For The Hundredth Time For Hamilton: Mercedes Driver Grabs Milestone Pole In Spain

Photo Credit: Lat Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Lewis Hamilton’s performance in qualifying is one attribute that will establish the knighted British driver as true legend in Formula 1. A tally beginning at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Hamilton’s career count for pole positions eclipsed the previous series record set by Michael Schmacher of 68 in 2017 on the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix. Since the latter part of the 2017 Formula 1 season, the driver of the #44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team car has gone on a tear in qualifying collecting 11 of 21 possible race poles in 2018 and the top spot in 10 of 16 races last year. Entered in his 270^th Formula 1 event this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has set a new mark of greatness.

Lewis Hamilton muscled his Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance race car around a 16-turn, 4.675-kilometer track in a time of 1 minute, 16.741 seconds in Q3 to take his 100^th career pole position. Battling Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen throughout all three qualifying sessions, the Brit’s #44 car edged out the Dutch driver’s Honda-powered machine by 0.036 seconds. In three of the four races this year, the front row has been shared by a Mercedes AMG team car and a Red Bull Racing vehicle.

While Verstappen mounted a challenge against the Mercedes machines in Q3, Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez finished qualifying lacking the pace of his teammate. A spin out by Perez in turn 13 during a Q3 lap hindered the performance of the #11 Red Bull Racing vehicle. The Mexican driver will start the Spanish Grand Prix in 8^th place.

Less than a tenth of a second slower than Max Verstappen, the second Mercedes race car driven by Valtteri Bottas will start third for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. Bottas was quicker than Hamilton during the opening two stages of qualifying but settled comfortably into the second row in the conclusion of Q3.

The Scuderia Ferrari team had a very acceptable showing in Spain at the end of Saturday’s qualifying. Gaining pace throughout the three practice sessions, Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. will both start Sunday’s grand prix in the top 10. Leclerc posted a strong 1-minute, 17.510-second lap time in Q3 to place himself in the second row beside Valtteri Bottas. Qualifying sixth and sharing the third row with the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, Sainz recorded a time just 0.002 quicker than the McLaren Mercedes driven by Daniel Ricciardo. The teammates of Ocon and Ricciardo (Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris) also found their way into the top 10 for the 66-lap race.

 

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Teams not appearing in the top 10 in a 2021 starting grid for the first time will be Scuderia AlphaTauri and Aston Martin Racing. Lance Stroll finished Q2 just 0.008 seconds short of tenth place driver Fernando Alonso in the session. Pierre Gasly’s Honda-powered AlphaTauri was 0.008 seconds off the mark set by 11^th place Stroll.

Entering the triple digits in his career pole tally, Lewis Hamilton’s pursuit towards pushing his victory towards the century mark will face a statistical challenge. After the first three races of the 2021 season, the driver starting on pole failed winning on Sunday.

The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix is will start at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern Time).

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2021 Formula 1 Season
Spanish Grand Prix
Qualifying Results
Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
6	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
8	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
12	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
15	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
17	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari

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Stroll Scores First Formula 1 Pole In A Soaker In Turkey

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Image/Pirelli

In the previous 13 Formula 1 events held in 2020, there had been only one team securing pole position. Without doubt contributing to their seventh consecutive Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship title, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team succeeded in putting drivers Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas into the top spot on the grid. Even as the tour shuffled the schedule to operate in spite of this year’s COVID-19 global pandemic the Mercedes team showed the impressive ability to adapt to new tracks. With the 14th round in Turkey, Formula 1's return to Intercity Istanbul Park would throw a wet wrench into the factory team’s desire to continue on its season-long qualifying domination. 

The Formula 1 circuit last visited Turkey in 2011 with the event won by Sebastian Vettel from pole driving at that time with Red Bull Racing. The 2020 revival of the Turkish Grand Prix weekend saw Red Bull Racing at the top of the time sheets in all three practice sessions. Max Verstappen recorded fastest times on both Friday and Saturday morning while Alexander Albon posted a second-quickest time in the first practice session and was with the top-five runners in the other two periods on the 5.338-kilometer track. In an unusual spectacle, the Mercedes-AMG teammates were being outclassed ahead of qualifying. Valtteri Bottas was the fastest of the squad in posting a third-quickest time in the second practice but was eighth in the third practice outing on a wet Istanbul course. The surreal nature of Mercedes-AMG’s performances in practice sessions would serve as a prelude to a wacky qualifying.

A steady rain drenched the Intercity Istanbul Park track that was recently repaved prior to this year’s grand prix. The slick, wet 14-turn race course led to a white-knuckle driving experience for the entire field as they rushed to set a lap time. Some teams sending drivers out on intermediate Pirelli tires and immediately noted the challenge of finding grip on the track. With even full wet weather tires provided little aid to competitors, Formula 1 race control elected to red flag the Q1 session with 6 minutes and 56 seconds remaining. After a 45-minute break in the action, the qualifying session resumed under improved yet still challenging conditions. Haas F1 Team driver Romain Grosjean sliding into the gravel trap in turn 1 resulted in another red flag before the first qualifying session finally concluded with Max Verstappen’s Honda-powered Red Bull race car posting a 1-minute. 57.485-second lap time followed by teammate Alexander Albon. 

Charles Coates/LAT Images/Pirelli

The Q2 session for Turkish Grand Prix qualifying was less chaotic as wet weather tires allowed drivers to maintain some adhesion with the Istanbul circuit. Verstappen again led competitors out of the time trial session with a 1-minute, 50.293-second time with Albon, Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll and Antonio Giovinazzi rounding out the top-five. Failing to break into the top-10 included both cars from McLaren Racing and Scuderia Ferrari. 

In the final 12-minute Q3 session, the conditions gave all ten entrants a somewhat fair chance to obtain pole position especially as some drivers would migrate to intermediate tires for their final runs. With six minutes remaining, Racing Point driver Sergio Perez set the top mark with a 1-minute, 52.037-second lap time around the Intercity Istanbul Park with intermediate tires. As time expired for Q3, the Mexican bettered his time performing a 1-minute, 49.321-second lap. However, Perez’s Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll mustered together the session’s best lap time to take his first-ever Formula 1 pole.   

Setting a 1-minute, 47.765-second time on the wet Intercity Istanbul Park using intermediate Pirelli tires, Canada’s Lance Stroll was elated as he celebrated the career achievement. “When I was told over the radio that I had taken pole position, I was thinking: ‘pinch me, I’m dreaming!’. I’m still a little lost for words: I’ve dreamt of days like these and it’s a special moment.” said the driver of the #18 Racing Point RP20 in a post-qualifying report on the team’s website. The effort for Stroll is a welcomed change in fortunes based on his recent grand prix events in 2020. Following a strong first part of the season where Stroll regularly placed in the points and scored a podium at Monza, he has not scored a championship point in four events and missed the Eifel Grand Prix due to COVID-19. Lance Stroll prepares to start his first Formula 1 grand prix on the pole position seeking to complete the total reversal of his recent luck with victory on Sunday. Stroll’s pole is the first achieved by a Canadian driver since Jacques Villeneuve started at the front of the European Grand Prix in 1997. 

Stroll’s qualifying performance was enough to fend off a late lap posted by Max Verstappen who also outran Sergio Perez at the end of Q3. Verstappen’s front row start comes as he prepares to rise above the last race at Imola where a tire failure cost the Dutch driver a strong podium finish.

Starting third for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, Sergio Perez will be positioned directly behind his teammate ahead of the 58-lap race. The qualifying performance by both Stroll and Perez was an overall impressive effort for Racing Point. Positioned alongside the Mexican driver on the second row of the Turkish Grand Prix is Verstappen’s teammate Alexander Albon.

Daniel Ricciardo and his Renault finished qualifying as the fastest on full rain tires. Ricciardo’s teammate Esteban Ocon starting in seventh place and Kimi Raikkonen were the only other drivers preferring the set their best Q3 times using wet weather tires. 

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/LAT Images/ Pirelli

In the qualifying session where their pole-winning streak was broken, Mercedes-AMG experienced a comparably dreadful performance in Turkey on Saturday compared to the 2020 Formula 1 season prior to this weekend. The 2020 winner at the Intercity Istanbul Park track, Lewis Hamilton starts the Turkish Grand Prix in sixth place while Valtteri Bottas is positioned in ninth after qualifying. Entering Sunday’s race with an 85-point lead in the drivers’ standings, Hamilton can potentially clinch his seventh Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship. 

The winner of the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in 2005, Kimi Raikkonen provided a sterling performance in the wet weather with his Alfa Romeo C39 race car. Raikkonen will start eighth for Sunday’s main event after a qualifying session that showed the Finnish driver putting in one of his finest efforts since last winning with Ferrari in 2018 at the United States Grand Prix. The bizarre qualifying round at the Intercity Istanbul Park track was favourable for both Alfa Romeo Racing drivers as Raikkonen’s teammate Antonio Giovinazzi also broke into Q3 settling for a tenth place starting spot. 

In the last Turkish Grand Prix, the circuit recorded the highest number of dry weather overtaking moves in a Formula 1 race since 1983. Set for 58 laps around the 5.338-kliometer track, the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix is staged with the likelihood of more wet weather. The start of the race is set for 1:10 P.M. local time (5:10 A.M. Eastern time).

2020 Formula 1
Turkish Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Bottas Becomes King of the Hill After Qualifying for Eifel Grand Prix

 

Photo Credit: FIA Pool/LAT Images/Pirelli

Staging 40 grand prix events between 1951 and 2013, the Nurburgring exists as a popular German locale for automotive speed has assembled races under the banner of the German Grand Prix, European Grand Prix and Luxembourg Grand Prix. For 2020, Formula 1 cars return to the track to participate in the Eifel Grand Prix weekend.

Formula 1's return to the Nurburgring as literally dampened by weather on Friday. The 5.148-kilometer GP-Strecke within the historic German complex was soaked and covered in heavy fog. Though race cars are equipped to run in wet weather, the fog created a safety concern in relations to accessing hospital care in case of a worst case scenario. Fog prevented flight of a medical helicopter while the road travel to the nearest FIA-approved hospital was beyond a travel distance of 20 minutes. The sanctioning body elected to cancel the two practice sessions for Friday leaving team with only the Saturday morning practice to familiarize themselves with a track the series hasn’t raced on for seven years.

Prior to the start of Saturday’s action, Racing Point driver Lance Stroll withdrew from competition citing feeling unwell. In relief of the Canadian, Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg was called back for a third time in 2020 by the Racing Point organization teaming up with Sergio Perez (the driver he substituted for the two Silverstone races in July). 

Posting the fastest time in the one and only practice ahead of Eifel Grand Prix qualifying, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team pilot Valtteri Bottas scored pole at the Nurburgring in a captivating late minute battle with teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. Bottas knocked Hamilton off the top spot for Sunday’s main event with a 1-minute, 25.259-second lap time. The pole for the driver of the #77 Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car is his third of the season. Valtteri Bottas is riding high after his impressive win at the last Formula 1 stop in Russia.

Photo Credit: Steve Etherington/Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Beaten by 0.256 seconds, Lewis Hamilton settled for the second place spot on the grid. Losing their full season consecutive run of front row occupation for 2020 after Russian Grand Prix qualifying, the Mercedes-AMG team celebrates the revival of their time trial domination. Racing on home soil, the Mercedes-Benz factory team once more faced a fierce challenge from the Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. The Honda-powered race car was only 0.037 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc joined Verstappen on the second row of the Eifel Grand Prix’s starting grid.

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton LAT Images Pirelli

The third row for the race at the Nurburgring is shared by the second Red Bull Racing race car piloted by Alexander Albon and the Renault of Daniel Ricciardo. Registering a lap time just 0.019 seconds slower than his teammate Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon will start in seventh place in the Eifel Grand Prix beside Lando Norris driving for McLaren. Sergio Perez for Racing Point and the second McLaren wheeled by Carlos Sainz Jr. rounds out the top 10 starting position for Sunday’s 60-lap main event.

Called to the track on Saturday morning in reserve for Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg had no time to adjust to the Racing Point machine ahead of qualifying resulting in him posting the slowest track time. Hulkenberg will start in 20th place for the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.

2020 Formula 1
Eifel Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Lucky Lewis: Hamilton Barely Escapes Q2 to Take Russian Grand Prix Pole

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Understanding that the word ‘chaotic’ could be used to describe many aspects of the 2020 Formula 1 season, qualifying in the series in the first nine races had concluded in a generally humdrum manner due to the talent and execution of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. As the series arrives in Sochi for this year’s Russian Grand Prix, there has not been a qualifying session in 2020 that did not result in an all-Mercedes front row on race day. 

One-half of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team’s routine of qualifying dominance came with Lewis Hamilton’s 96th Formula 1 pole position. Lapping the 5.848-kilometer race course in a time of 1-minute, 31.304 seconds in Q3 (a new track record in Russia), Hamilton is still seeking his 91st career victory in Formula 1 that will tie seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in the all-time ranking. 

Spoiling the Mercedes-AMG F1 team’s ownership of the front row for the first time in 2020, Max Verstappen posted a 1-minute, 31.867-second lap time in his Honda-powered Red Bull Racing car. Verstappen effectively split the two Mercedes drivers by being 0.089 seconds quicker than Valtteri Bottas who was able to mount a last-minute lap to better an earlier time. Starting alongside Bottas in Russia will be the Racing Point of Sergio Perez. Perez’s teammate Lance Stroll didn’t advance into Q3 due to concerns of power unit temperatures in Q2 settling for a 13th place starting spot.

Although the final Q3 session that locks in a race grid is often granted the most attention on Saturday, time trials for the Russian Grand Prix contained some of the highest suspense in the earlier sessions. Q1 and Q2 sessions of Saturday qualifying at Sochi involved several drivers having times disallowed for exceeding track limits including the eventual pole winner. With roughly two and a half minutes left in Q2, the attempts to secure a spot in the top-10 fastest cars were hindered when the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel crashed in turn 4 of the Sochi Autodrom. Vettel’s wrecked vehicle required the qualifying session to be red-flagged setting up a mad rush by many drivers and teams when Q2 would be restarted. The time remaining in the session was just enough for some drivers to complete a warm-up lap ahead of a timed lap. Lewis Hamilton lost his earlier Q2 lap time but was narrowly able to post a fourth fastest time before the session ended. In fact, Hamilton crossed the start/finish line with only seconds to spare in his Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car. 

The seventh Russian Grand Prix in the modern Formula 1 era will be a 53-lap affair on Sunday.

2020 Formula 1
Russian Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Hamilton Takes Pole Ahead Of Final Championship Duel With Rosberg In Abu Dhabi

Photo Credit: Daimler AG/Mercedes Benz

After 20 races, the 2016 Formula 1 season reaches a climatic end on Yas Marina Circuit this weekend. In a year where Mercedes AMG dominated the tour (with exception to a handful of grand prix events), team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are contesting against each other for the ultimate prize. The 2016 Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship has come down to the wire as the pair of nine-time grand prix winners are separated by 12 points leading into 55 laps for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Setting the grid for the season finale event for the 2016 Formula 1 tour, qualifying produced results that surprised few spectators who have followed the auto racing through the year. Mercedes AMG once-again owned the front row after Q3 was completed. This was the 14th time the feat of an all Silver Arrows front row was accomplished in 2016 and also saw one driver claim the team's 20th pole position for the season. Prevailing for the top spot, Lewis Hamilton was able to guide his hybrid-powered Mercedes-Benz powered #44 car around the 5.554-mile Yas Marina Circuit with a 1-minute, 38.755-second lap. Hamilton's fastest time displaced his teammate Nico Rosberg from the pole position the German driver won the two previous years in Abu Dbahi. On a mission to come from behind to take his third-straight championship, the British driver dominated all three sessions of qualifying and clicked-off a final lap 0.303 seconds quicker than Rosberg.

Nico Rosberg has seen his late season points lead chiseled down by 21 points in the past three events. Hamilton has won the previous three grand prix races leading to a more tenuous hold on the championship lead for Rosberg. However, if Lewis Hamilton wins for a fourth consecutive occasion to close out the season, Nico Rosberg needs only to finish in third place on Sunday to capture the 2016 drivers' title in Formula 1.

Emerging as the only team that could so-far muster victories against the constructors' championship-winning Mercedes AMG juggernaut in 2016, Red Bull Racing has grabbed the best result among other organizations in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying. Malaysian Grand Prix victor Daniel Ricciardo starts third on Sunday after setting a fastest time that trails Nico Rosberg's car by more than half a second. Although the second Red Bull-Tag Heuer machine seemed poised to join Ricciardo on the second row for the main event, Max Verstappen slipped into turn 11 concluding with a sixth place starting position. Slotted between the Red Bull Racing duo is the two Scuderia Ferrari vehicles. Kimi Raikkonen found just a tick more speed in qualifying to claim the fourth spot ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The fourth row of the Formula 1 finale is completely occupied by the Force India team that showed flashes of brilliance throughout 2016 but is still chasing a first race win as an organization. Nico Hulkenberg will start his final race with the Force India team in 6th place ahead of Sergio Perez.

While several competitors are bracing for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race to be their final effort with their 2016 team, the final race of the 2016 Formula 1 season will prove to be an emotional time for at least one driver. Ending a career stemming 14 competitive grand prix seasons (15 years if including his test driver role with the Ferrari team in 2003), Felipe Massa will launch from 10th place on the grid at the Yas Marina Circuit. Massa's Williams-Mercedes is joined on the grid row by past Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso who is starting 9th in his McLaren-Honda.

The start for the final Formula 1 race of 2016 is set for 5:00 PM local time in Abu Dhabi (8 AM for viewers in the eastern time zone.

2016 Formula 1
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
3 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG Heuer
4 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
5 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
6 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG Heuer
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
8 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
9 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
10 19 Felipe Massa Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
11 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
12 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
13 9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Ferrari
14 8 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Ferrari
15 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault Renault
16 28 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Mercedes-Benz
17 26 Daniil Kvyat Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
18 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault Renault
19 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
20 31 Esteban Ocon Manor Mercedes-Benz
21 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
22 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari

Hamilton Reached For The Stars In US Grand Prix Qualifying

Photo Credit: Daimler AG Mercedes Benz

One year ago, Lewis Hamilton put the cap on a remarkable 2015 Formula 1 season by clinching his third world championship at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas with victory in the race. It was after the 2015 United States Grand Prix when circumstances emerged that would preview a different 2016 for the reigning champion.

As Hamilton settled into his title-winning rhythm in the late part of last season, the other Mercedes AMG driver Nico Rosberg had broken into a late-season rush by winning the final three races. A driver who was perhaps underestimated and sometimes discounted compared to his proven teammate, Rosberg carried his new-found momentum after the United States Grand Prix into the early races of 2016. Now, as Formula 1 returns for the 2016 event at the Circuit of the Americas, it is the German driver who holds an advantage on Hamilton. However, with four races remaining and a 33-point lead for Rosberg, the twisty 20-turn, 5.516-kilometer track in Texas provides a showdown in the twilight of a season.

With pole position at stake on Saturday afternoon, the fight for the qualifying supremacy in the United States Grand Prix became the latest show of equality between the title contenders Mercedes AMG drivers jostled for the top spot throughout qualifying. Lewis Hamilton posted the top time in Q1 while Nico Rosberg was faster in a Q2 session where Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo was the ultimate quickest. Hamilton's late lap in Q3 at a time of 1-minute, 34.999 seconds was the edge the Brit needed for his first pole at the Circuit of the Americas 0.216 seconds faster than teammate Rosberg. Despite coming short in qualifying at track, Sunday's main event has been highly fortune for Hamilton who won on three of the four races held on the circuit.

As Mercedes AMG race cars achieved a front row lockout for the 11th grand prix in 2016, Red Bull Racing again appeared highly visible as the second-best team on the current Formula 1 grid for the 2016 United States Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo outran fellow Red Bull-TAG Heuer racer Max Verstappen. Ricciardo will be the highest driver at the start of Sunday's race to start on Pirelli's Supersoft compound tires. The pattern of teams dominating grid rows continued with the Scuderia Ferrari team. Kimi Raikkonen is placed in the 5th place spot beside 6th place Sebastian Vettel.

Photo Credit: Foto Studio Columbo Per Pirelli Media

Announcing new plans for the 2017 season earlier this month involving a switch to the Renault team, German driver Nico Hulkenberg posted the seventh fastest time in qualifying in association with his current Force India outfit. Williams Martini Racing's Valtteri Bottas joins Hulkenberg on the fourth row while teammate Felipe Massa will starting one spot behind in ninth. Carlos Sainz Jr driving a Toro Rosso-Ferrari is the final driver settled into the top-10 for the United States Grand Prix.

No grid place penalties for mechanical changes or dispensary reasons means all 22 Formula 1 drivers will start in their qualifying positions. The 2016 United States Grand Prix is slated for a 2 PM local starting time (3 PM in the eastern time zone).

2016 Formula 1
United States Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
3 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG Heuer
4 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG Heuer
5 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
6 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
8 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
9 19 Felipe Massa Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
10 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
11 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
12 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
13 26 Daniil Kvyat Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
14 9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Ferrari
15 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault Renault
16 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
17 8 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Ferrari
18 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault Renault
19 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
20 28 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Mercedes-Benz
21 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
22 31 Esteban Ocon Manor Mercedes-Benz

Record Pole Run for Hamilton Marks Eventful British Homecoming

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

The British Grand Prix is among one of the original mainstays on the Formula 1 calendar since its inception in 1950. The previous Second World War airfield in Silverstone was first competed upon for a grand prix race in 1948 for which the circuit has undergone a series of redesigns. The current track for Formula 1 competition is a 5.891-kilometer, 18-turn configuration.

A classic event for the motor racing tour, the British Grand Prix's place as the 10th round in the 2016 Formula 1 series allowed it to immediate follow a surrealistic Austrian Grand Prix. Winning the race in a wild and controversial battle with teammate Nico Rosberg, Brit Lewis Hamilton arrives with the support of a friendly home crowd at Silverstone. In qualifying, Hamilton was intent to claim his fourth pole for the British Grand Prix.

Backed by a speedy Mercedes AMG race car, Lewis Hamilton almost foiled his own pole in the session. Sitting a top time early in the Q3 session, Hamilton's initial effort was celebrated by his home country crowd before the audience and driver were confronted with a sense of loss. Stewards judged Lewis Hamilton had fallen out of the racing boundaries on the Silverstone track section out of turn 9. Prior to qualifying, drivers were informed track limits would be enforced under a situation of zero-tolerance in certain areas of the Silverstone Circuit. Hamilton's pole time was disallowed leaving the reigning world champion in a late scramble to propel his Mercedes AMG back to the optimum position for the start of Sunday's British Grand Prix. Within the late stage of qualifying, Hamilton triumphantly reclaimed the pole position with a lap record of 1-minute, 29.287 seconds. Lewis Hamilton is looking for his third consecutive British Grand Prix victory on Sunday.

Starting on the front row of the British Grand Prix is 2013 race winner Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes AMG 0.319 seconds slower than the pole sitting time. Contending for the all-important World Drivers' Championship, this season has put both drivers in the deepest direct conflict in their fourth year as teammates. Less than a week after the Austrian Grand Prix's last lap scuffle and an acrimonious exchange of words in post-race, Hamilton and Rosberg appears to be playing nice so far this weekend at Silverstone.  

A Red Bull Tag Heuer race car will be positioned right behind each front row starting Mercedes AMG. Occupying the second row, Max Verstappen emerged from qualifying faster than teammate Daniel Ricciardo. In the short history of Red Bull Racing current driver lineup, the British Grand Prix will be the first time Verstappen will start ahead of Ricciardo in a grand prix event.

Behind the Red Bull Racing owned second row, Scuderia Ferrari accounted collectively as the third-fastest time in qualifying. Possessing two former winners of the British Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen will start fifth in the first race since the announcement the Finnish driver will be returning to Ferrari next season. Raikkonen claimed an advantage of 6/10ths of a second over his teammate Sebastian Vettel. Vettel qualified 6th for the British Grand Prix but will have to start in 11th place following a gearbox change made to his Ferrari.

Ferrari S.p.A.

Promoted to sixth place on the starting grid, Williams Martini Racing driver Valtteri Bottas posted a runner-up finish in the 2014 event at Silverstone. Carlos Sainz Jr. is positioned in seventh spot alongside Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg. With the British Grand Prix track known for fast cornering, more encouraging signs are revealed by the Honda engine for 2016. Fernando Alonso splits Force India teammates Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez with his McLaren Honda race car in ninth place.

A race for 52 laps on the Silverstone Circuit, the British Grand Prix is set for 1 PM local time (8 AM eastern time).

2016 Formula 1
British Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
3 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG Heuer
4 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG Heuer
5 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
6 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
7 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
8 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
9 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
10 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
11 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
12 19 Felipe Massa Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
13 8 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Ferrari
14 9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Ferrari
15 26 Daniil Kvyat Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
16 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault Renault
17 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
18 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault Renault
19 98 Rio Haryanto Manor Mercedes-Benz
20 28 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Mercedes-Benz
21 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
22 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari

Rosberg Rolls to Russian Grand Prix Pole Position

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Moving from the latter half of the Formula 1 schedule to the fourth event on the race calender for 2016, the 5.853-kilometer circuit hosting the Russian Grand Prix during a budding 21-race season. The first pair of Formula 1 races held at the Sochi Autodrom, the Silver Arrows have struck a bullseye when it comes to finding victory. Lewis Hamilton took the Mercedes AMG team to the inaugural 2014 event and the race last year. Qualifying has also been an all-Mercedes AMG affair with Hamilton claiming the 2014 pole and Nico Rosberg claiming the top spot for 2015.

In qualifying for the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows duel again showed supremacy. Posting a track record-setting 1-minute, 35.417-second lap time, Nico Rosberg continued to demonstrate strong early season form that was first formulated late last year. The lap result on his first timed lap in Q3 was more than enough to resist competitors as well as a wheel lock-up on his second lap that resulted in an aborted run. Rosberg will start on pole in an attempt to maintain a perfect win record for 2016. The last driver to win the first four races at the start of a Formula 1 season was accomplished by Michael Schumacher in 2004 on route to his seventh and final World Drivers' Championship.

For the second race in a row, the outing was not a complete success for Mercedes AMG. Once again, defending World Driving Champion Lewis Hamilton has had a time trial cut short due to a power unit problem with his race car. However, compared to the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying, the damage was minimized as the issue only affected the Q3 session,. Second fastest in Q2, the Mercedes AMG of Lewis Hamilton was unable to set a time in the final timed grouping but will start 10th.

While Sebastian Vettel was able to post the second fastest time in Q3 (a time 0.706-second slower than Nico Rosberg), the German will be regulated to 7th place for the Sunday main event due to a gearbox change on Friday. Despite the transmission issue, Vettel and Ferrari appear to be showing some optimism in the early part of the 2016 season. The second Scuderia Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen will start in third place following the demotion of his teammate.

Photo Credit: Ferrari S.p.A.

The Sochi track has also proven to be a breath of fresh air for the Williams Martini Racing team. The Mercedes-Benz engine powered race cars driven by Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas have not been able to build on the team's 2014 effort. In fourth-place in the constructors' standings so far this season with 29 points, both Williams Martini Racing drivers will start close to the front Sunday. Bottas acquires the front row starting spot alongside Nico Rosberg while Massa is positioned directly behind his teammate in 4th place.

Daniel Ricciardo leads the Red Bull Racing squad with a 5th place starting spot. Daniil Kvyat in the second Red Bull-Tag Heuer machine will launch from 8th place tomorrow. Racing in his home country, the crowd gave a big cheer when the Russian Kvyat succeeded in a late charge to participate in the Q3 run.

The 53-lap Russian Grand Prix is set for 3:00 pm local time (8:00 am in the Eastern time zone). With a weather forecast calling for a dry, sunny and springtime warm Sunday event, Pirelli is anticipating the use of a single pit stop strategy.

2016 Formula 1
Russian Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Pos # Car # Driver Team Engine

1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
2 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
3 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
4 19 Felipe Massa Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
5 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG Heuer
6 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
7 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
8 26 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull TAG Heuer
9 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz
11 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
12 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
13 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
14 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
15 8 Romain Grosjean Haas F1 Team Ferrari
16 9 Esteban Gutierrez Haas F1 Team Ferrari
17 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault Renault
18 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault Renault
19 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
20 28 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Mercedes-Benz
21 98 Rio Haryanto Manor Mercedes-Benz
22 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari

Rosberg Re-Establishes Mercedes Pole-Winning Ways in Japan

Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

The last race in Singapore proved to be the biggest defeat of Mercedes AMG in the last two seasons. Not only was the German factory team defeated in the main event, their long running pole and front-row starting streak was ended by the efforts of Ferrari and lead driver Sebastian Vettel. One week later, the team supporting championship-contending pilots Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg set sights on the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix's Suzuka Circuit in order to reclaim their glory.

For the first time returning to the same track where last year Jules Bianchi suffered his eventually fatal accident in the rain, some competitors appeared apprehensive taking to a wet track on Friday. Since the forecast called for a dry qualifying for Saturday, teams like Mercedes AMG chose to limit their track activity on the first day at Suzuka. In the third and final practice on Saturday ahead of time trials, Nico Rosberg claimed a near 3/10ths of a second advantage over teammate Hamilton. With Mercedes AMG once again positioned with superior pace, the team prepared alongside nine other Formula 1 teams for Japanese Grand Prix qualifying.

Throughout all three sessions, the Mercedes AMG duo fought for the top spot. At the end, it was Nico Rosberg claiming the pole for the Japanese Grand Prix. Clocked setting a 1-minute, 32.584-second lap time around the 5.807-kilometer track, the pole-winning result by the German was just 0.076 seconds faster than teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg's top time was cemented before time officially ran out in Q3.

A frightening high-speed crash involving the Red Bull-Renault race car, driven by Russian pilot Daniil Kyvat, occurring in the last moment of the final qualifying group placed a yellow flag out on the course. The caution flag effectively defeated any possibility of Hamilton being able to set a faster time then Rosberg's. Putting a wheel off onto the grass, the Kvyat's car shot violently against a safety barrier and promptly flipped sideways as wheels dug into the sand of the run-off area. Landing upright, the driver inside the mangled Red Bull-Renault faired well considering his wild ride. While Daniil Kvyat was thankfully unhurt in the massive impact, the Russian driver will have to start the Japanese Grand Prix from pit road due to the extensive damage of his primary race car.

With factory-backed Mercedes-Benz powered vehicle occupying the front row, Valtteri Bottas mounted the charge that placed his Williams-Mercedes in third in Japan. Singapore winner Sebastian Vettel will start fourth in his Ferrari alongside the Williams of Bottas. In the third row, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen will start immediately behind their teammates.

Scheduled to start at 3 P.M. local time, the 53-lap 2015 Japanese Grand Prix will be seen at 1 A.M. in the eastern time zone.

2015 Formula 1
Japanese 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 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Mercedes-Benz
4 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari
5 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes-Benz
6 7 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari
7 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Renault
8 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus Mercedes-Benz
9 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes-Benz
10 55 Carlos Sainz Jr Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
11 13 Pastor Maldonado Lotus Mercedes-Benz
12 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda
13 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes-Benz
14 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda
15 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari
16 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari
17 33 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault
18 28 Will Stevens Manor Marussia Ferrari
19 53 Alexander Rossi Manor Marussia Ferrari
20 26 Daniil Kvyat 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