[Bahrain GP news] [Practice] [Qualifying]
From my Quali notes – provisional grid: SV, LH, MW, JB, NR, DR, RG, SP, FA, PRe, KR, KK, NH, FM, BS, HK, [PM*] MS, JV, VP, CP, PRo, PM, TG, NK.
*PM has a 5 grid spot penalty waiting for him after a gearbox change
MS was also handed a 5 grid spot penalty for a gearbox change [source: FIA]
Updated grid: SV, LH, MW, JB, NR, DR, RG, SP, FA, PRe, KR, KK, NH, FM, BS, HK, JV, VP, CP, PRo, PM*, MS*, TG, NK.
(*Both PM & MS dropped five grid places as penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes.)
As I noted before, Pirelli have brought the medium (white band) and soft (yellow) compounds; the option (soft) tyre is about a 0.6sec/lap faster than the primes.
Weather: air 27°C; track 32°C; wind 2.6m/s; humidity 37%
SV leads everyone away on the formation lap
Looks like everyone except KK starting on the option (soft) tyres
BS well forward of his grid box – he’ll get a penalty?
01/57: Good start for SV but not for JB
Lots of dust off line
BS already up to P10 from P15
SV opening a gap even before the end of the first lap
02: SV, LH, MW, RG, FA, JB, KR, FM, NR, SP
HK in the pits – puncture
03: SV fastest lap 1:40.201
SV has a 2.9sec lead over LH already
FM makes a forceful move to take P7 from KR
04: RG steals P3 from MW
MW fights back but RG holds on to the position
KR reclaims P7 from FM
05/57: SV, LH, RG, MW, FA, JB, KR, FM, NR, PRe
07: RG attacks LH and takes P2 from the McLaren
KR has passed JB for P6
08: Radio from JB – already struggling with rear tyres
DR first to pit – he’d dropped from P6 on the grid to P16
09: JB, FM & NR all pit; JB & FM take on primes but NR gets another set of options
10/57: LH, MW & FA pit, as do SP, BS, MS & NH
Slow stop for LH; left rear problem; rejoins in P12
11: RG pits from P2
Radio from LH asking “what happened there guys?”; team confirm it was left rear problem but it’s a long race
Radio from NR saying LH passed him off the track, which he did because NR had pushed him wide
12: SV pits
MW f/lap 1:40.183
JB f/lap 1:39.807
SP f/lap 1:39.771
JB and FA wheel-to-wheel; JB takes P8
13: PRe leads the race because he has yet to stop
SV reclaims P1
KR sneaks past MW for P5
14: SV f/lap 1:39.275
LH down the inside of FA to take P8
RG passes PRe just before PRe heads for the pits
15/57: PRe and KK in the pits – they’re the last to make their first stop
SV, RG, KR, MW, JB, KK, LH, FA, NR
KR f/lap 1:39.088
16: Incident involving cars 4 & 8 (LH & NR) under investigation
KR f/lap 1:38.995
17: Radio for MS tells him he needs to pass PRe to make their strategy work
18: Radio for LH just says “Plan B”
SV’s lead over RG is just over 5secs
19: Radio from PRe shouts at his team that PM is weaving all over the place
20/57: SV, RG, KR, MW, JB, LH, FA, NR, FM, SP; no retirements
Incident involving cars 4 & 8 (LH & NR) will now be investigated after the race – I guess the stewards want to talk to them
21: PRe jumps SP & PM in one move – he’s now up to P10
22: SV laps NK
SP pits
23: JB pits from P6, followed by NR and FM
No problem in the McLaren box
JB exits on primes; NR & FM on primes too
24: MW, LH & FA all pit, followed by PM, MS
Another slow stop for LH – left rear again!
NR battling with FA over P8
PM spins his Williams – left rear puncture
25/57: SV, RG, KR, PRe, MW, KK, JB, FA, NR, BS
26: SV pits, followed by RG
LH f/lap 1:38.931
27: KR f/lap 1:38.165
PM pits – he’s pushed into the garage
Timing charts CP has stopped too
28: SV f/lap 1:38.157
Incident involving cars 5 & 8 (FA & NR) will be investigated after the race
Half distance
29: MW takes P4 from PRe
LH pushing FM for P10
30/57: SV, KR, RG, MW, PRe, JB, KK, NR, FA, FM; retirements: PM, CP
Radio from LH asking about FM’s strategy – does he have to stop again?
31: FM getting closer to FA – will Ferrari tell FA to pick up his pace or to let his teammate pass?
32: FA looks like he’s following KK into the pit lane but peels off at the last moment – change of plan or just blindly following the Sauber?
33: KR closing the gap to SV – only 1sec between them
JB easily past PRe for P5
34: KR now close enough to use DRS to catch up to the rear of SV’s Red Bull
PRe pits – probably his final scheduled stop
35/57: KR shows his nose as SV turns in to Turn 1 – just letting him know he’s there
36: KR attacks in to Turn 1 but SV slams the door shut
Radio for SV reminding him he can “use push to pass [KERS] on the main straight” but from the on-screen graphic is doesn’t look like he has KERS available
37: NR pits, as do LH & NH
Finally, a clean pit stop for LH; not fast but at least it was problem-free
38: ON-screen graphic shows SV does have KERS available; maybe he’d used it up when I saw it before
JB & FA pit; rejoin in the same order
SP & MS pit too; SP had to back off as FA was released from his box
SP released right alongside MS – stewards need to keep an eye on these unsafe releases!
39: FM pits, as does BS
LH f/lap 1:57.944
FA under investigation for unsafe release – glad to see the FIA read my notes 🙂
FM rejoins behind LH
40/57: SV & KR both pit; clean stops but Lotus seemed slower
MW pits
41: RG pits from P1; rejoins in P3
42: SV f/lap 1:36.379 – 2.6sec lead over KR
FM takes P10 from KK
43: SV opens the gap over KR to 3.2secs
RG (in P3) is faster than both SV & Lotus teammate KR
44: MS takes a look at KK but doesn’t make a move
45/57: SV, KR, RG, MW, PRe, NR, JB, FA, LH, FM; retirements: PM, CP
MS past KK for P11
46: KK lets teammate SP past – SP’s on a 3-stop strategy compared to KK’s 2-stop
Radio for KR telling him SV has worse tyre degradation than they do
47: KR slowly closing on SV again
48: NK pits again – that’s stop #4
NR closing on PRe
49: NR close enough to use DRS – that’ll help him move up on PRe
50/57: SV, KR, RG, MW, PRe, NR, JB, FA, LH, FM
NR using DRS, both using KERS but NR can’t get close enough to attack PRe on the main straight
51: SV maintaining a 3sec lead over KR
Radio for PRe telling him to use “double KERS boost to defend” – that means coming out of the last turn and again when he crosses the start line which is when KERS is recharged
52: NR locks up but takes P5 from PRe
54: JB closing on PRe … but dives into the pits – puncture! Rejoins way down in P13 🙁
55/57: SV, KR, RG, MW, NR, PRe, FA, LH, FM, MS; retirements: PM, CP
Radio for JB – cracked exhaust?
BS makes his 4th pit stop – parks it in the garage
56: Radio for NR telling him he has a broken exhaust but they’re not worried about the engine
JB slowly into the pit lane again – retires the McLaren
57: SV still has a comfortable 3sec lead over KR
FA on the tail of PRe but is it too late?
SV takes the chequered flag – first Red Bull win of the season
SV pulls off track and parks at the pit lane exit
KR and RG home in P2 and P3 respectively
MW P4, NR P5
FA pushing hard but PRe takes P6
FM P9, MS P10
Provisional result: SV, KR, RG, MW, NR, PRe, FA, LH, FM, MS; SP, NHM KK, JV, DR, VP, HK, JB, TG, PRo, NK; DNF: BS, P, CP.
Note there are 3 investigations* outstanding, so stay tuned for updates!
*Incident involving cars 4 & 8 (LH & NR); Incident involving cars 5 & 8 (FA & NR); FA under investigation for unsafe release.
No champagne on the podium (it’s rose water instead) but SV, KR and RG all look very happy to be up there.
That’s four different winners in 4 races.
Next race: Spanish Grand Prix (Circuit de Catalunya), May 11-13.
BBC reports:
So there you have it – the result is unchanged but the next race could get messy!
Championship points update @ https://henman.ca/2012/04/29/f1-championship-update/