Formula One

27th October 20163rd July 2017

Rosberg faces first title chance in Mexico

GP MESSICO F1/2015 – 31/10/15
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Despite losing points to Lewis Hamilton in last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg arrives in Mexico City with his first chance of claiming the 2016 World Drivers’ Championship.

With twenty-six points in hand over his teammate, Rosberg could mathematically clinch the title providing he wins the race with Hamilton finishing tenth or lower. The odds of the German wrapping up the championship on Sunday are admittedly slim considering Hamilton hasn’t finished a race outside the points since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, but the possibility nevertheless highlights the impressive work Rosberg has done to come within touching distance of the crown with three races to spare.

For Hamilton, it also underlines the importance of every point, as the Briton has insisted that he will not concede defeat until the title is mathematically decided:

“The moment you give up is the moment you lose. I’ve never been one to give up and I don’t plan on starting now. There are still plenty of points available and anything is possible.”

Hamilton’s main advantage coming into this final stretch of races – aside from any potential momentum gained from his Austin win – will be that he has plenty of past experience of tight championship battles on which to draw.

By comparison, this will be the first time Rosberg has been in such a position. Given his past propensity for faltering in high-pressure situations, this first true shot at the title will be a real test of Rosberg’s new, more relaxed approach to racing – an approach which ironically surfaced at this same event last year.

“To be in a championship battle at the end of the year is awesome,” the German said, “but my approach is to keep it simple. There are many things that can happen during a race weekend which are out of your control, so it’s best to just block all that out and focus on the job at hand.

“That’s what’s worked best for me and how I feel at my strongest.”

James Matthews

27th October 20163rd July 2017

Red Bull will hope their season’s form in Mexico continues despite struggling in the corresponding race last year.

GP USA F1/2016 – AUSTIN (TEXAS) 22/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Daniel Ricciardo will reminisce fondly of his 2016 season as he has performed miracles in the Red Bull car. The Australian has one victory to his name as well as seven podium finishes in this years’ championship.

Last weekend in Austin, he managed to finished third behind Hamilton and Rosberg. Ricciardo ended the practice session in third and started the race in fifth during the corresponding race in 2015 he said:

“Last year in Mexico it was quite challenging, the surface was so new it meant grip levels were really low.

“This year should be a bit more fun with a bit more feeling. The track has some really cool sections, driving slow through the stadium bits means you can feel the atmosphere from the fans.”

Supersoft tyres will be used for the first time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City after the track’s return to the Formula One circuit last year.

Max Verstappen will be hoping his gearbox problems are behind him as did not finish the race in Austin:

“The circuit in Mexico is interesting, it’s still really new, they had only just finished it when we went there in 2015. Hopefully when we go there this year the grip will have improved and the lap times will be faster,” said the Dutch teenager.

Dominic Rust

26th October 20163rd July 2017

Lewis Hamilton, the Texan Cowboy Rides to Mexico

GP USA F1/2016 – AUSTIN (TEXAS) 20/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

From the start until the end of the race, Lewis Hamilton was in charge. For 56 laps he avoided any mistake because he knew that he had to win the USA Grand Prix if he wanted to remain alive in the championship battle with Nico Rosberg.

Nico Rosberg’s only purpose was to finish in the points and as high as possible. Hence, he didn’t have to do much, only to drive safe and quick, as he usually does.

The only driver who managed to challenge Rosberg for the second position was Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian passed Nico on the second turn on the first lap of the race. Ricciardo remained second after his first pit stop, but during the second pit stop Nico took advantage of the VSC (Virtual Safety Car) and regained the second position.

GP USA F1/2016 – AUSTIN (TEXAS) 23/10/2016
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Red Bull called Ricciardo into the pits for his second stop on lap 25. A few laps later Mercedes did the same for Nico, but the VSC deployed because Max Verstappen stopped his car cause of a gearbox problem. Hence, Mercedes pitted both cars and Ricciardo couldn’t do anything.

The Australian finished third, behind the two Mercedes.

A misunderstanding between Max Verstappen and Red Bull, lead to a bad pit stop on lap 26, the Dutch thought that his team called him into the pits, but Red Bull’s mechanics were not prepared for a stop. That cost time to the young driver and from the fourth position he dropped to sixth. A few laps later he retired, due to a gearbox problem.

Ferrari didn’t have the speed to follow the Red Bulls and the Mercedes. The Italians decided to go on a different strategy between their drivers. Kimi Raikkonen was fifth, behind his team-mate Vettel, when Ferrari pitted the Finn for his third and final stop. When he left the pits, his mechanic told him to stop the car, because a wheel was not attached properly, hence Raikkonen stopped at the exit of the pit lane and let his Ferrari roll back where he parked it in Ferrari’s garage.

Ferrari got a £4,500 fine for unsafe release.

McLaren had the pleasure to enjoy a double finish in the points. Jenson Button had a quiet day and finished ninth ahead of Romain Grosjean, who scored Haas’s first point in their home race. From the other hand, Fernando Alonso reminded us, how good and skilful driver he is.

During the final laps of the race, there was an epic battle for the fifth place, between Sainz, Massa and Alonso. Sainz was trying to defend his fifth position from Massa and Alonso, but his tyres were old, so it was difficult for him to remain fifth. Massa attempted to pass Carlos Sainz, but he couldn’t find the right moment to do it. Fernando Alonso was close to the two drivers and on lap 53 the Spaniard made his move at Turn 15 and passed Massa after a wheel to wheel battle.

The Brazilian got a small puncture, but he secured the seventh place. The stewards investigated the incident between the two drivers but no further action was taken.

Alonso was closing the gap to Sainz. Time was pushing, with only one and a half lap to go, Fernando had to make his move. He attempted to pass Sainz on the first corner, but Carlos closed the door. Fernando attacked for the second time, this time dived into the inside in Turn 12 and managed to take the fifth place from Toro Rosso.

The battle for the fifth place was one of the best battles this season for me. Because Alonso is pushing his McLaren to the limits and showed us that McLaren-Honda is here. They are getting better and better and next year they will be close to the top three teams.

Lewis Hamilton, after his victory in Texas, he closed the gap with Nico Rosberg to 26 points. Still, if Lewis wins the three remaining races and Nico finish second, Rosberg will become the new champion.

The Brit needed this victory for psychological reasons, it was his first win since the German Grand Prix in July.

Next stop Mexico City 28-30 Oct 2016

Laps: 71

Circuit Length: 4.304 km

Race Length: 305.354 km

Lap record: 1:20:521 (Nico Rosberg, 2015)

Tyre Allocations: Medium (White), Soft (Yellow), Supersoft (Red)

Mexico circuit returned to the F1 calendar in 2015. Last season Nico Rosberg took the pole position and won the race, followed by Lewis Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas with his Williams finished third behind the two Mercedes.

This year the battle for the championship is not over, still, the two Mercedes drivers have to fight each other and Lewis Hamilton must finish above Rosberg at any cost. It will not be easy to achieve that. Rosberg is very concentrate and fast this year, he gets what he wants from almost every race and a disadvantage that Lewis has is that the other teams can’t challenge Mercedes.

It will be interesting to see if Lewis can win the remaining races and if Nico will lose points from Mercedes’ rivals.

Don’t miss my live race coverage on twitter this Sunday. Follow me and @PitCrew_Online.

Victor Archakis

Follow me on Twitter: @FP_Passion

(Images Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

24th October 20163rd July 2017

Storming Sainz Gives Toro Rosso Reason to Celebrate in Austin

Fresh from the news that Dany Kvyat will stay on to partner Carlos Sainz in 2017, Toro Rosso had further reason to celebrate come race day as the Spanish driver stormed his way to an impressive 5th place at the Circuit of the Americas.

DANIIL KVYAT

Formula 1 fans welcomed the news that Kvyat would be retained next season, after what has been a year for him to mostly forget. The Russian driver, safe in the knowledge that he would deservedly remain at the pinnacle of motorsport, looked to get close to the points based on the practice session running. Unfortunately, the day did not go exactly per plan.

Kvyat had a tangle with Sergio Perez saw him receive a 10 second penalty which forced a strategy change which he ultimately attributed to his finish spot:

“we then had to switch to a one-stop race after getting a 10-second penalty for my incident with Perez during the first lap. This compromised our race”

He however was pleased with certain aspects of his race:

“I have to say we did a very long stint on the Medium tyre and the management was very good. It’s just a shame that we lost the opportunity to fight for some more points today.”

With just three races left in 2016, Kvyat, more than the other drivers it can be argued, will be happy to see the final flag, hopefully with a few points in the bag.

CARLOS SAINZ

The only thing that made his superb 6th place drive better for the Spanish driver was the wheel to wheel fight with his idol Fernando Alonso:

The battle with Fernando was so much fun! I knew that he would end up getting past me but I said to myself, ‘let’s make it a bit complicated for him!’ I perfectly know how he attacks and how to defend against him, as I’ve been watching him race for the past 12 years… And I think that to be able to keep him behind for all those laps until he just opened the DRS and said ‘ciao, ciao’ was pretty decent!

The impressive element was not just how well Sainz held the race together, but especially the final few laps in which his tyres barely held on to the flag. The driver was clearly and justifiably excited after the race and the infectious feeling will boost the team into the final three races:

“Today’s result is a very special one for myself and the team, it’s a top, top, TOP result!! What a boost and what a way to motivate the team and keep our heads up until the end of the season! I don’t know what this track has, but I just get such a good feeling every time I race here!”

With all well in the TR camp, unlike some of their unsettled rivals, namely Williams, the team can focus on maximizing the full potential of their Ferrari engine car and, of course, the points that come along with it.

Rhea Morar

(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

24th October 20163rd July 2017

Ricciardo secures his seventh podium finish in Austin

The United States Grand Prix dealt Red Bull a weekend of mixed fortunes.

Daniel Ricciardo finished in third but his team-mate Max Verstappen had to retire due to gearbox failure:

“It was a very unfortunate way to end the race, especially as the first part was so positive. I pitted and then realised they hadn’t actually made the call, luckily it didn’t affect the end result.

“Shortly after I had come back on track I heard a banging noise coming from the engine so I pulled the clutch, they then asked me to release it again and keep going so they could try and work out what it was, unfortunately we couldn’t solve it and it ended my race, “said Verstappen.

Ricciardo continued his good form this season as he finished on the podium for the seventh occasion he said:

“I think we were looking good for P2 but then the Virtual Safety Car didn’t work in our favour today. I’m not going to be too disappointed, it’s just cool to be on the podium here.

“It’s another big bag of points and we at least had Nico’s pace so that’s encouraging and we’ll try and do what we can in the next few days.”

Team Principal Christian Horner is delighted with the form of his team ahead of the Mexican GP:

“Taking away a podium finish and extending our lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship to 53 points are positives.”

Dominic Rust

24th October 20163rd July 2017

Hamilton untouchable in Texas

Lewis Hamilton has ended a win drought stretching back to July with an unassailable performance at the Circuit of the Americas. Starting from his first pole position at the Austin track, Hamilton led the field away cleanly and settled into a race of his own from the first corner onwards, leading almost every lap to take victory by four and a half seconds.

For Hamilton, who is fighting just to stay in contention of what many feel is already Nico Rosberg’s championship, his fiftieth career win was a crucial one. As the season approaches a string of races dominated by Rosberg last year, it was vital Hamilton assert himself at the US Grand Prix and turn the pressure back around onto his teammate.

But Hamilton was unable to do too much damage to Rosberg’s championship lead, as the German recovered from a bad start to finish second.

Having secured a front row start, Rosberg was aiming to do as his teammate had done to him before and jump Hamilton into Turn 1. But when Hamilton reached the apex first Rosberg was forced to try around the outside – only to find he’d left too inviting a gap for Daniel Ricciardo, who edged up the inside into second position.

But despite pulling away from Rosberg early on, Ricciardo’s race was compromised when Max Verstappen stopped beside the track with a gearbox problem and triggered a virtual safety car. With an effectively free pit stop in hand, Rosberg was easily able to regain second place from Ricciardo and then pull away on fresher tyres to a buffer of fifteen seconds.

The Silver Arrows’ respective results means the title battle closes up to twenty-six points in Rosberg’s favour – still a big enough advantage for the German to take the crown without winning again this season, but close enough for one DNF to open things right back up again.

James Matthews

20th October 20163rd July 2017

COTA Pit Patter

Formula 1

October 20, 2016

“As the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” ride into Texas this weekend, let’s take a closer look at who I am talking about: THE GOOD: The skill

and bravery of the drivers, mechanics, and race marshals. THE BAD:

Rules such as engine and gearbox changes resulting in the hard-earned

grid position of a driver to be taken away from him, which not only

unfairly penalises the driver, but confuses the public. THE UGLY: The

haters, those who insult and degrade ANY of the drivers, all of whom

perform to a level that we could never, ever, attain ourselves – that

is precisely they are Formula One drivers, and we are not. Finally…

ENJOY!

Picture courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

20th October 20163rd July 2017

Hamilton under pressure to keep in touch of title

GP USA F1/2015 – 23/10/15
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

There’s no doubt about it – Nico Rosberg is on a roll. After taking his ninth win of the season and fourth in five races at the last round in Japan, the championship leader is enjoying his greatest run of form to date as he closes on his maiden F1 World Drivers’ Championship.

With such momentum behind him, Rosberg could easily be considered the favourite for victory in the United States Grand Prix this weekend, with the anxiety of challenging at a Hamilton heartland considerably assuaged by his recent dominant performances in Singapore and Suzuka.

But in reality, Rosberg doesn’t need to win in Austin to win the championship – in fact, he doesn’t need to take a single victory for the rest of the season. With his Japanese Grand Prix win giving him a thirty-three point lead over Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg could finish second to his teammate for each of the remaining four rounds and still claim the title by five points. As much as Rosberg insists he is still looking at each race in isolation, it would be naïve to think that he hasn’t at least passingly considered laying back and letting the inherent pace of his W07 Hybrid carry him this final mile.

But on the other hand, the significance of laying down another emphatic win at one of his teammate’s favoured circuits will surely figure strongly in Rosberg’s mind this weekend – as will, no doubt, the prospect of settling a few scores with Hamilton regarding last year’s controversial first corner contact.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Hamilton approaches this final leg of the 2016 season. It’s simply not in the defending champion’s mindset to back down and concede this hasn’t been his year – but at the same time, he will be all too aware that doing his best might not be enough to prevail this time.

Hamilton’s best hopes arguably lie with Rosberg suffering a Malaysia-style DNF, or at the least some qualifying trouble to drop him down the order for Sunday. But those odds are far too long to bet a world championship on, and if Hamilton is still aiming to come out the victor in November he will have to race strategically from here on out.

He will know from past experience that he has the edge over Rosberg in wheel-to-wheel combat; and will also know that if he asserts himself from the start – as in last year’s Japanese Grand Prix, for example – he has a good chance of seeing the German get swallowed up by the chasing pack.

Such tactics are not without their risk, of course – one overly aggressive defence could easily see the Briton losing out instead, and potentially incurring the ire of both the stewards and the Mercedes team. But at this late stage of the championship and with the odds stacked so resolutely against him, what has Hamilton got to lose?

James Matthews

20th October 20163rd July 2017

There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home…

In the same week where The Smithsonian has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to raise $300,000 USD aimed at preserving the ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the beloved 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.”, the Haas F1 team clicked its collective heels together and after 17 races finally gets to come home.

It took nearly eight months but the first F1 team based in the United States in 30 years gets to race on its home soil as the Formula One circus takes over The Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas this weekend.

Weather is not expected to play nearly the role in this year’s race weekend as the forecast calls for only slight chances of scattered showers as opposed to the monsoon-like thunderstorms that washed out one practice session and pushed qualifying to race morning last year.

Haas F1 Team are coming off a tough Asian swing that finished on a bit of a high note as both Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez made into Q3 for the Japanese Grand Prix 2 weeks ago in Suzuka.

Haas F1 Team comes into the fourth to last race of the 2016 season as the most successful new Formula One team in recent memory. The 28 points Haas F1 Team has earned so far this season are the most of any new team in this millennium.

Delivering those points to Haas F1 Team has been Romain Grosjean. The veteran Formula One driver will make his 100th career start in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. In COTA’s second Formula One race in 2013, Grosjean finished a career-best second for Lotus F1 team.

Grosjean’s teammate, Esteban Gutiérrez, has been knocking on the door of a points-paying finish all season long with five 11th-place finishes, each one spot shy of a coveted Formula One point. Gutiérrez looks to break that streak at COTA before heading to his own homecoming a week later – the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

Gene Haas – Team Owner

“As an American team, having an F1 race on American soil is incredibly important,” Haas said. “We come to COTA having scored some points and proving that we can hold our own with the established teams of Formula One. We’re looking forward to our first home race.”

Guenther Steiner – Team Principal

After a run of misfortune in Singapore and Malaysia, Haas F1 Team righted the ship in Japan. You put both cars into the final round of qualifying for the first time in team history. Even though no points were scored in the race, the speed of the cars and their balance was on full display. How much confidence does this give you entering the United States Grand Prix?

“It’s difficult to say, but I think we learned a lot again. We keep on learning. We found a good balance for the car. With our new front wing we figured out how to set that one up. I hope we can do well in Austin like we did in Japan, but nothing is for sure. You know, everybody else will do a good job. So, we will see where we come out. The thing is we know the car can be quick. We just need to get the best out of it.”

How significant is the upgraded front wing to the car’s overall performance?

“I think it was very significant. The delay in getting it to work is like when you are at a grand prix and you have problems in FP1 and FP2 – you focus on trying to find out what the tire is doing and the data on the tire and basic things. You cannot develop a new part on the car. We had problems in FP1 and FP2 in Singapore and Malaysia, so we didn’t do a good job of finding out about the wing. But in Japan, we had good practice sessions and, sure enough, the wing came alive in Japan.”

You’ve had some milestone moments in Haas F1 Team’s inaugural season. How important was it to get both cars into the final round of qualifying in Japan after coming tantalizingly close all season long?

“In F1, getting into Q3 – it’s one of the things you need to do on speed. You don’t get lucky to get in there. In the race there are other circumstances, but on a one-time lap you need to be fast. For me, it means as much as achieving points at the first race in Australia. To get both cars into Q3 is fantastic and I think everyone on the team would agree. I wouldn’t say we were surprised because we felt like we were very good. We got it done. It was a fantastic moment. ”

Romain Grosjean – Driver #8 VF-16

The United States Grand Prix will be your 100th Formula One start. It’s quite a milestone. What are your thoughts on achieving this mark?

“Yes, it’s great. To be fair, when I started in Formula One I thought it’ll just be one race after the other, then here we are at 100 grands prix, 10 podium finishes, a few points and lots of good memories, and some a little more difficult. The good thing is, I don’t know when I’m going to stop, but I think I’ve still got plenty of room in front of me to keep going and to keep trying to win. Definitely 100 grands prix is quite something in my lifetime.”

Driving for an American team, how appropriate is it that your 100th start comes on American soil?

“For us, it couldn’t be better. I’m so proud to be part of this team and so proud to be able to bring the cars into Q3 in qualifying and bring points to the team. We’ve been working very hard and everyone is really giving 100 percent. It probably means more for us than other people.”

When you first began racing, just getting to Formula One was the goal. Now you’re here and you’re established. What do you want to achieve next — for yourself and for Haas F1 Team?

“For myself, I want to be world champion, ideally twice. That’s been my dream since I started. I always wanted to be in Formula One but, on top of that, I want to be world champion. For Haas, the first goal was to score points and the second one was a top-five finish. We’ve done those two. The next goal is to be wearing the team’s colors on the podium. That would be very nice. I’d like to bring the first win to the team, which would be unbelievable. I think the whole idea is wonderful and having the support of Gene (Haas) means a lot to all of us. The way Guenther (Steiner) and all the people involved are running the team is just something very special. I want to be the driver that everyone remembers at Haas.”

In joining Haas F1 Team, you took a leap of faith in the vision Gene Haas had for an American Formula One team. What has it been like to be a part of this endeavor and what makes Haas F1 Team different from other Formula One teams?

“It’s been a great adventure. From day one I liked Gene’s approach to Formula One and to the sport. He knows what he’s talking about, so that made me think it would be a great adventure. We have had ups and downs, as you would expect, but generally it’s been a wonderful first year. I still have a lot of faith in the team and I think the future is going to be bright for us.”

Esteban Gutiérrez – Driver #21 VF-16

You’re racing for an American team in the United States Grand Prix. Because of that, does walking into the paddock at COTA and driving out of the garage and onto the track take on greater significance or give you an added sense of pride?

“It’s important to represent America around the world, but now that we get back home and go to Austin for the U.S. Grand Prix, it’s something very special because we are on American soil. That gives a special touch to our weekend. More motivation and great energy from the people to achieve a fantastic result.”

Last year at COTA you were a reserve driver with Scuderia Ferrari and a week away from being named as a driver for Haas F1 Team. As you return to COTA for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, can you reflect on what this season has been like?

“It’s been very challenging, but very positive in many ways. During the first year the team has scored points. We’ve faced a lot of downsides or technical issues that we had to solve together as a team in many races. There have been a lot of challenges, but at the same time, scoring points and making it into the Q3 has been very special as a new team, and I am sure that this success will bring the team forward in the coming years.”

At COTA, you’re representing an American team on American soil. Next week at the Mexican Grand Prix, you’re representing your home country in your home race. How big are these two weeks for you?

“It’s going to be an intensive experience – something that I will enjoy so much because it’s probably the two most special events for me this year. It comes at a great time of the year where we can share all this passion with all the people that have been supporting us from America and from Mexico.”

When you first competed at COTA, what did you think of the venue?

“I thought it was fantastic. It was the United States Grand Prix, but it was also like a Mexican Gran Prix. A lot of Mexicans went there. It’s not far away from my hometown, and that made it a very nice combination because America makes very great events and the atmosphere was very special. I could not have asked for a better experience. Now that we have a full United States Grand Prix and then a full Mexican Grand Prix, the experiences are more intense.”

Did You Know?

The United States Grand Prix dates back to 1950 when the Indianapolis 500 counted as a round of the world championship. Eleven times from 1950 to 1960, points scored at Indy were added to a Formula One driver’s season tally. And in 1959 America hosted two Formula One races when in addition to Indianapolis, the United States Grand Prix was held at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. It served as the ninth and final round of the 1959 season. In 1960, Formula One moved to Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway before finally settling down for a 20-year tenure at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International from 1961 to 1980. From 1976 to 1980, Watkins Glen was joined by Long Beach, California, on the Formula One schedule, with the United States Grand Prix West taking place until 1983. After Watkins Glen fell of the calendar, Las Vegas took its place for two seasons (1981-1982) with the Caesars Palace Grand Prix being held on its hotel parking lot. In 1982. America hosted three Formula One races when in addition to Long Beach and Las Vegas, Detroit was added to the schedule. Detroit hosted Formula One on a bumpy street circuit for seven years, with its last grand prix coming in 1988. Dallas made a one-race appearance in 1984 when Fair Park was converted to a Formula One circuit for the Dallas Grand Prix. Phoenix was next up for Formula One from 1989 to 1991 before a nine-year absence of the sport from America’s shores. But then Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George built a road course within the confines of the historic 2.5-mile oval and Formula One returned with the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis from 2000 to 2007. Sadly, very sadly for this Indy native, Formula One in America fell of the calendar again. It wasn’t until COTA was constructed in 2011, becoming the first purpose-built Formula One facility in the United States, that Formula One was able to return to America with the 2012 United States Grand Prix. Since then, COTA has been America’s one and only home for Formula One.

Pirelli is bringing three tire compounds to COTA:

P Zero White medium – less grip, less wear (used for long-race stints)
P Zero Yellow soft – more grip, medium wear (used for shorter-race stints and initial portion of qualifying)
P Zero Red supersoft – highest amount of grip, highest amount of wear (used for qualifying and select race situations)

Two of the three available compounds must be used during the race. Teams are able to decide when they want to run which compound, adding an element of strategy to the race. A driver can also use all three sets of Pirelli tires in the race, if they so desire.

Pirelli provides each driver 13 sets of dry tires for the race weekend. Of those 13 sets, drivers and their teams can choose the specifications of 10 of those sets from the three compounds Pirelli selected. The remaining three sets are defined by Pirelli – two mandatory tire specifications for the race (one set of P Zero White mediums and one set of P Zero Yellow softs) and one mandatory specification for Q3 (one set of P Zero Red supersofts).

Haas F1 Team’s drivers have selected the following amounts:

Grosjean: one set of P Zero White mediums, five sets of P Zero Yellow softs and seven sets of P Zero Red supersofts
Gutiérrez: two sets of P Zero White mediums, four sets of P Zero Yellow softs and seven sets of P Zero Red supersofts

Eric Barnes @ebarnes442

Image Courtesy of me.

19th October 20163rd July 2017

Sauber Seek the American Dream

GP USA F1/2015 – 25/10/15
© FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

Texas 2015 saw Sauber F1 team celebrate their 400th GP with a 9th place points haul for Felipe Nasr. Given that they are the only team yet to score this season, the team would be very happy to have the same result, if not better this year as the paddock heads to the back to back American leg of the F1 calendar.

The track will see the supersofts tyre being introduced for the first time which should throw the proverbial cats among the pigeons on a circuit that is already a difficult one with a tough combination of both fast and slow corners.

MARCUS ERICSSON

Tyre choices: 1 Medium – 5 Soft – 7 Super soft

The Swedish driver has been enjoying the sights and sounds of the Austin playground as seen by his social media posting in recent days. A mechanical issue caused him to retire from the race last year and he is looking forward to redeeming himself this weekend:

“I believe we all remember the rather unusual United States Grand Prix due to the heavy rain in 2015. I am looking forward to going back this year, as I like this track a lot. It is a nice event at the circuit, and, as well as that, Austin is a great place to be”.

FELIPE NASR

Tyre choices: 1 Medium – 5 Soft – 7 Supersoft

Nasr, claimed a memorable 9th place in 2015 and has fond memories of the COTA track.

“Last year’s United States Grand Prix was quite eventful, as the weather conditions led to an exciting race. Finishing in P9 was a nice achievement, bearing in mind that it was the 400th GP for Sauber. Thinking about this year, I am very much looking forward to racing on this great track again. I will do the best I can for us to achieve a similar result to last year, as scoring points is obviously our objective”.

Sauber have just 4 races left in which to score the first points of the season. The COTA track had been kind to them last year, albeit which they did not experience the same setbacks as 2016, and they are hoping that a sneaky point might be on the offer.

Rhea Morar

(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)