British Grand Prix – race

July 8, 2007 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

This is race 9 of the 17 race season, so we’re exactly halfway through.

Fortunately there’s no rain forecast during the race but it is quite windy … which actually isn’t that unusual for Silverstone – it was a WWII airfield after all!

Air temperature 20°C; track 35°C; wind 0.7m/s; humidity 44%

There’s no change in the grid after yesterday’s qualifying session: LH, KR, FA, FM, RK, RS, HK, GF, NH, JT, MW, DC, AW, RB, SS, VL, NR, JB, AD, AS, TS, CA. However, it looks like TS will start from the pit lane – he’s changed the chassis.

The prediction is that most (if not all) of the field will start on the harder compound, saving the medium (option) tyres for later in the race.

Formation lap: LH leads everyone away
Looks like both Ferraris are starting on the medium tyres – that could give them the advantage in the first few laps
The crowd on the main straight (at least) are standing, ready for the start

As the grid forms up, yellow flags are out for FM – he’s stalled, so everyone else will go round on a 2nd formation lap and he’ll join the rear of the pack

The Ferrari mechanics have got FM started now, so he moves to the pit lane exit – looks like TS is still in the garage

The grid forms up again … there’s a long gap between LH hitting his spot and the guys at the back getting there

01/59: LH defends P1 from KR in to Copse
JB passes AD for P18 … but that’s only got him back to where he started

02: LH, KR, FA, RK, HK, GF, NH, RS
FM is up to P18 … P17 … P16

03: LH fastest lap 1:22.487
KR f/lap 1:22.461
FM passes VL for P15

04: LH f/lap 1:22.032
FM is hitting the rev limiter in top gear as he gets a tow from AW along the main straight
FA sets a new fastest Sector 1
FM passes AW for P14

05/59: LH f/lap 1:21.898 – he’s opened a 1.0sec gap to KR
FM up to P13
ITV-F1 report Ferrari couldn’t spot what caused FM to stall on the grid, so they’re concerned it could happen again when he pits

06: LH isn’t going to shake off KR

07: FM closing in on NR for P12
NR runs wide and FM steals the spot

08: LH f/lap 1:21.847
FA sets fastest S1 for the 3rd lap
MW slowing?

09: KR f/lap 1:21.845
FA personal f/lap 1:21.946
MW pits – hydraulic problem? He’s pushed into the garage
FM up to P10

10/59: FM sets fastest S1
LH, KR, FA, RK, HK, GF, NH, RS

12: LH f/lap 1:21.675
FM takes P9 from JT

13: KR f/lap 1:21.511
GF passes teammate HK for P5 – looks like a team “facilitated” move
FM f/lap 1:21.450

14: FM f/lap 1:21.266 – he’s still 6.4s behind RS
KR closing on LH
KR takes the inside line in to Brooklands but LH closes the door

15/59: LH tries to break the slipstream down Hangar Straight
Remember KR has the medium tyres so he’ll have to change to the harder compound, whereas LH will get to move to the better option

16: HK pits from P6 – 10.7s stop – stays on hard tyres
NR pits too

17: LH pits and hands P1 to KR – hard tyres – he tries to leave too soon but only moved a few inches – no incident for the team

18: KR f/lap 1:20.638
AS pulls off – the Spyker’s engine let go on Hangar Straight
KR puts in fastest S1 and S2
Ferrari getting ready for a stop

19: KR pits from P1 – 9.1s stop – hard tyres with those strange new hubs – rejoins still ahead of LH

20/59: FA leads but he’ll pit soon
NH pits from P3 – rejoins ahead of GF

21: FA pits – front wing adjustment – softer tyres – rejoins ahead of KR!
FM pits too

22: FA, KR, LH, RK, NH, GF, FM, DC; retirements: MW, AS

23: RS pits a second time – long stop – looks like he’s out

25/59: DC in P8 yet to pit – he’s got HK right on his tail

26: FA has built a 4.4s gap over KR, who in turn has a 4.2s lead over LH
RS now shown as retired

27: DC pits, so now all the top 10 have stopped once … except RB and JB are now P9 & P10, and they’ve both yet to stop

28: LH now 5.4s behind KR – he’s lost 1.2s in 2 laps, which is not a good sign – fortunately LH has a 15+ sec gap to RK

29: ITV-F1 interview RS – suspension problem

30/59: FA, KR, LH, RK, NH, GF, FM, HK; retirements: MW, AS, RS

31: LH is still 0.5sec off his teammates pace

32: AD pits … and is pushed into the Super Aguri garage
RB pits from P9 for his first (only?) stop
Replay shows FA shaking his fist at SS as he finally gets to lap him … then SS turns in on AW and breaks his front left suspension – SS out

34: JB the only one yet to pit … and with that he makes his stop
LH losing time in traffic – he’s not get past the ~~rear~~ midfield cars as well as FA & KR

35: AD is still in the car – looks like they’re hoping to fix his problem

36: FA personal f/lap 1:21.383
GF pits from P6

37: FA’s lead 5.5s; KR now 15.8s ahead of LH
McLaren preparing for FA to pit

38: FA pits from P1 – 8.2s stop – hard tyres
AD leaves the garage – he’s 7 laps down but it will be a good practice session

39: LH pits from P3 – 2 turns of front wing go on – soft tyres – rejoins behind FM

40/59: ITV-F1 interview SS – it’s everyone else’s fault apparently

41: KR is pushing hard to open a gap before he pits
RK pits from P4 – 7.7s stop

42: DC personal f/lap 1:23.118
KR has opened a 27s gap over FA – it’s going to be close once he pits

43: KR’s lap time only 0.3s off the current fastest lap time, and 1s faster than FA
NH pits from P4

44: KR pits from P1 – the gap was 27.9s – 6.6s stop – hard tyres – as he exits the pits, FA is only just entering the main straight – KR re-takes P1
AD pits and is pushed into the garage again

45/59: KR, FA, FM, LH, RK, NH, HK, GF; (DC=P9, JB=P11); retirements: MW, AS, RS, SS, AD
KR’s lead is 3.2s
JT pits for a 3rd time … and he retires the Toyota

46: FM pits from P3 – hard tyres – rejoins behind RK

47: DC pits from P9 – rejoins behind JB

49: Closest battles are FM 0.9s behind RK, and DC just 0.3s off JB
FM closing in – he’s threatening to take P4

50/59: KR, FA, LH, RK, FM, NH, HK, GF; retirements: MW, AS, RS, SS, AD, JT
ITV-F1 interview AD – mechanical problem at the rear end – it was no better when he went back out – it was bottoming out

51: KR’s lead now 6.4s; LH almost 30secs behind his teammate and 17.6s ahead of RK

52: RK is managing to keep the Ferrari behind him so far

53: KR has lapped everyone up to and including GF in P8; TS & CA (P15 & 16) are 2 laps down

54: DC still pushing JB hard for P10
AW personal f/lap 1:22.981 – his engineer tells him to keep pushing but AW asks if he shouldn’t try to save the engine – he’s ~5secs behind NR and over 13secs ahead of VL

55/59: KR, FA, LH, RK, FM, NH, HK, GF; retirements: MW, AS, RS, SS, AD, JT

56: LH is lapping slower than RK but he should be safe for P3
VL has pulled the Toro Rosso off track – looks like the marshals are having trouble pushing the car away

57: FM just can’t find a way to pass RK
The on-screen summary shows FM has dropped one place from the start, which is technically true because he qualified in P4 but in reality he started from the pit lane in P21 and now he’s up to P5

58: AW personal f/lap 1:22.693

Final lap: KR takes the chequered flag – back to back victories for Raikkonen
FA over the line 2.4s behind KR
There’s a long wait for LH … he takes P3 but he’s 36.9s behind his teammate
(It’s not a bad thing that he’s in P3 – that’s 9 podiums in his first 9 F1 races!)
RK takes P4; FM P5, NH P6, HK P7 (1 lap down), GF P8
RB P9, JB P10, DC P11, NR P12, AW P13, TS P14 (2 laps down), CA P15/last
Retirements: VL, JT, AD, SS, RS, AS ,MW

Provisional results: KR, FA, LH, RK, FM, NH, HK, GF; RB, JB, DC, NR, AW, TS, CA; VL, JT, AD, SS, RS, AS, MW.

Hamilton still leads the Drivers’ Championship – he has a 12 point lead over Alonso – and McLaren extend their lead in the Constructors’ Championship to 25 points over Ferrari.

Interviews:
KR: “I was able to close pretty easily and then overtake [Hamilton]“; “I don’t think the hard [tyres] were very good”; “one of the nicest races”
FA: “we short-fuelled in the first pit stop”; “a little bit of traffic”; “the Ferrari was a little bit too quick today”; “I had some difficulties lapping people” (meaning AW & SS)
LH: “we had an interesting race”; “struggling all weekend to perfect the balance”; “I was consistent but just didn’t have the pace”; “we wanted to start with the softer tyre but decided it was too much of a risk”
KR: “pretty happy now with the car”

Next race: Nurburgring, Germany, in 2 weeks.