Vettel ends the season in record-breaking fashion with victory at Brazil
Sebastian Vettel has ended the 2013 season in record-breaking fashion for Red Bull, after securing his ninth successive race victory after a highly entertaining 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix. The German was joined on the podium by team-mate Mark Webber in 2nd, with Fernando Alonso 3rd for Ferrari.
With dark clouds looming ominously overhead, the race began in dry conditions for the first time all weekend. Into Turn 1 Nico Rosberg managed to master an overtaking maneuver on fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel for the lead, as Lewis Hamilton also muscled his way up into 3rd position around Mark Webber. Amazingly the field successfully negotiated the opening lap without major incident, with Jenson Button in particular enjoying a marvelous start for McLaren by rising up from 14th to 11th at the end of the opening lap.
Despite denying Sebastian Vettel the luxury of leading into Turn 1 at the start, Nico Rosberg’s lead was unsurprisingly short-lived as the World Champion instantly retaliated by retaking the lead into Turn 1 on the next lap. Lewis Hamilton also began loosing ground as the opening laps of the race unfolded, with the 2008 World Champion dropping to 4th during the second lap as former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso muscled his way back around the Briton. As the field stormed around the majestic uphill final corner of the Subida dos Boxes, Romain Grosjean’s Renault V8 bowed out in explosive fashion as the Frenchman was struck with an engine failure.
This resulted in thick white smoke billowing across the Sao Paulo circuit, as Romain Grosjean pulled over at the side of the track to prematurely bring his 2013 season to a conclusion. Eventually the smoke from Romain Grosjean’s Lotus dispersed, with a safety car deployment deemed unnecessary. As the Frenchman sprinted back to the pits, Mark Webber managed to find a way around Lewis Hamilton for 4th position, with the German marque visibly beginning to struggle with Nico Rosberg also loosing a position to Fernando Alonso in 2nd further up the road.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel once again opened up a considerable gap to the rest of the field in the lead of the race, Mark Webber became the next driver to overtake Nico Rosberg for 3rd as the Mercedes duo continued to struggle for pace in the dry conditions. With the German driver beginning to struggle with tyre degradation as the race wore on, he was instructed via the team radio not to hold up team-mate Lewis Hamilton behind him. This led to an overtaking maneuver by Lewis Hamilton on his team-mate, as Mark Webber made it a Red Bull 1-2 at the front by storming around Fernando Alonso.
By Lap 15 Nico Rosberg had continued to loose ground after initially leading the opening lap, as the German driver soon found himself in the clutches of local hero Felipe Massa. The Ferrari man made light work of the Mercedes driver, as he rose ahead of the German for 5th. Meanwhile the opening round of pit-stops had begun to ensue throughout the midfield, with Valtteri Bottas and Adrian Sutil both pitting together on Lap 17. The Force India mechanics managed to perform a sensational stop for the German, who rejoined the action ahead of Valtteri Bottas and even Jean-Eric Vergne on the run down to Turn 4.
After enjoying a superlative start to the race, Jenson Button had managed to scythe his way up through the order to 6th by Lap 20. The 2009 World Champion soon elected to carry out his first pit-stop a lap later, along with Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta. Further up the field Mark Webber made his first pit-stop for Red Bull, and subsequently endured a frustratingly slow stop after an issue on the left-rear. This saw the Australian driver exit the pit-lane behind Fernando Alonso, as his German team-mate proceeded to carry out his first pit-stop.
Unlike Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a smooth pit-stop which enabled the German to rejoin the action back in the lead of the race ahead of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Despite enduring a slow pit-stop earlier in the race, Mark Webber soon managed to repeat an overtaking maneuver on Fernando Alonso for 2nd position whilst also producing the fastest lap of the race for good measure. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton found himself stuck behind the Ferrari of Felipe Massa in the battle for 4th position, with team-mate Nico Rosberg loosing out greatly during the first round of pit-stops and dropping down to a lowly 7th position.
With Lewis Hamilton striving to find a way around Felipe Massa for 4th, the departing Ferrari driver came under investigation from the race stewards for crossing the white line at the entrance to the pit-lane. Eventually the Brazilian driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty for his misdemeanors, gifting Lewis Hamilton 4th position as light rain began to fall intermittently around the Sao Paulo circuit.
After frustratingly being forced to serve his drive-thru penalty, Felipe Massa returned to the pits for his second scheduled pit-stop on Lap 43 along with the McLaren of Jenson Button. Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez followed the duo into the pits a lap later for their second stops, as Adrian Sutil cheekily un-lapped himself by overtaking Sebastian Vettel. The race leader allowed several other drivers through to un-lap themselves shortly afterwards, raising numerous question marks within the paddock.
The race was momentarily plunged into a state of utter confusion on Lap 46, as Lewis Hamilton failed to notice the Williams of Valtteri Bottas trying to un-lap himself around the outside of Turn 4. This led to a collision between the two, with Valtteri Bottas spinning violently into retirement with left-rear damage whilst Lewis Hamilton was forced to limp back to the pits with a shredded right-rear tyre. With Red Bull understandably expecting the safety car to be deployed, both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber immediately pitted. This caused outright confusion within the Red Bull garage, with the team instead expecting Mark Webber first.
Eventually both drivers were served and were amazingly able to maintain their track position, despite stacking in the pit-lane. Although Fernando Alonso also pitted during the confusion, the Spaniard was able to close right up to the rear of Mark Webber. However, the experienced Australian driver managed to defend his 2nd position as Sebastian Vettel once again began breaking away at the front. With the race stewards investigating the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the Briton was adjudged to have been at fault and was therefore called into the pits for a drive-thru penalty.
This penalty subsequently saw Lewis Hamilton drop to a lowly 11th, as Mercedes continued to endure a difficult race. Despite the setback of being forced to pit for new tyres and also a drive-thru penalty, Lewis Hamilton soon began clawing his way back through the order as the race entered its closing stages. Meanwhile the race stewards handed Giedo van der Garde a drive-thru penalty for ignoring blue flags, striking a huge blow in Caterham’s aim of rising ahead of Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship.
The battle at the back of the pack was effectively brought to a premature conclusion of Lap 60, when Charles Pic spun on the exit of Turn 5 due to broken rear suspension on his Caterham. The Frenchman pulled to the side of the track after regaining control of his car, leaving only team-mate Giedo van der Garde out on track. As the last few laps ticked away Pastor Maldonado and Jean-Eric Vergne had a minor collision at Turns 1 and 2, with the departing Williams driver leaving the Frenchman no room at the apex of Turn 1. Luckily both drivers managed to continue circulating, with the race stewards electing to further investigate the issue after the race.
Despite the increasing rainfall over the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the order at the front remained relatively unchanged as Sebastian Vettel breezed across the line to secure his record-shattering ninth successive victory. The German finished just over ten seconds ahead of his Australian team-mate Mark Webber, with Fernando Alonso an impressive 3rd for Ferrari. Nico Rosberg finished an imperative 5th for Mercedes despite leading the opening lap, allowing the German marque to secure 2nd position the Constructors’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton’s 9th place finish wasn’t enough for him to secure 3rd place in the Drivers’ Championship, as Mark Webber leapfrogged the 2008 World Champion.
Once again the season has been brought to a frenetic conclusion around the legendary Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, with a mixture of rain and immense track action enthralling many. The end of the Brazilian Grand Prix also marked the end of an era in Formula 1, with the V8 engines bowing out in fine form amid a huge change of technical regulations for next season. Mark Webber also retires from the world of Formula 1 after securing his 42nd career podium finish, and will undoubtedly be missed by many. The Formula 1 fraternity will return once again next March, after what will surely be an intriguing winter break.
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Mark Webber fastest after treacherously wet final practice at Brazil
Mark Webber has managed to end the third and final practice session fastest at Sao Paulo, despite the treacherously wet weather conditions which continued to plague proceedings. The Australian ace end the session ahead of Romain Grosjean, with the second Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen 3rd.
After a Friday plagued with inclement weather conditions over Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, the teams and drivers were once again greeted with heavy rainfall for the third and final practice session prior to the all-important qualifying hour later in the day. With standing water lurking all over the treacherous 4.309km circuit, the majority of the drivers were extremely cautious when they finally took to the track. Despite the weather, Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was quickly followed by Jules Bianchi and Pastor Maldonado.
Whilst the majority of the field elected to only carry out installation laps as the session swung into motion, Esteban Gutierrez proceeded to splash around the circuit with a seven lap stint in his Ferrari-powered Sauber. The Mexican rookie initially produced a 01:34.837, before eventually working his way down to a 01:34.129. With the track conditions failing to improve as the session continued, only the odd installation lap occurred up and down the order as the majority of the drivers unsurprisingly elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane.
As the halfway stage of the third and final practice session occurred, Max Chilton eventually became the second driver to produce a timed lap behind Esteban Gutierrez. Meanwhile team-mate Jules Bianchi managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:33.412, as more drivers eventually began to brave the Brazilian elements. Williams ace Valtteri Bottas was the next driver to rise to the top, after producing a 01:32.772. The Finnish rookie momentarily managed to improve a lap later, before World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:31.857.
With only several minutes remaining in the session, the rain eventually began to subside allowing as the track action intensified around the legendary circuit. Esteban Gutierrez managed to return to the top for Sauber with a 01:31.121, before Lewis Hamilton thwarted the Mexican rookie with an even quicker 01:29.980. Although the conditions were visibly improving around the track, both Marussia drivers’ of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi still managed to run slightly wide at various points of the circuit. Meanwhile Mark Webber managed to catapult himself to the top with a stunning 01:27.891, with the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado slotting into 2nd and 3rd behind the experienced Australian driver.
Due to the slightly improved weather conditions, many drivers began switching to Pirelli’s intermediate tyres during the closing minutes including Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez. The former managed to propel himself up into 2nd position behind Mark Webber, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen slotting into 3rd position for Lotus. Despite the majority of the field electing to run the final few minutes on the intermediate tyres, Mark Webber’s benchmark remained unchallenged as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session.
With the rain forecast to remain a strong threat for the remainder of the day, the all-important qualifying hour could well include several surprises as the drivers battle against the elements in their quest for pole. Can Sebastian Vettel remain dominant in the rain, or can Mark Webber end his career with yet another pole?
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Nico Rosberg remains on top amid further rainfall during practice two at Brazil
Nico Rosberg has remained on top after another wet practice session around Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, with the German ending the 90 minutes of track action ahead of the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Heikki Kovalainen managed to finish 4th, ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
The teams and drivers were greeted with further rain for the second practice session in the afternoon, after a wet start to the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. This led to a slow start to proceedings around Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, as the majority of the teams elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane. After ceding driver duties to their respective team-mates, the second practice session marked the return of Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Chilton.
Despite the increasingly wet weather conditions, Max Chilton became the first driver to take to the track for Marussia early on. The British rookie tiptoed around the circuit, before returning to the pits after only one installation lap. As one driver returned to the pits, another exited the pits in the form of Heikki Kovalainen. Unlike Max Chilton, the Finn elected to carry out a five lap stint which saw him produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:31.658. The Lotus driver managed to improve upon his time on several occasions, eventually working his way down to a 01:30.537 as Jules Bianchi joined him out on track.
Mark Webber soon joined the track action in his Red Bull RB9, initially posting the 2nd fastest time before bettering Heikki Kovalainen’s time to rise to the top with a 01:29.088. Although the rain failed to ease off, many other drivers soon took to the track including the two Caterhams, Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg. Charles Pic ran slightly wide at Turn 5, before Nico Rosberg stormed to the top for Mercedes with a 01:28.873. The German soon returned to the pits after rising to the top, with Romain Grosjean slotting into 3rd position for Lotus.
As the second practice session progressed, Fernando Alonso joined the track action on the intermediate tyre. The Spaniard could only manage 10th fastest on his first run, before then catapulting himself further up the order to 3rd fastest a little later. Many drivers soon began joining the former World Champion on the intermediate tyres, including the likes of Mark Webber and Felipe Massa. As Sebastian Vettel finally took to the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace sporting Pirelli’s intermediate tyres, team-mate Mark Webber was once again struck by a KERS failure on his RB9.
Although the conditions seemed to be gradually improving, Charles Pic managed to run wide at Turn 1 as the majority of the field continued switching to Pirelli’s intermediate tyre. Sebastian Vettel’s first timed lap of the session saw him slot into 5th position, before improving a lap later to go 2nd fastest with a 01:28.939 behind fellow countryman Nico Rosberg. The Mercedes ace improved at the top with a 01:28.693, before Sebastian Vettel obliterated the opposition with a scintillating 01:27.993 in the tricky weather conditions.
Whilst the entire field, except the Marussia duo, circulated the short Brazilian circuit, Lewis Hamilton perilously spun on the exit of Turn 5. The 2008 World Champion was lucky avoid colliding with the barriers, as he continued to circulate before slotting into 3rd position behind his team-mate and Sebastian Vettel. The German Champion continued to assert his authority at the top as the session entered its closing stages, with the German producing a 01:27.531.
With the track conditions continuing to improve throughout the final minutes, the times up and down the order began to tumble as Jean-Eric Vergne popped up into 3rd position in his Toro Rosso. Mark Webber soon demoted the Frenchman as he slotted into 2nd position behind his Red Bull team-mate, as Pastor Maldonado spun at Turn 1. The departing Williams driver managed to continue circulating, as Nico Rosberg thwarted the Red Bulls with an impressive 01:27.306. The checkered flag was eventually revealed signaling the end of the second practice session, with Nico Rosberg once again fastest at the top ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
After a wet day of track action around the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the teams and drivers will be hoping for a much dryer third and final practice session tomorrow before the all-important qualifying hour. However, the rain has been forecast to remain a threat over the legendary circuit, which could well spice up the action when the battle for the final pole position of the season is commenced.
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Vettel makes F1 history in Texas with victory number eight in succession
Sebastian Vettel has made Formula 1 history in Texas with his eighth successive race victory, surpassing the legends of Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari. The German sensation was joined on the podium by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, who only just managed to finish ahead of the second Red Bull of Mark Webber.
At the start Sebastian Vettel was able to glide unchallenged into the lead of the race, whereas behind him his team-mate Mark Webber was pounced upon by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. As the field negotiated the opening corners of the race, Adrian Sutil made contact with the Williams of Pastor Maldonado along the straight betweens Turn 11 and 12. This contact saw the German spear into the retaining barrier, destroying the front of his Force India and bringing out the safety car for good measure.
Luckily Adrian Sutil was unscathed after his race-ending incident, as the Austin marshals began clearing his stricken Force India. After only several laps behind the safety car, the race was resumed which allowed Sebastian Vettel to romp away into the distance with Romain Grosjean 2nd behind the World Champion. Further down the order Max Chilton served his drive-thru penalty, which the British rookie was issued with after several blocking misdemeanors during qualifying. After being forced to pit during the earlier safety car period, the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez soon began clawing his way back through the order with the Mexican rookie running 17th by Lap 7.
After being involved in the first lap incident with Adrian Sutil, Pastor Maldonado’s race weekend failed to improve as the departing Venezuelan was shown the black and orange flag due to severe damage to his front-wing. The Williams driver was quick to adhere to the race stewards, as he returned to the pits for a new front-wing which dropped him to last position. With Sebastian Vettel clearly in a league of his own at the front, all eyes were on the battle for 3rd between Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, with the 2008 World Champion beginning to come under severe pressure from the soon-to-retire Australian ace. On Lap 14, Webber shot around the outside of Lewis Hamilton at Turn 12, making the sensational move stick.
Whilst Lewis Hamilton vented his frustrations via the team radio, Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas began reeling in the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso in his quest for his maiden points in Formula 1. Meanwhile Heikki Kovalainen performed the first scheduled pit-stop of the race on Lap 17, with the Finn switching to the harder tyre compound with ambitions of leapfrogging the field later on. After enduring a torrid qualifying performance for Mercedes, Nico Rosberg found himself in a battle for 10th with the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo on Lap 19. The German eventually stormed up the inside of the future Red Bull driver at Turn 12, as Jenson Button became the latest driver to make a pit-stop from 13th.
In an bid to remain ahead of the McLaren driver, Felipe Massa reacted to Jenson Button’s pit-stop by pitting a lap later. This enabled the Brazilian driver to just remain ahead of his British rival, as many other drivers made their first scheduled pit-stops including Nico Rosberg, Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas also made his one and only stop on Lap 23, with the Finn rejoining the action in 10th position as he kept his sights firmly placed on his maiden points.
As Sebastian Vettel continued to control proceedings at the front with a lead of over six seconds to Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton made his first stop as Esteban Gutierrez stormed up into 7th position at Turn 12 after perfecting an overtaking maneuver on Jean-Eric Vergne. The Frenchman soon found himself under the pressure of another Mexican driver during the next lap, as Sergio Perez swept around his Toro Rosso and into 8th position. Meanwhile race leader Sebastian Vettel made his stop on Lap 28 along with Nico Hulkenberg, which in turn allowed Romain Grosjean to assume the lead of the race in his Lotus ahead of Mark Webber. The Frenchman’s lead at the front was short-lived, as he pitted on Lap 30 and therefore allowed Sebastian Vettel the luxury of resuming his lead at the front.
After enjoying a relatively competitive return to Formula 1, Heikki Kovalainen struggled during the 56-lap race. The Finn endured a highly uncompetitive start, before dropping through the order shortly after his first pit-stop as the likes of Paul di Resta and then Nico Rosberg muscled their way around the Lotus driver. On Lap 32 Kovalainen returned to the pits for a second pit-stop, changing his front-wing in the process which dropped him way down to 17th position. After overtaking the Finn earlier in the race, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta began jostling for 10th position, with the German eventually making the move stick through Turn 12.
As the race entered its closing stages, Mark Webber began producing successive fastest laps in a bid to catch Romain Grosjean for 2nd position. After momentarily dropping back in a bid to extend the life of his tyres, the Australian ace soon pounced back by adding further pressure onto the rear of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus. With tyre wear once again the talking point up and down the paddock, Felipe Massa and Ferrari threw caution to the wind by pitting on Lap 39 for the medium tyre compound in a bid to rise through the order in what was becoming a frustratingly uncompetitive race for the Brazilian.
Paul di Resta also elected to make a second stop for the medium tyre compound, after the Scotsman lost another position to the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. Further up the order Fernando Alonso perfected an overtaking maneuver on Nico Hulkenberg for 5th, as Heikki Kovalainen’s return to racing was dealt with yet another blow as a KERS issue materialized on his Lotus. Charles Pic was struck with a drive-thru penalty during the closing stages of the race, after the Frenchman failed to adhere to numerous blue flags as Lewis Hamilton tried desperately to lap him with Fernando Alonso quickly reeling in his former McLaren team-mate.
Despite the threat of tyre wear once again hanging over the teams and drivers like a black cloud, Sebastian Vettel was able to cross the line once again to secure yet another unchallenged victory for Red Bull. The German was followed by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, who was able to defend from Mark Webber to retain his 2nd position. On the final lap Esteban Gutierrez and Jean-Eric Vergne made contact, which tipped the Mexican into a spin. Although he was able to make it to the finish despite his altercation with Jean-Eric Vergne, the race stewards confirmed they would investigate the issue after the race.
With only one race remaining this season, Sebastian Vettel is remaining to look almost unbeatable at the front. The German could well make it nine in a row next weekend at Sao Paulo, when the 2013 Formula 1 season is finally brought to a conclusion around the iconic Interlagos circuit.
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Sebastian Vettel powers back to the top in second practice at Austin
Sebastian Vettel has powered back to the top in second practice ahead of the United States Grand Prix, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber around Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. The Red Bull duo were followed by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in 3rd and 4th, with Heikki Kovalainen 5th for Lotus.
After a slightly bizarre opening practice session for the United States Grand Prix weekend, the Formula 1 drivers were understandably eager to return to the Circuit of Americas for the second practice session. After ceding driving duties to their respective team-mates’, Jean-Eric Vergne, Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi returned behind the wheel for the second session. After a delayed start to the morning period, the afternoon session began with a flurry of track activity as Heikki Kovalainen and Nico Hulkenberg became the first drivers to exit the pit-lane.
This unsurprisingly saw Heikki Kovalainen produce the first timed lap of the session in his Lotus with a 01:40.335, as Jules Bianchi ran wide in his Marussia as he made his first endeavor around the Circuit of the Americas. Jenson Button soon rose to the top for McLaren with a 01:39.786, before Romain Grosjean continued to lower the benchmark during the early stages of the session with an even quicker 01:39.159. Heikki Kovalainen proceeded to slot into 2nd position behind his team-mate, to momentarily create a Lotus 1-2.
With the extensive delay to the opening practice session earlier in the morning, there was an instant rush of track action during the opening few minutes of the second session. Nico Rosberg was quick to thwart the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, before World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:38.352 in his Red Bull. Jenson Button momentarily managed to slot into 2nd position, before Mark Webber did likewise with a 01:38.660 with Lewis Hamilton a close 3rd for Mercedes.
As the many drivers continued lapping the Circuit of the Americas in preparation for the remainder of the weekend, many drivers were seen running extensively wide at Turn 19 including the likes of Adrian Sutil, Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa. The penultimate corner proved troublesome during the three practice sessions last season, when the sport first visited the Circuit of the Americas. As the session progressed many drivers began opting for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which saw the times begin to tumble once again as the likes of Nico Hulkenberg improved with the German slotting into 2nd position behind his fellow countryman.
Once again Nico Rosberg momentarily returned to the top for Mercedes on the softer tyre compound, before Mark Webber produced an even quicker lap time with a 01:37.420 to rise to the top for Red Bull. In traditional fashion the majority of the order soon began completing long timed runs as the session progressed, in a bid to continue preparing for Sunday’s 56-lap race. Despite the switch in focus for many of the teams, Sebastian Vettel soon catapulted himself back to the top with a 01:37.305 as he too opted for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound.
Despite acting as Caterham’s reserve driver for the majority of the season, Heikki Kovalainen wasted no time in returning to his former competitiveness behind the wheel of the Renault-powered Lotus E21. The Finn, who will compete in the final two races in place of Kimi Raikkonen, managed to remain ahead of team-mate Romain Grosjean by several tenths in 5th position behind the Red Bull and Mercedes’ duo.
During the final minutes of the second practice session, Max Chilton spun out at Turn 20 in what was a tough two sessions for Marussia. The Briton, who has so far finished every race this season, was heard explaining of brake failure over the team radio. As the classification remained relatively unchanged during the dying minutes, the Austin marshals endured an amusing ordeal trying to retrieve the Briton’s Marussia as the tractor struggled to carry out the task.
Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled signaling the end second practice session, with World Champion Sebastian Vettel fastest ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton was 4th fastest for the German marque, with Heikki Kovalainen an impressive 5th for Lotus. The numerous teams will undoubtedly continue crunching the numbers throughout the night, with only one more hour of track action available before the all-important qualifying hour.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.305s 35 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m37.420s +0.115s 37 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m37.785s +0.480s 38 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m37.958s +0.653s 38 5. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m38.073s +0.768s 41 6. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.229s +0.924s 40 7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.254s +0.949s 40 8. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m38.255s +0.950s 33 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.269s +0.964s 34 10. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.461s +1.156s 33 11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m38.719s +1.414s 31 12. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.938s +1.633s 37 13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.941s +1.636s 31 14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.246s +1.941s 28 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m39.410s +2.105s 34 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m39.512s +2.207s 37 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.579s +2.274s 36 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m39.784s +2.479s 33 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m40.376s +3.071s 39 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m40.563s +3.258s 35 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m46.226s +8.921s 31 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m47.009s +9.704s 20
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Sebastian Vettel remains dominant after practice three at Abu Dhabi
Sebastian Vettel has remained dominant at the front after the third and final practice session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, with the German ace ending the final hour of practice fastest ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Lewis Hamilton ended the session as the best of the rest in 3rd, with team-mate Nico Rosberg 4th.
With only one hour of track time remaining for the drivers to prepare for the all-important qualifying hour, the third and final practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend began with an immediate flurry of track action headed by the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, with the Frenchman in particular eager to make up for his lost time during practice two yesterday. However, only several corners into his first installation lap around the Yas Marina Circuit the Frenchman was heard complaining over the team radio of vibrations still plaguing his machine.
Despite the instant flurry of track activity, many drivers up and down the order only completed one installation lap before then returning back to the pits. Eventually Charles Pic became the first driver to produce a timed lap for Caterham, after initially missing the apex of Turn 6. The Frenchman managed a 01:52.337, before then improving on his next lap with a 01:50.512. Giedo van der Garde then improved upon his team-mate’s benchmark with a 01:47.898, as more drivers began returning to the track to begin producing their first timed laps of the session.
As more drivers began producing timed laps, the disgruntled Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen rose to the top with a 01:45.026, as Max Chilton went about removing the bollard at Turn 1. Newly-crowned Champion Sebastian Vettel soon managed to assert his authority over the proceedings with a 01:44.117, as Adrian Sutil was heard describing his Force India machine as undriveable over the team radio. Meanwhile both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen began trading fastest laps at the front, with the German eventually lowering the benchmark to a 01:43.795. The duo’s battle at the front was short-lived, however, as the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg soon stormed to the top with a 01:43.784.
Although Sebastian Vettel was momentarily able to return to the top in his Renault-powered RB9, Nico Rosberg was quick to better his fellow countryman’s time with a 01:43.465. Whilst qualifying preparations ensued up and down the paddock, Jules Bianchi’s was brought to a premature conclusion after the Frenchman spun at Turn 2 and lightly tapped the retaining tyre barrier. Despite the recovery operation by the marshals, the session remained under green flag conditions with double-waved yellow flags denoting the incident.
The many drivers soon returned to the Yas Marina Circuit sporting Pirelli’s soft tyre compound, as the qualifying simulations swung into full motion. This enabled Jenson Button to momentarily rise to the top for McLaren, with Nico Hulkenberg 2nd. However, the Briton’s reign was short-lived as former team-mate Lewis Hamilton soon rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:41.580. As the times continued to tumble at the top, Sebastian Vettel soon silenced the opposition with a 01:41.351, which the German sensation managed to improve upon with a 01:41.349. Mark Webber slotted neatly into 2nd position behind his Red Bull team-mate, creating yet another 1-2 finish for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
With all three practice sessions now over, the attention within the paddock will now switch to qualifying later in the day. Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull look utterly dominant out on track, however the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and even the Lotus of Romain Grosjean could well spark a surprise when the sun goes down the floodlights illuminate the Yas Marina Circuit.
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Sebastian Vettel returns to the top in second practice at Abu Dhabi
Sebastian Vettel has managed to return to the top for Red Bull during the second practice session ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after 90 minutes of track action around the Yas Marina Circuit. The German was followed by Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, with Lewis Hamilton 3rd.
After an intriguing opening practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit which was eventually topped by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, the Formula 1 teams’ and drivers’ returned to the 5.554km circuit to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead. The second practice session began with the sun setting over the glorious circuit, with both Max Chilton, Giedo van der Garde and Adrian Sutil returning to their respective outfits after ceding driving duties to their various reserve drivers.
Unlike the opening practice session which included the usual waiting game as the many drivers completed installation laps and waited for the track to clear, the second practice session instantly swung into motion as many drivers immediately left the confines of the pit-lane. Kimi Raikkonen unsurprisingly produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:44.360, as Jean-Eric Vergne ran wide at Turn 8 after out-braking himself. As more drivers gradually began taking to the Yas Marina Circuit, the times at the top began to tumble as the likes of Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez traded fastest times.
Eventually Sergio Perez managed to produce a 01:43.564 in his McLaren, with team-mate Jenson Button slotting neatly into 2nd position to momentarily create a McLaren 1-2. Meanwhile Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez continued learning the tricky Yas Marina Circuit in his Sauber, as he heavily out-braked himself at Turn 9 and completely missed the apex. Sebastian Vettel soon stormed to the top of the timing screens in his Red Bull with a 01:43.062, before Kimi Raikkonen elected to become the first driver to opt for Pirelli’s softer tyre compound.
This saw the 2007 World Champion and former Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner rise to the top in his Lotus with a 01:41.888, before improving a lap later with a 01:41.726. As several more drivers began joining Kimi Raikkonen on Pirelli’s soft tyre compound, a brake duct was discovered at the side of the circuit after having clearly detached itself from one of the cars. A later replay indicated the culprit was Marussia’s Max Chilton, who so far has a 100% finishing record this season. With yellow flags fluttering a brave marshal gingerly approached the piece of debris in question, before efficiently removing it.
Whilst the Marussia mechanics busied themselves around Max Chilton’s car back in the pit-lane, Paul di Resta’s preparations for the weekend ahead were dealt a minor blow when his Force India machine picked up a front-left puncture at Turn 9. This forced the Scotsman to limp back to the pits with sparks flying from the rear of his car, as Lewis Hamilton stormed to the top in his Mercedes with a 01:41.690. Mark Webber soon managed to thwart the 2008 World Champion, as the Australian ace managed to produce a 01:41.556. Jenson Button then became the latest driver to pick up a puncture on his McLaren, as the Briton limped back to the pits despite no visible signs of a rear-puncture.
As the floodlights surrounding the Yas Marina Circuit became more predominant, Max Chilton’s unusual return behind the wheel continued as the Briton spun on the exit of Turn 1. After several seconds sat stationary, the former GP2 driver half-spun his car back into the right direction and continued circulating. Meanwhile further mistakes ensued up and down the paddock, as Romain Grosjean ran extensively wide at Turn 12. Sebastian Vettel soon managed to return to the top for Red Bull with a 01:41.335, as the newly-crowned Champion once again asserted his authority over the field.
During the final half of the session the teams and drivers began carrying out race simulations on heavy fuel loads, in a bid to gain as much knowledge prior to the 55-lap race on Sunday. This enabled Sebastian Vettel’s reign at the top to remain unchallenged as the session drew to a conclusion, with the Red Bull ace eventually finishing the second session ahead of team-mate Mark Webber with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton 3rd fastest. Kimi Raikkonen was 4th for Lotus, with the McLaren duo of Sergio Perez and Jenson Button proving surprisingly competitive after a frustrating season.
With three hours of track action now over, the teams and drivers will have only one hour of practice at their disposal before the all-important qualifying session tomorrow which will determine the grid for the race on Sunday. Sebastian Vettel once again looks indomitable in his Red Bull, however Romain Grosjean could well pose a threat when the serious track action begins tomorrow.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m41.335s 33 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m41.490s +0.155s 32 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m41.690s +0.355s 37 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m41.726s +0.391s 40 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.758s +0.423s 39 6. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.006s +0.671s 35 7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.010s +0.675s 30 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m42.171s +0.836s 30 9. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.324s +0.989s 40 10. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m42.440s +1.105s 35 11. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.509s +1.174s 37 12. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m42.607s +1.272s 18 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m42.806s +1.471s 26 14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m42.952s +1.617s 35 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m42.998s +1.663s 25 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.152s +1.817s 28 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.271s +1.936s 35 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m43.565s +2.230s 34 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m44.138s +2.803s 34 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m44.459s +3.124s 34 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m44.525s +3.190s 37 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m45.565s +4.230s 26
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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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