Second generation driver Nico Rosberg has completed a textbook lights-to-flag victory to take his maiden win in Formula One. The win also marked Mercedes' first win as a constructor since Juan Manuel Fangio's victory at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. Rosberg backed up his stunning qualifying lap with a flawless start, ensuring his second-placed teammate Michael Schumacher had no chance to challenge for the lead. 'Unbelievable feeling. Very cool, very happy, very excited,' said a joyous Rosberg. 'It's been a long time coming for me and for the team.' The first-time winner also paid tribute to his Mercedes team. 'Big thanks to the whole team, because all of the engineers have been working very, very hard on improving the set-up. It's very nice to see how quickly we are progressing." Rosberg controlled the gap between the front and the myriad of drivers that filled second place over the course of the 56 laps. Initially it was his Mercedes teammate Michael Schumacher, who followed Rosberg to his first stop on lap 13. However, a pit stop error during the seven times World Champion's pitstop forced him to stop on track with a loose front right wheel. Jenson Button did well to improve from his fifth-place grid slot to finish the race on the second step of the podium.
Continue reading...Sunday, March 18, 2012
Jenson Button took home the first 25 points of the 2012 season after a dominant dominant drive at the Australian Grand Prix. The 2009 World Champion and now three times Melbourne winner rocketed from P2 on the grid to lead the race home, virtually leading from start to finish. Button swiftly passed his team-mate Lewis Hamilton on the way down to the first corner after the younger Briton pulled slowly off the line. He quickly established a three second buffer, from which point he remained untouchable. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel hauled his Red Bull into second place, despite an uncompetitive qualifying session that had him starting from P6. Vettel jumped one place to fifth off the line after Mark Webber suffered from a problematic getaway, from which point he applied pressure to fourth-running Nico Rosberg, and quickly passed him. Although Vettel succumbed to an early and uncharacteristic mistake in the chase for third-placed Michael Schumacher, a brief excursion onto the grass triggered a mechanical failure in the W03, gifting the younger Champion P3.
Continue reading...Monday, November 28, 2011
Mark Webber has taken his first win of the season at Interlagos overnight, winning his second Brazilian Grand Prix. Webber started second on the grid for the final race of the season, but was gifted the lead on lap 30 after gearbox issues forced Sebastian Vettel to let his team-mate pass. The win secured the Australian third [...]
Continue reading...Monday, August 1, 2011
Jenson Button has commemorated his 200th Grand Prix start with a scintillating win of strategy in Hungary overnight. The Briton, who won his first Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in 2006, came from negotiated a green circuit and two rain sessions to take his 12th career victory and second of the season. 'For some reason I like these conditions, don't ask me why', said Button after the race. 'All round, an amazing weekend'. 'A great call by the team to put me on the prime tyres when they did.' 'I think we're going into the break on nice high.' He led home championship leader Sebastian Vettel who, despite not taking victory for the past four rounds, has extended his championship lead to 85 points over teammate Webber. 'I couldn't push as hard as I would like to', commented Vettel. 'Second today was an important step. Nevertheless, I think the win was in reach today and we didn't get it'. 'It's clear now that they [McLaren] have done a step forward and we need to make sure we come back.' Fernando Alonso completed the podium with a strong third place finish, confirming Ferrari's return to form is able to persist through all conditions.
Continue reading...Monday, May 10, 2010
Australian driver Mark Webber has won his third Formula One Grand Prix with an all the way win in the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Webber started from pole and held off Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton into the first corner and from there was never really in any trouble. Hamilton looked set for second place after a forceful pass after leaving the pits that snookered Vettel, But a left hand front tyre failure with only a lap to go put the silver and red McLaren into the wall. This put Ferrari's Fernando Alonso into second much to the delight of the home town crowd. Vettel hung on for third despite failing brakes which had his worried team on the radio urging the German to slow down.
Continue reading...Thursday, January 14, 2010
Indy Racing League driver Ryan Briscoe has topped Formula One star Mark Webber and 2009 Le Mans and ALMS winner David Brabham to be the top ranked Australian driver in a new world driver ranking system. The Castrol Driver Ranking System claims to fairly compare drivers across a number of different race series and styles. The rankings analyse performances over 50 major National and International racing series, points are awarded based on a bewildering formula based on results from qualifying, racing and fastest laps. Events and series are also given a rating based on the number of rounds and the "importance" of the event or series. The rankings were revealed at the Autosport International Show in Great Britain by former F1 driver David Coulthard.
Continue reading...Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The most successful partnership in Formula One history is set to be reunited with the news that seven time World F1 Champion Michael Schumacher will drive for Mercedes in the 2010 World Drivers Championship. Schumacher will again team with Ross Brawn, the man who helped the German to his incredible success throughout the late 90's and into the new century. According to the German newspaper "The Bild", Mercedes GP will soon make the official announcement that Schumacher has signed with the team for one year with a further one year option. The paper says that Schumacher will effectively be warming the seat for another fast young German star in Sebastian Vettel, who still has two years to serve on his Red Bull contract.
Continue reading...Monday, March 30, 2009
The sensational win by Jenson Button of the Australian Grand Prix has reinvigorated the sport. The team formally known as Honda faced extinction only six weeks ago and yesterday in front of over 105'000 people the new Brawn GP team dominated as Button led team-mate Rubens Barrichello home in a Brawn Mercedes 1-2. Toyota's Timo Glock crossed the line in third but was later penalised for passing under a yellow flag giving reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton the final podium spot. Local hero Mark Webber again had a dire home GP after tangling with Barrichello into turn one forcing him into the pits and well out of contention. After the race an emotional Webber couldn't hide his intense disappointment. "For all the fans to come and watch today, I wanted a good result for many reasons today." Drivers were critical of the race's new start time with glare from the setting sun causing problems for several drivers including the winner. It was really difficult, you know a few of the corners, it's strange for such an open circuit you could not see the exit of the corners at all," he said. "I used a visor that was slightly tinted and that was the correct thing to do, but with the glare from the sun and the change in light from the trees it was so, so difficult - so easy to put a wheel wrong." Toro Roso driver Sebastian Bourdais was one of the most vocal critics "We do half of a lap with the sun in your eyes," he said. "It's not the most enjoyable racing. Visibility is quite poor. Turn one is difficult, turn three is difficult. The shade from the trees makes it tough to get your eyes accustomed." Despite the current economic crisis and a clash with the local AFL football ( a regional curiosity much loved by the simple folk) crowds were down only about 16'000 overall. The race day crowd of 105'000 was only 3000 down on last year yet the Melbourne mainstream media have seized upon the downturn as a clear sign that the GP has passed it's use by date and that it should be shut down. Led by the taxpayer funded ABC, who launched into a tirade of the evils of taxpayer funding, and the inner-city broadsheet The Age, the football dominated Melbourne media spent most of the weekend trying to find any reason real or imagined to attack the race. Well known and respected football journalist Caroline Wilson was totally dismissive of the event when it came to discussion on the myopic ABC gabfest "The Outsiders"
Continue reading...Sunday, December 28, 2008
A report in the Italian newspaper La Stampa has claimed that Carlos Slim, a Mexican Billionaire - and there's a phrase you don't hear much these days - has brought the Honda Formula One team. According to the story Jenson Button will continue with the team but veteran Rubens Barichello will be replaced by Bruno Senna. Despite the story there has been no official conformation at this stage.
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Sunday, April 15, 2012
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