French Grand Prix – race

July 16, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

Track temperature 51°C; air 34°C; wind 1.6m/s; humidity 32%

The only change to the provisional grid is Liuzzi starting from the pit lane after an overnight engine change.
That means the grid is: MS, FMa, FA, JT, RS, KR, GF, PdlR, DC, MW, NH, CK, RB, SS, CA, JV, NR*, JB, TM, FMo, TS, VL*.
(*10-grid-spot penalty for an engine change)

FA leads everyone away, except for VL who’s in the pit lane.

01/70: FMa does his job and chops in front of FA

02: MS, FMa, FA, JT, RS, KR, GF, MW
TS pits

03: Fastest lap MS 1:18.190

04: MS has a 2.8s lead over FA thanks to his teammate slowing the World Champion

06: MS f/lap 1:17.913

08: FMa has dropped back further, opening the gap between MS and FA to 4.4s
RB run wide and SS takes P12

09: MS f/lap 1:17.784 – compare that to the other Ferrari of FMa who’s lapping at 1:18.352, half a second a lap slower

10/70: MS, FMa, FA, JT, RS, KR, GF, MW; retirements: just TS

12: MS f/lap 1:17.761
MW holds off PdlR for P8

13: TM coasts into the pits and out of the race – a replay shows the Midland completely airborne after TM lost the car under braking at the Nurburging Chicane

15: MS f/lap 1:17.581

17: FMa pits from P2 – that’ll release FA at last – 7.0s stop – rejoins behind GF
PdlR is still trying to pass MW

18: FA pits from P2 – 8.0s
KR pits from P5 – 7.1s

19: MS pits from P1 – 6.7s
GF pits from P4
FMa f/lap 1:17.141
PdlR pits too

20/70: JT, RS, MS, FMa, FA, KR, GF, MW
MW pits from P8 – rejoins behind PdlR
Smoke from RB’s Honda, and he pulls off track

21: JT pits from P1

22: JB & NR pit from P15 and P16 respectively – JB rejoins just ahead

23: RS pits from P1 – problems with the rear right wheel – 17.2s – rejoins in P7, behind GF

24: Looks like the front-runners are 3-stopping, whereas most of the midfield are 2-stopping

25/70: MS, FMa, FA, JT, KR, GF, RS, NH
FA is now 11.1s behind MS
Track temperature is up to 54°C
JT passes KR for P4 into the hairpin, but KR comes out of the corner quicker and retakes the position

26: NH pits from P8
Closest battle is RS just 0.4s behind GF (P6)

28 – JV pits from P11

29: SS pits from P9; that leaves DC (P8) as the only top 10 runner yet to pit

30/70: MS, FMa, FA, KR, JT, GF, RS, DC
DC pits finally – 8.3s

31: FA is fastest through the speed trap but KR (P4) is lapping quicker and catching the Renault

32: CK and VL pit from P12 and P13 – CK rejoins still ahead

33: KR pits from P4 – 11.6s – slow rear tyre change, not a long fuel stop

34: FMa pits from P2 – 6.4s – rejoins ahead of JT

35/70: MS, FA, FMa, JT, GF, RS, KR, PdlR
FA is pushing really hard but he’s 16.2s behind MS

36: PdlR pits from P8 – 6.8s
FA is waving his fist in the air – he’s clearly frustrated by the whole thing

38: NH leaves the door open at the hairpin and lets PdlR take P9

39: MS pits from P1 – rejoins just behind FA
JT pits from P4
MW spins – looks like tyre delamination

40/70: FA, MS, FMa, GF, RS, KR, PdlR, NH (but remember FA has to pit again)
JT is pushed into the garage
Retirements so far: TS, TM, RB, JT

41: MW pits again and turns the engine off – another left rear tyre failure – the team are still working on it, but he’s dropping well down the order

42: SS runs wide but recovers
FA pits from P1, handing the lead back to MS – 9.6s (have they changes their strategy?) – rejoins behind FMa
MW’s Williams is pushed into the garage

44: MS personal f/lap 1:17.281

45/70: MW is back on track – he’s in P18/last, 4 laps behind MS

46: GF pits from P5 – 8.4s

47: MS f/lap 1:17.111

48: FA now 28.0s behind MS

50/70: MS, FMa, FA, KR, RS, GF, PdlR, DC (DC yet to make his 2nd stop)

51: PdlR pits from P7 – 7.6s
ITV-F1 report that Williams have said both MW and NR have problems with the rear left tyre overheating, causing the delamination problem

52: MW pits again

53: MS leads teammate FMa by 21.1s; FMa is 11.1s ahead of FA; KR is catching FA and has closed the gap to 3.1s

54: FMa pits from P2
KR pits from P4 – rejoins behind RS

55/70: MS, FA, FMa, RS, KR, GF, PdlR, NH

56: MS pits from P1 – 5.9s
KR is just 1.2s behind RS

58: NR pits from P15
FA is 18.4s behind MS

59: MW pits for the 5th time today – this time he parks it in the garage and climbs out of the Williams

60/70: MS, FA, FMa, RS, KR, GF, PdlR, NH
Retirements: TS, TM, RB, JT, MW

62: Will FA have to stop again? If so, he’ll be fighting for P3/P4 with RS and KR

63: Slow-moving Honda into the pit lane – that’s JB retiring – both Hondas are out

64: ITV-F1 report that Renault say FA will *not* have to pit again

65/70: MS, FA, FMa, RS, KR, GF, PdlR, NH
Retirements: TS, TM, RB, JT, MW, JB
MS leads FA by 15.3s; FMa is 7.2s off FA
KR just 2.0s behind RS

66: FA has taken ~1s out of MS, but that’s mainly because MS has backed off

68: FA locks up and flat spots his already-tired tyres

69: RS has opened the gap over KR to 3.8s

70/70: MS is waving to the crowd and he’s not even half way round the final lap

MS takes the chequered flag
FA comes across the line for P2 – a change in Renault’s strategy spoiled a Ferrari 1-2
PdlR’s McLaren’s Mercedes engine only just got him home before the marshalls have to attack it with fire extinguishers

Provisional Results: MS, FA, FMa, RS, KR, GF, PdlR, NH; DC, SS, JV, CK, VL, NR, CA, FMo
Retirements: TS, TM, RB, JT, MW, JB

So an Italian team beats a French team for the second time in a week, and the English didn’t make it to the end.

Post-race interviews:
MS: 150th podium, first driver to win a Grand Prix eight times. “Sorry Filipe couldn’t keep his 2nd”; “Great start”
FA: “Was close (in the first corner) but I was on the grass at one point”; “At the end, everything worked as planned”; “Tyres were not in ideal condition”; “Difficult weekend for us”
FMa: “I knew he had more to lose than me” (referring to FA in the first turn)

Next race: Round 12 in Germany (Hockenheim) in two weeks.