2015 British GP Press Conference after the race

Several of you have asked me where you can watch the press conference after the race. The one that comes after the podium. 

The answer is that some countries shows the post press conference as well and some only show the podium interviews. If you haven't seen the previous then watch this. You can usually find them on YouTube. It's just a pity that there's Spannish dubbing that may distract some of you. I managed to watch this anyways :D

Comparing the 2015 teammates: Mercedes

Last year I did a series where I compared each team's teammates with each other. This year I will do the same. Some of these drivers have been teammates last year so that means that I have to update last years post. My opinions and facts haven't changed so that's why I am not writing everything from scratch.

The first drivers I am comparing are Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg because they were under everybody's looking glass last year.

They used to be teammates also when they were teenagers but I only know a little about that so I'll focus on F1.

I'll do this the same way as I've always done. So first the year, then the teammate and how the season went.

I'm gonna start with Nico Rosberg.

2006 - Mark Webber. Nico started his career in Formula One with a bang. He set the fastest lap in his first ever race, got points and was 3rd in his second qualifying session. Nice start but his teammate was tuff! All of the races where they both finished Webber was always better. In the end of the season he also got more points (7-4).

2007 - Alexander Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima. This time Nico got more points than these two got combined. His "training" season was over and he really showed who was boss when he managed to beat his much more experienced teammate (Wurz). Later Wurz decided to retire from Formula One and the test driver Nakajima replaced him. He wasn't nearly as good as either one of the original drivers of 2007.

2008 - Kazuki Nakajima. Now Nakajima had a new chance to show what he was made of but lost by 8 points to Rosberg (17-9). Williams wasn't that good at the time but Nico managed to get his first ever podium in F1 at Melbourne.

2009 - Kazuki Nakajima. This season Nico was even better than the previous season. You could clearly see that Rosberg was the better driver and Nakajima had to leave the series after this season. Nico got 34,5 points and Nakajima didn't get a single point that season.

2010 - Michael Schumacher. The 7 time world champion came back as a Mercedes driver and became Rosberg's teammate. People said that Rosberg has a lot to learn from Michael but in the end he was better than Schumacher! It was probably because Michael had been away from the sport for a few years but still. Rosberg got 142 points and Schumacher only 72. That's almost twice the amount of points! Rosberg also got three podiums and Schumacher got none.

2011 - Michael Schumacher. Same thing continues in 2011, Rosberg is getting better results than Schumi but now the score is only 89-76. The car wasn't as good in 2011 than it was in 2010. They didn't get a single podium that year.

2012 - Michael Schumacher. Schumi's last year in F1 was worse than the seasons before. Rosberg got 93 points and Schumi only 49. Rosberg won his first race in China that year. It was also the first for the Mercedes GP team.

2013-2014 - Lewis Hamilton. I will compare these two after I have first listed Hamilton's teammates.

Lewis Hamilton on the other hand started a year later than Rosberg and got a chance right away in a better car (McLaren of course). He was 3rd in his first race.

2007 - Fernando Alonso. Probably the worst possible teammate to beat that year. Alonso had just won the last two championships and was planning to win his third in a row. He could probably have done it that year but he focused too much on the young rookie Hamilton when he should have been keeping an eye on Räikkönen. Hamilton and Alonso got exactly the same amount of points and Kimi won them with one single point. That was the tightest fight in Formula One history! Because Hamilton had more 2nd places than Alonso he was higher up in the standings. In a way you can say that he was "better than Alonso".

2008 - Heikki Kovalainen. He got 53 points and won a race. Lewis on the other hand got 98 points and won the championship! You can't beat that!

2009 - Heikki Kovalainen. This was a very bad season for Heikki and McLaren as well so it was easy to beat him. Lewis got 49 points and Heikki only 22. McLaren didn't wanna continue Heikki's contract any further.

2010 - Jenson Button. The 2009 world champion joined McLaren as the 2008 world champion's teammate. People were sure that Jenson had no chance against Lewis but made everybody shut up by winning a race before him. In the end the score was 240-214 between the two of them which ment that Lewis was better (as the press had predicted).

2011 - Jenson Button. This time Jenson was hungry to beat his teammate and did just that with a score of 270-227. Button was runner up in the championship and Hamilton was 5th.

2012 - Jenson Button. Hamilton's last year with McLaren and also the deciding year; who was better Hamilton or Button? Hamilton won 4 races and Button 3. If we look at the points it was 190-188 between them. Very close but Hamilton won with two points.

2013 - Nico Rosberg. The points were 189-171 between Hamilton and Rosberg in 2013. Very close! We also have to remember that in the same race where everybody were focusing on multi21, Ross Brawn told Rosberg to back off and keep his position. He had more speed than Hamilton but the Mercedes team didn't want them to fight and perhaps take each other out of the race. Rosberg also retired 3 times in 2013. Lewis only once.
Lewis won one single race and Nico two (one of them was in Monaco!). The points say that Hamilton is better but if you look at the whole picture it looks like Rosberg was better than Hamilton in 2013.

2014 - Nico Rosberg. This year it was totally different and even though Nico drove well he lost to Lewis clearly. Hamilton was a much better driver in 2014!
The points were 384-317 but Lewis also got 50 points for winning in Abu Dhabi. They both retired more than once but when they managed to finish it was usually Lewis who won. He won 11 races and Rosberg only 5.

This year the story continues...

Hamilton and Rosberg told not to change approach

Mercedes say that clinching the 2014 Formula One constructors’ crown will not lead to changes in how Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg race each other over the final three Grands Prix of 2014.

There have been several flashpoints and tense moments between Hamilton and Rosberg this year, including an ‘unacceptable’ collision in Belgium, after which Mercedes stressed to both drivers that team objectives and silverware were the ultimate priority.

Those criteria were largely fulfilled in Russia, as a one-two finish earned Mercedes their first ever constructors’ title and all but guaranteed Hamilton or Rosberg the drivers’ crown. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo is the only other driver in contention, but is now 92 points behind Hamilton with 100 still available.

Despite that, Mercedes-Benz’s head of motorsport Toto Wolff says the team’s instructions to Hamilton and Rosberg will not alter for the final three events.

“I don’t think we are going to change something in our approach because we want them to race each other respectfully,” Wolff explained.

“Of course 92 points means [Ricciardo] would need to win all three remaining races and Lewis [Hamilton] not score eight points. Even though I am a pessimist, that would be a ‘black swan, black swan, black swan’ event.

“We saw in Russia [that] Nico missed the braking [point] on the dirty line and Lewis was very cold blooded, and it was good.

“So it will not change the approach. We don’t want it to end in some kind of circumstance with events on the track…”

After winning in Sochi - his fourth consecutive victory and ninth of the season - Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points in the drivers’ championship, the biggest advantage the Briton has enjoyed all season.

(source: f1.com)

2014 Italian Grand Prix preview

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.

This year I think the battler between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will continue. Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas will be up there with them taking advantage of the situation.

And now it's time for my predictions and here they are:

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Race:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas, Williams

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Surprise: Daniel Ricciardo will have a bad race for a change. I don't think this track is for him.

The bonus for the PREDICTORS LEAGUE: Who will be the last one to retire? My answer is Romain Grosjean, Lotus.

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

Mercedes duo remain free to race after Rosberg apology

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will continue to race each other for the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship after Mercedes held ‘clear the air’ talks with the pair regarding their clash in Belgium.

During a meeting at Mercedes’ UK headquarters on Friday attended by both drivers as well as head of motorsport Toto Wolff and executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe, Rosberg "acknowledged his responsibility for the contact that occurred on lap two of the Belgian Grand Prix and apologised for this error of judgement".

In a statement issued by the team, Mercedes made it clear that while it would not be issuing team orders, "suitable disciplinary measures have been taken for the incident" and further contact between the two men would not be accepted.

“Mercedes-Benz remains committed to hard, fair racing because this is the right way to win world championships,” the statement read. “It is good for the team, for the fans and for Formula One.

“Lewis and Nico understand and accept the team's number one rule: there must be no contact between the team's cars on track. It has been made clear that another such incident will not be tolerated. But Nico and Lewis are our drivers and we believe in them.”

Despite sustaining front wing damage in the incident, Rosberg went on to finish second at Spa-Francorchamps, whilst Hamilton retired after sustaining damage limping back to the pits with a puncture.

The result enabled Rosberg to extend his championship lead over Hamilton to 29 points with seven races remaining.

(source: f1.com)

Mercedes: 'Unacceptable' clash must never be repeated

Mercedes-Benz's head of motorsport Toto Wolff says the "unacceptable" collision between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton at Spa-Francorchamps "cannot - and will not - happen again".

The pair clashed at Les Combes on lap two of the 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix. Rosberg had moved alongside Hamilton down the Kemmel straight, but as the Briton held his line through Les Combes, Rosberg's front wing hit the left rear of Hamilton's car, with the subsequent puncture and damage effectively ending the Briton's race hopes.

Wolff said the accident was a clear transgression of the fundamental rules Mercedes have laid down in an effort to allow the pair to race together without compromising the team's overall objectives.

"Today we saw our worst case scenario when the drivers made contact on lap two - and that ultimately cost us a one-two finish today, because we saw that our car had that kind of performance in it," Wolff said. 

"It has been our clear policy to let the drivers race this year but rule number one is: don't hit each other. To see that kind of contact, so early in the race, is an unacceptable level of risk to be taking out on track. 

"It cannot - and will not - happen again."

Wolff added it was absolutely imperative for the team to convert their performance advantage into silverware - an objective threatened by the lap-two clash.

"Overall, not a good day for the team - and it is clear that we need to strengthen our focus on securing the constructors' championship by delivering the potential of both cars in the next races," he said. 

"Now we need to regroup and come back stronger in Monza."

After having a chance to review the incident on TV, Rosberg said: “It was a racing incident, that’s the best way to describe it, and that’s how the stewards saw it."

Asked whether he thought it might have been a better idea to have waited for another opportunity to overtake Hamilton later in the race, the German added: “I didn’t see any risk in trying to overtake, so why should I not try? The opportunity was there [to overtake], even without DRS because I was so much quicker, so I gave it a go. 

“[Going] inside was not possible so I tried around the outside. To ask ‘should I have waited?’ is very hypothetical because who knows what happens afterwards. The opportunity was there and for me it was not a risky situation.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, said he was devastated to retire, insisting he had given Rosberg enough room.

"I'm gutted with the result - not just for my own championship hopes but for the team, as we really should have had a one-two today," he said. 

"I didn't fully understand what had happened until I saw the replay just now, but I gave him plenty of space, took the corner like I usually do and suddenly felt a big hit from behind. There was nothing I could do about it and that was effectively my race over.

"What happens next is not my call - that's one for the bosses to make. But I'm now almost 30 points behind in the championship so that's the main thing on my mind. It's a big gap and it will be hard to recover from here."

(source: f1.com)

Football fever sweeps the paddock

Football fever has swept through the Formula One paddock in recent weeks with many drivers and team members making a special effort to watch their teams in action during the FIFA World Cup.

Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel were amongst the German contingent who enjoyed their national team’s victory over Romain Grosjean's France in the quarter finals on the Silverstone race weekend, whilst Williams’ Felipe Massa was delighted to see Brazil triumph over Colombia at the same stage of the competition.

However, a few days later, and just hours after he’d set the fastest time on the first day of the post-race test in Great Britain, Massa’s beloved seleção were dismantled 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals. 

“[It] was mega fun,” tweeted a delighted Rosberg afterwards, “but feel sorry for all Brazilians!”

Sebastian Vettel was similarly pleased: “Honestly I am very proud of how they played,” he said on the second day of the Silverstone test. “The result was obviously more dominant than everyone expected, but the final will be tight. I hope we win - it is a great chance.” 

The organisers of the upcoming Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2014 at Hockenheim are offering fans a chance to benefit from the German team’s success. 

During the World Cup, fans are being given a discount on weekend tickets of 11 euros for every goal that Germany scores in regulation or extra-time. So, after the German team’s monumental 7-1 scoreline against Brazil in the semi-final, fans received a discount of 77 euros per ticket!

Germany play Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday evening and you can be sure that Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel will be tuning in.

(source: f1.com)

FIA post-qualifying press conference - Austria

Drivers: 1 - Felipe Massa (Williams); 2 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams); 3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

Q: Felipe, pole for the first time since, I think, Brazil 2008. Describe your emotions now.
Felipe Massa: Yeah, I'm so happy with what's happened today with us and our team. It was such a great moment. It was already long time when I had my last pole position, which was, yeah, in Brazil, 2008. So, such an incredible moment. For sure we need to concentrate on the race tomorrow, you know, it's a difficult and important race for us. But I think it's a great moment. The best place to be is here in the first place. It's something that I got the chance to be many times in all my career and I am again now. After a long time I couldn't be in this place and I hope this is just the beginning of maybe some great possibilities to be here again, not just in the qualifying but also in the race. The race is tomorrow but I'm so happy, very emotional – not just for me but I think it's a similar feeling what I feel and what Williams feel as well. Williams Martini had an incredible career in the past and they are back to the top, they are back to the fight. There is still a lot to do but the work is going on the right line. I'm so pleased for me and for Williams Martini as well.

Q: Very well done. Coming to you Valtteri. Your best ever Formula One qualifying in second place. You were in provisional pole though, but it looked like a mistake on your last and it ended up very close with Felipe, I believe only nine one hundredths of a second the gap between you.
Valtteri Bottas: Yeah best position so far in my career, so one more place to go. Well done Felipe. I'm really happy for us as a team. This result is really good at this point. We've made some big, big steps from last year and now we get a result like this. Of course it's only Saturday but still we can see that all the hard work really starts to pay off. I'm really happy for us. As Felipe says the race is tomorrow, so we need to focus on that. It's going to be a different story tomorrow, it's not going to be easy to keep the Mercedes cars behind for sure, and even some other cars like Ferrari and Red Bull are going to be strong. Yeah, not a bad day today but we just need to keep focused now.

Q: Very well done. Nico, coming to you now. Championship leader but it's not the first time that you've not been on the front row of the grid. Did you expect to have these two cars in front of you and what happened today for you?
Nico Rosberg: No, of course, I definitely didn't expect the Williams to be ahead of me today but they did a good job and it just didn't come together perfectly for me. I also lost out on that last lap because of Lewis spinning in front in the corner, so I couldn't do that lap. You have to lift off two tenths of a second you know and doing that, to do at least two tenths you have to do three tenths and it's just… it wouldn't have been possible to improve on my lap time so I backed out of it. So that definitely cost me today but that's just the way it is. But still third place is OK, it's OK to start from there tomorrow and I have a quick car in the race, so I'm still looking forward to it and I'll make the most of it.

Q: Well done. Coming back to you Felipe. Obviously the race tomorrow, but there's a big football tournament going on at the moment in your home country. I guess though that all eyes will be on you in the early part of tomorrow, what do you expect? 
FM: Yeah, I think there is a lot going on in Brazil in this moment so I really expect that we can have a great show, a great show for everybody which is looking, you know the World Cup in Brazil. So I hope the best definitely for the World Cup in Brazil but I hope the best for Brazil. Just before I go to the car my son gave me a little Neymar, a little one, so I bring the little one to the car and I put on the side of my helmet. It was a nice feeling. I'm a great fan of football, so I hope we can have a great World Cup. I know what it is to win at home so I can imagine winning the World Cup at home is like a dream come true, not just for the players but also for everybody which is watching, so I really hope the best for Brazil.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Felipe, it was noticeable this morning in Free Practice Three that you guys were working on qualifying from fairly early on. Was it a real plan here to really focus on qualifying and do the best possible job that you could do here this afternoon?
FM: Well, it was not different, what we was doing this morning compared to the other races. We were doing similar working compared to what we was doing before, so definitely… also the Saturday the qualifying is the main focus y'know, but it was no different to what we did in the other races so… but I mean it's pretty clear that our car was good, our car was competitive and it shows really a very good performance today and also yesterday since we started, both tyres it shows good performance. And it shows again in the qualifying that definitely we are a little bit surprised – we expect maybe Mercedes to be a little bit heavier, y'know? Just preparing the qualifying to put the right level of fuel and be like they were in the last races. Maybe not a big gap because this is a small track but, yeah, it was a little bit of a surprise – but it was a great job from us. From both of us, from the team, from everybody. 

Q: Valtteri, it's obvious, as Felipe was saying, the car is working well. But it seems this year, your team, when you've bought updates to the car, they've worked straight away. Obviously the correlation is very good between the wind tunnel and the race track and everything seems to be pointing in the right direction.
VB: That is true. We haven't been making any bad updates. We've always… if we have bought something it has always worked and that has been a big improvement from last year. We can really put all the energy into the right direction, developing parts and knowing that they will work, so, no energy wasted there so that's good. Like Felipe said, I'm really happy for the result today. For us as a team it's a great achievement. Of course it's only Saturday but we are really looking forward for tomorrow, trying to get some really good points with both cars. So, we really just need to focus on that.

Q: Nico, some thoughts from you. Obviously still a good chance for you to win the race tomorrow, taking on these two gentleman here. And also some thoughts on your team-mate who's going to be starting down in ninth.
NR: Yeah, chances for the race are obviously good from P3. It's more difficult than starting on the front row, of course, but it's still a good chance there because I think it's possible to overtake on this track. First stint, also, the tyres are going to degrade massively on the Option, so already there maybe at the end of the stint there's a little bit of a chance. And I'll have a good race car for sure. The balance was not ideal today in qualifying but definitely more a race car. So, in the race I'm sure I'll be more happy with it. So I look forward to trying to make the most of it. Points-wise also with Lewis starting in ninth, that's of course for the team not good but for me it's, yeah, good that way. I need to make the most of it and try to extend the gap tomorrow.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Universo Online) Nico, last race Mercedes didn't win after six races in a row winning everything. Here, the first competition with qualifying ended with Mercedes not starting again in the first position. It's just the circumstance of the competition or the opponents are really approaching your team?
NR: It's a short track here and still we have the fastest car, even today, it's just that I didn't get that second lap to give it a go and my first lap, the balance was not good. In general also today my balance was not good because I'd worked more for the race – but I didn't expect it to be that bad. I didn't expect to be that uncomfortable. But anyways, not it's third and for the race I'm sure I'll have a good car, so, I think that's a very small view that we're taking now: two races, no wins, no pole… or no pole now. But I still think we're dominant and definitely have the fastest car and I hope it's going to stay like that for some time to come.

Q: (Michael Shields – Reuters) Felipe Massa, how does it feel to be starting from the pole position? I think this is the first time since 2008.
FM: Yeah, it's the first time since 2008. I think it's always the best feeling we can have. Being the quickest on the track against everybody, it's always the best feeling a driver can have. A driver always works and fights to achieve this. It's definitely a great moment, this qualifying. Only, work for tomorrow is very difficult. Long and tough race but, y'know, is a good start.

Q: (Sarah Holt – CNN) Felipe, you had a chance to win in Canada last time out and you've spoken passionately about the events that happened there since then. Do you think that tomorrow you've got a cool head and Williams has got the race pace that you need to make it a win this time and keep Valtteri and Nico etc at bay? 
FM: Well, I think that depends on these guys here. We need to try to do the best we can. I think we have a good car, definitely we show a very competitive car since yesterday morning. I think what happened at the last race is past. I think you cannot live the past, we need to live in the present and the future. We lost some opportunity, we lost great points in Canada. Unfortunately we had some problems in the first pit stop when I lost four or five seconds and that put me in a difficult situation for the race but I had incredible pace as well and looking what happened with the Mercedes, it would definitely have been possible to win. I was in front of Ricciardo and he won the race. Normally my pace was also good to fight with... to be in front of him. The race is tomorrow, it's a different situation, we're starting in a better position which is always a help and we need to see how Mercedes will be tomorrow in the race but we will try everything we can, definitely. 

Q: (Panagiotis Seitanidis – Alpha TV) Felipe, we saw a very touching emotional moment with your wife and son. After all the troubles you had with the accident and the difficult times that came after that, how important was the support of your family all this moment, and what did your son tell you, or what did you feel when you looked at him at that moment? 
FM: Actually, I was also very close to my family. When I was a kid, with my father, my mother, my brother, my sister – we were always together at the races. I have always had great support from my family and then after, with my wife, my son now. It's a great moment. When I saw him, it was just like... he never saw me in first place so it's the first time. I think that makes the father feel nice, a good feeling, to see that your son is looking that you are in first place so it's a great feeling, it's a great moment and for sure, it's part of my motivation. He's part of everything I'm doing for my career, so it's definitely a great feeling. I hope we can have a great race tomorrow as well with him watching and my wife and all my family as well from home. 

Q: (Sven Haidinger – Sport Woche) Valtteri, what influence did the arrival of Pat Symonds have on your team and on the performance of the car? 
VB: I think we can see it in the performance. I think the results have shown that he's been one of the key persons for Williams to come back to closer to the positions where we belong to be in the races. As soon as he arrived, many things started to change and are still changing. Every week, as a team, we are still getting stronger and stronger, so we are definitely on the right way and that is thanks to Pat but also many other people in the team.

Q: (Anthony Rowlinson – F1 Racing) Felipe, has the change of team environment to Williams allowed you to find your best form again? 
FM: For sure, I had a great time with Ferrari. I'm not a guy who is trying to speak bad about the past. I have had an incredible time in my past and I really enjoy everybody from Ferrari, but I feel that sometimes a change helps. Always when you are in the same place for many years... also I had a difficult moment as well, you know, it was good to have a change. I think it was good for the motivation and everything, so I think it was definitely positive, this change and I really really feel happy with Williams Martini with really great people. I think they work 110 percent, happy, and they really believe in my job, they really believe in what I say and I think that's really positive. It makes me feel better, it makes me feel nice and it makes me feel very important inside the team.

Q: (Mikhail Rudoi – Autodigest Belarus) Valtteri, tomorrow, when you will see green lights, how do you think? You will concentrate not to lose second place or you will try to attack Felipe to the first turn? 
VB: I think you always try to do the best you can. I think it really depends how good a start you get and it depends on the situation, what kind of start the other cars around will get and then you see how is the situation but I think both of us, me and Felipe, we really need to just try and do the best we can, try and go as forward as possible after the first corner and the first lap and keep the position as long as possible. We know that Mercedes' race pace is going to be really really strong so it's not going to be an easy day tomorrow but we will do our best.

Q: (Eli Shaouly - Automagazine, Israel) Felipe, it's the first time that somebody actually beat Mercedes fair and square this season. This actually looked closed, like finished, one or two races ago. Do you think it's now a new opening, do you think you can handle a big challenge to them or do you think it's just one track that is very unique and the future will be different? Maybe also Nico can answer this? 
FM: Honestly, we cannot forget what Mercedes has been doing up to now. We cannot forget that they didn't have a clean qualifying as well. For sure, for the moment they are in front. For the moment, they are stronger. I hope, during the championship we can close or maybe can even pass (them). This is what we're always working for, you know. But I think it's not enough to say that we are there with Mercedes. I think that for the moment we don't know. For the moment is maybe this track helps us definitely, but we don't know. As Valtteri just said, I think we will see a very strong Mercedes tomorrow, so we need to be ready for everything, we need to be ready also that finishing behind them is still an incredible job for us.

NR: I still think we are the quickest team and car at the moment, but we are always keeping a close eye on the opposition and today Williams was definitely close, so we need to keep on pushing. Today was Williams, two races ago it was Red Bull that were getting closer so we need to go for it, but I'm confident that we can keep up the development rate and stay ahead.

(source: f1.com)

2014 Canadian Grand Prix preview

Are you ready for the Canadian Grand Prix? I know I am! Can't wait to see what the Mercedes drivers argue about in this race. Maybe if Lewis Hamilton wins then everything will be ok but if Nico Rosberg wins it will be a much darker sight. 

Make sure to check Hamilton's face if this happens. He will have a fake smile on his face like last time. Rosberg probably will have a fake smile too but at least his expression won't look as obvious. That's one thing Hamilton should work on. Rosberg on the other hand should work on being a better driver than Hamilton.

Even though I probably like Rosberg more as a person I must say that I think Hamilton is a better driver. Don't take this the wrong way! I don't hate Hamilton and Rosberg is also a very good driver. This is just if I had to take a pick.

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 probably enjoy this one as well.


Then it's time for my predictions again!

Pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

The race:

1. Lewis Hmilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

Fastest lap: Fernando Alonso, 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 JT, AE & 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