It’s another clear, dry day in Texas at the Circuit Of The Americas.
Provisional grid: ROS, HAM, BOT, MAS, RIC, ALO, MAG, RAI, SUT, MAL, PER, BUT*, HUL, VER, GUT, GRO, KVY*, VET*
*BUT+5; KVY+10; VET will start from pit lane.
ROS leads everyone around on the formation lap, except VET who sits in his garage. Once the race starts, he’ll join from the pit lane.
01/56: ROS ahead of HAM into Turn 1, closely followed by BOT and MAS
ALO attacking MAS out of Turn 1
MAG looks at diving inside ALO but decides against it
Contact between PER and SUT
ROS runs wide
Safety Car deployed
SUT’s out of his Sauber
PER limping back to the pits
02[SC]: Lots of cars in the pit lane
Replay shows PER hit RAI and then SUT -true to form for PER 🙁
The drivers tested the new SC procedure in Free Practice on Friday but I don’t think it’s been approved yet
03[SC]: Incident involving cars 11 (PER) and 99 (SUT) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision
Replay of poor start by RIC
04[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
ROS has slowed everyone right down – looks like walking pace!
05/56: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, ALO, RIC, RAI, MAL, VER, GRO; retirements: PER, SUT
BOT looking around the outside of MAS but MAS stays ahead
RIC takes P5 from ALO
06: McLarens are wheel to wheel – MAG ahead
VET past GUT – up to P15 after starting from the pit lane (P18)
07: Radio for HAM – safe on fuel
ROS fastest lap 1:44.090
08: HAM f/lap 1:43.589
Incident involving cars 21 (GUT), 22 (BUT) and 13 (MAL) under investigation – speeding behind the Safety Car
09: ROS f/lap 1:43.270
10/56: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, RIC, ALO, RAI, MAL, VER, GRO; KVY, MAG, BUT, HUL, VET, GUT
Incident involving car 25 (VER) under investigation – speeding behind the Safety Car
GRO attacking VER into Turn 1; VER takes the line and GRO has to run wide
11: Incident involving car 22 (BUT) – no further action
[Ad break! Presumably GUT and MAL will be given penalties]
13: VET still P15; not trying to catch HUL; is he saving his tyres or just sulking about his penalty?
Radio from ROS – front left (tyre) is finished
14: BOT locks his front left
15/56: MAS and RIC pit; primes for RIC but options for MAS; both make clean stops
Looks like HAM is falling back from ROS
16: ROS pits from P1; primes; clean but not super quick stop
BOT pits too; rejoins alongside RIC; RIC takes the place into Turn 1
Incident involving cars 20 (MAG) and 21 (GUT) under investigation – unsafe release
RIC defends as BOT uses DRS to attack
17: HAM pits; primes
ALO pits too, as does GRO
BOT continues to harry RIC but the Red Bull keeps P5
HUL has pulled off and parked his Force India
18: RAI pits
HUL’s car still sitting at the side of the track
19: GRO closing on GUT
20/56: GRO attacks, inside GUT into Turn 1 but VER passes them both
GRO fights back; passes VER
21: ROS, HAM, MAS, RIC, BOT, KVY, MAG, BUT, ALO, VET; RAI, GRO, VER, MAL, GUT, HUL
22: ALO looks to pass BUT; takes P8 but BUT cuts back, reclaims P8
23: HAM closing on ROS again
24: ALO alongside BUT but the McLaren stays ahead
ALO inside into Turn 1; locks up; BUT tries to fight back but this time ALO makes it stick
HAM dives inside ROS; pushes ROS wide; forceful move to take P1
25/56: HAM, ROS, MAS, RIC, BOT, MAG, ALO, BUT, VET, GRO; VER, RAI, MAL, KVY, GUT; retirements: HUL, PER, SUT
26: GRO inside VET into Turn 1; takes P9
VER squeezes past VET too
27: RAI lining up VET
ALO on the tail of MAG
MAG defends the inside line into Turn 1; ALO goes around the outside and takes P6
VET pits
GRO closing on BUT
28/56 = half distance: HAM, ROS, MAS, RIC, BOT, ALO, MAG, BUT, GRO, VER
29: Great overhead shot of BUT’s pit stop; he rejoins P14
31: BOT pits; quick stop
32: RIC pits, responding to BOT
33: MAS pits; slow stop; RIC passes as MAS exits the pit lane, takes P3
Radio for HAM – box, box
34: HAM pits from P1; radio for ROS telling him to push hard
RIC f/lap 1:42.831
35/56: ROS pits; HAM reclaims P1
36: Radio from BUT asking if he has damage at the rear; told aero is ok
37: ROS f/lap 1:42.381
38: Radio from VER asking if SC might be deployed because astroturf lifted at Turn 19
Incident involving car 13 (MAL) under investigation – speeding in the pit lane
40/56: HAM, ROS, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO, RAI, KVY, MAG, VET
41: 5second stop/go penalty for car 13 (MAL) – speeding in the pit lane
VET dives down the inside of MAG; goes too deep; MAG keeps P9
HAM f/lap 1:42.351
42: BUT inside GRO; bit of a last-minute twitch from GRO
43: VET finally makes it past MAG for P7
RAI pits
44: ALO pits; rejoins right on the tail of VET
45/56: ALO attacks VET; locks up, runs wide
ALO all over VET again
46: VET defends the inside line so ALO goes round the outside; takes P6
Radio for HAM warning him to avoid the astroturf on Turn 19
47: ROS closing the gap to HAM
48: ALO f/lap 1:41.474
49: RAI inside KVY; locks up
VET pits again – his 4th stop; rejoins P14
50/56: HAM, ROS, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO MAG, BUT, GRO, VER; MAL, KVY, RAI, VET, GUT; retirements: HUL, PER, SUT
51: VER dives inside GRO; pushes GRO wide; should be investigated
MAL follows VER through, passing his teammate
52: KVY runs wide in Turn 19
Replay shows VER thump the side of GRO
VET f/lap 1:41.379
MAS closing on RIC
Radio for GRO – Charlie (Whiting) is looking at the incident
53: Incident involving cars 8 (VER) and 25 (GRO) will be investigated after the race – forcing a driver off the track
54 = 3 laps left: MAL right on BUT’s gearbox
MAL inside BUT; takes P9
GRO runs wide
GRO wide again – is there damage to his car?
55/56: HAM, ROS, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO, MAG, VER, MAL, VET
Radio from HAM asking for blue flags as he comes up behind GRO
HAM laps GRO
56/56: VET inside VER for P8
MAL wide in T19
HAM takes the chequered flag – beats Mansell’s record of victories for a British driver
MAL inside VER – almost contact again
Provisional result: HAM, ROS, RIC, MAS, BOT, ALO, VET, MAG, MAL, VER, GRO, BUT, RAI, GUT, KVY
DNF: HUL, PER, SUT
Perez handed Brazil grid penalty for ‘reckless’ Sutil clash [FIA]
“Force India’s Sergio Perez has been handed a seven-place grid drop for next weekend’s race in Brazil after the stewards in Austin adjudged him to have caused the first-lap collision that took both him and Sauber’s Adrian Sutil out of Sunday’s 2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.”
“Perez was also issued with two penalty points for the incident, which will stay on his licence for a period of 12 months.”
Vergne given five-second post-race penalty for Grosjean incident [FIA]
“Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne has been handed a five-second post-race penalty for his collision with Lotus’s Romain Grosjean during Sunday’s 2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, dropping him from ninth to tenth in the results.”
“As a result of Vergne’s penalty, Lotus’s Pastor Maldonado – who himself had five seconds added to his race time for speeding in the pits – reclaims the ninth position he held at the chequered flag. The Venezuelan had passed the Frenchman on the final lap.”
“Vergne was also issued with one penalty point for the incident with Grosjean, taking his tally for the 12 month period to three.”
GridBids picks: ROS (P2), HAM (P1), BUT (P12) and PER (DNF).
“You scored 43 points for this race and have a total of 780 points this season. You ranked 93 for this race and 104 overall. “