Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Abu Dhabi

  • F2 – RND 14 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Getting a better launch off the line, Vesti stole the inside line into Turn 1 and went side by side with Fittipaldi, though the Rodin Carlin driver emerged out of Turn 3 ahead.

    Capitalising on their duel, Hadjar and Verschoor made it four wide down the back straight. Both managed to slip past either side of Vesti and demote the title contender to fourth. In contrast, Championship leader Pourchaire was already on the cusp of points, climbing from P14 to ninth.

    The Safety Car was deployed at the end of the opening lap after Juan Manuel Correa spun at Turn 3. Victor Martins found himself caught up in it leaving him with nosecone damage and forcing him to pit for repairs.

    Back to racing conditions on lap 6, Fittipaldi aced his restart, immediately pulling half a second clear of Hadjar. Vesti wasted no time making up for lost ground, squeezing up alongside Verschoor down to Turn 6 to snatch third.

    On the fringes of the points, Jack Doohan steadily made his way up from P10, swooping ahead of Ayumu Iwasa after the DAMS driver went wide out of Turn 9. Meanwhile Pourchaire was trying to put together a charge of his own, going late on the brakes to wrestle eighth from Kush Maini and nosing his own way past Iwasa for 7th.

    Told to push for the fastest lap, Vesti began hunting down Hadjar and was on the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver’s tail by the time they reached Lap 10. Hadjar opted to go early on the defence but couldn’t stop the Mercedes junior’s charge, as Vesti took third around the outside of Turn 9.

    Vesti loomed large in Fittipaldi’s mirrors and was eyeing up moves for the lead. A lock up by the Rodin Carlin car handed Vesti a chance, but he too locked up through the Turn 5 hairpin. Fittipaldi tried to break the tow, but another mistake at the same corner three laps later was the moment for Vesti.

    Benefitting from better grip, he dived up the inside of the Brazilian into Turn 6 to snatch the lead. Instantly breaking free of Fittipaldi behind, Vesti pulled out of the DRS window and reached the chequered flag a comfortable 3.8 seconds clear of the Red Bull Junior.

    Day 3-

    Doohan held the lead comfortably at lights out while Kush Maini cleared Martins to take second, with the latter opting for mediums for the start. Further back, Vesti was up to eighth at Turn 1, passing Richard Verschoor having also started on the yellow-walled tyres.

    Starting on the softs, Pourchaire was on the cusp of the points by the end of the opening lap, but an opportunistic Oliver Bearman snatched 10th from the ART driver to leave him 11th going into lap 2.

    Those on softs nursed their tyres in the early stages, and Iwasa was in as soon as the pitstop window opened on lap 7, he was joined by Pourchaire both swapping to the medium compound tyres and rejoining in 19th and 20th respectively.

    Zane Maloney, Isack Hadjar and Dennis Hauger made their way to the pits on lap 9 for their mandatory stops, but a slow release for the Hitech driver dropped him behind the Norwegian on pit exit.
    Pourchaire was ahead of all three after a dive to the inside of Hauger at Turn 5 as he continued to make the most of his fresh rubber.

    Having led from the start, Doohan relinquished the lead on lap 10 to fit the mediums. The Australian was back out in 12th position, three seconds clear of Maini, who found himself under pressure from Iwasa.

    Now in clear air, Vesti set about closing the gap to new leader Martins who was six seconds up the road. That gap was down to four seconds by lap 15 as the PREMA driver took a minimum of two-tenths of a second per lap out of the Alpine Junior’s advantage.

    After forcing Iwasa to depend one lap earlier, Maloney was pressuring the Dams for P5 on the road as the Japanese driver desperately attempted to keep him back. The Rodin Carlin man fought his way by at Turn 6 and was late on the brakes at Turn 9 in his efforts to keep the position, but Iwasa bravely fought back around the outside to hold on.

    On lap 26, Vesti managed to pass Pourchaire into Turn 6 and once again, Pourchaire slipstreamed his way past by Turn 9. It was third time lucky for Vesti as he waited for DRS out of Turn 8 to clear his championship rival and claim fifth position.

    Entering the final lpa of the season, Vesti drew to within DRS range of Maloney in the fight for third. The Bajan driver went defensive into Turn 6 opening up the chance for Vesti on the run to Turn 9. The pair banged wheel on corner exit, sending Maloney into a spin and leaving the PREMA driver in third.

    Doohan secured a comfortable victory by 3.8s from Martins with Vesti rounding out the podium, but it was Pourchaire and ART Grand Prix’s day, as they secured the double with the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles.

  • RND 23 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    The 2023 season is officially over which means Round 23 is done! Let’s take a look at how it went in Abu Dhabi…

    Max Verstappen once again converted pole position to victory, where he made it win number 19 of the season. Charles Leclerc grabbed P2 and George Russell P3, after Sergio Perez had a five second time penalty due to a clash with Lando Norris which promoted both drivers up a spot.

    The full top 10 is: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Russell, P4: Perez, P5: Norris, P6: Piastri, P7: Alonso, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Hamilton and P10: Stroll.

    A great result for Red Bull, having Max win the final race of the season, ideally they would have wanted Perez on the podium too but with the penalty looming over his head they probably knew they weren’t going to get there.

    Leclerc, the only Ferrari in the points, unfortunately it wasn’t enough to beat Mercedes to P2 in the Constructors. Carlos Sainz ended up finishing in 18th due to the alternative strategy which caused him to do a late pit stop which ruined his chance of points.

    Overall a strong result for McLaren, a double points finish! I still find it crazy to see that they ended P4 in the Constructors after a shocking start at the beginning of this season, but it makes you think, what can they do next season with a car which is great from the start…

    Points for Tsunoda, but it wasn’t enough to grab P7 in the Constructors, they were only 4 more points away and they would’ve been successful.

    Alonso came out on top for the fight for P4 in the Driver Standings with 206 points, Leclerc finished P5 with 206 points but Alonso just ahead with higher finishes. Norris in 6th on 205 points and Sainz 7th with 200 points.

    Now we have a bit of a wait till the next race… It’s only 97 days away until the new season starts and we have cars back on track!

  • F2 – RND 14 – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Victor Martins left it until the last minute but was the man to beat in the final Free Practice of the 2023 Formula 2 season.
    The ART Grand Prix driver ended the first session of the weekend on top after setting a 1:37.389.

    Zane Maloney put Rodin Carlin second with a late effort of his own while Theo Pourchaire kicked off a potentially title-winning weekend as third quickest. Title rivals Ayumu Iwasa and Frederik Vest finished seventh and ninth respectively.

    Newcomers Paul Aron and Franco Colapinto were on the track early to get some mileage under their belts ahead of their debut. The latter suffered a spin coming through the right-hander of turn 11 in the early running but was able to avoid the barriers and continue on his way.

    After a relatively quiet start to the session, the circuit filled up quickly approaching half an hour remaining as the majority of the field headed onto track. Nissany lowered the time to beat to a 1:38.492 on his next flying lap to lead by 0.6s from Maloney.
    The red flags were out soon after as Arthur Leclerc came to a halt in his DAMS between turns 1 and 2.

    Doohan briefly went to P1 after running resumed, but it was beaten in quick succession. Pourchaire was pipped by teammate Martins by 0.022s with the rookie setting a 1:38.219 to take the spot from the Championship leader.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Martins, P2: Maloney, P3: Pourchaire, P4: Doohan, P5: Verschoor, P6: Boschung, P7: Iwasa, P8: Correa, P9: Vesti and P10: Maini.

    Qualifying-

    Invicta Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan secured the final pole position of the season with a 1:35.567, beating out Alpine Academy drivers Victor Martins and Kush Maini.

    In the title fight, Theo Pourchaire has a difficult weekend ahead of him after missing the top 10 and ending qualifying down in 14th position. Direct rival, Frederik Vesti will start tomorrow’s Sprint Race from the reserve grid front row after ending the session in ninth.

    Trident’s Roman Stanek was the first to get a time on the board with a 1:37.591. His effort didn’t stay top for long as Ayumu Iwasa went quickest with a 1:37.181, three tenths ahead of Amaury Cordeel.

    Martins jumped straight back into things after topping Free Practice, launching himself 0.489s clear of the DAMS’ driver on a 1:36.692. Doohan sliced the ART Grand Prix driver’s advantage to two tenths, as Ralph Boschung and Maini slotted both Campos Racing cars inside the top four.

    After a brief break in the pitlane, the field were back out with 16 minutes remaining. Iwasa regained the fastest time on a 1:36.085, and Martins’ response left him 0.008s adrift of the DAMS driver.

    However, Doohan was on a charge, breaking into the 1:35s and rocketing up into provisional pole, two tenths ahead of Maini. Martins and Iwasa tried to find an answer for the Australian but couldn’t.
    Doohan showed no signs of slowing down, bettering his previous effort to snatch pole by over two tenths.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Doohan, P2: Martins, P3: Maini, P4: Maloney, P5: Iwasa, P6: Hauger, P7: Verschoor, P8: Hadjar, P9: Vesti and P10: Fittipaldi.

  • Paul Aron to make F2 Debut with Trident

    Trident has confirmed that Paul Aron will race with the team at the final round of the 2023 season at Yas Marina.

    The Estonian is fresh from completing his rookie season with PREMA Racing in FIA Formula 3, where he claimed one race win and a further three podiums en route to third in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to his F3 campaign, Aron competed in the Italian F4 Championship in what was his maiden campaign of single seater racing. He took two wins and a pole position, finishing that year third in the Drivers’ Standings.

    He followed that up with a campaign of Formula Renault Eurocup before he moved on to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, where he took two wins and seven podium finishes on the way to third in the Championship.

    He then had a follow up season of FRECA where he claimed six race victories, seven pole positions and eight podiums as he finished third in the 2022 season, before moving on to FIA F3 in 2023.

    I’m very excited to be on the Formula 2 grid at the end of this year and I’m very grateful to Trident for giving me this opportunity. It will be a big step in my career, Formula 2 is the highest level of junior single seater racing. I think getting early experience will be key, it will not be an easy weekend as I’ve never been in a Formula 2 car, and we only have one very short Practice session before getting into the car for Qualifying. I’m very excited for the challenge and I’m sure that Trident will help me do the best job possible.

    Aron on the news.

    It’s with great pleasure that we announce that Paul Aron will make his debut under the Trident Motorsport banner in the FIA Formula 2 Championship next weekend in Abu Dhabi. The team will make its best effort to help him gain confidence in the new category, as this will certainly be an important step for his career. We can’t wait to start working with Paul, who will replace Clément Novalak. As he has long been part of the Trident Motorsport family, we wish the Frenchman the best for his future endeavours.

    Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager.

  • Colapinto graduates to F2

    MP Motorsport have announced that Franco Colapinto will make his Formula 2 debut with them in 2023 season finale at Yas Marina this month, ahead of a full campaign with the Dutch team next year.

    Colapinto steps up off the back of a second successful year in Formula 3, earning two wins and five podiums for MP. The Williams Racing Academy driver ended up fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    The Argentine racer is already well acquainted with MP. After storming his way to the 2019 Spanish F4 title in his debut season in single-seaters, Colapinto partnered up with the Dutch team the following year in Formula Renault Eurocup. He secured two wins and nine podiums, he finished his rookie campaign in third.

    Remaining with them for another season, he achieved sixth in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. From there, he graduated to F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, taking two wins on his way to ninth in the Drivers’ Standings in 2022 before reuniting with MP for the 2023 campaign.

    I’m absolutely thrilled to be moving up to Formula 2 with MP. MP are proven race winners in the category, and staying with them feels absolutely right. It’s a familiar atmosphere for me, and it will be to our advantage that we know each other so well as I enter my debut season in the category. I’m very much look forward to the fresh challenge of a new series, with a brand-new car to help develop. I can’t wait to get in the car in Abu Dhabi and then work with the team to be ready for a long and challenging 2024 season.

    Colapinto on the news.

    It’s great news that we are able to announce Franco’s promotion to our F2 team so early. This will give us a headstart in our preparations for an exciting 2024 F2 season in which we all start from zero, with the new F2 car offering everyone a new baseline to work from. Retaining Franco helps us to maintain stability in that transition, apart from the fact that he’s become a member of the MP family and is an extremely quick and talented driver.

    Sander Dorsman, MP Team Principal.

  • Bearman to make F1 debut with FP1 outings

    Ferrari junior driver, Oliver Bearman will make his Formula 1 race weekend debut when he drives a Haas in first practice session in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

    Bearman, 18, has won four races in his rookie F2 campaign this season and currently sits sixth in the drivers’ standings with one round to go.

    The Brit is the latest in a string of Ferrari Driver Academy racers who have previously driven Haas machinery in practice sessions, the list including, Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher, Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman.

    F1 teams are required to run a young driver – defined as someone who has started no more than two Grand Prix – in two FP1 sessions per season.

    Bearman who won the 2021 Italian F4 Championship before joining the Ferrari Academy later that year, will be in Qatar this weekend to begin embedding himself in the team ahead of the two practice outings.
    He will dovetail his run in Abu Dhabi with the F2 season finale at the same venue on the same weekend.

    We’re very happy to offer Oliver Bearman these outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi. He’s had a stellar rookie season in Formula 2, four wins is testament to that, and as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy – we know his background preparation coming into these weekends will be first-rate. We look forward to welcoming Oliver into the team and have him drive the VF-23.

    Guenther Steiner, Haas boss.

    I am so happy to be joining Haas driving in Mexico and Abu Dhabi. Getting to Formula 1 has been my dream since I was go-karting so to be driving a car for the first time this year is really special. I’m grateful to the team, and of course Ferrari, for allowing me this chance. I’m working hard to make sure I’m ready to support the team as best I can on both occasions.

    Bearman on the news.

  • O’Ward handed FP1 outing

    McLaren has handed IndyCar driver, Pato O’Ward his second Formula 1 free practice run in Abu Dhabi as well as the post-race tyre test that takes place the week after the F1 season finale.

    All teams have to get a rookie to take part in two FP1 sessions over the season, but as Oscar Piastri is a rookie he done his on the first race weekend in Bahrain.

    Originally the second free practice session was going to Alex Palou – who had been expected to become one of its reserves from this weekend’s race in Singapore.

    However, with Palou having gone back on plans to join McLaren in IndyCar, the Woking quad has had to re-evaluate things.

    Abu Dhabi will be Pato’s first appearance at an F1 weekend since he had his debut free practice run at last year’s Abu Dhabi event.
    McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella explained that they believe O’Ward was now eligible for an F1 superlicence after finishing fourth in this year’s IndyCar championship so hopefully the Mexican could join its roster of reserves.

    We are actually checking with the FIA, and we think he’s eligible now for the superlicence. So he’s qualified to drive an F1 car and be in a position to be one of the reserve drivers. In terms of the two main [free practice] events that would have involved either Alex or Pato, we had to do one more session of free practice one, where we have to have a so-called young driver, so a driver that hasn’t participated in more than two races. And then we have the post-Abu Dhabi test. Initially, these kind of events would have been split between the two, but obviously now in this situation, we will have Pato at the wheel in FP1 in Abu Dhabi and then I can confirm that he will also be driving the Tuesday after the race in Abu Dhabi.

    Andrea Stella, talking at the Singapore GP.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CxQoY_YoUwN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • F2 Abu Dhabi- Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    It was a frenetic start to the final sprint race of the 2022 season, but not for Verschoor who calmly kept his rivals behind him to retain the lead off the line.

    Jehan Daruvala and Enzo Fittipaldi collided and hit the barriers at Turn 3 and bringing out the Red Flag as the end of the opening lap. Slotting back into position for the rolling restart on Lap 3, Verschoor got a good getaway to hold the lead.

    The cooler early evening conditions left the field struggling to light up their tyres. After being passed by Frederol Vesti for P11, Ayumu Iwasa attempted to go round the outside of the Dane at Turn 9.

    Out front, Verschoor was unable to pull out of Lawson’s DRS window. It wouldn’t take long for Lawson to pounce on Lap 10 – going late on the brakes to catch the Trident driver by surprise and snatch the lead.

    A lock up for VAR driver Cordeel, allowed Drugovich to slot his way through into third and left Cordeel at the mercy of Hauger, who made his own move on the Belgian into Turn 6. Missing the corner, Hauger tactically gave the place back into Turn 10, in order to avoid losing out to Sargeant and Doohan behind.

    Lawson, had extended his advantage lap-by-lap and drove off into the distance to claim victory by a whopping 7.9s ahead of Verschoor and Drugovich.

    Day 3-

    Iwasa moved to cover off his teammate immediately at the start bu Roy Nissany had the momentum. The duo remained side-by-side into Turn 2 until the Red Bull junior claimed the lead heading down the hill into the hairpin.

    Drugovich made the move for P3 immediately as Theo Pourchaire went wide in the first corner and fell back to fifth as a result.

    At Turn 6, the Carlin teammates were fighting for position, with Lawson overtaking Sargeant out of the chicane for sixth. Into Turn 9, Ralph Boschung spun and couldn’t get going again, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car.

    There was a close call for Drugovich on Lap 13, into the Turn 6 braking zone, the MP driver thought about a late dive but had to bail on the move. He narrowly avoided running into the back of the DAMS driver and dropped to over a second behind Iwasa.

    Doohan finally pitted on Lap 26 after running further than everyone else barring Enzo Fittipaldi. He looked to be re-joining fifth on the road but after filtering back out on track, lost his front left tyre, forcing him out of the race.

    Onto the final lap and the gap for the win stood at just 0.5s. Drugovich, forced Iwasa to go on the defensive into Turn 6 and had DRS once again into Turn 9. Iwasa just about held Drugovich at bay to take his second win in F2. Lawson closed up at the end to make it two podiums from two in the final weekend.

  • Round 22- Abu Dhabi GP

    What a season, but more importantly the final race weekend of the 2022 season is complete which means it was Sebastian Vettel’s last race as well.

    The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the race where it decides the runner-up this season, as well as the closeness in the Constructors too.

    But it was Max Verstappen who wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix making it 15 wins in a season for the Dutchman, Charles Leclerc comes home to make it 2nd, and also second in the drivers championship too. Sergio Perez rounds out the podium, after falling short not being able to overtake the Monegasque driver.

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

    First and foremost it was wonderful to see Seb get points in his last race, as well as Daniel too. Two out of four drivers leaving the sport this weekend, but managing to hold on and get points is probably more than what they could wish for!

    Not the best race for Mercedes, they had their first mechanical retirement of the season, as Lewis had to pit due to loosing power because of an hydraulic issue. Their fight for P2 in the constructors was then over.

    A good finish for Ferrari, after an up and down season I think they will be pretty pleased with 2nd in the drivers and constructors, there is definitely some things they need to work on if they want to be in the title fight again, but its all apart of learning.

    The Championship-

    Firstly looking at the Drivers championship, Leclerc finishes his highest in the championship, as well George Russell in his first year as a Mercedes driver. But one person I have to mention, Mr Lando Norris (Mr P7…) being best of the rest and beating out both Alpines.

    Now taking a look at the Constructors, Alpine beat McLaren to that all important P4. Alfa Romeo manage to stay ahead of Aston Martin due to Valtteri Bottas’s 5th place in Imola. Haas finish 8th ahead of Alpha Tauri and Williams in P10.

    Now, we have 105 days until the next race at the beginning of March and we obviously have testing aswell! It’s been a mad season, keep your eyes peeled for the latest news and some articles coming out soon on the 2022 season!

  • F2 Abu Dhabi- Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Ayumu Iwasa, hit the ground running at Yas Marina ending Free Practice being quickest of all, 0.055s ahead of Theo Pourchaire. The DAMS driver strung together his best time early on and nobody could usurp him fro the top spot in the remainging time.

    Perfect conditions were presented to the drivers as the first session of the final weekend in 2022 got underway. Following plenty of installation laps, the times tumbled as the track ramped up and Marcus Armstrong put in the early benchmark with a 1:38.987.

    Juri Vips had been running in the top three but had a lucky escape, avoiding the barriers at Turn 14 after a snap of oversteer almost led him into the barriers.

    A red flag was thrown as the clock ticked underneath 10 minutes to go as Ralph Boschung spun into the barriers between Turns 13 and 14. The session got underway with 3 minutes to go, but nobody could improve over Iwasa’s 1:38.168.

    Qualifying-

    DAMS proved that its never over until the chequered flag in Formula 2, as Ayumu Iwasa stormed to his second pole position of the 2022 season. With his teammate Roy Nissany putting together an unbelievable lap, only 0.036s down on his teammate to bring home his first front row Feature Race. Theo Pourchaire will be starting 3rd.

    Unlike previous visits to the Yas Marina Circuit, the 30 minute session got underway in the blistering mid-afternoon sunshine rather than under the flood lights.

    Seven minutes into qualifying and with only half of the field having put a lap on the board, running came to a brief hault. Virtuosi’s Marino Sato suffered a spin underneath the hotel section between Turns 13 and 14 bringing out the red flag and forcing several drivers to abandon their laps.

    As predicted pre-session, Sector 3 would prove to e the undoing for several attempts.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Iwasa, P2: Nissany, P3: Pourchaire, P4: Drugovich, P5: Doohan, P6: Sargeant, P7: Hauger, P8: Codeel, P9: Lawson and P10: Verschoor.

  • Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    The final race weekend is here, and its set to be an emotional one as it will be 4 time World Champion’s Sebastian Vettel’s last race as well as saying goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo, Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher…

    But, there is still so much up for grabs! The fight for P2 in the Driver standings is still available, as well as the teams getting as many points as possible to see if they can move any further up!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    McLaren will be hoping for a good weekend as last weekend saw them have a double DNF, not only this they are in the fight with Alpine for fourth in the constructors and will be hoping for a double points finish, which would be a great way to send of the Honey Badger.

    Perez will be hoping for a good weekend as Red Bull seeks 1-2 in the Constructors and will be hoping that his teammate will be helping him this time round…

    The battle for 6th in the Constructors is heating up as Alfa Romeo sits in 6th on 55 points and Aston Martin in 7th on 50 points, and with Aston Martin having scored quite a few points recently so Alfa Romeo will be hoping to score big.

    Predictions-

    My top five predictions for qualifying are: P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Perez, P4: Russell and P5: Leclerc.

    I think we will see all top 3 teams in the top 10, maybe a bit mixed up. As well as Lando, Fernando and Ocon mixed up in the top 10 and possibly a Haas or an Aston Martin joining them in the top 10.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 18th-

    • F2 Qualifying: 11:30am – 12:00pm (GMT)
    • Free Practice 2 F1: 13:00pm – 14:00pm

    Saturday 19th-

    • Free Practice 3 F1: 10:30am – 11:30am (GMT)
    • Sprint Race F2: 12:20pm – 13:05pm
    • Qualifying F1: 14:00pm – 15:00pm

    Sunday 20th-

    • Feature Race: 09:00am (GMT)
    • F1 Race: 13:00pm

  • McLaren special livery

    McLaren will be saying farewell to their MCL36 car with a special one-off livery for this weekend’s 2022 season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    Having run a special paint scheme in Singapore and Japan, McLaren have taken a different route for the season-ending race at Yas Marina, the team having collaborated with Lebanese artist Anna Tangles for the Abu Dhabi livery.

    Produced for the Driven by Change programme which was an initiative launched last year to give underrepresented creatives the platform to showcase their work to a global audience through motorsport.

    Last season, the team collaborated with Emirati artist Rabab Tantawy for their one-off Abu Dhabi look.

    As a lifelong F1 fan, I never believed that I would one day have my artwork showcased at a Grand Prix – and it’s all thanks to Driven by Change. I dedicate my spare time to training and encouraging other artists, particularly other Middle Eastern female creatives, to embrace their passion and skills, and so it’s a privilege to be a part of a community that supports the same ambition of empowering underrepresented artists in this way

    Anna Tangles.

    We are delighted to represent an emerging artist’s design on our race cars once again, championing creativity together with Vuse. Anna Tangles produces stunning artwork and has a powerful story which perfectly embodies the spirit and values of the Driven by Change campaign. The initiative is building a legacy which we are excited to continue driving, using our global platform to amplify the talent of emerging creatives.

    Louise McEwen, executive director of brand and marketing at McLaren.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/ClB7uI8Lyqh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

  • Abu Dhabi Tyre Allocation

    The last race of the season is here and the tyres have been chosen for this weekend’s Grand Prix. Pirelli have nominated the three softest compounds in the range those being: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).

    The circuit characteristics aren’t particularly demanding for the tyres, as well as the asphalt not being as abrasive, which allows the use of the softer compounds. It’s important to consider the falling track temperature during the race as the chequered flag falls late into the evening.

    The Yas Marina circuit is made up of 16 corners as well as some fast sections, where aerodynamics are an important aspect to guarantee a strong performance.

    The teams used a number of different strategies at last years Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Verstappen won the race after being on a 3 stop, as he put the soft tyres on 5 laps from the end due to a safety car appearing.

    At Abu Dhabi, a truly thrilling season comes to an end. Last year’s modifications to some of the straights and corners on the Yas Marina track have made the circuit faster, balancing the longitudinal and lateral demands on the tyres – whereas previously it was more about traction and braking. Despite these changes to the layout, there is still going to be a lot of attention paid to the rear tyres in order to guarantee the best traction over long stints. On the Tuesday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 2023 slick tyres will be tried out during a full day of testing, where the teams will be able to decide their run plans as well as which drivers to use: race drivers or young drivers..

    Mario Isla, Motorsport Director.

    Formula 2-

    Abu Dhabi hosts the final round of this year’s Formula 2 season, two months after the penultimate round in Italy. Whilst the Driver’s title is claimed, the teams title is still up for grabs. The medium compound and soft compounds have been chosen for this weekend. The Sprint race will last 23 laps, whilst the feature race will last 33 laps.

  • Maloney to drive for Trident in finale

    Trident have confirmed that Zane Maloney will be making his Formula 2 debut with the team at Yas Marina in the 2022 season finale.

    Maloney finished as runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Trident after putting together a stellar rookie campaign, taking three consecutive Feature Race wins to end the season on a high. As well as ending the year just five points behind eventual Champion Victor Martins.

    Trident team boss, Giacomo Ricci said that his strong results in F3 weren’t the only factor that impressed the team, adding that his adaptability and work ethic would put him in a good position to take on the challenge of Formula 2.

    Maloney will be joining, Richard Verschoor at the Italian team, driving the #21 car previously raced in by Calan Williams.

    We are very proud to be able to compete with Zane Maloney in the final event in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Zane, the Barbadian driver, terminated the Formula 3 Championship with three consecutive feature race victories and has proven to be second to no one in terms of competitiveness, almost winning the driver’s title. We are therefore pleased to have Zane on board, once again this year, and we are confident that Trident will be able to provide him with the maximum support and dedication for the challenging Yas Marina Circuit.

    Giacomo Ricci.

    I’m really looking forward to Abu Dhabi. It’s an opportunity to learn a lot before the end of the season and prepare me for what my future holds. Trident and I had a great year, so to do another race with them and Giacomo is a pleasure. Really looking forward to next weekend and it’s an amazing opportunity to keep improving myself on track.

    Maloney on his F2 chance.

  • Vesti, Young Driver Test with Mercedes

    Mercedes junior driver, Frederik Vesti will be getting his first Formula 1 opportunity at the post-season Abu Dhabi test, with the team confirming that the Dane will be at the wheel of the W13 on the rookie day of the session.

    Vesti, signed to the Mercedes young driver programme prior to the 2021 season, going on to finish fourth in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and graduated to Formula 2 with ART Grand Prix for the 2022 season.

    He took his maiden victory in the series in the Baku Sprint Race earlier in the season and has scored a further four podium finishes so far this year. The 20 year-old currently sits eighth in the F2 drivers’ standings on 117 points ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi next week.

    The post-season test is set for November 22nd to 23rd following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    A childhood dream coming true! On the 22. of November I will complete my first ever running in a Mercedes Formula 1 car at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi! It’s an incredible sign of trust from Mercedes which I like to thank them for! No words can describe the feeling of getting this opportunity. It’s something that will boost my career in the future and I can’t wait to be behind the wheel of W13! A lot of preparation is coming ahead of the test with seat fit, simulator and quite a few procedures to learn.

    Frederik Vesti took to social media.

  • Fittipaldi to complete FP1 sessions for Haas

    Pietro Fittipaldi, took to social media to say he will be taking part in FP1 for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

    As part of the 2022 Sporting Regulations teams must, in two FP1 sessions, field a driver who has not taken part in more than two Grand Prix.

    The Brazilian-American reserve and test driver Fittipaldi, is currently in his fourth season with the team.

    The 26 year old stood in for injured Romain Grosjean at the final Grand Prix of 2020, making his starts at Sakhir and Abu Dhabi with a best finish of 17th.

    Fittipaldi didn’t get much choice on when he will be fulfilling the role, as Brazil we only have two practice sessions due to the Sprint. The team is also running Ferrari-affiliated Antonio Giovinazzi in FP1 at the United States Grand Prix.

    I’m super happy to announce that I’ll be driving the VF-22 in FP1 at Mexico and Abu Dhabi. I want to thank Haas F1 team for the opportunity. I drove the VF-22 for the first time in Bahrain at the Official Pre-Season Tests but now to drive it during a race weekend is an amazing opportunity, so thank you to the team.

    Pietro Fittipaldi on his FP1 sessions.

  • F2 Post-Season Test

    The final lot of testing for Formula 2 has came to an end today, after 3 days of testing in Abu Dhabi, lets take a look at how they got on…

    Day 1-

    Returning to MP Motorsport, Drugovich set the benchmark during the opening 30 minutes posting a 1:35.577.

    There were several red flags during the morning session of the first day, with Clèment Novalak, Amaury Cordeel, Frederick Vesti and Thèo Pourchaire all stopping on track at some point, as well as a coming together between Jüri Vips and Formula 3 champ, Dennis Hauger.

    Vips, had briefly set the 3rd fastest time but after the collision he then fell to 6th. Virtuosi’s Doohan jumped to third, ahead of Carlins Liam lawson and Ralph Boschung closed the top 5.

    During the afternoon sessions, there were two stoppages quite early on where Cordeel and Vips both needing red flags.

    Olli Caldwell was the early pace setter with a 1:40.217 before being replaced by Daruvala. Vesti took the times below 1m 38s for the first time, he then saw Daruvala drop a 1:36.063 which saw him return to P1.

    Drugocich and Pourchaire briefly bumped the Prema down to second but Daruvala managed to make his way up to first again, Doohan then got in on the action and moved his way into third to finish as the quickest rookie for the second session in a row.

    Day 2-

    The morning session got started off and it was very much the same, as Drugovich, Doohan and Daruvala took up the familiar top 3 positions. There was several stoppages during the session with Frederik Vesti, Juan Manuel Correa, Guilherme Samaia, Ayumu Iwasa and Sargeant all requiring red flags during the 3 hour stint.

    Drugovich increased his lead at the top, he improved to a 1:35.614. Théo Pourchaire moved to fourth after putting on a new set of tyres. Carlin’s Liam Lawson beat his old HiTech team-mate Jüri Vips to fifth.

    Now onto the afternoon session, it was led by Carlins rookie Sargeant who jumped to the top of the leaderboard in the final half hour of the session with a 1:36.155. Joining him up there, Daruvala for the fourth consecutive time in the top 3!

    But it was Lawson who set the afternoon pace with a 1:36.802 but eventually fell to P6, ahead of Doohan. Vesti, Hughs and Teppei Natori all caused stoppages in the afternoon session but that didn’t stop seven of the 22 drivers breaking the 50-lap mark.

    Day 3-

    The most coolest day out of the 3, where we saw Doohan and Drugovich once again dominating going first and second during the early stages of the session. Doohan’s time of a 1:36.110 was enough to make it P1 with Drugovich just 0.029s off, and Ralph Boschung went to 3rd with less than a tenth off as well.

    The Carlin duo, Lawson and Sargeant finished in fourth and fifth, the top 5 of the session being separated by less than a tenth. Luckily for the teams and drivers there were no red flags during the morning session which meant half of the field had completed more than 50 laps.

    Now onto the afternoon session and we had newcomers Van Amersfoort Racing on top, as Cem Bolukbasi set a 1:37.978 being the benchmark. But it was Drugovich and Daruvala who once again finished first and second with the MP driver setting a 1:36.342.

    Boschung and Mercedes junior, Frederik Vesti caused only two stoppages in the afternoon which still meant a lot of running left in the final session and Jüri Vips took full advantage of that as he topped the lap count with 56 and finished fourth.

    Formula 3 Champ, Hauger enjoyed his strongest session yet finishing 3rd with Prema, whilst Roy Nissany completed the top 5 with Dams.

  • F1 Post-Season Test

    The final track action of the year for F1 has come to an end now, with two days of testing in Abu Dhabi, where the new 18 inch tyres got tested with a few familiar names!

    Day 1-

    It was Nyck de Vries who topped the table with the fastest time which is a popular spot for the Mercedes crew, the reserve driver completed 77 laps in the W12 with a 1m 23.194s which put him clear of the field by 1.5s.

    The young driver test runners, took the top seven positions with Red Bull junior Liam Lawson in the Alpha Tauri ending up 2nd, with the Formula 2 Champion Oscar Piastri in third with Alpine.

    Pato O’Ward was testing for McLaren, managed 92 laps in his F1 debut, who managed 4th fastest, he was then followed by newbie Guanyu Zhou who ended up being half a second off O’Ward. We then had another Red Bull Junior, this time Juri Vips in the Red Bull. The F2 driver was responsible for one of three red flags during the day as he hit the barrier exiting Turn 14.

    Aston Martin simulator driver Nick Yelloly was seventh overall, a little under 2.2s of Nyck. Alongside the young drivers in current cars, teams were also running mule cars to test the 18 inch tyres. Ricciardo was nearly a second slower Yelloly but 0.3s clear of Stroll in the adapted Aston- who caused the first red flag of the day around 90 minutes in due to a mechanical issue.

    The final interruption of the day came from the Williams of Logan Sargeant where he had a power unit problem which ended his day earlier than expected, he ended up 15th overall.

    Bottas managed 127 laps in his Alfa Romeo, as the Mercedes of George Russell managed 131- both starting work at their new teams ahead of the season. We then had our new world champion Max Verstappen completing 123 laps who was also giving advice to Vips in-between breaks.

    Day 2-

    On the final day of testing we saw Robert Shwartzman who was driving the Haas top the session the Russian’s best time being a 1m 25.348s put him half a second clear of Lando Norris who was using the adapted McLaren car which was carrying an LED panel display on the rear wheel covers.

    Russell was fourth fastest with the Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel in third by just 0.025 between the pair. Vettel was the only one to cause a red flag during today- he stopped on track with a technical issues but the action soon returned.

    Gasly was fifth fastest just 0.047s off Russell’s best time, Sainz was in sixth who had the highest total of laps out of the Wednesday runners with 151 laps.

    We then had Pietro Fittipaldi who is standing in for Nikita Mazepin due to him testing positive for Covid on Sunday. Fittipaldi was just 0.1s off team-mate Mick Schumacher on the same tyre compound.

  • 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.

  • F2 Abu Dhabi- Day 2 & 3

    Our final race days for Formula 2 are over unfortunatley but that didn’t mean they weren’t crazy! Lets take a look…

    Day 2-

    Sprint Race 1-

    Well, Daruvala got a brilliant launch as soon as the lights went out, taking the lead into Turn 1, however his team-mate didn’t get as good of a start, it saw Dan Ticktum dropping down the field.

    Piastri was looking to wrap up his title during this race, he managed to get up to 6th form 10th at the start, in doing this he was behind his team-mate who was also battling for the championship.

    Both Prema’s knew what they had to do, they both climbed up the field, after Shwartzman built up a gap between him and Piastri, he then took the final podium place from Lawson.

    But that didn’t last long as Piastri responded and overtook Lawson on the following lap and was back in the tracks of Shwartzman. Both Prema’s looked happy in third and fourth until Piastri spotted a late opportunity and decided to take it at Turn 9 in which the Australian took the final podium spot.

    The top 10 were: P1: Daruvala, P2: Drugovich, P3: Piastri, P4: Shwartzman, P5: Lawson, P6: Ticktum, P7: Pourchaire, P8: Zhou, P9: Boschung, P10: Armstrong.

    With Oscar finishing 3rd this saw him wrap up the title, making him a 3 time champion in 3 years. With Armstrong finishing 10th this saw him on pole for sprint race 2.

    Sprint Race 2-

    A very crazy start for the second sprint of the day, but not for the race leader, Marcus Armstrong zoomed off into the distant leaving the rest of the field to battle it out.

    Boschung and Zhou who was in 2nd and 3rd held their positions well, but everyone behind them wanted action, the newly corwned champ sent his Prema down the outside but a four car wide brawl saw him almost get pushed into the wall…

    Even though he missed the wall, the Aussie came away with minor damage as he banged wheels with Lawson, which saw him drop down to 13th where as the Hitech went to 8th, Piastri was then found to be at fault and handed a 5sec time penalty.

    The grid was given time to breath and cool down as a safety car appeared due to contact between Deledda and Caldwell at Turn 9, the HWA was forced to retire but Caldwell carried on.

    Once the racing resumed Piastri started his charge in which he gained two spots from Nissany and Vips. That didn’t last long as Vips and Nissany came back at Piastri which saw the trio clip wheel, and only Nissany survived, this brought out another safety car as Vips and Piastri climbed out of their cars.

    Before the safety car came out Zhou managed to get ahead of Boschung, but once the safety car went away, Zhou was promoted to first as Armstrong then had problems with the car which saw him pull over.

    The top 10 is as follows: P1: Zhou, P2: Shwartzman, P3: Boschung, P4: Ticktum, P5: Drugovich, P6: Lawson, P7: Daruvala, P8: Doohan, P9: Pourchaire, P10: Viscaal.

    Day 3-

    Piastri wanted this race to be one to remember as it is his last in F2, and that he did he got away superbly.

    Doohan starting P2, was the only one of the mediums, he was the only one with them out of the top 5 so he managed to cling on to P2 for three corners of wheel-to-wheel racing but Zhou was not giving up, the MP rookie clipped the curb in which he picked up a chunk of marble and went spinning off into the barriers.

    Racing resumed when the safety car went in, the pit-stops started going on as Lawson was the first to ditch the super-softs on lap 7 which saw him back on the grid in 20th.

    The crossover between prime and the alternate startegies started to arrive with seven laps to go, Armstrong headed in to collect the super-softs and began to pick the drivers with the mediums, he took places off Boschung and Lawson within a lap.

    The full top 10 as follows: P1: Piastri, P2: Zhou, P3: Drugovich, P4: Pourchaire, P5: Shwartzman, P6: Ticktum, P7: Armstrong, P8: Vips, P9: Boschung and P10: Verschoor.

    That concludes the 2021 Formula 2 season now, with Piastri taking the championship, his team-mate coming home in 2nd and Guanyu Zhou in 3rd who will be graduating to Formula 1 next year!

    With the teams championship, Prema wrapped it up last weekend in Jeddah, Uni-Virtuosi managed to pinch 2nd from Carlin, which Carlin then ended up 3rd.

  • 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!

  • Oscar Piastri F2 2021 Champion

    WOW! We all knew it was coming but OSCAR PIASTRI IS FORMULA 2 2021 CHAMPION!

    Oscar now has THREE back to back titles, with his first being in 2019 Formula Renault Champion, 2020 Formula Three Champion and now 2021 Formula Two Champion

    What a drive from Oscar, he could of just left it in the points but noo, Oscar wanted to be on the podium which I make him right!

    Oscars had a brilliant year so far with 5 pole positions and 5 wins so far, it’s like he wants to keep on going! We still have two races left, a sprint race later today and a feature race tomorrow where Oscar is on pole!

    My Opinion-

    Wow, Oscar is just unstoppable, he fully deserves this championship! His year has been amazing it’s gutting to see that he won’t have a seat next year as he does deserve it, hopefully we see him with a seat in 2023.

  • 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!

  • F2 Abu Dhabi- Day 1

    Our first day of cars on track is over and it was our last free practice and qualifying of the year, lets take a look on what happened!

    Free Practice-

    Championship leader, Oscar Piastri got the start he wanted this weekend by finishing fastest in free practice, the 1:36.800 was enough to beat Jack Doohan to P1, with Christian Lundgaard in third.

    The second weekend in a row both MP’s went out first to get a feel for the track with Clèment Novalak setting the benchmark at 1:59.442.

    But his team-mate Jack Doohan topped the times at the end of the first run of flying laps with a 1:37.702 ahead of Marcus Armstrong and Ralph Boschung.

    Lundgaard beat Piastri to P1 halfway through the session and he was the first to break the 1m 37s but the Prema driver fought back and re-gained the position by 0.005s.

    As the session went on the track conditions were improving after heavy tyre wear, this saw lots of fast times coming through but it was Oscar who stayed at the top.

    Qualifying-

    Oscar Piastri finished his last qualifying session in Formula 2 with a FIFTH consecutive pole position lapping a 1:35.077, in which he now has four extra points to add to his tally, one step closer to claiming the Drivers title! It was Jack Doohan who impressed the most with him qualifying 2nd in only his second qualifying session in Formula 2 with Guanyu Zhou finishing off the top 3.

    PREMA was the early pace setters, with Piastri setting a 1:36.044 ahead of his team-mate and championship rival Robert Shwartzman and Carlins’ Jehan Daruvala.

    The times kept coming during the half hour, with improvements being made but none dethroning Piastri. The grid then went in to the pits to change tyres etc so they could come out on a fresh set and see if they can improve their times.

    The final top 10 for the feature race on Sunday are: P1: Piastri, P2: Doohan, P3: Zhou, P4: Shwartzman, P5: Boschung, P6: Pourchaire, P7: Lawson, P8: Drugovich, P9: Ticktum and P10: Daruvala.

    So for our first Sprint Race tomorrow we have an all Carlin front row, with Jehan Daruvala in P1 and Dan Ticktum in P2. Drugovich in P3 and Liam Lawson in P4 making that our second row.

    All eyes are on to tomorrow now, with the battle heating up between the Prema team-mates for the championship!

    Formula 2 Championship - Round 8:Yas Island - Practice & Qualifying : News Photo
    ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 10: Oscar Piastri of Australia and Prema Racing (2) drives during qualifying ahead of Round 8:Yas Island of the Formula 2 Championship at Yas Marina Circuit on December 10, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

  • Verschoor back in F2

    Well, Mr Richard Verschoor is back in Formula 2 this weekend, he is filling in for Enzo Fittipaldi in the Charouz car.

    Fittipaldi suffered a broken heel and a lesion to his left eyebrow after a collision with Theo Pourchaire at the start of the Feature Race in Jeddah last Sunday, which means Fittipaldi wouldn’t be taking part in the final round of 2021 in Abu Dhabi.

    Verschoor, has had a really good first season in Formula 2 in which he won a Sprint Race at Silverstone earlier this year, his currently sat in 10th in the championship with 55 points. He drove six rounds with MP Motorsport before having to pull out form Formula 2 due to sponsorship.

    The Dutch driver has gained experience in ADAC F4, Italian F4, Formula Renault Eurocup and the Toyota Racing Series before spending two seasons in Formula 3 with MP.

    “First of all, I would like to express my thoughts to Enzo,” said Verschoor. “I hope he will recover well and very soon. I’m happy to be back racing and excited to do so with Charouz Racing System, hopefully, we can end this season together on a high.”

    Team owner Antonin Charouz added: “On the eve of the last round of the year, we have been forced to change our line-up, as a consequence of Enzo’s injury in Jeddah. On behalf of the whole team, I wish him again a speedy recovery, hoping to see him return on track as soon as possible. At the same time, I’m glad Richard will join our squad for this weekend in Abu Dhabi. We saw him racing during this year in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and I have to say he delivered some very interesting performances. At the wheel of the other car, we’ll continue to count on Guilherme, and we’ll do our best to support his hunt to first personal points in the series.”

    My Opinion-

    I’m so glad to see Richard back on track, none of the fans like to see a driver leave before the end of the season due to money especially one doing so well like Richard. I’m happy he gets this chance again, and hopefully this will lead to a confirmation on what he does in 2022.

  • 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.