Vettel takes Indian GP victory to clinch fourth successive Drivers’ Crown
Sebastian Vettel has stormed to his sixth successive race victory at the Indian Grand Prix, which in turn has seen the German sensation clinch his fourth successive Drivers’ Championship Crown for Red Bull. Vettel was joined on the podium by Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean, as Red Bull also clinched the Constructors’ Championship.
After securing yet another superb pole position during qualifying, Sebastian Vettel glided into the lead of the race at the start, whereas behind him the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton jostled for position. As the field negotiated the tight Turn 1, Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso made light contact which in turn saw the Ferrari driver sustain minor front-wing damage. With the softer tyre compound predicted to only last for several laps at the start, Sebastian Vettel wasted no time in opening up a gap at the front, as down the long straight into Turn 4 the Ferrari of Felipe Massa muscled his way into 2nd position ahead of the Mercedes’ duo.
At the end of the opening lap both Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne pitted for their respective teams, in a bid to immediately switch from the soft tyre compound to the mediums. A lap later many other drivers did likewise, including race leader Sebastian Vettel and fellow Championship rival Fernando Alonso. Whilst this handed the lead of the race to the Ferrari of Felipe Massa, the Brazilian’s team-mate frustratingly required a front-wing change after his earlier incident, which saw him rejoin the action way down in 20th position. Further down the order saw Giedo van der Garde become the first retirement of the race, after an opening lap collision with the Marussia of Max Chilton which damaged his suspension.
As the opening laps of the race ensued, Felipe Massa led out in front ahead of the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Further down the order Fernando Alonso was heard complaining of the handling of his car over the team radio, after a torrid opening few laps to his race. Mark Webber also endured a tough start to the race, however the Australian ace was soon scything his way through the order on the medium tyre compound, eventually rising ahead of Kimi Raikkonen into 4th position by Lap 5. Soon afterwards Sergio Perez managed to also overtake the Finn, who began to struggle on his set of soft tyres.
By Lap 7 more drivers soon began peeling off into the pits for the medium tyre compound, including the likes of Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen with Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado doing so a lap later. This saw Mark Webber rise up into the lead of the race, after initially dropping down to as low as 7th after the opening lap. By now Sebastian Vettel had silently begun clawing his way up through the order after his earlier pit-stop, and was running a strong 4th by Lap 10. In stark contrast to the Red Bull ace, Fernando Alonso was unable to replicate Sebastian Vettel’s ability to cut through the pack, and was still down in 16th position.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel began setting his sights on future team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in 3rd, Formula 1 rookie Esteban Gutierrez came under investigation for jumping the start. The Mexican driver was soon struck with a drive-thru penalty, after numerous replays confirmed his illegality. Meanwhile Sebastian Vettel made light work of Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso for 3rd, with the McLaren of Sergio Perez his next target further up on the road. As the German driver produced consecutive fastest laps in his bid to catch his team-mate in the lead, Fernando Alonso was struggling to even make a move stick on Esteban Gutierrez. At Turn 1 it seemed the Spaniard had finally overtaken the Sauber driver, only for him to breeze back around the Ferrari ace down the long straight into Turn 4.
As Sebastian Vettel eased around Sergio Perez for 2nd on Lap 20, Fernando Alonso finally muscled his way around Esteban Gutierrez at Turn 5. The Spaniard finally made the move stick, after some incredibly mature defensive driving from the Mexican rookie. Nico Rosberg pitted several laps later in Mercedes, as Esteban Gutierrez soon came close to incurring yet another penalty as he made more than one change of direction in a bid to keep Romain Grosjean at bay. The race stewards initially placed the duo under investigation, but soon confirmed that no further action would take place.
Mark Webber and Sergio Perez also pitted as the race ensued, allowing Sebastian Vettel to resume his lead at the front. After making his stop, Sergio Perez rejoined the action just behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, whom he soon managed to overtake. Soon both Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta, Fernando Alonso and Max Chilton all pitted, as the second round of pit-stops entered into full motion. Sebastian Vettel soon pitted as well from the lead of the race, allowing Mark Webber to momentarily resume his lead before also pitting a lap later. This in turn saw Sebastian Vettel retake the lead by a considerable margin over his Australian team-mate.
As the race began to enter it’s closing stages, Charles Pic became the latest retirement after a serious issue materialized on his Caterham. This was the Leafield-based outfit’s first double-DNF of the season, with arch-rivals Marussia remaining ahead of them in the Constructors’ Championship. Several laps later Mark Webber dramatically joined Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde in retirement, after a familiar alternator issue once again struck his Red Bull machine. Amid a race dominated by tyres and differing race strategies, Adrian Sutil surprised many by making his first and only stop on Lap 41, after running a staggering 45 laps on the medium tyre compound.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel dominated out in front on his way to his sixth successive race victory, rookie Valtteri Bottas was jostling for 11th position with both Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso. Eventually the Finn was swamped by the charging duo, as he strove to pick up his first points in Formula 1. Kimi Raikkonen soon began struggling significantly on his medium tyres as the race drew to a close, allowing the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg to rise up into 2nd position.
With only several laps remaining, Nico Hulkenberg pitted into retirement for Sauber, bringing an end to a highly competitive streak for the German ace. With Kimi Raikkonen continuing to struggle with his tyres, team-mate Romain Grosjean soon managed to catch the Finn for the final podium position. Despite a minor collision between the duo, Grosjean eventually managed to perfect an overtaking maneuver on his team-mate, with Felipe Massa following the Frenchman through.
As utter freneticism ensued between Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen during the dying laps of the race, no-one managed to stop the rampaging Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel who crossed the line to take his sixth successive race victory and his fourth successive Drivers’ Crown. The German was followed by fellow countryman Nico Rosberg, with Romain Grosjean an incredible 3rd. Whereas the many drivers either peeled off of the track immediately after crossing the line or slowly trundled back to parc ferme, Sebastian Vettel elected to return to the start/finish line to complete a set of donuts in front of the adoring Indian fans.
With only three races now left in the season, Sebastian Vettel’s Championship battle has now drawn to a sensational conclusion with the German romping to yet more Championship success for Red Bull. Although no-one can now mathematically catch Sebastian Vettel, the battle for 2nd in the Championship will surely enthrall many when the sport reconvenes next weekend at Abu Dhabi.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Indian Grand Prix Buddh International Circuit, India; 60 laps; 307.249km; Weather: Smoggy. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h31:12.187 2. Rosberg Mercedes + 29.823 3. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 39.892 4. Massa Ferrari + 41.692 5. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 43.829 6. Hamilton Mercedes + 52.400 7. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 1:07.900 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:12.800 9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:14.700 10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:16.200 11. Alonso Ferrari + 1:18.200 12. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1:18.900 13. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap 14. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1 lap 15. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 16. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1 lap 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 18. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 19. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 6 laps Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:27.679 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Webber Red Bull-Renault 40 Pic Caterham-Renault 36 van der Garde Caterham-Renault 2
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Sebastian Vettel destroys the opposition on his way to Indian GP pole
Sebastian Vettel has utterly destroyed the opposition on his way to his 43rd pole position for tomorrow’s 60-lap Indian Grand Prix, after yet another dominant display from Red Bull. The German sensation will start tomorrow’s race alongside fellow countryman Nico Rosberg, with Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber on the second row of the grid.
After a slight delay to the morning practice session due to the heavy smog lingering over the Buddh International Circuit, the all-important qualifying hour got underway on time despite the smog still making visibility less than perfect. Esteban Gutierrez eventually became the first driver to take to the track as the opening segment of qualifying got underway, in what was a slow start to proceedings. The Mexican rookie produced the first timed lap with a 01:27.529, before many other drivers gradually began leaving the pit-lane.
The times at the top slowly began to improve as expected, with the likes of Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez rising to the top with the latter setting a 01:26.533 in his McLaren. As rookie Valtteri Bottas out-broke himself at the final corner and ran wide, Nico Rosberg managed to return to the top with a 01:26.252 before Esteban Gutierrez became one of the first drivers to opt for Pirelli’s soft tyre compound. This enabled the Sauber driver to instantly return to the top with an impressive 01:26.057, as many other drivers soon followed him onto the softer rubber.
As the opening segment of qualifying progressed, Fernando Alonso rose to the top for the Scuderia with a 01:25.934. Despite their strong display of pace throughout the earlier practice sessions, the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber could only manage 2nd and 3rd respectively behind the Spaniard. Paul di Resta managed to rise to the top for Force India with a 01:25.908, as the times once again took a tumble during the latter stages with the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber all momentarily rising to the top.
Eventually Jenson Button surprised many with a 01:25.574 to rise to the top for McLaren, as the classification chopped and changed drastically within the drop zone. As the checkered flag was unfurled, Felipe Massa managed to avoid elimination by improving in his Ferrari. This in turn saw the Brazilian driver demote the Lotus of Romain Grosjean into the drop zone, as the Frenchman was joined by the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and the two Caterhams and Marussias in elimination. Jules Bianchi managed to out-qualify the Caterham duo of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic, in what remains a tense battle at the back of the Constructors’ Championship.
The second segment of qualifying began with the sole remaining Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen becoming the first driver to take to the track, as he proceeded to produce the first timed lap with a 01:26.279. Fernando Alonso soon thwarted the Finn’s authority at the top with a 01:25.546, before Nico Rosberg shot to the top as the times once again began to tumble. Mark Webber momentarily produced the fastest lap of the segment, albeit after running extensively wide on several occasions in a race weekend featuring many drivers exceeding the track limits without picking up a penalty.
However, the Australian’s reign was short-lived as his Red Bull team-mate soon asserted his authority over proceedings once again. Sebastian Vettel managed to produce a 01:24.568, which remained unbeaten as the second segment drew to a climactic conclusion. As more drivers continued to improve throughout the dying minutes of the session, Lewis Hamilton began to edge nearer to the drop zone in his Mercedes. However, the 2008 World Champion soon propelled himself further up the order and into safety as Daniel Ricciardo, Paul di Resta, Adrian Sutil, Jean-Eric Vergne, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez were all eliminated from proceedings.
After two frenetic segments of qualifying around the Buddh International Circuit, the all-important top ten shootout got underway with Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso wasting no time in immediately taking to the track. Fernando Alonso managed to produce the first timed lap of a 01:25.826, with Mark Webber 2nd as Sebastian Vettel left the pit-lane with a brand-new set of soft tyres bolted to his RB9. This assisted in the German producing an absolutely sensational lap time, the fastest ever witnessed around the Buddh International Circuit in Formula 1 machinery, as the German produced a 01:24.119. Gradually the remainder of the field took to the circuit in a bid to battle over the positions behind the dominant German.
However, no-one could thwart the reigning Champion as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton managed to at least split the Red Bull duo as Mark Webber was demoted to 4th with the Mercedes’ duo in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Felipe Massa once again managed to out-qualify Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari, with the Spaniard struggling for one-lap pace way down in 8th position. Sebastian Vettel has led every racing lap around the Buddh International Circuit, a stat the German will be eager to uphold during tomorrow’s race as powers his way to what will unquestionably be his fourth successive Drivers’ Crown.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m24.119s 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.871s +0.752s 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.941s +0.822s 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.047s +0.928s 5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m25.201s +1.082s 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m25.248s +1.129s 7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.334s +1.215s 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m25.826s +1.707s 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.153s +2.034s 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.487s +2.368s Q2 cut-off time: 1m25.458s Gap ** 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.519s +0.951s 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.711s +1.143s 13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m25.740s +1.172s 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.798s +1.230s 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m26.134s +1.566s 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.336s +1.768s Q1 cut-off time: 1m26.178s Gap * 17. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.577s +1.003s 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m26.842s +1.268s 19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m26.970s +1.396s 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m27.105s +1.531s 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m27.487s +1.913s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m28.138s +2.564s 107% time: 1m31.564s
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Vettel heads yet another Red Bull 1-2 in shortened final practice at India
Sebastian Vettel has headed yet another Red Bull 1-2 result during the third and final practice session ahead of the Indian Grand Prix, which was shortened by 20 minutes due to visibility issues. The duo were followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg a competitive 4th.
After a Friday dominated by Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit, the teams and drivers returned to the track for the third and final practice session in a bid to finalize their preparations ahead of qualifying later in the day. However, the start of the third session was frustratingly delayed by several minutes after the heavy smog that had lingered over the track all weekend prevented the medical helicopter from safely operating. Eventually the session was started after a 20 minute delay, leaving only 40 minutes for the teams and drivers to complete their preparations before the all-important qualifying hour.
This led to a frenetic start to the third and final practice session, as the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez eventually led out a long queue of awaiting drivers all naturally eager to return to the circuit. Whereas some drivers immediately returned to the confines of the pit-lane after an installation lap, others elected to complete timed laps. Esteban Gutierrez set the initial benchmark with a 01:30.709, before Mark Webber immediately rose to the top for Red Bull with a 01:27.879. The Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and then Fernando Alonso then shot to the top of the timing sheets respectively, with the Spaniard producing a 01:27.792 to thwart his team-mate.
As the shortened session progressed, Mark Webber was quick to return to the top for Red Bull with an impressive 01:27.180. After a tough Friday around the Buddh International Circuit, McLaren’s Sergio Perez pushed beyond the limits as he missed the apex at Turn 7. However, the Mexican’s minor mistake failed to deter him from progressing during his next lap, as he stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:27.136. Eventually reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel left the confines of the pit-lane to begin his preparations for the all-important qualifying hour, with Pirelli’s soft tyre compound bolted to his Red Bull RB9.
Although Fernando Alonso initially managed to return to the top with a 01:27.011, Sebastian Vettel was soon able to assert his authority over proceedings with a sensational 01:25.332 with Pirelli’s softer rubber at his disposal. The 26-year-old’s team-mate, Mark Webber, slotted into 2nd position as the final practice session neared its completion, therefore creating yet another Red Bull 1-2 at the top of the timing sheets. Whilst the Milton Keynes-based outfit dominated out on track, Nico Hulkenberg returned to the pits and ran over a mechanics foot in the process. Luckily no major injuries were caused, as Max Chilton spun out on track at Turn 6 but managed to continue.
As more drivers began switching to Pirelli’s softer tyre compound during the latter stages of the session, the times behind the Red Bull duo ebbed and flowed however no-one seemed capable of questioning their authority. Esteban Gutierrez was seen flying over the high kerbs at Turn 7 in his Sauber, with the entire front of his car raising into the air and crashing spectacularly back to the track without causing any damage. As the session entered its closing minutes, Lewis Hamilton was forced to run wide at Turn 12 after Romain Grosjean himself ran wide at Turn 11 and rejoined the track right in front of the former World Champion.
After a shortened session the checkered flag was soon unfurled signaling the end of the third and final practice session, with the Red Bull drivers’ of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber 1st and 2nd respectively. The duo were distantly followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with Nico Hulkenberg continuing to impress in the Sauber in a strong 4th position. With all three practice sessions now completed, the teams and drivers will be frantically crunching the numbers before the all-important qualifying hour gets underway later in the day.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.332s 16 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.892s +0.560s 14 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.105s +0.773s 19 4. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.306s +0.974s 17 5. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.350s +1.018s 16 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.435s +1.103s 20 7. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.438s +1.106s 15 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.441s +1.109s 19 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.489s +1.157s 15 10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m26.557s +1.225s 17 11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m26.635s +1.303s 14 12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m26.641s +1.309s 13 13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.737s +1.405s 13 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m26.847s +1.515s 17 15. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.876s +1.544s 17 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m26.883s +1.551s 15 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.259s +1.927s 18 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m27.941s +2.609s 18 19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.019s +2.687s 15 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m28.498s +3.166s 16 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.094s +3.762s 11 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.169s +3.837s 13
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Sebastian Vettel remains unchallenged at India after practice two
Sebastian Vettel has remained unchallenged after the second practice session around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit, after heading yet another Red Bull 1-2 at the top. In a session dominated by severe tyre wear on the soft tyre compound, Romain Grosjean managed to finish 3rd fastest for Lotus.
After a rather straightforward opening practice session around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit in the morning, the teams and drivers returned to the track later in the afternoon for the second practice session as preparations continued ahead of Sunday’s 60-lap race. Once again the smog still hung in the air as the session turned green, with Paul di Resta back behind the wheel of his Force India after ceding driving duties to reserve driver James Calado in practice one.
Rookies’ Max Chilton and Valtteri Bottas eventually became the first drivers to take to the track, in doing so opening the proverbial flood gates as almost the entire field soon followed. The Williams of Valtteri Bottas soon produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:29.663, before Kimi Raikkonen thwarted his fellow countryman with a 01:28.419. After the slow start to the opening practice session earlier in the day, proceedings for the second session instantly gathered momentum as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel soon elected to take to the track.
As the early stages of the session wore on Lewis Hamilton and then Romain Grosjean rose steadily to the top, with the latter managing to produce a 01:27.531 as his Lotus team-mate half-spun at Turn 3 but managed to continue circulating. However, the Frenchman’s reign over proceedings was relatively short-lived, as the ever-dominant Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel rose straight to the top with a 01:27.360. Despite the German’s fearsome pace he was informed via the team radio that he had suffered yet another KERS issue, however that failed to stop him improving as he set a 01:27.059 shortly after.
After slotting into 2nd position behind his team-mate, Mark Webber soon managed to rise to the top with a 01:27.011. With Sebastian Vettel the only driver to have led a racing lap around the Buddh International Circuit, many drivers up and down the paddock are eager to challenge the runaway German. However, Mark Webber’s pace was soon bettered by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, who only just managed to pip the Australian ace with a 01:27.010. As the session progressed, many drivers began electing for Pirelli’s soft tyre compound including the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
With the softer rubber bolted to his Red Bull, the reigning Champion instantly improved with a barnstorming 01:25.722, which propelled him to the top of the timing sheets. As more drivers gradually began opting for Pirelli’s softer tyre compound, many also began completing high-fuel race simulation work. This saw Sebastian Vettel’s time at the top remain unchallenged for the remainder of the afternoon, as all focus switched to race preparation. However, as the session continued many teams and drivers began suffering from excessive tyre wear on the soft compound, creating widespread skepticism up and down the paddock.
Pastor Maldonado’s session was brought to a premature conclusion during the latter stages, when the front-right wheel nut managed to work its way loose only moments after he completed a race-style pit-stop. With Williams coming under severe fire for a similar issue last time out at Suzuka when Pastor Maldonado lost a rear tyre during practice, the team instantly instructed the Venezuelan driver to pull over at the side of the track. With lots of worried faces within the Williams camp, the team also elected to bring an end to Valtteri Bottas’s session.
Meanwhile the remaining 21 drivers continued with their preparations for the weekend ahead, despite the ongoing issue with the soft tyre compound. With all of the drivers focusing solely on long runs in the latter half of the session, Sebastian Vettel remained fastest as the checkered flag was unfurled at the end of the session. The German ace once again finished ahead of his Australian team-mate, with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean 3rd fastest for Lotus. With the Red Bulls locking out the timing sheets with a 1-2 finish during both practice sessions throughout the day, the universal predictions throughout the motorsport fraternity is for yet another weekend dominated by the Austrian outfit. However, with severe tyre wear a possibility, anything could happen around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.722s 35 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.011s +0.289s 38 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.220s +0.498s 36 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m26.399s +0.677s 36 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.430s +0.708s 39 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.582s +0.860s 40 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.601s +0.879s 41 8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m26.632s +0.910s 32 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.857s +1.135s 40 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.972s +1.250s 39 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.304s +1.582s 17 12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.375s +1.653s 36 13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m27.429s +1.707s 31 14. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.491s +1.769s 40 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.608s +1.886s 38 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m27.720s +1.998s 23 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.949s +2.227s 34 18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.431s +2.709s 30 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m28.692s +2.970s 39 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m28.799s +3.077s 32 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m29.366s +3.644s 37 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.164s +4.442s 27
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Sebastian Vettel stamps his authority after practice one at India
Sebastian Vettel has wasted no time in immediately stamping his authority over proceedings at the Buddh International Circuit, after the opening practice session ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix. The reigning Champion, who has led every Formula 1 lap on Indian soil, was followed by team-mate Mark Webber with Nico Rosberg 3rd.
After a two-week gap since the thrilling Japanese Grand Prix around the legendary Suzuka circuit, the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened at New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit for the third running of the Indian Grand Prix. With only four races remaining in a season once again dominated by Sebastian Vettel, the German entered the weekend a strong favorite to finally clinch his fourth successive Drivers’ Crown.
With a thick smog lingering over the Buddh International Circuit, it was a slow start to the opening practice session of the weekend. As expected the entire field eventually left the confines of the pit-lane to complete their various installation laps, with Pastor Maldonado becoming the first driver to take to the track at the start of the session. The Venezuelan ace was immediately joined on the circuit by the likes of Max Chilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas, as preparations for the weekend were set into motion.
After almost ten minutes of unendurable silence once the traditional installation laps had been completed, Sergio Perez finally returned to the Buddh International Circuit to finally begin a competitive flying lap in his McLaren. The Mexican sensation eventually produced the first timed lap of the weekend with a 01:30.953, before continuing to improve down to a 01:28.207 after eight timed laps. As Sergio Perez returned to the pits, many other drivers elected to return to the track including the Williams duo of Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas. Despite the sudden flurry of track activity, no-one immediately managed to set a time faster than Sergio Perez.
Eventually more drivers began to take to the Buddh International Circuit, as Jenson Button finally managed to thwart his Mexican team-mate with a 01:27.995. The 2009 World Champion’s reign was relatively short-lived, as Nico Rosberg shot to the top for Mercedes with a 01:27.937 as Felipe Massa ran slightly wide at Turn 14. Meanwhile Nico Rosberg managed to improve slightly at the top, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:27.196. The fellow countrymen traded fastest times at the top, with Sebastian Vettel eventually edging clear at the top with a 01:26.683 as Fernando Alonso limped back to the pits with a suspected gearbox issue.
As the opening session of the Indian Grand Prix progressed, several drivers began pushing to the limits as preparations for the weekend continued. Future Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo missed the apex at Turn 7, whereas the Williams of Pastor Maldonado suffered a minor spin at Turn 6 but managed to continue. Fernando Alonso’s preparations for the weekend ahead were dealt a major blow, after a gearbox change was required after his earlier limp back to pits. Meanwhile former team-mate Lewis Hamilton managed to out-brake himself at Turn 1 and run extensively wide, skipping through one of the few gravel traps around the track in the process.
Mark Webber slotted into 2nd position to create a Red Bull 1-2 at the top as the session drew to a close, with the Austrian outfit clearly eager to clinch both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships this weekend. Whilst the Red Bull duo looked once again almost unstoppable at the front, Force India reserve driver and GP2 ace James Calado spun at Turn 15. The Briton was able to avoid contact with the barrier, as the limped back to the pits after a busy opening day for the Silverstone-based team.
Eventually the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the opening practice session, with Sebastian Vettel fastest ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg 3rd. With the German sensation so utterly dominant around the Buddh International Circuit, many are understandably expecting him to once again dominate throughout the remainder of the weekend. However, the reigning Champion will certainly not be taking anything for granted, as he strives to join the greats with a fourth successive title. The teams and drivers will return to the Buddh International Circuit later in the day, for the second practice session around the sweeping 5.137km circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m26.683s 24 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.871s +0.188s 17 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.899s +0.216s 23 4. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.990s +0.307s 20 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m27.227s +0.544s 21 6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.335s +0.652s 23 7. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.416s +0.733s 23 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.692s +1.009s 21 9. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.770s +1.087s 19 10. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m27.800s +1.117s 23 11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.035s +1.352s 25 12. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m28.214s +1.531s 6 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.336s +1.653s 18 14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m28.342s +1.659s 21 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m28.468s +1.785s 20 16. Esteaban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.538s +1.855s 18 17. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m28.730s +2.047s 18 18. James Calado Force India-Mercedes 1m29.197s +2.514s 22 19. Giedgo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m29.413s +2.730s 24 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.560s +2.877s 20 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m30.026s +3.343s 23 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.471s +3.788s 17
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Fernando Alonso Urges Ferrari To Improve For Final Three Races
Fernando Alonso has urged Ferrari to improve for the final few races of the season, as he remains optimistic of Championship success despite Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel’s dominance of late. The Spaniard was positive after the Indian Grand Prix with his result, but believes improvements need to be made within the team for the next few races.
When asked whether or not the Spaniard holds any hope of winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso was quick to emphasize the importance of introducing new upgrades to the car. Although the Spaniard finished the race 2nd, it was Ferrari’s qualifying performance which really hindered his chances of victory this weekend. Fernando Alonso is hopeful that he can improve in qualifying next weekend, thereby increasing his chances of victory during the race.
“I think we need to bring some new parts to Abu Dhabi, hopefully improve a little bit more then competitiveness of the car, try to be a little bit closer to Red Bulls on Saturday and hopefully on Sunday as well.” Explained Fernando Alonso, “Obviously three races remaining; Championship is the main target so we need to recover some points and will be nice to finish in front of Sebastian in Abu Dhabi, whatever the position it is. And if we can win the race it will be even better – but for that we need to make a step forward. At the moment we are not able to win.”
Despite Fernando Alonso urging his team to introduce updates for the next three races, the Spaniard felt encouraged with his performance during the Indian Grand Prix. After starting from 5th place, behind both McLaren’s, the two-time World Champion was able to quickly dispose of the duo and focus his attention on eventually catching and overtaking Mark Webber for 2nd.
“Yes, I think it’s good news for us, seeing that we could fight Red Bull in the race.” Enthused Fernando Alonso, when asked whether or not he was pleased with his performance. “More or less we knew this. In qualifying we are not close enough to fight for pole position but in the race normally things improve for us. Today was another example but it was perfect for the strategy from the team: very good start, very good top speed and tyre management.”
In Abu Dhabi’s three years on the Formula 1 calendar, Fernando Alonso has yet to take victory. Sebastian Vettel took the first two victories in 2009 and 2010, before Lewis Hamilton stormed to victory last season amid Vettel’s rare retirement at the start of the race. Fernando Alonso will be hoping he can change this stat next weekend, as he strives to remain in contention for the World Drivers’ Championship.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Mark Webber Hit With KERS Issues Throughout Indian Grand Prix
Mark Webber suffered a tough Indian Grand Prix, after his Red Bull RB8 was struck with ongoing KERS issues throughout the duration of the 60-lap race. Despite struggling, more so towards the end of the race, the Australian driver was able to miraculously hold onto 3rd place ahead of the charging Lewis Hamilton.
After a decent start to the race, Mark Webber once again fell into a competitive rhythm behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was quick to open a gap in the lead. However, roughly 19 laps into the race and Mark Webber began to suffer with his KERS device, which began to work intermittently on his car. This ultimately saw the Australian driver begin to fall into the clutches of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who eventually made an overtaking maneuver stick for 2nd position.
“We had a KERS issue that we had to manage.” Confirmed Mark Webber after the race, “It’s maybe hard for people watching to know what it affects on the car, its power on the straight obviously, but also managing brake balances and those sort of things. The guys were trying to help me get the KERS to recover and were talking with me on the radio. Overall, I was pretty happy with how I drove; we should have finished further up the road, but it’s the way it was today.”
As the race entered its closing stages, Lewis Hamilton began to reel in the Red Bull of Mark Webber at a tremendous pace. This forced Webber to defend extensively in the final few laps, however a slight mistake by the charging McLaren of Hamilton during the final laps enabled the Australian driver to retain his 3rd place. With no KERS on his car, Webber was most certainly vulnerable down the long straight, however Hamilton was unable capitalize on his speed advantage.
“I think I was very lucky that Lewis made a mistake in Turn Three, I think on lap 57. I saw it in the mirrors, it was either [lap] 57 or 58.” Explained Mark Webber, “And that was important because I think he was starting to get a bit of momentum and I was very keen to keep him off the DRS as long as possible because once he got that I was toast. I think another two laps and he would have got me.”
Despite a tough race for the Australian driver, this result has seen Mark Webber move ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship, with the two now separated by only two points in 4th and 5th in the Drivers’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton was only one point ahead of the the Red Bull driver heading into the weekend, but his inability to overtake him in the closing stages has seen him slip further down the Championship order.
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HRT Plagued With Returning Brake Issues At India
HRT once again suffered overheating brakes at the Indian Grand Prix, which ultimately stunted their progress and saw Pedro de la Rosa spin into retirement on lap 44. This recurring issue for the Spanish outfit is most worrying, as the next race at the Yas Marina circuit features equally high braking points around the track.
After slowly improving during each practice session at the beginning of the race weekend, HRT entered the Indian Grand Prix with high expectations. However, after only the third lap the duo of Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa began to endure the first signs of overheating brakes. This issue forced de la Rosa into retirement last time out at the Korean Grand Prix, and began to once again impede the teams progress as the race wore on.
With both Karthikeyan and de la Rosa giving way to reduce the brake temperatures throughout the race, the duo began to loose ground greatly to their nearest competitors at Marussia. Eventually, the overheating became too intense for de la Rosa’s machine as he spun off the track at turn four and lightly tapped the barriers. Luckily the car wasn’t too damaged, however the worrying issues remain a major talking point within the paddock.
“It’s a shame that I had to retire because the car was running well on the hard tyres but, with no warning, the brakes failed.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “We have to understand why this failure occurred and fix it because Abu Dhabi is another challenging circuit for the brakes.”
Although Pedro de la Rosa was forced into retirement due to the issues with the brakes, local hero Narain Karthikeyan was able to control the overheating and finish his home race for a second year in succession. Karthikeyan was at a further disadvantage in comparison to team-mate de la Rosa, after the 35-year-old lost a small piece of his front-wing during the opening lap.
“I got off to a good start but had an incident on the first corner and lost a chunk of my front wing.” Said Narain Karthikeyan, “The damage wasn’t too severe but we had problems with the balance of the car from then on. But the greatest problem was the overheating of the brakes. They warned me on the radio that I had to look after them because we had to make it to the end. And we did that.”
With next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix set feature further high braking zones, HRT will be frantically searching the cause of this continuing issue on their cars. Luckily for de la Rosa, there was enough run off space to avoid a big collision. However, due to the semi-street circuit nature of Yas Marina, the same issue could have bigger repercussions it returns next weekend.
Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team
Sauber Frustrated After Uncompetitive Indian Grand Prix
Both Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez endured yet another frustrating race at the Indian Grand Prix, which saw Sergio Perez retire after 20 laps and Kamui Kobayashi struggle within the midfield for the majority of the race. However, the team are confident of an improvement next weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
After suffering greatly from blistering on the tyres throughout the early stages of the race, Sergio Perez was forced to become the first driver to make a scheduled pit stop only several laps into the race. This put the Mexican driver at a disadvantage early on, and saw him plummet through the order. As Perez tried to overtake the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo, he picked up a right rear puncture which subsequently damaged the car and saw him retire from the race.
“Today was a total disappointment.” Admitted Sergio Perez, who has not scored a World Championship point since the Singapore Grand Prix. “First of all I had to pit after 14 laps because the front left tyre was blistering badly. We don’t know yet why this happened. I wanted to recover the lost positions but touched Daniel Ricciardo’s front wing when I overtook him. The rear right tyre came off the rim and damaged something at the rear of the car. So my race was over after 20 laps.”
With one Sauber driver entering retirement in the opening stages of the race, all hope of a points scoring finish for the Hinwil-based outfit lied solely on the shoulders of Kamui Kobayashi. Since finishing on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix, Kobayashi has fallen off the radar somewhat with several uninspiring drivers for the Japanese driver. This week saw Kobayashi once again struggled within the midfield, on his way to 14th position.
“I have to say it wasn’t our weekend here.” Explained a downcast Kamui Kobayashi, whose position with Sauber next season is still under speculation. “In the race I was never alone, I always had someone in front of me but not enough straight line pace to overtake. This was frustrating. I was stuck behind Daniel Ricciardo and there was nothing I could do. The issue with Pastor Maldonado was a bit strange. He had overtaken me but then he suddenly came on my racing line again. I could not avoid having contact.”
Despite Pastor Maldonado’s race being ruined after the collision with the Sauber driver, Kamui Kobayashi was able to avoid a penalty and 14th was the best he could achieve. Both Perez and Kobayashi will be looking for a better result next weekend at Abu Dhabi, as they remain 20 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Jean-Eric Vergne: “It’s A Race To Forget”
Jean-Eric Vergne is ruing his contact with Michael Schumacher on the opening lap of the Indian Grand Prix, which forced the Frenchman to return to the pits with front wing damage. After that, it was a case of picking up the pieces at the back of the pack, eventually finishing a distant 15th.
After starting the race from 18th, the F1 rookie found himself locked in a “sandwich” of cars as the tight field negotiated the opening corner. Despite applying full brakes in an attempt to avoid contact, Vergne still suffered front-wing damage as Michael Schumacher was forced to limp back to the pits with a right-rear puncture. This put Jean-Eric Vergne on the back foot for the remainder of the race, as he strove to claw his way back through the field.
“Immediately after the lights went out, I was caught up in a bit of a sandwich and had to brake harder and earlier than I wanted to.” Explained Jean-Eric Vergne, “That meant I locked my wheels and made contact with the back of Schumacher’s car. It broke my front wing, so I had to pit and my race was more or less over after that. I continued to push as hard as I could, trying to do good lap times, but the performance of my car has not really been that great this weekend. In one way, it’s a race to forget.”
Jean-Eric Vergne’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was embroiled in a similar incident with the Sauber of Sergio Perez, however the Australian driver’s front wing did not receive any major damage, unlike Vergne. This enabled Ricciardo to continue circulating out on track, whereas Sergio Perez was forced into retirement after initially pitting for new tyres due to a puncture. Despite another points-less race for the Faenza-based outfit, both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are confident of a more competitive result next time out at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
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