Friday, October 28, 2016

MEXICAN GP 2016 PREVIEW

The Mexican Grand Prix is an FIA-sanctioned auto race held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. It first appeared as a non-championship event in 1962 before being held as a championship event from 1963-1970 and 1986-1992. The Grand Prix returned in 2015 at the Mexico City circuit.

The last few races have seen some fascinating strategy gambles from Red Bull and others, so will we see more of the same this weekend, as the F1 teams race for the second time on the revamped Hermanos Rodgrizuez circuit in Mexico City?

Over 350,000 people are expected to attend across the three days, with organisers installing new grandstands, such is the demand for F1 tickets in Mexico. The track was brand new last year, so the surface has had a year to shed the oils that are always present in new tarmac and in addition there has been quite a bit of racing activity, so there should be significantly more grip from rubber on the surface.

The confines of the Magdalena Mixhuaca park which the circuit is located within meant the circuit layout had to be badly compromised in order to accommodate Formula One’s return 12 months ago. But even making allowances for that, the Tilke redrawing of the layout stripped it of every corner worthy of a name. While the loss of the mighty Peraltada was no less regrettable for being inevitable, it’s a shame more of the other quick corners couldn’t have been retained, at least in spirit if not exact configuration.

Nonetheless the vast crowd will make for a brilliant atmosphere and the combination of unusually high altitude and a very long straight – where cars exceeded 360kph last year – makes for a distinctive venue. Last year the freshly-laid asphalt was slippery. But since then several other series have been to visit, including the World Endurance Championship last month, so the drivers will hopefully find more grip this time. If that permits cars to follow each other through the second part of the lap more closely, we could see more jockeying for positions on the straight.

Weather

As Mexico City heads into the dry season, rain showers are still possible throughout GP weekend.
According to UBIMET, the official provider of meteorological services to the FIA, Thursday in Mexico City will bring a mix of sun and clouds, but it is expected to remain dry. A light breeze will continue out of the north-northwest, and it will be a touch cooler, with temperatures topping out between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Heading into the race weekend, dry weather is expected to continue for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This is normal for this time of year, as the end of October is the beginning of the dry season in Mexico City that continues all the way through the winter months. Each day will bring light winds with skies varying between partly to mostly cloudy. However, some showers could not be excluded during the afternoon and evening hours. High temperatures will remain a few degrees below average, with highs between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius.

Tyres

The tyre nomination for the Mexican Grand Prix is exactly the same as that for the United States Grand Prix last weekend: P Zero White medium, P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft. However, the two circuits are very different, with Mexico only returning to the calendar last year following an illustrious history in its previous incarnations from the 1960s until 1992. The current layout maintains elements of the former, very fast circuit, combined with more recent technical and slower sections: making it an intriguing mix of old and new that is slightly reminiscent of Monza.

Along with Monza and Baku, Mexico is one of the fastest circuits on the 2016 calendar. However, the cars run more downforce than at Monza, partly to compensate for the altitude. The asphalt is still new, as the circuit was resurfaced for last year's inaugural race (smoothing out the bumps that used to be typical of Mexico). The surface may have evolved this year.

Mexico's most famous corner – Peraltada – is the one that takes most energy from the tyres.
Weather is always a question mark, with both warm conditions and heavy rain possible. Last year, the track was slippery: however the circuit has been quite extensively used by a number of different championships during the season, which should lay more rubber down. With Mexico being new to the calendar last year, there are no major changes this season.

Mexico is the highest-altitude circuit of the year, which means that turbo units have to spin faster to produce the same power. Deployment of electrical power is not affected though. Top speeds in Mexico peaked at 366kph last year: this year they should be even quicker.

White medium: a mandatory set, which has not been chosen extensively by most drivers.
Yellow soft: another mandatory set, likely to be used a lot and play a key role in race strategy.
Red supersoft: will be used in Mexico for the first time this year, mandatory for the Q3 session.


DRS

The FIA has confirmed the positioning of the two DRS zones on the revised Mexico City F1 track. The zones will be positioned on consecutive straights: the first on the long start/finish straight, and the second at the exit of turn three.


As the first straight is one of the longest on the F1 calendar at around 1.2 kilometres, its DRS zone will begin 425 metres after the preceding corner. This has been named the Nigel Mansell curve. The second DRS zone begins 120 metres after turn three. Both DRS zones share a single detection point which is positioned at turn 15, a left-hand kink which leads the drivers out of the new stadium section.

Mexican Grand Prix in numbers

The 2016 Mexican Grand Prix will be the 17th world championship F1 race hosted at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The track is named after Mexican F1 racers Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez, and the former held the record for being the youngest front row starter by qualifying second at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix aged 19 until Max Verstappen qualified second at Spa earlier this year aged 18.

Heading into this weekend’s race, Mercedes has now won 16 races in each of the last three F1 seasons and can now set a new all-time record for victories in a single season if it wins any one of the final three events. The 2016 season is the longest in the history of F1 but if one of the Silver Arrows wins in Mexico, the team will break its own record in the same number of races (19) as were held in 2014 and 2015.

A lap of Mexico

A 1.2-kilometre straight leads the drivers to turn one, so anyone who gets a poor start will pay a serious price for it. The opening trio of corners feed into each other: a 90-degree right hander followed by a slow chicane. This was once a high-speed right-hander, then a series of three quick bends, and in its latest form is completely neutered.

The main straight is so long it’s easy to overlook the second significant stretch which brings drivers to another sequence of slow bends. The right turn four-five chicane saw some overtaking last year, and a clash between Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen which put the Ferrari driver out.

The squared-off hairpin which follows is a “very weird” corner, according to Romain Grosjean. “It’s very difficult to find a line.” Drivers generally sacrifice the first apex to straighten the car up before hitting the second one. This used to lead drivers into a sequence of connected left and right-handers not unlike the first sector at the Circuit of the Americas, only faster and increasing in tempo. Now the drivers briefly flick left, right and left, then tackle a slower right-hander leading into another left and press on torwards the Foro Sol stadium.

In the stadium a tight right-hander leads into a brutally slow hairpin – “as slow as Monaco”, according to Grosjean. “Finally, it’s the double right-hand corner with very important traction going into the old part of the oval to finish the lap.” The density of corners in the second half of the lap means we can expect to hear a lot of complaints about blue flags during the race, even with the new procedure announced last weekend. And the limited run-off space around the stadium and other parts of the track should raise the possibility of Safety Car interruptions.


Conclusion

Nico Rosberg goes to Mexico with the first ‘match point’ in the drivers’ championship as he can clinch the title if he wins and Lewis Hamilton finishes tenth or lower. If he does win the title this year, Rosberg will become the third German F1 world champion after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

For the first time in F1 history, two drivers from the same team are now guaranteed to finish in the first two positions in the drivers’ championship for a third successive year. Behind Rosberg and Hamilton, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo can wrap up third place in the 2016 standings if he finishes in the top ten in Mexico.

Hamilton can score a victory at a 23rd different F1 circuit if he wins this weekend, which would tie Schumacher’s current all-time record. The world champion can also reach that target if he wins at the next race in Brazil, or take the record for himself if he wins both events.

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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE UNITED STATES GP 2016

The race conclusions from PlanetF1. Original article is here.

Nico Rosberg is playing the “long game” while Carlos Sainz may have lost out in the Fernando Alonso tussle but could yet have the last laugh.

Playing the long game

Venus Williams was one of the high-profile figures in the Mercedes paddock this weekend and the US Grand Prix, although not a classic, was befitting of a match at Flushing Meadows as F1’s big boys probed and pushed their opponents on the track.

The strategic battle between Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari made for compelling viewing, while some drivers literally pushed their rivals around – here’s looking at you Daniil Kvyat while Fernando Alonso’s light ‘kiss’ on former team-mate Felipe Massa also stands out.

Lewis Hamilton may have trimmed Nico Rosberg’s lead to 26 points but as the German said repeatedly on team radio, what matters is the “long game”.

Rosberg does not need to take any risks and made it clear in Austin that he will be playing the percentages in Mexico, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi.

Reliability notwithstanding, it is clearly Rosberg’s title to lose.

How to measure greatness

While it might be too much to suggest that Hamilton’s was a pyrrhic victory, the big points’ deficit to Rosberg will have erased some of the sweetness from winning in America.

But the triple world champion did notch up a remarkable milestone in winning in Austin as he claimed his 50th grand prix – only Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost have won more.

Hamilton’s desire to equal Prost’s four titles is under threat from Rosberg, who, it is worth noting, has won almost as many races as the likes of Nelson Piquet, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, and Niki Lauda.

Unlike this illustrious company Rosberg has not won a title, but his race start to win ratio of 11.3% is marginally better than Piquet (11.2%) and not far off Lauda’s 14.6%.

Alonso’s Texas moment, but will Sainz have the last laugh? 

The late duel between the Spaniards was arguably the highlight of the grand prix. Fernando Alonso expressed his delight by yelling “yee-haw” on radio when he overtook Carlos Sainz for 5th.

But sixth is a fine return for Sainz, especially considering the machinery at his disposal and his team-mate Kvyat’s relative nightmare of a race.

Confirmed at Toro Rosso for 2017, unlike Kvyat, the young Spanish star might see another season with the team as a disappointment.

Although Max Verstappen outqualified and outscored Sainz in 2015, he hardly put him in the shade, and a run of four straight DNFs hampered Sainz’s campaign.

With all of this evidence in mind, a contract at a top team beckons for Sainz, though he could learn a lot from Alonso’s troubles since leaving Renault. Making the correct career moves are just as important as pure speed and race craft.

Danny Ric rolls on

As this column has pointed out before, the Red Bull star has been in an exceptional run of form since the summer. After overtaking Rosberg through T2 on the opening lap, Daniel Ricciardo drove another assured race to claim his seventh podium of the year.

The Australian believes that the virtual safety car, ironically deployed when his team-mate Verstappen retired on lap 31, cost him second.

“We seemed to be, at that stage, able to hold on to second,” said Ricciardo. “With the VSC, we lost 10 seconds to Nico.”

Since the German Grand Prix Ricciardo has bagged an impressive 128 points and only the Mercedes duo have scored more (Rosberg – 145 and Hamilton – 128).

No luck for Max and Kimi

Verstappen again made his mark with a bold overtaking move on Kimi Raikkonen, although later in the race he dove into the pits to find that his crew were not ready for him.

The teenager to the blame for the rookie error, though it became a moot point a few laps later when a transmission problem forced him into retirement.

Raikkonen, meanwhile, underscored his resurgence with a storming drive that was facilitated by an aggressive strategy of undercuts from Ferrari. While the Finn lacked the pace to compete for a place on the rostrum, he was ahead of Sebastian Vettel when his pitstop went awry, also forcing him into retirement

The team-mates wars among the Bulls and at the Prancing Horse are one of the key narratives going into 2017.

Raikkonen has rehabilitated his reputation after a tough few seasons, while Vettel has struggled by his standards and has been on the podium just once in the last 10 races.

As for Red Bull, many analysts would agree that Verstappen and Ricciardo is the most exciting line-up in F1. And don’t forget a certain Carlos Sainz nipping at their heels.

Richard F Rose

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Monday, October 17, 2016

2017 DRIVER MARKET

As Nico Hulkenberg leaves Force India for Renault, 11 seats have yet to be officially confirmed for 2017. Indeed, the German, who had an existing contract with Force India for 2017, is proof that even if a contract is in place those numerous clauses contained in it mean nothing can be taken for granted until the cars line up on the grid in Melbourne, though in Sauber’s case…

While Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren have confirmed their 2017 line-ups, a number of teams have only nominated one driver thus far, while four, including Williams, have yet to officially confirm either of their drivers. Though Valtteri Bottas is likely to remain with Williams, it is known that Renault is eyeing the Finn whose rise appears to have faltered somewhat this season.

While Canadian youngster Lance Stroll is expected to fill one of the seats at Grove, due to the team's sponsorship by drinks giant Martini no announcement can be made before he turns 18 later this month, the Saturday of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon are both in demand, and are sure to fancy their chances with Force India and Renault, respectively, more so than another season at Manor.

Daniil Kvyat is facing strong opposition from Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso, while Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer will need to give some strong performances in the four remaining races if they are to attract the attention of the likes of Haas far less convince Renault to retain one of them.

Marcus Ericsson is likely to remain with Sauber, his backers closely linked with the finance company that bought the Swiss team in the summer, and though Haas has made it clear that it wants to keep Romain Grosjean, it remains to be seen whether the ever complaining Frenchman pushes the American team too far in the remaining races, especially next weekend's much-hyped home race in Austin.

DriverNatTeamComment
HamiltonGBRMercedes AMG Petronas F1 TeamConfirmed
RosbergGERMercedes AMG Petronas F1 TeamConfirmed
RicciardoAUSRed Bull RacingConfirmed
VerstappenNEDRed Bull RacingConfirmed
BottasFINWilliams Martini RacingLikely
StrollCANWilliams Martini RacingRumoured
VettelGERScuderia FerrariConfirmed
RaikkonenFINScuderia FerrariConfirmed
AlonsoESPMcLaren HondaConfirmed
VandoorneBELMcLaren HondaConfirmed
PerezMESahara Force India F1 TeamConfirmed
WehrleinGERSahara Force India F1 TeamRumoured
SainzESPScuderia Toro RossoConfirmed
KvyatRUSScuderia Toro Rosso
GaslyFRAScuderia Toro RossoRumoured
HulkenbergGERRenault Sport Formula One TeamConfirmed
MagnussenDENRenault Sport Formula One TeamRumoured
PalmerGBRRenault Sport Formula One TeamRumoured
BottasFINRenault Sport Formula One TeamRumoured
OconFRARenault Sport Formula One TeamRumoured
WehrleinGERManor Racing Team
OconFRAManor Racing Team
EricssonSWESauber F1 TeamLikely
NasrBRZSauber F1 Team
GrosjeanFRAHaas F1 TeamLikely
GutierrezMEHaas F1 Team
LeclercMONHaas F1 TeamRumoured
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Thursday, October 6, 2016

JAPANESE GP 2016 PREVIEW

The Japanese Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of the last, if not the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 27 World Championship Japanese Grands Prix that have been hosted.

The first two Japanese Grands Prix in 1976 and 1977 were held at the Fuji Speedway, before Japan was taken off the calendar. It returned in 1987 at Suzuka, which hosted the Grand Prix exclusively for 20 years and gained a reputation as one of the most challenging F1 circuits. In 2007 the Grand Prix moved back to the newly redesigned Fuji Speedway. After a second race at Fuji in 2008, the race returned to Suzuka in 2009.

New additions to the Formula One calendar tend to be homogeneous affairs lacking in local colour. But the unique Suzuka circuit’s fairground setting and famously dedicated fans make it unmistakably Japanese. It also helps that the sinuous circuit is almost universally liked by the F1 field and regarded as a favourite by many.

Designed by John Hugenholz and built in the sixties, the track has hosted F1 for three decades. While the crossover is its most distinctive feature it’s the many tricky medium and high-speed corners which present the greatest challenge to the drivers. Although not among the very fastest circuits in terms of outright top speed, Suzuka is also a punishing circuit for engines. Drivers need responsive power delivery around the flowing first sector, then have two long periods of flat-out acceleration at the end of the lap.

TRACK CHARACTERISTICS 

Track length : 5.807 kilometres.
Race distance : 53 laps (307.471 kilometres).
Corners : 18 corners in total. High speed, figure of 8 – a real drivers’ favourite.
Aerodynamic setup : HIgh downforce.
Top speed : 324km/h (with Drag Reduction System active on rear wing) – 312km/h without.
Full throttle : 70% of the lap time (ave/high).
Time spent braking : 10% of lap (low)
Number of brake zones : 9.
Brake wear : Light. Not a tough race on brakes.
Total time needed for pit stop : 22 seconds (ave).
Lap record : 1:31.540 (Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren MP4-20, 2005)

WEATHER FORECAST

After a warm and dry Tuesday, look for a chance for rain on Wednesday, especially from the late morning into the afternoon, predicts UBIMET, the official meteorological service provider to the FIA. Winds will be moderate from the south with temperatures peaking at 24 to 26 degrees Celsius.
Thursday will bring pleasant weather conditions with a lot of sunshine, gustly northwesterly winds and high temperatures again around 25 to 26 degrees C.

On Friday, clouds will build during the day with an enhanced risk for showers starting in the evening, therefore both sessions are likely to remain dry. Cooler highs between 22 and 24 degrees C.
Saturday will start out with occasional rain. Although the rain should taper off late in the day, the chance for showers during the practice session and the Qualifying runs is still rather high. Winds will be light with high temperatures ranging from 23 to 25 degrees C.

On Sunday, the showers will again become more frequent during the morning hours. A few thunderstorms with heavy rain cannot be ruled out in the afternoon. There's a significant risk for rainy, slick conditions during the scheduled race. Blustery northwest winds will be increasing with high temperatures between 22 and 24 degrees C, dropping quickly in the afternoon.

TYRES

Coming straight off the back of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Japanese Grand Prix uses exactly the same three nominations: P Zero Orange hard, P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft. Another thing that the Japanese Grand Prix has in common with Malaysia is the fact that two sets of the hard compound have been nominated as mandatory sets, meaning that the hardest compound will definitely be used at some point during the race by every driver.

Suzuka is one of the most atmospheric races of the season, with an old-school feel thanks to its fast corners and small run-off areas. Just like Malaysia, there's a strong possibility of rain featuring during the weekend: but unlike Malaysia the track is quite narrow, which makes overtaking more difficult.

The Three Nominated Compounds:

Orange hard: will definitely be used for the race, as it is nominated twice as an obligatory set.
White medium: drivers have selected between one and four sets of these, with different ideas.
Yellow soft: this is the first time that the soft has been seen in Japan; will be quick in qualifying.

DRS

The FIA has retained a single DRS zone for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. As in previous years at the Suzuka circuit, the activation area runs along the majority of the start/finish straight, following a detection point shortly before the final Turn 16/17 chicane, also known as the Casio Triangle. Monaco is the only other round to have featured just one DRS zone this season, due to a lack of space.


SAFETY CAR

The thing to keep the strategists busy is the Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car, which is appearing increasingly frequently, as we saw in Malaysia. This cuts the time needed for a pit stop and can be a game changer, for good or bad; it helped Alonso beat Hulkenberg last weekend, but it cost Button a shot at 5th place. Suzuka is traditionally a race with quite a high chance of Safety Cars, so expect several interruptions in the race and tactical switches as a result.

CONCLUSION

In the championship fight, Hamilton is still looking to take his 50th Grand Prix win and 100th F1 podium finish after he failed to finish last weekend in Malaysia from what looked to be a winning position.

Qualifying is critical; it’s rare for a car from outside the front row to win. Although pole position, which is on the outside, has a significant grip advantage compared to the inside line, nevertheless for the last two seasons Lewis Hamilton has won the race from second on the grid, despite losing out on pole to his team mate Nico Rosberg.

If you enjoyed this posting, please do share it with your network so more people can enjoy it as well. Also, check out my Formula 1 inspired designs at my online shops:

1. Hamilton Tees (fixed designs) is my online shop where you can get my Lewis Hamilton inspired designs printed on many different types of t-shirts and hoodies.
Link - http://shop.spreadshirt.com/hamiltontees/

2. Lewis Hamilton T-Shirt (design your own) is a designer shop where you can get the same designs on many more products - not just t-shirts but trousers, baby bibs, mugs, phone cases, whatever is available. You can adjust the size and location of the designs, add text and customize it exactly as you see fit.
Link - http://lewishamiltontshirt.spreadshirt.com/

3. Lewis Hamilton Collection (fixed designs) is my fixed design shop on Redbubble where most of the phone cases are and many other products.
Link - http://www.redbubble.com/people/akhnsx/collections/504049-lewis-hamilton-collection

Support Lewis this season by owning this collection. Thank you for your support. May Lewis win his fourth world title in 2016. We win and lose together. Go Lewis!

Here is a sample.