2018 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi — Results & aftermath

Hamilton finishes historic season in style with dominant win in Abu Dhabi; Vettel runner-up, Verstappen P3

Newly minted 5-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton resisted complacency and instead turned in another vintage Hammertime performance to cap off a historically successful 2018 Formula 1 season. Mercedes’ ace lead the race from pole, dominating from the front, and never faced a serious challenge in Sunday’s in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from futuristic Yas Marina, the final race of the year. Hamilton picked up his 11th victory out of 21 contests and scored his record-setting 408th championship point. For as close as the season seemed at just a little over the halfway mark, Hamilton and Mercedes dominated Ferrari down the stretch en route to the team’s fifth Constructors’ title on the trot since the start of the current hybrid formula. Ferrari have got to be hoping that next year’s rule tweaks can slow the German juggernaut down in 2014. The fabled Scuderia were left pondering the ashes of another failed campaign and wondering where exactly they lost their way not long after the summer break. The Prancing Horses seemed poised to take their challenge to Mercedes’ dominance down to the wire after Vettel’s victory at Spa in August. But then Hamilton reeled off 6 wins in the last eight races with Kimi Raikkonen at COTA in the United States the only Ferrari driver standing on the top step during that amazing run. There will have to be a lot of midnight oil burnt at Maranello during the short winter break if Ferrari and Vettel are to have any hope of catching up to what is now officially a dynastic championship run by Hamilton and mighty Mercedes.

Pics courtesy GrandPrix247.com

The race got off to a scary start on the opening lap when the Renault of Nico Hulkenberg and the Haas of Romain Grosjean touched wheels while fighting for the same piece of real estate, sending Hulkenberg’s car airborne and barrel rolling several time before ending up in the energy-dispersing “Lego” barriers upside down. The helpless Hulkenberg was extracted from the car after some time and emerged unscathed, though the time it took to get him out did bring home the double-edged nature of the Halo system. Things might not have been so positive had his car been on fire during all the time it took to get Hulkenberg out of there safely.

Thankfully, though, the German was unhurt and the race resumed when the Safety Car came in at the end of Lap 4. Hamilton once again vaulted to the lead on the restart, while the Red Bull of Max Verstappen began making up places at a furious pace after software issues at the very start of the race saw the Dutchman drop like a stone from his initial P6 position on the grid. Continue reading →

2018 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi — Qualifying results

Hamilton nails pole for last race of the season, Bottas P2 for Mercedes front row lockout; Vettel third fastest at Yas Marina

With all the prizes claimed on this last race weekend of the 2018 Formula 1 season, team Mercedes and their ace Lewis Hamilton showed they are still driven to win during Saturday qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At this most stunning of venues, the brilliantly lit day-into-night Yas Marina Circuit, Hamilton decided to set a new track record instead of resting on his laurels as a newly crowned five-time F1 World Champion. The Englishman’s stunning 1:34.794 time in Q3 was over a tenth faster than his teammate, Valtteri Botas, and the two works Mercedes drivers locked out the front row easily for tomorrow’s contest. They also set their fastest times in Q2 on the preferred Ultrasoft Pirellis, which therefore will be the compound they both start on, making for an advantageous race strategy, as well.

The Silver Arrows once again outshone the Prancing Horses of Ferrari, a result all too familiar to the fabled team from Maranello this year. Sebastian Vettel, the championship runner-up, qualified in P3 and Kimi Raikkonen, who departs the team after tomorrow’s race for Sauber, set the fourth fastest time. Ferrari will be hoping their race pace is better, though, if only to salvage a win tomorrow and give Mercedes something to think about in the off season. Daniel Ricciardo out-qualified his more heralded teammate Max Verstappen P4 to P5 in what is also the Aussie’s last race for the Red Bull team as he prepares to move over to Renault. Romain Grosjean pulled his Haas all the way up to P7 on the grid, while Charles Leclerc, who takes Raikkonen’s seat with the big team next year, managed to hustle his Ferrari-powered Sauber up to P8. Esteban Ocon qualified P9 in his last drive for Force India and Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault set the tenth fastest time.

Top 10 qualifiers for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:

POS NO DRIVER CAR Q1 Q2 Q3 LAPS
1 44 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 1:36.828 1:35.693 1:34.794 19
2 77 Valtteri Bottas MERCEDES 1:36.789 1:36.392 1:34.956 19
3 5 Sebastian Vettel FERRARI 1:36.775 1:36.345 1:35.125 18
4 7 Kimi Räikkönen FERRARI 1:37.010 1:36.735 1:35.365 18
5 3 Daniel Ricciardo RED BULL RACING TAG HEUER 1:37.117 1:36.964 1:35.401 16
6 33 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING TAG HEUER 1:37.195 1:36.144 1:35.589 14
7 8 Romain Grosjean HAAS FERRARI 1:37.575 1:36.732 1:36.192 15
8 16 Charles Leclerc SAUBER FERRARI 1:37.124 1:36.580 1:36.237 20
9 31 Esteban Ocon FORCE INDIA MERCEDES 1:36.936 1:36.814 1:36.540 18
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg RENAULT 1:37.569 1:36.630 1:36.542 15

Complete qualifying results available via Formula.com.

Tomorrow’s race, the last of the year, airs live beginning at 8AM Eastern on EPSN2 here in the States. Hope to see you then to farewell F1 before the long, cold winter break!

Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

It’s only fitting that in the month of Thanksgiving I’m offering up a special piece that any true vintage watch aficionado would be grateful to own — a 1960s Vacheron & Constantin reference 6308 dress watch in stainless steel.

Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

Much like their main rivals in haute horology, Patek Phillipe, Vacherons in steel are fairly uncommon, as both manufactures preferred to work in precious metals and still do to this day. This 6308 is also characterized by its full sized 36mm case diameter and an absolutely stunningly symmetrical dial layout.

Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

Inside this peerlessly elegant watch beats the heart of a champion — a JLC-derived manual caliber P454/5b with sweep seconds, 18 jewels, a whopping 8 original adjustments and stamped with two Geneva Seals, an attestation of particular horological achievement somewhat above and beyond the usual Chronometer certification.

Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

Coming with both its rare original USA-made brick link bracelet and a perfectly suitable thin black lizard strap, this Vacheron 6308 ticks all the boxes for the man of style and substance. With the Holiday Season just about to hit full stride I can think of no better wrist companion than this beautiful dress VC to accompany you to all your finer festivities.

Vintage 1960s Vacheron & Constantin ref. 6308 in Steel

Check out the full ad now with many more pictures and complete condition report over at the always busy Dealers & Manufacturers section at Watchuseek. If you’re looking for a timelessly elegant timepiece you’ll be glad you did!  SOLD

2018 F1 Grand Prix of Brazil — Results & aftermath

Hamilton gifted win in Sao Paolo after Verstappen tangles with backmarker, Bottas P5 to secure Contructors’ title for Mercedes; Raikkonen P3, Vettel P6 as Ferrari fall short once again

Newly crowned World Champion Lewis Hamilton is never one to pass up an opportunity for victory despite having already clinched his fifth world title. Looking like a certain runner-up to  the dominant Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, Mercedes’ ace pilot instead took advantage of Verstappen’s misfortune and possible impatience to positively snipe the win at Interlagos in Sao Paolo. After running a flawless race with great strategy and a surprisingly quick Red Bull beneath him, Verstappen’s race was undone in an instant a mere 8 laps after he made his first stop for tires and just four laps after passing Hamilton on the circuit to take what looked to be an unassailable lead. It all went sideways on Lap 44 when a backmarker, the Force India of Esteban Ocon, tried to unlap himself and raced the Dutch wunderkind hard going into the Senna esses.

Pics courtesy GrandPrix247.com

Perhaps expecting Ocon to back off, Verstappen appeared to turn in as the Frenchman instead dove down the inside to try and stay on the lead lap. The two cars collided with the result that Verstappen spun off the track and watched helplessly as Hamilton steamed by him to regain the lead while his Red Bull waited to reenter the track safely. Verstappen also incurred significant damage to his RB14 chassis’ floor but was able to maintain his P2 position and even hound Hamilton a bit towards the end of this 71-lap contest. But despite having to nurse his slower Medium compound Pirellis to the end of the race and with some potential engine gremlins creeping into the mix, Hamilton had enough pace to hold off the irate Dutchman and win his tenth Grand Prix this year out of twenty races. Hamilton’s victory coupled with his teammate Valtteri Bottas’s P5 finish locked up the Constructors’ title for mighty Mercedes, their fifth in a row, and ensured that this resurrected Mercedes factory effort will go down as one of the most dominant teams of any era.

After the race, a livid Verstappen confronted Ocon at the post-race weigh-in and initiated a shoving match. Continue reading →

2018 F1 Grand Prix of Brazil — Qualifying results

Hamilton takes pole with track record at Interlagos, Vettel keeps P2 after weigh-in contretemps; Bottas starts P3

Newly crowned 2018 F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton followed up his title-clinching but so-so P4 run in Mexico two weeks ago with a more Hamiltonian effort, setting a new lap record at Autodromo José Carlos Pace for pole in Saturday qualifying for tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Showing that he is still driven to perform at the highest level even after seizing his remarkable fifth Drivers’ title, the English superstar once again got the better of his season-long pursuer Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, laying down a hot lap of 1:07.281 for the best-ever time at Interlagos, albeit a mere .09 ahead his German rival. Once again it was Vettel looking up at Hamilton on the leaderboard, a depressing reality for both the man and the team. In truth, Vettel was lucky to retain his P2 starting position after some confusion at the weighbridge during a rain-threatened Q2 that saw Vettel hurrying the officials along in a desperate attempt to get to his pits for fresh rubber before the deluge screwed up his session. Vettel was accused of not shutting down his engine as required by the rules and “destroying the scales” by motoring away rather than being push started. Then again Hamilton also dodged the stewards’ wrath after dawdling in front of a fast-approaching Williams of Sergey Sirotkin in Q2, which very nearly led to a dangerous collision but for the lightening reflexes of the Russian rookie.

Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas secured P3 on the grid and he will line up aside Vettel’s Scuderia stablemate Kimi Raikkonen, who had the fourth fastest qualifying time. Ferrari may have some extra strategic cards to play come race day, however, in a last ditch effort to hold off the Silver Arrows from capturing the Constructors’ title, at least for another week. Continue reading →

Vintage Tudor ref. 7016 Snowflake Submariner

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage Tudor ref. 7016 Snowflake Submariner

It’s the last day of October and what better match for Halloween that this Tudor Snowflake Submariner with amazing pumpkin patina? This rugged beauty is all original, unpolished and dates to 1970. It’s a first generation Snowflake dial as you can tell by the exceedingly rare SWISS-only signature below “6.”

This 7016/0 Tudor Sub, a reference which started with Rose dials before transitioning to Shield Snowflake dials like this one, is obviously no safe queen and seems to wear every one of its years on this planet with a well-earned mark or nick to its Oyster by Rolex case. These first generation Snowflake dials were also prone to a “bubbling” effect to the surface due to a reaction between the paint and the plate, which you can clearly see on this example. While the wabisabi on this devil won’t be to everyone’s tastes, I love it because it just shouts unmolested vintage authenticity. Ad isn’t that really what its all about?

Top all that ugly beauty off with period correct bezel with fat font insert, Tropic 19 domed crystal and even the original no-dots big Twinlock crown and you have an amazing 48-year-old survivor that was clearly used like a toolwatch should be. And did I mention that stunning deep orange patina? As unique as a many-times sharpened hunting knife, this Tudor Snowflake is ready for its next adventure. Only this time it’ll be on your wrist as you impart your own unique history to this already great and long-lived Submariner.

Check out the complete ad now over at Vintage Rolex Forum’s Market section with many more pictures and complete condition report to make this stunning, patina-rich Snowflake Sub yours right now!  ON HOLD

2018 F1 Grand Prix of Mexico — Results & aftermath

Hamilton finishes P4 doing enough to earn fifth world title in Mexico

Red Bull’s Verstappen cruises to victory; Vettel a hard fought P2, Raikkonen P3 in consolation podium for Ferrari

Despite not winning the race and coming home a disappointing fourth place, Mercedes’ ace Lewis Hamilton scored enough points to claim his remarkable fifth Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City on Sunday. By dint of his consistently superlative season, which includes 9 victories out of the 19 contests so far, Hamilton’s P4 at the Mexican Grand Prix still put him mathematically out of reach of his nearest pursuer, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton joins 1950s legend Juan Manual Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to win at least 5 World Championships and only Schumacher has more with a record 7. Of course, F1 fortunes can change quickly but at only 33-years of age and piloting the superlative Silver Arrow it is quite conceivable that Hamilton might tie or even break the great Schumacher’s seemingly untouchable benchmark for championships. We shall see. But for now let us appreciate one of F1’s greatest careers in any era and a man as suited to this period of the sport as Fangio, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Schumacher were to theirs. Once again, in 2018 Ham is the man.

Pics courtesy GrandPrix247.com

Despite Hamilton’s massive career accomplishment it was not really Mercedes’ day. Both Hamilton and his wingman, Valtteri Bottas, struggled on the softer, quick-degrading Pirelli tires on offer for this high altitude race. Along with Hamilton’s subpar P4, Bottas would come home a lackluster P5 and a full lap down. No, the race belonged to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who made a dynamite start from P2, pipping his pole-sitting teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, for a race lead he would never really relinquish. Verstapppen easily held off a late charge by a desperate Vettel to make it two wins in a row in Mexico, where the Red Bull really seems to thrive on the thin air, and log his fifth GP career victory. With a little better mount next year look for the Dutch wunderkind to challenge Hamilton and make a serious run for his first Drivers’ Championship.

But all was not completely well for Red Bull. With their veteran Ricciardo looking like he too would podium and doing his best to hold off Vettel for P2 as the race wound down, the Australian’s engine began to smoke ominously on Lap 62 of this 71-lap contest. Continue reading →

2018 F1 Grand Prix of Mexico — Qualifying results

Ricciardo seizes pole in Mexico with mega lap, leads Red Bull front row lockout pipping Verstappen in P2; Hamilton P3 ahead of Vettel in P4

Just when it seemed that Max Verstappen would earn his first ever Formula 1 pole in Saturday qualifying from Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, the talented wunderkind saw that elusive goal snatched from him by his Red Bull teammate. Daniel Ricciardo bested Verstappen’s seemingly untouchable sub 1:15-second fast lap by 3-one hundredths, leaving the Aussie giddy with a new track record and the 21-year-old Dutchman suddenly deflated. After looking the fastest man up until that the very last moments of Q3 Vertsapen was also looking to become the youngest pole-sitter in the sport’s history. But that dream will have to wait at least a couple of more weeks. Despite Verstappen’s disappointment, Red Bull were thrilled to have the front row lockout at a track that really seems to suit their chassis and Ricciardo was especially elated. They may have issues holding those high flying positions in the race, however, because the Red Bulls’ straight line speed is still not nearly as good as Mercedes’ or Ferrari’s, not to mention the doubt added by Ricciardo’s recent string of DNFs due to poor reliability.

Speaking of Mercedes, their ace and points leader took another step towards clinching his fifth World Championship, taking the checkered flag just behind the two Red Bulls and in front of his last remaining title rival, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton will line up P3 on the grid right beside Vettel in P4 and if he scores a mere 5 points in the race he will mathematically eliminate his German rival and claim the 2018 Championship. That makes their respective getaways tomorrow all the more intriguing, especially considering Vettel’s recent propensity for crashing into his nearest opponents. Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, had the fifth fastest time, while Vettel’s stablemate and last week’s race winner in Texas, Kimi Raikkonen, could do no better than P6.

Further down the order, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz qualified P7 and P8 respectively, while the two Saubers both made it into Q3 for the first time since Russia. Charles Leclerc set the ninth fastest time while Marcus Ericsson will start in P10.

Top 10 qualifiers for the Mexican GP:

POS NO DRIVER CAR Q1 Q2 Q3 LAPS
1 3 Daniel Ricciardo RED BULL RACING TAG HEUER 1:15.866 1:15.845 1:14.759 16
2 33 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING TAG HEUER 1:15.756 1:15.640 1:14.785 15
3 44 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 1:15.673 1:15.644 1:14.894 20
4 5 Sebastian Vettel FERRARI 1:16.089 1:15.715 1:14.970 16
5 77 Valtteri Bottas MERCEDES 1:15.580 1:15.923 1:15.160 22
6 7 Kimi Räikkönen FERRARI 1:16.446 1:15.996 1:15.330 20
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg RENAULT 1:16.498 1:16.126 1:15.827 18
8 55 Carlos Sainz RENAULT 1:16.813 1:16.188 1:16.084 18
9 16 Charles Leclerc SAUBER FERRARI 1:16.862 1:16.320 1:16.189 20
10 9 Marcus Ericsson SAUBER FERRARI 1:16.701 1:16.633 1:16.513 20

Complete qualifying results available via Formula.com.

Tomorrow’s race airs live at 2:30PM Eastern on ABC in here in the States. With so much on the line and so much speed amongst the front runners, the dice among the top 6 on the opening lap should be epic. Hope to see you then to find out how it all shakes out!

Earworm of the day — Golden Brown by the Stranglers

So my wife and I were having drinks in a new local favorite recently and it’s the kind of place where they usually do their Spotify or Pandora by the decade. The first night we were there it was all ’90s music (no Grunge, though, more like that Top 40 Cali stuff like No Doubt and Sugar Ray). This particular night it was all ’80s music like Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Human League, etc. And then this song came on:

Audio Player

And I said “well, that one snuck in there because it’s clearly from the ’60s.” And my wife, who is an ’80s music connoisseur par excellence, said “Are you sure? I think it is from the ’80s actually.” So, doubting Thomas that I am. I looked it up on one of those music sensing apps, Soundhound in this case, before the song had ended and damn if she wasn’t right (again). It’s “Golden Brown” by the Stranglers from 1981. On the rare occasions I’ve heard this tune before I’ve always been of the firm belief that it was a lost gem from the psychedelic era, something that should have been included on those voluminous Nuggets collections.

The sort of queasy harpsichord, the druggy subject matter (it’s about heroin!) and the Donovan-like vocal delivery just screams 1960s to me. But it ain’t so and my wife should know. I also had the gnawing feeling that I’d heard it before in another context. And dang if it isn’t right smack in the middle of one of the best scenes in Guy Ritchie’s best film, Snatch, perfectly paying off the ill-fated Gorgeous George’s bare knuckle fight with Mickey the Pikey.

The Stranglers have a mixed critical reputation to say the least, as they made a rather calculated journey from Punk to artier New Wave fare and were inveterate put-on artists. But if they had only recorded “Golden Brown” this beautifully constructed trippy little masterpiece would be enough to hang their hats on even if it turned out they were only aping ’60s nostalgia for their own amusement. Sometimes songs from one era really do capture the feel of another one nearly completely. For me at least, “Golden Brown” is one of those rare times. Glad I didn’t bet anything more than picking up the dinner tab against my wife’s expert ’80s ear.

tomvox1’s Watches for Sale — Vintage 1970s IWC Yacht Club Blue Dial B&P

As October speeds along and we inevitably face those frantic Holiday-filled final few months of the year it’s time to take a quick pause before the action begins and consider a truly beautiful and special vintage timepiece — this mid-1970s IWC Yacht Club with stunning blue dial on original bracelet.

Now the blue dial alone is reason enough to catch the savvy collector’s attention. But then there’s the fact that it also comes with its original box and a raft of matching paperwork that has survived the years along with this stunning watch. These bits of history include the original guarantee and even the sales receipt from Spandau, Germany dated 1976, among other records. That kind of hard-to-find provenance really puts this piece into solid investment grade “collector’s set” territory.

Of course you can’t wear the box and papers no matter how nice those goodies are to have. Where this Yacht Club really shines is on the wrist, its perfectly balanced 36mm “C-shape” case all flowing lines and making the dial really pop. And underneath the hood is a recently serviced caliber 8541B, the ultimate development of IWC’s wonderful in-house automatic calibers at the time.

On land or at sea, this blue Yacht Club is a watch guaranteed to make a fantastically stylish impression — make it yours before the gift giving season heats up and someone else snaps it up!

Check out the complete ad with many more pictures and full description now over at the Chronocentric’s great Chronotrader marketplace.  ON HOLD