Kimi Räikkönen

Dumb Things Drivers Say

Australian V8 Supercars, Film and TV, Formula 1, Spultured

In the world of motorsport, you could say the occasional F-Bomb and the oh-so delicate word for faeces gets thrown around pit lane, but most of the time it never gets recorded on television.

Well, with a sprinkle of LIVE television and a teaspoon of emotional driver, you have yourself a recipe for something quite exciting – and of course, rather unfortunate for the driver’s bank account.

Warning: the following videos contain offensive language.

Scott McLaughlin – 2014 Clipsal 500

The 20-year-old Kiwi didn’t expect to finish second on debut with Volvo. He also didn’t realise he was going to drive the fans wild after his speech…

Kimi Raikkonen

The Ice-man is no stranger to the media for his comic-remarks, but hey, it’s why we love him, isn’t it?

Jim Richards – 1992 Bathurst

Nothing could have possibly better-welcomed Mark ‘Skaifey’ Skaife into the V8 Supercar world, especially when your teammate calls a group of wound-up fans this…

James Hunt – 1976 British Grand Prix

Oh, and this is James Hunt. Known as the biggest larrikin to ever win a Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. Bloody good on him.

Now, let’s wait for this weekend and see what the drivers’ can bring at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

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2014 Formula 1 season preview

Fiasco Sports, Formula 1

With cars changing and the future of the sport flashing before our eyes, Fiasco Sports looks at what is changing for the 2014 Formula 1 season. 

 

Source: Formula 1 official

Source: Formula 1 official

Recent testing at Jerez has shown that luck in Formula 1 can change almost immediately.

Red Bull Racing’s engineers had to fly back to England to work on electrical issues with the new RB10 car, some issues still being unresolved with the new design at the Bahrain testing, with Adrian Newey explaining, “we have gone too aggressive with the new car design, and that has cost us testing laps.”

Source: Ausmotive

Source: Ausmotive

Mercedes and Ferrari look to be strong, according to the test days and the amount of laps they have completed and the driver line-ups.

It is set to be a competitive season with Kimi Raikkonen joining Fernando Alonso at Ferrari.

The 2014 season will see three new young drivers step-up from the development ranks to Formula 1, including McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen, Toro Rosso’s Danill Kvyat and Caterham’s Marcus Ericsson. 

Source: Ausmotive

Source: Ausmotive

Due to new weight regulations, teams are required to reconsider car design for the 2014 championship to enhance better fuel consumption as well as using a different size motor, with the 2014 cars using a V6 1.6 litre turbo-charged engine.

Below is a breakdown of what has changed for each individual team for the 2014 championship, including drivers, chosen race numbers and the updates for the team’s cars.

Source: Ausmotive

Source: Ausmotive

Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel #1
Daniel Ricciardo #3
RB10: The Renault-powered Formula 1 car requires to be cooled more than any other engine, the new design is too aggressive causing the car to overheat.

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso #14
Kimi Raikkonen #7
F14 T: Ferrari have developed a car retaining last year’s pull-rod suspension, but have changed nearly everything else by increasing the cooling system while keeping adequate aerodynamic downforce and changing the body shape to balance the weight of the car.

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton #44
Nico Rosberg #6
F1 W05: The Mercedes-powered car includes an elegant design. Mercedes having a strong advantage working directly with the motor suppliers and being able to mould the car to the engine, rather than build the motor to the car like other teams, giving them the edge gaining important laps during testing.

McLaren
Jenson Button #22
Kevin Magnussen #20
MP4-29: McLaren have chosen the “anteater” nose style and the rear wing has completely changed this year, being held up by one single pillar. McLaren will continue to use Mercedes engines for the 20th season, before heading to Honda for 2015.

Lotus
Romain Grosjean #8
Pastor Maldonado #13
E22: Lotus were one team that didn’t feature at the first pre-season test in Jerez, unveiling the car at Bahrain and believing they can be the lead Renault team this year, currently working on optimising the power delivery allowing drivers to more time to get used to it.

Force India
Nico Hulkenberg #27
Sergio Perez #11
VJM07: Force India has changed their livery to a black-dominant colour, utilising an unusual nose design, with the team continuing to partner with Mercedes who will supply the entire drive train.

Source: Ausmotive

Source: Ausmotive

Sauber
Adrian Sutil #99
Esteban Gutierrez #21
C33: The Ferrari-powered Formula 1 car has included new elements used for the Ferrari’s F14, while opting for an unusual nose design.

Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne #25
Daniil Kvyat #26
STR9: The Renault-powered car began work during the summer of 2012, with the team working on the aero-package of the car and focusing on the development of creating a more current and competitive shape.

Williams
Felipe Massa #19
Valterri Bottas #77
FW36: Due to new regulations, Williams have decided to attach the end plates to a new ‘beam wing’, which is placed less than 150mm above the reference plate, where there are no restrictions, utilising the rear diffuser and making the new innovation just as effective as 2013′s rules.

Marussia
Jules Bianchi #17
Max Chilton #4
MR03: Using a Ferrari engine for 2014, the MR03 compared to other cars on the grid is using a more simplistic design; similar to McLaren they are using a single-pillar rear wing.

Caterham
Kamui Kobayashi #10
Marcus Ericsson #9
CT05: For the fourth year in a row, Caterham will use Renault F1 Sport engines, while unveiling a car with a very unusual nose design in striking green paint.

Source: Ausmotive

Source: Ausmotive

Some changes have also occurred with the official 2014 race calendar, with the Korean and Indian races dropped for the Austrian and Russian Grand Prix.

The official Formula 1 Championship will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne’s Albert Park on March 16, starting the nineteen-round season.

Round Date Race
1
Mar 16
Australian Grand Prix
2
Mar 30
Malaysia Grand Prix
3
Apr 7
Bahrain Grand Prix
4
Apr 20
Chinese Grand Prix
5
May 11
Spanish Grand Prix
6
May 25
Monaco Grand Prix
7
Jun 9
Canadian Grand Prix
8
Jun 22
Austrian Grand Prix
9
Jul 6
British Grand Prix
10
Jul 20
German Grand Prix
11
Jul 27
Hungarian Grand Prix
12
Aug 24
Belgian Grand Prix
13
Sep 7
Italian Grand Prix
14
Sep 21
Singapore Grand Prix
15
Oct 5
Japanese Grand Prix
16
Oct 12
Russian Grand Prix
17
Nov 3
United States Grand Prix
18
Nov 10
Brazilian Grand Prix
19
Nov 23
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

 

Written by Loren Hazelwood. @LorenHazelwood

– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/2014-formula-1-season-preview/#sthash.G9w3IMPz.dpuf

Nosing into the 2014 Formula 1 Season

Formula 1, Spultured

Ricciardo RB10 stop Jerez D3_600

So most of us motorsport fans are thinking, what is the deal with the new Formula 1 front-ends? They look weird, but knowing the deal with Formula 1 there is a reason why the cars have changed.

The FIA have decided to add new rules into the sport for 2014, making this year’s cars arguably the most unattractive of our time, but hey… It will be better for the trees.

Formula 1 has changed the size of the engine to a turbo-charged 1.6-litre V6 in a bid to make the cars more environmentally friendly.

Not only have the cars changed for this year, but so have the teams. In fact you could say there was a bit of shuffling going on in the pits during the off-season. Three rookies will also attack the field this year, and Kamui Kobayashi is back for Caterham.

Unfortunately for us Aussies, there is only one Australian participating in the Formula 1 season this year. Young Daniel Ricciardo replaces Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, partnering new-dad Sebastian Vettel.

The biggest test of this year you ask? Well, Kimi Raikkonen back at Ferrari – of course. Going back to a former team with a former world champion by the name of Fernando Alonso is sure to be interesting and very competitive.

And because of our good German friend Sebastian Vettel winning the past four Drivers’ Championships, the FIA has decided to introduce a ‘double points’ feature for the final round, just to make it a little more interesting. Even though the Red Bull driver won the last championship with races to spare, the FIA believe this will spice up the final round.

Another fun fact, drivers this year are able to choose what number they want to race with for the Formula 1 season. Interestingly, Pastor Maldonado chose unlucky 13.

Pre-season testing kicked off a few weeks ago in Jerez, which saw the favourites for this year, Red Bull, flying back to headquarters in England to work on electrical faults. Further testing got under way in Bahrain over the weekend and you know it’s going to be a strong season when the testing can’t identify who will win the first round in Australia.

So, in summary – new cars, new engines, new points advantages, new numbers… I mean, this season is going to be more unpredictable than ever, so please don’t head down to your local TAB and place a bet on the Australian Grand Prix. In case you’re wondering, it all kicks off March 14 on the streets of Melbourne.

#KeepCalmF1SeasonIsNear

@LorenHazelwood

Vettel takes pole for Korean Grand Prix

Fiasco Sports, Formula 1

Reigning Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel has claimed pole position for the 2013 Korean Grand Prix. 

Sebastian Vettel takes his sixth pole for the season. Photo: Getty Images/The Daily Telegraph

Sebastian Vettel takes his sixth pole for the season. Photo: Getty Images/The Daily Telegraph

Sebastian Vettel has taken his sixth consecutive pole position for the 2013 Formula 1 Championship, setting a great first lap in Q3 with a time of 1:37.202.

 

The German was quick throughout all the qualifying sessions, feeling threatened by the Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who was quickest in practice yesterday, qualifying second.

 

Australian Redbull racer Mark Webber qualified in third, but will unfortunately will take a 10-spot penalty for tomorrow’s race due to an incident from the Singapore Grand Prix.

 

Lotus driver Romain Grosjean took fourth spot on the grid, while his teammate Kimi Raikkonen qualified tenth.

 

Next in line on the grid are the Ferrari team, with Fernando Alonso qualifying sixth and Felipe Massa starting from seventh. 

 

The Sauber-Ferrari had a strong run in qualifying, with Nico Hulkenberg taking eighth and Esteban Gutierrez placing ninth.

 

Australian Daniel Ricciardo just missed out on the top ten, starting from 13th for tomorrow’s race.

 

Despite no one having ever won the Korean Grand Prix from pole before, Vettel is confident he can back up his win from last year and extend his championship lead.

 

Full qualifying results

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:38.683 1:37.569 1:37.202
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:38.574 1:37.824 1:37.420
3 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:39.138 1:37.840 1:37.464
4 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:39.065 1:38.076 1:37.531
5 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:38.418 1:38.031 1:37.679
6 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:38.520 1:37.978 1:38.038
7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:38.884 1:38.295 1:38.223
8 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1:38.427 1:37.913 1:38.237
9 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1:38.725 1:38.327 1:38.405
10 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:38.341 1:38.181 1:38.822
11 Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1:39.049 1:38.362
12 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:38.882 1:38.365
13 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:38.525 1:38.417
14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:38.988 1:38.431
15 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:39.185 1:38.718
16 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:39.075 1:38.781
17 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1:39.470
18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:39.987
19 Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1:40.864
20 Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1:40.871
21 Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1:41.169

 

– See more at: http://fiascosports.com/vettel-takes-pole-for-korean-grand-prix/#sthash.uAXztfYR.dpuf

Vettel Claims Pole for Canadian Grand Prix

Fiasco Sports, Formula 1

Published on: http://www.fiascosports.com

Sebastian Vettel racing to pole. Photo: Luca Bruno

Sebastian Vettel racing to pole. Photo: Luca Bruno

Redbull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel has taken advantage of the wet circuit conditions at the Montreal circuit, taking his third-straight pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton was second quickest to the German, but the surprise for the session was William’s driver Veltteri Bottas who blitzed through the wet conditions to qualify third.

Monaco-winner Nico Rosberg continued to show his pace placing fourth, with Australian Mark Webber rounding out the top five.

Fernando Alonso struggled once again with the car, only managing sixth fastest, with Jean Eric-Vergne, Adrian Sutil, Kimi Raikkonen and Australian Daniel Ricciardo to start in the top ten.

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa unfortunately finished Q2 in the wall, with the qualifying session then red-flagged with minutes to go.

The two McLarens continued their lack of pace, with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez both missing out on Q3.

Despite qualifying in 19th, Romain Grosjean will surrender his position and start in last place, due to a 10-grid spot penalty from causing an incident at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Pos Driver                Team                 Time           Gap   

1. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault     1m25.425s

2. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes             1m25.512s  + 0.087s

3. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault     1m25.897s  + 0.472s

4. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes             1m26.008s  + 0.583s

5. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault     1m26.208s  + 0.783s

6. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari              1m26.504s  + 1.079s

7. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m26.543s  + 1.118s

8. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes 1m27.348s  + 1.923s

9. Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault        1m27.432s  + 2.007s

10. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m27.946s  + 2.521s

11. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari       1m29.435s  + 1.786s

12. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes     1m29.761s  + 2.112s

13. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault     1m29.917s  + 2.268s

14. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes     1m30.068s  + 2.419s

15. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari       1m30.315s  + 2.666s

16. Felipe Massa          Ferrari              1m30.354s  + 2.705s

17. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes 1m24.908s  + 2.590

18. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault     1m25.626s  + 3.308

19. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault        1m25.716s  + 3.398

20. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth    1m26.508s  + 4.190

21. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth    1m27.062s  + 4.744

22. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault     1m27.110s  + 4.792

Father Like Son In The Streets Of Monaco

Formula 1, Spultured

Published on: http://www.spultured.com

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Last night’s Monaco Grand Prix not only delivered a two-hour race of the Formula 1 cars screaming down the streets of Monte Carlo, but saw Nico Rosberg take his first victory at the circuit, 30 years after his father Keke Rosberg claimed victory there, becoming the first father-son duo to ever win a race.

The race was full of wheel-to-armco action, but Rosberg stayed out in front of the pack for the entire grand prix, keeping the same form he had all weekend being quickest in practice and qualifying.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel struggled with his pace and finished second behind the fellow German, although he did still manage to set the fastest lap of the race, pushing it on his soft compound tyres. Vettel’s Australian team mate Mark Webber followed the same pit strategy and crossed the line in third.

The start showed just why Rosberg and Hamilton were on the front row, with the Renault Red Bull’s unfortunately not being able to jump the two Mercedes at the start of the race,

The front of the field were behaving themselves, while a few places back the McLaren boys were at it again. Sergio Perez make life hard for Jenson Button, who tried everything to get past his team mate, with Button complaining about Perez cutting him off when trying for a pass.

There was also damage for Van De Garde and Maldonado, with Van De Garde hitting the Williams of Maldonado through the chicane.

The racing was tight, by lap 7 the top six were only separated by 5.5 seconds, and with the newly formulated Pirelli tyres, the strategy for most teams was a two-stop race.

Mark Webber was first to pit out of the front-runners on lap 25, with Kimi Raikkonen pitting one lap later, which was early considering the team at Lotus were using a one-stop strategy for the 78 lap duration.

Sebastian Vettel then made his pit stop, while Felipe Massa managed to hit the wall in the same place he did in practice, which saw the Ferrari driver unable to register a qualifying time. At this point, the Mercedes drivers had not made their first pit stop.

The Mercedes team then decided to pit their two front-running drivers, but this unfortunately hurt Hamilton, who was “leap-frogged” by the two Red Bull cars and fell back to fourth.

Because of the damage caused to Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, for the first time this season the safety car was on the circuit. Massa was attended by the medics but was later taken to hospital due to whiplash.

After nine laps of the safety car, the race was restarted. Hamilton was desperate for his two spots back and was trying all his moves on Aussie Webber. Raikkonen was also super defensive on Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

It was only four laps later until another racing incident occurred. Bianchi squeezed Maldonado out into the air and then into the wall. The wall was too damaged to bring out another safety car and debris was all over the track, so the race was red flagged and all the drivers were sent to the starting grid.

In this situation, drivers are allowed to get out of their cars, talk with their engineers, grab a drink and mechanics are also allowed to work on their racing cars. During the break the stewards also decided that Fernando Alonso should give back a spot to Sergio Perez, where Perez tried making a pass on Alonso through the chicane.

With the race on the verge of two hours and twenty minutes, drivers had to make their way through the race quickly to make it through the 78-lap duration. The restart saw Rosberg get a great jump on Vettel, with Mark Webber defending his third position well on Lewis Hamilton.

Lap 60 saw another retirement of the race, with Bianchi locking up and going sideways into turn one.

Two laps later, another safety car was called and it was Grosjean who striked again, taking out Australian Daniel Ricciardo by riding the back of his Torro Rosso. Both of the drivers failed to finish the grand prix.

The race then restarted and all of the drivers were hungry for the top position. Rosberg stayed out of trouble to take the win, with Sebastian Vettel following in second. Last year’s race winner Mark Webber managed to hold off Hamilton to take third.

Quiet achiever from Force India Adrian Sutil took out fifth place, with Jenson Button rounding out the top six. Raikkonen dropped from fifth to 16th with seven laps remaining after coming together with Perez, but still managed to sneak inside the top ten.