Although Qualifying was dry, the forecast for the race still calls for thunderstorms.
Tyre choices (in the dry) are: prime=medium (white markings), options=soft (yellow).
Air temperature 23°C; track 48°C; humidity 67%
Provisional grid: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, BUT, VET, MAG, ALO, RIC, RAI, GUT, HUL, SUT, GRO, VER, MAL, KVY*, PER*.
*penalties: KVY +7 (engine change); PER +7 (causing collision).
My GridBids picks are: HAM, ROS & ALO.
It’s the penultimate race of the season but don’t forget there’s double points up for grabs in Abu Dhabi. There are still some driver seats to be settled, so there’s still a lot to fight for.
BBC report: “Sauber’s Adrian Sutil is starting from the pit-lane, because the team had to make a technical change on the car. He was set to line up 13th.”
ROS leads everyone away, except for SUT of course.
Everyone starting on options except GRO, KVY, HUL and SUT
01/71: ROS ahead into Turn 1
VET past MAG
MAG reclaims P6; ALO follows past VET
02: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, BUT, MAG, ALO, VET, RIC, GUT
Radio for MAS – could be oil in Turn 2
03: ROS fastest lap 1:16.412
DRS enabled
Radio from BOT – front tyres graining
04: HAM f/lap 1:15.610
RIC looking for a way around his teammate
05/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, BUT, MAG, ALO, VET, RIC, GUT
Radio for ROS – move the brake balance forward
MAL in the pits; swaps from options to primes
06: MAS pits – early stop for the local; swaps to primes too
PER pits too
07: BOT and BUT pit, as does VET
BOT out of his box only just ahead of BUT
08: ROS pits from P1; felt slow but it was a 3.0sec stop
Incident involving car 19 (MAS) under investigation – speeding in the pit lane
5 second stop/go penalty for MAS
09: HAM pits; 2.8sec stop
ROS stays ahead by inches
HAM tucked right under ROS’ rear wing
10/71: HUL*, KVY*, ROS, HAM, GRO, MAS, BOT (*yet to pit)
11: ROS f/lap 1:15.300
Track temp up 5° to 53°C
Radio for HAM – rear tyres are over temp
12: Everyone running on primes right now
13: Radio from HUL – (tyres) getting a blister
ROS and HAM having to fight for position as they pass KVY
14: ROS past HUL for P1
15/71: ROS, HUL, HAM, KVY, MAS, BOT, GRO, BUT, MAG, SUT
Radio for HAM – rear tyre temps under control; previous set were worn to zero
16: HAM inside HUL for P2
Radio for VET telling him RIC has backed off a little
17: MAS passes KVY for P3 and there’s a huge cheer from the crowd
HUL pits – he started on primes; goes out on primes again
18: Radio from HAM – blister on front right
19: KVY pits, as does SUT – both started on primes
Replay shows problem changing the right rear on SUT’s car
20/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, BUT, GRO, MAG
21: Only GRO yet to pit
Radio for RIC – deg(redation) higher than expected
22: HAM f/lap 1:15.120
Radio for MAL – go to plan B
23: Radio from BUT – the Williams (BOT) not good on cold tyres
MAG past GRO for P6
24: ALO lining up GRO – past him for P7
VET passes GRO too
25/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BOT, BUT, MAG, ALO
HAM f/lap 1:15.024
GRO pits – first stop
VET pits too
Big lock up from ROS
Close-up shows ROS has a big blister on his front right
26: MAS pits; serves his 5sec penalty
27: ROS pits from P1; gap to HAM was 1.2sec
BOT pits too; looks like they’re adjusting his safety belts!
VET f/lap 1:14.949
28: HAM 1:14.303
BUT pits from P3, followed by RIC and VER
HAM’s tail kicks out, slides sideways through Turn 4!!
29: HAM pits; rejoins still P2 but a long way behind ROS
Incident involving car 11 (PER) under investigation – speeding in the pit lane
30/71: ROS, HAM, RAI, HUL, MAS, KVY, BUT, VET, MAG, ALO
5sec stop/go penalty for PER
Radio for HAM, calming him down – isn’t that driver coaching?
31: BUT past KVY for P6
32: Radio for ROS – your teammate is pushing quite hard
33: ROS 5.8sec ahead of HAM
35/71: ROS, HAM, RAI, HUL, MAS, BUT, KVY, VET, MAG, ALO; no retirements yet
Half-distance
36: RAI pits; they dropped him off the front jack!
37: HUL pits from P4
VET makes a late move to pass KVY
38: MAG closing on KVY
39: KVY pits
40/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BUT, VET, MAG, ALO, BOT, HUL, RAI
Radio from RIC – left front brake has gone
41: RIC limps back to the pits; team give it a thorough inspection
Replay shows suspension failure as RIC brakes into Turn 1
42: HAM closes up to 3.1sec behind ROS
HUL attacks BOT into Turn 1; HUL locks up; pushes BOT wide
RAI attacks BOT too
43: BOT pits – slow stop but no obvious problem
44: ALO harrying MAG for P6
45/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BUT, VET, MAG, ALO, HUL, RAI, GUT
ALO attacking MAG
46: MAG runs a little wide and ALO steals P6
Radio for MAS – need 6 more laps on these tyres
47: ROS 2.3sec ahead of HAM
KVY looking for a way round PER; finds it in 2nd DRS zone
48: MAG pits; not a fast stop
49: HAM laps GRO (P12)
VET pits, as does GUT
50/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, BUT, ALO, HUL, RAI, VET, KVY, MAG; retirements: RIC
HAM has closed gap to 2.0sec – he’s lapping 0.2sec/lap quicker than ROS
51: ROS pits; 2.7sec stop
MAS and BUT pit
MAS pulls into McLaren box! Waved through; team reset just in time for BUT
52: HAM pits; 2.5sec stop, should see him just a fraction closer to ROS
53: HAM pushing hard; both he and ROS setting fastest sector times
ALO pits
54: ROS f/lap 1:13.961 – 0.2sec quicker than HAM
MAS passes HUL for P3
55/71: ROS, HAM, MAS, HUL, RAI, BUT, VET, ALO, KVY, MAG
Radio for HAM – reminding him to watch tyre temps
56: ROS f/lap 1:13.937
BUT on the tail of RAI
57: HAM 0.6sec behind ROS
ROS will also have DRS while he closes on a tail-ender (GUT)
58: HAM continues pushing ROS, hoping for a mistake
Only 0.002sec between ROS and HAM lap times
59: ROS closing on a bunch of tail-enders
VER moves out the way, letting ROS and HAM through
60/71: BOT slows to let ROS and HAM pass, but has to be careful not to let MAL attack him
GRO and KVY pit – both now on options
61: HUL pits from P4
BUT past RAI into Turn 1 but RAI fights back
BUT attacks again; takes P4
62: VET past RAI and immediately on the tail of BUT
63: HAM f/lap 1:13.555
64: HAM falling back a fraction – gap to ROS now 0.9sec
HAM locks front right
ALO closing on teammate RAI
65/71: ALO attacking – RAI’s tyres a lot older but holding off his teammate
66: ROS, HAM, MAS, BUT, VET, RAI, ALO, MAG, HUL, BOT; retirements: RIC
Radio for GRO telling him to stop the car
GRO’s smokey Lotus pushed behind the barriers
67 = 5 laps left: ALO still attacking RAI
HUL catching MAG
68: HUL takes P8
ALO finally lines it up and passes RAI for P6
69: HAM locks up his front left in Turn 2
MAS (P3) is 36secs down the field and getting no TV time in his home GP
70/71: ROS using a lot of kerb to stay ahead of his teammate
71 = final lap: HAM is 0.8sec behind ROS – too far unless ROS makes a mistake
ROS takes the chequered flag
HAM a very close P2
MAS home in P3
Provisional result: ROS, HAM, MAS, BUT, VET, ALO, RAI, HUL, MAG, BOT; KVY, MAL, VER, GUT, PER, SUT
DNF: GRO, RIC
Mercedes’ 11th one-two of the season beats McLaren’s record from 1988.
Podium interviews were a bit of a shambles!
Good thing someone told Piquet to go back and ask Hamilton a real question.
My GridBids picks are: HAM (P2), ROS (P1) & ALO (P6).
“You scored 51 points for this race and have a total of 831 points this season. You ranked 45 for this race and 101 overall.”