Singaporean Grand Prix – Race

FA has a small lead (37 points) over LH and Red Bull is just 29 points ahead of McLaren. [points update]

Following Qualifying the provisional grid was: LH, PM, SV, JB, FA, PRe, MW, RG, MS, NR, NH, KR, FM, SP, DR, JV, BS, KK, VP, HK, TG, CP, NK, PRo.

There are 5-place penalties for BS (he’ll drop from P17 to P22) and PRo (who was already P24).
CP will have 20secs added to his race time for passing under red flags in the final Practice session

My GridBids picks for the race: SV, JB, LH, FM, NR, PRe, JV, DR, HK.

Compounds for this weekend are the soft (yellow band) and super-soft (red) Pirelli tyres.

The front 8 cars will be on super-softs because that’s what they qualified with; MS + NR didn’t set a time in Q3 so they can pick their starting compounds.

There’s just one DRS zone in this night race; detection point is at Turn 4 and the zone runs from T5 through to T7.

Air temperature 29°C; track 30°C; wind 2.1m/s; humidity 67%

LH leads everyone away under the bright lights of Singapore
Looks like everyone is on the option tyres (super-soft compound) except NH, SP, JV, KK, TG, CP & PRo.
LH bunches the pack up so he won’t have to wait too long

01/61: Four abreast in to Turn 1 – a little contact but it looks like they all made it through
FA up the inside of PRe
JB up to P4 as PM falls back
NR ahead of MS
VP has lost his front wing
FM is a long way back – what happened?

02: LH, SV, JB, PM, FA, PRe, MW, RG, NR, MS
VP pits
FM pits too – looks like a puncture
Incidents at Turn 1 and T2 under investigation – that’ll probably be people cutting the corners at the start

03: LH sets fastest lap 1:56.779
DRS enabled

04: LH f/lap 1:56.271
SV f/lap 1:56.187
RG, or rather his team, has no telemetry
Radio for MS telling him to cool the car

05/61: LH, SV, JB, PM, FA, PRe, MW, RG, NR, MS; no retirements
LH f/lap 1:55.777
LH has a 1.7sec lead over SV, who has JB 4.7secs behind him
FM f/lap 1:55.664 – he’s still P24 after that puncture

06: Turns 1 and 2 incidents: no further action

08: MW is picking up his pace – getting ready for a pit stop?
The options (super-soft) are expected to last less than 10 laps

09: MW pits from P7 – switches to primes (soft) – rejoins P20, behind CP … and that was a good stop
SV cut the chicane – have his tyres given up?

10/61: LH, SV, JB, PM, FA, PRe, RG, NR, MS, KR; no retirements

11: SV pits from P2 – primes – clean stop – rejoins P12 behind SP
BS pits too
SV easily past SP for P11
BS has no first gear

12: FA pits from P4 – rejoins P12 in clean air
MS pits too
Radio for LH saying he’s losing time; LH says he has a “funny feeling” – not sure how that’s helpful for the team
JB closing on his teammate

13: LH pits from P1 – rejoins P4 ahead of SV
PRe and NR pit too, as do JV and HK
SV makes a move on KR and takes P5
PM catching JB – surely they’ll both have to pit soon?

14: PM pits from P2
SV f/lap 1:55.495

15/61: JB pits from P1 – not as quick a stop as LH – rejoins
SV f/lap 1:54.941
PM trying hard to pass NH – a bit sideways – takes P4 – brakes very hard to make the turn
FA takes P6 from SP

16: LH, SV, JB, PM, NH, FA, SP, PRe, MW, NR
FM staying out on primes; he’s only made it up to P20

17: FA steals P5 from NH
SP cut the chicane

18: PRe easily past his Force India teammate (NH) for P6

19: NH pits, followed by SP – both take another set of primes – rejoins P14 and P16 respectively
PRo and VP pit too – both swap to options

20/61: LH, SV, JB, PM, FA, PRe, MW, NR, RG, MS; no retirements
FM pits – more primes

21: NH f/lap 1:54.494

22: FM f/lap 1:54.481
BS now has 1st gear working again

23: LH stuck in neutral! Coasts into the escape road 🙁
Radio for LH – gearbox failure

25: SV, JB, PM, FA, PRe, MW, NR, RG, MS, KR, BS; retirements: LH
Big lock up for PM into Turn 1

26: BS pits – switches back to options – it’s a used set

27: HK pits – options

28: Radio for NR – “we suggest you increase your pace” !
JV f/lap 1:53.743
PM cut a corner again – surely he’ll get a penalty soon if he keeps doing that
BS f/lap 1:53.610

29: Personal f/lap for JB
MW pits from P6 – options – rejoins P11
Replay shows MW running wide on his way into the pits
JV f/lap 1:53.510

30/61: PM pits, followed by FA (P3+P4) – PM to options – FA new primes – exit in the same order but PM lost time

Half distance

31: SV, JB, PRe, NR, RG, PM, FA, MS, KR, NH; retirements: LH
Radio for MW confirms he’s 3-stopping
JB complaining about back markers – lots of marbles (tyre rubber debris) off the racing line

33: FA pushing PM hard for P6
NK has hit the barriers in Turn 18
Safety Car deployed
Expect lots of people to dive into the pit lane

34[SC]: SV pits followed by JB, PRe, (FA stays out) NR, RG, PM, MS, KR
Leaders have caught up to the Safety Car

35/61[SC]: SV, JB, FA, PRe, NH, MW, SP, NR, RG, PM; retirements: NK, LH
VP, PRo and CP allowed to pass the SC to get back into race order

36[SC]: Radio for PM – problem with the car – he should retire the Williams

37[SC]: PM pits and drives into the garage
Radio for JB reminding him to warm rear tyres and brakes

38[SC]: Safety Car in at the end of this lap (at last!)
SC lights out
SV slows the pace, leaving a big gap to the SC
JB thought SV was about to set off and nearly runs into the back of the Red Bull

39: Green flags
MW attacking NH for P5 – can’t make it stick – tries again and this time takes the place
MS ploughs through the back of JV – both cars out

40/61: Safety Car deployed again
MS apologises to JV as they walk away from their wrecked cars
Replay shows MS steam through the rear of the Toro Rosso
Radio for MS – “what happened there? What happened there?” – no reply from MS

41[SC]: MW pits, followed by NH, SP, VP, PRo
Incident involving cars 7 and 17 (MS & JV) will be investigated after the race — MS deserves a huge penalty!
VP has stopped at the end of the pit lane – Caterham mechanics push him back to the box
Radio from JB complaining about SV’s pace at the previous restart

42[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
BBC report VP stopped because he had a problem with the wheel nuts
VP finally leaves the pits
SC lights out
SV slows the pace right down again

43: Green flags
KR takes a look at his teammate but RG hangs on to P6
FM looking for a way past BS
FM sideways through Turn 9 as he tries to take P9
FM attacks again – slithers past BS

45/61: SV, JB, FA, PRe, NR, RG, KR, DR, FM, BS; retirements: JV, MS, PM, NK, LH
SV f/lap 1:53.302
DRS enabled again
Incident involving cars 6 and 19 (FM and BS) under investigation
Update – FM/BS investigation after the race
FM cutting corners

46: FM all across the kerbs again
FM takes P8 from DR – a clean pass

47: SV f/lap 1:53.129
JB f/lap 1:53.060
Expectation is that the race will end at 2 hours rather than race distance – likely to be ~3 laps short

48: SV f/lap 1:52.949
JB 1:52.625
Radio for RG – told not to hold up his Lotus teammate
RG lets KR through for P6
MW closing on KK
SP tucked up under NH

49: Radio for JB – 12 laps to go – “straight fight with Vettel”
SP attacks NH – dives down the inside – contact – SP breaks his front wing

50/61: SV, JB, FA, PRe, NR, KR, RG, FM, DR, BS
MW round the outside of KK – can’t make it stick – cuts back
MW down the inside – takes P11
NH follows MW – contact – KK loses front wing
NH has a puncture

51: SV f/lap 1:52.134
BS taps the wall
KK pits, as does NH
Incident involving FM & BS – no further action

52: Radio for SP – front wing is OK
Incident involving cars 2 and 14 (MW & KK) under investigation

53: FA picks up his pace as PRe closes in
Official timing switches to 12:00 minutes left (instead of counting down laps)
KK f/lap 1:51.690
NH f/lap 1:51.033

54: BBC interview MS – “my car wouldn’t decelerate”; “tried to brake as hard as possible”; “sorry for Jean Eric [Verne]”

55: SV, JB, FA, PRe, NR, KR, RG, FM, DR, BS; retirements: JV, MS, PM, NK, LH
MW chasing BS for P10
Radio for MW – “1 lap of KERS” – presumably they’re limiting his use because of temperature issues

56: MW takes P10 from BS
7mins left (~4 laps)
Radio for BS to hang in there – “anything can happen”

57: 5mins left
Closest battle: MW closing on countryman DR; HK attacking PRo for P15
Incident involving cars 2 and 14 (MW and KK) will be investigated after the race
Clock has disappeared from FIA feed

58: MW close to DR but not really attacking the Toro Rosso
BS has lost power – parks his Williams

59: Last lap – chequered flag will come out when clock reaches zero (2:00 hours run)
The last time an F1 race ended at 2:00hrs (before full distance) was Phoenix 1991.

SV takes the chequered flag
JB over the line for P2
FA takes P3
Fireworks go off around the circuit

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

Radio from SV remembering Professor Sid Watkins – nice touch

Top 3 getting ready for the podium; JB says the race “goes on forever” 🙂
I still don’t like the new podium interviews – even though Eddie Jordan did a good job.

Next race: Japan, October 5th – 7th.