Category Archives: Formula 1

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was in the right place at the right time in a dramatic final qualifying session in Monaco on Saturday afternoon, to take his fifth pole of the season. Just after the world champion had gone fastest, the session was red flagged with 2m 26s remaining when Sergio Perez, who had done a great job to run ninth in Q2, lost his Sauber over the bumps exiting the tunnel. Perez was wider off line than Mercedes' Nico Rosberg had been in the morning, but thereafter his accident followed the trend of the German's as he crashed first into the right-hand barriers. That crushed the right-hand side of the C30, which then ran down the road and broadsided, on the right-hand side again, into the same chicane wall that Sauber driver Karl Wendlinger had struck back in 1994.

Fernando Alonso again set the pace on Saturday morning in a final Monaco practice session book-ended by heavy accidents. It was only minutes old when Nico Rosberg lost control of his Mercedes over the bumps exiting the tunnel and slammed right into the barriers. At the end, Tonio Liuzzi's HRT got away from him and its left rear wheel clobbered the tyre wall at Ste Devote before the wreckage slithered up the hill towards Massenet

Last season Team Lotus claimed the honours as the best of the new teams. This season - in their second year - they want much, much more. The extensive upgrade they brought to last weekend's Spanish round certainly saw them take a step into the midfield on Saturday, and though they struggled somewhat in the Barcelona race, chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne is certain, given time, they can fight with the likes of Force India and Williams more regularly

With the season now in full flow, and the jewel in Formula One's crown taking place in Monaco this weekend, Renault's Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov discuss how they have been enjoying the 2011 experience with the team

Tradition plays a huge role in Formula One racing and one of the best - and most glamorous - traditions of the Monaco race weekend in recent years has been the opening party hosted by Force India boss Vijay Mallya. Luckily for the paddock, Mallya is a stickler for tradition too and on Thursday night he once again lowered the gangplank of his mega yacht, the Indian Empress, to welcome guests aboard for the evening. And with such jet -set company in attendance, the theme of the evening - 'From Monaco to Bollywood' - proved an inspired choice.

Some had predicted using DRS around Monaco would prompt more accidents than normal. Others had feared Pirelli's new super-soft tyre wouldn't prove durable enough. Neither came to fruition on Thursday, as the F1 field got its first 2011 taste of the Monte Carlo streets. And on a circuit where the driver really can make a difference, predicting the pacesetters was equally difficult. A top three bereft of a Red Bull was something

Team representatives - Graeme Lowdon (Marussia Virgin), Vijay Mallya (Force India), Adrian Newey (Red Bull), Peter Sauber (Sauber F1 Team), Martin Whitmarsh (McLaren). Q: Graeme, what do you feel about this race. Is this going to be your best chance for points here? Graeme Lowdon: Monaco always has the potential for an unpredictable race and with the best will in the world that is our best chance at the moment until we can move the car further forward

Though he played it down, Nico Rosberg was a full second quicker than Mercedes team mate Michael Schumacher in Thursday's second Monaco practice. That gap may not be representative, but what is clear is that Rosberg is pretty happy with the way his weekend has started, Pirelli's new super-soft tyres included

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel looked pretty satisfied with his Thursday running in Monaco - fastest in the morning and fifth fastest in the afternoon, when Red Bull were focused on systems checks rather than speed. Yet to win in Monte Carlo, and with four victories from the first five races, the young German is eager to lift the trophy on Sunday. But he admits the Principality is a different challenge altogether and that anything could happen

Two-time Monaco winner Fernando Alonso is no stranger to success in Monte Carlo, and on Thursday he took the top practice honours, despite some stiff competition from McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg. Alonso, his rivals, and senior team personnel reflect on their early progress in the Principality…

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished Thursday afternoon's second practice session in Monaco just 0.105s apart, as Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa all ended up in the 1m 15s. As track conditions continually improved, the times got faster and faster, with Alonso finally lapping in 1m 15.123s. Hamilton got down to 1m 15.228s, and Rosberg got the Mercedes going very quickly for 1m 15.321s, with Button fourth on 1m 15.448s from Vettel on 1m 15.667s and Massa's 1m 15.781s. That made four marques in the top six: Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.

Chart-topping kings of cool Kaiser Chiefs are to play a private gig at the official F1™ Party in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The party will be held at London's Natural History Museum on July 6 to celebrate the official launch of the 2011 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX. The party is held with the kind permission of Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One Group, and Santander, title sponsor of the British Grand Prix, are generously sponsoring the event...

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso staged a great fight for fastest time in the closing minutes of the first practice session here in Monaco on Thursday morning, with Vettel finally triumphing over Alonso by 0.113s just when it seemed that the Ferrari driver had things in the bag. As team mate Mark Webber had a dismal time with mechanical problems that restricted him to only three slow laps and no time, the world champion pushed his way round in 1m 16.619s to edge out Alonso's 1m 16.732s, which itself had just displaced Rosberg's 1m 17.139s for Mercedes.

Hard on the heels of the news that former McLaren and Benetton engineer Pat Fry has taken over Aldo Costa's responsibility for chassis development, Fernando Alonso has put Ferrari on notice that they must get their act together quickly if they are to stand any chance of catching and challenging Red Bull and McLaren for the 2011 world championship

Seeing Jenson Button back on the podium in Spain last weekend, the relief on his face was obvious - it had been a while. McLaren may not yet have the speed to challenge Red Bull in qualifying, but on race pace it's a different story. Now they just need to translate that into victory - and Button is ready to do just that here in Monaco

Having claimed victory in last year's Monaco GP2 race, Sauber driver Sergio Perez is well versed in what's needed to win on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. And just five races into his Formula One career, Perez has already broken his points' duck. All in all, he can be proud of how his Formula One career is progressing, but the young Mexican is not ready to rest on his rookie laurels just yet

Drivers - Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Jenson Button (McLaren), Nick Heidfeld (Renault), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) and Jarno Trulli (Team Lotus). Q: Nick, second here in 2005. Renault reckon they are historically good here. What are your thoughts about this race coming up? Nick Heidfeld: I am definitely looking forward to it

The paddock may be a hive of activity with preparations for this weekend's Monaco round, but there's also news regarding another one of the calendar's glamorous waterside events. F1 Rocks™ have announced they are to host two nights of their F1 Rocks™ The Afterparty during next month's 2011 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE, which takes place in Valencia from June 24-26. F1 Rocks™ will kick off the weekend with at a star-packed concert headlined by mega producer David Guetta at the Spanish city's Agora (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) on the Friday night. Then following the on-track action on both Saturday and Sunday, the exclusive F1 Rocks™ The Afterparty will be held at L'umbracle Terraza, also at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Legendary DJ Seb Fontaine will provide the soundtrack.

Mercedes drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg join four of their rivals to face the media in Monte Carlo on Wednesday, while on Friday it's the turn of senior team personnel including Red Bull's Adrian Newey and Force India's Vijay Mallya to answer questions. The line-up in full…

Can Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel add another special place to his 'win list' with success in Monte Carlo this weekend? Or will the unique nature of this tight little circuit in the Principality of Monaco throw things open and enable McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes or even Renault to get into the winning picture? With four wins out of five thus far in 2011, and Mark Webber's runaway victory here in 2010, the reigning world champion has to start favourite.