An unexpected front row – most people (including me) seemed to think Ferrari would take P1 and probably P2, but instead they’re P3 and P5 after HAM put in a stunning Qualifying lap!
Provisional grid: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, PER, GRO, OCO, HUL, ALO, SAI, LEC, ERI, GAS, MAG, HAR, VAN, SIR, STR
Hopefully the official F1 app’s problem (not being able to connect to Live Timing) is resolved in time for the race. [Tweet] [F1 live timing web page]
Cars are heading for the grid with 30 minutes before lights out
Air temperature 29°C; track 34°C … and remember it’s 8pm local time
Apparently it gets up to 50°C in the cockpit, and drivers can lose as much as 4kg during the race!
Looks like the pace car has dropped water on the track (in front of VER’s grid spot) from its air conditioning; Red Bull are trying to dry it as best they can
HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap
The top 10 all start on the tyres they used in Q2 (hypersofts); the rest are on ultrasofts except SIR on softs and a couple on hypers
Ugh! F1 app is still broken 🙁
VER angles his car in the grid spot – maybe to avoid the pace car’s water, but maybe to cut across in front of VET
01/61: OCO tags the wall and destroys his front right suspension
VET makes a move on VER; takes P2 just in time before the Safety Car is deployed
Replay shows OCO was alongside PER, and PER bumped OCO towards the wall
02[SC]: HAM, VET, VER, BOT, RAI, RIC, PER, GRO, ALO, SAI, HUL, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, HAR, SIR, VAN, STR
There’s no escape roads so it’s taking a while to remove OCO’s car
Incident involving PER & OCO under investigation
SIR has debris attached to his front wing; he’s on soft tyres so no scheduled pit stop for a while, so he may have to stop just to get it removed
03[SC]: Berndt Maylander (in the SC) is leading the Singapore GP again – Sky commentators say he’s led the most laps 🙂
04[SC]: SIR pits; debris removed; looks like he was on supersofts, not soft tyres (it was the other Williams, STR, who started on softs)
SC in at the end of this lap
Radio from VER – still getting “forced neutral” (car is dropping out of gear!)
No further action in the PER/OCO incident
05/61: HAM, VET, VER, BOT, RAI, RIC, PER, GRO, ALO, SAI, HUL, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, HAR, VAN, STR, SIR; retirement: OCO
HAM opening a gap as VET tries to get his tyres up to temp
06: HAM fastest lap 1:48.052
07: DRS now enabled
08: VET f/lap 1:47.397
09: HAM f/lap 1:46.746
10/61: HAM, VET, VER, BOT, RAI, RIC, PER, GRO, ALO, SAI, HUL, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, HAR, VAN, STR, SIR
The hypersoft tyres will only last a few more laps – who will be first to pit?
11: Radio from HAM reporting there’s a lot left in the tyres
12: Radio for VET telling him HAM’s tyres are going off; VET says “I don’t believe him” which is right – that’s not what he said
13: HAM f/lap 1:45.502
14: HAM f/lap 1:44.929
HAM now 2.3sec ahead of VET, who in turn is 4.5sec clear of VER
Spots of rain in the paddock!
15/61: HAM, VET, VER, BOT, RAI, RIC, PER, GRO, ALO, SAI, HUL, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, HAR, VAN, STR, SIR
VET pits from P2; ultrasofts go on; rejoins P7
Radio for HAM – “give it everything you have”
16: HAM pits; softs going on, so he can go to the end; rejoins P5
PER is between HAM and VET, which might hold up the Ferrari
17: BOT pits from P2; softs go on; rejoins P7
VET dives inside PER for P5
BOT drifting on his fresh tyres
18: VER pits from P1; softs too; bit of a juddery pull away from the box; rejoins P4
VER came out the pits alongside VET but stayed just ahead into the corner
19: Radio from VET – frustrated at the team again
20/61: RAI, RIC, HAM, VER, VET, BOT, ALO, SAI, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, VAN, STR, SIR, PER, HUL, GRO, HAR
22: RAI pits from P1; softs; rejoins P6
So only VET has switched to ultrasofts; all the others went to softs, which are sure to get them to the end
23: Radio from PER complaining the his pit stop put him back out behind SIR
24: LEC lining up to pass GAS, but there aren’t many places you can do that at this circuit
25/61: RIC, HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, ALO, SAI, GAS, LEC, ERI, MAG, VAN, STR, SIR, PER, HUL, GRO, HAR; retirements: OCO
26: Sky commentators discussing whether it’s raining; teams on the pit wall putting their hands out to check for precipitation
27: GAS locks up; LEC almost close enough to touch the Toro Rosso
LEC sells GAS a dummy and steals P9
GAS pits
28: RIC pits from P1; last of the front-runners to stop; ultrasofts go on; rejoins P6
29: Radio from PER – sounds like he expects Charlie Whiting to make SIR move aside, but they’re fighting for position (P13) so there won’t be any blue flags
30/61: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, LEC, ERI, VAN, STR, SIR, PER, HUL, GRO, HAR, GAS, MAG
Half distance
31: Radio for SIR – “keep doing what you’re doing”
32: HUL closing up to PER
How long before PER does something stupid and hits SIR?
33: HAM almost 5sec clear of VER; VET is a further 4sec back from VER
34: PER makes a move on SIR; SIR defends; contact (wow, what a surprise!)
Damage to PER’s car
35/61: PER pits
HUL makes a clean pass on SIR – see PER, that’s how you do it
Replay shows PER clearly moves across into SIR – hopefully he’ll get a penalty
36: RIC f/lap 1:43.853
Incident involving PER and SIR under investigation
MAG gets a blue flag as HAM closes to lap him
Radio from HAM – “tyres feel like they’re cold”
38: GRO attacks SIR; SIR locks up; HAM has to back off instead of lap them; VER closes right up
39: Incident involving MAG & HAR under investigation (I think that was for a pass by cutting a corner)
40/61: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, ERI, SAI, VAN
Drive-through penalty for PER
41: PER serves his penalty; rejoins P19, about 18sec behind MAG
42: STR pits for his first stop
No further action for HAR/MAG incident
43: MAG around the outside of HAR for P17, but MAG had all 4 wheels outside track limits
44: RIC f/lap 1:43.652
SAI attacking ERI for P8
GRO given 5sec penalty for ignoring blue flags
45/61: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, ERI, LEC
HAR attacks SIR; SIR forces HAR wide; might be a penalty for SIR if he keeps doing that
ALO f/lap 1:43.518
ERI pits – he’s the last to make a stop
46: Incident involving SIR and HAR under investigation
47: SIR given 5sec penalty
SIR pits for new tyres but has to serve his penalty first; hypersofts go on; rejoins P19, 36sec behind PER
49: RIC f/lap 1:43.335 – he’s 1.5sec behind RAI
50/61: HAM, VER, VET. BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, LEC, HUL, ERI, VAN, GRO, GAS, STR, HAR, MAG, PER, SIR
MAG pits
Radio for RAI telling him to ignore the brake-related alarm on his steering wheel
51: RIC f/lap 1:43.335
Radio from BOT asking why HUL isn’t getting blue flags; RAI is almost on BOT’s tail
HAM closing up to lap SIR
52 = 10 laps left: HAM laps SIR
MAG f/lap 1:41.905 (on new tyres)
Apparently that’s his first fastest lap in F1
53: RIC now close enough to RAI that he can use DRS
RAI has DRS too as he closes on BOT
54: Radio from BOT complaining he can’t get closer to HUL without losing grip, but he won’t get blue flags until he’s 0.1sec closer
55/61: HAM, VER, VET. BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, LEC, HUL
RIC seems to be dropping back from the battle with BOT and RAI; are his ultrasoft tyres going off?
HAM closing on SAI (P8) to lap the Renault
56: Radio from BOT – “this is unacceptable” (referring to HUL not getting blue flags)
58: RAI just within DRS range again
BOT closing on SIR to lap him
59: HAM over 6sec clear of VER; VET a massive 24sec behind the Red Bull
60/61: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, LEC, HUL, ERI, VAN, GRO, GAS, STR, HAR, PER, MAG, SIR; retirments: OCO
PER moving right up on HAR
61 = final lap: RIC is closing up to RAI again
PER takes P16 from HAR
HAM takes the chequered flag
VER P2
VET P3, so now there’s 40 points between him and HAM in the Drivers’ Championship
Provisional result: HAM, VER, VET, BOT, RAI, RIC, ALO, SAI, LEC, HUL; ERI, VAN, GRO, GAS, STR, PER, HAR, MAG, SIR
DNF: OCO
Interviews
HAM: “I’m spent!”; “Felt like the longest race of my life, I’m glad it’s over”
VER: “yeah, not bad”; “a lot of problems” (with false neutrals)
VET: “we were not fast enough”; “pitting was no option”
In the pre-podium room, HAM looks exhausted but VER seems barely warm
Charlie Whiting came in and said “I just want to apologise…” but the camera cut away; presumably that relates to when they caught the GRO/SIR battle
“Romain Grosjean is in danger of picking up a race ban if he incurs another penalty before the end of the season.
The Haas driver was given two penalty points for an incident in today’s race, moving him onto a total of nine. Drivers are automatically given one-race bans if they reach 12 penalty points in a 12-month period, and the most severe incidents have been punished with up to three penalty points.
He was penalised for failing to observe blue flags when race leader Lewis Hamilton caught him during today’s race.”
https://www.racefans.net/2018/09/16/grosjean-risk-ban-after-more-penalty-points