Tag: ferrari

2019 British Grand Prix

Romain Grosjean started the British Grand Prix in the 14th starting position, Kevin Magnussen the 16th.

At the end of lap 1… Magnussen 4 running 20th by the end of the first lap. The two Haas cars touche on the first lap, and they punctured each other rear tire. Magnussen was blue flagged on lap 3, he retired from the race on lap 8.

Romain Grosjean dropped 5 positions by the end of the first lap of the race. He was running 19th, of the 20 car field. Grosjean was lapped by the Mercedes Silver Arrows on lap 9. He retired from the race on lap 12.

Note* It was on lap 31 that the Sky F1 reporters decided to tell the “American audience” that Grosjean retired due to a lack of down force, and Magnussen a vibration.

The Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi spun out on lap 21. Lewis Hamilton was the first into and out of the pits, and with a new set of hard tires. Enough to take him to the end of thee race. Because of the safety car, and the position of the field at the time of the safety car, Hamilton was able to pit and reemerge back into first place. He would not have been able to do this under normal racing conditions, but the reduced speeds of his competitors from the safety car, the expanded approach time was enough to keep him in first place.

Lewis Hamilton won his 6th British Grand Prix. With 10 laps remaining, there were calls from the Mercedes pit were for Hamilton to pit for new tires. A defiant Hamilton finished the race on those same hard tires. His teammate Valtteri Bottas finished second, and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc would take the third step.

For Haas… they will regroup. The German Grand Prix is in two weeks; July 28th.

2019 Canadian Grand Prix


The 2019 Canadian Grand Prix will go down in history as one of the most controversial races in a long time. 

The race was won by Ferrari driver Sebestain Vettel. But the win was handed to Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton after Vettel was handed a 5 second penaly on lap xx for an unsafe entry after cutting turn x and skidding across the grass and into hamilton’s racing lane. Everyone from Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansel, Jensen Button, Sky F1 analysys martin Mrundel, Karun Chandhok, Leigh Diffy, David Hobbs are among those who have called the stewards ruling incorrect. 

It seems that any of the other facts from the race are meaningless.  When Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansel both agree with your opinion regarding a Formula 1 racing, you’re on solid ground. 

But regarding the race…

Kevin Magnussen was the only Haas Car to make it to the third round of qualifying, but he kissed the wall of champions in the closing moments of Q2. As the rear of his car bounced off of the wall, the car spun around and hit the wall on the opposing side of the track. The qualifying session ended under the red flag created by the accident. Kevin Magnusssen was not injured. His crew was able to rebuild his car and he started the race from the pit lane, 20th position. He finished 17th. 

Romain Grosjean”s qualifying session was interrupted by Magnussen’s crash. As a result, Romain Grosjean did not get out of the second qualifying session and started 14th. He lost 4 positions on the race start when Alexander Albon’s Toro Rosso lost it’s front wing in a three wide converging incident. Grosjean would finish 14th. Both Renults finished in the points as Ricciardo and Hulkenberg finished 6th and 7th respectfully for a total grab of 14 points. Lance Stroll scored two points in the home grand pris for himself and Racing Point. And Dany Kvyat rounded off the scoring with 1 point in his Toro Rosso.

At one point in the race Kevin magnussen declared that it was the worst experiences he’s ever had in a racing car. One can only assume that his car could have used some adjustments on the setup. 

With this race behind us it is back to Europe for the French Grand prix on June 23rd. This will be Romain Grosjean’s home race. He will be anxious to perform for his home crowd. Let’s hope he can provide a good result along with his teammate. Well see you then!

2019 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying

The Monaco harbor master is usually the one with the most frayed nerves during Grand Prix weekend. Until the fairy tale arrival of Charles LeClerc was shattered into an Italian tragedy, the scarlet blood-red Ferrari failed to qualify for the second session of competition. Was it incompetence? Was it…. No, it was incompetence. Perhaps harsh. Call it a passionate miscalculation. Regardless, LeClerc was OUT in Q1! It was not meant to be…. And fantasy Formula 1 leagues tumble on the disappointment which is motor racing!

The Rich Energy Haas F1 Team, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, were able to advance to Q2. Q3 is when tragedy struck a Haas car. This time the villain is Pierre Gasley in the Toro Rosso. He was driving slowly on the racing line and backed up Grosjean’s hot lap. Kevin Magnussen qualified 6th with what Martin Brumble called a “fully committed lap”. KMags was brilliant! Behind the scenes there is a bitter argument between two Frenchmen going on, Grosjean and Gasley… at the time of this writing we are aghast with Gasley, as are the stewards.

But as cars rolled onto the track for the third round of qualifying, Haas fans had one eye raised with measured optimism. Bottas immediately went to the top with a 1:10.252. Magnussen held P4 with a .999 gap to Bottas. But Magnussen quickly droped to 5th, behind Gasley, Vettel, Verstappen and Bottas. He dropped to 6th as Hamilton beat Verstappen for P2. But going into the final run for pole, KMags maintained that .999 second gap to the leader. This is by far the best qualifying run for any Haas car, ever. Imagine if Grosjean was able to make the final qualifying session? I suspect that Ricciardo’s Redbull would be easy pickings on this day for Grosjean.

With 2 minutes remaining in qualifying, the cars took to the track for their final run. Ricciardo was the first to strike and displace the Haas of Kevin Magnussen for 6th. Magnussen responds, to gap with the leader by .890, but not enough to take Ricciardo’s P6. With 12 seconds remaining, Lewis Hamilton jumps to the pole with a 1:10.166 , and the gap to Magnussen parts to 1.066.  But as Magnussen’s Ferrari powered Rich Energy Haas car crossed the line, he closed the gap to .943 seconds from Hamilton’s 1:11.109. In doing so, Magnussen finished 6th, ahead of Ricciardo’s Renault by .089 sec. Very sweet!

Following the qualifying sessions, Red Bull driver Pierre Gasley was summoned to the race control. His block of Grosjean’s qualifying run was not well-received by the race stewards. Gasley was given a three grid spot penalty and one point against his FIA super license. So Gasley’s penalty moved Kevin Magnussen up to the 5th starting position. That translates to row three, and next to Vettel. Anything can happen between the start of the race, and the end of turn 1. Without any Renault powered cars ahead, the likely hood of a mechanical failure at the front is reduced. Regardless, the podium is within sight of a Haas car… we’re getting somewhere!

2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Post Race

Hopes for the Haas F1 Team were high going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With 47 points, American team was only 2 points behind the 7th place Renault Team. And Renault trailed Toro Rosso by 4 points, they had 53 points.

Neither of the two Toro Rosso or Haas cars scored points. Carlos Sainz had to retire his Lotus when on lap 32 the wheel nut was never replaced on his left front wheel after the tire was replaced. Nico Hulkenberg was in 6th place when Sainz retired, and that is where Hulkenberg finished.The 6th place finish added 6 construction points for Renault which gave them a total of 55, taking 6th place in the constructors championship from Toro Rosso.

For Haas… the 11th place finish is a reminder that we’re still working through some of our rookie problems. The rookie year may only include the first year, but they are seemingly still seeing some problems for the first time. So it takes time. But by all accounts, the Haas car is fast in a straight line. I’m also hearing on NBC that Haas has been focusing on their aero package; new designed and new engineering staff.

But hey, with 8th place, Haas F1 beat both McLaren F1 this year and Renault in 2016. But Haas needs fast and reliable power from Ferrari for 2018.

Regarding the drivers, Romain Grosjean actually scored one less point this year. In 2016, Grosjean was the only Haas driver to score any points. The top 10 race finishers score points in Formula 1. Esteban Gutierrez finished in 11th place, 5 times. Kevin Magnussen delivered 19 points for the Haas team in 2017.

The 19 points for Magnussen places him 14 in this years drivers companionship while Romain Grosjean finished 13th with his 28 points.

So that’s it. Thanksgiving weekend is over in the United States, the Formula 1 season is over, and the holidays officially begin.

We would like to extend a great thank you to the members of the Haas F1 Team. You are giving American Formula 1 fans a team they can be proud of. Happy Holidays to you all and good luck with that 2018 design!!

2017 Italian Grand Prix – Race Review

Hopes for the Haas F1 Team were over on Saturday after just 2 minutes into the first qualifying session. The rainy conditions during the first two minutes of qualifying were greater than the Blue Pirelli full wet tires could accommodate, and Romain Grosjean hydroplaned off of a straight part of empty track. The car simply lifted and Romain was a a passenger, like a kid at the beach sliding along on his skim board among the receding waves. When the rains finally did recede at The Autodromo Nazionale Monza, and qualifying resumed, Grosjean did not participate. The best Kevin Magnussen could manage in his qualifying session was P16. But remarkable, because so many grid place penalties were assigned Magnussen started 9th. The lack of penalties to the Haas Team is an easily overlooked aspect amidst so many teams being so heavily penalized.

It was lap 47 of 53 that Kevin Magnussen lost his  10th place points position when Max Verstappen passed him. KMags finished in that all too familiar 11th place for the Haas F1 Team. He was in the points for most of the race, but in an post race interview admitted that he finished where they belonged. The Mercedes powered cars of the Williams and Force India and of course AMG Mercedes F1 cars were too much for the power of Scuderia Ferrari and the Haas F1 team.

But without a doubt, the Ferrari Tifosi at the Italian Grand Prix are the greatest podium in all of motor sports. As Lewis Hamilton was soundly boo’d for his first place podium, Lewis himself recognized the unique passion of Ferrari fans in Italy.  There is no other manufacturer, team or fans like Ferrari.  It was an incredible spectate as thousands of fans filled every camera angle for as far as you could see.

For Haas F1… it’s on to Singapore in two weeks. We enter the fly-away portion of the series where the teams now rely on their air cargo for everything. The Singapore is a night race and a beautiful spectacle to watch. The lights among a night background provide an almost video game like appearance. The track is unforgiving as it has very limited run off areas, and the guard rails will win against every impact.

For Haas F1, the Italian Grand Prix allows them to bond with their Ferrari partners, and hopefully sell some CNC machines… keep feeding the goose that lays those F1 golden eggs, and less eggs by the team! 0 points!

Thick and thin, they’re our team, it’s why we’re fans! Go Haas F1!

2017 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying – Romain Grosjean Shines!

Romain Grosjean qualified 8th for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Haas  car performed well despite a very near miss by Grosjean when he spun at Mirabeau during the second stage of qualifying.

Both Grosjean and the Haas car performed well. the car also performed well for Kevin Magnussen. KMags was on an absolute flier during Q2 when he was blocked on track by none other than the….. Languishing Lewis Hamilton. As a result, Magnussen will start the race in P13.

If ever there was an opportunity for the Haas F1 Team to campaign two cars in a third stage of qualifying, it was today.  The cars of  Force India driven by Sergio Perez and the Toro Roso car of Carlos Sainz both out paced the Haas machine of Grosjean. This keeps Haas third in that pecking order behind the leaders. But the car has out performed most fans expectations. Maybe I’ll read about brake problems, but I’ve not heard a peep of the “B” word…

Regarding Lewis……

I don’t think the problem was the car. He seemed to be over inputting everything. The oversteer had him sideways. And all of that vertical slip is time…. and if piled up in heaps. He knows this track as well as anyone. His teammate was first after the Ferrari’s. Lewis can tend to be a bit of emotional about things at times while in the cockpit. That emotion generally serves him well. We’ve seen Lewis tear up the field from the back of the grid. But no one does that at Monaco…

Regarding Pole…. Kimi Raikkonen was brilliant. 4/100’s of a second separate the first 3 cars of Raikkonen, Vettel, and Bottas. The Ferrari’s were delivering top performance for their drivers. Sebastian Vettel was grabbing all of the attention before qualifying. He, Like Hamilton, have a storied record at Monaco, but only has one win in 2011. Hamilton has won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, in 2008 and last years 2016 race.

As you may recall, Hamilton;s 2016 victory was tainted with the controversy of Justin Bieber.  Upon taking his magnum of victory Campaign, he gave the first sip to Bieber. The 2017 Monaco Grand Prix promises to be a Bieber Free Event… as Lewis has no shot at a victory. His best hope is for attrition at the front of the field.

But for the Haas F1 team? They are in a good position to score double points.There will be some failures in front of Magnussen.  He has had better than averages race starts and has been faster than his team mate at times. With some luck and effective strategy, the Haas team can see some success at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix.

 

2016 Chinese Grand Prix – We Go Green in 3 Hours

So the Haas boys, Grosjean and Gutierrez have qualified 14 and 18 respectively.

Qualifying position is not that important to me right now, not do i think the team cares too much. The drivers do… and they should. so all is right with the Haas F1 world.

The next goal is to have both cars through turn 6 unskaved and picking up the positions for the cars that are… skaved! The turn 1-2-3-4 combination is like a combination cork screw/ meat grinder, it is forced down into turn 5, which is more of a bottleneck than a turn and into 6. Position and exit speed at turn 6 could be the setup until either the first caution or cycle of pit stops.

I think Daniel Riccardo is the one to watch. I picked him in my pre-quali blog that he will be fast, and he is. But i think we are starting to see an 800 pound gorilla in the room. I don’t have evidence to support my claim without doing some research, but… I think Danny Kvyat is underperforming. His result will give us a baseline of where he will be in regard to his team-mate.

I am detecting a sub-plot within the Haas team. Previously I questioned weather Gutierrez got the prototype car, which might explain the mechanical issues. The term “bad luck” has been used in regard to his two DNF’s. But Esteban seems very insistent on disclaiming that term. When interviewed by Will Buxton during the China GP weekend Gutierrez was persistent to identify specific causes for every technical problem. He seemed uncomfortable with any attribution of luck to his results. It is difficult for many to understand why he would care about these remarks. But it is very important that he control his psyche.

When an F1 driver is on the track in the heat of battle for championship points, luck does not enter the focus. Like a fighter pilot, he is strapped into a machine that needs to respond predictably and instinctively. It is the mental preparation of work and discipline that prepares the driver to jump into a mental tunnel at 200 mph. At no point in any of that process does luck enter into it.

If the mechanical and electrical issues on the #21 car are resolved, and if the car finishes the race,  I expect Gutierrez to perform well. My overall expectations are somewhat tempered. I want to say that I think Romain Grosjean will finish in the top 5 or 6 as before. But I cannot. The Mercedes powered force India’s and Williams tool very strong. Grosjean is starting in the 14th position, so he will have to find a way to move up. He seems to have the race pace to perform, but a better qualifying position should also be expected.

So, if Grosjean can finish with in points, and Gutierrez can just finish, I’ll be happy. And I suspect the teams expectations to be about the same. The team is fighting to develop their car. We’ve seen improvements in the front wing already. 14th and 18th are not very strong qualifying positions.  Grosjean/Gutierrez  qualified 19/20 for Australia and 9/13 in Bahrain. The new qualifying format did not seem to indicate or impact their race performance.  And like I said, I’m not too concerned with their current qualifying position. They seem to out perform their expectations. Clearly the Haas F1 team is one of the most prepared rookie teams to take up an F1 livery. Preparation cannot make a car faster than it really is. Will power and wishful thinking won’t work either.

If ever there is a place to attribute luck in F1, it is when you gain a race position due to a competitors mechanical failure. A timely pit stop under caution like in Australia can also be partially attributed to luck. But luck is something which you cannot control or plan on. My favorite quote regarding luck comes from the actor James Earl Jones… “The harder I work the luckier I get”

Again, my expectations for the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix are realistic… a race finish for Guiterrez and a top 10 for Grosjean and I’ll be dancing. But now knowing what we know about how Haas has built his team, it will be hard to temper excitement. But for now… a 2 hour nap before the 2 AM Kannapolis race start time is worth a try!

It’s gonna be awesome!

Richie OUT!