Paul Henman formula1 Grand Prix of Singapore – Race

Grand Prix of Singapore – Race

The last lap of Qualifying saw VET on pole, then his teammate LEC displaced him, and then HAM split the Ferrari pair.
But the biggest Quali surprise was hearing RIC was disqualified because his Renault’s MGU-K exceeded the power limit [FIA]

Grid: LEC, HAM, VET, VER, BOT, ALB, SAI, HUL, NOR, GIO, GAS, RAI, MAG, KVY, PER*, STR, GRO, RUS, KUB, RIC**
*PER has a 5-place penalty for a gearbox change
**RIC disqualified from qualifying for his car exceeding the MGU-K power limit – he races at the stewards’ discretion and takes 10-place penalty for use of additional power unit elements.

LEC leads everyone away on the formation lap
GAS is on hard tyres; the top 9 are on softs (as used in Q2) and everyone else is on mediums
(Because RIC was disqualified, he doesn’t have to start on his Q2 tyres)
LEC takes his grid spot fairly quickly but the rest of field take their time to get ready for the start

01/61: LEC streaks away; HAM has VET all over his tail
RIC scything his way through the tail-enders
RUS has a damaged front wing

02: LEC, HAM, VET, VER, BOT, ALB, NOR, GIO, MAG, GAS, RAI, KVY, STR, PER, RIC, KUB, GRO
HUL, RUS, SAI all pit
SAI seems to have a problem at the rear – the mechanics can’t lift the car

03: HAM fastest lap 1:48.666
GRO past KUB for P16
Replay of lap 1 of SAI taking the racing line and HUL hitting his rear right

05/61: HUL f/lap 1:47.992
Radio for SAI “We believe the suspension is ok”

06: LEC, HAM, VET, VER, BOT, ALB, NOR, GIO, MAG, GAS, RAI, KVY, STR, RIC, PER, GRO, KUB, HUL, RUS, SAI
HAM has been on the radio complaining the pace is too slow, but LEC’s engineer has told him the pace is fine

07: RIC takes P13 from STR

10/61: Radio from HAM “I can’t really go much slower”; “We’re reaching the pit window” (OK, so why not pass LEC?)
RIC inside KVY to steal P12, and STR passes the Toro Rosso on the exit of the corner

11: PER attacking KVY now
Radio for BOT telling him to cool his front-left

12: PER takes P14 from KVY

13: KVY pits; rejoins P19

14: PER pits from P14; rejoins P17

15/61: LEC, HAM, VET, VER, BOT, ALB, NOR, GIO, MAG, GAS, RAI, RIC, STR, GRO, HUL, KUB, PER, KVY, RUS, SAI
KVY f/lap 1:47.419

16: RAI pits; rejoins P16
PER f/lap 1:46.683
Radio for LEC giving him the ok to push

17: RAI inside KUB for P15

18: PER makes a forceful move on KUB, and then KVY passes the Williams too

19: MAG pits from P9; rejoins P14

20/61: VET pits, followed by VER; both move to hard tyres; VET rejoins P10, VER in P12 with HUL between them
Radio from HAM “Let’s undercut him” as he sits right on LEC’s rear wing

21: LEC pits; rejoins P8, just behind VET
ALB and NOR pit too

22: HAM stays out – that seems like a bad call because he’s ~2sec slower than VET
VET f/lap 1:45.453

23: BOT pits from P2; rejoins P9, just ahead of HUL
Radio from LEC complaining that VET undercut him

24: VET closing on STR but it’s for position so no blue flags

25/61: HAM, GIO, GAS, RIC, STR, VET, LEC, VER, BOT, ALB, HUL, NOR, MAG, RAI, PER, KVY, RUS, GRO, KUB, SAI
BOT f/lap 1:45.290

26: Radio for BOT from James

27: HAM pits; rejoins P8, behind VER – that’s a terrible strategy call by Mercedes

29: VET and LEC past STR
VET past RIC too

30/61: GIO, GAS, VET, RIC, LEC, STR, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, HUL, NOR, MAG, RAI, PER, KVY, RUS, GRO, KUB, SAI

Half distance

31: Incident involving VET and GAS “noted” and then “no investigation necessary”
VET takes P1 from GIO

32: STR pits

33: VER past GIO for P3; HAM now closing on the Alfa Romeo… and passes him

34: VET ~6sec clear of LEC
BOT and ALB pass GIO
RIC attacks too; GIO defends but contact then runs wide
RIC has a puncture
GIO pits

35/61: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, HUL, NOR, MAG, RAI, PER, KVY, GIO, STR, GAS, RIC, RUS, GRO, KUB, SAI
LEC 1:45.250
Incident involving RIC and GIO “noted”

36: RUS is in the wall – was there contact with GRO?
Safety Car deployed

37[SC]: Radio from LEC telling his team he’s not impressed with the pit strategy that put VET ahead of him

38[SC]: A crane is trying to move RUS’ car but it’s going to take a few laps for them to clean up

39[SC]: Lapped cars (just SAI) can pass the SC

40/61[SC]: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, NOR, MAG, RAI, PER, STR, GAS, HUL, KVY, GIO, RIC, KUB, GRO, SAI; retirements: RUS
SC in at the end of this lap

41: GAS tries to pass STR; wheel to wheel contact; GAS takes P11
Incident involving GRO and RIS “noted”
HUL past STR – looks like STR has a puncture – yes, he hit the wall

42: STR pits
Incident involving GRO and RIS under investigation

43: HUL gets a good run at GAS but GAS defends P11
PER pulls to the side of the track

44: LEC is within DRS range of VET
SC deployed

45/61[SC]: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, NOR, MAG, RAI, GAS, HUL, KVY, GIO, RIC, GRO, KUB, SAI, STR; retirements: PER, RUS
STR pits

46[SC]: Radio from LEC asking for an engine mode to let him attack VET; told they need to get both cars home

47[SC]: Only 27 minutes left of the 2-hour limit, so they might not finish all the laps
SC in at the end of this lap
VET crawling through the final turns

48: GAS harrying MAG
GAS and HUL pass MAG
RIC and GRO jockeying too

50/61: KVY attacks RAI; contact; RAI is off, front left broken
SC deployed

51[SC]: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, NOR, GAS, HUL, MAG, GIO, GRO, SAI, RIC, KVY, STR, KUB; retirements: RAI, PER, RUS
SC in at the end of this lap

52 = 10 laps left: Incident involving RAI and KVY will be investigated after the race
Radio from HUL “There’s something weird happening with the gearbox. I have a false neutral.”
MAG slipping down from P10 to P14

53: Radio from STR “I think something is wrong with the car, there’s a lot of damage and I feel like I’m going to crash!”

54: STR sneaks past KVY for P15

55/61: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, NOR, GAS, HUL, GIO

56: VET f/lap 1:44.943

58: KVY f/lap 1:33.371 but he’s P15 so he won’t get the point

59: BOT f/lap 1:43.534
MAG f/lap 1:42.301

5mins left

60/61: Radio from VER asking for more power; “negative, this is the best”
HAM is under 1sec behind VER, so he has DRS

61 = final lap: HAM all over VER’s wing but it’s too late

VET takes the chequered flag – his first win in over a year

Provisional result: VET, LEC, VER, HAM, BOT, ALB, NOR, GAS, HUL, GIO; GRO, SAI, STR, RIC, KVY, KUB, MAG
DNF: RAI, PER, RUS
Fastest lap: MAG set f/lap (1:42.301) but because he finished outside the top 10, the point for f/lap was not awarded
Incident involving RAI and KVY (lap 50) will be investigated after the race

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