Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula One

  • Young Drivers Test 2021

    The Young Drivers Test, allows an opportunity for teams to field junior drivers to gain experience in F1 machinery, this takes place once a year and always once the season has ended. Lets take a look at who is driving for which team!

    Mercedes-

    Nyck de Vries will be in the silver arrows. This is no surprise to me, as his took part in it last year. Not only this, but Nyck is a test and reserve driver for Mercedes. The dutchman has driven in Formula E since 2020 with the Mercedes EQ Formula E Team and this year he became the first ever World Champion in Formula E.

    Red Bull-

    We have Formula 2 driver, Juri Vips driving for Red Bull in the YDT. Juri is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, once again this isn’t Vips first time in the YDT, he drove for Red Bull last year too. Vips hasn’t got anything lined up for next year he could become Red Bull’s Test and reserve driver, as Alex Albon is going to Williams next year.

    Ferrari-

    Ferrari have two drivers doing the test for them, Robert Shwartzman who is apart of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and finished 2nd this year in Formula 2 Championship. As well as Antonio Fuoco. Fuoco done his first test with the Italian team back in 2015 and was also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy up until 2019, he was then promoted to Ferrari’s F1 simulator team, this line up for Ferrari is the same as last year.

    McLaren-

    The papaya team have Pato O’Ward in the car. Pato is not a stranger to McLaren as he races in IndyCar with the McLaren Arrows, and Zak Brown made a deal with the Mexican if he won in IndyCar he will get a chance to test the F1 car, so here we are! Pato is doing another year in Indy Car next year and it is said if he wins the championship there could be a possible move for him to F1 for McLaren!

    Alpine-

    Now, Alpine has the 2021 Formula Two Champion in their car for the Young Drivers Test. Oscar Piastri is apart of the Alpine Academy and has had an amazing career winning 3 titles back to back. However that didn’t secure Oscar a seat in F1 this year… Instead he is now Alpines test and reserve driver.

    Alpha Tauri-

    Another Formula 2 driver is amongst us! This time we have Liam Lawson who is driving for Alpha Tauri. Lawson is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, he took part in both DTM and Formula 2 this year. DTM he finished 2nd, and F2 finished 9th overall, there is no news yet to see what he is doing next year but speculation is he will do another season in F2 which will be his second year if he did.

    Aston Martin-

    Aston Martin have chosen Nick Yelloly for the test, Nick is no stranger to the Silverstone based team as he has been their simulator driver for a few years now, he now gets to test the Aston Martin.

    Williams-

    Williams have decided to put their new Academy driver into the hot seat for the young drivers test. Logan Sargeant will be making an appearance for the British team, he has confirmed he will be racing in F2 next year with Carlin, whilst also being on stand-by helping out Williams when he can.

    Alfa Romeo-

    Alfa Romeo will be putting their new driver, Guanyu Zhou in for the YDT, as well as testing the prototype car on Wednesday. Zhou, finished 3rd in the Formula 2 Championship this year, and now he is graduating to Formula One.

    Haas-

    Robert Shwartzman will also be in the car for Haas. This wasn’t meant to be his first time in a Haas car, he was actually meant to run in the first practice session of the 2020 Abu Dhabi GP but did not appear on the entry list.

  • Round 22- Abu Dhabi Race

    To start firstly I just want to say what an amazing season we have had from all 20 drivers, lots of drama in all 22 races, and its been amazing to see! It’s truly one of the best seasons I have witnessed and I hope we can have more like this soon.

    We do however have some drivers leaving F1 today, Kimi retiring and Antonio Giovinazzi going to Formula E. We also have some driver changes, Bottas to Alfa Romeo, George to Mercedes. We also have the returning Alex Albon who will be joining Williams and we also have Guaynu Zhou who will be making a step up from Formula 2 to join Alfa Romeo.

    Wow, I have no clue what to say in the race we just watched… Just a note before hand I try and keep my blog neutral, so that I don’t favour a driver or a team and just go off pure predictions and how I feel at that time and whenever I state my opinion I make it clear, so thats what I am going to do now.

    MY OPINION-

    I don’t get how the FIA can make their own rules up during the race. Going against their own rule book is insane it doesn’t present itself well to Formula One fans in general. I think this is what Mercedes fans are most upset about, which I do get. The FIA states in the sporting regulations that:

    48.12 If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.
    This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed. Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the
    presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.
    If the clerk of the course considers track conditions are unsuitable for overtaking the message “OVERTAKING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED” will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system.

    In my opinion when cars are allowed to un-lap themselves its normally all the cars which are lapped and not the four in-between the two championship contenders. And I get why Mercedes are appealing it, because it clearly states above that lapped cars can overtake- but to make it even more confusing Masi decided that the lap cars would not over-take on the safety car and then decided a little while later they can!

    No-one wanted the championship to go this way, with it being taken to get looked at by the FIA, but rules are rules at the end of the day and I feel like Lewis should’ve won this race.

    The Race-

    Congratulations to Max Verstappen for being Champion, a hard season for both contenders but neither gave up, it saw Lewis coming home in 2nd and Carlos Sainz grabbing one more podium to end the year, he finished P3.

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

    We had 5 DNF’s, first one being Kimi we didn’t want to see him retire on his last race but some things are just out of his control, the next being Russell with a gearbox issue which isn’t the way he wanted his final race with Williams to go.

    Giovinazzi was the next to DNF as he had a problem with his car too, Perez had to retire too due to a problem with his car. Then Latifi, crashed which caused the safety car to come out, thankfully Latifi was okay after the his crash.

    Lewis Hamilton got off the line just superbly starting P2 on the mediums made it think that Mercedes picked wrong as everyone else around Lewis was on softs, but he took the lead on the first lap! And led the majority of the race, with having stopped quite early on people started to doubt the 7 time world champ with tyres and him struggling towards the end.

    WOW, Yuki Tsunoda finishing P4! Making that his best ever finish!! What a way to finish his first year in F1, I cant wait to see how he does next year.

    The Championship-

    Sainz managed to grab P5 of both Norris and Leclerc, with him finishing on the podium which saw Ferrari clinch 3rd in the Constructors! Norris finished 6th ahead of Leclerc by ONE point.

    Mercedes won the constructors by 28 points, it helped having both Mercedes finish and Red Bull only having one car finish the race. Ferrari obviously clinched P3 with McLaren in P4 and Alpine coming home in 5th.

  • Mazepin out of Abu Dhabi GP

    It has been confirmed that Nikita Mazepin will not take part in the race today, as he has tested positive for Covid-19

    Mazepin returned the result to an on-site test centre at Yas Marina, he then done a re-test which came back positive too.

    Haas will not be putting Pietro Fittipaldi in the car as he has not took part in any practice sessions this weekend, so he is not eligible.

    This means that they will only run Mick Schumacher today, who is starting P19.

    A joint statement on Mazepin’s positive test said: “The FIA, Formula 1 and Haas F1 Team can today confirm that during onsite PCR testing for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nikita Mazepin has tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with COVID-19 protocols he will take no further part in this Event. All contacts have been declared.

    “There will be no replacement driver in accordance with article 31.1 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, which prohibits any driver from starting the race who has not taken part in at least one practice session. The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”

    Wishing Nikita a speedy recovery!

  • Round 22- Abu Dhabi Quali

    Well! I don’t think anyone expected that result from qualifying…

    We have Max Verstappen on pole here in Abu Dhabi for the second year running, with Lewis Hamilton joining him on the front row and Mr Lando Norris starting P3!

    What a way to close off the final qualifying of 2021, the top 6 are just wow!

    Lando Norris WHAT A LAP! I don’t think nobody expected him to put it on the 2nd row but clearly him having his family and friends with him in Abu Dhabi helps!

    Brilliant lap from Max too, they used the tow brilliantly and it shows as his on pole. But the thing which gets me is why choose the Softs to start the race on for both drivers… was they forced into the decision? Will it work in their favour tomorrow, it’s all to play for.

    The top 10 are as follows: P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Norris, P4: Perez, P5: Sainz, P6: Bottas, P7: Leclerc, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Ocon and P19: Ricciardo.

    Tomorrow is going to be absolutely insane, Max on softs, Lewis on mediums, throw Lando into the mix who is also on softs, we will definitely have an interesting opening lap tomorrow.

    This is one of Lewis’ strongest circuits everybody knows that so Mercedes need to get there strategy absolutely perfect and they may even try and go for a one-stop as the medium goes longer than the soft.

    Predictions-

    Oh this is so tough, as whoever wins out of Lewis and Max tomorrow is going to be champion and either way they both deserve it, they both have had really good races but I will do my top 5…

    I’m going to say P1 will go to Hamilton, P2: Verstappen , P3: Norris, P4: Bottas and P5: Perez. I think Verstappen will get fastest lap too!

  • Abu Dhabi

    Ahead of the season finale it got announced that Abu Dhabi will be remaining on our calendar until at least 2030.

    The new agreement will keep Formula 1 coming here until the end of the decade, with the Yas Marina Circuit being reconfigured this year ahead of the race specifically in three areas; Turn 7, Turn 11 and Turn 17.

    The circuit has become one of the most iconic venues since it came on the calendar in 2009, with the track having held some classic moments of F1 over the years.

    This year is no different, with the 2021 Drivers Championship set to be decided on Sunday in either Verstappen’s or Hamilton’s favour.

    Speaking of the contract renewal, Formula 1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali said: “We are delighted to confirm that we will be racing in Abu Dhabi until 2030 under this new agreement. We are hugely looking forward to the season finale this weekend when more Formula 1 history will be made.
    The promoter, ADMM, always creates an incredible show for the final race of every F1 season and combined with the changes made to improve the racing on the Yas Marina Circuit we are excited for many years of racing in Abu Dhabi that is ahead of us.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this deal is good, I like the changes they have made to the track and the drivers do as-well so that’s a positive. Obviously we have had no racing yet too see what it’s like for overtaking if it’s possible or not but if we do that’s just another positive in my book!

  • Abu Dhabi GP

    Race week once again and the final one of the year, so lets take a look at everything you need to know, what I think will happen this weekend, and who needs a good weekend to finish this year on a high!

    Both Lewis and Max are on equal points going into this weekend? But who will be victorious come Sunday night? Well its all to play for…

    I think whatever happens this weekend, we are extremely grateful for the championship battle we have witnessed this year and not just Lewis/Max. Looking further into it, the battle between Perez/Bottas which one would qualify higher up would it be a Red Bull sandwich or a Mercedes?

    But going a little bit further down the grid, the battle between McLaren and Ferrari, two great teams and all very good drivers, all in which have been on the podium this year!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I feel both Red Bulls need a good weekend, Max has lost the lead in the championship to now be on equal points with Lewis, if he wants to win this on Sunday he will need to have a brilliant Saturday and then again a brilliant Sunday too as the Mercedes engine is very powerful and they have dominated Abu Dhabi a lot (apart from last year). Perez needs a good weekend, obviously he had a DNF last week in which made Mercedes have a bigger gap in the Constructors, so he will be hoping to get a good amount of points this weekend.

    Lando needs a good weekend, he lost P5 to Charles last weekend so he will be hoping to be able to get that back, if that wasn’t the only thing he has his ex-team-mate just behind him by 4.5 points as i’m sure he wouldn’t want to loose out on another place in the constructors.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five are: Pole- Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Bottas, P4: Perez and P5: Leclerc. Both Mercedes and Red Bulls will be wanting to get the most out of their car this weekend and get the best position they can!

    Gasly could possibly be up in the top 5, like I said last week you can’t count him out of a qualifying session, so it will be either him or Leclerc in top 5, or maybe both of them if a Merc or Bull has a bad qualifying?

    Times for the weekend-

    Formula 1- Friday 10th- FP1: 09:30am – 10:30am (GMT), 10:30am – 11:30am (CET). FP2: 13:00pm – 14:00pm (GMT), 14:00pm – 15:00pm (CET).

    Saturday 11th- FP3: 10:00am – 11:00am (GMT), 11:00am – 12:00pm (CET). Qualifying: 13:00pm – 14:00pm (GMT), 14:00pm – 15:00pm (CET).

    Sunday 12th- Race: 13:00pm (GMT), 14:00pm (CET).

    Formula 2- Friday 10th- Free Practice: 8:05am – 8:50am (GMT), 9:05am – 9:50am (CET). Qualifying: 14:30pm – 15:00pm (GMT), 15:30pm – 16:00pm (CET).

    Saturday 11th- Sprint Race 1: 8:20am – 9:05am (GMT), 9:20am – 10:05am (CET). Sprint Race 2: 14:45pm – 15:30pm (GMT), 15:45pm – 16:30pm (CET).

    Sunday 12th- Feature Race: 09:00am (GMT), 10:00am (CET).

  • McLaren- Vuse Livery

    McLaren and Vuse revealed their one-off livery design for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this week.

    The design was designed by UAE-based artist Rabab Tantawy as part of the Given by Change campaign for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    Vuse, came up with a campaign called ‘Driven by Change’ this gives up and coming artists who are over 25 a chance to show off their work to gain more recognition and representation.

    This is the second time this season McLaren have produced a one-off livery, the first one being in Monaco with their partner Gulf, which got a lot off good attention from the fans.

    The livery still contains the popular papaya and blue colours, it features Tantawy’s distinctive Nubian Series all put together to make a masterpiece livery! The livery will be on both MCL35M’s in which they will be pushing for as many points on Sunday to end the year on a high.

    Claire Cronin, Chief Marketing Officer, McLaren Racing, said:

    “We are excited to bring the art and motorsport worlds together in a ground-breaking way, by sporting Rabab Tantawy’s artwork on our race cars at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Together with Vuse, Driven by Change is a unique opportunity to use our global stage to support rising talent, giving undiscovered creatives the platform they deserve. Rabab’s art is inspiring, and we are proud to take her papaya-influenced creation racing this weekend.”

    My Opinion-

    I love it, even more so that it comes from an up and coming artist, its definitely one way to get your name out there!

    I think the campaign in itself is amazing, and the fact McLaren want it on their car too is something else, I can imagine Rabab Tantawy is having the time of her life right now!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMA_I8oYZ-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Tyres for Abu Dhabi

    Well for the final time for the 2021 season we take a look at which tyres have been picked!

    Our selection is: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft), even though the track has been modified quite a bit this year, we have the same compound as we did in 2020.

    The changes to the track were brought in to provide more overtaking opportunities, this will then increase speeds and loads through some corners.

    The track itself-

    We will now take a look at the said changes, the first being the chicane that formed Turn 5 and 6 will be bypassed with a straight. The following hairpin has been brought forward slightly and widened, which increases the speed carried into it.

    A long and slightly banked turn has now been created to replace the technical complex of corners which were previously Turns 11 to 14. Towards the end of the lap, the four tight corners that route the track around the Yas Marina hotel Turns 17 to 20 have all opened up in which makes it faster.

    The changes above have made the circuit shorter by 273 metres, which the race distance has been increased from 55 to 58 laps, and lap times are estimated to fall by 14 seconds.

    Last years winning strategy with the same tyre nomination, was medium to hard one stopper, the same used for the top three finishers.

    We also have Formula 2 with us this weekend, for the final round of the 2021 Championship, this will be our first time back here since 2019, and its the first time the 18-inch tyres will be used. The tyre nomination will be the same as it was in Jeddah which was the Medium and the Supersoft.

  • Round 21- Jeddah Race

    EPIC. CHAOTIC. BWOAH.

    Where do I even start with the race, we all knew the race would feature a safety car during the race after seeing the 3 F2 races this weekend, but I don’t think we expected what we all just saw!

    Lewis Hamilton takes win number 103, with Max Verstappen in P2 and Valtteri Bottas on a late charge to take the final podium place. Lewis also took fastest lap too.

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

    Esteban Ocon of France driving the Alpine A521 Renault during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 05, 2021 in...
    JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Esteban Ocon of France driving the (31) Alpine A521 Renault during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    The first of the accidents during the race was Mick Schumacher who spun and hit the barrier at Turn 23. This brought out a safety car which many of the drivers had pitted, however this then turned into a red-flag which then gave Verstappen a free pit stop.

    We went onto a standing start which saw Lewis lead, but then Verstappen went wide and off track at the first chicane which saw him cutting across Hamilton who dropped to P3 behind Esteban Ocon. The racing didn’t last long as we had two separate incidents the first involving Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez in which Perez’s race ended there with too much damage. The other incident involving Mazepin and Russell, which saw Nikita go into the back of the Williams car, this caused the second red flag of the race.

    After many radio messages back and forth from Mercedes to FIA or Red Bull to FIA, the restart was Ocon 1st, Hamilton 2nd, Verstappen 3rd. But Verstappen made a good move on his shiny new mediums.

    If you thought the drama was over after that, you are very wrong, we then had three VSC periods from Lap 28 to Lap 36. Lewis attempted a move on Lap 36 for the lead of the race but Max braked too late in which he run wide at Turn 2 and retained the lead. Max was instructed to give back P1 so on Lap 37 max slowed for Hamilton to get caught up in mixed messages and clip the rear of the Red Bull in which Lewis now had front wing damage.

    Whilst the drama was going on with Mercedes-FIA-RedBull, Lewis wanted to keep the fight on track in which on Lap 42 he was looking to get past the Dutchman but Verstappen again went wide . At this point the stewards gave Max a fixe second time penalty.

    Then the rest is history after Lewis managed to over take Max and build up a big enough gap so Max didn’t have chance to push and keep on fighting each other, but further down the field the drama was still going on.

    Valtteri Bottas was keeping the pressure on Esteban Ocon during the race so much so that Bottas beat him by a tenth of a second, literally securing P3 on the checkered line! Obviously gutting for Ocon but for me he deserves driver of the day, he was there where it mattered and stayed out of trouble and he was rewarded with a P4.

    A lovely race for Daniel Ricciardo today, after a disappointing number of races not scoring he managed to bring his car home in P5 and he fully deserved it! As well Gasly a nice strong finish in P6 brings a good set of points which he will be more than happy with.

    The Championship-

    Well, we all know what that has done to the championship now… Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are equal in points going into the final race which hasn’t happened since 1974!

    Leclerc now moves up to P5 with a 4 point gap from Lando Norris, so i’m sure we will see an entertaining race next week for the battle for 5th position in the standings!

    Mercedes now have a gap of 28 points which separate them and Red Bull, this makes next weekend even more exciting with both Bottas and Perez needing to do there all so either of the teams can win the Constructors.

    Now onto next week for the final round of the 2021 Formula 1 Championship, we are back in Abu Dhabi at the newly changed Yas Marina Circuit, all drivers will need to get used to what has changed on the track.

  • Round 21- Jeddah Quali

    That is now qualifying over for today and what a qualifying it was! This circuit is something else and it shows with how close the cars get to the walls!

    It is a 1-2 for the Mercedes boys in Saudi Arabia, get in there boys!!! Lewis Hamilton takes pole position, with his team-mate next to him in second. Max Verstappen joins the pair in third position.

    The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Leclerc, P5: Perez, P6: Gasly, P7: Norris, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Ocon and P10: Giovinazzi.

    Valtteri Bottas of Finland driving the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at...
    JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 04: Valtteri Bottas of Finland driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W12 during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 04, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

    Well lets start with the final lap from MV, he was doing an outstanding lap but he was very much pushing the limits and there was a couple of close calls with the wall during the lap until he got to the final corner… where he did indeed touch the wall quite harshly which ruined his chance of pole position. There could be a potential gearbox change which he already had a new one in this weekend but another new one means a penalty… So we will await and see if there is significant damage to his car.

    It really is not Aston Martin’s weekend, they have been somewhat off there normal pace and that showed even more so during qualifying when both of the cars qualified 17th and 18th.

    Yuki Tsunoda must really like new circuits, last time out in Qatar he qualified P8, and today it was again P8, either that or he is very happy with the car and puts it all together in qualifying for a good lap! His team-mate Pierre Gasly a good qualifying for him too, possibly a good race for both Alpha Tauri drivers tomorrow and score a good set amount of points?

    Now Carlos Sainz… What didn’t happen with him in Q2! He had a big moment on his first flying lap which saw his rear wing touch the wall, so he dived straight into the pits afterwards so his team could assess the amount of damage. Then on his second flying lap he went wide which again ruined his lap… Hence him qualifying P15, this could have a big impact on the Constructors now.

    Predictions-

    I am going to say Hamilton for the win, with Bottas in P2, the final podium place going to Perez, P4: Leclerc, and P5: Verstappen. With fastest lap going to Bottas.

    Hopefully we get a McLaren up there in the points, Norris seems to be enjoying this circuit quite a bit and he will more than likely be wanting to redeem himself after the awful triple header for him and the team.

    Times for tomorrow-

    Sunday 5th- Race: 17:30pm (GMT), 18:30pm (CET).

  • Saudi Arabian GP

    Another weekend, another Grand Prix and this weekend we are in Saudi Arabia for the first ever Grand Prix here its round 21 out of 22 and it should be an exciting one!

    With the points gap between Lewis and Max slowly come down, can Lewis win his third race in a row? Or will max want to try and go into the final race next week with a bigger point gap than 8 points…

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Obviously both title contenders, Max probably more so than Lewis as Lewis has been on top form the past couple of races, with it being a new track both drivers are at the same level this weekend.

    Now moving onto the other Red Bull and Mercedes drivers, they will both be fighting each other on Sunday, to get more points for the Constructors, also both Perez and Bottas will be used to try and take the fastest point away depending on who has it and how the race is going.

    Again McLaren, it seems that lots of people think this track will suit the papaya team because of how fast its meant to be, but no-one really knows until we hit the track on Friday. Both McLaren drivers will need to have a good weekend and have the strategy perfect if they want to try and close the gap and also help Lando secure P5 in the championship as Leclerc is getting closer to that spot.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five are: Pole- Hamilton, P2- Bottas, P3- Verstappen, P4- Perez and P5- Gasly. I don’t think you can count out Gasly from a good qualifying his been on such good form!

    Two other drivers you cant count are the Ferrari boys, they seem to have such a good understanding of the car and they always qualify near each other which is beneficial when strategies come into play during the race.

    Times for the weekend-

    Formula 1- Friday 3rd- FP1: 13:30pm – 14:30pm (GMT), 14:30pm – 15:30pm (CET). FP2: 17:00pm – 18:00pm (GMT), 18:00pm – 19:00pm (CET).

    Saturday 4th- FP3: 14:00pm – 15:00pm (GMT), 15:00pm – 16:00pm (CET). Qualifying- 17:00pm – 18:00pm (GMT), 18:00pm – 19:00pm (CET).

    Sunday 5th- Race: 17:30pm (GMT), 18:30pm (CET).

    Formula 2- Friday 3rd- Free Practice: 11:10am – 11:55am (GMT), 12:10pm – 12:55pm (CET). Qualifying: 15:20pm – 15:50pm (GMT), 16:20pm – 16:50pm (CET).

    Saturday 4th- Sprint Race 1: 12:30pm – 13:15pm (GMT), 13:30pm – 14:15pm (CET). Sprint Race 2: 18:40pm – 19:25pm (GMT), 19:40pm – 20:25pm (CET).

    Sunday 5th- Feature Race: 14:25pm (GMT), 15:25pm (CET).

  • Tyres for Jeddah

    The tyres for this weekends Grand Prix has been announced, just like Qatar no-one has any data from previous years, but this track is a little different to Qatar as this circuit has only just been built!

    The three compounds which have been chosen are: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft), this is the most common selection which has been picked this year.

    Jeddah and Qatar are two very different circuits, both new to the F1 calendar, but the teams knew the Qatar circuit would put stress on the Pirelli tyres during the race. With only the simulations from the teams for Jeddah it is suggested that the middle compounds in the range are the best, it should be well suited to the fast and flowing street race with over 50 laps on Sunday.

    The Track-

    The track itself has been designed by well known circuit architect Hermann Tilke, he has designed circuits such as Bahrain International Circuit, Istanbul Park Racing Circuit, Shanghai International Circuit, Yas Marina Circuit and the Circuit of the Americas.

    The track is a 6.174-kilometre track, its the longest street circuit on the calendar and the second longest of the year after Spa. It is also set to be one of the fastest with an average speed of 250kph, that is only just behind the Temple of Speed.

    Now onto the most demanding turns, is Turn 13 a left hander which features a 12 degree banking that should place high g forces on the tyres. Jeddah has a total of 27 corners which will keep the tyres working hard throughout the race.

    The track looks quite unforgiving in the sense that parts of the track are quite narrow and the walls close to the side of the track which could lead to a high possibility of seeing the safety car during the race which will affect teams strategy.

    As its a new track, the track itself will be quite slippery to start off with on Friday but with Formula 2 and a Porsche competition throughout the weekend this will help with track evolution.

    We also have Formula 2 this weekend, the tyres which have been chosen is the Medium and Super soft compound, which is the most common combination picked this year.

  • Sir Frank Williams

    It is with great sadness that I announce that Sir Frank Williams has passed away at the age of 79.

    Sir Frank was the longest ever serving team principal Formula 1 has ever seen, with him marking 50 years as a team boss in 2019.

    During the 50 years in F1, he ran two teams and managed to win 7 drivers titles and 9 Constructors titles.

    Creator: Charles Coates
    Copyright: 2019 Getty Images

    Williams, sustained a spinal injury in a car crash in 1986 that unable him to walk, he began reducing his workload in 2012. Claire Williams daughter of Sir Frank took over as family representative and later on took on the role of Deputy Team Principal whilst Sir Frank was still the Team Principal.

    What a sad day for Formula 1, Sir Frank is an inspirational to all even after his accident he carried on and still done what he loves and now he has left a wonderful legacy. Everyone knows about Williams Racing and will continue to do for many years, a true legend to all. Rest in peace Sir Frank Williams 1942-2021💙

    Following the news of Sir Frank’s death, a statement from Williams said: “It is with great sadness that on behalf of the Williams family, the team can confirm the death of Sir Frank Williams CBE, Founder and Former Team Principal of Williams Racing, at the age of 79.
    After being admitted into hospital on Friday, Sir Frank, passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his family. Today we pay tribute to our much loved and inspirational figurehead. Frank will be sorely missed. We request that all friends and colleagues respect the Williams family’s wishes for privacy at this time.”

    F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “This morning Claire Williams called to inform me of the very sad news that her beloved father, Sir Frank Williams, had passed away. He was a true giant of our sport that overcame the most difficult of challenges in life and battled every day to win on and off the track. We have lost a much loved and respected member of the F1 family and he will be hugely missed. His incredible achievements and personality will be etched on our sport forever. My thoughts are with all the Williams family and friends at this sad time.”

  • Spanish GP Renewed

    It has been announced that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix is renewed until 2026!

    This will see improvements to the tracks and facilities, this will be ahead of the 2022 race in May.

    The track was first used by Formula 1 in 1991 which was ahead of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona!

    F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “We are delighted to announce this deal with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. I want to thank the promoter and the authorities for their enthusiasm and commitment to keeping Formula 1 in Barcelona, with improvements that will be made to the track and facilities, and continuing our long history together.
    The teams and drivers always look forward to racing at the circuit and visiting Barcelona, and the Spanish fans will continue to see their national heroes, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz up close.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is good, especially with the improvements to come. We saw a good race here this year due to closer racing, so surely it can only get better? Also good news for Spanish drivers, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz as there home GP will be firmly on the calendar!

  • 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.

  • 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!