Tag: Grand Prix

Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

Japanese GP qualifying washed out

2010 Japanese Grand Prix

It would be out of the ordinary for AUSmotive to feature an image gallery on a Grand Prix weekend before the race had been run. It would be out of the ordinary for qualifying to be cancelled due to heavy and persistent rain. But these extraordinary events have happened today, and when you see the pictures, mostly taken during this morning’s Free Practice 3 session, you will see why.

Heavy rain started to fall this morning at the Suzuka circuit and barely abated all day. Despite several delays to allow conditions to improve qualifying was eventually called off and is now scheduled to be run tomorrow morning at 10am Japan time (midday AEDT). The race will go ahead as scheduled at 3pm (5pm AEDT). Weather conditions are expected to improve.

As well as the pics below you can also read the concise and somewhat humourous qualifying report from Lotus Racing.

Continue reading “Japanese GP qualifying washed out”
Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

2010 Singapore GP – Post-race press conference

2010 Singapore GP

Fernando Alonso bagged consecutive Grand Prix wins with victory in Singapore. It’s his fourth race win for the year—the same as Mark Webber, third place, who leads the driver’s championship by 11 points from the Ferrari driver.

Sebastien Vettel started and finished the race in second place. He looked the dominant man all during practice and most of qualifying, but Alonso showed he is made of the right stuff, performing when it matters most. It also shows that the F10 Ferrari has the ability to match it with the RB6 Red Bull on both fast and slow circuits. This title race is going down to the wire.

The full transcript from the post-race press conference with the podium winners is available below. A Singapore GP photo gallery should be up later today.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

Continue reading “2010 Singapore GP – Post-race press conference”
Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Spa-Francorchamps

Mark Webber

Formula One’s mid-season break is almost over. That means it’s time for the Belgian Grand Prix. Mark is also back to tell us about Belgian sausages, rain and, of course, one of the best circuits on the F1 calendar. For a bird’s eye look at the Spa F1 circuit click here. The view from the Red Bull simulator can be seen after the break.

Let’s hope we see Webber leaping for joy late on Sunday night!

Continue reading “Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Spa-Francorchamps”
Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 Hungarian Grand Prix in pictures

2010 Hungarian GP

The 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix; Red Bull Racing’s 100th GP, Mark Webber’s 150th GP and his 6th career victory. The Aussie now leads the drivers championship and Red Bull have finally reached the top of the constructors tree. There’s seven races left in 2010, can Mark and RBR maintain the rage?

Elsewhere, Michael drove his old pal Rubens up the wall. Sebastian had a mid-race nap and Robert drove into Adrian. Here’s a surprise, too; think of the six drivers from the new teams (Lotus, Virgin and HRT), if they were running their own mini-championship who do you think would be leading the charge? A gold star for you if you picked out the name Karun Chandhok.

[Thanks to Micky for the Chandhok tip]

Continue reading “2010 Hungarian Grand Prix in pictures”
Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hockenheim

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hockenheim

This weekend Mark is thinking about a lot of German drivers on the grid, a huge history and repeating his 2009 success. A matching pair of German Grand Prix victories at the Nürburgring and Hockenheim would make a nice set, don’t you think.

Continue reading “Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hockenheim”
Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Webber wins British GP

Mark Webber, winner, 2010 British GP

Mark Webber has won his third Grand Prix of the 2010 Formula One season at Silverstone this evening. Webber started from second on the grid, behind his Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastian Vettel, but was able to edge ahead of Vettel into the first corner.

Through the next series of corners Vettel ran wide and picked up a puncture after minor contact with Lewis Hamilton. This setback which sent Vettel to the back of the field. From there it was a masterful race from Webber who maintained the lead for the rest of the race.

Lewis Hamilton finished second and was able to pressure the Australian in the in the first part of the race when both drivers were on the softer compound tyres. Hamilton came into change tyres before Webber, but Red Bull Racing got Webber in and out safely on the next lap and back out ahead of Hamilton. Once on the harder prime tyres Webber was supreme and the only way Hamilton could close the gap was thanks to a safety car period to clear some debris from the track.

After the restart Webber once again pulled away and established a comfortable lead. As the race drew to an inevitable end Webber slowed his pace and coasted to victory just 1.3 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Nico Rosberg finished in third place. Vettel, for his misfortune at the start of the race, managed to make the most of the safety car period to fight back into the points finishing in seventh position.

Continue reading “Webber wins British GP”
Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 Canadian Grand Prix in pictures

2010 Canadian Grand Prix

The 2010 Canadian Formula One Grand Prix saw a second consecutive one-two victory for the McLaren team. Lewis Hamilton started from pole and, despite a margin of just over two seconds from second placed Jenson Button, he won the race in reasonable comfort in the end. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though.

After qualifying on the soft “option” tyres it was expected Hamilton would come under pressure from the two Red Bull Racing cars, with both Webber and Vettel on the harder, more durable “prime” tyres. As it was Webber was penalised five grid places after having a gearbox change following qualifying.

But the real story of the race was the rate at which the tyres wore across the board. The prime tyres wore out quickly, as expected. However, the prime tyres also wore much quicker than predicted which meant most teams made two pitstops for a second set of prime tyres.

With no mechanical failures or accident carnage at the head of the field it was a reasonably close and exciting race. In the end, Hamilton won the day ahead of teammate Jenson Button and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton now leads the drivers standings on 109 points. Button is in second (106pts) and after relinquishing his title lead Mark Webber is close behind in third place (103pts). McLaren maintain their lead in the constructors race with 215 points ahead of Red Bull (193pts) and Ferrari (161pts).

Over 60 photos from Montreal are all yours after the jump and simply click on the pics you like to load a 2000px super image.

Continue reading “2010 Canadian Grand Prix in pictures”
Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 Monaco Grand Prix in pictures

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

No doubt Mark Webber is still beaming after his Monaco Grand Prix victory. A win in Monte Carlo is something all Formula One drivers cherish and to see an Australian dominate the race made for one very welcome procession.

Webber clearly places this win very highly, “It’s a special day, the greatest day of my life I suppose. As a Formula One driver you really hope that you win races and if you have a choice then the blue riband event is very, very special for any driver. To join Ayrton Senna and the likes round here is a very special thing.”

More quotes from Webber, as well as podium drivers Sebastien Vettel and Robert Kubica, can be read at Formula1.com.

The Aussie currently sits atop the World Championship leaderboard, thanks to two successive wins, but he’s not getting ahead of himself just yet, “To get 50 points from the last two races is awesome, but there is a long, long way still to go. We’ve got so many different conditions and tracks coming up – there are many exciting times to come; I’m looking forward to it.”

The one-two result now puts Red Bull Racing in the lead of the constructors’ title race, as well.Red Bull now has 156 points, 20 ahead of Ferrari and 27 clear of McLaren.

A gallery of Red Bull Racing photos can be seen after the jump. More pics from the other teams to follow.

UPDATE 18 May: Images from Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes GP, Force India, Lotus, Williams, Virgin Racing and Sauber now available below.

Continue reading “2010 Monaco Grand Prix in pictures”
Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber wins Monaco GP

Mark Webber wins 2010 Monaco GP

Mark Webber has driven a masterful race at Monaco to win his second Formula One Grand Prix in as many weekends. After clutching pole position at the death during qualifying he was able to keep his Red Bull machine out of trouble from the start and take the chequered flag unchallenged. This is the first Australian win at Monaco since Sir Jack Brabham’s 1959 breakthrough victory

Several Safety Car periods ensured Mark had to keep his wits about him, but after each green flag he was able to simply drive away with apparent ease. In fact the race almost finished behind the safety car after an incident between Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandok. The tangled mess happened right in front of Webber. The Australian kept his cool and was able to avoid the incident and maintain his lead.

As it was the Safety Car pulled in at the last corner to allow Webber to cross the line at full noise to claim his fourth career victory. Amazingly, Webber now leads the World Championship. Sebastien Vettel finished the race second and joins Webber on 78 points. However, Webber is classified as Championship leader on account of winning two races to Vettel’s one. Pleasingly for Red Bull they are turning their qualifying dominance into race wins.

Robert Kubica finished third in a great result for Renault. Of course, the Red Bull RB6 is powered by Renault engines, thus giving the French company a clean sweep of the podium.

Speaking after the race Webber with a beaming smile declared it was “the greatest day of my life today.” The significance of a Monaco Grand Prix victory on his CV was not lost on Mark who said, “it was a very, very rewarding win, and (I’m) just absolutely elated. To join Aytron Senna and those guys around here, it’s real blue riband event.”

In further good news for Australian motorsport young gun, and Red Bull test driver, Daniel Ricciardo won the Formula Renault 3.5 race at Monaco earlier today.

[Pics: via OneHD]

Continue reading “Mark Webber wins Monaco GP”
Categories
Formula 1

Hurtling into this black hole, that’s all you see

Graham Hill, 1968 Monaco GP

In the days before jazzy simulators one had to sit a chap down and talk through a lap of a Grand Prix circuit, man to man. In 1968 Graham Hill was jolly kind enough to do just that and you can watch his interview right here after the jump.

As an extra special treat there’s another video with highlights of the 1982 Monaco GP. Clive James provides the commentary and I’ll be well surprised if you don’t enjoy his summary. Funny thing is, the climax to the race was just as laughable.

Continue reading “Hurtling into this black hole, that’s all you see”
Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Barcelona

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber is back in his fancy Red Bull Racing computer game thingy. This time he’s giving us a preview of what to expect from this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. Well, apart from lots of fans for Fernando and a tough race for car and driver.

You can see the video below after the break.

Continue reading “Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Barcelona”
Categories
MINI Challenge

2010 MINI Challenge – Round 2, Melbourne

MINI Challenge, Melbourne

This MINI Challenge wrap of Round 2, held during the Australian Grand Prix weekend at Albert Park, has been a little delayed because I was waiting for the television highlights. However, due to a few reasons it looks like the highlights package won’t be going to air, which is a great shame for the series.

On to the racing, then, and Chris Alajajian was able to build on his Round 1 success by placing on the podium in all three races. He has now established a 46 point lead over Sean Carter and Peter McNiven, both on 218 points.

Alajajian was happy to claim a win in the final race and is enjoying the racing so far in 2010, “We finished all three races on the podium this weekend and it was great to be able to end the weekend with a race and round win.

“Two round wins in a row is really making things look good for my championship hopes, he said. “There was some really close racing once again and I can’t wait to see what round three will bring.”

Round 3 of the Australian MINI Challenge takes place this coming weekend at Queensland Raceway (television highlights are scheduled for broadcast on 8 May).

More images from Melbourne and the series table can be see after the jump.

[Pics: Spherix]

Continue reading “2010 MINI Challenge – Round 2, Melbourne”