European GP – Race

May 7, 2006 by
Filed under: Uncategorized 

Following GF’s very visible frustration with JV during qualifying, the FIA have penalised JV his fastest lap time which demotes him from P8 to P9. [Formula1.com]

The revised grid (including both Williams drivers’ penalties for engine changes) looks like this:
FA, MS, FMa, RB, KR, JB, JT, JM, JV, RS, GF, DC, NH, VL, CK, CA, SS, TM, MW, TS, FMo, NR

That puts GF directly behind JV, which could be interesting

FA leads everyone away on the formation lap … well, he does now that MS has let him past!

FMa seems a bit short of where he should be on the grid

01/60: FA leads into Turn 1
VL and DC tangle in T1
JB makes a move in FMa
Replay shows that VL got his car a bit sideways in T1 and clouts DC
VL spins and is now stuck on track

02: Safety Car deployed
DC pits for a new nose

03[SC]: FA, MS, FMa, JB, KR, JT, RB, JV … so RB lost 3 places in the first lap
SC in at the end of this lap

04: smart move by FA to ensure MS had to back off a little before the restart
DC retires at the side of the track
KR passes JB for P4

05: FA fastest lap 1:34.726
JM passes GF for P10
MS posting fastest sector times in S1 and S2

06: MS f/lap 1:33.903 – that’s cut FA’s lead to 0.6s
FMa is ~1s behind his team leader

07: FA f/lap 1:33.493

08: FA f/lap 1:33.339
NH is keeping JM behind him in P10 … as well as GF, MW, CK and RS!

09: FA f/lap 1:33.210

10/60: FA, MS, FMa, KR, JB, JT, RB, JV; retirements: VL & DC
MS f/lap 1:33.066

12: JB is slipping back from KR – there’s now a 5s gap and over 0.5s/lap difference
CA pushes TS a bit wide as he takes P18

14: MW runs off at T10, tries to rejoin the track but it looks like the engine’s died – he pulls off again and retires

15: JM still under 0.5s behind NH

16: ITV-F1 report it was a transmission failure on MW’s Williams

17: MS f/lap 1:32.794 – it’s been a few laps since anyone posted a fastest time; we’re approaching the first pit stops
Renault and Ferrari teams both in the pit lane

18: FA pits from P1, and FMa pits from P3
Front wing adjustment for FA

19: MS pits from P1 – 7.9s, which is 0.4s longer than FA’s stop … and MS rejoins behind FA

20/60: KR, JB, FA, MS, FMa, JT, RB, JV; retirements: VL, DC & MW

21: RB pits from P7 – 8.5s stop
JB is still ~1s/lap slower than KR

22: JB pits from P2, releasing FA – 8.3s
JV pits too, as does CK
Will KR pit soon?

23: KR personal f/lap 1:33.024
CK’s pit-radio has his engineer really trying to get him to push his pace

24: KR pits from P1 – that’s 6 laps later than FA – rejoins in P4, behind FMa

25: FA, MS, FMa, KR, JT, JM, GF, RS; JB=9 (JT, JM, GF & RS are yet to pit)
FA’s lead ~2.1s

26: JT pits

27: GF pits – 8.0s – front wing adjustment

28: McLaren getting ready for JM’s stop – 9.2s but it took a whole to get the fuel hose on, so it still looks like a 2-stop strategy
JM rejoins just behind GF

29: FA’s lead over MS down to 1.2s
RS pits, so now all the front-runners have stopped
JB’s Honda gives a puff of smoke and he pulls over to retire
GF pushing JV really hard

30/60: FA, MS, FMa, KR, NR, RB, RS, JV; retirements: VL, DC, MW & JB
CK’s Red Bull sounds like it’s lost power – he pulls off and retires

31: GF just 0.4s behind JV – it’s going to be a tough battle between these two for P8

32: FMo’s Aguri is smoking at the side of the track – another Honda engine gone bang?
MS now under 1s behind FA

33: MS is pushing hard – the gap’s just 0.6s now
Still yellow flags out for FMo

34: NR pits from P5 – looks like he’s 1-stopping … but only 7.2 stop? That’s not enough, is it?

35: FA opens the gap to 0.9s

36: FA personal f/lap 1:32.871, taking another 0.5s out of MS

37: FA f/lap 1:32.722 … and then MS f/lap 1:32.544
GF is still sitting tight up behind JV

38: FA f/lap 1:32.532 … and MS f/lap 1:32.523
FMa is 5.7s behind MS
JV posts a personal f/lap 1:34.130, and GF does a personal f/lap 1:34.234

39: FA pits from P1 – 8.8s – rejoins in P4, behind KR
MS f/lap 1:32.420 … and sets fastest S1 too … and S2
ITV-F1 say no sign of Ferrari mechanics, so he’s got at least another lap before his stop

40/60: MS f/lap 1:32.099
Ferrari mechanics seem unsure at to whether to come out
FA not pushing hard enough – he needs to be a few tenths (at least) faster to stay ahead

41: FMa pits from P2 – 7.4s
Now they’re getting ready for MS’ stop

42: MS pits from P1 6.3s – rejoins well ahead of FA

43: KR personal f/lap 1:32.918
Replay shows TS has a broken aero-wing just behind his head

44: KR, MS, FA, FMa, RB, RS, JV, GF; retirements: VL, DC, MW, CK, JB & FMo
KR personal f/lap 1:32.472
TM, JT & SS all pit

45: KR pits from P1 – rejoins behind FMa
RB & RS pit from P5 & P6
JV & GF pit too
RB exits his box barely ahead of RS
GF exits ahead of JV

46: MS’ lead over FA is 7.7s, and FMa is 4.4s behind FA
NH pits from P10

48: TS pits from P16/last – he’s 2 laps down … he pulls into the garage and retires

49: Lots of discussion on whether JM will have to stop again … and with that he pits
NR personal f/lap 1:33.579

50/60: MS, FA, FMa, KR, NR, RB, RS, GF; retirements: VL, DC, MW, CK, JB, FMo & TS
FA now 8s off MS with FMa 3.9s behind
NR pits from P5 – rejoins in P8, ahead of JM

52: MS 9.1s over FA; FMa 2.8s behind FA and lapping 0.2s/lap quicker
The closest battle is for P5, with RB, RS, GF & NR separated by just 1.5s

54: JM has now closed up to NR and joined the midfield gaggle
JM pulls off and retires
RS pulls off and retires too – looks like mechanical problems for both of them – certainly not related incidents

55: MS, FA, FMa, KR, RB, GF, NR, JV; retirements: VL, DC, MW, CK, JB, FMo, TS, JM & RS

56: MS lead 7.3s with 5 laps left

57: NR pushing GF for P6, but GF in turn is pushing RB for P5
KR still closing on FMa for P3

58: JV is last unlapped drive in P8; last runner is CA in P13

59: KR closed right in on FMa but can he pass with just 2 laps left?

60/60 = last lap: MS is 6.2s ahead of FA but FMa is just 0.8s off FA
MS takes the chequered flag
FA, FMa and KR cross the line in close order
Big gap (67s) until RB arrives

Provisional results: P1=MS, 2=FA, 3=FMa, 4=KR, 5=RB, 6=GF, 7=NR, 8=JV; 9=JT, 10=NH, 11=SS, 12=TM, 13/last=CA; retirements: VL, DC, MW, CK, JB, FMo, TS, JM & RS

Next race = Spanish Grand Prix next weekend (May 12-14)

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Comments

One Comment on European GP – Race

  1. Paul, Kerri and The Boys » Spanish Grand Prix - qualifying on Sat, 13th May 2006 9:51 am

    2. [...] JV will be penalised a 10-grid spot penalty after an engine replacement, apparently necessitated after damage in transit from the previous GP! [...]

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