Monaco GP 2016

Hamilton Wins as Red Bull Bin It

Lewis Hamilton took his first victory of 2016, his first since the U.S GP last year, to cut team mate Nico Rosberg's advantage to 24 points. It could have been so different had Red Bull not botched Daniel Ricciardo's pit stop, leaving the Australian to finish in 2nd. A popular 3rd place went to Sergio Perez in the Force India after a brilliant tyre call by the team. Sebastian Vettel was 4th, the only Ferrari to finish after Kimi Raikkonen put his car into the barriers and Romain Grosjean. Fernando Alonso came home 5th of the 50th anniversary of McLaren's debut at the Monaco GP in 1966. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg beat fellow German Rosberg for 6th place right at the end of the race, with Carlos Sainz, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa rounding off the point scoring positions. The tricky conditions in the principality saw Jolyon Palmer, Max Verstappen, along with Raikkonen put the car in the barriers and retire, whilst the Sauber pairing of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericson took each other out. The major talking point however was the pit stop that caused Ricciardo to lose the race to Hamilton.  

The 78 laps of Monaco started behind the safety car as heavy rain made conditions unsafe for a full blown start. After the racing conditions started, Ricciardo pulled out a commanding lead over Rosberg who simply did not have any pace throughout the race. With Ricciardo pulling out a healthy lead, Mercedes switched around Hamilton and Rosberg so the Brit could have a charge at the Aussie who was looking comfortable. The track was beginning to dry out and drivers further down the field were switching from extreme wets to the intermediates and started going quicker. Ricciardo was the first to blink out of him and Hamilton, and came in for the inters as Hamilton continued on wets. Inevitably, Ricciardo caught right up with Hamilton who was starting to struggle with grip but wanted a straight swap to the ultra-soft tyre, bypassing the intermediates. Hamilton eventually pitted and Ricciardo carried on for a further lap before the race deciding incident occurred.

Ricciardo was called into the pits by his team, only to arrive to no fresh tyres, costing him about 13 seconds and most importantly, the lead. Ricciardo came out just behind Hamilton and hustled him until the end. Hamilton's ultra-soft tyres went much further into the race than they should have, something that seemed to play into Ricciardo's hands as he was able to stay within a second of Hamilton throughout. It was always going to be difficult for the Red Bull driver due to the nature of the track, and the fact that Hamilton's car position throughout was nothing short of superb. In the end though it was Hamilton who took the chequered flag, and Ricciardo could not hide is anger. When the team came over the radio to apologies to Ricciardo, he replied with "save it". He went on further to say he felt "screwed" and "ran over by an 18 wheeler for the second time in two races". I can understand his disappointment but he needs to look at the bigger picture if he is to move on from this. He blew Mercedes away this weekend and has an upgraded engine now from Renault. That car for me is aerodynamically better than the Mercedes, only its lack of power keeps them back. Now that problem is being addressed, he can surely look forward to a couple of wins this season. 

Tensions Eased at Mercedes

The contrasting fortunes of the Mercedes drivers at the Monaco GP may have been the best thing that could have happened for the team. Nico Rosberg's poor race in Monaco was looking like it was going to ruin Hamilton's. Hamilton had fallen 13 seconds behind leader Ricciardo and was stuck behind Rosberg, who was struggling with fuel pressure problems, tyre temperatures and brake issues. Rosberg admitted afterwards that he had lost confidence in his car and allowed Hamilton to overtake to aid the teams push in the constructors championship. Hamilton alluded to this and even called Rosberg a "gentleman". More significantly though for Hamilton, he now only trails Rosberg by 24 points in the standing heading to Canada, a track that Hamilton loves. The very fact that Rosberg admitted he was happy enough to let Hamilton through and Hamilton putting a arm round Rosberg after the race may have eased some of the tension within the team. The pair seemed very genuine in their comments, which will only make the Mercedes team stronger going forward.  It could have easily went the other way however, especially the way things have been between the pair since Hamilton won his 3rd World Championship. Rosberg could have made life for Hamilton very difficult and completely ruin Hamilton's race. Moreover, the events that occurred in Spain lead many think would be the total breaking point for the two drivers. It has not transpired this way and fences certainly have been mended.

Does Palmer Have What it Takes?

When Renault announced it would be taking over the Lotus team and return as a works team, many people including the team itself admitted 2016 would be a teething year for the team. Although it has not been as bad as many feared, it has not been fantastic. Struggling for overall pace and getting out of Q1, the performances of Jolyon Palmer have not lived up to his potential, or his team mate Kevin Magnusson. Magnusson I believe has proven why he was given a second chance in F1. His performance at the Russian GP for example where he finished 7th, scoring the teams only points this season after starting 17th. Palmer has not been as impressive for me however. His highest finish is 11th and his highest qualifying position has been 13th. His performance during the Monaco weekend, a track where he has won at in the past, was not eye catching at all. He had one too many contacts with the barrier during practise, taking valuable running time away from the team, and then in the race he did not make it to turn 1 when the safety car went in as he put his Renault in the barriers on the start finish straight. Renault have made no secret of their desire to have a Frenchman driving for the team, with Esteban Ocon in the third driver role in the team waiting in the wings should Renault decide to replace Palmer. I hope though that Palmer can find the talent that he possesses in order to prove me and many others wrong, and keep his place at Renault for the rest of the season.

Spanish GP 2016

Verstappen Tares Up Record Books

Max Verstappen ended Nico Rosberg's winning streak by winning the Spanish GP on his debut for Red Bull. In doing so, Verstappen broke countless records in F1, something that was bound to happen sooner or later. Kimi Raikkonen finished 2nd behind the Dutchman, with Ferrari team mate, Sebastian Vettel rounding off the podiums with a 3rd place finish. Verstappen's team mate, Daniel Ricciardo finished 4th after a puncture spoilt his chances of a podium finish. Valtteri Bottas ran a very lonely race coming in 5th, with local boy Carlos Sainz coming home 6th in the Toro Rosso, ahead of Sergio Perez in the Force India. Felipe Massa mounted a great recovery race from 18th after a poor qualifying to finish in 8th just ahead of Jenson Button's McLaren and Toro Rosso's Dani Kvyat rounding off the top 10. Both Mercedes retired on lap 1 after colliding with each other at turn 4, allowing for a very refreshing race, one that will live long in the memory of Max Verstappen.

Verstappen became the youngest ever grand prix winner at just 18 years and 228 days, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel's previous record of 21 years and 73 days. He also beat Vettel's record of the youngest podium finisher by the same margin. When Verstappen led his first full lap of the Spanish GP, he became the youngest leader of a Formula 1 race, again beating Vettel's record of 20 years and 89 days (Japanese GP 2007). Moreover, Verstappen became the first Dutchman to win a Formula 1 race, which in turn will surely raise the sports popularity in the Netherlands.

After the Mercedes pair took each other out, it was a straight fight between Ferrari and Red Bull, but not between Ricciardo and Vettel like many would have predicted. Both teams decided to split their strategies, putting Ricciardo and Vettel on a 3 stopper, with Raikkonen and Verstappen going for a 2 stopper. This raised eyebrows due to the early nature of the second stops, as the tyres were not predicted to go too far. However both Verstappen and Raikkonen managed their medium compound tyres superbly and made their two stoppers work to take the top 2 steps on the podium. What we saw in the battle between Verstappen and Raikkonen was just how good Verstappen is, holding off the 2007 World Champion brilliantly with some great race craft. It also showed how good the Red Bull car actually is. In the final sector, Verstappen was able to bridge just enough of a gap, because of the Red Bull's superiority, coming out the final corner. Although had Raikkonen been more aggressive at turn 1 on the occasions he was close, it could have been Raikkonen on the top step. Behind them, a brilliant battle between Vettel and Ricciardo unfolded with some fantastic racing between the pair. A puncture to Ricciardo spoilt a fight to the finish with Vetter, and again had Ricciardo managed to make a move on Vettel stick, it could have been a 3 horse battle for victory. This was not the case however, and the scenes at the end were of a jubilant teenager and a very proud father. Monaco should be a cracker in two weeks time because it is not a track where the Mercedes will run off into the distance. Red Bull will be there or there abouts due to the high downforce nature of the track. 

Mercedes Implode 

 

The incident on lap 1 at turn 4 between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has been coming since mid 2014. We have seen flash points on track between the pair, notably Spa in 2014 where they touched wheels, causing a puncture to Hamilton, and again in Austin last year where an aggressive Hamilton hit Rosberg at the 1st corner. What we saw in Spain though was a Senna/Prost style collision, that could have been avoidable. Hamilton had a poor start from pole which allowed Rosberg to get the initial jump on Hamilton. Coming out of turn 3, Hamilton was so much quicker than Rosberg who went on the defence. The rest is history. Rosberg keeps his advantage over Hamilton, but team relations surely must be strained by the latest scuffle. The race stewards put it down as a racing incident, something the two drivers agreed with, although Rosberg seemed to agree through gritted teeth. Personally, I believe it was a case of over aggressive attacking against over aggressive defending, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just needs to be managed now by Mercedes. Both drivers want to beat each other so badly, but there will be a time when the Mercedes team will have to do something before it ruins their own championship goals.

The Kvyat Fallout 

Before the Spanish GP, it was announced that Dani Kvyat would drop down from Red Bull to Toro Rosso to make way for Max Verstappen. Kvyat's indifferent form since joining Red Bull at the start of 2014 has ultimately cost him. His antics at his home race in Russia were not the reason for the switch, but certainly would have had an effect. Kvyat was clearly torn up by the demotion over the weekend but to see Verstappen win on his debut would have been a tough pill to swallow. Had it been Kvyat in Verstappen's place, I don't think Red Bull would have came away with a win in Spain. Kvyat has shown glimpses of how good he is with two podium finishes for Red Bull, but the ruthless Dr Helmut Marko felt a change was needed. Marko has had a history of wielding the axe on young Red Bull drivers, even when they have done a solid job, take Jean-Eric Vergne for example. What this has done also is put to rest the speculation that Verstappen will be racing for Ferrari or Mercedes in the near future, a smart move for everybody at Red Bull. Kvyat will have to pick himself up and prove that he should be back in that team, although I do not see that happening any time soon.

Chinese GP 2016

Rosberg Eases to Sixth Consecutive Victory

Another dominant display from Nico Rosberg ensured that he maintained his 100% start to 2016 with victory in China. Sebastian Vettel recovered after a first corner incident with team mate Kimi Raikkonen to finish 2nd with Red Bull's Dani Kvyat finishing behind Vettel in 3rd. Another recovery drive saw Daniel Ricciardo finish 4th ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who also had to recover after the Vettel incident. Felipe Massa drove a solid race to finish 6th with Lewis Hamilton coming from 22nd on the grid to finish 7th. The Toro Rosso pair of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were 8th and 9th with Valtteri Bottas rounding off the point scoring positions in 10th. All 22 drivers finished the race, with bad days for the Renault team as their cars only managed 17th and 22nd. Romain Grosjean's stunning start to the season stuttered on what was his 30th birthday as the Haas couldn't adapt to the conditions in China and he finished a very lowly 19th.

After showing his dominance in qualifying by setting his fastest Q2 time on soft tyres, it was Rosberg's to throw away from the start. Everybody around Rosberg started on the super-softs which would last only a matter of laps, so if anyone was going to stop Rosberg, they had to do it off the line. Step up Daniel Ricciardo, who from an outstanding 2nd on the grid, got the jump on Rosberg into turn one. Behind them, it was bedlam with the race resembling that of a dodgem park. The other fast starting Red Bull of Kvyat saw a fantastic opportunity to take the two scarlet Ferrari's into turn 1 which in turn led to the dodgems that followed. Vettel felt aggrieved by the young Russians manoeuvre which resulted in Vettel colliding with Raikkonen, ruining the Finns race before it even started. As a result of Raikkonen coming back on the track without his front wing, Felipe Nasr in the Sauber had to take avoiding action that only led him into the charging Hamilton, who lost his front wing and really his chance of a podium finish. That was until all of the debris caused leader Ricciardo's tyre to puncture, adding more debris to the track and resulting in a safety car, essentially bringing Hamilton and Raikkonen back into play. The majority of the field decided to pit to ditch their super-softs, allowing drivers who started on the softs to move up the field, notably Pascal Wehrlein in the Manor and Esteban Gutierrez in the Hass moved into 4th and 5th. From the restart, Rosberg drove off into the distance and was barley seen for the rest of the race. Vettel's charge through the field after the safety car was tremendous to watch. Watching his overtakes for me shows that his all round talent is most certainly there despite what people may say. He had his hands full when it came to the two Red Bulls but showed brilliant race craft to get past. His team mate Raikkonen also showed why he won a World Championship with a superb drive, showing the Kimi of old. Despite these brilliant drives, I don't think they would have gotten near Rosberg who controlled the race superbly and won by a stunning 37 seconds.

Vettel Criticises Kvyat

Sebastian Vettel did not hide his displeasure with Red Bulls Dani Kvyat after the race, and during for that matter. Vettel firmly believed that Kvyat should not have tried to pass him at turn 1 citing that there was not enough room which forced Vettel into Raikkonen. Vettel referred to the move over team radio as suicidal, saying Kvyat came at him like a torpedo. Looking at the footage from a height and onboard, I believe Vettel was really trying to make excuses for colliding with Raikkonen, especially with the Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne present in Shanghai. Vettel had left more than enough space which Kvyat was not going to ignore. He was travelling at great speed, but nothing to suggest that he was going to be unable to stop. The mistake ruined Vettel's race and he did superbly to come back and score a podium. Even without the mistake, I don't think Vettel could have beaten Rosberg on the track simply because Rosberg looked too good. Vettel even confronted Kvyat in the cool down room before the podium to show his displeasure in which Kvyat laughed his complaint off by simply replying "yea but I'm on the podium and so are you"  

Midfield Competitiveness a Joy to Watch  

Despite the fact that Nico Rosberg drove off into the distance to record a comfortable win at the Chinese GP, it was still a cracking race thanks to the midfield battle. We as fans are so lucky to witness this golden age of F1, with so many talented drivers and teams on the grid, Despite all of the childish political problems that occur on a weekly basis, it does not take away the fact that the on track action has been fantastic over the last few seasons. It seems to have been taken up a level this season thus far, keeping fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish. This is down to the emergence of future title challengers such as Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz just to name two. Also due to experienced drivers such as Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg being at these midfield teams, it really spices up the races. The progression of the midfield teams is something that also contributes, with all of them upping the pace and their reliability, despite a couple of them running into serious financial trouble. I feel as though this season, the gains made by Renault, Ferrari and even Honda have added an extra ingredient to the recipe. Bridging this engine gap has certainly brought the action closer together, although not at the front where we want it to happen. Nevertheless, it is bringing the action closer together somewhere on the track, making the racing edge of your seat stuff and a joy to watch.       

U.S GP 2015

Hamilton Makes History

Lewis Hamilton took victory at the U.S grand prix and in doing so, ensured a third World Championship, becoming the first British driver to successfully defend his title. He also joins an elite list of drivers, including his idol, Ayrton Senna in winning three championships. Nico Rosberg finished second after a mistake cost him victory, and the chance to extend the championship race for a further week. Sebastian Vettel took third after coming through from 14^th, with Max Verstappen taking a fantastic fourth. Sergio Perez finished fifth with Jenson Button taking a brilliant sixth place. Carlos Sainz, who started last, finished behind Button in seventh, with Pastor Maldonado eighth, Felipe Nasr ninth and Daniel Ricciardo rounding off the top ten. It could have been all so different at the front however, with changeable conditions from the start and virtual safety cars and individual errors. Ultimately though, the day belonged to Hamilton, who took his tenth victory of the season.

The whole weekend in Austin had been a complete washout, with qualifying not taking place until the Sunday morning, and even then the rain was still coming down hard. The session only got as far as Q2, where the conditions were deemed unsafe. Nico Rosberg took pole position ahead of Hamilton; but with the race only hours later, the forecast was that the rain would pass and we could go racing.

When the time for the race came, it was still very damp, with everyone starting off on the intermediate tyre. With a tricky first corner on the cards, it was Hamilton who got to turn one first, but with a seemingly over aggressive move on Rosberg, forcing the German off track. This saw him drop down into fifth place behind the Red Bull pair of Dani Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez's Force India. In the damper conditions, it was the Red Bull's that looked more comfortable, with Kyvat taking the lead from Hamilton with ease, but ran wide and surrendered that lead before the first virtual safety car of the day occurred.

When the racing resumed, the track began to dry out and drivers started to struggle with the intermediates. Ricciardo wasn't struggling however, and breezed past the struggling Hamilton for the lead. Hamilton's struggles then allowed Rosberg past for second before drivers started pitting for dry tyres. The dry tyres saw the Red Bull charge dwindle, and both Rosberg and Hamilton resumed a Mercedes one-two, with Rosberg leading and pulling a gap to Hamilton. A safety car period caused by Nico Hulkenberg's broken Force India brought Hamilton back into the play, only for a second virtual safety car to hamper Hamilton again, as he stayed out and Rosberg pitted for fresh tyres. This wasn't the last twist in this race however, as a heavy crash from Kvyat brought out the safety car again, allowing Hamilton to pit without losing position and able to challenge Rosberg. On fresh rubber, Hamilton put pressure on Rosberg and forced him into an unforced error, costing him victory and the opportunity make Hamilton wait another week at least for his title.

Sainz and Verstappen Talent Shines Again

Many people pay so much attention to the fact that Red Bull have threatened to quit F1 next year if they can't get a competitive engine deal. What many people haven't seemed to pay attention to is the fact that that pull-out could also have an effect on Toro Rosso. Don't get me wrong, there has been whisperings of their future as well but not on the scale that it should be on.

This is a team with so much talent it would be an absolute travesty is it wasn't on the grid next season. The U.S grand prix was a prime example of the sheer talent the team possess. Obviously, it isn't the only time this season that we have seen both drivers drive tremendous races, but it just highlights what the team itself brings to the grid. Max Verstappen will be a World Champion one day that much is clear; his 4th place in the U.S grand prix was another testament to how good he is. When everyone was struggling in the damp conditions, Verstappen kept control and drove a brilliant race. Carlos Sainz, despite a few silly errors, especially speeding in the pit lane, finished a solid seventh place. This was after starting last on the grid! Had he not have had a time penalty, he would have finished sixth. Again, his on track overtakes and coolness behind the wheel is something that can't be ignored. Like I have said before, it is just a pity for him that Verstappen is his team mate this year. Hopefully, this team will be here next year because this would be a colossal waste of talent.

Sauber Celebrate 400th GP Weekend

It wasn't just Lewis Hamilton celebrating a milestone at the U.S grand prix. Sauber celebrated their 400th GP weekend, a magnificent achievement for the small team from Switzerland, who have been in the sport since 1993. The team has had many ups and downs over the last 22 years, but still have a rich history within the sport. Many great drivers have driven for them over the years, including former World Champion Jacque Villeneuve, although he wasn't to be the driver to deliver the teams first, and only win in F1. Under the BMW guise, Robert Kubica stepped up on a crazy and dramatic day at the 2008 Canadian GP, and headed a BMW Sauber one-two with team mate Nick Heidfeld. When BMW left the sport at the end of 2009, Peter Sauber bought back control of the full team. It has been a difficult five years financially for the team, who have never made any secret of this. Despite this, on track they have had some very strong performances, most notably in Malaysia 2012, where Sergio Perez probably should have won the race, only to be beaten to the flag by Fernando Alonso and ended up second. The team has done brilliantly with the limited resources at its disposal, and I'm sure that they will be racing against the odd for many more years to come. Here's to another 400 GP weekends.    

Hungarian GP 2015

Hamilton Implodes as Vettel Takes Victory

Lewis Hamilton said he had "a bad day at the office" as he slumped to a 6th place finish after a poor showing at the Hungarian GP, which was won brilliantly by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Dani Kvyat scored his first ever podium finish in 2nd, followed by the 2014 winner, Daniel Ricciardo. Fernando Alonso scored McLaren's best finish of the season, coming home in 5th ahead of Hamilton's Mercedes. It was a fantastic race from start to finish with action all over the circuit; but the major talking point from the race was Hamilton's poor performance. For the first time that I can remember, he looked like a distinctly average racing driver. All season, fans have seen him drive like a true champion, with all those years of experience under his belt. His performance in Hungary however was littered with errors throughout; from his first excursion across the gravel which saw him drop to 10th early on, to his collision with Daniel Ricciardo, which resulted in front wing damage for Hamilton. Hamilton's afternoon got worse before it got better, as he received a drive through penalty for the incident with Ricciardo. Only a puncture for team mate Nico Rosberg near the end of the race, again after a collision with Ricciardo, meant Hamilton finished ahead of his championship rival and extended his championship lead to 21 points going into the summer break. 

Whilst all of this was happening, Vettel scored his second victory of the season after a truly brilliant drive from the second the lights went out. His start was fantastic and he was leading the race into the first corner, and never really looked in trouble from there. He has often been questioned over the last 18 months about his ability in a car that isn't the most dominant on the grid, like the ones he had during his time at Red Bull, but for me his performance in Hungary should silence those critics.

Red Bull stood out for all the right reasons during the race, with their cars coming home 2nd and 3rd. Both drivers put in brilliant performances after poor starts. Kvyat dropped as low as 13th at one point and looked like he was going nowhere. Ricciardo also dropped from a 4th place start down into 9th as well. The Red Bull package worked really well around the tight and twisty Hungaroring, where the engine power output isn't as important as it is at other circuits. This can't take anything away from either driver as Kvyat's drive was brilliantly clean coming through the field, and Ricciardo's speed was evident throughout as he was putting in fastest laps and closing down both Mercedes at one point. His bravery on the brakes at turn one was also something to admire. He was coming from such a long way back for some of his overtakes and making them stick superbly. Granted, his collision with Rosberg came from one of these gutsy attempts, but it didn't stop him from claiming another podium in Hungary.

Kimi's Poor Luck Continues

It was a tale of two stories for Ferrari at the Hungarian GP, as Kimi Raikkonen had another disappointing weekend as the pressure mounts on the Finn for 2016. All season, it has been Vettel scoring the big points for Ferrari with two victories and a few more podiums. Raikkonen on the other hand has had an indifferent time this year. He has scored podiums yes, but the consistency that Vettel has been delivering hasn't been there from Kimi, something that is putting doubts over Kimi's drive at the team next year.

Raikkonen was having a strong weekend in general in Hungary, even leading the race at certain stages through pit stops ahead of him. The team were nailed on for a one-two finish as Kimi looked reasonably untroubled in second place before a technical issue caused him to fall back through the field, eventually causing him to retire from the race. His bad luck streak has hit a hat-trick now after his accident in Austria, which saw him retire and a bad tyre call in Britain. For Kimi to stay at Ferrari next season, his luck has to change after the summer break and he will have dug extremely deep and shown the talent which saw him win the 2007 World Championship.

How Many More Chances For Maldonado?

The Hungarian GP saw Lotus' Pastor Maldonado receive a hat-trick of penalties during the race. The penalties were for pit lane speeding, overtaking under the safety car and a collision with Sergio Perez. Maldonado may be a race winner in F1 but for me, he has had way too many chances in the sport, and I think it is high time that he was replaced at Lotus. His career has been overshadowed by incidences and high profile collisions, most notably with Lewis Hamilton at Monaco in 2011 and in Valencia 2012. His crash at Bahrain last year with Esteban Gutierrez, where he managed to flip the Sauber, was another incident that stood out. He has retired from 6 out of the 10 races this season which in all fairness, not all were down to him crashing the car. A hat-trick of penalties in one race though is a bit extreme, and for incidents that he as an elite racing driver shouldn't be incurring. Pit lane speeding and overtaking under the safety car is something you would expect to see from a rookie, not a driver with 4 seasons under his belt. Personally, I believe if he didn't have his oil money backing, Maldonado wouldn't have been in F1 long enough to win a race let alone be in the sport for 4 full seasons.

F1 Says Farewell to Jules Bianchi

I couldn't write this without mentioning the untimely passing of Jules Bianchi and the tribute that was paid to the young Frenchman at the Hungarian GP. It had been a very difficult week for everyone involved with the sport and it was clear to see from the start of the weekend. The minutes silence that was held before the start of the race was a fantastic touch from everyone involved. The scene of all twenty drivers stood round in a circle with their racing helmets in the middle with Jules' taking centre stage is something that will stay in my mind for many years to come. It was fitting tribute to Jules that the race was such a fantastic spectacle for the fans and all the teams and people involved. #CiaoJules