Bahrain GP – Race

March 12, 2006 by
Filed under: Uncategorized 

6am: Early start! Ugh!

Pre-race:
They’ve not said anything yet, but I hope we get the ITV feed for the race* – I’ll end up shouting at the screen too much if we have to suffer TSN’s (or [deity]-forbid Speed’s) appalling commentators.
(*I know many people don’t like James Allen, but they obviously haven’t heard the clueless TSN & Speed commentators.)
Woohoo! ITV take over with ~5 mins to go until the start.

Monteiro’s MF1 had a driveshaft problem so he’s in the spare car.

Weather: air temp 23°C; track 40°C; humidity 43%; wind 2.9m/s

Grid: MS, FM, JB, FA, JM, RB, MW, CK, GF, NH, JV, NR, DC, JT, SS, VL, RS, CA, TM, TS, YI, KR. [Notes on Qualifying]

Formation lap:
TM is starting from the pit lane
“Incident involving car 23 (Y.Ide) under investigation”

…And the 2006 season is GO!

Lap 01/57: FA attacks FM – FM swerves across him twice – naughty!
JB dropped back 2 places
FA passes FM in Turn 2
VL puts JV under pressure but can’t make a pass

02: MS, FA, FM, JM, RB, JB, GF, MW; CK=09; DC=10; JV=11
KR up to P13 from the back of the grid!
NR pits for new nose cone
CA is in the garage – the mechanics are looking at his rear left wheel

02: MS, FA, FM, JM, RB, JB, GF, CK
JB passes teammate RB for P5
YI has a drive-through penalty because his team didn’t clear the grid in time

[Aargh! The blog seems slow to update ... and now it's stopped responding. Run downstairs to check server ... and the study's light goes bang! Resort to writing notes in a scratch pad - I'll update this later.]

06: MS, FA, FM, JM, JB, RB, CK, GF; KR=11!
GF told there’s a problem with his car’s engine mapping

07: MW attacks GF into Turn 1 but can’t get close enough
Pit board for Ide – in for penalty, and turn his radio on!

08: FM locks up and runs off as he tries to pass FA into T1
JB closing up on JM
FM pits for new tyres … but there’s a problem with an air gun – stop ~46.8 seconds!

10/57: MS, FA, JM, JB, RB, CK, GF, MW

(adverts)

12: RS passes SS for P15 … but SS isn’t giving the place up easily
JB passed JM in T1 for P3
KR now P10, closing on JV

14: MS, FA, JB, JM, RB, CK, MW, GF
NH passes DC for P12 – forces DC wide [will be investigated by the stewards after the race]

15: MS pits – fuel + tyres – 8.2s stop – rejoins just ahead of RB
KR passes JV in T1

16: RB pits
GF pits too – a colourful exchange over the pit-car radio

17: FA, JB, JM, MS, CK, MW, KR, JV, VL, NH
MS only ~0.3s slower then FA after refuelling – he’s pushing really hard

18: JB pits from P2 – 9.1s stop

19: FA pits, following two cars in – 8.0s stop – rejoins behind MS
Aren’t both cars Aguri? Yes – one has to keep going past his box!
GF passes SS for P13

(ads)

22: GF slowing – his race is run – hydraulic failure
GF pits and is pushed into the garage

23: JM pits – 8.8s
FA is closing on MS
Tale of woe at Aguri – refuelling problems mean TS has stopped twice and YI is still in the garage

25: MS, FA, KR (yet to pit)

26: FA now just 0.7s behind MS

27: NR sets fastest lap

28: MS locks his front right in T1

(half distance)

29: MS, FA, KR, JM, JB, DC, MW, CK, JV, VL
JB passes JM into T1 again – very nice
RB has lost 3rd gear; he’s just been lapped by MS and FA

(ads)

31: Yellow flag out – JV’s engine has let go

32: MS, FA, JB, JM, MW, KR, CK, VL … so KR has pitted
RS passes teammate JT into T1

34: Renault crew tell FA to get closer to MS over the next couple of laps, expecting MS to pit soon
NH and DC battling again

35: DC locks up big time into T1 – that’ll be a nasty flat spot for the rest of the race

36: MS, FA, JB, JM, MW, KR, CK, VL
NH pits

37: MS pits from P1 – 8.7s – rejoins behind JB
Pit-car for FA: “winning laps” – he’s got to pull out a good lead before he has to pit

38: FA is getting frustrated – waving at marshalls (who can’t see him) because they’re not blue flagging the cars he’s approaching
NR passes DC for P9
Renault pit crew getting ready – for FA?

39: FA pits from P1 – 7.7s – that’s a full second quicker than MS – rejoins alongside MS – FA holds his line and takes the lead into T1 :)

40/57: JB pits – he’s released right alongside a Toyota (CK?) – that’s not smart! – both leave the pit lane OK

(ads)

43: FA, MS, JM, KR, JB, MW, NR(!), CK, DC, VL
Retirements: CA, GF, JV, YI

44: NR pits – he’s still got fastest lap – 1:32.408

45: JM pits from P3 – 6.9s stop – rejoins ahead of MW for P5

46: FA’s lead over MS – 1.356s

(ads)

47/57: FM closing on VL for P10

48: FM takes P10 in T1

49: NR passes DC for P8 … DC fights back … but NR makes it stick

50/57: FA, MS , KR, JB, JM, MW, CK, NR, DC, FM

51: FA lead 1.154s over MS
FA closing to lap an STR

52: JB 1.138s behind KR

53: MS close enough to think about a move into T1

54: FA lead down to 1.064s

55/57: FA pulls out an extra 0.3s over MS
NR closing on CK

56: NR passes CK in T1 – very clean, very nice

57/57: FA gap now ~2s – MS has backed off a little
NR still pushing hard

Flag; provisional result:

  1. F.Alonso (Renault)
  2. M.Schumacher (Ferrari)
  3. K.Raikkonen (McLaren)
  4. J.Button (Honda)
  5. J.Montoya (McLaren)
  6. M.Webber (Williams)
  7. N.Rosberg (Williams)
  8. C.Klien (Red Bull)
  9. F.Massa (Ferrari)
  10. D.Coulthard (Red Bull)
  11. V.Liuzzi (TSR)
  12. N.Heidfeld (BMW)
  13. S.Speed (TSR)
  14. R.Schumacher (Toyota)
  15. R.Barrichello (Honda)
  16. J.Trulli (Toyota)
  17. T.Montiero (MF1)
  18. T.Sato (Aguri)
  19. Y.Ide (Aguri) [not classified]
  20. J.Villeneuve (BMW) [not classified]
  21. G.Fisichella (Renault) [not classified]
  22. C.Albers (MF1) [not classified]

Post-race interviews:

  • FA: similar pace to Michael; perfect pit stop; no blue flags at all
  • MS: almost impossible to pass with equal cars
  • KR: dissapointing what happened yesterday; had to look out for Button because (Kimi’s) tyres were worn
  • FA: four teams fighting for victories

Next race: Malaysia, next weekend.

Tags:

Comments

3 Comments on Bahrain GP – Race

  1. paul on Sun, 12th Mar 2006 12:07 pm

    2. Michael and all his friends :)

  2. paul on Sun, 12th Mar 2006 11:58 pm

    3. ITV-F1 reports that “Nick Heidfeld has been reprimanded by race stewards for forcing David Coulthard off the track in the early stages of today’s Bahrain Grand Prix.”

    Over on GrandPrix.com, there are rumblings about the legality of Ferrari’s wing.”A number of teams have been muttering about the way in which the rear wing of the Ferrari 248F1 flexes under loading. The FIA has inspected the car and says it is legal but some of the other teams are not happy with the decision.”

  3. Paul, Kerri and The Boys » Blog Archive » Malaysian Grand Prix schedule on Tue, 14th Mar 2006 3:24 pm

    4. [...] Just a week after the Grand Prix of Bahrain, it’s time for the GP of Malaysia. [...]

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