Vital Statistics - the Japanese Grand Prix

Did you know that Suzuka is one of only four circuits on the current calendar where Lewis Hamilton has not tasted victory? Or that Ferrari last triumphed at the Japanese circuit in 2004, with Michael Schumacher taking the spoils? Ahead of this weekend's 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, we present the key facts, stats and trivia...

Circuit: Suzuka

Circuit length: 5.807 km

Number of corners: 18 (9 right, 9 left)

DRS zones: 1

Race laps: 53

Race distance: 307.471 km

2014 tyre compounds: medium, hard

Circuit lap record: 1m 31.540s - Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005

First world championship Grand Prix in Japan: 1976, Fuji (won by Mario Andretti, Lotus)

Number of races: 29 (25 - Suzuka, 4 - Fuji)

Number of races at Suzuka with at least one safety-car appearance: 5 of the last 12 

Longest race at Suzuka: 1994 (1h 55m 53.532s)

Shortest race at Suzuka: 2006 (1h 23m 53.413s)

Last year's pole position: 1m 30.915s, Mark Webber, Red Bull

Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull), 3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

Most appearances (current field): 14 - Jenson Button; 12 - Fernando Alonso; 11 - Kimi Raikkonen; 10 - Felipe Massa; 8 - Nico Rosberg; 7 - Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton; 6 - Adrian Sutil

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (driver): 6 - Michael Schumacher; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Gerhard Berger, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso; 1 - Mario Andretti, James Hunt, Alessandro Nannini, Nelson Piquet, Riccardo Patrese, Rubens Barrichello, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (constructor): 9 - McLaren; 7 - Ferrari; 4 - Red Bull; 3 - Benetton, Williams; 2 - Renault; 1 - Lotus

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 10 - Renault; 7 - Ferrari; 5 - Ford, Mercedes; 2 - Honda 

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 8 - Michael Schumacher; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 3 - Ayrton Senna; 2 - Mario Andretti, Gerhard Berger, Jacques Villeneuve, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Felipe Massa, Mark Webber

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 9 - Ferrari; 6 - McLaren; 5 - Red Bull; 4 - Williams; 2 - Lotus, Benetton; 1 - Toyota 

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 10 - Renault; 9 - Ferrari; 4 - Honda; 3 - Ford; 2 - Mercedes; 1 - Toyota 

Number of wins from pole at Suzuka: 12 from 25 races (48 percent)

Lowest winning grid position: 17th (Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005)

Laps led (current field): 186 - Sebastian Vettel; 55 - Lewis Hamilton; 51 - Fernando Alonso; 50 - Jenson Button; 26 - Romain Grosjean; 10 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Felipe Massa

Most podium places (current field): 5 - Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa; 1 - Kamui Kobayashi, Romain Grosjean

Number of Japanese drivers to have started at least one Grand Prix: 17

Best finish by a Japanese driver in Japan: 3rd (Aguri Suzuki, 1990 & Kamui Kobayashi, 2012)

Percentage of 2014 season complete: 74 percent

Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 150

Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Ferrari - 81 consecutive races in the points - the longest run in F1 history; Renault - 114 consecutive races in the points as an engine manufacturer; Daniel Ricciardo - 12 consecutive points finishes; Mercedes - 6 consecutive pole positions; Lewis Hamilton - 2 consecutive Grand Prix hat-tricks.

Fascinating fact: The world championship has been clinched more times in Japan - 13, if you include the 1995 Pacific Grand Prix - than in any other country. The most recent champion to be crowned Japan was Sebastian Vettel who in 2011 secured his second straight world title. This year’s main hopefuls Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are both yet to triumph at Suzuka - Rosberg's best finish is fifth, for Williams in 2009, while Hamilton’s best is third, for McLaren in the same race.

Young blood: Max Verstappen will become the youngest person ever to drive in an official F1 session when he takes part in FP1 on Friday aged just 17. He’ll be the 16th Dutchman to take part in a world championship event. Two other Dutch drivers have taken part in sessions this year - Robin Frijns and Geido van der Garde.

Potential record breakers: Mercedes have scored seven one-two finishes this year. They need three more over the remaining five races to tie McLaren's 1988 record for the most one-twos in a season, and four more to eclipse it.

Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it will be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.

(source: f1.com)

Verstappen to replace Vergne for FP1 at Suzuka

Toro Rosso’s 2015 signing Max Verstappen will make his Formula One Grand Prix weekend debut this Friday, after the team confirmed he will replace Jean-Eric Vergne for the first practice session in Japan.

The switch, which Toro Rosso first alluded to in August, means Verstappen will drive in an official Grand Prix session just three days after his 17th birthday.

"To already be participating in a practice session is of course a dream come true," said Verstappen, who recently completed a 400-kilometre test in a two-year-old Toro Rosso and has now obtained the mandatory FIA Super Licence.

"It is good preparation for next year, even if it's not something I could have imagined a few months ago."

Despite the likely interest in his first run in Toro Rosso's STR9, Verstappen pledged to ease himself into the 90-minute Suzuka session, saying his focus would be on gaining experience rather than instantly trying to impress the team.

"I am not going there to break any records, I just want to gain experience," he said. "I have actually been to Suzuka before, to take part in a go-kart race on the track that is located next to the main circuit's back straight. My dad has raced at Suzuka many times and he told me it's not an easy track to start on. 

"For me it will be a very valuable experience, spending some time in the car and also getting used to working with everyone in the team, to prepare myself for next year. I have spent one day driving this track on the simulator, which helps a bit, but it's no substitute for driving it for real. 

"My first impression is that it's not an easy track and for example it looks hard to get the combination right in the first esses. I have one and a half hours to drive there and I'm looking forward to doing a good job, for myself and for the team."

Verstappen's FP1 drive completes a whirlwind two months for the Dutchman, who joined Red Bull's junior programme in August, and had his 2015 Toro Rosso drive confirmed just six days later. He is set to become the youngest race driver in F1 history at next year's season-opener in Australia.

Spain’s Jaime Alguersuari currently holds the record for the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix, having made his debut for Toro Rosso - in Hungary 2009 - at the age of 19 years and 125 days.

(source: f1.com)

Lotus promise substantial changes for 2015 car

Lotus's technical director Nick Chester says the team's 2015 Formula One car will feature significant changes compared to the current E22, which has underwhelmed and left the team struggling for points in 2014.

Lotus have endured reliability and performance issues with the Renault-powered E22, and the Enstone-based squad have only broken into the top ten on two occasions - in Spain and Monaco - over the opening 14 Grands Prix of the season.

"There are rule changes to the front of the chassis and the nose, so all the cars will look different next year," Chester said of next year's car, the power unit supplier of which has yet to be announced.

"On top of that, our engine installation and cooling layout will change quite a lot meaning that the car will be significantly different under the bodywork. It will be quite different."

Pastor Maldonado, who joined the team ahead of the 2014 campaign, said he has been encouraged by early signs of progress with next year's car.

"I am confident we can finish the season off in a good way which will give us some great momentum for the new season in 2015," he said.

"From what I see and learn the 2015 car looks like being a very good package. There is a lot to look forward to for sure.

"Obviously it has been a difficult year but the important thing is that we are still united as a team and emerge stronger. The team at Enstone are more determined than ever to succeed and I can say 100 percent that I have the same outlook."

Lotus chairman Gerard Lopez told Formula1.com in a recent interview that he is confident fixes will be made ahead of the 2015 season, saying that a "design mistake" had contributed to the team's plight this year.

Lotus lie eighth in the 2014 constructors' championship with eight points - six ahead of Marussia and 19 behind Toro Rosso. At this stage in 2013 they were fourth overall, and had claimed one victory and 11 podiums over the season’s first 14 races.

(source: f1.com)

F1 Games History 1987-2013

A picture of some of my old (and some new) racing games.

Here is a nostalgic video about F1 games from my childhood up till this day. Enjoy!

Now pre-order the newest game from the link below to PS3 or XBOX360. The game is not coming out on WiiU, PS4 or XBOX ONE.

Eric Boullier: Perfect harmony impossible for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's increasingly tense fight for the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship will make it impossible for Mercedes to maintain harmony within the team over the final five Grands Prix of the season. That is the opinion of McLaren racing director Eric Boullier.

While there have already been several flashpoints between the two title hopefuls, Boullier believes it is inevitable team personnel will also become polarised in their support of one driver - a dynamic he says is exacerbated by the Silver Arrows' current dominance.

"It is an impossible task," he told a McLaren Mercedes phone-in when asked about the difficulties Mercedes face in keeping everyone in the team happy over the remaining 2014 races.

"When you are in the position of Mercedes, both drivers can win the championship - and that grows more true race by race. There is only one winner - and one loser. Nobody wants to be the loser, and this is why it is impossible to get this harmony within the team.

"To keep people happy is also very complicated. There is clearly a very strong fight between them [Hamilton and Rosberg], and obviously it is very difficult to keep the team in harmony because everyone has their own favourite, which is a human feeling."

Boullier, who managed Kimi Raikkonen in his role as team principal at Lotus before joining McLaren, added: "I am not in this situation so far, so it is okay so far for me."

McLaren are locked in a fight with Force India for fifth place in the 2014 constructors' championship. With Jenson Button retiring and Kevin Magnussen finishing 10th at the last round in Singapore, McLaren currently trail their rivals by six points, 111 to 117.

(source: f1.com)

Martin Brundle - AUTOSPORT International 2014

Todays video!

Racing Legends - Stirling Moss

Take a look at this great video!

2014 Singapore Grand Prix review

When the drivers were ready to go on the formation lap Nico Rosberg's car did not move an inch. It ruined his world championship lead and also my maximum score chance for the predictors league. I'll get over it but I think Rosberg will need more time.

Rosberg started the race from the back and retired later in the pits. He looked very sad but his wife got a smile out of him after a few minutes.

The Red Bulls and Ferraris had great starts and gave Lewis Hamilton something to stress about but not for long. It took just a few laps for Hamilton to gain an over 5 second lead. He also had less pressure when he knew that his teammate wouldn't be near giving him a hard time. I guess he knew from that point that he will win the race.

Fernando Alonso overtook Sebastian Vettel from the outside of the track and gained an advantage. I am pretty sure that Daniel Ricciardo would have overtaken Alonso there also but didn't have the proper chance. Alonso gave Vettel back his position and didn't get a penalty.

In the pits Sebastian Vettel took more time and Alonso was faster than Vettel on track. Now it was HAM, ALO, VET, RIC but later Sergio Perez got hit by Adrian Sutil and lost his front wing. This made the safety car to come out and this is when Alonso lost his lead over the Red Bulls. After this it was HAM, VET, RIC, ALO and that was the final result as well.

So what else happened that I didn't mention? Valtteri Bottas and Jean-Eric Vergne had a good race but both of them had a problem each.

Valtteri Bottas got some problems with his tyres at the end of the race and got overtaken by several cars. He was 11th in the end got no points. He also dropped two spots in the championship which probably was annoying.

Jean-Eric Vergne on the other hand overtook several cars but did not respect the track limits. He got penalized twice which was pretty bad for him. Still it was totally justified. If you break the rules you get a penalty otherwise everybody would be breaking them.

One other good thing in this grand prix was that this time when Vettel was on the podium he didn't get booed. I think booing to a driver is just stupid.

And now it's time for my predictions and how well I got them right:

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - CORRECT

Race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - CORRECT
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes - WRONG. He could have easily been second but retired.
3. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull - WRONG. He was 2nd because Rosberg retired. The other Red Bull was 3rd.

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - CORRECT

Surprise: Pastor Maldonado will have his best result for Lotus if he manages to finish the race - Maldonado's best result this season has been 12th and he was 12th again today so I would say I was right.. ish.

Post your own predictions to our F1-4-LIFE PREDICTORS LEAGUE!

The rules:

POINTS:  1st - 3  2nd - 5  3rd - 10 

HOW IT WORKS: the aim of the game is simply predict who comes where in the race (top3). A total of 18 points can be won on a race day. If you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points same if you get 1 correct. eg. 2nd you get 5 points. If a driver wins the race and you said he would come 2nd or 3rd no points would be awarded. Same if he came in another position, and you predicted that wrong. A table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will change once the cars become more competitive. Everyone will say a merc 1,2 so it won't be close or fun. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PREDICTIONS: send an email to f14lifeblog@gmail.com or message the Facebook page to submit your predictions. You have until lights out to make them. If you submit them when the race has started they won't count. So be quick! like the Mercedes. 

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side JT, AE, MW & MH. If you don't want to be an admin you are welcome to participate anyway. We may also come up with some other prize if it helps. 

That's it for today and if you want to send me feedback then email me: f14lifeblog@gmail.com

FIA post-race press conference - Singapore

Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing), 3 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Eddie Jordan)

Q: Lewis, did you dream or think this would be the result today?
Lewis Hamilton: Of course, I was dreaming it last night but you never really think it’s going to happen. I just want to say a huge thanks to my team. What they’ve done this year is absolutely incredible and to be able to arrive here knowing that we have a car we can fight with, and just the feeling I had through the race, it’s… I couldn't do it without them. Thank you guys.

Q: We know you’ve won seven races this year but the talking point is how big a pressure was on you in that last pit stop? That’s what we wanted to know.
LH: Ah, it wasn’t that bad.

Q: Well you sounded totally paranoid up there I have to tell you!
LH: No, I think at the time it was just not really knowing what the situation was. I knew I had a big gap but if a safety car comes out, what does that mean, but then when I came in and knew that I had to fight the guys on a long, long, run-down tyre, I knew that we would have chance to get by, so I felt kind of comfortable.

Q: Well, we’ll come back to you because we have lots more questions but ladies and gentlemen, Sebastian Vettel, four times world champion, his best result of the year! Sebastian, what is it with Singapore and you? You seem to be a night raider or something like that. Every time there’s a night race you do remarkably well. Obviously on the podium again this year.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, kid did well! It’s a circuit that I really enjoy, I really like. The atmosphere is great. You know, on the drivers’ parade there are already so many people in for the race. It’s great. It’s a tough one, it’s two hours and again we went to the full two hours. I had a good start, got past Daniel and then I think we had a decent race. We played a little bit with strategy and then the safety car came in the worst possible moment for us. So we tried to obviously stay out with the last set of tyres and make them work, which was very, very much borderline. I had a lot of pressure from Daniel and also from Fernando behind, but very happy obviously to make it P2.

Q: A lot of red faces up here - the dehydration, the heat, the temperature. A huge race here is it? Is it very, very difficult?
SV: Yeah, it’s quite hot. The cars are sliding a lot, so you have to focus quite hard. It’s definitely a race we all enjoy as drivers because it’s such a big challenge and to stand up here and get a cool glass or bottle of champagne is quite nice. 

Q: Well, your best race of the season, your best result and we know what you’ve done here before. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the pride of Australia, Daniel Ricciardo! Almost like a home race really?
Daniel Ricciardo: Yeah, feels like a home race. Singapore to Perth is pretty much as close as Melbourne to Perth, so for West Australia it’s like another home race. 

Q: I need to ask you the question: do you think that when Fernando gave up the place to Sebastian, do you think he should have given up the place to you?
DR: To be honest, I’ll have to have a look. Obviously he went off, that was clear. I knew he would give it back to Seb [but] whether he had to give it back to me, I’ll have a look at that. I was just sort of focused on regrouping from the start really. To get on the podium I guess is not a bad result, good for the team and at least we’ve got some Aussie flags.

Q: We see a lot of Aussie flags, you’re the pride of Australia. Lewis, things have changed, really, haven’t they, for you?
LH: Absolutely.

Q: Big smile on your face…
LH: Yeah, I was so excited to have… I was looking for that clean weekend and this has been it. It’s been fantastic. It’s not perfect for the team because Nico didn’t finish and we’re always striving to get both cars finishing 1-2. I don’t think anyone has finished one-two before and that was our goal. So there are things we can still work on. I also want to say a big thanks to all the fans. Incredible support today, so thank you guys.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Lewis, your second victory in Singapore, your seventh of the season and a very popular win, it would seem, with the crowd - but there was clearly a tense moment for you after the safety car when you knew you had to stop again and it was clear the four or five cars behind you didn’t - but the strategy team stayed calm, you stayed calm and you’re now leading the Drivers’ Championship. Just tell us about the rollercoaster of emotions and the way you feel leaving Singapore tonight.
LH: Coming here and to the last six races with a great race in Monza, knowing that we had a car to compete here, obviously yesterday in qualifying it was very close between everyone so I didn’t really know what to expect today - but got off cleanly. Of course it would have been a hardcore race if Nico was in the race with me as the car was feeling very good and we would have been very strong. But, yeah, later on in the race, I think for me I was a bit unaware of what I needed to do. That second-to-last stint, I extended it as long as I could and then they said “we need 27s.” And that was still six seconds I needed more, and my tyres were dropping off, so I didn’t really understand why. And I was also nervous that, if the Safety Car came out, would that cause me big problems? So anyway, fortunately we got to where I needed to go and we pitted. I came out, and I saw Sebastian going past but straight away I knew they would be on… they were obviously doing a two-stop, I would have good pace. So, took it easy the first lap. It was actually a bit of a tight gap, maybe I should have overtaken him somewhere else but fortunately Sebastian was very fair and I got by. After that it was quite straightforward. Amazing job from the team and the guys back at the factory. The car was really spectacular in the race.

Q: Sebastian, clearly the start was decisive for you. A fantastic initial getaway up into second place, you got the place back from Fernando. You were also a little bit sceptical when it came to the strategy, saying “that’s not my plan,” to go to the finish. So, tell us about the thinking at that point and how the race played out from your mind.
SV: As you mentioned, the start obviously was good for me. Quite weird to stop with no car ahead but not being on the first row. But it helped, obviously, because I had no car in front and I could get side by side and get straight into second place. After that I think we had a good race. Not ideal, in terms of timing with the safety car. Obviously, before that we lost a position to Fernando because we stopped too late - but we decided to go on the primes and we were hoping for no safety car to come out, which came out, so not ideal! But yeah, after that, obviously after the restart, we knew it was difficult with 27 seconds to make up on older tyres than everyone behind - it’s probably impossible. So, obviously to get the best result we knew we have to get to the end. I wasn’t very confident that we can do it, simply because of the wear we had the sets before. Obviously for one lap I was in the lead. As Lewis touched on, the overtaking manoeuvre, I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. I thought that I give him all the space to pass me on the inside for the next corner but it seemed like he couldn’t wait to get back in the lead. It was quite tight but I saw him, obviously, so I had to back-off and let him through. There was no point fighting him at that stage because I didn’t have the tyres to match him. Nevertheless, to finish P2 obviously was the best we could do. We had the oldest set of tyres in the last stint, so it was quite tricky managing those to the finish line with not much tread left. Obviously very good result for the team.

Q: Daniel, I guess the opposite for you. Not a great initial getaway, you lost the initiative to Sebastian there, which is why you finished behind him in the end. Tell us whether you expected the attack from Alonso at the end because obviously he had pitted under the safety car, was on much fresher tyres than you . Were you surprised the attack didn’t come? What was going through your mind?
DR: Yeah, I think the closing stages, I could see after the restart for the safety car, he wasn’t attacking as much as I thought with a new set of primes, so I thought he was holding back and was going to make a late charge at the end. I think we all just piled up. I caught the back of Sebastian, he caught the back of me and we were all in a train and not really any real opportunities arose for any of us. So, it was what it was. I probably did expect him to come on a get stronger at the end but I think once you start following and trying to get the pedal down a bit harder to set up a pass, then you start hurting the rears and you all fall into each others’ pace. The start initially wasn’t too bad but just before Turn One we had a bit of an issue and I think we lost a bit of power. Whether we could have held on or not… who knows? But then yeah, Fernando went wide and then gave the place back to Seb and the race from there was fairly straightforward. Encountered a few other issues and bits and pieces here and there - so we’ll have to look into that. See how much it cost us in the end. But obviously it was nice to get on the back of Seb and try to put him under a bit of pressure but I think for all of us here it was follow-the-leader a bit and not much else to do.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Lennart Wermke - Bild) Lewis, is there anyone you dedicate your victory to?
LH: I’ve not really thought of it. There are only a few of the race wins which I’ve really dedicated to anyone. Maybe to my fans, I think. I met a couple of really special people last week - they’ll know who they are - and just generally to all the fans. They’re sending me messages and all that, really just saying that we win or we lose together and also being here with all the British flags, it lifts you up so much that probably they don’t even realise, so this is for them.

Q: (Dan Knutson - Auto Action and National Speedsport News) Daniel, you were on the radio during the race saying that you were losing power and I believe gears. What was happening and was the team able to help you correct those matters?
DR: Yeah, we had quite a bit going on during the race so yeah, power was coming and going and from the safety car onwards it was pretty consistently down on power and basically, coming up through gears, I would get a bit of power and then it would drop and then it would come again. So we definitely had a few issues and we tried fixing them but to be honest we didn’t quite clear it all up. I guess it did cost us a bit today but obviously we still got it to the end but obviously we will definitely look at what the cause was and if we can fix it. Normally, if we have those glitches after a couple of laps we clear it but this one pretty much carried through all race. I guess I was a bit frustrated, bit concerned as well that we wouldn’t get it to the flag but luckily it held on and as I said, we’ll just look at it and I’m sure we’ll fix it for Japan.

Q: (Michael Schmidt - Auto, Motor und Sport) To Seb and Daniel, what was the plan to have the harder tyre, the prime tyre, in the third stint rather than at the end, because at that moment, I don’t think you could know that the safety car would come out?
SV: I guess in my case Fernando undercut us, it was quite obvious, and then I think it was pretty pointless to do the same as him so we tried to do opposite and then get him back obviously, in the last stint of the race, I think that was the plan. With hindsight, we should have obviously stopped earlier, tyres were at the end of their wear life anyway so I think that was the plan. It was obviously high risk because of the safety car. In the end, we got lucky because the tyres held up but at that stage it didn’t look like it.

Q: (Don Kennedy - Hawke’s Bay Today) Lewis, you said on the podium that Mercedes were hoping for a one-two finish but in terms of the championship, can you say, in all honesty, that you’re sorry that Nico didn’t finish?
LH: Well, of course the points are something... I came here hoping to really gain those seven points and anything more than that was just a bonus, so today, of course, those extra points are a huge help. That’s several DNFs we’ve had now on either car and we want to continue getting those one-twos still. I know that the team will not be 100 percent happy today because we want to win collectively, we want to get those one-twos, we want to be the dominant team all together, so by not getting that result, they’ll be going back to the drawing board trying to figure out what happened. They’re constantly coming up to things and perhaps other people are starting to be a bit more reliable than us so that’s an area that we can still definitely improve on.

(source: f1.com)

F1-4-LIFE PREDICTORS LEAGUE STANDINGS AFTER THE SINGAPORE GP

1. Larry Gallagher -> 84 points
2. AE (F1-4-LIFE) -> 70 points
3. Peter McLaren -> 69 points
4. Rich Kewell -> 66 points
5. Darcy P Lang -> 63 points
6. Elliott Robson -> 61 points
7. Regina Ehrnrooth -> 50 points
8. MW (F1-4-LIFE) -> 48 points
9. Dylan Curry -> 47 points
10. Jon Yountz -> 45 points
11. Jaakko livari -> 44 points
12. JT (F1-4-LIFE) -> 40 points
13. Jonathan Riggs -> 36 points
14. Liutauras Raulynatis -> 29 points
15. Anthony Brian Ayrton Senna -> 24 points
16. Rab Mckinney -> 24 points
17. Jake Lakin -> 19 points
18. Leonardo Machado -> 18 points
19. Martin Francis -> 16 points
20. Martin Mihalic -> 14 points
21. Shaun Magnano -> 14 points
22. David Perry -> 13 points
23. Abijith Kv -> 12 points
24. Leo Harry Gowing -> 11 points
25. Flavio Wallis -> 10 points
26. Jayson Nufc Nicholson -> 10 points
27. Craig Whitehead -> 10 points
28. Joel Booth -> 9 points
29. Paolo Gagliardi -> 9 points
30. Steven Peli -> 6 points
31. Jared Tallott -> 5 points
32. Mark Newman -> 5 points
33. Ryan Lane -> 3 points
34. Will Leahy -> 3 points
35. Craig Lymer -> 3 points
36. Coilin Higgins -> 3 points
37. Craig Taylor -> 3 points
38. Christopher Damien Wiseman -> 1 point
39. MH (F1-4-LIFE) -> 0 points
40. Pippaa Chilton -> 0 points
41. Richard Gehl -> 0 points
42. Junaid Khan -> 0 points
43. Ewan Darlington -> 0 points
44. Chris Kemp -> 0 points
45. Saadi Tate -> 0 points
46. Theodore Dickman -> 0 points
47. Josh Dennis -> 0 points
48. Brian Dodgy Discs Hughes -> 0 points
49. John Hersam -> 0 points
50. Elaine Hannon -> 0 points
51. Natalie Bandee -> 0 points

POINTS: 1st - 3
2nd - 5
3rd - 10

+ possible bonus points
HOW IT WORKS: the aim of the game is simply predict who comes where in the race (top3). A total of 18 points can be won on a race day. If you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points same if you get 1 correct. eg. 2nd you get 5 points. If a driver wins the race and you said he would come 2nd or 3rd no points would be awarded. Same if he came in another position, and you predicted that wrong. A table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will change once the cars become more competitive. Everyone will say a merc 1,2 so it won't be close or fun.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PREDICTIONS: send an email to f14lifeblog@gmail.com or message the Facebook page to submit your predictions. You have until lights out to make them. If you submit them when the race has started they won't count. So be quick! like the Mercedes.

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side AE, JT, MW & MH. If you don't want to be an admin you are welcome to participate anyway. We may also come up with some other prize if it helps.