In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the race, although penalties may award it to the second fastest driver, as the pole position is statistically awarded to the driver starting in first position. The number-one qualifying driver is also referred to as the pole-sitter. The pole position starts the race "at the front of the starting grid. This provides the driver in the pole position the privilege of starting ahead of all the other drivers".
A Formula One Grand Prix is a sporting event which takes place over three days, with a series of practice and qualifying sessions prior to the race on Sunday. Current regulations provide for two free practice sessions on Friday, a morning practice session and an afternoon qualifying session held on Saturday, and the race held on Sunday afternoon or evening, though the structure of the weekend has changed numerous times over the history of the sport. Historically, the Monaco Grand Prix held practice on Thursday rather than Friday, and the whole schedule for the Las Vegas, Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix is brought forward by one day.
Gabriele Tarquini is an Italian former racing driver. He participated in 78 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on May 3, 1987. He scored a single championship point, and holds the record for the most failed attempts to qualify. He has subsequently raced successfully in Touring Cars, winning the BTCC in 1994, the ETCC in 2003 the WTCC in 2009 and the WTCR in 2018.
Nicola Larini is an Italian racing driver. He participated in 75 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 6 September 1987. He finished second in the tragic 1994 San Marino Grand Prix on a substitute outing for Ferrari, but only scored points once more in his career. He enjoyed greater success in touring car racing, primarily for Alfa Romeo.
The Formula 3 Euro Series was a European-based junior single seater formula for Formula Three chassis that was launched in 2003 as a merger of the French Formula Three Championship and German Formula Three Championship. The Formula Three category, including this championship, is part of the established career ladder up which European drivers progress to the Formula One world championship, the highest form of single seater racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan professional racing driver, who competed in Formula One for the Williams (2011–2013) and Lotus (2014–2015) teams and as a Pirelli test driver until 2017. Before entering Formula One, he won the 2010 GP2 Series championship. He became the first Venezuelan to win a Formula One Grand Prix when he won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams, from his first and only pole position. It was also his only podium finish and his only win in Formula One.
Superleague Formula was an open wheel single seater motor racing formula, which started in 2008, at Donington Park in the United Kingdom. The league introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. It used the slogan 'The Beautiful Race: Football at 300 km/h'. By 2011 the link with football was fading with more than half the teams no longer associated with football teams. It was founded by businessmen Alex Andreu and Robin Webb. On 19 May 2010, Andreu stepped down in his role as series president, with Alfredo Brisac named as his successor not many weeks later. The season ran between April and November at the same time as most other European race series. Every team used identical cars and 750-horsepower V-12 engines. The Sonangol Group was the series' title sponsor from June 2009 until the end of the 2010 season.
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing that was founded in 1971. It is currently the biggest single-seater championship in the United Kingdom.
The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the GP2 series as a support race for the two. Like the GP2 series, GP3 gave drivers the experience of the Grand Prix environment, and took advantage of the infrastructure, such as marshals and medical facilities, in place for the Formula One events. GP3 Series mainly raced on European circuits, but had appearances on other international race tracks, with rounds in the 2015 season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain and the Yas Marina Circuit in United Arab Emirates.
Daniel Clos Álvarez is a Spanish former professional racecar driver. In 2012, He was the test driver for the now defunct HRT Formula One team.
The 2009 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 August 2009 at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain. It was the 11th race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race was contested over 57 laps, an overall race distance of 308.9 km (191.9 mi). The winner was Rubens Barrichello for Brawn GP after starting from third on the grid. The 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton finished second for McLaren-Mercedes, while 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen finished in third for Ferrari. Championship leader Jenson Button finished in seventh for the second race in a row, but extended his lead as Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel both failed to score.
ADAC Formel Masters was an ADAC sanctioned open wheel racing series based in Germany, held annually from 2008 to 2014. It was replacement of the local Formula BMW championship. The first season was in 2008 and is the main feeder series to the ATS Formula 3 Cup. Like Formula Ford, French F4 Championship and Formula Abarth, the Formel Masters is aimed at karting graduates. In 2015 it was replaced by the ADAC Formula 4.
The 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 22 April 2012 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the first time Formula One returned to Bahrain after the 2011 race was cancelled due to ongoing anti-government protests. The race, the eighth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix, was contested over 57 laps and was the fourth round of the 2012 Formula One season.
This article describes all the 2011 seasons of Formula Renault series across the world.
Formula Future Fiat was an open wheel racing series founded in 2010 by Felipe Massa and his family. It was based in Brazil. The champion received support to compete in Formula Abarth.
Sergey Olegovich Sirotkin is a Russian former professional racing driver who competed in Formula One in 2018 for the Williams team. He was also the reserve driver for Renault in 2019 and 2020.
Edward Mackay "Eddie" Cheever III is an Italian-American racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for MR Racing in the LMGTE Am class. He is the son of retired Formula One driver and 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever.
Antonio Maria Giovinazzi is an Italian racing driver who currently competes in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship driving for Ferrari – AF Corse and also serves as the reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo Racing in Formula One. He was the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship runner-up and raced with Prema in the 2016 GP2 Series, again finishing runner-up with five wins and eight overall podiums. He made his competitive debut for Sauber at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix, replacing the injured Pascal Wehrlein. He also replaced Wehrlein at the following Chinese Grand Prix as Wehrlein continued his recovery. He raced full time for Alfa Romeo Racing from 2019 to 2021. During his tenure for Ferrari AF Corse, he won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi.
Luca Ghiotto is an Italian racing driver who is currently set to compete in the 2024 European Le Mans Series for Inter Europol Competition, having most recently competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for DAMS. He is currently the simulator driver for the Nissan Formula E Team.
The 2019 Hong Kong ePrix was a Formula E electric motor race held at the Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit in Hong Kong on 10 March 2019. It was the fifth race of the 2018–19 Formula E season, and the 50th Formula E ePrix running overall.
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