Paul Henman formula1 Korean Grand Prix – Practice

Korean Grand Prix – Practice

Thanks to TSN’s coverage of Canadian football (CFL) over-running by 30 minutes, and then showing adverts before finally deciding to show the FIA/BBC feed, I missed the first Qualifying session. Thanks.

WEB has a ten-place grid penalty as a result of the reprimand he picked up in Singapore.

Tyre choices: prime = medium (white) and option = supersoft (red)
Air temperature 25°C; track 34°C; wind 1m/s
Anticipated typhoon is expected to miss Yeongam but rain forecast tomorrow morning

My GridBids picks for this weekend are VET, ALO, BUT & SUT.

Recap of Q1 based on FIA timing info:
Almost everyone used option tyres – only VET, WEB, HAM, BUT & GRO stuck with primes
Looks like the back of the grid will be BOT, MAL, PIC, VDG, BIA & CHI
RAI was fastest (1:38.341) despite some challenging practice sessions and even problems in Q1
107% time = 1:45.224 – everyone is well within that

Force India has filed a complaint about DIR being blocked by BIA

Qualifying session 2 (Q2)
Green lights mark the start of Q2 but no sign of activity
BBC feed isn’t carrying FIA audio so no radio or onboard sounds
RIC finally exits the pits, almost 3mins in to Q2
RAI is one of the slowest through the speed trap ~309 km/hr; MAS and ALO fastest, over 340kph
RIC 1:39.254
RAI 1:39.236
HUL 1:38.965
ALO 1:38.504
HAM 1:37.824
5mins left of Q2; no time yet from VER, VET, WEB or GRO
Everyone using options in this session
(WEB P2)
VET 1:37.569
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are HUL, DIR, PER, RIC, SUT, VER
HUL & RIC jump into Top 10, relegating MAS & BUT
(BUT P11)
(MAS P9)
Middle of the grid: PER, BUT, RIC, SUT, DIR, VER – so both McLarens out but both Saubers go through
But it was close – BUT (P12) was just 0.038 seconds behind GUT (P10)

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Fighting over the top 10 grid spots are VET, HAM, WEB*, HUL, LO, ROS, GRO, RAI, MAS & GUT
*Remember WEB has a 10 place penalty waiting for him
Still no FIA audio on the TSN coverage 🙁
ROS first on track, followed by WEB, HAM, GRO, VET
ROS 1:37.679
WEB 1:37.464
(HAM P2)
(GRO P3)
VET 1:37.202
Track goes quiet as everyone prepares for one final quick lap
No time yet for ALO, MAS, RAI, HUL or GUT
GUT leads everyone round for their flying laps, followed by ROS, WEB, GRO, ALO, HAM, HUL, MAS, RAI and a big gap to VET
Chequered flag; current order is VET, WEB, HAM, GRO, ROS and the other 5 with no time
(GUT P6)
(ROS still P5)
WEB heads into the pits
(ALO P6)
(HAM P2)
VET’s backed off
(HUL P7)
(MAS P7)
(RAI P10)
Front of the grid: VET, HAM, WEB*, GRO, ROS, ALO, MAS, HUL, GUT, RAI

Penalties:

  • Webber qualified third, but penalised 10 grid places for accumulating three stewards’ reprimands.
  • Bianchi qualified 21st, but starts 22nd after being penalised three grid places for impeding Di Resta in qualifying

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

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