It was a big Qualifying session for HAM because he claimed his 100th F1 pole, which is a huge milestone. To put it in context, Michael Schumacher has the second most poles (68) followed by Ayrton Senna (65) – in fact, only five constructor teams have recorded 100 poles!
Also celebrating a century is VER – it’s his 100th race for Red Bull today.
Provisional grid: HAM, VER, BOT, LEC, OCO, SAI, RIC, PER, NOR, ALO, STR, GAS, VET, GIO, RUS, TSU, RAI, SCH, LAT, MAZ
Following Quali, MAZ was given a three-place grid drop and one penalty point on his licence for impeding NOR in Q1. [formula1]
Given MAZ qualified P20, the 3-place penalty is irrelevant (it doesn’t carry over) but he now has 2 points on his licence – hit 12 points within any 12-month period and you get an automatic one-race ban
Unfortunately NOR doesn’t get any benefit from the penalty – he still starts P9 instead of where he could have been (P4?) and he had to use another set of tyres
The sky is a bit grey and overcast; it’s cooler than it was in Quali
Radio from NOR as he leaves the pits reporting a few spots of rain
Ferrari mechanics have got heat guns pointed at their front brakes/hubs – not seeing that on any other car on the grid
The wind’s picking up; it’s a tailwind into Turn 1 so that could make for some incidents at the start
Air temperature 21°C; track 32°C; 20% chance of rain
RAI is starting on medium compound tyres; the other 19 cars are all on softs
HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap
Before setting off, HAM commented on how much more rubber there is on the other side of the track so that could help VER at the start
01/66: VER got a good start; elbows his way past HAM into Turn 1
LEC past BOT
GIO inside RAI for P14
but RAI reclaims it
02: VER, HAM, LEC, BOT, RIC, PER, OCO, SAI, NOR, ALO, STR, VET, GAS, RAI, GIO, SCH, RUS, TSU, LAT, MAZ
VER opening a gap already
03: VER fastest lap 1:23.561
VER’s lead already 1.7sec
04: Incident involving GAS under investigation – out of position at the start
05/66: VER, HAM, LEC, BOT, RIC, PER, OCO, SAI, NOR, ALO, STR, VET, GAS, RAI, GIO, SCH, TSU, RUS, LAT, MAZ
HAM f/lap 1:22.938
06: PER closing on RIC
RUS trying to find a way past SCH
Radio from LAT, “I’m just sliding around everywhere”
08: TSU has parked on the outside of Turn 10; he reports “engine stopped”
Safety Car deployed
09[SC]: GIO pits, but Alfa Romeo mechanics have the wrong tyres – no, it looks like the new front left is already punctured
Tidy double-stop for Williams
10[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
11: GAS given 5sec penalty for being out of position at the start
13: DRS now enabled again
15/66: VER, HAM, LEC, BOT, RIC, PER, OCO, SAI, NOR, STR, ALO, VET, GAS*, RAI, RUS, SCH, LAT, MAZ, GIO; out: TSU
(*remember GAS has 5sec penalty to serve when he pits)
LAT takes P16 from SCH
16: Radio for SAI, “Plan C”
19: HAM still not quite close enough to get DRS
GAS pits; serves 5sec penalty; mediums go on
Radio from HAM asking for a front wing adjustment when he pits; rejoins P19
20/66: VER, HAM, LEC, BOT, RIC, PER, OCO, SAI, NOR, STR
22: ALO and VET pit
23: ALO easily past MAZ
SAI and STR pit
VET past GAS
24: BOT pits from P4; mediums go on; rejoins P6
OCO and NOR pit too
HAM now well inside DRS range
25/66: VER pits from P1; rear left was a bit slow; rejoins P5, behind his teammate
PER moves out the way to let VER take P4
26: RIC pits
BOT f/lap 1:21.993
Radio of Toto Wolff asking race director for blue flags as HAM is stuck behind MAZ
28: Radio for HAM telling him it’s “unsafe to VER” for them to pit now
Mercedes pit crew getting ready
29: HAM pits; 2.7sec stop – that’s clean; rejoins ~6sec behind VER
LEC pits too from P2; rejoins P4
Radio from ALO reporting “engine misfiring”
30/66: VER, HAM, BOT, LEC, RIC, RAI, PER, SAI, OCO, NOR, STR, GIO, ALO, VET, GAS, RUS, LAT, SCH, MAZ
PER takes P6 from RAI (RAI’s the only one yet to pit, because he started on mediums)
ALO around GIO for P12
31: HAM f/lap 1:21.276
GAS past GIO
Radio for LEC, “We’re going to the end”
32: HAM f/lap 1:21.204
Half distance
34: HAM closing on VER – he’s now inside DRS range
35/66: VER, HAM, BOT, LEC, RIC, PER, SAI, RAI, OCO, NOR, STR, ALO, VET, GAS, RUS, GIO, LAT, SCH, MAZ
OCO takes P8 from RAI
36: VER picks up his pace, opens up his lead again; HAM no longer has DRS
37: NOR takes P9 from RAI
38: HAM gets DRS again as VER closes on SCH to lap the Haas
RAI finally pits; rejoins P17
39: VER and HAM lap RAI
VET pits from P12; rejoins P17
40/66: VER, HAM, BOT, LEC, RIC, PER, SAI, OCO, NOR, STR, ALO, GAS, RUS, LAT, GIO, RAI, VET, SCH, MAZ; out: TSU
STR pits
41: HAM ~0.5sec behind VER
Radio for RIC warning him not to weave on the straight; he’s trying to break the tow as PER closes on him
42: PER gets closes but then washes wide in the dirty air behind RIC
Radio from VER, “It’s insane – they have so much more grip”
43: HAM pits from P2; a new set of mediums; rejoins P3
44: HAM is 23sec behind VER (with BOT in between them)
Radio from HAM asking how much he has to catch up; “22sec – you’ve done it before”
45/66: VER, BOT, HAM, LEC, RIC, PER, SAI, OCO, NOR, ALO, GAS, RUS, LAT, STR, RAI, VET, SCH, GIO, MAZ
HAM f/lap 1:20.775
Radio for VER, “At this rate he’ll catch us on the last lap”
46: HAM f/lap 1:20.728
PER makes a late dive on RIC, cleanly past to steal P5
47: RIC and SAI pit
48: Radio from VER, “I don’t see how I can make it to the end”
49: GAS pits
Radio for BOT telling him to pick up the pace
50/66: VER, BOT, HAM, LEC, PER, OCO
RIC passes teammate NOR for P7
51: SAI passes NOR too
Radio for BOT telling him HAM is 2sec behind, on a different strategy (i.e. let him past)
Black and white flag for NOR – was that for exceeding track limits or moving late to defend from SAI?
52: Radio for BOT, “Don’t hold Lewis up”
HAM tucks up behind BOT
BOT makes HAM overtake rather than letting him through
53: NOR pits
RIC takes P6 from OCO
54: SAI passes OCO too
BOT pits from P3; soft tyres go on; rejoins P4, just behind LEC
GAS takes PP14 from VET
55/66: VER, HAM, LEC, BOT, PER, RIC, SAI, OCO, ALO, RUS, NOR, STR, RAI, GAS, VET, GIO, LAT, SCH, MAZ
HAM f/lap 1:20.665
56: VER closing on OCO (P8) to lap him; OCO lifts and lets VER through
BOT f/lap 1:20.091
57: BOT closing on LEC
HAM now 5sec behind VER
BOT takes P3 from LEC
58: HAM 2.7sec behind VER
PER pits from P5; softs go on; rejoins P5
59: VER lead down to 1.6sec
LEC pits from P4; softs; rejoins still P4
60/66: HAM closes, sweeps past VER into Turn 1; takes P1
61: VER pits; softs; rejoins still P2
BOT is stuck behind STR and ALO fighting over P10
PER f/lap 1:19.483
62: ALO, STR, GAS, RAI all squabbling over P10
STR passes ALO
63: VER f/lqp 1:18.149
ALO pits
64: STR defends P10 from GAS; late move under braking – that could be a penalty for STR
STR and ALO incident under investigation
65/66: HAM, VER, BOT, LEC, PER, RIC, SAI, NOR, OCO, GAS, STR, RAI, VET, RUS, GIO, LAT, ALO, SCH, MAZ
66 = final lap: SAI closing on RIC
HAM takes the chequered flag
VER P2 & fastest lap
BOT P3
Provisional result: HAM, VER*, BOT, LEC, PER, RIC, SAI, NOR, OCO, GAS; STR, RAI, VET, RUS, GIO, LAT, ALO, SCH, MAZ
DNF: TSU
*Fastest lap: VER
[Reload/refresh for more updates]
https://henman.ca/2021/05/09/f1-points-standings-after-gp-of-spain/
HAM now 14 points ahead of VER; Mercedes just 29 points clear of Red Bull.
“Turkish Grand Prix under threat after Turkey put on UK travel red list”
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/57032897
UK transport secretary Grant Schapps said on Friday that red-list countries “should not be visited except in the most extreme circumstances”.
F1 said it was “assessing the situation and will provide more details in the coming days”.