Paul Henman formula1 Indian Grand Prix – Race

Indian Grand Prix – Race

Following yesterday’s Qualifying session, the provisional grid was: VET, ROS, HAM, WEB, MAS, RAI, HUL, ALO, PER, BUT; RIC, DIR, SUT, VER, BOT, GUT; GRO, MAL, BIA, VDG, PIC, CHI.
There’s a mix of starting tyre compounds: VET, ROS, HAM, MAS, RAI & HUL on options (which are only expected to last 5-8 laps), the others on primes – should make for an interesting first few laps!
My GridBids picks are VET, BUT, ROS and HAM.

VET just needs to finish in the top 5 to wrap up the Drivers’ Championship with 4 races remaining. He led every lap of the previous 2 Indian GP, was fastest in all 3 Free Practice sessions and now is on pole.

Tyre choices: prime = medium (white lettering), option = soft (yellow)
Air temperature 30°C; track 34°C; wind 2m/s; hazy

VET leads everyone away on the formation lap
Mechanics are preparing for early pit stops from those starting on the soft (option) tyre

01/60: Good start from HAM
HAM ahead of ROS – takes P2 into Turn 1
Contact between WEB and ALO?
MAS blasts past both Mercedes
Radio from RAI saying he was hit by WEB; team say it looks OK

02: VET, MAS, ROS, HAM, HUL, RAI, WEB, PER, RIC, ALO
DIR and VER both pit
Radio from VDG complaining he was hit by CHI
Radio for VET – box, box, box

03: VET pits from P1, as does ALO
MAS fastest lap 1:32.981
DRS is now enabled
New front wing for ALO

04: MAS f/lap 1:32.706
Radio for ROS – it’s important to get past MAS

05/60: MAS, ROS, HAM, HUL, RAI, WEB, PER, RIC, BUT, SUT
Top 5 are still on options so they’ll all be stopping very soon
Radio from ALO – steering very heaving on right corner

06: HUL pits, followed by BIA
WEB has past RAI for P4

07: WEB f/lap 1:32.419
BUT pits – he was on primes so stop is probably a result of earlier contact with ALO – takes on options so he’ll pit again in a few laps
PER takes P5 from RAI

08: ROS pits from P2
RAI pits too – slow stop
BUT looking for a way around RAI
Radio for MAS – box this lap

09: MAS and HAM pit
WEB f/lap 1:32.398
MAL pits too
MAS takes P8 from BOT

10/60: WEB, PER, RIC, GRO, SUT, VET, GUT, MAS, BOT, ROS; retirements: VDG
Only GRO and BUT on options at the moment
WEB f/lap 1:31.828
ALO makes a move on VER; takes a few turns, and even then the Ferrari is struggling to pass

11: WEB f/lap 1:31.548
VET f/lap 1:31.358
Incident involving car 12 (GUT) under investigation – jump start

13: VET past RIC to easily take P3
BUT pits (stop #2) to get rid of the options
Yet to take on options are: WEB, PER, RIC, SUT, GUT, BOT, ALO & CHI

14: VET f/lap 1:31.086
GRO pits – 14 laps on options – that was a long run

15/60: WEB, PER, VET, RIC, SUT, GUT, MAS, ROS, BOT, HAM
Drive through penalty for car 12 (GUT) – jump start

16: VET f/lap 1:31.021
Replay of the start shows GUT crept forward and stopped as the lights turned green
Radio from PER – “are we still on Plan A?”; “Yes”

17: VET f/lap 1:31.008
GUT serves his drive through penalty

18: Radio for PER – “car behind is VET and we’re not racing him”

19: VET f/lap 1:30.750
ALO down the inside of GUT to take P13 into Turn 1
GUT fights back – reclaims P13 from ALO

20/60: WEB, PER, VET, RIC, SUT, MAS, ROS, HAM, BOT, HUL; retirements: VDG
VET takes P2 from PER

21: VET under 12secs behind his teammate, and WEB has yet to take on the soft tyres

22: ALO squeezes past GUT again for P13
VET f/lap 1:30.337
Radio for PER – “don’t worry about being passed by VET”

23: ROS all over the rear of MAS – pushing him for P6
RAI on the tail of HUL

25/60: WEB, VET, PER, RIC, SUT, MAS, ROS, HAM, HUL, RAI
VET f/lap 1:30.188
Radio from HUL claiming he was squeezed off track, didn’t gain an advantage, as he passed BOT

26: VET f/lap 1:30.148

27: Radio from SUT saying prime tyres are lasting very well
Yet to take on options are: WEB, PER, RIC, SUT, GUT, BOT, ALO & CHI
ROS looking to find a way past MAS
GUT and VER both pit

28: ROS pits – new primes

29: WEB pits from P1 – takes on options – rejoins P2
PER pits from P3 – options too – rejoins P7 between HAM and HUL
Radio from GRO complaining about GUT weaving
Incident involving cars 12 and 8 (GUT & GRO) under investigation – more than one change of direction

30/60: VET, WEB, RIC, SUT, MAS, HAM, PER, HUL, RAI, BOT
PER takes a look at HAM – uses KERS and DRS to take P6

31: WEB f/lap 1:29.500
MAS and HAM pit – both take on new primes (having both started on options)
DIR and ALO pit – DIR=prime, ALO=options

32: VET pits from P1 – good stop – rejoins P2 but WEB still has to stop once more
BOT pits – another set of primes – he still has yet to use the options
GRO dives past MAS and takes P9

33: WEB pits from P1 – back to primes – rejoins P3 behind RIC but the Torro Rosso still has to take on options
ALO f/lap 1:29.459
BUT pits
Incident involving cars 11 and 17 (HUL & BOT) under investigation – track limits

34: VET f/lap 1:29.155
RIC pits, as do PER and HUL
Radio for VET – “you need your tyres for the whole stint”, basically telling him off for setting fastest lap
Incident involving cars 11 and 17 (HUL & BOT) – no further action
HAM looks around the outside of RIC but can’t make it stick

35/60: VET, WEB, SUT, RAI, ROS, GRO, MAS, RIC, HAM, PER; retirements: VDG
Yet to take on options are: SUT, BOT, GUT & CHI
In fact SUT has not made a stop yet – his primes are 35 laps old so he’ll be pitting soon

36: Radio for WEB – “tyres will be fine to the end but don’t go crazy”

37: ALO pits from P13 – swaps options for scrubbed primes
Only RIC on options at present
PIC pits – pushed into garage

39: RIC and MAL pit
Radio for WEB – “we’ve lost gear sync”

40/60: VET, WEB, RAI, SUT, ROS, GRO, MAS, HAM, PER, HUL
WEB pulls off track and parks the Red Bull
Radio for VET telling him WEB is out with a failure; VET says “I’m aware”

41: BBC report WEB’s problem was an alternator failure

42: ROS f/lap 1:29.020
SUT pits – options – will he try to go to the end on the soft tyres? 18 laps might be possible

44: HAM closing on MAS for P5

45/60: VET, RAI, ROS, GRO, MAS, HAM, PER, HUL, DIR, SUT; retirements: WEB, PIC, VDG
Yet to take on options are: SUT, BOT, GUT & CHI
Incident involving cares 8 and 12 (GRO & GUT) – no further action

46: ROS f/lap 1:28.915

47: RAI and GRO have only made the one stop – will their primes last to the end?

48: MAS closing on GRO
Radio for RAI – “save fuel without losing pace” – there’s a challenge!
GUT pits – official timing says another set of primes, so he still hasn’t used the options!?

49: ALO takes P13 from BOT

50/60: VET, RAI, ROS, GRO, MAS, HAM, PER, HUL, DIR, SUT
Radio for VET – pace is good; keep it tidy
ROS f/lap 1:28.816
BOT pits – primes again; he’s still yet to take on options too

51: RAI struggling with his tyres – ROS is catching him but a pit stop will drop RAI way down the order

52: ROS has caught RAI
Radio for VET – “stop using the drink bottle” – odd? Is there an electrical problem?
ROS easily takes P2

53: RAI’s teammate GRO is closing on him now, although GRO’s tyres are quite old too (45 laps vs 39 laps)

54: ALO still can’t find a way past RIC (P11)
HUL pits – options – slow stop
CHI pits too – options

55/60: VET, ROS, RAI, GRO, MAS, HAM, PER, DIR, SUT
VET f/lap 1:28.116
Radio for VET – some people taking on options (and could therefore take fastest lap) but don’t even think about it, we’ve got enough problems (!!)
PER takes a look around HAM but the Mercedes holds P6

56: HUL pits again – into the garage; retires
GRO attacks his teammate – off track as he passes RAI – takes P3
GRO knows he has to give the place back; slows to let RAI retake P3

57: RAI lets GRO easily past for P3
MAS follows GRO through and RAI drops to P5

58: HAM struggling to stay ahead of PER
RAI’s tyres are shot
PER takes a look at HAM as HAM hesitates behind RAI
HAM waits for DRS then goes to pass RAI but PER passes them both
So PER takes P5, with HAM P6
RAI pits! Rejoins P7, i.e. new tyres without losing a place – well calculated
60/60 = final lap: Radio for GRO – short shift
VET takes the chequered flag and his 4th Drivers’ World Championship
BUT pits
29.8secs behind VET, ROS takes P2
RAI f/lap 1:27.679

Christian Horner said WEB’s alternator failure caused them to turn off lots of things on VET’s car, including KERS and telling him to stop drinking.

A few cars have stopped at the pit exit – low on fuel?

VET pulls doughnuts on the main straight – he should have pulled into the pit lane, so will they penalise him?

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

3 thoughts on “Indian Grand Prix – Race”

  1. “Vettel’s elaborate doughnut celebrations following the chequered flag earned Red Bull a 25,000 Euro fine and the German a reprimand for failing to go straight to parc ferme” [source: FIA]

  2. My GridBids picks were VET=P1, BUT=P14, ROS=P2 and HAM=P6.

    “You scored 51 points for this race and have a total of 822 points this season. You ranked 35 for this race and 23 overall.”

Comments are closed.

Related Post