Friday, September 30, 2016

MALAYSIAN GP 2016 PREVIEW

Lewis will rise to the challenge
First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999, the current Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the Sepang International Circuit at Sepang, Malaysia. FIA-sanctioned racing in Malaysia has existed since the 1960s. But only from 1999 did Malaysia get a proper world class F1 track with the one built in Sepang.

The Sepang International Circuit is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, approximately 60 km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. It is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix and other major motorsport events. The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design the new facilities in Shanghai, Bahrain, Turkey, Valencia, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Korea, India and Austin, TX.

The main circuit, normally raced in a clockwise direction, is 5.543 kilometres long, and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights. The layout is quite unusual, with a very long back straight separated from the pit straight by just one very tight hairpin.

Other configurations of the Sepang circuit can also be used. The north circuit is also raced in a clockwise direction. It is basically the first half of the main circuit. The course turns back towards the pit straight after turn 6 and is 2.71 kilometres long in total.

The south circuit is the other half of the racecourse. The back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight when the south circuit is in use, and joins onto turn 8 of the main circuit to form a hairpin turn. Also run clockwise, this circuit is 2.61 km in length.

Track Information

Location : Sepang, Malaysia
Track Length: 5.542 km
Race Distance : 56 laps (310 kilometres)
No. Of Turns : 15 corners in total (Left 5, Right 10), a mixture of slow, medium and fast
No. of Pits : 30 units
Grandstand Capacity : 30,000
General Admission : 80,000
Width : 16m (T1:18m; T2:20m; T15: 25m)
Longest Straight : 928m (T15 toT1)
Lap record 1:34.223 (Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004)
Aerodynamic setup – Medium/high downforce.
Top speed 312km/h (with Drag Reduction System on rear wing) – 300km/h without.
Full throttle – 70% of the lap. Total fuel needed for race distance: 153 kilos.
Time spent braking: 15% of the lap. 8 braking zones. Brake wear: Medium.
Loss time for a Pit stop = 16.5 seconds
Total time needed for pit stop: 22.5 seconds.
The pit lane speed limit in Sepang is 100km/h, which means faster pit stops than Melbourne.
Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.36 seconds (average/high)

The entire Sepang circuit has been resurfaced and changes made to the track gradient, kerbs, drainage and run-off areas. Among the most significant changes is at the final corner, where the designers have attempted to improve overtaking opportunities. For the new changes to the track, view a side by side comparison here.

Tyres

About the only thing in common that the Malaysian Grand Prix has with the nearby Singapore Grand Prix that preceded it is humidity: around 80% humidity is a common occurrence, as a result of which there are tropical torrential downpours almost on a daily basis. The actual circuit however is totally different, with high speeds and long corners as well as high temperatures: one of the reasons why the three hardest compounds in the Pirelli range (P Zero Orange hard, P Zero White medium, and P Zero Yellow soft) have been nominated for the first time since Silverstone.

For the first time since Canada, the hardest available compound must be used in the race (with two sets of hard nominated as obligatory sets). The track has been completely resurfaced, following a three-month closure earlier this year, which may mean that it is less abrasive than before: a typical characteristic of Sepang in the past.


Track temperatures are nearly always high: it's actually possible to fry an egg on the asphalt. In the past, wear and degradation has been high, making a multi-stop race likely. Heavy rain has often been a feature of the Malaysian Grand Prix, even causing red flags. It also means that any rubber laid down is washed away, affecting the weekend's track evolution. Thermal degradation is an important factor, again due to high ambient and track temperatures. Sepang is a varied circuit but there are also some fast corners with high lateral energy loads. The new surface should mean that the track is a lot less bumpy. The front-left tyre gets worked hardest, which tends to be the limiting factor in stint lengths.

The three nominated compounds:

Orange hard: must be used in the race as two sets have been nominated as obligatory sets.
White medium: should be key to a flexible strategy, which often pays off in Sepang.
Yellow soft: a soft compound but high working range, which makes it very usable in Malaysia.

DRS

Sepang has two DRS zones, with only one detection point. The only detection point is situated between turns 12 and 13, 54 meters after turn 12, with the first DRS zone 104 metres after turn 14.


The second DRS zone begins at the exit of turn 15, 28 meters after turn 15, and extends over the start finish straight .

Weather

The Malaysian Grand Prix has moved closer to its original calendar slot this year, but the change in dates is unlikely to have a significant effect on the weather.

Nearby Kuala Lumpur sees slightly fewer rainy days in September than April, when the race was previously held. The first two Malaysian Grands Prix were held in October, both in dry conditions.

However the general picture remains familiar: high heat, humidity and a threat of thunderstorms, albeit a slightly reduced one. These convective thunderstorms tend to occur in the late morning and early afternoon. Note that the race start time is 3pm, two hours earlier than qualifying.

With temperatures frequently exceeding 30C and a fresh, dark layer of asphalt covering the track, we could see some particularly high surface temperatures this weekend. They peaked at a scorching 61C last year.

Conclusion

Mercedes are likely to clinch their third consecutive constructors’ championship this weekend. They arrive in Malaysia 222 points ahead of Red Bull and will take the title of their lead is at least 215 points on Sunday evening.

Could this be Nico Rosberg's year? He has never led the drivers' standings this late in the season and has rarely been on such convincing form as he was in Singapore. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, has struggled to kick start his season following the summer break following an engine penalty in Spa, a bad start in Monza and set-up issues in Singapore. The records of previous years point toward Hamilton edging Rosberg over the next six races, but the beauty of this sport is that anything can happen. One retirement and the title could swing dramatically one way or the other; one collision and we could be set for all-out war between the Mercedes drivers.

This weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix will be crucial to the title race. If Rosberg can extend his lead with a win, it will leave him a minimum of 15 points ahead of Hamilton and would mean the reigning world champions has gone two months without a victory. If Hamilton wins and Rosberg finishes second the gap will close to just one point, effectively resetting the championship with five races remaining. Bring it on.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SINGAPORE GP

Well that not much of a race for me. I switched off halfway as there was no point watching Lewis having to manage his brakes all the way and can't attack.

This article reproduced from Planet F1. Original article can be found here.

One has to feel for Nico Rosberg. He may have taken the lead in the Championship, but his great performances are never extolled like Lewis Hamilton’s. At the same time, his failings are prodded, poked, studied, and arguably held against him.

There was no failing at Singapore in 2016, though. From his outstanding pole lap – more than half a second clear of his nearest challenger – to his perfect race, this was a performance worthy of nothing but praise.

Toto Wolff claimed, however, that some perspective was required as Hamilton’s woes in FP2 had set back his race preparations.

Would Rosberg have received the same sympathy had such bad luck befallen him? Let’s be clear that there is no suggestion of conspiracy against Rosberg, but the answer is “no”. And Rosberg knows that there is only one way to change that, and that is to defend his Championship lead and claim his first title.

The Singapore slinger

Who would you give this title to? Daniel Ricciardo or Max Verstappen? Both made good cases for themselves at Marina Bay.

Ricciardo’s charge after the last round of pit stops was wonderful to watch – one might even feel a bit of nostalgia and wished to have heard Murray Walker squawking in delight as the Red Bull chased down Rosberg’s Silver Arrow.

Alas for the Aussie, the Red Bull lacked the wings to catch the Mercedes. Ricciardo must wait then to exorcise the ghosts of Monaco and claim a first win of 2016.

In qualifying Martin Brundle suggested that Ricciardo was in the form of his life. With many pundits suggesting that Red Bull could be the team to beat when the new regulations are introduced in 2017, Ricciardo shouldn’t have to wait long before converting his sensational form into victories.

That said, if Rosberg and Ricciardo are the men in form; it is Verstappen who remains F1’s great entertainer. In his memorable battle with Daniil Kvyat, Verstappen seemed to find pieces of track that other drivers wouldn’t see, let alone use; and place his car in spaces that seemed too small for a F1 car.

The last cut is the deepest

Hamilton has his Mercedes team to thank for salvaging a podium after he locked up and Kimi Raikkonen had swept past his W07 to claim third.

By undercutting the Finn in the last round of stops, Hamilton was able to get back past the Ferrari to limit the damage and claim third after enduring a scrappy weekend. The extra points will, of course, prove crucial as the season enters the run-in.

For Raikkonen and Ferrari, Mercedes’ smart strategic play represents not only a disappointing Singapore race, but was something of a microcosm of a disappointing season for the Scuderia.

Fans might remember Sebastian Vettel’s remarkable podium in Abu Dhabi four years ago, when he charged through the field after starting at the back of the grid.

Although there was no top-three finish in Singapore, the four-time Champion showed patience and excellent race craft to make his way up to a commendable fifth after a mechanical problem blighted his qualifying and forced him to start last.

This fine recovery drive, however, is scant consolation to man who won here a year ago and who instead of fighting for the title finds himself 120 points behind Rosberg with a maximum of 150 points left on the table in 2016.

A word for Alonso, Kvyat and K Mag

McLaren’s improved form is not yet a revival, but the men from Woking are getting closer to the type of performance expected from a team of McLaren’s status.

While Kvyat would have taken little joy from being overtaken by Verstappen – the teenager who took his seat at Red Bull – he will be happy to have claimed ninth and his first points in five races.

Kevin Magnussen, meanwhile, took the flag in tenth to earn his and Renault’s first points since the Russian Grand Prix on May 1.

Good results they are, neither Kvyat not Magnussen are assured seats in 2017. Every point helps, though more so for Magnussen than Kvyat, with the Russian widely tipped to be out of the formula come November 27.

Marshal madness

Seeing a marshall scurrying to safety mere metres from a pack of almost two dozen ferocious F1 cars brings back terrifying memories of the 1977 South African Grand Prix.

In that fateful race, Shadow driver Tom Pryce was killed when his car struck a marshal while travelling at 270kph.

With this in mind, we expect better from Singapore and from F1.

Richard F Rose

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3. Lewis Hamilton Collection (fixed designs) is my fixed design shop on Redbubble where most of the phone cases are and many other products.
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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!

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Thursday, September 15, 2016

SINGAPORE GP 2016 PREVIEW

The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor race on the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The event takes place in Singapore on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural F1 night race and the first street circuit in Asia. Spaniard Fernando Alonso won the first edition of the grand prix, driving for the Renault F1 team. The Singapore Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar through at least 2017, after race organizers signed a contract extension with Formula One Management on the eve of the 2012 event.

Singapore’s street race under night lights has been a dazzling addition to the calendar though the track is more a test of endurance than skill. It boasts 23 turns which are almost all slow and the majority of them are right-angled. Like Baku, Sochi and – of course – Monaco, this is more a tour bus route than a track.

That isn’t to say it can’t catch drivers out. The combination of frequent bumps and braking zones, unforgiving walls and energy-sapping humidity make this one of the toughest races on the calendar along with Malaysia. And for the first time this year drivers will have to contend with both those races within two weeks of each other.

The longest race in the F1 calendar at almost two hours, one of the hardest on brakes, with a 100% record of a safety car, a long slow pit stop and a choice of the softest tyres which cannot do the 308km marathon in one stop, the Singapore Grand Prix is always a strategy challenge.

TRACK CHARACTERISTICS

Track Length : 5.073 kilometres.
Race Distance : 61 laps (309.316 kilometres).
Corners : 23 corners in total.
Aerodynamic Setup : High downforce.
Top Speed : 305km/h (with Drag Reduction System active on rear wing) – 290km/h without.
Full Throttle : 45.5% of the lap time (low).
Time Spent Braking : 21% of lap.
Number Of Brake Zones : 16.
Brake Wear : Very high. Toughest race of season for brakes as no cooling opportunities.
Total Time Needed For Pit stop : 29 seconds (very high).
Lap Record : 1:48.574 - S Vettel (2013).

WEATHER FORECAST

Weather conditions throughout the Singapore Grand Prix week will be predominately dictated by the presence of the SouthWest monsoon, according to UBIMET, official meteorological service provider to the FIA. For the majority of the week the mornings will begin mostly dry and sunny with cloud building rapidly to thundery showers between late morning and early afternoon.

As is common in the tropics, these showers may be heavy at times accompanied with the hazard of strong rain and gusty winds. The highest temperatures will range from 30 to 34 degrees. Evenings and nights will remain mostly dry with temperatures not below 25 degrees. As the race, practice and qualifying sessions take place after sunset, the chance of dry weather conditions is high. However, thundery showers cannot be excluded completely.

DRS

The night race featured just one zone in 2011 and 2012, but moved to two from 2013; the first area is situated on the long stretch from Turns 5 to 7, known as Raffles Boulevard, with the second on the start-finish straight.

Separate detection points control the two zones – the first just after Turn 4 and the second before Turn 22.


TYRES

For the only true night race of the calendar, held on the stunning streets of Singapore, Pirelli's P Zero Purple ultrasoft tyres make a return for the first race since Austria, alongside the supersoft and soft. The three softest tyres in the P Zero range have been selected to cater for the unique demands of the Marina Bay street circuit: a long lap, fluctuating track temperatures, and a physically demanding race for both drivers and cars. With the barriers so close to the side of the track, no mistakes go unpunished during this two-hour marathon held in humid conditions.

Singapore has the highest number of corners of any circuit all year (23) but is the second-slowest lap after Monaco: placing demands on tyres in terms of cornering, braking and traction. The surface is typically bumpy, also with street furniture such as painted lines and manholes. Being run at night, track temperatures don't evolve in the usual way seen at a daytime race.

Ambient temperatures still remain high though, meaning drivers have to manage degradation. A long race and high safety car probability open up many different tyre strategy opportunities. Low downforce means all the mechanical grip comes from tyres: the left-rear works hardest. Pit stop time is long due to a lower speed limit and long pit lane: a key strategic consideration. Ferrari has gone for the most aggressive tyre choice, with a maximum allocation of ultrasoft. Following some minor changes to the circuit in 2015, there are no big alterations this year.


Yellow soft: the hardest set available this weekend, capable of long stints at Marina Bay.
Red supersoft: a versatile compound, which proved to be a key element of last year's race.
Purple ultrasoft: designed to offer a considerable pace advantage: will be used in qualifying.

SAFETY CAR

Because the track is lined with walls, making it difficult for marshals to clear debris, the chance of a Safety Car at Singapore is 100% ! There has been at least one Safety Car at every Singapore GP so far with an average of 6 laps spent under Safety Car.

CONCLUSION

Mercedes has had it pretty much its own way this season, apart from a blip in Spain, where the drivers hit each other on the opening lap. This weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix offers a chance for their rivals to take a win, with Red Bull and Ferrari looking to exploit any weakness in the Mercedes weekend.

Red Bull’s car should be ideally suited to the 5km Marina Bay circuit, while Ferrari won the race last year with Sebastian Vettel and benefits from an updated engine from the last race in Monza. Vettel is also a Singapore specialist with four wins and three poles. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finished second last season at the F1 Night race and after his stunning performance in Monaco with pole and what should have been a race win, but for a botched strategy and pit stop, he starts as many people’s favourite for the event. But the execution will have to be perfect.

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:

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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.
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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!

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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE ITALIAN GP 2016

Enjoyed the Italian GP? I didn't. A bad start from Lewis handed the race to Rosberg. "Pure class"? I disagree but I still will post this article just so that we can see at the end of the season how deluded Rosberg was. Of course he has a chance at the title but on pure pace and skills, Lewis wins hands down. Only luck can win it for Rosberg.

This article was written by Michelle Foster of PlanetF1. The original article can be found here.

Pure class from Nico Rosberg at a grand prix that proved that speed doesn’t guarantee good racing.

Rosberg’s got something
It was a classy win for Nico Rosberg as he raced unchallenged to his maiden Italian Grand Prix win.

Detractors will say it was an easy one, made uncomplicated by Lewis Hamilton’s start misfortunes, but Rosberg still did had to do the work.

He still had to lay down the fast laps, build a lead over the Ferraris – and over Hamilton by more than a second per lap in the opening stage – and he had to maintain his pace in the latter stages to keep his team-mate at bay and quash any hope that Hamilton may have had that he would be able to close up.

Sunday’s triumph not only saw Rosberg slash Hamilton’s lead to just two points, it also bolstered his belief that maybe he has a genuine chance at this year’s World title.

It was a 21st victory for Rosberg, moving him ahead of Mika Hakkinen and up to 14th on the all-time list. It was his 50th Formula 1 podium and his seventh win of this championship, beating his tally of six from 2015.

Even the best get it wrong
First to sixth in the space of a few metres, Lewis Hamilton initially told Mercedes that he had made a mistake off the line, only for Mercedes to inform him at the post-race debrief that it was not a driver error.

Rather, the team told him, it was yet another issue with the clutch, a problem that has caught out both drivers several times this season.

Mercedes have dominated Formula 1 for the past two-and-a-half years as they have managed to get everything right; the engine, the chassis, the drivers. Everything but the clutch that is.

“They’ll be working very hard,” Hamilton said of the issue. “It’s not a quick fix, something you can change for the next race. We have made improvements, so we have seen more consistent, better starts, but we are still caught out by the random variation that we have from one weekend to the other.”

Speed does not guarantee epic racing
Monza is Formula 1’s fastest grand prix. On Sunday, Rosberg covered the 306.72 kilometres in one hour, 17 minutes, and 28.089 seconds.

Fernando Alonso clocked the day’s fastest lap time of 1:25.340 with an average speed of 244.373kph.

And yet it was rather boring.

Rosberg went unchallenged at the front, Lewis Hamilton and the Ferraris changed positions through pitstop strategies, which also played a huge role in the rest of the top ten.

Were it not for Daniel Ricciardo’s pass on Valtteri Bottas, where he came from a long way behind with his “DRS open, and head tucked” to pass the Williams at the first chicane, there would be very little overtaking action of consequence to speak of.

It is a concern that many have for next year’s new regulations. Formula 1 may be taking steps to make the cars five seconds per lap faster, but that just means the snooze fest will be over faster.

A glimmer of hope for Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel gave Ferrari and their tifosi something to celebrate on Sunday as he joined the Mercedes drivers on the podium at the Scuderia’s home grand prix.

It was a good result for Ferrari, who have fallen behind Red Bull Racing in recent weeks, and was made even more so by Kimi Raikkonen fourth on the day.

But, if you look a bit closer, Sunday’s result was rather concerning.

Vettel and Raikkonen were dropped by Rosberg in the opening stint despite being on supersoft tyres to the German’s softs.

Even when the Mercedes driver switched to the medium tyres, and they were running supersofts and softs, they were unable to close the gap. Nor were they able to keep Hamilton, who had the same tyre strategy as his team-mate, behind them.

Second best on the day, but a very distant second.

Formula 1 is getting younger and younger
36-year-old Jenson Button is stepping aside for 24-year-old Stoffel Vandoorne while 35-year-old Felipe Massa is also out, reportedly making way for 18-year-old Lance Stroll.

While not many will argue that Vandoorne, who came through Renault Formula 3.5 and GP2, has done the hard yards to secure his place on the grid, Stroll is yet another example of Formula 1 teams being willing to gamble on young talent.

Should the Canadian sign as Massa’s replacement, he will be the latest teenager on the grid.

But like the other two, Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen, Stroll has begun to make a name for himself in the European F3 Championship, which he is currently leading.

Elder statesmen out, barely old enough to shave in.

Michelle Foster

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:

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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.


Friday, September 2, 2016

ITALIAN GP 2016 PREVIEW

Formula 1 heads to the 'Temple of Speed' at Monza this weekend for an Italian Grand Prix where fast laps and low downforce will be key talking points.

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of the most iconic racetracks on the Formula 1 calendar. It was built in 1922 and has staged more world championship grands prix than any other circuit in the world. Only once, in 1980, has the circuit not been on the F1 calendar.

Up until the early ’60s, racing took place on a fearsome six-mile oval. But the death of Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix resulted in future races taking place on a shorter road course, with the last true ‘slipstreaming’ battle taking place in 1971, after which chicanes were installed to slow the cars.

The track is still the fastest in Formula 1, with today’s cars exceeding 200mph (322km/h) on four occasions around the lap. The average speed is in excess of 150mph (241km/h), so the teams use one-off low-downforce aerodynamic packages to maximise straight-line speed. However, braking stability is important: there are a total of six braking events around the lap and on two occasions the cars slow from 200mph (322km/h) to 50mph (80km/h) in just two seconds. Further it needs a good mechanical configuration of suspension to work well over the kerbs, while also needing strong power and a reliable hybrid system because it is full throttle for 69 percent of the lap.

TRACK CHARACTERISTICS

Track Length : 5.793 kilometres.
Race distance : 53 laps (306.72 kilometres).
Corners : 11 corners in total.
Average Speed : 247km/h.
Aerodynamic Setup : Low downforce.
Top speed : 360km/h (with Drag Reduction System active on rear wing).
Full Throttle : 74% of the lap (high).
Time Spent Braking : 11% of lap.
Number Of Brake Zones : 6.
Brake Wear : High.
Total Time Needed For Pit Stop (at 80km/h) : 25 seconds (ave/high).
Lap record : 1:21.046 Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 2004.

Last five winners in Italy:
2015: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2012: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2011: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

WEATHER FORECAST

Following the unusually high temperatures seen at Spa another weekend of warm temperatures are forecast at Monza. However the prospects of any rain on Sunday are receding.

The first practice session on Friday will be run under sunny skies in temperatures of around 25C. This will rise towards 30C in time for the second session later that day and there is a risk of thunderstorms developing later on.

Saturday’s weather will be more settled and cloudier, but with temperatures still reaching as high as 28C. The Italian Grand Prix is set to be run in similar warm and dry conditions. At present there is a chance of a small amount of rain later in the day, but at present it is not expected to affect the race.

TYRES

Pirelli has chosen the medium, soft and (for the first time) supersoft tyres at Monza: the fourth consecutive race where this selection is being used.

While average speeds are high, cornering speeds are reasonably low, minimising tyre wear. This means that some teams could aim for a one-stop strategy. Heavy longitudinal forces act on tyres, especially under braking and traction in the two chicanes. The drivers tend to hit the famous kerbs at Monza hard, which further tests the tyre structure. Parabolica and Curva Grande are particularly challenging, as they are long corners putting plenty of energy through the tyres. Low downforce means braking and acceleration is tricky: drivers must try to avoid wheelspin.

White medium: a mandatory set that will be important for the race if using a one-stop strategy.
Yellow soft: again a mandatory set, could come into play for a two-stop strategy in particular.
Red supersoft: mandatory in qualifying; most of the top 10 are very likely to start on this tyre.

DRS

There are two DRS zones; the first is on the start-finish straight and the second on the approach to Turn Eight, the Ascari chicane. But overtaking remains difficult because the impact of DRS is less at Monza than at other racetracks, due to the small rear wings being used by the cars. In fact, statistically, pole position is more important at Monza than it is at Monaco.


SAFETY CAR

The chance of a safety car at Monza is statistically very low at 43% and 0.4 Safety Cars per race. There was however a Safety car three years in a row recently from 2007- 9.

CONCLUSION

With Lewis Hamilton’s power unit stock replenished and both Mercedes drivers having taken six wins each, the run in for the 2016 drivers title effectively begins here, with a nine point advantage for Hamilton.

Hamilton has has taken both victories for Mercedes at this venue in the V6 era, with Nico Rosberg so far unable to challenge the Briton. This race was a turning point in the championship in 2015 as Hamilton took a lights to flag victory while Rosberg retired from third with engine failure, his title hopes going up in smoke along with his engine.

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.