Rosberg Accomplishes F1 Pole Three-Peat at Monaco

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Historic and unique, the Monaco Grand Prix is the sixth race on the 2013 Formula 1 calendar. Since 1929, the grand prix has ranked at the pinnacle of auto racing alongside the Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Second greatest honour to winning the Monaco Grand Prix during the Formula 1 season is capturing the pole for the streets of Monte Carlo affair. For the 2013 edition of the prestigious street race, Nico Rosberg has claimed the pole for Sunday's 78-lap event.

Muscling his Mercedes AMG race car around the tight street corners of Monte Carlo, Rosberg recorded a pivotal 1-minute, 13.876-second time in the Q3 session of Saturday qualifying. The pole position becomes Nico Rosberg's third consecutive victory in Formula 1 time trial sessions. For Mercedes AMG, the success in Monaco qualifying has allowed one of their vehicles to sit in pole position on the grid for four straight events. Clocking a time 9/100ths of a second slower than Rosberg, Mercedes AMG teammate Lewis Hamilton is fast enough to allow the German race team to own the front row of the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix starting grid.

Red Bull Racing has claimed the second starting row of the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel edging out Mark Webber. Webber is the defending race winner and has won the Monaco Grand Prix twice in the past three years. Vettel is the 2011 victor of the famous Formula 1 street race.

Saturday's qualifying consisted of brief period of rain that dampened the race track. Occurring around the Q1 and Q2 portions of qualifying, teams operated on intermediate Pirelli tires before the ten remaining Formula 1 cars were able to use slicks. Complicating the whole qualifying effort on Saturday, Felipe Massa was one driver unable to participate. Massa's Ferrari crashed in final practice for the Monaco Grand Prix leading the Brazilian to start on the final spot on the race grid. The Ferrari driven by recent Spanish Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso is positioned sixth for Sunday's event.

The 2013 Monaco Grand Prix race is set for 2 PM local time (8 am in the Eastern time zone).



2013 Formula 1
Monaco Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	9	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
2	10	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
3	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
4	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull	Renault
5	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus	Renault
6	3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
7	6	Sergio Perez	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
8	15	Adrian Sutil	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
9	5	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
10	18	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
11	11	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	Ferrari
12	19	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
13	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
14	17	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
15	21	Giedo van der Garde	Caterham	Renault
16	16	Pastor Maldonado	Williams F1	Renault
17	14	Paul di Resta	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
18	20	Charles Pic	Caterham	Renault
19	12	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
20	23	Max Chilton	Marussia	Cosworth
21	22	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Cosworth
22	4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari

Honda Rekindling McLaren Partnership for 2015 Formula 1 Season Return

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

A sport known for forward thinking, deep preparations are underway for the 2014 Formula 1 season even as the 2013 tour has started. The 2014 Formula 1 tour will premiere with the first significant set of rule changes to the cars and engines for more than five years. As many established players in the sport are adapting to the new regulations, the opportunity exists for other parties to commit to the series. For the case of Honda, the 2014 regulations is just right for another fight for the top of the grand prix podium.

Announcing Thursday of a renewed commitment to Formula 1, Honda pledges production of a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.6 liter engine complying with upcoming series rules. In addition to confirming their involvement in Formula 1 competition, the Japanese auto company was able to declare a partnership with veteran operation McLaren. The McLaren Honda team formation will become a regular sight on the Formula 1 racing grid starting in the 2015 season. President and CEO of Honda Motor Company Limited Takanobu Ito enthusiastically touts the engine news. Ito says, "Ever since its establishment, Honda has been a company which grows by taking on challenges in racing. Honda has a long history of advancing our technologies and nurturing our people by participating in the world's most prestigious automobile racing series. The new F1 regulations with their significant environmental focus will inspire even greater development of our own advanced technologies and this is central to our participation in F1."

Honda's 2015 Formula 1 return marks the fourth stint that the Japanese auto company will participate in the open wheel series. First operating as a constructor in 1964, Honda's initial efforts eventually resulted in grand prix victories at the 1966 Mexican Grand Prix and the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. Withdrawing from the sport after the 1968 season, Honda not return to Formula 1 competition again until 1983. Rejoining the series as an engine supplier, an partnership with Williams F1 team garnered Honda the recognition for powering a champion-winning race car in 1987 driven by Nelson Piquet. By the end of the 1980s, the hotly dominant Honda engine was powering Team Lotus and famously McLaren. Honda left Formula 1 for a second time after the 1992 season. Though Honda's next official return to the series would not occur under 2000, Mugen Motorsports (a company founded by the son of Soichiro Honda) did offer a relative presence for Honda. From 1991 to 1999, Mugen supplied a V-10 engine it several teams. The unofficial Honda involvement propelled Ligier and Jordan Grand Prix to victory. When Honda returned to Formula 1 in an official capacity in 2000 with the British American Racing (BAR) team, the 'H' brand would ride as a constructor once again. Acquiring ownership in BAR in 2004, Honda's commitment would be low in yielding previous success. Jenson Button's 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix victory was the sole occasion Honda would won before their withdraw after the 2008 season.

The history between Honda and McLaren in the world's premiere motorsport series has been storied. From 1988 to 1992, drivers Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Gerhard Berger were instrumental in creating memorable appearance for the McLaren-Honda race cars. During their period together, Honda and McLaren took four-straight Formula 1 constructor championships. McLaren will run Mercedes-Benz powerplant for the 2014 season as the turbocharged Honda engine will be undergoing development for a 2015 entrance. The 2015 Formula 1 season debut is due to McLaren's current agreement with Mercedes-Benz which will end after 20 seasons together. “ We aim to cap our long-standing partnership with the same ambition and resolve with which we began it: namely, to keep winning.”, said McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

Infiniti Releases Video of Coulthard and Vettel on Sochi Track

Photo source: Nissan/Infiniti

While the first Formula 1 grand prix in Russia is not slated until 2014, three-time World Champion for Red Bull Racing Sebastian Vettel and retired team driver David Coulthard visited the work in-progress. A component to the site hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the Sochi construction site is quickly evolving into the newest race complex. Lapping the track in a pair of Infiniti M Sedans (to be known as the Q70 sedan in 2014), Vettel and Coulthard become the first individuals to be acquainted with the future Formula 1 track.

Compiling a video of the tour of the Sochi course, Infiniti has mixed in some animation reshaping the Infiniti sedans into Red Bull-Renault race cars. 

Spanish Dancer: Ferrari's Alonso Takes Home Grand Prix

Photo source: Ferrari North America

The first European race of the 2013 Formula 1 season, the Spanish Grand Prix takes place three weeks after Sebastian Vettel commandingly captured the last event in Bahrain. With the lead Red Bull Racing driver holding onto a tight early lead in the driver's standings following four grand prix races, Formula 1 could still be regarded as a wide-open fight between the drivers with four teams. Kimi Raikkonen with the Lotus F1 Team, Fernando Alonso driving for Scuderia Ferrari as well as the Mercedes AMG team cars of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg demonstrated podium-quality pace in the season.

In qualifying for the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg registered the best lap allowing him to start from pole in his Mercedes AMG F1 W04 race car around the 4.655-mile race course in Barcelona. Lewis Hamilton joined his teammate for a front row dominated by the Mercedes-Benz factory Formula 1 team. When Sunday's 66-lap main event at the Circuit de Catalunya started, Rosberg showed the way early. Hamilton's start was troublesome as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso both skated around the Mercedes AMG car by turn three on the opening lap. Vettel climbed from third on the starting grid to second but was unable challenge Nico Rosberg for the lead.




Photo source: Mercedes AMG

The Barcelona race track proved abrasive on the Pirelli medium and hard compound rubber competitors rode on for the afternoon. The race's first pit stops came between lap 7 and lap 10 for the leaders. Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber pitted on lap 7 following by the Ferrari cars of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso on later laps. Last of the leaders into the pit for new tires were Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel. Coming into their stalls on lap 10, the pit stop proved momentous for Alonso and disappointing for Rosberg. Riding on warm Pirelli racing slick tires, Fernando Alonso was able to zoom by the Mercedes AMG car to assume the Spanish Grand Prix's lead.

Retirements from the Spanish Grand Prix was limited to three drivers. Thanks to a largely clean standing start on the Circuit de Catalunya, attrition in the event resulted through unfortunate component failures on race cars. Lotus-Renault driver Romain Grosjean incurred rear suspension failure early leading to the Frenchman finishing last. Giedo van der Garde was out of the race after 21 laps due to a rear wheel spinning off his Caterham-Renault. Also a recipient of issues with the rear portion of his Formula 1 car, Scuderia Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne would retire from the Spanish Grand Prix short 14 laps to the checkered flag.   

Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

Catching many people off-guard was the tire strategy for the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix. While Pirelli predicted a three-stop plan would be the course of the front-runners, a majority of competitors chose to make an extra stop. Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Force India and the lone remaining Lotus-Renault fielding Kimi Raikkonen elected to make the Spanish Grand Prix a busy time for pit crews.

Since taking the lead, Fernando Alonso outran the entire field in his Ferrari to win the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix. Finishing 9.3 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus-Renault, Alonso stated in post-race, “Even if this is the third time I’ve won a home race, the emotion is still very strong, as if it had never happened before. It’s nice to be able to give the whole of Spain this win, especially at a time when the country is in crisis and for many people, it’s not possible to come here to bring their support." As a Spaniard, Alonso savoured winning his home grand prix for the first time since he accomplished the feat in 2006 with Renault. Fernando Alonso had also won the European Grand Prix in 2012 held on the Valencia street course.




Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

Finishing in second place, the Lotus-Renault vehicle of Kimi Raikkonen was uncontested at the end owned a 16.7-second gap over the third place car. This runner-up position is the fourth podium for the Finnish driver in five 2013 Formula 1 events. In the third spot and the final podium position, Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa drove a race almost as masterful as the Spanish Grand Prix winner. Alonso climbed from fifth place on the start to win while Massa earned a third-place spot after a ninth place position on the starting grid.   

Following the impressive qualifying performance for the Mercedes AMG team, the 66-lap distance was a different experience for Rosberg and Hamilton. Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton struggled to maintain the speed of Ferrari, Red Rull-Renault and Lotus-Renault race cars. Using the less common three-stop strategy, Nico Rosberg crossed the finish line in sixth place. Encountering a lack of tire grip throughout the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton adopted a four-stop plan that concluded with the #10 Mercedes AMG finishing 12th. The Spanish Grand Prix was the first race in 2013 where Hamilton failed to collect championship points.   

Taking fourth place in a mediocre outcome in his Red Bull-Renault, Sebastian Vettel continues to hold the lead in the Formula 1 driver's standings. However, Kimi Raikkonen draws within 4 points of Vettel. Scoring maximum points with the grand prix victory, Fernando Alonso gained on Sebastian Vettel but stands 17 points behind heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.

A historic race set for the streets of Monte Carlo, the Monaco Grand Prix will be the next event on the 2013 Formula 1 calendar for May 26th.



2013 Formula 1
Spanish Grand Prix
Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
2	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus	Renault
3	4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari
4	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
5	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull	Renault
6	9	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
7	14	Paul di Resta	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
8	5	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
9	6	Sergio Perez	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
10	19	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
11	12	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
12	10	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
13	15	Adrian Sutil	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
14	16	Pastor Maldonado	Williams F1	Renault
15	11	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	Ferrari
16	17	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
17	20	Charles Pic	Caterham	Renault
18	22	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Cosworth
19	23	Max Chilton	Marussia	Cosworth
20	18	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
21	21	Giedo van der Garde	Caterham	Renault
22	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault

Rosberg Rushes to Second Straight F1 Race Pole in Spain




Photo source: Mercedes AMG



















For the third race in a row in 2013, a Mercedes AMG car will lead the Formula 1 field to green. Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, the PETRONAS-sponsored race team bettered the field on the final time sheet in dominating style.

Collecting the top spot in back-to-back Formula 1 events, Nico Rosberg carried his Mercedes F1 W04 around the 4.655-kilometer in 1 minute and 20.718 seconds in the final Q3 time trial session. “it's a great feeling to be on pole again. So far this weekend has been very positive and it's a pleasure to see that the team is improving and fighting through the problems together. I know everyone back at the factory and at home will have been watching this afternoon and it's a great feeling for all of us" said Rosberg in a post-qualifying posting on the Mercedes AMG webpage. Rosberg's pole-winning time was one-quarter of a second faster than the teammate Lewis Hamilton. 27 points away from Sebastian Vettel in the Formula 1 Driver's Championship after the opening four races of the 2013 Formula 1 season.

As for the current point leader, his Red Bull-Renault will be in close pursuit of the Mercedes AMG cars. Starting in 3rd spot, Sebastian Vettel's fastest time in Q3 was 0.082 of a second short of the mark set by Hamilton. Vettel misses out on a front row position for only the second time in the 2013 Formula 1 season.





Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

In fourth place, Kimi Raikkonen is still in a mission to post a consistent effort so far this Formula 1 season with the Lotus F1 Team. Leaving the Bahrain Grand Prix with a second place finish, Raikkonen is 10 points behind Vettel in the driver's standing heading into the Spanish Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen has posted two career victories at the Circuit de Catalunya. The second Lotus-Renault race car of Romain Grosjean will be starting in a respectable sixth in Sunday.

Following a less than respectable Bahrain Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso enters his home country eager to recapture the magic he used to win the Chinese Grand Prix. Alonso starts fifth in his Ferrari. Though Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa posted a near identical time, the Brazilian wheeling the second Ferrari F138 will have to start ninth on the grid after race stewards penalized him for impeding other vehicles in qualifying. Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez was also handed a similar three grid spot penalty.


 



Photo source: Mercedes AMG

The entire top-10 in the Spanish Grand Prix have opted for medium compound Pirelli tires on the starting grid tomorrow.

The 2013 Spanish Grand Prix will start at 2 PM local time in Spain or 8 AM Eastern time.



2013 Formula 1
Spanish Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	9	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
2	10	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
3	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
4	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus	Renault
5	3	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
6	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
7	2	Mark Webber	Red Bull	Renault
8	6	Sergio Perez	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
9	4	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari
10	14	Paul di Resta	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
11	19	Daniel Ricciardo	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
12	18	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Ferrari
13	15	Adrian Sutil	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
14	5	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
15	11	Nico Hulkenberg	Sauber	Ferrari
16	17	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
17	16	Pastor Maldonado	Williams F1	Renault
18	21	Giedo van der Garde	Caterham	Renault
19	12	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
20	22	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Cosworth
21	23	Max Chilton	Marussia	Cosworth
22	20	Charles Pic	Caterham	Renault