Sebastian Vettel Holds Off Kimi Raikkonen For First Victory On Home Soil
Sebastian Vettel has finally secured his maiden victory on home soil, after an eventful 60-lap German Grand Prix around the iconic Nurburgring circuit. The German sensation only just managed to hold off the charging Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with the Finn’s team-mate a close 3rd after a superlative race performance.
Despite securing an impressive pole position for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton suffered a disastrous start as he was pounced upon by the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber from both sides down into Turn 1. Local hero Sebastian Vettel assumed the lead, with team-mate Mark Webber 2nd after a surprisingly strong start. As the opening lap of the race ensued, many battles raged up and down the order, with both of the McLarens’ and Force Indias’ battling hard down into Turn 1.
Lewis Hamilton is pounced upon at the start by the Red Bull duo.
Felipe Massa’s race last only three laps, before the Brazilian driver spun out at Turn 1 in peculiar fashion. With speculation ripe over his future with Ferrari, an embarrassing retirement was not what the 32-year-old required. After only four laps many midfield drivers’ began diving into the pits, including Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne. The Force India mechanics dangerously released the Scotsman after servicing his car, right into the path of Jean-Eric Vergne. The incident would be investigated after the race, as Lewis Hamilton elected to pit on Lap 5 in a bid to perfect the ‘undercut’ on the Red Bull duo who had robbed him at the start.
Race leader Sebastian Vettel immediately responded to Lewis Hamilton’s actions, with the German driver plunging into the pits and therefore gifting the lead to team-mate Mark Webber. On Lap 8 horror struck in the pit-lane, as Mark Webber came in for his stop from the lead. As the Australian driver left his pit-box, his right-rear tyre worked its way loose and shot into the direction of the pit crew. The tyre then slammed into the back of an unsuspecting cameraman, hitting him on the head. The cameraman in question immediately received medial attention, and it was later confirmed he was suffering from concussion and chest pains.
As the panic ensued in the pits, Mark Webber was wheeled back into the pit-box and then re-released, a lap down and plum last. Meanwhile Romain Grosjean had assumed the lead of the race, as Sebastian Vettel scythed his way through the drivers’ who had yet to pit and back up to 3rd by Lap 11. Whereas the German looked to return to the front of the pack, Lewis Hamilton was frustratingly held up by team-mate Nico Rosberg. The German was eventually instructed to allow his team-mate through, with the German yet to pit in the Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso pitted from 2nd position on Lap 12, therefore releasing Sebastian Vettel to hunt down Romain Grosjean who was still producing impressive lap times at the front. However, the Frenchman soon pitted a lap later, allowing the local favorite to resume his lead at the front. With Jenson Button yet to make his first pit stop, the former World Champion found himself in 2nd position, but was soon overtaken by the charging Romain Grosjean who looked impressively quick in the Lotus.
After momentarily holding up Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg pitted from 4th position. However, Lewis Hamilton’s pace of the previous day simply seemed to evaporate in the opening stages of the race, as Kimi Raikkonen stormed around the outside of firstly Nico Rosberg and then the 2008 World Champion with considerable ease. Jenson Button finally pitted from 3rd on Lap 21, releasing Kimi Raikkonen before Lewis Hamilton elected to pit again with Mercedes’ tyre woes returning with vengeance.
Jules Bianchi’s race was brought to a fiery and premature conclusion on Lap 23, with the Frenchman’s Marussia suffering a spectacular engine failure which saw a fierce oil fire briefly erupt towards the rear of his car. The 23-year-old quickly removed himself from the car, however the car then proceeded to roll casually down the back straight and across the circuit, forcing the safety car to be deployed as the marshals strove to clear the stricken car in comical fashion.
As soon as the safety car was deployed almost the entire field immediately elected to pit, including the leading trio of Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen. Jean-Eric Vergne was forced into a second consecutive retirement under the safety car conditions, with the Toro Rosso driver suffering from a hydraulics issue. The race was eventually resumed on Lap 29, as Sebastian Vettel continued to lead at the front ahead of the Lotus duo. However, the Red Bull ace struggled to open up a gap to Romain Grosjean, who continued to catch the reigning Champion as rumors emerged that he had lost KERS.
Despite catching Sebastian Vettel and swarming all over the rear of his Red Bull, Romain Grosjean failed to perfect an overtaking maneuver and eventually pitted for new tyres on Lap 40. This released Kimi Raikkonen, who soon assumed the lead of the race as Sebastian Vettel pitted to defend against Romain Grosjean’s renewed pace on new tyres. The German remained ahead of the Frenchman upon exiting the pit-lane, as Kimi Raikkonen remained out in the lead. Whilst Kimi Raikkonen still continued to produce consistently quick times at the front, Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean began working their way through the drivers who had yet to pit including Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes in 4th.
The initial pole man soon pitted once again, as did Jenson Button who therefore released Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean into the path of race leader Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, who many were beginning to think would remain out on the circuit until the end of the race. However, both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso elected to pit on Lap 49, with both drivers electing for Pirelli’s soft tyre compound. This created a thrilling climax to the German Grand Prix, as Kimi Raikkonen hunted down team-mate Romain Grosjean and race leader Kimi Raikkonen.
Eventually the Frenchman was instructed to let the Finn through, a team order Romain Grosjean dutifully adhered to. As Kimi Raikkonen hunted down Sebastian Vettel for the lead of the race, Fernando Alonso began catching Romain Grosjean for 3rd. However, the top four positions remained unchanged as Sebastian Vettel stormed across the line to secure his first ever victory on home soil, becoming the first German driver to do so since Michael Schumacher back in 2006.
The reigning Champion’s fourth victory of the season has enabled him to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 34 points over Fernando Alonso, who in turn remains ahead of Kimi Raikkonen by only seven points. The sport will reconvene in several weeks time around Budapest’s Hungaroring, for the 28th running of the Hungarian Grand Prix, another race Sebastian Vettel has yet to win.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The German Grand Prix Nurburgring, Germany; 60 laps; 306.458km; Weather: Sunny. Classified: Pos Driver Team 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 3. Grosjean Lotus-Renault 4. Alonso Ferrari 5. Hamilton Mercedes 6. Button McLaren-Mercedes 7. Webber Red Bull-Renault 8. Perez McLaren-Mercedes 9. Rosberg Mercedes 10. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 11. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 12. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 14. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 15. Maldonado Williams-Renault 16. Bottas Williams-Renault 17. Pic Caterham-Renault 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault 19. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth DNF. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari DNF. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth DNF. Massa Ferrari
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Force India Duo Left Lamenting After Pit Stop Woes At Malaysia
The Force India duo of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta have been left lamenting after an extremely tough Malaysian Grand Prix, which saw both drivers forced into premature retirement due to issues with the wheel nuts during their pit-stops. The Silverstone-based outfit aims to return stronger in China next time out.
After leading the Australian Grand Prix for numerous laps during the season-opener, Force India were brought back down to earth with a bump during the 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. The duo pitted during the early stages of the race to switch from intermediates to slicks, as the track gradually began to dry out. However, when both Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta pitted together, the German driver suffered a catastrophic delay when his front-left tyre failed to connect to the car.
The same issue struck Paul di Resta during his next pit-stop, and the duo were eventually retired due to safety reasons several laps later. The exact cause of the issue still remains a mystery for the outfit, however they aim to rectify the issue and return in China with another strong performance. Adrian Sutil was one of the fastest drivers on the track at one stage, and is continuing to overshadow Paul di Resta on his return to the sport.
“An early end to a race that promised so much for us.” Explained Adrian Sutil, “Both cars had the same problem with the wheel nuts and it cost us a lot of time in the pits. We’re not sure exactly what happened yet so the team stopped the cars to make sure we understand the issue. It’s a shame that this happened here because we had a very quick car today and I felt very comfortable as the track dried out. We have to stay positive, keep our heads up and remember that there are plenty of races left where we can make up for the disappointment of today.”
Although it’s still early in the 2013 season, Adrian Sutil is currently ahead of team-mate Paul di Resta in the Drivers’ Championship. The Scotsman will be hoping for more competitive results when the sport reconvenes at China in three weeks time, as he strives to prove his worthiness within the Silverstone-based outfit.
Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team
Sebastian Vettel Takes Controversial Race Victory At Malaysia
Sebastian Vettel has taken a controversial race victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, after a race long-battle with his Red Bull team-mate of Mark Webber who eventually finished 2nd. Lewis Hamilton managed to finish an decent 3rd, as he too fought with his team-mate of Nico Rosberg.
Prior to the start of the race, rain struck parts of the Sepang International Circuit, resulting in several drivers spinning off of the track on their way to the grid. This forced the entire grid to start the race on the intermediate tyre, with the opening sector of the track extremely wet in particular. At the start, Sebastian Vettel glided into the lead, as Mark Webber enjoyed a surprisingly competitive getaway and stormed into 3rd position around the opening two corners.
Fernando Alonso crashes out of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
In the ensuing melee of the opening few corners, Fernando Alonso damaged his front wing whilst battling with Sebastian Vettel for the lead. The Spaniard surprisingly elected to remain out on the track at the end of the opening lap, and subsequently suffered a front wing failure as Mark Webber overtook the Ferrari driver at Turn 1. With his front-wing utterly destroyed and stuck underneath his Ferrari, Fernando Alonso ran straight on at Turn 1 and beached his car in the retaining gravel trap, forcing him into retirement.
By Lap 5 Sebastian Vettel elected to pit for slick tyres, with the Sepang International Circuit quickly drying out in the humid weather conditions. This move was met with skepticism throughout the paddock as the German driver struggled for grip early on. However, many more drivers eventually decided to pit throughout the next few laps, including Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber.
Many were amused when Lewis Hamilton mistakingly stopped at the McLaren garage, with the Briton clearly forgetting he had changed teams for a split second. Force India suffered a disastrous pit stop for their two drivers, after an issue with the front-left tyre held them up. Jean-Eric Vergne collided with Charles Pic in the pits, as the Toro Rosso driver was unsafely released into the path of the Caterham driver.
As the majority of the field pitted, Nico Rosberg assumed the lead for Mercedes however the German driver eventually pitted on Lap 9 to hand the lead of the race to Mark Webber who had overtaken his German team-mate during the opening pit-stops. As Mark Webber continued to lead at the front, Lewis Hamilton gradually began to catch the Red Bull duo at the front. Pastor Maldonado’s torrid start to the new season continued on Lap 14, when the Venezuelan driver ran extensively wide at Turn 11 and damaged his front wing, forcing him to pit for a new one.
After winning the Australian Grand Prix last time out, Kimi Raikkonen was enduring a tough race in the midfield for Lotus after starting 10th. The Finn found himself frustratingly stuck behind the McLaren of Sergio Perez after his first pit-stop, and finally managed to perfect an overtaking maneuver on Lap 15. Mark Webber pitted from the lead on Lap 19, handing the lead down to team-mate Sebastian Vettel. However, the reigning World Champion pitted several laps later, allowing Mark Webber to reassume his lead at the front.
The Force India duo suffered another string of disastrous stops with both of their drivers, which later forced both Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil to retire from the race. Lewis Hamilton pitted from 3rd, this time managing to find the correct pit box. Several laps later saw both Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg pit once again, as Sebastian Vettel took the lead. However, the German driver once again failed to retain the lead at the front when he pitted, exiting the pits behind both Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton down in 3rd position.
After the front runners had completed their third pit-stops, Jenson Button was left in the lead of the race for McLaren. The 2009 World Champion eventually pitted on Lap 36, however a disastrous stop for McLaren saw the Briton grind to a halt just after exiting his pit box with a loose front-right wheel. Out on track saw Sebastian Vettel overtake Lewis Hamilton for 2nd position, as the Briton was ordered to save fuel in his Mercedes. The final round of pit-stops began on Lap 41, with Lewis Hamilton pitting first for Mercedes.
Both Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg were next, with Mark Webber pitting on Lap 43 and only just resuming in the lead ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The next lap saw the Red Bull duo battle extremely hard for the lead, with Mark Webber almost forcing Sebastian Vettel into the pit-wall down the start/finish straight. Eventually Sebastian Vettel muscled his way around his team-mate, as Lewis Hamilton was forced to defend from Nico Rosberg for the final podium position.
As the race entered its closing stages, both Pastor Maldonado, Daniel Ricciardo and Jenson Button retired from the race. Nico Rosberg was forced to settle for 4th position in the latter stages of the race, despite being visibly quicker than his British team-mate. At the front, Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to secure his 27th career victory, ahead of a disgruntled Mark Webber who thought the victory was his. Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium finish for Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg 4th.
Despite a controversial conclusion, the Malaysian Grand Prix was one of pure excitement as two teams at the front battled relentlessly for both the race victory and the final podium position. With the podium an extremely tense affair, the paddock will reconvene in several weeks time for the Chinese Grand Prix.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang, Malaysia; 56 laps; 310.408km; Weather: . Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 4.298 3. Hamilton Mercedes + 12.1 4. Rosberg Mercedes + 12.640 5. Massa Ferrari + 25.6 6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 35.5 7. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 48.4 8. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 53.0 9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 72.3 10. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 87.1 11. Bottas Williams-Renault + 88.6 12. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 13. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 14. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 15. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 16. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 17. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 18. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 19. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 20. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 21. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 22. Alonso Ferrari + Fastest lap: Perez, 1m39.199
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Williams Spend Final Day Of Second Test Carrying Out Pit-Stop Practice
Williams elected to spend the final day of the second pre-season test at Barcelona carrying out imperative pit-stop practice ahead of the new season, with the entire race team joining the outfit at the Circuit de Catalunya. Both Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado drove during the day, yet failed to set a timed lap.
After launching their new Renault-powered FW35 machine at the beginning of the week in the pit-lane of the Circuit de Catalunya, Williams ended the four-day test where they started in the pit-lane carrying out numerous practice pit-stops with both Bottas and Maldonado. The Grove-based outfit were joined in their fastidious practice stops by Mark Webber and Red Bull, who did likewise during the day.
Throughout the morning period rookie Valtteri Bottas began proceedings for Williams, completing 23 laps all of which were centralized around pit-stop practice. The Finn didn’t once set a timed lap, and neither did team-mate Pastor Maldonado who continued the team’s work in the pits during the wet afternoon period. Both drivers feel confident after their first week testing the new car, with the reliability of the FW35 already an improvement in comparison to the FW34.
“The full race team joined us in Barcelona today for pitstop practice.” Explained the team’s Technical Director, Mike Coughlan. “The weather was wet as we expected which means we didn’t lose any dry running time with the FW35 in doing this. Overall, we’ve had a very encouraging week as the core reliability of the car has proved to be excellent. We are now looking forward to the next test in Barcelona where we can concentrate on the performance.”
After a return to winning ways last season at the hands of Pastor Maldonado, the British team will be hoping to remain a competitive force this coming season. Valtteri Bottas topped the lap count of the week, with the Finnish rookie completing 355 laps in the new car. The Grove-based outfit will be looking to continue improving throughout the third and final test next week once the F1 fraternity reconvenes at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team
Heikki Kovalainen Laments Missed Opportunities At Spa
Heikki Kovalainen has expressed dissatisfaction to how his Belgian Grand Prix panned out, after the Finnish driver ended the race a lowly 17th after many mistakes during the 44-lap race. At one point, Kovalainen was running as high as 10th, but several spins and a miscommunication within the pits led to a disastrous afternoon for the Caterham driver.
At the start, Heikki Kovalainen was able to avoid the huge multi-car incident, and found himself 10th once the safety car was deployed. However, once the race restarted Heikki Kovalainen was mobbed of his competitive position by the faster opposition. During the Finn’s first scheduled pit stop, his was released into the oncoming path of one of the HRTs, making light contact in the pits. Coupled with several spins out on track, Heikki Kovalainen’s dismal race saw him finish in 17th position, three positions behind team-mate Vitaly Petrov.
“I had a really good start, avoided all the debris from the start-line crash and was up to tenth when the safety car came out.” Explained Heikki Kovalainen, “There were a couple of quicker cars behind me who got past when the safety car went back in and then I made a small mistake at the last chicane which put me back a couple of places but I made them up quickly and was into a good rhythm just behind Vitaly [Petrov]. At my first stop we had a problem with the release from the box and unfortunately I clipped the HRT as I was heading out, bringing me back in for a new front wing. It’s not been a good weekend but we’ll regroup and come back fighting in Italy at the next race.”
Heikki Kovalainen will be looking to redeem himself at next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix around the historic Monza circuit, as the Finn aims for a better race weekend. Caterham have still yet to score their first World Championship points, and it is undeniable that the Leafield-based outfit have progressed greatly throughout this highly entertaining 2012 season.
Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team
Kamui Kobayashi Fined For Pit Stop Incident
Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi has been fined for his incident in the pits during Sunday’s British Grand Prix, where the Japanese driver entered his pit box and bowled over several of his awaiting mechanics. Although Kobayashi took full responsibility for the incident, he was still issued a hefty €25,000 fine.
The offense was a clear breach of article 30.13 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, which caused several minor injuries to team personnel. One mechanic was treated at the circuit’s medical centre for an injured thumb, whereas another was treated for cuts and bruises. A third team member was treated within the Sauber garage with a bruised foot.
“First of all the accident at the pit stop was my fault and I want to apologize to the team.” Explained Kamui Kobayashi after the race, “Of course I had to push hard for points, but without doubt I braked too late in the pit lane. The front wheels locked, I couldn’t control the car, and this is how I overshot the pit box. I am terribly sorry this happened, and I hope the three mechanics I hit get well soon.”
Kamui Kobayashi was the sole finishing Sauber, after Sergio Perez’s collision with Pastor Maldonado. The Japanese driver eventually finished the race 11th, just outside the points. Sauber will undoubtedly be heading to the German Grand Prix wishing to forget this weekend, which resulted in no points scored for the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG
Sam Michael On Red Bull And McLaren’s Pit Stop Blunders
Last time out at the European Grand Prix, the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel showed immense pace in relation to the rest of the field. Until the safety car period on lap 27, the reigning World Champion was in a world of his own in the lead of the race. If the German hadn’t have retired shortly afterwards, he would most likely have stormed to his second win of the season.
As it transpired, Fernando Alonso stole victory away from Red Bull in an emotional victory for the Spaniard. McLaren, however, suffered a dismal end to the race as Lewis Hamilton crashed out after a collision with Pastor Maldonado. Along with another pit stop blunder, this was a weekend to forget for the Woking-based outfit. However, the team’s Sporting Director Sam Michael believes Red Bull’s pace at Valencia was most likely circuit-specific and expects the gap between McLaren and Red Bull to close up once again this weekend.
“It [Red Bull’s pace] probably has got some circuit-specific nature to it.” Explained Sam Michael, “If you look forward to Silverstone it’s definitely more in line with where the McLaren’s strengths are. However, it’s clear Red Bull have taken a step forward, although I don’t think it’s as big as the pace that Sebastian Vettel showed in that first stint and we are hoping to correct that at Silverstone. We have upgrades going to Silverstone as well, as we do at every race. So we are hoping they can bring at least a tenth. So regardless of where Red Bull were in Valencia – and they were very strong – our target is to be on the front row and challenging for a win.”
When asked why he thinks Sebastian Vettel’s first stint at the European Grand Prix wasn’t reflective of the pace of the RB8, he explains that it most likely has a lot to do with the Pirelli tyres.
“I’d be pretty surprised if they maintained a second-a-lap gap to the rest of the field.” Continued Sam Michael, “It was impressive pace but ultimately, as we’ve seen throughout this year, if you get the tyres working properly and you fall into that window then you can generate enormous amounts of grip. We’ve seen that probably four or five times this year. So Sebastian [Vettel] was certainly better on the tyres in that first stint. I think it was reflective of that rather than the car.”
Throughout the 2012 season, it’s fair to say that a lot of points for McLaren have been lost due to pits stop blunders. Jenson Button suffered one during the Chinese Grand Prix, which ruined his chance of victory. Lewis Hamilton has endured the majority of these blunders, with the latest episode occurring at the European Grand Prix. However, Sam Michael has explained how McLaren are not trying to be the quickest in the pits, but instead the most consistent team with the quickest average pit stop time.
“Our target is consistency.” Said Sam Michael, “Our target is not the fastest stationary time but the fastest average time. Our internal target is to achieve three-second pit stops consistently. Consistency always has been our goal and all of the technology that we have added has actually been to add consistency, rather than speed.
“Everyone has similar pains. Look at Red Bull in Montreal, they had a problem with a front-right tyre. Look at Ferrari in Valencia last week – the front-left tyre wasn’t even changed when they changed the front wing on Massa’s car. Mercedes are still having problems retaining wheel nuts. So we’re not unique in having issues with equipment or technical process. We do take it very seriously internally.”
However, with McLaren aiming for victory at this weekends British Grand Prix, another pit stop error during the race could be detrimental to any chances of victory for either Button or Hamilton. Sam Michael is confident these errors have been identified and rectified, and with 800 practice pit stops completed earlier in the week, there is no denying the McLaren mechanics are trying their best.
“We identified the problem in Valencia and why that failed and the design has been modified for Silverstone.” Continued Sam Michael, “On Monday this week, we completed 800 pit stops on the jacking systems, with no faults at all. So during a race weekend, we would probably do about 50 pit stops, including all of the practices. So effectively we did 16 Grand Prix weekends on Monday. So we believe that we have solved it, but at least we have done good due diligence on the new design we have got for Silverstone.”
With McLaren confident their pit stops will not suffer the same embarrassing blunders during this weekends British Grand Prix, they will undeniably be hoping that they can bring the fight to Red Bull as they try and take victory in front of their adoring home fans.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
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