F1 Badger GP 2014

[hard top]

Jesus Christ, I am amazed that Jules Bianchi survived that crash as he sent the bloody recovery crane up in the air.......bloody hell........!!!........ @GazHyde

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/08...p4?versionId=QFOLX2pZU68_VF9XjpX_4E9hWo4Oickq

 

[GazHyde]

5th? Moi? I feel giddy this high up

 

[Stormy_be]

Bloody hell the impact of bianchi

 

[t-tony]

Just saw that at work on Facebook.........

 

[hard top]

Badger GP

Lotus are to use Mercedes engines from 2015.

Or, more accurately, Mercedes, which used to be Brawn, which used to be Honda, which used to be BAR, which took the spot of Tyrrell, is now supplying Lotus, which used to be Renault, which used to be Benetton, which used to be Toleman.

But not the Lotus that was Lotus Racing and then turned into Caterham. That's Caterham. They still have Renault engines. It's the Lotus that was sponsored by Lotus Cars, but aren't anymore, but still use the name.

Maybe we should stick to the first sentence?

 

[hard top]

The Russian Grand Prix - Qualifying. First ever Russian Grand Prix.

Summary

1. • Hamilton fastest in final practice, Rosberg 2nd
   • Bottas 3rd, Ricciardo 4th, Massa 5th
   • Magnussen out with mechanical failure
   • Qualifying follows at 12:00
   • First ever Russian Grand Prix
   • FIA to make safety changes after Bianchi crash

Third Practice
SessionP3

DriverTeamFastest Lap
1

HAMMercedes1:38.726
2

ROSMercedes1:39.016
3

BOTWilliams1:39.097
4

RICRed Bull1:39.755
5

MASWilliams1:39.954
6

KVYToro Rosso1:40.009
7

RAIFerrari1:40.011
8

ALOFerrari1:40.151
9

VERToro Rosso1:40.205
10

VETRed Bull1:40.338
11

BUTMcLaren1:40.355
12

HULForce India1:40.669
13

PERForce India1:40.699
14

SUTSauber1:41.146
15

GUTSauber1:41.520
16

GROLotus1:41.915
17

MAGMcLaren1:42.436
18

ERICaterham1:43.109
19

KOBCaterham1:43.975
20

CHIMarussia1:44.737
21

MALLotus

 

[hard top]

You lot have got approx 30 minutes to get your predictions in before Q1.

FORMULA 1 ISN'T BORING.​

You need to complete your predictions for the next race, or you may miss out on points!

My predictions

​

 

[hard top]

Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer in Sochi

"Jules Bianchi's accident at Suzuka has reopened the debate on forward head protection for drivers in Formula 1. Governing body the FIA is continuing research on the subject, but problems have arisen because of the forces involved in needing to deflect a bouncing wheel, the main focus of the research. 'It's very difficult to find something that is strong enough to stop the wheel and allows driver to drive the car without being affected by the structure,' said race director Charlie Whiting (pictured).

"'We found it had to be 20m higher than drivers head, which makes it a substantial structure. But research is still going on and will continue to be so until we find a solution.' As for finding something robust enough to withstand the forces seen in Bianchi's crash, Whiting said: 'The forces on the roll structure were way in excess of the test loads. I have a strong suspicion that under those exact circumstances it would be hard to find a solution, given how hard it is to find a solution to a wheel hitting the driver's head.'"

 

[hard top]

First qualifying ends
Posted at12:20

Lewis Hamilton finishes fastest in the first part of qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

• OUT Posted at12:21
  17) Marcus Ericsson 18) Felipe Massa 19) Kamui Kobayashi 20) Pastor Maldonado 21) Max Chilton
  

​

Summary

1. Qualifying under way
2. Hamilton fastest in Q1, Rosberg 2nd
3. Bottas 3rd, Button 4th
4. Massa out with engine problem
5. Maldonado, Chilton & Caterhams out
6. Hamilton fastest in final practice, Rosberg 2nd
7. First ever Russian Grand Prix
8. FIA to make safety changes after Bianchi crash

 

[GazHyde]

Aaargh, forgot to put my predictions in for this race *blames stupid cold* *sniffles*

 

[hard top]

Second qualifying ends
Posted at 12:41
Lewis Hamilton finishes fastest in the second part of qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

• OUT
  Posted at 12:43
  
  11) Sebastian Vettel 12) Nico Hulkenberg 13) Sergio Perez 14) Esteban Gutierrez 15) Adrian Sutil 16) Romain Grosjean
  

​

Summary

1. Qualifying under way
2. Hamilton fastest in Q1 and Q2, Rosberg 2nd
3. Vettel out in Q2, with Force Indias
4. Bottas 3rd, Magnussen 4th, Kvyat 5th
5. Massa out in Q1 with engine problem
6. Maldonado, Chilton & Caterhams out in Q1
7. FIA to make safety changes after Bianchi crash

 

[hard top]

Final Qualifying
Session Q3

• Pole position
  Posted at 13:00
  Lewis Hamilton takes pole position for the Russian Grand Prix.
  
  
  

• Qualifying result
  Posted at13:05
  
  1) Lewis Hamilton 2) Nico Rosberg 3) Valtteri Bottas 4) Jenson Button 5) Daniil Kvyat 6) Kevin Magnussen 7) Daniel Ricciardo 8) Fernando Alonso 9) Kimi Raikkonen 10) Jean-Eric Vergne
  
  11) Sebastian Vettel 12) Nico Hulkenberg 13) Sergio Perez 14) Esteban Gutierrez 15) Adrian Sutil 16) Romain Grosjean
  
  17) Marcus Ericsson 18) Felipe Massa 19) Kamui Kobayashi 20) Pastor Maldonado 21) Max Chilton
  

DriverTeamFastest Lap
1

HAMMercedes1:38.513
2

ROSMercedes1:38.713
3

BOTWilliams1:38.920
4

BUTMcLaren1:39.121
5

KVYToro Rosso1:39.277
6

MAGMcLaren1:39.629
7

RICRed Bull1:39.635
8

ALOFerrari1:39.709
9

RAIFerrari1:39.771
10

VERToro Rosso1:40.020
11

VETRed Bull1:40.052
12

HULForce India1:40.058
13

PERForce India1:40.163
14

GUTSauber1:40.536
15

SUTSauber1:40.984
16

GROLotus1:41.397
17

ERICaterham1:42.648
18

MASWilliams1:43.064
19

KOBCaterham1:43.166
20

MALLotus1:43.205
21

CHIMarussia1:43.649

 

[hard top]

• Go! Go! Go!
  Posted at12:05
  
  
  
  
  Lewis Hamilton cuts across the track at the star to defend his position from Nico Rosberg to maintain the lead but Rosberg dips into the slipstream and then pulls alongside his team-mate! The German noses in front, but tries to be the last of the late brakers and locks up heavily! He's first into the corner, but then runs well wide and rejoins still in the lead. "You have to give the position back Nico," comes the message on the radio. He does so, but it gets worse for the Mercedes driver who has a flat-spot on his tyres, unsurprisingly, and has no choice but to pit.
  

 

[hard top]

• Lap five
  Jenson Button's engineer tells his charge that Fernando Alonso is just 0.7 seconds behind. The McLaren driver replies: "I don't need reminding when he's this close." The duo are fighting over third position.
  
  
• Lap 12
  Max Chilton retires from the race while Daniel Ricciardo pits for fresh boots. The Australian was seventh. He rejoins 18th. Lewis Hamilton leads Valtteri Bottas by 3.5 seconds.
  
  
• Interview
  Marussia's Max Chilton, who has retired, speaking to Lee McKenzie: "We just had a slight issue coming in to turn one, something wasn't quite right but I managed to get it back and the engineers are looking at it now.
  "It's been a very very difficulty week for the team and everyone in the F1 family. It was hard on the grid and all the drivers were struggling but hopefully they are putting on a good show for Jules - it's just a shame we couldn't complete the race for him."

 

[hard top]

• Get involved
  
  Richard Grove: Gotta feel the championship has slipped away from Rosberg.
  Tony Schumacher: What a strangely sterile, flat Grand Prix this is, it's like a race around a Milton Keynes Tesco car park
  Justin Fairweather: If Button can get a podium today it will be a great advert for him to get a new contract next year.
  
  
• Lotus on Twitter
  Settled in for an afternoon in front of the TV.​

Juve93Cule: That opening lap was insane!!! The speed all the cars were going around those high speed corners was crazy!!!
Ross Middleton: Well Rosberg was the architect of his own downfall there.
Chris: Interesting to see how Nico copes with coming from the back now, first time he's had to do that.

 

[hard top]

• Team radio
  
  Rosberg, who is on his second set of tyres after an early pit stop:"Feeling quite a lot of degradation."
  
  Team-mate Hamilton on his team radio: "Tyres still feeling great."
  

• Lap 32
  
  
  
  
  Sebastian Vettel pits from second while Nico Rosberg makes a late move on Valtteri Bottas into Turn Two. The Finn turns in and then back out when he realises Rosberg is there. That forces Bottas wide and Rosberg has the place. He's now second.
  
  What a drive from Rosberg, who was last after a stop at the end of the first lap. But it just goes to show how much of an advantage Mercedes have on the field.
  
  
• 
  
  David Coulthard

"I think once he had committed to it Rosberg had to go for it. When it comes to incidents like that it is a case of I am going through anyway and if you turn in we will have contact and if you don't then thank you very much."

 

[hard top]

• Lap 35
  
  It's another fastest lap from Nico Rosberg, who seems very comfortable on those medium tyres, which have now done 33 laps. The German is still 19.4 seconds behind.
  
  Meanwhile, Sergio Perez passes Daniil Kvyat for 12th. Felipe Massagets in on the act and slips through, too, to demote Kvyat to 14th.

• Get involved
  
  Ibraheem Khan: Damn. Rosberg has worked hard for that second place but I was hoping it was the end of his race. We'll see what happens!
  Ben Silveston: Rosberg has proved me wrong - great recovery drive! WDC title-race is still very much on!!
  Mighty Joe: Rosberg is a man-possessed! How much longer can those tyres last?
  

 

[hard top]

• Lap 36
  Valtteri Bottas is told by his team that Nico Rosberg is pushing because he has to make another stop. That would explain why the German is around 1.2 seconds quicker than Bottas at the moment. He's also 17.4secs behind Lewis Hamilton

• Lap 38
  
  Nico Rosberg continues to pump in the lap times, the German now 16 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton and 6.6secs clear of Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa both pass Jean-Eric Vergne for 11th and 12th respectively.
  

 

[hard top]

• Lap 39
  
  
  
  
  Russian president Vladimir Putin rocks up in the Sochi paddock to be met by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. Nice of you to join us, Mr President. Still 14 laps to go.
  

 

[hard top]

Get involved

Shane Buckley: Another boring Grand Prix, drivers going through the motions. Hope it livens up last few laps, not a fan of this track either
Glenn Cole-Wilkin: I'm sorry but this #SochiGP is pretty dull....the track just doesn't let nothing exciting happen.
Laura Wright: Come on Jenson - would love a podium for JB.