Formula 1 - Season 2021

[genius83]

Hamilton leads Verstappen in only practice session before qualifying
Lewis Hamilton was unhappy with the balance of his Mercedes at the start of practice for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but ended the session with the fastest time.

Brazilian GP
Practice Session 1
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:09.050s  -      31
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:09.417s 0.367s  22
 3  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:09.492s 0.442s  28
 4  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:09.567s 0.517s  30
 5  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:09.880s 0.830s  32
 6  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:10.124s 1.074s  31
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                1:10.142s 1.092s  32
 8  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:10.145s 1.095s  27
 9  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:10.201s 1.151s  26
10  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:10.352s 1.302s  27
11  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:10.374s 1.324s  33
12   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:10.413s 1.363s  28
13   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:10.443s 1.393s  31
14  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:10.587s 1.537s  31
15   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:10.610s 1.560s  27
16  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:10.885s 1.835s  27
17   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      1:10.902s 1.852s  23
18  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:10.938s 1.888s  24
19   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:10.990s 1.940s  25
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:11.342s 2.292s  28

[zia1288]

Brother timing are probably changed then the ones mentioned in this post

[genius83]

Timing Schedule updated, thanks for the correction.

Saturday
Practice Session 2  20:00 To 21:00

Sunday
Sprint Qualifying   00:30 To 01:30
Race                22:00 To 00:00

Also, the screenshot of Autosport's Timing schedule

[genius83]

Hamilton claims Saturday pole with dominant qualifying performance
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, giving him the pole position for Saturday’s sprint qualifying race ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.

Brazilian GP
Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap
 1  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:07.934s
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:08.372s
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:08.469s
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:08.483s
 5  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:08.777s
 6  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:08.826s
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                1:08.960s
 8   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:08.980s
 9   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:09.039s
10  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:09.113s
11  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:09.189s
12   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:09.399s
13  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:09.483s
14   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:09.503s
15  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:10.227s
16  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:09.663s
17   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      1:09.897s
18  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:09.953s
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:10.329s
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:10.589s

F1 team bosses expect no major changes to sprint format in 2022
Formula 1 teams expect any changes to the series’ sprint format for next season will involve no more than “tweaks” and “fine tuning”.

Hamilton’s latest engine change due to high degradation – Mercedes
Mercedes has replaced Lewis Hamilton’s engine due to higher than expected degradation in its performance.

Drivers given new track limits restrictions for turn four at Interlagos
Formula 1 drivers have been advised of new restrictions governing how track limits will be enforced at turn four ahead of today’s qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Honda “cannot believe” how many engine changes Mercedes have made
Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe admitted that he was surprised how many replacement power unit parts Mercedes have fitted to their cars in the last stretch of the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Verstappen: “Not a big shock” Hamilton is ahead after new engine
Max Verstappen says that he wasn’t surprised to be beaten by Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix sprint qualifying race after the Mercedes driver’s engine change.

Hamilton unsure if rapid qualifying pace will translate to race
Lewis Hamilton is doubtful the strong pace he showed in qualifying at Interlagos will remain in race trim.

Hamilton under threat of being sent to back of grid over DRS fault in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton is at risk of being excluded from the results of qualifying after his car failed a technical inspection.

No decision on whether Hamilton keeps sprint pole until Saturday morning
The FIA stewards will not rule on whether Lewis Hamilton keeps his pole position for the sprint qualifying race at Interlagos until Saturday morning at the circuit.

Verstappen faces investigation over parc ferme rules breach after touching Hamilton’s car
Max Verstappen has been drawn into the stewards’ investigation over the legality of his championship rival Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes during qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

‘Inspector Max’ may have handed Hamilton a get-out-of-jail-free card
Two amateur videos which surfaced on social media after Friday’s qualifying session at Interlagos (below) provided revealing insights into the twists and turns surrounding the stewards’ investigation of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.

[genius83]

Red Bull’s rear wing worries continue as Verstappen’s flap misbehaves in qualifying
Lewis Hamilton’s rear wing was the chief focus of attention after qualifying, once FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed it had failed an inspection, putting his pole position for the sprint qualifying race in doubt.

Horner “would be amazed” if Verstappen receives penalty for touching Hamilton’s car
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is confident thatMax Verstappen is in no danger of being penalised for inspecting Lewis Hamilton’s car after qualifying in São Paulo.

Alonso fastest in final practice before sprint qualifying
Fernando Alonso set the fastest time in second practice, during a long-run heavy session.

Brazilian GP
Practice Session 2
Pos No Driver             Car                    Best lap  Gap    Laps
 1  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         1:11.238s  -      23
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         1:12.102s 0.864s  26
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               1:12.355s 1.117s  24
 4  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         1:12.407s 1.169s  26
 5  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:12.741s 1.503s  25
 6  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         1:12.903s 1.665s  29
 7  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:12.997s 1.759s  37
 8  55 Carlos Sainz Jnr   Ferrari                1:13.078s 1.840s  31
 9  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                1:13.099s 1.861s  33
10   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     1:13.355s 2.117s  39
11  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:13.426s 2.188s  41
12   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       1:13.448s 2.210s  25
13   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       1:13.581s 2.343s  23
14  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:13.608s 2.370s  32
15  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      1:13.615s 2.377s  24
16  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       1:13.726s 2.488s  38
17   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  1:13.747s 2.509s  42
18   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      1:14.025s 2.787s  24
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           1:14.066s 2.828s  40
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           1:14.909s 3.671s  37

Verstappen fined €50,000 as stewards rule he did ‘no direct harm’ touching Hamilton’s wing
Max Verstappen has been fined €50,000 (£42,600) after the stewards found he broke parc ferme restrictions by touching Lewis Hamilton’s rear wing after qualifying.

Official:
Hamilton loses pole to Verstappen, will start sprint qualifying last
Lewis Hamilton has been excluded from the results of Friday’s qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix due to a technical infringement on his Mercedes.

[zia1288]

Max receives a 50,000 Euros fine and Hamilton has been disqualified from qualifying. Hamilton will start at the back of the grid i.e. 20th for sprint race.

Important note: wherever Hamilton finishes in Sprint race, he'll serve another penalty of 5 places due to ICE change.

[KamranAslam]

[umairjamil6]

Oh i read disqualified and thought he wouldnt be allowed to race. In sprint there is only one lap? If so he cant possibly win points

[genius83]

Penalty appeal too risky for Mercedes as Hamilton’s title hopes suffer huge blow
Lewis Hamilton will start today’s sprint qualifying race for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos from last on the grid, after being excluded from Friday’s qualifying session due to a technical infringement.

Bottas beats Verstappen to sprint win as Hamilton races from last to fifth
Valtteri Bottas claimed pole for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix by triumphing in the Saturday afternoon Sprint Qualifying.

Brazilian GP
Sprint Qualifying Session
Pos No Driver             Car                    Laps Time       Gap
 1  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes                24  29:09.559s  -
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda          24  29:10.729s    1.170s
 3  55 Carlos Sainz Jr    Ferrari                 24  29:28.282s   18.723s
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda          24  29:29.346s   19.787s
 5  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes                24  29:30.431s   20.872s
 6   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes        24  29:32.117s   22.558s
 7  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                 24  29:34.615s   25.056s
 8  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda        24  29:43.717s   34.158s
 9  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault          24  29:44.191s   34.632s
10   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes   24  29:44.426s   34.867s
11   3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes        24  29:45.428s   35.869s
12  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault          24  29:46.137s   36.578s
13  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      24  29:51.439s   41.880s
14  18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes   24  29:53.596s   44.037s
15  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda        24  29:55.709s   46.150s
16   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes       24  29:56.319s   46.760s
17  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes       24  29:57.298s   47.739s
18   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari      24  29:59.573s   50.014s
19  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari            24  30:11.239s 1:01.680s
20   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari            24  30:17.033s 1:07.474s

Here is the Championships Standings after the Brazilian Sprint Qualifying:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver              Total
 1  Max Verstappen      314.5
 2  Lewis Hamilton      293.5
 3  Valtteri Bottas     188
 4  Sergio Perez        165
 5  Lando Norris        150
 6  Charles Leclerc     138
 7  Carlos Sainz Jnr    131.5
 8  Daniel Ricciardo    105
 9  Pierre Gasly         86
10  Fernando Alonso      60
11  Esteban Ocon         46
12  Sebastian Vettel     42
13  Lance Stroll         26
14  Yuki Tsunoda         20
15  George Russell       16
16  Kimi Raikkonen       10
17  Nicholas Latifi       7
18  Antonio Giovinazzi    1
19  Mick Schumacher       0
19  Robert Kubica         0
19  Nikita Mazepin        0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team           Total
 1  Mercedes       481.5
 2  Red Bull       479.5
 3  Ferrari        269.5
 4  McLaren        255
 5  Alpine         106
 5  AlphaTauri     106
 7  Aston Martin    68
 8  Williams        23
 9  Alfa Romeo      11
10  Haas             0

Hamilton didn’t think charge from last to fifth in 24 laps was possible
Lewis Hamilton “had no idea” that his charge from 20th to fifth in Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint qualifying would be possible.

Verstappen checked Hamilton’s rear wing due to team’s suspicions over flexing
Max Verstappen said he inspected Lewis Hamilton’s rear wing after qualifying yesterday because his Red Bull team believe it has been flexing excessively at speed.

[zia1288]

Hamilton had crazy pace compared to others. I guess he'll finish 2nd or 3rd in the main race

[genius83]

Sprint format gave Hamilton “real chance” after penalty – Brawn
Formula 1’s motorsport director Ross Brawn described the Sao Paulo sprint qualifying race as the best so far and said the format has improved Lewis Hamilton’s chances of a strong result following his qualifying penalty.

Staff changes at Haas also prompted Mazepin’s tearful post-qualifying interview
Nikita Mazepin revealed his unexpectedly tearful response after qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix was not solely due to the errors on his lap which left him last in Q1 again.

Why Mercedes feel decision to disqualify Hamilton lacked “common sense”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the team were astonished Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the results of qualifying after his rear wing failed a technical inspection.

Sainz says “homework” on starts is paying off after sprinting to top-three grid slot
A calculated risk on tyre choice and committed lap one overtakes in sprint qualifying puts Carlos Sainz Jnr third on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix grid.

@umairjamil6
Sprint race is a 100 Km or 1/3rd distance of the GP(305 Km+ total race distance) event and has different number of laps depending on the length of the track.So, Silverstone Sprint and Monza Sprint have 18 laps while Interlagos Sprint have 24 laps.

[umairjamil6]

Hamilton was just tooo fast today. His engine is on steroids. Even max and his honda cant keep up.

[genius83]

Hamilton fights past Verstappen to win Sao Paulo GP
Lewis Hamilton overcame his exclusion from qualifying and five-place grid penalty for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to claim his sixth victory of 2021 and keep himself in the championship hunt.

Brazilian GP
Race Results
Pos No Driver             Car                   Laps  Time         Gap     Pts
 1  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               71   1:32:22.851s  -       25
 2  33 Max Verstappen     Red Bull-Honda         71   1:32:33.347s 10.496s  18
 3  77 Valtteri Bottas    Mercedes               71   1:32:36.427s 13.576s  15
 4  11 Sergio Perez       Red Bull-Honda         71   1:33:02.791s 39.940s  13
 5  16 Charles Leclerc    Ferrari                71   1:33:12.368s 49.517s  10
 6  55 Carlos Sainz Jr    Ferrari                71   1:33:14.671s 51.820s   8
 7  10 Pierre Gasly       AlphaTauri-Honda       70   1 lap                  6
 8  31 Esteban Ocon       Alpine-Renault         70   1 lap                  4
 9  14 Fernando Alonso    Alpine-Renault         70   1 lap                  2
10   4 Lando Norris       McLaren-Mercedes       70   1 lap                  1
11   5 Sebastian Vettel   Aston Martin-Mercedes  70   1 lap
12   7 Kimi Raikkonen     Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     70   1 lap
13  63 George Russell     Williams-Mercedes      70   1 lap
14  99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo-Ferrari     70   1 lap
15  22 Yuki Tsunoda       AlphaTauri-Honda       70   1 lap
16   6 Nicholas Latifi    Williams-Mercedes      70   1 lap
17   9 Nikita Mazepin     Haas-Ferrari           69   2 laps
18  47 Mick Schumacher    Haas-Ferrari           69   2 laps
dnf  3 Daniel Ricciardo   McLaren-Mercedes       49   Retirement
dnf 18 Lance Stroll       Aston Martin-Mercedes  47   Retirement
Fastest Lap Sergio Perez 1:11.010s

Here are the Championships Standings after Brazilian GP:

World Championships Standings
Driver Standings
Pos Driver               Total
 1  Max Verstappen       332.5
 2  Lewis Hamilton       318.5
 3  Valtteri Bottas      203
 4  Sergio Perez         178
 5  Lando Norris         151
 6  Charles Leclerc      148
 7  Carlos Sainz Jnr     139.5
 8  Daniel Ricciardo     105
 9  Pierre Gasly          92
10  Fernando Alonso       62
11  Esteban Ocon          50
12  Sebastian Vettel      42
13  Lance Stroll          26
14  Yuki Tsunoda          20
15  George Russell        16
16  Kimi Raikkonen        10
17  Nicholas Latifi        7
18  Antonio Giovinazzi     1
19  Mick Schumacher        0
19  Robert Kubica          0
19  Nikita Mazepin         0
Constructor Standings
Pos Team          Total
 1  Mercedes      521.5
 2  Red Bull      510.5
 3  Ferrari       287.5
 4  McLaren       256
 5  Alpine        112
 5  AlphaTauri    112
 7  Aston Martin   68
 8  Williams       23
 9  Alfa Romeo     11
10  Haas            0

Hamilton’s win under threat as he faces new investigation over seat belts
Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is under threat as he faces another investigation from the stewards.

Brazil win feels like first for Hamilton after “hardest weekend”
Lewis Hamilton said his Brazilian Grand Prix victory felt like his first victory after the difficulties he overcame at Interlagos.

“No need” to defend hard against Hamilton on last lap – Norris
McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo said they were surprised by Lewis Hamilton’s successful climb to fifth in sprint qualifying.

Raikkonen to start from pit lane after rear wing change
Kimi Raikkonen will start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from the pit lane, following a change to his rear wing under parc ferme conditions.

F1 could drop DRS “in medium term” if 2022 regulations succeed – Seidl
McLaren’s Andrea Seidl has revealed Formula 1 teams have discussed doing away with the Drag Reduction System “in the medium-term”, should next season’s technical regulations produce closer racing as intended.

Tsunoda given two penalty points for collision with Stroll
Rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda has been given two penalty points on his licence after a collision with Lance Stroll early in the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris: lap one clash with Sainz “benefited them a lot more than us”
Lando Norris said that a collision with Carlos Sainz at the start of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix had advantaged Ferrari in their points battle.

[KamranAslam]

[genius83]

Angry Wolff slates stewards’ “laughable” call not to investigate Verstappen-Hamilton incident
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff strongly criticised the stewards for failing to investigate an incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton keeps Sao Paulo Grand Prix win after fine for seat belt infraction
Lewis Hamilton has kept his victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after he was investigated by the stewards for disconnecting his seat belts on his return to the pits after today’s race.

Verstappen says he took “safer” option by running wide in Hamilton incident
Max Verstappen explained why he ran wide when Lewis Hamilton tried to overtake him on the outside at the Descida do Lago corner during a contentious moment in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

McLaren suspect chassis crack led to Ricciardo’s race-ending power loss
McLaren suspect the loss of power which forced Daniel Ricciardo out of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was caused by a problem with his chassis.

Hamilton win shows Mercedes “picked a good circuit” for engine penalty
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin says the team’s decision to fit another new engine to Lewis Hamilton’s car, and accept the grid penalty that came with it, was vindicated by their Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory.

Tsunoda criticises “ridiculous” penalty for move Stroll called “desperate”
Lance Stroll accused Yuki Tsunoda of a “desperate” move after a collision between the pair spoiled their races in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Verstappen fight was “what a championship battle should look like” – Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says his battle for the lead with rival Max Verstappen in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is how a duel for the drivers’ championship should be fought.

Stewards made Verstappen call without his forward-facing video of Hamilton incident
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix stewards did not have access to a potentially crucial piece of video footage when they made their hotly-debated decision not to investigate whether Max Verstappen forced Lewis Hamilton off the track at Interlagos.

McLaren Group denies “wholly inaccurate” report of sale to Audi
The McLaren Group has issued a statement denying a report which claimed it has been purchased by Volkswagen Group brand Audi.

Could Mercedes use missing Verstappen video to demand review of Hamilton clash?
Max Verstappen’s robust defensive move against Lewis Hamilton on lap 48 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was the latest in a series of controversial flashpoints between the two championship contenders.

[genius83]

How Alonso and Ocon “pushed team tactics to the ultimate limit” to delay Gasly
While the duel between the title contenders was centre stage at Interlagos last weekend, an intense and strategic three-car battle raged behind them which was only caught in glimpses on television.

Piastri handed F1 reserve role at Alpine for 2022
Alpine has confirmed the appointment of Oscar Piastri as the team’s reserve driver for the 2022 Formula 1 season.

‘When money rules F1 can be ruthless’ says Giovinazzi as he loses drive to Zhou
Antonio Giovinazzi said Formula 1 “can be ruthless” after Alfa Romeo confirmed he will leave the team at the end of the year.

Zhou takes final place on 2022 grid and becomes F1’s first Chinese racer
Guanyu Zhou will make his Formula 1 race debut with Alfa Romeo next year and become the first driver from China to race in the series.

It’s not just having a Chinese driver in the car, you also have to perform – Vasseur on Zhou
Having completed his driver line-up – and the 2022 F1 grid – by announcing Guanyu Zhou as the occupant of the second Alfa Romeo seat next year, team principal Frederic Vasseur is already pushing to got his new hire in the car as soon as possible.

@All
Here is the footage from Verstappen's car which was supposedly missing:
https://streamable.com/tp7dub

[adrafiq.52]

Ahh uhmm uhhhmmm running wide uhhmm, british and spanish grand prix uhmmm, away from quali racing line uhmmmm.

[zia1288]

After watching the performance in Brazilian GP, what do you reckon in coming tracks? Will Mercedes blast past everyone? RB will take new engine?

[buenavides.c1]

What are your thoughts about this news?

https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/antonio-giovinazzi-dumped-as-alfa-romeo-reveal-f1s-first-chinese-driver/news-story/2b989fd4c54258dfcdad1384f2b0b867

[genius83]

F1 releases missing video footage from Verstappen’s car of Hamilton incident
Formula 1 has released the forward-facing camera footage from Max Verstappen’s car showing the controversial lap 48 incident between him and Lewis Hamilton during last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Mercedes ask FIA to review Hamilton-Verstappen Sao Paulo GP incident
Mercedes has submitted a request for the FIA to review the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen on lap 48 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

McLaren must “get back to scoring the results that are on the table” – Seidl
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says they are failing to maximise their points-scoring opportunities as successfully as they did in the first half of the season.

The precedent which shows Mercedes may succeed where Red Bull failed with review bid
For the second time this year, one of the championship-contending Formula 1 teams is asking the stewards to reconsider a decision which could have implications for the title fight.

@zia1288
Remember this

Apart from the 2 new tracks in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, each team have 3 tracks that suits their strong points in car philosophy. Next race Turkey, Mercedes will have a strong car then United States is also a Mercedes track. In Brazil and Mexico, RedBull will be strong. Abu Dhabi previously was a Mercedes track but with track changes this season it could be favouring RedBull too.

My previous prediction for these 4 known tracks has resulted in 50/50 success rate and both teams have won on each other's strong track i.e. RedBull in Austin and Mercedes in Brazil. Now we are in the unknown part of F1 season and the next 2 races are going to be interesting, but because of unknown nature of these tracks neither team will be willing to give up better grid position on the outside chance of slicing through the field from the back into a podium scoring position or better a win.

On the other hand, if they have a serious crash during the practice sessions on either weekend for these 2 drivers, they certainly will take a new engine or complete power unit to avoid a mechanical retirement during the race.

Mercedes certainly have more power but there are rumors that they are doing something illegal with the engine. Other speculations are that as Mercedes are using new power unit they are running it on higher level then they were using it during mid season while RedBull are running a slightly de tune engine for reliability.

Here is the track map of Losail International Circuit which will hold the inaugural Qatar GP:

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Qatar GP:

Qatar GP
Friday
Practice Session 1   15:30 To 16:30
Practice Session 2   19:00 To 20:00

Saturday
Practice Session 3   16:00 To 17:00
Qualifying Session   19:00 To 20:00

Sunday
Race                 19:00 To 21:00