Qualifying in Monza started slowly and then by the time Q2 arrived things really took off. There were some shock results at the end of the second session and many of the top players failed to make it through to the final shoot out. The Force India drivers look to be having another one of their difficult weekends, Paul Di Resta having a crash in Free Practice and then both cars failing to make it in to Q3.
Both Lotus cars failed to make it to Q3, which is a huge blow to Kimi Raikonnen's championship challenge. The small consolation for Kimi will be the massive shock of Lewis Hamilton dropping out in Q2. He was back to his unprofessional ways in his post session interview, in which he decided not to be reserved and diplomatic, but instead to call himself an idiot and blame Adrian Sutil for one of his poor laps. However, Lewis will certainly feel that he has thrown away his chance at the Championship.
Red Bull Racing were wonderfully dominant again and showed up the Ferrari drivers who attempted a bit of team strategy, which couldn't have backfired better. Alonso was meant to receive a tow in Massa's slipstream and instead was out qualified by Felipe. Vettel took pole position, with Mark Webber taking the second place on the grid. Hulkenberg was the surprise qualifier, securing the third grid slot, without a Mercedes car in sight. It will be interesting to see what Lewis and Kimi can do from way down the grid, but it is more likely that we will see the Red Bull's flying to yet another victory.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Belgian Grand Prix: Far from a relaxing Spa weekend!
Spa was an action packed affair this weekend, with passing by the truck load. The 2013 Belgian Grand Prix should be entered in to the Guinness Book of Records, for being the Grand Prix with the most overtakes, and many of them featured Romain Grosjean. In fact, Grosjean should receive a very large pat on the back, since he was heavily involved, but amazingly managed to avoid catastrophe. There was one incident involving Romain, which caused some controversy. Perez was deemed to have squeezed Grosjean of the circuit and as a result had to serve a drive-through penalty. Some feel the penalty was a little harsh, whilst others seem to side with Grosjean, perhaps feeling it was time something went his way.
In regards to the result, Vettel was totally unstoppable. Lewis Hamilton was visibly disappointed, whilst still allowing himself a wry smile with Sebastian after the race. Vettel stretches his lead even further in the Championship fight and is looking more and more like sealing his fourth consecutive World Championship title. Alonso stays within touching distance after another consistent podium finish, but will need to try push his Ferrari harder in the next few races, just like in previous seasons. It's fair to say that if anyone can do it then Fernando Alonso can
There were a lot of daring overtakes and at times the drivers were racing like it was the last race of the season. One of those times was when Maldonado got out of shape near the end of lap 30 and found himself challenged by Gutierrez and the two Force India cars of Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta. They weaved and passed each other right up to the bus stop chicane, where it all became a little too much for Pastor and he ended up clipping Sutil's car before careening in to a helpless Di Resta. It was a situation that provided a huge amount of entertainment but, for the rival teams, was easily avoidable, half way through a highly competitive and close season.
The race ending was quite an anti climax, with Vettel storming to victory and barely any racing in the closing laps. The threat of rain was in the air and on the weather monitors, however it stayed away and Sebastian's race was unhindered. It deprived the fans of another exciting race finish
, but for Vettel and Red Bull Racing it was exactly what they needed.
In regards to the result, Vettel was totally unstoppable. Lewis Hamilton was visibly disappointed, whilst still allowing himself a wry smile with Sebastian after the race. Vettel stretches his lead even further in the Championship fight and is looking more and more like sealing his fourth consecutive World Championship title. Alonso stays within touching distance after another consistent podium finish, but will need to try push his Ferrari harder in the next few races, just like in previous seasons. It's fair to say that if anyone can do it then Fernando Alonso canThere were a lot of daring overtakes and at times the drivers were racing like it was the last race of the season. One of those times was when Maldonado got out of shape near the end of lap 30 and found himself challenged by Gutierrez and the two Force India cars of Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta. They weaved and passed each other right up to the bus stop chicane, where it all became a little too much for Pastor and he ended up clipping Sutil's car before careening in to a helpless Di Resta. It was a situation that provided a huge amount of entertainment but, for the rival teams, was easily avoidable, half way through a highly competitive and close season.
The race ending was quite an anti climax, with Vettel storming to victory and barely any racing in the closing laps. The threat of rain was in the air and on the weather monitors, however it stayed away and Sebastian's race was unhindered. It deprived the fans of another exciting race finish
, but for Vettel and Red Bull Racing it was exactly what they needed.
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Hungarian Grand Prix: Who says you can't pass in Hungary?!
Clearly nobody told Romain Grosjean or Lewis Hamilton that you can't pass in Hungary, although it is fair to say that Lewis was a little more composed and legal with his passing, whilst Romain was quite a bit wilder. Lewis Hamilton secured the win single-handedly, with some sublime overtakes, namely on Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso. He knew he had to make up the places after his pit stop and simply did exactly what was required. It marked his first win in a Mercedes and that's impressive when you take in to account Hamilton's hopes and targets at the start of the season.
There were passes all over the circuit, but noticeably from Grosjean who kept doing so illegally. He passed Massa off the circuit and was given a drive-through penalty, however many will consider his incident with Button as much more cynical. He squeezed Jenson to the point that they made contact and an irate Button lost a lot of time and a couple of positions. The passing was intense through the first couple of laps, with cars touching and weaving desperately.
The whole race began with a bad start from Sebastian Vettel, immediately followed by fantastic defensive manoeuvres in to the first corner and, unbelievably, he managed to hold on to second place. He was later forced to defend against Romain Grosjean for a number of laps and again held his position. Whilst Hamilton's passing was a fantastic display of his skill and ability, Vettel's defending was a display of his. Both drivers are showing themselves to be the best out there.
It was a race that proved very difficult to follow, with pit stop strategies and tyre degradation making it a task for only team strategists to work out the true standings. Just when it seemed somebody had taken to the lead from seemingly nowhere, they would take to the pits and drop down the order again. Eventually the field panned out and it was obvious that Lewis Hamilton had raced a blinder. He had a comfortable end to the race, having done what he needed to earlier on. The biggest fight came from Vettel and Raikonnen, who diced for the second podium position right up to the chequered flag. The big story of the weekend is that Mercedes are clearly making progress and bringing the fight to Red Bull, Ferrari and Lotus. They will hope that the summer break passes nice and quickly.
The Result:
There were passes all over the circuit, but noticeably from Grosjean who kept doing so illegally. He passed Massa off the circuit and was given a drive-through penalty, however many will consider his incident with Button as much more cynical. He squeezed Jenson to the point that they made contact and an irate Button lost a lot of time and a couple of positions. The passing was intense through the first couple of laps, with cars touching and weaving desperately.
The whole race began with a bad start from Sebastian Vettel, immediately followed by fantastic defensive manoeuvres in to the first corner and, unbelievably, he managed to hold on to second place. He was later forced to defend against Romain Grosjean for a number of laps and again held his position. Whilst Hamilton's passing was a fantastic display of his skill and ability, Vettel's defending was a display of his. Both drivers are showing themselves to be the best out there.It was a race that proved very difficult to follow, with pit stop strategies and tyre degradation making it a task for only team strategists to work out the true standings. Just when it seemed somebody had taken to the lead from seemingly nowhere, they would take to the pits and drop down the order again. Eventually the field panned out and it was obvious that Lewis Hamilton had raced a blinder. He had a comfortable end to the race, having done what he needed to earlier on. The biggest fight came from Vettel and Raikonnen, who diced for the second podium position right up to the chequered flag. The big story of the weekend is that Mercedes are clearly making progress and bringing the fight to Red Bull, Ferrari and Lotus. They will hope that the summer break passes nice and quickly.
The Result:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:42:29.445 |
| 2. | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus | +10.938 |
| 3. | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | +12.459 |
| 4. | Mark Webber | Red Bull | +18.044 |
| 5. | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +31.411 |
| 6. | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | +52.295 |
| 7. | Jenson Button | McLaren | +53.819 |
| 8. | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +56.447 |
| 9. | Sergio Perez | McLaren | +1 Lap |
| 10. | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | +1 Lap |
| 11. | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | +1 Lap |
| 12. | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso | +1 Lap |
| 13. | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | +1 Lap |
| 14. | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham | +2 Laps |
| 15. | Charles Pic | Caterham | +2 Laps |
| 16. | Jules Bianchi | Marussia | +3 Laps |
| 17. | Max Chilton | Marussia | +3 Laps |
| Did not finish | |||
| 18. | Paul di Resta | Force India | +4 Laps |
| 19. | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | +6 Laps |
| 20. | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | +28 Laps |
| 21. | Esteban Gutiérrez | Sauber | +42 Laps |
| 22. | Adrian Sutil | Force India | +51 Laps |
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Hungary Grand Prix: Qualifying
The talking point in the run up to the Hungarian Grand Prix was the track surface temperature and a few nervous rumblings regarding the Pirelli tyres and the fear that we may have a repeat of the ludicrous events of Silverstone. Nothing materialised in the qualifying session but we will have to wait and see what happens in the race.
The first session was relatively predictable, with the exception of Di Resta's exit. Di Resta's poor fortunate, that saw him drop out in the first session, was a precursor to Force India's turn of luck this weekend. Sutil was knocked out at the end of the second session and the two Force India drivers will find it difficult to achieve much in the race from outside of the top ten. It was McLaren's Sergio Perez who threw up the surprise that bumped Sutil out of the top ten in the final seconds of Q2. He outpaced his teammate, Jenson Button, once again, as Button's woes deepen and the he continues to watch his contention for the title dwindle.
It was yet another Mercedes versus Red Bull fight, in the final session of qualifying. Sebastian Vettel's strategists made a smart move by saving a fresh set of option tyres, for one very quick lap, halfway through the session. Nobody was able to quite match Vettel's earlier time, as the chequered flag flew for each of them. That was of course until Lewis Hamilton put in his final quick lap. He pipped Sebastian to pole and despite Seb's best efforts he was unable to retake the top spot. It was an exciting end to the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying, regardless of the familiar result. Will Mercedes race pace continue to improve in to Sunday's grand prix?
Qualifying result:
The first session was relatively predictable, with the exception of Di Resta's exit. Di Resta's poor fortunate, that saw him drop out in the first session, was a precursor to Force India's turn of luck this weekend. Sutil was knocked out at the end of the second session and the two Force India drivers will find it difficult to achieve much in the race from outside of the top ten. It was McLaren's Sergio Perez who threw up the surprise that bumped Sutil out of the top ten in the final seconds of Q2. He outpaced his teammate, Jenson Button, once again, as Button's woes deepen and the he continues to watch his contention for the title dwindle.
It was yet another Mercedes versus Red Bull fight, in the final session of qualifying. Sebastian Vettel's strategists made a smart move by saving a fresh set of option tyres, for one very quick lap, halfway through the session. Nobody was able to quite match Vettel's earlier time, as the chequered flag flew for each of them. That was of course until Lewis Hamilton put in his final quick lap. He pipped Sebastian to pole and despite Seb's best efforts he was unable to retake the top spot. It was an exciting end to the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying, regardless of the familiar result. Will Mercedes race pace continue to improve in to Sunday's grand prix?
Qualifying result:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 01:19.388 | 15 |
| 2. | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | 01:19.426 | 12 |
| 3. | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | 01:19.595 | 15 |
| 4. | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 01:19.720 | 16 |
| 5. | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 01:19.791 | 15 |
| 6. | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus | 01:19.851 | 17 |
| 7. | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 01:19.929 | 15 |
| 8. | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 01:20.641 | 14 |
| 9. | Sergio Perez | McLaren | 01:22.398 | 16 |
| 10. | Mark Webber | Red Bull | no time | 13 |
| 11. | Adrian Sutil | Force India | 01:20.569 | 17 |
| 12. | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 01:20.580 | 13 |
| 13. | Jenson Button | McLaren | 01:20.777 | 10 |
| 14. | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso | 01:21.029 | 12 |
| 15. | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | 01:21.133 | 15 |
| 16. | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 01:21.219 | 13 |
Sunday, 7 July 2013
German Grand Prix: Keep rolling, rolling, rolling...
It would seem, on paper, that the result was decided from the start, with Vettel taking to the lead at the first corner and then going on to claim his first home win. It wasn't as straight forward as it would appear. A safety car on lap twenty-five threatened to scupper his race, when the entire field was bunched together, following an incident involving Luis Bianchi's Marussia race car.
On lap twenty-five Bianchi's engine let go in a huge plume of thick white smoke and proceeded to ignite in to licking flames. The Marussia would not have a been a problem and the safety car would not have been called in to action, had the car not started rolling backwards, down the back straight, towards oncoming traffic. It rolled across the circuit and came to a halt on the opposite side of the track, when it struck an advertising hording. Unfortunately for Seb and a few other drivers, the safety car had already been sent out at this point and it served to make the end of the race a little too close for their comfort.
By the end of the race it was a battle of the soft tyres versus the options, as the drivers who pitted on lap fifty, with only ten laps remaining, closed in on opponents on older tyres. Massa was excluded from the hunt, that saw his team mate Alonso catching and passing Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, because he had an apparently unforced spin on the first corner, resulting in his retirement.
Grosjean was instructed to allow his team mate, Kimi Raikonnen, to come past him and Kimi subsequently took the fight to Sebastian Vettel, making for a nail biting end to the race, for the Red Bull Racing crew at least. He was unable to make up enough time in the end, but got to within one second of the young German as they went through the final corner.
The big talking point was the incident in the pit lane, involving Mark Webber's Red Bull car. He had made a routine pit stop, during the first half of the Grand Prix, and was looking to come out in first place and challenge his team mate for the win. There were a couple of mistakes, firstly with getting the right rear wheel on to the car and then with the teams garage lights informing Mark that he could leave his pit box. The tyre came away from the car and bounced through a couple of pit crews and crashed in to an unsuspecting cameraman. The cameraman was rushed to hospital and, it has been revealed, he has a fractured shoulder and a number of broken ribs. It has also been revealed that Red Bull Racing have been fined 30,000 euro for the incident. I agree with that decision, since too many teams are simply releasing their cars, in too much of a hurry, under unsafe circumstances. Lets hope other teams learn from this incident as well and we can wipe this sort of thing out sooner rather than later.
Race result:
On lap twenty-five Bianchi's engine let go in a huge plume of thick white smoke and proceeded to ignite in to licking flames. The Marussia would not have a been a problem and the safety car would not have been called in to action, had the car not started rolling backwards, down the back straight, towards oncoming traffic. It rolled across the circuit and came to a halt on the opposite side of the track, when it struck an advertising hording. Unfortunately for Seb and a few other drivers, the safety car had already been sent out at this point and it served to make the end of the race a little too close for their comfort.By the end of the race it was a battle of the soft tyres versus the options, as the drivers who pitted on lap fifty, with only ten laps remaining, closed in on opponents on older tyres. Massa was excluded from the hunt, that saw his team mate Alonso catching and passing Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, because he had an apparently unforced spin on the first corner, resulting in his retirement.
Grosjean was instructed to allow his team mate, Kimi Raikonnen, to come past him and Kimi subsequently took the fight to Sebastian Vettel, making for a nail biting end to the race, for the Red Bull Racing crew at least. He was unable to make up enough time in the end, but got to within one second of the young German as they went through the final corner.
The big talking point was the incident in the pit lane, involving Mark Webber's Red Bull car. He had made a routine pit stop, during the first half of the Grand Prix, and was looking to come out in first place and challenge his team mate for the win. There were a couple of mistakes, firstly with getting the right rear wheel on to the car and then with the teams garage lights informing Mark that he could leave his pit box. The tyre came away from the car and bounced through a couple of pit crews and crashed in to an unsuspecting cameraman. The cameraman was rushed to hospital and, it has been revealed, he has a fractured shoulder and a number of broken ribs. It has also been revealed that Red Bull Racing have been fined 30,000 euro for the incident. I agree with that decision, since too many teams are simply releasing their cars, in too much of a hurry, under unsafe circumstances. Lets hope other teams learn from this incident as well and we can wipe this sort of thing out sooner rather than later.
Race result:
| 1. | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | 1:41:14.711 |
| 2. | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus | +1.008 |
| 3. | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | +5.830 |
| 4. | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +7.721 |
| 5. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +26.927 |
| 6. | Jenson Button | McLaren | +27.996 |
| 7. | Mark Webber | Red Bull | +37.562 |
| 8. | Sergio Perez | McLaren | +38.306 |
| 9. | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | +46.821 |
| 10. | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | +49.892 |
| 11. | Paul di Resta | Force India | +53.771 |
| 12. | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | +56.975 |
| 13. | Adrian Sutil | Force India | +57.738 |
| 14. | Esteban Gutiérrez | Sauber | +1:00.160 |
| 15. | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | +1:01.929 |
| 16. | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | +1 Lap |
| 17. | Charles Pic | Caterham | +1 Lap |
| 18. | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham | +1 Lap |
| 19. | Max Chilton | Marussia | +1 Lap |
| Did not finish | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 20. | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso | +38 Laps |
| 21. | Jules Bianchi | Marussia | +39 Laps |
| 22. | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +57 Laps |
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