Showing posts with label Formula One. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 November 2014

Lewis Hamiton wins Abu Dhabi and wraps up Drivers' Championship

Lewis Hamiton wins Abu Dhabi and wraps up Drivers' Championship after rival Nico Rosberg suffers power failure

Rosberg started Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position but was overtaken by Hamilton at the first corner
Rosberg finished outside the points as he suffered power failure with his car and was lapped by his team-mate
Felipe Massa finished second in his Williams while his team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third
Jenson Button, in what could be his final grand prix, finished fifth

By JONATHAN MCEVOY FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 14:42, 23 November 2014 | UPDATED: 17:07, 23 November 2014

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Lewis Hamilton - 384 points

2. Nico Rosberg - 317 points

3. Daniel Ricciardo 238 points

Lewis Hamilton is the King of the Track again. History fell to the 29-year-old from Stevenage under the dark sky of Abu Dhabi, the fireworks greeting only the fourth Britain to win multiple Formula One world titles.

The fourth in the line to the throne – Prince Harry of Wales – went to the pit wall to say: ‘You are an absolute legend.’ They told him, too, that he was Mercedes-Benz’s first champion since a chap called Juan-Manuel Fangio, in 1955. He was the greatest of them all, but Hamilton is hardly a slouch. Hamilton's response was simple - 'Wooo-Hooo...World Champion'.

He even managed to pass Nico Rosberg on the penultimate lap to take the race win and the title by 67 points. Double scoring was an irrelevance, thankfully.

Lewis Hamilton is paraded in front of the world's media after celebrating his second world championship triumph in Abu Dhabi

The Briton is drenched in bubbly after posing for a team photo with his Mercedes crew in the Abu Dhabi pit-lane

Hamilton fought back the tears on the podium as the British national anthem played, and right, with the trophy and pointing to the crowd

Hamilton punches the air as he crosses the start-finish line to claim his 11th victory of the campaign

Hamilton leapt out of his Mercedes and ran to his family and girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, giving the popstar a kiss

Rosberg congratulated his team-mate before the victorious Briton headed out on to the podium

Hamilton celebrates on the rostrum with Toto Wolff, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, who completed a strong result for Williams

FINAL DRIVERS STANDINGS - TOP 10
Driver	Team	Points
Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes 384	384
Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	317
Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	238
Valtteri Bottas	Williams	186
Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	167
Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	161
Felipe Massa	Williams	134
Jenson Button	McLaren	126
Nico Hulkenberg	Force India	96
Sergio Perez	Force India	59

Add Hamilton’s name to Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart in the pantheon of British double title winners. Six years separated Hamilton’s first and second championships, but now the greatness he promised as a rookie of prodigious gifts has been rewarded as richly as his talent warrants.

The race had been set up perfectly by Rosberg searing to pole position by of 0.386sec 24 hours before. Saturday has been his day all year.

But it is Sunday that counts and after a weekend of fraying nerves, it took Hamilton even less time – a blink of an eye – to establish a lead in the race. Rosberg was stuck to his grid place like glue. Hamilton powered ahead, swept to his right in front of Rosberg and flew threw the first left-hand corner.

By the time Rosberg came round it, Hamilton was in Dubai. Or another planet.

A weekend of visible jitters, exasperated answers in press conferences, and false protestations that he was cooler than a cucumber in a tumbler of Hendrick’s – all consigned to history in one faultless move.

From that moment on the grid until the end of the 55th and concluding lap, the outcome seemed inevitable.

But, still, we held our breath for we had been to the brink of championship glory before with Lewis, the master of suspense. In 2007 he started the last race seven points ahead of Kimi Raikkonen only to suffer gearbox failure, finish seventh and miss the title by a one point.

Prince Harry congratulates Hamilton over the team radio, and right, the Mercedes man celebrates his triumph with Nicole Scherzinger

Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix having lead the race from the first corner after overtaking Nico Rosberg

Hamilton ended the season with a win which sealed him the second F1 Drivers' Championship of his career

Hamilton held on to win by just under three seconds from Felipe Massa, with Valtteri Bottas also getting on the podium for Williams

A year later, he again took a seven-point lead into the finale, this time in Interlagos, against Felipe Massa. Hamilton was in sixth place as Massa crossed the line but scampered through the rain to move up to third on the final lap. There is more drama around this boy than Shakespeare.

So, heavens, we could not entirely discount the unpredictable, even though Rosberg has converted just three of his 10 poles into victory this season.

How must it have felt for Hamilton’s family who were late arrivals at the track, despite being told by their son he was better focused going to work without them being attendance? His father Anthony paced up and down as his wont. Nicole Scherzinger, step-mother Linda and brother Nic, in a Mercedes top, were all in the garage, their eyes fixed on the timing screens.

Rosberg had a race to forget as he lost the lead on the first corner of the race and then suffered with a power failure

Hamilton takes the lead on the very first corner of the race after overtaking Rosberg who started on pole

Hamilton got off to the best-possible start as he overtook Rosberg on the first corner and saw his car home to win the grand prix

But before the sun had set, in the twilight of the Abu Dhabi evening, Hamilton had gone into a comfortable lead. By his first stop, 10 laps in, the gap was 2.7sec. Rosberg stayed out a lap longer but it did him no good on rubber that was only getting worse.

Rosberg’s engineer Tony Ross came over the radio to explain their remedial strategy: ‘Keep the gap to him (Hamilton) manageable, and we’ll go long.’

But within minutes, the German veered off track. That was nothing compared to the problems with his car’s battery gizmos: the energy recovery system (ERS). ‘It’s failed,’ he said over the radio. That was costing him 160bhp and three seconds a lap.

Hamilton came in for new tyres as his time was dipping – Scherzinger bottom lip quivered – but he only needed to be re-shod. He came out and zoomed straight past Rosberg. Both men were totally fair and clean. Hamilton was away.

Now Rosberg had just one chance, scoring heavily enough to take the title if Hamilton were to stop. ‘Just get me into the top five or six as safely as possible,’ he said. Actually, he would need fifth mathematically to have a hope in hell.

‘How am I looking?’ he inquired, while lying seventh and slithering further back.

Williams' driver Felipe Massa took the lead in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but came second in the final race of the season

A TV broadcast shows Lotus' Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado leaving his burning car during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

‘Not good at the moment,’ he was told.

‘What the hell does that mean? What do I need to do?’

‘Just drive flat out.’

It was truly the most pathetic exchange of the season.

But it was not the last. ‘Hey, guys, what’s going on?’ he asked. ‘The car switched off and now the throttle is all over the place. Get my brake pedal back now please.’

As for Hamilton, the message was brighter. ‘Please don’t turn up the car (engine). Leave it alone. It is all working perfectly.’ And once Felipe Massa came in for his second stop, Hamilton was back in the lead. Twelve laps remained, all navigated calmly, even though Massa got close.

So the glory went to Hamilton, and who can say he did not deserve it? He is an extraordinary British sportsman at something like the peak of his powers. Eleven wins to Rosberg’s five is a fair reflection of the season.

Hamilton's girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger arrived to watch her boyfriend win his second Formula One title

Jenson Button and Daniel Ricciardo wave to the crowd ahead of the race in what could be the Brit's final race in Formula One

Prince Harry speaks with Ricciardo and Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner ahead of the race

We salute a genius of the track. He can be moody. His jewellery is not to everyone’s taste. But there is no denying sheer ability when you are privileged enough to see it. He has also worked hard, roaring back to victory after the bugler has played the Last Post on several qualifying sessions, mostly notably at Silverstone when he came from nowhere to win.

But we must pay tribute to Rosberg. He has conducted himself with grace, and driven beyond most people’s expectations.

I have travelled next to him on a plane, on which he was wearing a face mask to save himself from infection and turned down yoghurt because it was not fat free. Such are some of the small sacrifices of many sacrifices he has made to make his talent go even further than nature intended.

But, as in their karting days, it was P1: Lewis Hamilton; P2: Nico Rosberg.

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Jessica Michibata dazzles in a plunging minidress as she supports F1 driver beau Jenson Button ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

A dream in aquamarine: Jessica Michibata dazzles in a plunging minidress as she supports F1 driver beau Jenson Button ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

By LOUISE SAUNDERS

PUBLISHED: 20:54, 19 September 2013 | UPDATED: 20:55, 19 September 2013

She was every inch the dutiful girlfriend as she jetted out to Singapore support her racing driver beau, Jenson Button, ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

But Jessica Michibata certainly attracted attention away from the track as she arrived in the paddock to cheer on the Formula One champion ahead of his night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Thursday.

The 28-year-old model looked positively breathtaking as she showed off her elegant sense of style in a bright aquamarine minidress.

Turning heads: Jessica Michibata looked positively breathtaking in a bright aquamarine minidress as she turned out to support racing driver beau at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on Thursday night

Featuring a daring plunging neckline, the bold garment ensured the Japanese-Argentine beauty stood out from the crowd as she prepared to be her partner's lucky charm.

Looking effortlessly elegant, Jessica teamed her stylish dress with a pair of simple flat sandals, while accessorising with delicate gold jewellery and a dazzling diamond ring on her forefinger.

The Formula One WAG completed her stunning look by toting an envy-inducing purple leather Hermes Birkin handbag, while wearing her luscious light brunette locks tumbling in a dramatic cascade of curls around her shoulders.

Aquamarine dream: The 28-year-old model certainly attracted attention away from the track as she arrived in the paddock to cheer on the Formula One champion in the night race ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix

Showing off her effortless natural beauty, Jessica went make-up free, and seemed to be in high spirits as she chatted away with a couple of fellow attendees.

Earlier on Thursday, Jeson laid to rest rumours that he would be leaving the McLaren team at the end of the current F1 season.

Speaking to Sky Sports Rachel Brookes about his contract situation, he said: 'It's done. I'll be here next year.'

Bold and bright: The Japanese-Argentine beauty accessorised with delicate gold jewellery and a dazzling diamond ring on her forefinger, while toting an envy-inducing purple leather Hermes Birkin handbag

Effortlessly chic: Jessica wore her luscious light brunette locks tumbling in a dramatic cascade of curls around her shoulders, while showing off her striking natural beauty by going make-up free

And the British driver is eyeing a win at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix after a disappointing season, which has seen the team still searching for its first podium finish, despite being 12 races into the year.

He said: 'If we get one podium I don't think it really makes much difference. Winning is what we are here to do, so if we get a podium people will say, "Well, why are you happy with a podium? You're there to win".

'I don't think it will be disastrous if we don't get a podium. I don't really think it would make much difference if we did. But winning a grand prix is something that would stand out to me, would save a tough year.'

Dutiful girlfriend: Jenson is eyeing a win at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix after a disappointing season, which has seen the team still searching for its first podium finish, despite being 12 races into the year

Monday, 29 July 2013

Lewis Hamilton pays tribute to ex Nicole Scherzinger after Hungarian Grand Prix win

'I want to dedicate this to her': Lewis Hamilton pays tribute to ex Nicole Scherzinger after Hungarian Grand Prix win

By HANNA FLINT

PUBLISHED: 07:13, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 11:11, 29 July 2013

It was a day of celebration for Lewis Hamilton on Sunday, as he won back the Hungarian Grand Prix title.

But for the British racing driver, the success was bittersweet, for Nicole Scherzinger wasn't with him to share his happiness and success.

Therefore Lewis, 28, dedicated the trophy to his ex-girlfriend, as he continues to show signs that he wants his Pussycat Doll back.

Thinking of her: Lewis Hamilton dedicates his Hungarian Grand Prix win to Nicole Scherzinger

During an Sky Sports interview, Hamilton made his emotional tribute: 'I feel like, the thought on my mind through the entire race was of someone really special to me. And I want to dedicate it to her.'

Asked by the interviewer if that person was Nicole, 34, he smiled and confirmed her question.

Lewis then opened up about how trying it has been since they announced their split at the beginning of July.

Down in the dumps: Nicole does not look like she has been handling the break up well either

Downer: Lewis admitted he had been struggling over the last month since he split from his Pussycat Doll

Texting her? The F1 driver said it doesn't feel right without Nicole there sharing his win

It's been the toughest couple of months in my life,' Lewis confessed, So coming in to the race they [his parents] really wanted to lift my spirits keep my focus on and clearly it's not affecting my driving.

'But it just doesn't feel the same. A couple of years ago we were here together and I won, so I have great memories.'

However, Hamilton has had his parents rallying round to keep his spirits up, and help get him race ready for new team Mercedes.

In the past: When Lewis won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, Nicole was by his side

Not the same: Lewis clearly misses his American girlfriend cheering him from the stands

Miserable: The break up has affected Nicole badly as well, where even nights out with Miley Cyrus can't cheer her

'I've been on the phone to my mum this weekend who's been incredibly supportive,' Lewis said following his win. 'My dad's been calling me, I've been talking to my dad a lot the last week and he's been really supportive and just really trying to keep my spirits.

'And to come here after a real downer for the last few weeks, I really wasn't expecting [the win]'.

This isn't the first attempt to public reach out to Nicole by Lewis, as he wrote on Twitter last week: 'If you’ve found that special someone, don’t EVER let them go no matter what!! Nothing in this world is more important.'

And the driver has been using his music to come to terms with his emotions, tweeting from his recording studio: 'My hideaway – pouring my heart into this track!!'

Nicole has been equally heartbroken by the end of their five year relationship, with a source close to the X Factor judge telling the Mirror: 'They’d been talking about marriage so you can imagine how upsetting this whole thing has been for her.'

While Nicole hasn't publicly acknowledged Lewis's sentiments over the last few weeks, she has been looking downcast as she continues her X Factor UK duties and attending events on her own.

Monday, 1 July 2013

Rosberg takes British Grand Prix victory as fourth-placed Hamilton suffers puncture and Vettel is forced to retire

By JONATHAN MCEVOY

PUBLISHED: 14:42, 30 June 2013 | UPDATED: 00:12, 1 July 2013

Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix that nearly wasn’t. The 100,000 fans at Silverstone and a global television audience of millions watched in astonishment as tyres exploded, sending their rubbery debris flying down the track.

But unknown to the fans and drivers, race director Charlie Whiting, sitting in his control room above the circuit, was contemplating making one of the most momentous decisions in the history of the race: whether to call it off.

‘Yes, it certainly crossed my mind,’ he admitted afterwards. ‘We were quite close to pulling the plug. But in the end we decided we could carry on.’

Time to celebrate: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes won the British Grand Prix

On balance, Whiting was confident that there was no compelling safety reason to abort — a decision that saved Formula One from humiliation on one of its showpiece afternoons but did not make the hard questions go away.

The drama started in earnest on lap eight, when Lewis Hamilton’s left rear tyre ruptured as he turned through the Aintree corner into the Wellington straight. The rubber looked like string as what remained hung on to the wheel for dear life. The rest of the steel-reinforced tyre hurtled down the track in lumps.

This most gung-ho of racers, who finished fourth, talked afterwards of a fright that is typically alien to his nature, saying: ‘I felt today after my incident that you never know when your tyres are going to go. That’s the first time in my whole career that I’ve felt the danger.

‘You are just trying to drive and do your best to look after the tyres. But I don’t think this is about looking after tyres. It’s a much bigger problem. The car becomes very loose and out of control. You have to fight to keep it in a straight line. You become a passenger when the tyre goes. The rear of the car drops and the left front comes up.

Lovely bubbly: But the day was not as much of a success for Rosberg's team-mate Lewis Hamilton

Second and third: Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso completed the top three

Deserved winner: Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took victory at Silverstone

‘You only have two tyres on the track at any one time, which at that speed in not the best place to be. I was just thinking, “Jeez, I’m going to lose the race.” I was wondering how quickly I could get back to the pits. But for half an hour the blow-out was on my mind.’

It was ultimately a positive day for Hamilton, but before we return to the Englishman’s heroic drive from last place to fourth, we must recount the full trail of tyre trouble that will be the abiding memory of this year’s race.

Two laps after Hamilton’s misfortune, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa suffered the same fate at the same place. Five laps on, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne’s left rear blew just before the pit lane, his rubber spinning like a cartwheel. The safety car came out while marshals darted on to pick up the pieces.

Lap 29, the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez was sent sprawling when his front left went pop. Finally, on lap 47, Sergio Perez’s race was ended when his left rear ruptured. It took to 20 the number of times this season that Pirelli’s tyres have given up on the men whose safety depends on their adhesive qualities.

Retired: Sebastian Vettel was understandably disappointed after an engine failure ended his race

Tyred out: Lewis Hamilton was seriously undermined in his attempts to win at Silverstone

No wonder Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s head of motor sport, was taken by Whiting to see the FIA president Jean Todt in the governing body’s blue motorhome in the paddock. For 20 minutes or more, Todt made it clear to Hembery that he must deal with the situation urgently.

One note of caution before Pirelli are condemned outright. As our picture shows, the kerb at Turn Four — Aintree — has sharp edges that bite into the tyres, a fact that caused the teams to radio to their drivers to steer away from them.

If the track undoubtedly contributed to the problems, should Silverstone not have attended to this before the race? Should the FIA not have discovered this potential dangers during their inspections?

Returning to tyres themselves, one of the problems is that Pirelli are using a steel rather than Kevlar band this year. It has proved less durable.

They have, therefore, offered to revert to Kevlar. The snag is that the teams who have rumbled how best to use the new steel-based tyres — Ferrari, Force India and Lotus — are unwilling to surrender their advantage by submitting to the idea.

Leader of the pack: But Lewis Hamilton's day was to be ruined

It therefore falls to the FIA to impose their will on the disunited teams. There is rarely any other way in Formula One. You simply cannot allow the teams — selfish and disputatious — to govern themselves.

Action should be taken before the German Grand Prix next Sunday, even if the Nurburgring is a less likely to destroy the tyres than Barcelona and Silverstone, both of which place a greater strain on the vulnerabilities of the Pirelli design because of their high speed, lateral braking compositions.

However worrying yesterday’s events were, they were spectacular too. A chief contributor to the enjoyment was Hamilton.

His blow-out seemed to stir him, and once his lingering safety fears had subsided, he scythed his way up with a series of overtaking moves.

Iconic: The British GP at Silverstone remains a popular occasion

Debris: There are concerns surrounding the condition of the Pirelli tyres

The illicit test Mercedes conducted to understand the tyres better after last month’s Spanish Grand Prix appears to have helped dramatically, even if it took a gearbox failure to prevent Sebastian Vettel, in his dazzling Red Bull, from winning once Hamilton’s tyre had shredded itself.

The cheer that met Vettel’s demise was so loud it was a touch unsporting. A more generous reception marked the second place achieved by Vettel’s seemingly more popular team-mate, Mark Webber, with a late charge past Fernando Alonso, who finished third in his Ferrari.

Competitive: Several drivers showed true intent to win

Lightning strikes twice: Brazilian Felipe Massa suffered an identical fate to home driver Hamilton in his Ferrari

Flying off: Jean-Eric Vergne becomes the third driver to see his left-rear tyre explode on lap 15

‘It was Russian roulette,’ said Webber of his route through carnage that even included a lump of rubber falling into Kimi Raikkonen’s cockpit.

A final twist to this memorable day under the Silverstone sun came when Rosberg was hauled before the stewards for speeding under a yellow caution flag. He eluded a reprimand. The race, and its combatants, escaped something far more serious.

The ‘British Grand Prix that just about was’ triumphed on the cusp of ruin.

Under fire: Pirelli engineers examine a set of their compound tyres in the paddock

Unlucky? Vettel was not to finish the race

Ultimate winner: Rosberg enjoys the adulation that came with his victory

BRITISH GRAND PRIX TYRE FIASCO: LAP-BY-LAP

The British Grand Prix was today overshadowed by a string of tyre failures that will lead to serious questions being asked of manufacturer Pirelli.

In the space of eight laps over the first third of the race there were three failures, ultimately resulting in the introduction of the safety car after 15 laps to aid the marshals clear the debris.

All incidents involved the left-rear tyre, as was the case with Sergio Perez in final practice yesterday, with the Mexican unfortunately the final victim late in the race.

Lap eight:

Leading the race after making a strong start from pole position, Lewis Hamilton is the first to suffer as he heads down the Wellington Straight, his left-rear exploding and rapidly delaminating. Hamilton manages to make it back to the pits on just the wheel rim, but given he was only just over four corners into the lap, the time lost sees him drop to the back of the pack.

Lap 11:

Coming out of Aintree Corner on to the Wellington Straight, Ferrari's Felipe Massa is the next to suffer a blow-out. Running fourth at the time, Massa spins off the track, and like Hamilton faces a long, slow journey back to the pits to take on fresh tyres, the Brazilian relegated to last.

Lap 15:

Travelling at a speed of around 160mph at the end of the Hangar Straight into the gentle right-hander at Stowe, Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne manages to hang on to his car under braking as his left-rear gives way. Vergne was the more fortunate of the trio as his incident was close to the pit entrance, resulting in a short trip to take on new tyres.

It was at this point, with tyre carcasses strewn across the track, that race director Charlie Whiting deployed the safety car.

Lap 46:

Shortly after a second safety car incident to remove Sebastian Vettel's stricken Red Bull after he suffered a transmission failure, Perez suffered his second blow-out in two days to end his race.
There were two other notable incidents as Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez suffered a puncture to his front-left due to a cut, but no serious delamination.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, has confirmed he incurred a failure to his right-rear tyre just as he came into the pits for his stop.

KATCHING MY I

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Sunday, 23 November 2014