Drivers Giving Up On Drivers Title
After Sebastian Vettel won his sixth race out of eight, people have started calling him "2011 Drivers World Champion" already. Some of the drivers have started to come along to the same conclusion. After the European GP, Fernando Alonso & Lewis Hamilton have been caught saying that they cannot win the driver's championship this year. It is comments that will not please their teams, but will give Red Bull a huge confidence boost.
Pressure Off Alguersuari?
After a great performance by Jaime Alguersuari at the European GP, the pressure will probably be lifted slightly on the young Spaniard's shoulders. He has now finished eighth at the last two races, actually pushing him above his team mate - Sebastian Buemi - in the Driver's World Championships. If his run of points finishes continue, Daniel Ricciardo will have to continue to sit on the sidelines, until the pressure starts to mount on Buemi?
Monday 27 June 2011
Climber Of The Month - Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez has won the Climber Of The Month award for the second month in a row. His climbing is partly due to the tightness at the bottom of the rankings, and partly with Sergio's impressive displays through his debut season.
Sergio missed the Canadian GP after his accident at the Monaco GP. Felling ill while in the car, he gave his Sauber to Pedro De La Rosa for the weekend. At the European GP, Sergio tried to make amends for this missing week-end. On a one-stop strategy, Sergio was always going to be moving up and down the grid. Eventually, within the very tight midfield, he finished in eleventh place, just outside the points. However, he did gain rankings points, enough to push him into up to 31st place.
Gainers in June
Pos - Driver - Team - Pos. Gained
1 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - +5
2 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - +2
2 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - +2
2 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - +2
Sergio missed the Canadian GP after his accident at the Monaco GP. Felling ill while in the car, he gave his Sauber to Pedro De La Rosa for the weekend. At the European GP, Sergio tried to make amends for this missing week-end. On a one-stop strategy, Sergio was always going to be moving up and down the grid. Eventually, within the very tight midfield, he finished in eleventh place, just outside the points. However, he did gain rankings points, enough to push him into up to 31st place.
Gainers in June
Pos - Driver - Team - Pos. Gained
1 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - +5
2 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - +2
2 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - +2
2 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - +2
Driver Of The Month - Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel wins his third Driver Of The Month of the year with a great June. He is still number one in the world championships - with nearly a 1000 point gap to second placed Mark Webber.
His June started well with Pole Position at Canada. His race went well, with pitstops at the correct time being the main reason he was in the lead on the last lap. However, a famous mistake on the last lap gave the victory to Jenson Button, and Sebastian had to settle for second place - only the second time this year. The second race in June went to plan for Vettel. He got Pole on the Saturday, then on Sunday he lead nearly 100% of the race, bagging the fastest lap as he went along. This domination is not great news for the other 23 drivers, with Sebastian's dominance of 2011 not looking to stop any time soon.
Biggest Movers in June
Pos - Driver - Team - Points Gained
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - +192
2 - Jenson Button - McLaren - +49
3 - Ferando Alonso - Ferrari - +36.5
4 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - +34
5 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - +27
His June started well with Pole Position at Canada. His race went well, with pitstops at the correct time being the main reason he was in the lead on the last lap. However, a famous mistake on the last lap gave the victory to Jenson Button, and Sebastian had to settle for second place - only the second time this year. The second race in June went to plan for Vettel. He got Pole on the Saturday, then on Sunday he lead nearly 100% of the race, bagging the fastest lap as he went along. This domination is not great news for the other 23 drivers, with Sebastian's dominance of 2011 not looking to stop any time soon.
Biggest Movers in June
Pos - Driver - Team - Points Gained
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - +192
2 - Jenson Button - McLaren - +49
3 - Ferando Alonso - Ferrari - +36.5
4 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - +34
5 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - +27
Sunday 26 June 2011
Rankings - 26th June
The New Rank after the European GP
Rank - Driver - Points - Last Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - 3347 - 1
2 - Mark Webber - 2391 - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - 2168.5 - 3
4 - Fernando Alonso - 1970.5 - 4
5 - Jenson Button - 1665.5 - 5
6 - Felipe Massa - 1083 - 6
7 - Nico Rosberg - 891 - 7
8 - Rubens Barrichello - 863 - 8
9 - Robert Kubica - 698 - 9
10 - Adrian Sutil - 536.5 - 10
11 - Nick Heidfeld - 513.5 - 11
12 - Michael Schumacher - 488 - 12
13 - Heikki Kovalainen - 443.5 - 13
14 - Sebastian Buemi - 436.5 - 14
15 - Vitaly Petrov - 424 - 16
16 - Kamui Kobayashi - 411 - 18
17 - Jarno Trulli - 393 - 17
18 - Kimi Raikkonen - 387.5 - 15
19 - Jaime Alguersuari - 359 - 19
20 - Timo Glock - 308.5 - 20
21 - Nico Hulkenberg - 291 - 21
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - 232 - 22
23 - Giancarlo Fisichella - 172.5 - 23
24 - Kazuki Nakajima - 131 - 24
24 - Pedro De La Rosa - 131 - 25
26 - Paul Di Resta - 120 - 26
27 - Nelson Piquet Jnr - 90 - 27
28 - Sebastian Bourdais - 74 - 28
29 - Bruno Senna - 56 - 30
30 - Lucas Di Grassi - 55 - 29
31 - Sergio Perez - 46 - 36
32 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - 44 - 31
33 - Pastor Maldonado - 38 - 34
34 - Sakon Yamamoto - 36 - 33
35 - David Coulthard - 31 - 32
36 - Romain Grosjean - 31 - 35
37 - Narain Karthikeyan - 22 - 37
38 - Luca Badoer - 11 - 38
39 - Christian Klien - 2 - 39
Rank - Driver - Points - Last Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - 3347 - 1
2 - Mark Webber - 2391 - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - 2168.5 - 3
4 - Fernando Alonso - 1970.5 - 4
5 - Jenson Button - 1665.5 - 5
6 - Felipe Massa - 1083 - 6
7 - Nico Rosberg - 891 - 7
8 - Rubens Barrichello - 863 - 8
9 - Robert Kubica - 698 - 9
10 - Adrian Sutil - 536.5 - 10
11 - Nick Heidfeld - 513.5 - 11
12 - Michael Schumacher - 488 - 12
13 - Heikki Kovalainen - 443.5 - 13
14 - Sebastian Buemi - 436.5 - 14
15 - Vitaly Petrov - 424 - 16
16 - Kamui Kobayashi - 411 - 18
17 - Jarno Trulli - 393 - 17
18 - Kimi Raikkonen - 387.5 - 15
19 - Jaime Alguersuari - 359 - 19
20 - Timo Glock - 308.5 - 20
21 - Nico Hulkenberg - 291 - 21
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - 232 - 22
23 - Giancarlo Fisichella - 172.5 - 23
24 - Kazuki Nakajima - 131 - 24
24 - Pedro De La Rosa - 131 - 25
26 - Paul Di Resta - 120 - 26
27 - Nelson Piquet Jnr - 90 - 27
28 - Sebastian Bourdais - 74 - 28
29 - Bruno Senna - 56 - 30
30 - Lucas Di Grassi - 55 - 29
31 - Sergio Perez - 46 - 36
32 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - 44 - 31
33 - Pastor Maldonado - 38 - 34
34 - Sakon Yamamoto - 36 - 33
35 - David Coulthard - 31 - 32
36 - Romain Grosjean - 31 - 35
37 - Narain Karthikeyan - 22 - 37
38 - Luca Badoer - 11 - 38
39 - Christian Klien - 2 - 39
2011 European Grand Prix - Race
Sebastian Vettel eased to victory at the European Grand Prix. He was never troubled by Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, who battled over second.
The race started with great starts for most of the drivers. However, Felipe Massa got a stunning start, jumping both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. But, while he was trying to take Mark Webber on the inside of turn two, Fernando Alonso jumped him. Behind them, Rosberg had jumped Button, and Vitaly Petrov had fallen through the field. Button soon regained his position however, going into turn two.
With the DRS zone activated, the driver's main aim was to keep a one second between them, and the driver behind. Vettel was perfecting this, however a mistake from Webber meant that Alonso was getting close. Both drivers battled it out, but no winner prevailed as the first stage of pit-stops began. Lewis Hamilton was the first of the leading drivers to pit, followed by Rosberg, then Webber, Button and the Ferrari's. Lewis was the only gainer, jumping Felipe Massa.
In the midfield, things were getting tight. On the exit of the pit lane, Michael Schumacher ran wide into turn 2, and broke his front wing on the back of Vitaly Petrov's Renault. There was also almost half a dozen cars all with a hope for that valuable 10th place. As they all swapped positions, the main fighting at the front was for second. Alonso was closing in on Webber. Alonso was gaining and gaining, and with DRS on his side, it was long until the Spaniard had passed the Australian for second place.
It was soon time for the second round of pit-stops. Hamilton was first again, followed by Webber, Alonso, Vettel, Button & Massa. Hamilton made a small mistake, nearly jumping the gun, but Massa had problems with his rear-right wheel nut, losing him fourth place. Just behind the top 6, Jaime Alguersuari was doing very well on home turf. On a one-stopper, he had gained a lot of ground, and was sitting in seventh, closely followed by Rosberg. However, Jaime's tyres were fading, and soon the inevitable happened, and Rosberg passed Alguersuari, down the DRS zone.
It was again time for the final round of pit-stops. Webber was one of the first in, coming out on the harder tyres. The decision was a poor one. His lap times started to fall, and it was with ease that Fernando Alonso jumped him through the pit-stops. The news got worse for Webber. He soon had a gearbox problem, meaning he could not push the car, giving Alonso some breathing room. The last remaking action was to be found outside of the points. Perez, Barrichello, Buemi, Di Resta and Kobayashi all tried to force their way up the field, but none prevailed.
In the end, Sebastian Vettel had a very ease and quiet race. His win is his sixth of the season, and he has finished 1st or 2nd in the first eight races, a record.
Race Results
Pos - Driver - Team -Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
3 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
4 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
5 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
6 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
7 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
8 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 19
9 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
10 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault -11
11 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - 36
12 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
13 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 14
14 - Paul DiResta - Force India - 26
15 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 16
16 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
17 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
18 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 34
19 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
20 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 17
21 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 20
22 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 31
23 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
24 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 37
The race started with great starts for most of the drivers. However, Felipe Massa got a stunning start, jumping both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. But, while he was trying to take Mark Webber on the inside of turn two, Fernando Alonso jumped him. Behind them, Rosberg had jumped Button, and Vitaly Petrov had fallen through the field. Button soon regained his position however, going into turn two.
With the DRS zone activated, the driver's main aim was to keep a one second between them, and the driver behind. Vettel was perfecting this, however a mistake from Webber meant that Alonso was getting close. Both drivers battled it out, but no winner prevailed as the first stage of pit-stops began. Lewis Hamilton was the first of the leading drivers to pit, followed by Rosberg, then Webber, Button and the Ferrari's. Lewis was the only gainer, jumping Felipe Massa.
In the midfield, things were getting tight. On the exit of the pit lane, Michael Schumacher ran wide into turn 2, and broke his front wing on the back of Vitaly Petrov's Renault. There was also almost half a dozen cars all with a hope for that valuable 10th place. As they all swapped positions, the main fighting at the front was for second. Alonso was closing in on Webber. Alonso was gaining and gaining, and with DRS on his side, it was long until the Spaniard had passed the Australian for second place.
It was soon time for the second round of pit-stops. Hamilton was first again, followed by Webber, Alonso, Vettel, Button & Massa. Hamilton made a small mistake, nearly jumping the gun, but Massa had problems with his rear-right wheel nut, losing him fourth place. Just behind the top 6, Jaime Alguersuari was doing very well on home turf. On a one-stopper, he had gained a lot of ground, and was sitting in seventh, closely followed by Rosberg. However, Jaime's tyres were fading, and soon the inevitable happened, and Rosberg passed Alguersuari, down the DRS zone.
It was again time for the final round of pit-stops. Webber was one of the first in, coming out on the harder tyres. The decision was a poor one. His lap times started to fall, and it was with ease that Fernando Alonso jumped him through the pit-stops. The news got worse for Webber. He soon had a gearbox problem, meaning he could not push the car, giving Alonso some breathing room. The last remaking action was to be found outside of the points. Perez, Barrichello, Buemi, Di Resta and Kobayashi all tried to force their way up the field, but none prevailed.
In the end, Sebastian Vettel had a very ease and quiet race. His win is his sixth of the season, and he has finished 1st or 2nd in the first eight races, a record.
Race Results
Pos - Driver - Team -Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
3 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
4 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
5 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
6 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
7 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
8 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 19
9 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
10 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault -11
11 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - 36
12 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
13 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 14
14 - Paul DiResta - Force India - 26
15 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 16
16 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
17 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
18 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 34
19 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
20 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 17
21 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 20
22 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 31
23 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
24 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 37
Saturday 25 June 2011
Latest F1 News
Perez is Back
After missing out at the Canadian GP due to illness, Sergio Perez has re-taken his seat in his Sauber. At the Canadian GP, he felt ill during Free Practice 1, giving his seat to Pedro De La Rosa. Sergio will be looking to bounce back in style, with Sauber, so far, being the sixth best team on the grid.
Last Year for Trulli
Rumours have started about Jarno Trulli's future. Jarno is currently in his 15th season, and at the age of 36, people have started to talk about a possible retirement. Jarno, who is currently on course for a 250th GP this year, has denied the rumours, but Jarno is not getting any younger, and cannot have too many seasons left in F1.
After missing out at the Canadian GP due to illness, Sergio Perez has re-taken his seat in his Sauber. At the Canadian GP, he felt ill during Free Practice 1, giving his seat to Pedro De La Rosa. Sergio will be looking to bounce back in style, with Sauber, so far, being the sixth best team on the grid.
Last Year for Trulli
Rumours have started about Jarno Trulli's future. Jarno is currently in his 15th season, and at the age of 36, people have started to talk about a possible retirement. Jarno, who is currently on course for a 250th GP this year, has denied the rumours, but Jarno is not getting any younger, and cannot have too many seasons left in F1.
2011 European Grand Prix - Qualifying
Sebastian Vettel gained his seventh pole position of the season beating off competition from Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton.
In Q1, all the attention, as always, was on the back of the field. The usual crowd were fighting it out for that precious 17th place. For a heartbeat, it seemed that a big name could drop out. Mark Webber, Felipe Massa and the Mercedes all had to go out on the soft tyres. This kept them all safe, meaning Felipe Massa took first, and meant that Jaime Alguersuari joined the two Lotus drivers, Virgin drivers, and the two HRT cars. All seven of which, qualified within the 107% of the fastest lap.
In the 15 minutes of Q2, there were the usual two parts. First, most of the drivers went out to do a flying lap. At the end of the first stint, Pastor Maldonado seemed to have an electrical problem with his Williams. he abandoned his car just off the racing line, a stunt which eventually brought out he red flags, postponing Q2 with 7 minutes 59 seconds left. When Pastor's car had been removed from the track, it was re-opened. Everyone below sixth went to do another flying lap. It looked like it would be the top five teams (Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Renault & Mercedes) who would participate in Q3, but as the checkered flag falled, Adrian Sutil pushed out Vitaly Petrov.
Q3 got underway with six cars setting the early pace. Vettel led the way setting a time of 1:36.975, 0.4 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. As they got ready for another stint, the Mercedes drivers, on a one-flying lap, joined them. Nick Heidfeld and Adrian Sutil chose not to do a flying lap, in order to save their tyres. At the front, the drivers were struggling to improve in their times. Mark Webber managed to get his Red Bull up to second, but no-one improved. This meant Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel abandoned their laps. Sebastian Vettel then eased to another pole position, followed by Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
Grid For Tomorrow
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
4 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
5 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
6 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
7 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
8 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
9 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault - 11
10 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
11 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 16
12 - Paul DiResta - Force India - 26
13 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
14 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
15 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 34
16 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - 36
17 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 14
18 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 19
19 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
20 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 17
21 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 20
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
23 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 31
24 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 37
In Q1, all the attention, as always, was on the back of the field. The usual crowd were fighting it out for that precious 17th place. For a heartbeat, it seemed that a big name could drop out. Mark Webber, Felipe Massa and the Mercedes all had to go out on the soft tyres. This kept them all safe, meaning Felipe Massa took first, and meant that Jaime Alguersuari joined the two Lotus drivers, Virgin drivers, and the two HRT cars. All seven of which, qualified within the 107% of the fastest lap.
In the 15 minutes of Q2, there were the usual two parts. First, most of the drivers went out to do a flying lap. At the end of the first stint, Pastor Maldonado seemed to have an electrical problem with his Williams. he abandoned his car just off the racing line, a stunt which eventually brought out he red flags, postponing Q2 with 7 minutes 59 seconds left. When Pastor's car had been removed from the track, it was re-opened. Everyone below sixth went to do another flying lap. It looked like it would be the top five teams (Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Renault & Mercedes) who would participate in Q3, but as the checkered flag falled, Adrian Sutil pushed out Vitaly Petrov.
Q3 got underway with six cars setting the early pace. Vettel led the way setting a time of 1:36.975, 0.4 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. As they got ready for another stint, the Mercedes drivers, on a one-flying lap, joined them. Nick Heidfeld and Adrian Sutil chose not to do a flying lap, in order to save their tyres. At the front, the drivers were struggling to improve in their times. Mark Webber managed to get his Red Bull up to second, but no-one improved. This meant Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel abandoned their laps. Sebastian Vettel then eased to another pole position, followed by Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
Grid For Tomorrow
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
4 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
5 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
6 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
7 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
8 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
9 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault - 11
10 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
11 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 16
12 - Paul DiResta - Force India - 26
13 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
14 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
15 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 34
16 - Sergio Perez - Sauber - 36
17 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 14
18 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 19
19 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
20 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 17
21 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 20
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
23 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 31
24 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 37
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Latest F1 News
Bahrain Absolutely Cancelled
OK. so the discussions can now stop. The FIA have announced that the Bahrain Grand Prix will not take place this year. After discussions had been going for nearly five month, it was a vote from the World Motor Sport Council that brought it all to an end. We will now have to wait for March 2012 for the next Bahrain GP
Lewis to Red Bull
After two bad races for Lewis Hamilton, rumours have started about his future. Apparently he had a 15 minute "meeting" with Christian Horner, and people have started saying that they are negotiating a future contract for Lewis. The McLaren driver's contract runs out at then of 2012, and Red Bull are currently looking for Mark Webber's replacement. Currently these are just rumours, so who knows who Lewis will be racing for in 2013 and onwards.
OK. so the discussions can now stop. The FIA have announced that the Bahrain Grand Prix will not take place this year. After discussions had been going for nearly five month, it was a vote from the World Motor Sport Council that brought it all to an end. We will now have to wait for March 2012 for the next Bahrain GP
Lewis to Red Bull
After two bad races for Lewis Hamilton, rumours have started about his future. Apparently he had a 15 minute "meeting" with Christian Horner, and people have started saying that they are negotiating a future contract for Lewis. The McLaren driver's contract runs out at then of 2012, and Red Bull are currently looking for Mark Webber's replacement. Currently these are just rumours, so who knows who Lewis will be racing for in 2013 and onwards.
Sunday 12 June 2011
Rankings - 12th June
Rankings
Pos - Driver - Points - Pre Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - 3231.5 - 1
2 - Mark Webber - 2360.5 - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - 2201.5 - 3
4 - Fernado Alonso - 1943 - 4
5 - Jenson Button - 1673 - 5
6 - Felipe Massa - 1097.5 - 6
7 - Nico Rosberg - 889 - 7
8 - Rubens Barrichello - 875.5 - 8
9 - Robert Kubica - 744.5 - 9
10 - Adrian Sutil - 526.6 - 10
11 - Nick Heidfeld - 498.5 - 11
12 - Michael Schumacher - 490 - 12
13 - Heikki Kovalainen - 454.5 - 13
14 - Sebastian Buemi - 435 - 16
15 - Kimi Raikkonen - 434 - 14
16 - Vitaly Petrov - 416 - 17
17 - Jarno Trulli - 413 - 15
18 - Kamui Kobayashi - 401 - 18
19 - Jaime Alguersuari - 342 - 20
20 - Timo Glock - 319.5 - 19
21 - Nico Hulkenberg - 299 - 21
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - 244 - 22
23 - Giancarlo Fisichella - 179.5 - 23
24 - Kazuki Nakajima - 139 - 24
25 - Pedro De La Rosa - 131 - 25
26 - Paul Di Resta - 106 - 27
27 - Nelson Piquet Jnr - 101.5 - 26
28 - Sebastian Bourdais - 76 - 28
29 - Lucas Di Grassi - 57 - 29
30 - Bruno Senna - 56 - 30
31 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - 44 - 33
32 - David Coulthard - 37 - 31
33 - Sakon Yamamoto - 36 - 32
34 - Pastor Maldonado - 32 - 33
35 - Romain Grosjean - 28 - 35
36 - Sergio Perez - 26 - 36
37 - Narain Karthikeyan - 22 - 38
38 - Luca Badoer - 11 - 37
39 - Christian Klien - 2 - 39
Pos - Driver - Points - Pre Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - 3231.5 - 1
2 - Mark Webber - 2360.5 - 2
3 - Lewis Hamilton - 2201.5 - 3
4 - Fernado Alonso - 1943 - 4
5 - Jenson Button - 1673 - 5
6 - Felipe Massa - 1097.5 - 6
7 - Nico Rosberg - 889 - 7
8 - Rubens Barrichello - 875.5 - 8
9 - Robert Kubica - 744.5 - 9
10 - Adrian Sutil - 526.6 - 10
11 - Nick Heidfeld - 498.5 - 11
12 - Michael Schumacher - 490 - 12
13 - Heikki Kovalainen - 454.5 - 13
14 - Sebastian Buemi - 435 - 16
15 - Kimi Raikkonen - 434 - 14
16 - Vitaly Petrov - 416 - 17
17 - Jarno Trulli - 413 - 15
18 - Kamui Kobayashi - 401 - 18
19 - Jaime Alguersuari - 342 - 20
20 - Timo Glock - 319.5 - 19
21 - Nico Hulkenberg - 299 - 21
22 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - 244 - 22
23 - Giancarlo Fisichella - 179.5 - 23
24 - Kazuki Nakajima - 139 - 24
25 - Pedro De La Rosa - 131 - 25
26 - Paul Di Resta - 106 - 27
27 - Nelson Piquet Jnr - 101.5 - 26
28 - Sebastian Bourdais - 76 - 28
29 - Lucas Di Grassi - 57 - 29
30 - Bruno Senna - 56 - 30
31 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - 44 - 33
32 - David Coulthard - 37 - 31
33 - Sakon Yamamoto - 36 - 32
34 - Pastor Maldonado - 32 - 33
35 - Romain Grosjean - 28 - 35
36 - Sergio Perez - 26 - 36
37 - Narain Karthikeyan - 22 - 38
38 - Luca Badoer - 11 - 37
39 - Christian Klien - 2 - 39
2011 Canadian Grand Prix - Race
Jenson Button won a totally enthralling Canadian GP. In a GP in which we will be talking about for some time, Jenson just managed to beat the Red Bull's of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
The race started with rain. It wasn't very heavy, but on the track their was several areas of standing water. It didn't take long for Charlie Whiting to decide to start the race under the safety car. The Safety Car watched them do three laps, then it dived into the pits so the race could properly start. It didn't take long to come to life. Into the first corner, Lewis Hamilton tried to take Mark Webber going into the first corner. They both gave each other room, but traction was the problem for the McLaren, as the two came together. Mark spun, but Lewis got away relatively unharmed. Lewis let Jenson Button past, but Button soon went wide, letting both Hamilton and Michael Schumacher through. Going into the large turn 10, Michael pushed Lewis out-wide looking for the best line. Lewis went the long way around the corner, letting Jenson back through.
At the front, Vettel was 4 seconds ahead of Alonso, with Massa staying right behind his Ferrari team mate. Behind them, the McLaren's were fighting. Jenson had the lead coming onto the pit straight, with Lewis trying to overtake him on the outside. As Jenson took the racing line, getting closer to the pit wall, Lewis ran out of room, clipped the back of Jenson's car, and the rear of Lewis' McLaren bounced of the pit wall. Lewis had to retire, after damage to the cars suspension. Jenson pitted, and when he came out, he had come out on the intermediate tyres.
So on Lap 10, Vettel still lead the Ferrari's, followed by the Mercedes', Kobayashi, the two Renault's, Webber and De La Rosa (on his first race of 2011). The McLaren incident resulted in a safety car, and when it came in, it was more bad news for Button. He had gone to fast under the safety car, earning himself a drive-through penalty. He came out 14th, behind Rubens Barrichello. He soon began to fly, taking Barrichello, and them his team mate - Pastor Maldonado. Ahead of him, Mark Webber was also flying, taking both Renault's, and closing in on Kobayashi.
Inters were the tyres to be on. Alonso followed suit, and so did Rosberg. Most of the field followed, and the decision seemed to be paying off. Alonso had taken Heidfeld, and Button was taking Petrov. However, it had started to rain again. And soon, the rain was getting harder and harder until cars started to struggle. Button and Alonso came back for the Wets, just as the safety car went out. The leaders also pitted for fresh tyres, giving them effectively - a free pit stop. As the rain got harder, the drivers started to complain to their teams and Charlie Whiting. It wasn't long until the red flag came out, and the race was stopped. On lap 22 it was Vettel, followed by Kamui Kobaysahi, who had gained during the pit stops. He was folowed by Massa, then Heidfeld, Petrov, Di Restas, Webber, Alonso, De La Rosa, Button, Rosberg and Schumacher.
A long period ensued. Teams and drivers had to wait two hours under the safety car. They were allowed to change tyres, and adjust bits on the car, but that didn't take long. The only entertainment to be found was in Rihanna dodging a falling camera man, and a Red Winged Blackbird.
Soon; however, the rain slowed, and we were racing again. The safety car lead them out first, but it soon left them to it again. Cars began to stream into the pit lane for intermediate tyres. Kobayashia and Massa fought for second place behind Vettel, with the Sauber driver victorious for now. The leaders also pitted, with the Ferrari's having to double pit, losing Alonso valuable seconds. As Fernando exited the pits, he came out next to a flying Jenson Button. They both tries to get around turn three together, and Alonso came out worse, spun, and was beached on the sleeping policeman on the outer edge of turn 4. This got the safety car out AGAIN, and Vettel took his opertunity to have another "free pit stop". Vettel still led Kobayashi, with Massa third. They were followed by Heidfeld, De La Rosa, Webber, Schumacher, Petrov and Rosberg. with Button down in 21st place. When the safety car re-entered the pits, it was the Williams' turn to push. Both Rubens and Pastor took Nico Rosberg, and a Webber mistake let Schumacher through.
Di Resta began to be aggressive, too aggressive. Paul broke his front wing on the back of Nick Heidfeld's Renault, eventually earning him a drive-through penalty. On lap 47, all focus were on tow drivers - Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Michael looked 10 years younger, as he took Heidfled for fifth, and closed in on Massa and Kobayashi. Button was also pushing. After being in 21st and last place, we was now tenth, and beginning to close in on the Renault's and Mark Webber. The track had also started to dry out - with drivers starting to swith to the super-soft slick tyres. It wasn't long either until the DRS was enable, as it was not allowed during the rain.
At the front, the front-runners pitted for the slicks, and Michael Schumacher continued to push. He had managed to pass both Kobayashi and Massa, and was slowly closing in on Sebastian Vettel. Mark Webber had joined Jenson Button in getting the bit in between his teeth as well. Mark was setting fastest laps, as did Jenson, as the two started to climb. Mark had got past Kobayashi and Massa, and was closing down Schumacher. Button, had also managed to get past them, and was flying in fourth, closing the top three down at a considerable rate of knots.
However, things were about to turn again. Heidfeld clipped the back of Kobayashi's car around turn 2, and his front wing soon came loose, shot under the car, sending Nick's car into a small jump, and out of the race. The debris was too much, bringing out the safety car for a final time. After the debris had been cleared, and marshalls dodged, the safety car came in, leaving the four fastest cars to sort themselves out. As Michael, Mark and Jenson fought among themselves, Sebastian began to create a small gap.
Nothing separated second, third and fourth. It was going to be the DRS that got the action into life. Webber, using his DRS, managed to pass Schumacher into the last corner, but cut the chicane to do so. He had to give his position back. He did, and had another go. However, he overshot his breaking point, and went across the chicane again. This time Jenson was ready, and managed to jump Mark for third. Jenson soon showed Mark how to do it, as he passed Michael down the back straight. Mark soon followed suit. Jenson though, was not done. He set about doing fastest lap, after fastest lap in the hunt for the race victory. On lap 70 out of 70, Button had caught Vettel. He was within a second so could use his DRS, so he was in with shot. However, Button would not have to use it. Going into the second chicane, Sebastian got his tyres onto a slight damp patch on the track, and he went wide, letting Jenson past. Button seized the opertunity, and took the rest of lap with ease as he took his first victory of the season.
Jenson Button had managed to get his car from 21st to 1st in a matter of a few laps, while Sebastian had lead every lap bar the last. His mistake only cost him first, as he managed to bring his Red Bull third. Mark beat off any competition from Michael to take third, with Schumacher fourth. Behind them, Massa was still behind Kobayashi, and going into the last chicane Felipe was right behind him. Using his DRS, we out-dragged Kamui, to take sixth by a couple-thousands of a second.
Race Results
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Jenson Button - McLren - 5
2 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
3 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
4 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
5 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 17
6 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
7 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
8 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 20
9 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
10 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 16
11 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
12 - Pedro De La Rosa - Sauber - 25
13 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
14 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 38
15 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 33
16 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 19
17 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 15
18 - Paul Di Resta - Force India - 27
The race started with rain. It wasn't very heavy, but on the track their was several areas of standing water. It didn't take long for Charlie Whiting to decide to start the race under the safety car. The Safety Car watched them do three laps, then it dived into the pits so the race could properly start. It didn't take long to come to life. Into the first corner, Lewis Hamilton tried to take Mark Webber going into the first corner. They both gave each other room, but traction was the problem for the McLaren, as the two came together. Mark spun, but Lewis got away relatively unharmed. Lewis let Jenson Button past, but Button soon went wide, letting both Hamilton and Michael Schumacher through. Going into the large turn 10, Michael pushed Lewis out-wide looking for the best line. Lewis went the long way around the corner, letting Jenson back through.
At the front, Vettel was 4 seconds ahead of Alonso, with Massa staying right behind his Ferrari team mate. Behind them, the McLaren's were fighting. Jenson had the lead coming onto the pit straight, with Lewis trying to overtake him on the outside. As Jenson took the racing line, getting closer to the pit wall, Lewis ran out of room, clipped the back of Jenson's car, and the rear of Lewis' McLaren bounced of the pit wall. Lewis had to retire, after damage to the cars suspension. Jenson pitted, and when he came out, he had come out on the intermediate tyres.
So on Lap 10, Vettel still lead the Ferrari's, followed by the Mercedes', Kobayashi, the two Renault's, Webber and De La Rosa (on his first race of 2011). The McLaren incident resulted in a safety car, and when it came in, it was more bad news for Button. He had gone to fast under the safety car, earning himself a drive-through penalty. He came out 14th, behind Rubens Barrichello. He soon began to fly, taking Barrichello, and them his team mate - Pastor Maldonado. Ahead of him, Mark Webber was also flying, taking both Renault's, and closing in on Kobayashi.
Inters were the tyres to be on. Alonso followed suit, and so did Rosberg. Most of the field followed, and the decision seemed to be paying off. Alonso had taken Heidfeld, and Button was taking Petrov. However, it had started to rain again. And soon, the rain was getting harder and harder until cars started to struggle. Button and Alonso came back for the Wets, just as the safety car went out. The leaders also pitted for fresh tyres, giving them effectively - a free pit stop. As the rain got harder, the drivers started to complain to their teams and Charlie Whiting. It wasn't long until the red flag came out, and the race was stopped. On lap 22 it was Vettel, followed by Kamui Kobaysahi, who had gained during the pit stops. He was folowed by Massa, then Heidfeld, Petrov, Di Restas, Webber, Alonso, De La Rosa, Button, Rosberg and Schumacher.
A long period ensued. Teams and drivers had to wait two hours under the safety car. They were allowed to change tyres, and adjust bits on the car, but that didn't take long. The only entertainment to be found was in Rihanna dodging a falling camera man, and a Red Winged Blackbird.
Soon; however, the rain slowed, and we were racing again. The safety car lead them out first, but it soon left them to it again. Cars began to stream into the pit lane for intermediate tyres. Kobayashia and Massa fought for second place behind Vettel, with the Sauber driver victorious for now. The leaders also pitted, with the Ferrari's having to double pit, losing Alonso valuable seconds. As Fernando exited the pits, he came out next to a flying Jenson Button. They both tries to get around turn three together, and Alonso came out worse, spun, and was beached on the sleeping policeman on the outer edge of turn 4. This got the safety car out AGAIN, and Vettel took his opertunity to have another "free pit stop". Vettel still led Kobayashi, with Massa third. They were followed by Heidfeld, De La Rosa, Webber, Schumacher, Petrov and Rosberg. with Button down in 21st place. When the safety car re-entered the pits, it was the Williams' turn to push. Both Rubens and Pastor took Nico Rosberg, and a Webber mistake let Schumacher through.
Di Resta began to be aggressive, too aggressive. Paul broke his front wing on the back of Nick Heidfeld's Renault, eventually earning him a drive-through penalty. On lap 47, all focus were on tow drivers - Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Michael looked 10 years younger, as he took Heidfled for fifth, and closed in on Massa and Kobayashi. Button was also pushing. After being in 21st and last place, we was now tenth, and beginning to close in on the Renault's and Mark Webber. The track had also started to dry out - with drivers starting to swith to the super-soft slick tyres. It wasn't long either until the DRS was enable, as it was not allowed during the rain.
At the front, the front-runners pitted for the slicks, and Michael Schumacher continued to push. He had managed to pass both Kobayashi and Massa, and was slowly closing in on Sebastian Vettel. Mark Webber had joined Jenson Button in getting the bit in between his teeth as well. Mark was setting fastest laps, as did Jenson, as the two started to climb. Mark had got past Kobayashi and Massa, and was closing down Schumacher. Button, had also managed to get past them, and was flying in fourth, closing the top three down at a considerable rate of knots.
However, things were about to turn again. Heidfeld clipped the back of Kobayashi's car around turn 2, and his front wing soon came loose, shot under the car, sending Nick's car into a small jump, and out of the race. The debris was too much, bringing out the safety car for a final time. After the debris had been cleared, and marshalls dodged, the safety car came in, leaving the four fastest cars to sort themselves out. As Michael, Mark and Jenson fought among themselves, Sebastian began to create a small gap.
Nothing separated second, third and fourth. It was going to be the DRS that got the action into life. Webber, using his DRS, managed to pass Schumacher into the last corner, but cut the chicane to do so. He had to give his position back. He did, and had another go. However, he overshot his breaking point, and went across the chicane again. This time Jenson was ready, and managed to jump Mark for third. Jenson soon showed Mark how to do it, as he passed Michael down the back straight. Mark soon followed suit. Jenson though, was not done. He set about doing fastest lap, after fastest lap in the hunt for the race victory. On lap 70 out of 70, Button had caught Vettel. He was within a second so could use his DRS, so he was in with shot. However, Button would not have to use it. Going into the second chicane, Sebastian got his tyres onto a slight damp patch on the track, and he went wide, letting Jenson past. Button seized the opertunity, and took the rest of lap with ease as he took his first victory of the season.
Jenson Button had managed to get his car from 21st to 1st in a matter of a few laps, while Sebastian had lead every lap bar the last. His mistake only cost him first, as he managed to bring his Red Bull third. Mark beat off any competition from Michael to take third, with Schumacher fourth. Behind them, Massa was still behind Kobayashi, and going into the last chicane Felipe was right behind him. Using his DRS, we out-dragged Kamui, to take sixth by a couple-thousands of a second.
Race Results
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Jenson Button - McLren - 5
2 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
3 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
4 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
5 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 17
6 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
7 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
8 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 20
9 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
10 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 16
11 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
12 - Pedro De La Rosa - Sauber - 25
13 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
14 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 38
15 - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 33
16 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 19
17 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 15
18 - Paul Di Resta - Force India - 27
Saturday 11 June 2011
2011 Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying
Sebastian Vettel gained his sixth pole of the year, and Red Bull's eight consecutive pole position after a much closer qualifying session. He will be joined at the front by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.
In Q1, everyone's attention was at the back of the field. The main talking points before Qualifying were the 107% rule and Jaime Alguersuari. The young Spaniard has come under increasing pressure to be dropped by the Toro Rosso team. His performance today would not have helped, as he dropped out of Q1 alongside the 2 Lotus', Virgins, and HRTs. After the dust had settled, it became apparent that Jerome D'Ambrosio had not managed to get his Virgin car around fast enough, meaning that due to the 107% rule, he will not feature tomorrow. Elsewhere, Liuzzi managed to get his HRT infront of Timo Glock, and for the first time this season, Jarno Trulli out-qualified his team mate Heikki Kovalainen.
In Q2 tensions were high for the midfield teams. In the 15 minute session, both Kamui Kobayashi and Pail Di Resta had moments were they were inches from ending their qualifying session. At the front, it was fairly confortable. After eveyone had set one flying lap, it became apparent that it would be very difficult for anyone other than the Big 5 to get into Q3. The gap was so vast, that when drivers came around for their second stint, the top 9 did not leave the pitlane. In the end, there were no suprises, with Di Rest coming the "best of the rest" in 11th.
Q3 started with the ten fastest cars all gunning for one spot. As usual in Q3, their were two strategies. Mercedes were going to try and do one stint on the super-soft tyres, instead of two stints like the other four teams. After the first stint of runs, it was Vettel who took prelimery pole, ahead of suprise act Felipe Massa, who had managed to pull off a time faster than Fernando Alonso, who lay third. As the clock ticked away, all the drivers were trying to pull of their fastest lap at the very end. However, as hard as everyone else tried, no one could beat Sebastian Vettel's lap time. Not even Vettel himself. Alonso had managed to take second of Massa. They headed of Webber in fourth, with Hamilton fifth, and Rosberg and Schumacher making it a Button sandwhich in sixth and eight respectively.
The Grid For Tomorrow
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
3 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
4 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
5 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
6 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
7 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
8 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
9 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault - 11
10 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 17
11 - Paul Di Resta - Force India - 27
12 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 33
13 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
14 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
15 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 16
16 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
17 - Pedro De La Rosa - Sauber - 25
18 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 20
19 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 15
20 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
21 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
22 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 19
23 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 38
DNQ - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 33
In Q1, everyone's attention was at the back of the field. The main talking points before Qualifying were the 107% rule and Jaime Alguersuari. The young Spaniard has come under increasing pressure to be dropped by the Toro Rosso team. His performance today would not have helped, as he dropped out of Q1 alongside the 2 Lotus', Virgins, and HRTs. After the dust had settled, it became apparent that Jerome D'Ambrosio had not managed to get his Virgin car around fast enough, meaning that due to the 107% rule, he will not feature tomorrow. Elsewhere, Liuzzi managed to get his HRT infront of Timo Glock, and for the first time this season, Jarno Trulli out-qualified his team mate Heikki Kovalainen.
In Q2 tensions were high for the midfield teams. In the 15 minute session, both Kamui Kobayashi and Pail Di Resta had moments were they were inches from ending their qualifying session. At the front, it was fairly confortable. After eveyone had set one flying lap, it became apparent that it would be very difficult for anyone other than the Big 5 to get into Q3. The gap was so vast, that when drivers came around for their second stint, the top 9 did not leave the pitlane. In the end, there were no suprises, with Di Rest coming the "best of the rest" in 11th.
Q3 started with the ten fastest cars all gunning for one spot. As usual in Q3, their were two strategies. Mercedes were going to try and do one stint on the super-soft tyres, instead of two stints like the other four teams. After the first stint of runs, it was Vettel who took prelimery pole, ahead of suprise act Felipe Massa, who had managed to pull off a time faster than Fernando Alonso, who lay third. As the clock ticked away, all the drivers were trying to pull of their fastest lap at the very end. However, as hard as everyone else tried, no one could beat Sebastian Vettel's lap time. Not even Vettel himself. Alonso had managed to take second of Massa. They headed of Webber in fourth, with Hamilton fifth, and Rosberg and Schumacher making it a Button sandwhich in sixth and eight respectively.
The Grid For Tomorrow
Pos - Driver - Team - Rank
1 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1
2 - Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 4
3 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 6
4 - Mark Webber - Red Bull - 2
5 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren - 3
6 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 7
7 - Jenson Button - McLaren - 5
8 - Michael Schumacher - Mercedes - 12
9 - Nick Heidfeld - Renault - 11
10 - Vitaly Petrov - Renault - 17
11 - Paul Di Resta - Force India - 27
12 - Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 33
13 - Kamui Kobayashi - Sauber - 18
14 - Adrian Sutil - Force India - 10
15 - Sebastian Buemi - Toro Rosso - 16
16 - Rubens Barrichello - Williams - 8
17 - Pedro De La Rosa - Sauber - 25
18 - Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso - 20
19 - Jarno Trulli - Lotus - 15
20 - Heikki Kovalainen - Lotus - 13
21 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - HRT - 22
22 - Timo Glock - Virgin - 19
23 - Narain Karthikeyan - HRT - 38
DNQ - Jerome D'Ambrosio - Virgin - 33
Latest F1 News
Bahrain Off
The decision about the Bahrain GP continued, after teams demanded Bahrain to be called-off. The were unsure about going into Bahrain, with possible dangers. Also, they didn't want to be racing in December, with teams start preparing in January for the new season. It was Bernie Ecclestone who spoke to the World Council, and it was soon announced that Bahrain was cancelled, and India would resume is original place.
Sergio Perez to miss Canadian GP
Sergio Perez is set to miss the Canadian GP after feeling ill during FP1. He reported to his team the thought another driver should take over, and in to take his place is Spaniard Pedro De La Rosa. Pedro raced for Sauber for most of 2010, before being replaced by Nick Heidfeld. The has not been a lot more news about Perez, whether this is a side-effect of the crash, or a separate incident. At the moment though, Pedro will definitely take over for the rest of the weekend, with everyone hoping to see Sergio as soon as possible.
The decision about the Bahrain GP continued, after teams demanded Bahrain to be called-off. The were unsure about going into Bahrain, with possible dangers. Also, they didn't want to be racing in December, with teams start preparing in January for the new season. It was Bernie Ecclestone who spoke to the World Council, and it was soon announced that Bahrain was cancelled, and India would resume is original place.
Sergio Perez to miss Canadian GP
Sergio Perez is set to miss the Canadian GP after feeling ill during FP1. He reported to his team the thought another driver should take over, and in to take his place is Spaniard Pedro De La Rosa. Pedro raced for Sauber for most of 2010, before being replaced by Nick Heidfeld. The has not been a lot more news about Perez, whether this is a side-effect of the crash, or a separate incident. At the moment though, Pedro will definitely take over for the rest of the weekend, with everyone hoping to see Sergio as soon as possible.
Saturday 4 June 2011
Latest F1 News
F1 will visit Bahrain in 2011
We will see Formula One at the Bahrain International Circuit this year. After months of discussion, Bahrain will take the place of the Indian Grand Prix, with that race being moved to the end of the calendar in December. It will see teams do twenty races in only ten months. Obviously, teams and drivers are not pleased with the decision, and it remains to be seen whether teams will even turn up to the two grand prix, or even if the decision will be altered again. Currently, this seems to be the only solution to getting Bahrain into this seasons calendar, due to the heat in the summer. Bahrain, then, currently sits in between the Korean GP, and the Abu Dhabi GP. The Indian GP now sits on the 11th December, two weeks after Brazil, and two weeks before Christmas. It is yet to be seen what the FOTA will say, and if there will be an appeal to the FIA, but as it stands, Bernie will not be a popular person at Canada next weekend.
21 Races for 2012
Unbelievably, with 2011's calendar still undecided, the FIA have announced a provisional calendar for next year. It doesn't see any races in December, but it does contain 21 races. The inclusion of the American GP in June, added to the twenty races from this year creates a hectic calendar. The season (hopefully) starts in Bahrain on the 11th March. The Korean GP has been moved to April, to allow more room in Autumn. The F1 circus then momentarily visits Europe, before going to North American for the Canada GP, and the returning American GP in Austin. It then returns to Europe, back to Asia, and finishes in Brazil on the 25th November.
Perez, Petrov and Kubica all leave Hospital
Sergio Perez, Vitaly Petrov and Robert Kubica have all left hospital. Perez had been kept under observation for a couple days, and it seems to doctors are happy with his condition. It appears that he will have a final fitness test before Canada, to see if his fit to race.
Vitaly Petrov did not suffer any serious injury after his crash at Monaco. This seems to be little doubt that the Russian will race in Canada, alongside Perez.
To every ones delight, Robert Kubica has left hospital. After spending 10 weeks at an Italian hospital, he will now rest in Monaco, before starting rehabilitation. Kubica is currently in a good condition, and has said he is feeling better after gaining his strength back. He seems keen to resume racing as soon as possible, but the likelihood is that he will not return to do a competitive race until 2012.
We will see Formula One at the Bahrain International Circuit this year. After months of discussion, Bahrain will take the place of the Indian Grand Prix, with that race being moved to the end of the calendar in December. It will see teams do twenty races in only ten months. Obviously, teams and drivers are not pleased with the decision, and it remains to be seen whether teams will even turn up to the two grand prix, or even if the decision will be altered again. Currently, this seems to be the only solution to getting Bahrain into this seasons calendar, due to the heat in the summer. Bahrain, then, currently sits in between the Korean GP, and the Abu Dhabi GP. The Indian GP now sits on the 11th December, two weeks after Brazil, and two weeks before Christmas. It is yet to be seen what the FOTA will say, and if there will be an appeal to the FIA, but as it stands, Bernie will not be a popular person at Canada next weekend.
21 Races for 2012
Unbelievably, with 2011's calendar still undecided, the FIA have announced a provisional calendar for next year. It doesn't see any races in December, but it does contain 21 races. The inclusion of the American GP in June, added to the twenty races from this year creates a hectic calendar. The season (hopefully) starts in Bahrain on the 11th March. The Korean GP has been moved to April, to allow more room in Autumn. The F1 circus then momentarily visits Europe, before going to North American for the Canada GP, and the returning American GP in Austin. It then returns to Europe, back to Asia, and finishes in Brazil on the 25th November.
Perez, Petrov and Kubica all leave Hospital
Sergio Perez, Vitaly Petrov and Robert Kubica have all left hospital. Perez had been kept under observation for a couple days, and it seems to doctors are happy with his condition. It appears that he will have a final fitness test before Canada, to see if his fit to race.
Vitaly Petrov did not suffer any serious injury after his crash at Monaco. This seems to be little doubt that the Russian will race in Canada, alongside Perez.
To every ones delight, Robert Kubica has left hospital. After spending 10 weeks at an Italian hospital, he will now rest in Monaco, before starting rehabilitation. Kubica is currently in a good condition, and has said he is feeling better after gaining his strength back. He seems keen to resume racing as soon as possible, but the likelihood is that he will not return to do a competitive race until 2012.
Climbers Of The Month - Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado
For May, it was the newbies who started to shine. Out of the four starters of 2011, the Mexican Sergio Perez, and the Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado started to shine in May.
Sergio Perez, who had a great debut race, failed to shine in Malaysia and China. At Turkey, he was outshone by team mate Kamui Kobayashi, but he still a solid race, finishing 13th. He was to have more success; however, in Spain. On Saturday, he out-qualified Kamui, and on Sunday, he managed to stay ahead of the Japanese driver, finishing in ninth, on his way, gaining his first points of his F1 career. He was looking at improving this at the next grand prix - Monaco. Things were looking promising, with Sergio making it into Q3. However, his was to have a bad crash halfway through Q3, denying him the chance to race on Sunday. Sergio has now been released from hospital, and it looks like he will be racing in Canada, hoping to gain more points, and continue to climb the F1 Rankings.
Things have been a little less quite for Pastor Maldonado. In Istanbul, he was out-qualified by Rubens Barrichello - his team mate - and in the race, he was beaten by the Brazilian, and finished a lap down on the leaders. Things were rosier in Barcelona. On qualifying, he easily beat Rubens, and he got his Williams into Q3, starting ninth for Sunday. However, he was unable to convert his Qualy pace into good race pace, and even though he finished higher than Barrichello, he could only finish in 15th. Pastor did a lot better in Monaco. Again, his qualified in the top then, starting eighth after certain punishments ahead of him. Pastor also had a very solid race, ensuring his avoided both the barriers, and the chaos on the track. He looked dead set for points; however, an eager Lewis Hamilton squeezed past Pastor, forcing him to spin into the barrier at turn one. He was still a classified finisher, but it could have been a lot better for Pastor Maldonado.
Some of the movers in May -
1 - Pastor Maldonado - Up 3
1 - Sergio Perez - Up 3
3 - Kamui Kobayashia - Up 2
3 - Nick Heidfeld - Up 2
3 - Michael Schumacher - Up 2
3 - Narain Karthikeyan - Up 2
Sergio Perez, who had a great debut race, failed to shine in Malaysia and China. At Turkey, he was outshone by team mate Kamui Kobayashi, but he still a solid race, finishing 13th. He was to have more success; however, in Spain. On Saturday, he out-qualified Kamui, and on Sunday, he managed to stay ahead of the Japanese driver, finishing in ninth, on his way, gaining his first points of his F1 career. He was looking at improving this at the next grand prix - Monaco. Things were looking promising, with Sergio making it into Q3. However, his was to have a bad crash halfway through Q3, denying him the chance to race on Sunday. Sergio has now been released from hospital, and it looks like he will be racing in Canada, hoping to gain more points, and continue to climb the F1 Rankings.
Things have been a little less quite for Pastor Maldonado. In Istanbul, he was out-qualified by Rubens Barrichello - his team mate - and in the race, he was beaten by the Brazilian, and finished a lap down on the leaders. Things were rosier in Barcelona. On qualifying, he easily beat Rubens, and he got his Williams into Q3, starting ninth for Sunday. However, he was unable to convert his Qualy pace into good race pace, and even though he finished higher than Barrichello, he could only finish in 15th. Pastor did a lot better in Monaco. Again, his qualified in the top then, starting eighth after certain punishments ahead of him. Pastor also had a very solid race, ensuring his avoided both the barriers, and the chaos on the track. He looked dead set for points; however, an eager Lewis Hamilton squeezed past Pastor, forcing him to spin into the barrier at turn one. He was still a classified finisher, but it could have been a lot better for Pastor Maldonado.
Some of the movers in May -
1 - Pastor Maldonado - Up 3
1 - Sergio Perez - Up 3
3 - Kamui Kobayashia - Up 2
3 - Nick Heidfeld - Up 2
3 - Michael Schumacher - Up 2
3 - Narain Karthikeyan - Up 2
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