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F1 2023 Season

Las Vegas GP 2023: Viva Las Vegas

Max Verstappen won the star-studded race after fighting back from a 5-second-penalty with Charles Leclerc in 2nd and Sergio Perez in 3rd.

The first time on this newly created track had fans apprehensive over how the race would go but the ones who watched were not disappointed.

Verstappen took the lead from pole-sitter Leclerc into the first corner but forced the Ferrari off the track which earned him a 5-second-penalty that would be served when he pitted.

Lando Norris spun and went into the barriers after he lost the rear of his car, despite sliding to a stop in the run-off area a safety car was called as the marshalls cleared the debris.

Norris was sent to the local hospital for precautionary checks after the heavy crash but it was announced that he was alright.

The battle for the lead between Leclerc and Verstappen went on for multiple laps as the Red Bull driver complained about his tyres. After Leclerc took 1st place on track Verstappen pitted, served his penalty and got new tyres.

Source: Unknown

As Verstappen made his way back to the front he had to make his way past George Russell which had fans looking at the screen through their fingers.

Verstappen was finally able to get past the Mercedes driver but after they collided, Russell was given a 5-second penalty which was added to his time after the race.

Meanwhile, at the front Leclerc and Perez were battling for the lead which the Red Bull driver took.

Further back Alpine’s drivers were clashing for 6th place, at one point Pierre Gasly was in front and then Esteban Ocon was in front. It ended with Ocon in 6th and Gasly in 7th.

Source: Grand Prix 247

Verstappen was able to retake the lead of the race where he stayed for the rest of the race.

The oldest drivers of track Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were showing their skills as they fought for 8th place.

Perez once again participated in a drag race finish where the other driver came out on top, this time it was Leclerc who was in front.

The top 10 were Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez, Ocon, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz, Hamilton, Russell, Alonso and Oscar Piastri.

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Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: France 2021

France 2021 was another instalment of the exhilarating 2021 Formula 1 season. It once again witnessed the intense battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the 2021 World Drivers Championship.

Source: Motorsport.com

The strategists predicted a one-stop race in France, but Red Bull gambled after Verstappen’s lap 1 mistake by pitting for a second time. It was then a question of whether he had the pace to get close and then pass Hamilton, who opted to stay out on a one-stop. In the end he did – though he only pulled it off two laps before the chequered flag, leaving racing fans in suspense!

The race captivated fans up and down the grid with drivers fighting for vital championship points. On lap 11, Alonso, Ricciardo, and Norris battles it out for 8th, 9th, and 10th place. Strategy played a huge part from the start of the race with drivers starting their first round of pitstops on lap 17. For many, it was a question of a successful undercut in the pits or a two-stop strategy.

Source: gp-videos.com

Lap 20 saw Hamilton pit and Verstappen pull of his undercut, taking the lead of the race. Lap 32 saw Verstappen pit for the second time, giving up the race lead to Hamilton. Norris pulled off several impressive overtakes to get himself into the points scoring places.

Lap 42 was the start of Verstappen’s charge on Hamilton needing to pass the other Mercedes of Bottas, who on lap 44 made a mistake, going wide in a corner and allowing Verstappen to go sailing through. With the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez also passing Bottas a couple of laps later, both Mercedes drivers began complaining on the radio about the strategy calls the team had made by only stopping once as their tyres were not up to racing the Red Bulls on fresh tires.

Source: PlanetF1.com

Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the penultimate lap of the race, and it finished with Verstappen in 1st, Hamilton in 2nd, and Perez in 3rd.

What did you make of the 2021 French GP?

Written by Cesca.

Categories
F1 2023 Season

Sao Paulo 2023: Photo Finish

Max Verstappen won the double in the last sprint race format of the season, taking his 17th victory with Lando Norris in 2nd and a drag race to the finish sealed Fernando Alonso in 3rd.

Source: PlannetF1

Charles Leclerc had bad luck once again when there was a mechanical failure on the formation lap which caused him to crash into the barriers.

After the Ferrari was moved to a side road and the marshals were able to take the chance to get a picture with the car it was lights out and the race was briefly started.

Source: Reddit

Off the start line Alex Albon made contact with Nico Hulkenburg which caused the Williams driver to hit Kevin Magnussen. Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri also sustained damage on the start line.

The red flag was waved and when everyone entered the pits and the work started in AphaTauri and McLaren to make Ricciardo and Piastri’s car fit to race.

It was a standing start when the debris and cars had been cleared. Off the start line Verstappen lead Norris and Alonso was able to get past Lewis Hamilton.

Ricciardo and Piastri started from the pitlane a lap behind the rest of the grid as they had come into the pits while everyone else followed the safety car.

Source: Unknown

By lap 10 the top three had built a lead while a DRS train started behind them lead by Hamilton.

Both Mercedes were having problems and George Russell was told to retire and became the 6th car out of the race following Leclerc, Albon, Magnussen, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas.

The battle for 3rd place between Sergio Perez and Alonso went down to the last lap with a drag race over the line with Perez 0.05s behind the Aston Martin driver.

Source: Sportskeeda

Lance Stroll finished 5th after a seemingly quiet race with Carlos Sainz in 6th and Pierre Gasly in 7th.

After struggling with his tyres throughout the race after his pitstop Hamilton finished 8th, Yuki Tsunoda finished 9th and Esteban Ocon took the last points place a lap behind the leader.

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F1 2023 Season

Mexico 2023: Devastation for Checo!

Max Verstappen once again raced to a dominant victory at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix! He took the lead at the start of the race in an action packed first lap, to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as he sealed his fifth win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. This was also his 16th victory of the season, breaking his own world record.

Source: SportsIllustrated.com

Lap 1 was a chorus of chaos from the grid, down the 1.2km down to turn 1. Verstappen and Perez in the Redbull’s got a great start compared to the Ferrari’s on the front row. Verstappen, Leclerc, and Perez entered turn 1 together which resulted in Leclerc and Perez coming together. Leclerc continued the race with minimal damage to his front wing, but hometown hero Perez was forced to retire due to the extreme side pod damage. 

Source: MotorsportWeek.com

Leclerc remained in second ahead of Hamilton and Sainz, when halfway through the race Magnussen’s rear suspension spontaneously broke sending him flying into the barriers! The Dane was taken to the medical centre but apart from minor injuries was okay. The race was red flagged due to the damage on the barriers being unsafe to continue and repairs needing to be made. The marshals worked hard to quickly clear the car and repair the barriers.

Source: RacingNews365.com

Racing started again with a standing start and this time all was calm down to turn 1! Verstappen kept hold of the lead while Hamilton overtook Leclerc for second where he remained until the end of the race! Lando Norris had an outstanding recovery drive after dropping to 17th at the restart. He overtook George Russell late in the race to take fifth place after starting 19th and was voted Driver of the Day by fans. Russell then held off a late charge from Daniel Ricciardo, who marked an impressive weekend for him and AlphaTauri to take seventh!

The other McLaren of Oscar Piastri survived a collision with Yuki Tsunoda to finish eighth overall. He took the chequered flag ahead of Alex Albon, who continued to impress for Williams, scoring more points and once again carrying the team. Esteban Ocon overtaking Nico Hulkenberg late in race to take 10th for Alpine completes the points scorers for Mexico City. It was an unfortunate weekend once again for Aston Martin who had to retire both cars during the race for mechanical issues.

What were your thoughts on the Mexico City GP?

Written by Cesca.

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Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: Abu Dhabi 2010: The Dawn of Sebastian Vettel!

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 14th November 2010. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4-25 Mercedes, 2nd position, and Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-25 Mercedes, 3rd position, give Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing RB6 Renault, 1st position, a soaking on the podium. Portrait. Podium. World Copyright: Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic ref: Digital Image _Q0C7053

Going into the last race of the 2010 Formula 1 season there were four contenders for the title. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was leading the 2010 Drivers’ Championship with 246 points; Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were second and third on 238 points and 231 points respectively. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was close behind holding fourth place in the championship, although it would have taken an extraordinary amount of luck it was still mathematically possible for his to win the championship. With the stage set for an epic season finale, 24 cars lined up on the grid and the lights went green at the Yas Marina Circuit!

Source: VeloceToday.com

It was Vettel on pole with Hamilton close behind in p2. Alonso lined up in p3 alongside Jensen Button with Webber not far behind in p5. The start of the race was chaotic, and Button got the jump on Alonso moving him into third. A few corners into the first lap Mercedes driver, Michael Schumacher, spun after brief contact with teammate Nico Rosburg, and was then hit by Vitantonio Liuzzi in the Force India Mercedes and the safety car was deployed.

Source: TheTelegraph.com

After both brushing the Armco due to lack of tyre grip, Alonso and Webber pitted and when they re-joined the track, they were much further down the field than they would have liked. On lap 18 they caught up to the back off Vitaly Petrov and remained in a fight to overtake him until the conclusion of the race, ending both their chances for the world championship. Hamilton and Vettel continued to set faster lap times than their rivals despite having old tires! Alonso finished the race in 7th with Webber coming in behind him in 8th. Petrov had maintained his track position and made it impossible for the pair to take a run at the podium.

Source: Historseye.wordpress.com

Vettel had missed out on the 2009 Championship after making a number of mistakes in the final race, he continued to make mistakes all season long during the 2010 world championship. Despite his errors, Vettel finished the season with 10 pole positions and 5 race wins. On the day, his sheer speed in the Red Bull and the mistakes of others allowed him to gain his first world championship and become the unlikely winner of the 2010 season. 

Source: MAXF1.net

Written by Cesca.

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F1 2023 Season

Fact File: Sergio “Checo” Perez

In light of this weekends Mexico GP who better to talk about than the youngest Mexican driver in F1 history. He’s a fan favorite especially in Mexico, but did you know these facts about him?

1) He is endorsed by the Mexican government.

Checo has carried sponsors such as Telcel and Telmex with him throughout his career but these companies are actually government funded. The Perez family is actually pretty close to members of the Mexican government with the President of Mexico being notorious for his calls to Checo after wins.

2) If he wasn’t an F1 driver he would consider a career in Law.

Checo has been on record to establish what his life would look like outside of the realm of racing and it’s no surprise that someone with his connections and intelligence that this was his answer.

“I would like to have been a banker or a lawyer. They both have a lot of adrenaline similar to the stock market and that’s what I’d say is similar to racing.” -Checo in an interview

3) Checo is an avid golfer!

Many F1 drivers have other sports that they play recreationally outside of the track but with Perez, his sport is golf!

He is apparently a very good golfer that has been playing since he was 17 and plays multiple times a week in the offseason!

4) He paid salaries of Force India employees when the company went dark.

When Force India collapsed due to crimes within ownership, there was uncertainty if the team would survive.

This uncertainty caused employees of the team to worry about where their jobs hung, so Checo stepped up and paid their salaries until Lawrence Stroll stepped in and saved the company.

5) He has his own foundation.

The Checo Perez Foundation was created in 2012 to help empower vulnerable groups in his home nation of Mexico and it is a part of his legacy that he is extremely proud of.

In conclusion, Checo Perez is a driver that we all can cheer for both on and off the track from his fun personality to his selfless nature, we can’t wait to see him take to the track in his home this weekend!

Categories
F1 2023 Season

Action In Austin 2023!

The US Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the America’s in Austin Texas was 56 laps of great racing and overtaking! The starting grid looked a little different this weekend after Max Verstappen’s qualifying lap time was deleted and he only started 6th. Charles Leclerc was on pole and lined up alongside Lando Norris in P2. It was Lewis Hamilton in P3, Carlos Sainz in P4 and George Russell who completed the top 5 on the grid. 

Source: PlanetF1.com

Lap 1 was home to most of the race action as Lando Norris got the better start of the front row and took the lead of the race! Piastri and Ocon made contact off the start with Piastri’s rear tyre making a large dent in Ocon’s side pod which forced him to retire a few laps later. The contact from lap 1 also forced a retirement from Piastri in the Mclaren.

It was at the mid-point of the race on lap 28 that Verstappen’s pit stop strategy caught him up with former race leader Norris. It was then on lap 39 that Verstappen took the lead of the Grand Prix by overtaking Leclerc who was the only driver to run a 1 stop strategy for the race.

Source: APNews.com

It was only minor incidents reordered by the stewards for most of the race, but none required further investigation. There were black and white flags for Logan Sargent and Alex Albon with Albon ending up with a 5 second penalty. 

On lap 50, Alonso and his Aston Martin were forced to retire to the pits after Fridays break issue resurfaced. It was disappointing for the team who had started in the pit lane as they had managed to get both cars into point scoring positions. 

With 7 laps to go, Hamilton started his charge and managed to overtake Norris and started his hunt for Verstappen who was reportedly nursing a break issue for most of the race. Hamilton got himself within 2 seconds of Verstappen, but the chequered flag came too soon to challenge for the win. Verstappen took his 50th Grand Prix win and was joined on the podium by Hamilton in P2 and Norris who held onto P3!

Source: F1Chronical.com

It was the drama after the race that is likely to be more memorable than the race itself! Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were put under investigation and later disqualified from the race for a technical infringement! The FIA statement revealed that irregularities were spotted in the cars and after investigation it was found that the skids located within the floor of the car were not compliant with article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations. With the disqualifications removing 2 cars from the points and one from the podium, it means that Logan Sargent in the Williams scored his first points as he moved into 10th place while the other Williams of Albon moved to 9th to secure double points for the team! It also means that Norris’ third place is converted to second and Carlos Sainz joins the podium team.

Source: Motorsport.com

What are your thoughts on Austin 2023?

Written by Cesca.

Categories
F1 2023 Season

Catastrophic Conditions in Qatar

Round 18 of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship took place in Qatar at the Lusail International Circuit, this was the second time in F1 history that a race has been held in Qatar. Despite the celebrations and exciting events of the weekend the race has been widely discussed due to the appalling conditions drivers were faced with over the course of the weekend.  

Excitement came for Max Verstappen and the Red Bull Team as Verstappen’s 2nd place in Saturday’s Sprint Race secured him his third World Drivers’ Championship title. McLaren also had reason to celebrate the weekend in style after both drivers secured podium places in the Sprint and Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri achieving his first win in the Sprint Race! The team also became world record holders after completing the fastest ever pit stop in Formula 1 history with Lando Norris’ tyres being changed in 1.80 seconds.

Source: bbc.co.uk
Source: topgear.co.uk

Despite the race being held at night out in Qatar, the race took place with temperatures inside the car’s cockpits reaching highs of 50 degrees Celsius. Conditions over the weekend were so harsh that rules were changed hours before the race to ensure drivers did not leave their tyres on for more than 18 laps and 3 pit stops were required to complete the race. Pirelli issued a statement saying the track temperatures didn’t drop below 36 degrees Celsius and it was the extreme heat that was causing the lack of tyre performance. 

As well as the tyres suffering, the drivers were faced with heat issues of their own. Esteban Ocon revealed after the race that during lap 15 and 16 he vomited in his helmet due to the conditions being “like a sauna”. Similarly, Lance Stroll revealed after the race that he had been passing out intermittently during the race but felt he couldn’t say anything as it was vital to try and score points for the team.

Source: themes.co.uk

Logan Sargent was forced to retire from the race on lap 41 after he felt too unwell to continue. After suffering from flu-like symptoms earlier in the week he became extremely dehydrated and dizzy during the race and the team told him to retire. The other Williams driver, Alex Albon, also had to be taken to the medical centre as soon as the race was over as he had to be helped out of the car after feeling faint and sick. Fernando Alonso also ended his day in the medical centre after the cooling system behind his seat failed and caused minor burns to his back.

Source: FormulaRapida.net

In post-race interviews George Russel stated, ‘it was by far the most physical race I’ve ever competed in” while Max Verstappen in the cool down room was heard saying “does anybody have a wheelchair”. Every driver on the grid struggled with dehydration through the 2-hour race and it caused many to end their day in the medical centre. The FIA issued a statement on Monday 9th October saying it had started an analysis of the situation to “provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions.”

“The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperature and humidity during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the wellbeing of the drivers,” the statement read. “While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety.” The results and achievements made at the Qatar Grand Prix have been fiercely overshadowed by the concern for driver safety and all fans can do is hope that the FIA makes appropriate changes and decisions to ensure the next race at the circuit isn’t as dangerous. 

What should the FIA do? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Written by Cesca.

Categories
F1 2023 Season

Qatar 2023: Title no. 3 for Verstappen

Max Verstappen was crowned World Champion for the 3rd year in a row on Saturday after finishing 2nd in the Sprint Race.

Oscar Piastri won the Sprint race for the first time in his F1 career while his teammate Lando Norris came 3rd.

In the race on Sunday, Verstappen won and another Mclaren double podium, Piastri 2nd and Norris 3rd, meant that the team are closing in fast with their championship rivals Ferrari.

Source: Hindustan Times

George Russel finished 4th after a first-lap collision with Lewis Hamilton which meant the older driver DNF’ed and later received a reprimand for crossing a live track.

Russel was the only driver to do a 4-stop race after the FIA mandated an 18-lap life on all tires due to Pirelli’s concerns. The rest of the drivers did 3 stops.

Hamilton took full responsibility for the crash on Twitter after watching the replay and saw that Russel could not avoid the collision.

Charles Leclerc finished 5th while his teammate didn’t even start the race due to a fuel tank failure.

Fernando Alonso finished 6th despite fighting for a podium place at the beginning stages of the race. He struggled with the heat of his seat and received a penalty for track limits, at the end of the race he was under investigation for rejoining the track unsafely after he went off because of what he said was a gust of wind.

Esteban Ocon, who revealed he had vomited in his helmet during the race, finished 7th.

The Alfa Romeo teammates both finished in the points for the first this season with Valtteri Bottas in 8th and Zhou Guanyu in 9th.

Sergio Perez took the last points place in 10th after Lance Stroll dropped out due to a penalty because of track limits. The Red Bull driver received multiple track-limit penalties during the race.

The humid and testifying race put the drivers through hardship as they all struggled with the heat, Logan Sargeant decided to retire because he felt unwell and had to be helped from the car.

Source: Williams F1

The Williams teammate Alex Alobon also had to be helped from the car at the end of the race after finishing 13th.

Stroll stumbled over to an ambulance straight after struggling to get out of the car and Leclerc struggled to speak. Norris revealed that multiple drivers had fainted after the race while seeking medical attention.

A lot of questions were raised by fans after it was realised that all the drivers had struggled in some way with the race in extreme ways.

Hopefully next year the race will be safer with it being 6 weeks later in the year.

Categories
Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday – Brazil 2012

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was one of the most exciting races of the modern Formula 1 era with the championship being decided in the last race of the season. Sebastian Vettel won his 3rd driver’s championship in a row after securing 4th place in the race, giving him a 3-point cushion to his championship rival, Fernando Alonso. The Brazilian GP also marked the 306th and final race for Michael Schumacher who announced his retirement for the second time. 

Source: GPTODAY.net

The starting grid saw the McLaren Mercedes team lock out the front row with Lewis Hamilton on pole and Jenson Button in P2. The Red Bull Racing Renault team locked out the second row with Mark Webber in P3 and Sebastian Vettel in P4. Alonso started the race in P7 for Ferrari. In the opening lap of the race, the championship was blown wide open when championship leader Vettel was involved in a multi-car incident! After getting his car back on track he was in last place while Alonso stayed out of trouble and got himself into P5. Alonso had made it into the podium positions by the end of lap 1.

Source: Autosport.com

If Alonso finished 3rd in the race, Vettel had to come 10th or better to secure his 3rd world championship but after the catastrophe of lap 1 the results were far from clear. Lap 8 saw Vettel work his way up to P8. Many drivers were struggling for grip on the track as it was still slightly damp after heavy rainfall the night before. Most drivers started the race on intermediate tires and by lap 16 rain was starting to fall. The rain remained a drizzle and Nico Hulkenberg was able to lead much of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, but on lap 54 he collided with Hamilton after the back markers got in the way, ruining his race, and ending Hamilton’s. This put Alonso into a world championship taking position!

Source: PlanetF1.com

With the rain beginning to fall harder, a crash for Paul Di Resta on Lap 70 made it clear that the 2012 season was going to end under the safety car. It was Button who took the race win with Alonso in 2nd and Filipe Massa in 3rd. However, Sebastian Vettel’s 6th place was enough to secure him and Red Bull their 3rd Driver’s and Constructor’s championships. Vettel was congratulated by long-time friend and mentor Michael Schumacher as he said goodbye to the sport and let his protégé carry on the legacy. 

Source: Skysports.com

Written by Cesca.