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Friday, September 4, 2015
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Williams confirm Massa and Bottas for 2016
Williams have announced that drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas will be retained by the team for a third season in the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Massa joined Williams for the 2014 season and has scored four podium finishes and one pole position with the squad, while Bottas, widely regarded as one of F1 racing’s most promising talents, has taken seven podiums over the last two seasons.
“I am very happy to be a part of the Williams family,” said Massa. “I am in my second year here and am so pleased to be staying as we are working very well together as a team. They respect me a lot and the results are there, and it has been so nice to be part of the big turnaround the team has seen since the end of 2013.
“I can’t wait to carry on and continue pushing even more for the team, and for myself. Thank you to Frank, Claire, Mike, Pat and the whole Williams team for their ongoing support and belief in me, as we build on what is already a great relationship.”
Bottas added: “I am really pleased to be staying with the team for a fourth F1 race season. We have been getting stronger as a team and I look forward to what next year will bring, as I believe we can achieve even stronger results than what we have seen so far.
“I can’t wait for 2016, however I am still fully focused on this season as we still have plenty of challenges to achieve. I must thank Frank, Claire, Mike, the Board, and everyone at Williams for their continued trust in me.”
Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal, commented: “I’m delighted to confirm that Felipe and Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again next year. Stability is key for any team to thrive in Formula One, so to be able to enter a third season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid puts Williams in a fantastic position to continue its momentum towards the front of the grid in 2016.
“Felipe’s blend of experience and raw speed is a rare attribute in Formula One. Felipe thrives in an environment where he is valued and can build a long-term relationship and we are delighted that he has become such an important part of the Williams family.
“Valtteri has become such a staple of Williams that we are as excited about the prospect of his potential as a championship contender as we are about returning the Williams name to the top of Formula One.
“Felipe and Valtteri quickly developed an exceptional working relationship from the beginning of 2014 and, while they remain fiercely competitive as rivals, they have always recognised the value of their collaboration in driving the team up the grid. Their shared work has given the technical team at Williams the best possible guidance in how to deliver the performance needed to carry the team forward, and both drivers have played a pivotal role in the rejuvenation of Williams.
“The successes we’ve enjoyed over the past two seasons would not have been possible without them, and they will play an essential role in the targets we aim to deliver in the future.”
Massa and Bottas lie fifth and sixth in the current driver standings, on 82 and 79 points respectively. Williams' best results of 2015 to date have been Massa’s third place in Austria and Bottas’s identical placing in Canada.
(source: f1.com)
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
FIA press conference schedule - Italy
World championship hopefuls Nico Rosberg - who became a father for the first time last week - and Sebastian Vettel, a two-time winner at Monza, will be among the drivers facing the press in Italy on Thursday. On Friday meanwhile Ferrari's Maurizio Arrivabene and Pirelli's Paul Hembery will be among the senior personnel answering questions from the media. The line-ups in full...
Thursday, September 03, 1500 hours local time (1300 hours GMT)
Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), Felipe Massa (Williams), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari).
Friday, September 04, 1600 hours local time (1400 hours GMT)
Maurizio Arrivabene (Ferrari), Eric Boullier (McLaren), Matthew Carter (Lotus), Robert Fernley (Force India), Paul Hembery (Pirelli), Christian Horner (Red Bull).
The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.
(source: f1.com)
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Nico Hulkenberg extends contract with Force India
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| I took this photo myself in 2013 when he was driving for Sauber. |
Nico Hulkenberg has agreed a two-year contract extension with Force India, tying him to the team until at least the end of the 2017 season.
The German's future had been the subject of widespread media speculation over the summer, with his name being linked to newcomers Haas and also to a full programme in the World Endurance Championship with Porsche, with whom he won the Le Mans 24 Hours this year.
Hulkenberg, however, said his knowledge of Force India, and his belief in their long-term future, made extending his current deal the obvious choice.
"I'm very pleased to finalise and announce my plans for the future," he said. "I know this team inside out and I feel at home here so it made perfect sense to make a long-term commitment.
"The progress the team has shown over the last two years has really impressed me and gives me confidence for the future. It’s a great group of people who are hungry for success and want to keep improving year-on-year.
"I think we have the important things in place going forward and I want to continue growing with this team as we move even further up the grid."
Force India team principal and managing director Vijay Mallya hailed the announcement, adding: "I make no secret of being one of Nico’s biggest fans and so it’s fantastic to confirm him as our driver for the next couple of seasons.
"He has spent almost four years with us already and in that time we’ve seen him develop into one of the best racing drivers in the world. Nico has the speed, the technical knowledge and the maturity to help us achieve some great results in the years ahead. We will do everything we can to continue delivering a car to match his talent."
Hulkenberg first joined Force India as their reserve driver in 2011, before graduating to a full-time seat the following season. After a one-year hiatus at Sauber, he rejoined the squad ahead of their 2014 campaign. His best result for the team remains the fourth place he scored in Belgium in 2012, although he has led two Grands Prix in Force India colours, most recently in Brazil last year.
Hulkenberg's deal is the first move in the driver market since last month's news that Kimi Raikkonen has agreed a one-year extension with Ferrari.
(source: f1.com)
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
2015 Italian Grand Prix preview
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| A picture from the old part of the track (the loop). |
Are you ready for the Italian grand prix and the Monza track? This is one of the most legendary tracks in F1 history and it is also Ferrari's home grand prix.
Several Formula One legends have died on this track. The list is long so I shall mention just a few.
- In 1955 the Ferrari legend and two time world champion Alberto Ascari died here during a test session.
- Wolfgang von Trips and 14 spectators were killed after he collided with Jim Clark in 1961.
- Jochen Rindt was crowned as the Formula One world champion at the end of the 1970 season. Unfortunately he had passed away before that at Monza. The points were enough to make him the champion.
- The best Swedish F1 driver ever lived was Ronnie Peterson. He died in a hospital after a serious crash at the start of the 1978 Italian grand prix.
The Monza track has changed several times over the years. At first it looked like this:
This was in 1922-1933 before the F1 series even existed. The track was 10 kilometers with 4.5 kilometers in the loop and then 5.5 kilometers on the road track.
Later in 1935-1937 the track was changed and looked like this:
In 1950 the Formula One series started and Monza was the last race on the calendar. The race was won by Nino Farina even though Juan Manuel Fangio had been faster all weekend. Fangio got pole position and set the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately he retired due to a gear box failure and Farina won the race and the first championship. The track was again different and it looked like this:
In 1955 it looked again like it did in the beginning (with the road- and loop-part). After 1969 the oval part was not used anymore and the track looked about the same it looks today.
The fastest lap on the combined track (in a race) was set in 1960 by the American F1 world champion Phill Hill. The record was 2.41.400 and the time was set with a Ferrari.
The fastest lap on the modern track (in a race) was set by Rubens Barrichello in 2004 and also with a Ferrari. The current record is 1.21.046 and the reason why it is so much faster is that "the loop" is no longer in use.
If we talk about wins then Michael Schumacher is the king of this track. He has won this race 5 times. From the current drivers the king would be Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso because they both have 2 wins from Monza.
Sebastian Vettel took his maiden victory in Monza back in 2008 with Toro Rosso. That was strange if you ask me! To win a race with the former Minardi now known as Toro Rosso. Everybody were sure that Heikki Kovalainen would win the race but he couldn't get pass Vettel and stayed 2nd.
This year I think that if we see any surprises it will come from Valtteri Bottas. Daniel Ricciardo even predicted that Bottas will win here his first victory. I also believe that Vettel will do very well here. This track is very special for him.
And now it's time for my predictions and here they are:
Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Race:
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
- Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Surprise: Valtteri Bottas, Williams
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
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