2015 Canadian Grand Prix preview

The Monaco Grand Prix is behind us and now it's time to move to Canada! The track is in Montreal and there has always been entertaining races. I have no doubt that this will be one of the best races this season.

What about the previous races in Canada? This is actually the place where Hamilton took his first victory back in 2007. I remember people saying that Hamilton was leading the championship because he had better consistent results than Alonso, Räikkönen and Massa. The three other "better" drivers had won races but Hamilton was still leading the championship with podium finishes (2nds and 3rds). Then in Canada he showed everybody that he is a superstar who is also able to win races. He also won the race after that in the US.

The same race in 2007 was also the race where Robert Kubica had his terrible accident. The following year he won the race. 
Here's a video of the accident:



What else has happened in Canada? In 2011 Canada offered us the longest F1 race in history (4:04:39.537). Sebastian Vettel was leading the race from the start till the last few laps and made a small mistake. Jenson Button was behind and overtook him right away and won the race. He was waiting the whole day for Vettel to make a mistake and he finally did. Sebastian Vettel was soooo frustrated...



Speaking of frustrated who remembers what happened in 1991? Nigel Mansell was about to win the race and was already waving to the crowd on the last lap but then his car broke down. Nelson Piquet was behind him and won the race for Benetton.



I have always enjoyed the Canadian Grand Prix and will most likely enjoy this one as well.


Then it's time for my predictions again!

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

The race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 

Fastest lap: Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari

Surprise: McLaren will show some improvement in Canada.

Remember to 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 AE, JT, MH & MW. 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.

THIS TIME YOU ALSO GET BONUS POINTS! PREDICT POLE POSITION AND FASTEST LAP CORRECTLY TO EARN 2 EXTRA POINTS!

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

FIA opens grid to prospective new Formula One teams

Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA, has launched a selection process that could bring a new team onto the grid for the 2016 or 2017 world championship.

Candidates must formally express their interest before June 30, after which they will be sent more detailed criteria. The FIA says full submissions must be registered by September 1, leading to a final decision on September 30.

The selection process will prioritise the "overall long-term interests of the championship" and all applicants will undergo a due diligence process to include assessment of:

• the technical ability and resources of the team
• the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the championship at a competitive level
• the team's experience and human resources
• the FIA's assessment of the value that the candidate may bring to the championship as a whole.

The FIA's statement added that "In the event that no applicant is considered suitable by both the FIA and the commercial rights holder, no additional team will be selected".

American squad Haas are set to become the 11th team on the grid when they join next year. An additional entrant could therefore boost the grid to 24 cars.

(source: f1.com)

FIA press conference schedule - Canada

Fresh from his agonising defeat in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton will likely be centre stage when he appears in Thursday's FIA press conference in Montreal alongside Max Verstappen - whose crash led to the Briton's reversed fortunes - and Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa, who memorably collided in Canada last year. On Friday meanwhile Ferrari's James Allison and McLaren's Matt Morris will be amongst the senior team personnel facing questions from the media. The line-ups in full...


Thursday, June 4, 1100 hours local time (1500 hours GMT)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull), Pastor Maldonado (Lotus), Felipe Massa (Williams), Sergio Perez (Force India), Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso)

Friday, June 5, 1600 hours local time (2000 hours GMT)
James Allison (Ferrari), Matthew Carter (Lotus), Graeme Lowdon (Marussia), Paddy Lowe (Mercedes), Matt Morris (McLaren), Rob Smedley (Williams)

The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.

(source: f1.com)

Monaco GP (Full Race)

Winners and Losers - Monaco

Hamilton drove like a winner but felt like a loser.

The dramatic end to the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2015 gave us one rather lucky winner, and another very obvious loser, in Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. However, there were plenty of other fascinating plotlines being played out behind them, with those involved experiencing some very contrasting fortunes. We take a team-by-team look at the real story of Sunday’s 78-lap race…


Mercedes

Nico Rosberg, P1
Lewis Hamilton, P3

What can one say about Mercedes? They win and lose as a team, of course, but in reality it was only Hamilton - who so deserved to win - who really lost out. Granted Mercedes missed out on a one-two finish, but they got a one-three so it was hardly disastrous. But for Hamilton, who had comprehensively outdriven Rosberg on his home circuit, the bizarre decision to bring him alone in for a late stop was the most bitter of all pills to swallow for the newly re-signed world champion.


Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel, P2
Kimi Raikkonen, P6

Ferrari’s race pace, at least in Vettel’s hands, was good enough for them to have won had they been able to qualify on the front row. The German kept Rosberg honest throughout, and though he lucked into P2 through Mercedes’ mistake with Hamilton, he kept the pressure up and deserved that luck. Raikkonen was again patchy, but he deserved fourth or fifth and was unlucky to get beaten to the latter by Ricciardo.


Red Bull

Daniil Kvyat, P4
Daniel Ricciardo, P5

Red Bull looked much better here, and Kvyat easily had his best F1 showing on his way to fourth. When Ricciardo, who drove his usual sensible but feisty race, was faster on fresh tyres at the end the Russian duly conceded the place to him. But when Ricciardo had failed to dislodge either Hamilton or Vettel by the final lap, the agreement was that he would hand it back, which he did. 22 points brings the team within striking distance of Williams.


Force India

Sergio Perez, P7
Nico Hulkenberg, P11

Force India wanted to spring a surprise and they did. Perez drove a terrific race which thoroughly deserved seventh, perhaps even sixth. Hulkenberg was unlucky to get turfed off by Alonso at Mirabeau on the opening lap, but had himself done something similar to Massa at Ste Devote. After a stop for a new nose he drove hard and fast and just missed a point.
McLaren

Jenson Button, P8
Fernando Alonso, Retired lap 42, gearbox

At one stage McLaren seemed set for a double points score, but Alonso’s car, running ninth, lost gears and failed on the 42nd lap. Button, however, fought hard for eighth with qualifying-style laps every time, and the MP4-30 was more competitive than at any time so far this season. Four points for the new McLaren-Honda alliance was a major boost, Alonso’s retirement notwithstanding.


Sauber

Felipe Nasr, P9
Marcus Ericsson, P13

Nasr was one of the stars of the race, making up places in the first-lap melees and driving the wheels off his C34 to score two unexpected points. Ericsson was also pushing hard, but less lucky making progress early on.


Toro Rosso

Carlos Sainz, P10
Max Verstappen, Retired lap 63, accident

Besides Hamilton, Verstappen was the star of the show. He was pushing along hard in eighth on merit then took seventh when Perez pitted, but a long stop when the right rear wheel wouldn’t go on properly cost him 27s. He fought back from that, then used a set of supersoft tyres fitted on lap 46 to really claw his way back towards the points. He cleverly latched on to Vettel and slipped past rivals when the Ferrari driver lapped then, but eventually came unstuck when he went over Grosjean’s rear wheel under braking for Ste Devote. That was the incident that turned the race, and for the accident he received a five-place grid penalty for the next round in Canada. Sainz did a fine job not just to climb to the final point after starting from the pit lane, but also to make a set of soft Pirellis last from the 12th to the 78th lap.


Lotus

Romain Grosjean, P12
Pastor Maldonado, Retired lap 6, brakes

Lotus deserved better than 12th, but Grosjean lost time in the Verstappen incident when he’d been running eighth, and Maldonado was an early retirement with brake problems.


Williams

Valtteri Bottas, P14
Felipe Massa, P15

Williams’ whole weekend was a disaster. Compounding basic lack of grip and traction, Massa got taken off by Hulkenberg at Ste Devote on the opening lap and had to pit for a new nose. Their failure to score, and Red Bull’s fourth and fifth places, brings the latter within striking distance for third place in the constructors’ stakes.


Marussia

Roberto Merhi, P16
Will Stevens, P17

Yet again both Marussias finished, but finally Merhi got the better of Stevens, who lost a lot of grip and time after sustaining front wing damage early on.

(source: f1.com)

Monaco stats - Rosberg stakes claim alongside Monte Carlo greats

For once, it wasn't just a beautifully composed drive but also sheer good luck that earned Nico Rosberg victory on the streets of the Principality. Not that he was complaining - he's now won for three years in succession in Monaco, a feat only three other men in history - Graham Hill, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna - have achieved. It wasn't the only milestone the German achieved - even if most had looked unlikely until a late safety car turned the race on its head.

For example, Rosberg also moved level with Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart in terms of overall wins in Monaco, with three. Only Senna (6), Graham Hill and Michael Schumacher (both 5) and Prost (4) have won more.

The 14 laps Rosberg led on Sunday also moved him to 170 laps led in total in the Principality - and above Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda, who led 164 during his Formula One racing career. Only seven drivers in history can better Rosberg's total.

And a final note on the race winner - this was also Rosberg's fourth podium in a row here, after he finished second in 2012 and then embarked upon his winning run. Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso have also claimed four podiums here, but of that trio only Alonso has won more than once.

Speaking of Hamilton, Mercedes' decision to pit him denied him what would have been a 13th consecutive top-two finish. His run of 12 is still the second-longest in history, behind only Michael Schumacher, who managed 15 consecutive top-twos during the 2002 campaign.

Hamilton also became only the second polesitter in the last decade to not go on and claim victory in the Principality. Ironically, the last time it happened he was the beneficiary, coming through from third on the grid to claim victory in a wet race in 2008.

For only the second time in his Grand Prix career, Daniel Ricciardo ended the race with the fastest lap. The only other occasion he has managed it was in the 2014 Abu Dhabi season finale, where he started 20th but fought his way up to fourth at the finish. He is the fourth Australian to have set a fastest lap in Monaco, joining Jack Brabham, Alan Jones and Mark Webber.

This, however, was the first time since 2009 that Red Bull did not have at least one man on the Monte Carlo podium. That 2009 race remains the last to be run without the intervention of the safety car.

Jenson Button claimed the first points for the renewed McLaren-Honda alliance with eighth place. It wasn't all good news for the team however, as Fernando Alonso recorded his first DNF in the Principality since 2004. Alonso's retirement also ended a run of 10 consecutive points finishes here.

Seventh place marked Sergio Perez's first F1 points in Monaco. Last year he was taken out on the first lap; in 2013 he collided with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen; in 2012 he crashed in qualifying and then earned a drive-through penalty; while in 2011 he survived a horrible crash in qualifying and was withdrawn from the race.

Felipe Nasr's points finish was also a milestone for Sauber, who had not scored a top ten here since Kamui Kobayashi was fifth in 2011.

Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, scored points after finishing tenth despite starting from the pit lane. While Monaco is renowned for being hard to pass, the achievement is not as rare as you might imagine. Looking only at the last decade, Michael Schumacher managed it in 2006, when he started from the pit lane following his now infamous error at Rascasse; Heikki Kovalainen did it for McLaren in 2008; Timo Glock managed it for Toyota in 2009; and Alonso did likewise in 2010 for Ferrari.

At the other end of the scale, there was more Monaco misery for Pastor Maldonado. A two-time winner here in GP2, the Venezuelan secured his best qualifying berth since Abu Dhabi 2012 with eighth, but then had to retire with brake failure. It is his fourth DNF from six starts in Monaco, and in fact he has never seen the chequered flag here in F1 competition. He has also got to the finish just once so far this year, in Bahrain.

(source: f1.com)

2015 Monaco Grand Prix review

It's race review time!! No gibberish so let's start right away.

It was a relatively clean start in the front. Only the Red Bulls switched positions. Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg messed up their cars on the first lap but they were closer to the back. Massa and Hulkenberg pitted and Alonso got a 5 second stop and go penalty. All of them were able to continue the race.

Nice moves from Max Verstappen on lap 6 when he overtook Pastor Maldonado after the main staright. Maldonado retired from the race on the next lap.

The first pitstops were pretty ok for the top teams. Daniel Ricciardo lost his position to Kimi Räikkönen though but otherwise no problems. The junior Red Bull team, Toro Rosso, had problems with Verstappen's pitstop so he lost a couple of positions because of that.

On lap 43 it was Alonso's turn to retire from the race. I actually thought that Alonso would get McLaren's first points of the season but no, no, no... Lucky for them Jenson Button still managed to score points.

Kimi was absolutely furious on lap 56 because he had been stuck behind back markers for 3 laps and there were no blue flags what so ever. How did this happen? Very bad thing for Kimi.

Later on Verstappen made his last pitstop and this time it worked perfectly. Then he had to let Vettel pass because the German was one lap ahead. Verstappen realized that if he stays close to Vettel he could take advantage of the situation and overtake the same cars as Vettel is passing. I mean they were forced to let Vettel pass and Verstappen was so close to him that they had no chance of keeping him behind. It worked on everybody except Romain Grosjean. He had been warned on the radio and made sure that he would let Vettel pass in a corner so that he could close the door on Verstappen. Great plan!

After a couple of laps Verstappen crashed with Grosjean after the main straight. He got a penalty because of that (for the next race in Canada).

The safety car was deployed and Mercedes asked Lewis Hamilton to pit. They thought that he was so much ahead that it would be enough for him but they were wrong. His teammate Nico Rosberg got ahead and Vettel overtook Hamilton in the pits. He was not happy at all and Mercedes admitted that they made a mistake.

After the safety car episode Hamilton and Vettel battled for 2nd. It reminded me of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna in 1992. Senna managed to keep Mansell behind and Vettel did the same with Hamilton in 2015. Great racing!

In my opinion Lewis deserved the win the most but if you do not finish 1st there's nothing you can do but to move on.

Then it's time for my predictions and the results.

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - CORRECT

The race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - WRONG. He was third but lead most of the race.
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes - WRONG. He won the race after Mercedes made a mistake with Hamilton's pitstop.
3. Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari - WRONG. His teammate Vettel was 2nd

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - WRONG. Daniel Ricciardo was fastest in Monaco.

Surprise: Sergio Perez has pushed hard in Monaco but failed almost every time. Maybe he will succeed this year? - CORRECT! It was his best result of the season.

Remember to 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. For example if you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points. A standings table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will probably 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!

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side AE, JT, MH & MW. 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

2015 PREDICTORS LEAGUE standings after the Monaco GP

1. Leonardo Machado - 51 points 

2. Peter McLaren - 47 points

3. James Redman - 44 points

4. Shaun Magnano - 41 points

5. Ryan Lane - 39 points

5. Larry Gallagher - 39 points

7. JT (F1-4-LIFE) - 38 points

8. MH (F1-4-LIFE) - 37 points

9. Jonathan M Yountz - 36 points

9. Tim Saunders - 36 points

9. MW (F1-4-LIFE) - 36 points

12. AE (F1-4-LIFE) - 34 points

13. Jaakko Iivari - 30 points

14. David Perry - 26 points

14. Rich Kewell - 26 points

16. Daniel Vanderburg - 23 points

16. Archie Donato - 23 points

16. Neil Marchant - 23 points

16. Elliott Robson - 23 points

20. Abijith Kv - 18 points

20. Marcel Kircher - 18 points

22. Dylan Curry - 16 points

23. Yõrt Martö - 13 points

24. Richard Gehl - 10 points

24. Chris Kemp - 10 points

24. Eric Lemens - 10 points

27. Rodrigo Gonzales - 8 points

27. Corey Lea - 8 points

27. Vitor Lobo - 8 points

30. Anthony Brian Ayrton Senna - 6 points

31. Белмин Aљоски - 3 points

31. Tom Maw - 3 points

33. Steven Peli - 0 points

33. Daniel Kelleher - 0 points

33. Martin Hubbard - 0 points

We have had 35 different predictors this season.

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. For example if you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points.

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!

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.

2015 Driver standings after the Monaco GP

2015 Constructor standings after the Monaco GP

2015 Monaco Grand Prix - Race results

2015 Monaco Grand Prix - Qualifying

2015 Monaco Grand Prix - Third practice session

2015 Monaco GP Team Principal Press Conference (video)

I managed to find this on YouTube as well so decided to post it here for you guys who haven't seen it yet. Here in Finland we don't get to see these on TV at all.

2015 Monaco Grand Prix - Second practice session

2015 Monaco Grand Prix - First practice session

2015 Monaco GP Drivers Press Conference (video)

Almost forgot this! Enjoy the Monaco press conference!

The Monaco Grand Prix - did you know?

Did you know that Monaco's hairpin is the slowest, tightest corner on the calendar? Or that Rubens Barrichello has recorded the most podiums in the Principality without a win? We bring you all the need-to-know stats, facts and trivia ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2015…

Monaco hosted the second round of the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950, the race being won by Juan Manuel Fangio in an Alfa Romeo. However, there was then a four-year gap before Formula One racing returned to Monte Carlo in 1955. The Monaco Grand Prix has remained on the calendar ever since, with only Monza having played host to more races.

Although the basic layout of the circuit has remained the same since the inaugural world championship race in 1950, several revisions have been made over the years, most notably in 1973 when the building of a swimming pool on the harbour front necessitated the use of a new section. The current final corners, La Rascasse and Anthony Noghes, were introduced in the same year in place of the Gasworks hairpin.

The circuit will be revised again for the 2015 race - very slightly. Minor realignment of Turns 12-14 (Tabac to the Swimming Pool) means this year’s lap will be 3m shorter than in 2014. As a result, Michael Schumacher’s lap record, which has stood since 2004, will change hands on Sunday.

An extraordinary amount of equipment is required to turn Monaco’s ordinary roads into a fully-fledged race circuit. Included in that list is 33 kilometres of safety rails, 20,000 square metres of wire catch fencing, 3,600 tyres for tyre barriers and 1,100 tonnes of grandstand seating for spectators. Some 650 marshals are also stationed around the track on a race weekend. 

Graham Hill was nicknamed ‘Mr Monaco’ for his five victories in the Principality, but it’s Ayrton Senna who holds the record for the most wins in Monte Carlo - six, including five consecutive victories from 1989 to 1993. Of course, were it not for an uncharacteristic crash at Portier 12 laps from the end of the 1988 race the great Brazilian would have seven victories to his name. Having finished second in 1984 and third in 1986, Senna also holds the record for most Monaco podiums with eight. 

Nico Rosberg is going for his third successive Monaco win in this year’s race. The only other drivers to have won three or more in a row are Senna, Alain Prost and Graham Hill. Fernando Alonso is the only other multiple Monaco winner on the current grid, having won in 2006 and 2007. Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel have all won once. 

In terms of manufacturers, no one has been as dominant in Monaco as McLaren, who have triumphed at the street track on 15 occasions. By contrast Ferrari have taken eight wins, but considerably more overall podium finishes (48 to McLaren’s 26).

Alonso’s 2007 win was achieved at an average speed of 155.551km/h (96.654 mph) - the fastest winning speed in Monaco history. The slowest winning speed - 98.700 km/h (61.329 mph) - came at the first race in 1950, though in the same event Juan Manuel Fangio recorded the joint biggest winning margin in Monaco history - one whole lap. Graham Hill and Denny Hulme also won by a lap, in 1964 and 1967 respectively. The smallest winning margin came in 1992 when Ayrton Senna beat Nigel Mansell by just 0.215s.

Rubens Barrichello holds the record for the most Monaco podiums without a win - five. Double world champion Jim Clark holds the record for most Monaco pole positions without winning the race - four. And Nigel Mansell holds the record for the most laps led in Monaco without ever winning - 104. Michael Schumacher - a five-time Monaco winner - holds the record for the most laps led in the Principality - 435.

As overtaking is so difficult at Monaco, it’s perhaps unsurprising that nine of the past ten races have been won from pole position (the only outlier being Lewis Hamilton’s win from third on the grid in 2008). However, pole hasn’t always been so important at the venue - in fact, the pole sitter has only emerged victorious 28 times in 61 races.

Olivier Panis holds the record for winning from the lowest grid slot, having triumphed from 14th on the grid in 1996. The same race featured the lowest number of cars running at the flag - just four. Panis incidentally is one of three drivers whose only career wins came at Monaco. The other two are Jean-Pierre Beltoise (1972) and Jarno Trulli (2004).

Two drivers have represented Monaco in Formula One history - Olivier Beretta and Louis Chiron. Chiron took his one and only F1 podium finish on home soil in 1950, finishing third behind Fangio and Alberto Ascari. Aged 50, he remains the second oldest F1 podium finisher.

At 3.34 km, Monaco is not only the shortest circuit on the calendar, it can also boast the sport’s slowest, tightest corner. Turn 6 - the hairpin - is taken at around 50 km/h (31 mph) and requires the drivers to apply maximum steering lock in order to make it around.

Not surprisingly given the nature of the circuit, the safety car tends to make frequent appearances in Monaco. In fact, ten of the last 15 races have featured one or more safety-car periods. Last year there were two, both the result of collisions: the first when Sergio Perez spin and collided with Adrian Sutil and Romain Grosjean, and the second when Sutil lost control coming out of the tunnel and crashed at the chicane.

(source: f1.com)

Pirelli to debut new supersoft tyre in Monaco

This weekend’s race in Monte Carlo will feature the only all-new tyre compound of 2015 as Pirelli introduce a brand new version of their red-marked supersoft rubber.

The new supersoft will offer the most grip and performance of Pirelli’s entire F1 range, as well as the fastest warm-up time, making it ideally suited to the unique demands of Monaco’s street circuit.

“Monaco has often been described as a circuit where overtaking is impossible, but we have seen in the past there how tyre strategy and degradation has often led to positions changing, including on-track overtaking,” commented Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery.

“In particular, the way that drivers use the new supersoft tyre, with its notable performance advantage, will be crucial.”

That advantage is expected to be at least a second per lap, making the supersoft the tyre of choice throughout the weekend - though, of course, each driver must also use the other available compound - the soft - during Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The new supersoft will provide more even contact with the track surface, improving adhesion and handling, while at the same time offering greater resistance to graining and blistering.

That increased durability, combined with Monaco’s ultra-smooth track surface - the least abrasive on the F1 calendar - means an even greater likelihood of teams attempting one-stop race strategies.


(source: f1.com)

Short video of last year's Monaco GP

Last year's Monaco Grand Prix in a nutshell! Take a look.

http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/video/2015/3/Monaco_2014_-_race_edit0.html

2015 Monaco GP Preview

Monaco, the most legendary track in Formula One. It starts on Thursday because Friday is usually a day of. There is no real explanation but some say that drivers celebrate in Monaco on Thursday so it wouldn't be ok to drive the next day. Maybe there is some other explanation nowadays? I don't know.

Monaco hosted their first F1 Grand Prix in 1950. It was also the second F1 race ever driven. Back then it was just sick how many laps they drove! 100 laps and it took over 3 hours!! Monaco has hosted GP's also before the F1 series started. The first race was in 1929.

The first F1 race in Monaco was won by Juan Manuel Fangio who started from pole and also set the fastest lap of the race. 9 cars crashed on the first lap and one car on the second. Only 7 cars finished the race and Fangio was much faster than everybody else! Alberto Ascari was 2nd 1 lap behind, Louis Chiron was 3rd 2 laps behind, Raymond Sommer 4th 3 laps behind, Prince Bira 5th 5 laps behind, Bob Gerard 6th 6 laps behind and Johnny Claes 7th also 6 laps behind.

The next time they held an official GP in Monaco was in 1955 and it has been a part of the calendar since that year.

In 1959 Monaco was the first race of the season and Jack Brabham won the race. He was such a super driver! He had his own team and won a championship with it. Who else has done that?

Monaco started the F1 season many times after 1959 but when they wanted more races in the calendar they had to fit in other races before it. The race in Monaco has always been in May.

I could talk about Monaco for days so let's stop here about the history and move on to statistics instead. Maybe I'll talk a bit about history as well.. can't control myself when it's Monaco we are talking about.

Most wins in Monaco: Ayrton Senna, 6 wins. 1984-1993 the Monaco GP was only won by Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost. Senna could have probably won in 1984 if the race wouldn't have been stopped. In 1988 he led the race almost 1 minute over Prost but made a mistake when McLaren told him several times to slow down.

Most wins by constructor - McLaren, 15 wins. Senna 5 times, Prost 4 times, Mika Häkkinen, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton once and David Coulthard 2 times.

The fastest lap in Monaco is 1:14.439 and it was set by Michael Schumacher in 2004.

The track length is 3.340km and they are lapping it 78 times.

Then it's time for my predictions. Yes I know that I haven't talked much about this years race but I'll focus on this year when the race is over.

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

The race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Surprise: Sergio Perez has pushed hard in Monaco but failed almost every time. Maybe he will succeed this year?

Remember to 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. For example if you get winner and and 3rd place right but 2nd wrong you get 13 points. A standings table will be posted up every race weekend. The point scoring system will probably 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!

THE PRIZE: the winner of the league will win themselves a admin place on the F1 4 LIFE page along side AE, JT, MH & MW. 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

Refuelling, faster cars among F1 plans for more thrilling racing

Refuelling is set to return to Formula One racing in 2017, governing body the FIA has announced. The proposal is among several agreed by the F1 Strategy Group, which also intends to make cars five to six seconds a lap faster by using wider tyres, reducing weight and evolving the current aerodynamic regulations.

The Strategy Group, which comprises FIA President Jean Todt, Formula One group CEO Bernie Ecclestone and six teams (McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, Force India, Red Bull and Williams), also wants to see higher revving and louder engines, and more visually aggressive cars.

For next season a proposal to allow teams to choose which two of Pirelli's four tyre compounds they run at each race has been agreed (currently Pirelli select two compounds which all teams must use).

And for this season the idea of increasing the engine allowance from four to five was rejected. Instead it was decided to maintain the current engine regulations "in consideration of the investments of the manufacturers involved in the sport and to give visibility to potential new entrants".

The Strategy Group is also investigating “a global reflection on race weekend format” and “measures to make starts only activated by the driver without any outside assistance”.

Furthermore the FIA’s statement said that a "comprehensive proposal to ensure the sustainability of the sport has emerged" and that the Strategy Group will be looking to refine this in the coming weeks in consultation with the other F1 teams.

Refuelling was banned ahead of the 2010 Formula One season, having been part of the sport for the previous 16 years. Its return will not alter the maximum race fuel allowance, currently 100kg.

All the planned changes still need to be approved by the F1 Commission and the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council before they can officially come into effect.


The FIA statement in full:

The Formula One Strategy Group met yesterday in Biggin Hill to exchange views on the current challenges that F1 faces. Besides the statuary members of the Group, representatives of the engine manufacturers were also invited.

The Strategy Group members have debated a number of levers aimed at improving the show. An initial series of measures has been voted:

For 2016:
Free choice of the two dry tyre compounds (out of four) that each team can use during the race weekend

For 2017:
Faster cars: 5 to 6 seconds drop in laptimes through aerodynamic rules evolution, wider tyres and reduction of car weight
Reintroduction of refuelling (maintaining a maximum race fuel allowance)
Higher revving engines and increased noise
More aggressive looks

A few other measures have also been discussed but require further investigation before they can be implemented:
A global reflection on race weekend format
Measures to make starts only activated by the driver without any outside assistance

Furthermore, in light of the various scenarios presented by the independent consulting company mandated by the F1 Strategy Group, at the initiative of the FIA, to work on the reduction of costs and following a constructive exchange, a comprehensive proposal to ensure the sustainability of the sport has emerged. The Strategy Group member Teams have committed to refine it in the next few weeks, in consultation with the other teams involved in the championship. On the engine side, it has been decided that stability of the rules should prevail in consideration of the investments of the manufacturers involved in the sport and to give visibility to potential new entrants. The allowance for a 5th engine to be used during the 2015 season has been rejected.

This constructive meeting between the FIA, FOM and the Teams has allowed paving the way for the future of the championship. All parties agreed to work together with an intention to firm up these proposals and submit them to the approval of the F1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA as soon as possible for implementation.

(source: f1.com)

2015 Spanish GP (FULL RACE)

Unofficial Wednesday testing times from Barcelona

Unofficial Tuesday testing times from Barcelona