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meaningofmotorsport · 3 years

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Bahrain Grand Prix Preview

With a new season about to get underway, who is looking good, and who is facing a tough start to the year?

The reigning champions must still come into this year as the favourites, given the level that the team is operating at, however it could be their biggest challenge yet. The changes to the aero regulations have clearly hindered the team, and could mean it will take them some time to get on top of it. In practice today, the car seemed to be an improvement on what we saw at testing, and clearly will be one of the fastest on the grid, it is just the skittish nature of the car, which could put them behind Red Bull. Both drivers seem to be struggling in places, with Hamilton have many oversteer moments, whilst Bottas had a terrible long run. I expect Lewis will get on top of this, given his calibre of driving, and will surely be a real thorn in Red Bull’s side.

Red Bull come into this weekend, with most of the paddock looking at them to be quick here off the bat. They seemed to have swapped places with Mercedes, who normally have their car stuck to the track, whereas Red Bull in the past have been the ones fighting the car to get the lap time, but now that RB16B is just so hooked up. Being fastest today, continues to back this up, although it is only Sunday that matters, and we saw in testing that they were better on short runs, rather than race simulations, so who knows what the race could bring. Perez is already fitting in rather well to the Austrian outfit, I don’t think he will be near Max straight away, however when we get to the European races, he could really be a force to be reckoned with, especially on a Sunday.

The midfield battle could be as good as ever this year, with teams like Alpha Tauri and Ferrari looking better than last year, however McLaren may be able to strengthen their position as third best team. The upward trajectory is clear for the team, who are filled with confidence, and with a race winning driver joining, it could only get better. New innovations on the car may help their progression, although I doubt they can get near the top two yet, it will be them more looking over their shoulder, at the charging pack behind. I wonder how the teammates will get on, as when podiums are on the line, we could see a different side to the two funniest guys on the grid.

After finishing seventh last year, where on the whole Alpha Tauri were at the back of the midfield fight, apart from some unbelievable performances, we did not expect the vast improvements we have seen in 2021. Through their use of the token system, they have been able to really improve on the car, and could honestly be the biggest threat to McLaren. Testing and practice has shown this, with the car, much like the Red Bull, doing better on one lap pace than race runs. Add into this, two young fast drivers, who could be true stars of the future, and it could be a truly potent combination.

Alpine and Aston Martin go into this year, with no one really knowing where they are sitting in the pecking order. Aston Martin have been plagued with issues, especially in testing, however underneath they should have carried over the third fastest car from last year, so expectations are high there, as to what Vettel can do in that car. Alpine meanwhile, have just been quiet, no real issues to speak of, just doing their own thing, and we hope no glory runs on low fuel, as if they have done qualifying simulations, it does not bode well for them. I feel that they will be in that fight, yet it won’t be as good as the team and fans will hope.

Ferrari will be looking for progress after what was a dismal 2020 season, where the engine really hampered their season. It does look so far as if this could be the case, with some good times coming from their cars both in testing and practice. It will also be of interest, to see how the teammates stack up against each other, as both are proven top level drivers. That being said, Leclerc is expected to be the team leader, at least internally.

The expectations was for Alfa Romeo to still be languishing back with Haas and Williams, although perhaps able to keep those two teams at bay. That being said, the suggestions from testing and practice, is that they could be closer to the pack, and possibly even ahead of teams like Alpine or Aston Martin if they struggle. However this may just be glory runs, as this sort of gain would be quite something to see. Most likely, eighth place will be where they end up, just perhaps more comfortably than first expected.

The battle between Williams and Haas for ninth place, will likely go to Williams, they have more experienced drivers, a better engine, and are still evolving their 2021 car, whereas Haas are focusing on the new regulations for next year. Williams idea to only focus on a couple of tracks, to try and achieve some points, could prove to be inspired or a disaster, it just depends on how those races go for other teams. The two rookies at Haas should just use this year to learn how an F1 car drives, and try to get as much out of themselves as they can, to be ready for the new car next year.

Despite my gut telling me that Mercedes will turn up when it matters, I am going to go with the hype, and predict that Verstappen will win, with Hamilton second and Bottas third. I have no clue as to who will come out on top, once the race has finished on Sunday, all I know is that this year has the potential to be one of the best for a long time!

-M

#f1 #bahraingrandprix #f12021 #f1isback

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zeroviraluniverse-blog · 6 years

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F1 2018 preview - Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Force India, Williams

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/f1-2018-preview-mercedes-ferrari-red-bull-force-india-williams/

F1 2018 preview - Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Force India, Williams

The second part of ESPN’s team-by-team preview for the 2018 Formula One season looks at the top five from last year’s championship standings, including the three teams most likely to fight for the title.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are favourites for more championship glory in 2018. Octane/Action Plus via Getty Images

Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas Engine: Mercedes 2017 points: 668 Fastest lap in testing: 1:18.400 (seventh fastest) Title odds: 1/2

Following two weeks of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, ESPN analyses the battle at the front between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

The reigning world champions appear to be the team to beat again in 2018. Pre-season gave little reason to expect otherwise and nor do the preceding four years of the V6 turbo era. Mercedes’ championship last season was perhaps the most impressive as it came despite a sweeping overhaul of Formula One’s regulations, highlighting why this is one of the sport’s all-time great dynasties.

Spearheaded by Lewis Hamilton, who at times last year appeared to be operating at the peak of his talent, the German manufacturer will be a formidable opponent for anyone close enough to challenge. Hamilton is likely to secure a contract extension in the early part of the year and goes into the season as the odds-on favourite for a fifth world championship.

But 2017 proved Mercedes is not unbeatable. Despite a strong second half of the season, Ferrari’s implosion in the final rounds basically handed Mercedes the championship when the fight looked to be going to the wire. The W08 car the team labelled “a diva” was tricky to understand and struggled to find the same performance gains on Pirelli’s softer tyres as Ferrari and Red Bull did. With Pirelli introducing altered compounds for the 2018 and pre-season suggesting the W09 is little better on the softer tyres, Mercedes has a lot of work to do to ensure its latest car stays at the front end of the grid.

Ferrari

Ferrari will need to match its rivals’ strong development in 2018 to claim a title. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Drivers: Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen Engine: Ferrari 2017 points: 522 Fastest lap in testing: 1:17.182 (fastest) Title odds: 10/3

Ferrari used last year’s overhaul of aerodynamic regulations to mount a serious championship challenge, only to see its season fall apart late on after a series of engine failures. Having proved it has not forgotten how to build a title contender, the Italian team seemed quietly confident coming into the new campaign. Pre-season gave mixed messages about the order at the front but Ferrari is clearly going to start the year in the mix. Sustaining an aggressive and successful rate of development throughout the season — all while avoiding the failures of 2017 — will be key to its success this time around.

Sebastian Vettel drove as well at certain points last year than he ever did during his dominant spell at Red Bull. The German driver clearly relished being back in title contention and there’s little reason to think he will not be operating at a similar level in 2018. However, by keeping Kimi Raikkonen despite his frustrating inconsistency, Ferrari appears content not to win the constructors’ championship — Mercedes and Red Bull both have a more rounded driver line-up to take that accolade. Despite occasional flashes of the old Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion was very rarely on the same level as Vettel. A repeat of that this season could be damaging to Vettel’s title ambitions if Red Bull is also in the hunt for big hauls of points throughout the year.

Red Bull

Red Bull is in the best shape its been in since the start of the V6 turbo era. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Drivers: Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen Engine: Renault (Branded as TAG Heuer) 2017 points: 368 Fastest lap in testing: 1:18.047 (third fastest) Title odds: 10/3

Red Bull could finally be back in title contention if the team is as close to Mercedes as pre-season suggested. Despite never having a package capable of winning the championship since F1 swapped V8 engines with the current V6s turbos, it has continually shown its aerodynamic prowess by finishing each season since with an aggressive upwards development curve. The problem has always been the gap to overhaul has simply been too big.

Analysing Red Bull’s gap to the front at the Australian Grand Prix will give some idea about how the rest of the season will play out and how likely the team is to be in the mix. If its tight at the top in Melbourne, it will very much be game on for 2018.

If the package is good, we also know its driver line-up is up to the challenge. In Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull likely has the best and most competitive pairing on the grid. This will also provide a fascinating narrative if Red Bull is in the title hunt — the two ultra-competitive drivers have so far enjoyed a good relationship, barring a brief spat after colliding in Hungary last year. Given the nature of F1 that harmony is unlikely to continue if both Red Bull drivers feel they can win a maiden championship this season. Managing that, and ensuring it does not derail a championship bid, will be just as important to Red Bull’s chances of winning as its car development plans.

Force India

The Force India didn’t shine during testing but the team is looking to bring a big upgrade to Melbourne. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Drivers: Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon Engine: Mercedes 2017 points: 187 Fastest lap in testing: 1:18.967 (eighth fastest) Title odds: 300/1

Formula One’s serial overachievers face a big task in 2018. The team which has made out-performing its limited budget a habit in recent seasons had an underwhelming pre-season where it appeared to be lacking performance. Last year it was consistently best of the rest by some margin ahead of a packed midfield battle, but that cluster of teams is likely to make a step forward this year.

Renault and McLaren, both equipped with an improving engine and big budgets, are likely to close the gap to the top three. Force India faces a big task in competing with both over a 21-race season but if any of the grid’s smaller outfits can do it, the one emblazoned with a striking pink livery seems the most likely. Force India’s supply of Mercedes engines means it has a good baseline if it can get everything right with its car, and we know it is a team which relishes the sort of challenge ahead this year.

Rumours still exist about a name change ahead of the season, one which the team hopes will open it up to new and improved sponsorship opportunities in future, but that is unlikely to cause too much distraction to one of F1’s most efficient race operations.

Williams

Williams has a lot of work to do in 2018 to understand its radical new aero concept. JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images

Drivers: Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin Engine: Mercedes 2017 points: 83 Fastest lap in testing: 1:19.189 (tenth fastest) Title odds: 500/1

By contrast to Force India, Williams has struggled over the last two years to improve a car during the season. A radical new aerodynamic concept was unveiled this year, spearheaded by Paddy Lowe and Dirk de Beer, and that rarely leads to an immediate upswing in performance. During testing, Lowe admitted the team is still a long way from understanding the true potential of the revamped FW41. With development likely to be what defines Williams’ season, attention naturally turns to the two men chosen to pilot this year’s car.

Ever since the launch, deputy team boss Claire Williams has been defiant about her team’s selection of the grid’s most inexperienced driver line-up, F1 sophomore Lance Stroll and rookie Sergey Sirotkin. The team has taken a huge gamble by investing in youth for its race squad and its ability to learn about and develop the FW41 will rest largely on their shoulders. Robert Kubica is a popular addition to the team as reserve driver but his knowledge of Pirelli’s notoriously tricky tyres is also limited after seven years out of Formula One, though his input is likely to be invaluable as the season progresses.

If Williams struggles early in the year, questions about the decisions made in the months leading in to the season are likely to be rife. Given how tight the midfield is expected to be at the start of the season, Williams cannot afford to have made a fundamental error in judgement.

#2018 #bull #F1 #Ferrari #Force #India #Mercedes #preview #Red #Williams #Formula One

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othersportsnews-blog · 7 years

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British Grand Prix - Entire coverage

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/british-grand-prix-entire-coverage/

British Grand Prix - Entire coverage

one:fifty nine PM ET

ESPN Team

ESPN rounds up all the coverage from the British Grand Prix, the tenth spherical of the 2017 Formulation A person year. The race takes position with the circuit’s future in doubt, subsequent the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s final decision to cause a crack clause in its deal which means it can walk away from its present-day offer in 2019.

Dwell commentary – click on here

Circuit map and stats – click on here

The weekend will also see the first exams of the Shield device, as nicely as the continuing championship struggle concerning Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

Fast back links: –Friday apply –Develop-up –Preview –Video

David Davies/PA Photos by using Getty Photos

FP2 Report: Bottas proceeds Mercedes dominance Valtteri Bottas continued his and Mercedes’ potent start to the British Grand Prix by edging teammate Lewis Hamilton to the quickest time of Friday’s next apply session.

Who mentioned what after Friday apply for the British Grand Prix ESPN rounds up all the response from up and down the Silverstone paddock subsequent Friday apply for the 2017 British Grand Prix

Vettel slash Shield check short after sensation dizzy Testing of the FIA’s most recent head safety device bought off to a terrible start at Silverstone after Sebastian Vettel claimed distorted eyesight and dizziness while testing the Shield throughout first apply for the British Grand Prix.

FP1 report: Bottas beats Hamilton Valtteri Bottas was the quickest driver in the opening apply session after placing a new lap history at the Silverstone circuit on Friday morning.

Vettel offers Shield its first on-observe outing Sebastian Vettel has offered the Shield cockpit safety device its first lap of a Formulation A person observe in opening apply for the British Grand Prix.

Ricciardo: We can get Ferrari in qualifying Daniel Ricciardo is self-assured of beating Ferrari at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but admits Mercedes is out of arrive at after Friday apply.

Massa perplexed by Max Verstappen’s driving in FP2 Felipe Massa states he was educated Max Verstappen was on an outlap when the pair went wheel-to-wheel throughout next apply for this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

‘No evident roadblocks’ avoiding Kubica return – Renault Renault manager Cyril Abiteboul states Robert Kubica’s efficiency at his next check of a Formulation A person car or truck continued to bolster his situation for a return, though he will not rush into putting the Pole into the team’s 2017 car or truck.

Silverstone talks experienced stalled right before Liberty takeover British Racing Drivers’ Affiliation (BRDC) president Derek Warwick states it is completely wrong to blame Liberty Media for Silverstone’s present-day stand-off with Formulation A person as negotiations also came to a “lifeless conclusion” in the Bernie Ecclestone era.

Hamilton launches emoji app to rival Fernando Alonso Lewis Hamilton has introduced his very own emoji app to allow his admirers to converse making use of animated pictures of his face.

Lewis Hamilton invites Billy Monger to British GP Billy Monger will attend this weekend’s Formulation A person British Grand Prix as a visitor of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

Martin Rickett/PA Photos by using Getty Photos

Hamilton defends no-exhibit at F1’s London demo Lewis Hamilton has discussed why he opted to fly to Greece for a getaway fairly than get portion in an F1 demonstration party on the streets of London on Wednesday.

Vettel downplays prospect of hostile Silverstone crowd Sebastian Vettel is anticipating a honest crowd at the British Grand Prix, the household race of title rival Lewis Hamilton, even with suggestions he could face a hostile backlash for the events of Baku.

Toro Rosso below investigation for unsafe car or truck Toro Rosso has been called in front of the stewards at the British Grand Prix after presenting Carlos Sainz’s car or truck for scrutineering in an unsafe condition.

Hamilton: Motorists not prepared for higher Silverstone speeds Lewis Hamilton thinks Formulation A person drivers are not ready for how rapidly the corners will be at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

F1 enters partnership with Snapchat Formulation A person has partnered with social media network Snapchat in purchase to share enthusiast-developed movies and images at a assortment of impending grands prix.

Vasseur determined to make clear Honda-Sauber confusion New Sauber group manager Frederic Vasseur states “the Honda issue” is the first issue he need to face in his new career, amid stories the team’s 2018 motor offer is currently in jeopardy.

Brawn: Future F1 motor need to avoid ‘soft middle ground’ Formulation One’s future motor system will retain hybrid technologies, but Ross Brawn has promised not to settle on a answer that finds a “comfortable middle floor” concerning what brands demand and what admirers want.

Ricciardo admits shoey may perhaps have operate its study course Daniel Ricciardo’s post race shoeys have turn out to be a single of the most expected moments of a Formulation one podium celebration but they may be about to occur to an conclusion.

Photograph by Mark Thompson/Getty Photos

Time for below-fireplace Silverstone to produce a typical ESPN previews the British Grand Prix and why the future of the race is facing much more uncertainty than at any time.

Glenn Dunbar/LAT/Sutton Photos

Can Bottas gain the drivers’ championship? ESPN’s Jennie Gow and Laurence Edmondson explore no matter if Bottas can obstacle Vettel and Hamilton for the championship.

F1 promises to maintain a British GP Sean Bratches, managing director of F1’s professional operations, states there are no designs to drop the British Grand Prix even with the ongoing difficulties with Silverstone.

Brawn and Button want to reignite fans’ really like of racing Ross Brawn and Jenson Button praise the influence of F1 London Dwell with serving to to recapture the fans’ really like of racing.

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junker-town · 7 years

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F1 2017 season preview: What to expect, driver changes, schedule, and how to watch in United States

The Formula 1 season is here. Will Ferrari compete with Mercedes? Will McLaren’s car stop catching fire? We walk you through what to expect.

The 2017 Formula 1 season is just about here, and once again many believe Mercedes will be the dominant team. Their power unit has been far and away the best in the sport for consecutive seasons, though last year they were pushed at times by Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

There have been major, sweeping changes around the sport — from several new changes in the driver lineup, to altered technical and sporting regulations, to a new ownership group for Formula 1 proper.

On top of all of that, last year’s winner of the Drivers’ Championship, Nico Rosberg, elected to retire and call it a career after narrowly defeating Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the honor. His retirement prompted a scramble by Mercedes to fill an empty seat.

An empty seat that was surely coveted. Mercedes knew early who it wanted, though, and managed to broker a deal that allowed it to poach Valtteri Bottas from Williams Martini Racing to fill the seat opposite Hamilton. Bottas is considered an up-and-comer in the sport, and he was to be the lead driver at Williams due to the retirement of long-time veteran Felipe Massa.

As part of the deal that allowed Bottas to go to Mercedes, Massa came right back out of retirement to regain his seat at Williams. Lance Stroll, the 2016 European Formula 3 champion, was already brought in to replace Massa, but now will race as his teammate for 2017.

Those are the changes for the top teams, with Ferrari and Red Bull led by drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen for the former, and Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen for the latter. Ferrari has impressed big-time in preseason testing, with many thinking they will have a steady lead over Red Bull and might be able to push Mercedes.

McLaren Honda is a much different story. McLaren has been a top team in years past, but last year opted to go with Honda engines and it went ... poorly. It secured Fernando Alonso from Ferrari and added veteran Jenson Button to field the most-seasoned team on the grid, but the car was simply bad and they were never competitive.

Now Button is retired and Alonso, while committed to McLaren, is still faced with the potential of racing for a terrible team. McLaren’s issues with its Honda engines have not improved this offseason, and though it brought on young up-and-comer Stoffel Vandoorne to pair with Alonso, things are looking bleak.

McLaren has suffered mechanical failure after mechanical failure in preseason testing, and things are not at all looking like they might improve. It was reported in recent weeks that McLaren has met with Mercedes to discuss potentially acquiring its engines for use in the future.

Formula 1 has a new rule this season that gives engine manufacturers an “obligation to supply” to other teams unable to reach satisfactory agreements prior to the start of the season. It’s unclear if this rule would apply to Mercedes and McLaren, however.

Alonso still thinks McLaren can be competitive this season, but it’s less likely it’ll be racing Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Williams, and more likely it’ll be mixing it up with the likes of Sauber, who in 2017 will use year-old Ferrari engines. It’s a similar situation that Toro Rosso was in last year, when it used 2015 Ferrari engines.

Fortunately, this year Toro Rosso will use Renault power units, after the TAG Heuer-branded Renaults in the Red Bulls performed better than expected last year. Toro Rosso could certainly be mixing it up with the top teams, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Dany Kvyat returning as drivers.

For Kvyat, he’s likely just looking to put the past behind him. He was demoted by Red Bull in favor of Verstappen last season, which means he was sent down to Toro Rosso. It seemed like Kvyat just could not catch a break a season ago, and many feel an offseason of stability would do him some good.

The American-owned Haas F1 Team will continue in its second year of operation. Haas managed to get a few points last season right off the bat. Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez were the drivers last season, but Haas made a move by signing Kevin Magnussen, formerly of Renault.

Gutierrez will not be part of the Formula 1 grid this season. Renault brought in Nico Hulkenberg to fill Magnussen’s spot. Hulkenberg thus vacated his spot with Force India, which was taken by Esteban Ocon, who left the now-defunct Manor Racing Team. Pascal Wehrlein, the other Manor driver, moved to Sauber, where he replaces Felipe Nasr.

Non-driver changes

There are various changes to the body requirements for the cars, which can be found in our big Formula 1 changes primer right here. The token system put in place to manage engine development — the one that most people believed was too complicated — has been done away with. Power units are now cheaper by a fair margin, and teams are now restricted to four power units per season, regardless of the number of Grands Prix.

In non-technical regulation changes, the grid penalty system has been revamped. Teams can no longer stockpile part changes and then unload them all in a single race, serving a massive grid penalty that did not transfer to the following race. Now teams will only be able to use one new component over their quota per race, with any additional components incurring further penalties.

Another regulation change alters the way races are started and resumed under extreme wet conditions. Previously, races would start under a safety car until they were deemed safe, at which point cars would begin racing as soon as the safety car went in, same as they would under a normal caution. Now, when the safety car pulls into the pit lane, the grid will line up for a standing start regardless of what lap they are on when the track is finally deemed safe.

The new ownership

Liberty Media purchased a minority stake in the sport in September 2016. Bernie Ecclestone, the longtime chief executive of Formula One Group, was ousted after 40 years in the role. The new ownership wants to adopt a business model similar to some of the major sports organizations in the United States, with teams being entitled to purchase a stake in the sport.

There has been a lot of restructuring behind the scenes, and actual changes to rules and regulations should be steadily coming in the next few years. The new ownership also has a goal of reducing overall cost to participate in the sport, something that has been a consistent issue for a long time.

Ecclestone has done a lot for the sport, more than perhaps anybody else in history, but over the last decade or so he has been repeatedly called out of touch and close-minded. It’s seemed for some time like a change was in order, and now that change has been made.

Full schedule of races

There will be 20 Grands Prix this year, with no German Grand Prix and the 2016 European Grand Prix being renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for its second year at the Baku City Circuit. The only other notable change saw the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix swapping places on the schedule.

Coverage of Formula 1 in the United States is carried by NBC and its networks. The races can air at odd times due to the international nature of the sport, with some beginning as early as 1 a.m. ET, though many wind up starting at or around 8 a.m.

Television coverage will be carried by NBCSN, NBC, and CNBC throughout the season. A live stream of all races will be available via NBC Sports Live regardless of which NBC channel the race airs on. Some of those races will require login credentials from a cable or satellite provider.

Below is a full look at the races, their TV channels, and time. All times Eastern.

Live timing and other tracking measures can be found at the official Formula 1 website.

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