French Grand Prix – race

July 1, 2007 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

Alonso’s problem was with the gearbox so no engine change, which means he’ll be in P10, not P20 where he would have been if he’d been penalised.

Provisional grid: FM, LH, KR, RK, GF, HK, NH, JT, NR, FA; RS, JB, RB, MW, SS, DC, VL, AW, (TS*) AD, CA, AS, TS.
(*Sato bumped from P19 to P22 because of that penalty from the previous race)

Someone’s dropped oil on the track and the marshals are busy cleaning it up, with just 15 minutes before the start of the race.

Weather: it rained this morning but current conditions are dry; air 24°C, track 38°C; wind 1.5m/s; humidity 60%

Pit-car radio for Sutil – they can’t start the Spyker so he’s moving to the T-car.

FM leads off on the formation lap – everyone except AS leaves the grid OK
AS will have to start from the pit lane if he can get into the spare car in time.

The cars are kicking up a lot of dust as they pass through the area where they was oil earlier.

Most of the front runners are on the prime (medium) tyre; FA and the rear of the pack are on the soft option.

01/70: KR passes LH for P2 before Turn 1!
FA attacking into the hairpin
JT taps HK and spins him in the hairpin
VL is out

02: FM, KR, LH, RK, GF, NH, FA
AD pits
HK pits too
JT pits – there’s a lot of bodywork missing from the Toyota
Replay shows AD hit VL into T1 on lap 1

03: FM fastest lap 1:18.093

04: FM f/lap 1:17.504
FA closing on NH for P6

05/70: FM f/lap 1:17.099
FM leads by 2.2secs
FA outbraked NH, took P6, but over-did it and NH retakes P6
FA also under pressure from NR

06: FM f/lap 1:16.989

08: FM f/lap 1:16.979
FA still pushing NH for P6

09: FM f/lap 1:16.623

10/70: FM f/lap 1:16.523
FM, KR, LH, RK, GF, NH, FA, NR (JB=9); retirements: VL, JT, AD

12: FM laps HK who’s down in P19/last and ~3secs/lap off the pace

13: FM f/lap 1:16.398
DC tells the pits he’s got a lack of front grip – wants more wing at the next stop

14: ITV-F1 interview JT: says he misjudged his braking point

15/70: FM f/lap 1:16.341
FM, KR, LH, RK, GF, NH, FA, NR (JB=9); retirements: VL, JT, AD

16: FM f/lap 1:16.229 – he’s opened his lead to 4.6s
McLaren pit team preparing … for FA, hopefully

17: LH pits from P3 – 7.4s stop – soft tyres
FA pits too – 7.9s – medium tyres
That’s not good for the McLarens, unless the Ferraris stop very soon

18: LH now behind NR

19: Ferrari pits getting ready now

20/70: FM pits from P1 – 8.4s – medium tyres
RK & GF pit too from P3 & P4 respectively

21: KR f/lap 1:16.207
NR pits, releasing LH
When will KR pit?
FA pushing GF for P8
FA makes a move but GF holds the inside line

22: KR pits from P1
NH pits too – that just leaves JB to pit from the top 10

23: FA takes the inside line this time and takes P7 from GF

25/70: FM, KR, LH, RK, JB, NH, FA, GF; retirements: VL, JT, AD
Closest battles: FA pushing NH for P6; AW harrying DC for P13

26: FM leads teammate KR by 2.0s

28: FA tries to pass NH round the outside of the hairpin – of couse it doesn’t work

30/70: FM, KR, LH, RK, JB, NH, FA, GF; retirements: VL, JT, AD
CA pits – even though the lollipop was down, he leaves the box, ripping the fuel hose out of the mechanics’ hands, knocking some of them down!
He drags the hose down the pit lane, but pulls over at the pit lane exit
Complete brain failure for CA – hopefully he hasn’t injured any of the pit crew

32: FA still trying to

33: JB pits from P5
ITV-F1 interview Andy Stevenson, cheif mechanic at Spyker – only bruises for the mechanics

34: FA finally passes NH for P6

35/70: FM, KR, LH, RK, FA, NH, GF, NR; (JB=9) retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA

37: FM has lapped everyone up to & incuding RB in P11; RS is next
McLaren get ready for a stop

38: LH pits from P3 – 6.3s – medium tyres again, so he must be 3-stopping (everyone has to use both type of tyre)
LH rejoins alongside RK
FA pits from P5 – 8.5s
LH passes RK to re-take P3
FA ran wide coming out of the pits, touched the gravel but kept his foot in and got the McLaren back on the track

40/70: FM, KR, LH, RK, NH, GF, NR, JB; retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA
Will the change in McLaren strategy bump FA up at the expense of LH?

41: RB is closely followed by MW & DC

43: FM f/lap 1:16.099; his lead over KR is 3.3s
LH is almost 30s behind KR and only 4.4s ahead of RK

44: FM pits from P1 – 9.0s stop – soft tyres – that’s his final stop

45/70: KR, FM, LH, RK, NH, GF, NR, JB; (FA=9) retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA

46: RK pits from P4

47: KR pits from P1 – 7.8s stop – soft tyres
KR rejoins ahead of his teammate to retain the lead of the race
NR pits from P6

48: KR laps AW in P14
NH pits from P4 – 7.5s

49: NH is ahead of FA again

50/70: KR, FM, LH, GF, JB, RK, NH, FA; retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA
Will JB pick up Honda’s first point of this season?

51: GF and JB pit from P4 & P5
JB down to P8 now

52: LH pits again – 6.5s – soft tyres finally – rejoins still in P3

53: RB pits
RS pits too
FA is 0.7s behind GF – can he take P6?

55/70: KR, FM, LH, RK, NH, GF, FA, JB; retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA
AW & HK fight over P14 – they both cut the chicane

58: SS is the gravel – he’s out of the Toro Rosso
Replay shows SS pulled off track – seems like an odd place to choose to park though

59: FA still pushing GF for P6
FA tries the outside line around the hairpin yet again, and of course it still doesn’t work

60/70: KR, FM, LH, RK, NH, GF, FA, JB; retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA, SS
KR’s lead is 1.8s; LH 26.8s behind FM
JB is closing on FA

61: A crane lifts SS’s car out of harm’s way, so the yellow flags should be withdrawn shortly

63: Looks like the positions are settling down – smallest gap is 1.5s between MW & DC (P12 & 13)

64: DC checks with his pits – he’s expecting blue flags as LH closes in on him but he’s not seeing any, so he’s given the OK to keep attacking MW

65/70: KR, FM, LH, RK, NH, GF, FA, JB; retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA, SS

66: LH seems content to stay a little back from DC – RK is 9.4s behind LH and lapping 0.5s/lap quicker so is unlikely to be a threat for P3

67: NH personal f/lap 1:16.918
LH has passed DC

69: GF personal f/lap 1:16.930

70 = final lap: KR has a 2.1s lead over his teammate

KR takes the chequered flag, with FM just behind him
LH almost 30s down the road for P3
RK for P4; P5=NH, 6=GF, 7=FA, 8=JB; 9=NR, 10=RS (+1 lap), 11=RB, 12=MW, 13=DC, 14=AW, 15=HK, 16=TS (+2 laps), 17=AS
Retirements: VL, JT, AD, CA, SS

Provisional results: