A superb drive saw Nico Rosberg win Sunday’s 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix after holding off a late charge from Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo by just 0.4s. With Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton finishing third, Rosberg now heads his team mate in the standings by eight points.
Kimi Raikkonen narrowly missed out on a podium for Ferrari, while team mate Sebastian Vettel - voted Driver of the Day by fans - followed him home a strong fifth after starting from the back of the grid. Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull, ahead of McLaren's Fernando Alonso, with Force India’s Sergio Perez, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat and Renault’s Kevin Magnussen completing the top ten.
It was a race book-ended by drama.
As Rosberg headed Ricciardo, Hamilton and Raikkonen into the first corner, Max Verstappen made a very slow start. And as Carlos Sainz took his Toro Rosso to the right of the Red Bull, he came into contact with Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India which was spun across the Dutchman’s bows and hard into the pit wall.
The safety car was immediately deployed and caught some on their back foot when it went in after the second lap. Rosberg easily maintained an advantage over Ricciardo, to whom Hamilton could offer no challenge as he struggled throughout with brake temperatures. The leader had a similar problem, but was able to manage it more easily in his cleaner air.
Stalemate briefly set in until Raikkonen snuck past Hamilton on the 33rd lap; the Finn was running Pirelli’s supersoft tyres, the Englishman softs, but the latter admitted he had made mistake over the bumps.
Hamilton led only briefly on the 34th lap, as the three drivers ahead of him pitted, but then made his own stop. He was told he could use full power as he took another set of soft Pirelli tyres and began to move in on Raikkonen, who had taken the same rubber, but then Mercedes switched their second car to Plan B, which entailed a final stop for supersofts on the 45th lap. Ferrari covered that by bringing Raikkonen in for ultrasofts a lap later, but Hamilton crucially got the undercut to snatch back the final podium slot. Red Bull emulated their strategies and ignited the race as Ricciardo came in for supersofts on the 47th lap.
Rosberg held a 25.8s lead by the 48th lap and seemed to be home and dry, but when he ran into traffic Mercedes missed the chance to bring him in. By lap 49 Ricciardo had already hacked nearly four seconds off his advantage and suddenly a final stop for Rosberg would have dropped him to fourth.
Thus began a tense battle as Ricciardo sliced the gap down, sometimes by as much as three seconds a lap. Behind the two leaders, Raikkonen kept the pressure on Hamilton, who had come alive again before he found himself having to manage his brakes once more and losing pace. Soon, all eyes were on the lead battle, and the fight for third became secondary.
Ricciardo had the gap down to 11.8s by lap 53 and the maths was working for the Australian, who was as desperate to avenge his Monaco defeat as Rosberg was to celebrate his landmark 200th Grand Prix with a 21st victory.
Lap 56, and 5.2s; Lap 58, and 4.6s; Lap 60, and only 2.0s.
Rosberg, meanwhile, was also managing soft tyres that were nearly 28 laps old, and his brake temperatures. And he was coming up on Magnussen’s Renault which was on the back of a heady fight between Perez and Kvyat. All round that final lap, Ricciardo was closing, closing. But there was no dramatic last-corner denouement, as Rosberg held it together and crossed the line those four crucial tenths of a second ahead.
His eighth victory of the season makes him the first non-champion to win in Singapore and puts him on 273 points, to Hamilton’s 265. The reigning champion was 7.5s behind Ricciardo, but crucially 2.1s ahead of Raikkonen, whose ultrasofts were fading.
An excellent run (effectively a two-stopper) saw Sebastian Vettel climb from last to fifth and deservedly secure the Driver of the Day vote from fans, as Verstappen drove another typically feisty race, with plentiful overtaking, as he fought back from eighth place on the opening lap to take sixth.
Fernando Alonso brought his McLaren home seventh, having at one stage run as high as fifth, as Perez just held off Kvyat by four-tenths for eighth. The Mexican recovered well from his penalised 17th starting position, while the Russian had his most convincing performance since China, when he was still a Red Bull driver.
Magnussen took the final point for Renault, followed home by Haas’s Esteban Gutierrez, Williams’ Felipe Massa, Sauber’s Felipe Nasr, the delayed Sainz, Renault’s Jolyon Palmer, Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein, who fended off Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson by four-tenths of a second, and the German’s Manor team mate Esteban Ocon, who incurred a five-second time penalty for overtaking under the safety car early on.
With Romain Grosjean non-starting because of brake troubles on his Haas, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas - who had picked up a rear puncture and front wing damage respectively in the Lap 1 melee - joined Hulkenberg on the retirements list, both pulling into the pits midrace with mechanical issues.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Rosberg storms to Singapore pole, Vettel to start last
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg will start Sunday’s 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix from pole position after dominating qualifying at Marina Bay and beating Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo by half a second, with team mate Lewis Hamilton third. At the other end of the grid will be four-time winner here, Sebastian Vettel, who finished last after a suspension problem on his Ferrari prevented him setting a competitive time.
Hamilton and Rosberg set the initial pace in Q1, with 1m 45.316s and 1m 45.167s respectively on the ultrasoft tyres that all the frontrunners ran, but it became clear they were just banker laps as Raikkonen bettered that with 1m 44.964s as Verstappen did 1m 45.036s for second. Then, as Vettel struggled to 22nd place with a suspected broken front anti-roll bar, Ricciardo banged in a 1m 44.255s to go fastest by seven-tenths.
Improvements by Perez, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Kvyat left Rosberg down in an eventual eighth, while further back a great late lap put Marcus Ericsson and Sauber into Q2 at Kevin Magnussen’s expense. The Dane’s 1m 46.825s improvement for Renault left him 17th, ahead of Felipe Nasr’s Sauber on 1m 46.860s, Jolyon Palmer’s Renault on 1m 46.960s, and the Manors of Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon on 1m 47.667s and 1m 48.296s respectively.
The big drama, however, was Ferrari’s failure to rectify Vettel’s problem in time. With 1m 37s remaining, the unhappy German pulled off his gloves and resigned himself to starting from the back row…
Mercedes really turned it on - or up - in Q2 as an excellent lap from Rosberg stopped the clocks in 1m 43.020s, to a watching Vettel’s astonishment. After setting the fastest first sector time Hamilton then lost three-tenths in the next two to finish four-tenths adrift, as Ricciardo’s 1m 43.993s put him third ahead of Verstappen on 1m 44.112s and Raikkonen on 1m 44.159s. Crucially, the Red Bull drivers both used supersoft tyres, meaning they will start the race on the more durable rubber.
Further back, Alonso improved to seventh and Kvyat to sixth, just as Button ran his left rear wheel down the wall in Turn 14 and stopped by Turn 16 with broken steering, and Romain Grosjean put his Haas sideways on into the barriers in a hard shunt in Turn 10.
Easing off for the resulting yellow flags, neither Williams got through, Valtteri Bottas recording 1m 44.740s for 11th ahead of team mate Felipe Massa on 1m 44.991s. Button was stranded on 1m 45.144s in 13th, with Esteban Gutierrez on 1m 45.593s for Haas and Grosjean failing to improve on 1m 45.723s. And Ericsson did not better 1m 47.827s after Sauber chose to save tyres for the race.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any actions after the stewards have investigated some improvements under the yellows, notably after Perez jumped to ninth after overtaking Gutierrez.
After a 10-minute delay while the plastic barriers in Turn 10 were fixed, Q3 saw Rosberg annihilate the opposition with a lap of 1m 42.584s which proved to be a massive 0.704s faster than Hamilton, who struggled to get his left front tyre up to temperature. Raikkonen jumped the Red Bulls with 1m 43.540s, as Ricciardo managed 1m 43.741s on ultrasofts and Verstappen bemoaned a “really bad lap,” of 1m 43.843s in which the brakes were locking at both ends.
Rosberg did not improve on his second run but was still fastest with 1m 42.661s. But Hamilton’s lap was compromised from the start when he ran too deep into Turn 2 and fell to third despite improving to 1m 43.288s as Ricciardo improved more, to 1m 43.115s. Verstappen improved to 1m 43.328s to take fourth as Rakkonen failed to go faster and fell to fifth. The Finn will share row three with the superb Sainz who took his Toro Rosso to 1m 44.197s ahead of relieved team mate Kvyat on 1m 44.469s. Hulkenberg was eighth on 1m 44.479s, as Alonso took ninth with 1m 44.553s and Perez 10th with 1m 44.582s.
Thus the provisional grid will line up: Rosberg, Ricciardo; Hamilton, Verstappen; Raikkonen, Sainz; Kvyat, Hulkenberg; Alonso, Perez; Bottas, Massa; Button, Gutierrez; Grosjean, Ericsson; Magnussen, Nasr; Palmer, Wehrlein; Ocon, Vettel.
via F1.
Hamilton and Rosberg set the initial pace in Q1, with 1m 45.316s and 1m 45.167s respectively on the ultrasoft tyres that all the frontrunners ran, but it became clear they were just banker laps as Raikkonen bettered that with 1m 44.964s as Verstappen did 1m 45.036s for second. Then, as Vettel struggled to 22nd place with a suspected broken front anti-roll bar, Ricciardo banged in a 1m 44.255s to go fastest by seven-tenths.
Improvements by Perez, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Kvyat left Rosberg down in an eventual eighth, while further back a great late lap put Marcus Ericsson and Sauber into Q2 at Kevin Magnussen’s expense. The Dane’s 1m 46.825s improvement for Renault left him 17th, ahead of Felipe Nasr’s Sauber on 1m 46.860s, Jolyon Palmer’s Renault on 1m 46.960s, and the Manors of Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon on 1m 47.667s and 1m 48.296s respectively.
The big drama, however, was Ferrari’s failure to rectify Vettel’s problem in time. With 1m 37s remaining, the unhappy German pulled off his gloves and resigned himself to starting from the back row…
Mercedes really turned it on - or up - in Q2 as an excellent lap from Rosberg stopped the clocks in 1m 43.020s, to a watching Vettel’s astonishment. After setting the fastest first sector time Hamilton then lost three-tenths in the next two to finish four-tenths adrift, as Ricciardo’s 1m 43.993s put him third ahead of Verstappen on 1m 44.112s and Raikkonen on 1m 44.159s. Crucially, the Red Bull drivers both used supersoft tyres, meaning they will start the race on the more durable rubber.
Further back, Alonso improved to seventh and Kvyat to sixth, just as Button ran his left rear wheel down the wall in Turn 14 and stopped by Turn 16 with broken steering, and Romain Grosjean put his Haas sideways on into the barriers in a hard shunt in Turn 10.
Easing off for the resulting yellow flags, neither Williams got through, Valtteri Bottas recording 1m 44.740s for 11th ahead of team mate Felipe Massa on 1m 44.991s. Button was stranded on 1m 45.144s in 13th, with Esteban Gutierrez on 1m 45.593s for Haas and Grosjean failing to improve on 1m 45.723s. And Ericsson did not better 1m 47.827s after Sauber chose to save tyres for the race.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any actions after the stewards have investigated some improvements under the yellows, notably after Perez jumped to ninth after overtaking Gutierrez.
After a 10-minute delay while the plastic barriers in Turn 10 were fixed, Q3 saw Rosberg annihilate the opposition with a lap of 1m 42.584s which proved to be a massive 0.704s faster than Hamilton, who struggled to get his left front tyre up to temperature. Raikkonen jumped the Red Bulls with 1m 43.540s, as Ricciardo managed 1m 43.741s on ultrasofts and Verstappen bemoaned a “really bad lap,” of 1m 43.843s in which the brakes were locking at both ends.
Rosberg did not improve on his second run but was still fastest with 1m 42.661s. But Hamilton’s lap was compromised from the start when he ran too deep into Turn 2 and fell to third despite improving to 1m 43.288s as Ricciardo improved more, to 1m 43.115s. Verstappen improved to 1m 43.328s to take fourth as Rakkonen failed to go faster and fell to fifth. The Finn will share row three with the superb Sainz who took his Toro Rosso to 1m 44.197s ahead of relieved team mate Kvyat on 1m 44.469s. Hulkenberg was eighth on 1m 44.479s, as Alonso took ninth with 1m 44.553s and Perez 10th with 1m 44.582s.
Thus the provisional grid will line up: Rosberg, Ricciardo; Hamilton, Verstappen; Raikkonen, Sainz; Kvyat, Hulkenberg; Alonso, Perez; Bottas, Massa; Button, Gutierrez; Grosjean, Ericsson; Magnussen, Nasr; Palmer, Wehrlein; Ocon, Vettel.
via F1.
FP3 - Verstappen keeps the pressure on Rosberg
Saturday evening’s final practice for the 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix featured several offs, a red-flag period and even a giant lizard crossing the track. At the end of it all Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg was fastest, just 0.059s ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Kimi Raikkonen took third for Ferrari, half a second off the pace, separated from team mate Sebastian Vettel in the times by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. Nico Hulkenberg put Force India sixth, ahead of Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, while Lewis Hamilton - who failed to get in a proper ultrasoft-tyre run for Mercedes - was only eighth. Completing the top ten were Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas.
Overnight Pirelli had lowered the rear tyre pressures from 17.5s psi to 16.5, with the mandated front pressure remaining at 20. And Renault had now equipped Daniel Ricciardo, Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen with the upgrade that Max Verstappen had used exclusively yesterday. It is believed that the three-token spend was centred around the ignition system in conjunction with a new Total fuel, which meant it was any easy retro-fit to their existing power units.
Pascal Wehrlein recorded the first time, a leisurely 2m 04.121s, before backing his Manor into the wall and bringing out the red flag after 10 minutes. A traffic-savvy local lizard chose that as the best time to cross the road, waiting patiently until an amused Verstappen had gone by.
Prior to the brief stoppage the Dutchman had gone fastest on 1m 47.038s on the soft Pirellis. But just after Sauber’s Felipe Nasr had gone into the escape road in Turn 13 after passing a tardy Esteban Gutierrez in his Haas, Raikkonen went fastest on ultrasofts with 1m 46.813s.
On his supersofts, Rosberg trumped that with 1m 45.544s, and after Vettel had briefly ultrasofted his way to second with 1m 46.073s, Hamilton on supersofts took the place away with 1m 25.806s, 0.262s off his team mate. Mercedes had admitted the previous evening that their speed and grip had confounded their cautious expectations after last year’s dramatic shortfall. That didn’t stop Hamilton spinning in Turn 7, however, as he eased by a slowing Rosberg. No damage was done.
Things hotted up as Mercedes and Red Bull switched to ultrasofts in the final 20 minutes, and it was bad news for Ferrari.
Rosberg lapped in 1m 44.352s to go fastest, but after setting a new best for the first sector Hamilton locked his left front and went up the Turn 7 escape road. Then Verstappen used the purple tyres to get within 0.059s of Rosberg, with 1m 44.441s. Raikkonen’s effort on the same tyre yielded 1m 44.860s, leaving Ferrari half a second off, as was Ricciardo’s 1m 44.903s. Vettel was still way behind, with 1m 45.104s which left him fifth, complaining of lack of rear-end grip. But Hamilton was in even worse trouble and never got a clean lap on the ultrasofts. He was left eighth with his supersoft time of 1m 45.806s and a load of work to do before qualifying.
Hulkenberg again looked strong for Force India with 1 45.316s, as Kvyat was Toro Rosso’s star this time in seventh on 1m 45.503s. Behind Hamilton, Sainz took his Toro Rosso round in 1m 45.879s, as Bottas rounded out the top 10 in his Williams with 1m 45.947s.
McLaren didn’t quite have the speed to stay in the top 10, while Wehrlein got going again at the end after his early error to beat team mate Esteban Ocon by three-tenths. Hamilton aside, the unhappiest man may have been Romain Grosjean; the Frenchman was 18th, describing his Haas as the worst race car he had driven in a long while.
via F1.
Kimi Raikkonen took third for Ferrari, half a second off the pace, separated from team mate Sebastian Vettel in the times by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. Nico Hulkenberg put Force India sixth, ahead of Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, while Lewis Hamilton - who failed to get in a proper ultrasoft-tyre run for Mercedes - was only eighth. Completing the top ten were Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas.
Overnight Pirelli had lowered the rear tyre pressures from 17.5s psi to 16.5, with the mandated front pressure remaining at 20. And Renault had now equipped Daniel Ricciardo, Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen with the upgrade that Max Verstappen had used exclusively yesterday. It is believed that the three-token spend was centred around the ignition system in conjunction with a new Total fuel, which meant it was any easy retro-fit to their existing power units.
Pascal Wehrlein recorded the first time, a leisurely 2m 04.121s, before backing his Manor into the wall and bringing out the red flag after 10 minutes. A traffic-savvy local lizard chose that as the best time to cross the road, waiting patiently until an amused Verstappen had gone by.
Prior to the brief stoppage the Dutchman had gone fastest on 1m 47.038s on the soft Pirellis. But just after Sauber’s Felipe Nasr had gone into the escape road in Turn 13 after passing a tardy Esteban Gutierrez in his Haas, Raikkonen went fastest on ultrasofts with 1m 46.813s.
On his supersofts, Rosberg trumped that with 1m 45.544s, and after Vettel had briefly ultrasofted his way to second with 1m 46.073s, Hamilton on supersofts took the place away with 1m 25.806s, 0.262s off his team mate. Mercedes had admitted the previous evening that their speed and grip had confounded their cautious expectations after last year’s dramatic shortfall. That didn’t stop Hamilton spinning in Turn 7, however, as he eased by a slowing Rosberg. No damage was done.
Things hotted up as Mercedes and Red Bull switched to ultrasofts in the final 20 minutes, and it was bad news for Ferrari.
Rosberg lapped in 1m 44.352s to go fastest, but after setting a new best for the first sector Hamilton locked his left front and went up the Turn 7 escape road. Then Verstappen used the purple tyres to get within 0.059s of Rosberg, with 1m 44.441s. Raikkonen’s effort on the same tyre yielded 1m 44.860s, leaving Ferrari half a second off, as was Ricciardo’s 1m 44.903s. Vettel was still way behind, with 1m 45.104s which left him fifth, complaining of lack of rear-end grip. But Hamilton was in even worse trouble and never got a clean lap on the ultrasofts. He was left eighth with his supersoft time of 1m 45.806s and a load of work to do before qualifying.
Hulkenberg again looked strong for Force India with 1 45.316s, as Kvyat was Toro Rosso’s star this time in seventh on 1m 45.503s. Behind Hamilton, Sainz took his Toro Rosso round in 1m 45.879s, as Bottas rounded out the top 10 in his Williams with 1m 45.947s.
McLaren didn’t quite have the speed to stay in the top 10, while Wehrlein got going again at the end after his early error to beat team mate Esteban Ocon by three-tenths. Hamilton aside, the unhappiest man may have been Romain Grosjean; the Frenchman was 18th, describing his Haas as the worst race car he had driven in a long while.
via F1.
Friday, September 16, 2016
FP2 - Rosberg puts Mercedes ahead at Marina Bay
Despite talk that Mercedes could struggle again here this year, it was Nico Rosberg who led Friday evening’s second practice for the 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, finishing a quarter of a second ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and four-tenths up on Red Bull’s FP1 pacesetter, Max Verstappen.
In the second Silver Arrow, Lewis Hamilton ended up seventh after a technical problem forced him to sit out the latter part of the session. Ahead of him in the times were Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, while the Toro Rossos of Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat were eighth and tenth, split by the McLaren of Fernando Alonso.
Rosberg put Mercedes back on top at Marina Bay for the first time since 2014, but it was a difficult session for team mate Hamilton; after setting the fastest time on supersoft tyres, nine-tenths up on Raikkonen, the world champion failed to get a better time on the ultrasofts the others had used as he struggled under braking with a hydraulic issue which forced him to stop for attention with 27 minutes remaining.
After Esteban Gutierrez had set the initial pace for Haas with 1m 48.700s, Vettel took over with 1m 47.475s on soft rubber. That was soon supplanted by Raikkonen with 1m 46.167s on supersofts before Hamilton’s 1m 45.275s undercut it by 0.892s.
When the switch to ultrasofts came, Vettel went ahead with 1m 45.266s but the ante was immediately reset by Raikkonen on 1m 44.427s before Rosberg signalled a) that his FP1 crash had not upset his rhythm and b) that Mercedes look strong again here after their upset last year, by posting 1m 44.152s. That remained the fastest time, 0.275s faster than the Ferrari.
Verstappen made the best use of the latest Renault engine; the Dutchman had the sole upgraded version available after the French manufacturer spent three development tokens on unspecified modifications. As the Barcelona winner lapped in 1m 44.532s, Red Bull team mate Ricciardo was right on his tail with 1m 44.557s. The Australian clipped a wall and spun in Turn 11, but did no damage to his RB12.
Curiously, Vettel only improved with 1m 45.161s for fifth as Hulkenberg used ultrasofts to lap his Force India sixth fastest with 1m 45.182s. Hamilton’s soft-tyre time of 1m 45.275s left him an unhappy seventh, with Sainz again shining for Toro Rossi in eighth with 1m 45.507s ahead of the feisty Alonso on 1m 45.779s and Kvyat 10th on 1m 46.029s.
For the second time in the day Alonso shaved a wall, without doing lasting damage to his McLaren. Sainz and Manor’s Esteban Ocon also hit walls, the latter with his left rear and then the right rear on the same lap. But the French rookie was impressively only three-tenths off team mate Pascal Wehrlein.
Romain Grosjean was again in the wars; he complained of poor braking and an odd feeling at the rear of his Haas before backing it into the wall in Turn 23 and tearing off most of the rear wing.
via F1.
In the second Silver Arrow, Lewis Hamilton ended up seventh after a technical problem forced him to sit out the latter part of the session. Ahead of him in the times were Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, while the Toro Rossos of Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat were eighth and tenth, split by the McLaren of Fernando Alonso.
Rosberg put Mercedes back on top at Marina Bay for the first time since 2014, but it was a difficult session for team mate Hamilton; after setting the fastest time on supersoft tyres, nine-tenths up on Raikkonen, the world champion failed to get a better time on the ultrasofts the others had used as he struggled under braking with a hydraulic issue which forced him to stop for attention with 27 minutes remaining.
After Esteban Gutierrez had set the initial pace for Haas with 1m 48.700s, Vettel took over with 1m 47.475s on soft rubber. That was soon supplanted by Raikkonen with 1m 46.167s on supersofts before Hamilton’s 1m 45.275s undercut it by 0.892s.
When the switch to ultrasofts came, Vettel went ahead with 1m 45.266s but the ante was immediately reset by Raikkonen on 1m 44.427s before Rosberg signalled a) that his FP1 crash had not upset his rhythm and b) that Mercedes look strong again here after their upset last year, by posting 1m 44.152s. That remained the fastest time, 0.275s faster than the Ferrari.
Verstappen made the best use of the latest Renault engine; the Dutchman had the sole upgraded version available after the French manufacturer spent three development tokens on unspecified modifications. As the Barcelona winner lapped in 1m 44.532s, Red Bull team mate Ricciardo was right on his tail with 1m 44.557s. The Australian clipped a wall and spun in Turn 11, but did no damage to his RB12.
Curiously, Vettel only improved with 1m 45.161s for fifth as Hulkenberg used ultrasofts to lap his Force India sixth fastest with 1m 45.182s. Hamilton’s soft-tyre time of 1m 45.275s left him an unhappy seventh, with Sainz again shining for Toro Rossi in eighth with 1m 45.507s ahead of the feisty Alonso on 1m 45.779s and Kvyat 10th on 1m 46.029s.
For the second time in the day Alonso shaved a wall, without doing lasting damage to his McLaren. Sainz and Manor’s Esteban Ocon also hit walls, the latter with his left rear and then the right rear on the same lap. But the French rookie was impressively only three-tenths off team mate Pascal Wehrlein.
Romain Grosjean was again in the wars; he complained of poor braking and an odd feeling at the rear of his Haas before backing it into the wall in Turn 23 and tearing off most of the rear wing.
via F1.
FP1 - Verstappen top as Red Bull set Singapore standard
Friday evening’s opening practice for the 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen lead the way, just 0.049s up on Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg - who crashed late in the session - were the only others to get within a second of the Dutchman.
Red Bull’s pace suggested that predictions of Mercedes struggling once again here seemed accurate, though it should be noted that unlike the top three, neither Silver Arrows driver used Pirelli’s quickest ultrasoft tyre compound to set their best time.
All the big guns went out to play straight away on the purple-marked ultrasoft rubber, and Rosberg set the pace with 1m 47.936s before Hamilton trimmed that with 1m 47.436s. Each them improved, to 1m 47.743s and 1m 47.369s respectively. So far so good for the world champions, but of course it was early days.
When Vettel did 1m 47.731s to split the Mercedes, eyebrows were raised, and as the hour approached we’d seen Verstappen (1m 47.335s on ultras), Rosberg (1m 46.513s on softs), Vettel (1m 46.287s on ultras, despite earlier scraping a wall and describing it to his crew as “just cosmetics”) and Ricciardo (1m 45.872s on ultras) and then Verstappen again (1m 45.823s on ultras) all take turns at the head of the timesheets before dusk fell. Interestingly, on softs Hamilton stayed ahead of Rosberg with 1m 46.426s as they were fourth and fifth.
With 12 minutes remaining, and everyone preparing for final runs, Rosberg got it wrong going into Turn 18. He locked up the front wheels and ran head on into the tyre wall, taking off his front wing before limping pitward with a front-left puncture.
Behind the sixth place Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen on 1m 47.185s, Carlos Sainz was an impressive seventh for Toro Rosso on 1m 46.936s, immediately ahead of team mate Daniil Kvyat, who lapped in 1m 47.683s. Felipe Massa’s Williams and Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas completed the Top 10.
Elsewhere, Jenson Button’s McLaren ground to a halt early on but was revived after being pushed back to the pits, but Romain Grosjean sat out most of the session playing cards after his Haas was hit with a suspected ERS problem.
It was a mixed session for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso clouting a wall partway through but taking 11th spot, and Button recovering for 16th.
via F1.
Red Bull’s pace suggested that predictions of Mercedes struggling once again here seemed accurate, though it should be noted that unlike the top three, neither Silver Arrows driver used Pirelli’s quickest ultrasoft tyre compound to set their best time.
All the big guns went out to play straight away on the purple-marked ultrasoft rubber, and Rosberg set the pace with 1m 47.936s before Hamilton trimmed that with 1m 47.436s. Each them improved, to 1m 47.743s and 1m 47.369s respectively. So far so good for the world champions, but of course it was early days.
When Vettel did 1m 47.731s to split the Mercedes, eyebrows were raised, and as the hour approached we’d seen Verstappen (1m 47.335s on ultras), Rosberg (1m 46.513s on softs), Vettel (1m 46.287s on ultras, despite earlier scraping a wall and describing it to his crew as “just cosmetics”) and Ricciardo (1m 45.872s on ultras) and then Verstappen again (1m 45.823s on ultras) all take turns at the head of the timesheets before dusk fell. Interestingly, on softs Hamilton stayed ahead of Rosberg with 1m 46.426s as they were fourth and fifth.
With 12 minutes remaining, and everyone preparing for final runs, Rosberg got it wrong going into Turn 18. He locked up the front wheels and ran head on into the tyre wall, taking off his front wing before limping pitward with a front-left puncture.
Behind the sixth place Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen on 1m 47.185s, Carlos Sainz was an impressive seventh for Toro Rosso on 1m 46.936s, immediately ahead of team mate Daniil Kvyat, who lapped in 1m 47.683s. Felipe Massa’s Williams and Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas completed the Top 10.
Elsewhere, Jenson Button’s McLaren ground to a halt early on but was revived after being pushed back to the pits, but Romain Grosjean sat out most of the session playing cards after his Haas was hit with a suspected ERS problem.
It was a mixed session for McLaren, with Fernando Alonso clouting a wall partway through but taking 11th spot, and Button recovering for 16th.
via F1.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Haas F1 Team: Singapore Grand Prix Advance
Since joining the Formula One calendar in 2008, every Singapore Grand Prix has come to within four minutes of the series’ mandated two-hour time limit. Last year’s race was the longest, eclipsing the two-hour mark by 1 minute, 22 seconds. No one complains, however, as Singapore is a destination venue on the Formula One calendar. Its cutting-edge culture and incredible modernization have turned the tropical island located only one degree north of the equator into a global hub for business and tourism, with Formula One’s visit to the world’s only island city-state combining both in glorious fashion.
When Singapore came upon the Formula One scene, it was more than just a new venue in a stunning location. It was Formula One’s first night race and the first street circuit in Asia. The Singapore Grand Prix has grown in stature since, with drivers eagerly anticipating the 23-turn layout despite its challenging nature.
Powerful lighting illuminates the track in such luster that drivers say it is clearer than in daytime, as there is no glare. And with those lights shimmering off the cars’ sinewy shapes as they shoot down the straights at 320 kph (200 mph) while sparks shoot from their underbodies, fans are treated to a sensory assault that can only be found at Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Masking the awesomeness of 22 Formula One cars screaming around this elaborate track is the prowess drivers must possess to keep their cars in one piece. The walls surrounding Marina Bay Street Circuit are unforgiving, but in order for a driver to wring every ounce of speed from his racecar, he must dance with those walls while navigating the numerous bumps of the track’s surface.
If that’s not enough, Singapore in September is hot. Really hot. And for added measure, really humid. As much as the Singapore Grand Prix is run at night for aesthetic purposes, nighttime is the coolest time for drivers and spectators alike. Nonetheless, temperatures inside the racecar can reach 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Despite the tough track and equally tough environs, the Singapore Grand Prix is embraced by drivers. The electric atmosphere of the city and the beauty of Formula One at night, where exhaust flames and glowing brake discs provide a technicolor display that goes unnoticed in daylight hours, are appreciated by the drivers. It’s a modern-day Monaco.
The lights are bright at Marina Bay, and Haas F1 Team wants to shine. The American outfit comes into Round 15 of the 21-race Formula One schedule hungry for points despite recently harnessed speed that has been on display at the last two races in Belgium and Monza. Drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez have been among the top-10 in practice and in qualifying, highlighted by Gutiérrez breaking into the third and final round of knockout qualifying at Monza. That speed, however, has not translated into point-scoring results on Sunday. Haas F1 Team’s last point-paying finish came six races ago in Austria care of Grosjean’s seventh-place drive.
With a total of 28 points so far this season, Haas F1 Team is eighth in the constructor standings, 17 points behind seventh-place Toro Rosso and 22 points up on ninth-place Renault. Catching Toro Rosso is an attainable goal, as the taste of points Haas F1 Team enjoyed at the beginning of the year has made the first American Formula One team in 30 years hungry for more.
Singapore, home to numerous restaurants serving high-end cuisine that satisfy even the most discerning palate, can dish up points for the less discerning Haas F1 Team. Points are points, no matter how they’re served, and the table is set for Haas F1 Team.
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team
With Formula One’s slate of European races over, use of the team’s transporters and hospitality unit is also over. How helpful is it to have all that equipment at the track on a consistent basis, and how hard is it to transition back to flyaway races?
“It’s nice to have your own equipment with you. You know where you are going and don’t have to change every weekend, but then again, it’s just part of our job to always deal with what we are given. All of the supplies we take to flyaways we ship in sea containers, so it’s all of our stuff. It’s just in a different building and it needs to be set up. Our trucks and hospitality unit will be serviced and repaired and they’ll come back out in the springtime.”
Between the Spanish Grand Prix in mid-May and the Italian Grand Prix in early September, Haas F1 Team had five 11th-place finishes and only one point-paying finish – seventh by Grosjean in Austria. Is that frustrating, or considering this is Haas F1 Team’s debut season, cause for optimism that points can still be had in the season’s last seven races?
“The frustrating thing is finishing 11th five times. You’re almost there, but you’re not there. Eleventh is the first spot out of the points. Again, frustrating, but you know you are not far off and you are doing well. The 11th position has been earned by merit. We didn’t luck into it five times. We qualified once in the top-10 and made it to Q3 in Italy, so I think we are encouraged, but still disappointed that we don’t have more points.”
In the last two races at Spa and Monza, Haas F1 Team has been consistently quick through practice and qualifying, even breaking into Q3 with Gutiérrez at Monza. What can you attribute this to?
“I think we started making good steps in Hockenheim and then Spa and Monza. They are all special tracks and very fast, and they seemed to suit our car a little bit better. We learned a lot during the last five-six races about tire management, so I think that helped. We just get better the more experience we gain, and we hope to take that to Singapore.”
How does Haas F1 Team go about translating this speed into point-paying finishes?
“I think we’re at a good point in finding solutions and finding the balance of the car. We are bringing updates to the car in Singapore which, hopefully, will help us go faster. The midfield is so close and we are just at the end of it. I think it’s all about execution. Just a little bit more and we will get in the points. I would say we are the sixth- or seventh-best team. I think we opened up a gap to the people behind us in the competition speed-wise, but Force India and Williams are still going strong in front of us and we are battling with McLaren, so it’s just a very tight midfield.”
Haas F1 Team is bringing some updates to Singapore. What are they?
“Front wing, modifications to the floor and the brake ducts. We’re aiming to reduce corner sensitivity so the car is more consistent, and enhance aerodynamic performance and overall efficiency.”
Are these updates a good example of how Haas F1 Team is still working to improve this year’s car while simultaneously developing next year’s car?
“We finished developing this year’s car completely more than two months ago. These changes came from wind tunnel data and it took a little bit of time to develop the parts. We took our time so we are better prepared for next year. This is the last update for the 2016 car.”
Where is the team in regard to its 2017 car?
“We’ve been using a 60-percent scale model car in the wind tunnel since February, but from February to June we developed both cars (2016 and 2017) simultaneously. In the past two-and-a-half months, it’s been all hands on deck developing the 2017 car.”
Singapore has become a destination venue for Formula One. What makes it such a desirable event?
“It’s a race in a big city – a cool city – and it’s a night race. There are some cool elements for people to do when they go there. There’s lots of nightlife and you can stay in the city and walk to the racetrack.”
Singapore spurred more night races in Formula One just as Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway spurred more night races in NASCAR. You’ve been to both. Can you compare the two? Are there any similarities?
“I would say a night race is always exciting and I think if all the races were night races, it wouldn’t be as interesting. With NASCAR and Formula One night races, you have the whole day to build up to it. It’s just cool.
The schedule at Singapore seems to be very smartly laid out. Practice and qualifying is at roughly the same time as the race, providing consistent data for the teams. And fans across the globe get consistent TV times to watch all the coverage, as the times are the same as they’ve been for all of the European races. As a competitor but also as a stakeholder, can you describe how beneficial this is for Formula One?
“Consistent TV times are good because fans know when to tune in. That’s very difficult to do with a global sport, so this schedule is good from that perspective. It’s also a good thing for the teams because they will sleep during the day and work at night, and not be jet lagged.”
Can you describe the atmosphere generated by a night race? Is there a heightened sense of excitement and anticipation because the Singapore Grand Prix is so visually stimulating?
“The adrenaline is higher when the atmosphere around the track is cool. The spectators have the whole day to get ready and get excited, and for us it’s just cool.”
Romain Grosjean, Driver No. 8, Haas F1 Team
Because the Singapore Grand Prix is at night, is there a heightened sense of speed?
“It’s actually easier at night because the lights never change. The luminosity is always the same. You stick with the same visor, and driving at those speeds in those conditions is absolutely fine.”
Can you describe the atmosphere generated by a night race? Is there a heightened sense of excitement and anticipation because the Singapore Grand Prix is so visually stimulating?
“It’s pretty cool. Everyone loves it, especially the VIPs, who then go partying after the race. It’s a special one, for sure. It’s a race everyone waits for. It’s a tricky track, and you’re racing at night downtown when it’s very hot and humid, so there are a lot of factors that make it exciting.”
Singapore’s layout forces drivers to run close to the track’s walls for the majority of a lap. While the margin for error is always low in Formula One, is it even lower at Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“Yes. You pretty much have to hold your breath and hope for the best, especially when you’re pushing in qualifying, as you run so close to the walls.”
Is it safe to say that recent discussions regarding track limits are unnecessary at Singapore?
“Yes and no. There are a few corners where you can actually run wide and go over the curbs. I think last year they removed some. So, yes, most of the time there are walls in close proximity, but there are a few occasions on the track when you can use a bit more of the width than was perhaps first designed.”
How do you handle the bumpy nature of Singapore’s layout, and are there specific sections of the track you have to remember to avoid?
“Especially between turns three and four, and on the long straight, it’s very bumpy. You really want to find the right line there. When you make an overtaking move there, you’ve really got to be sure you’ve got the car with you as it’s very tricky.”
There are 23 turns at Marina Bay Street Circuit, the most of any Formula One venue. Which ones are the most treacherous and why?
“To be honest, every corner is tricky. It’s difficult to just pick one.”
Between the bumps and the heat, how physically taxing is the Singapore Grand Prix?
“It can be very physical. All week we never see the sunlight, so that takes a bit of energy away. Then it’s humid, it’s hot and it’s always a long race. We usually reach the two-hour limit. It’s very, very demanding. I remember back in 2013, I lost four kilos (nine pounds) of water during the race, which is quite a lot.”
In addition to its physicality, is the Singapore Grand Prix mentally exhausting because of the close proximity of the walls, its multitude of turns and high safety-car frequency?
“Mentally it’s very difficult, as much as it is physical. It’s clearly one of the races where you need to be at your fittest in the season.”
Despite the mental and physical nature of the Singapore Grand Prix, drivers love it. Why?
“Simple, we love a challenge. That’s why we race in Formula One and that’s why we drive these cars and race at over 300 kph (186 mph). We love it.”
Because of Singapore’s high heat and humidity, do you do anything special in advance of the race and during the race weekend to stay hydrated?
“I think as long as you’re fit as you can be, that’s the most important thing. I cope pretty well with the heat, normally. I just get myself ready, jump in and go for it.”
Where are the overtaking opportunities at Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“On the long straight after turn four, and then again when you come back after the bridge on the second longest straight into the braking zone.”
Prior to racing at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Formula One, did you have any experience at that track?
“No.”
Was your first Formula One race at Singapore in 2009 your first time racing under the lights? What did you think of the experience?
“It was pretty cool. The lights are perfect, so you don’t really feel like you’re racing at night. I didn’t get many laps first time out, but it was a great experience.”
What is your favorite part of the Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“Good question. I like turns one to three, the first complex, basically.”
Describe a lap around Marina Bay Street Circuit.
“Main straight going into turn one, heavy braking, easy to front lock. You want to carry through some speed there. You go into a tight hairpin with a tricky throttle application. Then turn four is a mid-speed corner going into the longest straight on the track, big braking at the end of that. Then a right-hand side, 20-degree turn followed by a left-hand side, 90-degree turn. Then you go to the left carrying some speed with a right chicane. It’s pretty tricky going under the bridge. There’s a bit of a bump, tricky braking at the end before that left hairpin. On the back straight it’s important to get good traction. Big braking to go into the next right-hand side, 90-degree turn. The next braking zone is a bit tricky, then the chicane at (turns) 18 and 19, having passed the stadium, where there’s no room for error. Last sequence – lot of inside curb through turn 21. We see a lot of cars touching the wall on exit there. The final corner is the second quickest on the track. It’s pretty cool. You carry top speed from there to the start.”
Esteban Gutiérrez, Driver No. 21, Haas F1 Team
Because the Singapore Grand Prix is at night, is there a heightened sense of speed?
“It’s pretty similar, but it makes it very special because everything goes into a very different kind of mood. I really enjoy it and I love driving in the night in Singapore.”
Can you describe the atmosphere generated by a night race? Is there a heightened sense of excitement and anticipation because the Singapore Grand Prix is so visually stimulating?
“There are a lot of things going on, and the schedule is completely different. All the events are very alive and everything is right in the city, so it brings a very close atmosphere which creates a lot of excitement for many people. Singapore is a great city and a great place for Formula One.”
Singapore’s layout forces drivers to run close to the track’s walls for the majority of a lap. While the margin for error is always low in Formula One, is it even lower at Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“Yes, the margin for error is a bit low, but it’s still a street circuit and it’s one of my favorites. Running as close as possible to the walls, you go quicker and quicker. You try to optimize all the space there is available on track.”
Is it safe to say that recent discussions regarding track limits are unnecessary at Singapore?
“At Singapore there is the wall, so there is no need to talk about track limits.”
How do you handle the bumpy nature of Singapore’s layout, and are there specific sections of the track you have to remember to avoid?
“It’s quite bumpy on all the braking points and in some corners as well, but it’s not as bumpy as other place like Monaco. Singapore has very good streets, so the circuit is in very good shape every time we’re there.”
There are 23 turns at Marina Bay Street Circuit, the most of any Formula One venue. Which ones are the most treacherous and why?
“I like very much the first section – turns one, two, three and four. You arrive very quick from the straight, so it’s a sequence of corners which makes it very interesting. I also like the last part where you have a lot of chicanes where you can use the curbs. It’s a lot of corners in a very short period of time, so it’s very physical.”
Between the bumps and the heat, how physically taxing is the Singapore Grand Prix?
“It’s not about the heat, it’s about the humidity. It’s really challenging when it comes down to physical conditioning because we’re not used to so much humidity, and that’s what make it very different for us. That’s why I’m going there ahead of time to do some training and get adapted to those conditions.”
In addition to its physicality, is the Singapore Grand Prix mentally exhausting because of the close proximity of the walls, its multitude of turns and high safety-car frequency?
“Yes, it is very physical and very mental because it requires a lot of concentration and focus during the race as the margin for error is smaller than usual being a street circuit. It’s more of a challenge when you’re fighting on the limit with other people as the level of concentration has to be very accurate.”
Despite the mental and physical nature of the Singapore Grand Prix, drivers love it. Why?
“The track is amazing. It has so many corners. It’s quite an adventure and it brings a very nice atmosphere. The hotels are close by. You can walk every day to the track, so it feels very convenient.”
Because of Singapore’s high heat and humidity, do you do anything special in advance of the race and during the race weekend to stay hydrated?
“It’s all about getting hydrated and taking a lot of minerals. I’m going to go there ahead of time in order to adapt to the conditions.”
Where are the overtaking opportunities at Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“The overtaking opportunities are on corner one, corner eight, which is after the long straight, then after the hairpin, as well. There are two or three places which are pretty good for overtaking, even though it’s a street circuit and usually street circuits are a bit more difficult for that.”
Prior to racing at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Formula One, did you have any experience at that track?
“The first time I came there was in GP2 and I went straight into practice without knowing much about it. There used to be a very special corner, a triple chicane, which now has been changed, so that part and that section will be new to me. I’m looking forward to getting to know it.”
Was your first Formula One race at Singapore in 2013 your first time racing under the lights? What did you think of the experience?
“I think it’s an amazing experience, especially because of the weather conditions. It’s very hot, very humid, so to race during the day in Singapore was going to be a real challenge. It’s already a big challenge in the night, so I think it was a good decision to do it in the night and it allows all the people to enjoy the whole event in a very different atmosphere.”
What is your favorite part of the Marina Bay Street Circuit?
“I would say the last sector. There’s a sequences of corners with a lot of chicanes and a lot of curbs. Closing a perfect lap is a fantastic experience.”
Describe a lap around Marina Bay Street Circuit.
“You arrive into turns one, two and three and it’s basically a sequence of corners. It’s a medium-speed corner entering into turn one, and at turn two it’s important to prepare the line for turn three. Turn three is more of a hairpin, so the exit is very important. You arrive down into turn five which then sends you onto a long straight which is flat out. You arrive into high braking which is around turn seven, fairly straight, 90-degree corner. You have the track closing in as the walls get very close. It’s important to keep the car in good traction, not to overheat the rear tires a lot. Then you have three corners before the hairpin where it becomes pretty challenging. You cannot lose the line. Everything is about getting the right sequence. Exit of the hairpin you have a long straight and you go downhill into another 90-degree corner. It’s pretty challenging because by this point the tires are getting a bit overheated. All the rest becomes sector three. You arrive into the first chicane and take all the curbs very aggressively, then you go left into the tunnel and into a very short chicane. On the last chicane, you use all the track on the outside, close to the wall. The last corner is a pretty fast corner. It’s important to make it right and then get going into a straight line for start/finish line."
- via True Speed Communication for HAAS F1 Team.
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Rosberg wins Italian Grand Prix, beats Hamilton
MINZA, Italy -- Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton to the checkers to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.
"Great to win here in Italy," Rosberg said over his team radio after he won, punching his fist into the air.
The win is Rosberg's first at Italy and his seventh win of the season.
Hamilton finished second, 15 seconds behind Rosberg followed by Sebastian Vettel, 5.9 seconds further back. Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo to round out the Top-5 finishers.
Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa rounded out the Top-10.
Button not to race in 2017, but not retiring
MONZA, Italy -- Jenson Button announced on Sunday before the Italian Grand Prix that he won't be retiring from F1, but he should not be expected to race in 2017.
"I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron [Dennis, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Technology Group]," Button said on Saturday.
“Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.
With over 280 Grand Prix starts behind him, Jenson Button is out on his own as F1 racing’s most experienced driver, and yet the 2009 world champion and multiple race winner retains the same speed and enthusiasm that marked him out as one to watch in 2000 when he burst onto the scene as a precociously talented 20-year-old.
Like many of his contemporaries, success came early for the Frome-born racer. As an eight year-old he had triumphed in his first karting race, despite starting from the back of the grid in wet conditions. Crowned the British Cadet kart champion aged 10, he took the same series with even greater ease the following year after winning all 34 races.
Quickly outgrowing his home competition, a string of international karting titles followed. Button became the youngest winner of the European Super A championship and the youngest runner-up in the Formula A world championship. He completed his karting career with victory in the 1997 Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup at Suzuka, before making the inevitable move to single-seaters.
In 1998 he won the highly competitive British Formula Ford championship at his first attempt with nine wins for Haywood Racing. He also took victory in the Formula Ford Festival, finished second in the European championship and landed the prestigious McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award. So rapid was his career progress that Button already seemed like a big fish in a small pond and he promptly moved up to British Formula Three for 1999.
Claiming three victories, seven podiums and third overall in his debut season, Button fully deserved his ‘Rookie of the Year’ honour and it wasn’t long before his successes were rewarded with a Formula One test. First for McLaren and then for Prost, Button wowed with his pace and ability, before Williams offered him a race drive for 2000.
Williams’ decision to sign Button - at 20, Great Britain’s youngest ever Grand Prix driver - resulted in unparalleled hype and expectation, but the scrutiny didn’t affect their new star’s performance. Indeed, a point in his second race, third on the grid at Spa and eighth in the championship meant the young Briton’s reputation as a smooth and unflappable driver remained firmly intact, even if he did score less than half the points of team mate Ralf Schumacher.
In spite of his apparent success, Button was farmed out by Williams to Benetton for the next two years. The time proved largely frustrating. His 2001 performances were hampered by a difficult car, while in 2002 he struggled to match team mate Jarno Trulli in qualifying and was left disappointed by a run of bad luck in races. He was replaced by Fernando Alonso for 2003, but would show his mettle once more following a move to BAR.
Button’s mature performances that year helped see the future Honda squad through a difficult season and he overshadowed veteran team mate Jacques Villeneuve in the process. The next year Villeneuve was replaced by Takuma Sato and, as such, Button became the team’s number one. With the Honda-BAR partnership at last finding its feet, he scored 10 podiums and finished an impressive third in the drivers’ championship, despite not winning a single race. The only sour note was the long-running dispute over who had the future rights to his services. Williams was ultimately the answer, though their protege would eventually remain with BAR/Honda, after successfully negotiating a release from his contract.
Over subsequent seasons, many questioned whether Button had made the right decision. After their runners-up position in 2004, BAR fell to sixth in the constructors’ championship the following year, and although a Honda takeover in 2006 helped bring Button a eserved and emotional first win at the Hungaroring, the team’s form subsequently declined, culminating in Honda’s withdrawal from Formula One racing at the end of 2008.
The left Button’s career in limbo for a few months, before a management buyout of the former Honda team put him back on the grid for 2009. Brawn GP proved to be a revelation, with Button winning six of the first seven races en route to finally securing his first drivers' title with one round of the season to spare. That was soon followed by the surprise news of a switch to McLaren to partner Lewis Hamilton for 2010.
As many predicted, Button struggled initially to match his compatriot for outright speed, but that didn’t stop him bringing his new team their first two wins of the season. But with McLaren ultimately outpaced by Red Bull and Ferrari, retaining his crown was never really on the cards and he finished the year fifth overall, one place behind Hamilton.
In 2011 though, Button’s abilities would come to the fore. Whilst Hamilton became embroiled in numerous tangles, Button largely kept out of trouble and produced some of the finest performances of his career. His last gasp victory in Canada - in which he recovered from the back of the field - was just one of several high points in a season which saw him score three wins and 270 points en route to second in the drivers’ championship, three places above Hamilton, the first time that the 2008 world champion had been beaten by a team mate.
2012 started in the best possible way for Button with victory in Australia, but a run of bad luck thereafter left him out of genuine title contention. He did manage to pick up four podiums in the second half of the season, including a classy lights-to-flag win in Belgium and a composed drive to victory in tricky conditions at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but he would have been far from content with fifth in the points.
That was nothing compared to the disappointment of 2013, when McLaren failed to score a podium for the first time since 1980, as a perhaps unnecessarily adventurous car design backfired on the team. Button nevertheless led them admirably through a difficult campaign in which his MP4-28 was never really on the pace. Feisty new team mate Sergio Perez was often his closest rival on track, but he comfortably outscored the Mexican over the course of the season, ending the year ninth in the table.
Button was pitted against another new team mate in 2014 - highly-rated youngster Kevin Magnussen. The Danish rookie stole the headlines with a podium finish in the Australian opener, but as McLaren struggled for form it was the experienced Button who surged ahead with some fine under-the-radar drives. The Briton finished the season a full 71 points ahead of Magnussen and was unsurprising retained by McLaren for 2015.
That season was to prove among the most testing of Button's career, as McLaren's revived partnership with Honda got off to a faltering start, dropping them to the rear of the grid. He scored just 16 points all year, though that was at least five more than new team mate Fernando Alonso. The team's struggles inevitably prompted talk of possible retirement for the F1 veteran, but ever the optimist, Button refused to give up hope and agreed terms to remain with the Woking squad for 2016.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Sergio Perez signs to stay with Force India in 2017.
MONZA, Italy -- Sahara Force India F1 team announced Saturday that Sergio Perez has signed with the team to stay with them in 2017.
On his 2011 race debut, Sergio Perez Mendoza became only the fifth Mexican to make it into Formula One racing. In 2015 - four seasons and two team moves later, and with his stock continuing to rise - he also flies the flag for his nation, as Mexico City returns to the F1 calendar for the first time since 1992.
Born in Guadalajara on January 26, 1990, Perez has been a member of Escuderia Telmex, which supports racing drivers in various categories, for a number of years, enjoying a close personal relationship with Telmex Chairman Carlos Slim Domit, who has taken a keen interest in his motorsport career.
Perez began his career in karting, where he won a total of five championships, before making his single-seater debut in the US-based Skip Barber National Championship in 2004. With Telmex backing, he finished 11th overall, as well as taking seventh in the Skip Barber Dodge Midwestern series.
For 2005 he headed to Europe and Germany’s Formula BMW ADAC series with Team Rosberg. A podium in only his second race, at Hockenheim, helped get him noticed en route to 14th in the championship. By the end of 2006 he was up to sixth, after another two podiums, this time with the ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg team, and had also made two appearances representing Mexico in the China rounds of the A1 GP series.
The next step in his racing education beckoned and it came in the form of the highly-competitive national class of the British Formula Three series. Driving for the T-Sport team, it brought Perez his first single-seater title and promotion to the international class for 2008, when he again excelled, taking four wins, seven podiums and one fastest lap en route to fourth overall.
That year also brought his first taste of GP2 in the Asia Series, partnering another future F1 star, Vitaly Petrov, at Campos, and again he was winning - two victories, three podiums and a fastest lap saw him finish seventh overall, ahead of his debut in the main GP2 Series with Arden International in 2009.
Driving alongside fellow Formula Three graduate Edoardo Mortara, Perez finished 12th in the standings, with two podiums, his best result a second at Valencia. In the off-season, he contested two rounds of the GP2 Asia Series for Barwa Addax, before a 2010 main series campaign with the team.
Five wins, seven podiums, one pole position and six fastest laps saw him complete the season second only to Maldonado in the standings, but before its end his eyes were firmly on Formula One for 2011. Sauber announced his signing before Perez had even tested with the team, something he did in November 2010 in Abu Dhabi.
Cynics suggested he only got the drive thanks to Telmex’s new partnership with the team, but Perez quickly proved he had the talent too as he crossed the finish line seventh on his Grand Prix debut. Things took a near tragic turn in Monaco, however, when he crashed heavily in qualifying and missed the Monte Carlo race as well as the subsequent Canadian round.
Though he was back for the European Grand Prix, he later admitted it took him several more races to fully recover, by which time Sauber’s 2011 car was falling behind in the mid-season development race. Despite all this, he finished the year 16th in the table with 14 points - a respectable enough rookie campaign and enough for Sauber to retain him for 2012.
Sauber’s faith in the Mexican would prove to be well placed as Perez made good use of the impressive C31 to score three podiums in 2012. He finished second to Fernando Alonso in a rainy Malaysian Grand Prix (though on another day he might have won), third in similarly slippery conditions in Canada, and second in Italy. Those results were enough to seal Perez a coveted drive at McLaren for 2013 - good timing as his form dipped dramatically over the latter part of the season and he failed to score any points after inking his new deal and ended up tenth in the final standings.
Unfortunately for Perez, it was McLaren's form that dipped in 2013, with the team failing to score a podium for the first time since 1980. His own best result was a fifth place in India, but with the Woking squad unconvinced by his form relative to benchmark team mate Jenson Button, Perez was dropped at the end of the year and moved instead to Force India for 2014.
The switch quickly bore fruit as he finished third in Bahrain for only the second podium in Force India’s history, and though he was out-classed by team mate Nico Hulkenberg over the course of the season, his performances were strong and consistent enough to ensure he was retained for 2015, when the dynamic between the two drivers swung around.
This time it was Perez who got the upper hand - not only did he secure the teams only podium finish of the season (in Russia), but his vastly improved qualifying performances, superb consistency and mature racecraft led him to a career best ninth in the drivers’ standings, 20 points up on his team mate.
Bio via F1.
Supreme Hamilton eases to pole in Italy
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken d’Italia 2016 from pole position after seeing off team mate Nico Rosberg by nearly half a second in qualifying at Monza. It was the world champion’s third successive pole in Italy and his seventh of the season, putting him firmly on course for a third straight win at the fabled 'Temple of Speed'.
Home favourites Ferrari were once again Mercedes closest challengers, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen the only drivers able to get within a second of the rapid Silver Arrows.
Williams’ Valtteri Bottas was best of the rest, ahead of the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen and the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, with Haas’ Esteban Gutierrez completing the top ten.
Hamilton owned Q1 with a superb 1m 21.854s on supersofts, as Rosberg lagged in second on 1m 22.497s. Vettel was third on 1m 23.077s, but on the soft Pirellis.
Further back, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat was bumped from Q2 by McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, leaving the Russian a frustrated 17th on 1m 23.825s. Felipe Nasr’s misfiring Sauber was next on 1m 23.956s from team mate Marcus Ericsson on 1m 24.087s, leaving the Renaults of Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen as the last cars with timed laps. Both got the Ascari chicane wrong when on target for better laps, but ultimately a lack of straight-line speed cost them. The Englishman thus had to rely on 1m 24.230s, the Dane 1m 24.436s.
Esteban Ocon’s Manor cut out again as it had in FP3, stranding him at the first chicane on his out lap. He thus did not record a time.
Hamilton went faster on softs in Q2 with 1m 21.498s – and it was a mark of his authority that his time on the yellow-marked rubber would have been good enough for pole, had it have been set in Q3. Rosberg also improved, to 1m 21.809s, on the same rubber, meaning Mercedes will be the only team in the top ten to start on softs, though Hamilton’s front right has a small flat-spot after some heavy braking for the first chicane.
Behind the lead two, Vettel went faster than he had in Q1 too, albeit on supersofts, with 1m 22.275s.
Sergio Perez was out of Q3, then jumped back in right at the end at Felipe Massa’s expense. That left the Williams driver 11th on 1m 22.967s. Romain Grosjean was next on 1m 23.092s, tricky since Haas team mate Esteban Gutierrez was a great seventh between the Red Bulls, but apenalty for an unscheduled gearbox change (the cause of his FP3 spin) drops the Frenchman to 17th.
The McLarens of Alonso and Jenson Button sandwiched Pascal Wehrlein’s Manor; the Spaniard lapped in 1m 23.273s, the German 1m 23.315s and the Englishman 1m 23.399s. Carlos Sainz was 16th for Toro Rosso, on 1m 23.496s.
Hamilton went back to supersofts to set the pace after the first runs in Q3, with 1m 21.346s to Rosberg’s 1m 21.646s, while Raikkonen aced Vettel with 1m 22.065s to 1m 22.347s. Then Bottas did 1m 22.457s to displace the Red Bulls of Ricciardo and Verstappen, who had done 1m 22.505s and 1m 22.621s apiece.
On the second runs Hamilton nailed it yet again with 1m 21.135s, leaving Rosberg on 1m 21.613s as Vettel improved to third with a decent 1m 21.972s. Raikkonen didn’t improve, and neither did Bottas, but Ricciardo lowered his time to 1m 22.389s, a thousandth behind the Finn, and went back ahead of Verstappen who had improved to 1m 22.411s.
Perez jumped Force India team mate Nico Hulkenberg for eighth with 1m 22.814s to 1m 22.836s, as Gutierrez made do with 1m 23.184s for 10th after going wide at the second Lesmo on his first run.
Thus, without any further penalties, the grid will line up: Hamilton, Rosberg; Vettel, Raikkoneen; Bottas, Ricciardo; Verstappen, Perez; Hulkenberg, Gutierrez; Massa, Alonso; Wehrlein, Button; Sainz, Kvyat; Grosjean, Nasr; Ericsson, Palmer; Magnussen, Ocon.
FP3 - Mercedes leave Ferrari in the shade
Mercedes underlined their dominance at Monza on Saturday morning as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg finished comfortably ahead of closest challengers Ferrari in final practice. Hamilton - the winner in Italy for the last two years - lapped nearly four tenths faster than team mate Rosberg and a full 0.9s faster than Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who was the only driver able to get within a second of the Silver Arrows.
The session was barely 10 minutes old when Romain Grosjean caused an early Virtual Safety Car after spinning his Haas off into the gravel at the Ascari chicane. When the action resumed, Hamilton and Rosberg set the pace with 1m 22.856s and 1m 23.333s respectively on softs until Vettel split them with 1m 23.312s – but the German was on supersofts.
As Kimi Raikkonen was fourth in the other Ferrari on 1m 23.490s, Daniel Ricciardo headed Red Bull partner Max Verstappen in fifth and sixth, on 1m 23.709s and 1m 23.740s, though the Dutchman - who’d earlier appeared to impede Rosberg on a quick lap - lost some time going wide at Ascari, passing Kevin Magnussen’s slowly moving Renault.
When they made their supersoft runs, Hamilton lapped in a scorching 1m 22.008s, with Rosberg on 1m 22.401s. Vettel improved to 1m 22.946s, and Raikkonen to 1m 23.149s, but Williams jumped ahead of Red Bull with Bottas on 1m 23.500s, and Felipe Massa on 1m 23.647s.
Sergio Perez took ninth for Force India on 1m 23.917s as Esteban Gutierrez completed the top 10 with 1m 24.034s for Haas. Behind the Mexican, just 0.897s covered Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in 11th on 1m 24.041s and Manor rookie Esteban Ocon in 22nd on 1m 24.938s.
The only other incident of note occurred in the latter stages of the session as Jolyon Palmer’s Renault ran wide through the gravel at Parabolica before recovering to the track.
Friday, September 2, 2016
FP2 - Hamilton edges Rosberg in Italy
There was little to choose between the leading Mercedes drivers in Friday afternoon’s second practice at a warm and sunny Monza, as Lewis Hamilton out-paced Nico Rosberg by just 0.193s. Ferrari were again the Silver Arrows’ closest rivals, with Sebastian Vettel beating Kimi Raikkonen to third place by two-tenths of a second, whilst Red Bull closed the gap to the frontrunners.
Vettel set the initial pace with 1m 24.436s on soft tyres, with Rosberg going second on 1m 24.752s on mediums. Vettel then improved to 1m 24.444s before Hamilton’s 1m 23.732s on softs moved him to the fore.
Vettel later went back ahead on supersofts with 1m 23.254s, before Rosberg went faster on them with 1m 22.994s and Hamilton improved that to 1m 22.801s. Vettel remained third as Raikkonen backed him in fourth with a red-rubbered 1m 23.427s in the second SF16-H.
The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo moved into contention with fifth and sixth fastest times of 1m 23.732s and 1m 24.003s respectively, also on the supersofts.
After some early technical issues, Fernando Alonso surprised with the seventh fastest time of 1m 24.259s for the improving McLaren-Honda alliance, and with Jenson Button 10th on 1m 24.549s it was a good session for the Woking team.
But the times were very close in the midfield. Between the two McLaren drivers, Valtteri Bottas took eighth for Williams on 1m 24.299s, from Romain Grosjean on 1m 24.516s for Haas, and from Button to Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber in 15th place the gap was just 0.432s.
It was a troubled session for Ericsson’s team mate Felipe Nasr; after engine problems in FP1 he complained of loss of power this time. And after pushing team mate Pascal Wehrlein hard early on, Manor’s Esteban Ocon lost a lot of the session when his car rolled to a halt approaching the Lesmos. Felipe Massa's Williams was also delayed by a brake-by-wire issue, though he recovered to complete 20 laps.
via F1.
FP1 - Ferraris lead the Mercedes chase at Monza
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton dominated Friday morning’s opening practice session in Italy, pursued by the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, using upgraded engines for the Scuderia’s home race. Two-tenths of a second separated Rosberg and Hamilton, while the scarlet cars were just over a second off the pace.
Next up was the Force India of Sergio Perez and the Ferrari-powered Haas of Romain Grosjean. Valtteri Bottas was seventh for Williams, while in the second Haas car Esteban Gutierrez took ninth to split the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
Of the frontrunners it was Hamilton who set the ball rolling with 1m 25.124s early on before Rosberg did 1m 24.945s, to which Hamilton replied with 1m 24.123s; all of these times were set on the soft Pirelli tyres.
Subsequently Rosberg went faster - 1m 23.736s on the supersoft rubber, then 1m 23.651s - before Hamilton went ahead by eight-thousandths with 1m 23.643s.
At this early stage however, it was the softs which proved quicker. Rosberg later used them to set the session’s fastest time of 1m 22.959s, as Hamilton rode shotgun with 1m 23.162s.
After their supersoft runs Raikkonen, who had been told that he had restricted mileage, used softs to set the third best time of 1m 24.047s as Vettel improved by just a tenth on them, to 1m 24.307s.
It wasn’t a great morning for Red Bull, who might have expected to be next. Instead, Perez pushed his Force India into fifth with 1m 24.650s as Grosjean, using the new Ferrari motor in his Haas, did 1m 24.763s to pip Bottas on 1m 24.785s. That left Verstappen, down in ninth on 1m 24.982s, as Red Bull’s leading runner.
Ricciardo, on 1m 25.120s, was separated from his team mate by Gutierrez, who made it two Haases in the top 10 with 1m 25.113s.
Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were 11th and 13th respectively for McLaren, split by test driver Alfonso Celis who did a good job in Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India.
Further back, Esteban Ocon impressed with 18th fastest time for Manor, a second ahead of team mate Pascal Wehrlein, whose DRS later malfunctioned. Alonso also met trouble late in the session, when he toured with his McLaren in stuck in gear.
via F1.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Magnussen cleared to race in Italian GP after crash in spa
MONZA, Italy (AP) — Kevin Magnussen has been cleared to compete at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix after medical checks to his left ankle following a crash at last weekend's Belgian GP.
The Renault team Tweeted a photo Thursday of Magnussen giving an OK signal with his thumb and forefinger and wrote "All clear to race," indicating he had passed a mandatory FIA medical exam.
Renault had said Tuesday that the 23-year-old Danish driver had "no fracture or serious injury" after spinning at speed and slamming backward into the barriers in Spa. He was noticeably hobbling and went to a local hospital for checks after Sunday's race.
Magnussen is 16th in the drivers' standings, with his six points coming from a seventh-place finish in Russia in May.
The Renault team Tweeted a photo Thursday of Magnussen giving an OK signal with his thumb and forefinger and wrote "All clear to race," indicating he had passed a mandatory FIA medical exam.
Renault had said Tuesday that the 23-year-old Danish driver had "no fracture or serious injury" after spinning at speed and slamming backward into the barriers in Spa. He was noticeably hobbling and went to a local hospital for checks after Sunday's race.
Magnussen is 16th in the drivers' standings, with his six points coming from a seventh-place finish in Russia in May.
Seb: we’ve reconnected to the group in front
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| Scuderia Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel could not be happier about the timing of the Italian Grand Prix. |
Vettel on Thursday commented on the good timing of the race for time.
“The Italian Grand Prix comes at the right time," Vettel said. "We need a little bit of boost and support from our fans in this moment. Our race in Belgium last week did not unfold the way we expected, but it was very positive in terms of pace, so it looks like we have re-connected to the group ahead. This is the circuit where I won my first Grand Prix back in 2008 and this race means a lot to me, it’s the home race for Ferrari and the support is great. I am very much looking forward to this weekend, I think we should have a good one, could fight for the podium and it would be a dream coming true winning here with the red suit."
Massa announces retirement from Formula 1
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| Williams driver Felipe Massa announced Thursday that the 2016 Formula 1 season will be his last. |
Massa made the announcement at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.
Speaking about his 14 years at the pinnacle of motorsport, Massa said: “I must start by especially thanking my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all the people who have supported me throughout my career. Thank you to God for giving me the opportunities I have had in life and, above all, for protecting me.
“A huge thank you as well to everyone I have worked with over the years. Every team I have been a part of has been a special experience, and not only in Formula One. I have so many great memories over the years and thank everyone in all the teams I have come through to help me get to where I am today."
Massa scored points in just his second Grand Prix and was signed as a test driver by Ferrari for 2003, before returning to Sauber for two further seasons’ racing, which he combined with his testing duties for Maranello. This relationship paved the way for Ferrari’s driver academy, which was launched in 2009.
He graduated to a race seat with the Italian team in 2006, alongside seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, and took the first two of his career victories that season, finishing third in the world championship.
Commenting on Massa’s decision to retire, deputy team principal Claire Williams commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with Felipe these past three seasons and we will all be sad to see him leave. Felipe came to us at a time of huge change and his blend of experience, talent and enthusiasm have been an important factor in the turnaround of the team.
“Anyone who knows Felipe knows what a warm and caring person he is, with an infectious personality. He has done a great deal for our sport over the years and I think every team that has had the pleasure of working with him has great affection for him. I know this has not been an easy decision for him, but we all respect his decision to bring his Formula One career to its conclusion at the end of this season.
"I would like to thank him, on behalf of all the team, for all his hard work over the last three years and we wish him the best of luck for whatever the future holds. He will always be a member of the Williams family and we hope that he will always feel welcome within our team.”
The 35-year-old Brazilian, who made his F1 debut with Sauber back in 2002, is in his third year with Williams, having joined the team in 2014, and has scored five podium finishes for the British squad.
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