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Formula One Australian Grand Prix 2012

Editor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:34 +0000

The 2012 Formula One season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix on 18 March. Practice sessions begin on Friday, 16 March. This is followed by the Qualifying round on Saturday, 17 March. The race consists of 58 laps around a 5.303 km circuit, totalling 307.574 km.

Date: 18 March 2012
Time: 17:00
Venue: Albert Park
City: Melbourne
Country: Australia

India Prepares for Inaugural F1 Grand Prix

Editor — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:37:28 +0000

As India prepares to host the inaugural Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix taking place on 28-30 October 2011, President and CEO of Formula One Management, Bernie Ecclestone, has been reported as saying that F1 authorities are happy with the progress at the newly constructed Buddh circuit located outside New Delhi. This comment came after the World Motor Sports Council met on Friday prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, which was won by Sebastian Vettel, with Jenson Button taking second place, and Mark Webber in third.

The 5.137-kilometer Buddh circuit on the outskirts of New Delhi’s Noida suburb has been designed by German engineer and auto racer, Hermann Tilke, with extensive input from representatives of the Formula One teams that will be competing in the much-anticipated event. The track has a number of gradient changes and other interesting and challenging features, and is considered to be on a par with other Formula One venues.

Race organizers, Jaypee Sports International, have revealed that American pop star Lady Gaga will be performing at the concert scheduled to take place after the race on 30 October, and US heavy-metal band Metallica will take to the stage in the F1 Rocks concert on 28 October in nearby Gurgaon. A host of other entertainment events will take place throughout the three-day Formula One weekend.

In the run-up to the Indian Formula 1 Grand Prix, auto racing fans are being offered the opportunity to view Formula 1 cars up close. One of the Red Bull Racing F1 cars has been spotted on the streets of Noida, while Ferrari unveiled their F1 car at a shopping center in Saket. It is expected that a number of F1 racing teams will be appearing at special events being staged to generate interest in the race. Judging by the enthusiasm with which each new development is greeted, local racing fans are more than ready to support India’s entry into this popular high-speed sport.

Spectators traveling to India for the event should be sure to set some time aside to explore both new and old Delhi. As the ancient city blends with the new, this popular tourist destination in India boasts historic landmarks, fascinating history and colorful culture.

Will Power Takes First in Baltimore Grand Prix

Editor — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:51:37 +0000

The streets of Baltimore were transformed into a high speed raceway over the weekend of 2 September to 4 September 2011 for the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. The new race now forms part of both the American Le Mans Series and the IndyCar Series. A multi-year contract was signed between IndyCar and Baltimore Racing Development to secure the future of this event. The circuit was laid out past the Inner Harbor and through Baltimore’s downtown area. The course is 3.28 kilometers in length with the Pratt Street intersection being the start and finish line of the event. The first person to win the Baltimore Grand Prix was Will Power.

Last weekend Will Power was able to capture the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, and this past weekend he was able to grab another victory on this new course. This talented Australian race car driver seemed extremely confident as he negotiated his car around the hairpin turns and the parts of the course that were a little bumpy, and did not make one mistake while taking on the Baltimore Grand Prix. During the practice sessions, which took place on Friday, 2 September 2011, Power was able to secure the best times through the course and when race day arrived, he was able to lead for seventy of the seventy-five laps of the race. Power was extremely happy with what he called a “championship run”, but said that he was exhausted. The competition is most definitely heating up, as Power is now a mere five points behind Dario Franchitti, who is the current points leader, but could only manage a fourth position during the Baltimore Grand Prix.

Oriol Servia from Spain finished in second position, followed by Brazil’s Tony Kanaan. Fifth position was taken by Scott Dixon, with Danica Patrick in sixth, who will be moving over to NASCAR in three races time. The massive bottle of champagne that was sprayed out in victory was a crowning moment for Will Power, and he is looking forward to trying to deliver another spectacular performance in the next IndyCar event, which will be another road course at the Indy Japan 300 on 18 September 2011.

2011 F1 Italian Grand Prix

Editor — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:10:46 +0000

F1 fans are eagerly awaiting the 2011 Italian Grand Prix event. Taking place at Autodromo di Monza, the event consists of 53 laps around a circuit of 5.793 km, with a total race distance of 306.720 km. The lap record for this grand prix is 1:21.046, set by R Barrichello in 2004.

Dates: 9 to 11 September 2011
Venue: Autodromo di Monza
City: Monza
Country: Italy

Button Celebrates Success in Hungary

Editor — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:53:49 +0000

The 2011 Formula One Season started off on a high note for the Red Bull team, with Sebastian Vettel winning five of the first six events of the season. However, it seems that their luck is turning, as other teams begin to gain momentum and more races are eluding Vettel. The Hungarian Grand Prix took place on a wet track, but it did not interfere with Jenson Button’s winning his 200th grand prix start.

It was not a very good day for Lewis Hamilton, who not only got a drive through penalty but also spun out, giving Paul di Resta and Jenson Button the opportunity to pass him on the forty-seventh lap. Jenson Button had to fight for his position, as everyone was putting in their best performances, but Sebastian Vettel had to settle for watching Jenson Button cross the finish line in front of him. Vettel’s second place finish was followed by Fernando Alsono in third, Lewis Hamilton in fourth position, Mark Webber in fifth, Felipe Massa in sixth and Paul di Resta in seventh place.

The championship point standings still sees Vettel leading by eighty-five points, as he has now accumulated 234 points, followed by Mark Webber (Red Bull) with 149, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) with 146, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) with 145 and Jenson Button (McLaren) on 134 points. Speaking to press after the race, Vettel commented that he always focuses on securing a victory for his team, and after gaining pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix they did have the opportunity to win, but it unfortunately did not pay off. He said that even though other drivers did increase their Championship Points, he did not feel too threatened as there are still eight races left for the season and he is hungry for another victory.

The next event will take place in Belgium on 28 August, followed by 11 September in Italy, 25 September in Singapore, 9 October in Japan, 16 October in Korea, 30 October in India, 13 November in Abu Dhabi and on 27 November in Brazil.

Victory for Alonso at British Grand Prix

Editor — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:51:24 +0000

The Formula1 British Grand Prix 2011 was a very special event for Ferrari. Sixty years ago, a driver by the name of Jose Frolian Gonzalez won the first race ever in the history of the Ferrari team at Silverstone, and seeing Fernando Alonso on the podium in first position for Ferrari on the weekend was almost as if the team had come full circle. Driving the Scuderia has been a difficult task for Alonso, as he has had to watch ten victories pass him by, but he has finally been able to prove that there is great improvement with the Scuderia, and that the Ferrari team is back in action.

The Silverstone track did offer the drivers a few challenges, as it was wet in some parts of the track, while other places on the track were still a little damp. Alonso commented that there were a few uneasy moments during the race, such as when he was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton, but the entire team remained calm and focused, which was an advantage for them. While Lewis Hamilton was fighting off the two Red Bull drivers, Alonso was able to concentrate on his driving, not making any mistakes, and he only realized that he had a chance to win once he came out of his final pit stop. Sebastian Vettel’s pit stop did not go well, and all these factors opened up the opportunity for Alonso to cross the finish line more than sixteen seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel. He also went on to say that it was a great honor to win a race on the same track, sixty years after Ferrari enjoyed their first victory.

Vettel was followed home by Mark Webber, his Red Bull team mate, and the fight for fourth position was extremely thrilling. Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa where in a fierce battle right to the end, even leading them to collide slightly as the pressure mounted. But Hamilton was able to steal fourth position away from Massa by a few inches. The Ferrari team will now be looking at the next Grand Prix event, which will be hosted in Germany, and will most definitely be moving forward with more confidence, as this victory was very good for the morale of the team and the drivers.

Button Steals the Limelight

Editor — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:55:42 +0000

The weather conditions for the Canadian Grand Prix were anything less than ideal for the race, which took place on Sunday, 12 June 2011. The rain and eventual downpour led to the race being suspended for two hours, as well as a few nerve wrecking collisions, slides and loss of control for a number of drivers. And even though Vettel took pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix and led all the way, it was the last lap of the race that took an unexpected turn, as Jenson Button pulled of a dramatic pass and won the event, with Vettel taking second position.

This is Jenson Button’s first victory this season, and brings his career victories to ten. Vettel has now lost two of the seven events for the Grand Prix season, and Button is now positioned second in the champions’ log. Mark Webber, Vettel’s teammate, was able to secure third position, with Michael Schumacher in fourth, followed by Vitaly Petrov, Felippe Massa and Kamui Koyayashi. Fernando Alsonso’s race was cut short through a tussle with Button which left him on the curb. Lewis Hamilton again provided spectators with heart stopping moments as he first had a minor collision with Mark Webber, which was followed by a near miss with Schumacher, but unfortunately led to teammate Jenson Button not seeing Hamilton in his mirrors, and the two collided, sending Hamilton into the pit wall and leaving him with extensive damage to his rear wheel, ending his race. The race was also filled with numerous pit stops and after Koboayashi was run into by Heidfeld, the safety car once again made its appearance. But once the race was on again, Button began chasing down Vettel, and in a memorable moment was able to pass Vettel, holding on to first position to win the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix.

Vettel commented that he did go wide, giving Button the space he needed to pass, and admitted that he had lost the race due to a mistake that he made, and that he was not completely happy with his own performance. Button on the other hand is extremely proud of his victory, and commented that he had enjoyed every part of the race. The chase, and working through the field was challenging, but he enjoyed every minute, and winning the Canadian Grand Prix was the crowning moment for the 2009 champion.

Vettel Wins Unforgettable Monaco Grand Prix

Editor — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:23:27 +0000

Known as one of the most famous legs of the Formula 1 season, the Grand Prix de Monaco has been taking place since the year 1929. Its intricate and exciting course is laid out through the streets of Monaco, and as it features difficult corners, tunnels and even elevation changes, it is also known as one of the most challenging races of the season. Even though extremely high speeds cannot be reached on the course, is remains one of the most dangerous and on Sunday, 29 May 2011, the course showed just how treacherous it can be.

The 2011 Monaco Grand Prix was filled with nail biting action, heart stopping accidents, penalties, accusations and fast paced maneuvers that left spectators breathless. It was a race that will long be remembered. The most chilling session of the race came very near to the end. It was a battle between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, with Jenson Button doing extremely well in gaining on them in the last twenty laps of the race. It was going to be an epic battle, as Vettel was racing on old tires with a one stop strategy, and with Button having fairly new tires he was doing very well in catching the front runners. Things began to slow down a little as they hit traffic, and with all the traffic and front runners trying to get ahead, it was inevitable that chaos would ensue. After emerging from Tabac, Adrian Sutil could not avoid hitting the barrier, while Lewis Hamilton had the unfortunate luck of being hit in the back of his car by Jaime Alguersuari. Vitaly Petrov tried his utmost to avoid the accidents ahead of him, but in his attempts to get around the situation he hit the wall.

Safety cars and flags immediately came out, which ended up being a lucky break for Vettel and the Red Bull Team, giving them time to put new tires on his car. Another safety car was brought out after the tunnel claimed the cars of Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton, with the two cars colliding into each other. After that there was no stopping Sebastian Vettel, who won the Monaco Grand Prix, putting him in the championship lead with 58 points.

Vettel Magic Continues

Editor — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:32:45 +0000

The fourth event of the Formula One Grand Prix 2011 was hosted on Sunday, 8 May 2011. With Lewis Hamilton beating Sebastian Vettel during the Grand Prix in China, he was confident that he would be able to deliver another great performance during the Turkish Grand Prix held at Istanbul Park. But a disappointing pit stop put an end to Hamilton’s race for first position. Instead, Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a comfortable victory – his third victory this season – increasing his lead on the championship leadership board. But Vettel remains grounded and is not becoming overconfident.

Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line 8.8 seconds before team mate Mark Webber, making it a very successful Grand Prix event for the Red Bull team. Mark Webber and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso had a roaring fight for second position, but Webber was able to take second position, leaving Alonso in third. Alonso was still pleased with securing the first podium position for the Ferrari team this season. Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth position, with Nico Rosberg of Ferrari taking fifth position, followed home by Jenson Button of the McLaren team in a disappointing sixth position.

Even though Vettel now has a thirty-eight point lead over Mark Webber and a thirty-four point lead over Lewis Hamilton, he is still humbled by his victories. Speaking to the press, he commented that once you consider yourself unbeatable, someone will come along to prove you wrong and that there will be days when someone is better, so it is still too soon to get excited about the championship. He also said that he was definitely happy about the lead they have been able to create, but that there is still a long season ahead.

Starting from pole position once again, Sebastian Vettel seems to be doing extremely well this season, and doing well in defending his title so far. This year was also a good year for the Turkish Grand Prix, which seems to be increasing its spectator attendance with each event. The next Grand Prix event will be hosted in two weeks time in Barcelona and fans all over the world will most definitely be interested in seeing if Sebastian Vettel can increase his lead even further.

Malaysian Victory for Vettel

Editor — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:33:29 +0000

It seems that there is no stopping Sebastian Vettel this season, as he secured his second victory for the season off two races. This gives him an early jump on working towards the Driver’s Championship again, and the entire Red Bull team is extremely excited at the talent and determination that is being shown by both their drivers. Vettel took to the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend with great enthusiasm, leading the race from start to finish, with chaos, problems and break downs taking place behind him, leaving spectators spellbound.

The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix turned out to be an extremely thrilling racing event that kept all spectators on the edges of their seats throughout the event. Vettel’s teammate, Mark Webber, had to fight for his fourth place finish after suffering unfortunate problems with the KERS (Kinetic Energy Regeneration System) that has been fitted to his car. The issues saw to it that Webber lost his third place position, and fell back to tenth position. Webber was forced to fight to get back into contention, and the entire race was filled with breathtaking passes and change of positions.

Lewis Hamilton also had a rough run, driving for McLaren, when Fernando Alonso first bumped into the rear of his car. Alonso was forced into a pit stop due to a front wing that needed to be repaired, and Hamilton had a devastating pit stop after which he fought with worn tires near the end of the race, and had to settle for a seventh place finish. Of course, a grand prix would not be complete without the heart stopping moment of a car veering off the track, and during the Malaysian Grand Prix, Vitaly Petrov of Renault went airborne and had to retire from the race as his car suffered severe steering column damage.

The day started off with extreme heat and also supplied drivers with some rain to test their skills on a wet surface. It was a day of excitement and racing action like never seen before. As Sebastian Vettel enjoyed his victory lap, he praised his team, saying to them: “In the heat, we kept our heads cool. It is a pleasure every week to drive with you boys and I’m loving it.”