Jordan's Track Talk

Author: jordanlhaynes

  • Albon disqualified from Qualifying

    Alex Albon has been disqualified from the qualifying result, after his team were unable to provide the FIA with a sufficient fuel sample from the FW44.

    Albon qualified P16 in Melbourne, faring better than his teammate Nicholas Latifi, who was swiped by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll into a heavy crash in Q1, for which Stroll received a three place grid penalty.

    Already with his own three place grid drop (ironically for his crash with Stroll), Albon had a lot of work to do coming into the weekend. Albon stopped on track after dropping out of Q1- with Williams later unable to provide the required 1.0 litre fuel sample to the FIA, as dictated by Artivle 6.5.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. The driver was then disqualified from the results by the stewards.

    After qualifying, Car 23 had insufficient fuel to yield the required one litre sample.Given this situation, Car 23 is not in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.5 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. According to Art. 6.5.2 competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time. The procedure was followed however the one litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken. The stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account, that it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained. The stewards have received a request from Williams Racing to allow Car 23 to start the race. The stewards therefore grant permission for Car 23, Alex Albon to start the race.

    The Stewards statement.

    The late red flag in qualifying only gave drivers two minutes to cross the line from leaving the pitlane. That meant Albon had to queue at the end of the pitlane to gain track position ahead of the green light, and Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson believes that extended period out in the pitlane and the outlap “race” with fellow competitors may have contributed to Albon’s lack of fuel.

    We could see a problem as he came towards the pitlane at the end of that lap where something wasn’t quite right, so we opted to stop the car just to make sure we didn’t damage anything. I think the fact that we had to go and queue at the end of the pitlane after the red flag to get that lap in meant that the outlap was then a lot more aggressive than we had planned. So, I think that’s why we were a bit lower than we would’ve liked.

    Robson explained the verdict.
  • Round 3- Australia Qualifying

    Round 3- Australia Qualifying

    Well, qualifying in Australia is now complete and what an interesting one it was with two red flags disrupting the sessions.

    But through all of it, Charles Leclerc takes his second pole position of the season, and Ferrari’s first pole in Australia in 15 years! With Max Verstappen in 2nd with his teammate, Sergio Perez joining him in 3rd. Just a note in case anything changes, Perez has to go to the Stewards on an alleged breach of not respect single waved yellow flags.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Perez, P4: Norris, P5: Hamilton, P6: Russell, P7: Ricciardo, P8: Ocon, P9: Sainz and P10: Alonso.

    Shall we start off on something good? Both McLaren’s in the top 10!! What an improvement they have made since the first race and its nice to see them back where they should be! Let’s hope tomorrow will be even better for the team.

    Moving on, Stroll and Latifi touched in Q1 after Latifi let him through and then decided to overtake him a few seconds which saw the pair touch and their qualifying come to an end, as Latifi hit the wall in which will cost Williams a lot of money. Strolls qualifying also came to an end there aswell, both starting at the back of the grid.

    Magnussen got out qualified by his teammate for the first time this year so far. Magnussen starting P17 and Schumacher p15. Both Haas cars have got a lot of work to do tomorrow if they want to get into the points.

    Fernando Alonso looked like he was on a flyer and potentially be up in the top 3 until he crashed in Q3 at Turn 11 putting his qualifying to an end.

    Valtteri Bottas run of 103 consecutive Q3 appearances came to an end today as he only managed to go P12 in Q2.

    Predictions-

    Top 5 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris and P5: Russell. I feel like this is quite mixed up, especially if Leclerc won as recent years in the Australian Grand Prix the pole sitter does not win from pole.

    Sainz has a lot of work to do, starting 9th whilst his teammate is up in 1st. It will be interesting to see the way the Ferrari works its way through the field.

  • A look into Rome

    Formula E is back this weekend and we are in Rome for Round 4 and 5 after a two month break! It’s also Antonio Giovinazzi’s home race too.

    Last time we were in Rome, Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH), picked his moments perfectly to drive from fifth to victory in the opening race of the Rome E-Prix double-header last season.

    We have had 3 different winners, in the past 3 rounds, will we see a 4th different winner or will one of our 3 be victorious again? Mortara sits at the top of the standings with 43 points, Nyck de Vries in second with 38 and Wehrlein in 3rd with 30.

    The Teams battle is very close with ROKiT Venturi Racing claiming the top spot with 68 points, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team with 66 points and TAG Heuer Porsche has 60. There is then quite a big gap down to 4th is DS Techeetah with 39 points and Envision Racing with 39 and then Avalanche Andretti 3 points behind them.

    Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR-

    As one of the longest tracks on the calendar, the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR races around the Obelisco di Marconi, against the backdrop of the iconic Colosseo Quadrato.

    The Rome circuit features plenty of challenges for the drivers with undulations, lots of elevation changes, uneven surface and that jump – it’s a technically and fast track with long straights and a host of passing opportunities in the Eternal City.

    The fastest lap of the circuit goes to Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes-EQ (2021)- 1:41.820.

    Past Winners:

    • 2018, Sam Bird
    • 2019, Mitch Evans
    • 2021, Jean-Eric Vergne
    • 2021, Stoffel Vandoorne.
    Rome E-prix track map

    Times-

    Saturday 9th-

    Free Practice 1: 06:15am – 06:45am (BST), Free Practice 2: 08:00am – 08:45am (BST), Qualifying: 09:40am – 10:55am (BST), Round 4: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (BST).

    Sunday 10th-

    Free Practice 3: 07:30am – 08:00am (BST), Qualifying: 09:40am – 10:55am (BST), Round 5: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (BST).

  • Maserati & Rokit Venturi to partner

    Maserati and ROKiT Venturi Racing have announced a multi year partnership, ahead of this weekends Rome double-header, which will see the Italian manufacturer and Monegasque Formula E team link up from Season 9 of the Formula E World Championship.

    When it joins the Gen3 era, Maserati will become the first Italian brand to compete in Formula E, as it ends a 60 year hiatus from single-seater motorsport.

    The marque will unite with ROKiT Venturi Racing for the series’ next generation, with the Gen3 set to be the fastest, lightest and most powerful but yet the most sustainable electric single-seat race car yet.

    ROKiT Venturi, have been in a partnership with Mercedes EQ since the 2019-20 season. Mercedes are leaving Formula E after this season, as they are going to concentrate on its works on motorsport activities in Formula 1.

    Uniting with Maserati marks the start of a new chapter and represents the best possible outcome for the team following our successful partnership with Mercedes-EQ. Being entrusted with the return of one of motorsport’s most recognisable brands to international single-seater competition underlines our success in recent seasons in which we have firmly established ourselves as a commercially viable, race-winning team that can seriously contend for championships.With this commitment, the team is now in a fantastic position to contest Formula E’s next generation of competition which will commence in 2023.

    Susie Wolff, CEO & Managing Partner, ROKiT Venturi Racing.

    Returning to motorsport with Formula E was a natural choice for Maserati. We are driven by our passion and innovation and we’re happy to share this adventure with a partner that abides by the same values as we do and is looking ahead to the future, just like us. We share with the ROKiT Venturi Racing team the same determination and desire to compete and win on circuits all over the world

    Davide Grasso, Maserati CEO.

    Partnering with Maserati for Gen3 is brilliant news. It’s excellent for the team, for Maserati and Formula E, but above all else, it’s fantastic news for the fans who will witness the return of an iconic marque to top-tier motorsport. Not only does this establish strong foundations for our long-term future in Formula E, but it also marks one of the most exciting stories in international sport in which a prestigious brand is returning to its roots by joining the most progressive and fastest-growing form of motorsport.

    Scott Swid, Chairman & Managing Partner, ROKiT Venturi Racing.

    My Opinion-

    Great move from Venturi! They knew they were going to be looking for a new partnership, as Mercedes were leaving. But it was also a great choice from Maserati too, Venturi have developed themselves into a race winning team, in which they can now fight to be championship contenders.

  • Australian Grand Prix

    We are back in Australia after a long awaited return! Round 3 and it is Danny Ric’s home Grand Prix, but since we was last here in 2019, the track has changed quite a bit with it now having four DRS zones…

    Will it be a good weekend for the home hero? Can Mick finally get those all important points his been waiting for? Seb is back, what can he now do in the Aston? So many unanswered questions, and I can’t wait till we get some answers for them!

    The newbies who have come into F1 will be racing in Australia for the first ever time! Those being, Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda and Zhou Guanyu.

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I would say the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll needs a good weekend, he has finished outside of the points in both races this year and it seems like the Aston has better race pace, rather than one lap pace. With Sebastian being back its now Stroll’s time to shine, but the question is, can he?

    Yuki needs a good weekend, after not even being able to race last time out, he will want to do the best he can, even more so because of the track, he has a fresh start here as none of the drivers have drove on this track with the new cars and since its changed.

    Perez, will be wanting to be on that podium this weekend, first race was a DNF, and finishing 4th in Saudi Arabia was a good comeback but with Ferrari having both drivers on the podium in the first two rounds, and with the Mexican having a good car underneath him, he knows he can get on their, its just a matter of if he can.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top 5 are: Pole- Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Carlos, P4: Perez, P5: Hamilton. If Red Bull have brought upgrades to Aus, then I could see them running away with it all this weekend.

    It would be nice to see if McLaren can get at least one car in the top 10 for qualifying. Someone else who will be hoping to get into the top 10, is Mr Mick Schumacher, he has seen what this car can do, finishing in the points in both races for his teammate, so the German will be wanting to qualify in that top 10, to hopefully get those points!

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 8th-

    Free Practice 1: 04:00am – 05:00am (BST), Free Practice 2: 07:00am – 08:00am (BST).

    Saturday 9th-

    Free Practice 3: 04:00am – 05:00am (BST), Qualifying: 07:00am – 08:00am (BST).

    Sunday 10th-

    Australian Grand Prix: 06:00am (BST).

  • F3 Jerez Testing

    F3 Jerez Testing

    Formula 3 was back for the past two days as they were testing in Jerez. Let’s take a look at how it went down.

    Day 1-

    A few drivers, braved the wet and windy conditions at Jerez when the lights went green, with the majority of the field just doing an installation lap. As the rain began to ease, the field headed out for some flying laps and HiTech Grand Prix’s Isack Hadjar set the baseline time.

    With the people below him chopping and changing times, Hadjar was the only red flag, with his car coming to a stop on the gravel. This allowed Collet to take his place at the top of the leaderboard, with the MP Motorsport driver dipping below 1m 42s. But it was PREMA’s Arthur Leclerc who finished on top at the end of the morning session.

    Moving onto the second session of Day 1, Arthur Leclerc dropped a 1:43.790 once things started up again. Collet didn’t get the chance to improve as he brought out a red flag at Turn 4.

    Martins, Stanek, Rasmussen, Leclerc and Bearman all shared P1 between them as the times started to drop once the track was drying out. But it was Bearman who come out on top in the afternnon!

    PositionDriverTeamLaptime
    1Oliver BearmanPREMA Racing1:33.009
    2Josep Maria MartiCampos Racing1:33.666
    3Zane MaloneyTrident1:33.736
    4Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1:33.751
    5Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing1:33.998
    Top 5 Afternoon Session.

    Day 2-

    The track remained damp on the final and second morning, Josep Maria Marti set the pace for Campos before the field switched to dry weather tyres.

    Martins broke the 1m 31s barrier for the first time, and several others joined him, he was bumped down to fourth with Leclerc replacing him at the top with a 1:30.628.

    Leclerc’s time was only marginally better than Carlin’s rookie O’Sullivan who dropped a 1:30.634.

    Onto the afternoon, the sun decided to make an appearance with a completely dry track, Caio Collet produced a benchmark time of 1:30.359.

    Yeany’s Campos caused a red flag and interrupted the action around the halfway point, but once it got underway the quickest time fell. Leclerc took the biggest chunk out of it, posting a 1:29.556 to go quickest for the third session out of four.

    The session came to a slightly premature end as Juan Manuel Correa stopped at Turn 6 and brought out a red flag in the final seconds. Ushijima posted the most laps of the afternoon stint, completing an impressive 65 laps of the Jerez Circuit.

    PositionDriverTeamLaptime
    1Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing1:29.366
    2Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1:29.380
    3Isack HadjarHiTech Grand Prix1:29.611
    4Franco ColapintoVan Amersfoort Racing1:29.614
    5Oliver RasmussenTrident1:29.634
    Top 5 Afternoon Session.

    Formula 3 will be back next week, on the 15th April for two more days of in-season testing at Barcelona.

  • Australia tyre allocation

    It’s race week once again which means looking at the tyres for the third round of the 2022 season.

    The nomination for the tyres is rather unusual for Melbourne’s track, with a bigger than normal between the medium and softest compounds. C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C5 (Soft). This will be the race, the softest tyre debuts in 2022 Pirelli range, marking a change from the aborted 2020 race and the 2019 Australian Grand Prix when the C2, C3 and C4 tyres were selected.

    As a temporary facility, Albert Park used to be quite bumpy but the new asphalt may reduce this. The new surface should offer low grip and reasonably contained levels of asphalt abrasion, which is set to result in moderate wear.

    The track-

    The track underwent significant modifications for the first time since 1996 when it made its championship debut.

    Seven corners have been modified with two removed entirely, bringing the total of turns down to just 14 and shortening the track by 28 metres. The most significant modification is the removal of the Turn 9-10 chicane, which is been replaced by a long sweeping bend.

    Turns 1 and 3 have been widened on the inside as has Turn 6, which is now significantly faster. Later in the lap, what was Turn 13 (now turn 11) has been realigned to tighten the angle. The penultimate corner (now Turn 13) is another to have been widened and also one of several to have its camber adjusted to allow for different lines to be taken.

    Compared to previous occasions, and with the drivers not having raced there for two seasons, this year there are a few unknowns to the Australian Grand Prix: first of all the circuit layout has been heavily revised to improve overtaking and, as a result, there’s also new asphalt that should be quite smooth. This means the track is likely to offer very low levels of grip at the start, with a high degree of evolution expected over the weekend and an extremely slippery surface if it rains. We will also head to Melbourne a couple of weeks later compared to previous seasons, when autumn has already started in the southern hemisphere, so conditions could be more variable. Last but not least, there is a completely new generation of cars and tyres that the drivers are still trying to learn about. All these factors mean that there will be a lot of work to do for teams and drivers in the free practice sessions. We decided to opt for the step in the compound nominations because we noticed that there was a relatively small performance gap between the C3 and C4 compounds during development testing, and we believe that Albert Park – with its new asphalt and layout – is a good place to try out this option.

    Mario Isla, Head of Pirelli Motorsport.
  • Edgar to be replaced by Rasmussen

    Edgar to be replaced by Rasmussen

    British driver, Jonny Edgar will not continue his FIA Formula 3 Championship season due to health reasons. The decision was made by himself, his family, management, Red Bull and Trident motorsport. They all believe that recovery is the absolute priority for him.

    The 18 year old will be replaced by Oliver Rasmussen. Rasmussen will be making his Trident debut at the upcoming test in Jerez. It will be Rasmussen’s second season in F3, having spent his last year with HWA Racelab.

    The Danish driver stepped up in 2021 after finishing third in the 2020 Formula Regional European Championship, in which he won six times and took a further seven podiums- finishing inside of the points in every race he started.

    The 21 year old, had stepped up to single-seaters with Jenzer Motorsport in the 2018 Italian Formula 4 Championship, before switching to PREMA for a second season. He also has experience in ADAC F4 and the Toyota Racing Series.

    It is with great regret that we say goodbye to Jonny Edgar, and we wish him the quickest possible recovery. Since the start of the season, he was weakened by physical issues, but he fought like a lion. He did not back down and continued to race. However, his conditions necessitate a break from his competitive activity to support his recovery. Jonny always gave his maximum to the team, he has a fantastic family and is a wonderful guy. Oliver Rasmussen will be replacing Edgar. He is a quick and experienced driver, and we are proud to welcome him to the Trident Motorsport family. I am sure that he will quickly gain the chemistry needed to gel with the team, making the most of the four days of testing between Jerez and Barcelona, which will be followed by the round at Imola. We will put up our best effort to help Oliver and we are sure that he will provide a great contribution to the team.

    Giacomo Ricci, Trident Team Manager.

    I am delighted to line up for the upcoming events of the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Trident Motorsport. Joining the line-up of the reigning champion team is something that only happens a handful of times in a driver’s career, and I want to make the most out of this chance.I want to thank Trident Motorsport for the opportunity and Jota Sport for their continued support. I will give my 100 per cent on track to reward the trust that Trident Motorsport has placed in me, and I cannot wait to wear the team’s colours.

    Oliver Rasmussen.

    My Opinion-

    Gutting for Jonny, but it was the right decision health always comes first! Wishing him well and hope to see him back on track soon!

    But moving on to Rasmussen, this is a big opportunity for him now, being in the reigning teams champion car it will be interesting to see what he can do. He has testing to catch up with the car which is the perfect window for him to join the team really.

  • Reserve drivers 2022

    As the season has started let’s take a look at the reserve drivers each team has.

    Since the pandemic started a few teams have had to call on their reserves and some have changed in the past few years.

    Mercedes-

    Stoffel Vandoorne- Vandoorne, currently competing in Formula E with Mercedes. He has been an official reserve driver for the constructors’ champions since 2020. Stoffel already has experience in F1, with 41 starts to his name from 2016-2018 with McLaren.

    Nyck de Vries- Partnering Vandoorne with the reserve role for Mercedes, he also partners with Stoffel Vandoorne for Mercedes in the Formula E Championship. De Vries is the 2019 Formula 2 Champion and reigning Formula E Champion. He was promoted to Mercedes Test and Reserve driver in 2021.

    Red Bull-

    Liam Lawson- Red Bull junior and current F2 driver is added as Red Bulls reserve driver in 2022. Lawson has been apart of the RB juniors since February 2019.

    Sebastian Buemi- Buemi is Test and Reserve driver at Red Bull this year, after Alex Albon’s departure from the team. Buemi has lots of experience in F1 and other FIA Championships. The Swiss driver has 55 F1 starts to his name from 09-11 with Toro Rosso and has also won the World Endurance Championship twice and the Formula E Championship.

    Ferrari-

    Antonio Giovinazzi- Giovinazzi, has been a Ferrari reserve since 2017. After loosing his Alfa Romeo seat for this year, he went on to race in the 2022 Formula E Championship with Dragon Penske Autosport.

    Mick Schumacher- New to being a Ferrari reserve this year, the Italian team doesn’t have to look far as he takes on this role as well as driving for Haas.

    McLaren-

    Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries- The Mercedes reserve duo are also available to McLaren as part of an agreement between the two teams.

    Paul Di Resta- Di Resta was confirmed as a third reserve driver last year in case both Stoffel and Nyck were occupied during a Formula E race weekend, it is understood that this agreement is still in place for this year.

    Oscar Piastri- The reigning Formula 2 Champion, is a McLaren reserve as well as Alpines. Alpine made an agreement with the British team, to share Oscar.

    Alpine-

    Oscar Piastri- Oscar has been apart of the Alpine/ Renault academy since January 2020 and now moves to the Reserve role after winning Formula 2 last year and not being able to get an F1 seat.

    Alpha Tauri-

    Liam Lawson- Lawson shares both Red Bull Reserve Driver and Alpha Tauri’s Reserve- being a RB junior he has been given a big opportunity.

    Aston Martin-

    Nico Hulkenberg- The super-sub, has been called up for two rounds already this year, and three times in 2020 since loosing his seat for the 2020 season.

    Williams-

    Jack Aitken- Aitken got his F1 debut during the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix when he replace Russell as he got promoted to Mercedes due to Hamilton testing positive for Covid-19.

    Alfa Romeo-

    Robert Kubica- Kubica is a well known name in the F1 paddock. After making a remarkable comeback since his rallying accident, he raced for Williams in 2019 before joining the Alfa Romeo team as a reserve driver. He covered for Kimi last year at Monza and Zandvoort.

    Haas-

    Pietro Fittipaldi- Fittipaldi made his F1 debut in 2020 whilst replacing injured Romain Grosjean for the final two races. He was a favourite for the seat after Mazepin was removed but it went to Magnussen. He still has his reserve role for 2022.

  • Manufacturers confirmed for Gen3

    Seven of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers have registered with the Federation Internationale de l’Automovile (FIA) to race the next Gen3 car, which debuts in the next season of the FIA Formula E World Championshp.

    The Gen3 race car is set to be officially unveiled to the public at the Yacht Club de Monaco on 28th April, ahead of the Monaco E-Prix on 30th April.

    The manufacturers currently confirmed for the Gen3 era of Formula E are the following:

    • DS Automobiles, France
    • Jaguar, UK
    • Mahindra Racing, India
    • Maserati, Italy
    • NIO 333, UK and China
    • Nissan, Japan
    • Porsche AG, Germany

    The full list of teams set for Formula E’s Gen3 era will be released later in 2022.

    We are delighted to confirm the commitment of seven of the world’s leading car manufacturers to the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and we look forward to seeing them battle against each other. As a proving ground for future mobility, Formula E has always been at the cutting-edge of technology – as exemplified by the Gen3 single-seater – and we are confident that the forthcoming era will mark an exciting chapter in the series’ electrifying story.

    FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

    We are excited to welcome many of the world’s most innovative and competitive automotive manufacturers into the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The Gen3 race car will take Formula E’s iconic city centre racing to a new level, creating more intense action and drama on the track while delivering a leap forward in electric mobility off it. It will set the standard for performance and efficiency and serve as further tangible evidence of the innovative developments in electric vehicles achieved by manufacturers in the championship.

    Jamie Reigle, CEO Formula E.
  • Vettel back for Australia

    Vettel back for Australia

    Sebastian Vettel will return to the grid for the third round of the season in Australia after Covid-19 saw him miss the first two rounds.

    Whilst the four time world champion was recovering at home, Aston Martin brought in their super-sub Nico Hulkenberg to fill the spot for Bahrain, and then waited round until confirmation came through that Seb wasn’t racing in Saudi Arabia either.

    “TEAM UPDATE: We are pleased to confirm that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race and will therefore line up alongside @lance_stroll in Melbourne to kick off his 2022 @F1 season at the @ausgrandprix,” tweeted Aston Martin on Thursday after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

    The team are still awaiting a points finish along with Williams- Could the Australian Grand Prix be the one?

    Ahead of Sebastian’s positive covid result- which came after Official Pre-Season Testing- Vettel spoke about the AMR22 and driving it: “The car wants to be driven in a different way. I am playing with driving styles and what I can do. Equally we are playing with the car, we are trying to sort some problems that we have, some of the challenges that we’ve faced, find solutions.here is still a lot to do, everybody is flat-out and there is still a very, very steep and high mountain to climb… but it’s fun, I think the challenge is fun and the belief is there that one day we will reach that peak.”

    Great to see that Seb will be back! He can finally start his 2022 season.

  • Vegas Baby, 2023!

    Vegas Baby, 2023!

    The worst kept secret of 2022 has been confirmed, we will be racing in Las Vegas from 2023.

    The Las Vegas Grand Prix, will be taking place on a Saturday next November, and be joining the one of three races for the United States.

    Las Vegas, hosted a Grand Prix back in 1981 and 82, but this will be the first time F1 cars are going to race on the iconic Vegas strip, with the circuit passing famous hotels and casinos.

    The track itself-

    There are 14 turns, the track will run for 3,8 miles (6.12km), with top speeds expected to hit around 212mph (342km/h).

    The design of the track features three straights, a high speed cornering sequence and a single chicane section, with the Grand Prix set to be run over 50 laps.

    The news was announced at a glittering event in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening with Liberty Media President and CEO Greg Maffei and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali in attendance.

    They were joined by local stakeholders including Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak, CEO and President of the LVCVA, Steve Hill and President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, Michael Rapino.

    Iconic Las Vegas and Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour. Our confidence in this unique opportunity is evident in our decision to assume the promoter role for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in partnership with Live Nation. We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event. The potential of Formula 1 has been well demonstrated over the last several seasons and the Las Vegas GP will only take it to the next level.

    Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO.

    This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US. Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip.There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world and we cannot wait to be here next year. I want to thank everyone who helped deliver this event, especially Governor Sisolak, the Clark County Commission, Steve Hill at the LVCVA, and our local partners.

    Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO.

  • Monaco track layout revealed

    Formula E, FIA and the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) has revealed the track layout for the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, which is Round 6 of the World Championship.

    The 19 turn, 3.337 km track will see the cars climb the hill at Sainte Devote and travel through the iconic Place du Casino, Mirabeau, Grand Hotel Hairpin and Portier.

    DS TECHEETAH’s Antonio Felix Da Costa claimed victory last season in one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula E with a overtake at the exit of the tunnel on the final lap of the race- the series’ first on the full Monaco circuit.

    Between the top six runners, there were 28 overtakes during the race. The circuit last year incorporated a modified chicane at Turn 11, which will disappear this year to make way for the traditional track.

    The change of layout is to align with the highest standards of motorsport, it shows once again how Formula E continues to progress.

    The 2021 Monaco E-Prix remains one of the finest races in Formula E history with an unprecedented number of overtakes. Our drivers are used to driving in street circuits which is why Monaco, one of the most iconic circuits in the world that all drivers know inside out, is particularly suitable for showcasing the unique style of Formula E motorsport. We can’t wait to see what the 2022 race and the drama that awaits.

    Frederic Espinos, Sporting Director, Formula E.

    Using the full Monaco track layout successfully last year was a major step forward for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This year, we are taking the final step, removing the minor modifications that were made for Formula E, so that we can to see our drivers and cars performing on the historical layout. This is another major achievement for our discipline and we look forward to another exciting race on the streets of Monaco.

    Javier Maffioli, Formula E Head of Even Operations at the FIA.
  • Third US GP?

    Third US GP?

    Formula 1 seems to be looking at adding a third US race next season as F1 is getting closer to cracking America, with Austin already a staple on the calendar after the attendance last year, and Miami is set to make its debut in May.

    Liberty Media, F1 owners have been looking at ways to increase the sports popularity across the pond. Netflix’s Drive To Survive and more TV coverage there has been a boom in American fans, and the bosses are set to capitalise on this.

    According to the Sports Buisness Journal, talks are ongoing between F1 and the cities officals to bring the sport to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. These talks are apparently well underway, with F1 executives having visited the city several times in recent months to assess how suitable it would be to host a race.

    It’s suggested that the track could pass by the iconic dancing fountains as the drivers would battle their way down a mile of the strip.

    F1 is still yet to comment/confirm anything on this but it is to be suggested the first race could be next year or the year after depending on when it gets confirmed etc.

    It wouldn’t be the first time the Caesars Palace Grand Prix will be featured on the calendar as it did back in 1981 and 1982, before being abandoned due to low popularity.

    But should it be in Las Vegas if they were to have a third? America has a lot of different tracks but could we possibly go to a different track which is already built?

  • Round 2- Saudi Arabian GP

    Round 2- Saudi Arabian GP

    What a great race, these new cars are definitely providing such closer racing which we have been waiting to see!

    The battle between Leclerc and Verstappen does not seem to be slowing down any time soon and I think we are all looking forward to seeing how it goes between the two great drivers.

    But it was Max Verstappen who took the win in Saudi Arabia, with Charles Leclerc finishing 2nd and Ferrari having another great weekend with Carlos Sainz taking the final podium spot.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Gasly, P9: Magnussen and P10: Hamilton.

    An okay weekend for Alpha Tauri, Pierre Gasly managed to get some points after his disapointing race last weekend, but unfortunatley it was Yuki Tsunoda who had the bad luck this week as he didn’t even start the race as he stopped on track on the way to the grid.

    Not a good weekend for Williams, as Nicholas Latifi crashed during the early stages of the race which brought out safety car. Towards the end of the race, Stroll and Albon made contact which brought Alex’s race to an end.

    Ricciardo looked like he had an engine problem at the end as he stopped at the pit entry, the same with Alonso but it looking like an overheating issue instead.

    Another good race for Russell, another good amount of points helping the Mercedes team, great way to start the season. Also a great race for Norris too, starting P11 and finishing 7th, which makes it the first points for McLaren this year.

    The Championship-

    Leclerc leads from his teammate by 12 points, with Max 8 points behind Sainz and George in 4th with 22 points. Ferrari leads the constructors by 40 points from Mercedes with Red Bull just 1 point behind them.

    We are back in less than two weeks and we are returning to Australia for the first time since 2019, for round 3!

  • F2 Jeddah- Day 2&3

    F2 Jeddah- Day 2&3

    Day 2-

    Dennis Hauger had been promoted to reverse grid pole as Jack Doohan was disqualified from Qualifying and the PREMA of Hauger took full advantage of being on pole.

    Hughes reaction wasn’t as quick as Hauger’s but an early Safety Car brought action to a stop as Amaury Cordeel lost control of his Van Amersfoort and collided with the wall.

    Fourteen laps remained when action resumed, with Hauger still in the lead with Williams and Hughes behind him. Lawson managed to over take Iwasa before a second safety car. This time because of a collision at the back between Doohan and Sargeant.

    It was Lawson who took the win with his old team Juri Vips in 2nd and Drugovich finishing 3rd. It looked like Hauger was going to take the win until he went into the pit Lane whilst it was closed and got a 10 second stop-go penalty. Jake Hughes finished in 3rd but got disqualified due to a technical infringement.

    Day 3-

    Drugovich chopped across to get Verschoor covered, and the move worked as the top five maintained position at the end of Turn 1.

    This didn’t last though as Liam Lawson made a move on Ralph Boschung for P4, before making a move on Armstrong down the main straight.

    Drugovich went into the pits on Lap 9 to ditch the softs, handing the lead to Verschoor who was hoping the over-cut would work but it wasn’t meant to be as the driver dove into the pits a lap later and came out behind Drugovich.

    Disaster struck for the title contenders, Pourchaire was forced to retire from the pits, before Lawson pulled to a stop at the exit of the pit lane due to his tyres not being fitted properly.

    It was P1 for Drugovich, P2 for Verschoor and P3 for Daruvala.

    We are back for F2 for testing from 12th to 14th April in Barcelona with our next race weekend being from the 22nd to 24th April in Imola!

  • Schumacher to not race

    Haas driver, Mick Schumacher “physically well” after his high-impact crash in qualifying yesterday. Despite that Haas, confirmed that Mick will not be taking any further part of the Grand Prix.

    The German driver was circulating in Q2 when he lost his car through the back end after riding over the kerbs, the driver spinning heavily into the wall and the impact causing massive damage to his car.

    Schumacher was taken to the circuits medical centre and from there by helicopter to a hospital for a precautionary check.

    But ahead of today’s race, Haas confirmed that Schumacher would not take the race start, writing on Twitter: “In light of today’s qualifying incident, Mick Schumacher will not participate in tomorrow’s #SaudiArabianGP.”

    The team provided an update later on: “We can confirm that Mick has been released from hospital and has returned to his hotel.”

    Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, confirmed that he’d been in contact with Schumacher following the crash, saying: “I spoke with him directly. He spoke to his mum, I spoke to his mum a few times and kept her updated. He has no injuries which you can see – they just wanted to check on him, doing some scans to see that there is no damage from the impact of the forces. Taking any risks tomorrow, it’s not on,” added Steiner. “We are in Melbourne in two weeks and it’s better to focus on that one to make sure that we are in a good state there.”

  • Round 2- Saudi Arabia Qualifying

    Round 2- Saudi Arabia Qualifying

    What on earth happened today in qualifying! But it’s Sergio Perez taking his first ever pole position in F1! With Leclerc in second and Carlos Sainz on third.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Perez, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Verstappen, P5: Ocon, P6: Russell, P7: Alonso, P8: Bottas, P9: Gasly and P10: Magnuessen.

    You’ve probably noticed Hamilton who isn’t in the top 10, well, he got knocked out in Q1 and qualified 16th. His first time since 2017.

    Mick had a nasty crash in Q2, which stopped the running for a while whilst checking he is okay and clearing up the track. Thankfully he got out of the car okay and is going to hospital for check ups to make sure!

    McLaren had a better weekend than last weeks already, both drivers making Q2 and starting P11 and P12. Hopefully some points for the team tomorrow!

    So far a good weekend for Alpine, both drivers starting in the top 10. They had a good weekend last weekend so let’s see what they can do!

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    P1: Leclerc, P2: Perez, P3: Verstappen, P4: Sainz and P5: Russell. I think the Ferrari’s are that just bit in front of the Red Bull’s and if the pit stops go okay for the Italian team, I can see them winning the race.

    Hopefully McLaren in the points, that will boost the team massively before a break, and they have clearly made a step forward too!

    Times for tomorrow-

    Feature Race F2: 13:35pm (GMT). Saudi Arabian GP: 18:00pm (GMT).

  • Bolukbasi to not race

    Cem Bolukbasi will be not racing this weekend as he has been declared unfit after his crash yesterday.

    During free practice yesterday, Cem Bolukbasi crashed. It was a lengthy red flag and we saw Cem getting out of the car himself, after a little while.

    A statement then was released by the FIA after Free Practice as the driver had been transferred to a local hospital.

    A new statement which was released this morning declares that Cem is unfit and will not be racing:

    Following medical examination, the driver of car #23 was found to have suffered a concussion and remained in hospital overnight for further precautionary checks. He has been declared unfit to race and has therefore been withdrawn from the event by the team.

    Hopefully we see Cem back in the car at testing in a few weeks!

    Cem took to social media

  • Should F1 even be racing?

    This weekend is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as-well F2’s second round, but should we even be racing their this weekend?

    An oil depot- around 7 miles from the track and owned by F1 sponsor, Aramco- was set ablaze during the first free practice in Saudi and a large black smoke cloud could be seen from the circuit…

    F1 drivers met for four hours yesterday, after practice on Friday- which included team bosses and F1 chiefs, it continued till 2.30am Saudi Arabia time.

    It is to be understood that the drivers raised concerns over the safety of the event in the wake of the attacks. But while the lengthy meetings suggested some drivers may have wanted to boycott.

    But the Saudi Arabian GP is still set to go ahead as planned and team bosses have insisted they will be racing this weekend.

    The fire at the North Jeddah Bulk plant.

    My Opinion-

    Plain and simply I think no. Putting drivers and team members at risk for what? And marshals too, people who are offering their time to make sure the race goes ahead. It’s quite unbelievable we are going to see a race happen.

  • F2 Jeddah- Day 1

    F2 Jeddah- Day 1

    Round 2 in Saudi Arabia has started, let’s take a look at the first day.

    Free Practice-

    Felipe Drugovich set the pace in a disrupted practice session, he posted a 1:44.100 with Liam Lawson and Marcus Armstrong following the Brazilian driver.

    It was Van Amersfoort first appearance at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and they was the first team to get on track.

    There was a lengthy stoppage due to Cem Bolukbasi went into the barriers, once it was cleared their was 13 minutes on the clock.

    Lawson came close to taking the top spot but was still 0.150 of the benchmark.

    The second red flag of the session stopped the running completely as there was 8 minutes to go. Theo Pourchaire lost control of his car at the exit of 22 and collided with the wall.

    Qualifying-

    A late showing from the fastest man from this morning, Felipe Drugovich, snatched pole position in the final minute of qualifying with a 1:40.422. The Brazilian finished ahead of Richard Verschoor and last weeks pole sitter, Jack Doohan.

    Hughes broke the 1m 42s barrier for the first time, Hughes sat in P1 before Theo Pourchaire pulled to a stop on track and made the first red flag of the session as he had smoke coming from his ART Grand Prix.

    The time to beat when the session resumed when 1:41.538, the resumption was short-lived though as Logan Sargeant crashed bringing out the second red flag.

    It’s Jake Hughes who is on pole position for tomorrow’s Sprint Race as the top 10 switch round. Where as for Sunday it’s Felipe Drugovich!

    Times for rest of weekend-

    Saturday: Sprint Race: 12:30pm – 13:15pm (GMT)

    Sunday: Feature Race: 13:35pm (GMT).

  • Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Sebastian Vettel will miss the second race, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the German is still recovering from contracting Covid-19 before the season opener in Bahrain.

    The news means that, as in Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg has been called up to jump in the AMR22 again.

    Hulkenberg will now get to experience the dramatic Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the very first time, following a difficult opening for Aston Martin as both drivers didn’t manage to score points.

    The team have confirmed they expect Vettel who is currently recovering in Europe, having flown home after the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix weekend taking place from the 8th to 10th of April.

    “It was interesting,” said Hulkenberg after the race. “It was difficult, very difficult to be honest – first time [racing] obviously in a long, long time. There’s so many things happening in the race, it’s so dynamic, the car balance is changing, the fuel load is changing, so it’s difficult to keep up with all these changes and stay on top of things.”

  • Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

    After our first visit in December, we are back in Saudi Arabia for Round 2 of the F1 2022 Championship with Formula 2 also joining us.

    After a double DNF for Red Bull can they have a good weekend or will problems strike again? Can Mercedes sort out their porpoising? How are Ferrari going to go into this weekend after securing pole position, and a 1-2. Well all eyes are onto the weekend…

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Red Bull, straight up. Scoring no points in the opening round isn’t a good start for the team as well as for Max if he is going to defend his title. Perez hasn’t finished the last 3 Grand Prix’s and one of them including Saudi Arabia last year.

    Pierre needs a good weekend, it looked like he was set for points until his car caught fire last week and we all saw how consistent he can be with qualifying/scoring points, hopefully he can turn things around.

    I feel like the Aston Martin’s need a good weekend- I feel like we haven’t seen much of them during testing and last weeks race, I wanna see if they can at least get one car into Q3 or even the points as they were quite clsoe last week.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top five are: Pole- Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz and P5: Hamilton.

    This track is very unforgiving, one tiny mistake and your qualifying could be over- like we saw with Max Verstappen last year- could it happen again on Saturday?

    If teams can’t sort out the porpoising by qualifying and if it is worse here, then it could ruin some qualifying laps which could lead to some shock exits from Q2.

    Times for this weekend-

    Friday 25th-

    Free Practice F2: 11:25am – 12:10pm (GMT). Free Practice 1: 14:00pm – 15:00pm. Qualifying F2: 15:30pm – 16:00pm (GMT) Free Practice 2: 17:00pm – 18:00pm (GMT).

    Saturday 26th-

    Sprint Race F2: 12:30pm – 13:15pm (GMT). Free Practice 3: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (GMT). Qualifying 17:00pm – 18:00pm.

    Sunday 27th-

    Feature Race F2: 13:35pm (GMT). Saudi Arabian GP: 18:00pm (GMT).

  • Records which could be broken this year

    As always, a new season in F1 means potentially some new records being broken, lets take a look at which ones.

    • Most drivers’ championships

    I think this is the most obvious one, but its probably the biggest out of all the records. Lewis is still tied with Michael Schumacher on 7 titles, but if the Briton wins the championship this year he will set a new record.

    • Longest gap between wins

    Current Record: Ricardo Patrese- 6 years, 211 days. This record is ongoing, in a sense, as Fernando Alonso has waited since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix for a victory. A triumph for the Alpine driver this season and it will have been at least eight years since his last.

    • Most Grand Prix appearances/most raced laps/most GP finishes.

    Current Record: Kimi Raikkonen- 349 GPs/18,621 laps/278 finishes. Three of Kimi Riakkonen’s records are up for grabs this year. Firstly Alonso could grab the most Grand Prix appearances: he is currently on 334 to Kimi’s 349.

    Next up, Alonso could complete the most F1 race laps as he just 529 behind Raikkonen. The Spanish driver could break that record by the 10th round this season.

    Both Alonso and Hamilton are in contention when it comes to Grand Prix finishes, however Hamilton is just five behind Alonso, who in turn is 13 behind Raikkonen.

    • Most races with a single constructor.

    Current Record: Michael Schumacher- 179. This could be broken this weekend, as Lewis Hamilton only needs one more Grand Prix start with Mercedes to beat Michael Schumacher’s tally with Ferrari.

    • Most wins at the same Grand Prix.

    Current Record: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 8. The German driver won eight French Grand Prix over his career, whilst the Brtion has had eight wins in Hungary and eight in Great Britian, one more at either venue and its another record.

    • Most podiums in a season.

    Current Record: Max Verstappen – 18. This happened last year as Max stepped on the F1 podium 18 times out of 22 races. This year there is 23 races, so it could easily be possible if a driver does not have any mechanical issue or be involved in any incidents.

    • Most consecutive seasons with at least one win.

    Current Record: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 15. Hamilton has enjoyed 15 consecutive seasons with at least one Grand Prix victory, Michael Schumacher also has this record with 15 years from 1992-06.

    • Most podiums from outside the front row.

    Current Record: Kimi Raikkonen – 72. This record requires some work Alonso needs 5 more podiums which were achieved to grab this record.

    • Most frequent pairing on the podium.

    Current Record: Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel- 56. If Verstappen joins Hamilton on the podium 10 times this season, Max will take over from the former Red Bull driver.

    • Most consecutive race finishes.

    Current Record: Lewis Hamilton- 48. Carlos Sainz is currently on a streak of 30 consecutive Grand Prix finishes- if Carlos manages to finish 19 more races in a row he will be the new holder of this achievement.

    • Most pole positions at the same GP.

    Current Record: Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – 8. Ayrton Senna took eight poles in the San Marino GP, Schumacher took eight in Japan and Hamilton has eight in both Australia and Hungary, one more at either and he’ll have the most pole positions at the same Grand Prix.

    • Most consecutive wins at the same GP.

    Current Record: Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton – 5. The Brazilian has won five Monaco Grand Prix in a row whilst Hamilton has a streak of five consecutive Spanish GP wins.

    • Most laps led without a win.

    Current Record: Chris Amon – 183. New Zealander Chris Amon, dubbed my many as the ‘unluckiest’ F1 racer of all time, led 183 laps without winning a Grand Prix. But George Russell has led 59 laps, if leads 125 more laps without winning this achievement will be this… Surely not though?

    • Most home podiums.

    Current Record: Alain Prost and Lewis Hamilton – 11. Prost took 11 French Grand Prix podiums over his career and is matched by Hamilton on 11 British GP podiums, only one more until its another record for Hamilton.

    • Most pole positions for an engine manufacturer.

    Current Record: Ferrari – 232. Ferrari have the chance to extend their records as the most successful F1 engine manufacturer in terms of wins (240), pole positions (232), fastest laps (260) and podiums (784) this season. Mercedes is second in the charts in all but the championships stakes (where they sit behind Ferrari, Williams and McLaren), can only break the Scuderia’s record of pole positions this season; the Silver Arrows having 220 to their name.

  • Gen3 race car to be unveiled next month

    The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s Gen3 race car will be unveiled at the Yacht Club de Monaco on the 28th April, ahead of the 2022 Monaco E-Prix.

    The Gen3 car is set to race from Season 9, is going to be presented to manufactures, teams, drivers, partners and other VIP guests at the event. Fans will be able to also experience the show via the championships digital channels and get an in-depth look into it.

    The Gen3 car is evidence of the progress in EV development achieved in the championship. Formula E has worked closely with the FIA and industry-leading engineers and experts in sustainability to ensure the car will also set the benchmark for sustainability in his performance race cars.

    The car is the first ever Formula car aligned to Life Cycle Thinking, with a designed second life for tyres, broken parts and battery cells. Additionally, the Gen3 will be net-zero carbon- reinforcing Formula E’s statuses at the first sport series to be net-zero carbon from inception.

    Need to know about the Gen3:

    • A electric motor delivering up to 350kw of power, capable of a top speed of 200mph, with a power-to-weight ratio that is twice as efficent as an equivalent 470BHP internal combustion engine (ICE).
    • At least 40% of energy used within a race will be produced by regenerative braking during the race.
    • The first Formula car with both front and rear powertrains: a new front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear.
    • The first Formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic brakes due to the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative capability.
    • Lighter and smaller than the Gen2 to enable faster and more agile wheel-to-wheel racing.

    Formula E’s Gen3 race car represents a leap forward for motorsport and electric mobility. Designed to demonstrate that high performance, efficiency and sustainability can be packaged together without compromise, the Gen3 car is our most powerful, lightest, and fastest race car to date. We look forward to finally taking the covers off the Gen3 in Monaco, a location steeped in motor racing history, and seeing the car light up city streets around the world next season.

    Jamie Reigle, Formula E CEO.

    The arrival of the Gen3 is the latest momentous step of an incredible journey for the championship. We have come a long way – as electric vehicles have – in less than a decade. And we are not stopping as we bring together industry leaders to imagine the possibilities of the future of all-electric single-seater motorsport.

    Alejandro Agag, Formula E Founder and Chairman

  • Saudi Arabia tyre allocation

    Four months after Formula 1’s first visit to Saudi Arabia, we are returning this week along with Formula 2.

    Pirelli have chosen the compounds for this weekend, those being the middle of the range: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft). This is the first time this season the C4 compound is making an appearance.

    This choice has been made due to Jeddah’s track characteristics (both layout and asphalt), the expected temperatures, as well as the data from last years race. The new surface offered a good level of grip and reasonably contained levels of asphalt abrasion, which could lead to moderate wear and degradation.

    Due to the rapidly flowing layout, the track isn’t particularly demanding in terms of traction and braking, there is expected to be a high degree of track evolution over the weekend thanks to the Formula 2 support race.

    The fastest street circuit on the calendar has changed since making its debut, as the result of modifications requested by the governing body following a few on-track incidents last time. These consist of opening up slight lines through corners by moving barriers further back, whilst the final turn (27) has been widened by the removal of a grandstand, which could make the lap slightly faster.

    Turn 13, still features 12 degrees of banking, helping the rapid flow of the circuit that makes it the second quickest lap of the year overall, after Monza.

    Jeddah marks a completely different challenge compared to the opening grand prix in Bahrain due to the diverse track characteristics, both in terms of layout and asphalt. Driver will also use a softer range of compounds this weekend to cope with the specific demands of the track, which is nearly as quick as Monza. The teams head into Jeddah with no experience of these tyres and cars on the circuit, and conditions could be somewhat different from last time in Saudi Arabia, with the race now being held at a different time of year and a few track modifications in store. The nominated compounds are the same as 2021, but their make-up has also changed entirely from last year. As a result, the teams will have a lot of work to do to assimilate as much data as possible during free practice, especially in FP2 which will be the only relevant session, being held at the same time as qualifying and the race.

    Mario Isola, Head of Pirelli Motorsport.

    Formula 2

    The Formula 2 season, continues in Jeddah where the Medium and Soft compounds are nominated, this is a step harder than the supersoft, which was the softest option last year. The soft tyre, will present a different challenge for drivers which add more options in terms of strategy and helping with any potential safety car restarts.

  • Round 1 – Bahrain GP

    Round 1 – Bahrain GP

    WHAT A RACE!!! So much drama and I have no clue where to start! Mr Charles Leclerc turned his pole position into the race win, making it Ferrari’s first win since 2019! His teammate made it a 1-2! And Lewis Hamilton made up the final podium spot in P3!

    Verstappen who started P2, attempted to undercut the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc on lap 15, cutting down what was 3.5s gap to just 0.35s when Leclerc emerged in the lead on Lap 16. That then triggered a three lap box strategy set to come into play.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Sainz, P3: Hamilton, P4: Russell, P5: Magnussen, P6: Bottas, P7: Ocon, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Alonso, P10: Zhou.

    Pierre Gasly brought out the Safety Car on lap 46, as he stopped his Alpha Tauri on the side of the track as it had flames. This started a flurry of pit stops.

    Red Bull, looked set to take a podium and 4th, but it all went wrong when Max started reporting problems on Lap 44 just before a safety car but when the safety car went in he had to retire on lap 55 as the problem did not go… Then Perez was reporting problems as well, he ended up spinning at Turn 1 when his engine gave way on the last lap…

    It’s not looking good for Red Bull and Alpha Tauri, it looked like Gasly’s was an electrical fire- but to have both RB’s to go out with some what a power unit issue it makes you think could this be a knock on effect for furture races?

    Where to start with McLaren… Obviously not good with qualifying yesterday but today in the race it seemed like they was pulling everything out of the car and wasn’t getting further. I think they are still battling their problems from testing- and once they do battle them I do believe they will have a good car.

    Kevin Magnussen in his first race back- scoring 5th! What a comeback for him and the Haas team, they are definitely looking like they are in the mid-field battle. Mick finished 11th- making it his career best finish and just missing out on points!

    Alfa Romeo too, looking like a midfield team, Bottas scoring his first points for the team and Zhou Guanyu scoring his first ever points and on his debut too.

    Not long to wait until the next race, as it is next weekend and we are back in Saudi Arabia for Round 2. Will Ferrari be victorious again? If so will it be Charles or will Carlos get his first ever F1 win? It’s all to play for!

  • F2 Bahrain- Day 2&3

    F2 Bahrain- Day 2&3

    Day 2-

    Trident had only took their first F2 podium in the 2021 season, and hadn’t stood on the top step since 2016 GP2 campaign, but new recruit Verschoor had upped the chances by starting P2.

    Drugovich tumbled down the timesheets to sixth as Ralph Boschung but his Campos in P2 after starting P6. The action was brought to a half as a Safety Car come out due to Marcus Armstrong being tagged by Jake Hughes. The Van Amersfoort driver was handed a 10 second time penalty.

    Verschoor aced the restart as he pulled himself out of the DRS range, behind him Pourchaire didn’t have much luck as he was forced to enter the pits and retire from 5th.

    Daruvala had been waiting to make a move on Boschung for 2nd and managed to stick ahead before VSC came out, due to Hughes coming to a stop on the gravel. Clement Novalak had made contact with the British driver and the MP Motorsport driver was handed a 10s time penalty.

    PositionDriverTeamPoints
    1Richard VerschoorMP Motorsport10
    2Jehan DaruvalaPREMA Racing8
    3Liam LawsonCarlin6
    4Ralph BoschungCampos Racing5
    5Felipe DrugovichMP Motorsport4
    Top 5 finishers

    Day 3-

    Vips took the chance to take the lead of the race, as the front row had horrible starts with Boschung added in there as well. THe ones on the alternate strategy all benefited off the line with Williams, Armstrong, Caldwell and Iwasa gaining multiple positions.

    The first safety car arrived three laps in as Frederick Vesti was spun to a stop. The pit stops then started, and Vips luck turned as he had a slow pit stop and put him down to 12th. This meant that Doohan basically got handed the lead- although he got through the pit stop unscathed he got tangled up with Pourchaire on his return to the track and suffered damage to his front wing meaning he had to pit again.

    A five car tussle for 10th resulted in another Safety car, as Enzo Fittipaldi tagged Richard Verschoor making him stop. A flurry of activity in the pit lane led to two further retirements as Hauger and Williams both lost a tyre during their teams attempt to get them back out on track.

    PositionDriverTeamPoints
    1Theo PourchaireART Grand Prix25
    2Liam LawsonCarlin18
    3Juri VipsHiTech Grand Prix15
    4Ralph BoschungCampos Racing12
    5Marcus ArmstrongHiTech Grand Prix10
    Top 5 finishers

    F2 hasn’t got long to wait till more action on track, they will be returning next weekend for the second round of the season in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia!

  • F3 Bahrain- Day 2 & 3

    F3 Bahrain- Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    As the red light went out, O’Sullivan was automatically having to defend from Bearman on the run into the first corner. However further back in the pack, Roman Stanek and pole sitter for the Feature race- Franco Colapinto collided and were forced to pit for repairs.

    Arthur Leclerc was the standout mover as he found himself up in 9th following the opening laps after starting 13th.

    There was a 3 way battle between the ART Grand Prix team-mates but it was Saucy and Martins who collided at Turn 1 fighting for P8, both had to return to the pitlane but both were forced to retire.

    Moments after this, Bearman made his overtake on O’Sullivan stick through Turn 4. Bearman’s team mate Leclerc still continued his charge as he progressed into 7th.

    Lap 10 saw Hadjar move up into third as he went past Smolyar. O’ Sullivan’s pace started to drop he fell into a pack of drivers, which ended with Maloney and Hadjar moving past the Williams Academy driver.

    Ollie Bearman crossed the line in P1 but due to a 5 second time penalty it meant that he was demoted to P2, and Isack Hadjar took the first win of the year!

    PositonDriverTeamPoints
    1Isack HadjarHiTech Grand Prix10
    2Ollie BearmanPREMA Racing9
    3Alexander SmolyarMP Motorsport8
    4Zane MaloneyTrident8
    5Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing6
    Top 5 finishers.

    Day 3-

    Even though he qualifying result was a shock, it was set to be a harder task for Colapinto to hold onto the victory. In the opening stages of the race, the Argentine looked very comfortable in the lead, however its never smooth sailing in F3 as he had to deal with a safety car restart, which was required after Pizzi and Maloney coming to a stop on the circuit on the opening lap due to a bit of contact.

    Caio Collet was a victim of the first lap drama, as he broke his front suspension while driving over a kerb at Turn 7, as he tried to avoid potential contact with rivals. At the Safety Car restart, Martins overtook Stanek for P2 but the Trident driver would be soon eliminated as he made contact with Alex Smolyar.

    Juan Manuel Correa appeared to have rapid pace as he moved into the top three after overtaking Smolyar, with the latter also soon found himself to be behind Leclerc who was on the mission.

    It was Victor Martins who took the win, with Leclerc making up 11 positions to finish 2nd!

    PositionDriverTeamPoints
    1Victor MartinsART Grand Prix25
    2Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing18
    3Gregiore SaucyART Grand Prix15
    4Juan Manuel CorreaART Grand Prix12
    5Franco ColapintoVan Amersfoort Racing10
    Top 5 finishers.

    F3 will be back in just over a month, 22nd to 24th of April for the second round in Imola, Italy!

  • Round 1 – Bahrain Qualifying

    Round 1 – Bahrain Qualifying

    Well, that was a madness of a qualifying session! WOW, with these new cars it could of been anyone’s, but it looked like it was going to Max Verstappen’s but it was not…

    Charles Leclerc takes his 10th pole position and second at the Bahrain International Circuit, as he beat Max Verstappen to the top spot by 0.123s. It was Carlos Sainz who took P3 making it a very strong start for the Italian team.

    The top 10 are- P1: Charles Leclerc, P2: Max Verstappen, P3: Carlos Sainz, P4: Sergio Perez, P5: Lewis Hamilton, P6: Valterri Bottas, P7: Kevin Magnussen, P8: Fernando Alonso, P9: George Russell and P10 going to Pierre Gasly!

    I think Lewis got the most out of the car today, where as George messed up on his last quali lap missing the breaking zone in Turn 1, hence why he qualified 9th. I would say I’m most intrigued to see how the Mercedes race pace is tomorrow and if the porpoising affects them as much as it previously has…

    Mr Valterri Bottas leaves Mercedes and goes to Alfa Romeo and with his first qualifying session with the team he goes and sticks it in 6th! Definitley seems the Ferrari power unit is a lot better this year compared to last as this bring me onto…

    Kevin Magnussen!! WOW. The Haas has qualifying pace! But even with a hydraulic issue K-Mag got the car into a great position in which will be his first grand prix tomorrow in over a year! His teammate done a superb job, qualifying 12th- lets hope for some masterclass overtaking from Mick tomorrow to see him in that top 10!

    McLaren… My heart breaks for them- they showed so much pace in Barcelona testing, then it went downhill last week in the Official Pre-Season test with their breaks and Ricciardo having covid set them off on the back foot. Norris starts P13 and Ricciardo P18.

    A quick mention for Alex Albon aswell! First time back in over a year and in a Williams so a completely new car and team to learn and he out qualifies his team mate!

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    I think if Charlex and Max don’t come together tomorrow afternoon then it could be Charles taking the race win- but the pair have history and have collided here…

    Top 5 I think will be: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz and P5: Hamilton.

    I do think both Haas’ will score points tomorrow and hopefully Bottas in the Alfa Romeo too. Definitely will be interesting to see the different strategies and how the pit stops will play out with the new tyres.

    Times-

    Feature Race F3: 09:00am (GMT), Feature Race F2: 10:40am (GMT), Bahrain GP: 15:00pm (GMT).