Victorious Rosberg Controlled Brazilian Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

As 20 entrants of the top open wheel racing series arrive in Brazil's Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the penultimate round of the 19-race 2015 Formula 1 season ha already decided many aspects for what has been another sterling effort for the Mercedes AMG team. While recently-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton has been the most effective on-track for much of 2015, the latter part of the season has saw teammate Nico Rosberg, a driver thought to be Hamilton's main adversary for the year's title, showing-up his fellow corporate-affiliated rival. Claiming his fifth consecutive pole earlier in the Brazilian Grand Prix race weekend, the German was on a quest to repeat his victorious effort in Mexico.

Contrary to some weather forecasts calling for rain for the race, the Brazilian Grand Prix started and ended with a dry race track. Defending the lead on the start after receiving pressure from Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg was largely in control of the Brazilian Grand Prix throughout the race. A moment of heightened tension for Rosberg did occur on lap 13. After a slow first pit stop for Nico Rosberg, the Mercedes AMG team cars ran closer to each other. Despite hovering within DRS range after the pit stops were completed, Rosberg was again able to stretch out a safe lead as the race's second stint progress. Hamilton cited in post-race the DRS zone wasn't long enough on the 4.309-kilometer track.

In the final run of race, Nico Rosberg pulled away from Lewis Hamilton as tires begin to wear. A four-second lead rapidly shifted towards a 7.756-second advantage for Rosberg as he crossed the line to win the 2015 edition of the Brazilian Grand Prix. His fifth grand prix victory for the 2015 Formula 1 season, it also allowed Rosberg to post repeat wins on the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Indicating "It was the perfect weekend for me" in post-race comments, the first-place finishing Mercedes AMG driver has described the latter part of his Formula 1 season as a reason to advance his game. Nico Rosberg also secured to second spot in the 2015 Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship with his win.

For what resulted to be a three-stop race for the podium finishers, both Mercedes AMG race cars started on soft compound Pirelli racing slicks before trading their initial tire set for medium compound rubber. The team cited higher tire wear for the election of the the triple-pit stop strategy. The remaining Formula 1 teams competing in the Brazilian Grand Prix were roughly split between a two-stop and three-stop strategy.

Photo Credit: FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA

In 2nd place for the second-straight event, Lewis Hamilton is being examined critically despite winning the season's championship in Austin. While Hamilton has appeared to be upstaged by his teammate in the final races of the 2015 Formula 1 season, the three-time drivers' champion has only missed the podium on two occasions this year.

After 71 laps, the top-four starters of the 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix ultimately finished in their grid positions. Behind the Mercedes AMG squad, Scuderia Ferrari proved to once-again be the second-best team effort in a grand prix. Taking the final spot on the podium Sunday at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit was Sebastian Vettel who finished in 3rd place 14.244 seconds behind the winning Mercedes AMG car. Vettel operated on a three-stop strategy while the Ferrari team serviced their second car only twice. Kimi Raikkonen opted for a two-stop race chancing his tire preservation on the second stint of the race and effectively skipped the middle pit stop other frontrunners made. Crossing the line fourth, Raikkonen was 47.543 seconds behind Rosberg and was the last vehicle to finish on the lead lap.

The first driver to improve his position from qualifying was Valtteri Bottas was finished fifth. Supposed to have started fourth in Brazil, Bottas received a penalty for a Friday practice incident where he overtook on a red flag. In the race, the Finnish driver's Willliams-Mercedes race car made up 2 of the 3 lost positions. Bottas' climb resulted in the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg as well as Daniil Kvyat's Red Bull-Renault falling one spot from their starting spots to sixth and seventh place.

Crossing the line in 8th place was Felipe Massa but a late race has been excluded from the final results of the Brazilian Grand Prix. At issue is a right-rear tire on Massa's Williams-Mercedes race car at the start of the race ruled to be above the maximum temperature allowed. Measured at a temperature of 137 degrees Celsius compared to the permitted 110-degree Celsius limit, their effort and points now rely on a pending appeal filed by the Williams Martini Racing team. Because of this, 8th place and lower is subject to possible change if Williams is successful in having Massa's finish reinstated.

Photo Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. 

Following a disastrous qualifying outing, both drivers of the Lotus F1 Team redeemed themselves after 71 laps on the Brazilian race track. Romain Grosjean started the race in 14th place after a mishap in the Q2 session of qualifying while Pastor Maldonado was unsuccessful in escaping the initial Q1 segment starting 15th. Grosjean finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in 8th place while Maldonado took the final point in the event placed in 10th following the event. The Lotus F1 Team effort sandwiched Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso in the final running order of the race.

After starting 19th, Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull race car finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in 11th place in a maiden effort with a new-spec Renault engine. Following all the rumblings and rumours surrounding the Red Bull Racing team's prospects for a 2016 season powerplant, it seems more than likely the team will continue to use Renault power last year. There's also mention the engines could be badged as Infiniti power units to heighten the global profile of the luxury brand for 2016.

The 2015 Formula 1 season will conclude in two weeks time at the Yas Marina Circuit holding the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 29th.

2015 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Race Results

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
3 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
4 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
5 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
6 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
7 26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Renault
8 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Mercedes-Benz
9 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
10 13 Pastor Maldonado Lotus Mercedes-Benz
11 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Renault
12 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
13 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
14 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
15 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
16 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
17 28 Will Stevens Manor Marussia Ferrari
18 53 Alexander Rossi Manor Marussia Ferrari
19 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
20 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes-Benz (Excluded from results pending appeal)

Rosberg Rolls to Fifth Consecutive Formula 1 Pole of Season in Brazil

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

For the past four grand prix events, German driver Nico Rosberg has been attracting the limelight away from his championship-winning Mercedes AMG teammate Lewis Hamilton.  Since the Japanese Grand Prix, Rosberg has held a stranglehold on the top spot of the starting grid in qualifying for every race. Taking a dramatic win in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, the late season effort is working effectively to give Hamilton something to be jealous about after winning the 2015 drivers' title.

The second-to-last event on the 2015 Formula 1 tour, the Brazilian Grand Prix ends a three-race swing in the Americas. A track known for attracting a steady crowd from the massive of Sao Paulo, the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (routinely referred to as Interlagos) has underwent several upgrades including a new set of curbing placed in the circuit's corners. As a result, the 4.309-kilometer race track presented an added challenge for veteran drivers to adapt to the slight chance.

In qualifying, the Mercedes AMG once again prevailed triumphantly in Brazil. Through Q1 and Q2, it was Lewis Hamilton who took the session lead with nearly identical runs. However, the final session deciding the top-10 runners was the moment where Nico Rosberg made the most crucial run. With a 1-minute, 11.282-second lap time, Rosberg spirited to a fifth-straight pole position. Generating an all-Mercedes AMG front row for the 14th time this season, the difference between the two team cars was just 0.078 seconds. If Nico Rosberg manages to score a pole at the final race in Abu Dhabi, he will tie four drivers in third place all-time. The record for most consecutive pole positions is eight set by Ayrton Senna.

The factory Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen faired well in qualifying to claim the 2nd row of the Brazilian Grand Prix but were still a distant pace slower than the Mercedes AMG cars. Though Vettel mounted an effective Q2 lap to split the Silver Arrows for the timed session, his top time in Q3 was more than half a second off the pace of Nico Rosberg's pole effort. Both Ferrari drivers are previous winners at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

Due to several grid position penalties, the starting grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix has undergone a noticeable transformation. Williams' Valtteri Bottas was demoted from a 4th place result in qualifying to a 7th place after a 3-position grid penalty suffered on Friday when the Finnish driver was ruled to have overtaken under a red flag in practice. An immediate benefactor of Bottas' loss of position was Nico Hulkenberg. In 2010, the Brazilian Grand Prix was the site of the one and so far only pole in Nico Hulkenberg's Formula 1 career with Williams. Starting fifth on Sunday, Hulkenberg's Force India team is continuing to enjoy a fruitful effort in the second-half of the 2015 Formula 1 season as the German as well as teammate Sergio Perez have been fairly consistent in adding to the point standings.

Another significant penalty has been taken by Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo who is running a new Renault engine at Interlagos. Ricciardo will drop from a 9th place spot to 19th place. The older spec Renault powerplant in the Red Bull Racing machine piloted by Daniil Kvyat is starting sixth for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Photo Credit: FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA

A confrontation between Brazilian drivers at their home grand prix race also led to one of the Saubers being dropped down the field at the start. In Q1, Felipe Nasr was cited with a 3-place grid penalty for interfering with a timed lap made by the Williams-Mercedes driven by Felipe Massa. Nasr's Sauber-Ferrari will start in 13th on Sunday (one position behind teammate Ericsson). The two Williams-Mercedes race cars are planted in the 4th row in the starting line-up set to once-again place third in the constructors' points for a second-consecutive season in Formula 1.

The 71-lap 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix will start on Sunday at 2 P.M. local time (11 A.M. eastern time). Weather forecasts have predicted a cloudy day with rain showers as well as a thunderstorm risk at race time.

2015 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
3 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
4 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
5 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
6 26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Renault
7 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
8 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes-Benz
9 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
10 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
11 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
12 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
13 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
14 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Mercedes-Benz
15 13 Pastor Maldonado Lotus Mercedes-Benz
16 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
17 53 Alexander Rossi Manor Marussia Ferrari
18 28 Will Stevens Manor Marussia Ferrari
19 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Renault
20 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda

Rock Steady Rosberg Rolls to Brazilian Grand Prix Win

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

With 17 races completed in the 2014 Formula 1 season, only a pair of grand prix events remained heading to Brazil. Lapping the 4.309-kilometer Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace race track, 18 drivers and their respective teams have experienced an overall contrast of a Formula 1 tour. While Mercedes AMG can only continue to fortify their historically dominant season, drivers all over the 2014 Formula 1 grid still have a lot to prove over the course of the final two races. Sunday's 71 laps at the circuit formerly known as Interlagos remained an important chapter for teams wanting to end the year strong and drivers who may be auditioning for rides for 2015.

Since the notorious inter-team rivalry in the Mercedes AMG team reached critical mass at the Belgian Grand Prix, both Rosberg and Hamilton have been showing a more civil relationship between each other on the race track. As the championship fight entered the latter stages of the season, the tamer teammate attitude has arguably played into the hands of Lewis Hamilton. Combined with a fast Mercedes-Benz powered #44 race machine, Hamilton's skill and seasoned talent as 2008 Formula 1 World Champion has allowed him to take command of the 2014 points title. With Hamilton winning the previous five Formula 1 events heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Brit has overcame a 29-point deficit. Holding a 24-point advantage heading into the event at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace track, Lewis Hamilton remains challenged by his fast and maturing teammate Nico Rosberg in qualifying. On Saturday, Rosberg took pole position by a narrow 0.033-second advantage.

In spite of one forecast calling for a storm, the Brazilian Grand Prix remained dry for roughly the whole hour and a half is took to finish the 71-lap race. Due to the fast tire compounds brought by Pirelli, lead teams chose to run a three-stop pit strategy. Only one driver who completed the Brazilian Grand Prix operated on a two-stop plan. While the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix contained it's share of action, the entire outcome of the race was decided on lap 28. Through the early stages of the event, once again it was the Mercedes AMG team cars driven by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton battling.




Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Rosberg preserved his pole position placement early but was under heavy attack by his Mercedes AMG teammate just ahead of the second round of pit stops for major teams. Hamilton asserted himself as the fastest car on track as he closed to within a second of the leading car of Rosberg. As Nico Rosberg was called to pit road on lap 26, Lewis Hamilton inherited control of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Knowing he could use clear race track to gain the full speed potential out of his already fast machine, Hamilton could end up ahead of Rosberg after his pit stop if he could gain enough track position. An aggressive charge by Lewis Hamilton ultimately became his undoing. Pressed hard on race-worn tires, the #44 Mercedes AMG race car lost grip in turn four spinning into the run-off area. Hamilton successfully fought to recover his vehicle but lost around six or seven seconds. That mistake gave away valuable time that could have changed the eventual podium positions.

Despite the late-season hustle by drivers and teams on-track, the Brazilian Grand Prix resulted in 16 of the 18 cars finishing (the reduced Formula 1 race field may also been a contributing factor). On lap 40, the first retirement was the only driver able to beat the Mercedes AMG team for 2014. Daniel Ricciardo had to park his Red Bull-Renault after a suspension failure. The retirement was the first since the 2014 Formula 1 season's second round in Malaysia. On lap 65, the second non-finishing driver Romain Grosjean brought his Lotus to a stop just off the course. According to the team, a power unit issue resulted in the premature end for the Frenchman.

A few instances this fall has saw Nico Rosberg's performance under pressure from his teammate fall short. The Russian Grand Prix was one example where the abilities of Rosberg appeared maintained his racing line even as Hamilton hovered into the one-second DRS range during much of the last 20 laps. Following-up on a close qualifying fight, the Mercedes AMG drivers delivered a close grand prix finish of 1.457 seconds. Snapping Lewis Hamilton's streak of consecutive grand prix victories at five, Nico Rosberg claimed his first win since July's German Grand Prix. With the win, Rosberg closes to within 17 points of teammate Hamilton heading into Abu Dhabi. 

While the Mercedes AMG broke a record with their dominating performance in 2014 in Brazil, a customer Mercedes-Benz engine vehicle allowed the German brand to sweep the podium. Garnering the greatest fan reaction, the Williams-Mercedes-Benz driven by Brazil's Felipe Massa maintained his qualifying spot. The Williams finished nearly 41 seconds behind the race winner Rosberg but we still piloted by a The third-place for Felipe Massa came as the Williams team endured a massive struggle on pit road. Receiving a five-second penalty for speeding on pit road during the first stop, Massa accidently drew his vehicle to a stop in the wrong pit stall for the third stop in the McLaren team pit area. "We’re not normally next to McLaren and in the light their overalls looked the same colour as ours so this caught me out." said Massa in post-race. Finishing tenth, Valtteri Bottas lost time due to an issue with his safety harness requiring an extended stay on pit road.




Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

In fourth and fifth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix were two past champions finding 2014 to be a challenge. 2012 winner in Brazil Jenson Button finished fourth on the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace course. Button's finish was the fourth time he took fourth place in for the 2014 season. In fifth place, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel ran his second-to-last event with Red Bull Racing. Vettel's spot was a highest spot for Renault and would be the French engine supplier's only powerplant in the top-10 at the completion of the grand prix in Brazil. Besides sharing uneasy series campaigns for 2014, the names of both Button and Vettel have also been widely-circulated in the Formula 1 rumour mill.

Also the subject of gossip for 2015, Fernando Alonso captured sixth place for Ferrari crossing the line over 10 seconds after Vettel's Red Bull-Renault. Finishing a narrow seventh behind Alonso in Brazil was fellow Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. the second Ferrari was the only car making only two pit stops over the 71-lap distance. Gaining track position by not pitting a third time, Raikkonen was able to climb three positions from his starting spot. From a 12th place starting spot to eighth after 71 laps, Nico Hulkenberg credited points for Force India in what has been a difficult Brazil visit for the team. The second McLaren-Mercedes driven by Kevin Magnussen came across the line in ninth place ahead of Bottas.

Two weeks after Brazil, the 2014 Formula 1 will conclude with the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With double points at stake, the championship fight between Mercedes AMG driver Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will be contentious. As final race of 2014, the November 23rd event could also be a place where teams like Red Bull Racing and Williams might want to send the final message for the year.

2014 Formula 1

Brazilian Grand Prix

Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
3	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	Mercedes-Benz
4	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
5	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
7	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari
8	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
9	22	Kevin Magnussen	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
10	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
11	26	Daniil Kvyat	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
12	13	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus	Renault
13	25	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
14	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
15	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
16	99	Adrian Sutil	Sauber	Ferrari
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
18	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	Renault

By a Narrow 0.033-Second Margin, Rosberg Grabs Brazilian GP Pole

Photo Credit: Pirelli/ Andrew Hone

The second to last race in the 2014 Formula 1 season, the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace track is hosting nine race teams with various mindsets. Many drivers and race organizations are looking forward to 2015. Questions remain for where high-asset properties such as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and last year's World Drivers' Champion Sebastian Vettel will end-up for next season. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz AMG team, the team has reason to savoir the 2014 season. The German team is rolling through the final two events having already claimed their first-ever manufacturers' title (also the first for Mercedes-Benz as a full-fledged factory effort). A 24-point gap separates teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for the 2014 drivers' championship entering Brazil. While the public sparring between both drivers have cooled from what was seen during this summer, qualifying resulted in one of the most contentious battles for the pole by the Mercedes-AMG teammate.


Right from Q1, the Mercedes-AMG cars were dueling for the top time. From the start, Nico Rosberg obtained the advantage ahead of Lewis Hamilton by 0.11 seconds in the first qualifying round. It was in the final Q3 session where the teammates attacked the 4.309-kilometer Brazilian circuit spiritedly for preferential placement on Sunday's main event grid. From the start of the final 10-minute session, Hamilton set fastest time early only to be immediately countered by Rosberg. Rosberg's Mercedes was only 0.029 seconds faster than Hamilton's. With time quickly winding down for the Q3 session, both Mercedes-AMG returned to the track for a final run. With a 1-minute, 10.056-second lap time, Hamilton took the top spot on the speed chart with roughly 2 minutes remaining in the session. Predicting that his British teammate could eclipse his team, Nico Rosberg went out on the track. In the dying moment of Q3, Rosberg achieved a 1-minute, 10.023-second lap to take his 10th pole position for 2014.




Photo Credit: Mercedes-AMG

Nicking Lewis Hamilton's time by a slim 0.033-second margin, Nico Rosberg claimed some vengeance against his teammate for stealing the United States Grand Prix victory away. It should be worth noting that Rosberg started ahead of Hamilton last week. A championship fight between the two drivers remains hot between the two drivers with Lewis Hamilton holding the advantage late in the season. "Of course, I need a bit of help from my team-mate to make the World Championship happen. But I’m still highly motivated and will continue to push as hard as I can all the way." said Rosberg. Double points for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale means the triumphant Mercedes-AMG will not emerge until after the November 23rd race regardless to the outcome in Brazil.

Mercedes-Benz engine power being at the front of the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix has maintained a year-long streak for pole positions by the powerplant supplier. Mercedes-AMG has accounted for all-but one of those poles. The only pole-winning driver outside the 2014 Silver Arrow juggernaut has been Felipe Massa. Racing at his home grand prix, Massa gave a hard-fought effort in qualifying third on Saturday with a Williams F1 Team car. "This track has a special place in my heart as I was born here in São Paulo and I always get a lot of support. The car has been feeling really good all weekend and although the Mercedes cars still had more raw pace than us, the gap seems to have closed." said Massa who was about two-tenths of a second off the pace of the modern Silver Arrows. Similar to the fight between the Mercedes-AMG cars, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas also enjoyed a close fight for positioning on the second row of the Brazilian Grand Prix grid. Bottas' top lap time was only 0.058 seconds longer than his Brazilian teammate. The McLaren-Mercedes cars of Jenson Button in fifth and Kevin Magnussen placing seventh in the starting line-up also reveal a solid effort in qualifying for Mercedes-Benz engines.  

In sixth place, the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel will be the highest-starting non-Mercedes-Benz powered entrant for the 2014 Formula 1 race in Brazil. From eighth to tenth, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen round out the top-10. Mexico's Esteban Gutierrez driving a Sauber-Ferrari will start 11th in the field. The Sauber team is still chasing a world championship point for 2014.

The back of the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix starting line-up will have two penalized entrants. While Russian Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat was fast enough for Q2, his vehicle had to serve the remainder of an engine change penalty from the previous event at the Circuit of the Americas. The final car on the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix will be Sergio Perez. The Force India driver was assessed a penalty for the collision at the start of the United States Grand Prix.

The Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session consisted of 18 cars as the troubled Maruassia and Caterham F1 Team are again sitting out due to lack of funding. Both races failed to part of the United States Grand Prix last week. Caterham F1 Team is presently engaged in a crowdfunding initiative meant to place the race on the grid for the finale in late November at Abu Dhabi.

Scheduled for Sunday at 2PM local time (11 AM Eastern time), forecasts are calling for the chance of a wet, stormy Brazilian Grand Prix.


2014 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Starting Line-up

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
3	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	Mercedes-Benz
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
5	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
6	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
7	22	Kevin Magnussen	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	Renault
10	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari
11	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
12	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
13	99	Adrian Sutil	Sauber	Ferrari
14	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
15	25	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
16	13	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus	Renault
17	26	Daniil Kvyat	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
18	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	Mercedes-Benz

Vettel Scores Historic Victory in Brazil for 2013 F1 Finale

Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

After 18 grand prix race for the 2013 Formula 1 series, the final 71 laps comprising of the Brazilian Grand Prix is symbolizing a number of last opportunities.

With a new turbocharged V-6 engine mandated for competition next season, this Formula 1 finale represents the last time the V-8 powerplants will be used on the world class race tracks. For drivers, the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix will be the final time that many will drive for their respected teams. Mark Webber will be leaving Red Bull Racing and Formula 1 altogether for a spot in the debuting Porsche prototype sports car team in 2014. Competing for eight seasons with Ferrari in Formula 1, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa is concluding one chapter of his career. Massa has signed to race with Williams F1 for next season. A lot more leaves to be decided for 2014 as the grid for the final race of 2013 was set.

A poster child for stability, 2013 Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel was again rock solid in qualifying taking pole on a wet Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace surface with his Red Bull-Renault. Vying for a record-tying ninth consecutive win, Vettel starts the Brazilian Grand Prix with a ton of momentum. However, on the start, it was the Mercedes AMG car of Nico Rosberg that shot out to an early lead.



Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

The advantage for Rosberg was short-lived as Vettel surged back into the lead. The optimum Mercedes AMG started off the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix with was derailed as both cars struggled with issues. Nico Rosberg fought handling while Lewis Hamilton suffered a tire puncture when he brushed a lapped Williams-Renault driven by Valtteri Bottas. That being said, both Mercedes AMG would persevere to finish within the points. 

The final race of the season ended early for the Romain Grosjean, After only two laps into the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, the Lotus-Renault race car suffered a freak engine explosion. “At this point in the season I think everyone needs a holiday, but apparently my engine decided to go on vacation early!" said Grosjean in post-race. While the 2013 season ended too soon for the Frenchman's liking, Grosjean ends his Formula 1 year as a much more respected driver. Romain Grosjean scored more points than his more controversial 2012 outing and ended the 2013 season with scoring points in 9 of the final 11 races. Though Heikki Kovalainen was not able to score points in the second Lotus F1 Team car, Grosjean confidently commented, "We’ve proven this year that we are a top team, and I’m certainly proud of all the guys in the garage and back at Enstone.".





Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

With a threat of rain throughout the Sunday event, the Brazilian Grand Prix was predominately dry. A small shower did dampen the race course near the end but not enough for any teams or drivers to opt for intermediate Pirelli tires.

Possessing a 10.4 second lead, Sebastian Vettel won the Brazil Grand Prix in a largely uncontested run in the 2013 Formula 1 season finale. with the victory, the German Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion equaled Alberto Ascari's long-standing record for most consecutive grand prix wins. A win in the 2014 Formula 1 season opener would provide Vettel with the record. Helping him score his fourth championship, Vettel stood on the winning spot of the Formula 1 podium 13 of the 19 races after climbing out of his Red Bull-Renault on Sunday. By doing this, Sebastian Vettel now shares a record for most wins in a season with country mate Michael Schumacher.    

In his final grand prix race with Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber's last event before his return to sports car racing resulted in a runner-up spot. The effort becomes his 42nd career podium in 215 starts. The entire Red Bull Racing team including teammate Sebastian Vettel spoke proudly of what his been a long time spent working with the Australian. A 37-year-old driver, the end of his seven season run with Red Bull Racing is actively a retirement from the open wheel series. During his cool-down lap, Mark Webber took his helmet off in a last chance to absorb the feeling of driving competitively in the Formula 1 series. On the Red Bull Racing team website, Webber commented, "In this sport it's not always possible to give things a personal touch. We have the helmets on all the time, so they fans don't always see a Formula One driver in a car without a helmet. It was nice to get it off and see the marshals and the fans; it was just a really nice thing to experience. I heard a lot of noises that I don't normally hear.".

Completing a season that fell short of personal expectations, Fernando Alonso finished third in the final 2013 Formula 1 race. Winding up second in the overall points, the distance between him and Sebastian Vettel is a massive 155-point gap. The size of the point differential alone is enough for seventh place overall in 2013 Drivers' Championship. Collecting two wins including a climatic home country victory with the Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso and the Ferrari team were definitely not counting the late-season blitz of the #1 Red Bull-Renault. Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa posted a seventh place run in front of his home country crowd. In addition to Sebastian Vettel's tire smoking blowout, Massa also engaged in burning rubber within a circular pattern as a farewell to Ferrari. Racing a red Ferrari race car in Formula 1 since 2006, Felipe Massa has technically been powered by Ferrari since his 2002 debut with Sauber (Sauber had a customer engine agreement with the Italian automaker company. Having driven nothing but Ferrari engine power, Massa's transition to Williams will result in the Brazilian being paired with a Mercedes-Benz powerplant. 

Starting in 14th and 15th place, the McLaren race cars ended a dismal season with a pair of solid runs. Jenson Button lead the charge forward climbing to fourth at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Button's McLaren teammate Sergio Perez also posted an impressive sixth place effort. Both McLaren F1 team pilots made two stops for tires but had second changes The result is Perez's final effort with a McLaren-Mercedes race car as the Mexican was released late in the season in the favour of rookie Kevin Magnussen. Sergio Perez's 2014 schedule has been left open.

With a fifth place for Nico Rosberg and a ninth for Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG's Brazilian Grand Prix finish is actually more successful than when comparing season-long standings. By six points, Mercedes AMG took second place in the Formula 1 Constructors' Points standings after a tough fight with Ferrari. For Lewis Hamilton's drivers' points, the Brazilian race regrettably ended up with Mark Webber overtaking the Mercedes driver for third in the final standings.

While unable to escape the back of the Formula 1 running order all 2013 season, Max Chilton receives honourable mention with Marussia. Chilton finished every race in his rookie season.

When the Formula 1 racing tour resumes in 2014, a new page will for the moment put all drivers and teams on an equal playing field. Until that time, there is little doubt the Red Bull Racing team as well as the four-time champion Sebastian Vettel will be leading the toast to successes of 2013.


2013 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Race Result


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

Final 2013 Formula 1 Pole Captured by Vettel in Brazil

Photo source: Pirelli Photo Service

Concluding what has become a 2013 Formula 1 tour with surprises, the 19-race series wraps in Brazil with a familiar face taking the headlines. Entering the final race of the Formula 1 season, the Red Bull Racing led by German Sebastian Vettel has been operating undefeated in grand prix races for almost three months. Winning the past eight races, Vettel owns the record for most wins in a single season in the premier open wheel racing series. If Sebastian Vettel repeats his pattern for the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, the Red Bull-Renault driver will be equalling another mark of greatness. However, with only 71 laps remaining in the 2013 Formula 1 season, the 100 percent effort of other drivers could still potentially unseat the German from a ninth-consecutive race win.  

Punishing the other Formula 1 runners with a Q3 pace, Sebastian Vettel won his seventh pole in a wet session at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Lapping the 4.309-kilometer Brazilian race track in 1 minute, 26.479 seconds, the #1 Red Bull-Renault eventually rose to the top in a final time trial session delayed by heavy rain. If Vettel succeeds in capturing a ninth grand prix in a row, the German will tie the all-time consecutive winning streak record posted by Alberto Ascari during the 1952 and 1953 race seasons.

For an all-German driver front row, Nico Rosberg mounted the second-fastest effort in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Mercedes AMG race car driven by Rosberg was more than 6/10ths of a second slower on the wet circuit. Four-tenths of a second behind Nico Rosberg's time on track Saturday was Fernando Alonso. A favourite for the driver's championship at the beginning of the 2013, the Alonso and the Ferrari team was slightly off the pace for much of the season provoking a defensive effort late to simply protect the Spanish driver's second place in points. With second place in the drivers' standings locked up in the United States Grand Prix, Alonso will be fighting alongside teammate Felipe Massa to take the runner-up spot in the constructors' championship for the Ferrari team. Within striking distance, Ferrari sits 15 points behind Mercedes AMG for the second-place position. Starting ninth, Felipe Massa's long run with Ferrari will come to an end in his home country.

The biggest  fight remaining in the overall drivers' championship surrounds 3rd place. Separated by the injured Kimi Raikkonen who is not part of the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber are separated by six points. While the Mercedes AMG is struggling to return to the form shown doing the summer, the team appears have found some race pace as of late. In qualifying Webber will be in the fourth-place grid position with Hamilton placed only one spot behind.

In sixth, Romain Grosjean will be working to cap off a marvelous late season effort that his included four podium finishes in the past five grand prix events. Grosjean recently finished in the runner-up position at the United States Grand Prix. Barring complications, it seems Romain Grosjean will be back with the Lotus F1 team next season having excellently stepped up his performance.

Also deserving credit for worthy qualifying performances for the Brazilian Grand Prix, both Toro Rosso drivers secured top-10 spots. Preparing for a 2014 season in the vacated seat of Mark Webber with Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo just barely beat his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne. With Scuderia Toro Rosso powered by Ferrari engines, the final four vehicles in the top-10 are receiving power from the Italian automaker. Nico Hulkenberg driving for Sauber is located in tenth spot.

For a 71-lap race to complete the 2013 Formula 1 season, the Brazilian Grand Prix is set for Sunday at 2pm local time (11am in the eastern time zone). Just like the weekend so-far in Brazil, rain is slated to be a factor.


2013 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

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