By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Lance Stroll almost got to experience the full package on his first weekend in Formula One, hitting speeds exceeding 320 kph (199 mph), clipping a wall, being handed a grid penalty and skidding through the gravel. All that was missing was the finish.
The 18-year-old Canadian didn't make it to the finish in his debut for Williams at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, retiring after an eventful 40 laps around the Albert Park circuit.
"We were running a decent race and the pace was pretty good," Stroll said. "I had a good start, which was risky although I didn't plan on it being quite so risky! Some guys braked quite early in front of me and I managed to gain some places.
"Then we managed to have a surprisingly good race. It was my first race, and first weekend, so there are a few positives to take out of it."
Stroll graduated from development driver to a seat in F1 this season for Williams, which lost Valtteri Bottas to Mercedes.
The son of billionaire investor Lawrence Stroll is mentored by former Ferrari sporting director Luca Baldisserri and won the Formula 3 European championship in 2016.
His first taste of the top level was one he put down to experience, having started at the back of the grid after getting a penalty for needing an unscheduled gearbox change following his crash in practice on Saturday.
"Unfortunately, that incident yesterday cost us a lot of positions in qualifying," said Stroll, whose top speed was among the fastest in the race, "but today I enjoyed myself and so a big thank you to the team."
His Williams teammate, 35-year-old Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa, finished sixth to earn some points from the opening weekend.
Stroll avoided a collision with two other drivers on the opening lap and, after an early pit stop for tires, was running as high as 13th before a problem with his front left break ended his race.
"It's a shame for Lance, who put in a good first drive with some overtakes in his first race in Formula One, so it is a shame that he then had to retire with a brake failure," Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe said. "Clearly that's an issue we need to get on top for the races to come and make sure we don't have a repeat.
"But, overall, congratulations to the team ... who have built a great car to launch our 2017 campaign."
Meanwhile, Sauber rookie Antonio Giovinazzi placed 12th on his F1 debut after coming in as a late replacement on Saturday when Pascal Wehrlein withdrew because of fitness problems.
"It was a good race, and I am happy with my performance," Giovinazzi said. "My objective was to gain more experience and collect mileage in the car. I want to thank the Sauber F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari again for this opportunity. It was an amazing race weekend for me."
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said it was an impressive performance from the young Italian driver in his first F1 race.
"He showed his potential as well as what the car is capable of," Kaltenborn said. "The lap times were quite satisfying."
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Ricciardo misses start, exits early at F1 Australian GP
By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Daniel Ricciardo was slapped with a grid penalty, missed the start because of a mechanical problem and retired halfway through the Australian Grand Prix as his season-opening Formula One race unfolded in the worst possible way on Sunday.
The Red Bull driver had the best of the non-Mercedes cars in F1 last year, placing third to eventual winner Nico Rosberg and three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
After weeks of good-natured promotional activities for his home Grand Prix, though, his first race of 2017 started badly and only got worse.
"Sorry mate. Car is done," Ricciardo said as his car finally came to a halt on the 28th lap, smoke billowing from the front left. "Let's get ... out of here."
He'd been given a grid penalty of five places - pushing him back from 10th to 15th - after being forced to make an unscheduled gearbox change on his Red Bull following a crash late in qualifying on Saturday.
It deteriorated further when he had mechanical failure on the warmup and his car was transported back to the garages.
That's where he was when the race got under way - after one aborted start and an extra formation lap for the other 19 cars.
Ricciardo eventually started the race from pit lane, joining with instructions from Red Bull to have fun and "get stuck in" after the leaders had already completed the first of 57 scheduled laps on the 5.303-kilometer (3.295-mile) Albert Park circuit.
Two other cars retired before Ricciardo stopped again, this time at turn three on the 28th lap, with a fuel pressure problem. In all, seven of the 20 cars retired in the first race under the new F1 rules designed to make the cars bigger and faster.
"Not the weekend I wanted at home. For all these things to happen at my home race - that's probably the most frustrating thing," Ricciardo said. "We were on the back foot already after the crash in qualifying and then today we had an issue during the warm up lap followed by a second issue in the race. On both occasions the car just came to a stop so I couldn't do anything else.
"But look, it's the first race, so hopefully we'll move forward from this. I'll wake up tomorrow and be motivated to get ready for China."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commended the crew for getting Ricciardo into the race after the problem with a sensor on the gearbox in the formation lap.
"It was an unbelievable recovery from the mechanics to get him into the race, nobody gave up in working to get the car out there," Horner said. "Then we were always going to be relying on safety cars to get back on to the lead lap. We decided to put the mileage in and get the knowledge anyway."
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Daniel Ricciardo was slapped with a grid penalty, missed the start because of a mechanical problem and retired halfway through the Australian Grand Prix as his season-opening Formula One race unfolded in the worst possible way on Sunday.
The Red Bull driver had the best of the non-Mercedes cars in F1 last year, placing third to eventual winner Nico Rosberg and three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
After weeks of good-natured promotional activities for his home Grand Prix, though, his first race of 2017 started badly and only got worse.
"Sorry mate. Car is done," Ricciardo said as his car finally came to a halt on the 28th lap, smoke billowing from the front left. "Let's get ... out of here."
He'd been given a grid penalty of five places - pushing him back from 10th to 15th - after being forced to make an unscheduled gearbox change on his Red Bull following a crash late in qualifying on Saturday.
It deteriorated further when he had mechanical failure on the warmup and his car was transported back to the garages.
That's where he was when the race got under way - after one aborted start and an extra formation lap for the other 19 cars.
Ricciardo eventually started the race from pit lane, joining with instructions from Red Bull to have fun and "get stuck in" after the leaders had already completed the first of 57 scheduled laps on the 5.303-kilometer (3.295-mile) Albert Park circuit.
Two other cars retired before Ricciardo stopped again, this time at turn three on the 28th lap, with a fuel pressure problem. In all, seven of the 20 cars retired in the first race under the new F1 rules designed to make the cars bigger and faster.
"Not the weekend I wanted at home. For all these things to happen at my home race - that's probably the most frustrating thing," Ricciardo said. "We were on the back foot already after the crash in qualifying and then today we had an issue during the warm up lap followed by a second issue in the race. On both occasions the car just came to a stop so I couldn't do anything else.
"But look, it's the first race, so hopefully we'll move forward from this. I'll wake up tomorrow and be motivated to get ready for China."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commended the crew for getting Ricciardo into the race after the problem with a sensor on the gearbox in the formation lap.
"It was an unbelievable recovery from the mechanics to get him into the race, nobody gave up in working to get the car out there," Horner said. "Then we were always going to be relying on safety cars to get back on to the lead lap. We decided to put the mileage in and get the knowledge anyway."
Vettel breaks Ferrari's F1 drought with victory at Aussie GP
By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Sebastian Vettel jumped onto the podium at the Australian Grand Prix and held up his right index finger, celebrating the end of Ferrari's Formula One drought and a break in the Mercedes dominance.
It was back to No. 1 for Ferrari, at least after one race to open the season.
Ferrari hadn't won an F1 GP since Vettel's victory in Singapore in September 2015, and so his unrestrained joy on Sunday signaled renewed confidence from him.
"For now, we're just over the moon," four-time world champion Vettel said after holding off Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. "It's been a great day for us. The team has been working so hard at the track as much as back at the factory. It's a great feeling."
"Grazie mille," he added, a nod to the Italian manufacturer, "you can't say much more."
With regulations designed to make the 2017 F1 cars faster - wider tires, greater aerodynamics, bigger fuel loads and increased downforce - Vettel proved Ferrari's extra pace in pre-season testing was genuine.
"It's good to know we have a great car but it's just the beginning ... with new regulations, a new generation of cars," Vettel said. "Mercedes have a great engine and a great car the last couple of years - we're the ones who've had to catch up. Whatever happens this year, the race today doesn't hurt."
Vettel finished in 1 hour, 24 minutes and 11.672 seconds, almost 10 seconds clear of Hamilton, to give Ferrari its first win in Australia since Kimi Raikkonen took the title in 2007. Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari, finished fourth this year.
For the second year running, Hamilton started on pole position at the Albert Park circuit and placed second. Last year, he lost to then Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who went on to edge him for the world championship before retiring. This time, Vettel took the lead when Hamilton pitted for new tires on lap 18 and then got stuck in traffic behind Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
Vettel was able to pit much later and gradually build up his lead as Hamilton drove conservatively on older tires to ensure he finished the race.
"That's motor racing," Hamilton said of the hold-up, adding it was his decision to pit and change tires. "A big congratulations to Sebastian and Ferrari.
"This shows we've got a real race on our hands this season and it's a challenge we will relish. It's going to be great for the fans."
Mercedes won 19 of the 21 GPs last season, and Red Bull won the other two. But Red Bull was well off the pace in Melbourne, with Verstappen placing fifth - almost 29 seconds behind Vettel - and local hope Daniel Ricciardo failing to finish.
In fact, the Australian driver almost didn't start. Ricciardo's day started badly and kept getting worse as he got a grid penalty, missed the start after a mechanical failure in the warmup, and then retired after 28 laps.
He was among seven drivers who retired during the race. Former champion Fernando Alonso continued to struggle in his McLaren, retiring on the 50th of 57 laps, while 18-year-old Canadian rookie Lance Stroll was handed a grid penalty after needing an unscheduled gearbox change after a crash in practice and was wayward in his 40 laps on debut for Williams.
Felipe Massa earned points for Williams with a sixth-place finish, while Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon were 7th and 10th in their pink cars and finished either side of Toro Rosso drivers Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.
Antonio Giovinazzi placed 12th on his F1 debut for Sauber, a late replacement after Pascal Wehrlein withdrew following the opening practice sessions on Friday.
"I want to thank Sauber and Scuderia Ferrari for this opportunity," Giovinazzi said. "It was an amazing race weekend for me."
Ferrari leads the constructors' standings by four points from Mercedes, with Formula One moving to Shanghai next month for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"Overall, I think not a disaster, first race weekend with the team," said Bottas, who joined Mercedes for 2017 as a replacement for Rosberg. "It's good to start with a podium this season and with a new team. Every position is important for the championship itself."
Hamilton set the lap record with his qualifying run to take pole on Saturday, and there were expectations that the cars would go faster Sunday. But Michael Schumacher's racing lap record from 2004 stood up, with Hamilton predicting the 2017 cars would go faster as the year progressed.
AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Sebastian Vettel jumped onto the podium at the Australian Grand Prix and held up his right index finger, celebrating the end of Ferrari's Formula One drought and a break in the Mercedes dominance.
It was back to No. 1 for Ferrari, at least after one race to open the season.
Ferrari hadn't won an F1 GP since Vettel's victory in Singapore in September 2015, and so his unrestrained joy on Sunday signaled renewed confidence from him.
"For now, we're just over the moon," four-time world champion Vettel said after holding off Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. "It's been a great day for us. The team has been working so hard at the track as much as back at the factory. It's a great feeling."
"Grazie mille," he added, a nod to the Italian manufacturer, "you can't say much more."
With regulations designed to make the 2017 F1 cars faster - wider tires, greater aerodynamics, bigger fuel loads and increased downforce - Vettel proved Ferrari's extra pace in pre-season testing was genuine.
"It's good to know we have a great car but it's just the beginning ... with new regulations, a new generation of cars," Vettel said. "Mercedes have a great engine and a great car the last couple of years - we're the ones who've had to catch up. Whatever happens this year, the race today doesn't hurt."
Vettel finished in 1 hour, 24 minutes and 11.672 seconds, almost 10 seconds clear of Hamilton, to give Ferrari its first win in Australia since Kimi Raikkonen took the title in 2007. Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari, finished fourth this year.
For the second year running, Hamilton started on pole position at the Albert Park circuit and placed second. Last year, he lost to then Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who went on to edge him for the world championship before retiring. This time, Vettel took the lead when Hamilton pitted for new tires on lap 18 and then got stuck in traffic behind Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
Vettel was able to pit much later and gradually build up his lead as Hamilton drove conservatively on older tires to ensure he finished the race.
"That's motor racing," Hamilton said of the hold-up, adding it was his decision to pit and change tires. "A big congratulations to Sebastian and Ferrari.
"This shows we've got a real race on our hands this season and it's a challenge we will relish. It's going to be great for the fans."
Mercedes won 19 of the 21 GPs last season, and Red Bull won the other two. But Red Bull was well off the pace in Melbourne, with Verstappen placing fifth - almost 29 seconds behind Vettel - and local hope Daniel Ricciardo failing to finish.
In fact, the Australian driver almost didn't start. Ricciardo's day started badly and kept getting worse as he got a grid penalty, missed the start after a mechanical failure in the warmup, and then retired after 28 laps.
He was among seven drivers who retired during the race. Former champion Fernando Alonso continued to struggle in his McLaren, retiring on the 50th of 57 laps, while 18-year-old Canadian rookie Lance Stroll was handed a grid penalty after needing an unscheduled gearbox change after a crash in practice and was wayward in his 40 laps on debut for Williams.
Felipe Massa earned points for Williams with a sixth-place finish, while Force India teammates Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon were 7th and 10th in their pink cars and finished either side of Toro Rosso drivers Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.
Antonio Giovinazzi placed 12th on his F1 debut for Sauber, a late replacement after Pascal Wehrlein withdrew following the opening practice sessions on Friday.
"I want to thank Sauber and Scuderia Ferrari for this opportunity," Giovinazzi said. "It was an amazing race weekend for me."
Ferrari leads the constructors' standings by four points from Mercedes, with Formula One moving to Shanghai next month for the Chinese Grand Prix.
"Overall, I think not a disaster, first race weekend with the team," said Bottas, who joined Mercedes for 2017 as a replacement for Rosberg. "It's good to start with a podium this season and with a new team. Every position is important for the championship itself."
Hamilton set the lap record with his qualifying run to take pole on Saturday, and there were expectations that the cars would go faster Sunday. But Michael Schumacher's racing lap record from 2004 stood up, with Hamilton predicting the 2017 cars would go faster as the year progressed.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Aussie Ricciardo tipping much faster Red Bull in 2017
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Daniel Ricciardo is confident his Red Bull is faster than the car he drove to third place in the Formula One drivers' championship last season.
Whether it's fast enough to catch the Mercedes entries, he says, only time will tell.
Ricciardo is back in Melbourne for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where F1 rule changes requiring wider tires, greater aerodynamics, bigger fuel loads and increased downforce are expected to make the heavier cars significantly faster than previous years.
Nico Rosberg won the Australian GP last year, and held off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the 2016 title. Rosberg's retirement leaves Hamilton the favorite to win a fourth F1 championship.
Ricciardo is expected to again be among the leading contenders, and he's back on his home track feeling content with progress over the off-season. He placed fourth in Melbourne last year, but improved during the season and won the Malaysian GP, got his first pole position and picked up seven other podium finishes.
The 27-year-old Australian said winter testing at Red Bull, alongside teammate Max Verstappen, had been the best he'd been involved with. He said he was less than a half second behind the Mercedes.
"Testing is never really a clear picture. I expect Ferrari and Mercedes to be quick and I hope we can be with them as well," he said. "We're coming here pretty confident."
The newly developed F1 cars have tires which are 25 percent wider, have more grip and - crucially - are more durable, enabling drivers to push harder and limiting the cyclical pit stop strategy that made many races easy to call.
Ricciardo produced the fastest lap in the 2016 Australian GP and predicts his new Red Bull vehicle is 40 kph (25 mph) faster through corners.
"We've gone from 220 (137 mph) to 260 (162 mph), so that's a big difference and that's more fun for sure," he said. "I think as a spectator now when you're paying money to see a race and you see us corner at these speeds, you're getting more for your money as well."
Forecast rain may slow the cars down, though, with showers expected on Saturday for the qualifying and Sunday during the GP. The first practice sessions are set for Friday.
Australian race fans, who flock to the Albert Park street circuit in their tens of thousands, are hoping to see the Ricciardo's now famous Shoey, where he celebrates success by drinking from his racing boot.
Ricciardo is hoping there'll be plenty of Shoey shows in 2017, saying his aim is to be the world champion and he'll be doing everything he can to make it happen this year.
Whether it's fast enough to catch the Mercedes entries, he says, only time will tell.
Ricciardo is back in Melbourne for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where F1 rule changes requiring wider tires, greater aerodynamics, bigger fuel loads and increased downforce are expected to make the heavier cars significantly faster than previous years.
Nico Rosberg won the Australian GP last year, and held off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the 2016 title. Rosberg's retirement leaves Hamilton the favorite to win a fourth F1 championship.
Ricciardo is expected to again be among the leading contenders, and he's back on his home track feeling content with progress over the off-season. He placed fourth in Melbourne last year, but improved during the season and won the Malaysian GP, got his first pole position and picked up seven other podium finishes.
The 27-year-old Australian said winter testing at Red Bull, alongside teammate Max Verstappen, had been the best he'd been involved with. He said he was less than a half second behind the Mercedes.
"Testing is never really a clear picture. I expect Ferrari and Mercedes to be quick and I hope we can be with them as well," he said. "We're coming here pretty confident."
The newly developed F1 cars have tires which are 25 percent wider, have more grip and - crucially - are more durable, enabling drivers to push harder and limiting the cyclical pit stop strategy that made many races easy to call.
Ricciardo produced the fastest lap in the 2016 Australian GP and predicts his new Red Bull vehicle is 40 kph (25 mph) faster through corners.
"We've gone from 220 (137 mph) to 260 (162 mph), so that's a big difference and that's more fun for sure," he said. "I think as a spectator now when you're paying money to see a race and you see us corner at these speeds, you're getting more for your money as well."
Forecast rain may slow the cars down, though, with showers expected on Saturday for the qualifying and Sunday during the GP. The first practice sessions are set for Friday.
Australian race fans, who flock to the Albert Park street circuit in their tens of thousands, are hoping to see the Ricciardo's now famous Shoey, where he celebrates success by drinking from his racing boot.
Ricciardo is hoping there'll be plenty of Shoey shows in 2017, saying his aim is to be the world champion and he'll be doing everything he can to make it happen this year.
Profiles of teams and drivers for the 2017 F1 championship
(AP) -- ---
MERCEDES
Base: Brackley, England
Constructors' Championships: 3
2016 Constructors' Championship: 1st
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Toto Wolff
---
77 Valtteri Bottas
Nationality: Finland
Age: 27
Debut: 2013 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 78
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 8th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 4th (2014)
---
44 Lewis Hamilton
Nationality: Britain
Age: 32
Debut: 2007 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 188
Wins: 53
Pole Positions: 61
Fastest Laps: 31
2016 Drivers' Championship: 2nd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2008 with McLaren, 2014, 2015 with Mercedes)
---
FERRARI
Base: Maranello, Italy
Constructors' Championships: 16
2016 Constructors' Championship: 3rd
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Maurizio Arrivabene
---
5 Sebastian Vettel
Nationality: Germany
Age: 29
Debut: 2007 U.S. Grand Prix
Races: 179
Wins: 42
Pole Positions: 46
Fastest Laps: 28
2016 Drivers' Championship: 4th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 with Red Bull)
---
7 Kimi Raikkonen
Nationality: Finland
Age: 37
Debut: 2001 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 253
Wins: 20
Pole Positions: 16
Fastest Laps: 43
2016 Drivers' Championship: 6th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2007 with Ferrari)
---
WILLIAMS
Base: Grove, England
Constructors' Championships: 9
2016 Constructors' Championship: 5th
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Frank Williams
---
19 Felipe Massa
Nationality: Brazil
Age: 35
Debut: 2002 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 252
Wins: 11
Pole Positions: 16
Fastest Laps: 15
2016 Drivers' Championship: 11th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 2nd (2008 with Ferrari)
---
18 Lance Stroll
Nationality: Canada
Age: 18
Debut: (Debut season)
Races: 0
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: (Not applicable)
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: (Not applicable)
---
RED BULL
Base: Milton Keynes, England
Constructors' Championships: 4
2016 Constructors' Championship: 2nd
Engine: Renault, branded as TAG Heuer
Team Principal: Christian Horner
---
3 Daniel Ricciardo
Nationality: Australia
Age: 27
Debut: 2011 British Grand Prix
Races: 109
Wins: 4
Pole Positions: 1
Fastest Laps: 8
2016 Drivers' Championship: 3rd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 3rd (2014, 2016 with Red Bull)
---
33 Max Verstappen
Nationality: Netherlands
Age: 19
Debut: 2015 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 40
Wins: 1
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 5th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 5th (2016)
---
FORCE INDIA
Base: Silverstone, England
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 4th
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya
---
11 Sergio Perez
Nationality: Mexico
Age: 27
Debut: 2011 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 117
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 3
2016 Drivers' Championship: 7th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2016)
---
31 Esteban Ocon
Nationality: France
Age: 20
Debut: 2016 Belgium Grand Prix
Races: 9
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 23rd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 23rd (2016)
---
TORO ROSSO
Base: Faenza, Italy
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 7th
Engine: Renault
Team Principal: Franz Tost
---
26 Daniil Kvyat
Nationality: Russia
Age: 22
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 59
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 14th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2015)
---
55 Carlos Sainz Jr.
Nationality: Spain
Age: 22
Debut: 2015 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 40
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 12th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 12th (2016)
---
SAUBER
Base: Hinwil, Switzerland
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 10th
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Monisha Kaltenborn
---
9 Marcus Ericsson
Nationality: Sweden
Age: 26
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 56
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 22nd
Best Performance in Drivers' Championship: 18th (2015)
---
94 Pascal Wehrlein
Nationality: Germany
Age: 22
Debut: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 21
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 19th
Best Performance in Drivers Championship: 19th (2016 with Manor Racing)
---
MCLAREN
Base: Woking, England
Constructors' Championships: 8
2016 Constructors' Championship: 6th
Engine: Honda
Team Principal: Eric Boullier
---
14 Fernando Alonso
Nationality: Spain
Age: 35
Debut: 2001 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 274
Wins: 32
Pole Positions: 22
Fastest Laps: 22
2016 Drivers' Championship: 10th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2005, 2006 with Renault)
---
2 Stoffel Vandoorne
Nationality: Belgium
Age: 24
Debut: 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races: 1
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 20th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 20th (2016)
---
RENAULT
Base: Enstone, England
Constructors' Championships: 2
2016 Constructors' Championship: 9th
Engine: Renault
Team Principal: Cyril Abiteboul
---
27 Nico Hulkenberg
Nationality: Germany
Age: 29
Debut: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races: 117
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 1
Fastest Laps: 2
2016 Drivers' Championship: 9th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 9th (2014, 2016 with Force India)
---
30 Jolyon Palmer
Nationality: Britain
Age: 26
Debut: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 21
Wins: 0
Pole positions: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 18th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 18th (2016)
---
HAAS
Base: Kannapolis, North Carolina (U.S.) and Banbury, England
2016 Constructors' Championship: 8th
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Gunther Steiner
---
8 Romain Grosjean
Nationality: France
Age: 30
Debut: 2009 European Grand Prix
Races: 104
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 13th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2013 with Lotus)
---
20 Kevin Magnussen
Nationality: Denmark
Age: 24
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 41
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 16th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 11th (2014 with McLaren)
MERCEDES
Base: Brackley, England
Constructors' Championships: 3
2016 Constructors' Championship: 1st
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Toto Wolff
---
77 Valtteri Bottas
Nationality: Finland
Age: 27
Debut: 2013 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 78
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 8th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 4th (2014)
---
44 Lewis Hamilton
Nationality: Britain
Age: 32
Debut: 2007 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 188
Wins: 53
Pole Positions: 61
Fastest Laps: 31
2016 Drivers' Championship: 2nd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2008 with McLaren, 2014, 2015 with Mercedes)
---
FERRARI
Base: Maranello, Italy
Constructors' Championships: 16
2016 Constructors' Championship: 3rd
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Maurizio Arrivabene
---
5 Sebastian Vettel
Nationality: Germany
Age: 29
Debut: 2007 U.S. Grand Prix
Races: 179
Wins: 42
Pole Positions: 46
Fastest Laps: 28
2016 Drivers' Championship: 4th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 with Red Bull)
---
7 Kimi Raikkonen
Nationality: Finland
Age: 37
Debut: 2001 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 253
Wins: 20
Pole Positions: 16
Fastest Laps: 43
2016 Drivers' Championship: 6th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2007 with Ferrari)
---
WILLIAMS
Base: Grove, England
Constructors' Championships: 9
2016 Constructors' Championship: 5th
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Frank Williams
---
19 Felipe Massa
Nationality: Brazil
Age: 35
Debut: 2002 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 252
Wins: 11
Pole Positions: 16
Fastest Laps: 15
2016 Drivers' Championship: 11th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 2nd (2008 with Ferrari)
---
18 Lance Stroll
Nationality: Canada
Age: 18
Debut: (Debut season)
Races: 0
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: (Not applicable)
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: (Not applicable)
---
RED BULL
Base: Milton Keynes, England
Constructors' Championships: 4
2016 Constructors' Championship: 2nd
Engine: Renault, branded as TAG Heuer
Team Principal: Christian Horner
---
3 Daniel Ricciardo
Nationality: Australia
Age: 27
Debut: 2011 British Grand Prix
Races: 109
Wins: 4
Pole Positions: 1
Fastest Laps: 8
2016 Drivers' Championship: 3rd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 3rd (2014, 2016 with Red Bull)
---
33 Max Verstappen
Nationality: Netherlands
Age: 19
Debut: 2015 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 40
Wins: 1
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 5th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 5th (2016)
---
FORCE INDIA
Base: Silverstone, England
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 4th
Engine: Mercedes
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya
---
11 Sergio Perez
Nationality: Mexico
Age: 27
Debut: 2011 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 117
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 3
2016 Drivers' Championship: 7th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2016)
---
31 Esteban Ocon
Nationality: France
Age: 20
Debut: 2016 Belgium Grand Prix
Races: 9
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 23rd
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 23rd (2016)
---
TORO ROSSO
Base: Faenza, Italy
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 7th
Engine: Renault
Team Principal: Franz Tost
---
26 Daniil Kvyat
Nationality: Russia
Age: 22
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 59
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 14th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2015)
---
55 Carlos Sainz Jr.
Nationality: Spain
Age: 22
Debut: 2015 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 40
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 12th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 12th (2016)
---
SAUBER
Base: Hinwil, Switzerland
Constructors' Championships: 0
2016 Constructors' Championship: 10th
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Monisha Kaltenborn
---
9 Marcus Ericsson
Nationality: Sweden
Age: 26
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 56
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 22nd
Best Performance in Drivers' Championship: 18th (2015)
---
94 Pascal Wehrlein
Nationality: Germany
Age: 22
Debut: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 21
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 19th
Best Performance in Drivers Championship: 19th (2016 with Manor Racing)
---
MCLAREN
Base: Woking, England
Constructors' Championships: 8
2016 Constructors' Championship: 6th
Engine: Honda
Team Principal: Eric Boullier
---
14 Fernando Alonso
Nationality: Spain
Age: 35
Debut: 2001 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 274
Wins: 32
Pole Positions: 22
Fastest Laps: 22
2016 Drivers' Championship: 10th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 1st (2005, 2006 with Renault)
---
2 Stoffel Vandoorne
Nationality: Belgium
Age: 24
Debut: 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races: 1
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 20th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 20th (2016)
---
RENAULT
Base: Enstone, England
Constructors' Championships: 2
2016 Constructors' Championship: 9th
Engine: Renault
Team Principal: Cyril Abiteboul
---
27 Nico Hulkenberg
Nationality: Germany
Age: 29
Debut: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races: 117
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 1
Fastest Laps: 2
2016 Drivers' Championship: 9th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 9th (2014, 2016 with Force India)
---
30 Jolyon Palmer
Nationality: Britain
Age: 26
Debut: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 21
Wins: 0
Pole positions: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 18th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 18th (2016)
---
HAAS
Base: Kannapolis, North Carolina (U.S.) and Banbury, England
2016 Constructors' Championship: 8th
Engine: Ferrari
Team Principal: Gunther Steiner
---
8 Romain Grosjean
Nationality: France
Age: 30
Debut: 2009 European Grand Prix
Races: 104
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 1
2016 Drivers' Championship: 13th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 7th (2013 with Lotus)
---
20 Kevin Magnussen
Nationality: Denmark
Age: 24
Debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
Races: 41
Wins: 0
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
2016 Drivers' Championship: 16th
Best performance in Drivers' Championship: 11th (2014 with McLaren)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)