Alonso Triumphs On Home Soil In Tyre-Dominated Spanish Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso has stormed to a sensational home victory on home soil in what turned out to be a 66-lap race dominated by Pirelli’s controversial tyres, with the Spaniard eventually finishing ahead of Kimi Raikkonen with team-mate Felipe Massa 3rd. The Mercedes duo greatly struggled during the race, finishing way down the order.
Despite locking-out the front-row of the grid during qualifying, the Mercedes duo struggled to translate such a dominant performance into a successful result, as Lewis Hamilton immediately began to plummet through the order once the lights went out at the start. Nico Rosberg managed to retain the lead, as Sebastian Vettel assumed 2nd position ahead of the charging Ferrari of Fernando Alonso. The McLaren of Jenson Button also struggled during the opening lap of the race, dropping from 14th to 17th amongst the likes of Esteban Gutierrez and Giedo van der Garde.
Despite qualifying on the front row, Mercedes struggled during the race.
Lewis Hamilton continued to drop unceremoniously through the order during the opening few laps, as Kimi Raikkonen became the next driver to make his way around the 2008 World Champion. Jules Bianchi was forced to make an early and unscheduled pit stop after the opening two laps, to change his front wing which sustained damage at the start. By Lap 7, Mark Webber became the first driver to make a scheduled pit stop for Red Bull. As Felipe Massa overtook Lewis Hamilton a lap later, many others elected to dive into the pits.
As many drivers throughout the order elected to pit, including the likes Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean became the first retirement of the race after suffering from suspension failure. The Frenchman managed to limp back to the pits, before jumping disconsolately from his Lotus machine. On Lap 10 the leading duo of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel both pitted, with the Mercedes driver just beating the reigning Champion back out onto the track.
However, the leading duo returned to the Circuit de Catalunya right in the path of Fernando Alonso, who managed to beat Sebastian Vettel and slot neatly behind Nico Rosberg. Whilst these three drivers jostled for position both in the pits and on the track, Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez assumed the lead. Further down the order, Pastor Maldonado’s weekend failed to improve as the former Spanish Grand Prix winner was struck with a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pit-lane.
In his quest for glory on home soil, Fernando Alonso stormed around the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg for 2nd position on Lap 12. The Spaniard then assumed the lead a lap later once Esteban Gutierrez finally pitted for his first of many stops. After Lewis Hamilton’s demise in the early stages of the race, Nico Rosberg began to suffer after his first pit-stop. The German driver was overtaken by both Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa in quick succession, as Fernando Alonso began to open up a considerable lead at the front. Kimi Raikkonen then became the next man to overtake the struggling Mercedes driver, as he rose up to 4th.
Daniel Ricciardo once again enjoyed a very competitive race for Toro Rosso.
After a strong qualifying performance from Toro Rosso, Daniel Ricciardo was enjoying a very competitive race. The Australian driver was up to 8th by Lap 19, after mastering an overtaking maneuver on Paul di Resta’s Force India. Felipe Massa was quick to make his second pit stop on Lap 20, after complaining over the team radio about his tyres. Fernando Alonso pitted a lap later from the lead, gifting the lead of the race to reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Towards the rear of the pack, Giedo van der Garde’s race was brought to a peculiar conclusion when his left-rear wheel fell off of his Caterham. The Dutchman miraculously managed to limp back to the pits on only three wheels, before retiring from the race. Whilst Giedo van der Garde limped back to the pits, Sebastian Vettel made his second pit stop from the lead of the race. This released the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen into the lead, with the Finn looking exceptionally quick before Sebastian Vettel elected to pit.
Lewis Hamilton pitted on Lap 25, in what was becoming a disastrous race for the Briton. Since qualifying 2nd for the race, the Mercedes driver had plummeted down to 10th position. Kimi Raikkonen’s lead was short-lived, as the Finn pitted a lap after Lewis Hamilton. This enabled Fernando Alonso to resume his lead at the front, ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa. Upon returning to the action, Kimi Raikkonen fully utilized his fresh set of tyres, instantly disposing of Sebastian Vettel for 3rd position.
After the second round of pit-stops, Fernando Alonso found himself a commanding +12.598 seconds ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa in 2nd. Whilst the Spaniard continued to assert his authority over proceedings at the front, Sauber unsafely released Nico Hulkenberg into the path of Jean-Eric Vergne in the pits. The resulting incident damaged Hulkenberg’s front wing, and saw him struck with a stop/go penalty.
On Lap 36, both Ferraris completed their third pit-stops, separated by only several seconds in what was a masterful piece of team work by the Ferrari mechanics. Although this initially enabled Kimi Raikkonen to return to the lead, Fernando Alonso wasted no time in hunting down the Finn to retake the lead on Lap 38. Whilst Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen jostled for the lead, Jean-Eric Vergne suffered a tyre failure similar to that of Paul di Resta earlier in the weekend. After returning to the pits for a new set of tyres, the issue continued to plague his Toro Rosso before he was forced to retire on Lap 54.
Despite a yet another round of pit stops in the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso’s lead was not challenged as the double-World Champion eventually crossed the line to secure his 32nd race victory of his career, and his 11th for Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen finished 2nd for Lotus, reenforcing his consistency with his 23rd successive points finish for Lotus since his return. Felipe Massa came home 3rd, after yet another highly competitive drive from the Brazilian.
After finishing in 4th, Sebastian Vettel’s lead at the top of the Championship table has been slashed down to only four points ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen. Should Sebastian Vettel suffer an uncompetitive Monaco Grand Prix next time out and Kimi Raikkonen once again finish on the podium, then the sport could see a change in the lead for the Drivers’ Championship. However, Fernando Alonso will be striving to secure another race victory next time out, in what will surely be yet another fascinating edition to this season.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS Classified: Pos Driver Team 1. Alonso Ferrari 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 3. Massa Ferrari 4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 5. Webber Red Bull-Renault 6. Rosberg Mercedes 7. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 8. Button McLaren-Mercedes 9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes 10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 11. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 12. Hamilton Mercedes 13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 14. Maldonado Williams-Renault 15. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 16. Bottas Williams-Renault 17. Pic Caterham-Renault 18. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 19. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth DNF Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari DNF van der Garde Caterham-Renault DNF Grosjean Lotus-Renault
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Stefano Coletti Dominates GP2 Sprint Race At Spain
Stefano Coletti has increased his lead in the Championship standings after utterly dominating the GP2 sprint race around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, finishing ahead of feature race winner Robin Frijns with the Carlin of Felipe Nasr a distant 3rd. During the closing stages of the race, Johnny Cecotto jr. once again displayed questionable driving.
At the start Tom Dillmann stalled on the grid, however everyone luckily managed to avoid his stricken Russian Time machine on their run down to the opening two corners. Despite securing the reverse grid pole, Kevin Ceccon dropped through the order as Stefano Coletti scythed through from 4th on the grid into the lead by Turn 1. Further back feature race winner Robin Frijns enjoyed an equally competitive start, rising from 8th to 2nd by the end of the opening lap for Hilmer Motorsport.
After a strong display of driving during the feature race, Felipe Nasr also enjoyed a competitive start for Carlin. After starting from 7th position, the Brazilian ace rose steadily up to 3rd by the end of the opening lap. Despite stalling at the start, Tom Dillmann managed to restart his car and continue racing at the back of the pack, albeit on extremely worn tyres. By Lap 8, Stefano Coletti had opened up a four second lead to Robin Frijns, in what was quickly becoming another of his scintillating drives at the front.
On Lap 13, Tom Dillmann opted to pit for a fresh set of soft tyres after initially starting the race on a set of worn hard tyres. This gamble failed to pay off for the Frenchman, when he stalled on the grid. However, his sudden switch from the hard to the soft tyre enabled him to set the fastest lap of the race with a 01:33.337 a lap later. Jake Rosenzweig collided with the Venezuelan GP Lazarus of Rene Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 17, which tipped Binder into a spin and saw Rosenzweig issued with a drive-thru penalty.
After many laps struggling to find a way to overtake Johnny Cecotto jr., Jolyon Palmer finally managed to make a move stick on Lap 20. In his urgency to retain his position, the Arden International driver lightly damaged his front wing and began to fall into the clutches of the likes of Alexander Rossi, Sergio Canamasas and Rio Haryanto. As Alexander Rossi tried to make an overtaking maneuver on Johnny Cecotto jr., the duo both out-broke themselves and ran wide at Turn 1, enabling both Sergio Canamasas, Rio Haryanto and Daniel Abt to close the gap through Turns 2 and 3.
Alexander Rossi suffered a tough end to his race, as he dropped from 6th to 8th in the ensuing battle for position. On the final lap, Johnny Cecotto jr. caused absolute carnage into Turns 13 and 14 as the Venezuelan driver barged across into the side of Sergio Canamasas to defend his position through Turn 13. This then saw the field bunch up through Turns 14 and 15, with many cutting the corner to avoid collision. Unfortunately Sergio Canamasas and Rio Haryanto weren’t so lucky, as the Indonesian driver slammed into the rear of the Spaniard and destroyed his rear-wing.
Whilst the midfield endured a scrappy end to the sprint race, with Julian Leal spinning at Turn 10 and Fabio Leimer banging wheels with Jon Lancaster, Stefano Coletti cruised to his second win of the season for Rapax. The Monegasque ace was followed home by feature race winner Robin Frijns, with Felipe Nasr 3rd for Carlin. Stefano Coletti now heads to his home race around the streets of Monte-Carlo leading the Championship, and naturally striving for victory around the Principality.
Results - 26 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Stefano Coletti Rapax 41m49.895s 2. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 0.691s 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 7.212s 4. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.129s 5. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 35.593s 6. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 36.991s 7. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 38.483s 8. Daniel Abt ART + 39.645s 9. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 40.664s 10. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 41.353s 11. James Calado ART + 41.464s 12. Sam Bird Russian Time + 41.876s 13. Mitch Evans Arden + 42.520s 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 44.190s 15. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 44.277s 16. Simon Trummer Rapax + 44.487s 17. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus + 44.628s 18. Daniel de Jong MP + 45.041s 19. Rene Binder Lazarus + 48.132s 20. Marcus Ericsson DAMS + 53.650s 21. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 53.938s 22. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 1m02.518s 23. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 1m06.632s 24. Rio Haryanto Addax + 1m25.590s 25. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 1 lap 26. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 1 lap
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Aaro Vainio Secures Koiranen GP’s Maiden GP3 Victory At Spain
Aaro Vainio has stormed to Koiranen GP’s maiden GP3 race victory in only their second ever race in the series, after a memorable 50th race in the feeder category. The Finn was followed home by team-mate Kevin Korjus, with the Jenzer Motorsport of Patric Niederhauser a distant 3rd ahead of race one winner Tio Ellinas.
Despite starting on pole position, Kevin Korjus was instantly robbed of the lead at the start, as Aaro Vainio mastered his launch off of the line and scampered into the lead from 4th on the grid. David Fumanelli suffered a disastrous start from 2nd on the grid, and fell back through the order into Turn 1. As the field negotiated the opening lap, carnage ensued at Turns 7 and 8 as Emanuele Zonzini was forced to take avoiding action from Robert Visoiu and Melville McKee, who collided with the latter being forced into retirement.
The incident resulted in the first safety car of the season, as the marshals cleared Melville McKee’s stricken Bamboo Engineering machine. However, the safety car period lasted for only one lap, before Aaro Vainio was able to storm into the lead ahead of Kevin Korjus and Nick Yelloly. Robert Visoiu was issued with a drive-thru penalty for causing the incident between himself and Melville McKee, ruining any chances he had of mounting a resurgence through the order.
As the race progressed, Daniil Kvyat and Ryan Cullen collided through Turn 4, an incident which prematurely ended both of their races with Kvyat stuck in the retaining gravel trap and Cullen eventually limping back to the pits with damaged suspension. Further up the field the Koiranen GP duo of Aaro Vainio and Kevin Korjus were cruising at the front, whereas Nick Yelloly in 3rd was coming under serious pressure from David Fumanelli. Eventually, the two collided at Turns 14 and 15 as Fumanelli tapped the rear of Yelloly’s Carlin and forced the Briton into a spin.
This incident enabled Tio Ellinas and Patric Niederhauser to rise steadily through the order to 3rd and 4th respectively, after starting the race from 8th and 7th due to the reversal of yesterday’s top eight from the results of the opening race. Emanuele Zonzini became the next to retire from the race on Lap 12, as Patric Niederhauser and Tio Ellinas reconvened their battle from yesterday’s race. Eventually the Swiss driver perfected an excellent overtaking maneuver at Turn 4 to rise to 3rd behind the Koiranen GP duo.
Despite several drivers suffering once again from tyre wear during the closing stages of the race, Aaro Vainio and Kevin Korjus remained dominant at the front of the pack. The Finnish sensation eventually crossed the line to secure only his 2nd GP3 race victory, and Koiranen GP’s maiden win after only their second race in the category. The GP3 Series will reconvene in one month, for the category’s first ever standalone event around Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Results - 17 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 28m44.420s
2. Kevin Korjus Koiranen + 1.808s
3. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 6.948s
4. Tio Ellinas Manor + 14.048s
5. David Fumanelli Trident + 15.234s
6. Conor Daly ART + 15.469s
7. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden + 16.085s
8. Jack Harvey ART + 17.853s
9. Lewis Williamson Bamboo + 20.916s
10. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 21.704s
11. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 22.088s
12. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin + 22.355s
13. Adderly Fong Status + 22.924s
14. Luis Sa Silva Carlin + 25.239s
15. Samin Gomez Jenzer + 25.419s
16. Facu Regalia ART + 25.968s
17. Dino Zamparelli Manor + 26.851s
18. Patrick Kujala Koiranen + 38.111s
19. Robert Visoiu MW Arden + 40.758s
20. Carmen Jorda Bamboo + 45.568s
Retirements:
Josh Webster Status 14 laps
Emanuele Zonzini Trident 12 laps
Nick Yelloly Carlin 12 laps
Jimmy Eriksson Status 10 laps
Ryan Cullen Manor 6 laps
Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 5 laps
Melville McKee Bamboo 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Massa And Gutierrez Struck With Post-Qualifying Penalties
Felipe Massa and Esteban Gutierrez have been struck with post-qualifying grid penalties for the Spanish Grand Prix, after blocking discrepancies during qualifying for the race. This means Felipe Massa will instead start 9th for the race, whereas Esteban Gutierrez will start 19th after both were issued with three-place grid penalties.
During the all-important qualifying hour, traffic became a recurring issue up and down the pack, especially throughout the final sector. As is witnessed throughout the year, many drivers tend to slow right down prior to beginning their flying lap so as to build a large enough gap between themselves and the drivers ahead. Sometimes such a tactic fails to work effectively, with drivers hindering others behind them who are striving to complete their timed laps.
Esteban Gutierrez will instead start the race from 19th on the grid.
Esteban Gutierrez was issued his three-place grid penalty for clearly blocking Kimi Raikkonen, as the Finn negotiated the final complex of corners after setting the fastest times in both sectors one and two. Upon arriving at Turns 14 and 15, Kimi Raikkonen was frustratingly met with the slow moving Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez. After initially qualifying 16th, the Mexican rookie will instead start in 19th position alongside the Marussia of Jules Bianchi.
The reason behind Felipe Massa’s penalty was relatively the same, as the Brazilian driver impeded Mark Webber between Turns 11 and 12 during the latter stages of the qualifying hour. Initially the third row of the grid consisted of the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, however this penalty will see the latter start the race from 9th position alongside the Force India of Paul di Resta. The Brazilian driver was not entirely happy with the stewards decision, after Massa thought he had successfully allowed the Australian driver through.
“As for the Stewards’ decision relating to what happened with Webber in Q2, it was not my intention to get in his way and in all honesty, I can’t recall having affected his qualifying.” Explained Felipe Massa, “When I saw him in the mirrors, I thought I’d get through the corner before letting him by, which was the only course of action at such a narrow point. On top of that, he was on worn tyres at the time and I don’t think he was doing a quick lap.”
Prior to the qualifying hour, Felipe Massa had finished fastest during the final practice session. The Brazilian ace will now face a tough 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix, where he will now start towards the midfield where keeping a clean nose at the start could prove tricky.
Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images
Tio Ellinas Fends Off Patric Niederhauser For GP3 Victory At Spain
Tio Ellinas has continued from where he left off last season in the GP3 Series with a stunning victory at the opening race of the season around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, fending off the charging Jenzer Motorsport of Patric Niederhauser. American ace Conor Daly finished a close 3rd, in a race utterly dominated by tyres.
Although Kevin Korjus initially secured pole position earlier in the day, the Estonian driver was subsequently issued with a grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in the practice session. This meant Tio Ellinas started the race from pole alongside Patric Niederhauser, and the duo led away at the front at the start as the field negotiated the tight opening few turns. After the opening lap, the 21-year-old Cypriot had already opened up a one second lead to Patric Niederhauser, whereas further back many battles ensued for position.
Towards the rear of the pack Marussia Manor Racing debutant Ryan Cullen ran extensively wide at the final corner and skipped deep into the gravel trap but managed to continue circulating. British rising star Josh Webster became the first retirement of the race on Lap 6, after the Status Grand Prix driver returned to the pits with an issue on his car. As the race progressed, Daniil Kvyat’s tyres began to seriously wear as the Russian driver plummeted through the order.
Facu Regalia was forced to take avoiding action through Turn 10 after Kevin Korjus out-broke himself, as the field bunched up as tyre wear gripped the pack. Finnish debutant Patrick Kujala became the next retirement of Lap 11, as more drivers began to suffer greatly due to tyre wear. As the race entered its closing stages, almost the entire field began to suffer from tyre wear including race leader Tio Ellinas who was coming under serious pressure from the Jenzer Motorsport of Patric Niederhauser.
Dino Zamparelli crashed out of the race on Lap 14, after the Briton slammed into the rear of Kevin Korjus at Turn 5. This saw Zamparelli damage the front-right of his car and bury himself deep within the retaining gravel trap. Facu Regalia was also forced into retirement after returning to the pits, as both Tio Ellinas and Patric Niederhauser came under pressure from Conor Daly’s ART Grand Prix.
Despite a late surge towards the latter stages of the race, Tio Ellinas managed to fend off both Patric Niederhauser and Conor Daly to secure his second victory in the Series and the first in the new GP3/13 machine. After loosing pole position due to the grid penalty for the first race, Kevin Korjus managed to secure the reverse grid pole and will start tomorrow’s race alongside David Fumanelli. With tyre wear clearly the name of the game in the new era of the GP3 Series, expect further freneticism as the season progresses.
Results - 17 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Tio Ellinas Manor 28m06.022s
2. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 0.428s
3. Conor Daly ART + 0.940s
4. Nick Yelloly Carlin + 9.726s
5. Aaro Vainio Koiranen + 16.925s
6. Jack Harvey ART + 23.006s
7. David Fumanelli Trident + 23.572s
8. Kevin Korjus Koiranen + 28.615s
9. Robert Visoiu MW Arden + 29.053s
10. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 29.426s
11. Lewis Williamson Bamboo + 29.669s
12. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 30.832s
13. Luis Sa Silva Carlin + 37.044s
14. Melville McKee Bamboo + 37.277s
15. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden + 51.669s
16. Samin Gomez Jenzer + 51.949s
17. Emanuele Zonzini Trident + 52.325s
18. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin + 52.759s
19. Jimmy Eriksson Status + 53.858s
20. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden + 1m08.691s
21. Ryan Cullen Manor + 1m09.967s
22. Carmen Jorda Bamboo + 1m10.626s
23. Adderly Fong Status + 1m14.398s
24. Facu Regalia ART + 2 laps
Retirements:
Driver Team Laps
Dino Zamparelli Manor 14
Patrick Kujala Koiranen 10
Josh Webster Status 6
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Robin Frijns Secures Maiden Victory In Thrilling GP2 Feature Race
Robin Frijns has secured his maiden victory in the GP2 Series after an utterly thrilling feature race around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, finishing ahead of the charging Carlin of Felipe Nasr with Jolyon Palmer 3rd. The race featured many spills and thrills, in yet another excellent display of entertainment from the GP2 Series.
At the start pole-man Marcus Ericsson stormed into a commanding lead, ahead of Championship leader Stefano Coletti who rose through the order as Fabio Leimer, Sam Bird and James Calado all touched. This resulted in a premature retirement for Calado after the first lap, with Fabio Leimer also forced to pit for a new front-wing. Further back a melee ensued through Turns 1 and 2, as James Calado and Fabio Leimer ran wide with many drivers skipping through the gravel.
As James Calado and Fabio Leimer pitted, many battles for position ensued throughout the order, with Jake Rosenzweig in particular forcing Sergio Canamasas off of the road down the start/finish straight as he strove to defend his position. Further up the order, Felipe Nasr wasted no time in storming up the inside of Stephane Richelmi, barging around the Monegasque driver.
On Lap 4 Nathaniel Berthon violently crashed out of the race at Turn 10, after slamming into the rear of Sergio Canamasas and Tom Dillmann. The Frenchman flew over the rear of Canamasas, destroying his car and forcing both into retirement. Luckily Tom Dillmann managed to continue circulating unscathed, as Robin Frijns, Jolyon Palmer and Alexander Rossi became the first drivers to carry out a scheduled pit stop.
Race leader Marcus Ericsson pitted from the lead on Lap 7, gifting the lead to Championship leader Stefano Coletti. Whilst the leaders pitted, Tom Dillmann was forced off of the track by Johnny Cecotto jr., in what was turning out to be a frenetic feature race. Eventually Stefano Coletti also elected to pit, handing the lead down to Kevin Ceccon. However, the Italian’s tyres soon began to wear off, which enabled Johnny Cecotto jr. to take the lead ahead of Tom Dillmann.
After securing his maiden pole position in the GP2 Series, Marcus Ericsson’s race was brought to a frustrating and premature conclusion on Lap 10 after a collision between himself, Kevin Giovesi and Sam Bird. This also forced Kevin Giovesi into retirement, as Sam Bird managed to continue racing. As the race wore on, Johnny Cecotto jr., Tom Dillmann and Mitch Evans remained at the front despite electing not to pit. Eventually on Lap 19, Tom Dillmann pitted from 2nd for Russian Time. The Frenchman rejoined way down the order, before Johnny Cecotto jr. did likewise and handed the lead down to Mitch Evans.
Whilst the leaders made their mandatory pit stop, Tom Dillmann’s surge back through the order was hampered after a collision with the DAMS of Stephane Richelmi. The duo were miraculously able to continue circulating, however the Monegasque driver was eventually issued with a penalty for causing the incident. When Mitch Evans finally pitted on Lap 28, Robin Frijns assumed the lead for Hilmer Motorsport ahead of Jolyon Palmer and Sam Bird.
As the race entered its closing stages, Felipe Nasr began to scythe through the order for Carlin, overtaking Stefano Coletti for 4th and then Sam Bird for 3rd. The Brazilian sensation didn’t stop there, as he caught team-mate Jolyon Palmer for 3rd. Through Turn 2, Nasr tapped the rear of Palmer and barged his way around his team-mate. The loss of momentum for Jolyon Palmer saw him come under immediate threat from Sam Bird, as Palmer forced his fellow countryman off of the track and into retirement on the exit of Turn 4.
This crazy turn of events saw Jon Lancaster rise up through the order to 4th, before Tom Dillmann pulled off several expert maneuvers around Turn 3 to continue his rise through the order. However, the Frenchman came unstuck on Lap 36, as he ran frustratingly wide at Turn 3 and dropped back to 5th. Whilst the mayhem ensued throughout the order, Robin Frijns simply glided to his maiden GP2 Series victory ahead of Felipe Nasr with Jolyon Palmer a close 3rd despite an impending stewards review for his incident with Sam Bird.
After finishing in 8th, Kevin Ceccon will start tomorrow’s sprint race from the reverse grid pole, alongside the Caterham of Alexander Rossi. Expect further fireworks throughout the 26-lap race, which will have to go some way to match the excitement witnessed during the feature race.
Results - 37 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1hr00m38.896s
2. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 3.316s
3. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.290s
4. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 12.609s
5. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 13.329s
6. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 14.325s
7. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 17.160s
8. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 17.504s
9. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 24.013s
10. Rio Haryanto Addax + 32.024s
11. Daniel Abt ART + 32.823s
12. Mitch Evans Arden + 35.748s
13. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 39.922s
14. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 40.999s
15. Stefano Richelmi DAMS + 42.690s
16. Daniel de Jong MP Motorsport + 43.102s
17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport + 54.532s
18. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 56.946s
19. Simon Trummer Rapax + 57.935s
20. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1 lap
21. Sam Bird Russian Time + 4 laps
Retirements:
Driver Team Laps
Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 11
Marcus Ericsson DAMS 10
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 5
Nathanael Berthon Trident 4
James Calado ART 1
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Nico Rosberg Secures Pole In A Silver Arrows Front-Row Lock-Out At Spain
Nico Rosberg has stormed to his third pole position for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, after another thrilling qualifying session. The German will start alongside team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with a second row consisting of Championship leaders Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
The all-important qualifying hour began in glorious sunshine over the Circuit de Catalunya, a stark contrast to yesterday’s damp conditions during the opening practice session. Despite the wonderful weather conditions, there was no immediate rush to take to the track with several minutes before the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo and Williams of Pastor Maldonado finally took to the track.
Daniel Ricciardo proceeded to set the first timed lap of the the opening segment with a 01:24.100, before Nico Hulkenberg smashed the benchmark with a 01:23.467. Naturally the times began to tumble as more drivers began taking to the Circuit de Catalunya, as Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg all momentarily rose to the top with the latter setting a 01:21.913. However, Lewis Hamilton quickly thwarted his German team-mate with a 01:21.728 to storm to the top of the timing sheets. Kimi Raikkonen was on course to better Hamilton’s time, however the Finn was blocked by the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.
After securing a sensational victory last year at the Spanish Grand Prix, Pastor Maldonado was eventually eliminated after Q1 along with team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Giedo van der Garde, Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton and Charles Pic. After qualifying towards the back of the pack, Williams will have an uphill struggle during the race. The battle between Caterham and Marussia was once again exceedingly close, with the Dutchman of Giedo van der Garde the winner at the back.
The second segment of qualifying began with the Sauber duo of Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg becoming the first to take to the Circuit de Catalunya, and naturally setting the first timed laps of Q2 with the German driver fastest with a 01:22.708. Kimi Raikkonen continued to display his competitiveness by rising to the top with a 01:21.676, before local hero Fernando Alonso once again wowed his adoring home fans with a 01:21.646. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel then asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:21.602, before Lewis Hamilton laid down a scintillating benchmark with a 01:21.001.
Further down the order Jenson Button continued to struggle with his McLaren, which eventually saw him eliminated from proceedings down in 14th. Sergio Perez miraculously managed to out-qualify his team-mate and progress into the top ten shootout, as Jenson Button was frustratingly eliminated along with Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne, Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.
The all-important top ten shootout began with Kimi Raikkonen laying down an early benchmark with a 01:21.539, however the Finn’s early time was completely obliterated by Nico Rosberg who produced a 01:20.824 with Fernando Alonso only managing 2nd in his Ferrari. The field then returned to the pits for fresh tyres, before all ten drivers took to the Circuit de Catalunya in a bid to thwart Nico Rosberg. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel failed to do so and could only manage 2nd, with Kimi Raikkonen just behind the German in 3rd.
Nico Rosberg cemented his third pole position in Formula 1 with a minor improvement in the final stages of the session, just as team-mate Lewis Hamilton slotted into 2nd position to create the first Silver Arrows front-row lock-out since the Chinese Grand Prix last season. The second row will consist of the leading Championship duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, in what will surely be a thrilling 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix. The long run down to Turn 1 at the start could prove imperative for the Mercedes duo, who will be hunted down by the many drivers behind.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m20.718s 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.972s + 0.254s 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.054s + 0.336s 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m21.177s + 0.459s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.218s + 0.500s 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.219s + 0.501s 7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m21.308s + 0.590s 8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.570s + 0.852s 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.069s + 1.351s 10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.233s + 1.515s Q2 cut-off time: 1m22.019s Gap ** 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.127s + 1.126s 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.166s + 1.165s 13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m22.346s + 1.345s 14. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.166s + 2.165s 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.389s + 1.388s 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.793s + 1.792s Q1 cut-off time: 1m23.218s Gap * 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m23.260s + 1.532s 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.318s + 1.590s 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m24.661s + 2.933s 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.713s + 2.985s 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.996s + 3.268s 22. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m25.070s + 3.342s 107% time: 1m27.448s
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Pirelli Pondering Structural Change To Tyre Range
Italian tyre supplier Pirelli could well be set to alter the structure of their 2013 range of tyres, following Paul di Resta’s tyre failure in preparation for the Spanish Grand Prix. This alteration could in turn force the teams to adapt to potentially altered aerodynamics due to changes to the structure, which could make its first appearance at the British Grand Prix in July.
During practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, Paul di Resta suffered a left-rear tyre failure on the exit of the final corner. Luckily the Scotsman managed to remain in control of his car, and he eventually parked it at the side of the track down the start/finish straight.
Such an change would come only several weeks after Pirelli elected to change their hard tyre compound, in a bid to allow the teams much more scope for varying strategies. The current issue with Pirelli’s tyres is that the metal ring which provides rigidity to the tyre apparently overheats, therefore melting the tread and creating increased tyre wear. Eventually the issue deteriorates to a point where the structure of tyre fails, such as was witnessed on Paul di Resta’s Force India during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix.
For 2013 the tyres were once again changed for the new season, with the side wall of the tyres made softer. This created a change in the aerodynamics of the cars, forcing many teams to redesign their cars to compensate for the characteristics of the new tyres. Should Pirelli once again change the structure of the tyre [not to be confused with the compound] then the aerodynamics could potentially once again be disrupted. Pirelli has stressed they will not make any drastic actions, and that any changes will hopefully not affect the various cars’ aerodynamics.
Since replacing Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone as the sports sole tyre supplier, Pirelli has been in the spotlight many times with regards to their controversial tyres. Despite making the racing highly entertaining, it seems their popularity amongst both the fans and teams is rapidly deflating.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Felipe Massa Ends Final Practice Marginally Ahead Of Kimi Raikkonen
Felipe Massa has continued his impressive start to his 2013 campaign after ending the third and final practice session just marginally ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, in a dry practice session around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The duo were followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber, with Romain Grosjean 4th.
The final practice session ahead of the all-important qualifying hour began in sunny weather conditions, despite dark clouds looming ominously in the distance. Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo immediately got proceedings underway when the session became green, as they became the first drivers to take to Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Many more drivers followed, however the majority opted to complete installation laps before returning back to the pits.
However, the Mercedes and Caterham duo both elected to set early timed laps, with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and then Charles Pic all rising to the top of the timing sheets for their respective teams with the latter setting a 01:25.635. Eventually further drivers elected to take to the Circuit de Catalunya to complete their first timed laps of the session, with Esteban Gutierrez setting the pace before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:23.920.
As the third and final practice session progressed, the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and then Romain Grosjean rose to the top for the Enstone-based outfit, with the latter producing a 01:23.042. Local hero Fernando Alonso then gave his adoring masses an excuse to cheer, as the Ferrari man stormed to the top with a 01:23.006. Whereas Ferrari continued to look strong at the front, McLaren continued to struggle despite the new upgrades, as Sergio Perez crawled back to the pits after his new front-left brake duct broke.
As the third and final practice session entered its closing stages, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg became the first drivers to elect for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, with the Spaniard unsurprisingly smashing his previous best with a 01:22.254 on the softer rubber. The Mercedes duo slotted into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, with Lewis Hamilton just ahead of his German team-mate. Kimi Raikkonen managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets as he too opted for the medium tyre compound, with the 2007 World Champion producing a 01:21.907.
Throughout the closing minutes of the third practice session, all of the drivers except Jean-Eric Vergne opted to run Pirelli’s medium tyre compound. This saw many improved lap times up and down the order, however only Felipe Massa could thwart the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen with an impressive 01:21.901, only +0.006 seconds ahead of his former Ferrari team-mate. Mark Webber managed to progress into 3rd position for Red Bull, with reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 5th.
With all three practice sessions now over ahead of the all-important qualifying hour, the teams and drivers will now be frantically finalizing their preparations for the remainder of the weekend. As expected, both Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull look impressively quick, however only one driver can start from the coveted pole position.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Kevin Korjus Storms To GP3 Pole But Incurs Penalty
GP3 debutant Kevin Korjus has stormed to his and Koiranen GP’s maiden GP3 pole after a thrilling qualifying session around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, but will incur a ten-place grid penalty after allegedly ignoring yellow flags during Friday practice. This will therefore see Tio Ellinas start from pole alongside Patric Niederhauser.
The first ever qualifying session for GP3’s new GP3/13 machine got underway in dry conditions around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, with Russian debutant Daniil Kvyat leading out a long queue of awaiting drivers once the session began. His team-mate Robert Visoiu set the early benchmark for MW Arden with a 01:38.191, which was quickly smashed by the third MW Arden of local driver Carlos Sainz jr. However, MW Arden’s reign was short-lived, as Koiranen GP’s Kevin Korjus stormed to the top with a 01:35.920.
As the 30-minute session progressed, the times at the top continued to tumble as the likes of Tio Ellinas, David Fumanelli and Patric Niederhauser all rose to the top with the latter setting a 01:34.809 for Jenzer Motorsport. Singapore-born British driver Melville McKee endured a tough first qualifying session for Bamboo Engineering, as the 18-year-old spun at Turn 9 on his way to 22nd on the grid. After returning to the pits for a fresh set of tyres, Carlos Sainz jr. returned to the top with a 01:34.733, before Kevin Korjus continued to improve with a 01:34.619.
Throughout the final minutes of the session, the quest for pole intensified as Tio Ellinas stormed to the top with a 01:34.233 before team-mate Ryan Cullen spun his Marussia Manor Racing machine at Turn 12. This caused a momentary yellow flag period as his car was retrieved, before Kevin Korjus blitzed the opposition with a 01:34.193. However, after ignoring yellow flags during practice earlier in the weekend, the Estonian driver will incur a ten-place grid penalty allowing Tio Ellinas to start on pole alongside Patric Niederhauser.
The opening race of the 2013 GP3 season will get underway later in the day, in what will surely be a thrilling 16-lap event. Both Tio Ellinas and Patric Niederhauser are in their second seasons in the Series, and will unquestionably have victory in their sights once the lights go out later this afternoon.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service
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