Jerez: Day 4

Williams’ Felipe Massa set the pace at Jerez on Friday, as the opening pre-season test of 2014 drew to an intriguing close.

The Brazilian was one of seven drivers - six of them using Mercedes or Ferrari power - to complete more than 50 laps of the Spanish circuit, but once again all three Renault-powered teams were forced to cut their running short because of technical issues.

Running got underway in wet conditions, but that didn’t deter all of the runners from going out on track. Nico Rosberg quickly worked his way up to a race simulation run (which included three pitstops) in Mercedes’ F1 W05 and by lunchtime the German had accumulated 91 laps. 

The times ramped up in the dry afternoon session, with morning pacesetter Fernando Alonso initially keeping Ferrari at the top of the timesheets. The Spaniard’s time was soon eclipsed by his former team mate, Felipe Massa, who appeared more than comfortable at the wheel of Williams’ Mercedes-powered FW36, improving several times before the chequered flag appeared.

“It wasn't a great day because it was raining, but we completed some laps in the wet conditions which was interesting to understand how the car behaves in wet, with the tyres and new power unit,” Massa explained. 

“We managed to do many more laps today than we have in the last three days which is important. Today we didn't have any issues with the car which I think is also another step forward. We now need to concentrate and prepare with an aim to do more laps per day in Bahrain. 

“Overall, I'm happy with my first days with Williams and I'm pleased with what I have seen in the team this week. For sure it is important to be competitive, but testing is testing, and we now need to look to prepare for Bahrain and then towards the first race, which is the most important thing.”

Massa and Alonso finished the day with impressive lap tallies (86 and 115 respectively), as well as first and second places on the timesheets. Just behind the leading duo was new Force India test driver Daniel Juncadella who had an impressive first run in the VJM07.

McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen, who was fourth fastest on the day, completed five fewer laps than mileage leader Alonso and was responsible for two red flag stoppages during the session. The Dane spun at the chicane, and just before the end of the session he crashed at Turn 10.

The fifth and sixth fastest times were clocked by Lewis Hamilton, who’d taken over the Mercedes from Rosberg at lunch, and Jules Bianchi who enjoyed his maiden outing in Marussia’s MR03. 

“The car feels great to drive and I’m pleased that I was able to achieve some good mileage,” the Frenchman said. 

“You always want more, of course, but there is a lot to work through and understand, so we have to be patient and go through the programme in the right way, especially as we have had damp conditions to contend with also. 

“At the end, once we were happy with the systems work, it was nice to put the slicks on and start putting some laps together. It is early days but we were quite happy with the pace in the conditions and for our programme. Not a bad start.”

Elsewhere, Adrian Sutil followed up his spin on Thursday with another one on Friday, bringing out the red flags when he lost the rear end of his Sauber C33 at the chicane and became beached in the gravel. He ended up seventh on the timesheets, just ahead of Rosberg.

The final three times on the board were taken Renault runners - Caterham’s Kamui Kobayashi, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. 

“We were working through a number of different engine maps and were definitely making progress but just after lunch we had another engine problem which meant we had to stop,” explained Kobayashi. 

Joining the Japanese driver in the pits was Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian having completed just seven laps before pulling in for the day.

“It's been a very difficult test,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner as his squad packed up having completed just 21 laps in four days in the new RB10. 

“We have had numerous Renault issues as well as chassis cooling issues, which have affected our progress. However, despite the lack of mileage, what we have managed to learn shows that the problems should be solvable for the next test in Bahrain. 

“Part of the purpose of this early test was to learn about any issues ahead of the start of the season and there will now be a lot of focus on the dyno over the next few weeks.”

From Jerez, the teams will now head back to their respective factories to consolidate their findings and prepare for the second pre-season test, which takes place in Bahrain on February 19-22.

Unofficial Friday test times from Jerez:
1. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 28.229s, 86 laps
2. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1m 29.145s, 115 laps
3. Daniel Juncadella, Force India, 1m 29.457s, 81 laps
4. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1m 30.806s, 110 laps
5. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 30.822s, 41 laps
6. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, 1m 32.222s, 25 laps
7. Adrian Sutil, Sauber, 1m 36.571s, 69 laps
8. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 36.951s 91 laps
9. Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham, 1m 43.193s, 54 laps
10. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1m 44.016s, 9 laps
11. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 45.374s, 7 laps

(source: f1.com)

Jerez: Day 3 results

Kevin Magnussen was fastest of the day

Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen ensured that McLaren finished at the top of the timesheets for the second day in a row on Thursday by setting the pace on the third day of pre-season testing in Spain.

But there was more frustration for world champions Red Bull as technical issues restricted Daniel Ricciardo to just three laps in the new RB10.

Unofficial Thursday test times from Jerez:
1. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1m 23.276s, 52 laps
2. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 23.700s, 47 laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 23.952s, 62 laps 
4. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 25.030s, 40 laps 
5. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1m 25.495s, 58 laps 
6. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1m 26.096s, 17 laps 
7. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1m 29.915s, 30 laps 
8. Adrian Sutil, Sauber, 1m 30.161s, 34 laps 
9. Robin Frijns, Caterham, No time, 10 laps
10. Max Chilton, Marussia, No time, 5 laps
11. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, No time, 3 laps

Jerez: Day 2 results

Day 2 results:

1 Jenson Button (McLaren) 1m24.165s, 43 laps
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1m24.812s, 47 laps
3 Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1m25.344s, 35 laps
4 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m25.588s, 97 laps
5 Sergio Perez (Force India) 1m28.376s, 37 laps
6 Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) 1m33.270s, 53 laps
7 Marcus Ericsson (Caterham) 1m37.975s, 11 laps
8 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1m38.320s, 8 laps

212 laps for Mercedes teams, 100 laps for Ferrari teams and only 19 laps for Renault teams!

What is up with the Renault teams? Is Red Bull getting nervous already?

Today was a good day for me!

Today I finally got it! RUSH was in my mailbox when I came home from work. I should probably watch it right away! After that there's going to be a Formula One show on Finnish TV showing the highlights of today's test session. Waiting forward to it.

The results for today's test session:

 1. Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1m27.104s            31
 2. Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1m27.820s  +0.716s   18
 3. Valtteri Bottas    Williams-Mercedes     1m30.082s  +2.978s    7
 4. Sergio Perez       Force India-Mercedes  1m33.161s  +6.057s   11
 5. Jean-Eric Vergne   Toro Rosso-Renault    1m36.530s  +9.426s   15
 6. Esteban Gutierrez  Sauber-Ferrari        1m42.257s  +15.153s   7
 7. Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault      No time               3
 8. Marcus Ericsson    Caterham-Renault      No time               1

By the way! Here's my previous post about Rush if somebody's interested:

http://f14life.blogspot.fi/2013/09/review-of-rush-formula-one-movie-no.html

First tests of 2014 in Jerez!

The tests start tomorrow in Jerez and continues till Friday. Here are the teams, drivers and when they are driving:

Ferrari
Tuesday: Kimi Räikkönen
Wednesday: Kimi Räikkönen
Thursday: Fernando Alonso
Friday: Fernando Alonso

McLaren
Tuesday: Jenson Button
Wednesday: Jenson Button
Thursday: Kevin Magnussen
Friday: Kevin Magnussen

Mercedes
Tuesday: Lewis Hamilton
Wednesday: Nico Rosberg
Thursday: Lewis Hamilton
Friday: Nico Rosberg

Red Bull
Tuesday: Sebastian Vettel
Wednesday: Sebastian Vettel
Thursday: Daniel Ricciardo
Friday: Daniel Ricciardo

Sauber
Tuesday: Esteban Gutierrez
Wednesday: Esteban Gutierrez
Thursday: Adrian Sutil
Friday: Adrian Sutil

Caterham
Tuesday: Marcus Ericsson
Wednesday: Marcus Ericsson
Thursday: Robin Frijns
Friday: Kamui Kobayashi

Marussia
Tuesday: Max Chilton
Wednesday: Jules Bianchi
Thursday: Jules Bianchi
Friday: Max Chilton

Williams
Tuesday: Valtteri Bottas
Wednesday: Valtteri Bottas
Thursday: Felipe Massa
Friday: Felipe Massa

Force India
Tuesday: Sergio Pérez
Wednesday: Nico Hulkenberg
Thursday: Daniel Juncadella
Friday: has not been announced

Toro Rosso
Tuesday: Jean-Eric Vergne
Wednesday: Daniil Kvyat
Thursday: Jean-Eric Vergne
Friday: Daniil Kvyat

Sauber present their 2014 challenger, the C33

Sauber have become the latest team to uncover their 2014 car, after the Ferrari-powered C33 was revealed in a digital launch on Sunday.

With a revised driver line-up of Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez, the Swiss team hope the new machine will help them build on their strong form at the end of last season, when they finished seventh in the constructors’ championship.

The C33 has been designed in accordance with the heavily revised 2014 regulations, arguably the biggest rule changes in Formula One history. They include a move to smaller, 1.6 litre turbo engines, more reliance on energy recovery systems (ERS), and updated aerodynamics. 

“Together, these changes present the engineers with a huge challenge, especially with time pressure also a major factor,” commented Sauber’s chief designer Eric Gandelin. “The path we have followed with the design of the Sauber C33-Ferrari allows us maximum flexibility, so that we can react quickly. It is also clear that reliability will be an important factor in the first few races in particular. So this is an area which we have given very high priority.”

Perhaps the most visually striking element of the C33 is the very low, snout-like nose. The narrower front wing features mounting pylons on the nose that have been moved out as far as possible under the regulations to channel as much air as possible under the car.

“The radical changes to the technical regulations for 2014 mean that it’s even harder than usual to make predictions for the new season,” added Gandelin. “We know what kind of package we’ve put together here, but it is difficult to foresee what shape our rivals are in. The earliest opportunity to gain an impression of where the teams are in relation to one another will come during testing.”

That testing begins at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday. Sauber will use a roll-out version of the C33. This will be fully functional, but without a number of performance parts which will be introduced for the remaining two pre-season tests in Bahrain.

“On the one hand this gives us time to maximise the development of these performance relevant parts, and on the other hand we can run the car during the first test and check all the systems, which we feel is crucial, considering all the technical changes.,” explained Gandelin.

(source: f1.com)

Caterham F1 Team first 2014 Renault V6 engine fire-up

What do you think about the new McLaren?

Force India sign Juncadella to reserve driver role

Force India have signed Spaniard Daniel Juncadella as their reserve driver for the 2014 season.

The 22-year-old, who races in Germany’s DTM series for Mercedes and is a former European Formula 3 champion, will attend all races with the team and take part in several Friday practice sessions to gain experience behind the wheel of the team’s new VJM07 machine.

“Daniel is an exciting prospect and I am delighted to welcome him to Sahara Force India,” said Force India’s team principal and managing director Vijay Mallya.

“Over the last few years we have always tried to support young, talented drivers and we will continue down this path by giving Daniel the opportunity to drive the VJM07 on Friday mornings at selected races. Daniel will also play an important role in our simulator programme at the factory, which remains an increasingly important development tool.”

Juncadella, who has previous F1 test experience with Williams, said that it was a dream come true to join the Silverstone-based team.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to learn and will hopefully take me a step closer to eventually racing in Formula One,” he said. “To work with the team at the track and in the factory will give me some valuable experience and I will do my best to make a contribution to help the team achieve its goals in 2014.”

Force India’s new driver pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez are expected to share driving duties at next week’s first pre-season test in Jerez, which runs from January 28-31.

(source: f1.com)

Marussia to attend Jerez test with new car

Marussia have become the latest team to confirm their attendance at next week’s pre-season test in Jerez.

The Banbury-based team will run their new Ferrari-powered MR03 machine in Spain, with Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton expected to share driving duties.

The news that Marussia will be in Jerez leaves Lotus as the only squad who will not run their 2014 car during the January 28-31 session.

Full details on the 2014 launch schedule and pre-season tests…

2014 car launches / roll-outs

Team	Date	Venue
McLaren	January 24	Online
Ferrari	January 25	Online
Sauber	January 26	Online
Toro Rosso	January 27	Jerez, Spain
Mercedes	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Caterham	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Red Bull	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Force India	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Marussia	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Williams	January 28	Jerez, Spain
Lotus	TBC	TBC

Pre-season testing

Venue	Provisional dates
Jerez, Spain	January 28-31
Sakhir, Bahrain	February 19-22
Sakhir, Bahrain	February 27-March 2																	(source: f1.com)

Force India first to reveal their 2014 car

 

Force India have become the first team to release a picture of their new car, giving fans an initial chance to see how 2014’s radical regulation changes have shaped the look of Formula One cars.

The most obvious differences between the new Mercedes-powered VJM07 and last year’s VJM06 are the mandatory lower nose and the striking new black, orange and green livery. However, the Silverstone-based team's technical director Andrew Green is quick to emphasise just how different the new car is compared to its predecessor.

“Almost every single part is a new design, from the front wing right back to the diffuser,” he said. “The genetics of the VJM07 still lie in the 2013 car, but we've had to achieve the same results in a slightly different way.”

Team principal Vijay Malya hailed the ‘aggressive’ look of his team’s 2014 challenger.

“The VJM07 looks stunning and the new livery reflects the way Sahara Force India is evolving,” he said. “I’ve always believed our cars have been the most eye-catching, but adding black as a main colour gives us a fierce new look.

“The new rules have presented us with a huge challenge, but I’m very proud of the approach we have taken and the direction of the technical team. It will be fascinating to see how different teams have interpreted the rules and at this stage it’s impossible to predict who has done the best job.”

Force India will officially present the VJM07 at next week’s first pre-season test in Jerez, Spain, where it will be put through its paces by the team's all-new driver line-up of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez.

(source: f1.com)

The 2014 driver lineup!

Red Bull:

Sebastian Vettel

Daniel Ricciardo

Mercedes:

Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg

Ferrari:

Fernando Alonso

Kimi Räikkönen

Lotus:

Romain Grosjean

Pastor Maldonado

McLaren:

Jenson Button

Kevin Magnussen

Toro Rosso:

Jean-Eric Vergne

Daniil Kvyat

Williams:

Felipe Massa

Valtteri Bottas

Marussia:

Jules Bianchi

Max Chilton

Sauber:

Adrian Sutil

Esteban Gutierrez

Force India:

Nico Hulkenberg

Sergio Perez

Caterham:

Kamui Kobayashi

Marcus Ericsson

Kobayashi and Ericsson to race for Caterham in 2014

 

Caterham will field an all-new driver line-up this year after confirming that Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson will spearhead their 2014 campaign.

Kobayashi, 27, is a veteran of 60 Grand Prix starts and joins the Leafield-based team after spending a year away from F1, during which he raced sportscars for Ferrari. He made his F1 debut for Toyota in 2009, before spending three seasons at Sauber, the last of which, in 2012, yielded his only F1 podium finish to date in Japan.

"It's a great feeling to be back as an F1 race driver and I'm really pleased it's with Caterham F1 Team,” said Kobayashi. “We've been talking to Cyril (Abiteboul, Caterham team principal) and Tony (Fernandes, Caterham chairman) since last year about driving for the team for 2014 and beyond.

“Throughout all our discussions I've been very impressed with where they want to take the team and how much investment has been made already to help them achieve their goals. For me, it's a great honour that the team hired me based on the value I bring in racing terms and the experience I have.

“I am so happy that I am able to make this announcement today. I will do my very best to lead the team and work as hard as possible to achieve our targets.”

Ericsson, 23, steps up to Grand Prix racing from GP2 after spending four seasons in the junior category. His only F1 experience to date came in 2009 when he tested for Brawn GP shortly after winning the Japanese Formula Three crown.

“This is a very proud day for me and everyone who has helped make my F1 dream come true,” said Ericsson, who will be the first Swede to race in F1 since Stefan Johansson in 1991.

“I'll be making the step up to F1 with Caterham F1 Team in 2014 and I'm already excited about the season ahead, and the first race in Australia in particular.

"It's obviously great for Sweden that we'll have a Swedish driver back on the grid in 2014. This is what I've been working for since I first started racing karts back when I was nine years old, and now I know I'm ready for the step up to F1.

“Caterham is a young team and together we can take on the challenges the new rules will present in 2014 - learning together and continuing to develop as the season progresses.”

Team principal Cyril Abiteboul said he was delighted to finally reveal Caterham’s 2014 line-up after a period of lengthy deliberation.

“The process may have taken longer than we’d have liked, but we didn’t want or need to be rushed into such important decisions and we have been in the happy position of having a wide range of drivers to choose from,” he said.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Kamui back. He is a very popular driver and it’s very good for the whole team we’ve been able to attract such an exciting driver to join us at a critical point in our development. His pace speaks for itself, and his extensive experience of developing cars, particularly in his years with Toyota, will be incredibly important for us as we tackle one of the most challenging seasons F1 has ever embarked upon.

“Alongside him is Marcus who will be racing in his debut F1 season in 2014, but as a driver who has prepared perfectly for the step up to F1 with his graduation through the ranks. He started his single-seat career by winning Formula BMW UK in 2007 and rose through the ranks to GP2 where, last year, he won in Germany, scored two poles, three fastest laps and five podiums. He’s physically and mentally prepared for what lies ahead, and he will have all the support we can give him across the team to help him fulfil his obvious potential in Formula One.”

Tuesday’s news means that all of the available seats on the 2014 grid have now been filled, leaving Caterham’s 2013 drivers, Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, and test driver Heikki Kovalainen without race drives.

Earlier on Tuesday it was announced that Van der Garde had concluded a deal to become Sauber’s new test and reserve driver, whilst Caterham’s 2014 reserve drivers will be Dutchman Robin Frijns and American Alexander Rossi.

(source :f1.com)

Häkkinen: Räikkönen will beat Alonso!

Former F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen believes the style of driving required to maximise the new era V6 turbo will suit Kimi Raikkonen more than his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso.

In his column for Ilta-Sanomat, Finland’s second F1 World Champion wrote, “I think Kimi’s driving style is really perfect for these turbo cars. Alonso pushes too hard, so I think Kimi will beat him.”

Hakkinen believes that Raikkonen’s return to a big team is ideal, as the 2007 World Champion will not have to worry about financial matters, thus enabling him to focus on driving to at his best.

“Everyone knows that Ferrari has huge resources to develop during the season. The development will not stop, even if good engineers leave. And Kimi does not have to be worried about the financial side, Ferrari has what it takes,” concluded Hakkinen. (source: gp247 and ilta-sanomat)

The 2014 update about me and the blog

First I have a few interesting things for you that doesn't really have anything to do with the blog.

My mother visited me a while ago and she brought me a diary that she wrote for me when I was little.

I started reading it and after a while I saw this: "June 30th 1986 - ....his favorite thing on TV is motor racing".

I can not believe this! I asked about it and she told me that when there was Formula One or motorcycle racing on I was mesmerized. I always assumed that I started watching F1 when I was in elementary school but I guess that I started much earlier!

Another thing that I have to say. People can't usually believe this about me. I am almost 30 years old and I don't have a drivers license. The age is not the strangest thing but the fact that I love cars and I am also a huge motor racing fan.

I have been dreaming almost every night that I am driving a car and I'm loving it. So now I have decided that I will start driving school next month and I will get that license! I have always lived in a city with trams, subway, busses and trains near by so it has been easy to move from one place to another without a car.

This was a bit off-topic when I started rambling about other stuff than Formula One but I just needed to tell you.

I must also talk about this: I have had so much work lately that I have only posted news and videos for you guys. Starting in February I shall write much more opinions, compare facts and bring back the F1 treasures posts that at least a few fans seem to like.

I shall also continue posting videos and news so don't worry. I am going to continue with the previews and reviews as soon as the season starts.

Before the season starts I will continue with the teammate comparing. I have already written about the drivers of Lotus, Ferrari, Force India and Red Bull. I shall continue with Mercedes when I have time and choose the next team after that to write about.

I would also like to thank for the help I have got at the blog's Facebook page. It is nice that I don't have to do everything myself anymore. We have two administrators at the moment and I think that it is enough for the time being.

I started this blog 6 months ago and the Facebook page has 1453 likes already at the moment. The blog has been read in almost 90 countries! I never thought that this would go so well.

Thank you all so much! I can't thank you enough for the joy that you give me.

Ayrton Senna's Famous interview with Sir Jackie Stewart

The famous interview with Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna. A clip from this interview was shown in the movie "Senna".

1980 American GP in Long Beach (FULL)

1991 Canadian GP (Full Race)

1991 Hungarian GP (Full Race)

1991 Brazilian GP - FULL RACE

A classic! This is the GP when Senna passes out after winning the race.

1985 Portuguese GP - FULL RACE

Senna's first victory in Formula One!

1991 Mexican GP (Full Race)

F1 2013 for Dummies - The Full Story

Check out this funny video from YouTube!

‘1’ documentary set for London opening

The spectacular new Formula One documentary ‘1’ makes its London debut this week. The film tells the story of the drivers who competed during F1 racing’s most dangerous era in the 1960s and ‘70s and those who stood up to improve safety standards.

Using rare archive footage, ‘1’ features the largest list of F1 interviewees ever assembled for a single film, among them 12 world champions. Contributors include Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, Professor Sid Watkins, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, John Surtees, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Jody Scheckter, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Jacky Ickx and Martin Brundle.

The Spitfire Pictures, Flat-Out Films and Diamond Docs production is directed by acclaimed documentary maker Paul Crowder, whose credits include the award-winning ‘Riding Giants’, and written by Crowder’s long-time creative partner Mark Monroe, the man behind Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Cove’. Nigel Sinclair, who co-produced '1' with Michael Shevloff, is a noted film and documentary maker who has previously won Grammys for ‘No Direction Home: Bob Dylan’ and ‘Foo Fighters: Back And Forth’.

"The early days of Formula One racing was a very different time - the risks were high and the characters were more than larger than life," said Sinclair. “Our film is a big screen experience in which we travel across the world with the glamorous circus surrounding this death defying sport but also experience the tragedy that came with it. It’s emotional, frightening and so very, very exciting, but ultimately about humanity and friendship between the drivers.”

“We set out to truly capture the spirit and soul of Formula One, the smell and the sounds, the charisma of the drivers and the pioneering spirit of a different generation," added Shevloff. "It was such a distinct period, so raw and real.”

“Millions of people worldwide watch the Formula One races as the circus travels the globe, but there are many who just don’t know the history behind this, at one time, incredibly dangerous sport,” commented Crowder. “Our film conveys the essence of the era while telling this story and giving intimate insight into the life and personality, struggles and triumphs of racing’s pivotal characters.”

(source: f1.com)

The drivers permanent numbers!

BOTTAS wanted to be 77 because the numbers are like the two T-letters in the middle of his name.

1 Sebastian Vettel     Red Bull
 3 Daniel Ricciardo     Red Bull
44 Lewis Hamilton       Mercedes
 6 Nico Rosberg         Mercedes
14 Fernando Alonso      Ferrari
 7 Kimi Räikkönen       Ferrari
 8 Romain Grosjean      Lotus
13 Pastor Maldonado     Lotus
22 Jenson Button        McLaren
20 Kevin Magnussen      McLaren
27 Nico Hülkenberg      Force India
11 Sergio Perez         Force India
99 Adrian Sutil         Sauber
21 Esteban Gutierrez    Sauber
25 Jean-Eric Vergne     Toro Rosso 
26 Daniil Kvjat         Toro Rosso
19 Felipe Massa         Williams
77 Valtteri Bottas      Williams
17 Jules Bianchi        Marussia

Vettel will be number 5 when he looses his title.

Mika Häkkinen tribute

After Ayrton Senna's death Mika Häkkinen was my absolute favorite driver. I just found this tribute video of him which was surprisingly good! Check it from the link below ;)

http://www.riemurasia.net/video/Mika-Häkkinen-Tribute/14050

The best/worst of 2013

I sat down at my computer and in a second I came up with an idea. THE BEST/WORST OF 2013!

So what was best/worst for me? (and of course I am talking about Formula One).
I'll make a list of the best and worst things and you may comment on them if you like.

Remember that these are just my personal opinions so don't take them too seriously if they are different from yours.

The best team was obviously Red Bull. I mean they were unbeatable! But if we think about the time before Pirelli changed the tyres because of Red Bull's demands then the team wouldn't be the same. The best team before the tyres changed was probably Mercedes. They were excellent in qualifying and even won 3 races (Rosberg 2 and Hamilton 1).

The worst team was probably Caterham. They were always better than Marussia but after Kovalainen and Petrov left it all changed. Was it because of the drivers or something else? Or was Bianchi just that good with his Marussia that it made Caterham look bad? It was like Caterham was driving in 2013 with the 2012 car. Everybody else had gotten better but they were the same.

Best rookie was Jules Bianchi or Valtteri Bottas. No doubt about it! They were both phenomenal but if I would have to choose one of them I would say Bottas. He was clearly better than his more experienced teammate Pastor Maldonado and even got a P3 in qualifying. Maybe if Bianchi would have had a more experienced teammate it would have been easier to compare his skills. It didn't look very hard to be better than Max Chilton.

Worst rookie was probably Esteban Gutierrez. I made this decision because Nico Hülkenberg mopped the floor with him and got 8 times more points than he got. Not 8 points but 8 TIMES MORE! Jules Bianchi was also much better than Max Chilton but it wasn't as clear.

Biggest surprise was when Kimi Räikkönen won the first race in Australia starting the race from 7th place. He said that it was the easiest victory of his career. Some papers and magazines even wrote that this will be the season of Lotus. Yeah right.. When Kimi won the first race in 2007 some said that Kimi would win all the races but it was far from the truth. He had to fight with Alonso and Hamilton until the end.

Biggest disappointment was probably Heikki Kovalainen's race pace. He was very fast in the practice sessions but then in the race drivers were overtaking him easily. Some might say that the car had problems but even Kimi got podiums with a broken car. It reminded me of Luca Badoer driving for Ferrari in 2009. He had been a test driver for too long so they signed Giancarlo Fisichella to drive for them instead. He was also a disappointment but much better than Badoer.

Most boring race was probably... I can't think of anything else than the fact that Sebastian Vettel won so many races. I guess one of the races he won was the most boring. Can't tell you which one though.

The best feeling in 2013 was probably when Kimi signed with Ferrari and Ricciardo with Red Bull. That's gonna be interesting! Alonso vs. Räikkönen and Vettel vs. Ricciardo!

The worst feeling was when Michael Schumacher had his accident. I hope that he'll get well soon. It can't be over for him yet! The F1 world needs him. Right? He is such a big part of this sport!

GET WELL SOON!

Details of Schumacher crash investigation revealed

Investigators in France have revealed details about the skiing accident suffered by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher at the Alpine resort of Meribel in December.

It was confirmed that Schumacher, who is currently in a critical but stable condition in hospital in Grenoble having sustained severe head injuries, was wearing a helmet-mounted video camera at the time of his accident, the footage from which has formed a key part of the investigation. 

“The film is perfectly clear and gives us a lot of information,” said Patrick Quincy, the French prosecutor leading the investigation. “It confirms all the information that we already had. We used this film to do a reconstruction of the accident.”

Schumacher, whom investigators described as "an extremely good skier", was found to have been eight metres off piste and travelling at the speed one would expect of "a very good skier" when he struck a rock. He then fell forward and hit his head on another rock. 

The investigators, who will continue to study the footage from Schumacher’s helmet with experts, appeared to rule out the speed at which the 45-year-old was travelling, the signage at the resort, or the German's skis as being key contributors in the accident. 

(f1.com)

McLaren to unveil new car online ahead of Jerez test

McLaren will unveil their 2014 Formula One car, the Mercedes-powered MP4-29, in a digital-only online launch on Friday January 24, four days ahead of the first pre-season test of the year in Jerez, Spain. 

Images, videos and information about the car will be revealed on the Woking team’s official website at 1200 hours GMT. 

The news, which effectively confirms McLaren’s presence at the first test of the year in Spain, comes a day after Lotus announced that they would not attend the four-day Jerez session and will instead launch their 2014 challenger at the second test of the year in Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Mercedes, the 2013 constructors’ championship runners-up, confirmed plans to roll out their new car on the opening morning of the Jerez test on January 28. 

(source: f1.com)

F1 Legends: Alain Prost

I had to post this again when the last one was erased from YouTube. This time it's in three parts but it won't probably matter. 

Documentary: Murray Walker - it wasnt work

I have got requests to post more documentaries and videos in that nature so here's one ;)

2000 British GP (FULL RACE)

4th race of the 2000 season.

2000 San Marino GP (FULL RACE)

2000 Brazilian GP (FULL)

No significant change in Schumacher's condition

Michael Schumacher remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital in Grenoble following his skiing accident in France, his manager reported on Wednesday. 

"Michael's condition has been carefully supervised all night and has remained stable this morning," said Sabine Kehm.

"For the moment, the good news for today is that we will not hold a press conference because there are no significant changes. Still, the condition overall is critical."

On Tuesday, doctors reported that Schumacher had undergone a second operation to ease the pressure on his brain following injuries including lesions and contusions in Sunday's fall. The procedure involved removing a large hematoma (a build-up of blood) from the left-hand side of Schumacher's brain, easing the pressure within his skull.



The 44-year-old German hit his head after falling during a family skiing trip at the Meribel resort. He was quickly taken by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers before being moved to Grenoble, where doctors said he had suffered "a severe head injury with coma on arrival, which required neurosurgical intervention immediately."



Schumacher, an accomplished skier as well as the most successful F1 driver in history, was wearing a helmet when he suffered the accident, without which doctors said he almost certainly "wouldn't be here now".



As tributes poured in from fans, friends and fellow drivers, Schumacher’s family stated: “Following Michael's sking accident, we would like to thank the people from all around the world who have expressed their sympathy and sent their best wishes for his recovery. They are giving us great support. We all know he is a fighter and will not give up.”

(source: f1.com)