German Grand Prix – Race

I won’t repeat all the news/controversy around tyres – it’s in my notes from Qualifying – but just to add that there were no (visible) tyre issues during the Practice and Qualifying sessions.

Quick reminder: Tyre compounds available this weekend are prime=medium (white) and option=soft

Provisional grid: HAM, VET, WEB, RAI, GRO, RIC, MAS, ALO, BUT, HUL; ROS, DIR, PER, GUT, SUT, VER; BOT, MAL, PIC, BIA, VDG, CHI.

My GridBids picks for this weekend: VET, BUT, ROS, HAM, HUL & BOT.

Air temperature 24°C; track 42°C; wind 2.0m/s; humidity 36%

PIC given a 5 grid spot penalty for a gearbox change, so he’ll drop from P19 to P22

Revised grid: HAM, VET, WEB, RAI, GRO, RIC, MAS, ALO, BUT, HUL; ROS, DIR, PER, GUT, SUT, VER; BOT, MAL, BIA, VDG, CHI, PIC.

The front 6 cars are starting on the option (soft) tyres on which they set their qualifying time; MAS & ALO will be on the primes that they used in Quali; BUT & HUL didn’t set a time so they can pick their tyres, as can everyone behind them

Reports of a front-right brake problem for HAM

HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap
Radio for WEB telling him to hold the throttle if his wheels spin at the start
Long wait for the tailenders to take their grid slot

01/60: Great start from VET
HAM defends but both Red Bulls pass him before Turn 1
MAS up to P6

02: VET, WEB, HAM, RAI, GRO, MAS, RIC, ALO, BUT, PER
PER pushes teammate BUT wide in Turn 1 – takes P9

03: VET fastest lap 1:38.015
DRS enabled

04: VET f/lap 1:37.550
WEB f/lap 1:37.487
MAS spun in Turn 1 – he’s stalled
DRS disabled because MAS is in a dangerous position, but no sign of the Safety Car

05/60: VET f/lap 1:37.427
VET, WEB, HAM, RAI, GRO, RIC, ALO, PER, BUT, HUL; retirements: MAS
DIR, VER and PIC all pit
Unsafe release of DIR – almost hit VER
DRS enabled again

06: RIC pits, as do SUT, VDG, BIA
Incident involving cars 18 (VER) and 14 (DIR) will be investigated after the race – unsafe release
Radio from GRO saying he’s “much faster than Kimi” (RAI, his teammate)

07: HAM pits from P3 – bit slow on the front-right – takes primes – rejoins P10, behind ROS
Radio for HAM – need a big push
Radio for VET – box

08: VET pits from P1 – rejoins just ahead of ROS
PER pits too
Radio for WEB – box

09: WEB pits from P1 – terrible stop – right-rear – they release WEB but right-rear immediately parts company – bounces through the pits – flattens at least one mechanic!!
That was a stupid decision by Red Bull – they must get a massive penalty for that – they could have caused serious injuries!

10/60: GRO, ALO, BUT, HUL, VET, ROS, HAM, RAI, MAL, BOT; retirement: MAS
GRO f/lap 1:37.276
HAM all over the gearbox of ROS; he’s got RAI alongside too
WEB pushed back into the box; finally completes his pit stop; rejoins P21
WEB’s wheel hit a cameraman, not a mechanic

11: Incident involving car 2 (WEB) will be investigated after the race – unsafe release [Please throw the book at them!]
RAI still battling with HAM for P7; ROS holding them up
WEB f/lap 1:37.121

12: Radio from HAM saying ROS is holding him up
Radio for BUT – still on Plan A

13: ALO pits – early stop given he started on primes (medium compound)

14: GRO pits from P1 – clean stop – switches from options – rejoins P2
HAM finally past ROS
RAI squeaks past ROS for P6

15/60: VET, GRO, BUT, HUL, HAM, RAI, ROS, ALO, MAL, BOT
Replay shows the mechanics fighting with WEB’s rear-right were frantically indicating they weren’t ready but someone sent him out anyway

16: GRO f/lap 1:36.757
ROS pits
HAM attacking HUL, whose yet to stop

18: HUL pits, releasing HAM
BUT, MAL, BOT yet to stop
RAI closing on HAM
Radio from HAM – no grip
RAI pounces and takes P4 from HAM

19: ALO rushes up behind HAM
Radio from HAM – “these guys are on different tyres from me” 🙂

20/40: VET, GRO, BUT, RAI, HAM, ALO, MAL, BOT, PER, SUT; retirement: MAS
On-board with ALO, easy to see HAM’s problem – he’s sliding through corners
ALO tries to repeat RAI’s pass but HAM defends well

21: ALO attacks again in to Turn 1 but HAM’s got the inside line
Radio for HAM telling him ROS has the same problem – doesn’t really help fix HAM’s issue
BBC report that the cameraman is “basically OK” after being hit by WEB’s wheel

22: BUT puts
ALO has another try at passing HAM into Turn 1
HAM giving ALO room but definitely not making it easy for the Ferrari to pass
Radio from HAM – “I’m pushing, man, I’m pushing”

23: HAM pits – I bet he’s relieved – rejoins P8, ahead of SUT
Radio for RAI – “we’re on Plan B”
Big blow-up for BIA – lots of smoke – brief flash fire but BIA’s safely out of the car
DRS disabled (because of BIA?)

24: BIA’s car rolling back across the track! Crane driver starts to follow it but stops before he reaches the track- smart move!
Safety Car deployed
BIA’s car rolls across the track, onto the grass on the other side, slowed by some advertising boards, comes to a stop close to some marshalls

25/60 [SC]: everyone diving into the pits

26[SC]: lapped cars may now overtake – car 2 (WEB)
VER has retired too
Radio for VET reminding him to drink

27[SC]: WEB has passed the SC and is heading round to rejoin the back of the field

28[SC]: Order behind the SC is VET, GRO, RAI, ALO, BUT, HUL, HAM, MAL, PER, SUT; RIC, DIR, ROS, GUT, BOT, VDG, PIC, CHI, WEB; retirements: VER, BIA, MAS.
ALO, BUT, HUL, MAL, ROS & BOT all have to make at least one more stop in order to use both tyre compounds

29[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
VET drops back from the SC, backing up the pack
WEB has caught the back of the field
SC heads into the pit lane

30/60: VET, GRO, RAI, ALO, BUT, HUL, HAM, MAL, PER, SUT
PER takes a look at MAL into Turn 1
WEB already passing PIC, CHI and then VDG – he’s up to P16

31: VET f/lap 1:36.549
WEB takes P15 from BOT

32: VET f/lap 1:35.893
DRS enabled
WEB looking for a way around GUT

33: RAI f/lap 1:35.774
RAI closing on teammate GRO; VET only 1.1sec ahead of GRO

34: GRO f/lap 1:35.717
HAM all over the rear of HUL
GRO now within DRS range of VET

35/60: VET, GRO, RAI, ALO, BUT, HUL, HAM, MAL, PER, SUT; retirements: VER, BIA, MAS
RAI f/lap 1:35.673
GUT defending hard to keep WEB behind

36: Does VET have a KERS problem?
Radio for GRO asking if the current tyres will last another 12 laps? GRO: “no”
PER around the outside of MAL into Turn 1; cuts back and takes P8

37: HAM looking to take P6 from HUL
WEB still P15 behind GUT

38: HUL pits, giving HAM P6; his next target is BUT
VET still has the two Lotus drivers on his tail
4th stop for CHI

39: WEB pits
ALO slowly closing up on the VET, GRO, RAI train
Radio for VET – “come on”

40/60: VET, GRO, RAI, ALO, BUT, HAM, PER, MAL, SUT, RIC
HUL f/lap 1:35.600

41: GRO pits from P2; will Red Bull respond?
WEB f/lap 1:35.172
RAI picking up his pace now he’s stuck behind his teammate – fastest overall Sector 1 and S2

42: VET pits from P1; RAI inherits the lead; clean stop; rejoins ahead of GRO
How long will RAI stay out?

43: GRO f/lap 1:35.006
Remember ALO, BUT, HUL, MAL, ROS & BOT all have to make at least one more stop in order to use both tyre compounds

44: VET f/lap 1:34.797
SUT pits
BBC report the Lotus garage looks very calm – don’t appear to be pitting RAI soon – was GRO’s stop a decoy to make VET pit?

45/60: RAI, ALO, BUT, HAM, VET, GRO, PER, MAL, DIR, ROS
VET fairly easy pass on HAM for P4

46: HAM pits, giving P5 to GRO – clean stop – rejoins P11, behind ROS
HAM past ROS

48: BUT pits – has to take on options – rejoins P6, behind PER

49: HAM lining up DIR to take P8
ROS pits – options
Big twitch from DIR

50/60: RAI pits, followed by ALO – VET inherits P1 – both RAI and ALO take on soft tyres – they rejoin P3 and P4 respectively
BUT f/lap 1:34.201
HAM inside DIR to take P8; now attacking MAL

51: HAM past MAL for P7
MAL pits
BUT easily past PER for P5

52: RAI f/lap 1:34.183
ALO f/lap 1:33.468
Replay: terrible stop for MAL – front-right stuck – used 2 wheel guns to get it off
GRO told not to hold up RAI

53: VET has 2.0sec lead over GRO, who in turn has RAI just 1.0sec behind; ALO 3.2sec back from RAI

54: GRO says “I don’t understand anything; radio is bad” … so don’t expect him to let RAI past
WEB takes P8 from DIR

55/60: VET, GRO, RAI, ALO, BUT, PER, HAM, WEB, DIR, ROS; retirements: VER, BIA, MAS
RAI makes a pass on his teammate – takes P2 from GRO
HAM takes P6 from PER

56: ALO closing on GRO

57: ALO close enough to GRO to use DRS
RAI 2.1sec behind VET, closing at ~0.5sec/lap so will he have time?
Radio from BUT – struggling through traffic – HAM is catching him

58: RAI 1.6sec off VET – he needs an extra couple of laps

59: RAI continues to close but not quite within DRS range of VET
HAM rushing up to BUT

60 = final lap: VET barely keeping RAI 1.04sec behind – just enough
HAM attacking BUT – around the outside – takes P5
RAI now under 1sec – he’ll get to use the final DRS zone

VET takes the chequered flag
RAI right on his tail
GRO home for P3
ALO P4
HAM P5
BUT P6
WEB has passed PER for P7

VET very happy – “that was a tough one”
ALO has parked his Ferrari in Turn 1 – looks like he was told to pull over
BUT blaming the Caterhams for holding him up and giving HAM the chance to pass

Provisional result: VET, RAI, GRO, ALO, HAM, BUT, WEB, PER, ROS, HUL; DIR, RIC, SUT, GUT, MAL, BOT, PIC, VDG, CHI.
DNF: VER, BIA, MAS.

A German winner (first since Michael Schumacher in 2006) and both Lotus drivers on the podium.

Still awaiting resolution:

• From lap 6: Incident involving cars 18 (VER) and 14 (DIR) will be investigated after the race – unsafe release
• From lap 11: Incident involving car 2 (WEB) will be investigated after the race – unsafe release

Next race: Hungary in 2 weeks (July 19-21).