German Grand Prix – Race

Practice and Qualifying were both wet in part, but the forecast for Sunday is for a dry race.

Air temperature 21°C; track 33°C

Provisional grid: FA, SV, MS, NH, PM, JB, LH, MW*, PRe, KR, DR, KK, FM, BS, JV, HK, SP*, VP, RG*, CP, NR*, TG, PRo, NK. (*Gearbox penalties for MW, RG and NR; SP???)

My GridBids picks for this weekend are: SV, JB, LH, FM, FA, MS.

Tyre compounds are the soft (yellow wall) and medium (white).
Looks like most are starting on the soft (options); only KK, JV, CP, NR, TG are on primes

It’s LH’s 100th race start

FA leads everyone away on the formation lap

01/67: FA storms away
MS attacking SV
Poor start for LH – down to P9
RG runs wide
FM’s broken his front wing

02: FA, SV, MS, NH,JB, PM, MW, LH, KR, PRe
FM pits – new nose cone and switches to
BS and RG pit too – long stop for BS

03: SV fastest lap 1:22.918
DRS enabled
KR and PRe pass LH – problem for the McLaren?
Radio from LH – problem – told to box
LH has a rear left puncture

04: SV f/lap 1:22.828
PRe has passed KR for P8
LH finally limps back to the pits – rejoins down in P22

05/67: FA f/lap 1:22.600
KR fighting back; finally takes back P8
Replay shows FM lost his front wing before the first turn

06: FM f/lap 1:22.596

07: JV makes an early pit stop
SP takes P10 from teammate KK
FM f/lap 1:22.439

08: Radio from LH complaining about the rear left again
JB down the inside of NH to take P4

09: SP uses DRS to take P9 from PRe
LH f/lap 1:22.306

10/67: FA, SV, MS, JB, NH, PM, MW, KR, SP, PRe
JB has closed up on MS

11: MS’ front right tyre has a big blister
PRe pits from P10
JB down the inside of MS into the hairpin; takes P3
Radio for KR saying options are better compound

12: KR pits; another set of options
(LH still down in P22)

13: FA f/lap 1:22.214
MW pits behind NH; NR pits too
PRe f/lap 1:22.169

14: FA f/lap 1:21.994
PM pits – rejoins just in front of MW
KR f/lap 1:21.942

15/67: MW still unable to pass VP
MS pits – rejoins alongside NH – NH stays ahead but MS will be able to use DRS
NR f/lap 1:21.440
MS squeezes NH and takes P7; KR follows the Mercedes past the Force India

17: Radio for SV reminding him to keep pushing
HK takes P16 from CP

18: SP pits
FA runs quite wide

19: FA pits from P1, handing the lead to SV; clean stop
MS passes DR for P5

20/67: JB pits – good stop (at last!) – rejoins in P4
DR pits
SP f/lap 1:20.777
MW takes half a look at PM into the chicane; backs out; attacks as the exit the turn; takes P10

21: SV pits from P1 – rejoins in P2, slightly further behind the Ferrari
KR passes MS for P5

23: KK pits from P4; everyone except NK (P22) has made 1 stop so far

24: NK pits
Radio for LH suggesting they could make 1-stop work
KK lunges past PRe; passes him but can’t make the apex; PRe reclaims P9

25/67: FA, SV, JB, KR, MS, NH, SP, MW, PRe, KK
FM pits
KK attacks PRe again but this time makes it stick

26: SP looks round the outside of NH but that won’t work

28: JB f/lap 1:20.727 – he’s 3.9sec behind SV

29: SV 0.9sec behind FA so he can now use DRS to close that gap
SP passes NH for P6
NR takes P10 from PRe – that’s both Force Indias losing places in one lap
LH runs wide in Turn 1

30/67: FA, SV, JB, KR, MS, SP, NH, MW, KK, NR; no retirements so far

31: JV runs very wide across the grass
MW down the inside to take P7 from NH

32: NH pits, as does HK and LH
LH rejoins ahead of JB but he’s a lap down

33: SV f/lap 1:20.651
JB f/lap 1:20.340
NR pits, as does VP
Half-distance

35/67: FA, SV, JB, KR, MS, SP, KK, MW, PRe, PM
LH passes SV but that’s unlapping himself (he’s P17)

36: LH f/lap 1:20.091

37: FA 2.2sec ahead of SV, who in turn is 2.1sec ahead of JB
MS pits
NH past PM for P10

38: LH lining up FA to unlap himself

39: KR pits from P4
PM & DR pit

40/67: FA closing up to lap HK; LH could use this to steal P16
McLaren pit crew getting ready

41: JB pits – few inches forward of his mark
SP pits (P5), as does MW
KR f/lap 1:19.726

42: FA pits followed by SV – FA rejoins in P1 but JB has passed SV to take P2
KR f/lap 1:19.722

44: FA, JB and SV all post personal fastest laps
KK pits, as does RG

45/67: FA, JB, SV, KR, MS, NH, KK, SP, NR, MW
Radio for SV warning him not to push the tyres too hard
KK down the inside of NH to take P6

46: KK f/lap 1:19.550
JB under 1sec behind FA so he can use DRS to attack for P1

47: NH pits

48: FM pits
LH pits – so much for the 1-stop strategy

49: SV barely closing on JB

50/67: FA, JB, SV, KR, MS, KK, SP, NR, MW, PRe; no retirements
KK f/lap 1:19.252
RG runs very wide across the gravel and the grass

51: NR pits from P8; rejoins P11

53: MS pits – late stop for Mercedes
SV runs wide in Turn 1

54: FA has extended his lead a fraction – 1.1sec means no DRS for JB

55/67: FA, JB, SV, KR, KK, SP, MS, MW, NH, PRe; no retirements

56: KK f/lap 1:19.164
MS f/lap 1:19.007
JB closing the gap to FA

57: JB just 0.6sec behind FA
MS f/lap 1:18.794
NR takes P10 from PRe

58: LH pits … and drives into the garage – not a good way to finish his 100th Grand Prix
MS f/lap 1:18.725
PM pits

60/67: FA, JB, SV, KR, KK, SP, MS, MW, NH, NR; retirements: LH
Radio for JB: engine mode mapping change; “we can win this race”

62: FA has re-opened just enough lead to stop JB using DRS

63: Both FA & JB post personal fastest laps – gap now 1.5sec

64: SV closing up on JB

65/67: FA 2.4sec ahead of JB, who has SV just 0.8sec behind
SV is right on the tail of JB

66: FA added another second to his lead
SV attacking JB down the outside; runs wide (all 4 wheels off track); takes P2

67 = final lap: FA posts a personal fastest lap
Radio from JB pointing out SV was completely off track when he passed; team say FIA are aware

Chequered flag
FA takes his 3rd win of the season
SV over the line for P2, followed by JB, KR, KK, SP, MS, MW, NH, NR

Incident involving cars 1 and 3 (SV & JB) under investigation

Provisional result: FA, SV, JB, KR, KK, SP, MS, MW, NH, NR; PRe, FM, DR, JV, PM, VP, BS, RG, HK, CP, PRo, TG, NK; DNF=LH.