Spanish Grand Prix – Race

A couple of post-Qualifying updates:

• Aston Martin were fined €5,000 after an unsafe release for STR in Q1; no penalty for STR himself
• ALO will start at the back of the grid for his home Grand Prix after having a new Renault power unit put into his Alpine [F1]

Revised grid: LEC, VER, SAI, RUS, PER, HAM, BOT, MAG, RIC, SCH, NOR, OCO, TSU, GAS, ZHO, VET, STR, ALB, LAT, ALO

Air temperature 36°C; track 48°C
On his way to the grid, RUS reports “it’s very hot inside the cockpit”
VER last to take his place on the grid
The drivers are trying to find shade and keep cool as the mechanics use dry ice and fans to cool the cars
Red Bull mechanic fiddling with VER’s rear wing again – there was a problem with his DRS in Q3
Interesting to see SAI and ALO standing ahead of the other drivers for their national anthem – would be nice to see that at other races
ALB: the tyres were overheating just on the lap to get to the grid
Toto Wolff: it’ll be down to who makes the tyres melt the least 🙂

LEC leads everyone away on the formation lap
Everyone starting on soft compound tyres except HAM who’s on mediums
I’m surprised LEC hasn’t slowed more – he’ll have a long, hot wait for the last cars to take their grid spots

01/66: PER makes a great start
LEC holds off VER into Turn 1
PER taps RUS into T1
Looks like HAS has a puncture after MAG hit him

02: LEC, VER, RUS, PER, SAI, SCH, BOT, RIC, OCO, NOR, TSU, GAS, VET, STR, ALO, ALB, ZHO, LAT; HAM pits, followed by MAG
HAM switches to soft tyres
Incident involving HAM and MAG noted

03: Replay of the start shows SAI’s anti-stall kicked in just as the lights went out

04: Incident involving HAM and MAG – no further investigation
BOT takes P6 from SCH

05: LEC, VER, RUS, PER, SAI, BOT, SCH, RIC, OCO, NOR
OCO takes P8 into Turn 1
Radio from HAM, “I would save this engine”; he’s told they think points are possible

06: OCO takes P7 from SCH
ALO looking for a way around VET for P13

07: ALO dives inside VET into T1 and takes P13
SAI into the gravel but keeps the Ferrari moving and returns to the track in P11
Replay shows he lost the rear into T4

08: PER closing on RUS; now close enough to get DRS

09: RUS defends into T1
VER in the gravel in T4; rejoins P4, just behind PER
NOR takes P8 from teammate RIC

10/66: LEC, RUS, PER, VER, BOT, OCO, SCH, NOR, RIC, TSU, SAI, ALO, GAS, VET, ZHO, STR, ALB, LAT, HAM, MAG
NOR takes P7 from SCH

11: SAI pits followed by ALO, GAS and ZHO; all take on medium tyres
PER lets VER take P3
TSU takes P9 from RIC

12: Radio from RUS asking why he’s getting “cool car” warnings when there’s no-one ahead; he’s told the alarms are real

13: Radio for VER telling him the DRS flap didn’t open on the previous lap
NOR pots, followed by SCH and LAT

14: LEC has 11sec lead over RUS
RUS pits; rejoins P4
So now LEC 14sec ahead of PER
VER pits; rejoins P5
SAI easily past NOR for P9

15/66: LEC, PER, BOT, RUS, VER, VET, OCO, SAI, NOR, TSU
BOT pits; rejoins P6
VER closing on RUS again

16: VER now has DRS but will his wing work? Doesn’t look like it
Replay shows it opened but immediately closed again
VER frustrated over the radio

17: RUS defends into Turn 1

18: PER pits from P2; rejoins P4
SAI takes P7 from VET
VER takes a lot of kerb

19: VER has a look but RUS defends P2 again

20/66: LEC, RUS, VER, PER, BOT, OCO, SAI, VET, NOR, TSU, ALO, SCH, RIC, GAS, ZHO, HAM, STR, ALB, LAT, MAG
Surprisingly no retirements yet

21: Radio for VER accusing RUS of moving under braking, but the stewards haven’t said anything so it’s just RB whining as usual
There’s been no announcement of fastest lap times, but the timing sheet shows PER currently holds f/lap

22: LEC pits from P1; mediums go on; rejoins still clearly P1
VET pits; he’s the last one to stop
Radio for VER advising him to press the DRS button after kerbing

23: VER told he’s pushing the DRS button multiple times; the petulant child says he’s pressing it 50 times
HAM makes his 2nd stop; more mediums; rejoins P19

24: VER takes P2 but RUS fights back and reclaims the place

25/66: LEC, RUS, VER, PER, BOT, SAI, OCO, NOR, TSU, ALO

26: LEC f/lap 1:27.030
Radio from PER, “Get Max out my way”
Incident involving RUS and VER – no further investigation

27: LEC losing power!

28: LEC pits; RUS now P1
STR tries to go alongside GAS into T1, makes contact and spins

29: VER pits from P2; softs go on – three-stopping?
HAM f/lap 1:26.990

30/66: RUS, PER, BOT, VER, SAI, OCO, NOR, TSU, ALO, SCH
HAM takes P12 from VET
PER closes on RUS
ZHO pits; retires

31: RUS takes his line to defend into Turn 1; PER goes around the outside and takes P1
VER f/lap 1:25.732
VER around the outside of BOT in T12 to take P3

32: SAI pits from P5; mediums go on; rejoins P8
GAS given 5-sec penalty for causing a collision

33: Half distance
PER has opened 2.5sec lead over RUS

34: NOR pits; rear-right a bit slow; rejoins P9
ALO takes P10 from TSU

35/66: PER, RUS, VER, BOT, OCO, SAI, HAM, VET, NOR, ALO, TSU, SCH, RIC, GAS*, STR, LAT, ALB, MAG; out: ZHO, LEC (*GAS +5sec penalty)
BOT pits; mediums; rejoins P5

37: RUS pits; mediums; rejoins P3

38: PER pits; mediums; rejoins P2

39: SAI catching BOT, and HAM catching SAI
NOR inside VET to take P8

40/66: VER, PER, RUS, BOT, SAI, HAM, OCO, NOR, VET, ALO, TSU, SCH, RIC, GAS*, STR, LAT, ALB, MAG

41: MAG takes P17 from ALB, moving the Williams to last place

42: ALO closing on VET

43: VET pits, so ALO takes P9

44: VER’s soft tyres are looking rough

45/66: VER pits; mediums; rejoins P2
Will Red Bull tell PER to let VER take P1?
Black and white flag for HAM for exceeding track limits

46: PER, VER, RUS, BOT, SAI, HAM, OCO, NOR, ALO, TSU

47: VER f/lap 1:25.456
SAI pits; rejoins P7

48: SAI takes P6 from OCO
Radio for PER “you’re on a different strategy to Max; if he’s quicker, let him through”; “that’s very unfair but ok”

49: PER lets VER takes P1
HAM pits; softs; rejoins P7

50/66: VER, PER, RUS, BOT, SAI, OCO, HAM, NOR, ALO, TSU, SCH, VET, RIC, GAS, LAT, MAG, STR, ALB; out: ZHO, LEC

51: HAM takes P6 from OCO on the main straight, and sets f/lap 1:25.106

52: RUS pits; softs go on; rejoins P4
HAM f/lap 1:24.253
NOR pits from 8; softs; rejoins P10
STR takes P15 from MAG

53: RUS reclaims P3 from BOT as BOT locks up into T1
OCO pits from P7; rejoins P8

54: PER pits; softs; rejoins still P2
ALO pits; slow front-right; rejoins P10

55/66: VER, PER, RUS, BOT, SAI, HAM, OCO, NOR, SCH, ALO, TSU, VET, RIC, GAS, STR, MAG, LAT, ALB
SAI closing on BOT
ALO all over SCH

56: ALO takes P9 from SCH
PER f/lap 1:24.108

57: TSU takes P10 from SCH
SAI now has DRS behind BOT

58: HAM has DRS behind SAI, so BOT is under a lot of pressure
SAI takes P4 into T1
HAM around the outside of BOT in T3

59: HAM still has DRS behind SAI

60/66: VER, PER*, RUS, SAI, HAM, BOT, OCO, NOR, ALO, TSU, SCH, VET, RIC, GAS, STR, MAG, LAT, ALB (*PER holds f/lap)
HAM around the outside of SAI in T1, taking P4 from the Spaniard

62: VER has nearly 20sec lead over PER – are they thinking about a stop for softs to take f/lap?
Closest challenge is GAS under 2sec behind RIC

63: Radio from VER saying he’s “bringing it home”

64: LAT takes P16 from MAG
Radio for HAM & RUS telling both of them to lift & coast as mich as possible, even if that means losing a place – “DNF risk”

65/66: VER, PER, RUS, HAM, SAI, BOT, OCO, NOR, ALO, TSU, VET, RIC, SCH, GAS, STR, LAT, MAG, ALB
SAI has DRS behind HAM; takes P4, much to the crowd’s approval

66: GAS still has DRS behind SCH
GAS takes P13
Radio for HAM telling him “50% throttle”!!

VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER, PER, RUS, SAI, HAM, BOT, OCO, NOR, ALO, TSU; VET, RIC, GAS, SCH, STR, LAT, MAG, ALB
Fastest lap: PER (1:24.108)
DNF: ZHO, LEC

Radio from PER, “I’m happy for the team; we need to speak later”
Apparently both Mercedes had a water leak

Post-race:

• “Pierre Gasly was given two penalty points on his licence after the stewards ruled he was to blame for the collision which sent Lance Stroll into a spin.
  The stewards also penalised Alexander Albon [a single penalty point] for repeatedly running off the circuit during the race.” [racefans]
  ALB was also given a five-second time penalty but he finished last so it makes no difference

• “Fernando Alonso says he apologised to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem for accusing the Miami Grand Prix stewards of “incompetence”.” [racefans]
  although grandprix.com reports it differently: “Fernando Alonso has refused to apologise for comments that reportedly could have left him with a disrepute charge courtesy of the governing FIA. [..] When asked if he would be going so far as to issue an apology, however, Alonso insisted: “Apologise? Why?” ”

• “Lando Norris was forced to miss the usual post-race media sessions in Barcelona in order to undergo medical checks. It came after a sterling drive to eighth place for McLaren, despite the Briton suffering from tonsillitis.” [F1]

[2022 calendar and line-up]