The provisional grid set in Qualifying yesterday: MW, SV, LH, FA, JB, VP, NR, FM, PM, MS, SB, SP, JA, KK, HK, PD, AS, JT, RB, TG, VL, NK, JD, NH.
That’s confusing: TSN are using Speed’s feed instead of BBC’s 🙁
Meanwhile, switching channel to Speed shows a “blackout is in effect” – weird!
MW leads everyone away on the formation lap
01/66: Good start for the Red Bulls but MW cuts across to defend from his teammate
FA fights his way down the inside to steal P1 going into Turn 1
Looks like SV is ahead of MW
02: FA, SV, MW, LH, VP, MS, NR, FM, SB, JB
KK pits – punctured rear left
Don’t know why JB dropped to P10
03: Fastest lap SV 1:30.633
JB attacking SB for P9
Pit-car radio for MS telling him to look after his tyres
04: MW f/lap 1:30.082
05/66: LH f/lap 1:30.011
JB passes SB in Turn 4 – takes P9
Pit-car for MW telling him to use 45% of KERS after the start line
06: JB closing on FM
08: FA F/lap 1:30.007
SP pits
10/66: SV pits from P2 – rejoins alongside JB but the McLaren holds his position
SB pits too
SV dives down the inside of JB … and moments later he’s passed FM too
11: FA and MW pit
JB passes FM through Turn 1 for P8
12: Pit stops for LH, VP, NR, FM and JA
Slow stop for VP – MS steals a place
RB pits – slow stop too – lollipop lifted but the team weren’t finished
13: FA f/lap 1:29.323
No stop for JB?
14: LH f/lap 1:29.076
Pit-car for SV telling him to use all KERS each lap
15/66: FA, SV, LH, MW, JB (enters pits), PD, MS, VP, NR, FM
JB rejoins in P7, ahead of VP
16: PD pits from P5 – he started in P16!
JB takes P5 from MS
17: JB f/lap 1:28.792
18: SV pits! That’s an early 2nd stop for new soft tyres
19: FA and MW pit – SV has passed them both and is now P2
20/66: LH, SV, FA, MW, JB, MS, NR, VP, FM, SB
21: LH f/lap 1:28.024
22: SV f/lap 1:27.394
FM pits
23: SV closing on LH by 1sec/lap – McLaren need to pit him ASAP
24: LH pits from P1 – rejoins in P2, ahead of FA
25/66: SV, LH, FA, MW, JB, MS, NR
FM passes PD for P10
27: MS pits, as does VP
28: NR pits – he’s back behind MS and PD now
30/66: FA and MW pit – FA released inches ahead of MW
31: JB pits from P3 – rejoins in P5
32: FIA timing chart shows VL has stopped but haven’t seen anything on TSN/Speed coverage
34: MW dives down the inside but runs wide – FA takes the place back
35/66: LH, SV, FA, MW, JB, FM, MS, NR, VP, PM
36: LH pits from P1 – rejoins in P2
37: JB makes a good move on MW for P4 … and then takes FA for P3!
FM pits
39: SV has a 2.3sec lead over LH
FM loses the tail in Turn 10 – partial spin – recovers the Ferrari
40/66: SV, LH, JB, FA, MW, MS, NR, VP, FM, SB
FA pits
MS does a good job of preventing his teammate from passing him
42: Pit-car radio for FA telling him he’s got to make this set of tyres (2nd set of hard compound) last to the end
45/66: SV, LH, JB, MW, FA, MS, NR, FM, PD, SP
The front runners just lapped FM (P8)
Pit-car radio for SV suggests KERS has failed on the Red Bull again
46: McLaren relay the news (SV has no KERS) to LH
47: NH passes his teammate for P11 (he started P24; VP started P6)
MS is next to be lapped by SV and LH
48: MW pits – hard tyres
49: SV pits from P1 – good stop – hard tyres
JB pits too – 3rd stop
50/66: LH pits – rejoins still just behind SV
51: Pit-car radio tells SV he can use KERS again – was that an issue (letting the batteries cool) or a tactic to confuse others?
HK off – his Lotus is in the gravel trap
52: MW f/lap 1:27.187
53: LH f/lap 1:26.727
54: Does MW have a KERS problem too?
55/66: SV, LH, JB, MW, FA, MS, NR, FM, VP, SP; retirements: VL, HK
LH attacking SV
56: Pit-car radio for LH says “blue button” which could mean anything!
LH can use KERS and DRS to close on SV but not enough to make a move
Pit-car for LH says he can use the “yellow button” if he wants – presumably extra revs
57: Pit-car radio suggests LH use all his KERS on the main straight
58: SV using his KERS too but only LH can use DRS
59: SV still holding off LH
VP is dropping down the timing sheet – now P12
SP takes a look down the inside of FM … and takes P8
NH passes FM too
60/66: SV, LH, JB, MW, FA, MS, NR, SP, NH, FM
61: FM off at Turn 6 – parks the Ferrari safely off track
NH blasts past SP for P8
62: MW has closed to ~2.5sec behind JB
BBC report JT’s engine sounding rough
63: LH still getting to use his DRS but can’t get close enough to attack SV
64: Looks like SV isn’t using KERS again, but still he’s holding off LH
FM looks pretty unhappy as he walks down the pit lane
65/66: SV, LH, JB, MW, FA, MS, NR, NH, SP, KK; retirements: VL, HK, FM
MW falling back from JB
66 = final lap: Only 4 laps on the final lap – FA was lapped a minute or so back
SV takes the chequered flag
LH is just 0.6sec behind the Red Bull
JB safely home for P3
MW went from P1 at the start to P4
FA was lapped, so he’s already taken P5
P6=MS, 7=NR, 8=NH (who started P24!), 9=SP, 10=KK
P11=VP, 12=PD, 13=AS, 14=SB, 15=PM
P16=JA (2 laps down), 17=RB, 18=JT, 19=TG (+3 laps), 20=JD (+4 laps), 21=NK (+5 laps)
DNF: FM, HK, VL
Next race is Monaco next weekend (May 26-29).
About 20 minutes after the end of the race Webber, Hamilton, Button and Alguersuari were told they were under investigation for not slowing for yellow flags.
All four drivers are reprimanded over the yellow flags incident, with no further punishments applying. Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s team boss, says: “They felt a reprimand was appropriate. I think they took a sensible view, we have to make sure we stay out of trouble. It was in a part of the race where they weren’t on throttle.”
[source: BBC]
2011 Drivers’ Championship
2011 Constructors’ Championship