It wasn’t a particularly eventful Qualifying session but there are a lot of engine-related penalties to be applied to the provisional grid. (And remember that Nyck de Vries (DEV) is standing in for ALB who has appendicitis.)
Provisional grid: LEC, VER, SAI, PER, HAM, RUS, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, OCO, BOT, DEV, ZHO, TSU, LAT, VET, STR, MAG, SCH
Penalties to be applied:
- 5-place penalties: OCO, VER
- 10-places: PER
- 15-places: BOT, MAG, SCH
- All the way to the back: HAM, SAI, TSU
So the grid will be: LEC, RUS, NOR, RIC, GAS, ALO, VER, DEV, ZHO, LAT, VET, STR, PER, OCO, BOT, MAG, SCH, SAI, HAM, TSU
A minute’s silence in memory of the Queen
LEC leads everyone away on the formation lap
Air temperature 27°C; track 44°C; humidity 34%
LEC and RUS are on the soft compound tyres; NOR, RIC, GAS and ALO on mediums; then VER and DEV on softs; rest of the field on mediums except OCO (softs)
It’s probably a 1-stop for most if not everyone
01/53: RUS makes a good start
A few drivers have to cut the first chicane, but everyone makes it through
NOR under pressure from ALO
VER is already up to P4
02: LEC, RUS, RIC, VER, GAS, NOR, ALO, DEV, ZHO, STR
VER out-brakes RIC to take P3 into the chicane
Replay of the start – NOR has a very slow getaway and VER nearly wiped off the McLaren’s front wing
BOT rear-ended MAG into Turn 1 on the first lap
03: LEC fastest lap 1:26.535
VER f/lap 1:26.401
04: LEC f/lap 1:26.352
VER f/lap 1:26.181
Big lockup from
PER takes P14 from MAG
VER has DRS behind RUS
05/53: LEC, RUS, VER, RIC, GAS, NOR, ALO, DEV, ZHO, STR, VET, OCO, SAI, PER, MAG, LAT, TSU, HAM, SCH, BOT
VER inside RUS into Turn 1 to take P2
06: VER f/lap 1:25.512
SAI takes P10 from STR
PER past OCO for P13
07: GAS has DRS behind RIC
08: LEC f/lap 1:25.467
VER f/lap 1:25.297
SAI inside ZHO for P9
PER pits; hard tyres go on; there’s smoke from the front-right brake
Half a lap later, there’s still smoke from PER’s brake
09: ALO has SAI and DEV on his tail
10/53: LEC, VER, RUS, RIC, GAS, NOR, ALO, SAI, DEV, ZHO
SAI takes P7 from ALO
RIC has GAS and NOR harrying him; SAI joins the train
11: SAI easily inside NOR for P6
Smoke from VET’s engine; he reports he’s losing power
12: VET pulls off the track and parks his Aston Martin
SAI steals P5 from GAS just before the VSC is deployed
VET parked right next to a gap in the barriers so they should be able to remove the car fairly quickly
13[VSC]: LEC pits; mediums go on; rejoins P3 – will the mediums last to the end?
VSC ends
LEC holds on to P3 as they go through Turn 1
SAI passes RIC for P4
14: GAS passes RIC into Turn 1; locks up, cuts the chicane; GAS has to let RIC reclaim P5
15/53: VER, RUS, LEC, SAI, RIC, GAS, ALO, NOR, DEV, ZHO, STR, OCO, HAM, TSU, LAT, MAG, SCH, BOT, PER; out: VET
LEC f/lap 1:25.257
16: Radio for LEC telling him not to short shift; “I can’t guys. I can’t. Make sure the engine is right.”
17: HAM takes P11 from STR
18: LEC f/lap 1:25.145
MAG given 5-sec penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on lap 1
19: GAS pits, followed by ZHO and STR
Black and white flag for DEV for exceeding track limits
20/53: More pit stops – RIC, DEV, OCO and TSU
STR all over the rear wing of OCO’s Alpine
SAI asking why he hasn’t been pitted yet
22: LEC’s engineer says they’re thinking about Plan C; LEC confirms
23: LEC and PER are the only ones in the top 10 to have pitted so far
PER takes P9 from BOT
24: RUS pits from P2; hards go on; rejoins P4
HAM looking for a way round ALO
PER takes P8 from SCH
25/53: VER, LEC, SAI, RUS, NOR, ALO, HAM, PER, SCH, BOT, MAG, RIC, GAS, DEV, ZHO, OCO, TSU, LAT, STR; out: VET
MAG pits; serves his 5sec penalty before the team can service the car
26: VER pits; mediums go on; rejoins P2
HAM still on ALO’s tail
Half distance
27: HAM inside ALO to take P6
28: VER f/lap 1:25.012; he’s 9sec behind LEC
29: VER continues to close the gap, so if LEC was planning a 2nd stop that’s probably no longer going to work
30/53: LEC, VER, SAI, RUS, NOR, HAM, ALO, PER, SCH, BOT, RIC, GAS, DEV, ZHO, OCO, TSU, LAT, STR, MAG
VER f/lap 1:24.829
31: SAI pits; locks up at the speed limit line, but those tyres are coming off; softs go on; rejoins P8, 2sec behind PER
32: ALO pits from P6; he’s pushed into the garage and jumps out of the car
33: LEC’s lead under 5sec
SAI takes P6 from PER
34: LEC pits; softs go on; rejoins P2, now about 19sec behind VER
HAM pits from P7; softs; rejoins P12 behind a long train of cars
35/53: VER, LEC, RUS, NOR, SAI, PER, BOT, RIC, GAS, DEV, ZHO, HAM, OCO, TSU, LAT, STR, SCH, MAG; out: ALO, VET
HAM takes P11 from ZHO
36: NOR pits from P4; softs; slow stop; rejoins P6, just ahead of RIC but RIC and GAS pass him into Turn 1
37: HAM up to P6
NOR past GAS for P8
38: LEC f/lap 1:24.510 – that’s only 0.3sec quicker than VER when he needs to be over 1sec/lap faster
39: LEC f/lap 1:24.336 – gap to VER is still 19sec
40/53: VER, LEC, RUS, SAI, PER, HAM, NOR, RIC, GAS, DEV, ZHO, OCO, TSU, LAT, SCH, BOT, STR, MAG
LEC laps MAG
STR is told to cool the brakes; they’re going to retire the car
41: STR pits, retires – that’s both Aston Martins out
SCH tucked up behind LAT
42: SCH takes P14 but LAT fights back; the Haas stays ahead
43: PER pits from P5; 2nd stop; softs; rejoins P7
44: VER laps DEV (P10)
45/53: VER, LEC, RUS, SAI, HAM, NOR, PER, RIC, GAS, DEV
46: DEV closing on GAS
47: Yellow flag – RIC has stopped at the side of the track
PER f/lap 1:24.030
48: Safety Car deployed – VER and LEC had already passed the pit entrance
RUS pits, followed by SAI
49[SC]: VER and LEC pit
Top 7 are all on softs now
Marshals are struggling to move RIC’s McLaren – looks like it’s stuck in gear
50/53[SC]: VER, LEC, RUS, SAI, HAM, PER, NOR, GAS, DEV, ZHO, OCO, SCH, BOT, TSU, LAT, MAG; out: RIC, STR, ALO, VET
51[SC]: There’s now a crane on track, so it won’t remove the McLaren before we run out of laps
SC is letting everyone pass him as they wait for VER to catch up
52[SC]: Radio for LEC telling him “We will finish the race behind the SC”
53[SC]: Race control says SC is ending but the SC still has its lights on
SC turns its lights out, so it’ll head into the pits and let VER lead over the finish line
The boos from the crowd are clear even above the sound of the cars
VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER, LEC, RUS, SAI, HAM, PER, NOR, GAS, DEV, ZHO; OCO, SCH, BOT, TSU, LAT, MAG
DNF: RIC, STR, ALO, VET
Fastest lap: PER 1:24.030
