Dry qualifying in Bahrain reveals Williams’ true colors

By Apr 5, 2014, 1:30 PM EDT
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After two wet qualifying sessions in Australia and Malaysia, a dry qualifying session at the Bahrain Grand Prix finally revealed the true one-lap pecking order of the teams in 2014. However, there was never really any doubt about who the pace-setter was: Mercedes duly delivered by locking out the front row on Saturday night in Bahrain.

The one team that had lamented the wet conditions so far this season was Williams. In Australia, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa could only line up ninth and tenth on the grid, whilst in Malaysia there was even more disappointment as neither driver made it through to Q3.

However, Bottas was sensational in Australia, overtaking nineteen drivers as he fought back from a grid penalty and a puncture to eventually finish fifth, whilst the team scored its first double points haul since the 2012 United States Grand Prix in Malaysia. It was clear that the team had the pace in the dry, but wet qualifying sessions were causing more than a few headaches.

As expected, Bahrain produced a bone-dry qualifying session on Saturday as the drivers ran in the cooler night time conditions. Despite running just once in Q2, both Massa and Bottas easily made it through to the final session, where they continued their good form to secure the team its best qualifying result of the season. Massa finished eighth, and although Bottas was only three-tenths faster, it was good enough to secure the Finn fourth place.

Daniel Ricciardo qualified in third place, and because of his 10 place grid penalty, both Williams drivers will make up a position on the grid.

After a disastrous 2013 campaign, Williams has certainly turned a corner this year. Gone is the volatile Pastor Maldonado, and in has come the compliant and cheerful Felipe Massa. The new regulations have given the team a chance to start with a blank page, and the results have improved significantly as a result.

In the whole of 2013, Frank Williams’ team scored just five points. After just two races in 2014, it has 20 points. The proof is in the results.

However, it could get better still. From third place tomorrow, Bottas will be keen on fighting for his first podium finish in Formula 1, and considering Williams’ pace in the dry, he could be the man to beat in the battle to be ‘best of the rest’ behind Mercedes.

Ryan Hunter-Reay hired as replacement for Conor Daly at Ed Carpenter Racing

By Jun 8, 2023, 9:05 AM EDT
Ryan Hunter-Reay Carpenter
Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”