The battle for the Drivers’ Championship continues with VER still 4 points ahead of HAM, and they line up for the race in the same order with their teammates filling the second row.
Provisional grid: VER, HAM, BOT, PER, SAI, GAS, LEC, NOR, ALO, OCO, VET, GIO, RUS, SCH, LAT, RAI, MAZ; no time from STR or TSU so they’ll need to appeal to the stewards
FIA confirmed STR and TSU are permitted to start
TSU’s incident in Qualifying (he put it in the wall in Q1) required a gearbox change change and that would have incurred a five grid spot penalty but because the work was done during parc ferme he has to start from the pit lane. [FIA]
SCH also put his car in the wall but he seems to have avoided needing a new gearbox, so he should be ok to start P15.
There has already been rain at the circuit today but the forecast is for this to clear ahead of the e start, with a lower (~20%) risk of showers during the race window. [BBC]
Current air temperature 25°C; track 33°C
Pit lane is open; VER and PER keen to head out as soon as the lights turn green
SAI locks up, runs off and flat spots his tyres – that’s going to make for an uncomfortable first stint, although most cars go to the grid on a different set i.e. not the ones they’ll use in the race
Radio from HAM, “Magic trimmed down too much” – presumably that means the new shroud is not quite how he’d like it
Watching the flags – there’s a really strong tailwind along the main straight, so will anyone get caught out and brake too late for Turn 1?
VER leads everyone (except TSU, who starts from the pit lane) around on the formation lap
Air temperature 25°C; track 34°C; risk of rain 10%
Grid forms up; TSU leaves his garage and heads to wait at pit exit
01/53: VER runs wide in Turn 2
HAM claims P1
VER rejoins P2
02: HAM, VER, BOT, PER, SAI, GAS, LEC, ALO, NOR, RIC
NOR runs wide in T1; RIC steals P9
TSU already up to P17
OCO looking to pass VET
03: HAM fastest lap 1:39.625
VER f/lap 1:39.613
04: VER f/lap 1:39.571
MAZ makes a forceful move on SCH to take P19
TSU takes P16 from LAT
05/53: HAM, VER, BOT, PER, SAI, GAS, LEC, ALO, RIC, NOR, VET, OCO, GIO, RAI, STR, TSU, LAT, RUS, MAZ, SCH
06: VER f/lap 1:39.408
BOT f/lap 1:39.293
Radio from HAM, “I don’t think these tyres are going to last as long as you’re expecting”
07: BOT f/lap 1:38.604
BOT is almost close enough to get DRS
08: RIC closing on ALO
10/53: HAM, VER, BOT, PER, SAI, GAS, LEC, ALO, RIC, NOR, VET, OCO, GIO, STR, RAI, TSU, LAT, RUS, MAZ, SCH
11: RIC dives inside ALO, takes P8
NOR follows through and steals P9
13: Radio from SAI, “A lot more (tyre) degradation than anyone expected”
VET takes P10 from ALO
14: RIC past LEC for P7
Lots of drivers complaining about their tyres, including those on the hard compound
15/53: LEC pits from P8; switches to hard tyres; rejoins P19
16: TSU and SCH pit
17: STR closing on OCO
RIC pits from P7; rejoins P17
OCO looking to pass teammate ALO
18: BOT pits from P3; hards go on; rejoins P4
SAI and GAS both out, as does RUS
RIC’s undercut worked; he’s ahead of SAI and GAS
19: VER pits; rejoins still just ahead of BOT
20/53: HAM pits; 2.2sec stop; rejoins alongside VER
VER leads into Turn 2
BOT f/lap 1:36.960
21: PER, VER, HAM, BOT, NOR, VET, STR, OCO, GIO, RAI, LEC, RIC, SAI, GAS, ALO
HAM and BOT both have DRS
22: LEC passes RAI for P10 as RIC closes on them
24: HAM and BOT still have DRS
25/53: PER pits from P1; rejoins P4
NOR pits too
26: RIC passes GIO for P9
LEC closing on OCO
Half distance
27: LEC takes P7
GAS takes P11 from GIO
RIC also passes OCO for P8
28: SAI and GAS now pass OCO
29: RIC passes LEC for P7
Radio from VER, “We can’t keep this up to the end of the race”
OCO and GIO pit
SAI past LEC for P8
30/53: VER, HAM, BOT, PER, VET, STR, RIC, SAI, LEC, NOR
NOR takes P9 from LEC
LEC locks up and GAS steals P10
31: Radio from BOT saying his tyres won’t last
ALO passes LEC
33: VER pits from P1; used medium tyres go on; rejoins P4
34: NOR passes teammate RIC for P7
35/53: HAM, BOT, PER, VER, VET, STR, NOR, RIC, SAI, GAS
NOR takes P6 from STR
VER f/lap 1:36.743
PER lets VER take P3
36: VER f/lap 1:36.404 – that’s 2sec quicker than HAM
37: GAS takes P8 from SAI
ALO passes SAI too
38: VET pits from P5
VER tries a couple of times but his radio is breaking up
39: LEC pits
Radio from HAM asking about VER’s pace; can’t hear Bono’s reply
40/53: HAM, BOT, VER, PER, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, SAI, VET
41: HAM laps LEC (P16)
Both HAM and BOT warned that their last 4 laps will be difficult
Radio from BOT, “I have no fronts anymore”
42: VER 2sec behind BOT; HAM is 4sec ahead of BOT
43: VER now has DRS behind BOT
44: BOT defends; VER closes; BOT brakes too late; VER steals P2
45/53: HAM, VER, BOT, PER, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, VET, SAI, STR, TSU, RUS, OCO, GIO, LEC, RAI, LAT, SCH, MAZ
Angry radio message from BOT complaining they didn’t listen to him when he said it would be a 2-stop race
46: PER now just over 1sec behind BOT
47: BOT locks up but PER still just outside DRS range
VER 5sec behind HAM
48: Radio from HAM reporting he hit a kerb
Radio for HAM, “Gap is 3.6”; “Leave me to it”
49: PER now has DRS to help him attack BOT
PER takes P3
Surely Mercedes will now pit BOT for a fastest lap?
50/53: HAM, VER, PER, BOT, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, VET, STR, SAI, TSU, RUS, OCO, GIO, LEC, RAI, LAT, SCH, MAZ
51: Why hasn’t BOT pitted?
RUS takes P12 from TSU
52: Incident involving PER and BOT under investigation!
VER closes up and takes P1 – you can hear the crowd cheer
53 = final lap: BOT is nearly 50sec clear of NOR – why didn’t they pit him? (Was BOT sulking and refusing to pit?)
VER takes the chequered flag and fastest lap
Provisional result: VER, HAM, PER, BOT, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, VET, STR; SAI, RUS, TSU, OCO, GIO, LEC, RAI, LAT, SCH, MAZ
DNF: none
Fastest lap: VER, 1:36.743
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