INDIA in F1

Category: Formula 1

  • As long as I feel I can win races, I will be here: Raikkonen

    PART TWO: Drivers – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes), Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (Ferrari), Felipe MASSA (Williams)

    Q: Valtteri, you’re the top scorer in the last six grands prix on 106 points. Eight more than Vettel, 16 more than Hamilton and the only man to finish on the podium on the last five in succession – the best streak of your career: how much more confidently do you start the second half of the season, compared to the first?

    Valtteri BOTTAS: Definitely it is nicer, the start of the second half than the first half because I started this season with a new team, new environment, there was so many things for me to get used to and to learn, so now I can just get on with it. So, I’m looking forwards to the second half and nice to be back here in Spa.

    Q: We’re seeing a lot of renewal announcements coming through for Stoffel, we just had him here, Kimi obviously. When can we expect yours?

    VB: Well yeah. First of all, congrats to Kimi and Stoffel for that. For me, there’s no news yet, and we will tell you the news when there is some.

    Q: Kimi, congratulations on your new Ferrari deal. Why is it the right thing for you and your career?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Well, I wouldn’t do it if I wouldn’t want to, and be happy with it and obviously the team feels the same way so, y’know…

    Q: You’ve qualified third or higher on the grid at the last four races and you’re tied three-all with Vettel in the last six qualifying sessions and obviously we all saw you had the pace to win in Hungary. Are we seeing the highest level of challenge from your since your return to Ferrari, do you think?

    KR: I don’t know. It’s so difficult to… everybody has their own view of things and obviously we want to do well, we want to improve and I guess you always find things to do better and, that way, find more speed. Lately it’s been a bit better, we’ve been feeling a bit more comfortable and been able to drive as want and obviously the result suddenly looks a bit better. I’m confident we are doing the right things and getting where we want to be.

    Q: Felipe, how are you feeling, what was the diagnosis that kept you out of the car in Hungary and are you confident it’s all over now?

    FM: Yeah, I feel good, I feel ready to get back in the car. I had a… I was feeling a little bit dizzy on that weekend. Vertigo is the name of what I had and unfortunately it’s the first time I had this. It was a little bit of a strange feeling and unfortunately it happens in a race weekend and keeps me out of the car but I feel good now, ready to get back to the second part of the season and really hopeful we can do good races.

    Q: It’s been a bonus year in your career in some ways. It was around this time last year that you announced your decision to retire. Has this season given you a second wind. Do you think you’ll be staying on again for 2018.

    FM: Well, I was quite happy to be honest, in the way I was driving the car. The first part of the season, unfortunately I was a little bit unlucky with the result but I was quite happy with the way I am driving the car. And when I see that, I don’t see the point not to carry on. So if I have an opportunity to stay in the position I believe is correct for me to stay, yes I believe maybe I can stay for another season. Otherwise not. I’m quite relaxed about my future in one way or the other, to be honest. So I think maybe just thinking about the races and we’ll see what happens.

     

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere della Sera) To Kimi, do you think the Ferrari looks more at the experience you can grant, or that you are able to bring harmony inside the team?

    KR: You’ll have to ask them. Honestly, the only thing is I was interested to be here next year. I didn’t really care what the rest is thinking. Obviously the team feels the same way. What is the reasons… you’ll have to go and ask them. I don’t know what else I could say.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) Valtteri, everybody says that the circuit seems to be more adapted to your car than the Ferrari but on the other hand, Pirelli surprised everybody by using the ultrasoft tyres here. In this competition, what do you project for your weekend here?

    VB: I think we are more confident coming to this race than, for example, a track like Budapest. I think we have seen that on the very high downforce tracks Ferrari is very strong. They’ve been not bad at any circuit so we don’t feel that we are favourites or anything but we feel we can be reasonably strong here and I’m sure it’s going to be another tight battle and with the tyre compounds, luckily it’s not quite as hot as last year so the soft compounds can actually be very good but it’s (inaudible) to predict really so we will see once we have started practice and see how the tyres work. But I personally always rather go softer than too hard with the tyres so I’m happy for the decision.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) To Valtteri and Kimi: two Finns on the podium in two successive races for the first time ever. Would it mean anything to you to make a new kind of history with a hat trick?

    KR: Obviously we must try to win races. If you don’t get that then you get the next positions and would it really make us happier? I don’t think I know. I think you’re happy if you win but less if you come second or third but obviously it’s been great for Finns, for us, but I don’t think it’s something that you aim to purposely do or you get more satisfaction from that I think is purely if you do better than worse.

    VB: Yeah, I think definitely to finish one-two would be better than two-three so but yeah, we are always there to try and win the race and not really focus on who is third or second. Of course, it would be nice.

    Q: (Marco Privitera – LiveGP.it) Kimi, in Austria Sebastian said that Kimi is my favourite teammate for the next season. Do you have the same opinion? Do you think that Sebastian is your favourite teammate for the future?

    KR: Yeah, I’m sure he is. I think we work very well together, as the whole team, a good way of working, but obviously I’m not the guy who decides who does what and obviously I have no idea what will happen in his case but hopefully all that stays how it is now and it would be perfect.

    Q: (Graham Harris – Motorsport Monday, Motorsport Weekly) Kimi and Valtteri, one of you has been confirmed for next year, one of you is still waiting to be confirmed. You are both at the sharp end of the grid. Do you think, Kimi, the fact that you’ve got next year out of the way and we won’t be asking you these questions any more eases the pressure on you? And Valtteri, do you think that because you haven’t been confirmed and you don’t know what is actually happening next year this puts added pressure on you in addition to winning races?

    VB: No, for me it doesn’t make a difference. Coming to this weekend, not thinking about it. Like I’ve said before, I’m used to these situations over the last few years, always the same thing that there’s no confirmation about next year so now that we start the race weekend with a practice tomorrow, it’s not going to be in my mind, for sure, so I’m just going to focus on the driving and the weekend, getting the most out of the weekend so no pressure from there.

    KR: I don’t think it’s serious, you know. Maybe this weekend again you guys will not ask at the next race but start again, so that wouldn’t be a big surprise for me. Obviously it’s more easy to deal with that side of the stuff and we can put all our effort into pure racing. It just doesn’t change the end result, it doesn’t guarantee better results or worse results. It doesn’t work like that but it’s a good thing to be done.

    Q: (Dan Knutson – Auto Action, Speedsport) Felipe, where are the key areas the car needs to be improved to be a regular challenger for the podium?

    FM: Well, I think we need to improve the car, especially from the downforce point of view so if you see that when you go to tracks like Budapest or maybe like city tracks, we are struggling a lot. And we saw that some of the teams, like maybe Renault… depends on the track,  developing the car a little bit better than us, so definitely developing is very important from the first race until the last race so I think maybe developing is very important so we are pushing hard to make the car better, race by race. It hasn’t been perfect, to be honest but we’re just pushing harder to see if we can improve and make the right results that we need to do also on tracks where the car should be better like here maybe or maybe Monza. So yeah, we have so many things where we’re fighting for one or two tenths. I know that it’s really important not to lose any opportunity in terms of improving the car.

    Q: (Grabriel Lima – Motorsport.com) Felipe Massa, I would like to know what you had, your illness exactly and how it was when you found out you could not race and how was it for you to watch the race on TV?

    FM: Well, actually I had… it was like vertigo so I was feeling dizzy, not only in the car but also when I was laying down on the bed. For sure it happened in the race weekend, so I was also feeling it in the car, especially with so many G-forces. So then I stopped and I said exactly how I was feeling and it was not a good feeling to race so for sure I just decided… me together with some other… the doctors there, I decided that I was not feeling good to race. Then I went to Monaco on the Saturday evening and I watched the race there, at home. It was a bit strange to be honest but yeah, it was interesting also to watch the race there, just to see when I decided to stop, how it was going to be. I think I definitely preferred to be in the car, it’s where you enjoy yourself.  I feel good, I feel ready to get back in the car, that’s the most important thing.

    Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Valtteri, fitness-wise, which is more demanding: a duathlon or a Formula One race?

    VB: It’s completely different so you just can’t compare. Driving, how you feel it physically, it’s way different to running or cycling. Obviously both sports are demanding but in so different ways that it’s difficult to compare.

    Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboEsporte.com) To all drivers: how do you imagine will be your flying lap on Saturday with cars that have a minimum 30 percent more downforce, tyres 25 percent wider and ultrasoft tyres?

    KR: We’ve driven these cars all year so far; some circuits you feel that for sure you will go faster everywhere and obviously it’s quite a high speed circuit so we expect to be feeling a bit faster but I think it’s good for this place to have the grip and the speed through the corners and it makes it more exciting so I would guess that it’s quite a nice feeling.

    Q: Felipe, any corners that you’re particularly looking forward to in these cars, any sequences?

    FM: Well, I think it will feel similar to Silverstone. Silverstone is a track that is not different to how it is going to be in Spa so a lot of high speed corners, a lot of quick changes of direction so you will feel maybe similar to Silverstone. I think Eau Rouge will not be a corner that is very interesting because it will be too easy for all of the drivers, all of the cars, more or less like a straight but then, when you get to the second sector it will be quite interesting, a lot of high speed corners, quick changes of direction. Then it will be quite interesting and a good feeling for the drivers as well, like it was at Silverstone.

    VB: I don’t think there’s much to add. It’s definitely going to be fun like it always is here in Spa and like we saw at Silverstone with just more downforce, more grip, it is even more fun basically.

    Q: (Luigi Perna – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, what is making you carry on racing, considering that you said that you would retire at the end of your contract with Ferrari 2015? It’s because you have the same excitement as you had at the beginning or just because you have the right car to compete?

    KR: It’s purely the racing. The rest not but I enjoy racing  and obviously I want to do well. If I did not feel that I can go fast I wouldn’t be happy in myself. If I wasn’t driving, I wouldn’t be here. I have zero interest to waste my time or the team’s time to be a part of it, it’s not the most nicest place to just hang around. So the racing is the main thing. Yes, there’s a lot of other sides of F1 but as long as the racing is the biggest part, then that’s it and as long as I feel myself that I can win races and fight for championships then that’s fine. When I don’t feel like that I will be the first guy to do something else.

    eom/FIA press release

  • Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Feature: Fighting the Force

    One of the major stories heading into the 2017 campaign was the increased G-Forces that drivers would have to withstand in the cockpit of these new generation Formula One cars. Bigger wings and tyres mean more downforce and grip, which puts more stress on the driver than ever before.

    Take the season opener in Australia, for example. Melbourne is not typically one of the more physically demanding circuits on the calendar for the drivers. Yet, through the left-hand sweeper of Turn 11, forces were peaking at 5G – up 10% on 2016.

    G, or G-Force, is a physical force equivalent to one unit of gravity that is multiplied during rapid changes of direction or velocity – such as during acceleration and braking. We live in a three-dimensional world, using three axes to describe the space around us. In F1 terms, the longitudinal X-axis lies along the car, the lateral Y-axis is across the car and the vertical Z-axis runs from top to bottom.

    When looking at the stresses placed on a Grand Prix car and its driver, G-Force can be broken down into longitudinal acceleration – experienced when braking or accelerating – lateral acceleration – while cornering – and vertical acceleration – caused by bumps, kerbs or change of gradient in the circuit.

    The highest longitudinal acceleration experienced in Formula One is actually a deceleration, achieved under braking at the end of a long straight – prime examples being Turn 1 in Baku and Turn 14 in Shanghai. In Monza, too, when the drivers blast out of Parabolica and along the famous start-finish straight before planting their foot on the brake into the Rettifilo chicane, they are expected to experience a peak deceleration exceeding -5G.

    Since longitudinal G is also linked to downforce, peak deceleration is only achieved in that brief moment when the driver first hits the brakes, as they are forced forward towards the steering wheel. While the seat belts keep them in position in the car, their head is pushed forward. The car itself will pitch forward, as the vertical load on the four corners transfers from the rear to the front tyres. The front suspension and tyres are both squashed into the circuit by the G-Force as the rears unload.

    Lateral acceleration is achieved through wide, fast corners. For example, through the flat-out Copse corner at Silverstone, drivers were hitting nearly 5G during this year’s British Grand Prix. Expect to see them experiencing similar values as we head to Spa and then Suzuka – both circuits like Silverstone with sweeping curves that favour strong aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical grip.

    Lateral acceleration like this forces the driver into the side of their cockpit, putting stress on the ribs and thighs that meet the seat edge. They’ll also need those strong neck muscles to sustain the repeated force pushing their head towards the outside of the corner. It’s a rough ride. And the new cars also have to stand up to this increased G. Under lateral acceleration, cars will tend to roll to the outside of the corner. The vertical load on the four corners of the car will transfer from the inside to the outside tyres. Pouhon at Spa and Suzuka’s unforgettable Esses at the start of the lap will punish both the drivers and their cars in 2017.

    When it comes to F1, vertical accelerations are recorded in relation to ride – when a car hits a kerb or ripple in the track. The bump before the right-hander at Mirabeau in Monaco is a good example. But these events are typically extremely short lived, lasting just a few milliseconds.

    For any kind of sustained vertical lift, an extreme gradient change is needed. Turn 1 at both Spielberg and the Circuit of the Americas are good examples – but nowhere is the gradient change as sharp on the modern Grand Prix calendar than through the iconic Eau Rouge at Spa. As drivers hit the very the bottom, the car is compressed into the ground, with tyres and suspension squeezed as the vertical acceleration on the car hits 2.5G – right through the driver’s rear end!

    The car climbs, before cresting the top of the hill, as the vertical accelerations hit upwards of 0.5G – with the driver experiencing weightlessness and actually able to feel the belts holding them down in the car for up to half a second. They have to be particularly careful on corner exit here, as the car can go light and quickly lose grip – see Kevin Magnussen’s monster shunt there in 2016 for evidence. It’s a unique experience – and will be even more of a challenge in this year’s cars, with drivers expected to be easily flat through the entire Eau Rouge section.

    With its mix of fast, wide corners like Pouhon, a big braking zone into Les Combes plus the standout centrepiece that is the mighty Eau Rouge, the iconic Spa circuit offers a punishing ‘back-to-school’ experience for the F1 grid…

    eom/Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport team release

  • Spa is a happy hunting ground for Force India: Mallya

    Spa, 22 Aug 2017: Sahara Force India returns from its summer break and looks ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix.

    Vijay Mallya: “Spa is always a special weekend for Formula One. It’s one of the greatest circuits in the world and a marvellous venue to appreciate the best drivers in the fastest cars. It’s been a happy hunting ground for this team too and I’d like to think we have a good chance of adding some more memories this weekend.

    “We’re over the half-way point of the season now and feeling upbeat about the remaining nine races. Along with Spa, there are some other tracks coming up that should allow us to show the speed of the VJM10. We are pushing hard with the development of this car and there are some further steps we will introduce over the next few events.

    “Our consistency has been our strength this year. We’ve scored points in ten of the eleven races so far and had double points finishes in nine of those races. I’m proud of the team for this achievement and it shows that all our hard work is paying off. We’ve still got our sights on the podium for this year and if the opportunity arises I believe we are ready to take it.”

     

    Sergio: “I’m feeling fresh and relaxed after the summer break and really looking forward to getting back to racing. I had a very nice break with my family, but now I can’t wait to be back on track.

    “Belgium is the one of the best circuits to experience an F1 car. I love the high-speed layout, the history of the place and you get to meet some very passionate fans there. It’s just a great weekend and there is also the question mark over the weather. It nearly always rains at least one of the days.

    “Pouhon is one of my favourite corners of the year. It’s so quick and satisfying when you get it just right. The 2017 cars will feel extra special through this part of the lap, as well as through Eau Rouge.

    “As we begin the second part of the season, I want to improve on what we have done so far. We have been competitive, but we also lost a few chances to score more points than we did. Hopefully we will make up for those lost points in the races to come.”

    Esteban: “I had a great summer holiday in the south of Spain. My batteries are fully recharged and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car. It’s now a year for me as a Formula One driver and the time has gone by really quickly. So I’m no longer a rookie!

    “Spa is where I made my debut last year. It’s a great track, but it’s not necessarily one of my favourites. There are some special corners, especially through sector two, which has a nice rhythm. It’s a circuit where you have to be totally at one with the car because you need to be really committed through the high-speed corners.

    “Spa is usually a good track for racing because it’s easier to overtake there compared to some other tracks. There’s also the famous Spa weather which brings unpredictability. I don’t mind if it rains because it could bring some more opportunities our way.

    “I think we can be competitive this weekend regardless of whether it’s dry or wet. The layout of the track should suit our car quite well. Everybody loves driving through Eau Rouge and it’s certainly the most famous part of the lap. In these cars it will be an amazing experience. Maybe the first lap of the race will be a bit of a challenge, but after that I think we should be able to take it easily flat.”

    Sahara Force India’s Chief Race Engineer, Tom McCullough, analyses the challenges of Spa-Francorchamps.

    “Spa is an iconic circuit and a great test for Formula One machinery, even more so this season. It’s the longest lap of the season with a mix of slow and quick corners, long straights and elevation changes: finding the right setup is always a challenge. There are some unique corners, like the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex with its rapid compression and decompression, which will be asking a lot from the driver, the car and the tyres. There are also many long and fast corners putting big loads through the tyres: it will be important to understand how the compounds on offer, the three softest of the range, work in these conditions. Usually, races in Spa are very entertaining: there are many overtaking opportunities, mistakes are easily punished and the weather can play a big part. It often rains and the extended nature of the circuit means you could be driving on a completely soaked track in one sector and on bone dry tarmac in another. Choosing the right strategy and being ready to adapt to the changing circumstances is crucial.”

    eom/Sahara Force India Press Release

  • Force India completes in-season Test at Hungary

    Force India completes in-season Test at Hungary

    Sahara Force India brought its testing programme to an end in Budapest as Lucas Auer and Nikita Mazepin completed 97 laps overall.

    P7 – LUCAS AUER – VJM10-03

    1:19.242 49 laps 215km

    Lucas Auer: “It was a good session and I believe we managed to stick to our run plan and get all the data that the team wanted. I felt pretty good in the car this morning: I had a good night’s sleep and I felt a lot more confident compared to my first time in the car yesterday. The team helped me so much and I was very impressed by the work of everyone: they had a lot of data from the race weekend, of course, and it was interesting to see how they used it. There is so much attention to detail and everyone made sure the instructions were clear so we were able to maximise our time.

    “Experiencing Formula One has been great. There is so much speed and the cars have so much downforce. You have to train your eye to be quick because everything happens faster – it’s a very interesting way of driving and you have to take care of a lot of settings on your steering wheels while pushing the car hard. It’s a real challenge. I feel every new car you drive teaches you something as a driver because you need to adapt to it. I’ll see in the next races what I have learnt from this. I’d like to thank the team once more for these two half days – it was a pleasure to drive the VJM10 and work with everyone.”

    P9 – NIKITA MAZEPIN – VJM10-03

    1:19.692 48 laps 210km

    Nikita Mazepin: “It’s been a tougher day today as the track temperatures were much higher. Despite this, we kept working away, trying to find the best way to set up the car. We had a big run plan to go through and I think the team managed to get all the information they needed. We started with some aero runs and then moved on to longer stints as the day progressed. I felt more comfortable in the car as the day went on and I enjoyed the performance of the VJM10. It’s been great to be back in the car and help the team in this test.”

    TOM McCULLOUGH, CHIEF RACE ENGINEER

    “It’s been a positive test for the team as we sign off for the summer break. Lucas had another mature half day in the car, improving with every run. The temperatures were rising throughout the morning, so he had to work hard for his improvements in laptime.

    “Driving in the afternoon, Nikita had his first experience of track temperatures over 50C in a current generation F1 car. He completed some aero runs early on, with various rakes mounted on the car and after that the afternoon was dedicated to evaluating mechanical developments on the car. His pace was solid and he made another step in his development programme, but unfortunately a red flag spoiled his performance run. Both drivers were a pleasure to work with, fitted well within the team and helped us achieve all our run plan objectives. It’s been a hot test and the team have definitely earned the upcoming two weeks of summer break.”

    e

    A Force India car during the second Test day at Hungary on Wednesday. A Sahara Force India image

    om/Sahara Force India press release

  • Vettel wins; Hami fourth: F1 Hungary GP

    Hungaroring, 30 July 2017: Sebastian Vettel took his fourth victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to establish a 14-point lead over Lewis Hamilton as the Briton finished fourth, behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

    While the result reflected the quartet’s starting positions, the 70 laps were not without drama, however. Midway through, race leader Vettel began to report handling problems and his pace flagged. Raikkonen, in second, was forced to sit behind the slower Vettel and act as a bulwark to Mercedes as the Silver Arrows attacked during the second half of the race. Third-placed Bottas moved aside to allow Hamilton a chance to pass Raikkonen, but the Finn proved resolute and on the final lap Hamilton handed third back to Bottas as Ferrari’s pragmatic approach paid maximum dividends.

    Pol position man Vettel got away comfortably in the lead at the start, with Raikkonen slotting into second ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

    Hamilton though was under pressure from both Red Bulls. Max Verstappen got past the Briton as they exited Turn One, while Daniel Ricciardo snuck down the inside of the Mercedes to take P5 as the field streamed towards Turn 2. Ricciardo attacked his team-mate on the outside but Verstappen had a small lock-up and that caused him to momentarily lose control. He slid into the side of Ricciardo’s car and the Australian went off track.

    Ricciardo tried to rejoin but the side and rear right of his car were too damaged and he spun in the middle of the track, causing the following cars to take evasive action. The Safety Car was deployed.

    When racing resumed Vettel held his lead in front of Raikkonen and Bottas. The stewards though had placed Verstappen under investigation and as the racing began again he was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision with his team-mate.

    At the front, Vettel began to carve out a gap and 15 laps into the 70-lap race he was 2.9s ahead of Raikkonen and just over six seconds clear of Bottas in third.

    The race then settled as the gaps at the front stabilised. That situation changed on lap 26 when Vettel began complain that his steering was “hanging to the left”. Raikkonen closed to within 1.3s of his team-mate as the pit stop window opened. Bottas was the first of the front runners to stop, at the end of lap 30, and he emerged in fifth after taking on soft tyres. Hamilton followed a lap later and then Vettel pitted from the lead to take on soft tyres.

    Raikkonen was the next in and he almost managed to pass his team-mate in the stop. The Finn rejoined just behind his team-mate and was quickly on the radio to lament the fact that he felt he had the pace to stay out and carve out time that might have put him in front of the German after his stop.

    The situation began to become pressing the race neared the lap 40 mark, with Raikkonen questioning Vettel’s pace and warning that Bottas was getting closer. He was told Vettel had a handling issue. Meanwhile, championship leader Vettel was told to avoid hitting kerbs.

    By lap 44, Bottas was 1.8s behind Raikkonen, with Hamilton also in hot pursuit, just 1.1s behind his team-mate. At the front Vettel was 1.5s clear of Raikkonen.

    On lap 46 Bottas pulled over in Turn 1 to allow Hamilton through to attack Raikkonen and on lap 51 he got to within DRS range of the Finn. Bottas, meanwhile, was told that if his team-mate could not pass the Ferrari that Hamilton would make way for him to retake third place.

    The Briton was given five laps to make a move and then, when Raikkonen proved difficult to follow, he was handed another five to pass the Finn. By lap 63 he was still trailing the Finn and awaiting “a mistake” from the Ferrari driver.

    It didn’t come, however, and as the final laps counted down Hamilton drifted out to more than two seconds behind Raikkonen.

    Further back Verstappen was closing in on Bottas and with a few laps remaining was right on the Finn’s tail. The threat from the Red Bull suggested that Hamilton might not be asked to cede third back to Bottas but on the final lap Hamilton pulled across and allowed Bottas to slip through to third. Verstappen almost pounced on the move but in the end Hamilton crossed the line in fourth place, just 0.3s behind the Mercedes man.

    Fernando Alonso took a superb sixth place for McLaren with Carlos Sainz a very solid seventh for Toro Rosso. Eighth place went to Force India’s Sergio Perez, who had climbed from 13th on the grid, while ninth place went to the Mexican’s team-mate Esteban Ocon. The final point was taken by Stoffel Vandoorne in the second McLaren.

    2017 Hungarian Grand Prix – Race
    1 Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari Ferrari  1:39’46.713
    2 Kimi Raikkonen  Ferrari Ferrari 0.908
    3 Valtteri Bottas  Mercedes Mercedes 12.462
    4 Lewis Hamilton  Mercedes Mercedes 12.885
    5 Max Verstappen  Red Bull TAG 13.276
    6 Fernando Alonso  McLaren Honda 1’11.223
    7 Carlos Sainz  Toro Rosso Renault 1 lap
    8 Sergio Perez  Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    9 Esteban Ocon  Force India Mercedes 1 lap
    10 Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren Honda 1 lap
    11 Kevin Magnussen  Haas Ferrari 1 lap
    12 Daniil Kvyat  Toro Rosso Renault 1 lap
    13 Jolyon Palmer  Renault Renault 1 lap
    14 Lance Stroll  Williams Mercedes 1 lap
    15 Pascal Wehrlein  Sauber Ferrari 2 laps
    16 Marcus Ericsson  Sauber Ferrari 2 laps
    17 Nico Hulkenberg  Renault Renault
    Paul di Resta  Williams Mercedes
    Romain Grosjean  Haas Ferrari
    Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull TAG

    eom/FIA press release

  • Vettel take pole in a Ferrari front row; Force Indias miss top-10

    Hungaroring, 29 July 2017: Sebastian Vettel took his second pole position of the season with a blistering lap on his Ferrari at the Hungaroring that smashed the track record by more than two seconds ahead of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. It will be a Ferrari front row with title rival Hamilton taking his Mercedes to P4. Meanwhile, both Force Indias failed to make the top-10 after many races of successful qualifying.

    The Ferrari driver set a time of 1:16.276 to power past the mark set by Rubens Barrichello in qualifying for the 2004 race here. Vettel’s time put him two tenths clear of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen as Ferrari annexed the front row.

    Valtteri Bottas was third for Mercedes but it was a disappointing Q3 for Lewis Hamilton. The Briton made a mistake on his first run to lie ninth ahead of the final runs and then complained of tyre vibration on his final run to fourth place.

    The major news before the qualifying was that Felipe Massa, who had been unwell on Friday, was again ill during final practice. The decision was taken for the Brazilian to sit out the remainder of the weekend, and so, after the necessary approvals had been given by the FIA, the team called on reserve driver Paul Di Resta, who last race at the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix for Force India, to take over.

    The Scot, a DTM regular, had never driven a real world 2017 Formula One car before the start of Q1 but he quickly began to feed himself into the session rising steadily to a time of 1:21.075.

    At the top of the order it was Vettel who set the pace, the German posting an early time of 1:17.244. That was almost matched by Max Verstappen who ended up two hundredths of a second behind the German, with Kimi Raikkonen third with a lap of 1:17.364.

    In the drop zone with a minute to go were, Williams’ Lance Stroll, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, the Saubers of Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein and Di Resta who improved to a time of 1:19.868.

    That wasn’t enough to save him from elimination but the Scot had done an excellent job under the circumstances, beating P20 man Ericsson into the bargain. Ruled out ahead of Scot were Magnussen, Williams team-mate Stroll who finished in P17 just seven tenths ahead of Di Resta, and Wehrlein.

    Magnussen, perhaps, had the most to feel aggrieved about. The Dane set an identical time to Force India’s Sergio Perez of 1:19.095, but the Mexican progressed by virtue of having set the time first.

    Vettel again impressed from the off in Q2. Third on track when the pit exit opened the German soon laid down an impressive marker becoming the first man into the 1m16s bracket with a time of 1:16.802.

    Verstappen came closest to matching that, setting a time two tenths adrift of the German in the opening runs. Hamilton lay third ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and the second Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.

    In the drop zone ahead of the final runs were Renault’s Jolyon Palmer – just under four hundredths of a second behind Force India’s P10 man Esteban Ocon – Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat, Haas’ Romain Grosjean and the second Force India of Perez.

    Sainz was the one to make a late charge, with the Spaniard claiming P10 with his final flying lap. Palmer looked like he might threaten Sainz’s time of 1:18.311 as he put in a PB in the second sector but the Briton’s pace faltered in the final sector and he lost out to the Toro Rosso by a tenth. Eliminated behind Palmer in P11 were Ocon, Kvyat, Perez and Grosjean.

    At the top the bulk of the top six from the first runs opted to stay in the garages for the second runs. Mercedes’ drivers were the exception and though Bottas could find no improvement beyond P5, Hamilton ratcheted up his pace and took P1 with a time of 1:16.693. He and Vettel were the only drivers into the 1m16s at this stage. Verstappen was third ahead of Raikkonen, Bottas and Ricciardo. Both McLarens also made it through to Q3 for the first time this season.

    Vettel again set the early pace in Q3 with a lap of 1:16.276. This time though Hamilton couldn’t respond. The Britons first run was compromised by a mistake in Turn 4 and when the opening runs were done he found himself in P9 with just one more chance to make an impact. Bottas took P2 ahead of the final runs with Verstappen third and Ricciardo fourth. Hulkenberg sat in fifth ahead of the McLarens of Alonso and Vandoorne.

    And in the final runs, Hamilton was again unable to respond as he had in Q2. The Briton reported a vibration on his tyres early in the lap and though he pushed hard he could only set a time good enough for third place. His time of 1:16.693 also left him vulnerable to attack from the Red Bulls in P5 and P6. Neither Verstappen nor Ricciardo could find enough time on track to improve position.

    In fact the only driver to make significant gains in the final runs was Raikkonen. The Finn rose from fifth position and a time of 1:16.878 to a front row start behind his team-mate with a lap of 1:16.444 that pushed Bottas to third.

    With the Red Bulls in fifth and sixth, seventh place went to Hulkenberg, though the Renault driver will take a five-place gearbox-related grid drop tomorrow. Alonso was eighth ahead of McLaren team-mate Vandoorne while Sainz qualified in 10th place.

    eom/FIA press release

  • I love Budapest and the Hungaroring. It’s my favourite track of the year: Esteban Ocon

    I love Budapest and the Hungaroring. It’s my favourite track of the year: Esteban Ocon

    Esteban Ocon at the Hungary GP on Thursday. A Sahara Force India image

    Budapest, 28 July 2017: Sahara Force India gets ready for round eleven of the season in Budapest, Hungary.

    Sergio Perez: “This season has gone by so quickly. It only feels like yesterday we were racing in Melbourne and now we’re about to have the summer break. It’s been a satisfying first half of the year. I’m proud of the team and the work we have done to improve our car. I also feel I’m performing at my best and driving well. I have big hopes for the second half of the year and I feel we have the potential to get some very good results.

    “I think we can be quick in Budapest. We have been competitive on every type of track this year so there’s nothing to worry about in Hungary. I like the twisty layout of the track – which reminds me of a street circuit – and when you find your rhythm it’s very enjoyable to drive there. Overtaking isn’t easy so you’ve got to deliver in qualifying or you know it’s going to be a tough race on Sunday. Track position is so important.

    “I think everybody in the paddock is ready for a summer holiday. You always want a good result before you break up because it’s a long wait until you get back in the car. For whatever reason the Hungaroring hasn’t been kind to me for the last few years so it’s time to put that right.”

    Esteban Ocon: “I love Budapest and the Hungaroring. It’s my favourite track of the year. I had a special weekend there when I was racing in Formula Three with two wins and a second place, and a double podium in GP3. It’s just a track that’s very satisfying to drive. When you get into the rhythm it feels great because you can really lean on the car and attack the kerbs. It’s a circuit that suits me as a driver and my driving style.

    “I’m looking forward to the break and the chance to recharge my batteries. It’s been such a busy season and I’m ready to take a few weeks to catch my breath. I have to say I’m very happy with how things have gone since I joined the team. I feel stronger with every race and I think there is even more potential in the second half of the year. My objective is still to try and get a podium, but the priority is to keep picking up the points in every race – that’s what we need as a team. We just need to keep being consistent.”

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal: “Silverstone was another solid weekend for the team. Both cars finished in the points for the eighth time this season. The developments we introduced delivered what we expected and the car continues to improve with each race. As I said before, this consistency is our strength and we won’t become complacent. This is only the half-way point in the season and there is a lot of hard work ahead of us. We will keep pushing, keep bringing new parts to the cars and keep the pressure on the teams we are racing against.

    “Budapest should be another competitive track for us. Esteban tells me that it’s his favourite track of the year because he loves the chicanes. It’s never been a circuit where we’ve had much luck in recent years so hopefully things will change this year. We will be running Alfonso Celis in the car during free practice on Friday and we have two promising youngsters testing with us in the days after the race with Nikita Mazepin and Lucas Auer in the car. After that, there’s a well-earned rest for the entire team. We will do our best to sign off the first half of the year with a strong result.”

    eom/Sahara Force India press release

  • I am for Halo cockpit, safety comes first, says Perez

    I am for Halo cockpit, safety comes first, says Perez

    Sergio Perez at the FIA Thursday press conference, Hungary GP. A Sahara Force India image

    PART TWO: DRIVERS – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull), Sergio PÉREZ (Force India), Stoffel VANDOORNE (McLaren), Kevin MAGNUSSEN (Haas)

    Q: Session one we had a lot of talk about the implementation of the Halo cockpit head protection in 2018. I’d just like to get each of your thoughts on that. Perhaps we could start with Max.

    Max VERSTAPPEN: OK, yeah, I don’t like it but of course at the end of the day you have to respect the decision of the FIA. I think since we introduced the Virtual Safety Car, that reduced a lot of risk when you are speeding under the yellow flag in the race and then also with the wheel tethers, they are quite strong at the moment so I don’t think you will lose a wheel very easily, and when there are parts flying around from the car, it’s not really going to protect you. So, I don’t really understand why we should need it.

    Sergio?

    Sergio PÉREZ: I’m in favour of it. Whatever has to do with safety, safety always comes first. I think if we had the Halo by now, the last six, seven years it will have saved at least a life. That’s worth the risk that the FIA is taking with that. I think once we implement Halo the teams will improve. I think Halo needs a lot of work by now – but I’m sure the system will be improved a lot. We have very clever engineers in Formula One and now that all the teams know that it has to be in place for next year, I believe they will improve it a lot.

    Kevin, your thoughts?

    Kevin MAGNUSSEN: I’m also against it. I don’t think it’s what Formula One is about. I think there should be a limit or, at least, a more clever way to improve the safety. I don’t think the Halo is the right way. In general, I don’t agree that safety always is number one. I think there is a limit where it becomes too safe to be exciting. Part of the reason Formula One is popular is because of the element of danger. It’s moved on a huge amount in the last 30 years and that’s been very good – but I think it’s safe enough now that I can say it’s exciting and it’s right. It feels right to go racing. We could always make it more safe, we could make the cars go maximum 80km/h and it would be completely safe – but it would be very boring. You can always make it safer but you will make it less exciting and that’s my problem with it.

    And Stoffel, your thoughts?

    Stoffel VANDOORNE: Yeah, I think aesthetically it’s definitely not the nicest thing we’ve put on the cars and I think a lot of people agree with that – but we’ve been pushing to improve cockpit safety, to improve head protection. I think the FIA have done a lot of investigations on what would be the best solutions, trying a couple of different solutions with the screen being tested in Silverstone as well. I think for them that was the best solution. So, yeah, I don’t think it’s a big surprised to see it in 2018 on the cars.

    Q: Max, if we can come back to you now. It’s been a difficult opening ten races of the year for you; five retirements but Red Bull team principle Christian Horner has said this week that in adversity, you’re becoming a better driver. I just wondered if you agreed with him.

    MV: It’s nice to hear. No I think it’s always the target to improve every single year so I think I definitely improved again compared to last year but it’s a bit difficult to… or it was difficult to show, of course, when you retire but luckily in Silverstone I had no issues but we still need to be honest to ourselves and now there was an issue on the other car, so we still need to be more reliable I think. We’ll start here in Hungary and see how it goes.

    Q: And how do you rate your chances this weekend? Red Bull’s been on the podium every year for the last four years; is that your expectation? 

    MV: We have to wait and see how the updates will work but also from the guys ahead, because they are not standing still. So hopefully we will be close but of course in Silverstone we went a little bit in the wrong direction but if you look to the previous races I think we were actually catching up so let’s try to continue in that way and hopefully we will find a good balance and then I’m sure if there are some things happening like they always do here I think in Hungary, then we have a good chance.

    Q: Sergio, coming back to you: the Hungaroring hasn’t been that kind to you during your Formula One career. I just wonder, given the team’s form this year, how confident are you of being competitive? 

    SP: I think yes, we have improved the car in terms of making the car more consistent. We might not have a circuit where we go really well and one that we go really badly. I think we’ve been in our fight, in the midfield, we’ve been the most consistent team and that’s thanks to the car being consistent pretty much on every track. So I think here we can be in the challenge. I think obviously we will have the McLarens, the Haas, the Renaults, the Toro Rossos  – they will be quite strong around here. But I expect ourselves to be in that fight, in that mix and hopefully score very good points on Sunday.

    Q: The driver silly season is in full swing and I would just like to ask you about that if I may. Force India has clearly made a step forward this year; are you confident they can make another step next year and do you want to make that step with them?

    SP: I think the team has been moving forwards every year, you know? Although last year we achieved the same position which we have now which is fourth, I think we have consolidated that four place. I think the team is moving forwards; there is a lot more interest in terms of sponsorship into the team, more investment but it’s not easy to make the next step with the big boys, with the big teams, it’s not easy. In terms of my future, I just hope that once I come back to the next race, after the summer break, I can have a new contract.

    Q: A new contract with Force India. 

    SP: That would be good you know, but you never know what will happen.

    Q: Kevin, talking of contracts, Gene Haas has confirmed that both yourself and Romain will remain with the team in 2018. How important is that stability both for you personally and for the team? 

    KM: I think it’s important for both. I knew, when I signed the contract, there were two years, so it’s not news for me but it’s good of Gene to tell everyone and make it… now we will have the questions so hopefully no more of those kind of questions for the rest of the season. It’s nice to be in that situation because for the last two seasons I’ve done in Formula One it’s been always frustrating to talk about contracts every races in the last part of the season. Now, it’s clear what the plan is so we can focus on racing and just push freely and not worry about anything – just go racing as hard as I can.

    Q: And do you work well with Romain? 

    KM: Yeah, I think so. It’s a good relationship and I think the support we have from the team is fantastic. It’s a very good environment to be in as a driver. The trust that we get from the team is very big and I think we’re both performing well and I can certainly learn from him and I hope he can learn from me as well so we can push each other forward and help the team that way.

    Q: Stoffel, so halfway through the season, how do you reflect on progress, both for you personally and for McLaren?

    SV: Yeah, for us it’s been a difficult start to the season, Not a surprise, I think we’ve had a lot of technical problems to start which compromises a lot of our running, let’s say, but I think since we’ve made good steps forward. It’s still not perfect, we know that, there’s still a long way to go but we’ve definitely improved on the chassis side, engine side as well, so I think everything is going in the right direction. We’re still a long way off, that’s true but I think the recent races have shown some good progress and yeah, I’m comfortable with the car which is performing very well like this weekend as well for us should be a good opportunity so yeah, I’m looking forward to the remainder of the season to hopefully continue that trend.

    Q: You said a moment ago you’re still a long way off but equally this weekend should be a good opportunity; what is it about the Hungaroring that lends itself to your car? 

    SV: It’s a very twisty circuit, a lot of corners, we know our chassis is performing well in these corners. It’s a bit like Monaco without the walls, let’s say and it’s also one of the circuits where the power sensitivity is a bit lower. On paper it’s a chance for us, this weekend but yeah, it’s not a given for sure, so we need to be focused on getting the maximum out of our package and then hopefully we will be rewarded with a good result.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Ysef Harding – Xiro Xone News) We’ve got a big weekend, summer break coming up. Where are you guys going: Barbados, anybody for California, anybody for Hawaii? What have you guys got planned for the summer break? 

    KM: Not too much, really. I’m going to relax as much as I can, recharge the batteries. I have no plans so I will see what I do.

    SP: For me, no Barbados. I go to California.

    MV: Yeah, some friends and family holiday.

    Q: Are you going to tell us where? 

    MV: No.

    SV: I know where Maxi is going but… I’m going to Montenegro with a few friends and then the rest of the time I’ll just chill out in Monaco.

    Q: (Tomasz Kubiak – SwiatWyscigow) Question to the three drivers who took part in last year’s race: the track limits were enforced electronically then. Were you in favour of that solution over some of the aggressive kerbs that are damaging the cars on some tracks?

    MV: It’s not ideal for our car because of the ride height we are running. It’s easy to destroy your front wing or the front of the floor so it’s not great and I think we can still fine tune it a bit but in one way you have to stay off them. It’s not too bad but it’s not fantastic yet.

    SP: I think it will be very difficult, you know, to have this electronic system where it slows you down and then you can create a massive shunt behind you so I don’t think it’s the right way to go. These cars go really fast, they’re not like indoor karting where if you are crashing around, they can slow you down. The difference in speeds can be really big so I don’t think it’s the right way forward: going off and manually, electronically reducing your speed.

    Q: So you think the kerbs is a good solution. 

    SP: Yes, I think so.

    KM: I think the kerb’s fine.

    Q: (Jerome Pugmire – AP) Max, Mercedes announced that they’re going to go into Formula E. I just want to know what you think of the sport; do you think it’s exciting, perhaps not fast enough for somebody like you? What do you think of it?

    MV: It can be a bit faster, I think but that will… you know the evolution with the cars for sure, that will be done and I think the rest… yeah, there are some exciting races, absolutely. I try to watch it and I think you also have to get rid of the pit stop where you have to jump in another car but of course that’s going to happen, so we will see what happens there.

    Q: (Péter Vámosi – Vas Népe) Checo, if you had the opportunity to rename the Force India team, what would it be? And of course is there any real opportunity that it will be Brabham? 

    SP: Force Mexico or Force Checo. Checo would be good. Couple of ideas for Vijay. I think the team is definitely moving in the right direction. Hopefully, very soon we can find out which name we will have for the future. I don’t know anything about Brabham.

    Q: (Velimir Veljko Jukic – Auto Fokus) For all drivers: next year, you will have more protection so will you risk more and push even more harder, even harder?

    MV: That would mean you’re doing a very bad job at the moment so I don’t think so.

    Q: (Rik Spekenbrink – Algemeen Dagblad) Max, I know it’s hard to predict what an upgrade will do but what are you hoping for realistically? 

    MV: That we can close the gap to the guys ahead. I think that’s the obvious target for us at the moment and then we will see what happens.

    Q: (Erik van Haren – De Telegraaf) Max, do you think this track is better for you guys and especially as at Silverstone you said you didn’t have enough pace there, when you look at Ferrari and Mercedes? Do you think it will be better for you here? 

    MV: We hope so. In general it should be a little bit better for us, also like Stoffel said, the power sensitivity is not as big. But still, you need a good balance and we have to try and work on that.

    Q: (Sura’nyi Géza – Heves Megyei Hirlap) To all drivers: going back to the halo thing, do you think it’s disturbing for a driver from the point of view that it’s difficult to see from the car when the halo is on and do you think that it will impact your driving? 

    KM: I think it could have an effect on tracks that are uphill, for example, turn one in Austin or Eau Rouge at Spa, you could struggle to see the top. But I’ve tried it once but not for very long so… Those laps didn’t feel great, it’s not a nice sensation to have something right in front of you.

    SP: Yeah, I agree with Kevin. I tried it twice, I think, last year, just for a lap so I’ve done two laps with it, installation laps. I don’t really have a lot of information with it. I don’t know if we’re going to be using the same halo as the one we tried last year, I don’t know if it’s going to be improved or if anything can be done in that respect.

    MV: The one I tried I didn’t like the visibility and the thing in front of you so yeah, it’s not great. Don’t like it.

    Q: Stoffel, have you tested the halo? 

    SV: No, I haven’t, I haven’t tried it so I think those guys have a better vision of it as they’ve tried it so I don’t know.

    Q: (Viktor Bognar – Magyar Szo) To all drivers: just following up on the previous question: are you worried that sticking the halo in front of your eyes will take away some of the excitement of driving a Formula One car? 

    Q: Stoffel, you haven’t tried it, are you nervous about having the halo and will it take some of the excitement away? 

    SV: It’s difficult to say. For sure it will be different. Everything is always different when you put something new on the car and I think like the other drivers said, visually I think it will be a bit strange in the beginning but no one’s really done a proper run with it, no one’s really done a full day with it and seen how they adapted to different scenarios. I think we will have to wait and see until we actually get to do proper running with it.

    MV: I think that as soon as I have that thing on my car I don’t like it and I’m not even sitting in the car so the excitement has already gone before I’m even sitting in the car.

    SP: As Vandoorne says, we are really far from that. Nobody has really done a day with it so we will see how it goes in Barcelona, the first time we will try it on track.

    KM: Yeah, I agree with Max. It takes away some of the passion that Formula One is all about. When you look at the car it’s ugly. Formula One cars aren’t ugly, they’re not meant to be ugly. That’s the reason that a Ferrari is more exciting than a Mazda, it’s something passionate and if it looks shit, it is shit.

    eom/FIA press release

  • Hamilton wins; Vettel suffers puncture

    Silverstone, 16 July 2017: Lewis Hamilton powered to a lights-to-flag victory at Silverstone to claim his fifth career British Grand Prix win and equal the record set by F1 legends Jim Clark and Alain Prost.

    In a remarkable finish to the race, both Kimi Raikkonen and championship leader Sebastian Vettel suffered punctures in the closing laps to allow Valtteri Bottas through to seal a Mercedes one-two. Raikkonen recovered on new tyres to claim the final podium spot.

    In the final laps Hamilton had held the lead from Raikkonen and Bottas, with Vettel in fourth place. Ferrari’s race then unravelled as Raikkonen’s front-left tyre punctured. Close to the pit lane, the Finn dived in for new tyres, which promoted Bottas to second and Vettel to what looked like a damage-limiting third place.

    However, on the very next lap Vettel too suffered the same problem, his front-left tyre letting go. The German was forced to limp a much longer distance to the pit lane than his team-mate for new tyres and that allowed Raikkonen to claim third ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo who had driven a superb race to rise to fifth from 19th on the grid.

    Ahead of the race start, Renault’s Jolyon Palmer was ruled out on the formation lap, with the Briton reporting that his brake by wire system had failed. He pulled over at the side of the track and given the position of the car an extra formation lap was required.

    When the lights eventually went out Hamilton held his lead under pressure from Raikkonen but behind Vettel was passed by Verstappen as the field flooded through the first few corners. Valtteri Bottas, meanwhile, powered through from ninth to seventh in the opening phase.

    Further back though there was trouble as Carlos Sainz got past team-mate Daniil Kvyat. The Russian went off track and in rejoining collided with Sainz, pitching the Spaniard into a spin and off track where he was forced to retire. Kvyat was later handed a drive through penalty for rejoining unsafely.

    The Safety Car was deployed to clear Sainz’s car and the debris, and when racing resumed on lap four, Hamilton held his lead well ahead of Raikkonen, Verstappen and Vettel. Bottas, meanwhile, was making more progress and he passed Force India’s Esteban Ocon and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg to take P5. His next target was Vettel who was being held back by Verstappen.

    At the back Daniel Ricciardo, who had started in P19 following engine-related penalties, was 14th when the SC was deployed and on the re-start picked up two more places. However, as he went to pass Romain Grosjean’s Haas at Woodcote the Australian went off-track and dropped back to P18.

    By lap 12, Hamilton had eked out a three-second lead over Raikkonen. Verstappen continued to frustrate Vettel, however, with the Red Bull over six seconds behind the lead Ferrari.

    Vettel made his move on lap 14, trying to go down the inside of the Red Bull into Stowe. Verstappen defended and the pair went into the next corner side by side. Vettel held his line and the pair went marginally off track. Verstappen was resolute, however, he emerged in third. The battle allowed Bottas to close in hard and on lap 16 he was two seconds off the back of Vettel’s Ferrari, which was now 14 seconds adrift of Hamilton.

    Looking for a strategic overtake of Verstappen, Vettel pitted for soft tyres on lap 19 looking for the undercut. Verstappen pitted on the next lap but his stop for soft tyres was slightly slow due to a wheel nut problem and when he emerged from pit lane, Vettel was already past.

    At the front Bottas continued on his starting soft tyres and when Raikkonen pitted for soft tyres, the Finn took second place behind Hamilton. The Briton made his stop for soft tyres on lap 26 and emerged marginally ahead of his team-mate.

    Ricciardo, meanwhile, had continued his advance and on lap 29 he had climbed 13 places to P6, though he had yet to make a stop. The Australian’s times were solid, however, and he was attempting to use the clear air to make further ground. It worked and when he pitted after 33 laps on his opening supesofts he rejoined in P10 just behind the Force India of Sergio Perez. Bottas also pitted on the same tour, for supersofts, and the Finn emerged in fourth place behind Hamilton, Raikkonen and Vettel.

    Hamilton, though, was comfortable in the lead and with 12 laps to go the Briton was 12.5s ahead of Raikkonen, who was now 4.4s ahead of team-mate Vettel, who has Bottas just 2.4s behind.

    Bottas closed to just half a second behind by lap 43 and then made his first move, Vettel defended aggressively and following a huge lock-up after braking late, the German held the position.

    It was a futile defence, though, as Bottas clearly had the pace on his fresher tyres and on the next lap Bottas powered past to claim P3 and target Raikkonen who was eight seconds in front.

    With five laps to go Bottas had close to just five seconds behind Raikkonen.

    Bottas didn’t need the extra pace, however, as three laps from home his countryman suffered a puncture. Bottas swept past as Raikkonen limped to the pits for new tyres.

    The race then took a remarkable turn as within seconds of Raikkonen’s failure Vettel suffered exactly the same issue. The German’s race collapsed along with his front left tyre. The Ferrari driver was forced back to the pits for a set of supersoft tyres and as he did so, Verstappen also pitted for new tyres.

    The Dutchman questioned the move but was later told Red Bull were concerned a similar fate to that which affected Ferrari might have befallen him.

    Ahead, Hamilton sailed through to claim a record-equalling fifth British Grand Prix win. Bottas powered through to complete a Mercedes one-two, with Raikkonen reclaiming a podium position as Vettel dropped back.

    Verstappen moved through to claim fourth place ahead of Ricciardo who had passed Hulkenberg in the closing stages. Vettel, meanwhile, held on to take a disappointing seventh place ahead of the Force Indias of Ocon and Perez. Felipe Massa took the final point for Williams.

    2017 British Grand Prix – Race
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 14.063
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 36.570
    4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 52.125
    5 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:05.955
    6 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:08.109
    7 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:33.989
    8 Esteban Ocon Force India 1 lap
    9 Sergio Perez Force India 1 lap
    10 Felipe Massa Williams 1 lap
    11 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1 lap
    12 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1 lap
    13 Romain Grosjean Haas 1 lap
    14 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1 lap
    15 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1 lap
    16 Lance Stroll Williams 1 lap
    17 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1 lap
    Ret Fernando Alonso McLaren –
    Ret Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso –
    Ret Jolyon Palmer Renault

    eom/FIA press release

  • Hamilton takes record pole: British GP

    Four-time British Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton went quickest in final practice at Silverstone, edging championship leader Sebastian Vettel by just three hundredths of a second in a session that ended with rain falling across the Northamptonshire circuit.

    In advance of the session race control reported that there was an 80% chance of rain across the 60 minutes of running and the risk of precipitation meant that unlike many FP3 sessions the front runners were on track early as they attempted to get last minute set-up work and quali sims completed before any rain arrived.

    Austrian Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas led the way in the early minutes with the Mercedes driver, who tomorrow will take a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change, setting a time of 1:28.827s on soft tyres. Hamilton then took over at the top with a soft tyre time of 1:28.747.

    Ferrari, on supersoft tyres, sat in third and fourth in the opening phase with Vettel ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. The German was half a seconds adrift of Hamilton’s soft tyre time, however. The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo occupied fifth and sixth places in the opening phase, though like Mercedes, the best time of both had been delivered on soft tyres.

    With rain forecast to arrive soon after the halfway point, qualifying sims arrived early. Hamilton bolted on a set of supersoft tyres and just before the half hour mark he delivered a time of 1:28.063 to move well clear of the pack. His time was 1.2s quicker than his own 2016 pole position time.

    The gap was soon narrowed, however, as Vettel set about his qualifying run. The German’s lap time was a 1:28.095, just 0.032 adrift of Hamilton. Bottas slotted into third, ahead of Raikkonen.

    Further back Ricciardo also got in some supersoft running. It wasn’t massively profitable for the Red Bull driver, however, and though he chipped away at his personal best for the morning, he only managed to reach a time of 1:29.612. With Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg stealing into P5 on the red-banded tyres Ricciardo slotted into P6. Like Bottas, the Australian will tomorrow take a five-place gearbox-related grid penalty.

    Team-mate Max Verstappen, meanwhile, had dropped to P8 behind Romain Grosjean. The Dutchman was the only driver in the top ten to remain on a soft tyre times as with just over 20 minutes remaining rain began to fall across the circuit. Verstappen was starting his quali run when the drizzle began but following an off on the damp track at Turn 7 he returned to the pits.

    A number of drivers tested the conditions on intermediate tyres in the final 15 minutes, but the track was hard to read and there were several spins, most notably from Ricciardo who got too much kerb in the final corner. He lost grip on the exit and spun on the start-finish straight. He was fortunate to avoid hitting the pit wall. Marcus Ericsson, meanwhile, went off at Vale.

    2017 British Grand Prix – Free Practice 3
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 18 1:28.063
    2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 14 1:28.095 0.032
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 20 1:28.137 0.074
    4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 15 1:28.732 0.669
    5 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 14 1:29.480 1.417
    6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 15 1:29.612 1.549
    7 Romain Grosjean Haas 14 1:29.819 1.756
    8 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 13 1:29.904 1.841
    9 Felipe Massa Williams 19 1:29.959 1.896
    10 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 19 1:30.088 2.025
    11 Fernando Alonso McLaren 17 1:30.138 2.075
    12 Esteban Ocon Force India 19 1:30.172 2.109
    13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 15 1:30.270 2.207
    14 Jolyon Palmer Renault 16 1:30.302 2.239
    15 Sergio Perez Force India 16 1:30.416 2.353
    16 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 20 1:30.504 2.441
    17 Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso 19 1:30.515 2.452
    18 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 24 1:30.621 2.558
    19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 24 1:30.630 2.567
    20 Lance Stroll Williams 18 1:31.358 3.295.

    eom/FIA press release