Another Mercedes front row, although it’s ROS on pole. With limited running in free practice, the first Qualifying session was more track time than some had managed all weekend!
Provisional grid: ROS, HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, HUL, PER, GRO, VES, RIC; KVY, NAS, BUT, MAL, MAS; ALO*, ERI, STE, MER
*Penalties are waiting for ALO at his 250th race – “Fitting a new, upgraded engine, which was then taken out and replaced by an old one after first practice, means a grand total of 35 grid places”
The good news is that SAI has been given the OK to drive today, so the revised grid is: ROS, HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, HUL, PER, GRO, VES, RIC, KVY, NAS, BUT, MAL, MAS, ERI, STE, MER, ALO, SAI.
Tyre compounds: prime = soft (yellow tyre wall); option = supersoft (red)
Everyone starting on options except MAL, MAS, ERI & ALO
Seems that most teams are planning to stop just once – low tyre wear plus it’s a long pit lane
10% chance of rain
Radio for MAS reminding him that the bollard on Turn 2 has been removed
ROS leads everyone away on the formation lap
ROS very slow through the final turn
VET passes BOT as they head to the grid; resumes his place
01/53: ROS stays ahead of HAM into Turn 1
Contact in Turn 2
VET takes P3 from BOT
Safety Car deployed
Replay shows HUL spun under braking – no contact before the spin
HUL hit by VES and ERI
HUL and ERI locked together on track – neither car can move
Both HUL and ERI are out but VES managed to get going again
02[SC]: GRO pits; very slow; new front wing
VES limping back with a left rear puncture
03[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
ROS backs everyone up and then tries to make a break from HAM
04: BOT reclaims P3
05/53: ROS, HAM, BOT, RAI, VET, PER, KVY, RIC, NAS, BUT
ROS fastest lap 1:43.415
Radio from ROS – “throttle pedal is broken”!
06: ROS f/lap 1:43.410
VET attacking RAI for P4 but RAI stays ahead
07: HAM f/lap 1:42.888
ROS slow out of Turn 2 – HAM steals P1
ROS runs wide and BOT takes P2
ROS pulls off-line
08: HAM f/lap 1:42.644
ROS crawling towards the pits
ROS pushed the last few feet into his box
09: ROS out of the car as mechanics swarm all over it
10/53: HAM, BOT, RAI, VET, PER, KVY, RIC, NAS, MAS, MAL, BUT, SAI, GRO, ALO, VES, MER, STE; retirements: ROS, HUL, ERI
11: BBC interview HUL – locked up, causing the spin
SAI blasts past BUT for P11
12: Big impact – GRO has smacked the barrier in Turn 3
Zero marshals!
First guy on scene has a broom!
This is appalling!
Safety Car deployed
13[SC]: Replay shows GRO lost the rear of the car, onto the marbles, and backwards into the barrier
Radio for MAL letting him know GRO is OK
14[SC]: ALO pits
15/53[SC]: Are they really using tape to fix up the barrier?!
Order after some pit stops is HAM, BOT, RAI, VET, KVY, NAS, MAS, MAL, PER, RIC, VES, SAI, BUT, ALO, STE, MER
16[SC]: SC is at the end of this lap
BOT almost rear-ends HAM as he backs everyone up
17: VET dives inside teammate RAI
RAI runs wide – he’ll have to let VET pass
VET allowed to take P3
Radio from RAI – no speed in a straight line
18: HAM f/lap 1:41.709
RIC inside SAI for P10
SAI fights back – alongside RIC all through Turn 3 and T4
19: HAM f/lap 1:41.499
Radio for SAI – keep pushing, you’re doing an awesome job
20/53: HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, KVY, NAS, MAS, PER, MAL, RIC, SAI, VES, BUT, ALO, MER, STE; retirements: GRO, ROS, HUL, ERI
Radio from VES – tyres are no good
21: Radio for BOT telling him VET is closing
22: HAM f/lap 1:41.336
25/53: HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, KVY
Radio for ALO – warned about cutting apex of Turn 16
Incident under investigation – car 55 (SAI) cutting white line at pit entrance
26: 5-second time penalty for SAI (to be applied at his pit stop)
Radio from BOT – tyres are dying
Half-distance
27: BOT pits; rejoins P11, behind SAI
MAL cuts across Turn 2
28: Radio for VET – BOT is in traffic, keep pushing hard
31: VET pits; rejoins ahead of RIC and BOT
MAS pits too
32: RAI pits; clean stop; rejoins just behind BOT
BOT goes deep into Turn 1 but stays ahead of RAI
33: HAM pits; steady stop
VET past PER
34: BBC interview GRO – expecting it’ll hurt tomorrow
35/53: HAM, VET, NAS, PER, RIC, BOT, RAI, SAI, KVY, BUT, ALO, MAS, MAL, VES, MER, STE
NAS pits from P3
MAS passes ALO into Turn 1
36: BOT attacking RIC
RAI sees a chance to pass BOT but BOT reclaims P5
37: Radio for RIC encouraging him to close on PER to get DRS
39: HAM f/lap 1:40.695
MAS closing on KVY
40/53: HAM, VET, PER, RIC, BOT, RAI, SAI, KVY, MAS, NAS, BUT, ALO, MAL, VES, MER, STE
HAM has 12.6 sec lead
MAL takes P12 from ALO
42: Radio for PER – need maximum management on the front (tyres)
43: VET f/lap 1:40.532
44: MAL easily past BUT
45/53: BOT attacks RIC but the Williams takes P4
46: KVY steals P8 from SAI
RAI attacks into Turn 1; runs wide; has to give P5 back to RIC
RAI runs wide again in T5
47: SAI’s front-left brake explodes; spins off
SAI sets off but spins again
SAI tries to move again; part of rear wing flies off – expect a penalty!
48: RAI tries to pass RIC again; makes it stick this time
Marshal runs onto the track to pick up SAI’s wing part – funny that they’re quick to pick up memorabilia but not to help a driver 🙁
49: RIC has parked his Red Bull
RAI f/lap 1:40.294
50/53: HAM, VET, PER, BOT, RAI, MAS, KVY, NAS, MAL, BUT, ALO, VES, MER, STE
51: Radio for HAM – still seeing suspect performance from the rear wing; HAM says he can feel it
Radio for HAM – if you get DRS, don’t use it
BOT all over the tail of PER
52: VET f/lap 1:40.071
Radio for BOT – “mode 1” (presumably max power)
RAI closing on BOT
53 = last lap: BOT dives inside PER – takes P3
RAI follows BOT for P4
RAI attacks BOT – contact! RAI hits BOT; BOT is off into the tyre wall
HAM takes the chequered flag
VET P2
PER P3 – Force India’s 3rd podium
MAS P4
Incident involving cars 7 and 77 (RAI and BOT) under investigation – causing a collision
If RAI is demoted to eighth or lower, Mercedes are constructors’ champions
Putin and his heavies in the drivers’ pre-podium room; ugh!
Barely any room for the drivers thanks to Putin’s cronies
Eddie Jordan is excited about PER being on the podium… maybe because his team (Jordan F1) eventually became Force India?
Provisional result: HAM, VET, PER, MAS, RAI*, KVY, NAS, MAL, BUT, ALO; VES, BOT, MER, STE
DNF: RIC, SAI, GRO, ROS, HUL, ERI
*”Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas have been summoned to report to the stewards in Sochi following their last-lap clash in what was a fight for third place.” [FIA]
“Raikkonen was handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for causing the incident, which was converted into a 30s time penalty since he was not able to serve his punishment during the race. It means he now scores only four points rather than 10, handing Mercedes an unassailable lead in the team standings, thus securing them a second consecutive constructors’ crown.” [FIA]
“Raikkonen was also given three penalty points on his licence for the incident. As a result of his penalty home favourite Daniil Kvyat moves into fifth, with Sauber’s Felipe Nasr and Lotus’s Pastor Maldonado also promoted to sixth and seventh respectively.
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, was issued with a 5-second time penalty of not respecting track limits at Turn 16. As a result, Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen is promoted into the top 10, with Alonso dropping a place to 11th.”
So the revised result is: HAM, VET, PER, MAS, KVY, NAS, MAL, RAI*, BUT, VES, ALO*, BOT, MER, STE.
“Lotus’s Romain Grosjean has revealed that he hit the barriers with enough force during last weekend’s race in Russia that his seat broke.” [FIA]