INDIA in F1

Category: Formula 1

  • Vettel takes a thrilling victory ahead of Bottas, Hamilton: Bahrain night race

    Vettel takes a thrilling victory ahead of Bottas, Hamilton: Bahrain night race

    Sakhir,

    Vettel wins Bahrain GP on Sunday. An FIA image

    April 8: Sebastian Vettel took a thrilling 49th career victory on his 200th race start, nursing fading tyres to the chequered flag to hold off a determined charge by Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. Lewis Hamilton took third place after starting ninth as Red Bull Racing saw both cars exit the race early on.

    At the start, Vettel held his advantage from pole, but behind him Bottas made a better start than Räikkönen and stole second through Turn 1. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was briefly passed by Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly but the Australian quickly retook the position.

    It all then began to unravel for Red Bull. Ricciardo slowed as he approached the end of the first lap with an electrical failure and pulled over at the side of the track to retire.

    Further back, in midfield, Max Verstappen was charging forward from his 15th place starting position but as he began the second he tangled with Hamilton, with the Dutchman sustaining a punctured rear left tyre as he collided with Hamilton’s front wing in Turn 2.

    Verstappen eventually made it back to the pit lane and after taking on a new set of supersofts rejoined in 19th place. It was a brief bit of action, though, and on lap three he pulled over and stopped his RB14, the damage from the collision with Hamilton preventing him from continuing.

    By lap 10 Vettel had carved out a three-second lead over Bottas, with Räikkönen a further three seconds back. Behind them, Hamilton had staged a remarkable fight back from ninth place at the start, and from his bruising battle with Verstappen, and was now up to fourth ahead of Gasly and Magnussen.

    Vettel pitted from the lead on lap 18, taking on a set of soft tyres, with Hamilton 10.2 seconds behind the Ferrari driver and in fourth place. Räikkönen followed his team-mate a lap later, rejoining 2.5s behind Vettel.

    Bottas now led from Hamilton, but on lap 20 Mercedes covered the Ferrari stops and brought the Finn into pit lane. He also emerged on medium tyres, splitting the Ferraris as he had through the first stint.

    Hamilton, who had started on used soft tyres and had not made a pit stop, was now in the lead, five seconds clear of Vettel, with Bottas third ahead of Räikkönen, Gasly and Magnussen.

    Hamilton was soon caught by Vettel on fresh tyres, and Mercedes quickly pitted the Briton. He took on medium tyres, targeting a one-stop race, with Vettel set to make a second stop. Hamilton rejoined in fourth, some 25 seconds adrift of Vettel, with Bottas second and Räikkönen third.

    Ferrari then pitted Räikkönen for a second stop on lap 35 but there was trouble for the Finn as the rear left wheel failed to come loose. There was confusion and when the Finn was released he collided with one of his crew, who had to be taken to the medical centre for checks. Räikkönen was told to stop in pit lane and the Finn quickly climbed out of the car and exited the race.

    That boosted Hamilton to third and by lap 45 he was 16.7s behind Vetted. Ahead, Vettel’s problem was Bottas, who was secure in second, some seven seconds behind Vettel and setting good times on his medium tyres. The proximity was forcing Vettel to push to the end on his soft tyres and Bottas was given the message to close the German down.

    With nine laps remaining Bottas was 5.4 behind the German and lapping half a second quicker than the Ferrari man. Behind the Hamilton was told to “keep his head down” and wait for Vettel’s tyres to fall away.

    On lap 52 of the 57 Bottas had carved a further two seconds out of the gap to the leader and was told to “just push to the end” as Vettel began to struggle on his degrading soft tyres.

    The German wouldn’t be denied, however. Bottas attacked with a lap remaining but Vettel held firm and though he was shadowed to the flag by the Mercedes driver in a tense finish, he crossed the line to score his 49th career win just over half a second clear of Bottas and 6.5s clear of third-placed Hamilton.

    Drive of the day though, should have perhaps gone to Pierre Gasly. In just his seventh grand prix the Frenchman handed the new Toro Rosso-Honda partnership 12 valuable points with a superb, pacey and precise driver to fourth place.

    Behind him Magnussen opened Haas’ 2018 account with fifth place ahead of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne. Marcus Ericsson delivered a positive result for Sauber with ninth place and two points and the final point on offer was taken by Force India’s Esteban Ocon.

    2018 Bahrain Grand Prix – Race
    1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari –
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes Mercedes 0.699
    3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Mercedes 6.512
    4 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso Honda 1’02.234
    5 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1’15.046
    6 Nico Hulkenberg Renault Renault 1’39.024
    7 Fernando Alonso McLaren Renault 1 lap
    8 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren Renault 1 lap
    9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari 1 lap
    10 Esteban Ocon Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    11 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault Renault 1 lap
    12 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    13 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso Honda 1 lap
    14 Charles Leclerc Sauber Ferrari 1 lap
    15 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1 lap
    16 Lance Stroll Williams Mercedes 1 lap
    17 Sergey Sirotkin Williams Mercedes 1 lap
    Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari DNF
    Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG DNF
    Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG DNF

  • EXCLUSIVE: Esteban Ocon, growing in stature and going for glory

    EXCLUSIVE: Esteban Ocon, growing in stature and going for glory

    Esteban Ocon. Photo: Sahara Force India F1

    By Harish Samtani

    Sakhir (Bahrain), April 8: In an informal chat with the 21-year old Frenchman Esteban Ocon confirmed something that I strongly believe in – It’s better to be the head of a fly than a tail of an elephant! Not that Sahara Force India is a fly by any standards, but compared to the might of the likes of the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull etc, they probably are. And that’s what brings them admiration in the pit lane.

    Ocon the prodigy and the product of the young drivers Mercedes program chose to work with SFI when he was given the options. I guess, this faith in the highly motivated team and Vijay Mallya’s uncanny ability to spot young talent made this partnership an exciting one.

    Ocon’s 19 finishes out of 20 events last year speaks volumes of his maturity that certainly belies his age. His replies to my questions were concise and calm, conveying the confidence of a full-blooded F1 driver whose 320Kph speeds on four wheels are like a walk in the park to him.

    While trying to probe into the mind of a talented youngster as to his take on the driving style of the 80’s-90’s where no grit-no glory was the style of racing, and where approximately 3600 gear shifts took place in one GP, I was politely and smilingly informed that the paddle shift was as difficult and required even more skill and perfection.

    Incidentally, he raced just once in a manual car, an F3, in Macau in 2014. His best effort so far was his winning the highly competitive F3 Championship that he garnered in 2015.

    He further stressed that fitness plays a major role in the current F1 racing machine and the G-forces endured due to much higher cornering speeds do take a toll particularly in the region of the neck.

    While Mercedes will be his lifetime mentors, he will choose his own path as his racing career unfolds. But he is bound to remember his escalation in the ranks of F1 talents during his stint with SFI.

    Lastly, when asked about the current performance of his team, he brushed it off stating that it reminded him about 2017 when they were precariously at 5th-6th before they recovered and finished a splendid 4th!

    Esteban Ocon, may your tribe increase!

  • It’s raining red in the desert!

    By Harish Samtani

    Sakir (Bahrain): Formula 1 had a brilliant start in Australia. Qualifying painted a picture that was pretty for the Mercedes team, but like watercolours in the rain, it dissolved showing only the Scarlet colours of the Ferrari in full bloom.

    In motor racing, as in life, mistakes are waiting to raise their unwanted heads! These are the ones that all the planning and preparation on earth can’t erase. Mercedes looked invincible on Saturday but came to pieces when the hammer came down. They probably would have got Lewis on the top step but for the one glitch – if he had clean air he would have shown a pair of heels to the rest. But after a clever pit strategy by Ferrari that had Lewis in the dirty air, his car was gasping for cold air to maintain the right operating temperature. The rest is history.

    To further carry forward his misery the 4-times world champ has to deal with a five-place grid penalty for replacing a suspect gearbox. Entirely legal but with cost-cutting measures in place it invited a penalty. His team-mate Bottas did the same but wasn’t penalised again because he had already paid the price once earlier in the year for a similar swap.

    Force India, meanwhile, holds a record of sorts by never ever retiring a car in Bahrain. That’s a mean achievement by any standards! Their place in the top ten that they have held on to with ease, is now under threat with other mid-level teams snapping at their heels.

    While Chase Carey, the head honcho of Liberty, the new owners of F1, is trying to bring in a spending cap of 150 million (driver wages, marketing costs etc), I wonder how he will ever control and monitor this. Just one word – IMPOSSIBLE.

    He does come from a world of Indy 500 in which it’s one long left-hand-corner style of racing and wherein the manufacturer and technology is rather limited and this single or dual make concept will drive F1 quickly into the wrong kind of pits. The plus point for the American chapter is that a racing car is available to flat-pedal around with a little money and a lot of enthusiasm.

    Regardless of the result of the Bahrain GP, there is hope for this to be a better year for F1 than the 2017 season. Permitting liberal use of the aero tunnel has helped in closing the gap.

    The qualifying action was provided early on with the aggressive Max Verstappen going pedal down on a tight corner in Q1 and hitting a patch that careened him off into the barriers.

    With Kimi in full flow, he held the fort for the Scuderia but not long enough to gain pole that was ultimately taken with finesse by the crafty Vettel.

    In the frenetic scramble for positions, the main victim was Hamilton who finished a lowly fourth and then when it (Bah)Rains, it pours since he already had a five-place grid penalty staring down hard at him prior to this. However, his race-craft will see him make headway early in the race. History and his skill favour him in this aspect.

    It does seem that Mercedes flattered to deceive themselves with the risky tweak in Australia and for now the battle of the giants is excitingly poised.

    Red Bull is the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons and will add the much-needed flavour this year as will the surprise of the year, Haas. McLaren was a big loser of the day when they displayed a below-par performance.

    Force India saved itself the blushes with Esteban Ocon eventually posting a respectable 9th and 12th for Checo. Their hopes for valuable points must be soaring high!

  • The car is excellent, so looking forward to the race: Sebastian Vettel at FIA press meet

    The car is excellent, so looking forward to the race: Sebastian Vettel at FIA press meet

    Sakhir (Bahrain), April 7: After taking a brilliant pole, Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) attended the mandatory FIA Press Conference along with second-placed teammate Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) who took P3. Hamilton will not be defended his last-years win from the first three rows, as a grid penalty will see him line up on P9.

    TRACK INTERVIEWS (conducted by Johnny Herbert)

    Q: Let’s talk to this man, who is on pole position. Nice smiley face. You must be a happy boy?

    Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, let me breathe! It was quite intense. After the first run in Q3, I was very happy and then tossed it away in the last corner. No, really happy that I got the second run and I got it clean and I knew in the last corner I just knew I had to stay away from that kerb. Then obviously you’re looking around trying to see where the others are. Very happy. The car was excellent all weekend so far, so looking forward to tomorrow.

    Q: We’ve to talk about the car, because these guys, your mechanics, have done a brilliant job for you. But when we look at her, she just seemed to do everything you needed to do day and that seemed to be the comfort factor that you had?

    SV: Yeah, you know best. If the car is responding to what you want it to do it’s a pleasure. Otherwise, it’s a fight. Australia was more of a fight. I think we worked on the balance. I think we looked into it a lot and I think we improved it as well yesterday and today – even though it’s not easy because we do the practice session when the sun is up and qualifying and the race when the sun is down. But yeah, the car is responding, so very pleased.

    Q: Good to see that smile on your face. And Kimi… that was a battle and a half. How are you feeling now? A little bit of disappointment I guess? But that was a good performance for you this weekend?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: For sure, not ideal. Far from ideal in the last run, with the traffic, but what can you do?

    Q: Yeah, what can you do? But again, everything seems to have started strong for you this season. It was unfortunate for you in Australia but coming here you look more at home than I think we have seen you for a long time. There are millions of people around the world who support you big time and this is maybe the start of something coming good for you.

    KR: Well, we’ll see. It’s one Saturday. Tomorrow is the main thing and tomorrow is the time when we get the points or we don’t get the points, so obviously see what we can do then.

    Q: Valtteri, happy with that performance today? You beat your team-mate, which is great. I know you had pole position last year, but these two guys in red, they were strong today.

    Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, it felt OK, the laps were OK and getting better towards the end. In Q3, when you need to put everything together, we got it more or less. I think these guys with the red car they are just a bit too quick. We can’t be happy with this, so we are looking forward to tomorrow.

    Q: But tomorrow is something you can focus on, a totally different scenario because race pace looks a bit better than qualifying?

    VB: Yeah, I think it’s going to be a close race, even with Red Bull and with Lewis and Max coming from behind we’ll see. It should be interesting.

    Q: Well done. Seb, you’re going to be starting right at the front, no one in front of you. You’re going to be feeling pretty good once those lights go out.

    SV: Feeling good now, tomorrow’s a different story. It’s a long, long race and we’ve seen that it’s not easy to make the tyres last so… The car is quick – that usually helps! Let’s see when the lights out, but for now I’m very chuffed and for the team as well. We had some issues this morning but we overcame those, so, yeah, looking forward to tomorrow.

    Press Conference: Q: Seb, your 51st career pole position in Formula One. It didn’t look that likely after FP3. Was it as surprising to you, the way the weekend has panned out?

    SV: I think it’s surprising for us to be, after Australia, that competitive. So, obviously, we, I think, have a good base. The car is working; in Australia, I think we struggled with the feel for the car. Here it’s been better, so we improved a little bit, working the car, you know, the beginning of the season, it’s always difficult because you don’t know yet the car that well. It’s getting better, so obviously,

    Sebastian Vettel flanked by Kimi Raikkonen (left) and Valtteri Bottas, P3, after taking the Bahrain pole on Saturday. An FIA image

    today was quite nice and the car came alive. I didn’t have much session this afternoon, so it was a bit tricky to know what to expect but I felt quite good right from the start and knew that I could make progress throughout the session. Q3, that’s when I wanted it to peak, and I think I peaked in the first run, just before the last corner. I wanted a bit too much. So, I knew I had a bit in me and yeah, basically, it was a bit copy/paste the final lap I had, but the last corner I managed to stay away from the kerbs, so yeah, very happy with both laps in the end and happy obviously with the result, with the car, the way the car was handling and responding, so, yeah. Chuffed.

    Q: Kimi, coming to you, you’ve looked quick all weekend here, and it looked like you were one of the favourites for pole position today. Where do you think that pole just got away from you today, compared to Seb?

    KR: Somewhere around the lap. Far from ideal but with the traffic on the last run. I thought there is a lot we can improve but obviously, it was such a messy thing in the end, I was passing people and doing this and that, so it’s disappointing because it’s been good most of the weekend. Everything. You always want one more but we’ll see tomorrow.

    Q: Valtteri, coming to you. The gap between Mercedes and Ferrari at times looked even bigger this weekend than it is in the final result. Does that give you encouragement for tomorrow’s race?

    VB: Well yeah, of course. First of all, it’s disappointing not to be in the first row. Ferrari was quicker today – but yeah, for sure we made some good progress during the weekend, we tried some things which didn’t work, that’s why the gap was sometimes bigger. So, I think we have the right setup in the car for the race. So, it’s difficult to estimate really, with the race pace. I think it’s still a long race tomorrow so anything can happen. We’ll definitely go for it and hopefully Lewis can also come back to get some good points, and hopefully we can put pressure on these guys.

    QUESTIONS by reporters in bold:

    Q: Seb, do have an idea why you feel the car more here: is it the track characteristics, the updates you’ve got on the car, was it set-up that you made changes?

    SV: Well, we mostly tried to work on the set-up, understanding the car so we tried different things obviously. Across the weekend, you don’t have that much time so in Australia, the first race in Australia, it’s a tricky track, it’s improving a lot throughout the weekend, it’s very bumpy so it’s difficult to change too much in drawing conclusions. I think after the weekend, after the race distance, especially when you have so many laps, I think we had a very good understanding and feel and obviously we’ve been talking about it and looking into it and I think overall I’ve been happier this weekend with how the car has been responding, how the front end was responding so yeah, overall, I think you also see it in the results but I think the good news is that we are a lot closer in all the conditions, if you look at all the sessions across with everyone so I think that’s the only difference. For the rest it’s the same car as in Australia.

    Q: Kimi, P2 in qualifying in Australia and now again.  How difficult is it to start against your teammate compared to Lewis in Australia?

    KR: I don’t think it’s any different, it’s another car. We’re never next to each other at the start because it’s staggered but it’s no different, we’re basically in the same position, just a different way round with the start. Makes no difference.

    Q: Valtteri, in Australia Mercedes was very fast and here on a more normal circuit we expected you to be even faster but we saw exactly the opposite. What is going on with your car? Is it tyre management again like last year?

    VB: I don’t know what’s going on. I agree that we were not having the pace this weekend that we’ve been expecting coming here but we also didn’t have anything new since Melbourne. It’s a very different circuit, very different kind of tarmac, different temperatures, everything so for sure we still needs to understand completely why. For sure we are struggling a little bit with some overheating issues with the tyres. Obviously less so in the evening sessions but still, we have work to do. It’s like we’ve been saying all through the beginning of the season that we are not miles away. Today, Ferrari, this weekend so far has been the quicker car so that’s where we are. We were better in Australia, we need to understand why we were not quickest today but for sure we still have tomorrow to see how the pace is.

    Q: Sebastian, this pole position, is it only up to the better balance of the car or do you have a party mode working as well as the Mercedes one this time?

    SV: No, I think we answered that already in Australia. As I said, I was happier with the balance of the car so obviously, there’s a lot of factors. It’s how comfortable you are in the car, whether the car’s responding or not to what you like it to do. The track, Valtteri has mentioned, the surface, the temperatures, so there are a lot of things but I think we are very very happy that we build another very strong car and we are able to put it on the front row on our own, beating everybody today, so I think that’s a great result and deserves some credit for the team, the effort that everyone is putting in so I think that’s the best thing about today but the race is tomorrow so even if it’s a good day, the main day is coming tomorrow.

    Q: Kimi, you seem a lot more comfortable in the car at the start of this season compared to last year. Do you feel happier in the car and what’s different for you to access that higher level?

    KR: Every car is different, it’s a new car obviously and it’s been OK. Obviously, there are things we need to improve and we can improve but it’s reasonably fine. Like I said, it’s a new car, there are certain designs that have been done but it’s either good or not and there’s not one specific thing that is suddenly better for me than other years.

    Q: Looking at the new halo system, how is it functioning with the three of you and what would hold the key for success tomorrow?

    VB: It doesn’t feel so new any more, the halo. I think we’re used to it and I think it’s all good. I actually missed the second question, what was it?

    Q: What will be the key tomorrow?

    VB: Be quick. I think here tyre management is going to be really important but consistent things, whoever’s having the less drop-off with the tyres is going to be high in the end.

    SV: Just the first time in the weekend you get in the car it’s still a bit weird but as Valtteri said, you get used to it. I think it would be funny now if we take it off, it would feel a bit naked but yeah, it’s fine. I think the most difficult thing is to get in and out. And for the rest, yeah, nothing to add from Valtteri.

    Q: Key to success for you tomorrow? Is it the start against your teammate?

    KR: It’s the whole package, obviously, but I think we should have a good car. Make a good start and go from there.

    Ends

  • Vettel takes 51st career pole; Hami to start 9th after grid penalty: Bahrain GP

    Sakhir (Bahrain), April 7: Sebastian Vettel will make his 200th Grand Prix start from the front of the grid after the Ferrari driver claimed his 51st career pole at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes Valtteri Bottas.

    Defending champion Lewis Hamilton finished in fourth place but the Mercedes driver will drop to P9 on the grid due to an unscheduled gearbox change.

    Räikkönen set the early pace in Q1, his first flying laps, on soft compound Pirelli tyres, yielding a time of 1:29.951. Ferrari team-mate Vettel slotted into P2 a tenth behind the Finn, and Valtteri Bottas took third place with a lap of 1:29.275.

    Fourth place was occupied by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen but after a solid opening flyer, it all went wrong for the Dutchman on his next quick lap. He lost control on the exit of Turn 2 and spun off at the following corner. He went nose first into the barriers, causing major damage to the left front of his car and the red flags were quickly shown.

    When the action resumed the drivers needing improvement to secure passage to Q2 were 16th-placed Haas driver Romain Grosjean, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso in P17, followed by Williams Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber’s Charles Leclerc and the second Williams of Lance Stroll.

    Alonso was the driver to progress, though only by virtue of having set a time of 1:30.530 before Grosjean matched the lap to the thousandth of a second. The Haas driver was left to rue a mistake late in his lap. Had he not erred the Frenchman might have finished the segment closer to seventh-placed team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

    At the top of the order, the top five drivers remained in the garage for the final runs of Q1 and Räikkönen led the way with his sole flying lap of 1:28.951.

    In the first runs of Q2 Vettel got the better of this team-mate for the first time during the weekend, taking P1 with a lap of 1:28.341. Räikkönen slotted into P2 but was dropped down a spot when Hamilton took P2 a tenth off Vettel. Ricciardo found himself fourth ahead of Bottas and surprise package Pierre Gasly continued to shine for Toro Rosso with sixth place, in front of the Renault of Hulkenberg, the Haas of Magnussen, the second Renault of Sainz and tenth-placed Esteban Ocon of Force India.

    In the drop zone ahead of the final runs were Sergio Perez, who had complained of a loss of energy on his first run, while P12 man Alonso was followed by team-mate Vandoorne, Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley, and the unfortunate Verstappen.

    And while they shuffled their order, none made it through to Q3 in the end, with Hartley rising to 11th ahead of Perez, Alonso, Vandoorne, and Verstappen.

    Vettel made the first move in Q3 but while he took P1 with a time of 1:29.196 there was a mistake in the final corner as he went marginally wide and kicked up dust. That allowed Räikkönen to sneak past and the Finn took provisional pole by 0.095s. Hamilton slotted into third, a tenth behind the top two, with Bottas fourth ahead of Ricciardo and Gasly.

    There were no errors on Vettel’s second attempt, however, and he rose to the top of the order with a lap of 1:27.958. The German was the only man to dip below the 1m28s mark and he thus took his 51st pole with just over four-hundredths of a second ahead of Räikkönen.

    It might have been assumed that Hamilton would have a say in how the front of the grid was drawn, but in the end, it was team-mate Bottas who took P3 as Hamilton failed to find an improvement.

    With the champion set to drop to P9 on the grid due to his gearbox penalty, Ricciardo backed out of his final run, safe in the knowledge that his time was good enough for P5 in the session and P4 on the grid.

    Behind them, Gasly put in a superb lap to qualify in sixth place ahead of Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Ocon, and Sainz.

  • Raikkonen fastest in FP2 but likely to face grid penalty

    Sakhir (Bahrain), April 6: Kimi Räikkönen went quickest in second practice ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix but the Ferrari driver may be facing a grid penalty due to a possible unsafe release from the pit lane late in the session. Bahrain GP is the second round of the 21-round Formula One World Championship.

    The Finn was quickly into the action as the session got underway and set an early benchmark of 1:30.689 on soft compound Pirellis that was later passed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.

    Räikkönen then wasted no time in getting his qualifying simulation out of the way, being the first to bolt on a set of supersoft tyres shortly before the half-hour mark.

    And after logging a time of 1:29.817 that was good enough to stand until the end of the session, the Finn then moved on to long runs. However, 15 minutes from the end of the of the session, he pitted for a change of tyres and despite frantic waving from crew members on the front right of his car Räikkönen was released back on track. Realising he had an issue the Ferrari driver quickly pulled over and stopped.

    Race control reported that the incident would be investigated following the session but if it is found to be a case of unsafe release Räikkönen the race stewards hand him a grid drop for Sunday afternoon’s race at the Bahrain International Circuit.

    In the qualifying runs Räikkönen was followed onto supersoft tyres by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

    The champion backed out of a first flying lap due to traffic and then at the end of scrappy effort lost further time when he encountered the slower Haas of Kevin Magnussen. Hamilton thus finished the session in fourth place, behind team-mate Bottas and more than six tenths of a second off the pace.

    It was left to Vettel to take P2 in the session, with the German profiting from a clean run that left him just 0.011s behind Räikkönen.

    The two-by-two nature of the top positions was completed by Red Bull, for whom Max Verstappen was fifth quickest. However, the Dutchman was unhappy with a qualifying run that left him almost a second off top spot.

    Verstappen finished six thousandths of a second clear of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo who had a near miss with Bottas during the session. The Australian was on a quick lap when he came across the Mercedes on a slow lap but on the racing line. Bottas was quick to point out over the radio that his team had given him no information about Ricciardo’s approach. The Red Bull driver was understandably unimpressed, however.

    Best of the rest status was taken by Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, who finished half a second behind Ricciardo and 1.4s off the top Ferrari.

    Behind the German, Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly continued the good form he had shown in claiming seventh spot in the opening session by taking eighth place in the evening and beating the McLaren pairing of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne who finished ninth and tenth respectively.

    2018 Bahrain Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
    1 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:29.817 32
    2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:29.828 0.011 37
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:30.380 0.563 31
    4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:30.472 0.655 32
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:30.745 0.928 32
    6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:30.751 0.934 31
    7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:31.220 1.403 34
    8 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:31.232 1.415 38
    9 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:31.282 1.465 29
    10 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:31.422 1.605 35
    11 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:31.591 1.774 33
    12 Carlos Sainz Renault 1:31.601 1.784 34
    13 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:31.809 1.992 31
    14 Sergio Perez Force India 1:31.868 2.051 34
    15 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:31.969 2.152 35
    16 Charles Leclerc Sauber 1:32.372 2.555 37
    17 Lance Stroll Williams 1:32.382 2.565 30
    18 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1:32.474 2.657 37
    19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:32.733 2.916 32
    20 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1:32.908 3.091 38.

  • Ferrari eyeing success at Sakhir as Formula 1 heads to Bahrain

    Ferrari eyeing success at Sakhir as Formula 1 heads to Bahrain

    Photo: formula1.com

    Bahrain, April 6: It’s advantage Ferrari after round one in Australia. Now, Sebastian Vettel and his team hope to keep the pressure on as F1 warms up with a trip to the Bahraini desert this weekend, but at a track that’s been very kind to them in recent years, reigning World champions Mercedes will have other ideas.

    Ferrari inflicted defeat on Mercedes for the second year in a row in Melbourne. Only this time, rather than the Prancing Horse outracing them, the Silver Arrows were the masters of their own downfall.

    Having found the software bug that led to their strategic miscalculation, Mercedes will not let that happen again. But Lewis Hamilton – the man who lost victory in Australia – expects Ferrari to be “rapid” in the heat of Bahrain, suggesting round two of a record-breaking 21-race season will be even closer in pure pace terms.

    And a two-team fight could become a three-team fight if Red Bull can show the same speed over a full race that Daniel Ricciardo displayed as he set the fastest lap in Melbourne. Bring it on…

    The form book

    Until last season, Mercedes had been in control at Sakhir during the V6 era, winning in 2014, 2015 and 2016. However, Vettel stopped the rot in 2017, gifting Ferrari their fifth victory at the circuit.

    Hamilton, Vettel and Valtteri Bottas all led at different stages of last year’s race, and based on what we saw in Melbourne, we could witness similar again this year.

    The potential jokers in the pack are Red Bull. Team Principal Christian Horner insists his team can mix it with Mercedes and Ferrari after showing strong pace in clear air in Australia, and the team have twice triumphed in Bahrain, in 2012 and 2013.

    Behind ‘the big three’, Haas lived up to their billing as the likely surprise package in Melbourne and were on course to finish fourth and fifth before cross-threaded wheel nuts conspired against them.

    Team Principal Guenther Steiner has vowed to ramp up pit stop practice ahead of this weekend to avoid a repeat. Having scored a fifth and an eighth in two visits to Bahrain, Haas have every chance of being at the front of the midfield again if they can keep it clean.

    But one factor working against the American team is the development race. Expect changes to cars up and down the pit lane, with McLaren one of the teams making the most moves. The Woking squad are aiming to bring much of the package which failed to make it to Australia, while rivals Force India are set to introduce a new front wing – and that could lead to a slight shuffling of the pack.

    Hamilton Milestones

    Hamilton may have seen victory slip through his fingers in Australia, but second place was enough to stretch his point-scoring streak to 26 races. Another top-10 finish in Bahrain will equal Kimi Raikkonen’s all-time record. In the grand scheme of things, it may seem insignificant, but make no bones about it – it would be a mighty achievement.

    Hamilton failed to convert pole into victory for the fifth time in seven attempts in Melbourne. In Bahrain, he has converted one of two poles into victory. If he can improve that record this weekend, he will surpass Michael Schumacher’s record of 40 wins from pole.

    However, pole isn’t the be all and end all. In only one of the last five races here has the pole-sitter claimed victory (Hamilton in 2015). Lining up at the sharp end, though, is imperative as the race has never been won from outside the first two rows of the grid.

    Hamilton will make more history just by starting the race. It will be his 100th for Mercedes, making him the first driver to reach 100 starts for two different teams – he made 110 starts for McLaren between 2007 and 2012.

    Raikkonen poised for Finnish record

    Speaking of Raikkonen, victory this weekend would move him ahead of Mika Hakkinen as the most successful Finnish driver in terms of race wins. The two are currently tied on 20. However, despite scoring eight podiums in 12 attempts at Sakhir, the Iceman has never found his way to the top step. He has also never qualified on the front row in the desert.

    Vettel set to join 200 club

    After making it to 100 career podiums in Melbourne, Vettel will make a bit more history this weekend by joining the 200 race starts club – the 18th driver to do so. The German has so far scored four World championships, 48 wins and 50 poles in 199 Grand Prix weekends. Another win here will boost the confidence around the halls of Maranello.

    For the superstitious out there, victory in Bahrain takes on even greater importance as nine of the previous 13 winners in the desert have gone on to win the drivers’ title!

    Alonso, McLaren win-drought

    Fernando Alonso’s fifth place in Australia equalled McLaren’s best result in the previous three years with Honda. If they fail to win at Sakhir, as seems likely given their pace relative to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, it will be the first time in their history they have gone 100 races without victory. Their last triumph came in the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, courtesy of Jenson Button.

    By coincidence, this weekend is also Renault’s 100th since their last Grand Prix victory. Only two teams have gone that long without a win and once again made it to the top step of the rostrum. Williams went 132 races between victory in Brazil 2004 and Spain 2012. Ligier started 231 between Canada 1981 and Monaco 1996. So, both Renault and McLaren have some way to go to snatch that unwanted record.

    In Australia, Force India failed to score points with either car for the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix last May. If they can get back inside the top 10 in Bahrain and score 13 points or more, they will break the 1000-point barrier.

    It has been a while since Marcus Ericsson last scored a point. In fact, it’ll be 50 races this weekend if he fails to make the top 10. Should he score again, he will set a record for the number of races between points finishes.

    The circuit

    Bahrain won the honour of bringing F1 to the Middle East in 2004 and since then has played host to a Grand Prix every year bar 2011.

    Built on the site of an old camel farm, the 15-turn 5.412km Bahrain International Circuit features a mix of long straights and slow corners. Its stop-start nature makes traction important. It is also one of the best for overtaking, with opportunities at Turns 1, 3 and 11.

    Hitting a barrier or wall is unlikely courtesy of the acres of run-off that engulf the circuit. But that means track limits will come into play. Put four wheels over the white line at the edge of the track and you risk a penalty from the stewards.

    The track isn’t used all that often. Combine that with the venue’s desert location and you’ve got a recipe for low grip. Conditions improve as the weekend goes on as rubber is gradually laid down.

    In 2014 the Bahrain Grand Prix became a twilight race, with the lights set to go out just after sunset this year. While temperatures drop as the race goes on, it is still one of the hottest of the year.

    The timetable places more emphasis on second practice, as it is the only session to take place in the cooler conditions that are representative of qualifying and the race. First and third practice sessions are run earlier in the day when temperatures are much higher.

    The tyres

    Pirelli have nominated the same tyre choices as last year in Bahrain, bringing their medium, soft and supersoft tyres. But this year, all of the compounds are one step softer.

    “Bahrain provides a very different challenge to Australia, but one of the things it has in common is that is quite a stop-start circuit characterised by longitudinal rather than lateral loads, which also means that it is rear-limited in particular,” said Pirelli Head of Car Racing, Mario Isola.

    “Because of the abrasive surface and also thermal degradation we would expect more than one pit stop for most drivers, especially as the entire tyre range is softer this year and Bahrain has produced a variety of interesting strategies in the past.

    “The race schedule, with track temperatures that fall considerably during the evening, means that teams need to maximise their learning from the sessions that are most representative and draw the most effective conclusions from the unusual track conditions in the evening.”

    The forecast

    Bahrain usually offers a chance to slap on sunscreen and dust off the sunglasses, and forecasts suggest this year will be no different. Sunny intervals are expected on Friday and Saturday with clearer skies set for Sunday. Temperatures will peak around 28C throughout, but drop quickly as the sun sets and the floodlights flicker on.

    If recent trends are to be believed, the hotter conditions should play into the hands of Ferrari.

    Source: formula1.com

  • Chairman and CEO Chase Carey presents initiatives for future of Formula 1 from 2021

    Chairman and CEO Chase Carey presents initiatives for future of Formula 1 from 2021

    Photo – Formula 1

    Bahrain, April 6: Simpler, louder and road-relevant power units besides revenue distributed according to meritocracy were some of the key initiatives in a set of proposals for the future of the sport from 2021 that Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1 presented to the teams and the FIA in a meeting held at the Bahrain International Circuit, here today, according to a Formula 1 Press Release.

    Chase Carey said: “Formula 1 is a sport with a rich history. We want to preserve, protect and enhance that history by unleashing F1s potential, by putting our fans at the heart of a more competitive and more exciting sport. We are driven by one desire: to create the world’s leading sporting brand; fan-centred, commercially successful, profitable for our teams, and with technological innovation at its heart.”

    Key strategic initiatives

    Power units (PU)

    • The PU must be cheaper, simpler, louder; have more power and reduce the necessity of grid penalties.
    • It must remain road relevant, hybrid and allow manufacturers to build unique and original PU. • New PU rules must be attractive for new entrants and Customer teams must have access to equivalent performance.

    Costs

    • We believe how you spend the money must be more decisive and important than how muchmoney you spend.
    • While there will be some standardised elements, car differentiation must remain a core value • Implement a cost cap that maintains Formula 1 position as the pinnacle of motorsport with a state-of-the-art technology

    Revenues

    • The new revenue distribution criteria must be more balanced, based on meritocracy of the current performance and reward success for the teams and the Commercial Rights Holder.
    • F1s unique, historical franchise and value must and will still be recognised.
    • Revenue support to both cars and engine suppliers.

    Sporting and technical rules & regulations

    • We must make cars more raceable to increase overtaking opportunities.
    • Engineering technology must remain a cornerstone but driver’s skill must be the predominant factor in the performance of the car.
    • The cars must and will remain different from each other and maintain performance differentiators like aerodynamics, suspensions and PU performance. However, we believe areas not relevant to fans need to be standardised. Governance
    • A simple and streamline structure between the teams, the FIA and Formula 1.

    About Formula 1®

    Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship™ runs from March to November and spans 21 races in 21 countries across four continents.

    Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™. Formula1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock.

    The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company: All rights reserved.

    Formula 1 Press Release

  • We can still win podium places, says Alonso

    We can still win podium places, says Alonso

    Sakhir (Bahrain), April 5: The second round of the 21-round FIA Formula One World Championship began with the traditional Thursday press conference here with drivers Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso of McLaren present. Former World champion Alonso, who is struggling with the pace, is on a mission this season and was just a few places down to the leaders in the first race in Australia. Alonso believes that anything can happen in a race and he is ready to fight for podium places.

    From left: Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas at the Thursday press conference. Photo: FIA.Q: Kimi, if we can start with you. It was third place in Australia for the opening and it could have been even better and you said you were happy with the car during the first weekend. Could you just tell us what about this car you like and does it suit you more than last year’s car? 

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Obviously it’s hard to say. I think it was a pretty straightforward weekend. For sure, we could have done more things and improved always, but it’s the same: it doesn’t matter if you win or are a tenth of something; there are always things to improve or work on. Obviously, we have a very limited amount of time over the weekend to do things, with the practice, and also with the weather, it was a bit tricky. Overall, I think we were quite pleased with how things went. You want more, better positions, but I think we take that happily. As a team, we did a pretty job out of it. Not much to complain about really. We want to win races, but it’s the first race out and we managed to do decent points, so we go forward here, try to make a good practice. So far the car has been working well, even with pretty limited testing over the winter, with some illness and obviously the weather was not ideal on the first test, so I’m pretty OK with how things are running, so let’s just keep doing our normal things and improving.

    Q:     Valtteri, it was a difficult weekend for you in Australia, especially with the crash in qualifying. How much does a weekend like that play on your mind in the gap between races and how eager are you to get out on track this weekend? 

    Valtteri Bottas: Well, not so much been in my mind, because everything was kind of processed during the weekend. It was a bad weekend, that’s it. Now we still have 20 races to go and we’re here in Bahrain, so nothing really to worry about at this point. We have a competitive car. We know we still have a lot of work to do to make it better. Just a bad weekend, so looking forward to this one.

    Q:     Fernando, you said on Saturday evening in Melbourne that hopefully you’d finish higher than P7 or P6 in Australia and you finished in fifth place. So where will you finish this weekend?

    Fernando Alonso: I don’t know, I don’t have the crystal ball anymore! I think definitely the car has some potential. Over the winter we had some ups and downs in testing and then in Australia, it was the same thing – the free practice was affected by the weather and the qualifying was not smooth enough for us to show the potential. It was a good race, a lucky race with the two Haas retirements and the Virtual Safety Car. Nevertheless, I think we take this fifth place and we move on. There is still a lot to improve for us if we want to catch up to the top three teams, but I think we have the potential there and hopefully, we can unlock some performance in the next races.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: Fernando, following on from that: as you say, ups and downs and still potential to come, but are happy days here again?

    FA: Well, I think there’s still quite a reasonable gap to close with the leaders, but I think it’s up to us now. It’s up to the team to deliver the performance in the next weeks, in the next four or five or six Grands Prix. If we are able to bring the performance to the track and close that gap and, you know, being in a reasonable distance to the pole position and the podium finishes and things like that, then it’s up to us to deliver the result on the weekend. I think the next two months are crucial for our hopes in this year’s championship, but hopefully we can keep improving the car, keep putting more performance and if it’s not a world championship fight, it will hopefully be some podium positions during the year or it can be regular top six or top five positions, not only in Australia P5 because of the Virtual Safety Car and the two Haas retirements. Maybe P5 could become a normality. That’s something we need to discover and to find out and as I said before, it’s probably the first time in the last three years that it’s up to us now to deliver that result, so we will try to do our best.

    Q:     Kimi, you have eight podiums here, but the qualifying results have not been that good – only one P3. Is that the biggest difference you have between racing and qualifying in any circuit, and, if yes, where is that coming from?

    KR: I don’t look too closely what has happened in the past, you probably know better. To be honest we try to do our best. Sometimes it works; sometimes not and obviously, you start where you qualify. If it’s a good place or not that great you try to make the best out of it. To be honest some years it’s been working out well here. You can choose the tyres and do a different race and it worked out well. Could it be better if you started at the front? Who knows? Another weekend where we try to do a good job and be up there and see where we end up. It’s a bit unknown. This is a completely different circuit to the previous two where we’ve been in Barcelona and Australia – so yeah, we have to see how everything plans out and where we are, where others are – but it’s been a pretty decent place in past years.

    Q:     To Kimi and Valtteri, starting with Kimi. Kimi, you were almost seven-tenths slower in qualifying in Australia. Do you think Mercedes can also have such an advantage in qualifying here? And, in race conditions, if you believe Ferrari will be more or less in the same gap to Mercedes – or even smaller due to characteristics of the track, and considering the history of Ferrari in this track?

    KR: Who knows. You can keep guessing as long as you want, we see over the weekend where we are. I have zero interest to start guessing where we are, what’s the difference in qualifying. There are so many things that will change that and you know, we’ll do our best and see where we end up in qualifying and the race – but the most important part is the Sunday after the race where it will be finished. I am finished to be two seconds off if we win every Sunday. I don’t care. It’s pretty irrelevant on Saturday in that way. But yeah, I don’t know. That’s why we come here. To find out.

    VB:     I think pretty much the same. You can always guess but at this point, we can only guess, so yeah… I think historically Ferrari has been good here. They had good race pace in Australia. Last year they had stronger pace here than in Australia, so I think it’s going to be a threat and they’re going to be close to us. Even Red Bull. But more than that, just can’t say. We will see how the weekend develops.

    Q: Interesting day coming up tomorrow where we understand Liberty Media will be presenting their blueprint of the future of Formula One to the teams. I was just wondering, as drivers, what input you’ve had, what consultations you’ve had and where you see any changes necessary from a racing perspective to improve Formula One for the future. It’s a question to you all.

    FA: I don’t think that there is anything thing that we can probably say about that. Definitely, Liberty has been quite open to us from Day One and they’ve been asking us all of last year about opinions and different ideas that we may have. So, they were very productive conversations. So, now I think they have a plan. They will show it tomorrow to the teams and we will agree with whatever their decision is because they have all the power and they have all the knowledge of who to do things. Hopefully, they’ll bring new ideas, new things that can improve the show and that will be welcome from all of us.

    Q:     Kimi, has there been any feedback you’ve been giving to Liberty about the direction of Formula One?

    KR: No, in the end, it’s not our decision, it’s up to them. It’s their business. They make plans and obviously take decisions they feel are correct. I don’t know what they’re doing now. I know very little about it and I’m not interested in it, so we’ll see tomorrow what they say. It’s in many years’ time anyhow. I doubt I’ll be here so it doesn’t really bother me.

    Q:     Valtteri, anything to add?

    VB: Not really. I think Fernando covered well. In the end, it’s their decision and tomorrow we’ll see what they will recommend. It’s difficult to speculate more than that – but it will be interesting to see what they recommend.

    Q: Valtteri, you say it’s been processed –  what happened at the Australian Grand Prix –  but how much pressure do you feel to have a good performance here? 

    VB: I think it’s a normal race weekend, that’s my feeling at the moment, honestly. Sometimes you have bad races and then there’s always the next one and of course, you always want to perform but there is no point in gathering pressure from one mistake in qualifying. Of course, I always hope for a good weekend but yeah, I feel a normal race weekend ahead.

    Q:     Just coming back to the previous question, to all drivers, Fernando said they have the power to change Formula One. If you had the power, what would you change in the Formula One we have today?

    KR: I don’t have it, so…

    Q:     Nothing you’d change at all?

    KR: No, I don’t have the power so what’s the point of wasting… even thinking about it because I don’t understand why you… what’s the point for me, to give you a list, because, in the end, I have zero power? I can’t. You understand? We can’t, we don’t make the rules, that’s my point. What’s the point of even making a story out of it?
    FA:  Well, I think it could be a close battle, that will always be welcome but it has always been like that in F1. I remember watching the TV in the very old days… it was on television last week a race from ’90 or ’89 and apart from the first four cars, everyone was flat. We remember that era like a golden era, with big names etc and they’ve always been a big spread but I think if you see now, other series, if you watch a race of IndyCars or whatever, that unpredictable result until the last ten laps makes you excited in front of the television and now we can put (down) the qualifying order for this race right now, on Thursday and that’s a little bit sad.

    VB: Well, I think, like everyone, all the spectators, all the drivers, we would all love closer racing like Fernando said but how to do that? It’s not in my hands.

    Q:     Fernando, one of the current stated objectives this year is to return to the podium. Now based on what you’ve experienced in testing and the race, what you’ve just said etc, in order to get onto the podium you have to beat both or one or both Ferraris, one or both Mercedes, plus two Red Bulls which have got the same engine. Do you honestly believe that that’s do-able and achievable this year?

    FA: Yes. We were two places from that podium already in Australia. They were very close, the last ten laps, Ricciardo and Kimi fighting together so anything can happen in a race. I won two races in 2008 with that ING Renault. I was on the podium in 2009 with the introduction of KERS and that car that we were, I think, ninth in the World Championship or something like that, and I was on the podium so anything can happen in F1. If you are close to that position, sooner or later that opportunity will come and we will be there to take it. I think it’s very much possible this year.

    FIA press release

  • 2018 Formula One Esports Series to commence on April 13

    Paris, April 5: Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, announced that the second season of the Formula 1 Esports Series will start on April 13. The teams who compete in this season’s FIA Formula One World Championship will set up their own Esports outfits to compete in the F1Esports Series 2018.

    This season will be split in two parts – a qualifier and a Pro-series. In the first, online racers will be offered the incredible opportunity to earn a place on the official Esports driver line-up for one of the official F1 teams. Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, Red Bull Racing, Force India F1 Team, Williams, Renault Sport F1 Team, Haas F1 Team, McLaren, Toro Rosso and Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team will all be offering positions in their Esports driver line ups.

    The F1 Esports Series will see the World’s top online racers battle it out on F1 2017, the official game of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, in an effort to win a place in the first-ever Pro Draft in July. This is where the official Formula 1 teams will select their drivers for the second part of the season.

    Every team must select at least one of its drivers from the Pro Draft. F1 2017 players on the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and PC will be able to enter the first of the four qualifying events from April 13. The first event sees them take control of Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes in Shanghai, hunting down a podium finish from sixth place with five laps remaining on a wet, but drying, track.

    The fastest 10 players on each platform will then race off in a live-streamed event final, where the top three will qualify for the Pro Draft.

    At the end of stage one, the top 40 drivers in the World will be eligible for selection by the Formula 1 teams for their respective Esports teams.

    Stage two, which launches in September, will see the official Esports drivers represent their teams in the second half of the season, as they race in the three live events that will determine the 2018 F1 Esports Series Teams’ and Drivers’ World Champions with a prize fund of at least $200,000.

    Following the success of the inaugural competition last year, which saw Great Britain’s Brendon Leigh crowned as the first-ever champion in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 has renewed its partnership with Codemasters and Gfinity for the 2018 F1 Esports Series. Also, DHL have joined the Series as an official sponsor as part of the extension of their partnership with Formula 1.

    Julian Tan, Head of Digital Growth & F1 Esports at Formula 1, said: “It has always been our goal to get the teams involved as soon as possible and we are delighted that they have recognised the potential of the F1 Esports Series at such an early stage. Last year’s series was a great success and demonstrated that there is a clear audience and interest in this innovative, exciting form of racing. We will continue to invest in the Esports Series as we feel it is a great way for us to interact and engage with a new audience.”

    Frank Sagnier, CEO at Codemasters said: “Codemasters is extremely proud to be involved in the F1 Esports Series. The quality of the racing we saw during last year’s series was spectacular and the integration of the teams for the coming season is going to take the competition and its promotion to the next level. We strongly believe that Esports is a platform that allows us to engage with a wide, diverse audience in addition to our traditional gaming community.”

    Neville Upton, CEO at Gfinity said: “We are excited to be retained by Formula 1 as the events partner. F1 and Codemasters maximised the true potential last year by fully integrating the F1 Esports Series into the final Grand Prix weekend in Abu Dhabi through both their linear TV partners and streaming platforms and we look forward to building on that success in season two with more events and broadcast opportunities.”

    For more information on the F1 Esports Series, visit www.f1esports.com.

    F1 Press Release