Grand Prix of Britain – Race

It’s not as windy as it was in Qualifying so it’s looking like it’s going to be another great British Grand Prix.

Provisional grid: HAM, ROS, MAS, BOT, RAI, VET, KVY, SAI, HUL, RIC; PER, GRO, VES, MAL, ERI; NAS, ALO, BUT, STE, MER.

NAS had to be pushed to the grid – hopefully not a problem which will prevent him starting the race.
BBC pre-race grid walk find NAS in the Sauber garage but no-one wants to say what the problem is. So NAS will start from the pit lane.

Another warbler butchering the national anthem – where (why) do they find these singers? 🙁

Air temperature 19°C; track 32°C; wind 18km/h; humidity 52%; partly cloudy

NAS’ car has been covered up, so he won’t be racing after all.

HAM leads everyone else away on the formation lap
VES is the only one starting on primes (hard compound tyre)

01/52: Great start from MAS – takes P1
BOT follows his teammate through
HAM fights back – takes P2
Contact in Turn 3 – both Lotus and both McLaren involved
ROS trying to find a way past BOT
Safety Car deployed
Time for someone to update http://hasmaldonadocrashedtoday.com/ 🙂

02[SC]: MAS, HAM, BOT, ROS, HUL, RAI, KVY, VET
ALO pits – new front wing
MAL has pulled off track and parked his Lotus

03[SC]: Replay of Turn 3 incident; looks like something trigged the 2 Lotus cars colliding, which hit ALO who in turn speared the side of BUT
SC in at the end of this lap

04: HAM crawling all over the rear of MAS
HAM over-cooks it, runs wide; BOT takes P2
VES off into the gravel

05/52: MAS, BOT, HAM, ROS, HUL, RAI, KVY, PER, VET, SAI, RIC, ERI, STE, ALO, MER; retirements: VES, MAL, GRO, NAS, BUT
MAS fastest lap 1:41.141
Incident involving cars 8 and 22 (GRO and BUT) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision

06: MAS f/lap 1:40.272

07: MAS f/lap 1:39.515
Radio for MAS – look after the front left tyre

08: BOT f/lap 1:39.445

09: BBC report Williams have told their drivers not to race each other – open a gap together

10/52: MAS, BOT, HAM, ROS, HUL, RAI, KVY, VET, PER, SAI, RIC, ERI, ALO, STE, MER

11: BOT looks around the outside of MAS but stays P2
Radio for BOT – you are not to race your teammate
Radio from BOT – I can pass on the back straight
Radio for BOT – it has to be a clean move

12: ROS f/lap 1:39.197
RIC pits – early stop or 2-stopping? – swap to primes – rejoins P13

13: SAI pits

14: BOT closing on MAS again
RAI pits
MAS holding on to P1

15/52: VET pits – both Ferrari cars 2-stopping presumably

16: RAI f/lap 1:38.954
SAI and ALO pass RIC – problem?

17: Radio from RIC – loss of power
VET f/lap 1:38.520
BOT is close enough to attack

18: ALO pits; options

19: KVY pits
ROS a fraction over 2sec behind MAS
RAI (followed by VET) closing on Ferrari-powered ERI

20/52: HAM pits from P3
HUL pits too

21: MAS and ROS both pit
MAS released alongside ROS – unsafe release?
Both rejoin behind HAM
RIC pits – almost stalls as he leaves the box

22: BOT pits from P1
HAM f/lap 1:37.274
BOT rejoins behind MAS, inches ahead of ROS

23: HAM f/lap 1:37.227
Radio for ROS – we’re going to Plan B – push hard
RIC back in the pits; pushed into the garage

24: HAM 3.4sec ahead of MAS
Radio for MAS then BOT telling them they’re racing everyone (including their teammate) to the end
Radio from HAM – let me know if I need to increase the gap; told pace is good but might see rain in 30+ minutes

25/52: HAM, MAS, BOT, ROS, RAI, VET, KVY, HUL, SAI, PER, ERI, ALO, STE, MER; retirements: RIC, VES, MAL, GRO, BUT, NAS
HAM f/lap 1:37.187

27: Radio for BOT telling him he was better on his previous tyres

29: BBC interview RIC – think it was an electrical problem
Radar maps shows fairly large amount of rain approaching

30/52: HAM, MAS, BOT, ROS, RAI, VET, KVY, HUL, SAI, PER, ERI, ALO, STE, MER
HAM f/lap 1:37.093
Radio for ALO telling him rain is 15-20 minutes away
HAM has 5.2sec lead over MAS

31: Radio for SAI – Turn 9, stay in the track

32: BBC report rain in Brackley, which is ~8 miles from the circuit
Radio for ROS – “Nico, give it everything. Give it everything.”

33: SAI slows; pulls off but not to a convenient place to recover the car

34: Virtual Safety Car deployed

35/52 [SC]: HAM, MAS, BOT, ROS, RAI, VET, KVY, HUL, PER, ERI, ALO, STE, MER; retirements: SAI, RIC, VES, MAL, GRO, BUT, NAS
VSC ends at the end of this lap

36: Crowd are putting up umbrellas
Radio from BOT – rain everywhere, need to stop (for intermediate tyres)

37: BOT falling back from MAS
Radio from HAM – rain has stopped
VET slithering through Luffield

38: ROS struggling under power – runs wide
STE, MER, ALO, ERI all pit

39: VET takes P5 from RAI
RAI pits
ROS inside BOT to take P3

40/52: HAM runs wide at Copse; ERI unlaps himself
Radio for HAM – that shower has passed, next in ~5 mins

41: ROS catches MAS and immediately pounces – takes P2

43: ROS closing on HAM – he’s almost 2sec/lap quicker

44: HAM pits – inters

45/52: ROS pits, as do MAS, BOT , KVY & HUL
BOT runs wide

46: Crowds are cheering as HAM comes round in P1, 9sec ahead of ROS

47: Everyone on inters but the rain is easing off
Order is HAM, ROS, VET, MAS, BOT, KVY, HUL, RAI, PER, ALO, ERI, STE, MER

48 = 5 laps remaining: STE runs wide – loses his front wing
RAI pits – new inters

49: Radio for HAM – expecting more light rain in a few minutes

50/52: Radio for HAM – rain intensity increasing

51: Radio from BOT – tyre is not working
HAM has lapped RAI in P8

52 = final lap: Track is drying, so drivers are moving off-line to find some water to save their tyres

HAM takes the chequered flag – his third British GP victory

Provisional result: HAM, ROS, VET, MAS, BOT, KVY, HUL, RAI, PER, ALO; ERI, MER, STE
DNF: SAI, RIC, VES, MAL, GRO, BUT
DNS: NAS

HAM gets a “proper” trophy – a nice gold one, not the red plastic looking one from last year. Shame he doesn’t get to keep it.