INDIA in F1

Tag: Force India

  • Ferrari-Mercedes renew battle in Barcelona; Red Bull in frame as one of favourites

    Ferrari-Mercedes renew battle in Barcelona; Red Bull in frame as one of favourites

    Sebastien Vettel (Ferrari) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) all set to renew their rivalry. Photo: formula1.com

    Barcelona, 10 May 2018: Four rounds ticked off the Formula 1 calendar, and this season has certainly kept us on the edge of our seats. We’ve had two triumphs for Ferrari, and one apiece for Red Bull and Mercedes. So, who has the momentum as we head to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix?

    It’s very hard to say indeed. Last time out, Baku provided us with a chaotic and thrilling race with Ferrari looking on course for a third win of the campaign before the Red Bull collision set off a chain of events that ultimately conspired to hand Mercedes their first victory of 2018.

    The Silver Arrows still trail their rivals in red by four points in the constructors’ standings, but Lewis Hamilton’s latest triumph – his first of the season – gave him the lead ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ championship after four races this season, the Briton having waited until after round 13 to move ahead last year.

    Mercedes have locked out the front row in Barcelona in four of the past five years, but their qualifying prowess has already been questioned this year – Azerbaijan was the third race in a row they have missed out on P1.

    But as we’ve seen already this season, it won’t just be about Mercedes and Ferrari this weekend. In fact, perhaps most of the attention will be on Red Bull, following the clash between Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in Azerbaijan.

    They have now suffered two double DNFs in the past three races, having previously not suffered one at all since the 2010 Korean GP – and after being read the riot act, their drivers will be desperate to avoid more contact in Spain.

    Barcelona is a track all the teams know extremely well – but who will come out on top?

    The form book

    Looking at the stats, Mercedes have every reason to be confident on their return to Barcelona. This track has arguably been a demonstration of their dominance in the turbo hybrid era.

    In 2014, they locked out the front row with no other car within one second of pole. In 2015, this gap dropped to 0.777s, then 0.680s in 2016, before Vettel narrowed it to 0.051s last year and became the first non-Mercedes to start on the front row here since 2012.

    The qualifying stats suggest the winner will need to come up with the goods on the Saturday. Twenty-four of the 27 Grands Prix in Catalunya have been won from the front row (89 per cent), the highest ratio of any circuit on the calendar with at least 10 previous races, such is the difficulty of overtaking at the Spanish venue.

    Over the last decade, though, we have seen plenty of different drivers triumph, including shock victories for Pastor Maldonado in 2012 and Max Verstappen – on his Red Bull debut – in 2016. Hamilton’s victory last year ended a run of 10 different winners in the same number years in Spain, but could we see another new winner this year? Neither Ricciardo nor Bottas has triumphed here, but both have been in terrific form.

    This is a race where, traditionally, the teams bring significant upgrades to their cars, so whilst no one is expecting the established top three to be toppled, in the supremely tight midfield there could be movement. McLaren, in the midst of a tight battle for P4 in the constructors’ championship with Renault, are one of the teams bringing significant revisions.

    Both teams have Spanish drivers, but it’s Renault’s Carlos Sainz who has the better recent record at Barcelona, finishing the last three races in ninth, sixth and seventh. Alonso, meanwhile, hasn’t scored points at home since 2014 when he was still driving for Ferrari.

    Elsewhere, several teams will be looking to carry momentum into Spain. Force India’s surprise podium in Baku, with Sergio Perez landing P3, kick-started their season, while Toro Rosso were boosted by Brendon Hartley’s first points-finish last time out.

    Sauber’s Charles Leclerc also scored points for the first time, while Williams got their 2018 campaign underway with Lance Stroll scoring four points for P8.

    Source: Formula1.com

  • Spanish Grand Prix: A statistical perspective

    Spanish Grand Prix: A statistical perspective

    Barcelona, 10 May 2018: This weekend’s race will mark the 28th edition of the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Michael Schumacher tops the all-time winners list, with an impressive six triumphs here. When the drivers take to the grid on Sunday, there will be five previous victors among them – Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

    The Stats That Matter

    • Hamilton is looking to join a small list of F1 legends to win at this circuit for a third time. Should he triumph on Sunday, he’ll be on the same number of wins as Mika Hakkinen and three behind Michael Schumacher.
    • The Briton, who won from pole here in 2014 and 2017, certainly enjoys coming to Spain. He hasn’t been off the front row here since his final year for McLaren in 2012, when he took top spot in qualifying only to be excluded for having insufficient fuel.
    • Despite leading the drivers’ standings, the four-time World champion has been suffering somewhat of a qualifying drought recently. He took pole in Australia, but has been outqualified by team-mate Bottas in four of the last six races.
    • Vettel has surprisingly never been on pole in Catalunya. But the Ferrari man has been in superb qualifying form this season, topping the timesheet at the last three races.
    • Baku ended Raikkonen’s longest run of front-row starts (3) since Spain-Monaco-Europe in 2005, but he still finished on the podium for the sixth time in the last eight races.
    • The Finn has set the theoretical best lap of qualifying at the last two races (adding up the three best sectors from any lap), without having taken pole at either of them. Consistency in Barcelona could see the Ferrari man take P1.
    • Two years ago, Max Verstappen’s triumph saw him become F1’s youngest-ever winner at 18 years 227 days, become the first Dutchman to win in F1 and the first man to win on a mid-season debut for a team since Juan-Manuel Fangio for Mercedes in 1954.
    • Force India will be hoping to spring another surprise. Perez finished fourth in Barcelona last year, his and team’s best-ever finish on this track. The Mexican is attempting to score back-to-back podium finishes for the first time in his and his team’s history this weekend.
    • Nico Hulkenberg has not been eliminated in Q1 since the 2015 Spanish GP, and this is the only circuit at which the German has never qualified higher than 10th in his F1 career (seven previous visits).
    • It’s safe to say Pierre Gasly has endured an action-packed start to his first full season in F1. And there’s no reason he cannot replicate his fourth-placed finish in Bahrain this weekend. He has scored more podium finishes in Catalunya than on any other circuit in his GP2 career, with three podiums in four starts in 2015-16.
    • Not including retirements, Nico Rosberg, who started the 2013 race in P1, is the only pole-sitter to finish outside the top-5 in a Spanish Grand Prix – regardless of venue – in the history of Formula 1.

    The circuit

    This Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is familiar territory for Formula 1 teams. Not only have they raced there every year since 1991, they also take part in extensive testing at the track.

    But this does not mean they’re in for an easy ride. In fact, the venue’s mix of high and low-speed corners plus its new track surface will once again provide the drivers with a physical and mental challenge.

    Teams often struggle to find and execute an optimum set-up here, when you consider tyre wear is particularly high and the varying winds that cut across the circuit.

    Turn 1 provides spectators with one of the best places to watch given it is one of the track’s few overtaking opportunities. The drivers, however, tend to find the latter stages of the track the more challenging. In particular, the final two turns require a fast exit in order to maximise speed down the start-finish straight into Turn 1.

    Source: Formula1.com

  • Lewis Hamilton wins incident-packed Azerbaijan GP; Force India’s Sergio Perez third

    Lewis Hamilton wins incident-packed Azerbaijan GP; Force India’s Sergio Perez third

    Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the Azerbaijan GP on Sunday. Photo: FIA

    Baku, 29 April 2018: Lewis Hamilton claimed a fortunate 63rd career win and control of the Drivers’ Championship standings at the end of a chaotic and incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix that saw long-time race leader Sebastian Vettel drop to fourth after a collision between the Red Bull drivers and Valtteri Bottas exit the race from the lead with a late puncture.

    Kimi Räikkönen was left to take second place behind Hamilton, with Force India’s Sergio Perez taking a second career podium finish in Baku thanks to a late pass on Vettel.

    The 2018 Azerbaijan GP was full of drama right from the start. Pole position man Vettel held his advantage when the lights went out, taking the lead ahead of Hamilton, Bottas and the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

    Behind them, there was drama as Räikkönen and Force India’s Esteban Ocon collided in Turn 1. The impact pushed the French driver into the barriers and out of the race, but the Finn was able to make his way back to the pits for a new front wing and a set of soft tyres.

    More incidents were to follow soon after when Williams Sergey Sirotkin tagged the front right wheel of Fernando Alonso’s McLaren. The Russian driver was forced to retire, but the Spaniard was able to limp back to the pits, though by the time he had reached the McLaren pit box he had shed both right side tyres. He too took a new front wing and soft tyres. With debris strewn across the track, the Safety Car was deployed.

    When the action resumed, Vettel again held his advantage, demonstrably backing the field up to shorten the run to Turn 1. He quickly opened up a gap to the Mercedes and it was further back in the battle for fourth to sixth that the big battles began to happen.

    Verstappen passed team-mate Ricciardo but in doing so Renault’s Carlos Sainz pounced and managed to slot between the two Red Bulls. The Spaniard then began to exert pressure on the Dutch driver and quickly made a decisive move past the Red Bull.

    Behind them, Ricciardo was also a target for Renault. Nico Hulkenberg swiftly passed the Australian and then got past Verstappen as both Red Bull drivers complained of battery charging problems.

    Hulkenberg’s stay in fifth place was brief, however, as on lap 11 he made an error in Turn 4. The German lost the back end of his Renault and the rear left hit the wall. He drove straight down the escape road at Turn 5 and retired.

    The Red Bull drivers appeared to now be recovering from their woes and as Verstappen began to push back towards Sainz, the Spaniard opted to pit, shedding his ultrasoft starting tyres for a set of softs.

    At the front, Vettel was busy constructing a comfort zone back to Hamilton, and by lap 20 the Ferrari driver had built a foufour-secondshion over the Mercedes man. Hamilton was in turn six seconds clear of team-mate Bottas.

    Vettel’s advantage was stretched on lap 21 when Hamilton suffered a huge lock-up into Turn 1, flat-spotting both front tyres. He dropped three seconds to Vettel and immediately headed for the pit lane were he took on a set of soft tyres. He rejoined in P3.

    The race then settled until Vettel, with a 4.8s lead over Bottas and 23.6s in hand over Hamilton, made his pit stop at the end of lap 30, taking on soft tyres. And when they crossed the line next, the German found himself 11.7s behind new leader Bottas (who needed to make a pit stop) and 7.9s ahead of Hamilton who was going to the end on older soft tyres.

    Behind them, the Red Bulls, who had been duelling fiercely throughout the race, traded positions once more. Fourth-placed Verstappen complained of waning grip from his ageing supersoft tyres and Ricciardo, spotting the opportunity, pounced at Turn 1, using a good two from his team-mate to overtake around the outside. The Australian did well to keep his car out of the wall on exit as he locked up. It was all in vain, however, as when they pair pitted the Dutchman jumped his team-mate and re-took fourth place.

    Ricciardo was urged by his engineer to “get it all done again” but in doing the Red Bulls set the pattern for the end of the race.

    Ricciardo tried to pass his team-mate into Turn 1. The interplay between the cars was hard to judge, as Verstappen moved marginally right and then more decisively defended to his left, but the result was that Ricciardo slammed into the back of Verstappen’s car and both crashed out of the race.

    The safety car was deployed, but as it dictated the pace, sixth-placed Romain Grosjean lost control as he weaved to keep heat in his tyres and he hit the wall.

    The medical car was sent on track, the safety car stayed out and it took a number of laps before the Frenchman’s Haas was lifted off the track.

    Racing finally resumed on lap 48, after all of the leading drivers had pitted for ultrasoft tyres, and Vettel desperately tried to get past Bottas. The German locked up though and went wide, allowing Hamilton and Räikkönen to get past.

    The race took and even more dramatic turn later in the lap as Bottas suddenly suffered a punctured rear left, caused by debris, that dropped him out of the race. Further, back Vettel was struggling with his tyres and he was passed by Sergio Pérez.

    And that was how the podium shaped up, with Hamilton taking a somewhat fortunate 63rdcareer victory ahead of Räikkönen and Perez. Vettel was left with fourth place ahead of Sainz, while Sauber’s Charles Leclerc collected his first F1 points with sixth place. Alonso brought his damaged McLaren home in seventh place ahead of Williams’ Lance Stroll, the second McLaren of Stoffel Vandoorne and the final point, for 10th place, went to Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley.

    2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Race
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes –
    2 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 2.460
    3 Sergio Perez Force India 4.024
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 5.329
    5 Carlos Sainz Renault 7.515
    6 Charles Leclerc Sauber 9.158
    7 Fernando Alonso McLaren 10.931
    8 Lance Stroll Williams 12.546
    9 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 14.152
    10 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 18.030
    11 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 18.512
    12 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 24.720
    13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 30.663
    14 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 3 laps
    Ret Romain Grosjean Haas 9 laps
    Ret Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 12 laps
    Ret Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 12 laps
    Ret Nico Hulkenberg Renault 41 laps
    Ret Esteban Ocon Force India –
    Ret Sergey Sirotkin Williams –

  • Vettel and Ferrari burn competition with a hot lap; tough task ahead for Hammy!

    Vettel….continues his charge. Photo: FIA

    By Harish Samtani

    Shanghai, 14 April 2018: The fans of Mercedes and those who believed that Ferrari couldn’t possibly sustain its superiority over the German outfit, are currently busy consuming big portions of humble pie after Saturday’s qualifying session in the Chinese Grand Prix here.

    The Scuderia steamrolled Mercedes with over a half second advantage in qualifying in a relatively cooler environment and circuit than in Bahrain that had Hamilton incredulous and questioning Ferraris’ back-to-back superior performances in qualifying.

    Vettel, the eventual pole-sitter, is on song and his last minute record breaking lap had even his team-mate stunned and Mercedes humbled. His car is not only reliable and quick, but seems to be running on rails with nary a twitch.

    The Renault-powered Red Bulls were not exactly slackers, but were made to appear so by the Maranello outfit’s duo. Even Kimi was stunned by Vettel’s last second gasp which dethroned him from his almost certain pole.

    At this rate, Hammy’s quest for title No. 5 has to wait patiently. In hindsight, the five championship title holders of the past have to be acknowledged with greater respect. There will be ifs and buts, but every year and era has its own set of challenges. No one has it easy.

    The top six cars qualified within a 0.853 seconds of each other. Grosjean rounded up the 10th position 1.760 seconds adrift in his Ferrari-powered Haas! That’s quite a bit as it is. So, it would be safe to assume that around 12-14 cars will be lapped in the 56-lap race.

    Force India had a decent outing with Perez eighth on the starter board. I suspect that they have taken a step back to go two steps forward. So, the aero package or something else has not delivered as expected, but the good thing is that once they get sorted, they are going be in the thick of action and will leapfrog over a few of the pretenders such as Haas etc. Their fourth overall in 2017 will gain even more legitimacy.

    While it is early days, the die is cast and some serious action is on the anvil on and off the track!!!

  • We look a bit more competitive, building a fair bit on Bahrain: Fernley of Force India

    We look a bit more competitive, building a fair bit on Bahrain: Fernley of Force India

    Force India’s Perez will start P8 while Ocon is on P12 after Saturday’s qualifying session. Photo: Sahara Force India

    Shanghai, 14 April 2018: Sahara Force India who began the year with zero points as both the cars finished outside top-ten in Australia recovered to get a point in the second GP at Bahrain with Esteban Ocon managing to slide into top-ten after senior teammate Sergio Perez crashed out early.

    At the third GP in China, the team managed to qualify P8 and P12, with Perez taking the lead with his VJM 11-02 setting 1:32.758 in Q3.

    Sergio Perez said: “I am very pleased with our performance today as a team. My Q3 lap was very strong and I feel that we really maximised qualifying. The wind was very tricky because it changed completely from yesterday and I knew it could offer us an opportunity. Q2 was quite close and I made it through at the last attempt, and in Q3 we only did one flying lap, which was enough for P8. I am pleased we are so close to our rivals and I hope we can stay in that mix and come out on top of the midfield group tomorrow. The strategy will be interesting because starting on the UltraSoft may not be ideal, but we will try and make it work. We are feeling positive: we are getting closer and closer with every race, understanding more about our car and unlocking its performance.”

    Esteban Ocon who failed to make it to Q3 said: “I’m not totally satisfied with today because I’d prefer to be starting further up the grid. The difference between making Q3 and not was just over a tenth, which I probably lost in the final corner with a small mistake. It shows just how close everybody is in the midfield. It’s a shame to miss out on Q3, but on the positive side I can start the race with a free choice of tyres. The targettomorrow is to score points again.”

    Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal, said: “We’ve looked a bit more competitive here, building on the progress we made in Bahrain, and I think today’s result is a fair reflection of where we stand at the moment. The team is working hard to improve the car session by session and we’re seeing the result of all those efforts. Sergio’s lap in Q3 was excellent and eighth place on the grid presents a good opportunity to score points. Esteban has been matching Sergio all weekend and was unlucky to miss out on Q3 today. Starting outside the top ten gives him some more freedom with tyre strategy tomorrow which could play into his hands.”

  • Sebastian Vettel heads Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying; Lewis Hamilton takes P3

    Sebastian Vettel heads Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying; Lewis Hamilton takes P3

    Ferrari qualify 1-2 for Chinese GP in Shanghai on Saturday. Photo: FIA

    Shanghai, 14 April 2018: Sebastian Vettel led a Ferrari one-two and set a new track record in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, the third round of the Formula One World Championship here on Saturday. The German edged out teammate Kimi Räikkönen by just 0.087s while Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas finished third ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

    Raikkonen set the early pace in Q1 with a lap of 1:32.474, with the Mercedes cars of Bottas and Hamilton slotting in behind. However, seven minutes into the 18-minute session Vettel jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:32.171.

    Vettel’s time was good enough to keep him on top for the remainder of the session, with Raikkonen eventually finishing in second, three tenths of a second behind his team-mate. Bottas was third and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen fourth ahead of Haas’ Roman Grosjean and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

    There was a race against time for Verstappen’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, however. The Australian suffered an engine failure midway through the final practice and as the 18 minutes of Q1 counted down Ricciardo’s side of the garage was a hive of activity as his crew raced to complete an engine change.

    Ricciardo eventually made into the track with a little over two minutes to spare and his only flying lap of the session saw him clamber up to P13.

    That became 14th place as Renault’s Carlos Sainz powered through to seventh place but the drop stopped there for Ricciardo and he repaid his mechanics’ hard work with qualification for the second session.

    He would be joined by Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley who edged out of the drop zone and into P15 with his final flying lap.

    The margin was fine, though, with the New Zealander finishing just five-hundredths of a second clear of Williams’ Sergey Sirotkin and 0.88s ahead of his Toro Rosso team-mate Pierre Gasly who finished ahead of Williams’ Lance Stroll and the Saubers of Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson.

    Raikkonen set the pace in Q2, with the Finn posting a lap of 1:32.286 as Ferrari and Mercedes looked to qualify on soft tyres and thus start on those sets. The Finn sat 0.099s ahead of Vettel, with a more comfortable Ricciardo, on ultrasofts, a further three tenths back. Bottas was fourth ahead of Verstappen and then came Hamilton.

    The Briton went for a second run on softs, however, and duly took top spot with a lap of 1:31.914 that put him just over a tenth ahead of Bottas, with Raikkonen third in front of Vettel, both of whom abandoned final runs on ultrasofts. Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg was fifth ahead of, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Force India’s Sergio Pérez and Renault’s Carlos Sainz.

    Out went 11th –placed Haas’ driver Kevin Magnussen followed by Force India’s Esteban Ocon, McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, and Stoffel Vandoorne, while Hartley stayed in the 15th place he’d occupied at the end of Q1.

    Raikkonen set the pace in the first runs of Q3, with the Finn finishing 0.161s ahead of Vettel. Bottas was third, 0.425 behind his fellow Finn, while Hamilton was fourth, five-hundredths of a second behind his team-mate. Verstappen and Ricciardo were fifth and sixth respectively.

    But it was Vettel who made the biggest step in the final runs. As Bottas failed to improve and small errors led to Hamilton abandoning his lap and settling for fourth, a lap of 1:31.182 looked to have sealed an 18th career pole for Raikkonen, but Vettel edged ahead, principally in the final sector, and the German claimed his 52nd pole and a new track record with his lap of 1:31.095.

    With Mercedes in third and fourth, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took fourth place ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. Hulkenberg was best of the rest in seventh place, ahead of Perez, Sainz, and Grosjean.

    2018 Chinese Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:31.095
    2 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:31.182 0.087
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:31.625 0.530
    4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.675 0.580
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:31.796 0.701
    6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:31.948 0.853
    7 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:32.532 1.437
    8 Sergio Perez Force India 1:32.758 1.663
    9 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 1:32.819 1.724
    10 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:32.855 1.760
    11 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:32.986 1.891
    12 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:33.057 1.962
    13 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:33.232 2.137
    14 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:33.505 2.410
    15 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1:33.795 2.700
    16 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1:34.062 2.967
    17 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:34.101 3.006
    18 Lance Stroll Williams 1:34.285 3.190
    19 Charles Leclerc Sauber 1:34.454 3.359
    20 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:34.914 3.819.

  • 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!

  • Sahara Force India prepares for the intense mid-field battle: Bahrain GP

    Sahara Force India prepares for the intense mid-field battle: Bahrain GP

    Preview photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.

    Bahrain, April 3: After an unusually poor beginning to the season on the street circuit at Albert Park, Sahara Force India who are now famous for punching above their weight, are preparing for the Bahrain GP.

    Acclaimed Indian racer and rallyist of yesteryears, Harish Samtani of `High Octane’ fame will bring forth his columns live from the Shakir circuit. Watch out for the `High Octane’ logo on the top right-hand corner of the home page.

    In the curtain raiser, team Principal and liquor baron, Vijay Mallya, who is facing a deportation case reiterated from London that the team will continue to work hard and fight for better positions after both the cars finished outside points in the first race of 2018.

    “Melbourne was a clear indicator that the competitiveness of the grid has closed up in 2018. We’ve got to work hard to maintain our fourth place in the championship and there’s going to be an intense development race at the front of the midfield. We are certainly up for the challenge and there are further changes to the car in Bahrain. We are a motivated team, with determined drivers and we will be targeting points this weekend,” said Mallya about the team which got a fighting fourth place for consecutive years by spending budgets that were a fraction of the huge amounts that the top three teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull spend.

    But Chief Operating Officer Otmar Szafnauer retorted saying: “It’s where you end the season that counts.”

    A brief interview with the COO:

    Q: One race down, twenty to go. How is the mood in the camp…
    “Melbourne is always a peculiar race. We came within a whisker of scoring a point with Sergio having caught Carlos Sainz, but overtaking was especially difficult at Albert Park and the tenth place remained out of reach. The race pace was stronger than our qualifying speed, but without track position, we couldn’t really show our true performance. Esteban’s front wing picked up some debris early in the race as well which compromised his pace, especially in the second stint.”

    Sergio Perez says: “Racing in Bahrain is good fun. It’s unusual because you’re in the desert and we also race under the lights. It’s actually one of my favourite tracks of the year and I’ve always gone well there. It’s where I had my first podium with Force India [in 2014] so I have those memories every time we go back there.

    “The Bahrain track often creates good racing. I still remember the battle I had with my old teammate, Jenson Button, in 2013. The layout really allows you to race wheel-to-wheel at times. If you lose a position in turn one, you can fight back through turns two, three and four.

    “It was difficult to overtake in Melbourne, but Bahrain should be a bit easier because it’s a more traditional track. We’ve got to be targeting points this weekend. Melbourne showed just how close all the teams are in the middle of the grid, so it’s especially important to have a clean weekend and maximise every session.

    “The development race will be very intense this year, but I know we have good things coming. We need to do what we have done in the last few years by making improvements to the car at each race. We’ve already made a step forward since pre-season testing so we need to keep working in the same direction.”

    Esteban Ocon, feeling good and ready, says: “When I think about Bahrain I always remember the beautiful paddock, which has so much space and looks amazing at night with all the trees lit up. Every year there’s a barbeque for the paddock and it’s nice that all the teams and media can come together before the racing begins.

    “I love racing at night. It almost feels quicker under the lights and it looks better on television. Hopefully, the fans like it as much as the drivers. The track is good fun and there are a few good overtaking spots, such as turn one and turn four.

    “It’s a track that feels very satisfying when your car is working well. I particularly enjoy turns five, six and seven because they are so quick and then you’re immediately into a big braking zone for turn eight. It’s tricky because you approach at really high speed and it’s easy to make a mistake and run wide.

    “It’s a tough weekend physically because of the heat. The daytime practice sessions are the most difficult, but fortunately, it gets a bit cooler in the evenings for qualifying and the race. You need to drink lots to be hydrated and make sure you don’t lose concentration.”

    Q: What can we expect from the next couple of races in Bahrain and China?
    “It’s business as usual in terms of developing the car. We’ve got a new front wing coming for Bahrain, which will complement the upgrades we introduced in Melbourne. The car we have now is totally different from the spec we used during testing and we’re still on a learning curve. There is huge development potential with this new aerodynamic platform and we have things in the pipeline, which will bring performance steps in the first quarter of the season.”

    Q: How do you see the competitiveness of the 2018 grid? Were there any surprises?
    “Testing showed us that the midfield has closed up considerably, so there were no big shocks in Melbourne. I think the points will be spread among the teams more evenly this year and retaining fourth place is going to be a big task. But we’ve only had one race and things can change very quickly in Formula One. The development race is only just beginning and it’s where you end the season that counts. Last year we out-developed the teams around us and we have to do the same this year. Our goal is to defend our fourth place and we will be fighting hard to get back up there.”

    Q: The pink livery continues to turn heads. It’s surely the most eye-catching car on the grid…
    “The BWT pink identity is even stronger this year. I remember standing in the pit lane in Melbourne and thinking how much better this year’s paint scheme looks. Commercially it’s been another strong winter with Ravenol, DUO and PEMEX coming on board, whilst also developing our existing partnerships with NEC and Hype Energy. It was fantastic to unveil our partnership with Havaianas in Melbourne. The branding on the halo is very powerful and it’s great to see a young lifestyle brand supporting us and recognising the value of F1. We hope to have more news to announce over the coming weeks.”

     

     

  • The Thunder from Down Under, Aussie GP lap guide by Force India

    http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXU728U9M84&feature=youtu.be

    Sergio Perez: “The race in Melbourne is something I look forward to all winter. It’s a really cool place to start the season. I love the city and it’s probably one of my favourite places to visit.

    “One thing I love about Melbourne is the wildlife and the scenery. I remember driving down the Great Ocean Road a few years ago and loved the experience. I also enjoy visiting the zoo because I always like to see the koalas – even though they are usually asleep!

    “You always arrive in Melbourne full of hope. There are lots of unanswered questions and it’s when you really start to understand your competitiveness. At the same time, it’s not a typical race because it’s usually quite unpredictable. Often, just finishing the race is the key to getting a good result.

    “I feel in good shape and ready for the season to start. I want this to be my best year in Formula One and I want to be back on the podium. During testing we saw that all the midfield teams are quite close together in terms of performance. I also think the gap to the front of the grid is smaller. Let’s see what happens.

    “The Albert Park circuit is always difficult. It’s not easy to find your flow because it’s quite stop and start. You need to be strong on the brakes and have good traction. I would say my favourite part of the lap is turn one; it’s challenging and bumpy, and it’s not easy to see the apex when you’re turning in. It becomes even more difficult late in the day when the sun is low in the sky and in your eyes.”

    Esteban: “It has been a long winter with a two-month training camp for me in the Pyrenees, but hopefully all the hard work will pay off now the racing is starting. I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel ready to go racing again. Testing is one thing, but now we will get the real answers in terms of our performance.

    “Melbourne is a fantastic place. I think everybody in the team enjoys going there. The weather is usually nice and there’s extra excitement because it’s the start of the season. The atmosphere is brilliant all weekend and the fans give you lots of energy. I think it’s a perfect place to start the season.

    “The Albert Park track is quite old school. It’s narrow and very technical. The secret to a good lap is being neat and tidy because it’s largely made up of low and medium-speed corners. I would say the most exciting part of the lap is the high-speed chicane through turns 11 and 12 because it’s easy to make a mistake and lose time.

    “I’d like to think we can fight for points in Melbourne. We had a really solid second week of testing in Barcelona. I feel comfortable in the car and it’s very consistent. We have new parts coming for the race so hopefully that’s another performance step.”

  • DUO partners with Sahara Force India Formula One Team

    DUO partners with Sahara Force India Formula One Team

    DUO branding on the SFI car. Image by Sahara Force India F1 team

    Sahara Force India is pleased to welcome DUO, a market leading industrial engineering brand, as a new partner ahead of the 2018 season.

    DUO’s logos will be visible on the team’s 2018 car next week when the covers are pulled off the VJM11 in Barcelona. Branding will be located on the car’s rear crash structure and elements of the front wing.

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “I’m pleased to welcome DUO as our newest partner as they venture into Formula One for the first time. DUO’s business shares many parallels with the motorsport industry, especially precision engineering and manufacturing, and Formula One is an ideal platform to showcase their brand and technology.”

    Alex Moss, CEO at DUO Group: “We’re very excited about our new partnership with Sahara Force India. We have been involved in motorsport for some years, but it’s our first venture into Formula One. We have huge respect for Sahara Force India and what they have achieved over the last few years. They always deliver outstanding results and often punch well above their weight with tremendous efficiency. We really admire their racer’s attitude and it’s one of the reasons we chose to support the team. This partnership offers a great opportunity for us to develop our brand awareness on a global scale.”

    About DUO
    DUO Group is a market leading company that provides the Aggregate, Recycling and Material Handling Industries with a comprehensive package of complete processing solutions, including specific industrial applications for the Quarrying, Recycling, Bulk Handling Industries and Transport Infrastructure. DUO has a history that dates to 1981 and now comprises of three main business areas; equipment sales, contract processing, and manufacturing, equipment sales support. They also offer pre-used equipment and a comprehensive parts & service package.

    eom/SFI release