Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

Result of a 3rd horrorfying end of the practice session :

FP3 stopped early due to Carlos Sainz Jr crash :
Final practice ahead of the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix was brought to a halt 15 minutes early following a heavy accident involving Carlos Sainz Jr. With 22 minutes of the hour-long session remaining Sainz ploughed his Toro Rosso deep into a barrier at Turn 13, the culmination of one of the fastest parts of the Sochi Autodrom circuit. The Spaniard's car lost control under braking for Turn 13, slamming into the outside concrete wall before heading straight on into the Tecpro barrier at the end of the run-off area.
Due to a loss of power on the car there was also no communication available from pit to driver, preventing the team from getting an update on Sainz's condition. The FIA took the decision not to restart the session as marshals and medics continued to attend to Sainz, while there were initially no replays of the shunt. Sainz was eventually removed from his car, placed on a stretcher and into an awaiting ambulance, the 21-year-old appearing to give a wave of his hand and a thumbs-up in the process. Following what were two heavily disrupted Friday sessions, the initial 45 minutes of FP3 prior to the accident were hectic. It meant that from the off there was a mix of the tyre compounds used, with some drivers taking the super-soft tyres immediately. Temperatures, however, were hardly ideal, with the track at just 22 degrees and air flitting between 15 and 16 degrees, ensuring for all concerned that getting heat into the tyres would pose a problem. Valtteri Bottas initially led the way on softs with a lap of 1m42.829s, the Finn then consistently improving on his run before lowering the benchmark to 1:40.617s. Twenty minutes into the session Williams team-mate Felipe Massa was Bottas's closest rival, 0.355s off the pace, with the rest of the field clearly running higher fuel loads as Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was third, but just over two seconds back. Switching to the supersofts, Bottas shaved just over three tenths of a second off his best time with a lap of 1m40.275s, before Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes became the first to dip below 100 seconds with a 1m38.941s on super-softs. Bottas responded by posting faster times in the first two sectors, only to blot his copybook with an error in the final sector and finish three tenths of a second off the pace. Rosberg then went quicker again with a lap of 1m38.561s before a lock up from Lewis Hamilton in sector one on his maiden super-soft run compromised his lap, with the reigning champion finishing 0.802s down on his team-mate. Outside of the top three of Rosberg, Bottas and Hamilton, Force India's Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth and sixth quickest, sandwiching Massa. McLaren duo Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were seventh and ninth, with Pastor Maldonado eighth, and Felipe Nasr 10th, 2.668s back. Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel finished 12th and 16th, the latter just over four seconds down.

1. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:38.561
2. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:39.287 +0.726
3. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:39.363 +0.802
4. Sergio Perez - Force India 1:39.616 +1.055
5. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:39.875 +1.314
6. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:39.917 +1.356
7. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:40.581 +2.020
8. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:40.767 +2.206
9. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:41.200 +2.639
10. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:41.229 +2.668
11. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:41.358 +2.797
12. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:42.297 +3.736
13. Romain Grosjean - Lotus 1:42.371 +3.810
14. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:42.450 +3.889
15. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 1:42.683 +4.122
16. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:42.686 +4.125
17. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:43.089 +4.528
18. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:43.347 +4.786
19. Roberto Merhi - Manor F1 Team 1:46.767 +8.206
20. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team 1:47.249 +8.688

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Result of the 2nd practice session :

1. Felipe Massa - Williams 2:00.458
2. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 2:00.659 +0.201
3. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 2:00.688 +0.230
4. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 2:00.806 +0.348
5. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 2:01.077 +0.619
6. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 2:01.418 +0.960
7. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 2:02.805 +2.347
8. Jenson Button - McLaren 2:02.845 +2.387
9. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP - no time
10. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari - no time
11. Sergio Perez - Force India - no time
12. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP - no time
13. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber - no time
14. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India - no time
15. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing - no time
16. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus - no time
17. Romain Grosjean - Lotus - no time
18. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team - no time
19. Felipe Nasr - Sauber - no time
20. Roberto Merhi - Manor F1 Team - no time

Felipe Massa fastest as rain spoils Friday F1 practice :
Williams Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa set the pace in a rain-hit second practice for the Russian Grand Prix, as only eight drivers set a time. The Brazilian clocked a 2m00.458s on the full wet tyres at the Sochi Autodrom as rain fell throughout the session.
Drivers bemoaned the slippery conditions, with several getting caught out by the large amounts of standing water on the track. It compounded a frustrating day for the pitlane as a "significant diesel spillage" disrupted the start of first practice. As a result, teams will have to complete a packed-programme in final practice on Saturday to make up for lost time. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was second quickest, ahead of the second Williams of Valtteri Botta, both setting their best laps late on. Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen, who was told he couldn't do a flying lap towards the end of the session because the team needed to save tyres as a precaution for Sunday's race, was fourth. Fernando Alonso was fifth, completing 12 laps, but his session ended slightly early when McLaren instructed him to return to the pits having discovered a problem with his car. Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr and Jenson Button were the other drivers who set a time. Six drivers, including world champion Lewis Hamilton, ventured out but did not complete a timed lap while a further six chose to not leave the garage at all.

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Result of the 1st practice session :

1. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:44.355
2. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:44.407 +0.052
3. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:44.986 +0.631
4. Sergio Perez - Force India 1:45.146 +0.791
5. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:45.233 +0.878
6. Carlos Sainz jr -Toro Rosso 1:45.488 +1.133
7. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:45.691 +1.336
8. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:45.746 +1.391
9. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:46.203 +1.848
10. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:46.215 +1.860
11. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:46.231 +1.876
12. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:46.333 +1.978
13. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:46.747 +2.392
14. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:47.443 +3.088
15. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:48.006 +3.651
16. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:48.096 +3.741
17. Jolyon Palmer Lotus 1:49.094 +4.739
18. Roberto Merhi Manor F1 Team 1:52.994 +8.639
19. Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:54.272 +9.917
20. Will Stevens Manor F1 Team 1:58.254 +13.899

Nico Hulkenberg tops disrupted first practice :
Force India's Nico Hulkenberg topped the timesheet at the end of a truncated first practice session for the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix. What was described by the FIA as "a significant diesel spillage" on track shortly prior to the start of FP1 resulted in a 30-minute delay. With the circuit being prepared for action, a tanker suffered a failure that resulted in the spill through turns eight and nine. Initial attempts to cover the diesel with cement dust proved fruitless, which forced the marshals into a more thorough clean-up operation as they washed down the asphalt. Once the action finally got under way the installation laps took place primarily on intermediates to cope with the wet part of the track, with Williams duo Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas even opting for full wets.
There were, however, further issues for the 20-strong field to contend with as most complained of the track being very dusty in the dry parts, and in turn slippery where the washed sections were slow to dry out. Fernando Alonso was the first to post a timed lap 20 minutes into the shortened hour-long session, stopping the clock at a fraction just over two minutes on what was a very tentative outing on soft tyres. Gaining in confidence Alonso swiftly lowered that mark by seven seconds over the next two laps before Sauber's Marcus Ericsson embarked on a steady run of laps to move within four tenths of a second of the Spaniard. Alonso's team-mate Jenson Button then set a slightly more representative time soon after of 1:50.920s before spots of rain threatened to add to mix of a disrupted session. But the rain forecast for FP2 held off, ensuring for the last 10 minutes of the session at least there was some meaningful running. Come the conclusion it was Hulkenberg who led the way with a lap of 1:44.355s, a full second off the best FP1 time from Mercedes' Nico Rosberg a year ago ahead of the debut Russian race. It was Rosberg who had to settle for second best, finishing just 0.052s adrift, with Sebastian Vettel third quickest in his Ferrari, 0.631s off the pace. The German was followed by the second Force India of Sergio Perez and then Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull, the Australian the only other driver to finish within a second of Hulkenberg. Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz Jr was sixth quickest, 1.133s back, followed by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes a further two tenths of a second down, and with the reigning champion incurring a late spin at the penultimate corner on what would have been a faster lap. Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top 10, the latter 1.860s adrift. Button finished 11th and Alonso 14th, the duo sandwiching Felipe Massa and Felipe Nasr. Lotus reserve Jolyon Palmer, standing in for Haas-bound Romain Grosjean, was down in 17th, 4.7s back, with Will Stevens bringing up the rear for Manor, with the Briton almost 14 seconds behind.

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

The Russian Grand Prix - Sochi International Circuit – second edition (9-10 and 11 october)
The circuit is built around the Sochi Olympic Park, but I do not like the layout of this track.
Pirelli has selected a softer choice than last year.
Instead of medium and soft compound as in 2014,
they will bring for this week-end yellow soft tyre and the red supersoft tyre

2014 Podium: Hamilton (Mercedes) – 2° Rosberg and 3° Bottas
Fastest lap: Bottas
pole position : Hamilton (Mercedes) 1.38.513 (soft tyre)
Saturday, the pole position time will be marked on supersoft tires, so it will be, in case of dry weather conditions,
certainly better than last year
2014 Pit stop strategy: only one. This is the reason why for this week-end, Pirelli has nominated a less conservative choice of tyres.

Stats of the season
Wins: Hamilton 8: Roberg and Vettel 3.
Pole position: Hamilton 11 – Rosberg 2 – Vettel 1.
Fastest lap: Hamilton 6 – Rosberg and Ricciardo 3 – Raikkonen 2

stats saturday F1 game

Grid position for Perez: 14°-14°-15°-11°-18°-7°-10°-13°-11°-13°-4°-7°-13°-9° after 14 races.
(average start position for Sergio Perez: 11,35)

2015: grid position of Perez
One time (from 1st- to 5 position)
4 times (from 6° to 10° position)
8 times (from 11° to 15° position)
One time (from 16° to 20° position)

Qualifying comparison 2015: Red Bull drivers
Ricciardo vs Kvyat (9-5)

Average start position: Ricciardo 8.21
Average start position: Kvyat 10.79

Tv program for this weekends GP race in Russia :

Friday 09/10 :
1st practice session : 09.00u - 10.30u CET
2nd practice session : 13.00u - 14.30u CET

Saturday 10/10 :
3rd practice session : 11.00u - 12.00u CET
Qualifying : 14.00u - 15.00u CET

Sunday 11/10 :
Race : 13.00u CET

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Result of the Japanese race :

1. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:36.145 - 1h28
2. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:37.147 + 18.964
3. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:37.906 + 20.850
4. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:38.035 + 33.768
5. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:38.241 + 36.746
6. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:38.331 + 55.559
7. Romain Grosjean - Lotus 1:38.167 + 1m12.298
8. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:38.136 + 1m.13.575
9. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:38.237 + 1m35.315
10. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 1:38.686 + 1 lap
11. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:39.614 + 1 lap
12. Sergio Perez - Force India 1:38.591 + 1 lap
13. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:38.366 + 1 lap
14. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:39.343 + 1 lap
15. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:38.898 + 1 lap
16. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:40.121 + 1 lap
17. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:38.595 + 2 laps
18. Alexander Rossi - Manor F1 Team 1:41.467 + 2 laps
19. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team 1:41.452 + 2 laps
Did Not Finish :
20. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:40.088

Fastest Lap : Lewis Hamilton - 1:36.145
Pitstop A. Rossi : 2
Bat 2 Teams : S. Vettel > V. Bottas
Grid Pos. D. Ricciardo : 15th place

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 14 RACES :

1. Mercedes 506 points
2. Ferrari 337 points
3. Williams 208 points
4. Red Bull 139 points
5. Force India 77 points
6. Lotus 60 points
7. Toro Rosso 44 points
8. Sauber 26 points
9. McLaren 17 points

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 14 RACES :

1. L. Hamilton GBR Mercedes 277 points
2. N. Rosberg GER Mercedes 229 points
3. S. Vettel GER Ferrari 218 points
4. K. Raikkonen FIN Ferrari 119 points
5. V. Bottas FIN Williams 111 points
6. F. Massa BRA Williams 97 points
7. D. Ricciardo AUS Red Bull 73 points
8. D. Kvyat RUS Red Bull 66 points
9. R. Grosjean FRA Lotus 44 points
10. S. Perez MEX Force India 39 points
11. N. Hulkenberg GER Force India 38 points
12. M. Verstappen NED Renault 32 points
13. F. Nasr BRA Sauber 17 points
14. P. Maldonado VEN Lotus 16 points
15. C. Sainz jr. SPA Toro Rosso 12 points
16. F. Alonso SPA McLaren 11 points
17. M. Ericsson SWE Sauber 9 points
18. J. Button GBR McLaren 6 points

Result of the qualifying :

1. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:32.584
2. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:32.660 +0.076
3. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:33.024 +0.440
4. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:33.245 +0.661
5. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:33.337 +0.753
6. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:33.347 +0.763
7. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:33.497 +0.913
8. Romain Grosjean - Lotus 1:33.967 +1.383
9. Sergio Perez - Force India - no time
10. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing - no time
Q2
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:34.390 +1.806
12. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 1:34.453 +1.869
13. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:34.497 +1.913
14. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:34.785 +2.201
15. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso - no time
16. Jenson Button McLaren 1:35.664 +3.080
Q1
17. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:35.673 +3.089
18. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:35.760 +3.176
19. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team 1:38.783 +6.199
20. Alexander Rossi - Manor F1 Team 1:47.114 +14.530

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Result of te 3rd practice session.... dry condition :

1. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:33.995
2. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:34.292 +0.297
3. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:34.497 +0.502
4. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:34.797 +0.802
5. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:34.934 +0.939
6. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:35.082 +1.087
7. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:35.160 +1.165
8. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:35.222 +1.227
9. Romain Grosjean - Lotus 1:35.602 +1.607
10. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 1:35.963 +1.968
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:36.110 +2.115
12. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:36.174 +2.179
13. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:36.199 +2.204
14. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:36.294 +2.299
15. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:36.307 +2.312
16. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:36.360 +2.365
17. Sergio Perez Force India 1:36.430 +2.435
18. Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:36.919 +2.924
19. Will Stevens Manor F1 Team 1:39.653 +5.658
20. Alexander Rossi Manor F1 Team 1:39.819 +5.824

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Result of the 2nd wet practice session :

1. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:48.277
2. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:48.300 +0.023
3. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:48.853 +0.576
4. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing 1:49.097 +0.820
5. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:50.268 +1.991
6. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:50.319 +2.042
7. Carlos Sainz jr - Toro Rosso 1:50.418 +2.141
8. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:50.542 +2.265
9. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:50.968 +2.691
10. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus 1:51.557 +3.280
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India 1:51.674 +3.397
12. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:51.861 +3.584
13. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:51.934 +3.657
14. Sergio Perez - Force India 1:52.070 +3.793
15. Romain Grosjean - Lotus 1:52.534 +4.257
16. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:52.765 +4.488
17. Fernando Alonso - McLaren 1:55.239 +6.962
18. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team 1:58.059 +9.782
19. Alexander Rossi - Manor F1 Team 1:59.419 +11.142
20. Valtteri Bottas - Williams - no time

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Result of the 1st rain practice session :

1. Carlos Sainz jr -Toro Rosso 1:49.434
2. Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull Racing 1:49.938 +0.504
3. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP 1:50.077 +0.643
4. Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:50.519 +1.085
5. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes GP 1:50.722 +1.288
6. Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso 1:50.940 +1.506
7. Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari 1:51.212 +1.778
8. Felipe Massa - Williams 1:52.288 +2.854
9. Marcus Ericsson - Sauber 1:53.820 +4.386
10. Valtteri Bottas - Williams 1:53.964 +4.530
11. Felipe Nasr - Sauber 1:54.013 +4.579
12. Jenson Button - McLaren 1:55.678 +6.244
13. Fernando Alonso - McLaren - no time set
14. Alexander Rossi - Manor F1 Team - no time set
15. Nico Hulkenberg - Force India - no time set
16. Sergio Perez - Force India - no time set
17. Will Stevens - Manor F1 Team - no time set
18. Pastor Maldonado - Lotus - no time set
19. Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull Racing - no time set
20. Jolyon Palmer - Lotus - no time set

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Times sheet for this weekends race in Japan :

Friday 25/09 :
1st practice session : 03.00u - 04.30u CET
2nd practice session : 07.00u - 08.30u CET

Saturday 26/09 :
3rd practice session : 05.00u - 06.00u CET
Qualifying : 08.00u - 09.00u

Sunday 27/09 :
Race : 07.00u CET

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

The Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka circuit (25-26 and 27 September)
Until now 26 editions at Suzuka, since 1987 except for 2007 and 2008(Fuji circuit)
The Suzuka Circuit has a unique track layout, being the only F1 circuit in calendar to have an unusual figure of 8 configuration
Pirelli has selected for Suzuka the two hardest compounds:
“medium tyres with white markings” and “hard tyres with orange markings”
Suzuka circuit contains some fast and demanding corners, like the legendary 130R or the Spoon curve.
A fantastic circuit and theoretically a favorable track for Mercedes
but after last race in Singapore, the question is:
Can Ferrari beat Mercedes again?
it will be difficult; anyway in a few hours we will know the truth.

2011 Podium: Button (Mc Laren) – 2°Alonso and 3° Vettel
pole position : Vettel (Red Bull) 1.30.466

2012 Podium: Vettel (Red Bull) – 2°Massa and 3° Kobayashi
Pole position : Vettel (Red Bull) 1.30.839

2013 Podium: Vettel (Red Bull) – 2° Webber and 3° Grosjean
pole position : Webber (Red Bull); 1.30.915

2014 Podium: Hamilton (Mercedes) – 2° Rosberg and 3° Vettel
pole position : Rosberg(Mercedes) 1.32.506


the winners Suzuka and Fuji
4 wins: Vettel (2009-2010-2012-2013)
2 wins: Alonso(2006 -2008) Hamilton (2007-2014)
1 win: Raikkonen(2005) and Button(2011)

pole position Suzuka and Fuji
4 pole: Vettel (2009-2010-2011-2012)
2 pole: Hamilton (2007 and 2008 both on Fuji circuit)
1 pole: Massa (2006) and Rosberg (2014

Fastest lap. Suzuka and Fuji
2: Hamilton (2007-2014)
1: Raikkonen(2005); Alonso (2006); Massa (2008); Button (2011) and Vettel (2012)

Podium(winner+second+third) for current pilots at Suzuka and Fuji(2007-2008)
6 (4 win +0 second +2 third) Vettel
5 (2+1+2) Alonso
5 (1+1+3) Raikkonen
3 (2+0+1) Hamilton
2 (1+0+1) Button
2 (0+2+0) Massa
1 (0+1+0) Rosberg
1 (0 +0+1) Grosjean
1 (0 +0+1) Kobayashi

The last year happened just at Suzuka the fatal crash of Jules Bianchi.
we will never forget you.

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 13 RACES :

1. Mercedes 463 points
2. Ferrari 310 points
3. Williams 198 points
4. Red Bull 139 points
5. Force India 69 points
6. Lotus 50 points
7. Toro Rosso 41 points
8. Sauber 26 points
9. McLaren 17 points