US Grand Prix – Race

July 2, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

Pre-race: track temperature 43°C; air temp 36°C; wind 1.2m/s; humidity 39%

Provisional grid: MS, FMa, GF, RB, FA, JV, JB, RS, KR, NH, JM, MW, SS, CA, TM, CK, DC, TS, NR, JT, VL, FMo.
[see my notes from yesterday's qualifying session.]

Ah, good – time for one more review of last year. Move on guys!

The revised grid has a few changes at the back: MS, FMa, GF, RB, FA, JV, JB, RS, KR, NH, JM, MW, SS, CA, TM, CK, DC, TS, FMo, VL, NR, JT.
Liuzzi was penalised for an engine change; Rosberg penalised for missing the weigh bridge yesterday; Trulli will start from the pit lane after some suspension problems.

Interesting – the FIA TV feed shows only 21 cars (missing Trulli) but the FIA online data shows JT in the pit lane. Ah, and with that the camera pans around to show the Toyota team swarming around JT’s car at the exit of the pit lane.

Formation lap: MS leads the grid away; everyone’s away cleanly
(JT is not allowed to leave the pit lane until all the cars have made their start)

MS tries to back up the cars as they approach the grid, but it’s GF’s turn to do MS’s trick from Montreal and hold everyone back, letting MS and FMa warm up

FMa is a little short of his start box

01/73: FMa gets away well and takes the lead into Turn 1!
Big shunt at the back of the pack
Safety Car deployed
Looks like a lot of the midfield are out aready: KR, NH, JM, MW, SS, CK, FMo

02[SC]: CA pits
Honda ready with a new nose cone for JB
Replay shows a NH launched into a barrel roll

03[SC]: Only 15 cars running
Pit-car asking JB if he needs a new nose cone – JB: “I don’t know” – he’s running last so they should do it just in case

04[SC]: JB pits – there’s smoke coming from his Honda
Replay again – looks like JM hit teammate KR!

05[SC]: JB pits again – he’s pushed backwards into the garage – maybe he’ll be able to rejoin?

06[SC]: The track is almost clear – the carnage has been moved to the grass
SC in at the end of this lap
Before the restart: FMa, MS, FA, GF, RB, JV, RS, NR, TMo, DC, TS, VL, JT, CA & JB
The SC pulled to the left, not right into the pits!?
FMa boots it and leaves MS in his dust (so much for a coordinated switch for Ferrari)

07: GF pushing hard to pass FA but stays in P4
Contact between TS and TMo into Turn 1 – TS out?

08: MS sets fastest lap
Did JT pass DC under yellow flags?

09: TMo throws up debris on the main straight

10/73: TMo pits
still yellow flags at T1
MS is 0.9s behind FMa
Yellow flag finally cleared
JT passes NR for P8

11: FMa, MS, FA, GF, RB, RS, JV, JT, NR, DC, VL, CA, TMo
Retirements: FMo, CK, SS, MW, JM, NH, KR, JB(?)
TMo pits again

12: Red+yellow striped flag before Turn 1, warning about the debris
There’s a 4.3s gap between MS and FA
TMo’s out of his Midland and out of the race – apparently the right side-pod was smashed to pieces

13: FA lapping almost 1s/lap slower than race leader FMa

14: ITV-F1 interview JB: “we’re trying to get out again but it’s going to take too long”
GF is all over his teammates gearbox
“Incident involving cars 3, 4, 9, 15, 16, 21, 23 will be investigated after the race” (that’s KR, JM, MW, CK, NH, SS & FMo)

15: GF passes FA in to Turn 1 – looks like FA lifted on the straight to let him by

17: MS is 1.4s behind FMa, and 7.5s ahead of GF

19: FMa – 1.6s – MS – 7.6s – GF
GF putting in personal fastest laps

20/73: FMa, MS, GF, FA, RB, RS, JV, JT, NR, DC, VL, CA – just 12 cars
Retirements: FMo, CK, SS, MW, JM, NH, KR, JB, TS, TM

21: FMa still 1.3s ahead of his team leader; GF not closing on MS

22: GF f/lap 1:13.155 (0.2s/lap faster than MS)

23: FMa personal f/lap 1:13.257
VL is right on DC’s tail – the Torro Rosso about to pass the parent Red Bull

24: JV’s off – looks like an engine failure – out from P7
RB pits from P5

27: FMa f/lap 1:12.961 – pitting soon?

28: Pit-car for GF, asking about balance; they’ll add a little front wing and front tyre pressure

29: MS personal f/lap 1:12.995
GF also personal f/lap 1:13.131
GF now 9.6s back from MS

30: MS pits from P2 – 8.2s – tyres looked new
GF pits from P3 – 7.2s

31: FMa pits from P1 – 7.5s – used tyres – unsurprisingly he rejoins behind MS
RS pits too

32: FA pits from P1 – 6.7s – used tyres
CA (P11/last) personal f/lap 1:15.449 – that’s ~2s slower than the front runners

33: MS, FMa, JT, GF, FA, RS, RB, NR, DC, VL, CA
(JT, NR, DC, VL yet to pit… but JT started from the pits so he’s probably heavily fuelled – could he be 1-stopping?)

34: MS leads FMa by 2.5s

36: VL still hassling DC for P9

(Half distance)

38: JT personal f/lap 1:13.269

40/73: JT pits from P3 – 9.3s, so he’s good to the end
VL pits, as does CA
CA pretty animated in the cockpit – is his race over?

41: MS, FMa, GF, FA, RS, RB, JT, NR, DC, VL, CA
CA still in the pits

42: Still to stop: NR & DC

43: MS lead now 4.5s; FMa is 11.5s ahead of GF

44: NR pits from P8 – 10.6s stop

45/73: MS, FMa, GF, FA, RS, RB, JT, DC, NR, VL – just 10 cars running
There can’t be any life left in DC’s tyres, surely?

48: DC pits from P8 – 7.9s – rejoins alongside NR – battle through T1 – DC comes out ahead, still in P8

50/73: RB pits from P6 – 7.1s
MS personal f/lap 1:12.962

51: DC has already opened a 2.8s gap over NR

52: MS f/lap 1:12.895

53: FMa pits first – 6.6s

54: JT told to push
GF pits from P2 – 5.9s – rejoins just ahead of JT
RS pits too – 6.3s

55: MS pits from P1 – 6.5s
FA (P3) the last of the top runners yet to pit

56: FA pits – slow into the box – 6.4s – slow pulling out too – rejoins behind RS

57: MS f/lap 1:12.719
VL and NR side by side into T1 – debris thrown up – VL emerges ahead, taking P9

60/73: MS, FMa, GF, JT, RS, FA, RB, DC, VL, NR

62: FA is 5.5s behind RS, and only 4.2s ahead of RB

63: MS leads FMa by 12.9s, who in turn is 11.9s ahead of GF

64: RS pits from P5 … and drives straight into the garage
That mean’s VL is now in P8 – will Toro Rosso get their first point?

68: ITV-F1 interview RS: wheel bearing failure

70/73: MS, FMa, GF, JT, FA, RB, DC, VL, NR
MS lead 14.5s; GF 11.2s off FMa

72: everyone just protecting their car and hoping to get home for some points

73/73: MS takes the chequered flag – that’s the end of FA’s 15 consecutive race wins

Provisional results: P1=MS, 2=FMa, 3=GF, 4=JT, 5=FA, 6=RB, 7=DC, 8=VL, 9/last=NR.
Only 9 cars finished – that’s only 3 more than last year

So what will happen with the post-race investigation into the first-lap incident that took out 7 cars?

Post-race interviews:
MS: “everything was just spot on”; “a big step towards the championship”
FMa: “I start really good”; “my best result”
GF: “I think we can do it”

p.s. Someone please explain to both TSN and Speed – if you’re using the Union Flag for Jenson Button, use it for David Coulthard too; if you’re using the Saltire for DC, then JB should have the St.George’s Cross, the English flag.