Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Round 17

  • R17 – Azerbaijan

    Max Verstappen claimed a lights-to-flag victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris closed the gap to title rival Oscar Piastri to 25 points after the Drivers’ Championship leader crashed out on the opening lap.

    Verstappen was never headed on the streets of Baku, leading all 51 laps and winning by over 14 seconds from Mercedes’ George Russell and Carlos Sainz who claimed his first podium for Williams having just lost out on pole position.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Sainz, P4: Antonelli, P5: Lawson, P6: Tsunoda, P7: Norris, P8: Hamilton, P9: Leclerc and P10: Hadjar.

    What a result for Max Verstappen, he done no wrong this weekend and his reward from that is he is starting to come into this title fight with Piastri and Norris. A few more races like that for the Dutchman and McLaren will start thinking they are in trouble (if they are not doing that already).
    As for Tsunoda, he finished 6th! A good result for the Japanese driver, he had a good weekend overall, he needs to start putting in performances like this to make sure he has a seat next year.

    P2 for Russell! A great result for the Mercedes man, they had the pace this weekend which was good, they also got to capitalise on McLaren and Ferrari not being in the top five. This has benefited the team massively in the Constructors’ Championship as they move up a spot.
    A good result for Antonelli, P4, a shame for him to miss out on the podium but still a really good result.

    P3 for Mr Carlos Sainz! What a result for Sainz and Williams, this just shows how much work they have put into the past couple of years and with Sainz you could see the result coming but he just had to work for it.
    This helps the team massively in the constructors putting them in fifth on 101 points, with a 29 point gap to Racing Bulls.

    Talking of Racing Bulls, P5 for Liam Lawson. A good result from him, it’s a shame he couldn’t hold onto a podium position but still a really good showing from him.

    A weekend to forget for McLaren, especially Piastri, hitting the wall in Qualifying and then crashing out on Lap 1 and ending his race there. As for Norris he had a bad race, not many moves being made.

    Not a very good weekend for Ferrari either, P8 for Hamilton and P9 for Leclerc, they will be looking forward to Singapore as normally the Ferrari’s do well there.

    I think this weekend has been incredible for us. Of course, last weekend was already great, but for us to win here again is just fantastic. I think also in the race, the car was working really well on both of the compounds. We had clean air all of the time and then you could look after your tyres, and it was pretty straightforward. Of course, it’s not easy around here. It was very windy today, so the car was always moving around a lot, but of course, I’m incredibly happy with this performance.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • RW 17 – Azerbaijan Qualifying

    Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc made it four successive poles in a row at the Baku City Circuit.

    Leclerc produced a blistering lap of 1m 41.365s to finish some three-tenths clear of Piastri in the final Q3 phase, adding to his 2021, 2022 and 2023 poles. He also had teammate Carlos Sainz round out the top three.

    The full top 10 are – Pole: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Alonso, P9: Colapinto and P10: Albon.

    What a result for Ferrari! Especially Leclerc taking pole, he loves this circuit so much so he will be wanting to grab the win today! It helps Sainz is in third, so hopefully the strategy will be good enough to get a double podium.

    A semi decent day for McLaren’s drivers, a lovely result for Piastri P2, he will be looking for that win today aswell – so it will be an interesting fight between the two teams. However, Lando Norris was a shock Q1 exit he will be starting 17th which isn’t what the championship contender would have wanted. He has a lot of work to do in the race…

    A decent result for Red Bull! Perez starts P4 which is a lovely result from the Mexican! He does love these streets, so don’t count him out in the race. Verstappen starts 6th – it could’ve been better but it also could’ve been worse.

    Now onto the Silver Arrows, a decent qualifying for them! P5 for George and P7 for Hamilton, they will be looking to get a good haul of points this weekend.

    Now onto Williams, what a performance!! Colapinto outperforms Albon and will be starting 9th and 10th respectively. Both drivers in Q3 for the first time this season. It will be interesting to see how Colapinto does this weekend with it being his second F1 race.

    Bearman who is in for Haas this weekend was close to the top 10, the Brit will be starting P11 and will be looking to score more points aswell…

  • RW 17 – Tyre Selection

    Round 17 is here and we are officially in the final third of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

    For the first time ever, the race takes place in September rather than the usual April or June and that will be the case next year aswell due to wanting to achieve a more logistically coherent calendar.

    Pirelli has chosen the three softest compounds in the range C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).

    The track is 6.003 kilometres in length and has pretty much unchanged since 2016, it features 20 corners.

    Some of these, such as the first seven are practically right angle turns while others through the city are slow and some flat out.

    The track also varies in width, going from seven metres at turn 8 to being wide enough to accommodate three cars abreast down the main straight.

    The track evolution is an important factor as the circuit is normally open to city traffic not only that but the weather can also play a part. Usually it’s hotter in September, than the usual race in April. With track temperature varying around the race track depending on which parts are in sunlight or the shade from surrounding buildings.

    Baku is a typically one-stop race, with the hardest tyre doing the majority of the work. Although a glance at the circuit layout may seem like overtaking is straightforward, but that is not always the way.

  • RND 17 – Japanese Grand Prix

    The Japanese Grand Prix is officially over, and I’d say it was definitely one to remember, with 5 drivers retiring and a dominating drive by a certain driver!

    It was Max Verstappen who was victorious in Japan which secured Red Bull back-to-back constructors’ titles! Lando Norris managed to hold onto P2, and Oscar Piastri grabs P3, his first podium in F1!

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

    To start things off, lets go with the reigning World Champion, what a drive by the Dutchman! He almost got pipped by Lando Norris at the start but Verstappen done well to hold him off.

    Now McLaren, what a team, and the drivers, wow. They are unstoppable at the moment, and Oscar Piastri getting his first podium aswell, an achievement they should all be proud off!

    Now onto one of the retirees, Sergio Perez, what on earth was he doing? He first banged wheel with Hamilton and then had an incident with Magnussen which forced the Mexican driver to pit again for a second front wing after that he then retired.

    Onto the Mercedes, somebody definitely put something in their water today, or maybe it was the fact that Toto Wolff wasn’t there? But they were fighting today, where it came too close for comfort, but at the end they played the team game and got a decent amount of points!

    The Ferrari’s had a decent race, they are now only 20 points away from Mercedes who are in P2 in the Constructors, so the Italian team will be wanting to close in on them and continue with good points haul.

    The next race isn’t for another two weeks, where we head to Qatar for Round 18, where the Sprint returns on the 6th to 8th October!

  • RND 17 – Suzuka Qualifying

    We are officially half way through Round 17, as qualifying is over and we get to take a look at how it went.

    It was Max Verstappen who was back on pole position and he was joined by Oscar Piastri on the front row, and Lando Norris made it both McLaren’s in the top three.

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

    It’s great to see Max back on pole, after two races where it’s been Carlos Sainz. The Dutchman has definitely come back with a bit of fire underneath him this week, as he didn’t have the best weekend last time out in Singapore.

    Great result from the McLaren’s wow, this new package they have got is something else clearly! I think the teams above them like Aston Martin and Ferrari and possibly Mercedes are probably going to be in a bit of a bother if McLaren keeps getting good results like this.

    A good result for Yuki Tsunoda in front of his home crowd, especially with his new contract. He starts in the top 10 and will be looking to score more points for the team and boost them up in the constructors championship.
    A mention for his teammate too, Lawson just missing out in P11.

    Another bad result for Logan Sargeant, crashing out in Q1 giving his team a lot of work to do before the race tomorrow… I think his starting to write his own fate unfortunately.

    A bit of a shocker from Alpine too, Ocon starting in 14th and Gasly in 12th. They’ve definitely been pushed down the grid more and more as the season goes on, but they’ve got an opportunity this week to try and get a few more points.

    Not the best result for Aston Martin, Stroll starting 17th, and Alonso 10th, they have had a strong start to the season but the more it goes on it’s not the best, hopefully we will be seeing a big points haul soon!

    My Predictions-

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

    I feel like we may get a little bit of a crazy race, maybe not as much as last weekend but enough for a 4 way fight for the win.

    We could possibly see a safety car appearance and teams will be wanting that as its predicted to be a two stop race so the teams will be wanting that too.

  • Japan Tyre Selection

    The tyres have been chosen for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix as we arrive for Round 17 and our second race of the double header!

    The tyres chosen for Suzuka are: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium) and C3 (Soft).

    The Japanese Grand Prix could spring a few surprises due to the high temperatures recorded last week, with highs of up to 33 degrees centigrade.
    If this continues, tyre degradation could become an important factor.

    Weather conditions have heavily influenced the Grand Prix. On four occasions (2004, 2009, 2010 and 2019) qualifying has been held on Sunday morning due to torrential rain or the threat of a typhoon.

    In 2022, it was the race which was interrupted due to torrential rain on the first lap. The restart occurred three hours later, with only 45 minutes to go due to the maximum allowed race duration.
    In total, 28 laps were completed, with the drivers only using the intermediate and full wet tyres.

    The asphalt at Suzuka features some of the highest levels of roughness and abrasion seen all season. Wear and degradation are important factors in determining the run plan for free practice as well as race strategy.

    The Japanese Grand Prix takes place on one of the most fascinating and demanding tracks in Formula 1 history: Suzuka, with its unique figure of eight layout. This historic venue is a drivers’ favourite, being absolutely thrilling to drive in today’s ultra-competitive single-seaters. With its very significant lateral and vertical loads, Suzuka is as demanding on tyres as it is on drivers. These demands are equally distributed across all four wheels, with 10 right-handers and eight left-handers throughout the six-kilometre lap. As a result of these challenging characteristics, we bring some of the hardest tyres in the 2023 range to Japan: C1, C2, and C3. This is only nominally the same as last year’s selection on account of the new C1 compound, which was introduced this season to slot in between the C2 and former C1 (now called C0). On Friday, all the teams will get the chance to test a new version of the C2 compound, with a view to homologating it for next season. This latest evolution should provide more grip than the current C2, and so fit in more coherently between the C1 and C3. For the first two free practice sessions, each driver will have two additional sets of tyres, compared to the usual 13 sets per weekend. This test is part of a development programme that was recently defined for 2024 and will continue with a new C4 compound to be tested on track during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

    Mario Isola, Pirelli Head of Motorsport.
    Preview for the Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix 2023. Number of laps: 53. Race distance: 307.471km. Circuit length: 5.807km. Lap record: 1:30.983s by Lewis Hamilton in 2019. Tyre characteristics from 1 (minimum) to 5 (maximum): Traction 3, Asphalt grip 3, Asphalt abrasion 4, Track evolution 3, Tyre stress 5, Braking 2, Lateral 5, Downforce 4. Lateral energy on tyres: Front left 3, Front right 4, Rear left 5, Rear right 5. Longitudinal energy on tyres: front left 1, front right 1, rear left 2, rear right 2. Compounds: C1 Hard, C2 Medium, C3 Soft. EOS camber limit: minus 2.75 degrees front, minus 1.5 degrees rear. Minimum starting pressures for slicks: 25psi front and 23psi rear, subject to changes after FP2.

  • Japan Tyre Allocation

    Once again its race week, and we are returning to Japan! The tyre allocation has been chosen, which are- C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft) and this will be the final outing for the hardest C1 compound.

    The second free practice session this weekend, has been extended to 90 minutes in order to allow 2023 prototype slick tyre testing. The Suzuka and Austin tests are there to fine-tune the compounds for 2023. The prototypes are easily recognisable as thy wont carry coloured markings on the sidewalls.

    Like Singapore last week, the Japanese Grand Prix was last held in 2019. The challenge is made even greater with the team having to approach the circuit, weather conditions and set-up in completely new way with the latest generation of cars and tyres.

    Suzuka is all about lateral forces rather than traction and braking, but the loads are quite evenly balanced between the left and the right hand sides of the car.

    Ask the drivers which are their favourite circuits and Suzuka will always be high on the list: it contains demanding corners like nowhere else, such as 130R and Spoon, as well as a truly special atmosphere and history with incredible fans. There’s a roughly equal number of left and right corners in the unique figure of eight layout, which means that the circuit demands are evenly balanced. The sustained energy loads through the tyres are some of the highest we register all year, and the track layout means that we bring the three hardest compounds in our range because of the high levels of tyre duty. With the latest generation of cars being heavier than before and the limits of performance constantly being pushed, that challenge is bigger than ever now. An innovation for this year is the fact that we will be testing some 2023 prototype tyres during an extended free practice session on Friday afternoon, as we finalise the specification for next year with the end of this season approaching.

    Mario Isla, Motorsport Director.

  • Round 17- Singapore Qualifying

    Qualifying is now complete in Singapore and what a qualifying it was! A shock exit from Q2 from one of the top three teams, and pole swapping between 5 different drivers in the final few minutes of Q3.

    But, it was Charles Leclerc and Ferrari who got pole position for the Singapore GP, with it being Charles’ second in a row at Singapore. Sergio Perez joins him on the front row for the first time in Singapore aswell. And rounding out the top 3 is Hamilton, first top 3 in qualifying of the season.

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

    Great qualifying for Ferrari, both cars in top 4, that now gives them an advantage over Mercedes and RB. Can they turn it into a win and a podium? If not will a double podium be possible?

    Not the best qualifying for Russell, starting P11 just outside the top 10 hopefully the Mercedes driver can get back into the top 10 and grab some points.

    Now Max Verstappen was an absolute flyer of a lap, and looked like he was going to take pole from Leclerc but before he reached the finish line, Verstappen got told to pit for possibly not having enough fuel for when they do the scruiteneering later on.

    Predictions-

    My top five are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Leclerc, P4: Sainz and P5: Alonso.

    I feel were going to get an exciting race today, Russell is starting from the back of the grid due to engine penalty, it will be interesting to see how he does, coming through the field. As well as Max, the dutchman starting 8th, and its not the easiest to overtake here.

  • Singapore Grand Prix

    We are back racing once again this week and we have a double header ahead of us, but most importantly we are returning to Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix and for the first time in three years!

    Will Max clinch the title this weekend, or will Leclerc and Ferrari come back fighting? But what can Mercedes do? 6 races left, can they finally get that win, their hoping for?

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Charles and Ferrari will be wanting a good weekend, especially if they want to continue fighting for the championship, as Max can grab the title this weekend. But even if Ferrari weren’t going for the Drivers title anymore, the Italian team have a battle with Mercedes in the Constructors.

    Lewis is closing in on Carlos in the drivers title, so both drivers will be wanting a good weekend and we know how Lewis does around the Marina Bay Circuit.

    Alpha Tauri and Haas will be hoping for a good weekend and score some points, Haas are on 34 and AT are on 33, it will be interesting to see who scores the points and can be consistent for this weekend.

    Predictions-

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

    I think we will be in for a few surprises on Sunday, given the fact we haven’t raced here in 3 years and some of the drivers who have joined in those three years will be racing here for the first time.

    Times for the weekend-

    Saturday-

    • FP3- 11:00am – 12:00pm (BST)
    • Qualifying- 14:00pm – 15:00pm

    Sunday-

    • Race- 13:00pm (BST)

  • McLaren reveal special livery

    Mclaren has revealed a special livery design that they will be using for the upcoming races in the Singapore and Japanese Grand Prix, celebrating Formula 1’s return to the Asian content.

    After the 2020 and 2021 races at Marina Bay and Suzuka were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, both venues are back on the calendar for the 2022 season with a double-header sequence over the next two weekends.

    To mark the occasion, McLaren worked with team partner and crypto exchange company, OKX to create a bespoke ‘Future Mode’ livery for the MCL36.

    With the car’s usual colour scheme dominated by papaya, the new livery adds neon pink embellishments as well as cyberpunk-inspired engine illustrations.

    In addition to both McLaren cars having a livery change, it will also be reflected on the race suits worn by Norris and Ricciardo.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjALC9DIica/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CjALpMMowWm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Singapore Tyre Allocation

    We are back racing this weekend and Pirelli have chosen the tyres for Singapore. Those being the three softest compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft).

    These compounds have been chosen to match the typical street circuit characteristics of the Marina Bay track, which ensures high levels on mechanical grip.

    There’s some new asphalt for Singapore this year, it isn’t as smooth as the usual asphalt seen on street circuits, having been put down with a view to the grand prix. However as a street circuit, the Marina Bay circuit is normally used by road traffic and the surface contains street furniture such as white lines and manhole covers.

    A high degree of track evolution is expected also because there are not many support races scheduled which normally help to lay down rubber.

    With the race starting at 8pm (GMT), and continuing for about two hours, track temperatures are generally stable for most of the race, whilst high humidity levels provide a big physical challenge for the drivers , the cars and also for the tyres with thermal degradation.

    We’ve missed the spectacular night action of Singapore’s streets! With 18-inch tyres that have a completely different compound and structure compared to the ones used three years ago – as well as new asphalt this year – it’s almost like a totally new race. Singapore is all about slow corners – all 23 of them – and maximising traction. We’ve got the three softest compounds for maximum speed and grip but looking after the rear tyres in order to ensure the drive needed will be key. With the tendency of the latest cars to understeer, it will be even more important to find the right set-up balance to ensure a strong front end without compromising acceleration at the rear.

    Mario Isla, Motorsport Director

  • Round 17- Austin Race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The championship…

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

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

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

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

  • United States GP

    After a two year absence we are now back in the US and at the Circuit of the Americas. All eyes are looking at who will come out on top… Could Mercedes be dominant like last time out? Or will Red Bull be looking to bring their success on from Turkey?

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I feel like Sebastian needs a good weekend after what happened in Turkey, with going onto Mediums, hopefully the team and Seb can get good points to carry on the fight with Alpha Tauri as Aston Martin are currently sat behind them by 31 points in 7th…

    I think that Daniel will want to put on a show this weekend, not only because he loves the US but to make up for Turkey. Hopefully we see a masterclass from him this weekend.

    I’m quite looking forward to seeing what Yuki does, it’s a new track for him so either he will get the hang of it quickly or he will not have a good weekend and Alpha Tauri doesn’t need that if they want to fight Alpine for these final 6 races.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five predictions are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Bottas, P4: Norris and P5: Leclerc. (Before penalties applied)

    I’m hoping we see both Williams in top 10 but if we don’t I’m hoping at least one! We see the pace on the Williams in qualifying and it’s no longer a one off when they get into Q3.

    I hope we see Mick get into Q2 again, he is constantly tries to get everything out of the Haas and it feels like his finally getting some recognition for doing so!

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 22nd- FP1: 17:30pm – 18:30pm (BST), 18:30pm – 19:30pm (CEST). FP2: 21:00pm – 22:00pm (BST), 22:00pm – 23:00pm (CEST).

    Saturday 23rd- FP3: 19:00pm – 20:00pm (BST), 20:00pm – 21:00pm (CEST). Qualifying: 22:00pm – 23:00pm (BST), 23:00pm – 00:00am (CEST).

    Sunday 24th- 20:00pm (BST), 21:00pm (CEST).

  • Tyres for Austin

    We have F1 back on our screens this weekend and this means that Pirelli have announced their tyres for the weekend…

    The chosen ones are the middle of the compound C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). This nomination is the same as what it was two years ago when we last was at the track.

    At this time of year in Texas, the weather is quite unpredictable, with the chosen compounds they should be quite adaptable to a variety of temperatures, although this years race is being held earlier in the season compared to last time.

    The circuit has been resurfaced in a few places starting with the start/finish straight (including the pit lane exit) to the end of Turn 1. The exit of Turn 9 through to Turn 10, the exit of Turn 11 through to 12 and then Turn 15 through to Turn 19.

    The winning strategy back in 2019 was a two stopper medium-hard-medium from Valtteri Bottas, where as his team-mate Lewis finished second on a one stop medium-hard.

    With the track only being resurfaced last year and not much track action either, the track on Friday will be lowest grip, however with having Formula 4 and also W series so by Saturday we should have more rubber laid down.