#bahrain gp 2006

[spectralish]

bahrain gp 2006 (real)

[schumigrace]

truly one of a kind

[skitskatdacat63]

"Fernando Alonso enjoys some apple juice"

[iceman7raikkonen]

[gaiassecretsportsdiary]

Brocedes: What is it? Part 3

{Just a note that this will be a multi-part series 💛}

Read part 1 here & part 2 here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2006-2008

In 2006 Nico joins F1, signing with Williams & in 2007 Lewis joins F1 with McLaren. Which was a big season for Lewis because he nearly won his rookie season but he missed out by one point to Fernando Alonso but during his second season he won the championship again by one point.

2008 Australia is big for the both of them because Nico gets his first podium & Lewis wins the GP, which gave us the lovely clip below of the two of them celebrating each others wins.

2013

This is brocedes reunited!

Nico:

"every other day there are moments or things that pop up and I can smirk and think, 'that's exactly the same as it was 15 years ago' "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2014

At the Bahrain GP Nico & Lewis were fighting for the win & had a collision which sparked a "fight" which I put that way because it was a fake fight, it wasn't real, but they were having a "fight" in parc ferme after the race. But it turns out Nico won the race due to his advantage with an engine mode that gave him a power advantage, which would upset Lewis.

At the Spanish GP, this is now Lewis' fourth win in a row & he has the lead in the championship, Lewis & Nico were fighting till the last lap & Lewis gets across the finish line 0.6 seconds ahead of Nico, who had reportedly said he could have passed Lewis if there was another lap.

It was said Lewis used the same engine mode that Nico used at the Bahrain GP.

Monaco GP is peak pettiness. Nico & Lewis are both on an outlap, Nico is ahead or Lewis, Nico is on provisional pole & Lewis is not far behind. When out of nowhere Nico just stops his car. He claims he made a mistake but there was no crash, no lock up, nothing that could have marked a mistake, and no issues reported by the team with the car, Nico just rolls to a stop on a slip road. Which then causes yellow flags to be waved & therefore forcing Lewis to abort his lap that was in makings of a pole.

Stewards from this GP say that Nico's move was okay & not intentional, but Lewis on the other hand, was convinced that Nico's actions were completely intentional, even claiming that Mercedes had the data to prove it, but said proof was never revealed.

After this comes the interview where Lewis says to the world, that him & Nico are no longer friends.

Nico goes on to win this race, which also ends Lewis' four win streak & puts Nico in the lead for the championship.

[f1]

Alonso says Aston Martin would 'prefer dry conditions' despite topping the timesheets in rain-affected FP2 in Melbourne

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin continued to turn heads with their performance on the first day of running in Melbourne, as the Spaniard topped the timesheets in a rain-hampered second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix. Alonso had started the day by setting the fourth quickest time in the first practice session – 0.527s off the pace of Max Verstappen – but with a time of 1m 18.887s, the Spaniard set the fastest lap of FP2 right before the rain hit the Albert Park Circuit, to lead Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, in second, by 0.445s. FP2: Alonso fastest for Aston Martin before rain falls on Albert Park When asked to reflect on his first day of running Melbourne, Alonso replied: “It was good. I think in FP1, we concentrated on some test items that we wanted to tick the box [on] and then in FP2... it was just a 20-minute [dry] session only. “So, still some jobs to do tomorrow, especially on the tyres into the race, on long runs that we were obviously missing today. But so far, I think the car seems to behave well, so let’s see tomorrow.” This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences 2023 Australian GP FP2: Alonso runs wide in second practice on slippery Albert Park track Alonso has produced some strong performances in wet conditions in the recent past, most notably in qualifying for the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, when he took second for Alpine. However, the two-time world champion made it clear he was hoping for drier conditions over the weekend. READ MORE: Hamilton and Russell give verdict on where Mercedes can qualify after disrupted opening day in Melbourne “I think the forecast is dry, so I think ideally we will prefer dry conditions because we’ve only driven this car in dry conditions in Jeddah and in Bahrain,” said Alonso, the 2006 Australian Grand Prix winner. “A dry race will be welcome from our side, but I think we should be ready for all conditions.” On the other side of the Aston Martin garage, Alonso’s team mate Lance Stroll set the 10th fastest lap time of FP1, before finishing down in 16th in the second practice session, although the Canadian was still pleased with the performance of his AMR23. Stroll was happy with Aston Martin's performance on day one in Australia “It was a lot of fun,” said Stroll when asked how it felt driving at the Albert Park Circuit. “A great track to drive in. This morning we didn’t get the laps in but then I didn’t get a chance, not many people got the chance, to put the softs on with the rain. “So, one of those sessions, just limited with rain. But tomorrow doesn’t look like it’s going to rain, but you never know here in Melbourne. The car is feeling good, so looking forward to tomorrow.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[miezzekatze]

Bahrain 12th March 2006

[formuladone]

fernandoalo_oficial

Bahrain 🇧🇭. •🏆05

•🏆06

•🏆10

#triple #bahrain #sunday #race #mclaren #14 #f1

Via

[jivaracing]

With the Bahrain Grand Prix on later this week, let’s throw it back to the 2006 race.

It was the 2nd Bahrain victory in a row for Fernando, beating Schumacher with strategic masterclass from Renault.

[📹] Race Highlights 👉 https://streamable.com/i84wd [📄] Race Recap 👉 https://wp.me/p9y5Ky-wf [📷] FOM, DPI, Getty

[blackswaneuroparedux]

I don't make mistakes. I make prophecies which immediately turn out to be wrong.

- Murray Walker, BBC commentator and the ‘Voice of Formula One’

Murray Walker, otherwise known as the ‘Voice of F1’, was a BBC commentating legend from 1976 to 1996 before joining rivals ITV in 1997, where he stayed for a further five years.

Seldom can any frontrank outside-broadcast commentator have had a longer span at the microphone, or a voice more distinctively identifiable with their sport, than motor racing’s Murray Walker.

In British broadcasting lore John Arlott’s rural burr will always remain redolent of cricket’s roots in the village green, just as Dan Maskell’s creamy courtside whisper was homage to the leisured grace of the suburban tennis club, and Bill McLaren’s Borderer’s brogue forever implied the blazered probity of olde-tyme amateur “rugger”.

So, at grand prix time for bikes and cars, for more than half a century, the passionate yawp and yowl emanating from Walker’s commentary box was an almost onomatopeic accompaniment to the snarling beasts hurtling past at 200mph. It may have been high-octane noise, but the descriptions were also skilled and professionally accomplished.

On both radio and television, Walker’s florid “pants on fire” commentaries were heard across seven decades. The first grand prix he described live was for BBC “wireless” at Silverstone in 1949 (won by Baron Toulo de Graffenried’s Maserati 4CLT). His last live commentary of a grand prix was in 2007 for BBC radio, when he was 83.

In all, Walker covered more than 350 Formula One grands prix, more than 200 Isle of Man TT and senior Manx motorcycling events, and countless other categories from powerboat races to motocross and speedway. For well over half a century, if noisy motor sport was broadcast, you could pretty much guarantee that Walker’s decibels were attempting to drown it out in his valiant efforts to enhance the narrative and embellish the scene. But it was not without cost. Years of exposure to the din left him with hearing loss in both ears.

While his stimulating ebullience was appealing to (most) cognoscenti petrolheads, a wider audience fondly enjoyed the commentator’s accompanying torrent of tautologies and full-spate sophistries, his “Murrayisms”, as he called them. Most outside broadcasters are embarrassed by (or flatly deny) their reported heat-of-the-moment bloopers, but Walker happily revelled in, and nurtured his. “Far too often I’d operate mouth before engaging brain,” he would admit, “but the action in front of me was always happening at such a lick.”

The good ol’ trouper knew, too, that happily confessed horse’s-mouth recitation of these touching gaffes not only saved the bother of a freshly minted script each time, but also handsomely enhanced his fees on the lucrative after-dinner circuit.

You need to squawk for the full effect:

“This leading car is absolutely unique – except, of course, for the one immediately behind it, which is identical.”

“Mansell’s now totally in front of everyone in this race, except the two in front of him.”

Michael Schumacher on the Monaco GP grid: “There are seven winners of the Monaco Grand Prix on the grid today and four of them are Michael Schumacher.”

Nigel Mansell putting in a lap: “Nigel Mansell is slowing down now, he is taking it easy. Oh no he isn’t! It’s a new lap record!”

Pedro Diniz’s fire in Argentina: “There’s nothing wrong with the car except that it’s on fire.”

“How you can crash into a wall without it being there in the first place is beyond me!”

But what F1 fans remember best: “It’s go, go, go!”

Murray Walker was born in 1923 in Birmingham, England. Walker had a happy childhood and was proud of his roots. Walker was conscripted into the armed forces and passed out as an army officer from the Royal Military College in Sandhurst. Murray was commissioned in 1942 into the Royal Scots Greys, achieving the rank of captain. He helped make the push from Normandy to the Baltic. He would command a Sherman tank in the Battle of the Reichswald with the 4th Armoured Brigade before leaving the Army as a captain.

Upon demobilisation, went into advertising, a career which, on its own, might have made him worthy of note. Trying to find his place in the world, he studied shipping management before being employed as an accounts director by the Masius agency, where he was in charge of the Mars project which came up with the famous slogan ‘A Mars a day helps you work rest and play’.

Although he continued working in advertising, once again Walker broadened his horizons when, in 1948, he made his first public broadcast at Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb. A year later and he was commentating for BBC radio on the British F1 Grand Prix.

He established himself as the BBC’s chief motorcycling commentator before going into F1 full-time from 1978. However, even then Walker continued to dabble in other series, from the British Touring Car Championship to motocross and Macau.

It was his partnership with James Hunt at the BBC though which cemented Walker’s place in commentating history, as he brought the breathless passion and excitement which proved the perfect foil for Hunt’s dry wit and in-depth knowledge.

Walker remained with the BBC through to 1996 with Jonathan Palmer stepping up following Hunt’s death. But with F1’s television rights going to ITV in 1997, so too did Walker. This time it was former racer turned commentator Martin Brundle who brought the F1 know-how to Walker’s ‘Murrayisms’.

He retired from full-time commentating in 2001. After he ended his regular Formula One commentaries, Walker continued to appear on television for a number of years afterwards, mainly on magazine programmes but occasionally commentating on less high-profile motorsport events. Acknowledging the partial deafness he had developed over the years, in 2006 he became an ambassador for the David Ormerod Hearing Centres, and campaigned to help people understand the importance of frequent hearing tests.

On Saturday, March 13, 2021, the British Racing Drivers’ Club announced the sad passing of Murray Walker at the age of 97.

RIP Murray Walker.

F1 commemorate Murray Walker at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2021

[race-week]

The History of the Mercedes F1 Team

I was inspired by the videos Sky showed during testing of the histories of Aston Martin and Alpine during testing so I thought I would do Mercedes, as this team has one of the weirder histories in F1, bear in mind I have just used the results from the train from Tyrell down to the present-day Mercedes team - so the two championships the original Mercedes team have aren’t included

Constructors Championships: 9 

(1971, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

Drivers Championships: 11 

(1969, 1971, 1973, 2009,  2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) Jackie Stewart (3), Jenson Button (1), Lewis Hamilton (7), Nico Rosberg (1)

 Race victories: 148

Pole positions: 147

Fastest laps: 109

Tyrell Racing (1968 - 1998)

First entry: 1968 South African Grand Prix Races entered: 465 entries (463 starts) Constructors Championships: 1 (1971) Drivers Championships: 3 (1969, 1971, 1973) - Jackie Stewart Race victories: 33 Pole positions: 19 Fastest laps: 27 Final entry: 1998 Japanese Grand Prix

Eventually, in 1998 and in the face of dwindling form and ill health, Ken Tyrell sold his team to British American Tobacco, the team becoming British American Racing.

British American Racing and BAR Lucky Strike Honda (1999 - 2005)

First entry: 1999 Australian Grand Prix Races entered: 118 (117 starts) Engines: Supertec, Honda Constructors Championships: 0 (best finish; 2nd 2004) Drivers Championships: 0 Race victories: 0 Podiums:15 Points: 227 Pole positions: 2 Fastest laps: 0 Final entry: 2005 Chinese Grand Prix

At the end of 2005, Honda obtained 100% ownership of BAR from British American Tobacco, completing their ambition to become a full F1 manufacturer team. In addition, Jenson Button's Williams contract was bought out for US$30 million, and Button signed a multi-year contract with Honda.

Honda Racing F1 Team (2006 - 2008)

First entry: 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix Races entered: 43 Engines: Honda Constructors Championships: 0 Drivers Championships: 0 Race victories: 1 Podiums: 4 Points: 106 Pole positions: 1 Fastest laps: 0 Final entry: 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix

Honda suddenly exited the sport at the end of the 2008 season, unwilling to continue the Brackley-based team's $300 million budget and staff of 700 during the global economic crisis.

The team continued to work on the Honda RA109 for the 2009 season while Honda attempted to sell the racing team.

Ross Brawn bought the team for £1 in order to keep the team in the sport   

Brawn GP Formula One Team (2009)

First entry: 2009 Australian Grand Prix Races entered: 17 Engines: Mercedes Constructors Championships: 1 (2009) Drivers Championships: 1 (2009) - Jenson Button Race victories: 8 Podiums: 15 Points: 172 Pole positions: 5 Fastest laps: 4 Final entry: 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

On 16 November 2009 it was officially announced that Daimler AG in partnership with Aabar Investments had purchased a 75.1% stake in Brawn GP (Daimler AG: 45.1%; Aabar: 30%).

It was rumoured that the partnership paid £110m for the 75.1%. The team would be rebranded as Mercedes GP for 2010. The remaining 24.9% stake is Ross Brawn's in partnership with Nick Fry. The team used the Brawn GP base in Brackley for its operations and Brawn stayed on as team principal until the end of the 2013 season.

 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team (2010 - Present)

First entry: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix Last entry: 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Races entered: 227 Engines: Mercedes Constructors Championships: 7 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) Drivers Championships: 7 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) - Lewis Hamilton (6) Nico Rosberg (1) Race victories: 106 Podiums: 219 Points: 5685 Pole positions: 120 Fastest laps: 78

[ef-1]

literally like any era LOL i just wanna see stuff à la seb moving the 1 / 2 place board type "" drama "" , or like Canada 2011

Psssssttttttt let me know if you want my favourite quali laps ever I have a v good list I promise

My dads recommendations:

+ Brazil 2003 <- i agree, my dad made me watch this when when I was 12, this shit was so insane it looks scripted.

+ Brazil 2012

+ Canada 2011<- you already know that though.

+ Monaco 1982

+ Abu Dhabi 2012

+ He says try to watch any 2006 races because that was peak Schumacher vs Alonso

+ Spa 1988

My favourites (off the top of my head)

+ Baku 2017 - seriously. insanely good, everyone said fuck common sense. Overtake central.

+ Idk how new you are but Monza 2020 is chefs kiss.

+ Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. Hungary 2015. So many twists and turns you'll LOVE THIS.

+ *whispers* baku 2018, hurts like hell but max and daniel going at eachother for like 40 laps was so fucking good - until it wasn't.

+ BAHRAIN 2014. bro. Bro. BRO. I URGE YOU TO WATCH THIS. I watched this with my dad when I was 13. Its still ingrained in my memory. Not to sound like a twitter dudebro but we dont have racing like than anymore.

+ german gp 2019 🥲 painful but good racing

+ belgian gp 2014, radio pettiness the house down. And other stuff :) it'll leave you ¿¿¿

+ british gp 2019 intense battles between Valterri and Lewis + Verstappen and Sharl

[talksaboutracing]

Got a question about Michael Schumacher and who from the current grid raced against him, so lets see :)

The older drivers debuted in 2001, so we will only look at Michael’s career from that year.

It’s long, so I will put it under the cut...

in 2001-2006 only Kimi and Fernando raced against him (*Fernando debuted in 2001, but wasn’t on the grid in 2002 as he was a test driver for Renault then).

2001: Kimi started his career in (Red Bull) Sauber and managed to score 9 points in his debut year, while Fernando started in Minardi and finished with no points (imagine a team like Williams now). Kimi moved to F1 from Formula Renault and Fernando from Formula 3000. Michael was World Champion for Ferrari.

2002: Kimi replaced Mika Hakkinen in McLaren after he’s decided to retire. He finished the year on 6th place with 24 points. (As I’ve mentioned before, Fernando didn’t participate in 2002). Michael was World Champion for Ferrari.

2003: Fernando is back on the grid with Renault. He won the race for the first time in Hungary and finished the season on 6th place with 55 points. Kimi won his firth race as well in Malaysia, which was his only win that year, but managed to get 91 points and finished second in championship. Michael was World Champion for Ferrari with 93 points.

2004: Both Kimi and Fernando stayed with their previous year’s teams. Kimi scored another win, but with 8 retirements, he’s only managed 45 points and 7th place. Fernando didn’t win a race, but got to 4th place in championship with 59 points. Michael was World Champion for Ferrari with 148 points before his team mate Rubens Barrichello with 114 points. This was Michael’s 7th and final title.

2005: Both Kimi and Fernando stayed with their previous year’s teams. If you are a fan of Kimi and Fernando this is the year to watch :) Both won 7 races - Fernando in Malaysia, Bahrain, San Marino, Europe (Nurburgring), France, Germany and China, while Kimi won in Spain, Monaco, Canada, Hungary, Turkey, Belgium and Japan. Only three other drivers won that year, Juan Pablo Montoya three times, Giancarlo Fisichella once and Michael once. Fernando won the championship with 133 points and Kimi was the runner-up with 112 points. Michael in Ferrari came third that year.

2006: Both Kimi and Fernando stayed with their previous year’s teams. Fernando won 7 races again, while Kimi didn’t win any. Michael was the main challenger for Fernando with 7 wins as well. However, at the end Fernando won the championship (his second and final title) with 134 points and Michael in Ferrari was the runner-up with 121 points.

Michael officially retired after the 2006 season, so Lewis and Seb who debuted in 2007 didn’t get to race him, until later. Lewis debuted in McLaren and Seb started his career in Toro Rosso in the middle of the season when he replaced Scott Speed. Also in 2007, Fernando moved to McLaren while Kimi replaced Michael in Ferrari where he won his single World Championship. Lewis was the runner up that year with only one point behind Kimi. In 2008 Fernando went back to Renault, while the others stayed where they were previous year. Lewis won his first title by one point (Is that Glock?! If you know you know!). In 2009 Seb moved to Red Bull while the other three stayed where they were. The championship winner was Jenson Button with Sebastian being runner up. Kimi took sabbatical and moved to try on rally.

2010: Michael is back with Mercedes. Lewis stayed with McLaren, Sebastian with Red Bull, while Fernando moved to Ferrari. Sebastian become World Champion with 5 wins and 256 points. Fernando was runner up with 5 wins and 252 points. Lewis scored 3 wins and with 240 points he finished on 4th place. Michael only got 72 points and no wins.

2011: Two more current drivers are joining F1. Sergio is debuting with Sauber while Daniel replacing Narain Karthikeyan in HRT in the middle of the season (Narain later returned for one race and Daniel stayed which meant he replaced Tonio Liuzzi then and then Liuzzi returned so Daniel replaced Narain again - well, crazy). Lewis, Sebastian, Fernando and Michael stayed in the teams from previous season. Sebastian won his second championship with 392 point when with an exception of one retirement he didn’t score lower than 4th place once. Fernando finished 4th with one win and 257 points, Lewis 5th with three wins and 227 points, Michael was 8th with 76 points. Rookies Sergio and Daniel finished 16th / 14 points and 27th / 0 points respectively.

2012: Kimi returned to F1 with Lotus F1 team. Lewis, Sebastian, Fernando, Sergio and Michael stayed in the teams from previous season. Daniel moved to Toro Rosso. This season had 6 World champions on the grid - Sebastian, Fernando, Kimi, Lewis, Michael and Jenson Button. Five of them actually finished the season in Top 5 - Sebastian won his third championship with 281 point and 5 wins, second was Fernando with 278 points and 3 wins, third was Kimi with 207 points and one win, fourth was Lewis with 190 points and 4 wins and fifth was Jenson. Michael only managed the score 49 points and only one podium for 3rd place in Valencia (European GP) which placed him on 13th final place. Sergio also scored podium (3rd place) in Canada and finished the season on 10th place with 66 points and finally Daniel only managed 10 points and his final standing was 18th place.

After the disappointing season 2012 Michael retired for the second time and for real and he was replaced by Lewis in Mercedes.

[formula365]

The most interesting of uninteresting races - Sakhir GP preview

A couple of weeks ago, it felt that F1’s final triple header of 2020 was going to be a quiet affair. After Mercedes and Hamilton wrapped up their respective titles, it seemed that the main story for the 3 races in the Levant would be the battle for 3rd in the constructors’ championship. Yes, there were still races to be won, and some seats up for grabs, and the Perez-Albon axis would be a focal point for pundits, but it felt very much like the twilight of the season.

Well, F1 comes at you fast (literally), and even more so in 2020, it seems. On Sunday, Hamilton’s 11th win of the season was overshadowed by Grosjean’s massive crash and the ensuing conversation over safety and what went well and not so well. After the race, it felt like this topic and Grosjean’s recovery would be the main story of the week, but then, for the third time, a driver caught COVID, and this time, it was the champion-elect.

Lewis Hamilton tested negative three times during the race weekend, but started feeling symptoms on Monday morning, and had two positive results on that day. The announcement the following day sent the F1 world into a spin. It would be the first time since Brazil 2006 that an F1 grid would not include Hamilton, and, given his dominance throughout the season, any race without him suddenly becomes a much more open and intriguing affair.

But even more crucial than that was the question on everyone’s mind: with Hamilton ruled out of (at least) the Sakhir GP, who would step in for him at Mercedes?

The reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne was the most obvious choice. Already acquainted with the team and the car (at least via simulator), the Belgian was wrapping up preseason testing for the upcoming Formula E season and was already planned to fly to Bahrain anyway. But the Mercedes hierarchy had him as a number two choice, as this was a major opportunity for them to test the heir apparent to the team in their actual car.

It is no secret that Mercedes reached out to Williams to enquire about the availability of George Russell for 2021, before making the decision of giving Bottas another 1-year extension. The Grove-based team told them they did not wish to release him from his contract for next year, but there was no doubt that Russell was a strong candidate to take one of the Silver Arrows seats for 2022. And if Hamilton decides to continue into the new F1 era that will start in that season, then it is Bottas’ seat that will be, once again, in question.

This was, then, the perfect opportunity for Mercedes to evaluate their protege in an actual race environment, and have him go toe-to-toe with his main rival for that seat. I don’t think anyone in the team is expecting Russell to beat Bottas outright, but he won’t need to either. If he stays close to the Finn in the timesheets and impresses the team with work ethics and commitment, he will be taking a huge step towards securing that dream move.

Bottas, on the other hand, will be perfectly aware of this, which puts some additional pressure on him to perform. He cannot afford to be beaten by his one-weekend teammate; that would absolutely seal his fate for 2022. Ultimately, there might not be much that he can do to help his cause. Even if he does win the race and keeps Russell comfortably at bay, it will be the youngster’s performance that will be of more interest to the team. If Russell does well enough, there is nothing Bottas can do.

It is crazy that a race at the tail end of the 2020 season can have such deep ramifications into the 2022 season, but this has been a crazy year in more ways than one. This one-off race in a crazy layout of the Sakhir circuit will see two debutants and a stand-in for the champion-elect, while two drivers recover from health issues. There will be plenty of interest to see how all these permutations will affect the weekend, and what these out-of-place drivers can achieve. And, most importantly, we might even see the Mercedes 2022 line-up take shape.

Talking points

•  Another driver under pressure to perform this weekend will be Latifi, whose seat is not in danger but that will be left to look silly if he is beaten by his teammate. Also, the shuffle up front puts even more pressure on Albon, who will be expected to beat his good friend George, since he is much more accustomed to his car. As if he needed any more pressure on him.

•  Stoffel Vandoorne ended up being the big loser in the Mercedes decision. The Belgian driver just does not seem to get a lucky break with F1: after two years at a McLaren close to its lowest point, he doesn’t even get the chance to fulfil his role as reserve driver for the best team ever in the history of the sport. Perhaps it is best that he focuses his career elsewhere, as his FE car also seems to be capable of fighting for wins and getting into the title fight.

•  Wednesday morning saw most of the big announcements of the week in terms of driver swaps, but the best news of that day was Grosjean’s release from hospital. After that enormous scare, it was fantastic to see him walk out with a huge smile on his face, and hearing him say that he wanted to return for the Abu Dhabi GP, for what will be his F1 swan song. Absolutely nothing will beat seeing him back on the grid for that.

•  His vacated seat at Haas, as well as Russel’s vacated seat at Williams, will provide the opportunity to two drivers to have their debut in F1. Pietro Fittipaldi will stand in for the Frenchman at Haas; the Brazilian is the team’s reserve driver and spent the year in the garage with them, so will be well acquainted with the team members and their procedures. The same can be said for Jack Aitken, who will run for Williams. After an unlucky run with Campos in this F2 season, this will be a richly deserved reward.

•  Fittipaldi’s run with Haas will not represent an opportunity for him to stake a claim on one of their seats for next year, as the team announced their line-up, confirming the rumours that had been circulating for a few weeks. Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, respectively first and third in the F2 championship, will be driving in F1 for the American team. The return of the Schumacher name was expected and it will be great to see Mick test his talent at the highest level. He hasn’t blitzed the field this season, but rather has impressed with consistency and regularity, traits that bode well for a future champion.

Mazepin arrives with the tag of paid driver - which isn’t in itself incorrect, but is one that glues to the skin of the driver and is incredibly difficult to remove, regardless of results. The Russian has been slowly climbing the table in F2, having won 2 races. However, his general demeanour and attitude, on and off the track, leaves many question marks over this decision. His father brings significant backing to the team, but if he doesn’t clean his act the negative impact of his behaviour can be costly for Haas.

•  I am truly excited to see a completely different layout this weekend. The current calendar (2020 exceptions aside) features tracks with so many similarities, it is truly refreshing to see a short, ultra-quick layout, just to shake things up. Qualifying risks being quite the mess, and lapped cars will be a nuisance to the leaders, but I, for one, can’t wait to see them blast around Bahrain’s outer loop.

[iceman7raikkonen]

[crystalracing]

Quiz

1) What do Jenson Button & Mark Webber share in common?

a) Raced w/Honda engine

b) Never won home GP

c) 2+ poles at Barcelona

d) Won Italian GP

2) Which of these teams never achieved a podium at US GP between 2000-2007 when it was held at Indianapolis?

a) Jordan

b) Sauber

c) Williams 

d) Renault

3) What driver had been running third at 2006 Monaco GP before his hydraullcs failed with six laps remaining?

a) Kimi Raikkonen

b) Christian Klien

c) Mark Webber

d) Jarno Trulli

4) At 2007 Canadian GP, which driver was forced to pit for repairs after hitting a groundhog whilst running in 3rd place?

a) Anthony Davidson

b) Giancarlo Fisichella

c) Christian Klien

d) Mark Webber

5) Which driver was overtaken on the final lap by Michael Schumacher at both Malaysian GPs held in 2002 & 2003?

a) Jarno Trulli

b) Jenson Button

c) Jacques Villeneuve

d) David Coulthard

6) Which race did BAR (British American Racing) clinch their maiden podium?

a) 2000 Canada

b) 2001 Spain

c) 2004 Malaysia

d) 2004 Bahrain

7) How many races did a BMW-powered car win between 2000-2009?

a) 10

b) 8

c) 13

d) 11

8) In 2004, which unemployed driver was considered a possible mid-season replacement for Giorgio Pantano at Jordan before Timo Glock was chosen?

a) Jos Verstappen

b) Jacques Villeneuve

c) Anthony Davidson

d) Heinz-Harald Frentzen

9) What was Bjorn Wirdheim’s role during 2004 #F1 season?

a) Minardi race driver

b) Williams test driver

c) Jaguar third driver

d) Jaguar race driver

10) How many race wins did Vitantonio Liuzzi clinch in International Formula 3000 during 2004?

a) 4

b) 5

c) 7

d) 10

11) Except Ferrari & Minardi, which other team used an Italian national racing licence during 2000 #F1 season? BENETTON

a) PLEASE ANSWER  

b) BELOW IN COMMENTS

12) Which driver became the then-youngest ever driver to race in F1 when he debuted during 2009?

a) Sebastien Buemi

b) Kamui Kobayashi

c) Adrian Sutil

d) Jaime Alguersuari

13) Who was BMW Sauber’s team principal between 2006-2009 when the German manufacturer took over the Swiss team?

a) Gerhard Berger

b) Willy Rampf

c) Mario Theissen

d) Peter Sauber

14) Name at least 7 drivers who scored points on their Grand Prix debut between 2000-2009. Go!

Kimi Raikkonen, Mark Webber, Timo Glock, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastien Buemi

15) What do Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve share in common?

a) Both raced in Indycar

b) Best 2005 result: 4th

c) Both podiums at Italy

d) Won in France

16) What did Arrows and Spyker share in common?

a) Orange liveries

b) Both used A23 chassis

c) Monteiro raced for both

d) Scored points in Australia

17) Which of the drivers listed below competed in the fewest #F1 races between 2000-2009? (excluding Badoer, Winkelhock etc.)

a) Nicolas Kiesa

b) Tomas Enge

c) Robert Doornbos

d) Franck Montagny

18) Which national racing licence did Red Bull use during 2006 #F1?

a) Austrian

b) Thai

c) American

d) British

19) Which driver suffered the most number of retirements between 2000-2009?

a) Kimi Raikkonen 41

b) Giancarlo Fisichella 44

c) Mark Webber 45

d) Jarno Trulli 51

20) Which driver originally finished in the top 8 before having 25 seconds added to his race time (for overtaking under yellow flags) at 2006 Australian GP?

a) Christijan Albers

b) Scott Speed

c) Jarno Trulli

d) Nico Rosberg

21) After 2000, Peugeot sold their #F1 engine department to Dr. John Gano and Enrique Scalabroni. They supplied rebranded power units to Minardi & Arrows in subsequent seasons, but what were they called?

a) European

b) Supertec

c) Asiatech

d) Fondmetal

22) From which nation does Bridgestone originate from?

a) Thailand

b) South Korea

c) Japan

d) Malaysia

23) Name at least 7 drivers who NEVER raced at Australian GP between 2000-2009 (but competed in other races during this time period). Go!

Tomas Enge, Nicolas Kiesa, Robert Doornbos, Franck Montagny, Sakon Yamamoto, Markus Winkelhock, Luca Badoer, Jaime Alguersuari, Kamui Kobayashi, Romain Grosjean

24) How many times did Michael Schumacher clinch pole at a season-opening race during his #F1 career? #KeepFightingMichael

a) 4

b) 5

c) 6

d) 7

25) OPINION POLL: Which of these drivers do you believe to be the worst to have raced in #F1 between 2000-2009?

a) Alex Yoong

b) Yuji Ide

c) Giorgio Pantano

d) Gaston Mazzacane

26) Which driver would complete all of his career #F1 races during 2005 only?

a) Tiago Monteiro

b) Patrick Friesacher

c) Robert Doornbos

d) Christijan Albers

27) Between 2000-2009, how many times did McLaren win the Hungarian Grand Prix?

a) 4

b) 5

c) 6

d) 3

28) Which national racing licence did Midland F1 use during 2006 #F1 season?

a) Russian

b) Canadian

c) British

d) Romanian

29) Excluding 2005 USA, which race had the fewest cars running (i.e. not stopped on track) at the chequered flag?

a) 2004 Monaco

b) 2003 Brazil

c) 2008 Australia

d) 2004 USA

30) Which of these #WRC drivers have tested a #F1 car?

a) Richard Burns

b) Petter Solberg

c) Marcus Gronholm

d) Markko Martin

31) During 2007 #F1, Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Spyker & Red Bull led at least one lap during a race. Name the other team to have led at least one lap during this season.

a) Toro Rosso

b) Williams

c) Honda

d) Toyota

32) Name all the tyre brands Rubens Barrichello has raced with during his whole #F1 career

Goodyear, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin

33) Who finished 3rd at 2008 French Grand Prix?

a) Robert Kubica

b) Jarno Trulli

c) Heikki Kovalainen

d) Lewis Hamilton

34) Which of these drivers has actually stood on the podium (in person) every time he’s finished there (i.e. not requiring a disqualification of another driver post-race nor missing the ceremony due to requiring medical attention)?

a) Jenson Button

b) Fernando Alonso

c) Rubens Barrichello

d) Heinz-Harald Frentzen

35) Which these of GP2 drivers raced in #F1 between 2000-2009?

a) Vitaly Petrov

b) Neel Jani

c) Bruno Senna

d) Gianmaria Bruni

36) At which Canadian Grand Prix did Jarno Trulli & Nico Rosberg “perform” a synchronized spin at the same corner?

a) 2008

b) 2007

c) 2006

d) Never happened

37) Who was the managing director of Super Aguri during their stay in #F1?

a) Daniele Audetto

b) Robert Fernley

c) Mark Preston

d) Aguri Suzuki

38) Which season between 2000-2009 had the most different drivers claiming pole position?

a) 2004 (7)

b) 2005 (9- Fisichella, Alonso, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Button, Trulli, Michael Schumacher, Montoya & Ralf)

c) 2008 (6)

d) 2009 (8)

39) At the exit of which corner did Michael Schumacher park his Ferrari during qualifying for 2006 Monaco GP?

a) Sainte Devote

b) Portier

c) Tabac

d) La Rascasse

40) Name at least 8 drivers who NEVER raced at Japanese GP between 2000-2009 (but competed in other races during this time period). Go!

Luciano Burti, Tarso Marques, Allan McNish, Yuji Ide, Patrick Friesacher, Giorgio Pantano, Franck Montagny, Markus Winkelhock, Luca Badoer, Kamui Kobayashi

41) How old was Cristiano da Matta when he made his #F1 debut in 2003?

a) 26

b) 29

c) 28

d) 31

42) At which corner did Kimi Raikkonen crash at 2001 San Marino GP race?

a) Acque Minerali

b) Rivazza

c) Tosa

d) Variante Alta

43) Which country had the most number of drivers qualify for at least one race (not necessarily at the same race together) during 2005 #F1 season?

a) Brazil

b) Italy

c) Germany

d) Britain

44) Which of these countries had a driver participate in #F1 between 2000-2009 using their national licence (despite descending from a different country)?

a) United Arab Emirates

b) San Marino

c) Belgium

d) Monaco

45) Which team helped Nico Rosberg win the inaugural 2005 GP2 title? (Bonus: Who was his team principal? Answer in comments)

a) DAMS

b) ART

c) BCN

d) Arden

46) What do Felipe Massa & Rubens Barrichello share in common (other than hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil & racing for Ferrari)?

a) The same mother

b) Same no. of F1 wins

c) Won Brazil GP

d) Raced for Sauber

47) Which of these teams FAILED to score points on their Grand Prix debut?

a) Red Bull (2005 AUS)

b) BMW Sauber (2006 BAH)

c) Toyota (2002 AUS)

d) Prost (1997 AUS)

48) Name 6 drivers who scored a podium, but never won a race, between 2000-2009 (includes drivers who won races in other decades & WDCs). Go!

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jacques Villeneuve, Eddie Irvine, Nick Heidfeld, Takuma Sato, Alex Wurz, Pedro de la Rosa, Tiago Monteiro, Timo Glock, Nelson Piquet Jr, Nico Rosberg

49) Which driver led the 2nd most number of laps during 2007?

a) Lewis Hamilton (321)

b) Felipe Massa (300)

c) Fernando Alonso (203)

d) Kimi Raikkonen (212)

50) 2003 #F1 season had a new points-scoring system. Which team would’ve finished 5th in the WCC under the old points system of 10-6-4-3-2-1?

a) Jordan

b) Sauber

c) BAR

d) Toyota

51) Michael Schumacher’s costly engine failure at 2006 Japanese GP was his first engine-related retirement since...

a) 2001 Germany

b) 2000 Monaco

c) 2000 France

d) 2001 San Marino

52) Who said these famous words “Hamilton’s 7th, Hamilton 7th- by my calculations we win the championship by one point.”

a) Rob Smedley

b) Chris Dyer

c) Ross Brawn

d) Jean Todt

53) Which of these venues did Antonio Pizzonia never race at during his #F1 career?

a) Indianapolis

b) Silverstone

c) Hockenheim

d) A1 Ring

54) How many podiums did Jaguar claim in their time in #F1?

a) 0

b) 1

c) 2

d) 3

55) Which of these companies was a title sponsor of Williams at some point between 2000-2009?

a) DHL

b) ING

c) AT&T

d) Etihad

56) Name 4 drivers who NEVER raced at US GP between 2000-2007 (but competed in other races during this time period). 

This excludes new drivers who appeared during 2008-09 (So no Badoer, Bourdais etc.) Go!

Luciano Burti, Tarso Marques, Antonio Pizzonia, Robert Kubica, Markus Winkelhock, Robert Doornbos, Sakon Yamamoto

57) Which race did Jenson Button score his & BAR’s first points of 2005 #F1 season?

a) Europe

b) San Marino

c) Britain

d) France

58) Who picked up the most fastest laps between 2000-2009?

a) Michael Schumacher (37)

b) Kimi Raikkonen (35)

c) Fernando Alonso (13)

d) Rubens Barrichello (17)

59) Who finished 10th at 2002 German Grand Prix?

a) Takuma Sato 

b) Mika Salo

c) Jacques Villeneuve

d) No one

60) Which of these venues has Robert Kubica raced at during his #F1 career?

a) Indianapolis

b) Buddh

c) Fuji

d) Imola

61) Who holds the record for most consecutive podium finishes?

a) Lewis Hamilton (16)

b) Michael Schumacher (19)

c) Fernando Alonso (15)

d) Sebastian Vettel (11)

62) Which season had the most different winners?

a) 2001 (5)

b) 2003 (8)

c) 2008 (7)

d) 2009 (6)

63) Name 7 Brazilian drivers who raced in #F1 during 2000-2009. Go!

Barrichello, Diniz, Zonta, Burti, Bernoldi, Marques, Massa, Pizzonia, da Matta, Piquet

64) Which driver won from the furthest back on the grid between 2000-2009?

a) Jenson Button (14th)

b) Fernando Alonso (15th)

c) Kimi Raikkonen (17th)

d) Rubens Barrichello (18th)

65) At which race did Robert Kubica make his #F1 debut?

a) 2007 Australia

b) 2006 Britain

c) 2006 Hungary

d) 2005 USA

66) In which season did Michael Schumacher score the most number of poles within a year for his #f1 career?

a) 2000

b) 2001

c) 2002

d) 2004

67) Which of these Grands Prix did Alex Yoong (Minardi) fail to qualify for?

a) 2001 Italy

b) 2002 Malaysia

c) 2002 Britain

d) 2002 Hungary

68) How many seconds did Sebastian Vettel take to pick up a fine on his 1st Friday practice outing with BMW-Sauber at 2006 Turkey? #F1

a) 3

b) 5

c) 6

d) 8

69) When Fernando Alonso finished 3rd at 2005 Brazil, he became #F1's then-youngest ever world champion. Who was the previous holder of the youngest F1 WDC record before him?

a) Michael Schumacher

b) Niki Lauda

c) Jim Clark

d) Emerson Fittipaldi

70) Name the teams who won #F1 races during 2000-2009, but failed to score a podium at 2008 & 2009 Singapore GPs (excluding Jordan). Go!

Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Honda, Brawn, Red Bull

71) Which nation has held a #F1 race during the sport’s history, but NOT during 2000-2009?

a) Morocco

b) Colombia

c) Malaysia

d) Thailand

72) At which race did Christian Klien score his maiden #F1 point(s)?

a) 2005 Europe

b) 2006 San Marino

c) 2004 Belgium

d) 2004 Japan

73) Which of these drivers had been considered for one of the Williams-BMW seats in 2000, but was rejected for Jenson Button?

a) Dario Franchitti

b) Bruno Junquiera

c) Fernando Alonso

d) Pedro de la Rosa

74) How many drivers earned their maiden #F1 win between 2000-2009?

a) 12

b) 13

c) 14

d) 15

75) Which of these countries have hosted an UEFA European championship for football/soccer, but have not yet hosted a #F1 race?

a) Sweden

b) Switzerland

c) Norway

d) Poland

76) Name ALL the teams Giancarlo Fisichella raced for during his #F1 career

Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India, Ferrari

77) Which of these countries have hosted a FIFA World Cup for football/soccer, but have not yet hosted a #F1 race?

a) United States

b) Chile

c) South Korea

d) Argentina

78) Name 6 International Formula 3000 champions who raced in #F1 between 2000-2009 (Felipe Massa does NOT count as he won “Euro F3000″ series)

Jean Alesi, Olivier Panis, Ricardo Zonta, Juan Pablo Montoya, Nick Heidfeld, Justin Wilson, Sebastien Bourdais, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Luca Badoer