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  • Round 20- Qatar Race

    Well, we have had another drama filled weekend, with Vertsappen being handed a 5 place grid penalty before the race as well as Bottas being handed a 3 place grid penalty.

    Our top 3 finishers for the first Qatar GP were: P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen and P3: Alonso. Hamilton made it win 102 this weekend and being the first to ever win at Qatar in F1. But the main talking news is Alonso returning to the podium after 7 years and he fully deserves it!

    F1 Grand Prix of Qatar : News Photo
    DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 21: Third placed Fernando Alonso of Spain and Alpine F1 Team celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail International Circuit on November 21, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    The full top 10 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: ALonso, P4: Perez, P5: Ocon, P6: Stroll, P7: Sainz, P8: Leclerc, P9: Norris and P10: Vettel. With fastest lap going to Verstappen.

    On lap 33, it saw Bottas have a puncture as he fell from P3, he managed to get it back to the pits and comes out in P14. Which brings us to lap 54… Where we saw Norris who was in P4 have a puncture, Russell with a puncture and his team-mate Latifi, with the same problem. Norris and Russell managed to pit for new tyres however, Latifi couldn’t make it back to the pits so had to park near an entrance road which brought out a VSC!

    Amazing race for both Alpines! Obviously the main one being Fernando getting P3, this will help Alpine in the Constructor fight. Esteban done a really good drive too, which saw him start P9 and finish P5, good amount of points for him!

    Gutting day for McLaren, Lando had such a good qualifying and obviously with the two penalties he moved up to the second row. It looked like he secured P4 near the end of the race and then the puncture happened… He hasn’t had it easy the past few races, but i’m hoping he will take away the fact the car is good and has got pace and hopefully he has a clear head going into Saudi!

    Not quite sure what went on with Alpha Tauri, baring in mind Pierre started P2, they pitted him very early compared to everyone else and from then on he was no where, he finished 11th. Tsunoda finished P13, it looked quite promising for him to score points but obviously it didn’t go either Alpha Tauri’s way this weekend.

    The Championship-

    The gap just keeps on coming down now, 8 points between Verstappen and Hamilton. Making it an all very important two races left. Bottas’ P3 is under threat as Perez is only 13 points away, so that DNF for the Merc did not help at all!

    Norris just holds on to P5 with 153 points, with Charles Leclerc in P6 with 152 points, so it will be interesting battle between these two in the final two rounds.

    In the Constructors there is only a 5 point gap between Mercedes and Red Bull now, even more so now the fastest lap points are definitely going to come into play and there will be a lot of switching on who has it.

    Alpine now have a 25 point gap between them and Alpha Tauri. So AT really need both cars scoring good points in these next two if they want to try and get 5th back!

    Now we don’t have any racing next weekend but we will be back from the 3rd to 5th December and we will be in Saudi Arabia for the first ever Grand Prix there and go into round 21 out of 22.

  • Round 20- Qatar Quali

    Welll… Qualifying most definitely had some shock exits! Making this championship even more exciting…

    Lewis Hamilton, takes the first pole position on the Losail Circuit, carrying on his form from last weekend in Brazil! Max Verstappen joins Lewis on the front row and Bottas makes P3, showing that Mercedes are on top form!

    The full top 10 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Bottas, P4: Gasly, P5: Alonso, P6: Norris, P7: Sainz, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Ocon, P10: Vettel.

    DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 20: Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail International Circuit on November 20, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

    Red Bull are most definitely on the back foot here, with both Mercedes sandwiching Max it could easily be a preview of the podium.

    Talking about RB and them being on the back foot, part of that is because Perez was out in Q2! Not a good weekend so far for him, it’ll be interesting to see what the strategy is for Red Bull considering no-one knows how this race is going to go.

    Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo also out in Q2, which most definitely shocked a few people. Leclerc has been having problems since yesterday, but it just seems like he isn’t comfortable in the car on this track.

    Russell into Q2, Mr Saturday is back, starting P15, which means free choice of tyres and could potentially score some points tomorrow.

    Both Alpha Tauri’s and Alpine in the top 10, the battles between the four cars will be interesting, especially with Alonso he always provides good and clean fights on track and Pierre being so consistent this year, who won’t give up a position.

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    I’m going to say for my top 5 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Gasly and P5: Sainz.

    Tomorrow should be an exciting race, no-one knows whether it’s going to be a 1 stop or 2 stop so I can imagine teams will be keeping an eye out for tyre degradation.

  • Qatar GP

    This weekend we are in Qatar for the first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix, coming into this weekend, its an unknown track to all the teams, so they will be all starting off on the same foot.

    Going into the final 3 races now the championship is hotting up, with only 14 point seperating Max and Lewis, could we see that gap come down again? Its all to play for!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    McLaren again need a good weekend, two races not scoring points for Ricciardo, and Norris only scoring two points in the last two races. At this moment in time McLaren are just giving P3 to Ferrari, but hopefully with a new track there luck will change this weekend.

    Going in to the final 3 races, the second drivers will come into play which we saw last weekend, where Red Bull pitted Perez to take the fastest lap point away from Lewis and Mercedes. So Bottas and Perez will be putting there all in for the next 3 races so they can help their team-mates win the Championship, and their teams the Constructors.

    I think Lance needs a good weekend, I feel like his struggling with the car the last few races, the last time he scored points was in Turkey. His currently sat in 13th in the Championship, with his team mate sat in 12th, but the points difference between the two is quite big.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five predictions are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Gasly and P5: Norris.

    Hopefully, we will see both the McLaren’s in top 10 they need a good start to the weekend, and that would be it, it would also give both drivers the confidence too.

    Maybe a Q3 for Yuki? New track for him as the same for everyone else, but he feels good going into this weekend and he wants to show some people wrong after the last couple of weeks.

    Times for the weekend are-

    Saturday 20th- FP3: 11:00am – 12:00pm (GMT), 12:00pm – 13:00pm (CET). Qualifying: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (GMT), 15:00pm – 16:00pm (CET).

    Sunday 21st- Race: 14:00pm (GMT), 15:00pm (CET).

  • Mercedes appeal rejected

    It has been announced today, that the appeal Mercedes put in on Tuesday has been rejected by the Stewards.

    The stewards have heard from both Mercedes and Red Bull on Thursday in Qatar, then deliberated overnight before reaching a decision on Friday after the first free practice session.

    Their denial of requests means the full race result on Sunday still stands, and Verstappen is not at any risk of a penalty.

    After announcing their decision the stewards explained: “There will always be some angles of video footage, because of limits in both technology and bandwidth, that are unavailable at the time. Whether or not stewards’ decisions are considered to be right or wrong, and just as with referees’ decisions in soccer, it does not seem desirable to be able to review any or all such in‐race discretionary decisions up to two weeks after the fact and the stewards therefore seriously doubt that the intent of the Right of Review in the ISC [International Sporting Code] is to enable competitors to seek a review of such discretionary decisions that do not follow on from a formal inquiry by the stewards and do not result in a published document.”

    The verdict was made public when Toto Wolff and Christian Horner was in a press conference together. The Mercedes boss says: “Completely expected,” he said. “I think we wanted to trigger a discussion around it, because probably it will be a theme in the next few races. I think our objective is achieved; we didn’t really think it would go any further.”

    Horner added: “I think it’s obviously the right decision, because it would have opened Pandora’s Box regarding a whole bunch of other incidents that happened in that race. I think the most important thing now is to focus on this Grand Prix.”

  • Tyres for Qatar

    The tyres for this weekend in Qatar have been chosen which are the following: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft), this is the fifth and last time this year that the hardest of all the compounds in the range have been nominated.

    With it being out first ever time here, we have no data from previous years which would normally help in picking the tyres. The circuit has very demanding corners similar to both Silverstone and Mugello, it also has quite aggressive asphalt.

    The start/finish straight is just over a kilometre long, but also has 16 quick corners to make up the rest of the lap this will ensure that tyres will be working hard and could possibly lead to a reasonably high degradation. The track has still got its original surface from 2004 which offers high grip, but with the track being near the dessert the grass around the circuit doesn’t always keep the sand off the track, which could make it dusty and affect grip.

    Turns 12 to 14 form a triple apex right-hander which makes up almost a single high-energy 5.2g corner that is slightly reminiscent of the famous Turn 8 in Turkey- only in the opposite direction.

    Qatar is one of four races held in the evening under floodlights. This could means that the evloution of track temperature of the race could be quite different compared to a normal afternoon race.

    There is no support races this weekend, and the circuit hasn’t been used a lot recently which will mean that there is no rubber laid down prior to the F1 cars. SO expect the drivers slipping around at first, the only way we will see this again is if sand blows onto the track which resets itself.

  • Oscar Piastri Alpines Reserve

    It has been announced that Oscar Piastri who is currently leading the Formula 2 Championship will be Alpines Reserve Driver in 2022.

    Oscar has been apart of the Alpine Academy since January 2020 and after securing the Formula 3 Championship, he was rewarded with a young drivers test in Bahrain.

    Oscar has had a brilliant year in F2 so far and still has two rounds remaining! His racked up 178 points which include, one sprint race win, two feature race wins, five podiums and three pole positions with two rounds left.

    Last year saw Piastri take the Formula 3 title in his rookie season with two wins and six podiums. He is on course to emulate Leclerc and Russell by winning the title at the first time of asking, this would be Oscars third title in a row where he won the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019.

    Discussing the promotions Piastri says: “I’m super excited to be joining Alpine F1 Team as Reserve Driver. I’m looking forward to being much more involved with the team and contributing to its intended success next season. The Reserve Driver role is the next step towards my aim for a race seat in 2023, which is very exciting. I’ve proved myself in the junior formulas over the last couple of years and feel like I’m ready for Formula 1 now along with the trackside experience at race weekends, we will put together a substantial test programme in order to keep developing myself to grow even more prepared for a race seat. I’m very thankful to Alpine for their support.”

    “We’ve enjoyed two very successful seasons together in the Academy and I’m grateful for the faith they’ve put in me for this next step with an eye on a bigger future. My focus now is finishing the Formula 2 Championship in the best possible way with Prema and I’m looking forward to being back in the car and pushing hard on track.”

    Laurent Rossi said: “Oscar’s natural talent is clear to see, so we’re very proud and privileged to have him as part of our team as our Reserve Driver from next year. Not only does Oscar have the on-track skills, as demonstrated over the last couple of years in the junior categories, but also the maturity and composure that makes him really stand out from the rest. At Enstone, he has been a real asset to the team as he has aided the simulator and testing programme and I am certain he will continue to do so in his new role.”

    “The next step will be to consistently attend Grands Prix to fully integrate with the race team, learn what is expected of an F1 driver and be ready for when the opportunity comes. In addition, we look forward to having Oscar’s input and expertise in driving the team forwards next year.”

    My Opinion-

    I think Oscar is a great driver, he is always so determined and you can see how much he wants a Formula 1 seat in 2023. He is happy to take this role on which I’m sure will benefit him in the future and the team too, it’s good he has something already planned for next season!

    It is a bit gutting though thinking that he doesn’t have a seat next year, but I’m sure Alpine will be wanting to snap him up in 2023 before any other teams try to.

  • Mercedes request review

    Mercedes have announced that they are seeking a ‘Right of Review’ of the incident which occured during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen defend Lewis Hamilton and see both drivers run wide.

    But yesterday, the onboard footage of Max Verstappen got released, and Mercedes felt like with the new evidence which was unavailable to the stewards at the time of decision feel that it is enough for a right of review.

    The onboard of Max Verstappen.

    Hamilton started P10 on Sunday, and had been closing on Max for quite some time and finally he attepmted a pass on Lap 48 at Turn 4 but both drivers run wide when rejoining Max was still in the lead.

    The stewards noted the incident but decided soon afterward that no investigation was necessary, 11 laps later and Lewis went on to take the win. But with Mercedes taking to social media, yesterday afternoon they want to review the Turn 4 incident. The stewards will meet with representatives from the team to assess the new evidence.

    My Opinion-

    I’m not surprised by Mercedes wanting to do this, as a key video wasn’t available at the time of the incident they let it slide but now its come to surface they want to see if they can get something out of it. Which I think is fair enough considering that Lewis did get pushed of the track more than necessary.

    Let me know in the poll below if you think this is the right decision by Mercedes!

  • Gio out, Zhou in.

    It has been announced that Antonio Giovinazzi has not been retained for the 2022 season, instead Alfa Romeo have chosen Guanyu Zhou to complete their line up.

    Guanyu Zhou who is currently sitting in 2nd of the Formula 2 Championship will be the first full time Formula 1 Chinese Driver ever! Zhou, has been linked with being Alfa Romeo’s second driver for several months and was a main contender for the seat.

    Guanyu is apart of the Alpine Driver Academy along side title rival, Oscar Piastri. Zhou also has a role as a test driver for Alpine.

    “It is a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing,” said Vasseur. “He is a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we are looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in Formula 1. We are proud of our line-up for 2022 and we are confident Zhou will form a very successful partnership with Valtteri. We are also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of Formula 1 and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.”

    Zhou added: “I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true. It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past. Now the dream is reality. I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas. I wish to thank the Alfa Romeo Racing team for this opportunity. Next year the target will be to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible. To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula 1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.”

    My Opinion-

    It’s obviously a shame to see someone leaving the sport, and I can imagine Giovinazzi probably feels the same. But to have someone new come in is exciting, with watching Zhou the past few years he is definitely improving more and more as a driver.

    It will be interesting to see how he does in the Alfa Romeo next year and especially along side Valtteri Bottas, with both of them new to the team it may take them both a while to get use to the car and team.

  • Round 19- Brazil Race

    Lewis Hamilton WINS the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and to take his 101 win! To think he started in P20 in the sprint race to finish 5th and then have a five place grid penalty to start 10th in todays race and go on to win, it for sure shows this championship is far from over and with only 3 races left now!

    Max Verstappen finishes in second place not giving up just yet, but its a good day for Mercedes as Valtteri Bottas finishes in 3rd place on the podium!

    The full top 10 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Bottas, P4: Perez, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Gasly, P8: Ocon, P9: Alonso, P10: Norris. Perez took the fastest lap point away from Lewis and Mercedes on the last lap.

    Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton , Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas celebrate with Mercedes...
    Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (2-L), Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (L) and Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas (R) celebrate with Mercedes strategic chief on the podium after obtaining the first, second and third positions respectively, in Brazil’s Formula One Sao Paulo Grand Prix at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, or Interlagos racetrack, in Sao Paulo, on November 14, 2021. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP) (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)

    To start, what a race we had! We are so lucky to be witnessing such a close and exciting season, not just between Mercedes and Red Bull but also between the other teams on the track.

    First up, gutting day for McLaren in general, Lando had contact with Sainz on lap 1 which saw him drop all the way down to P20 as he had a puncture, he managed to scrape his way to 10th and finish there, as for Daniel he was having a good race until a PU problem which saw him having to retire… This is the second race in a row where McLaren have scored 1 point, can next week bring them something new?

    Ferrari then have had another strong weekend, both drivers finishing in top 10, looking more and more likely if they keep going this way they will have no problem securing P3 in the constructors!

    There was a collision between Tsunoda and Stroll which brought out a Safety Car, and also saw Tsunoda given a 10 second time penalty… Not a good weekend for him, hopefully next week will be a different story.

    The Championship-

    Now looking at the drivers standings, there is now only an 14 point gap between Max and Lewis… with 3 races to go, who will come out on top? Looking a little further down, Leclerc who is currently sitting in P6 is only 3 points away from P5 which Lando is currently sat at, these two brilliant drivers will want to give it everything now.

    Looking at the constructors, Mercedes now have an 11 point lead over Red Bull, both teams with two talented drivers its going to be a close one for sure! Ferrari have a hefty gap now in P3 making it 31.5 points between them and McLaren, the british based team will be needing something special to happen in the next 3 races if Ferrari carry on like this… Alpine and Alpha Tauri are sat on the same points 112, with Alpine ahead in 5th this is going to be a tight battle!

    Onto the next! We are racing at a completely new circuit next week to finish of our triple header and we are in Qatar for its first ever F1 World Championship race!

  • Round 19- Brazil Sprint

    Valtteri Bottas is on POLE position for the Sáo Paulo GP! He beats Max Verstappen to it after taking the lead on the first lap!

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

    We all knew Hamilton would be on a charge today, but to get up 15 places in 24 laps, the reigning world champion is on fire! It makes you think, what could he do with 71 laps tomorrow starting P10? Maybe a win is on the cards…

    Not a good start for Ricciardo or Gasly, Ricciardo finished out of the top 10 so he will most definitely be on the charge tomorrow to claw some points. Pierre started the Sprint in 4th and finished in 8th, even thought he will be starting the race in P7 he will be hoping to get a better start tomorrow.

    Amazing start for Sainz, finished P3 after starting 5th, he managed to hold of Perez too both of them starting on the 2nd row tomorrow so that will be entertaining to see the battle between the two.

    Predictions-

    I think Lewis will take the win, I think his hungry for it and he knows he can get it too. He wants to show everyone his still in this title fight by the moves he does on track!

    The rest of my top 5 predictions are- P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Norris and P5: Perez.

    Tomorrow will be a very entertaining race, 71 laps of overtaking and strategies taking place. If you wasn’t planning on watching the race I’d change your plans!

    5PM (GMT) lights go out, come back for all the details after the race!

  • Hamilton Disqualified, Verstappen Fined

    Well what a 24 hours it has been! What has not happened since qualifying wow…

    First of all Lewis Hamilton got called to the stewards last night about his rear wing it had been deemed that it was not in the regulations for the DRS, but the stewards couldn’t come to a close last night so it resumed at 10.30am this morning…

    Max also got called to the stewards this morning an hour before Mercedes due to him touching the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton’s in Parc Ferme after qualifying.

    Only now have they come to an answer to both of them. First up Max got a €50,000 fine for obviously touching the Mercedes which isn’t allowed at all and it states that in the regulations so that seems a fair conclusion I’d say.

    Now onto Lewis he has been disqualified from qualifying yesterday which means he obviously won’t be starting the sprint race from pole instead Max Verstappen will.

    Both Mercedes and the stewards came to the conclusion that Max didn’t have anything to do with the DRS infringement on Lewis Hamilton‘s car…

    Merc and the stewards came to agreement that there was an unintentional fault with the rear wing and no obvious reason which has led to the disqualification.

    This means that Lewis Hamilton will be starting the sprint race from P20 meaning all drivers move up one place, where ever he finishes today he will obviously qualify but he also has a 5 place grid penalty for a new ICE which will be put on after the Sprint.

    Now with only two hours to go to till the final sprint of the season all eyes are on Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to see how well they can do before the 5 place grid penalty comes into play could he somehow get into the top 10 who knows!

  • Round 19- Brazil Quali

    Well… It was our first day of action of the Sao Paulo GP and I had no clue what to expect! Lewis has took a new ICE meaning on Sunday he will have a five place grid penalty, but today was all about qualifying!

    Hamilton tops the charts and goes fastest out of everyone, showing his not giving up in this fight till the very end! Verstappen joins him on the front row of the grid in P2 and his sandwiched by the Mercedes of Bottas in P3.

    Fastest qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at...
    SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 12: Fastest qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 12, 2021 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

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

    I’m quite shocked that both Russell and Latifi out in Q1, I thought maybe they would get into Q2 but they now have two chance to redeem themselves starting with tomorrows sprint!

    Another one who shocked me was Stroll who was also out in Q1, starting 16th his right in the middle of any drama that could happen in the beginning of the sprint which could compromise him! Hopefully he gets through it okay if there is any drama, as Aston Martin will be hoping for a strong weekend.

    Predictions for Sprint-

    I can see pole going to Hamilton, if he gets away unscathed I think he wont really have any challenges tomorrow and he will be hoping to keep P1 so then he starts P6 on Sunday. The rest of the top five I think will be: P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Gasly and P5: Leclerc.

    Hopefully we see both McLaren’s and Ferrari’s battling for position tomorrow, with some late overtakes from Danny Ric. Both teams will be wanting to use tomorrow as much as possible so then they can get further up the grid and get more points for Sunday.

    Someone to look out for tomorrow is Alonso, we all see how he does in the Sprint the previous two times, so he may be a surprise and be towards the middle of the top 10!

    Times for tomorrow are-

    Saturday 13th- FP2: 15:00pm – 16:00pm (GMT), 16:00pm – 17:00pm (CET). Sprint: 19:30pm – 20:00pm (GMT), 20:30pm – 21:00pm (GMT).

  • Brazil GP

    We are back racing once again, for our second race of the triple header. Who will be leaving Brazil victorious? With only 19 points between the top 2 could this weekend be Maxs’ to loose? Or will it be Lewis’? Both have won here before, Max back in 2019 and Lewis in 2016 and 2018.

    This weekend isn’t like any normal race weekend, we have the final sprint of 2021, and with the fact that there are more points up for grabs who will be wanting to make the most impact? Could we see a Ferrari or McLaren up there trying to get some points? Or will it be two Mercs against one Bull or the other way round…

    In both weekends of the previous sprint races we have had Max and Lewis touch at Silverstone which saw Max DNF on the Sunday, and then the weekend in Monza where we saw Max and Lewis DNF on the Sunday again… Could we see potential of this again on Sunday? Personally I hope not, as I want the battle to come down to the last race!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    McLaren need a good weekend, after Ricciardo not scoring last weekend he will be wanting to get a good points haul this weekend to help in the fight for P3 in the Constructors, the same goes to Lando as well, even though he started back of the grid last weekend and managed to score one point, he will be wanting to finish higher up than that this weekend.

    Bottas will be wanting a good weekend, again after last weekend and not scoring, its put him in a spot where he could potentially loose P3 in the driver standings if Perez keeps having really good races and Bottas not having good ones, this would then effect on the Constructors too with only one point separating the top 2!

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My predictions for the top five for qualifying are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Bottas, P4: Perez and P5: Norris.

    Hopefully we see a Williams in the top 10 for qualifying this weekend. But traffic will play a part in qualifying tomorrow, so keep an eye out especially if there is a yellow flag.

    Pierre will be wanting to do well in tomorrows qualifying, last time out he got a podium here in 2019, so he will be wanting to do well this weekend and possibly pick up the pieces if something like that happens this weekend.

    Times for the weekend are-

    Friday 12th- FP1: 15:30pm – 16:30pm (GMT), 16:30pm – 17:30pm (CET). Qualifying: 19:00pm – 20:00pm (GMT), 20:00pm – 21:00pm (CET).

    Saturday 13th- FP2: 15:00pm – 16:00pm (GMT), 16:00pm – 17:00pm (CET). Sprint: 19:30pm – 20:00pm (GMT), 20:30pm – 21:00pm (GMT).

    Sunday 14th- Race: 17:00pm (GMT), 18:00pm (CET).

  • Tyres for Brazil

    Pirelli have chosen the tyres ahead of this weekend for the Brazil GP, where we will see the sprint race return for the last time in 2021.

    The tyres chosen are C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). This is the same tyre choice which has been made for the raves on the American continent this year, however it is a step softer than the tyre choice nominated in 2019.

    The hard tyre wasn’t used extensively on our last visit to Brazil, but this years choice should see an more even use of all compounds potentially different variations in strategy.

    The circuit itself-

    A lap of Interlagos is short and intense, the lap is one of the few anti-clockwise layouts on the calendar. With a non-stop succession of corners that keeps the tyres working hard- pacifically the front right.

    Traffic can be an issue on the circuit as its a short lap, so you may want to keep an eye out for this over the course of the weekend, especially qualifying, the traffic also plays a bit of a role on strategy for the sprint and race too.

    The weather in Brazil at this time of year can range from intense heat to torrential rain, but the circuit shouldn’t be affected as some grooves had been cut to help drain in the event of heavy rain, looking at the weather for this weekend, theres a possibility of rain on Friday right when Qualifying is…

    The winning strategy last time out in 2019 was by Max Verstappen, a three-stop where they had two safety cars at the end of the race. Without the safety cars, a two-stop strategy is favoured with the 71 laps on Sunday.

  • Ollie Bearman joins FDA

    Looking a little further down than F1, but to do with Ferrari’s Driver Academy, they have announced two new signings to join the successful academy.

    First one being Oliver Bearman and second Rafael Camara, who were chosen at the end of the FDA Scouting World Finals. The standard was very high this year, which is known for Ferrari as they want to find the most promising up and coming young drivers.

    Ollie has had a brilliant year, competing in both Italian Formula 4 and the German Formula 4 he walked away from both of them winning the titles at the age of 16. Italian F4 saw him with eleven wins, five pole positions and two fastest laps. With the German F4 saw him get six wins, five podiums, five pole positions and three fastest laps. He is the second British driver to join FDA after Callum Ilott.

    Rafael is currently racing in karts. He is definitely making an impact this year as he won the WSK Champion Cup and the WSK Super Master Cup. He won a European Championship race as well as a Champions of the future race. All getting him to this point now, he is the third Brazilian to join FDA.

    They both are joining a successful academy, FDA have seen the likes of Charles Leclerc, Jules Bianchi, Mick Schumacher, Callum Ilott through. As well as currently FDA drivers, Arthur Leclerc, Robert Shwartzman, Maya Weug, Dino Beganovic.

    Ollie Bearman says: “I am really happy to have been selected to join the Ferrari Driver Academy. It is a great way to end what has been a really good racing season  for me. Just spending a week in Maranello was in itself an amazing experience, especially getting to drive at the Fiorano track. Now, I can’t wait to start working at the Academy and to be part of the Ferrari family and to see what the future holds for me.”

    Rafael Chaves Camara says: “I am very happy to have been chosen by the Ferrari Driver Academy. It is a unique opportunity for me and I will do my best to repay the faith shown in me. It is a dream to be part of this big Ferrari family and I just have to thank everyone who has always supported me, especially my parents who are always by my side.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great, i’ve heard a lot about Ollie this year and I kept up on what he was doing while testing Formula 3 last week and I would definitely say he is one to watch out in the future. Just take a look at what his doing at just 16 years old, it makes you think what could he be doing in 5 years? F1 maybe? You may want to remember the name Ollie Bearman for the future.

    I haven’t heard much about Rafael until he got announced for FDA but I think now people will be wanting to keep an eye on what he does in the future myself included. To be scouted so young into your career obviously shows you have a tremendous amount of talent.

  • Saucy joins F3 for 2022

    The first signing for the 2022 Formula 3 Championship has been announced, and that is Grégoire Saucy and for ART Grand Prix.

    Saucy took part in the post-season testing at Valencia last week, where he set the best time of the three-day test and consistently running in the top two with ART.

    This isn’t the start of Saucy’s and ART’s relationship as it started last year as he competed in the Formula Renault Eurocup before making the switch to the newly formed Formula Regional Championship, he went on to get the title with 10 podiums including eight wins!

    “I am honoured and happy to continue the adventure with such a fantastic team like ART Grand Prix,” said Saucy. “This is a continuation after our great year 2021. I know the team and how it works, and this will be a very valuable asset to prepare for next season. I would like to thank my sponsors for this opportunity. The Valencia test went very well, even though I had a lot of new parameters to work through. Having said that, it’s way too early to set any goals for myself as I still.”

    Team manager Sébastien Philippe added: “After two years of a fruitful collaboration, concluded by securing the first title in the history of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021, ART Grand Prix was very keen to take another step forward with Greg. He showed the full extent of his talent and maturity in 2021 and in addition to this, we have come to know and appreciate each other both personally and sportingly. I am delighted and eager to write this new chapter in our collaboration.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great, I kept an eye on what Saucy was doing during testing and he definitely was one of the ones who stood out for me. It will be interesting to see what he does next year!

  • Round 18- Mexico Race

    If you was unsure whether Mexico was an Red Bull track or Mercedes, its safe to say RB stole the show today! Max Verstappen WINS the Mexican GP, with Lewis Hamilton in 2nd and Sergio Perez coming home in 3rd making him the first ever Mexican on the podium at his home race!

    It was not Bottas’ day today which is a massive shame after that pole position lap yesterday. Lap one incident which saw him drop down the grid and then a slow pit stop and being held up by Ricciardo. But he did do the second driver role of taking the fastest lap point away from Max Verstappen which helps his team-mate out massively in the championship battle.

    The top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Gasly, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Vettel, P8: Räikkönen, P9: Alonso and P10: Norris. The fastest lap of the race goes to VB but due to not being in top 10 he doesn’t get that extra point.

    Pierre drove brilliantly, it seems that Alpha Tauri had got their strategy right with pitstops as he pitted at the right time and kept hold of P4 for the majoritiy of the race! The same can’t be said with his team-mate Tsunoda, another first lap incident which saw him get hit which caused him to DNF. I was quite looking forward to seeing some good overtakes from him, but these things happen!

    Not a good race for Daniel, obviously being apart of the lap 1 incident was the main cause which saw him loose his front wing… he done brilliant defending and his late breaking from Bottas kept the Mercedes up for a long time! Norris done quite well considering he started 18th due to penalty, he done a very long stint on the mediums which saw him work his way up the order and sit in P7 until he pitted which saw him drop down to 10th which he still managed a point!

    Good day for both Ferraris, coming home in P5 and P6 which gives them a very strong start to the triple header, if they keep this up McLaren may be in trouble for P3 in the championship here…

    MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 07: Third placed Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on November 07, 2021 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

    The Championship-

    Max now leads with a 19 point gap over Lewis, which in reality isn’t anything when we have four races to go and a sprint race too. I don’t think this battle will be over anytime soon…

    Mercedes are still leading the constructors with a 1 point lead over RB, so if Valtteri didn’t get that fastest lap and Max did RB would be leading the constructors! Ferrari are now in third with their big points haul this weekend, they really capitalised on Ricciardo working his way down the order on first lap…

    Now onto the next race, we are returning to Brazil for round 19! We don’t have to wait long as its only next week and we are also having the third and final sprint race of this season too!

  • Round 18- Mexico Quali

    Well well well, it’s a 1-2 for Mercedes!!! Bottas grabs pole position with Lewis sitting in second place and Max Verstappen in third.

    I did not expect that today and it also seems that RB did not expect them at either, it definitely seemed going into qualifying that this was definitely Red Bulls but Mercedes turned it round in Q2 and Q3, both of the Mercs done amazing laps!

    The top 10 is as follows (before penalties) P1: Bottas, P2: Hamilton, P3: Verstappen, P4: Perez, P5: Gasly, P6: Sainz, P7: Ricciardo, P8: Leclerc, P9: Tsunoda, P10: Norris.

    Something we have to remember is Tsunoda, Ocon, Stroll and Norris are all starting at the back of the grid due to engine penalties and Russell has got a 5 place grid penalty due to a gear box change.

    Wasn’t a good day for Aston Martin, Stroll had a big shunt in Q1 which meant he wasn’t able to continue which isn’t what he wanted even though he would be starting at the back of the grid due to penalties he would of liked to be ahead of the other drivers who have penalties…

    Bit of a shock to see Alonso out in Q1 too, the Alpine does have pace so it should be getting into Q2 at least…

    Predictions-

    I have a feeling we will have a crazy race tomorrow, with strategy coming into play and the start of the race with a long straight we could see a different driver leading the race at Turn 1…

    My top five for predictions are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Bottas, P3: Verstappen, P4: Perez and P5: Gasly. So I don’t really see much changing apart from Hamilton and Bottas!

    Only 12 points between Max and Lewis now, will we see Lewis take the lead of the Championship again? Or can Max try and build that gap up again? Nobody knows but we have 71 laps to see how it goes…

  • China GP Extended

    It has been announced that the Chinese Grand Prix has come to a deal to extend their contract until 2025.

    Even though this is good news unfortunately it still won’t make an appearance on the record breaking 23-race calendar for 2022 due to the still on-going struggles with the pandemic…

    Our last visit to Shanghai was back in 2019 and F1 celebrated its 1000th race which saw Lewis Hamilton take the win ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel

    F1 made its debut at the Shanghai International Circuit back in 2004 and Michael Schumacher holds the lap record at 1:32.238

    Formula 1’s President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “This is great news for all of our fans in China and we are delighted to announce this agreement that will see us racing in Shanghai until 2025.”

    “Our partnership with the promoter Juss Sports is incredibly strong and we look forward to continuing our long term partnership. While we are all disappointed we could not include China on the 2022 calendar due to ongoing pandemic conditions, China will be restored to the calendar as soon as conditions allow and we look forward to being back with the fans as soon as we can.”

    My Opinion-

    It’s always nice to see a track we haven’t been at for 2 years to come back but the fact we have to wait until 2023 to be back on the calendar makes it all the better for when we do return!

    Overtaking is quite easy round the track so it’s guaranteed to make for a good weekend, they may possibly want to do a sprint race here if they continue to do them past the 2022 season

  • Mexico GP

    After two years we are returning to Mexico so we can start of our final triple header of the 2021 season! It is the home Grand Prix of Sergio Perez but will he be fortunate enough to win his own GP for the very first time? Or will the championship come into play…

    Could we see Max extending his lead or will disaster struck again in Mexico for the dutchman? All we know is this weekend could either go to Mercedes as Red Bull as both teams have done well here before…

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I think coming into the last 5 races its tougher to pick out who needs a good weekend, everybody will be wanting to score points and this is where DNF’s will come into play for the teams. But lets pick out a few!

    I’m thinking maybe Aston Martin, Vettel and Stroll are currently sitting P12 and P13 in the championship which puts the team in 7th overall, I feel like they need to score a good amount of points this weekend especially if they want to pick up a last minute fight in the constructors with Alpha Tauri who is currently sat in 6th and Alpine who are sat in 5th.

    Alpine will be looking to bounce back as having two DNF’s in COTA made them miss out on getting a good set of points, I have no doubt at least one of the Alpines will finish in the top 10 this weekend.

    The same goes for Gasly, he DNF in COTA too so he could do with a really good weekend in Mexico, hopefully he gets that as he has been consistent this year. Last time out in 2019, Pierre managed to finish 9th so he will be hoping to improve on that result.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five predictions are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Bottas and P5: Leclerc.

    I think for qualifying we will get the same four teams in the top 10 at our last race weekend, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari. Which only leaves two spots left, possibly an Alpha Tauri and Alpine?

    Grid penalties could come into play again this weekend which could shake up the order, none have officially been announced as of yet but I can imagine last minute decisions could be made!

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 5th- FP1: 17:30pm – 18:30pm (GMT), 18:30pm – 19:30pm (CET). FP2: 21:00pm – 22:00pm (GMT), 22:00pm – 23:00pm (CET).

    Saturday 6th- FP3: 17:00pm – 18:00pm (GMT), 18:00pm – 19:00pm (CET). Qualifying: 20:00pm – 21:00pm (GMT), 21:00pm – 22:00pm (CET).

    Sunday 7th- Race: 19:00pm (GMT), 20:00pm (CET).

  • Tyres for Mexico

    We are back for another race week and its that time again to look at the tyre allocation for Mexico.

    The tyres in which have been chosen are: C2 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). This is the same selection when we last raced here in 2019 but a step harder than in 2018 due to the soft tyre being to aggressive for the circuit.

    It is also the same range which we had back in COTA two weeks ago, but with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez it is a very different track. For one it is a lot smoother than two weeks ago, it also has a fast opening sector with a long start-finish straight playing a big part in it.

    The circuit itself-

    At roughly 2285 metres, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits at the highest altitude of any track on the calendar (more than 1000 metres), this then affects the air as its very thin and with the car running high levels of downforce to generate aerodynamic grip through the corner, but it is actually extremely minimised which can then lead to some sliding.

    The circuit is one of the most historic circuits in Formula 1 which roots all the way back to the 1950’s. However it has since then been extremely updated before it returned to the calendar in 2015.

    The track hasn’t had a lot of running over the past few years, so the drivers should expect a slipper surface at first. The weather is unpredictable at this time of year in so if it does rain all the rubber will be worn away… At the time of this post the weather is clear skies so hopefully it stays that way for this weekend.

    Back in 2019, the top three finishers all went with a one-stop medium to hard which saw long stints on the hard. However Charles Leclerc done a two-stop that featured two medium stints and he managed to finish fourth, we could potentially see a mix of different strategies on Sunday.

  • Novalek in F2 2022

    The first driver announcement for 2022 has been announced! MP Motorsport has confirmed the signing of Formula 3 driver, Clément Novalak for the final two rounds of 2021 and the full 2022 season.

    Novalak will be replacing Lirim Zendeli after Lirim has had to pull out due to financial reasons taking place once again which is a big shame for him. Lirim is currently sat in 17th with 13 points.

    Novalak had a very good year in F3 this year, overall he finished 3rd in the driver’s championship and he helped Trident secure the Teams Championship which saw him score four podiums.

    Taking a look into his career he has excelled, he won the 2019 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Carlin and then moved up into Formula Three where he competed for two years with his first being with Carlin Buzz and his second with Trident.

    “I’m delighted to get my first taste of F2 as soon as at Jeddah and Yas Marina,” said Novalak. “This will only help me towards my ambitions for a first full season in F2 in 2022. I’m truly thankful to MP Motorsport for handing me this opportunity, and I fully intend to make the most of it. MP has been a race-winning outfit in F2 for the past two years, so I hope that teaming up with them will allow me to return to my winning ways. I can’t wait to get started!”

    MP Motorsport team manager Sander Dorsman added: ““We are very happy to welcome Clément in our F2 line-up for 2022, and are especially excited to give him his first runs in a Formula 2 car in the six 2021 races still coming up. He pulled together a very strong season in F3, and especially his late run of form that took him up from sixth to third in the standings was extremely impressive. We are aiming to capitalise on that momentum by putting him in one of our F2 cars in the two remaining rounds on the Arabian peninsula. For next year, I’m sure he will be among the outstanding rookies of the year.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great! I catched a few of the F3 races this year and saw how well Novalak was doing so I have no doubt he will do well next year. Also having the last two rounds this year to jump in on will give him a head start with the team and build a relationship which could be vital for next year.

    Now lets wait and see who else gets announced for the Formula 2 2022 Championship!

  • F3 Test Day 2 & 3

    We are back with the results from day 2 and 3 of the post season test in Valencia, lets see who tops the time of each session!

    Day 2 Morning-

    There was a number of different driver changes for the second day of testing with the main two being Paul Aron replacing Arthur Leclerc at PREMA Racing and Oliver Rasmussen switching to ART Grand Prix.

    David Vidales was the first to set the lead time with a 1:21.723 for Campos with Stanek setting an almost identical time shorty afterwards and Saucy set the top 3.

    Crawford was then a familiar name at the top during the final hour of the morning session as he went quickest with a 1:21.368 but shortly after there was a red-flag due to Johnathan Hoggard.

    The action then resumed but the order didnt really change with the top three being Crawford, Saucy and Stanek.

    The top 10 from Tuesday’s morning session:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing1:21.368
    2Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix1:21.447
    3Roman StanekTrident1:21.453
    4Caio ColletMP Motorsport1:21.475
    5Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing1:21.521
    6Oliver BearmanPREMA Racing1:21.593
    7Zane MaloneyTrident1:21.666
    8David VidalesCampos Racing1:21.723
    9Kaylen FrederickHiTech Grand Prix1:21.839
    10Reece UshijimaVan Amersfoort Racing1:21.889

    Afternoon-

    Three rookies set the standard for the afternoon session, with Colapinto leading Jenzer Motorsport duo Enzo Trulli and William Alatalo with a lap time of 1:22.757.

    Edgar then put in a 1:22.739 which put the 2021 Team Champion, Trident at the top of the leaderboard before Saucy brought the session to a halt with a red flag.

    Collet was the first to break the 1m 22s on this afternoon session after lapping a 1:21.843 which many drivers tried to beat and failed at doing so. But with only 15 minutes left of the session, Saucy decided to put on new tyres and to knock off the driver off P1 when he lapped a 1:21.789.

    The top 10 is as follows for Tuesday’s afternoon session:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport1:21.759
    2Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix1:21.789
    3Caio ColletMP Motorsport1:21.843
    4Paul AronPREMA Racing1:21.857
    5Roman StanekTrident1:21.864
    6Kaylen FrederickHiTech Grand Prix1:21.913
    7Zane MaloneyTrident1:21.927
    8Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing1:21.941
    9David Vidales Campos Racing1:21.951
    10Oliver Bearman PREMA Racing1:21.979

    Day 3- Morning-

    The drivers didn’t hang about to get out on track this morning as soon as the lights went green the action started. We had Caio Collet set the early pace at 1:21.392 ahead of MP’s Colapinto and Ushijima.

    Smolyars return to Formula Three machinery didn’t last long as his VAR came to a stop in the first hour which paused the session. Once it resumed Saucy took P1 from Collet by only 0.092s there was then two further stoppages as Bearman came to a halt at Turn 12 and Marti stopped at Turn 4.

    Focus then went to data gathering in the second half of the morning and Saucy kept his place at the top of the leaderboard.

    The top 10 is as follows for the morning session:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix1:21.300
    2Caio ColletMP Motorsport1:21.392
    3Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing1:21.401
    4Roman StanekTrident1:21.422
    5Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport1:21.543
    6Zane MaloneyTrident1:21.597
    7Kaylen FrederickHiTech Grand Prix1:21.629
    8Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing1:21.767
    9Paul AronPREMA Racing1:21.835
    10Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1:21.873

    Afternoon-

    There was lots of long-runs in the afternoon stint until the last half an hour. Collet kept up his impressive work and set the time of 1:22.811 ahead of Edgar and Ushijima.

    Collet remained at the top for 2 hours and a half until Doohan pushed him off after there was a red flag due to Benavides stopping on track.

    Zak O’Sullivan managed to break into the top 10 after spending the first two days if testing in the latter half of leaderboard. He finished ahead of teammate Logan Sargeant.

    The top 10 is as follows for the final session of the 3 days:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing1:22.354
    2Reece UshijimaCampos Racing1:22.545
    3Jonny EdgarTrident1:22.658
    4Alexander SmolyarVan Amersfoort Racing1:22.794
    5Filip UgranVan Amersfoort Racing1:22.801
    6Caio ColletMP Motorsport1:22.811
    7Hunter YeanyCampos Racing1:22.884
    8Zak O’SullivanCarlin Buzz Racing1:22.940
    9Logan SargeantCarlin Buzz Racing1:23.046
    10Isack HadjarHiTech Grand Prix1:23.011

    And this wraps up the post-season testing! Keep your eyes peeled for announcements on which drivers will be on track next year and when the testing calendar for 2022…

  • Logan Sargeant joins Williams

    During the US Grand Prix weekend, it got announced that American racer Logan Sargeant is now officially apart of the Williams’ Driver Academy

    This year, Logan led Charouz Racing System to their first victory in Formula 3. Also their highest ever points tally, with Logan finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings. With a total of four podiums, including his victory in Sochi he helped the team finish 5th in the Teams’ Championship.

    His role within the British team includes simulator work and helping with the car development. We will most likely see him at a lot of race weekends next year when his not racing. Even though it has not been announced what his plans are for 2022, they will be announced in ‘due course’.

    Logan joins Roy Nissany, Jack Aitken and Jamie Chadwick in the Academy. All of them looking to be the best…

    “I am delighted to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy,” said Sargeant. “It’s a team with not only a fantastic history, but a great track record of bringing young talent into Formula 1. I am really excited to begin working with the team and can’t wait to hit the ground running.”

    Williams CEO Jost Capito added: “I am incredibly pleased to welcome Logan to the Williams Racing Driver Academy. He’s demonstrated his talent in FIA Formula 3, consistently delivering strong results in an extremely competitive field. I’m proud that Williams will play a part in supporting the progression and growth of another talented young driver.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is a good move from both sides, with now the backing of Williams for Logan, he will more than likely be in Formula 2 next year, hopefully it wont be too long until we get an announcement to see his plans. It will be interesting to see how he does next year, definitely one to watch.

  • F3 Post-Season Test Day 1

    Today we had the first day of post-season testing for Formula 3, it took place in Valencia. Testing takes place over three days, with an overall of 18 hours in total. Lets take a look on how things have ended today.

    Morning-

    To start the day off, we started in wet conditions with everyone being forced to head out on wet tyres, but it soon switched to blue skies.

    Rookie Franco Colapinto set the early pace with MP Motorsport lapping a 1:35.044 just ahead of team-mate Caio Collet. P1 then kept switching between the rookie duo, Zane Maloney and Grégoire Saucy before Jonny Edgar took the time below 1:30’s and took the lead.

    Then a switch to the slicks with an hour left on the clock produced some better lap times under 1m 26s. Caio Collet broke the 1m 24s barrier with only 15 minutes left, just before Doohan put the Dutch-based team, Van Amersfoort Racing in first.

    The top 10 from the morning session is as follows:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing1:23.349
    2Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1:23.541
    3Kaylen FrederickHiTech Grand Prix1:23.546
    4Roman StanekTrident1:23.580
    5Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing1:23.668
    6Oliver RasmussenCharouz Racing System1:23.747
    7Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing1:23.765
    8Caio ColletMP Motorsport1:23.838
    9Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport1:23.847
    10Zane MaloneyTrident1:23.863

    Afternoon-

    For the afternoon session things warmed up, as MP Motorsport set the pace with Collet leading Colapinto with a lap time of 1:23.125. Kaylen Frederick then briefly replaced Colapinto in P2 before Martins drove into P1 being the first driver to break the 1m 23s today.

    With less than an hour to go on the clock, Doohan broke into the top two but still remained a hundredth of Martins time. During the final stages he managed to push Martins down to P2 after putting a 1:22.402 on the board.

    Saucy and Maloney led the rookies this afternoon where they placed third and fourth, ahead of Stanek. Rasmussen put in the most laps of the afternoon completing 60.

    The top 10 of afternoon session is as follows:

    DriverTeamLaptime
    1Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing1:22.402
    2Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1:22.533
    3Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix1:22.684
    4Zane MaloneyTrident1:22.708
    5Roman StanekTrident1:22.739
    6Lorenzo ColomboCharouz Racing System1:22.846
    7Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing1:22.893
    8Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing1:22.967
    9Oliver RasmussenCharouz Racing System1:23.071
    10Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport1:23.072

  • A look into the last 5 races

    Now we only have 5 races left this season so lets take a closer look into them and see what could potentially happen in the next 6 weeks and see who could come out on top at each track…

    Mexico:

    First up starting our triple header we have Mexico, this is a track which both Max and Lewis has won at twice each and Lewis being the last one to win their back in 2019. But that doesn’t mean its going to go his way as the Honda engine thrives in thinner air which favours the high-downforce nature of the car.

    Favourites to win: Red Bull.

    Brazil:

    Again like above it applies to the race at Sao Paulo. Last time we raced here in 2019, Red Bull dominated with Verstappen taking pole and the race win, and if Albon wasn’t hit RB would of took a 1-2.

    RB have a far more competitive car, compared to previous years and this appears to be one of Verstappen’s best tracks. But with the power of the Mercedes engine on what we saw at Austin it could make things interesting.

    We also have the last sprint race of the season here, so this could change things up and we could get a very different result…

    Favourites to win: Red Bull.

    Qatar:

    Now coming into races we have never raced and no past results to look at it makes it difficult to predict who will leave on top. All we can do is guess which car will suit the circuit layout more.

    Looking at it I am more leaning towards Mercedes, as they will gain a lot of time on the Red Bulls due to the 1km main straight and thats only the most possible overtaking spot. But it all depends on track position, qualifying will play a massive part of the Qatar weekend, and as well as this, set up’s, tyre strategy will also play a big part.

    Favourites to win: Mercedes.

    Saudi Arabia:

    Again, the Jeddah Street Circuit is unknown for F1 and the teams so we will be looking at the circuit itself.

    When the words street circuit you initially think of “Red Bull to dominate” but its a completley different circuit to what we are use to. It features some long straights and some high speed sweeping corners, which will benefit the Mercedes more.

    As well as this, Hamilton is known to thrive on street circuits (apart from Monaco this year), where as Verstappen’s aggressiveness has cost him (again apart from Monaco.)

    Favourites to win: Mercedes

    Abu Dhabi:

    Now onto the season finale, Mercedes have dominated here winning every race in the hybrid era, however that changed last year when Max won. But with that being said Mercedes, struggled with their car setups all weekend and had engine issues to add to the problem.

    With the changes coming to the circuit this year as well, making it possible for more overtakes it could change the race completely and we could see both Merc’s having a really good weekend especially if they figure out what set up is the best one.

    Favourites to win: Mercedes.

    I’m very much looking forward to these next 5 races, it will be entertaining to see who comes out on top and as well the fight between Ferrari and McLaren.

  • F2 & F3 points allocation

    More changes are coming to Formula Two and Three next year as they have announced new points allocation as they make changes to the Sporting Regulations.

    This follows as announcement was made earlier that the weekend formats have changed for both F2 and F3 next year.

    For Formula 2 the top 8 who finish in the sprint race will be awarded points, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.

    Whereas with Formula 3 the top 10 will be awarded points in the sprint race 10. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point.

    For F2 and F3 the feature race point allocation will not change which is the top 10 scoring points (the same as F1).

    Starting from 2022 aswell, only two points will be awarded for pole position in both championships. And in each race, one point will be allocated to the driver who has the fastest lap.

    My Opinion-

    With things changing in both categories it makes sense for the points allocation to change too. It gives the drivers more determination to want to score better and make there way up to the next level.

    I think we’re going to be in a real treat next year in both F2 and F3, with some bright talents coming through it’ll make for some exciting races!

  • Should GAS go back?

    So one of the main thing I feel like gets talked about in F1 whether there are spare seats or not, is whether Pierre Gasly will ever return to Red Bull?…

    Since Daniel Ricciardo left RB back in the 2018 season, its been no lie that the other Red Bull seat has been hard to fill with them now being on their third driver in three years.

    It started off with Pierre, but unfortunatley he only lasted 12 races, and Alex Albon got brought in for the rest of 2019 season and the full 2020 season. Sergio Perez is now the third driver to be in that seat for this year and then his got a contract extension till then end of the ’22 season.

    It’s no lie that Pierre thinks he should be in that second seat, even more so now that his got a win with Alpha Tauri, and he is putting consistent results in almost every weekend and pulling everything out of the Alpha Tauri.

    Gasly admitted that he felt over looked for 2022 promotion speaking to Canal Plus, he recently said: “I felt based on this year I could have deserved a better chance, but that is the decision, it doesn’t stop my motivation.”

    My Opinion-

    I feel like this is a tough one, Pierre obviously thinks a lot of Red Bull still even after everything so of course he is going to stay loyal to them. But theres a time when you say enough is enough.

    Pierre is still contracted to RB till the end of 2023, so I don’t know whether he waits till then to leave RB all together or wait and see if he gets a drive for Red Bull for the 2023 season, but he wont be the only one hoping for a drive then, Alex Albon wants to be a contender for the RB seat in 2023, and if you look into the feeder series, you’ve got RB juniors in there such as, Juri Vips, Liam Lawson, Dennis Hauger, Jack Doohan and many others who will be looking to fill that seat or the Alpha Tauri seats…

    I personally don’t see him going back to Red Bull, which is a shame but I do think he will be in a top car in the next few years, which I can’t wait to see!

  • Round 17- Austin Race

    WHAT. A. RACE! Wow… Max Verstappen WINS the US Grand Prix!! No-one knew how this race was going to go, but it did not disappoint!

    The battle between Max and Lewis was something else, first Lewis taking the lead and then the possibility of Red Bull stopping early but it seemed that Max looked after his tyres really really well! Both drivers drove amazing and definitely put on a show…

    The top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Leclerc, P5: Ricciardo, P6: Bottas, P7: Sainz, P8: Norris, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Vettel. Fastest lap goes to Hamilton.

    The battles between McLaren and Ferrari this race was something else! It seemed like Leclerc just wanted to get away and he did! He didn’t really have many battles in the race but he fully deserved the 4th position!

    At one point, Alonso was providing us with the battles and when they eventually stopped we had Alpine and the FIA communicating about the second one and how it was not fair etc.

    Personally, I feel like Bottas didn’t do much. In his first stint I felt like it took a while for his tyres to kick in and then afterwards the gap was too big to other drivers and the only way he went up the grid was due to pit stops.

    We sadly had 3 retirements this race, first up being Pierre Gasly, and then both Alpine’s for different reasons.

    The championship…

    So Max now has a 12 point lead over Lewis, but things can change very quickly… Perez is now into P4 but only by one point so Lando will be looking to get back into that spot.

    The gap between Mercedes and Red Bull is only 23 points, so having Perez be in P3 for race really boosted them up higher!

    Now onto the next! Only 5 remaining now and the next time we are back we have a triple header…

    We’re starting in Mexico on the weekend of the 5th November, who will come out on top?

  • Round 17- Austin Quali

    Well well well… we have Max Verstappen starting on pole position for tomorrow’s race! With Lewis Hamilton lining up next to him on the grid.

    This is the 7th time the championship pair have been in the front row together this season… Who will come out on top after the first lap?

    The top 10 is as follows: P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Bottas, P5: Leclerc, P6: Sainz, P7: Ricciardo, P8: Norris, P9: Gasly and P10: Tsunoda. Bottas will be starting P9, so Leclerc to Gasly all move up a place for tomorrow’s race!

    It’s good to see Tsunoda in Q3 for the second race weekend in a row! Could this be down to Alex Albon coaching him? This will really benefit Alpha Tauri with the constructors if he is able to score good points in these last few races…

    Both McLaren and Ferrari in top 10! I feel like whatever team comes on top tomorrow is due to strategy with when to pit. A downfall on Ferrari is that they have Sainz starting on the soft tyre which will see some degrading quite quickly compared to other tyres.

    Some drivers have a penalty for the race, which will see them start at the back of the grid: Russell, Alonso and Vettel. Bottas has a five place grid penalty…

    Predictions for tomorrow:

    My top five predictions are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Perez and P5: Norris.

    I think Charles can do really well tomorrow, he finished P4 here in 2019 and he seems to have a lot of pace and confidence in his Ferrari today.

    Times-

    The times for tomorrow’s race is as follows: 20:00pm (BST), 21:00pm (CEST).