As I mentioned in my Qualifying notes, HAM “just” needs to finish 7th or better to win the Drivers’ Championship, whereas VET needs to win this and both the following races with HAM failing to score. Mercedes need 20 points more than Ferrari to seal the Constructors’ crown. [points]
One thing I forgot to mention in my Quali post was the great news that Niki Lauda left hospital a few days ago, almost three months after undergoing a lung transplant. [pitpass.com]
With the penalties applied, the grid is: RIC, VER, HAM, VET, BOT, RAI, HUL, SAI, LEC, ERI, OCO, ALO, PER, HAR, VAN, MAG, STR, GRO*, SIR, GAS*
*GRO dropped 3 places for causing the collision with LEC in the US GP; GAS dropped to P20 due to engine changes
Air temperature 19°C; track 34°C; probability of rain during the race is 20%
RIC leads everyone away on the formation lap
Red Bull had pushed both their cars a little further back in their starting position, so they can lay down some rubber ready for the real start
RIC and VER are putting on quite a pace but everyone else is taking it more steady to warm up their tyres
Unsuprisingly the Red Bull pair have a long wait on the grid
01/71: Great start from HAM – he’s past RIC before everyone’s clear of the grid!
VER leads into Turn 1
BOT ahead of VET
Contact between OCO and ALO
Big tustles in the midfield
02: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, SAI, HUL, LEC, ERI, PER, ALO, STR, MAG
OCO and HAR pit
New front wing for OCO
03: VER fastest lap 1:20.959
DRS now enabled
HUL tucked under his teammate’s (SAI) wing
04: Smoke from ALO’s McLaren
ALO parks off track
05/71: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, SAI, HUL, LEC, ERI, PER, STR, MAG, VAN, SIR, GRO, GAS, HAR, OCO
VSC deployed
Replay shows ALO didn’t make contact in lap 1 – it was debris coming off OCO’s wing (collision was with HUL?) which hit ALO’s car
VSC ends
06: GAS pits
07: Radio for HAM – “let’s have the brake magic on” !?
08: Radio from HAM – “tyres are quite fragile”
09: VER f/lap 1:20.923
Radio for HAM making a suggestion; “why don’t you just leave it to me”
10/71: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, SAI, HUL, LEC, ERI, PER, STR, MAG, VAN, SIR, GRO, HAR, OCO, GAS; retirment: ALO
11: RIC under 1sec behind HAM
STR pits
PER attacks ERI; ERI defends hard
Mercedes mechanics getting red (supersofts) tyres ready
12: HAM pits; supersofts go on; rejoins P5
BOT pits too; also supers; rejoins P8
PER still harrying ERI for P9
13: RIC pits; supers; rejoins P5, behind HAM again
LEC takes a look at a move on BOT
14: VER pits, so VET now P1; supers; rejoins P3
15: VER lining up RAI
VER inside the Ferrari to take P2
16: VER f/lap 1:20.299
HAM now closing on RAI
17: RIC closing on HAM as RAI holds them up
HAM takes P3, and RIC follows past RAI
18: VET pits; supers; rejoins P4
RAI pits too; rejoins P6
LEC drifts past GRO for P11
20/71: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, PER, SAI, HUL, MAG, LEC, GRO, HAR, OCO, GAS, VAN, STR, SIR, ERI; retirements: ALO
22: Radio for VAN giving him a setting to use into T12 “if that gives you an opportunity” to pass GAS
Radio from HAM complaining about his tyres again
24: Radio for HAM – “the only option we have is another ultra”
25/71: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, PER, SAI, HUL, MAG, LEC, GRO, HAR, OCO, GAS, VAN, STR, SIR, ERI
Replay of STR pit stop – looks like a mechanic was injured as he left the pit box
26: LEC takes P10 from MAG
VAN takes P14 from GAS
27: Radio for VER – “it’s not going to be straightforward”; might be 1- or 2-stop race
28: GAS makes 2nd stop; more supers go on
29: VET close enough to RIC to get DRS, just as RIC catches another group of backmarkers
30/71: VER, HAM, RIC, VET, BOT, RAI, PER, SAI, HUL, LEC, MAG, GRO, OCO, VAN, ERI, SIR, HAR, STR, GAS
31: SAI has pulled off and parked his Renault in the stadium section
VSC deployed
32[VSC]: PER pits from P7; rejoins P9
OCO pits too
VET all over RIC’s tail, ready for the restart
VSC ends
33: RIC picking his way through the midfield
34: VET uses PER to block RIC; takes P3
PER follows RIC past LEC to steal 8
35/71: VER, HAM, VET, RIC, BOT, RAI, HUL, PER, LEC, MAG, VAN, GRO, ERI, HAR, OCO, STR, SIR, GAS
LEC fights back but PER holds on to P8
Half distance
36: VET closing on HAM
39: VET within DRS range of HAM
HAM doesn’t defend too hard; VET takes P2
PER slowing – problem with the Force India
40/71: VER, VET, HAM, RIC, BOT, RAI, HUL, LEC, MAG, VAN, GRO, ERI, HAR, OCO, STR, SIR, GAS, PER
PER pits; parks in the garage; retires from his home GP
Replay of OCO and HAR making contact
41: There’s debris hanging off HAR’s side pod
42: VET f/lap 1:20.263
RIC closing on HAM
43: VET f/lap 1:20.260
OCO closing on HAR again
44: VET f/lap 1:20.112
45/71: VER, VET, HAM, RIC, BOT, RAI, HUL, LEC, MAG, VAN, GRO, ERI, HAR, OCO, STR, SIR, GAS, MAG; retirements: PER, SAI, ALO
RIC tucked up under HAM’s rear wing
MAG makes his first pit stop! (Teammate GRO has yet to pit!!)
46: GRO pits
47: HAM locks up; runs wide; RIC takes P3
48: VET pits from P2; ultrasoft tyres go on; rejoins P3
HAM pits; ultras; rejoins P6
BOT locks up; runs wide; RAI takes P4
49: VER pits from P1; supersofts; rejoins still P1
BOT pits; ultras; long stop – 4.3sec; rejoins P6
Replay – it was BOT’s front left that was a bit slow coming off
50/71: VER, RIC, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, HAR, OCO, STR, GAS, SIR, MAG, GRO
VET f/lap 1:19.522
52: VER ~6sec ahead of RIC, who in turn has 2sec lead over VET
53: Radio from HAM – “something is definitely wrong”; complaining others are quicker
Actually, only VER and VET as faster than HAM; plus HAM’s tyres had done ~10 laps before they went on for this stint
54: OCO takes P12 from GAS
Radio from GAS complaining OCO pushed him off the track
55/71: VER, RIC, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, HAR, GAS, OCO, STR, MAG, SIR, GRO
56: GAS passes teammate HAR as he lets the front runners lap him
58: RIC f/lap 1:19.462 – those tyres are ~47 laps old!
Incident involving GAS and OCO – no further action
59: VET has dropped back a little; maybe to cool his brakes?
Force India are closing the garage space for OCO
60/71: VER, RIC, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, GAS, HAR, OCO, STR, MAG, SIR, GRO
OCO doesn’t pit, so maybe he’s not retiring just yet
61: Smoke from RIC’s left engine bank
62: RIC pulls off track and parks the Red Bull
VSC deployed
63[VSC]: Radio from VER – “check my engine; if I need to turn it down, turn it down”
64[VSC]: BOT pits; hypersoft tyres go on; rejoins still P5
VSC ends
65/71: VER, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, GAS, OCO, HAR, STR, MAG, SIR, GRO; retirements: RIC, PER, SAI, ALO
66: BOT f/lap 1:19.331
67: BOT f/lap 1:18.741
68: VER leads by ~15sec, and VET is lapping at about the same time
70/71: VER, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, GAS, OCO, HAR, STR, SIR, MAG, GRO
71 = final lap: VER has lapped everyone up to P4 – he lapped BOT when he pitted
VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER, VET, RAI, HAM, BOT, HUL, LEC, VAN, ERI, GAS; OCO, HAR, STR, SIR, MAG, GRO
DNF: RIC, PER, SAI, ALO
HAM does a couple of doughnuts before parking with the top 3 at a separate World Champion board
[Reload/refresh for more updates]
“The stewards also confirmed Brendon Hartley has been given two penalty points for his collision with Esteban Ocon during the race. The Toro Rosso driver, who is now on a total of six penalty points for the current 12-month period, was given a five-second time penalty for the incident.
The stewards deemed Hartley was “wholly to blame for the collision” because he failed to leave sufficient room” for Ocon.
The stewards took no action against Ocon for his role in an incident with Hartley’s team mate Pierre Gasly. The Toro Rosso driver accused Ocon of forcing him wide at turn four, but the stewards ruled Gasly went wide because he made a mistake.”
https://www.racefans.net/2018/10/28/hartley-penalised-ocon-cleared-stroll-under-investigation/
“Williams has been fined for an incident that followed Lance Stroll’s second pit stop in Mexico.
As the Canadian returned to the track, a member of the crew was knocked over in an incident similar to that of Ferrari in Bahrain.”
…
“Nevertheless, while the contact did not result in injury, the stewards found that it is the obligation of the team to ensure that all personnel are clear of the car before it is released.
In determining the penalty – a 25,000 euro fine – the stewards reviewed the incident in Bahrain.”
https://www.pitpass.com/63393/Williams-fined-for-endangering-crew