F1 FANS MAG ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2013 @F1FANSMAG THEF1FANSMAG.WEBS.COM
Edition 1 - September 2013
Vettel reigns supreme at Spa - Belgian GP Review
F1 Journalist Tom Wilkinson gives us a fascinating insight into the F1 paddock
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Paddock Life Your Story Sam Bird Interview F1 in 2014 Legends of F1 Magic Monza Spa Review How To Contribute And much more...
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Formula 1 journalist Tom
tell them my experiences, so
I then had a paddock tour on
Wilkinson has been a regular here you go folks.
Qualifying day in 2009 with
visitor of the F1 paddock for
Williams, that was just
a number of years now, but
My first paddock visit was in
fantastic going inside the 2008 at a tyre test at Silverstone. garage during FP3. Actually all the scenes? Well He tells I was invited by a McLaren team being in a garage on a race what is it really like behind us all from a fans point of view. Formula 1 is so beautiful, glamorous and working in the paddock is easy right? Well it’s actually rather difficult with long hours, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve been a visitor to the F1 paddock for 6 years
sponsor, and invited into the
weekend, it was an
garage. It was an incredible first
unforgettable experience, but experience as it was just a week then they have all been before the British Grand Prix. unforgettable experiences. My Talking to Heikki Kovalinen who
professional work in the
was driving that day was i
paddock began only recently,
incredible, and that’s where my
after my Silverstone visits
aim to become a journalist
many people asked me to
began. But it’s quite strange, it
write about it. One of the first
now, but I still take that gasp felt natural approaching people I of breath as my pass bleeps saw on TV and simply asking
things that takes your breath away as you walk into the
through the turnstiles and
questions. Walking through the
paddock is the new
the wonderful world of
paddock I saw Felipe Massa, I
Silverstone Wing. It is a quite
Formula 1 awaits. Working in simply went up to him, and asked spectacular building. Walking simply how does the car feel. He through towards the media Formula 1 was always a dream, walking into the
replied, then I asked another
centre you walk past the FIA question, by this time there was a motor homes with some dream coming true. But just crowd around us, I genuinely felt lovely looking plants outside, paddock is simply that
like you, I am a fan of the
like I was a TV presenter or
sport. Many of my Twitter
Pirelli have their setup just a
something, such an incredible
little further down too.
followers have asked me to feeling.
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The Pirelli trucks are quite
Hundreds of screens hanging
was often talking to me,
something, they have a
from above throughout the
James Allen, Jonnie
textured carbon fibre effect
whole room. It is a huge room Herbert, Damon Hill, Sir
which I was rather impressed with 5 different entry doors,
Jackie Stewart, Ted
with. As you arrive in the
I’d say you could easily fit
Kravitz, David Croft, Ant
centre of the paddock, the
250 people in it. Walking in is
Davidson the list goes on.
Red Bull energy station
a special feeling, seeing all
What struck me most was
towers above you. If it looks
the great people you
the time these great people
big on TV, you should see it in recognize from the TV. Martin
had for me, a young
reality, it is a sight to behold.
Brundle followed me in and
journalist starting out.
They do lovely hot chocolate
put his hand on my shoulder
inside too but I’ll get to that
and said, “mind out new
I also met several people I
later.
boy”. I turned around and
know from Twitter, which
said hello, we had a nice talk.
was always something I
The Media Centre is the main Such a surreal moment in my
looked forward to. Rosie
place to be during a race
life, Martin is my F1
Baillie was one of them, a
weekend, my desk just by
broadcasting hero, and he
fantastic up and coming
one of the main doors
made time for me, how
journalist. She approached
towards the back of the
special that was. I was sat
me in the paddock on
room. Why the back?
opposite Peter Windsor and
Thursday, we had a great
Because all the FIA
Alan Henry, I was talking to
time talking F1 and
Communications are based
Will Buxton quite a lot during
discussing the race week-
their, and it’s a much shorter
the weekend. Jennie Gow
end ahead.
walk. The media centre is a modern and simple room, sadly without any windows. All the information you could possibly want during the race is right where you are sitting. There are 5 TV screens, all with different information available including world feed TV, timing screens, weather info and race control information. iv
It was great to share the
did breakfast, but it was my
experience with people who
choice for lunch, a choice of
have the same level of interest 3 meals every day with a and knowledge. Philip Horton drink. The hot chocolates at was another journalist I met
Red Bull are fantastic, made
through the weekend, we had fresh with cream on top too. to share the pain together on
Talk about living the dream.
Thursday morning of waiting
You can follow me on Twitter,
for the paddock passes to
All in all it is a fantastic
arrive. It was quite good
experience and I enjoy it
actually having a joke with
immensely, however it is
each other, it was good fun.
hard work and long hours.
for all the latest
What you always have to
news updates and
You don’t need lunch in your
remember, there are so many
bag, you can get it all for free
people who would love this
in the paddock, Rosie, Philip
opportunity. It makes you
and I often enjoyed a Ferrari
realise how lucky you are to
breakfast most mornings. It
have a Formula 1 Media
was out of this world, the
pass, and full paddock
most gorgeous orange juice,
access.
fresh fruits, and crispy pancetta on creamy scrambled eggs. This was
@TomWilkinsonF1
my F1 reports. F1 Fans Mag would like to thank Tom for allowing us to publish his ‘Paddock Life’ article
breakfast the Italian way, it was excellent. We sat at a carbon fibre table with carbon chairs too, an iPad fixed to every table with all the Ferrari history and information at your finger tips. What is just incredible, it was all free. I dread to think how much it would have cost in a posh restaurant. Red Bull also did v
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THROUGHOUT THIS MAGAZINE AND FUTURE EDITIONS, THE FANS OF F1 ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR F1 STORIES AND EXPERIENCES THIS STORY IS FROM CRISTANA DELARGE WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SPORT SHE WATCHED AS A CHILD I was still a child when I ďŹ rst heard the F1 engine sound on the TV. Since that day, it became part of my life and this part has been growing so fast that nowadays I could say that it's the only thing I am really interested about. First, it was just fun to wait for Sundays to see cars racing. Then, understanding the whole process of it started to look interesting: strategies, aerodynamics, car pieces and so on. Now, I just can't miss any part of this world. It has been pretty hard being a girl and having this F1 obsession, men just won't listen to a feminine opinion in such a male-dominated world. But I have proved over and over again that F1 for me is not just a hobby, but also my dream. There's nothing I wouldn't like more than to work in the hugest circus on earth. It has been also hard being Spanish and not being an Alonso supporter. When I started watching F1 in Spain, it wasn't a known sport nobody cared about it. Now,
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everybody can tell you that you don't have any idea because you don't support the driver of your own country. This year was my first in a real race, but won't be the last for sure. I have been living just 15km away from the Montmeló circuit for 10 years, and I even hear the engine sound from my garden, but every year I had some little problem, which stopped me from going to see a live race. Finally, I could manage it and it was the best weekend in my life. I could see the pit lane from the inside (although I have already worked in Montmeló's circuit as a sport event's hostess twice), see how the teams practiced the pit stops, and live the F1 atmosphere for 4 days. During that week, we also had the International auto show in Barcelona and there, I attended a F1 debate with some people related to this world (journalists, mechanical engineers, other competition drivers and so on). I learned a lot. After this amazing experience, I decided to take the marshal test. I passed it so now I can work as a marshal in the circuit, but I still have to take the F1 license to work there during F1 and not just other races. I am looking forward to! I am also thinking about becoming community manager of some F1 pages, or to start my own F1 blog. And last but no least, next weekend during Spa's race, I will get my Spa silhouette tattoo. It has been my favorite circuit since forever. viii
CHRIS PHILLIPS SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED As you know, going to watch a Grand Prix can be very expensive! However, the experience of seeing and hearing Formula 1 cars in person is something that no F1 fan can afford to miss out on!
For the last two years I have been to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, located in Chichester (South East England). Year after year Goodwood attracts drivers like Lewis and Jenson, Rosberg, Grosjean and many more, as well as the biggest teams such as McLaren and Lotus. Whats good about Goodwood is that it gives you the chance to get up close to the drivers as well as see the cars in action on the notorious hill climb doing timed runs. This year I managed to meet Sky F1 pundit and former racer, Anthony Davidson, as well as ex BBC's Jake Humphrey. The previous year I met F1 great, Emerson Fittipaldi (although I didn't ask for his autograph because I didn't recognise him at ďŹ rst).
Besides from the Formula 1 aspect of Goodwood, there is so much else to see and do which anybody can thoroughly enjoy. check out the website www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed for a for a glimpse into what they offer! Tickets are relatively cheap, especially compared to Grand Prix prices. The festival will return in July 2014 approximately and I will undoubtedly will be going..you should too!
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F1 Fan Tobi takes out through his first live Grand Prix weekend Hi my name s Tobi and I thought I would share with you my Grand Prix experience. I have picked out a few highlights from my Grand Prix experience and here it is. Enjoy,
Silverstone 2013
Pre Race
So the first Grand Prix I attended was the Santander British Grand Prix 2013. What an amazing experience and race it was. Me and my friend Dwaine got a coach from Oxford to Silverstone which took under an hour to get to (fantastic). When we arrived we were greeted with the sound of what could only be a GP2 car. They sound completely different to an F1 car but just as loud. Our tickets were for the Copse grandstand which was on the right hand side if you came through the entrance but we wanted to see the whole circuit in which we opted to go the long way around. The big F1 fans we are, we bought our F1 memorabilia in the form of t-shirts. I support McLaren (don t call me a glory hunter) and my friend Dwaine supports Mercedes. Before we got to our grand stand we stopped to look at the Porsche supercars going past us at over 100mph on the back straight. I have never heard a sound like it; it was like music to my ears. Anyway we finally got to our grandstand after a long slow walk and we were treated to the red arrows air show which was delayed because of an aircraft which shouldn t have been in the Silverstone area airspace. With that finished the drivers came round during the driver s x
and were greeted with cheers from the British fans. I have to say that British fans are by far the best when it comes to support.
Lights Out!
Dwaine went to the toilet and brought back with him ear plugs and told me you are going to need these mate , how correct he was. The sound that these F1 cars make especially when they go through the gear changes is so sharp on the ear and the biggest thing you notice is (if you watch F1 on TV) the cars don t sound the same as they do on TV. They sound so much better on track. The cars came round and did their installation laps and were on the grid. An almighty cheer arose when Lewis Hamilton s name was called. It was a brilliant effort by him to get pole position. 5,4,3,2,1 lights out and we were off. Lewis did an amazing job to get to the ďŹ rst couple of corners in the lead and from there he had the race under control, keeping Vettel behind and not really pushing, only if he needed to. At this point the crowd loved it, especially seeing a Brit leading the home Grand Prix.
That wouldn t last for long.
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Hamilton s tyre s exploding.
Although I follow McLaren I was furious when Hamilton s tyre exploded around lap 7/8. I could see on the screen and by looking down the back straight that Vettel had passed a Mercedes but wasn t sure which because at the time Rosberg wasn t too far behind him. I realised it was Lewis car that had the puncture and the atmosphere in the grand stand had changed. A silence waved over the crowd at the realisation that they wouldn t see a Brit win the grand prix, poor Lewis. As he tiptoed to the pits he was greeted with cheers by all fans in the grand stand which was nice to see.
Vettel stops on the pit straight
I have never heard a cheer as loud as I have at the sight of seeing Sebastian Vettel s car come to a halt 11 laps from the end and I have been to football stadiums quieter than the cheers. Vettel got booed every time he went past our grand stand and I imagine it was the same for every grandstand. It was just one of those here we go again moments, when you realise he is just going to cruise off into the distance and take a win which he doesn t deserve. It seemed so because Nico Rosberg couldn t make any form of a challenge on the triple world champion. That being said I was delighted to see him retire from the race. I do like Seb but I dislike seeing the same person win all the time (with the exception of McLaren & Man Utd) xii
Rosberg takes an unlikely win
In all fairness the win was deserved by Rosberg although I would have lived to see Mark Webebr snatch the win from him. He was in the right place at the right time. Anything can happen in a race and just because you are leading doesn t guarantee you a win. With Mark calling it quits on racing at the end of the season, it would have been a great way to go out by winning a race which you excel at. He s had his critics but I like Webber. He s an honest bloke and will be missed on the grid.
Driver of the day
Finally my driver of the day goes to the pole sitter which was Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes clearly had the fastest package and to go from 1st to last and then ďŹ nish 4th is an amazing achievement. Just a shame he couldn t convert the pole into a race win. All in all it was a great day out and I will be making this a yearly trip to the track. If you have never been before then I urge you to go. It may not be a once in a lifetime opportunity but it is 100% worth going.
Tobi Adepegba
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Here are some amazing and iconic F1 pictures from Twitter account @F1Porn.
Jenson Button in the McLaren MP4-27, 2012 Italian Grand Prix
Ayrton Senna driving his Lotus 98T, 1986 US Grand Prix (Detroit)
The F1 Fans Mag and @F1Porn do not own the rights to these pictures and are copyright of their respective owners
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Johnny Herbert driving his Lotus 109, 1994 Italian Grand Prix
Jean Alesi driving the Ferrari 643, 1991 Mexican Grand Prix
The F1 Fans Mag and @F1Porn do not own the rights to these pictures and are copyright of their respective owners
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Bruce Mclaren driving his Mclaren-Ford M14A, 1970 Spanish Grand Prix
Tony Brooks leading the 1959 French Grand Prix in his Ferrari Dino 246
The F1 Fans Mag and @F1Porn do not own the rights to these pictures and are copyright of their respective owners
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GP2 Driver SAM BIRD talks exclusively to the F1 Fans Mag about GP2, the future and the best present he has received from a fan. Thanks to Sam and all the people on Twitter who sent questions in!
What are your main aims in this GP2 season with Russian Time? The main objective is the team title. The second one is the drivers championship. How much have you benefitted as a Has racing always been your dream? Or was there anything else when you were younger? No, it was always all about racing!
driver from being the Mercedes test driver? It's a privilege to work with such a talented group of people towards a common goal. The experience I gain from my work there, both in and out of the car, is
Were there any drivers in particular that you
very valuable to me. Equally, I believe
admired growing up?
that I contribute to the team's progress
A few… Senna (although I am too young to re-
and that's a rewarding feeling.
member him racing "live") and Schumacher, who was my hero when I was a kid and became both a work colleague and a mate in recent
@atakanuzunf1 – Do you feel you are ready for Formula 1? Yes, I am ready.
@Kate_Kate08 – Who is your favorite driver from the past? Michael Schumacher. xvii
@xilualot – How confident do you
@TomWilkinsonF1 – After all your success in
feel going into the second half of
GP2 & other formulae, do you except the chal-
the GP2 season?
lenge of F1 to be a little easier in the future?
I feel confident. When you consider
No, far from it. I don't expect it to be easy. It's the
that Russian Time are a new team
pinnacle of our sport and I expect it to be hugely
(new to GP2 and new full stop!) and
challenging, and so it should be! But I am prepared
that we are competing against teams
for it.
that have a huge wealth of experience, knowledge and hard data, it's difficult to overstate how well we have done to become competitive this soon! Of course we still have some catching up to do a certain areas and on certain tracks but that is normal. We are learning all the time and making strides forward so I be-
@chrislikesmanu – Who would you enjoy racing with the most if and when you get into F1? You want to race against the best, so I would name all the world champions that are currently racing. There are a few of them, which is great for F1!
lieve there is more to come from us this season. Finally, Tom Wilkinson says you are a bloody good driver Sam, and he can’t wait to see you in F1. Thanks so much Tom!! I can't wait to see me in F1 too! :)
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“Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Do you hear that? It's the winds of change” – Randall Boggs, Monsters Inc.
Change is in the air. For the first time since 2009, big regulation changes are coming into force for the 2014 season. The main talking point appears to be the switch from 2.4-litre V8 to 1.6-litre V6 engines with uprated Energy Recovery System, meaning that this is the final season with 2.4-litre V8 engines and fairly low-powered KERS and, personally, I can’t wait.
We only have to look at the 2009 season to see how much of an impact big changes can have. The return of slick tires, KERS, adjustable front wings, restrictions on aerodynamics and a testing ban looked to completely reverse the pecking order with Brawn GP leading the way, thanks to finding a loophole and running a double diffuser, with Red Bull firmly on their tail and Jenson Button
Picture (C) Mercedes-Benz xix
cruising to the title. It was a great season with great on-track action, such as Vettel and Kubica’s late collision in the Australian Grand Prix, the confusion in qualifying at Spa which, if it wasn’t for the KERS boost on Raikonnen’s car, would have seen a Force India, with Giancarno Fisichella at the helm, take the chequered flag for the first time and, finally, Button making his way through the field and making up for a dismal qualifying as he finally clinched the world championship in Brazil in a season that was threatened to be overshadowed by one horrific moment in Hungary that put Felipe Massa in a life threatening condition.
With the additional change of refuelling being banned for the 2010 season, it seemed like we were in for a more exciting season with more overtaking happening on track than in the pit lane like previous years, unfortunately, the Bridgestone tires were not up to scratch and lasted far too long for this to make a significant impact and looked to turn some races into a procession. Although, in some cases rightfully so, Pirelli have taken quite a lot of stick this season because of their fast-graining tyres you cannot deny that it has given us some exciting races and many talking points.
But what could await us in 2014?
For the past four years we’ve seen too much of one thing, a finger belonging to Sebastian Vettel. The 2009 season saw the Ferrari-McLaren dominance disappear but only to replace it with a Brawn dominance and then a Red Bull dominance. One can hope that these regulations can bunch the field up, leading to a title fight between a wider range of the field and possibly see a repeat of the beginning of the 2012 season, which saw seven different winners in the first seven races. Alas, with the rumours circling that the Mercedes engines have a significant power advantage compared to their rivals it seems like this will not occur. Still, this could bring that backmarkers of Caterham and Marussia into the main pack and racing for points
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along with the other well established teams.
It will also be interesting to see how ERS is used instead of KERS during a race. ERS-K (Kinetic) will work the same as KERS with double the power output and ERS-H (Heat) permits a proportion of this otherwise wasted thermal energy from the exhaust gases to be converted into electricity meaning that energy is never lost; it is merely converted into another form. Will this energy, as KERS, be manually deployed by the driver when they feel that they need a speed boost and aid overtaking or work automatically to compensate for the fuel rate limit and the fact that the car may only use electrical power when in the pit lane. The teams need to find a solution to the fuel rate limit to avoid coasting and backing off during the race and this would seem like a sensible idea. Although not part of regulations, I would like to see some changes to DRS in the forthcorming season. Although I think that it was the correct decision to bring it in to aid overtaking, I can’t help but believe that it has gone too far and it has made overtaking too easy. It seems that as soon as a car gets to within a second of the car in front then all they need to do is activate DRS and they will be able to drive past the car in front on the straight with very little effort. This is wrong. DRS zones need to be modified so that the DRS still aids overtaking but drivers need to work xxi
for it. Overtaking adds to the spectacle of the race but only when the moves are something, with bravery in the breaking zone essential.
Without a doubt, the regulation changes for the 2014 season will help improve the sport’s green credentials, but also add a strategic dimension with teams, instead of focussing mostly on tire management, having to give fuel consumption more consideration and utilising the tools available such as ERS to manage this. All being well, this should enhance the spectacle of the racing and give us more on-track action with overtakes that aren’t completely artificial, bringing the, usually two seconds off pace, Marussias and Caterhams into play and ending the usual Red Bull-Vettel dominance seen in previous seasons. Anticipation is running high along with viewer expectations as the Formula One community wait to see what the next chapter of their sport will bring.
Bring on the racing.
Article by Chris Ferguson
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In this feature, we look back at the Legends Of F1. This month, we take a look back at the son of 1962 and 1968 F1 World Champion Graham Hill, the 1996 Champion and now pundit, Damon Hill More than just the son of a
Hill was a youngster of just 15
considering his somewhat
famous father…
years old when his father
lacklustre pre-f1 career. Hill was
Much much more...
(double world champion and F1 31 years old in 1991 which is
legend) Graham Hill died
pretty old for an F1 drive if you
tragically in an aeroplane crash. consider that Sebastian Vettel Damon Hill. A great racer or a
This made his mother very
is currently 26 (in 2013) and
mediocre racer who lucked into reluctant to allow young Damon already has 3 world to go racing. In fact it was a championships to his name good machinery? A guy who got into F1 because of his
further 6 years (1981) before
and Michael Schumacher was
father or a driver who got into
Damon started motorbike
a double world champion by
F1 on merit? A lucky world
racing when he was 21 years
the time he had hit 31.
champ or the guy who morally
old. After little success he
should be a double world
eventually transferred to four
champion?
wheels and ended up in F3000
Hill’s first competitive outing as
in 1988. During his time in
an F1 driver was for Brabham
A lot of questions arise when
F3000 Damon had many
during the 1992 season. By
discussing Damon Hill. Just his
competitive outings, but never
that time, the once famous
inclusion under the title of
on a race.
team has severe financial difficulties and struggled to
‘Legends of F1’ will provoke debate but the true fact is that
His name certainly helped him
qualify. In fact Hill managed to
Hill was a racer, a world
gain his foot in the door of F1
qualify the car twice during the
championship winner, a Schu-
as a Williams test driver in
season. The car was a far cry
macher beater on his day.
1991. An amazing feat
to the Williams he was testing xxiii
in between his Brabham duties. the great Ayrton Senna. At first Damon was promoted to lead He joined Williams as a race
the car struggled as Williams
the team and was the sole
driver in 1993 as a team mate
adapted the new rules in 1994
driver in the Monaco Grand prix
to the returning Alain Prost after mainly the banning of active
before being joined by
Nigel Mansell decided to leave suspension which had seen
Coulthard and occasional
the sport following his 1992
cameo appearances by
them dominate in ‘93.
world championship win.
Mansell. The third race of the 1994
1993 saw Hill mainly play
season was the first European
As the 1994 season went on
second fiddle to his illustrious
round, the San Marino Grand
Hill fought for the
team mate but as the season
Prix held at Imola. This was the championship with the young
wore on he grew more and
weekend that proved to be one Michael Schumacher in the
more competitive beating Prost of Formula One’s darkest and
Benetton Ford. Towards the
to his first win in Hungary. This most difficult with a heavy
end of the season we really
was the start of things to come accident for Barrichello, the
saw Hill at his best with a
for Hill as he went on to win the death of Roland Ratzenberger
magnificent win against all
following two races in Belgium
and then during the race itself,
odds and against Schumacher
and Italy.
the well documented accident
in Suzuka. The rain was
that claimed the life of Hill’s
torrential and the race was won
1994 would be a different
team mate and three time world on aggregate timing with a truly
prospect for Hill and proved to
champion Ayrton Senna. This
aggressive drive.
be the ‘making of the man’. Af- day sent shock waves through ter Prost’s departure Hill re-
Williams, and Formula One as a In the final round of the season
mained and Williams had high
whole.
hopes for their new signing
at Adelaide, Schumacher led the championship by just one point. However a controversial crash with the German in which Schumacher hit the wall whilst leading and then cut across Hill’s path damaging Hill’s suspension and putting him out of the race. Neither contender finished the race and Schumacher won the title by a solitary point. Many commentators and fans saw Hill as the moral victor in 1994 xxiv
so much so that he won the BBC sports personality of the year award in recognition of a very special year. 1995 was a poor year for Hill and for Williams Renault. As Schumacher dominated the season. Hill added wins in Argentina, San Marino, Hungary and Australia to his tally but finished the season way short of his German Rival. chequered flag. Hill set a record a fault developed on the car) The Australian win was notable in this year for starting all 16 was not a contender. Scoring as he finished two laps ahead races from the front row. (A only 7 points and finishing 12th of second placed Olivier Panis
record now beaten by Vettel
in the Championship was a
in the Ligier.
with 18 in 2011)
poor return but a reflection of
1996 was to be Hill’s
6 Races, and 97 points later;
the team rather than the man. championship year. With a clear Hill was crowned 1996 World car advantage and Champion in Suzuka with a fine
1998 and another team move
Schumacher moving to a vastly win. The one and only time uncompetitive Ferrari team. Murray Walker - the voice of
Silverstone based Jordan team.
Hill’s fiercest rival was also the Formula One has ever been son of a Formula One world speechless.
an uncompetitive car bar the
champion, rookie and team
Damon claim Jordan GP’s first
mate - Jacques Villeneuve. 1996 started in Australia this
for Hill, this time to the This was to be another year in wet Belgian GP which saw
1997 Saw Damon move to
win with his team mate Ralf
Arrows after being ousted from
Schumacher finishing second.
Williams Renault as a result of a The win was due to a masterful
year and Hill started as he left
deal to sign Frentzen prior to off the previous year with a win the 1996 season where Frank in Australia although this was a Williams was said to be
drive in a highly eventful race and some luck from various retirements.
toughly fought affair with
disappointed with Hill in ‘95. he
Villeneuve clearly the fastest
Arrows was poor car and
Then we move onto Damon’s
until and oil leak forced him to
despite flashes of promise
last year in Formula one - 1999.
slow down and allow Hill
(such as the Hungarian GP
Damon openly struggled to
through to take the
where Damon ran second until
adapt to the new groovedxxv
tyre regulations and was
What attracted the fans was
heavily beaten by his new team- that he never whined or
This great article
mate Frentzen. It was clear
moaned or asked for sympathy
was written by Paul
Damon’s motivation had
for the way he was treated. Hill
Gawne
dwindled and if anything chose would make sure it didn’t affect to retire a year too late.
him and he continued to race,
(@PaulGawne)
learn and win. Damon’s post F1 career
includes a stint as BRDC
Very few drivers can boast the
(British Racing Drivers Club)
truly amazing list of teammates
feature will be back
president running the
they had in their career like
Silverstone circuit in which he
Damon can - Senna, Prost,
in the October issue
managed to secure the events
Mansell, Coulthard, Ralf
long term F1 future and now is
Schumacher and Villeneuve
The ‘Legends of F1’
of the F1 Fans Mag
a pundit for the new Sky Sports and he kept up with all of them! F1 channel.
For that reason alone, to mentioned in that same breath
Maybe Hill did not have the
reminds you of why he
genius of Senna, the control of
deserves to be and F1 Legend
Schumacher or the style of
in his own right, and not just
other champions. But the fact
Graham Hill's son.
that he became World Champion despite these makes him a great sportsman. He had perseverance, which saw him through the toughest of times. Whenever Schumacher won a race the press would say “What a flawless and ruthless win" but when Damon did so it would be "What an amazing car advantage he had."
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The final European race of the season takes place at the historic Monza circuit. Famed for it's high speed, high drama and high passion, Monza is the perfect place to bid farewell to Europe. Last year we saw Lewis
Lewis Hamilton, for McLaren
Hamilton in his McLaren charge
won the 2012 Italian Grand Prix
to victory from pole position followed by Sergio Perez in the Sauber and the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso while Red Bull suffered it's first double non finish since Korea 2010. There are only 2 drivers on the grid who have won the Italian Grand Prix twice. Fernando Alonso in 2007 and 2010 and Sebastian Vettel in 2008 and 2011. Both will be looking for repeat performances and after Spa both look in good shape to do so. With the high speed nature of the track, teams will need a low downforce set up to suit. Teams will also need to take tyre wear into account. Pirelli will bring the Medium and Hard compound tyres to
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Monza. Last year most teams raced to a one stop strategy and I expect most to try the same again but as we saw in Spa this is easier said than done. Like last year, Monza will have 2 DRS zones. The first is on the pit straight and the second on the run
The Tifosi celebrate Fernando
down to the Variante
Alonso’s podium at the 2012 Italian GP
Ascari. Despite two DRS zones overtaking is still very tricky making qualifying just as important if not more so than the race. My Qualifying Predictions
My Race Predictions
1st Alonso
1st Alonso
2nd Button
2nd Button
3rd Grosjean
3rd Grosjean
Monza Stats No. of Laps – 53 Corners – 11 Average Speed – 250km/h (143.500mph) Circuit Length – 5.793Km (3.6mi) xxviii
Lap Record – Rubens Barrichelo 2004 Last 5 winners: Lewis Hamilton 2012 (McLaren) Sebastian Vettel 2011 (Red Bull) Fernando Alonso 2010 (Ferrari) Rubens Barrichelo 2009 (Brawn GP) Sebastian Vettel 2008 (STR) Monza Memory The heart stopping moment when Vitantonio Liuzzi dipped a wheel onto the grass and lost control of his HRT F111, ending the race for himself, the
The famous ‘Parabolica’ corner which is
Renault of Vitaly Petrov
the final corner of the Monza circuit
and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. Thankfully all involved were fine after the incident.
This preview was by Lewis Duncan (@Lewis__Duncan)
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The magnificent race track at Spa evokes so many memories. Many of those in the wet or unsettled conditions like Damon Hill's win in the Jordan and spectacular first lap crash in 1998, or the fantastic race between Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari and Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India nearly taking the win. Qualifying Saturday in 2013 was no exception. With rain clouds around, strategy would prove to be the key to a good grid slot. A rain shower came over the circuit just as Qualifying One was about to start, bringing the Williams', Toro Rosso's and Marussia's onto the circuit first on intermediates. With the track improving throughout the session, Van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton decided to go out on the slicks. An inspired decision rocketing them up the grid to 14th, 15th, and 16th as the expense of Williams and Toro Rosso who remained on the intermediates. Qualifying 2 started with the drying track, but clouds nearby threatened more wet weather, but with it staying away it was inevitable that the Caterhams and Marussias wouldn’t go any further, remaining in the midfield. The other notable departures were Perez and Sutil, where both their team mates made it into the top 10. The final part of qualifying brought everyone but Paul di Resta onto the track. With light rain falling in the pit lane everyone went out on slick tyres, however that didn’t work as the rain was too heavy on the back of the circuit which meant they had to come back for
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tyres. While they were slowing coming back to the pits, Paul di Resta exited on the intermediates, setting the fastest time in decent conditions. It looked for a while that it would be a great decision, but at the end of the session the track improved with Webber, Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton all beating his time. Hamilton took the pole for the 4th time in a row, two tenths ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Sunday began damp and misty but cleared up before the F1 race, perfect conditions for racing, but there was always the threat of rain. Everyone's radars said that it wouldn’t rain before the start of the race, calibrated by the fact there was blue sky above the circuit. Not for the first time at a Grand Prix, Greenpeace staged a protest, arriving by air from parachutes landing on the top of the grandstand on the main straight. They then started abseiling from the grandstand, unveiling a banner protesting about arctic oil drilling. It didn't stop the start procedure though, with the race start going to plan.
 With the cars going out on their formation lap, all of the top 14 were running the medium tyre, up to Guido Van der Garde in 14th position. After a fast pace on the first part of the lap Lewis Hamilton backed the grip up nicely arriving into the Bus Stop chicane. While waiting on the grid Jenson Buttons brakes started smoking quite heavily, a sign that he must have warmed them up really well on the way to the grid. Thankfully they didn’t catch fire. With the lights out, Hamilton got a good start ahead of Vettel and Rosberg, Jenson Button challenged into the Le Source, but was cut out on the outside. With a great run out of Le Source, Vettel got tremendous speed, helped with the fact the team had very skinny rear wings for the weekend helping
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with the fact the team had very skinny rear wings for the weekend helping them reduce the gap to Mercedes with top speed. Having the momentum through Eau Rouge, Vettel overtook Hamilton along the Kemmel straight, saving enough KERS to make the move stick. Alonso was stuck behind Jenson Button, and Kimi Raikkonen didn't get a good start, falling down to 10th, and still behind his team mate Romain Grosjean who was just ahead in 9th. Paul di Resta had a terrible start off the grid falling down the order, but Guide Van der Garde in the Caterham remained in his grid slot of 14th! Kimi quickly overtook his team mate though, important if he was going to make his way up onto the podium. At the front Vettel was pulling away quickly from Lewis Hamilton, taking his gap to over 3 seconds, so much so that the team had to highlight that he should save his tyres. Fernando Alonso was also making good progress, overtaking Jenson Button to take 4th on Lap 4, unsettling Button who was then overtaken by Mark Webber on the Kemmel Striaght, a favourite with the benefit of the DRS effect. Using the speed in the car, Fernando got up to the back of Nico Rosberg, again making the move on the Kemmel Straight after Eau Rouge with the DRS. Further back it looked like Kimi Raikkonen was having problems with his brakes, spewing out lot of carbon dust, and with the brakes glowing orange, a sure sign that they were overheating. Romain Grosjean was overtaken by Sergio Perez on Kemmel Straight into Les Combes on lap 8, although Romain was run off the road. Further up the road Kimi tried a move on Hulkenberg into the Bus Stop, although it wasn't successful he made move stick into Les Combes a lap later.
 

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The first of the pit stops started on lap 10, with Felipe Massa pitting along with Nico Hulkenberg. The Sauber was slow away out of it's pit box, nearly driving into the side of Massa. Massa though nearly went across the white line on the exit, although no penalty came. A lap later and Paul di Resta pitted with Jean-Eric Vergne, with both having clean stops. It wasn't a very good start thought for Caterham, with Charles Pic retiring with an oil leak, saving the engine for later races. The stewards gave a penalty for Perez for forcing another driver off the track, for the overtake he had on Grosjean at Les Combes. Lewis Hamilton pitted lap 12, staying with the medium tyre and came out behind Grosjean and Perez. He quickly overtook Grosjean though into the Bus Stop, minimizing the time being stuck behind the slower car. His team mate Nico Rosberg pitted a lap later, again for the mediums. Grosjean though then overtakes Hamilton again up the Kemmel Straight with the help of the DRS, where the advantage lies to the car behind. Lap 14 and Alonso pitted along with Webber, Perez came in behind them taking his drive through penalty. Mark Webber took the hard tyre, although Alonso comes out behind Lewis. Vettel pitted a lap later, again taking the medium, coming out behind Button who was yet to stop. While the pit stops were going on Fernando Alonso past Lewis Hamilton into Le Source, although he tried to attack down the Kemmel Straight. Up front, Vettel managed to get past a slower Jenson Button into the Bus Stop on lap 15. Further down Romain Grosjean was overtaken by Webber to take 6th place using DRS on Kemmel Straight. It was then Fernando's time to overtake Jenson, again overtaking him into the Bus Stop. Button however decided to pit, on lap 17, taking the hard tyre, giving them the possibility of going all the way to the end. He emerged ahead of Felipe Massa. Lap 20 and nearly half distance and Vettel was leading from Alonso, Hamilton 3rd, Rosberg 4th and Mark Webber in 5th. Romain Grosjean in the Lotus was the only one who hadn't pitted being overtaken by Jenson Button, and Mark Webber was closing quickly on Rosberg. Grosjean however then pitted a lap later, taking on the hard tyre coming out in 13th place.
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Raikkonen tried to overtake Massa into the Bus Stop, although went straight on, off the track, going immediately into the pits to retire with braking problems. It ends his run of 38 consecutive race finishes. Hamilton pitted for the second time on lap 27, changing onto hard tyres, and exiting ahead of Nico Rosberg. Felipe Massa pitted behind also for hards. The Force India's were stuck behind Maldonado's Williams and the Sauber of Gutierrez, battling for 11th. Gutierrez went around outside of Maldonado into the Bus Stop. Maldonado then hit Sutil lightly while coming across the track. While trying to get into the pits, he hit Paul di Resta even harder, tearing off the rear suspension. Unaffected by the incident, Adrian Sutil overtook Gutierrez into Eau Rouge. Maldonado went to the pits and took a new nose. Afraid of a safety car Alonso pitted straight away, coming out ahead of Button. Mark Webber pitted a lap later, taking another set of the Mediums. Vettel stopped on lap 30, taking the hard tyres. While he pitted, Alonso tried to take the advantage, and set the fastest lap of the race. Button looked like he was going to try and just 1 stop in an attempt to overtake the Mercedes and Webber, with a possible podium. Webber was closing quickly on Rosberg for 5th. Jenson couldn't keep pace on his older tyres and pitted on lap 35, going again on the hard compound and coming out in 6th ahead of Grosjean. There was a nice little fight between Vergne and Hulkenberg, battling up the hill on the Kemmel Straight, squeezing each other into Les Combes, similar to the Perez incident earlier, but with Hulkenberg running wide on the exit rather than the entry.
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At lap 36, Vettel was leading from Alonso and Hamilton in 3rd. Rosberg was behind his team mate in 4th with Webber in 5th. Button, Grosjean, Massa, Sutil and Perez. Pastor Maldonado was given 10 second stop go penalty for causing collision at the Bus Stop chicane, unusual to see such a penalty in a race now. Gutierrez was also given a drive through for gaining an advantage, after overtaking Pastor Maldonado around the outside of Blanchimont just before the accident with the Force Indias. Felipe Massa overtook Romain Grosjean for 8th using DRS on lap 40, while Vettel set another fastest lap. Perez was attacked by Ricciardo for the final point, overtaking using DRS for 10th. With not too much action happening in the final stages, it was up to Vettel to maintain the gap to Alonso, with Vettel winning ahead of Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg and Webber. Button, Massa, Grosjean, Sutil and Ricciardo rounded out the top 10. After the race Sebastian commented: “I don’t think we expected to be dominant here, and it surprised all of us actually; it's a great result. I think we knew going into the race that our race pace, compared to Mercedes, maybe gave us a little in hand, but we didn't know where we were compared to the others, especially Ferrari, and Lotus looked very quick in dry conditions also. It wasn't clear if the rain was going to come at the end of the race, so we kept pushing, but the gap we had by that stage meant we were able to control the race from there and the last couple of laps weren't too stressful." This review was by Ashley James (@purplesectorF1) xxxv
Imagine if you won an all-expenses paid once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Well for Jennie Rice, that dream, became reality For the better part of my life since about the age of 3 years old the racetrack has been my second home. It was something that came naturally, my extreme love for cars but mainly Formula One. I always said I was made with a “different Formula” in me cause I was just so car crazy and being a girl was something different for others to handle. My love for cars grew greater as I got older and if I were ever to become a racing driver it was Michael Schumacher my hero who had inspired me. It was a dream come true for me to go to a Formula One race and here I am standing on the roof top of the Four Points by Sheraton hotel with my twin brother Gary, a 360 degree view of the magnificent city lights and sky scrapers, watching the sun set and the sky illuminate with orange rays, not a breath of wind… and I stop to take it all in and suddenly it hits me… its really happening, I’m going to a Formula One race and I’m about to see my hero Michael Schumacher race for the last time. A big thank you to the Pirelli team who sponsored us an allexpense paid Formula One experience VIP style for two. xxxvi
Straight to race day we go and we wake up early, have breakfast with the Red Bull Formula one Crew and I can already feel my palms sweating, I’m short of breath, I’m trying to soak every moment in, I’m excited, got my team shirt for Mercedes AMG on and all I can think about is the Silver bullet coming down the straight and in the first hairpin… for the first time I will see Schumi on the track racing his heart out like he always does .Our luxurious bus arrives to take us and the many other spectators to the Yas Marina Formula One circuit. The drive in an hour and half from the main city but seem like hundreds of hours. There is nothing to view along the way but dessert sand and unfinished buildings with cranes towering the sky. As I take a glance out my window I see it… I can’t explain the excitement that went through me. I think I actually had tears in my eyes. It was unbelievable…I’m living out my dream and I have my amazing brother to share it with. I see the big red dome shape building with the Ferrari log on the roof. What a sight that can’t be missed for miles it’s so huge and then I opened the window, as we gradually got closer to the Yas Marina Circuit. That sound is like music to my ears and sends shivers down my spine. There just isn’t anything like a Formula One car revving its engine. I was in my element. This is what it was all about and it’s something you have to experience for yourself to truly understand the magnificent sound that echoes off the track.
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Everything about the Yas Marina Circuit is well organised and marked out. Buss roots and marshals to help you find your way easily. It’s like a mini Formula one village with thousands of people “living there”. We finally get off the bus it’s a whopping 45 degrees and it’s only getting hotter as time passes. First things first we hit Ferrari world in VIP style. Wow!!! Not a Ferrari fan but oh my word was I blown away at what was inside. I had always heard of Ferrari world and told it would blow your mind and it did just that. It’s absolutely beautifully light by natural light from a big glass dome roof and steel structures. Everywhere you look there are cars stuck on the wall hanging from the roof, cars on show, cars made out of sand it’s just incredible. For me the high light of Ferrari world was being able to change an actual Formula One tyre. I now have a new respect for the pit crew as it’s not the easiest job in the world and time is everything in this race. All in all the Ferrari roller coaster, one of the fastest in the world was the most adrenaline rushing experience. You understand the amount of G-force the drivers experience and the actual speed the car can do. Amazing, and an absolute must do. There are just so many things to do and plenty of history about Formula One in there to enjoy and appreciate.
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Well we had covered all of Ferrari and organised a bus to the track. The buzz and atmosphere is indescribable. To see people of different nations all dressed up in team shirts as we arrived was so exciting. We were all here for an action packed day of Formula One. We enter the gates, get are tickets scanned and we are off. It’s a mad rush to find our stand. It’s a good couple of staircase up and as we reach the top of the stairs this bright light from the grandstand entrance hits us. I take my earplugs out my ears and stand in the hallway for a few seconds; eyes closed just soaking it in. Deep breath as I feel a bit teary and then I smile as I hear a Formula One car in the distance and all I can think of is” I’m in heaven” this is what I have lived for. I drop my bag, forget there are even people around and disappear into my own world as I reach the grand stand fence, my fingers clinging to the fence, my face pushed up against the wire as if I could squeeze through and there for the first time in my life a Formula One car heading for the first corner drops a gear and almost as if in slow motion zooms past leaving an echo and a smell of racing fumes. I make my way to my seat surrounded by a buzz of people as it filled up, all ready for another amazing day night race. The track is spectacular to view and has beautiful corner fast and slow and certainly holds your attention.
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As usual the parade of drivers comes around and stops right in front of us and there is my hero before my eyes…. Michael Schumacher. I give him a good cheering and almost weak at the knees cause it’s his last race and I get to share it with him, win or lose he’s all I ever wanted to aspire to be like. The main race is about to begin and we can see all the cars lining up on the straight… there is silence in the grand stand as the lights go out and the race is on. The sound, the smell, everything you could imagine is right before you and it’s almost so overwhelming. The cars are weaving in out, jostling for position and the hum of the cars like a swarm of bees come to a halt as they take the first corner and head up the back straight. Wow oh wow; in a flash they have passed and round they go. It was a truly exciting raced filled with lots of excitement and real adrenalin. For me the best part is the start and the finish. The entire race was unbelievable and as the sun sets the track lights up and creates a whole new atmosphere lighting up the big hotel in the middle with constant changing coloured lights. As the race comes to an end, everyone is on a high. We have been sitting in heat of nearly 50 degrees burnt and tired but the xl
the trip home is just one of memories made with amazing people and conversations that sparked new desires to travel and see more races. I’d have to say it’s really hard to put into word the kind of experience you will have watching a Formula One race but for me it’s something I am so passionate about, I live for this excitement and to be able to have shared it alongside my brother was such a privilege. Thank you to Pirelli for the wonderful trip; it was an experience of a lifetime, a dream for memory and me that will always be a part of my life.
This article was kindly written for us by Jennie Rice.
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Whose Stepping Into The Bull Ring? The big announcement this year has been the departure of Mark Webber from Formula 1 at the end of the season and since then wild speculation has surrounded the sport as to who will replace the Aussie in 2014. as we approach the Italian Grand Prix it would seem that two drivers have been widely tipped to partner Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. They are 2007 world champion Kimi Raikonnen and Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo. For most, Kimi would be the obvious choice for the Austrian marque. He's very quick and more importantly incredibly consistent. He also gets on well with Vettel meaning a repeat of the team mate fallout that has occurred over the last few years at Red Bull would be unlikely to take place again. However Kimi's lack of technical interest could be a major problem in 2014. With the major technical changes, understanding the car will be even more important than in previous years. Also Kimi will not want to go to a team to be a number two driver which Helmut Marko will make sure happens. xlii
Red Bull's second option and the person I would say is more likely to get the seat is Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian has been tipped to replace Webber since his HRT days back in 2011 and I can understand why. Ricciardo is part of the Red Bull young driver programme which means he'll be very familiar with how the team is run. He is also very early in his career making him ideal number two material which I think won't bother him too much considering he could well be team leader in a few years time. On track Daniel has shown that on a good day he is very quick, sometimes managing to qualify in the top six and finish in the top 10. Despite this Daniel is wildly inconsistent, only managing to score on four occasions so far this season. Although the car isn't great it is still a concern. But Daniel does seem like the kind of driver that, in the right car could be brilliant. Whoever is chosen we hopefully won't be waiting long to find out although you can understand why Red Bull would take their time.
For more of my opinions and general chat about Formula 1, please follow me on Twitter @Lewis__Duncan
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There are several ways you can contribute to the F1 Fans Mag 1)- You can Tweet or DM @F1FansMag saying you would like to contribute then we will discuss what you would like to contribute 2)- You can email f1fansmag@outlook.com with details of what you would like to contribute and I will reply with all the info you will need to know 3)- You can go to thef1fansmag.webs.com/contribute and fill in the form on screen Also if you have any queries or would like to know more about the magazine feel free to Tweet, DM or email me your questions and I will do my best to give you the info you want!! Thanks for reading!!! xliv