There was rain overnight so the circuit has lost some grip, but the forecast is for a dry race. (It looks a bit overcast and windy, mind you!)
Qualifying ended yesterday with a couple of uncertainties: ERI under investigation from Q1, and HAR having to request permission to race as he didn’t run in Quali (having wrecked the car in FP3).
Provisional grid: HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, VER, RIC, MAG, ALO, SAI, GRO, VAN, OCO, LEC, PER, GAS, HUL, ERI*, SIR*, STR, HAR*
*SIR has a 3 grid spot penalty from his collision with PER in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
HAR has been given the OK to race; a new gearbox means a 5 grid spot penalty, but he was already going to be P20.
ERI appears to have avoided a penalty
So the grid is: HAM, BOT, VET, RAI, VER, RIC, MAG, ALO, SAI, GRO, VAN, OCO, LEC, PER, GAS, HUL, ERI, STR, SIR, HAR
Air temperature 15°C; track 34°C; humidity 53%
On the grid walk, SAI said he’s been told 70% chance of rain
Top 10 have to start on the soft* tyres on which they set their fastest Q2 time (*except ALO, who will start on supersofts)
On paper a 2-stop strategy is a couple of seconds quicker, but I suspect everyone will wait as long as possible in case the rain arrives
FIA say 80% chance of rain during the race
HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap
Looks like the second half of the grid are all on soft tyres except HUL and ERI on mediums
01/66: clean start
VET steals P2 from BOT into Turn 1
Lots of cars off – GRO spun in T3 and was hit
Safety Car deployed
Replay shows GRO ran wide, lost the tail, kept his foot in and spun around
GRO, GAS an HUL all out
02[SC]: HAR and SIR pit – both went to medium tyres
Replay shows ALO tag HUL in T2
03[SC]: order is HAM, VET, BOT, RAI, VER, RIC, MAG, SAI, LEC, OCO, ALO, STR, PER, VAN, ERI, HAR, SIR; retirements: HUL, GAS, GRO
04[SC]: Radio from SAI wanting the SC to go faster
05[SC]: Replay onboard with GRO shows MAG twitched and caused GRO to react mid-corner, losing the Haas’ tail
06[SC]: Radio from HAM and VET both saying the marshals need to clear up more debris
SC in at the end of this lap
HAM backs off and lets the SC pull away
07: ALO around the outside of OCO for P10
RIC falling back from VER – problem?
08: HAM fastest lap 1:22.990
DRS enabled
09: HAM has opened a 2sec lead over VET
HAM f/lap 1:21.631
Race Control: VAN under investigation for ignoring the bollard at Turn 2
10/61: HAM, VET, BOT, RAI, VER, RIC, MAG, SAI, LEC, ALO, OCO, STR, PER, VAN, ERI, SIR, HAR
13: Radio from ALO asking about weather forecast; told may see drops but no significant rain on the radar
15/66: HAM, VET, BOT, RAI, VER, RIC, MAG, SAI, LEC, ALO, OCO, STR, PER, VAN, ERI, SIR, HAR
Radio from RIC saying he’s faster than VER
16: VER has picked up his pace
17: HAM now ~7sec ahead of VET
18: VET pits from P2; medium tyres; rejoins P7, behind MAG
19: HAM f/lap 1:21.328
20/66: BOT pits from P2; mediums; rejoins almost alongside MAG and VET
VET passes MAG into T1
21: Radio for HAM – “sit tight for the moment”
Radio from HAM – “spots of rain on visor”; “OK, nothing on the forecast”
22: HAM f/lap 1:21.157
BOT f/lap 1:20.402
ALO pits; rejoins P16
24: Radio from VER -“He (RAI) is struggling more with his tyres than me”
25/66: RAI looks like he’s heading to the pits, VER storms past
Radio from RAI – “got a problem”
RAI is slowing; RIC passes him
26: HAM pits from P1; mediums; rejoins P2, just behind VER who has yet to pit
RAI has made it back to the pits; he’s pushed into the garage
27: ALO easily past HAR for P13
28: HAM f/lap 1:20.131
29: ERI and SAI wheel to wheel; ERI P9, defending hard
30/66: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, MAG, OCO, VAN, ERI, SAI, LEC, ALO, HAR, STR, PER, SIR; retirements: RAI, HUL, GAS, GRO
OCO pits; problem with the right rear; rejoins P16 (last place)
31: SAI attacks again but ERI slams the door
32: VER laps PER; HAM closing on VER
33/66: Radio for BOT – “Red Bull are 1-stopping and they are ahead so they are a threat” – so BOT will be 2-stopping?
34: RIC pits from P3; mediums go on; rejoins P5
35/66: VER pits just behind HAR; mediums; rejoins P4
HAR lets VER past as HAR is a lap down
36: HAM, VET, BOT, VER, RIC, MAG, ERI, SAI, LEC, ALO, PER, STR, VAN, HAR, OCO, SIR
ERI pits – he’s the last to pit, although some may be 2-stopping
38: HAM over 11sec ahead of VET
40/66: HAM, VET, BOT, VER, RIC, MAG, SAI, LEC, ALO, PER
OCO has a puff of smoke from the engine, pulls off track
Virtual Safety Car so the marshals can push the Force India behind the wall
42[VSC]: VET pits; new mediums; rejoins P4 behind VER
Apparently VET’s slow stop was because he had to wait for PER to pass the box before he was released
VSC ends
43: VER hit the rear of STR; VER’s broken his front wing
ALO dives inside LEC; finally takes P8
SIR snaking across the track
44: STR lets PER easily pass for P10
VER’s end plate comes off; looks like PER ran over it
45/66: HAM, BOT, VER, VET, RIC, MAG, SAI, ALO, LEC, PER, STR, ERI, VAN, HAR, SIR
46: BOT f/lap 1:19.944 but he’s 14.5sec behind HAM
47: VET closing on VER
VAN slowing on the straight; pulls off, parks at pit exit
48: HAM f/lap 1:19.766
Marshals are going to push VAN’s McLaren back into the pit lane
49: VER has picked up his pace, despite the front wing damage
50/66: HAM, BOT, VER, VET, RIC, MAG, SAI, ALO, LEC, PER, STR, ERI, HAR, SIR; retirements: VAN, OCO, RAI, HUL, GAS, GRO
HAM 17sec ahead of BOT
51: RIC f/lap 1:19.147
53: Radio for VER – “good pace, keep it up”
But VET is closing on VER again
55: Radio from ALO – “black clouds in Turn 3”; forecase unchanged
56: RIC f/lap 1:19.093
59: PER finally finds a way past LEC for P9
60/66: HAM, BOT, VER, VET, RIC, MAG, SAI, ALO, PER, LEC, STR, ERI, HAR, SIR; retirements: VAN, OCO, RAI, HUL, GAS, GRO
61: Radio for BOT – “confirm you’re happy to go to the end”; “It’ll be tough”
63: RIC f/lap 1:18.441
RIC is 20sec behind VET, and 42sec ahead of MAG, so he’s just entertaining himself
65/66: SIR lapped again; he’s over a minute behind ERI!
66 = final lap: VET 2sec behind VER
HAM takes the chequered flag
HAR very slow on the final straight; pulls off and parks
Provisional result: HAM, BOT, VER, VET, RIC, MAG, SAI, ALO, PER, LEC; STR, ERI, HAR, SIR
DNF: VAN, OCO, RAI, HUL, GAS, GRO
“Haas driver Romain Grosjean has been handed a three-place grid penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix.”
“Grosjean, who at the last race in Azerbaijan crashed his car while driving under safety car conditions, was also given two penalty points on his licence, giving him a total of five in the last 12 months. If a driver earns 12 in a year, he serves an automatic race ban.”
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/44103374
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2018/5/grosjean-_likes-spinning-a-lot–hulkenberg-after-lap-1-crash.html