Category: Formula One

Posted on

Magic Monaco Moments – Panis 1996

In the 1996 season this race will long live in the memory of any Formula 1 or Motorsport enthusiast. Williams prior to the event had dominated, taking 5 wins from 5 with eventual 1996 world champion Damon Hill taking four of them. Michael Schumacher & Ferrari were hot on the heels of the British based team though, he took pole for the Grand Prix. Various teams were struggling over the weekend in particular Ligier, the team were suffering with misfiring issues with the Mugen Honda engine they ran, a resulting in a poor qualifying session for Olivier Panis & team mate Pedro Diniz.

In the 90’s prior to the race like MotoGP still has, Formula 1 had a warm-up session, Olivier Panis in the session looked very strong, in fact the Ligier was quickest with teams making adjustments throughout the session as they know the bad weather was on its way. Drivers had issues though in the weather, the likes of Mika Hakkinen crashing, Forti-Ford driver Andrea Montermini did serious damage which actually prevented him from taking part in the race.

The track was wet, and drivers managed to get an understanding of the track, so on the grid they lined up. Jos Verstappen in the Footwork took a major risk starting on slicks, even though track was far from it. It was a clean get away at the front with Damon Hill jumping pole sitter Schumacher, but looking further down the field with Verstappen being on the slicks a first corner incident was inevitable. We lost him and the Minardi’s at Ste Devote, the first corner of the Monaco track. To look at what an idiotic choice that was, no other driver chose to run the slicks until lap 26.

The next driver to hit the wall was a surprise, renowned as the ‘rain miester’ Michael Schumacher was pushing hard to make amends for a poor start but he hit the wall coming out of the hairpin. This was a very uncharacteristic mistake of the German, this error then gave Hill control of the race. Further incidents and mechanical issues ensued, such as Rubens Barrichello also crashing on lap 1 and Pedro Diniz retiring with transmission problems, only 13 of the 21 starters running after 5 laps of the 78 lap race.

A gap was forming across the field, due to the horrible conditions, bigger gaps than normal. Eddie Irvine was holding a few cars up struggling in the overcast weather. Hill was in total control, the race settled down for 20 minutes with rhythms beginning to form. The track then dried, and Hill only briefly lost the lead on lap 30 to Jean Alesi after switching to slicks as Alesi decided to go later before making the switch. Another notable development was that Olivier Panis and other drivers managed to overtake the slow Irvine on track, something of rarity at Monaco.

Hill on lap 40 had a whopping 30 second gap to second placed Alesi in the Benneton, who was having a quiet race amongst the drama that had been taking place around him. Hill looked like he was going to make it 6 from 6 for Williams and continue their dominance but then…. Out of the tunnel a cloud of smoke followed the Williams driver’s car, an oil pump failure had happened. This then promoted Jean Alesi into the lead in the Benetton, well known for his win in 1995 at Canada in a Ferrari. He continued to lead for the next 20 laps seeking a second win, but then even further mechanical issues and it was the Frenchman’s suspension. This ruined Alesi’s hopes and no chances followed, therefore his only win being in 1995 at Canada.

Although! Great news for France, fellow countryman Panis took the lead after this retirement, who started 14th. He led David Coulthard in his first season for Mclaren by around 5 seconds and it looked like a battle could ensue. Eddie Irvine capped an awful race for himself and an eventful race by spinning and coming back on track was hit by Finn Mika Salo, in turn hit by fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen.

We were down to four running! The race wasn’t going to be completed as the two hour time limit was going to come into play. Heinz Harald Frentzen decided to enter the pits as he was a lap down but was officially classified along with Salo and Hakkinen. This left only three drivers to see the chequered flag. Olivier Panis winning his one and only race, with Ligier’s first in fifteen seasons. British duo David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert completed the podium in their Mclaren and Benetton cars. Coulthard had pre-race drama of his own, his iconic Scottish helmet was steaming up making it impossible to drive, he ended up borrowing Michael Schumacher’s spare!

Monaco 1996 holds the record for the least amount of cars to see the chequered flag of three, and most retirements in terms of percentage of the field at 85%. Truly a race to remember, which can be noted as one the best races ever. Raw pace wasn’t the factor this time like it normally is, Monaco 1996 was more about pinch of luck with reliability, and keeping your car in control amongst the barriers of Monaco.

Chris Lord
16 May 2017

Posted on

Spain proves that Ferrari are here to stay

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Sunday 14 May 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images (Via Pirelli Sport)
ref: Digital Image _ONZ6499

Ferrari have made 2017 interesting.

The first five races have all had intrigue and uncertainty surrounding them, and even if not all have been harum-scarum humdingers they’ve all been much more than watchable.

In 2016, the debate was all about which Mercedes of recently-retired World Drivers’ Champion Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton would win the race.

Now though, and especially with Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari have altered that equation somewhat.

With more luck, Vettel could have had four wins from the opening five races.

As it is, the reinvigorated German has had to settle for two, and three second places in a relentless start to 2017, while Hamilton hasn’t had it all his own way with Valtteri Bottas as teammate.

Mercedes had come to Spain more bullish about their chances of victory after a raft of major upgrades including a new sidepod design and front wing, and indeed that ended up being justified.

Ferrari had also brought upgrades but the consensus is that the Scuderia had made fewer changes than the Silver Arrows.

Many will argue that Mercedes’ victory came only because of a Virtual Safety Car thrown to recover the stricken Stoffel Vandoorne from the outside of the first corner, not as a result of pure pace.

Mercedes worked the strategy well and while Vettel manfully held out, using his elbows on pit exit, it was only going to be a matter of time before Hamilton, on faster tyres, breezed past.

That he didn’t drive away was telling.

Vettel had half a chance until, and not for the first time this season, he found the Williams of Felipe Massa parked in an awkward place at Turn 10 with five laps left.

The race was on a knife-edge until the end, and proved that Ferrari’s early season form was no flash in the pan.

Six points separate Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the standings in the four-time champion’s favour.

With Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen keeping their respective teammates more than honest, 2017 is shaping up to be the closest season in five years.

Let the battle commence.

Jack Prentice @JPrentice8

 

Posted on

Toro Rosso, Spanish GP Weekend Review

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Friday 12 May 2017.
World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _ONZ4056

It’s time for the Spanish Grand Prix, 2nd race in a row, it’s one of our drivers home GP, this time its Sainz’s turn to be the hero and have thousands of fans cheering him on all weekend.

Thursday- Carlos had to attend the drivers press conference where he got asked many questions and got huge praise from Alonso saying “Sainz is a very talented driver one of the best and his preparation from the Red Bull junior driver program really helps young driver be ready for F1. While Kvyat was stuck answering the media questions outside in the paddock while it was raining. After that it was time for the home hero to meet his fans and sign many autographs, he also managed to get time to go the game zone and try to set the fastest lap on the F1 2016 game time trial of the circuit. And to finish the day off a group of drivers, including our two, got to meet some kids aged 7-12 karting stars hoping to be in F1 one day.

Friday- day of practice, day of collecting data. A day to show off our new enlarged numbers and drivers names on the car. FP1 started slowly for us completing 39 laps between our drivers with Sainz setting a 1.24.0 and Kvyat a +0.600 slower, then it was time for a quick spot of lunch and restroom brake maybe even a quick afternoon nap for Carlos as we are in Spain. FP2 was a bigger improvement for us doing 61 laps with our two guys in the much warming afternoon temperatures where we can collect more accurate data for race conditions.

Quotes from the drivers about Friday. Sainz- “It’s been a tricky first day here in Barcelona. I think the track conditions surprised us a bit as it was much slower compared to winter testing, but overall we end the day on a high making some improvements”.

Kvyat- ” The car has quite a few handling issues at the moment we need to be patient and try and do things overnight so the car will suit me more because it wasn’t the correct window for my driving style”.

Saturday- starts with FP3 a quick 1 hour session our last chance to make changes to the cars. We have done 33 laps in the session, now it’s time to get ready for qualifying. Q1 was a disaster for Kvyat has he struggled with the car and qualified P20. He said the car was undriveable its needs taking apart and rebuilding. Sainz managed to put his car on P12 for Sunday’s race. He said that the car still lacks engine power, but is great in the other areas.

Sunday- Raceday with Sainz lining up in P12 and Kvyat in P20 the lights went out it was go go go Sainz made a great start making up a few positions getting into P9. Kvyat was up to P14 with the cars that made contact on the first corner out of the way. Kvyat pitted on lap 1 fitting the medium tyres to the car. While Sainz made his first pit stop on lap 13 fitting another set of softs on. Both cars pitted once more on laps 33 and 34 fitting the opposite tyre on than before. Both strategies worked great allowing our cars with a bit of luck with the big teams all losing 1 car each, Meaning we could finish in P7 and P9 a double points finish great work from the boys.

Both our drivers were really happy with the performance of the car today and happy to score points, as both started outside the top 10 at the beginning of the day.

See you in Monaco guys

Richard Hindson

(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

Posted on

Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton The King of Spain

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.

Victor Archakis F1 Editor  – @FP_Passion

Images Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

Posted on

The Update Special

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.

Andy Robinson
All times are from Formula1.com

Posted on

Quali review

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.

Posted on

Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton secured his 64th pole

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.

Joe Owens

Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

Posted on

SAUBER UPGRADE FOR SPAIN

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.

By Rhea Morar

Photos courtesy of Sauber F1 Team.

Posted on

Barcelona Track Preview

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.

By Joe Owens 10/05/17

Picture courtesy of Simon Tassie
Posted on

Joe’s Midweek Report

Hello and welcome to this week’s Formula 1 round-up, your one-stop-shop for biggest stories in F1 over the past seven days.

Today we cover a shock deal that has apparently already been done ahead of the 2018 season, a fresh, new look for all cars on the grid ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, a new deal that could see Honda become an even bigger presence in the sport than they already are, and a familiar face set to return. So, let’s get cracking.

Deal Done? Insider Seems to Think So

Ferrari’s number one driver, and the 2017 Driver’s World Championship leader Sebastien Vettel has a pre-contract agreement already in place with Mercedes for next year, according to someone close to Ferrari.

The German, who has a 13-point advantage over Silver Arrow Lewis Hamilton going into Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, was contacted when Nico Rosberg left the constructer’s world champions at the end of last campaign – this is not new information.

However, now well-known F1 blogger, and Ferrari friend, Leo Turrini has stated that the 29-year-old has a deal in place to join his biggest rivals come the close of this term.

“It is no secret to anyone that after Rosberg’s retirement, Mercedes contacted Seb”, he said as reported by F1i.com.

“During the pre-season test in Barcelona, Niki Lauda told friends confidentially that Vettel has a pre-agreement with the Germans for next season.”

These comments mirror those of pundit Eddie Jordan who also believes negotiations have taken place.

“Of course they’re talking with Vettel”, the 69-year-old stated.

It is unsure whether any formal agreement has been reached between the two German parties, and with the Italian manufacturer’s impressive race pace this year it remains to be seen if any deal will be done.

Another New Rule from Charlie Whiting

As we head into race-weekend number five in the 2017 season, teams are finally getting to grips with the new rules and regulations of this year in practice, however now there’s a new one.

All drivers will now have easier to recognise designs on their cars, allowing spectators and race officials to identify who is who out on track, or Article 9.2 according to Charlie Whiting.

“We require each car number to be clearly visible from the front of the car (Article 9.2)”, he stated as reported on pitpass.com.

“We feel that to be clearly visible the numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background.

“Each driver’s name (or TLA) is to be clearly legible on the external bodywork (Article 9.3).

“We feel that to be clearly legible the names should be no less than 150mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 30mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background.”

Mercedes were the first to release their new design ahead of strict rulings that all teams must abide by or face the stewards’ wrath, and boy does it look good. Suppose on this one we must admit it’s a positive. Thanks Charlie!

More Than Just an Engine

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn has stated that the Swiss F1 team’s new partnership with engine manufacturers Honda could go beyond just a power unit supply.

The ninth-placed constructers became the third team to sign a deal with the Japanese company ahead of next year, however the team principal has stated that there could be more to come from their new relationship.

“We’ll see how it all pans put”, the 46-year-old told Motorsport.com.

“We’re really at the beginning now. I don’t know their deals with McLaren. We are a very different project.

“We’ll see where we can benefit from each other in this. We’ve been in situations where we were a manufacturer team – we’re not a manufacturer team now, we’re a customer to them.

“But we know that there are a lot of opportunities there, and this is one of the reasons why we decided for this partnership.

“It’s far too early to say we’ll be doing this and that, but yes, we’re open to anything.”

Honda have done well to secure two additional teams to McLaren considering the reliability issues the former-F1 force have been facing.

However, if they were able to overcome the problems incurred this year, the Japanese company could once again prove that they can supply race-winning power units.

Familiar Face Set for Return

Former Jordan, Toyota, Virgin Racing and Marussia F1 driver Timo Glock is to make his return to the pinnacle of motorsport.

It has not yet been formally announced when the three-time podium sitter will feature on the grid again, however following a successful DTM season the 35-year-old announced via his official Facebook account he was contacted by an F1 team for a seat-fitting.

Now the question is, which team?

Has Fernando Alonso finally snapped at McLaren? Are Renault fed-up with Jolylon Parmer underachieving? Is this the back up for Seb Vettel after he moves to Mercedes? (I doubt it but you never know).

One thing is for sure we will find out soon, and it will be good to see the German back.

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, and I will see you all again next time.

Joe Owens, F1 Correspondent @joejournosun.

Picture courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport.
©2014-2024 ThePitCrewOnline