Hamilton Recovers from Poor Start to Win British Grand Prix

Photo Credit: FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO X PIRELLI

 

One of the more popular rounds on the Formula 1 championship, the British Grand Prix was first run in 1926 and has a history at the former World War II airfield of Silverstone since 1948. From 1987, Silverstone has served as the permanent home of Britain's grand prix race.

For a long time, the event has served as a home race for major teams and drivers. While diversity of competitors has widened changed over the years, but the British Grand Prix is still heavily coveted by national interests including seven current teams based in the country. All through the weekend of the 2015 edition of the race at Silverstone, defending winner and Brit Lewis Hamilton made no secret to how important the British Grand Prix is to him. "I can’t describe the feeling I had last year – lifting that trophy again in front of the sea of fans on pit straight after so many years and after a tough start to the weekend too. It’s something that will always stay with me and nothing less than the same again will do."

Taking the pole on Saturday with teammate Nico Rosberg on the front row, Lewis Hamilton mindset ahead of the 52-lap main event is to be the top Mercedes AMG race car presuming it would be the team's race to lose. In what was a wacky race start Sunday, both Mercedes AMG car drivers were caught off-guard when the five lights went out. In a bizarre sight, the Williams-Mercedes cars on the second row leapfrogged the Mercedes AMG vehicles. Felipe Massa took an early lead with teammate Valtteri Bottas assuming the second place position.

Behind the lead pack, a first lap incident involving Lotus F1 Team and McLaren race cars occurred. Damage race machines on track resulted in a safety car period as well as three of the four cars (Jenson Button, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado) linked to the chaos unable to finish the race. Fernando Alonso was also connected to the mayhem but was able to persevere after reaching the pits for a new front wing.

The early stage of the British Grand Prix claimed a number of vehicles powered by Renault. One exit was Max Verstappen who spun off track in one of the Toro Rosso-Renaults. However, the second Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz Jr. and the Red Bull race car of Daniel Ricciardo both encountered an electrical faults with their powerplants. Daniil Kvyat was the only Renault powered contender to finish at Silverstone crossing the line in sixth place.  

When it appeared the race was lost on the start, the Mercedes AMG team fought back. For Lewis Hamilton, the British Grand Prix was won on pit road. A swift pit stop performed on the #44 car by the Mercedes AMG pit crew placed Hamilton ahead of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Retaking possession of the first place position, Lewis Hamilton was falter-free as he cruised to a 10.956-second victory at Silverstone for his third victory. Describing the entire weekend as very special in his home country, Hamilton expressed he was tearing up in the last lap of the grand prix. In the previous two times Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix (2008 and 2014), he went on to win the year's championship title.

Both drivers for Williams Martini Racing used the word "frustrating" to describe their results in the 2015 British Grand Prix. Having been in position to win or score a podium finish at Silverstone, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas were thrown for a curve with the late race rain. It was near the end of the race where Hamilton's teammate Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel gained an advantage over to Williams-Mercedes race cars to gain podium spots. Williams Martini Racing took fourth and fifth place at Silverstone with Massa claiming the edge over Bottas.

Deeper in the finishing order, both Force India-Mercedes vehicles finished in the points. Nico Hulkenberg took seventh place while Sergio Perez was ninth at the chequered flag. Splitting the two Force Indias was the second Ferrari driven by Kimi Raikkonen. In the tenth and final point-scoring spot in the British Grand Prix's results was Fernando Alonso. Overcoming an opening lap tangle, Alonso grabbed his first point of a season that has been dominated in lackluster results with the McLaren powered its Honda power unit.

The 2015 Formula 1 will get two weeks off to prepare for July 26th's Hungarian Grand Prix.

2015 Formula 1

British Grand Prix

Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
2	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
3	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	Ferrari
4	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	Mercedes-Benz
5	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
6	26	Daniil Kvyat	Red Bull	Renault
7	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
8	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari
9	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
10	14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	Honda
11	9	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	Ferrari
12	98	Roberto Merhi	Manor Marussia	Ferrari
13	28	Will Stevens	Manor Marussia	Ferrari
14	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	Renault
16	33	Max Verstappen	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Mercedes-Benz
18	13	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus	Mercedes-Benz
19	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	Honda
20	12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber	Ferrari

Massa Leads Surprise Williams Front Row Qualifying Performance in Austria

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

After 11 years off the Formula 1 schedule, the open wheel series returns as a radically different venue. Still set on a 4.236-kilometer track as was the 2003 grand prix, the name has been changed from the A-1 Ring to the Red Bull Ring and the facility has underwent a host of enhancements.

Back in 2003, the Formula 1 racing tour was a seen where V-10 engines roared, Red Bull Racing didn't even exist and racing great Michael Schumacher was adding to what would be a career of record-breaking performances. A season that ended with a championship point standing where Schumacher won by just two points over then-McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen, the German driver's Austrian Grand Prix victory ultimately that year served as an important piece to a his sixth of seven world drivers' titles.

This era was also the last recent period where the Williams F1 Team was a formidable front-runner in Formula 1 competition. Winning four races in 2003, the Frank Williams-founded race organization has only won two times over the course of the grand prix events held from 2004 to this season. Fighting to find the right combination of drivers, engines and support, the Williams Martini Racing team appears to have struck upon a possible podium-contending match for 2014. Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas have been making the most out of a solid car and a competent Mercedes-Benz powerplant in several races so far this season. Returning to the former A-1 Ring in Austria, the Williams Martini Racing team may channeled their past magic in Formula 1 to top everyone else in Saturday's qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Williams-Mercedes cars led a progressive surge in the three practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring. By the third and final practice session, Valtteri Bottas stood at the top of the time sheet while his highly-experienced teammate Felipe Massa was tightly nestled posting the third-fastest time. It was in qualifying where the seasoned Brazilian driver rose to deliver a commanding performance. Felipe Massa pulled off a Q3 timed lap of 1 minute, 8.769 seconds to grab his 16th career pole position and his first since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. As a plus for Williams Martini Racing, Valtteri Bottas was less than a tenth of a second off Massa's fastest lap allowing him to start in second. The first pole for Williams since 2012, the presence of both cars on the front row has not been seen since 2003 at the German Grand Prix.

Photo Credit: Andrew Hone/ Pirelli Photo Service

While the Saturday time trial session glory belonged to the Mercedes-Benz customer team in Austria, the factory team has been celebrating for the most race weekends this Formula 1 season. The Mercedes AMG team remains fast but has appeared a little more fallible since the Canadian Grand Prix race two weeks ago. Nico Rosberg posted the third-fastest time in a session that saw the Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid race car dethroned from the top spot after grand prix qualifying this season. As for the Mercedes AMG driver Lewis Hamilton, his Q3 session was marred with mishaps. Making two attempts, Hamilton would ultimately have to scrub both runs spinning in the second run. The Brit will start in ninth place.

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix also served a mixed bag for Ferrari and Red Bull Racing. Winless since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari and Fernando Alonso are still trying to find the final ingredient of consistent, front-running speed. Alonso posted a fourth-fastest time on Saturday but Kimi Raikkonen could only muster an eighth place starting position. Capturing their first 2014 win at the previous grand prix, The Red Bull-Renault's victory came just in time for the event on the Red Bull Ring. Red Bull Racing has been led by the team's newcomer Daniel Ricciardo through much of the season. Austrian Grand Prix qualifying at the team owner's home event has continued to result in the Australian outrunning his championship defending teammate. Ricciardo will start fifth Sunday while Sebastian Vettel missed the Q3 session for a third time this season settling for a 12th place grid position.      

Formula 1 rookies for 2014 Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat posted impressive times on the Red Bull Ring for respectable Sunday grid spots. The McLaren-Mercedes of Magnussen will start sixth while the Kvyat's Toro Rosso-Renault will roll-off seventh. Nico Hulkenberg will start tenth for the Austrian Grand Prix for Force India.

With a forecast calling for a warm and sunny Austrian Grand Prix, 71 laps around the Red Bull Ring is scheduled to commence at 2 PM local time and 8 AM eastern time.


2014 Formula 1
Austrian Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	19	Felipe Massa	Williams	Mercedes-Benz
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Williams F1	Renault
3	6	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	Ferrari
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	Renault
6	22	Kevin Magnussen	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
7	26	Daniil Kvyat	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
8	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari
9	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes AMG	Mercedes-Benz
10	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
11	22	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes-Benz
12	1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault
13	13	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus	Renault
14	25	Jean-Eric Vergne	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Renault
15	8	Romain Grosjean	Lotus	Renault
16	11	Sergio Perez	Force India	Mercedes-Benz
17	99	Adrian Sutil	Sauber	Ferrari
18	21	Esteban Gutierrez	Sauber	Ferrari
19	17	Jules Bianchi	Marussia	Ferrari
20	10	Kamui Kobayashi	Caterham	Renault
21	9	Marcus Ericsson	Caterham	Renault
22	4	Max Chilton	Marussia	Ferrari

Vettel's Perfect Drive Takes Indian Grand Prix and 2013 F1 Championship

Photo Credit: Infinti

Prior to the 2013 Indian Grand Prix on the Buddh International Circuit, the drivers' and manufacturers' championships were on the break of being locked up. The fourth-to-last race on the 2013 Formula 1 tour, German racing superstar Sebastian Vettel needed only to add five more points than Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso to seal his fourth consecutive title. Capturing pole for Sunday's 60-lap main event, Vettel enters the Indian Grand Prix on a hot streak with five-straight victories.

It was a picture perfect start for Sebastian Vettel as he left the Mercedes-AMG cars in his dust. This early lead was short-lived as Vettel relinguished the top spot for a Red Bull Racing tire stop. Including Vettel many of the top cars starting on the soft compound rubber upgraded to medium compound Pirelli tires within the initial laps.

Within a field scrambling for position behind the leading Red Bull-Renault was Fernando Alonso who was starting the Italian Grand Prix eighth with only a remote chance at challenging Vettel for the 2013 drivers' title. Despite Vettel's potential victory being enough to secure the championship, Alonso's efforts would also be conflicted by a collision with Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault on the start. With front end damage to his Ferrari, Alonso was forced to pit road for repairs. Alonso would struggle for track position since the early race mishap. Deeper in the field on the first lap, another collision occurred between the Caterhams of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic as well as Max Chilton's Marussia-Cosworth. The Caterham-Renault of van der Garde would be the race's first retirement.

Starting 17th after some great Formula 1 race runs on past events, French driver Romain Grosjean was facing an uphill battle competing in India. Starting on soft compound Pirelli slicks, Grosjean's Lotus-Renault lasted 13 laps before making his switch to medium tires. Grosjean would make an intrepid climb early and quickly made his way into the top-5.

As the Indian Grand Prix progressed, Sebastian Vettel began to show his class-leading form. Making his final pit stop on lap 31, the German driver's Red Bull-Renault set out a commanding interval between himself and the second-place runner. Despite the team pride with their lead driver, an opportunity at a Red Bull Racing 1-2 finish was denied on lap 39. An alternator problem on Mark Webber's car has cost the Australian another strong finish in as many grand prix races.

During the late stages of the 2013 Indian Grand Prix, the story was Kimi Raikkonen trying to stay out on medium compound tires placed on his Lotus-Renault back on lap seven. His vehicle was immensely off the pace with other vehicles running on fresher Pirelli. Fighting to hold on to third place, Raikkonen was actually creating drama within his own team as Romain Grosjean was closely following on faster Pirelli tires. With reports of heated team communications towards Kimi Raikkonen's car, the Finnish driver would yield to Grosjean. With a lap 58 pit stop, Raikkonen would finish the Indian Grand Prix seventh.

Crossing the line 29.8 seconds ahead of runner-up Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel officially became the 2013 Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion with a convincing victory at the Buddh International Circuit. An elated German driver celebrated his sixth-straight grand prix win and fourth-consecutive Formula 1 points title with some rarely-seen tire donuts on the racetrack. Leaving his mark on the track, the win was repeats triumphs in 2011 and 2012 making Vettel the only grand prix winner of the Indian Formula 1 race. The Formula 1 race stewards did issue a 25,000 euro fine for the post-race celebration but the penalty likely represented money well spent by Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing who also gains the crown as the manufacturers' champion. With Fernando Alonso unable to claim a single point, Vettel has padded his point lead by 25 points.



Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

With a quiet second-place run, Nico Rosberg headed the Mercedes-AMG team its first podium since the Hungarian Grand Prix victory by Lewis Hamilton. In the second Mercedes-AMG race car, Hamilton came across the finish line sixth.

Taking the third spot on the Indian Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean benefitted gained pivotal track position thanks to a one-stop strategy performed with his Lotus F1 Team. The result becomes Grosjean's third-consecutive third-place finish in the 2013 Formula 1 season. With 16 races completed in 2013, Romain Grosjean has scored as many points as he did after 19 races in 2012. While his future in Formula 1 was in question at the start of this Formula 1 year, Grosjean's performance especially as of late could allow his stay in the Lotus F1 Team to be extended.




Photo credit: Mercedes AMG

Just outside the podium, some great performances has the Ferrari of Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez's McLaren-Mercedes scoring major points. For Perez, the finish is McLaren's highest placement in a 2013 grand prix event through what has become a dismal season for the typical Formula 1 front-runner.

The next race for the 2013 Formula 1 tour will be held in the United Arab Emirates. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held on the Yas Marina Circuit on November 3rd.



2013 Formula 1
Indian Grand Prix
Race Results

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

Pit Strategy Nets Vettel Victory in Thrilling Japanese Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

Since 1987, the Suzuka Circuit has served as the host of the Japanese Grand Prix for all but two years in between the 2013 event. Over that time, the Honda owned race track has produced some storied fights for Formula 1 supremacy. The Alain Prost/Aryton Senna championship battles in 1989 and 1990 remains as the most memorable. Though there was not going to be a tight drivers' point battle heading towards the 5.807-kilometer track, there was a slim chance the race could result in the crowning of the 2013 championship. Heading into the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel needed just 24 points on Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso to seal his Fourth consecutive championship.

Aside from the champion, the Suzuka Circuit is known for producing some hard-fought races along all competitors. The 53-lap, 2013 edition of the Japanese Grand Prix would perhaps rank as one of the finest of the season.

With Mark Webber sitting on pole for the first time in 2013, the Australian is counting down his tenure at Red Bull Racing as Sunday's race was staged. With Webber's teammate Sebastian Vettel starting alongside, the Red Bull-Renaults seemingly appeared to be on easy street for leading into the first corner. What was not foreseen as the lights went out to commence the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix was a faltering by both Red Bull-Renault race cars on the start. Instantly on the race's start Romain Grosjean shot by Vettel and Webber for the lead.

Photo Credit: Andrew Ferraro/Lotus F1 Team

With the leaders running smoothly into turn 1, the cars driven by Jules Bianchi and Giedo van der Garde wrecked. No safety car was deployed since both cars were well off into the turn one run-off area but activation of the DRS system was delayed. Another early retirement from the Japanese Grand Prix was Lewis Hamilton who suffered a cut tire due to contact. The damage to Hamilton's Mercedes AMG proved quite severe resulting in parking the race machine after seven laps.

From fourth to first into the turn corner, the Lotus-Renault of Romain Grosjean's breathtaking pass was one of the Frenchman's trademark daring maneuvers. While his aggression is renowned, the Frenchman's foil has been his inexperience and poor sense in the past Formula 1 seasons. Last year, Grosjean's driving also resulted in the Lotus F1 Team driver being parked by the Formula 1 sanctioning body for making too many mistakes. In 2013, Romain Grosjean has been showing a more level-headed approach that has kept him out of trouble but has not exactly equated the driver registering better performances. The start of the Japanese Grand Prix could be a turning point for Grosjean. Setting several fastest laps, Grosjean pulled out a 3.3-second lead over second place Mark Webber by lap 11. Turning over the lead on a lap 12 pit stop, Romain Grosjean's Lotus-Renault would remain at the front of the Japanese Grand Prix becoming a source of excitement throughout the Formula 1 event.

With Romain Grosjean, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel trading the lead among themselves through pit stops, one of those drivers operated on a three-stop strategy for Pirelli racing slicks. Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber ran shorter stints on his tires harnessing the performance of newer compound rubber rolling on the Suzuka Circuit. Running an awkward third for much of the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel elected to bring his Red Bull-Renault to pit road on only two occasions. Banking on the increased track position outweighing the advantage on fresher tires, Sebastian Vettel would proceed with his gamble on lap 37.

Mark Webber pitted for the final time in lap 42 taking faster medium compound tires back out on track for the final 11 laps of the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix. Quickly catching than-second place Romain Grosjean on harder compound rubber, the task of passing the formidable Lotus-Renault proved difficult for Webber's Red Bull-Renault. A battle taking place roughly 9 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel, the second place fight between Grosjean and Webber would benefit the championship points leader every lap it waged. In fact, when Mark Webber was finally able to snatch the runner-up position from the Lotus-Renault, there would be only two laps for the Australian driver to catch Vettel. Proving far too much of a gap, Sebastian Vettel crossed the line 7.1 seconds ahead of his Red Bull Racing teammate for a fifth-straight victory on the 2013 Formula 1 racing calendar.




Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

The triumph was Vettel's fourth Japanese Grand Prix win in five seasons. As a result of a fourth place finish by Fernando Alonso's Ferrari, the 2013 World Drivers' championship will remain in play for at least one more race. Vettel needs only to finish fifth place or better to fend off even the best efforts of Alonso for the season's title. Describing the race as a "very rewarding win", Vettel added, "The Championship is the big target of course, but the season is very long still and the best way to wrap it up is not to think about it. I’m happy to go home for a bit now and to relax before we go out to India. That’s an impressive country and I’m looking forward to racing there in a couple of weeks.”

The second-place finish for Mark Webber was not the desired victory the Australian wanted but was his first podium since the Italian Grand Prix. "I did my best and in the end it was a good result.”, said Webber after 53 laps at Suzuka. As for third place Romain Grosjean, he talked at length about what could be a career-defining run. "It was superb to go past both the Red Bulls like that and it’ll be one of my best memories of the year. The car was fantastic on the first set of tyres and we managed to pull away, but then the Red Bulls were able to reel us in later on. Ultimately, we were the only car to almost catch the bull. It’s been a great home race for my engineer; it’s always good to come to Japan and it’s really good to be back on the podium again.”, said Grosjean.

The next event for the 2013 Formula 1 season will take place October 27th with the running of the Indian Grand Prix.


2013 Formula 1
Japanese Grand Prix
Race Results

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

Vettel Reveals Winning Late Season Form with Singapore GP Victory



Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

The 2013 Formula 1 season is drawing closer to a conclusion. Despite the efforts of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and the emerging force of Mercedes AMG, the class of the paddock remains the Red Bull Racing team and their German driver Sebastian Vettel. Under an evening sky, Formula 1 cars rolled for Sunday's 2013 Singapore Grand Prix. Kicking off a tour stint that involves competing in four Asian continent locales, the Singapore event on the Marina Bay Street Circuit provides a nearly surreal atmosphere for the Formula 1 drivers and teams. However, as Sebastian Vettel gained the pole position in Saturday night qualifying, the unique race involved a rather familiar sight. 

The Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel was simply too tough to catch throughout the 61-lap event on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Quick on the start, Vettel pulled out a nearly two second lead on the second-place vehicle on the opening lap. A near clockwork race for the Red Bull-Renault driver, the German driver left rest of the field fighting for the runner-up positions.

With exception to Sebastian Vettel, the first two rows of drivers in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix encountered a race full of difficulty. After qualifying third, Frenchman Romain Grosjean was forced to retire from the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix on lap 33 when his Renault engine developed issues. The retirement list for the race was rather light as the Lotus-Renault driver was joined by just four drivers after 61 laps. The first driver out of the race was Daniel Ricciardo on lap 24. His Toro Rosso-Ferrari crashed into the turn 18 wall on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Ricciardo's derelict race vehicle required a safety car period that briefly erased leader Sebastian Vettel's track position advantage. As soon as the safety car returned to the pits and the race restarted, Vettel would once again sail away from the competition. The three-time and reigning Formula 1 champion crossed the line 32.6 seconds ahead of second-place Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to claim his seventh grand prix victory in 2013. Though the drive was masterful, Sebastian Vettel was greeted by a detectable amount of boos on the podium.




Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Starting on the front row with Vettel but losing the drag race into the first turn, Nico Rosberg would lose time on track for one period of the race as tire rubber gummed up a portion of his Mercedes AMG car's front wing. Rosberg would hold on to finish fourth ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Fourth in qualifying, Mark Webber piloting the second Red Bull-Renault race car met with late-race misfortunes. Running in the top-four late in the Singapore event, Webber lost power and soon his Renault engine ending the race in 15th place.

Stranded near a retired car at the end of the race, Webber received a gracious invitation from the runner-up finisher Alonso for a ride back to pit road. A classy moment rekindles memories of a 1991 British Grand Prix where race winner Nigel Mansell stopped to provide a famous ride for Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna. There was also another incident occurred at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix where the winning Ferrari of Jean Alesi ran out of fuel. On this occasion, it was future Ferrari driver and seven-time World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher allowing the Frenchman the honour of a full victory lap and ride back to the pits. Unfortunately, in this 2013 case, Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso would run afoul with Formula 1 stewards not as much for the ride but for the fact stopping on track potentially endangered other competitors. Webber has been penalized with a 10-grid position penalty at the next race in Korea since it earned the Australian driver his third reprimand of the 2013 Formula 1 season. Alonso was handed a reprimand for his part.

Fernando Alonso improved greatly on a seventh place qualifying result to finish second at the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix. In regards to the drivers' championship where Alonso holds second place in the standings, the Singapore Grand Prix result means that Sebastian Vettel has padded his points lead with an additional seven markers. The gap between Vettel and Alonso now stands at 60 points following the Marina Bay Street Circuit race.



Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/ Lotus F1 Team

A more impressive improvement than the effort of Fernando Alonso to place in the runner-up spot, his future Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen driving a Lotus-Renault climbed from 13th to finish 3rd. Struggling with back pain throughout the weekend in Singapore, Raikkonen felt better during the 61-lap main event Sunday. While the Lotus F1 Team was a favourite in the opening race of the year thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's Australian Grand Prix victory, the organization has been fighting to keep pace with the improvements of Red Bull Racing, Ferrari and Mercedes AMG as the 2013 season progressed.  

Behind sixth place Felipe Massa, the McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez are continuing to soldier on with a race car that has simply been off-pace with the frontrunners this season. The Singapore Grand Prix was the fifth time in 2013 that both McLaren cars finished in points paying positions. Behind the McLarens was the Sauber-Ferrari of Nico Hulkenberg and Adrian Sutil claiming the final championship point.


2013 Formula 1
Singapore Grand Prix
Race Results

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

A Deutschland Dream: Vettel Captures First German Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Earlier in the Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso accomplished an eye-catching feat of worthy of patriotism. At the Spanish Grand Prix in May, crowds were thunderous with the sight of Alonso's Ferrari passing the start/finish line first at the Circuit de Catulunya. It because evident right off the bat at the 2013 German Grand Prix the Nurburgring could serve as the next moment where fans will be applauding with national pride.

On Saturday, a Mercedes AMG race car driven by Lewis Hamilton claimed the pole ahead of the 60-lap main event. In addition to the star badge belonging to Germany's more prominent auto company, the German Grand Prix's front row also featured the country's famed superstar athlete Sebastian Vettel. Despite 29 wins and 3 world driving titles in Formula 1, Vettel was still seeking his first-career German Grand Prix.

When the lights went out to signify the German Prix Grand Prix on Sunday, the front row battle of the grid matched the winless in 2013 driver against a reigning champion wanting to claim victory at his nation's highest-ranking motor race. A mix between a bad start for Hamilton and Vettel's quenching desire to delight his home crowd ended with the Red Bull-Renault taking the lead into turn one. Vettel's teammate Mark Webber was also able to carve his way around the pole-sitting Mercedes AMG car. Falling to third on the first lap, Lewis Hamilton would never exist as a force for victory on Sunday.

The Ferrari handled by Felipe Massa participated in a short 2013 German Grand Prix. Despite a good start, Massa veered off track on lap three stalling his engine. Unable to return to action, Massa became the first retirement of the race.

Unlike the British Grand Prix, Pirelli tires held together on the race track. However, a tire would become a source of a scary incident in Germany. During Mark Webber's first pit stop on lap 8, a right-rear wheel wasn't properly attached to the hub of the race car. When Webber left his pit, the tire flew off his Red Bull-Renault and was launched into a cameraman filming the pit crew actions for another team. A violent-looking hit, the cameraman named Paul Allen was knocked to the ground. Requiring medical attention at both the on-course infirmary, Allen was later transported to an off-site hospital. Formula 1 stated that Allen remained conscious and that the trip to a hospital was for observation. 

The Red Bull Racing team was immediately fined 30,000 euros for the pit road incident. Christian Horner stated after the race, "We need to understand what went wrong in that first pit stop for Mark, but as I said, our main concern today is knowing that the cameraman is okay.”. As a result of the incident, Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault lost enough positions in the race to place the Australian one lap down. However, with a safety car period caused by a firey blow-up of the Marussia-Cosworth driven by Jules Blanchi on lap 23, Webber was able to regain a lead lap position. Mark Webber was surge his way back into the points ending up with a seventh place result after 60 laps at the Nurburgring.

Despite Sebastian Vettel leading for almost the entire German Grand Prix, the Lotus-Renault of Kimi Raikkonen maintained hot pursuit of the blue Red Bull race car. However, Raikkonen's best efforts would not be enough to deny the German of his 30th victory. His fourth Formula 1 event win in 2013, Vettel proudly celebrated the honour of winning a major grand prix on home soil. Sebastian Vettel becomes the first national driver to win the German Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in the 2006 season. The win also erases another grand prix from a list of races not won by the three-time world drivers' champion. A month ago, Vettel added his first Canadian Grand Prix to his career tally.

Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

For the Lotus-Renault race cars, the Nurburgring served as a major confidence builder for drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Starting fourth, the Lotus F1 Team's lead driver Raikkonen was almost able to steal the home country victory away from Sebastian Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen finished second by a mere one-second gap. Importantly for Grosjean, his third-place finish is the Frenchman's first championship points since the Bahrain Grand Prix. Ironically, the podium order for the Bahrain Grand Prix mirrors the Grand Prix finish in Germany running Vettel, Raikkonen and Grosjean. After the strong start for the Lotus F1 Team, the Formula 1 group had been suffering a gradual downfall until the results at the Nurburgring.

Missing the podium, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari accepted a fourth place finish after 60 laps at the Nurburgring. A three-time winner of the German Grand Prix, Alonso crossed the starter's stand 7.7 seconds behind the winning Red Bull piloted by his championship adversary. Despite gaining ground in the points after Silverstone, the Ferrari driver saw the gap grow 13 points with the conclusion of German event. Sebastian Vettel now holds a 34-point advantage over Fernando Alonso after nine Formula 1 races.

In fifth place, Lewis Hamilton trotted home in the Mercedes AMG with disappointed. The unfortunate start and a set of Pirelli tires that proved incompatible with his race car's handling were mentioned as set-backs. From 11th to 9th, the second Mercedes team car of Nico Rosberg collected an additional two points proving handy for keeping the team in second-place in the constructors' standings. Mercedes AMG is only three points ahead of Ferrari for the position behind the out of reach Red Bull Racing lead.




Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

After two Formula 1 rounds concluding with finishes outside of the top-10, McLaren rebounded somewhat at the German Grand Prix with both cars scoring point-paying positions. With Jenson Button in sixth and Sergio Perez settling with eighth, the Mercedes-powered McLaren race cars executed a two-pit stop strategy involving a long stint on Pirelli medium compound slick tires. However, the McLaren organization is still far from the competitive team of seasons past. After the German race, the British based team is trailing Force India by ten points in the constructors' championship standings.

In tenth place, there was a reason for German driver Nico Hulkenberg to celebrate. For the second race in a row, Hulkenberg and his Sauber-Ferrari collected useful points.

For the tenth race on the 2013 Formula 1 schedule, teams race once again in three weeks taking part in the Hungarian Grand Prix.



2013 Formula 1
German Grand Prix
Race Results 

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

Rosberg Wins Bizarre British Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

For the eighth time in 2013, 22 Formula 1 cars lined up to start a grand prix event. This time, attention turned on the popular Silverstone Circuit as the British Grand Prix would act as the stage for the world's greatest open wheel drivers. In addition to the Italian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix has been a mainstay on the Formula 1 calendar every year since the inception of the World Championship in 1950. The 2013 edition of the grand prix would be another stand-out race at Silverstone. We have a deputed winner, a World Championship leader in trouble and a tire fiasco.

At the start, the Mercedes AMG car of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg started on the front row. On the start, it was Hamilton who used has pole-sitting grid position to take an early lead. In the second row on the starting gird, the Red Bull Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were itching to break the Mercedes-Benz brigade but could not find an advantage early.

The tone of the 2013 British Grand Prix would be dominated by the unexpected failure of tires supplied by Pirelli. On lap 8, the first victim would emerge as the race leader. Lewis Hamilton's left rear slick tire had begun to disintegrate on his Mercedes race car. Able to drive his crippled car to the stops on three tires, Hamilton would drop to last in the running order. Two laps later, Felipe Massa would also suffer a similar tire issue. After three tire failures by lap 16, a safety car needed to be deployed so track crews could clean a debris littered on the Silverstone Circuit attributed to the decaying rubber. Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez were all burdened by effects of a left-rear tire problem over the course of the 52-lap race. Hamilton and Massa survived their incidents to collect top-10 finishes. On the other hand, Perez and Vergne suffered early retirements from the grand prix due to their blown Pirelli tires.

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

When the race progressed after the safety car, the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel had once again found his way to the front of a grand prix race. Having won the 2009 British Grand Prix, that victory dates back to before Vettel was ever a Formula 1 champion. In pursuit of his fourth-straight driver's title, the German was looking forward to another major points day to add to what is an impressive lead already in 2013.
Unfortunately for Sebastian Vettel on the 41st lap of the 2013 British Grand Prix, his Red Bull-Renault would suddenly stop just as the German drove past the pit entrance. For the second time in the race, a safety car needed to be called as Vettel's powerless Red Bull-Renault was in a position where it could obstruct the event.

When the final safety car period ended, Nico Rosberg found himself inheriting the lead. Behind Rosberg, the second Red Bull-Renault in the hands of two-time British Grand Prix winner Mark Webber charged furiously towards the Mercedes Formula 1 car but simply came up short. At the line of 0.7 seconds, Nico Rosberg took his third Formula 1 victory. “This is a great moment for me and our team to win in the home of motor racing at Silverstone”, said Rosberg  in post-race comment. Webber came a close second while the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso completed a quiet march from a ninth-place start to finish on the podium. Alonso's third-place finish was only a 0.6-second advantage over a resurgent Lewis Hamilton.  




Photo Credit: Pirelli Photo Service

Unfortunately for Nico Rosberg and the Mercedes AMG team, both victories this season have been tainted by protests and accusations of the team not playing by the rules. As the Monaco Grand Prix race win left competing teams alleging Mercedes AMG team unfairly benefitted from a Pirelli tire test, the post-race buzz around Silverstone had to do with a possible penalty due to a race infraction. When a local yellow flag is displayed at one corner of the race track, it was deemed Rosberg did not sufficiently slow down. While the race stewards did the discretion to levy a time penalty on Rosberg's car deleting it from even a podium position, the outcome of the incident was left with a reprimand allowing the German to keep his victory.

While the Pirelli tire issue and a potential penalty threatened to mar the race victory, Nico Rosberg relished his third Formula 1 victory (his second in three races). Rosberg's win driving a factory-based Mercedes-Benz race car is the first such accomplishment since Sir Sterling Moss won the British Grand Prix at Aintree with the Silver Arrows back in 1955.

While the German Mercedes team celebrated, the British Grand Prix was not kind to national teams. McLaren and Williams had both been accustomed to victory at Silverstone on multiple occasions in the past. For 2013, neither Formula 1 organization was successful in even placing a car within the top-10. For the Williams F1 Team, a nine-time constructors' champion, they are still without points in the 2013 championship. It has been since the 2012 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas when the Williams organization cars last scored in points-paying positions.

Following the race, the tire supplier to the Formula 1 series has been put under scrutiny. Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director, offered a statement following the grand prix stating, "There have obviously been some issues with rear-left tyre failures which we have not seen before. We are taking the situation very seriously and we are currently investigating all tyres to determine the cause as soon as possible, ahead of the next Grand Prix in Germany." The tire construction, compound and even the Formula 1 teams themselves have been the target for the investigation that quickly needs to bare results. Racing at the Nurburgring just one week after the British Grand Prix, the situation is tense for teams and drivers.

The last race for the 2013 Formula 1 series is a trip to Germany's famed Nurburgring. A race set for July 7th, Fernando Alonso is the defending German Grand Prix winner.   


2013 British Grand Prix
Formula 1
Race Results

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