02 August 2022
Get the lowdown on what's new in Formula One, go back-to-basics with exclusive #F1 Insights by our guest writers, and get tips from industry experts from the Formula One fraternity.
Get the lowdown on what's new in Formula One, go back-to-basics with exclusive #F1 Insights by our guest writers, and get tips from industry experts from the Formula One fraternity.
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Posted on 2 August 2022
We may not be wild about sipping champagne from a shoe but we surely can celebrate the adrenaline-fuelled race weekend with a round of drinks. Singapore boasts an exciting nightlife scene, with some of the best bars in Asia just a stone’s throw away from the Circuit Park. Skip the classics and go for something uniquely Singaporean – with alluring interiors and even more intriguing ingredients, check out these must-try cocktails that will get your heart racing faster than you can say ‘pit-stop’.
SINGAPORE SLING
You can’t leave the island without trying our most famous cocktail, the Singapore Sling. Widely regarded as the national drink, the Singapore Sling was concocted by Raffles Hotel’s then-bartender Mr Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915. This gin-based cocktail contains pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao, Bénédictine, grenadine and cherry liqueur.
Long Bar, #02-01, Raffles Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd
MADAME PRESIDENT
Image credit: Jigger and Pony
Recognised as Asia’s Best Bar in 2020 and the ninth best in the world, Jigger and Pony presents classic concoctions and fresh cocktail twists in the heart of the central business district. Take your pick from many standout drinks, but we say go for the one with the highest honour, Madame President with Monkey 47 Gin, kaffir dry vermouth, orchid and bitter melon liqueur and a Campari lollipop.
Jigger and Pony, 165 Tanjong Pagar Rd
MR BEAN
Get ready for an adventure with every innovative drink at the award-winning Jekyll & Hyde, one of Singapore’s pioneer cocktail bars since 2013. Don’t be surprised by intriguing additions – bacon, peanut butter, bananas and exotic spices – as you take your pick of a signature cocktail. Try the Mr Bean, a cocktail with Singapore’s popular tau huay soy bean pudding, butterscotch liqueur, Frangelico and vodka.
Jekyll & Hyde, 74 Neil Road
DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
Image credit: The Secret Mermaid
The devil is in the details at The Secret Mermaid, a tasting room and cocktail bar with a focus on presenting the largest menu of American craft spirits in Singapore. Try the Devil In The Details cocktail at this speakeasy, a rum infused beverage with white dragonfruit, pink dragonfruit, lime and lavender bitters.
The Secret Mermaid, 10 Collyer Quay, B1-09, Ocean Financial Centre
We strive for accuracy, but during these uncertain times, we recommend you visit bars’ websites to verify opening hours and for the latest information before heading out.
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Posted on 1 July 2022
Think you’ve covered all the attractions that Singapore has to offer? Think again. Set aside your guidebook and squeeze in any of these ten unique local experiences for a memorable Grand Prix weekend.
1. Challenge your friends to kart racing
Can’t get enough of motor racing? Challenge your friends and family to a fun kart race at KF1 or The Karting Arena’s electric go karts. Experience the thrilling twists and turns on the race track and see if you have got what it takes to come out as champion. Height and age restrictions apply.
2. Explore a military bunker or tour an old cemetery
Go nine-metres deep under Fort Canning Hill and venture into the Battlebox, a World War 2 secret Command Centre built in the 1930s. Join the guided tour through the twisting passages and gain an insight into Singapore’s wartime history. History buffs can also explore Singapore’s largest Chinese cemetery, Bukit Brown. This century-old cemetery houses the resting places of many Chinese pioneers who made significant contributions in Singapore’s rich history. Choose to walk self-guided or join a guided tour for an insight into their stories, the tomb designs and uncover secrets that lie within.
3. Go on an island-hopping adventure
Did you know Singapore has 64 islands that surround the mainland? Hop on a ferry and explore the islands in the Southern and Northeastern part of Singapore. Visit sacred sites on Kusu Island, go fishing or have a picnic on St John’s Island, swim in the beach paradise of Lazarus Island or go snorkelling at the Sisters’ Island Marine Park. If you’d like more adventure, book a kayaking expedition through the mangroves of rustic Pulau Ubin. Once there, don’t miss hiking through the Chek Jawa wetlands, a treasure trove of Singapore’s biodiversity.
4. Try your hand at pottery in an 80-year old dragon kiln
Explore Singapore’s oldest surviving brick-built kiln at Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle. Originally built for the mass production of latex cups, water jars and flower pots, the kiln now serves as a platform for artists, potters and members of the public to gain a deeper appreciation of the disappearing art of wood-firing. Go on a guided dragon kiln tour or try your hand at making a wood-fired piece in a pottery workshop.
5. Discover Instagrammable spots for the perfect #OOTD
Take out your smartphones and explore the most picture-perfect spots in Singapore. Spot the street art in Chinatown, Little India and Kampung Glam, photograph the colourful heritage shophouses in Joo Chiat and Katong, admire the magnificent Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay or head to the Fort Canning Park where you can walk back in time to the 14th century at the historical Sang Nila Utama Garden or snap an #OOTD at the Park’s iconic spiral staircase. Prefer an aerial view? Make a pit stop at one of the many rooftop bars in Singapore.
6. Visit Singapore’s more eclectic museums
Check out vintage toys at MINT Museum of Toys, gain an insight into Peranakan culture at heritage spaces the NUS Baba House or The Intan, step through a giant camera-shaped building into the Vintage Camera Museum, view dinosaur fossils at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, explore the world's largest display of contemporary design at the Red Dot Design Museum or why not catch a glimpse of Buddha’s tooth at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum.
7. Travel the world on a scent journey
Go on a scent discovery with a Master Perfumer at local perfumery Sifr Aromatics. Gain an insight into different perfume-making techniques on a scent journey across continents right in the heart of the Kampung Glam ethnic district. After your experience, go for a stroll and check out the boutiques at Haji Lane or fuel up at any of the restaurants or trendy cafes nearby.
8. Go round island on a bicycle
Rent a bicycle and see Singapore from a new perspective. Whizz through the numerous Park Connector Networks and be treated with spectacular sea views, idyllic parks and charming suburbs along the way. Whether you are a novice or an expert, there’s a cycling trail to appease everyone. Go for the scenic Mandai loop circuit which starts in the heart of the city and passes the old Singapore Grand Prix track at Old Upper Thomson Road. Seasoned cyclists can consider the 36-kilometre Coast-to-Coast trail which cuts across the island and covers some of the best parks and natures reserves in Singapore.
9. Go on a hiking trail through a nature reserve
As a city in a garden, there are abundant green spots on the island. Hike through the four nature reserves, discover Singapore’s rich flora and fauna or relax in one of more than 300 parks across the island.
Get closer to nature along the 10-kilometre Southern Ridges, which is also one of the best trails in Singapore for stunning views of the city, harbour and Southern Islands. Or hike a former railway line, the 24-kilometre Rail Corridor from the North to South of Singapore passing through lush green landscapes and heritage structures.
10. Fill your tummy with Singaporean delicacies at any hour
Join a local guide on a food tour of Singapore’s local cuisine, or plan ahead and go self-guided. From exploring the hawker culture – a UNESCO pick for its Intangible Cultural Heritage – to dining at a Michelin-star restaurant, there’s a culinary experience to appease every gastronome whatever the hour. Be sure to savour Singapore’s famous local delicacies like chicken rice, nasi briyani, nasi lemak, kaya toast, buah keluak stew and many more – the options are endless even after dark. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available.
We strive for accuracy, but during these uncertain times, we recommend you visit the attractions’ websites to verify opening hours and for the latest information before heading out. For more details, visit: https://www.visitsingapore.com
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Posted on 2 June 2022
There’s no doubt about it: Formula 1’s thrilling new era with its futuristic cars has already been a massive success with closer racing – across the first seven rounds – with a largely shuffled grid, Red Bull and Ferrari stoush upfront, and hyper-competitive midfield. Where will we be come the return of F1’s original night race, in Singapore, on September 30 to October 2?
The answer is, trackside and on the edge of our seats, as F1’s top guns take on Marina Bay in vastly more challenging cars – with no room for error, just one tiny lapse in concentration sending them straight to the scene of the accident. Add in cockpit temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius at racing speeds, and you have the world’s best racers on the absolute limit.
Will Red Bull Racing, though, get its first Singapore victory since 2013, given Sergio Pérez’s win at tight and twisty Monaco in May?
But, what’s different about these new cars? They use what’s known as ground effect aerodynamics (under the car) that pulls it closer to the track for higher cornering speeds, but also directs the air skyward as it leaves the rear wing to allow the pursuing car to close up, make a move and overtake.
That was the theory, but it’s no surprise we’ve seen success on-track with the project overseen by Formula 1’s esteemed managing director of motorsports, Ross Brawn – the mastermind behind Michael Schumacher’s titles at Benetton and Ferrari, and Mercedes’ recent dominance (2014-2020).
What are the new cars like to drive, though?
“At the end of the day it’s still a Formula One car and a lot of things are still the same on the system side and the way you set-up the car,” says Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen, who returned to the grid in 2022 after a year out.
“But, the new era cars drive a little differently, the tyres are different, and the way the car produces downforce comes from different places.”
As Magnussen says, the new cars are on different Pirelli tyres, with the sport switching from 13-inch wheels (that have featured in F1 since the 1960s) to more road-relevant low-profile 18-inch rubber.
The development work done by Pirelli was exhaustive, with more than 10,000 hours of indoor testing, and over 5000 of simulation. It also created more than 70 virtual prototypes and 30 physical ones, with 4267 laps driven, equating to 20,000 kilometres: half the earth’s circumference.
Given the huge technical challenge, most teams have opted to retain drivers for consistent feedback, though not all have, with the Silver Arrows opting to bring in highly rated young gun George Russell alongside Sir Lewis Hamilton. And he’s already proven quite the revelation, outpacing his illustrious teammate.
Russell replaced Flying Finn Valtteri Bottas, who’s now at Alfa Romeo Racing, alongside 2022’s sole rookie, Zhou Guanyu as China’s first ever F1 race driver. Over at Williams, Alex Albon has returned to the grid, after a season out as Red Bull reserve, pairing Nicholas Latifi. The Canadian is one of four drivers yet to race in Singapore, along with Zhou, Mick Schumacher who drives for Haas, and Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri.
There’s much to look forward to, with races galore before the sport flies out to the hot nights and bright lights of the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022. Bring it on!
The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022 will be held from September 30-October 2, with more information at singaporegp.sg
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Posted on 6 August 2021
Singapore Grand Prix past and present: How are they similar?
The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix may have held its inaugural race back in 2008, but did you know that as a motor race, the Singapore Grand Prix actually has a rich heritage?
Yes, the engines were revved and the chequered flag was waved on this island as far back as 1961!
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
Unlike its modern counterpart, however, the Singapore Grand Prix was not a Formula 1 race and had both car and motorcycle categories. The event was also held in the day on a circuit located at the Upper Thomson Road area.
From 1961 to 1974, 13 editions of the old grand prix were held, before it was discontinued due to safety concerns.
Despite the contrasting eras and technical differences between the old event and the new Singapore Grand Prix, however, both share essential similarities.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
Street Circuits
Both the old and current Singapore Grand Prix run on very challenging street circuits.
At 4.8km long, the old circuit ran clockwise along the old and new Upper Thomson Roads. The racetrack, which had around 13 turns, was known to have some notorious features, such as the treacherous Circus Hairpin and the dangerous Devil’s Bend. Cars were also known to lift off the ground when taking a right turn at high speed along the Thomson Mile!
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore(Left) and Formula 1(Right)
In contrast, the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix’s Marina Bay Street Circuit is longer at 5.063km. It has the most turns (23) and is just one of a few circuits in F1 that runs anti-clockwise. Threading the barriers under the lights of the racetrack, cars would reach speeds of up to 325km/h.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore(Left)
While the Marina Bay Street Circuit does not possess the same notoriety as the old Upper Thomson Circuit, it is no less challenging for drivers. With ambient humidity at over 80 percent and cockpit temperatures reaching as high as 60 degrees Celsius, drivers are known to lose up to 3kg in body fluids during the race. The F1 night race also has a 100 percent record for the appearance of the Safety Car.
Boosting the local economy
Regardless of its era, the Singapore Grand Prix boosts Singapore’s economy through tourism.
The old Singapore Grand Prix was created as part of a government initiated tourism campaign called “Visit Singapore – The Orient Year”. The campaign sought to encourage tourists to visit the island through various events, including the race.
As it turned out, Singapore experienced a record year for tourism in 1961, with over 100,000 tourists coming here, thanks to the success of the old Singapore Grand Prix. These visitors also gave the local economy a vital leg up by spending an estimated M$79.5 million during their time here.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore(Left)
Similarly, the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix is part of a larger campaign to give the Republic an added buzz in attracting visitors from overseas. The race, with its unique mix of lifestyle, sport and entertainment, has generated an average of $150 million in tourism receipts annually. That is more than $1.5 billion in earnings since its inception in 2008!
Furthermore, the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix has also generated good opportunities for local businesses with more than 90 percent of race-related works sub-contracted to Singapore-based companies. Our entertainment, hospitality and education sectors have also been significant beneficiaries.
High attendance rates
People have flocked to the Singapore Grand Prix, be it old or new.
Back in 1961, the first edition of the old Singapore Grand Prix saw more than 120,000 spectators attending the event over the 16 to 17 September race weekend. In fact, the attendance was so overwhelming on the second day that the police had to halt ticket sales at the main entrances an hour after the race had begun.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore(Left)
Compared to the past, the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix is a much more orderly affair, but its attendance figures are pretty mind-boggling. The average attendance at each edition of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix stands at over 250,000. In fact, the most recent race held in 2019 set the second highest attendance record in its history, drawing 268,000 to the Marina Bay Street Circuit!
Both raised Singapore’s profile on the world map
The old Singapore Grand Prix’s success led it to become an internationally renowned event. It frequently attracted the participation of top drivers from the region.
International recognition was also given to races at the event. In 1966, its main car race received a listing on the world motor-racing calendar in 1966, although it was still not part of the world championship.
International audiences were also drawn to the grand prix. A half-hour film of the 1972 edition of the event was televised across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and West Germany. The actual race itself was telecast live across Asian, Australia, and New Zealand in 1973.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
As part of the Formula 1 calendar, the Singapore Grand Prix of today hosts the pinnacle of world motorsport. The race is a well-known global event that is broadcast live to almost every country on the planet and is watched by millions around the world. In addition, it is also well-covered online, as well as popularly followed on social media. Over the years, the event has attracted a global audience of more than 930 million.
Every edition of the race has seen more than 250,000 attendees at the event’s Circuit Park over the three-day race weekend.
It is a pretty safe bet to say that while not everyone has the geographical inclination to know where exactly Singapore is on the world map, most will at the very least know of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix also known as the F1 night race.
Whenever the race rolls around into town, the Republic dazzles as a grand prix related festival of parties, concerts, conferences, and exhibitions is held, making it shine on the world map.
Regardless of the era, it is undeniable that the Singapore Grand Prix has the ability to give Singapore and the world a special buzz of excitement. Sparks fly whenever it is held and our place on the world map glows brighter than ever.
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Posted on 2 December 2019
By Kate Walker
Hamilton dominates final race of the decade
Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton collected his 84th Formula One win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last F1 race of the decade. Hamilton delivered a textbook lights-to-flag drive, stopping once with enough of a margin over the rest of the field that the Mercedes driver was able to retain his position inside the pits. The British racer is the most successful driver of the decade, winning 20 more races since 2010 than Sebastian Vettel has won in his career thus far. If Hamilton’s streak continues into 2020, the defending world champion will equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 wins during the next racing season.
Ferrari double down on the double stack
With Charles Leclerc in a fight for third in the championship with Max Verstappen – a fight the Monegasque driver would eventually lose – it was up to Ferrari to make some bold strategic calls at Yas Marina Circuit. And bold calls they made, stacking their drivers in the pits not once but twice in a race Pirelli had estimated would be a one-stopper. The first stop ran smoothly for Leclerc but Sebastian Vettel was delayed by problems attaching his front left tyre.
“Push, push as much as you can,” said Ferrari to Vettel on the team radio during the race.
“I’m doing that!” came the reply.
The second set of bold stops ran smoothly, but led to little advantage for the Scuderia – despite having fresher and faster rubber than the cars around them, the pair managed to gain only one position between them, a late move by Vettel on Alexander Albon that saw the German cross the line in fifth.
Rise of the Valtteri – P20 to fourth
Fittingly for a season that has seen multiple recovery drives from the grid’s top performers, Valtteri Bottas ended 2019 with a fightback from last on the grid to just off the podium, ploughing his way through the field at a circuit not known for overtaking opportunities – and during a race in which DRS was disabled for a significant chunk of time. By the end of the first lap, Bottas was running in 16th, and by lap 12 he had overtaken Sergio Perez for eighth. The first wave of pit stops saw the Finn promoted to sixth, and on lap 18 he passed Nico Hulkenberg for a solid fourth. Following his only stop, Bottas returned to the track in sixth place, working his way back up to fourth by the chequered flag, and ending the season second in the drivers’ championship standings.
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Posted on 18 November 2019
By Kate Walker
1-2 finish for Honda
Max Verstappen won the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Red Bull stablemate and Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly finished second, securing his first F1 podium in the process. Lewis Hamilton joined the pair in the winners’ circle, but was demoted to seventh after the race for his part in the lap 70 crash with Alex Albon that knocked the Thai racer out of contention for a podium finish. Hamilton’s penalty promoted McLaren’s Carlos Sainz to the podium, a career-first for the Spanish racer. But Sainz’s first podium appearance is yet to come, the penalty having been issued long after the podium ceremony was complete.
“Lewis was very quick so I had to keep pushing all the time with the strategy. He kept pitting earlier so we had to be really on top of our pit stops,” said Verstappen after the race.
Chaotic closing laps
With twenty laps remaining of the Brazilian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas retired, high oil consumption and worsening conditions taking their toll on his engine. The Finn pulled to the side of the track but a Safety Car was deployed, creating potential for a shake-up on the restart in which Verstappen reclaimed the lead from Lewis Hamilton. Adding to the list of late-race casualties was Lance Stroll, whose suspension broke under the second Safety Car.
On the penultimate lap, Hamilton made contact with Alex Albon while trying to overtake the Red Bull driver for second. Albon had looked set for his first career podium, but being span by Hamilton dropped the Thai racer down a tightly packed field. He eventually finished 15th of 16. Following the race, Hamilton was penalised for his role in the incident and dropped to seventh, promoting Carlos Sainz to third.
Double DNF for Ferrari
It was a double retirement for Ferrari following minor contact between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc that saw both drivers out of the race. The younger driver had passed his teammate into the Senna Ess, but Vettel retook the position on the following straight. A move to the left brought the pair together, with puncture for Vettel and broken suspension for Leclerc. The lap 66 incident brought out the Safety Car. Mercedes took advantage of a free stop for Hamilton, demoting him off the podium with only five laps remaining and no guarantee of further racing laps. But racing resumed at the end of lap 69, and Hamilton retook third on the restart.
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Posted on 4 November 2019
Hamilton secures sixth world championship
It may have been a foregone conclusion going into the US Grand Prix, but Lewis Hamilton secured his sixth drivers’ title at the Austin circuit on Sunday afternoon. The Mercedes driver only needed four points to win the championship, and had to finish in eighth place or ninth with fastest lap. Having qualified a disappointing fifth, with championship rival and teammate Valttero Bottas on pole, Hamilton could have spent the 56 laps proceeding with caution. But by the exit of the first corner the Briton had passed Charles Leclerc for fourth, and then made short work of passing an ailing Sebastian Vettel. By the end of the first lap, Hamilton was running in a solid third place, and the rest of the race became about holding position, not advancing. Crossing the finish line in second place, Hamilton was crowned world champion for the fifth time in six years.
Ferrari struggle in Austin
It was a disappointing US Grand Prix for the Scuderia, who saw Sebastian Vettel retire from the race with broken suspension on lap 8, while Charles Leclerc finished the race in fourth place, his position on the start. Prior to his retirement Vettel had been struggling for grip, losing places over the opening laps to Hamilton, Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Daniel Ricciardo, running in seventh from a second-place starting position when his car failed. Prior to Vettel’s retirement, Ferrari had struggled for pace throughout the weekend, their former straight-line speed advantage nowhere to be seen. For a second consecutive weekend, a slow pitstop for Leclerc affected the Monegasque’s race, with 7.7 seconds taken to fit the left rear tyre the first time he entered the pits. A second stop from fourth took only 2.5 seconds, with no positions lost.
Albon’s turn for a fightback
After Max Verstappen recovered from the back of the pack in Mexico, eventually finishing in sixth place, in Austin it was the turn of Red Bull teammate Alexander Albon to fight through the field after a first lap incident. Albon and Carlos Sainz made contact on the first lap, in an incident the stewards determined needed no further action, and the Thai driver was running in last place after a trip to the pits. Despite incurring damage to the car, including a cracked front-wing endplate, Albon was able to fight his way back up through the field, overtaking nemesis Sainz for seventh by lap 32. When all was said and done, Albon crossed the line in fifth place.
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Posted on 29 October 2019
By Kate Walker
Hamilton wins race, title still to come
Lewis Hamilton won the battle on Sunday afternoon at Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but has yet to win the war. Defying expectation – and at the helm of a car that had suffered damage in first lap contact with Max Verstappen – Hamilton turned a one-stop strategy into victory. The Mercedes driver had started in third but was running in fifth by the end of the first lap, having been passed by Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz in the opening corners. Having worked his way up to second by lap 23, Hamilton pitted for hard tyres and returned to the track in fourth. In the closing stages of the race, he managed to hold off Sebastian Vettel, taking the chequered flag with a margin of 1.7 seconds.
Verstappen delivers another recovery drive
It was another day of recovery from the back for Max Verstappen, who had qualified on pole but was then issued with a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags. The Red Bull racer got a good start and was battling with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap. The pair made contact in Turn Two. Both men raced on, but Verstappen had picked up a puncture and by lap five his right rear tyre had exploded. Limping back to the pits, the Dutch racer was running in last place when he returned to the track, but quickly went purple and began picking off the competition one by one.
By lap 20 Verstappen had made it to P15, and by lap 31 the Red Bull driver was back in the points having passed former teammate Carlos Sainz for tenth. The next ten laps saw Verstappen work his way up to eighth, and by lap 50 he was in sixth place with a 44 second margin to Albon ahead. The gap was too big to close, and Verstappen ended the race in sixth, an impressive performance in a damaged car.
Problems in the pits at McLaren, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari
The Mexican Grand Prix featured a number of problematic pit stops, each of which negatively affected the driver’s race. McLaren’s Lando Norris was the first to suffer, when the team failed to secure his front left tyre. Norris stopped before leaving the pits and was wheeled back to attempt a recovery drive that ended when the Briton retired on lap 50.
“I know it’s sh*t, and I’m really sorry, but our goal here is to prove what could have been. We need you to do a mega stint on this tyre,” said McLaren on to Norris on the team radio after the botched stop.
Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi tried to pull away from his stop with only three tyres attached, but managed to avoid a penalty for unsafe release. Then Charles Leclerc suffered a botched stop when he came in at the end of lap 43, spending 6.2 seconds stationary and losing track position and a probable podium finish as a consequence.
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Posted on 14 October 2019
By Kate Walker
Missed opportunity for Ferrari, a sixth title for Mercedes
Despite locking out the front row during the morning qualifying session, neither Ferrari driver stood on the top step of the podium. Both pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were overtaken off the start by Valtteri Bottas, who went on to win the race having led the field for the bulk of the afternoon. Vettel was able to fend off a charging Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages, but despite his strong performance he was unable to prevent the Silver Arrows from securing their sixth consecutive World Constructors’ Championship in Japan. Leclerc suffered a miserable afternoon following first lap contact with Max Verstappen that dropped him to the back of the field after a pit stop, from which he recovered to sixth.
Two stops to a one-three for Mercedes
Despite pre-race predictions from Pirelli that a one-stop would be the fastest strategy around Suzuka circuit on Sunday afternoon, in-race conditions proved more challenging than the Italian tyre manufacturer had been able to predict given the limited running. Mercedes had elected to split their strategies, with Bottas on a two-stop and Hamilton one-stopping. But midway through the race, degradation was high enough that both drivers were moved onto a two-stop, with Bottas leading from Vettel and Hamilton in third by lap 43. With 10 laps remaining, the fight was on, and a charging Hamilton broke lap records on his way to third place, but was unable to pass Vettel.
“What do I need to do to win this race?” remarked Hamilton on the Mercedes team radio.
Ricciardo’s road to recovery
While the Japanese Grand Prix was full of stellar performances, special mention should go to the charging Daniel Ricciardo, who fought his way from 16th on the grid after a dismal morning qualifying session to seventh place at the chequered flag. The Renault driver made up five places in the first eleven laps, and by the time he pitted for fresh rubber at the end of lap 30 Ricciardo had fought his way to fifth place before Carlos Sainz was able to push the Australian back to sixth on fraying rubber. When he returned to the track in eleventh place Ricciardo was on the soft tyre compound, and used his speed to make short work of overtaking the Racing Point of Sergio Perez and Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg. After passing Pierre Gasly on lap 49, Ricciardo was running in seventh held position until the chequered flag.
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Posted on 30 September 2019
By Kate Walker
Vettel retirement hands advantage to Mercedes
Disaster for Ferrari led to triumph for Mercedes, with both drivers gifted a free pit stop under the virtual safety car that was deployed when Sebastian Vettel retired through MGU-K failure on lap 28. The Russian Grand Prix had been shaping up to be a phenomenal battle between the two leading teams – and an intra-team battle at Ferrari – but the timing of the VSC handed the advantage to Mercedes, who had run their drivers long on medium tyres. Leclerc made a second stop for soft tyres under a full Safety Car two laps later, but it was too little too late from the Scuderia.
Image credit: Formula 1
Tyre strategy key to Sochi performance
There were battles of will aplenty between drivers and their pit walls, with teams changing their planned stop strategies on the hop. Hamilton was told that his tyre degradation was low enough that his target was now plus 15, but the Briton insisted he was already feeling the wear 18 laps in. In the end, Mercedes’ decision to start on the medium compound and then run long proved to be the successful option, but the Silver Arrows were gifted free stops under the Virtual Safety Car deployed when Vettel retired. In normal race conditions, the closing laps should have seen a three- or four-way fight between the two leading teams.
Image credit: Formula 1
Ferrari’s planned harmony strategy fails to pay off
Tensions at Ferrari continued apace, with the Scuderia pit wall asking their drivers to swap while the men in red fail to comply. By lap 9, plans A and B had been dropped, and the prancing horses were on plan C. Pre-race promises came to naught when Vettel proved to be faster than Leclerc in the early laps, while third-placed Hamilton was also faster than Charles.
"I respected everything; we will speak later. But now it is difficult to close the gap, obviously," said Leclerc on the Ferrari team radio, after Vettel had refused a team order to swap position with his teammate.
Leclerc’s pole gave Vettel the slipstream off the start, but the Monegasque wasn’t able to close the gap to his teammate when it counted. Vettel’s retirement prevented bigger problems, but tensions at the team will only amplify in the coming races.
Image credit: Formula 1
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Posted on 23 September 2019
By Kate Walker
Victorious Vettel slays his critics
After a season with more down than ups, and more than twelve months since he last stood on the top step of an F1 podium, Sebastian Vettel won the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, who had started the race on pole. Ferrari gambled on an early pit stop for Vettel, and when both drivers had returned to the track on fresh rubber it was the German who remained ahead, triggering radio complaints from Leclerc. Vettel was able to hold on to his lead through several Safety Car restarts, with Leclerc around 0.9s behind for most of the closing stages. After 61 laps, the four-time champion took the chequered flag with a 2.6s margin over his teammate, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the podium.
Singapore Safety Car record remains unbroken
Despite little action towards the head of the pack, the Singapore Grand Prix was an action-packed affair with three Safety Cars and all manner of near misses. The Marina Bay Street Circuit has seen at least one Safety Car at every running of the grand prix, and while the first Safety Car of the 2019 race did not come out till the half-way point, between laps 36 and 50 it made three appearances. George Russell was hit by Romain Grosjean, and required recovery, and three laps after racing resumed Sergio Perez parked his Racing Point in the approach to Turn 14, bringing it out for a second time. On lap 50, Kimi Raikkonen retired following a collision with Daniil Kvyat, bringing out the third and final Safety Car.
Midfield battles beset with drama
The ‘best of the rest’ championship saw several pendulum swings in Singapore on Sunday night, with extreme highs and lows from the midfield teams. Antonio Giovinazzi briefly led the race during the pit stop window, the first time an Alfa Romeo has led a grand prix since 1983. Racing Point saw accident damage for Lance Stroll and a retirement for Sergio Perez, leading to the second Safety Car of the race. The Renault-McLaren battle saw winners and losers on both sides, with Daniel Ricciardo dropping back after contact with Giovinazzi on lap 34. McLaren suffered on lap one, with Carlos Sainz suffering an early puncture, leaving it to Lando Norris to pick up points for the team.
Off-track Entertainment
Off the track, the event’s stellar entertainment line-up over the race weekend included Swedish House Mafia, Muse, Gwen Stefani, Fatboy Slim, Hans Zimmer, as well as Toots and the Maytals, with Red Hot Chili Peppers closing the action-packed weekend to a 65,000-strong crowd at the Padang Stage after the chequered flag was waved.
Overall, the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2019 recorded an attendance of 268,000, its second highest ever attendance since the inaugural night race.
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Posted on 23 September 2019
Victorious Vettel slays his critics
After a season with more down than ups, and more than twelve months since he last stood on the top step of an F1 podium, Sebastian Vettel won the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc, who had started the race on pole. Ferrari gambled on an early pit stop for Vettel, and when both drivers had returned to the track on fresh rubber it was the German who remained ahead, triggering radio complaints from Leclerc.
“To be completely honest with you, I don’t understand the undercut. We will discuss it after the race. My head is down and it will be down until the race – I just want to let you know my feelings,” said Leclerc on the Ferrari team radio.
Vettel was able to hold on to his lead through several Safety Car restarts, with Leclerc around 0.9s behind for most of the closing stages. After 61 laps, the four-time champion took the chequered flag with a 2.6s margin over his teammate, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the podium.
Singapore Safety Car record remains unbroken
Despite little action towards the head of the pack, the Singapore Grand Prix was an action-packed affair with three Safety Cars and all manner of near misses. The Marina Bay Street Circuit has seen at least one Safety Car at every running of the grand prix, and while the first Safety Car of the 2019 race did not come out till the half-way point, between laps 36 and 50 it made three appearances. George Russell was hit by Romain Grosjean, and required recovery, and three laps after racing resumed Sergio Perez parked his Racing Point in the approach to Turn 14, bringing it out for a second time. On lap 50, Kimi Raikkonen retired following a collision with Daniil Kvyat, bringing out the third and final Safety Car.
Midfield battles beset with drama
The ‘best of the rest’ championship saw several pendulum swings in Singapore on Sunday night, with extreme highs and lows from the midfield teams. Antonio Giovinazzi briefly led the race during the pit stop window, the first time an Alfa Romeo has led a grand prix since 1983. Racing Point saw accident damage for Lance Stroll and a retirement for Sergio Perez, leading to the second Safety Car of the race. The Renault-McLaren battle saw winners and losers on both sides, with Daniel Ricciardo dropping back after contact with Giovinazzi on lap 34. McLaren suffered on lap one, with Carlos Sainz suffering an early puncture, leaving it to Lando Norris to pick up points for the team.
Off-track Entertainment
Off the track, the event’s stellar entertainment line-up over the race weekend included Swedish House Mafia, Muse, Gwen Stefani, Fatboy Slim, Hans Zimmer, as well as Toots and the Maytals, with Red Hot Chili Peppers closing the action-packed weekend to a 65,000-strong crowd at the Padang Stage after the chequered flag was waved.
Overall, the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2019 recorded an attendance of 268,000, its second highest ever attendance since the inaugural night race.
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Posted on 9 September 2019
By Kate Walker
Leclerc delivers Monza win for tifosi
For the first time since 2010, a Ferrari driver won the Italian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc secured a second consecutive win for the Scuderia in eight days, delivering a masterful performance from pole position to chequered flag despite pressure from Lewis Hamilton for much of the afternoon, and Valtteri Bottas during the final laps. Confirming his status as the Scuderia’s star driver, Leclerc managed what Sebastian Vettel has not been able to do – winning for the tifosi at their very own temple of speed. Leclerc’s win was all the sweeter in the aftermath of a tragic Belgian Grand Prix weekend. La pista magica indeed.
Penalties galore at the Italian Grand Prix
A chaotic Italian Grand Prix was characterised by a seemingly endless string of penalties, beginning with Sebastian Vettel’s ten second stop-go penalty for rejoining the track in a dangerous fashion after spinning at the Variante Ascari on lap 6. Lance Stroll repeated Vettel’s error as a consequence of being spun off by the Ferrari, and was issued with a drive-through. As Vettel’s penalty was confirmed on lap 11, the stewards announced they would be investigating Alexander Albon for cutting the corner while battling with Kevin Magnussen. Albon was given a five second penalty. The final infraction was an unsafe release for Carlos Sainz, for which McLaren was fined.
Another awful Monza for Vettel
The 2018 Italian Grand Prix saw Sebastian Vettel recover to fourth after an early error sent the Ferrari driver to the back of the field. This year’s edition was supposed to be Vettel’s race of atonement, but an unforced lap 6 spin at the Variante Ascari saw the Ferrari return to the track into the path of Lance Stroll, earning Vettel a stop-go penalty.
“He just came back onto the circuit like an idiot!” exclaimed Stroll on the Racing Point team radio after the incident with Vettel.
When he returned to the track in last position, Vettel was 19 seconds off the 19th-placed car. By lap 36, Vettel had been lapped by teammate and race leader Leclerc, the penultimate indignity before crossing the line in 13th place, 90 seconds ahead of the Williams of George Russell. Adding insult to injury, the quadruple champion was issued with three-penalty points, raising the spectre of a one-race ban if he picks up three more points before 19 October.
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Posted on 2 September 2019
Leclerc secures maiden F1 win
Third time proved to be the charm for Charles Leclerc, who secured his first grand prix victory during Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Leclerc started from pole, and led for the bulk of the race, but the performance was no walkover. The Monegasque racer was pitted after teammate Sebastian Vettel, despite having track position, and by the time Leclerc emerged from the pits freshly shod on lap 21 he had lost out to Vettel. On lap 27 Ferrari radioed their drivers to swap positions, and Leclerc regained the lead. But in the closing stages of the race a closing Lewis Hamilton increased the pressure, and they crossed the finish line split by less than one second. Leclerc kept both a cool head and the win.
“It feels good, but it’s difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this. It’s a dream come true anyway,” said Leclerc on the Ferrari team radio after taking the chequered flag.
Spa misery for the Verstappen army
Semi-local hero Max Verstappen had a terrible Belgian Grand Prix weekend in front of an estimated 28,000 Dutch fans. After a slow start, the Red Bull driver made contact with the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen as the pair rounded La Source, briefly putting the Finn on two wheels and sending him to the pits for repairs. Verstappen was able to continue after the incident despite a broken track rod, but as the Red Bull was turning through Radillon the car carried straight on, ploughing the Spa race’s star attraction into the barriers at Eau Rouge before a single racing lap was complete.
Technical troubles for McLaren on mixed day
Until the last lap it looked as though the Belgian Grand Prix would prove to be a highlight of Lando Norris’ 2019 season. The McLaren rookie got an excellent start off the line and spent most of the afternoon running in a comfortable fifth place before running into mechanical trouble as he crossed the line to begin the final lap. The British racer dropped to a classified eleventh despite not taking the chequered flag. On the other side of the garage, Carlos Sainz had a miserable afternoon, declaring no power on the start and retiring on the second lap.
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Posted on 5 August 2019
Hamilton v. Verstappen - the showdown
Formula One could not have hoped for a better way to start the summer shutdown than a wheel-to-wheel battle between the current star of the sport and the leading light of the next generation. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen delighted fans with a multi-lap battle that saw the five-time world champion run wide into Turn 4 halfway through the race, forcing both teams to adapt their strategies for the second half as Mercedes gambled on fresh rubber being needed for the win. A stop for Hamilton on lap 49 put the Briton nearly 20 seconds behind on track, but gave Mercedes a 93 percent chance of securing the race win. It was a risky manoeuvre from the team, but Hamilton delivered on lap 67, powering past the Red Bull as the pair passed the pit exit, Verstappen’s tyres worn through.
Bottas’ bad day
Questions surrounding Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes future gained further momentum following the Finnish racer’s terrible afternoon at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Having out-qualified his teammate, a slow start dropped Bottas from second to fifth by the end of the first lap, passed by Lewis Hamilton in Turn 3, and both Ferraris not long after. Minor contact with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc led to wing damage for the Finn, and a stop for a new nose cone on lap 5 put Bottas at the back of the field on hard tyres. The strategy enabled a recovery to P8, below expectations for a Mercedes driver.
Changing strategy at Ferrari
While Mercedes’ Hungarian Grand Prix victory was a direct consequence of the team’s bold and flexible approach to race strategy, over on the Ferrari pit wall it was another matter entirely. Both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were moved from Plan A to Plan B, while Vettel was put on Plan C at the end of lap 39, extending his opening run for a late switch to the soft compound. The strategy swap played into the German racer’s hands -- while Leclerc had been the dominant Ferrari for much of Sunday afternoon, after a wheel-to-wheel battle between the two prancing horses it was Vettel who came out ahead, claiming the final podium position.
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Posted on 29 July 2019
Safety Cars, pit stops, and chaos in Hockenheim
It is hard to imagine a more chaotic race than Sunday’s German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. The changeable conditions saw drivers making five or six stops, while a succession of Safety Cars – largely triggered by drivers on the wrong tyre compound making errors and hitting the barriers – meant that the podium was impossible to predict until the final laps.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the chequered flag, while Sebastian Vettel delivered a stunning recovery from the back of the grid to second across the line. Capitalising on all the chaos, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat finished third on the podium, knocking Lance Stroll off it. Elsewhere, Alexander Albon auditioned for a race seat with Red Bull, passing Pierre Gasly on multiple occasions.
Mercedes have worst weekend of 2019
For the first time since Mexico 2018, Mercedes failed to put either of their drivers on the podium. Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas led the race at various stages, but uncharacteristic errors from both drivers proved costly. Hamilton span and damaged his front wing following a pit stop for slick tyres, and the return trip to the pits for repairs put the British driver on a back foot from which he never recovered. Bottas was in contention for a podium finish until lap 57, when a similar spin to Hamilton’s saw the #77 car in the barriers and out of the race. Bottas’ shunt came when the Finn was pushing hard to overtake the Racing Point of Lance Stroll, who narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
"How has this gone so bad?" asked Hamilton on the Mercedes team radio.
Hulk goes from hero to zero
Nico Hulkenberg has the unenviable record of most grand prix starts without a podium finish. For much of Sunday afternoon it looked like 167 would be the Hulk’s magic number, but on lap 41 the German driver fell victim to the same barriers that had earlier taken out the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. The first wet race of 2019 was a merciless one: Hulkenberg’s retirement marked the end of a miserable race for Renault, who had already seen Daniel Ricciardo’s point-scoring hopes go up in a puff of smoke on lap 15, when his ancient power unit gave up the ghost. Prior to Hulkenberg’s crash, which saw the RS19 aquaplaning into the barriers at Turn 16 with the driver little more than a passenger, the German racer was looking on course for a home podium.
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Posted on 15 July 2019
Hamilton sets British GP record
Lewis Hamilton became a British Grand Prix record-breaker on Sunday afternoon at Silverstone Circuit, becoming the first driver in F1 history to win the race on six occasions. Both Alain Prost and Jim Clark had won the race five times, with all of Prost’s wins coming at Silverstone. Clark collected his victories at Silverstone, Aintree, and Brands Hatch, the three tracks to host the British Grand Prix during his racing career. Hamilton’s win came from second on the grid, following some close racing with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and a perfectly-timed Safety Car in the Briton’s pit stop window.
Triumphant performance from Leclerc
Charles Leclerc delivered a simply outstanding drive to third place at Silverstone, racing hard and clean with Max Verstappen in the sort of display that can only mean great things for the sport’s future. The action started early, with fourth-placed Verstappen hot on Leclerc’s tail from lap three. By lap 10, the pair were split by two-tenths, and on lap 13 they entered the pits together and emerged side by side. Verstappen was first to exit, but an error on cold tyres put Leclerc ahead, with the Dutch racer in hot pursuit.
On lap 18, again split by two-tenths, the pair danced through Luffield, with Leclerc forced to defend into Copse. On lap 19 the drivers swapped positions twice on the Hangar Straight, with Leclerc holding onto fourth place thanks to some late braking and a neat pass around the outside.
By lap 24 Verstappen was once again on the Ferrari’s rear wing, and the pair were wheel-to-wheel through the Club chicane. Red Bull then ordered Verstappen past Pierre Gasly, protecting him from Leclerc but unwittingly positioning him for the later collision with Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel rear-ends Verstappen
Sebastian Vettel suffered another bad Sunday when his race was destroyed following a self-inflicted error that resulted in contact with Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver had qualified sixth, and gained a place on the start. Running in third after the first round of stops, by lap 34 Vettel was being chased by Verstappen, and the two ran closely until the Red Bull driver swooped past the Ferrari. The move made, Vettel then rear-ended Verstappen, putting both cars into the gravel and earning himself a ten second penalty.
"What the hell was he doing?" exclaimed Verstappen on the Red Bull team radio after the shunt by Vettel.
Luckily both cars were able to race on, Verstappen finishing in fifth while Vettel crossed the line in sixteenth, losing a place when his penalty was applied. While a mistake in isolation, when viewed as one of a series of recent errors from Vettel, Sunday’s incident has worrying implications.
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Posted on 1 July 2019
Stellar recovery for Max Verstappen
In a race described as an instant classic, Max Verstappen delighted the tens of thousands of Dutch fans at the Red Bull Ring when he won the Austrian Grand Prix following issues on the start that saw the popular driver drop from second to seventh over the course of the opening lap. Verstappen delivered a masterclass in recovery, and despite a panicked radio message to the team in which he complained of losing power, the 21-year-old quickly overtook Valtteri Bottas for P2 before setting his sights on race leader Charles Leclerc. The closing laps battle between the two was a tribute to the level of talent in F1’s new generation.
The Red Bull driver overtook Leclerc late in the race, in an incident which saw the Ferrari running off the track. A lengthy post-race deliberation resulted in the FIA judging it a racing incident and confirming Verstappen’s win.
"It was hard racing. If it's not allowed, what's the point in racing in F1?” said Verstappen on the incident.
Variety is the spice of life
There were five different teams in the top six slots on the grid for the Austrian Grand Prix, the biggest mix the sport has seen in some time. Instead of the Mercedes 1-2 finish that has come to define the 2019 season so far, the mix of pit stop strategies in the top ten saw close fighting throughout the pack, with Lando Norris again delivering a strong performance for a resurgent McLaren. Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas lost places in the closing stages of the race, the former to a two-stopping Sebastian Vettel and the latter to a charging Max Verstappen. Bottas managed to hold off Vettel to finish on the podium in third.
It’s the pits for Hamilton and Vettel
Both Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel suffered separate pit stop dramas at the Austrian Grand Prix, although neither proved to be too costly in the long-term. Thanks to a problem with the Ferrari team radios, the tyres were not ready when Vettel pulled in to make his first stop, a 6.1-second error that cost him valuable time. But fortune was on Vettel’s side, as rival Hamilton suffered damage to a flap on his front wing, necessitating a nose cone change during the Briton’s stop. While Mercedes pulled off the task with typical efficiency, the move resulted in an 11-second stop for Hamilton.
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Posted on 24 June 2019
The French Grand Prix was a low-key affair, with Lewis Hamilton delivering another masterclass in leading a race from lights to flag. The Mercedes driver got a good start from pole, and was able to maintain a steady lead over teammate Valtteri Bottas throughout 53 laps of the Circuit Paul Ricard.
The only hiccup for Hamilton came in the form of changing instructions from Mercedes, which had him remarking on the team radio: "Make a decision and stick with it!"
In the closing stages of the race, as Bottas struggled to manage wear on his front tyres, Hamilton extended the gap and eventually crossed the line with 18 seconds in hand. One of the only moments of tension at the front came on the final lap, when third-placed Charles Leclerc made a last-second attempt at overhauling Bottas as the pair approached the finish line. Bottas stayed ahead, and Mercedes’ sixth 1-2 finish of the season saw Hamilton leave France with a 36 point lead in the drivers’ standings.
Another race, another result-changing penalty, albeit one unaccompanied by controversy. The last lap of a largely incident-free race at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard saw Daniel Ricciardo overtaking the McLaren of Lando Norris along the Mistral Straight with all four wheels off the track. In rejoining, Ricciardo was judged to have forced Norris to take avoiding action to prevent a collision. The Renault driver was also judged to have left the track and gained an advantage when he passed Kimi Raikkonen further up the Mistral Straight. In being penalised for both offenses the popular Australian was given two separate five-second time penalties, dropping him from seventh to eleventh on the timesheets and costing Renault six championship points.
While the 2019 French Grand Prix will not enter the record books as a nail-biting affair, one strong performance could be found in the lower part of the points courtesy of McLaren driver Lando Norris. The rookie racer and teammate Carlos Sainz locked out the third row of the grid at Paul Ricard and maintained position towards the front of the pack for most of the 53 laps. But a late hydraulic issue for Norris saw car number four lose places over the last 20 laps as the Briton struggled to fight to the finish. Driveability issues including issues with the power steering and differential all linked to the hydraulics system dropped Norris back to ninth in the closing stages from what had been a comfortable seventh.
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Posted on 10 June 2019
The Canadian Grand Prix ended in controversy when a time penalty for Sebastian Vettel issued late in the race cost the Ferrari driver an almost certain victory. Despite crossing the finish line ahead of Lewis Hamilton, it was the Mercedes driver who was named the winner when Vettel’s five-second penalty was applied to his final race time. On lap 48, Hamilton was gaining on race leader Vettel when the Ferrari driver missed the chicane at turns three and four, cutting across the track as he fought to regain control of his car. The stewards found Vettel had not rejoined safely and issued the German racer with the highly controversial punishment.
Before the drama of the closing laps and Vettel’s controversial penalty, both Mercedes and Ferrari found themselves readjusting their pit strategies in the middle of the race, each team desperately trying to cover the other.
With both teams on a one-stop strategy, Ferrari radioed their drivers as the pit stop window opened.
To Vettel: “Switch to plan B, plan B, head down.”
To Charles Leclerc: “Charles, we are on Plan B, Plan B.”
When Vettel pitted at the end of lap 26, Hamilton was asked to extend his stint and was told it was ‘Hammer-time’. But the Briton complained his tyres were shot, and at the end of lap 28 Mercedes altered their strategy and brought both Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas into the pits in quick succession.
Angered by his missing out on victory following the five second time penalty, Vettel marked the end of the Canadian Grand Prix in an unusual manner. Instead of following traditional post-race procedures, he left the track after being weighed and went straight to the Ferrari hospitality unit, ignoring the post-race interviews with Martin Brundle. When he was persuaded to attend the podium ceremony, Vettel went to the holding area and swapped the winners’ boards around, giving Hamilton’s Mercedes the #2 board, and putting the #1 in front of the slot where his SF90 should have been parked. Vettel also briefly joined Hamilton on the top step of the podium during the trophy ceremony.
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Posted on 27 May 2019
Photo credit: GlennDunbar/Motorsport Images
The Monaco Grand Prix was a devastating afternoon for local hero Charles Leclerc, who wasknocked out of Q1 during Saturday’s qualifying. Lining up 16th on the grid, the Ferrari driveropened the race on a charge, making up one place on the start and deftly passing the Haas of RomainGrosjean at Rascasse on lap 8. Trying to repeat the move on Nico Hulkenberg one lap later, the twocars made contact. Leclerc’s puncture led to significant floor damage, and despite doing his bestto fight on the Ferrari pit wall were forced to retire their driver on lap 17.
Photo credit: Jerry Andre/MotorsportImages
There was some light relief early on in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, when a brief moment ofcontact between Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica led to something of a traffic jam at LaRascasse. A small tap from the Alfa Romeo sent Kubica’s Williams into a spin that left the FW42angled across the corner. Before Kubica was able to get pointed in the right direction, SergioPerez, Nico Hulkenberg, and Charles Leclerc all had to get on their respective brakes to involvewhat could have been a Spa ‘98 collision. No cars or drivers were harmed in the making of thecomedy moment.
Photo credit: GlennDunbar/Motorsport Images
Nothing lasts forever, and Mercedes’ unbroken streak of 1-2 finishes in 2019 ended on Sundayafternoon in Monaco, when Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel tailed Lewis Hamilton across thefinish line. From the Silver Arrows’ front row lock-out, Valtteri Bottas had been runningcomfortably in second place until the pack pitted under the Safety Car. On release, the Mercedesdriver was squeezed to the edge of the pit lane by Max Verstappen, lost position, and gained apuncture and a second stop. On lap 16, Sebastian Vettel dropped Bottas into fourth, which is wherethe Finn finished before Verstappen’s time penalty was applied.
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Posted on 13 May 2019
Hamilton wins, takes championship lead
After Valtteri Bottas secured his third consecutive pole position during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, the following day it was the turn of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to make it three from three, claiming his third consecutive victory at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Hamilton took the lead off the start, and held it through two pit stops and a late Safety Car, delivering a lights-to-flag win and a fifth one-two finish for the Silver Arrows.
It was not all smooth sailing for the Briton, however, as he faced tyre issues with more than 20 laps to go, ominously telling Mercedes on the team radio: “It feels like these tyres could be a stretch.”
Bottas arrived in Spain leading the drivers’ standing by a single point; Hamilton leaves with a seven-point advantage. In third, Max Verstappen is 39 points behind Bottas, while fourth-placed Vettel is a further two points behind, seven points clear of Leclerc.
Team order swaps for Vettel and Leclerc
The Ferrari team orders row is the race strategy story that will not go away, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc once again taking it in turns to swap positions on track, each driver faster than his teammate until stuck in the aerodynamic wake of the leading car. In the opening phase it was Leclerc who was quicker behind his teammate; the pair swapped positions on lap 12 and then swapped again on lap 36, when Vettel was behind Leclerc on track but on the faster tyre compound. Neither swap did much to help Ferrari, who finished fourth and fifth having started third and fifth.
Good Barcelona memories for Kvyat
Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat managed to lay a few Spanish Grand Prix demons to rest at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday. The racetrack was the site of the Russian racer’s first public outing after he was demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso in 2016, replaced by Max Verstappen. Adding insult to injury, Verstappen won that race for his new team. Kvyat’s career was on a downward slope. But on Sunday afternoon Kvyat was Toro Rosso’s only driver to score. His haul of two points was a small reward for the impressive move the Russian pulled off on lap 23, overtaking the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen around the outside of Turn 4.
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Posted on 29 April 2019
Bottas gets his Baku win at last
One year after narrowly missing out on near certain victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas earned the win the Finn felt he thoroughly deserved. Bottas became the first victorious pole-sitter of 2019 when he took the chequered flag after 51 laps of a race in which his chance at victory was only threatened by teammate Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes pair battled for the first few corners of the opening lap before Bottas pulled out a 1.8-second lead, losing his place at the head of the pack only during the pit stop phase. On lap 32, Bottas overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – who had yet to stop – and controlled the race for the final 20 laps.
On the penultimate lap with Hamilton closing in on the leader, Mercedes said to Bottas on the team radio: “Lewis has DRS. Overtake is available.”
Bottas kept his cool and crossed the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of the second Mercedes.
Ricciardo’s rubbish reversing
After two chaotic races in Baku, and an incident packed Formula Two race, expectations of a street fighting thriller were high. But the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a fairly staid affair enlivened only by a slapstick collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat on lap 31. While battling for position, both cars entered the runoff area at Turn 3. The two drivers initially avoided a collision, but when Ricciardo was attempting to reverse his car in order to return to the track, the Renault driver backed into his Toro Rosso rival, damaging both cars. The Australian retired immediately, while Kvyat limped on for two more laps before calling it a day. For causing the collision, Ricciardo was issued with a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Williams’ woeful weekend
While Williams have had a terrible 2019 thus far, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marked a new low for the team. Following George Russell’s run-in with a loose manhole cover in FP1, an expensive accident that cost the team valuable track time, Robert Kubica crashed into the barriers at Turn 8 in qualifying, necessitating a second major rebuild for the team during the weekend. The Pole started Sunday’s race from the pit lane following extensive modifications aimed at improving his chances during the grand prix, but was issued with a mid-race drive through penalty for leaving the team garage earlier than regulations permitted to begin the race. The only positive note for the Grove racers came from Valtteri Bottas, who credited George Russell with enabling him to activate his DRS at a crucial moment while defending from a closing Hamilton in the final laps.
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Posted on 15 April 2019
Hamilton makes it 75 of 1,000
Formula 1 celebrated its 1,000th race in Shanghai, setting the internet alight as pedants debated whether or not the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix qualified as the landmark event. But with the 1,000th event celebration done and dusted in an unusually dull race for the Shanghai International Circuit, Lewis Hamilton celebrated his 75th career victory, giving the Briton 7.5 percent of the wins in F1 history. The only driver with more wins to his name is Michael Schumacher, who secured his 91st and final F1 victory at the Shanghai track in 2006. While it is unlikely to happen, Hamilton could beat the German’s record at this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix if he wins every race between now and then.
Playing the long game
The 2019 Chinese Grand Prix was a strategic affair, thanks to colder than expected weather that meant the optimum strategy was evenly split between one and two stops. Traditionally a one-stop strategy at Shanghai has been a risky affair, with those on fresher rubber pouncing on their one-stopping rivals in the closing stages. Both Ferrari and Mercedes were playing the long game on Sunday afternoon, spreading their bets on pit strategy to cover both each other and the Red Bull threat of Max Verstappen. Despite internet rumours of favouritism at both teams, the brains on the pit wall were doing their best to maximise team results. Bottas and Leclerc were the relative losers on this occasion, but both the Silver Arrows and the Prancing Horses were able to keep Red Bull from reaching the podium, achieving their shared objective.
Team orders for Prancing Horses
With Mercedes and Ferrari both trying to outwit each other on pit stop strategy, the internet was aflame with rumours of preferential treatment for one driver or another. But team orders are a necessary evil in Formula One, and Ferrari have traditionally been more open about their use of them than many of their rivals. Both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc had the speed advantage at different points in Sunday’s race, and both drivers moved aside for their teammate when the time was right. But at the end of the year the Chinese Grand Prix will prove to have been a decisive moment in Ferrari team relations, with each driver confident that he had the pace advantage.
“Let Sebastian by, let Sebastian by,” said Ferrari to Leclerc on the team radio.
“But I’m pulling away!” came the reply, before the Ferraris swapped positions.
Vettel won this particular battle, but there are 18 more rounds to come in the war.
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Posted on 1 April 2019
From triumph to disaster for Leclerc
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was a deserved winner of the fan-voted Driver of the Day award following an excellent but heartbreaking performance in the Bahraini desert, which saw him finishing third, behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas who were first and second respectively.
Leclerc started on pole, but lost the lead off the start to teammate Sebastian Vettel. By lap 6, he had overtaken the four-time world champion for the lead, a position the Monegasque racer would hold until the closing stages of the race.
Slowing slightly, Leclerc radioed to the team: “There’s something wrong with the engine!”
One lap later, he asked the team if there was a problem with his engine.
“We have no energy recovery,” came the reply.
Losing an estimated 40km/h, Leclerc fell into the clutches of first Lewis Hamilton and then Valtteri Bottas, holding on to third place thanks only to a late Safety Car that prevented Max Verstappen from being able to overtake.
Renault failures decide podium
The 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix will be remembered for its engine troubles. Not only was Charles Leclerc denied his maiden F1 victory by problems with the Ferrari’s MGU-H, but both Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg were forced to retire in the final laps when their Renault power units began to fail. Hulkenberg suffered a visible loss of power, stopping his car trackside in a puff of smoke. Seemingly simultaneously, sixth-placed Ricciardo also drew to a halt, making it two retirements from the opening two races for the popular Australian. Even before the engine issues, Ricciardo was struggling for grip on his decaying tyres, a bold attempt at a one-stop strategy failing to pay off. The twin retirements led to a late Safety Car that decided the podium with several laps remaining.
Vettel’s desert nightmare
A DRS-enabled pass on lap 23 saw Vettel take second place, setting the stage for a spirited battle between the two, once Hamilton made a second stop on lap 34. Vettel pitted one lap later, and the pair were split by 0.8s when the Ferrari driver returned to the track. Two laps of wheel-to-wheel battling saw Hamilton seize the advantage on lap 38. Vettel then span unassisted, damaging his tyres and causing vibrations that would see his front wing shear off on the back straight. After limping back to the pits the rest of the evening was an exercise in damage limitation for Vettel, who crossed the line in fifth.
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Posted on 18 March 2019
Ferrari flounder, confound expectations
After pre-season testing, the smart money was on Ferrari for a strong performance in Melbourne. But after Lewis Hamilton led every practice session and secured pole position, it looked like Mercedes had retained their turbo-era advantage. With Valtteri Bottas taking the win in Melbourne, the real surprise was that no Ferrari driver stood on the podium. Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel had a minor scrap on the opening lap, but when Max Verstappen’s Honda-powered Red Bull out-dragged Vettel’s Ferrari into turn three with one-third of the race remaining, the expected 2019 order was upended entirely. F1 2019 just got interesting.
"Why are we so slow?" asked a frustrated Vettel on the Ferrari team radio near the end of the race.
"We don’t know at the moment," came the reply.
Ricciardo ruins own home race
After the disappointment of qualifying in eleventh place for his first home grand prix as a Renault driver, Daniel Ricciardo’s afternoon got off to a terrible start when the Australian damaged his own front wing before the first corner of the first lap. After a strong launch off the start, the ‘Honey Badger’ drove onto the grass to avoid the tight pack of traffic at the start, and in running over a drain cover managed to shatter his front wing. Having limped back to the pits for a replacement, the Australian racer was demoted to last on the field, eventually retiring in the pits on lap 30.
Rookie round-up
With four rookies making their F1 grand prix debuts in Albert Park on Sunday, the Australian Grand Prix was a chance to assess the next generation of incoming talent. But it was an unimpressive afternoon for our debutants, with none of the four finishing in the points. Antonio Giovinazzi brought to mind the Trulli trains made famous by the last Italian in Formula One, while George Russell’s talent was no match for the shocking FW42. Alexander Albon delivered a respectable performance in an unimpressive Toro Rosso, while Lando Norris was the highest placed rookie finisher thanks to an impressive qualifying on Saturday afternoon.