F1 Season 1 | Race 1: Rolex Australian Grand Prix | 5th April 2017

F1 Season 1
Race 1 | Rolex Australian Grand Prix



Date: 5th April, 2017
Time: 9:30 PM IST

Track Details


Weather Forecast (Wednesday)


Drivers' Press Conference: 4th April, 2017 | 7:00 PM IST

List of Drivers for the Press Conference will be announced on the Spot

Managers' Press Conference: 5th April, 2017 | 7 PM IST

List of Managers who will be part for the Press Conference will be announced after the Drivers' Press Conference

Managers List:
Aqi - McLaren Honda
Adithya - Scuderia Ferrari
Rishabh - Sahara Force India
Sanjay - Renault
Tukaram Parabat - Tag Heuer Red Bull Racing
Ashu - Williams Martini Racing
Vighnesh - Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport
Nikhil (Shinchan Nohara) - Torro Rosso Ferrari
Yash Bhavsar - Haas Ferrari
Fahad - Brawn GP
Nishchal - BMW Sauber
Haseeh - Lotus Renault
Akash Dharmaraja - Jaguar
Raminder Singh - Manor Racing Team
Johny S Raj - Toyota Racing Team
Mithun - Benetton Racing

Rishabh wrote:

Luke coming to you, P1 in the first Practice Session is something remarkable for Sahara Force India. Do you think this is reflecting the exact image of how grid looks this season?

Luke HUNT (SAHARA FORCE INDIA): Its hard to say where we stand compared to other teams as we saw so many changes were done by almost every single team. Thus, I feel many teams are hiding their real pace and to know about how grid will shape up, we have to wait for qualifying but I can’t disagree on the fact that P1 is a great achievement, something which I was not expecting but I feel we timed it perfectly and waited for opportunity. Now its important for us to convert that performance into Race as well where it all matters.

Sahara Force India is famous for performing more than expected. Last time they got 4th in Constructors’ Championship. Where do you feel you guys will end after this season?

Luke HUNT: During the car launch, our Team Principal Rishabh Tandon said that we have been improving season by season and its important to continue our progress this season as well. So our aim will be to be part of Top 3 Constructors’ and I will give everything so that we achieve our goals by the end of the season.

Rishabh wrote:

Luke coming to you, P1 in the first Practice Session is something remarkable for Sahara Force India. Do you think this is reflecting the exact image of how grid looks this season?

Luke HUNT (SAHARA FORCE INDIA): Its hard to say where we stand compared to other teams as we saw so many changes were done by almost every single team. Thus, I feel many teams are hiding their real pace and to know about how grid will shape up, we have to wait for qualifying but I can’t disagree on the fact that P1 is a great achievement, something which I was not expecting but I feel we timed it perfectly and waited for opportunity. Now its important for us to convert that performance into Race as well where it all matters.

Sahara Force India is famous for performing more than expected. Last time they got 4th in Constructors’ Championship. Where do you feel you guys will end after this season?

Luke HUNT: During the car launch, our Team Principal Rishabh Tandon said that we have been improving season by season and its important to continue our progress this season as well. So our aim will be to be part of Top 3 Constructors’ and I will give everything so that we achieve our goals by the end of the season.

Rishabh wrote:

Coming to you Jacques, Mercedes have been dominating this V6 era but this season they look totally different as they struggled during the Practice Session. Can you tell us what’s going wrong for your team?  

JACQUES DURAND (MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS): Aah! I don’t know if I have to be honest with everyone. Yes we were looking sketchy from the beginning but things are improving and we are moving in right direction after all the hiccups. We are still adjusting to these new rules which have been introduced this season but we won’t stay at the back for long. Its important to work on development and think about other races too instead of giving everything in just one race. We are confident that as time will pass, we will come to where we belong ie. Top of the Standings.

So are you expecting good result from this year’s Australian Grand Prix where a Mercedes driver have won since 2014?

JACQUES DURAND: Well we have seen some unpredictable results in Formula 1 so its always important to be positive. Currently Ferrari, Force India, Renault are looking strong but its too early to say. I am not counting us out but this will be the toughest challenge for us in this era and if we are successful in getting good amount of points, I will be happy and by tomorrow you will know whether our team will be happy or not.

Aqi wrote:Ferrari and force india definitely looks stronger than others even haas ferrari looks dangerous

Rishabh wrote:

Lets talk to Home favourite – Connor Harris. How did you react when you got the confirmation as the First Driver of the returning team Jaguar Racing?

Connor HARRIS (JAGUAR RACING): Personally, I was over the moon when things got confirmed because this will be a brand new challenge for me. All credit goes to my manager who made this deal work just after when we got to know that Jaguar Racing team is returing to Formula One. I am really excited for this season just like every fan is and I will try hard to provide my team what they want.

It’s a stat they don’t care for much around these parts, but no Australian has won the Australian Grand Prix since it became a championship round in 1985, so are you going to put that right this weekend for the fans considering you performed really well during the Practice?

Connor HARRIS: It's never easy to win any Grand Prix and this time there will be 32 drivers which means I have to beat 31 drivers. I can do that? Yes. Will I do that? We have to wait till tomorrow to find that out but as I said I will try hard to achieve what we can. Our pace was really good during the practice but its hard to say about other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes who might be hiding something under this sleeve but I would love to change that stat atleast for all Australians who will be supporting hard during the race.

Rishabh wrote:

Lets talk to Home favourite – Connor Harris. How did you react when you got the confirmation as the First Driver of the returning team Jaguar Racing?

Connor HARRIS (JAGUAR RACING): Personally, I was over the moon when things got confirmed because this will be a brand new challenge for me. All credit goes to my manager who made this deal work just after when we got to know that Jaguar Racing team is returing to Formula One. I am really excited for this season just like every fan is and I will try hard to provide my team what they want.

It’s a stat they don’t care for much around these parts, but no Australian has won the Australian Grand Prix since it became a championship round in 1985, so are you going to put that right this weekend for the fans considering you performed really well during the Practice?

Connor HARRIS: It's never easy to win any Grand Prix and this time there will be 32 drivers which means I have to beat 31 drivers. I can do that? Yes. Will I do that? We have to wait till tomorrow to find that out but as I said I will try hard to achieve what we can. Our pace was really good during the practice but its hard to say about other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes who might be hiding something under this sleeve but I would love to change that stat atleast for all Australians who will be supporting hard during the race.

Nikhil wrote:

Rishabh wrote:

Lets talk to Home favourite – Connor Harris. How did you react when you got the confirmation as the First Driver of the returning team Jaguar Racing?

Connor HARRIS (JAGUAR RACING): Personally, I was over the moon when things got confirmed because this will be a brand new challenge for me. All credit goes to my manager who made this deal work just after when we got to know that Jaguar Racing team is returing to Formula One. I am really excited for this season just like every fan is and I will try hard to provide my team what they want.

It’s a stat they don’t care for much around these parts, but no Australian has won the Australian Grand Prix since it became a championship round in 1985, so are you going to put that right this weekend for the fans considering you performed really well during the Practice?

Connor HARRIS: It's never easy to win any Grand Prix and this time there will be 32 drivers which means I have to beat 31 drivers. I can do that? Yes. Will I do that? We have to wait till tomorrow to find that out but as I said I will try hard to achieve what we can. Our pace was really good during the practice but its hard to say about other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes who might be hiding something under this sleeve but I would love to change that stat atleast for all Australians who will be supporting hard during the race.

Na he won't win :v

Nikhil wrote:

Rishabh wrote:

Lets talk to Home favourite – Connor Harris. How did you react when you got the confirmation as the First Driver of the returning team Jaguar Racing?

Connor HARRIS (JAGUAR RACING): Personally, I was over the moon when things got confirmed because this will be a brand new challenge for me. All credit goes to my manager who made this deal work just after when we got to know that Jaguar Racing team is returing to Formula One. I am really excited for this season just like every fan is and I will try hard to provide my team what they want.

It’s a stat they don’t care for much around these parts, but no Australian has won the Australian Grand Prix since it became a championship round in 1985, so are you going to put that right this weekend for the fans considering you performed really well during the Practice?

Connor HARRIS: It's never easy to win any Grand Prix and this time there will be 32 drivers which means I have to beat 31 drivers. I can do that? Yes. Will I do that? We have to wait till tomorrow to find that out but as I said I will try hard to achieve what we can. Our pace was really good during the practice but its hard to say about other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes who might be hiding something under this sleeve but I would love to change that stat atleast for all Australians who will be supporting hard during the race.

Na he won't win :v

Akash Dharmaraja wrote:

Nikhil wrote:

Rishabh wrote:

Lets talk to Home favourite – Connor Harris. How did you react when you got the confirmation as the First Driver of the returning team Jaguar Racing?

Connor HARRIS (JAGUAR RACING): Personally, I was over the moon when things got confirmed because this will be a brand new challenge for me. All credit goes to my manager who made this deal work just after when we got to know that Jaguar Racing team is returing to Formula One. I am really excited for this season just like every fan is and I will try hard to provide my team what they want.

It’s a stat they don’t care for much around these parts, but no Australian has won the Australian Grand Prix since it became a championship round in 1985, so are you going to put that right this weekend for the fans considering you performed really well during the Practice?

Connor HARRIS: It's never easy to win any Grand Prix and this time there will be 32 drivers which means I have to beat 31 drivers. I can do that? Yes. Will I do that? We have to wait till tomorrow to find that out but as I said I will try hard to achieve what we can. Our pace was really good during the practice but its hard to say about other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes who might be hiding something under this sleeve but I would love to change that stat atleast for all Australians who will be supporting hard during the race.

Na he won't win :v

2nd in Practice session !!! ... Anyways can beat you :3

Rishabh wrote:

Oliver, Toro Rosso is that team which always fights for some points but they have never made into Podium except in 2009 Italian Grand Prix. What do you think of your chances in 2017?

Oliver WHITE (Scuderia Toro Rosso): Well currently its hard to say where we will finish or whether we can get podiums this time but we can atleast say that we are looking in much better shape and there is always a hunger to perform above expectations and we will try hard. We feel our practice session was good enough to show that we will fight hard for points tomorrow but everything will be decided during the race.

With all the rule changes that have gone on from last year to this year, is this a really good year to come in as a rookie or is it actually quite tough?

Oliver WHITE: I don’t know. It is what it is and I’m just going to have to make the best of it. I don’t want to look at it as a negative or a positive, it’s the way it is, it’s a new regulation and it’s for everyone. It’s my rookie year and I just have to learn what I have to learn and get on with it quickly compared to others.

Rishabh wrote:

Oliver, Toro Rosso is that team which always fights for some points but they have never made into Podium except in 2009 Italian Grand Prix. What do you think of your chances in 2017?

Oliver WHITE (Scuderia Toro Rosso): Well currently its hard to say where we will finish or whether we can get podiums this time but we can atleast say that we are looking in much better shape and there is always a hunger to perform above expectations and we will try hard. We feel our practice session was good enough to show that we will fight hard for points tomorrow but everything will be decided during the race.

With all the rule changes that have gone on from last year to this year, is this a really good year to come in as a rookie or is it actually quite tough?

Oliver WHITE: I don’t know. It is what it is and I’m just going to have to make the best of it. I don’t want to look at it as a negative or a positive, it’s the way it is, it’s a new regulation and it’s for everyone. It’s my rookie year and I just have to learn what I have to learn and get on with it quickly compared to others.

Aqi wrote:Amazing work rish, simply fabulous

Mithun wrote:Good press conference...
Great work Rish...
Just about 26 more hours for the race