Two weeks on from the Australian Grand Prix it’s another middle of the night (for our timezone) race.
Williams have confirmed they only have the two chassis this weekend, so ALB and SAR will have to be careful not to damage their cars.
Ferrari seem to be off the pace in the practice sessions
Qualifying
Air temperature 17°C; track 28°C; humidity 56%
It’s PIA’s 23rd birthday today
Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Haas send MAG out first; I thought RB might send TSU out first for his home race, but maybe they did that in an earlier session
MAG 1:31.203
Williams send out SAR followed by ALB
There’s now a queue in the pit lane
RUS leaves his garage and squeezes PIA – that could well be a penalty for RUS
SAR 1:30.643
ALB 1:30.369
PER 1:29.303
VER 1:28.866
LEC P3
SAI P3
PIA P3
ALO P2
5mins left; bottom 5 are GAS, HUL, SAR, MAG, ZHO
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are SAR, OCO, HUL, MAG, ZHO
MAG P16
HUL P11, GAS P16
OCO P10, RIC P16
RIC P9, BOT P16
BOT P8, STR P16
ZHO P20
Back of the grid: STR, GAS, MAG, SAR, ZHO
Interesting session for the Aston Martin pair: ALO in P2 but STR only P16
Qualifying session 2
Red Bull send PER out ahead of VER
PER 1:28.752
VER 1:28.740
HUL P3
PIA P3
ALO P3
NOR P3
HUL is the first to have a lap time deleted
5mins left; bottom 5 are TSU, OCO, RIC, HUL, ALB
FIA paying attention as Ferrari mechanics work on SAI’s car
Everyone on track from HAM (P8) down
HAM P3
HUL P10
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are BOT, TSU, OCO, RIC, ALB
OCO P11
RIC P10, HUL P11
ALB P12
TSU P10, RIC P11
BOT P13
Middle of the grid: RIC, HUL, BOT, ALB, OCO
Top 10 shootout is between VER, PER, HAM, NOR, ALO, SAI, RUS, PIA, LEC, TSU
Qualifying session 3
HAM sitting at the head of the queue, waiting for the green light
Just LEC and TSU remain in the garage
HAM 1:28.766
RUS P2
VER 1:28.240
PER P2
ALO P4
SAI P3
PIA P4
NOR P2
TSU P9
Order after the first run: VER, NOR, PER, SAI, PIA, HAM, ALO, RUS, TSU, LEC
LEC leaves the pits now and has the track all to himself for his one fast lap
LEC P7 despite going fastest in Sector 2
ALO, HAM and LEC all feel they’ve put in the best lap they can
PER P2
VER 1:28.197
Chequered flag; order is VER, PER, NOR, SAI, PIA, HAM, LEC, ALO, RUS, TSU
TSU P10
ALO P5
HAM P7
NOR P3
RUS P9
Front of the grid: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, HAM, LEC, RUS, TSU
Provisional grid: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, HAM, LEC, RUS, TSU, RIC, HUL, BOT, ALB, OCO, STR, GAS, MAG, SAR, ZHO
Race
Pit lane is open; drivers can make their way to the grid
Air temperature ?°C; track 40°C; humidity ?%
Grid: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, HAM, LEC, RUS, TSU, RIC, HUL, BOT, ALB, OCO, STR, GAS, MAG, SAR, ZHO
VER leads everyone away on the formation lap
Most drivers starting on medium compound tyres; ALO, HUL, BOT, ALB, OCO, STR, GAS and SAR on softs; presumably they’ll all switch to hards around mid-race
So ALO could steal some places at the start, while his new softs are faster than the mediums, but then he’ll have to pit earlier
01/53: VER cuts across PER to assert his lead
Yellow flag – RIC and ALB are in the tyre wall at Turn 2
Red flag
RIC’s out of his car but the medical team are talking to ALB in his Williams
ALB has told the team he’s OK
Replay shows RIC had a poor start; there’s the slightest touch as RIC moved to take his line ahead of STR, tapping ALB’s wheel
I’d call that a racing incident
02[Red]: Everyone else has returned to the pit lane
Will anyone change tyres after half a racing lap?
Race will resume at 14:32 local time
Radio for ZHO confirming it’ll be a standing start
Order for the restart: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, HAM, LEC, RUS, HUL, BOT, TSU, OCO, GAS, STR, MAG, SAR, ZHO; out: RIC, ALB
VER leads the 18-car field away on the formation lap
HAM and RUS are going to start on new hard tyres, as are OCO, GAS and SAR; looks like everyone else is on the same tyres are before
Will the Mercedes pair be able to hold their positions with medium and soft runners behind them?
03/53: LEC has taken P7 from HAM before Turn 2
Is that smoke from MAG’s Haas?
The timing chart says there’s 0.8sec between VER and PER but they look closer than that
04: The timing chart disappeared for about half a lap
05/53: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, LEC, HAM, TSU, RUS, OCO, BOT, STR, GAS, MAG, ZHO, HUL, SAR
VER fastest lap 1:36.472
DRS enabled
RUS reclaims P9 from TSU
BOT takes P11 from OCO
06: VER f/lap 1:36.437
ALO has DRS behind SAI
STR past OCO for P12
PER runs wide, kicks up some dirt; recovers
07: BOT pits, as does HUL
MAG closing on GAS
08: TSU pits from P10; switches to hards; rejoins P15 but BOT immediately passes him
10/53: VER, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, LEC, HAM, RUS, STR, OCO, MAG, GAS, SAR, BOT, TSU, HUL, ZHO
Radio from RUS reporting some vibrations
PIA closing on ALO, but presumably ALO will pit soon to get rid of his soft tyres
11: SAR inside GAS to take P13
12: NOR pits from P3; hards go on; rejoins P10
Was ZHO serving a stop-go penalty? Only saw him sitting in his pit box but no mechanics working on the car
13: PIA pits from P6; hards; rejoins P12
Radio from HAM asking whether he should let RUS past
RUS takes P5
ZHO in the pits again
14: ALO pits; rejoins P8
Radio for ZHO telling him they have to retire the car; gearbox problem
PIA dives inside MAG into the hairpin, takes P9
15/53: VER, PER, SAI, LEC, RUS, HAM, NOR, ALO, PIA, MAG, OCO, SAR, BOT, TSU, HUL, STR, GAS; out: ZHO, RIC, ALB
SAR takes P11 from OCO
STR past HUL for P15
16: PER pits from P2; mediums go on; rejoins P6
SAI pits from P3; mediums; P7
BOT takes P12 from OCO
NOR tucked up behind HAM
17: VER pits; mediums; P3
HAM makes NOR go the long way round to take P4
VER takes P2 from RUS
PER looking to pass HAM
PER holds the inside line through 130R
18: NOR takes P3 from RUS
BOT past SAR for P11
19: SAI takes P6 from HAM
20/53: LEC, VER, NOR, PER, RUS, SAI, HAM, ALO, PIA, MAG, BOT, SAR, TSU, STR, HUL, OCO, GAS
21: VER has DRS to help him take P2 from LEC
Radio from HAM, “Change this strategy!”
SAI looks inside RUS but the Mercedes driver defends P5
SAI makes the move stick this time
22: VER f/lap 1:35.617
ALO closes on HAM; glides past for P7
PER has DRS behind NOR
PER squeezes through in the final chicane; takes P3
23: RUS pits; more hards go on; rejoins P9
MAG, BOT, SAR, TSU and STR all pit
24: HAM pits from P7; more hards (not sure this was what HAM wanted); rejoins P9
Replay of the mass pit stop; a couple of nearly “dangerous release” incidents; STR runs alongside rather than merging in
Race control: pit lane infringement noted for STR
25/53: VER, LEC, PER, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, RUS, HAM, HUL, TSU, STR, MAG, OCO, BOT, SAR, GAS
VER almost 8sec clear of LEC; PER has DRS behind LEC
RUS f/lap 1:35.149
26: LEC defending P2 from PER
How long before PER starts whining over the radio?
LEC runs wide; PER steals P2 and now NOR is right on the Ferrari’s rear wing
Half distance
27: LEC and NOR pit line astern; hards for both; rejoin P6 and P8 with RUS between them
28: RUS defends the inside line; NOR storms past for P7
30/53: VER, PER, SAI, ALO, PIA, LEC, NOR, RUS, HAM, HUL, TSU, STR, MAG, BOT, SAR, OCO, GAS; out: ZHO, RIC, ALB
VER has 10.5sec lead over his teammate
31: PIA locks up but recovers
33: PIA pits; hards; rejoins P9
34: TSU takes P10 from HUL, much to the crowd’s pleasure
PER pits; hards; rejoins P5
ALO pits; hards; P8
MAG weaving to defend from BOT
Race control: no further action for STR pit lane incident
35/53: VER pits; hards; rejoins P2
PER easily past NOR for P4
36: PER takes P2 from SAI
37: SAI pits from P2; hards; P7
SAI closes on HAM
38: RUS pits; mediums go on; rejoins P9 but everyone ahead of him is on hards
SAI past HAM for P5
PIA closing on ALO
40/53: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, SAI, HAM… but HAM pits; mediums; rejoins P9
41: VER, PER, LEC, NOR, SAI, ALO, PIA, RUS, HAM, TSU, MAG, BOT, STR, HUL, SAR, OCO, GAS; out: ZHO, RIC, ALB
42: Closest battle is BOT behind MAG
Yellow flag – SAR off in 2nd Degna, Turn 11
SAR is reversing out of the gravel trap, onto the circuit! That’s crazy dangerous!
ALO and PIA arrive at the corner just as SAR’s on track and about to get going again
Surely race control will be all over that
43: SAR pits; rejoins P17
NOR locks up; SAI is now right under his rear wing
44: SAI inside NOR and takes P4
SAI is 2sec behind his teammate; will LEC be told to let SAI through?
Radio telling SAI “One more to go for the podium” so I don’t think the team will arrange the pass
45/53: VER, PER, LEC, SAI, NOR, ALO, PIA, RUS, HAM, TSU
46: SAI takes P3; I wonder if Ferrari are kicking themselves for signing LEC for next season given SAI’s finish ahead last race and is now ahead again?
STR squeezes past BOT for P12
HUL passes BOT too
47: SAI f/lap 1:33.841
STR sweeps past MAG for P11
RUS closing on PIA
48: PIA has DRS behind ALO
RUS now has DRS behind PIA
49: HUL takes P12 from teammate MAG
50/53: VER, PER, SAI, LEC, NOR, ALO, PIA, RUS, HAM, TSU
RUS makes a late dive on PIA; minor contact; both continue and PIA hangs on to P7
Race control immediately note RUS “forcing another car off the track”
51: GAS stays out the way as PIA and RUS lap him
PIA is outside DRS … except ALO lets PIA catch him a little
52: PIA now has DRS again; ALO is helping PIA defend from RUS – very tactical
HAM is catching up to the ALO-PIA-RUS train
53/53: PIA defends on the main straight but RUS steals P7 into Turn 1
ALO picks up his pace
VER takes the chequered flag
PER P2
Provisional result: VER, PER, SAI, LEC, NOR, ALO, RUS, PIA, HUM, TSU; HUL, STR, MAG, BOT, OCO, GAS, SAR
DNF: ZHO, RIC, ALB
Fastest lap: VER
Post-race investigations
- RIC and ALB incident on lap 1 – no further action
- STR pit lane incident on lap 24 – no further action
- RUS allegedly forcing PIA off track on lap 50 – no further action
- no mention of any investigation into SAR reversing out of the gravel trap, onto the circuit on lap 42
[2024 calendar and driver line-up]