Italian Grand Prix – Race

Hamilton claimed his first pole since Spain in May; his teammate Rosberg took P2 in yesterday’s Qualifying.

Provisional grid: HAM, ROS, BOT, MAS, MAG, BUT, ALO, VET, RIC, PER, RAI, VER, HUL, SUT, GUT, MAL, GRO, KOB, BIA, CHI, KVY*, ERI.
*KVY’s penalty dropped him to P21.

My GridBids picks for the race are: VET, ROS, HAM & BUT.

Tyre compounds: prime = hard (orange lettering), option = medium (white)
The top 10 have to start on their tyres from Q2; looks like everyone options except
Air temperature 25°C; track 44°C;

Our power goes off just before the formation lap!!!!

[01/53] Poor start from HAM – ROS takes P1

02: ROS, MAG, MAS, HAM, VET, BUT, ALO, PER, HUL, RAI
Power back on
Radio between HAM and his engineer – sounds like problems with the car’s settings

03: ROS fastest lap 1:29.940
DRS enabled
HAM tucked up behind MAS

04: ROS f/lap 1:29.925
Replay of the start: HAM dropped to P4 before the first chicane

05/53: ROS, MAG, MAS, HAM, VET, BUT, ALO, PER, HUL, RAI
MAS looks inside MAG into the first chicane but backs out
MAS makes another move – takes P2 this time
HAM looks to get past MAG too; takes P3
RAI past HUL for P9

06: BOT takes P10 from HUL
CHI off in the gravel in Turn 5
Yellow flags as the marshals recover CHI’s Marussia

07: MAS f/lap 1:29.499

08: Radio for ROS – “the other car” (HAM) is reporting his rear tyres are going off

09: HAM f/lap 1:29.495
ROS makes a mistake into the first chicane – has to use the escape road

10/53: ROS, MAS, HAM, MAG, VET, BUT, ALO, PER, BOT, RAI; retirements: CHI
HAM attacking MAS into the first chicane; clean pass as HAM takes P2

11: HAM f/lap 1:29.306

12: ROS f/lap 1:29.173
Gap between the two Mercedes is 2.2sec
VET closing on MAG

13: HAM f/lap 1:29.155
BIA and GRO battling hard over P18

14: HAM f/lap 1:29.128
BOT takes P8 from PER into the first chicane

15/58: ROS, HAM, MAS, MAG, VET, BUT, ALO, BOT, PER, RAI
HAM f/lap 1:28.948
Radio for MAS warning him he’s using both the brake and throttle at Turn 5

16: BOT out-brakes ALO into the first chicane; takes P7

17: ROS’ lead down to 1.4sec
BOT closing on BUT

18: BOT slipstreams past BUT and takes P6

19: VET pits – first of the front runners – earlier than expected for a 1-stop strategy
VET rejoins P15 in clean air

20/53: ROS, HAM, MAS, MAG, BOT, BUT, ALO, RAI, RIC, VER
PER and HUL pit

21: RAI pits
BOT claims P4 from MAG

22: MAG and ALO pit

23: BUT pits – bit of a slow stop
MAL runs wide in Turn 7

24: MAS pits from P3

25/53: ROS pits – good stop
BOT pits too – rejoins alongside MAG; MAG takes his line through the chicane; PER passes BOT too

26: HAM pits – 2.7sec stop vs ROS’ 2.8s
BOT passes PER
Radio for ROS – need to conserve fuel

27: Radio for HAM – conserve fuel and tyres for the end, so sit 2.5sec back from ROS

28: HAM closing up on ROS

29: HAM f/lap 1:28.053
ROS makes another mistake – has to use the escape road again
HAM sprints past ROS for P1
ALO has lost drive – parks his Ferrari at the first chicane

30/53: HAM, ROS, MAS, KVY, VET, MAG, BOT, PER, BUT
KVY pits
BOT attacks into the chicane – MAG nudges BOT into the escape road

32: BUT looks at a pass but PER holds him off

33: BOT still looking for a way around MAG

34: RIC takes P9 from RAI

35/53: HAM, ROS, MAS, VET, MAG, BOT, PER, BUT, RIC, RAI; retirements: ALO, CHI
Incident involving cars 20 (MAG) and 77 (BOT) under investigation – forcing another driver off the track

36: MAG still defending hard from BOT

37: BOT finally makes the move stick – takes P5

38: 5-second stop/go penalty for car 20 (MAG) – forcing another driver off the track
Usually that penalty is taken in a pit stop but MAG has made his one scheduled stop, so they’ll add the time at the end of the race

39: BUT drafts past PER to take P7
PER fights back – reclaims the place
RIC closing on the PER/BUT battle

40/53: BOT passes VET for P4
RIC inside BUT for 8

41: HAM, ROS, MAS, BOT, VET, MAG, RIC, PER, BUT, RAI
RIC attacking PER into the first chicane – can’t find a gap
Tries again in 2nd chicane; RIC takes P7

42: BUT around PER again … but PER fights back, reclaims P8 again

44: RIC right on MAG’s tail; out-brakes him into the first chicane; takes P6

45/53: HAM, ROS, MAS, BOT, VET, RIC, MAG, PER, BUT, RAI
KVY harrying HUL for P11

46: Radio for RIC – he’s quicker than VET so “go get him”

47: RIC closing on teammate VET; can’t find a space in the first chicane
RIC passes VET in 2nd chicane – takes P5

50/53: ROS is 4.5sec behind HAM – he needs to close that gap if he hopes to fight for P1
GUT tries to pass GRO but pulls in too soon, punctures his rear right

51: GUT limping back to the pits
PER looking for a way around MAG

52: ROS has closed gap to 3.6sec
Incident involving cars 21 (GUT) and 8 (GRO) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision
KVY barrels through the chicane – brake failure?

53/53 = final lap: Replay of KVY sideways on the grass though (around) the chicane
KVY backs off

HAM takes the chequered flag

Provisional result: HAM, ROS, MAS, BOT, RIC, VET, MAG*, PER, BUT, RAI, KVY, HUL, VER, MAL, SUT, GRO, KOB, BIA, GUT, ERI
DNF: ALO, CHI
*MAG will have 5secs added for his stop/go penalty, which drops him to P10 (behind RAI)