Paul Henman formula1 German Grand Prix – Race

German Grand Prix – Race

The one update since Qualifying is Buemi’s times being discounted following a problem with his fuel not matching specification.

Revised grid: MW, LH, SV, FA, FM, NR, JB, AS, VP, MS, NH, PD, PM, RB, SP, SB, JA, KK, HK, TG, KC, JD, DR, VL*, SB. (*VL had a 5 grid spot penalty for a gearbox change.)

Air temperature 13°C; track 15°C; humidity 75%; raining fairly hard.

Formation lap: looks like the rain isn’t too bad
MW leads everyone away – they’re all on dry tyres
LH takes his place on the grid but he’s pointing at the middle of the track

01/60: LH takes P1 before Turn 1
FA past SV too – poor start for the Red Bull drivers
Spin in Turn 3 – PD/NH?
JB down to P9 … now P10

02: LH, MW, FA, SV, NR, FM, AS, VP, MS, JB
FA runs wide and SV re-takes P4
MS takes P8 from VP

03: LH, MW, SV, FA, NR, FM, AS, MS, VP, JB
DRS now enabled
Replay shows MW’s revs dropped just before the lights went out – clutch problem?

04: FA runs wide again
SV fastest lap 1:38.322
Pit-car radio telling FM to pass him right now

05/60: LH, MW, SV, FA, NR, FM, AS, MS, VP, JB
MW f/lap 1:38.189
FM makes a move on NR but cuts the corner and has to give back the position

06: Incident between NH & PD under investigation

07: FM still tucked up behind NR
Pit-car for VP telling him to brake with less pressure – too much rear locking

08: FA takes P3 from SV in Turn 1
JB still stuck behind VP
Yellow flags briefly

09: SP pits – that’s unusual – was he the cause of the yellow?
SV off track but recovers – that’s let NR catch him
Replay shows SV put his rear right on the wet grass as he tried to brake

10/60: LH, MW, FA, SV, NR, FM, AS, MS, VP, JB

11: NH off into the gravel trap at the chicane
Replay shows he was trying to pass SB but instead clipped his rear tyre
NH had just been given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision (with PD on lap 1)

12: FM finally makes it past NR for P5
MW takes P1 from LH in the chicane

13: LH slipstreams behind MW down the straight and re-takes P1

14: FA dives down the inside of MW but the Red Bull holds on to P2
Pit-car for FA asking about tyres; FA says “tyres soon”
Red Bull getting ready for MW

15/60: MW pits – rejoins behind AS
JB all over the rear of VP but can’t get past

16: JB takes a look into the chicane but VP holds him off again
MS pits – rejoins P13

17: LH pits, as does FA
FM down the inside of SV … MW follows him through
SV pits
FM and MW battle into Turn 1 as LH and FA exit the pit lane
FM stays ahead – now P1 – followed by MW then LH
That means MW made the best use of his pit stop – FM is yet to pit
Spots of rain on the camera lens

18: FM pits – MW could lead a lap for the first time this season
FA on the outside of LH into Turn 1 but not really in a position to attack
FM exits pits ahead of SV

19: MW f/lap 1:36.947

20/60: MW, LH, FA, AS*, JB*, VP*, KK*, FM, SV, NR (*yet to pit)
Pit-car for MW: “reset T rotary position setup” – huh?
LH f/lap 1:36.718
SV runs wide in the final turn
FM down the inside of KK in Turn 5; SV follows him past KK

21: MW f/lap 1:36.585
FM taking a look at VP but it’s for position so VP will defend P6

22: FM passes VP but SV has to wait before he can pass
MW f/lap 1:36.551
NR attacking VP but can’t make it stick

24: MS repeats SV’s spin – touched a wheel on the damp fake grass under braking

25/60: MW, LH, FA, JB, FM, SV, NR, AS, MS, KK; retirements: RB, NH (when did RB retire?)
JB pits – all the wheels properly attached this time 🙂

26: FA f/lap 1:36.258
Pit-car for SV telling him there could be a problem with the rear brakes – “forward on bias as quick as you can”!

27: BBC interview RB – told to stop because of engine failure
LH locks up into the chicane

29: Pit-car for FA suggest he could try closing the gap!

30/60: MW, LH, FA, FM, SV, NR, AS, JB, MS, KK
KC loses the tail under braking and slides off into the gravel

31: MW pits – rejoins in P3

32: LH pits from P1 – rejoins P2 just ahead of MW
LH runs wide in Turn 1 – MW attacks but LH holds him on the wet outside of the turn
Blue smoke from LH! Hopefully that’s just burning off something (oil?) that settled in the pit stop
JB down the inside of AS for P7

33: FA pits – rejoins just ahead of LH
LH attacks in turn 1 – FA keeps the line
LH round the outside and takes P1 back
But how comes both LH and FA found an advantage in their stops?

34: LH, FA, MW, FM, SV, NR, JB, AS, MS, KK
LH f/lap 1:35.224
MW squirms under braking for the chicane

35/60: JB attacks NR for P6
NR outbrakes himself and JB sails past

36: LH f/lap 1:35.083
Pit-car for JB telling him to retire the car – hydraulics problem 🙁

37: LH f/lap 1:35.063
NR pits – rejoins ahead of KK but runs wide in Turn 1 and KK takes P8

38: Pit-car for LH – next pit stop they’ll need right-hand clutch paddle further away from him
MS pits

39: NR down the outside of KK into Turn 1 – KK pushes him very wide

40/60: BBC report a Hispania car crawling along the pit straight – it’s VL
KK left the door open and NR steals P7

41: MS attacking JA into the chicane – almost makes contact – takes P11 into Turn 1

42: FM pits – rejoins ahead of SV locks up in Turn 1 but stays ahead

43: Everyone still needs to stop once more for the prime (harder) tyre
SV locks up and cuts the chicane
Pit-car radio for LH saying they want to stay on this tyre as long as possible

44: Pit-car for SV saying brakes are OK

45/60: FM runs across the chicane

46: MS attacks VP into the chicane – both cut it

47: MS takes P9 in Turn 1

48: VP pits from P10 – he’s the first to take on the prime compounds
SV f/lap 1:34.587

49: Pit-car for FM warning him that SV (right behind him) just set fastest lap
SV not quite close enough for DRS this lap

50/60: LH, FA, MW, FM, SV, NR, AS, MS, PD, KK; retirements: VL, JB, RB, NH

51: Pit-car from LH saying tyres are starting to go off

52: LH pits from P1 – prime tyres
Theory is these primes are 1.5sec/lap slower but may not be so bad in cooler temperatures

53: Ferrari team in the pit lane but neither car stopped
Pit-car for FA saying it’s crucial to get a good lap

54: FA pits from P1 – not a great in-lap – rejoins behind LH
LH’s sector times are good, so MW will need to pit at the end of this lap

55/60: MW doesn’t pit – he was P3 before with a big gap over FM so they’ve not really got anything to lose
SV still harrying FM for P4

56: Pit-car for SV advising to be patient and smart

57: MW pits – LH takes back P1 – MW rejoins P3 as expected

58: LH, FA, MW, FM, SV, AS, MS, NR, KK, VP
Pit-car for LH telling him he’s 3.6sec ahead of FA
MS pits for primes
FM & SV both yet to stop

59: Pit-car telling SV “opposite of Massa”, i.e. stay out if FM pits
Both FM & SV pass the pits

Final lap: LH f/lap 1:34.302
FM & SV pit – SV almost hits the rear as FM hits the speed limiter
SV out of his box first – Ferrari slow – SV exits the pit lane ahead of FM!

LH takes the chequered flag
FA 3.9sec behind
MW home for P3
Huge gap to SV in P4
FM P5 and presumably furious at his team
P6=AS, 7=NR (+1 lap), 8=MS, 9=KK, 10=VP
P11=SP, 12=JA, 13=PD, 14=PM, 15=SB, 16=HK (+2 laps), 17=TG (+3 laps), 18=JD, 19=DR, 20=KC (+4 laps)
DNF: VL, JB, RB, NH.

MW stopped to pick up FA – expect both drivers to be called before the stewards for that.
Replay: Pit-car radio for FA telling him quite urgently to stop the car – out of fuel?

3 thoughts on “German Grand Prix – Race”

  1. “Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi has been punished by the German race stewards for his collision with Renault’s Nick Heidfeld during Sunday’s Nurburgring race. Buemi receives a five-place grid penalty for the next round in Hungary.” [source: FIA]

  2. Result: LH, FA, MW, SV, FM, AS, NR, MS, KK, VP.

    2011 Drivers’ Championship

    1 S Vettel 216
    2 M Webber 139
    3 L Hamilton 134
    4 F Alonso 130
    5 J Button 109
    6 F Massa 62
    7 N Rosberg 46
    8 N Heidfeld 34
    9= V Petrov 32
    9= M Schumacher 32

    2011 Constructors’ Championship

    1 Red Bull 355
    2 McLaren 243
    3 Ferrari 192
    4 Mercedes 78
    5 Renault 66
    6 Sauber 35
    7 Force India 20
    8 Toro Rosso 17
    9 Williams 4
    10= Lotus 0
    10= Virgin 0
    10= Hispania 0

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