Following yesterday’s Sprint, here’s the grid for the race: LEC, VER, PER, SAI, NOR, RIC, BOT, MAG, ALO, SCH, RUS, TSU, VET, HAM, STR, OCO, GAS, ALB, LAT, ZHO*
*ZHO will start from the pit lane after “The stewards found the team committed two separate breaches of the regulations while working on Zhou’s car” [racefans]
Given they worked on ZHO’s car without FIA supervision, I’m surprised they weren’t disqualified… or maybe the FIA checked it over and were ok with any changes?
The track is damp; air temperature 12°C; track 18°C
VER leads everyone away on the formation lap (except ZHO, who will start from the pit lane)
Everyone on intermediate tyres, so they’ll create a dry line… until it rains again
01/63: VER gets a clean start
PER takes P2 from LEC
SAI and RIC connect; SAI’s beached in the gravel trap; yellow flag, no SC yet
SC deployed
02[SC]: VER, PER, NOR, LEC, MAG, RUS, BOT, ALO, VET, TSU, STR, HAM, OCO, GAS, ALB, LAT, SCH, ZHO, RIC; out: SAI
Replay shows RIC tagged SAI but I think that’ll be a racing incident but he took out a Ferrari
03[SC]: RIC pits; more inters go on
04[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
RIC sets fastest lap because he’s got room to catch up to the SC
05/63: LEC closing on NOR
ALO drops to P11
06: VER f/lap
HAM takes P11 from ALO – there’s a big hole in his right side pod
07: VER f/lap 1:30.444
ALO pits; retires – there’s a lot of damage to the floor too
Replay of lap 1 shows SCH partially spun and his rear wheel hit ALO’s side pod
08: VER f/lap 1:30.119
LEC takes P3 from NOR
09: HAM closing on STR
Many drivers going off-line to cool their inters; there’s still a threat of rain, so switching to dry tyres might be too risky
10/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, MAG, RUS, BOT, VET, TSU, STR, HAM, OCO, GAS, ALB, LAT, SCH, ZHO, RIC; out: ALO, SAI
VER f/lap 1:29.997
11: RUS has a look at MAG but the Haas keeps P5
There’s no DRS to help RUS because it’s a wet race
12: RUS passes MAG but can’t slow enough for the chicane, so MAG reclaims P5
BOT’s closing on RUS now
RUS makes another move, and makes this one stick
13: BOT looking for a way around MAG
14: BOT takes P6
HAM still stuck behind STR
15/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, MAG, VET, TSU, STR, HAM, OCO, GAS, ALB, LAT, ZHO, SCH, RIC; out: ALO, SAI
16: STR and HAM have caught TSU
17: RIC pits; switches to (dry) mediums, so he’ll be the guinea pig for the rest of the field
Radio from HAM saying it’s too early for dry tyres
18: VET pits, followed by GAS and ALB
19: PER pits from P2; mediums go on; rejoins P4
RUS and BOT pit too, followed by STR, HAM
BOT had a slow stop – problems with his front right
OCO released into HAM; minor contact
RIC f/lap 1:29.169
20/63: VER, LEC and NOR pit; rejoin
Incident involving OCO and HAM – unsafe release
ALB f/lap 1:29
21: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, RIC, LAT, SCH, ZHO
BOT f/lap 1:27
HAM 1:26.695
22: LEC f/lap 1:24.435
LEC under 1sec behind PER but DRS isn’t enabled
24: PER f/lap 1:22.583
Radio for RUS telling him they didn’t do the flap adjustment during his pit stop so he’ll have understeer
25/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, RIC, LAT, SCH, ZHO; out: ALO, SAI
PER f/lap 1:21.877
Yellow flag – SCH off but recovers
26: STR attacking TSU
27: PER f/lap 1:21.337
TSU holding up STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM and RIC
28: VER f/lap 1:21.095
PER makes a mistake; LEC closes up
29: VER f/lap 1:20.692
Black and white flag for SCH for exceeding track limits
30/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, RIC, LAT, ZHO, SCH
VER laps ZHO
Half distance
34: DRS is now available
HAM close enough to get DRS next time he passes the detection point
35/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, LAT, ZHO, SCH, RIC
(RIC must have pitted during the adverts; he’s now on hard tyres)
36: GAS and HAM both get DRS behind ALB
38: VER closing up to lap HAM
40/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, LAT, ZHO, SCH, RIC
41: HAM lets VER by – that’s got to hurt
44: Something came off LAT’s car; looks like it ended up on the racing line
45/63: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, RUS, BOT, VET, MAG, TSU, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, ZHO, LAT, SCH, RIC; out: ALO, SAI
46: HAM has another try at passing GAS but even with DRS the Mercedes can’t pass the AlphaTauri
48: TSU takes P8 from MAG
49: HAM continues trying to get past GAS but just can’t do it
50/63: LEC pits from P3; softs go on; rejoins just ahead of NOR but the McLaren blasts past for P3
51: PER pits; softs go on; rejoins still P2
LEC reclaims P3
52: VER pits; softs go on; rejoins still P1
LEC f/lap
LEC now within DRS range of PER
53: LEC f/lap 1:18.849
TSU closing on VET
LEC takes too much kerb, spins into the wall; he gets going again, but has he damaged the Ferrari?
54: LEC pits from P3; new nose section; rejoins P9
TSU takes P6 from VET
55/63: VER, PER, NOR, RUS, BOT, TSU, VET, MAG, LEC, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, ZHO, LAT, RIC, SCH
Radio from LEC asking if everything looks OK; told yes, it’s ok to push
56: VER f/lap 1:18.4
Radio from LEC, “Doesn’t feel great”
LEC closing on MAG; easily past for P8
57: BOT closing on RUS
58: BOT now has DRS to attack the driver who replaced him at Mercedes
59: Spots of rain?
RUS defends P4
LEC takes P7 from VET
60/63: VER, PER, NOR, RUS, BOT, TSU, LEC, VET, MAG, STR, OCO, ALB, GAS, HAM, ZHO, LAT, SCH, RIC
Rain forecast for the last couple of laps
61: RUS continues to defend P4 from BOT
62: Radio from VER confirming he’s seen a few raindrops
63 = final lap: BOT has DRS one last time but can’t find a way around RUS
VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER*, PER, NOR, RUS, BOT, LEC, TSU, VET, MAG, STR; ALB, GAS, HAM, OCO, ZHO, LAT, SCH, RIC
*fastest lap
DNF: ALO, SAI
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