It’s the final race of the season, and it looks like SV will become the world Driver’s Champion again unless FA can score 13 points more than the Red Bull driver today. Whoever takes the title will also break Ayrton Senna’s record as the youngest 3-time championship winner.
It was damp for Qualifying but the track started to dry out during the session.
Provisional grid: LH, JB, MW, SV, FM, PM, NH, FA, KR, NR, PRe, BS, SP, MS, KK, DR, JV, RG, VP, HK, TG, CP, NK, PRo.
Tyre compounds: prime = hard (silver side wall); options = medium (white)
PM has received a 10 grid-spot penalty for “failing to bring his car to the weigh bridge when called to do so by officials during Saturday’s qualifying session”.
Revised grid: LH, JB, MW, SV, FM, NH, FA, KR, NR, PRe, BS, SP, MS, KK, DR, PM, JV, RG, VP, HK, TG, CP, NK, PRo.
Air temperature 19°C; track 24°C; humidity 64%; wind 2.3m/s
There has been some drizzle around the circuit but the forecast is for a mostly-dry race.
Looks like everyone is starting on prime (hard compound) tyres except for MS, RG and KK
LH leads everyone away on the formation lap
Some sections of the track look damp
01/71: Poor start for SV and FA
KR runs wide
Contact in Turn 4 – SV spins
Looks like damage to SV’s side pod
BS & SP both out of the race
02: LH, JB, FM, MW, FA, NH, PRe, KR, PM, KK
FA dives down the inside of MW and FM to take P3 – if he finishes P3 and SV doesn’t finish, FA will be world champ!
Radio for SV confirming they can’t fix the damage
03: LH fastest lap 1:21.858
SV f/lap 1:21.316
03: Replay shows BS hit SV
04: Race control confirm DRS disabled – usually it would be enabled now
05/71: FA runs wide – MW closes right up but can’t make a pass
FM attacking MW
DRS now enabled
06: KR pits – intermediate tyres
MS pits too
07: RG off into the tyre wall
JB attacking LH for P1
KK tags MW and spins the Red Bull
08: JB ahead of LH as they start lap 8
Order is JB, LH, NH, FA, FM, KK, SV, PRe, NR, DR; MW down to P17; retirements: RG, PM, BS, SP
Wow, what a race!
09: KK pits – inters
MS pits again
10/71: JB, LH, NH, FA, FM, SV, PRE, JV, HK, TG
NR, DR & MW all pit
Leaders are slithering around – it’s getting more and more wet out there
11: LH pits – slow right-rear change – inters
FA pits, as does SV – both change to inters
Radio from JB – “it’s stopped raining”
12: JB stays out on slicks
LH reclaims P3 from FM
13: MW lets SV past for P16 – gets a “thank you Mark” over the radio
CP runs wide
14: LH is over 1sec/lap faster than JB so maybe inters are the right choice at the moment
NK& CP pit – inters for both
15/71: JB, NH, LH, FA, FM, JV, KK, SV, MW, NR; retirements: RG, PM, BS, SP
LH now over 2sec/lap faster than his teammate – should JB swap to inters?
Radio from LH – his inters are going off
16: NH challenging JB for P1 – they’re both on options
FM, JV and HK all pit – all switch to inters
17: Adrian Newey on the Red Bull pit wall looking at a large photo of SV’s car – checking for damage
18: JB and NH times pick up again
Radio for LH saying rain will continue for 30mins so make tyres last
19: NH uses KERS to pass JB in Turn 1
LH pits – takes on prime slicks
FA, KK, NR and PRe all pit – FA takes options but the others go with primes
Radio for SV – “box, box, box”
20/71: SV pits – primes
MW pits, followed by DR, KR, FM, TG, VP, HK and PRo
21: Only NH and JB have yet to pit
NR has a puncture; limping back to the pits
22: NH f/lap 1:21.175
LH f/lap 1:20.677
KK f/lap 1:20.441
23: NH f/lap 1:19.938
JB f/lap 1:19.880
Safety Car deployed because of the debris – finally a chance to catch our breath!
24[SC]: NH and JB pit – both take primes – rejoin still P1 and P2 respectively
25/71[SC]: NH, JB, LH, FA, SV, KK, MW, PRe, DR, KR; retirments: RG, PM, BS, SP
26[SC]: Radio from SV pointing out where there’s still debris just at the side of the track
Lapped cars are now allowed to pass SC (cars 24, 17, 21, 7, 20, 25, 22, 23, 8)
28[SC]: Radio from FA saying it’s raining again – that’ll be a challenge because they’re all on slicks and losing tyre temp while they’re behind the SC
29[SC]: Safety Car in at the end of this lap – how will NH handle the restart?
30: Green flags
MW around the outside of SV, with KK down the inside – MW runs wide, probably to make sure SV had room
JV pits
DRS enabled – there’s usually a couple of laps before they do that
31: LH ducks inside his teammate to take P2 from JB
NH is dashing away up front
32: TG pits
KK has got past FA for P4
Radio for SV saying it’s slippery off line, which I’m sure he knows
33: KR runs wide
FA reclaims P4
34: NH f/lap 1:19.533
FM takes P6 from SV
35/71: NH, LH, JB, FA, KK, FM, SV, DR, PRe, MW
NH f/lap 1:18.823
LH f/lap 1:18.737
Half-distance!
36: NH f/lap 1:18.524
LH f/lap 1:18.303
It’s still raining
37: LH f/lap 1:18.300
FM around the outside of KK for P5, behind his teammate
38: NH f/lap 1:18.250
JB f/lap 1:18.108
PRe spins
HK pits
39: LH f/lap 1:18.069
KR outside MS on the main straight; MS tries to squeeze him into the wall
40/71: NH, LH, JB, FA, FM, KK, SV, DR, MW, MS; retirements: RG, PM, BS, SP
MS and KR side-by-side through Turn 1
KR takes P10
41: PRe past MS for P11
MW easily past DR for P8
42: Radio from NH – “not sure we’ll get to the end on these” [tyres, presumably]
43: Forecast says no serious rain for rest of race
44: MW touches the white line and loses the Red Bull’s tail in Turn 12 but manages to stay ahead of DR
45/71: NH, LH, JB, FA, FM, KK, SV, MW, DR, KR
47: VP spins – CP passes him, pushing the Caterham down to P13 but the team need P12 in order to finish 10th in the Constructors
48: Radio for SV suggesting when he should use KERS
NH touches the white line – spins – LH steals P1
50/71: LH, NH, JB, FA, FM, KK, SV, MW, DR, KR
Many of the slick tyres look like they’re running out of rubber, but the teams are holding off from changing them in case they need to go to wet tyres
51: Forecast says drizzle should be ending now and no further rain
Radio from SV but team can’t hear him (nor can we)
52: NR pits – inters
PRo and DR both pit and stay with slicks
53: NK pits – slicks
SV pits – scrubbed option tyres
54: KR runs wide – tries to use an escape road except it’s blocked and he has to spin around and cut across the grass
55: NH attacking down the inside – hits LH – they’re both off – major damage to the McLaren
56: SV pits again – long stop – tyres weren’t ready
FM pits, as does MW
FA slithers along the straight – struggling to keep it out of the wall
57: FA pits – inters
Drive-through penalty for NH for causing a collision
58: JB pits – clean stop – inters
FIA timing screen is a mess of colours and flashing information!
NH pits – takes tyres instead of serving his penalty
Forecast now says more rain coming
59: NH serves his drive-through penalty
FA seems to be struggling even on inters
60/71: JB, FM, FA, MW, NH, MS, SV, KK, JV, PRe; retirements: LH, RG, PM, BS, SP
Rain is getting heavier – will they move to full wets soon?
61: LH walking back down the pit lane – not the way to end his career with McLaren
62: Radio for JB – “are you happy on this tyre?” “Roger”
FM lifts off and lets FA take P2
63: DR pits
Radio for SV – “keep it on the track” – no, really?
Radio for SV – “your current position is good enough”, i.e. don’t push too hard and make a mistake
64: SV closing up on his countryman MS
MS pulls off line and gifts P6 to SV
65/71: JB, FA, FM, MW, NH, SV, MS, KK, JV, PRe
66: JB has a 20.3sec lead over FA
FA laps CP; VP follows the Ferrari through and steals P12, which is key to Caterham’s Constructors challenge
67: DR and HK are on full wets and significantly faster than the cars around them
68: Radio for SV telling he’s fastest but there’s no need so back off and be safe
PRe takes P9 from JV
69: Looks like the rain continues to get worse
With FA in P2 and SV in P6, SV will be world champion
KK has spun; almost collects a car as he rejoins
70/71: JB, FA, FM,MW, NH, SV, MS, JV, KK
Replay shows KK trying to dive down the inside of MS, who of course slammed the door on him
PRe loses the tail in the final turn – clouts the wall
Safety Car deployed
71[SC]: JB picks up the Safety Car
PRe safely out of his car
SC pulls into the pit lane, but JB controls the pace
JB takes the chequered flag
FA across the line, FM, MW, NH, then SV for P6
Radio for SV – “you’re the triple world champion!”
MS P7, followed by JV, KK, KR
VP takes P11 which means Caterham take 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship
FA greeted by the Ferrari team – clearly disappointed
Photographers crowd around SV as he parks – FIA struggle to hold them back 🙁
MS seems happy to see SV win
Someone needs to move the suits aside on the podium – standing in front of the drivers is just stupid – no matter how important you think you are, everyone is here to see the drivers
FM starts to well up, as he often does on the podium
Ferrari celebrations are short-lived which is a shame – FA owes it to his team & fans to celebrate with them
So, the provisional result: JB, FA, FM, MW, NH, SV, MS, JV, KK, KR; VP, CP, DR, HK, NR, TG, PRo, NK, PRe; DNF: LH, RG, PM, BS, SP.
Almost forgot – my GridBids picks were SV (P6), JB (P1), LH (DNF), MS (P7), NR (P15), SP (DNF), HK (P14) and VP (P11).
“You scored 39 points for this race and have a total of 870 points this season. You ranked 97 for this race and 124 overall” (out of 212 people playing this season).