Month: November 2019

Williams tech boss Paddy Lowe rued a missed opportunity in Barcelona to score points for the Grove-based outfit and Felipe Massa.

A contact shortly after the start at Turn 2 between the Williams driver and Fernando Alonso sealed the Brazilian’s fate, and with it the team’s potential top-ten finish.

“It was tough day, particularly with the various incidents at the front, making it a bad day to not be up there in the points,” said Paddy Lowe.

“Felipe had a fantastic start and gained several places, but unfortunately he came into contact with Fernando, which caused a front-right puncture.

“That ruined his race. His pace in clean air was very strong, he was matching Daniel (Ricciardo) lap-for-lap on his first stint. I think we had the potential to have a very good result.”

• Team Talk – Sunday in Barcelona

Massa was also aware of Sundays lost opportunity to increase his points tally.

” I’m so disappointed,” said the 36-year-old veteran.

“We had a big opportunity to finish fourth today, which I think I could have done because we had good pace. It’s really painful because we lost so many points today as a team.”

The team now sets its sight on Monaco, but for some reason the Prinicpality has never been a rewarding hunting ground for Massa.

“Honestly, it’s always been terrible for our team,” he said. “Don’t ask me why, I don’t know. It’s a mystery to me.”

Win the ULTIMATE TRACKDAY with F1i.com!

GALLERY: All the action from Barcelona on Sunday

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Click Here: Golf special

McLaren boss Zak Brown couldn’t believe his eyes when Fernando Alonso’s McLaren was left stranded after just three corners in the morning’s free practice session.

As he embarked on his first lap of the day, Alonso came to a smoking halt on the exit of Turn 3, his morning undermined by another Honda power unit failure.

“Sadness… disappointment… just kind of a state of disbelief,” Brown commented on Alonso’s early exit from FP1.

“But you then can’t cry over spilt milk, so we it [was best to] quickly getting to turning your attention to Stoffel’s car and seeing what we learn there.

“He’s gone alright today all things considered, he’s done an exceptional job, then you hope to learn about  whatever caused the failure.”

• Brundle labels Alonso’s woes a ‘horror show’

A dejected Alonso simply left the Circuit de Catalunya shortly after his engine failure, and hit the nearby tennis courts instead.

Click Here: cheap true religion jeans

“I think anything Fernando can do to exercise his frustration is a good thing,” he added.

“If you go sit in a room you just don’t exercise, [you need to] get some energy out, you get built up energy, you expect to go out and do an hour and a half and end up doing something substantially less than that.

“I think going and doing other activities to get your mind off it is healthy.”

Win the ULTIMATE TRACKDAY with F1i.com!

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

 

Formula 1’s new owner Liberty Media is working on a share offering which would considerably reduce the holdings in the sport of its current historical investors, according to Sky News.

CVC Capital Partners, the controlling shareholder in Delta Topco, F1’s former parent, which sold Formula 1 to Liberty Media last year in an $8bn deal, still retains an interest in the sport, as do several other minority shareholders.

Liberty is looking to refresh its shareholder base with an offering to institutional investors which would acquire an estimated $1.55bn worth of newly issued shares in addition to the current shares  of any original Delta Topco investors who wish to sell.

The latter group could indeed be enticed to finally part with their holdings at a nice premium given the increase in share price of the Formula One Group’s tracking stock which is quoted on New York’s Nasdaq under the ticker ‘FWONK’.

The proposed offering is being co-ordinated by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, according to banking sources.

GALLERY: Formula 1’s girls and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Click Here: France Football Shop

Having topped morning practice in Monaco on Thursday, Lewis Hamilton was shocked by how differently things felt after lunch.

“It was handling really good this morning,” Hamilton said. “FP1 was really good, the car was feeling great.

“But this afternoon, for whatever reasons, the tyres weren’t working,” he continued. “There was night and day difference, black and white.

“We couldn’t work the tyres for some reason. There was lots of sliding about.

“That’s something we have to study and fix for Saturday,” he added. “Lot of studying to do to find out where we went wrong, but I’m confident in my guys.”

Click Here: France Football Shop

At least Monaco’s unusual schedule – with practice taking place on Thursday, and Friday officially a ‘rest day’ for the teams – works in Mercedes’ favour.

“We have two days to work on the car,” Hamilton agreed. “It gives the guys here more time to work on the car. It’s spread over two days, rather than everything tonight.”

• Vettel takes charge in Monaco for FP2

Even if the team does get on top of its set-up issues, effectively losing a session of practice puts them on the back foot to their rivals this weekend.

“Ferrari are very quick again and Red Bull are also looking good this weekend,” Hamilton acknowledged. “We’re looking forward to a real fight on Saturday.”

Hamilton had been relieved to find that the new 2017 aerodynamic and tyre regulations hadn’t had an adverse effect on racing at Monaco.

It was feared that the wider cars might be more difficult to thread their way around the narrow streets of Monaco. But Hamilton felt that if anything, the new cars were actually better suited to the venue.

“You get used to it real quick,” he said. “It’s like you driving a normal car and then driving an SUV. You get used to it.

“It’s the same as before. The car is a lot better, it’s got more grip. If anything, it might be easier. It feels great.

“Monaco is always amazing to drive, and it’s definitely the best car I’ve driven round here.”

 
“Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE”

Gallery: All the pictures from Thursday in Monaco

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Renault drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer will launch their race tomorrow from a better position on the grid than what they achieved in qualifying thanks to McLaren’s penalties.

Hulkenberg, who failed to make the cut in Q2, qualified 12th but will start P10, while Palmer was 17th on the timesheet but moves up one spot, courtesy of Jenson Button and Stoffel Vandoorne’s grid penalties.

Relative to the mid-field opposition, Renault had not been too happy with its performance in Monaco since Thursday.

But the team put its head down yesterday and sought a direction which appears to have improved the RS17’s set-up and balance.

“I think that was the best we could have got from the car today,” said Hulk.

“We’ve been struggling all weekend long with a lack of lack grip and balance which reflected on Thursday’s times.

“We managed to improve the car and I’m really happy with my laps. Tomorrow’s likely to be a tough day in the office.

“You have to stay sharp and on your toes as Monaco can always hold some surprises and you always have to be ready to pick them up in case there are some so we are prepared as normal and try and have a good race.”

• Video: Prost and Jabouille enjoy Renault demo run

Jolyon Palmer believes there is more to his qualifying performance than the mere result.

“I felt quite happy with the car today; even though we haven’t looked too competitive, I’ve always been nip and tuck with Nico through the weekend.

“I’m disappointed with my qualifying position, but I don’t think that’s a true reflection of what we can do.

“I just kissed the wall on my first set of tyres, which gave me a puncture on the rear left. It was all to do on my final lap, but that time wasn’t good enough for Q2.

“The cars are pretty wide and the track is pretty narrow so it’s going to be a challenge tomorrow. Anything can happen in Monaco, so let’s see what we can do.”

Click Here: Italy Football Shop

 

“Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE”

GALLERY: All the action from Monaco

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Sebastian Vettel is now 25 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton on the 2017 Formula 1 drivers world championship.

Vettel pulled 19 points further ahead of Hamilton after the Monaco Grand Prix. Vettel won the race, while Hamilton could only manage seventh place after starting from 13th.

In third place, Hamilton’s Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas has closed the gap to Hamilton to 29 points. The Finn was fourth in Sunday’s race.

His compatriot Raikkonen is eight points further back in fourth place in the standings after coming second to Vettel in Monaco.

Red Bull pair Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen are fifth and sixth, with Force India’s Sergio Perez losing ground after his first pointless race of 2017.

Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz moves up to eighth place in the championship, ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa and Force India’s Esteban Ocon.

• Vettel takes complete control over Raikkonen at Monaco

In the constructors championship, Ferrari scored the maximum 43 points possible from Monaco, meaning they overhaul Mercedes at the top of the standings.

Ferrari now has a 17 advantage over their rivals after six rounds of the 20-race season.

Red Bull stays in third place, but has pulled away from Force India after Sunday’s race. Similarly, fifth place Toro Ross have improved their advantage over Williams to nine points.

With Renault failing to score in Monaco, and Haas getting both drivers in the top ten, the two teams are now tied on 14 points in seventh and eighth place.

Double retirements for both Sauber and McLaren mean that neither team make any progress in the battle of the teams. They continue to prop up the standings: Sauber has four points from Spain, but McLaren has yet to finish in the top ten in 2017.

• See full standings

 
“Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE”

Gallery: All the pictures from Saturday in Monaco

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Mark Gallagher, who led Cosworth Engines’ return to F1 in 2010, believes an independent engine supplier solution is the way to go for Formula 1.

As the sport’s managers devise F1’s future engine platform beyond 2020, Gallagher believes an independent supplier would be in several teams’ best interest.

Gallagher cites Red Bull but also McLaren as perfect examples of outfits which could gain from partnering from a dedicated supplier.

“I look at the struggles of McLaren and I look at the struggles of Red Bull,” Gallagher told Sky Sports F1.

“And I think why are you struggling when actually there are providers available who, for a budget that you wouldn’t even bat an eyelid at regarding aerodynamic development, you could actually begin the process of putting together your own engine programme.

“Red Bull Racing is hamstrung by the fact it doesn’t have a works engine.

“Even though it has a very good and strong engine supply from Renault, Renault has its own Formula 1 team and you have to believe that ultimately that’s their focus.

• Independent engine supplier key to F1 future – Horner

“Red Bull Racing should not play second fiddle to anyone on engine supply and I passionately believe they deserve to have their own unique supply of engines.

“Not just a customer engine, but an engine that is specific and bespoke to them.

“The reality is that that is such an important component in contemporary F1 and you can’t just have a plug and play engine like some Duracell battery.

“You need something that is integral to the entire decision and is part of a concept.”

Gallagher applies his same line of thought to McLaren, whose partnership with Honda is in tatters after three years of dismal performance and reliability.

“Let’s be clear: McLaren want Honda’s money as much as they want Honda’s engine. Obviously an independent supplier will not be supplying bundles of cash.

“But you have to say to yourself ‘at what point does the trade-off of not scoring World Championship points and ending up with much less prize money counter the fact that you’re being paid money by the car manufacturer?'”

 

Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE

Gallery: All the pictures from Sunday in Monaco

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

 

Click Here: cheap nrl jerseys

Sebastian Vettel put in an impressive Thursday afternoon performance to go fastest in the second free practice session in Monaco.

His lap of 1:12.720s was set midway through the session. It was almost half a second faster than the next-best time, which was posted by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Vetel’s Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen was third faster ahead of the Toro Rosso pair of Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz, with Max Verstappen sixth fastest comfortably ahead of Force India’s Sergio Perez by a quarter of a second.

After topping the timesheets in FP1, Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas seemed oddly lacklustre in the afternoon. Hamilton was eighth fastest, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen splitting the two Silver Arrows in ninth place.

On the occasion of his one-off return to Formula 1, former world champion Jenson Button acquitted himself well with 12th place at the end of the day. That put him just behind his McLaren team mate Stoffel Vandoorne. The Briton celebrated his return by with an artful overtaking move on Vettel through the chicane on the final lap.

It had been a fairly laid back start to the second free practice session. Having missed out on track time in the morning with an ERS issue, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg was first to come out after lunch. Raikkonen, Vandoorne, the two Toro Rossos, and the Haas cars of Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were among the other quick starters benefiting from a relatively clear track.

On his first day running at Monaco, Force India’s Esteban Ocon made early contact with the barrier heading into Portier. He was able to return to pit lane for a check-up and was soon back out on track. That was in contrast to Jolyon Palmer who suffered an engine failure into Mirabeau, which forced him to park the Renault. The Briton was unable to take any further part in the session.

Marcus Ericsson was another driver seeking to make up for lost time, having suffered a gearbox failure in FP1. Twenty minutes into the session, he had a moment in Casino Square and lost the backend of the Sauber. The rear left of the car hit the outside barrier, sending him back to pit lane for a check-up before being able to resume.

Half an hour into the session, Ricciardo put Red Bull at the top of the times with a lap of 1:13.280s ahead of Kvyat, with Max Verstappen in third a tenth faster than Vettel followed by Sainz and Grosjean. The two McLarens were both in the top eight, Vandoorne just ahead of his new-this-week team mate Jenson Button. The top ten were rounded off by the two Mercedes drivers, Hamilton in particular struggling to get the supersofts up to temperature.

A switch to ultrasofts vaulted Vettel to the top of the timings ahead of Ricciardo with Raikkonen climbing to third ahead of the two Toro Rossos and Verstappen. However, ultrasofts failed to deliver a similar boost to either of the Mercedes drivers who remained stalled at the rear of the top ten.

Shortly before the one-hour mark, Lance Stroll became the latest to hit the barriers. In this case it was no mere glancing blow. The Williams lost grip as it crested Massenet and made heavy impact with the barrier at the left hander entering Casino Square. The damaged FW40 was hoisted away by the crane during a brief red flag stoppage.

When the session resumed, traffic was a major factor preventing drivers from improving their times. Teams switched to long distance simulations to gather tyre data, meaning there was little change in the order on the timing screens through to the chequered flag.

Free Practice 2 results

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps

1
Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari
1:12.720s

38

2
Daniel Ricciardo
Red Bull
1:13.207s
+ 0.487s
35

3
Kimi Räikkönen
Ferrari
1:13.283s
+ 0.563s
45

4
Daniil Kvyat
Toro Rosso
1:13.331s
+ 0.611s
41

5
Carlos Sainz
Toro Rosso
1:13.400s
+ 0.680s
42

6
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:13.486s
+ 0.766s
35

7
Sergio Pérez
Force India
1:13.799s
+ 1.079s
44

8
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
1:13.873s
+ 1.153s
31

9
Kevin Magnussen
Haas
1:13.890s
+ 1.170s
45

10
Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes
1:13.902s
+ 1.182s
38

11
Stoffel Vandoorne
McLaren
1:13.946s
+ 1.226s
41

12
Jenson Button
McLaren
1:13.981s
+ 1.261s
36

13
Felipe Massa
Williams
1:14.003s
+ 1.283s
46

14
Romain Grosjean
Haas
1:14.022s
+ 1.302s
43

15
Esteban Ocon
Force India
1:14.093s
+ 1.373s
46

16
Lance Stroll
Williams
1:14.474s
+ 1.754s
27

17
Nico Hülkenberg
Renault
1:14.870s
+ 2.150s
40

18
Jolyon Palmer
Renault
1:15.616s
+ 2.896s
8

19
Marcus Ericsson
Sauber
1:15.691s
+ 2.971s
31

20
Pascal Wehrlein
Sauber
1:15.695s
+ 2.975s
36

“Want to win a trackday experience? All you have to do is subscribe to our FREE newsletter HERE”

Gallery: All the pictures from Thursday in Monaco

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Click Here: kanken kids cheap

There have been a number of spats between team mates during the first half of 2017. Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat were among those to have a public falling out.

The pair collided in the opening lap of the British Grand Prix last month. Kvyat lost traction on lap 1 exiting Becketts and washed out into the side of Sainz’ car. The incident led to a war of words between the two.

“It started already with issues in qualifying,” Sainz told the Formula 1 website this week.

“I wanted to put everything into the race. Retiring on lap one from something out of your control is sure not how you want to end a race weekend!

“It is a situation that can happen once in a lifetime,” he added. “It happened in Silverstone – and I hope that was my ‘one time.'”

The concern was that the clash could prove to be terminal. Many feared it could make it impossible for Sainz and Kvyat to work together in future.

“In that very moment it sure was a ‘killer,'” Sainz agreed. “But time smooths things – the classic saying that time is a great healer

• Gasly to ‘wait and see’ about Toro Rosso promotion

“After one or two weeks you are able to turn the page and stop thinking about it,” he explained. “We are both mature enough to be able to turn the page.

“We know each other very well and for many years – we had similar situations in lower categories,” he pointed out, adding that it was time to “move on to new shores!

“The team is doing its job by telling the two of us that they are not happy about it,” he admitted. “And trying to make sure that it does not happen again.”

Sainz and Kvyat may need to rub along for a whole further season in 2018, with Toro Rosso looking determined to keep both drivers.

The Spanish driver got into trouble in July after appearing to suggest that he wanted to leave the team at the end of the year if he didn’t get his long-awaited promotion to the senior Red Bull team.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso responded by pointed out that they have a contract to retain him for another year.

“It is my one and only target to be a Red Bull driver in the future,” Sainz said subsequently.

 
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1

Click Here: mochila fjallraven

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Bernie Ecclestone has advised Ferrari to sign-up Fernando Alonso should it have a vacancy to fill for 2018.

With each passing race, Alonso’s prospects of remaining at McLarelen next season appear to fade,  but reasonable opportunities for the Spaniard may prove few and far between.

Asked last weekend in Baku who Ferrari should sign if the team has a vacancy for 2018, former F1 supremo Ecclestone answered: “Alonso, of course.

“He is one of the best F1 drivers of all time,” he told the Spanish newspaper ABC.

• Is Vettel heading to the FIA’s International Tribunal?

Flavio Briatore, who handles Alonso’s affairs along with business manager Luis Garcia Abad, would not rule out a return of Alonso to the House of Maranello.

“He always got along with everyone and only had problems with Mattiacci,” Briatore, referring to the now-departed former Ferrari boss, told Italian radio Rai.

“In this life you cannot exclude anything.  Fernando is a bit like Senna, who had no problem with any team — he only needs a car capable of winning.”

“In Formula 1 there are only two teams racing to win — Ferrari and Mercedes.

“McLaren can only be a top team if they change engines,” he added.

“We’ll see.  Red Bull and Force India can have good races, as we saw in Baku.”

GALLERY: F1 drivers’ wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

LAST CHANCE to enter our ULTIMATE TRACKDAY competition! FREE ENTRY HERE!

 

Click Here: Fjallraven Kanken Art Spring Landscape Backpacks