Vettel bids farewell to Red Bull

Having officially parted company with Red Bull on Friday, Sebastian Vettel paid a final visit to the team’s Milton Keynes factory on Tuesday to thank staff and say a proper goodbye.

The four-time world champion, who had his first run out with new team Ferrari on Saturday, was presented with a number of gifts by team principal Christian Horner and chief technical officer Adrian Newey, including a 50 percent scale model bull with his championship laurels engraved on the plinth.

The German will also receive one of his championship-winning cars, though not for a while yet because, as Horner joked: "We don't want it turning up in Maranello."

"The last six years have been incredible," Vettel explained to the hundreds of staff who assembled in the team’s race bays. "What we've achieved, the work that's gone in. So much passion, so much dedication. It will always stay in my heart.

“(A) big, big thank you to everyone. In the end we had the better car because we were the better team. Thank you really doesn't really describe enough what I feel."

"There's a lot of happy memories from this place that I'm holding onto. It's been a great journey and I've very grateful for what all of you did for me.”

Newey added: "Whenever Sebastian's been in the car he's been carrying all of our hopes, our ambitions. But we've always known that he's putting everything of himself into it as well. It's been a real privilege."

Vettel spent six full seasons with Red Bull, during which time he claimed four drivers’ crowns, 38 race wins, 27 other podium finishes and 44 pole positions.

(source: F1.com)

Vettel: First experience of Ferrari was 'magical'

Sebastian Vettel described his first experience of working with Ferrari as 'magical' after completing his first laps of Fiorano as part of a comprehensive introductory session with his new team.

On top of racking up nearly 100 laps in a two-year old F2012 on Ferrari's bespoke test circuit on Saturday, Vettel devoted the entirety of Sunday to simulator work in a virtual F14 T, and also had meetings with senior figures including Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne, the F1 team's new managing director and team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, and technical chief James Allison.

"Obviously it's been a fantastic day to come here," Vettel told Ferrari's official website. "There are a lot of fairy tales about Ferrari and how it feels to drive a red car. In the end I can only confirm these fairytales.

"It's not just a story, it's a true legend that exists and it feels really, really special to become part of that, and to be inside the car, to see the people coming, running to the track and trying to climb the walls to see the car. There is definitely something very magical - and something that happened today which I will never forget."

Vettel, who ran in a white helmet bearing the slogan 'il mio Primo giorno in Ferrari' ('my first day in Ferrari'), said the test brought back memories of when he had visited the Scuderia's home town in his youth.

"I was here a long time ago as a little child, driving through Maranello and trying to look over the fence and trying to see a glimpse of Michael [Schumacher] running on the track. Well today I was the one running and saw the tifosi around.

"To be here officially as part of the team felt fantastic. Obviously it's a very different colour for me - everybody is dressed in red, everything is red - but it's really something special and I'm very much looking forward to the challenge that we took on for the next years."

(source: f1.com)

Hulkenberg to race at Le Mans in 2015 with Porsche

A picture I took of Hulkenberg last year with a tele lence.

Nico Hulkenberg will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours for Porsche in 2015 alongside contesting the full Formula One season with Force India.

The 27-year-old German, who will also contest the six-hour World Endurance Championship race at Spa as preparation for his Le Mans bow, said the desire to compete in both disciplines had been too alluring to turn down.

"Porsche and Le Mans - this combination probably attracts every race driver," said Hulkenberg of the twice-round the clock race, which in 2015 takes place on June 13-14, the weekend in between the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix.

"I've been a Porsche fan for a long time and have been watching their return to the LMP1 class closely. The desire grew to drive that car at Le Mans."

Hulkenberg also thanked Force India for allowing him to race at Le Mans, adding: "I am very pleased the 2015 Formula One calendar allows for it and I'm grateful to my Sahara Force India Formula One Team's generosity to let me go for it.

"Now it's up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments."

Though it was common in the past, the last driver to compete in both Grand Prix racing and the Le Mans 24 Hours at the same time was Sebastien Bourdais, who raced for Toro Rosso and Peugeot in the respective disciplines in 2009.

Four drivers in history have won both the Formula One world championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours overall - Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill.

(source: f1.com)

Wolff appointed Williams test driver

Williams have announced that Susie Wolff will step up to the position of official test driver for the 2015 season.

The British racer had previously held the title of development driver, a role which culminated in her becoming the first female driver to drive in a Grand Prix event for two decades when she took part in FP1 in Britain and Germany.

In her expanded new role Wolff, 31, will drive the Mercedes-powered FW37 in two FP1 sessions during 2015, as well as at two test days. She will also conduct extensive simulator testing to help aid development of the Williams’ 2015 and 2016 challengers.

Speaking about her new role Wolff said: “This is another step in the right direction for me. I am delighted Williams are recognising my progression, hard work and that it is performance that counts.

“Williams is at a very exciting stage in its history and we are moving into 2015 with fantastic momentum, I’m proud to be part of the team. I’ll be using my position to work closely with Felipe (Massa)and Valtteri (Bottas) to make sure that the FW37 builds on the strong performance shown by the FW36.”

Williams’ deputy team principal Claire Williams added: “We are delighted to have Susie continuing with the team next season in this new role. She continues to impress us with her strong technical knowledge, the feedback she delivers and the performance when she drives the car both on the track and in the simulator.

“She has steadily increased her time behind the wheel since she joined us in April 2012 and her appointment as official test driver was a natural progression. We have a very strong and stable driver line-up for 2015 and this will be a key asset as we look to build on a positive 2014 season.”

(source: f1.com)

Sainz to race alongside Verstappen at Toro Rosso in 2015

Scuderia Toro Rosso have announced that Carlos Sainz Junior will partner Max Verstappen in an all-new 2015 driver line-up.

The Spaniard, who recently became the youngest ever winner of the World Series by Renault title, replaces Jean-Eric Vergne who announced his departure from the Italian team earlier this week.

“I am really happy to have landed the drive with Scuderia Toro Rosso,” said Sainz, who at 20 is three years older than new team mate Verstappen.

“Ever since I have been part of Red Bull’s Young Driver Programme, this has been my aim and I want to thank Red Bull for putting their faith in me. I have had a very successful season in World Series by Renault this year and now I am looking forward to taking the step up to Formula One.

“I tested for a day with Toro Rosso last year and I liked the atmosphere in the team. In the next few months I will be working hard on my preparation, ready to get in the cockpit in Jerez for the first test of next year. It will be nice to make my ‘official’ debut as a Formula One driver in my home country!”

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost added: “With Carlos Sainz joining Max Verstappen in our driver line-up next year, we continue the Toro Rosso tradition of providing youngsters from the Red Bull Junior Driver Programme with their first steps in Formula One.

“I have watched Carlos progress through the junior categories, always improving as he moved higher up the ladder, culminating in a well-deserved win in this year’s World Series. However, I also remember the day’s testing he did with us at Silverstone in 2013 in the STR8. He really surprised me and his engineers that day, with his mature approach and his speed.”

The son of double world rally champion Carlos Sainz, Sainz Junior began his single-seater career in Formula BMW, before moving up the ranks through Formula Renault 2.0, British Formula 3 and GP3.

Earlier this week he added to his two previous days of F1 testing by taking the wheel for Red Bull in their final test outing of the year in Abu Dhabi.

(source: f1.com)

Wehrlein fastest for Mercedes as Abu Dhabi test ends

A picture I snapped in Abu Dhabi

Pascal Wehrlein ensured Mercedes ended the 2014 season in fitting fashion by going fastest as the final Formula One test of the year drew to a close in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Wehrlein, the team's official reserve driver, hit the front early on and kept himself there by improving his own benchmark several times. The 20-year-old eventually posted a lap of 1m 42.624s to finish just over half a second clear of the chasing pack.

There were further complications for McLaren's interi Honda-powered car, with the team's reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne able to complete just two untimed laps - one fewer than his day one total.

An electrical issue was discovered just as the team was about to head out in the morning, and it was not until the final hour that the car re-emerged from the garage. When it did, it proved short-lived, with Vandoorne stopping on track on just his second lap to signal an end to the team's test.

"Although this looked like another difficult day, this is just part of the learning experience we expected when we took on the interim car programme," McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said. "I'd rather be ironing out these problems here in Abu Dhabi, than discovering them in Jerez, next February."

With times tumbling in the final 30 minutes, Ferrari protege and GP2 race winner Raffaele Marciello - making his F1 test debut with the Scuderia - leapt into second.

"Today was a dream come true," Marciello said. "For an Italian, to jump into a Ferrari, at an official test no less, is a really strong emotion and I am grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity. This being my first time at the wheel of an F14 T, I had to gradually adapt my driving style, but in general, I felt comfortable and I hope I helped the team gather useful data."

Toro Rosso's 2015 rookie Max Verstappen slotted into third. The Dutchman enjoyed a productive morning - in contrast to the first day, when a suspension failure put him in the barriers - but lost running time in the afternoon with a power unit issue.

Sauber's 2015 signing Marcus Ericsson was fourth fastest and finished the day as the only man to break into triple figures in the lap count, on 112. Caterham's Will Stevens ended the day fifth, having been second fastest before others' late improvements.

Spike Goddard, who took over from GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer at Force India, was fractions down the road in sixth. The Australian F3 racer also trialled a new display system developed by Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony on the top of his VJM07's airbox.

Having set the pace on the first day, Williams ended day two in eighth with test and reserve driver Felipe Nasr, who has signed to race for Sauber in 2015.

"Today was really good day. The focus was on the 2015 tyres and longer runs and we learnt a lot," Nasr reflected. "I have to say a big thank you to the whole team for the opportunities they have given me this year and I wish them all the best for the future."

Lotus, meanwhile, occupied ninth and 10th spots courtesy of GP3 champion Alex Lynn and FIA European Formula Three champion Esteban Ocon, who ran in the afternoon and morning respectively.

Unofficial Wednesday times from Abu Dhabi:
1. Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes, 1m 42.624s, 96 laps
2. Raffaele Marciello, Ferrari, 1m 43.208s, 91 laps
3. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 43.763s, 78 laps
4. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 44.551s, 112 laps
5. Will Stevens, Caterham, 1m 44.888s, 76 laps
6. Spike Goddard, Force India, 1m 44.944s, 89 laps
7. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 45.151s, 88 laps
8. Felipe Nasr, Williams, 1m 45.937s, 83 laps
9. Alex Lynn, Lotus, 1m 46.168s, 52 laps
10. Esteban Ocon, Lotus, 1m 47.013s, 34 laps
11. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, no time, 2 laps

(source: f1.com)

LEWIS HAMILTON in 1998