Four-time winner of the Singapore GP Sebastian Vettel starts from the back of the grid after a suspension failure in the first Qualifying session. On the plus side, he gets a new engine and gearbox in his Ferrari without a penalty.
Lewis Hamilton seems to be struggling mentally as much as with his Mercedes. Even though he’s P3 his recent poor starts (and the pressure of his next victory being his 50th, putting him on par with Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher) mean I think ROS’s main threat today might be the Red Bulls of RIC and VES.
Sergio Perez qualified P10 but has been handed two penalties related to his driving when the yellow flags came out in Q2: 5 grid spots for not slowing sufficiently and 3 grid spots for overtaking GUT.
Provisional grid: ROS, RIC, HAM, VES, RAI, SAI, KVY, HUL, ALO, BOT, MAS, BUT, GUT, GRO, ERI, MAG, NAS, PER*, PAL, WEH, OCO, VET.
Pirelli have tweeted a handy chart showing which tyre compounds are available to each driver.
ROS leads everyone away on the formation lap
GRO was going to start from the pit lane after issues with his brake pedal, but he’s out of the car and looking furious
01/61: HAM makes a decent start
Contact on the grid – SAI pulls out to move around VES, as HUL tries to pass SAI – contact and HUL spins into the pit wall
Safety Car deployed
Radio from HUL – hit by Toro Rosso
HUL is out of his car and walking back to the pits
BOT has a puncture
02[SC]: Cars are led through the pit lane as the main straight is cleaned up
BOT and BUT pit
BOT released right alongside VET – that looked unsafe
SC in at the end of this lap
03: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, ALO, KVY, SAI, VES, MAS, MAG; retirements: HUL, GRO
There’s a marshal still on the track! That’s stupidly dangerous!
04: ROS fastest lap 1:52.299
ROS opening a visible lead over RIC
RAI closing on HAM
05/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, ALO, KVY, SAI, VES, MAS, MAG, ERI, GUT, PER, NAS, WEH, VET, OCO, PAL, BOT, BUT
VES is behind the two Toro Rosso cars – Toro Rosso is owned by Red Bull, so will they let him pass?
06: HAM f/lap 1:51.838
Black and orange flag for the lose barge board on SAI’s car; he’ll have to pit at the end of this lap
07: RIC f/lap 1:51.787
Incident involving car 31 (OCO) under investigation – overtaking behind the safety car
08: ROS f/lap 1:51.284
SAI pits
Stewards investigating the incident at the start – no further action
Incident involving car 77 (BOT) for unsafe release
09: ROS f/lap 1:50.966
Stewards decide no further action for BOT’s unsafe release – that seems wrong
Radio for ROS – “this is serious, we need that brake management”
10/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, ALO, KVY, VES, MAS, MAG, GUT
Radio for HAM – “need to get on top of these front brakes”
So both Mercedes cars struggling with brake temperatures
12: Radio for RAI telling him about Mercedes brake issues
5-sec penalty for OCO overtaking under the SC
13: VET looking to pass NAS for P12
14: VES pits; takes on supersoft tyres; rejoins inches behind OCO
Radio from HAM asking for updates, “I’ve got no clue what’s going on”
15/61: ALO pits; supersofts; rejoins P13
16: RIC pits, followed by HAM
Supersoft for RIC; soft tyres for HAM
Radio from HAM, “Come on, I needed a strategy that could get me past!”
17: ROS pits; soft tyres; slow stop – problem with the front right going on
18: RAI pits from briefly being P1; front wing adjustment; supersofts; rejoins P4
19: VES looking to pass KVY – this’ll be tough!
KVY pushing VES right to the wall
VES has another go, but KVY uses all the track right to the line
20/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, PER, VET, ALO, KVY, VES, MAS
RIC f/lap 1:50.798
RAI f/lap 1:49.882
Radio from VES whining “come on man” but he’s happy to defend like that so he should be able to take it
VES looks at a small gap but KVY closes the door
21: Radio for KVY telling him “ALO is our race” – sounds like a team order to let VES pass
The KVY/VES battle is slowing them both down and letting ALO open a gap ahead of them
22: RAI closing on HAM
Piece of bodywork falling off MAS’s Williams!
24: HAM posts personal fastest lap but RIC is still 0.2sec quicker
Radio from HAM – “this is all the pace I’ve got with the brakes”
VET pits
25/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, PER, ALO, KVY, VES, MAS, MAG
26: PER pits to defend against VET’s stop, but PER rejoins a few car lengths behind the Ferrari
Looks like PER hit the front jack as he pulled out of the box
28: VET catches SAI and GUT; passes both of them to emerge P10
VES pits; supersofts
29: BUT pits; softs – are they going to try to go to the end?
MAS pits
VES passes NAS for P11
30/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, ALO, KVY, MAG, VET, GUT, PER
Radio from HAM asking if “the other car” has the same issue; told ROS is doing similar pace with similar issue
VET f/lap 1:49.641
Half distance
31: Radio from PER saying tyres won’t last; told he can use everything he needs until next stop
GUT and VES pass PER
32: Radio for ROS reminding him to have a drink
33: RIC pits from P2; soft tyres; rejoins P4
RAI attacking HAM; squeezes through and takes P2
34: ROS pits; RAI pits too
Long stop for BOT as the mechanics adjust his seat belts
35/61: HAM pits; another set of softs; rejoins P4
Top four are all on soft tyres now
36: VET takes P5 from KVY
BOT pits, drives into the garage and retires his Williams
37: VES all over the rear of MAG
38: VES makes the pass; takes P6
39: ROS posting personal fastest lap
Radio for HAM – “we’re going to switch to Plan B”
40/61: ROS, RIC, RAI, HAM, VET, VES, ALO, PER, MAS, KVY, MAG, SAI, GUT, NAS, BUT, PAL, WEH, ERI, OCO; retirements: BOT, HUL, GRO
HAM f/lap 1:49.263
41: HAM closing on RAI; he’s under 3.5sec behind the Ferrari now
42: Radio for ROS telling him the gap to RIC but ROS interrupts and says not to tell him
43: VET pits; ultrasofts; rejoins P6
44: MAS pits; ultrasofts
45/61: ROS, RIC, RAI, HAM, VES, VET, ALO, PER, KVY, MAG
VET f/lap 1:47.706
VES pits; softs
BUT pits; drives into the garage and retires the McLaren
46: HAM pits; supersofts; rejoins still P4
VET f/lap 1:47.345
Radio for RAI – “push, push, push”; RAI asks if he’s going to box; told “we’ll let you know”
47: RAI pits from P3; used ultrasofts; rejoins just behind HAM – the Mercedes undercut worked
48: RIC pits; threatening to undercut ROS; supersofts; rejoins still P2
Radio for ROS – “push hard now; strat 5”
49: Mechanics ready but ROS didn’t pit
VES closing on KVY again
KVY looking to pass PER
VES dives inside KVY
50/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, VET, ALO, VES, PER, KVY, MAG, GUT, MAS, NAS, SAI, PAL, WEH, ERI, OCO; retirements: BUT, BOT, HUL, GRO
RIC f/lap 1:47.187
51: ROS is about 20sec ahead RIC – that’s not enough to pit, so he’ll be on old soft tyres as RIC closes with newer supersofts
Radio for RIC telling him at current pace he’ll catch ROS with 4 laps left
53: KVY still trying to find a way round PER
VES is on ALO’s tail
54: Radio from ROS asking how much more he can take out of the brakes; told they’ll let him know
Radio for ROS – we can definitely give you more at the end
VES takes P6; ALO tries to fight back but VES pulls away
55/61: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, VET, VES, ALO, PER, KVY, MAG
ROS’ lead down to 8.2sec; he’s dealing with traffic – GUT (P11) is next to be lapped
56: RIC still lapping 2.5sec/lap faster than ROS
57 = 5 laps remaining: ROS’s lead now 5.2sec
58: ROS has picked up his pace – he’s 0.3sec quicker than RIC on that lap, with a 5sec gap
Radio for RIC – “you now have a clear track ahead of you to ROS”
60/61: ROS doing just enough to keep a lead, although it’s down to 3.5sec
Radio for ROS warning him that he’ll catch a couple more backmarkers before the end
61/61: Gap down to 2.1sec
ROS closing on MAG (P10)
RIC is just under 1sec behind ROS now, but even with DRS it’s too late
ROS takes the chequered flag, with RIC just 0.4sec behind
Provisional result: ROS, RIC, HAM, RAI, VET, VES, ALO, PER, KVY, MAG; GUT, MAS, NAS, SAI, PAL, WEH, ERI, OCO
DNF: BUT, BOT, HUL, GRO
That puts ROS back in the lead of the Drivers’ Championship.
“A marshal appearing on the main straight as the Singapore Grand Prix restarted was the result of circuit officials not following FIA procedure, according to Formula 1’s governing body.” [autosport]