2015 Russian Grand Prix - Practice 1 Analysis: Ferrari WILL NOT supply Red Bull engines in 2016.

The first practice session for the 2015 Russian Grand Prix was cut short today by a diesel spill and bad weather. The times eventually set weren't very representative but give a rough outline of what we could see later in the weekend.

The intermediate tires had to be used as rain interrupted dry running.

Firstly the session was delayed by half an hour as a diesel spill on the track was deemed to be dangerous for the cars. When they did eventually get out on track it was relatively wet and teams such as Lotus and Mercedes choose not to run. As the track dried we got a limited amount of dry running but the more we got the more a rough outline of performance at the track was given to us. Sahara Force India appear to be strong here at Sochi as they topped the session with Nico Hulkenberg. Sergio Perez backed this effort up with a 4th place finish. Ferrari appear to be strong as Vettel finished in 3nd, 7 tenths adrift of Hulkenberg. Mercedes looked both strong and weak and Nico Rosberg finished in 2nd, just 0.052 seconds behind Hulkenberg and Hamilton could only manage 7th place as a late spin in the damp track saw him through a good lap time away.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

However the off track action made up for the lack of on track as Ferrari announce that they will not supply Red Bull or Toro Rosso a 2016 spec power unit next season. However Ferrari have said they will supply a 2015 spec engine to 1 team, hinted at being Toro Rosso over Red Bull. This means Mercedes have said no, Ferrari have said no, they've divorced Renault and another 2 teams is the last thing that Honda need. It is imminent that the Red Bull brand will most likely leave Formula 1.

Bernie Eccelstone (left) and Maurizio Arrivabene (right)

Personally Red Bull have pushed the scales to hard, and now they've tipped to a point where leaving F1 is there only option. Could we potentially a Ross Brawn like effort from Christian Horner perhaps?

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenflagf1
All images courtesy of Formula1.com

Italian Grand Prix 2015 - Race Analysis. Raikkonen mistake costs Ferrari win at Monza.

The Italian Grand Prix was run yesterday over 53 laps and it saw pole sitter Lewis Hamilton once again take top spot on the podium. It was a relatively boring race compared to the likes of Hungary and Silverstone, but still a classic Monza race that we won't forget. It saw everything from first lap incidents, last lap retirements and all the chaos in between.

The Ferrari fans had lined the stands cheering on Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen who had qualified very highly and looked strong contenders for a win. But it turned out it wasn't there day as when the lights went green Kimi Raikkonen failed to get off the grid and remained stationary for a few seconds before pulling away. The damage had been done though and Raikkonen dropped to 20th by turn 1.

The Ferrari fans showed there amazing support for there local heros.

The cars piled into the first chicane and Lotus continued to have there knack for first lap incidents as Grosjean was tapped and his rear suspension broken forcing him to retire, whilst Maldonado didn't make the corner and went over the rumble strip which snapped the floor of his car in two also forcing him to retire. The double DNF was made worst because it allowed Force India to have an easy shot at regaining 5th back in the constructors.

Lotus scored 0 points as both cars retired on Lap 1

By the end of the first lap Hamilton had pulled away from Vettel followed by Massa, Bottas, Rosberg and Perez.

Except for Kimi Raikkonen making his way through the field the order changed little till the first pit stops which started around lap 19 as most teams opted for the one stop strategy. The biggest change in position was Nico Rosberg who tried the undercut on the Williams of Massa and Bottas. Williams reacted by boxing Massa the next lap but the damage was done and Rosberg jumped both drivers in the process.

Hamilton continued to pull away from Vettel and was looking like making a 20 second gap. Rosberg began to slowly close down Vettel in 2nd.

Toward the end of the race things got much more exciting. Firstly about 15 laps from the end Nico Hulkenberg was in 7th and was complaining of lack of rear grip and traction. He was under pressure from Marcus Ericcson and Daniel Ricciardo and Force India considered a two stop but ultimately decided against it and it didn't lose anything as Hulkenberg held off both drivers till the end.

Then about 5 laps from the end Lewis Hamilton's engineer (Peter Bonnington) came on the radio and asked Lewis to "push really hard,  and don't ask why". It perplexed all the viewers and the only thing Martin Brundle could think of in the com box was a potential slow puncture and Mercedes wanted the 25 second gap to make a pit stop. It wasn't explained to the end of the race when it was discovered the tire pressure had dipped below optimal and Mercedes were considering a precautionary pit stop to stop the chance of a puncture. Mercedes (as well as Ferrari) were summoned to the stewards after the race concerning low tire pressure but no further action was taken.

Then in the other Mercedes just a few laps from the end, Nico Rosberg's engine gave a cough, and another cough and then caught fire as he pulled off to the side of the second chicane. He retired from the race and lost 25 points in the championship to Lewis Hamilton and now only a 21 point gap between himself and Sebastian Vettel in third. This retirement promoted Felipe Massa back to 3rd and Valtteri Bottas was still right behind him in 4th. A good battle for the last spot on the podium began and team orders didn't intervene.

Nico Rosberg retired from the race with just a few laps left.

Lastly it was more bad luck for McLaren as they lost Fernando Alonso just a few laps from the end, especially after a good battle between himself and Button was brewing up, it was disappointing. But McLaren should be pleased they managed to run most of the Grand Prix without problem.

This was the ending race order:

1) Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
2) Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari + 25.042s
3) Felipe Massa - Williams-Mercedes + 47.635s
4) Valtteri Bottas - Williams-Mercedes + 47.996s
5) Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari + 68.860s
6) Sergio Perez - Force India-Mercedes + 72.783s
7) Nico Hulkenberg - Force India-Mercedes + 1 LAP
8) Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull-Renault + 1 LAP
9) Marcus Ericcson - Sauber-Ferrari + 1 LAP
10) Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull-Renault + 1 LAP
11) Carlos Sainz - Toro Rosso-Renault + 1 LAP
12) Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso-Renault + 1 LAP
13) Felipe Nasr - Sauber-Ferrari + 1 LAP
14) Jenson Button - McLaren-Honda + 1 LAP
15) Will Stevens - Manor-Marussia + 2 LAPS
16) Roberto Merhi - Manor-Marussia + 2 LAPS
17) Nico Rosberg - Mercedes DNF
18) Fernando Alonso - McLaren-Honda DNF
19) Romain Grosjean - Lotus-Mercedes DNF
20) Pastor Maldonado - Lotus-Mercedes DNF

The next race on the calender is the much loved Singapore Grand Prix which is held under lights on a tight and twisty street circuit. It saw last years turning point in the season where Hamilton gained the lead in the championship. The Singapore Grand Prix will take place from 18th of September to 20th of September. See you then!

Round 13 heads to Singapore!

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenflagf1
All images courtesy of Formula1.com

Sahara Force India - Mid Season Report

Crossing the line first in Formula One is usually the main goal, but today lets take a look at a team (that I coincidentally support) that are just happy to be crossing the line at the moment. They are currently holding on to an impressive 5th place in the constructors standings, Sahara Force India.

It was back in February of 2015 when pre-season testing commenced for the forthcoming 2015 Formula 1 season at the Circuito Jerez. Silverstone based Force India knew things were bad for them when they weren't present because there car wasn't ready. They had to wait to the second day of the third test in Catalunya before there first running commenced. The car was underdeveloped in terms of aero and wasn't fast with only the 13th and 14th fastest times, the only thing the new VJM08 had on its side, was a strong and reliable Mercedes power unit. The team was really on the backfoot in terms of pace going into Round 1.

Force India's Race Drivers, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.

However this power unit reliability advantage allowed the team to score its first points in Australia. Hulkenberg finished in 7th and Perez 10th (out of only 11 finishers) whilst most of the Renault and Honda power units hit trouble. The team knew it would be a long battle to Round 8 of the championship to a mid-season test where the team would debut its much faster "b" spec car.
The next 7 rounds proved relatively difficult with no points in Malaysia, China and Spain. But a very good race in Round 8 in Austria, a very power dependent circuit which suited the under developed car. Hulkenberg finished 9th and Perez a season-best 6th.

Nico Hulkenberg has a scary moment in Hungary as his front wing spontaneously fails.

Then finally, the team had crawled through 8 rounds and had 31 constructors points and found themselves sitting in 5th place ahead of Lotus, Sauber and Toro Rosso. The Austrian test was upon the team. Confidence was high after great results in the race. Everyone had worked hard. This was the moment. A brand new car. Esteban Ocon fresh at the controls. The garage opens and the light goes green at the end of the pit lane. This brand new sleek car pulls out of the garage, and the first thing you notice is these massive huge nostrils on the nose cone of the car! I have to admit I saw it on Facebook and was laughing. But as I began to read I realized the team had done what they do best. They had bought innovation, individuality and a lot of imagination to this new design. It's pushing the regulations to the limit, the limit, thats what Formula One about. For me this was the best moment of the season. It was such a proud thing to be a fan on this innovative team who were achieving new things. We headed to Silverstone with our heads high and hopeful for good results. The team didn't disappoint with both cars in the points with a 9th and 7th place.

The new Force India VJM08 with the unique "nostril" design.

The season hasn't been the best one for Force India so far but we are now looking up, it was more bad luck that caused a double DNF in Hungary and I don't think the team will dwell. I know the last nine races should suit them with power hungry circuits like Belgium, Italy and the new Mexican circuit.

One interesting question that I have been wondering, is how have we managed 5th in the constructors with such an underdeveloped aero package? One word: Reliability. At the halfway point in the season, Force India has only had 3 retirements, (it's only 1 if you minus Hungary!). Whereas competitors Lotus have had 9 and Toro Rosso 8. *I quietly thank the F1 gods for letting Vijay Mallya not buy Renault engines*. Now the team is looking forward to the Belgium Grand Prix a circuit which will suit the car and its power-unit.

Sergio Perez Practicing in Hungary.

But before I finish I have a message for the Milton-Keynes team of Red Bull. You better make sure that Kvyat and Ricciardo's mirrors are cleaned well in Spa, because that Sahara Force India is going to be right up nearly touching your rear diffuser through Eau Rouge and at that moment you will truly #FeelTheForce

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenflagf1

3 Days Before Spain - Who's jumping up the field?

3 days till the eagerly anticipated Spanish Grand Prix, and most people including myself can not wait, it's been a long three week break since the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix and its good to be back into racing. Myself as a F1 fan support the Sahara Force India F1 Team, because I enjoy the way that Hulkenberg and Perez drive aggressively. I also believe they have been unlucky in there respective career's so far, and I would love to see them progress to the top of the grid and take Force India with them. Plus the team has good origins dating back to Eddie Jordan's original team.

Sergio Perez at the 2015 Chinese Grand Prix

Anyway, with 3 days to go, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez have stated there thoughts on the upcoming weekend. With Hulkenberg returning from the WEC (World Endurance Championship) 6 hours of Spa, after achieving a 6th place with his Porsche Hybrid 919. Hulkenberg's said in an interview with the Formula One Website: “We all know the Barcelona track really well. You have to think about how to approach a lap because it’s important to look after your tyres. If you take too much out of them in the first sector, you end up paying the price in the final one, so finding the right balance is the key". Sergio Perez also said in the inteview: “As a track, Barcelona is a demanding place to drive a Formula One car, with both fast and slow sections. It’s a big test of the aero package - similar to somewhere like Sepang. Overtaking is never easy because it’s difficult to get really close to another car, so good track position really pays off".

Sahara Force India drivers, Sergio Perez (L) and Nico Hulkenberg (R)

Force India have had a pretty miserable season so far, after arriving at pre-season testing late, they have only managed to pick up 11 points and 8th in the constructors standings. However progress has come for the team in Bahrain, with Perez finishing in 8th place, after Hulkenberg had a blistering run in qualifying, with 8th of the grid. Vijay Mallya the teams owner and principal has stayed positive and was quoted saying: “It’s still early days in the season, but it’s worth noting how closely-matched the midfield teams remain. There are times when we see up to ten cars within half a second of each other, which means that any improvements we can bring to the car will have a big impact on our results".

Sergio Perez at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix

Its great to see my team staying nice to positive, and I personally can't wait to see the progress they can make in the Spanish Grand Prix. 3 days till go, I can't wait. Drop your predictions below if you want.