavy fire from the teams and drivers, who reportedly were only notified of it a few minutes before qualifying.

Last-minute alterations such as this have unfortunately become a by-product of the “pop-up” nature of Formula E’s street tracks. But although these problems may always present themselves, the disorganised way in which they are solved does not likewise need to remain a fixture – if Formula E is to truly become a top-line series, it must remove these clumsy incidents from its DNA.

HONG KONG, CHINA – OCTOBER 9: In this handout image supplied by Formula E,
during the FIA Formula E Championship Hong Kong ePrix at the Central Harbourfront Circuit on October 9, 2016 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by LAT Photographic / Formula E via Getty Images)

Reliability will be key

Managing reliability emerged as one of the critical tasks for teams in Hong Kong, with mechanical or technical trouble contributing to at least three of the five retirements, and afflicting many more drivers besides.

With several teams incorporating new powertrain designs this season, a few technical gremlins are only to be expected, especially from the two new teams. But as Formula E is now reaching a level where it is attracting big name marques like Audi and Mercedes, it can’t be good to see its existing outfits still suffering from niggling technological troubles after three seasons of development.

The field is as close as ever

Although on paper another Buemi/ di Grassi podium looked to be all too predictable, the Hong Kong ePrix proved that Formula E’s third season will be every bit as varied as its predecessors.

Sam Bird looks set to be a true contender for the title this season, if his qualifying and early race pace are anything to go by. The improvements made by stalwart midfielders Andretti and Mahindra showed enough give the top three teams something to think about, whilst Dragon and Techeetah should also have the ability to mix it at the front if they can overcome their various reliability issues. According to Hong Kong, there is not a single team on the 2016-17 grid that could not be considered a regular challenger for points – and at least six of them should be targeting the podium from here on out, if not the occasional race win too.

FIA Formula E Hong Kong e-Prix.
First Practice Session.
Sebastien Buemi (SUI), Renault e.Dams, Spark-Renault, Renault Z.E 16.
Hong Kong Harbour, Hong Kong, Asia.
Sunday 9 October 2016.
Photo: Adam Warner / FE / LAT
ref: Digital Image _L5R7464

James Matthews, Formula E editor

Posted on

Opinion: Hulkenberg and Renault would be perfect for each other

 

Over the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, rumours of Nico Hülkenberg making a surprise switch to Renault for 2017 ramped up a notch after reports in German media claimed the deal was all but done.

Logistically, a move to Renault is entirely possible: although Hülkenberg is signed to Force India for next year, his contract reportedly contains a buyout clause if a manufacturer comes knocking. But would the German really want to sacrifice his secure position in a podium contending team for a works drive at the back of the field?

GP GERMANIA F1/2016 – HOCKENHEIM (GERMANIA) 30/07/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Harsh though it may sound, Renault could well be Hülkenberg’s only remaining chance at a top team drive. Both Mercedes and Red Bull are committed to a future of promoting from within their own junior ranks; and despite interest in the past, Ferrari has made it plain that its affections have moved on from Hülkenberg to the likes of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.

If Hülkenberg is still serious about driving for a manufacturer team in Formula 1 – and he insists that he is – that only leaves Renault or McLaren-Honda. And although neither team are particularly desirable at the moment, Hülkenberg will no doubt keep his missed shots at Ferrari in the back of his mind as he weighs up an offer from Renault.

At 29 and approaching his eighth season in F1, Hülkenberg’s career stands at a critical point. In all that time, he has never progressed beyond the midfield and many observers believe that his chance to do so has passed. Add to that his arguable overshadowing alongside Pérez in recent years, and it wouldn’t be too astonishing to see Hülkenberg seize the chance with Renault whilst it’s there.

As for Renault, the appeal of Nico Hülkenberg is obvious. Leaving aside his reputation and glittering CV for the moment, one of the best arrows in Hülkenberg’s quiver is his ability to lift a lower-midfield car up above its station. Take, for example, his pole position with Williams at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix, or the 29 laps spent leading the same race two years later with Force India.

But perhaps of most significance to Renault will be Hülkenberg’s year with Sauber in 2013, in which he helped lead the team from scrapping over tenth and eleventh to scoring several solid top six finishes by the end of the season. It’s this ability to move a poor car forward that Renault so sorely needs right now, and it’s this that would make Nico Hülkenberg an invaluable asset to the French marque in 2017.

GP ITALIA F1/2016 – MONZA (ITALIA) 04/09/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Unfortunately, the flipside of this move is that it would mean the loss of either Kevin Magnussen or Jolyon Palmer – or even both of them, if Esteban Ocon takes the second Renault seat as many expect.

At present, there are still some eleven seats available for 2017, though only a handful of them could actually be considered viable havens for the two current Renault drivers. Magnussen arguably has the greater pool of options should he leave Renault, and would certainly not be unwelcome at Haas after the American team marked him down as their second choice last year if they couldn’t tempt over Romain Grosjean.

For Palmer, his best bet is likely Manor, as the backmarker team looks set to yield up Pascal Wehrlein to Hülkenberg’s vacant Force India seat, even if Ocon doesn’t move to Renault as well.

James Matthews, Editor-at-Large

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The Arrival of Jenson Button

October 29th, 1998. That was the day I first heard of Jenson Button. It was the day that I received my copy of Motoring News. As usual around this time of year, the annual “Formula Ford Festival” had been held at Brands Hatch. Up until a few years ago this meeting was regarded as a major event, certainly the absolute highlight of the Formula Ford year, and the prestige of winning the event was high. Past winners had included eventual F1 drivers Geoff Lees, Derek Daly, Roberto Moreno, Tommy Byrne, Julian Bailey, Johnny Herbert, Roland Ratzenberger, Eddie Irvine, Vincenzo Sospiri, Jan Magnussen, and Mark Webber. The format of the event was both simple and entertaining, with a series of knock-out heats, two semi- finals, and then the all-important final – back in ’98, victory in this race was still big news on the club scene, and would more often than not lead to something bigger for the winning driver for the following year.

Usually I had heard of the winner beforehand, but this was not one of those occasions. The name “Jenson Button” was, at the same time, curiously different, and memorable. Having been massively successful in karting, this was his first season of racing cars, and the 18-year-old had already sown up the British Formula Ford Championship. He was driving a French Mygale Ford-Zetec, run by Haywood Racing, against a whole fleet of the cars that had been, more often than not, driven by past winners of the event, the Van Diemen.

Having won his heat, Button was beaten in his semi by the Australian driver, Markus Ambrose. But the young Frome lad was not to be outdone. In what was a thrilling final, the battle for the lead was between Button, Ambrose, and Daniel Wheldon – another British driver who would go on to fame as a double winner of the Indianapolis 500, but who was tragically killed in 2011. Having trailed both Ambrose and Wheldon at the start, he nipped past Daniel when he took a wide line at the McLaren Curve early on, then got past the Australian on the following lap. There ensued a thrilling battle for the lead between the three, and as the race drew towards its conclusion it was Ambrose who narrowly led. Then Ambrose left the door wide open at Surtees Bend, Button pounced, the pair touched wheels, and Ambrose was out. Wheldon didn’t give up the chase, but at the flag it was Jenson Button who had won the 1998 Formula Ford Festival. His name was made.

The following year he moved up to the British Formula Three championship. The engine to have in that formula at the time was a Mugen-Honda, whereas Jenson had a Renault engine, therefore was rather the odd-man-out, however, he went on to finish third in the championship.

Well, the rest, as they say, is history. After just two seasons of racing cars, Jenson was a fully-fledged F1 driver. Sir Frank Williams used words like “astounded” and “astonishing” to describe his new young driver after his debut in Melbourne in March 2000. After 300 Grand Prix, the compliments still come thick and fast, but a World Championship, and 15 Grand prix wins, can now be added to that. Perhaps even more precious is the fact that Jenson has become one of the most loved F1 drivers of all time.

Max Scott

Posted on

Buemi wins chaotic Hong Kong opener

HONG KONG, CHINA – OCTOBER 9: In this handout image supplied by Formula E,
during the FIA Formula E Championship Hong Kong ePrix at the Central Harbourfront Circuit on October 9, 2016 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by LAT Photographic / Formula E via Getty Images)

 

Reigning Formula E champions Sébastien Buemi and Renault e.Dams got their respective title defences off to a perfect start, by taking the victory in Hong Kong as misfortunes carried their rivals out of contention.

In typical Formula E style, the 2016 Hong Kong ePrix began with a vastly mixed grid. Pole position was claimed by Nelson Piquet Jr in one half of a surprising NextEV front row lockout, and was decided without the usual Super Pole session as a heavy crash by Robin Frijns meant the track needed to be closed down for lengthy barrier repairs.

Frijns was joined at the back of the grid by title contender Lucas di Grassi, who crashed himself in an earlier group session after being caught out by a late change to the layout of the Turn 3-4 chicane.

But whilst Formula E’s more experienced drivers struggled on their first weekend back, its rookies shone in qualifying, with DS Virgin’s José María López and Mahindra’s Felix Rosenqvist particularly impressive in third and sixth respectively.

But if qualifying was frenzied, the race was even more so.

Piquet made a good getaway from pole, and managed to make the most of the clean air to avoid getting swallowed by the quicker DS Virgins on row two of the grid. But as he and teammate Oliver Turvey settled cleanly into formation at the front, it was anything but behind as the rest of the field barrelled into the opening corners.

The two Virgins of López and Sam Bird were the first to come together at the Turn 1 hairpin, and though the pair escaped without any visible damage, the contact appeared to leave López with some internal damage, and sent the Argentine plummeting straight down the order.

Then at Turn 2, Ma Qing Hua was caught out under braking and hit the back of Nico Prost, and was in turn hit from behind by a trapped di Grassi, who managed to continue albeit after taking on a new nose in the pits.

As the order changed rapidly on the opening lap, several drivers who qualified outside the top ten benefited from the attrition to get into the points, with Nick Heidfeld making the biggest jump from eleventh to fifth ahead of his rookie teammate Rosenqvist.

But Mahindra’s shot at a solid double points finish was was soured when Rosenqvist lost the rear through Turn 5 and dropped it into the wall. The Swede managed to limp back to the pits and return briefly in his second car, and scored a single consolatory point by setting the fastest lap before retiring.

At the front, Bird and Buemi brought themselves up onto the podium after passing first the stricken López and then Oliver Turvey, and set about cutting down Piquet’s two-second lead.

For a while the Brazilian looked comfortably ahead, but disaster struck on lap 17 when he came up to lap López and found the DS Virgin beached in the chicane wall – taking avoiding action, Piquet moved to the escape road and was forced to watch as Bird and Buemi both went past.

Bird appeared to have the race in hand from then on, opening a gap to Buemi and pitting later to conserve energy for the final stint; but his own stint as race leader was even shorter than Piquet’s, with a gearbox issue on his second car leaving him stranded in the garage during his stop.

Buemi then inherited the lead, and found himself heading off a surprise challenge from Lucas di Grassi. The ABT driver’s race looked to be run after the energy demands of his climb from the back row of the grid forced an early stop, but the safety car brought out by López’s crash allowed di Grassi to conserve power without losing touch with the pack.

The two season two rivals then continued to trade lap times throughout the closing stages of the race, although Buemi was ultimately able to hold off di Grassi and cross the line with over two seconds to spare.

Heidfeld completed the podium, having just enough useable power on the final lap to see off Nico Prost.

Andretti also had a remarkable race after managing a best of just thirteenth in qualifying. Both da Costa and Frijns conserved energy in the first stint ahead of a late charge, and brought home fifth and sixth place respectively to tie Andretti with ABT for second in the standings.

Jérôme d’Ambrosio ended a disappointing day for Dragon Racing in seventh ahead of front row starter Oliver Turvey, whilst the points were rounded out by Venturi, with rookie Maro Engel edging out his experienced teammate to score his first Formula E points.

Jaguar Racing had a respectable debut with Adam Carroll finishing twelfth and fighting for points early on, though their result was soured by Mitch Evans suffering a technical DNF.

The British marque’s fellow debutants Techeetah endured a torrid first ePrix, failing to capitalise on their testing pace as Ma’s first lap crash and technical troubles for Jean-Éric Vergne ended in a double non-finish.

https://youtu.be/zPaggopePqA

James Matthews, Formula E editor

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Japanese Grand Prix, Mercedes Dominance Continues

GP GIAPPONE F1/2016 – SUZUKA 08/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

In Japan, Mercedes won their third consecutive constructor’s championship. Nico Rosberg took the chequered flag and extended his championship lead to 33 points from Lewis Hamilton, who finished third behind the young Max Verstappen.

It was Nico Rosberg’s fourth victory after the summer break. The German was faster than anyone else on Saturday’s qualifying session and took the pole position. He started and finished the race from the first place. No one was able to challenge Nico, even when Verstappen closed the gap to almost two seconds, Rosberg put his foot on the throttle and increased the difference between them.

Lewis Hamilton had a bad start, he dropped from the second to eighth position. During the first laps, Hamilton struggled to find the pace and fight back to gain position. On the seventh lap, Lewis passed Nico Hulkenberg and moved up to seventh place, where he remained until his first pit stop. Mercedes made the right call to pit Hamilton on lap 14 and they gave him an advantage compared to his rivals.

When the British rejoined the track he was in front of Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez, it took him a few seconds to catch and pass Ricciardo and move up to the fourth position. Hamilton was almost 14 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel, who was third. On lap 32, Lewis managed to reduce the gap to just four seconds. Mercedes decided to pit the Brit on the next lap.

Vettel remained on the track for one more lap. Ferrari decided to take a risk and swapped from hards to softs. When Sebastian re-joined the track, he was behind Lewis Hamilton. The German closed the gap, but he couldn’t find the space and the pace to attack. After a few laps, Vettel decided not to attack and secure the fourth place.

At the same time, Hamilton closed to Max Verstappen for the second position. The Dutch showed once more his great defending skills. During the nine final laps, Hamilton was within a DRS zone from Verstappen, but the Brit could not get too close.

The British made a last attempt on the final lap on the outside line at the chicane, but he didn’t have the space to break and went straight on.

Kimi Raikkonen qualified third, but he got a five-place grid penalty because Ferrari had to change his gearbox. The Finn had a good fight with Daniel Ricciardo for the fifth position and with Ferrari’s good strategy he managed to secure it.

McLaren wanted to have a better weekend in Japan, as it was a home race for Honda. Alonso and Button finished 16th and 18th respectively.

Nico Rosberg remained focus to his aim, he controlled the race and secured the victory which gave him a 33 points advantage from Hamilton. Now Lewis has to win the remaining races and hopes that his team-mate will lose points.

Next race will take place in Austin.

Victor Archakis F1 Editor
Twitter: @FP_Passion

(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

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