Lewis Hamilton bounces back to lead a Mercedes 1-2 in second practice
Lewis Hamilton has bounced back from his unfortunate technical issue in practice one to lead a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of Nico Rosberg in the second practice session, with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso 3rd. Sebastian Vettel managed to finish an impressive 4th for Red Bull, in what was another intriguing session in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix.
The second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix began in similar circumstances to the opening session, with freneticism up and down the paddock as the various drivers filed out of the pit-lane and onto the track. Adrian Sutil became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was followed by former GP2 Series driver Marcus Ericsson in the Caterham. Whilst the Swede immediately returned to the pits with issues still plaguing his Renault-powered machine, Adrian Sutil elected to remain out on track to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:38.055.
As more drivers gradually left the confines of the pit-lane to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead, Caterham confirmed that Kamui Kobayashi would once again not take to the Albert Park Street Circuit, with fuel pump issues still providing his Caterham mechanics with headaches. With the Leafield-based outfit enduring a tough opening day to the Australian Grand Prix weekend, the times at the top began to tumble dramatically as both Jean-Eric Vergne, Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg momentarily rose to the top for their respective teams, with the latter producing a 01:33.094.
Whilst Nico Rosberg rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:32.013, McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen ran relatively wide at Turn 12 whereas Jean-Eric Vergne continued to struggle with brake issues on his Toro Rosso and ran extensively wide at Turn 3 and ran deep into the retaining gravel trap. Once again the Frenchman managed to keep his car running, as even reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel made an unusual error and skipped across the grass at Turns 1 and 2 after dipping a wheel onto the grass on the entry to Turn 1. As the session progressed Ferrari were the next to incur technical difficulties, when Kimi Raikkonen was unable to carry out a practice start at the pit exit. This momentarily hindered team-mate Fernando Alonso, who had to steer precariously around the Finn.
After failing to take to the track during practice one earlier in the day, Romain Grosjean was finally able to leave his garage during the second session for Lotus. However, the Frenchman struggled greatly throughout the 90 minutes, running wide on the exit of Turn 6 in his eagerness to make up for lost time. As attention throughout the paddock switched to race simulations on high fuel loads, Daniel Ricciardo became one of the first drivers to bolt on Pirelli’s soft tyre compound, which enabled the local hero to catapult himself to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:30.597. However, Nico Rosberg was quick to end Ricciardo’s reign at the top with the German producing a 01:29.782 on his first time with the softer rubber.
Despite a frustrating start to the day for 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, the Briton was finally clocking up the miles as his preparations for the weekend ahead swung into motion. However, Hamilton found himself dangerously blocked by Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat on the entry to Turn 13, as a classic case of miscommunication between the two ensued. After this minor altercation, Lewis Hamilton fully asserted his authority at the top of the timing sheets with a 01:29.625, whereas Daniil Kvyat continued to play the role of mobile chicane by blocking Valtteri Bottas in the Williams.
As the session entered its closing stages, the field continued to focus on race simulations. In the process Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez failed to allow Sebastian Vettel through without a fight, a decision which saw the Mexican driver mowing the grass on the exit of Turn 2 as the German stormed through. With the issue on his Ferrari rectified, Kimi Raikkonen soon returned to the action, only to glance the concrete barriers on the entry to Turns 11 and 12 in his quest to squeeze every ounce of pace out of his machine. Daniil Kvyat continued to struggle as the session progressed, with the rookie running wide at Turn 13 and skipping through the gravel.
With the second practice session nearing its conclusion, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean suffered separate spins at Turns 9 and 6 respectively, with both drivers beaching their cars and prematurely ending their sessions. Nico Hulkenberg simply dipped a wheel onto the grass on the entry to Turn 6, whereas Romain Grosjean suffered from a more serious issue as his car violently turned to the left and struck the barrier before coming to a rest in the retaining gravel trap at Turn 9. Although both cars were cleared under double-waved yellow conditions, the classification remained unchanged as Lewis Hamilton ended the second session fastest overall ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso 3rd. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel ended the session an impressive 4th, showing that Red Bull are not to be forgotten despite a troubled winter testing programme.
The 22 drivers will return to the track tomorrow for practice three, as preparations step up a gear ahead of the all-important qualifying hour later in the day.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m29.625s 37 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m29.782s +0.157s 31 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m30.132s +0.507s 28 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.381s +0.756s 41 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.510s +0.885s 33 6. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m30.538s +0.913s 38 7. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m30.898s +1.273s 32 8. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m30.920s +1.295s 38 9. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.031s +1.406s 34 10. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m31.054s +1.429s 33 11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m31.060s +1.435s 35 12. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m31.119s +1.494s 31 13. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m31.283s +1.658s 36 14. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.355s +2.730s 36 15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.468s +2.843s 26 16. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m32.495s +2.870s 36 17. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m33.486s +3.861s 29 18. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m33.646s +4.021s 12 19. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.757s +5.132s 29 20. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1 21. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 22. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
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.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
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?
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
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 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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Romain Grosjean fastest after opening practice at Abu Dhabi
Romain Grosjean has ended the opening practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend fastest overall, ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and newly-crowned Champion Sebastian Vettel. Many minor mistakes ensued throughout the session, as the drivers pushed to the limits of the Yas Marina Circuit.
Only several days after the historical events of the Indian Grand Prix around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit, the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened around the impressive Yas Marina Circuit for the fifth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Although Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull have clinched both Championships, the battle for 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship still rages on. For the opening practice session of the weekend, reserve drivers James Calado, Heikki Kovalainen and Rodolfo Gonzalez stepped in for their respective team-mates’ at Force India, Caterham and Marussia.
As the session got underway, Esteban Gutierrez and Kimi Raikkonen wasted no time in immediately taking to the Yas Marina Circuit. With no previous experience around the tight and twisty confines of the track, the Mexican rookie instantly began learning the 5.554km circuit. At Turn 6 Gutierrez heavily out-broke himself on his out-lap, momentarily running wide in the process. In traditional fashion the majority of the drivers only took to the track to complete one or two installation laps, with some completing three or more. Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso was seen emanating blue smoke as he completed his installation lap, whilst also reporting tyre vibrations back to the pit-wall.
After the traditional lull in track action after the initial flurry of installation laps, Sergio Perez eventually took to the track to complete the first timed lap of the weekend with a 01:48.525. The Mexican driver continued to improve as several more drivers including his team-mate took to the circuit, eventually working his way down to a 01:45.331. As Jenson Button completed his first timed lap, the 2009 World Champion ran extensively wide at Turn 20 before slotting into 2nd position behind his team-mate. During his first few laps, the Briton was heard complaining of a severe lack of grip over the team radio.
Eventually the Yas Marina Circuit was busy with many drivers returning to the circuit to fully begin their preparations for the weekend ahead, as Romain Grosjean rose to the top for Lotus with a 01:45.329. The Frenchman has impressed many throughout the last few races, and will unquestionably be aiming to continue with his competitiveness this weekend at Abu Dhabi. As the session continued, many drivers began pushing to the limits of the Yas Marina Circuit, as both Pastor Maldonado and Jules Bianchi ran wide at Turns 21 and 20 respectively. Felipe Massa joined the growing list of drivers who mad made mistakes throughout the session, with the Brazilian driver missing the apex of Turn 6.
With preparations for the weekend ahead in full swing around the Yas Marina Circuit, newly-crowned Champion Sebastian Vettel soon asserted his authority over proceedings in his Red Bull with a 01:45.172. Despite the German’s almost unrivaled pace in recent races, the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton soon thwarted Vettel’s benchmark with a 01:45.015 after momentarily running wide at Turn 6 on his previous lap. However, Sebastian Vettel soon responded by returning to the top with a 01:44.886, as the times around the 5.554km circuit continued to improve.
As the opening practice session of the weekend drew to a conclusion, many drivers continued to make minor mistakes up and down the paddock. These culprits included the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton, with many drivers in particular running wide at the final corner. Nico Rosberg became the next driver to rise to the top for the German marque with a 01:44.741, before team-mate Lewis Hamilton quickly responded with an even quicker 01:44.433. However, Romain Grosjean managed to silently rise to the top during the final minutes of the session with a 01:44.241. This time saw the Frenchman end the opening session fastest overall, the first time he has topped a practice session since the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The numerous teams and drivers will return to the Yas Marina Circuit later in the day as the sun begins to set, for the second practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. Romain Grosjean will unquestionably be striving to remain competitive near the front, as the focus switches to race simulations ahead of the 55-lap race on Sunday.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m44.241s 20 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m44.433s +0.192s 22 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.499s +0.258s 18 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m44.712s +0.471s 18 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.741s +0.500s 23 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m44.929s +0.688s 21 7. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m45.040s +0.799s 19 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m45.099s +0.858s 19 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m45.150s +0.909s 23 10. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m45.331s +1.090s 19 11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m45.378s +1.137s 21 12. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m45.440s +1.199s 17 13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m45.823s +1.582s 21 14. James Calado Force India-Mercedes 1m45.924s +1.683s 19 15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m46.068s +1.827s 17 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.114s +1.873s 21 17. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m46.124s +1.883s 17 18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.126s +1.885s 20 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m47.600s +3.359s 21 20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m47.670s +3.429s 21 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m47.723s +3.482s 22 22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Marussia-Cosworth 1m49.565s +5.324s 21
Picture Copyright © Lotus F1 Team
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
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Sebastian Vettel remains unchallenged at India after practice two
Sebastian Vettel has remained unchallenged after the second practice session around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit, after heading yet another Red Bull 1-2 at the top. In a session dominated by severe tyre wear on the soft tyre compound, Romain Grosjean managed to finish 3rd fastest for Lotus.
After a rather straightforward opening practice session around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit in the morning, the teams and drivers returned to the track later in the afternoon for the second practice session as preparations continued ahead of Sunday’s 60-lap race. Once again the smog still hung in the air as the session turned green, with Paul di Resta back behind the wheel of his Force India after ceding driving duties to reserve driver James Calado in practice one.
Rookies’ Max Chilton and Valtteri Bottas eventually became the first drivers to take to the track, in doing so opening the proverbial flood gates as almost the entire field soon followed. The Williams of Valtteri Bottas soon produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:29.663, before Kimi Raikkonen thwarted his fellow countryman with a 01:28.419. After the slow start to the opening practice session earlier in the day, proceedings for the second session instantly gathered momentum as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel soon elected to take to the track.
As the early stages of the session wore on Lewis Hamilton and then Romain Grosjean rose steadily to the top, with the latter managing to produce a 01:27.531 as his Lotus team-mate half-spun at Turn 3 but managed to continue circulating. However, the Frenchman’s reign over proceedings was relatively short-lived, as the ever-dominant Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel rose straight to the top with a 01:27.360. Despite the German’s fearsome pace he was informed via the team radio that he had suffered yet another KERS issue, however that failed to stop him improving as he set a 01:27.059 shortly after.
After slotting into 2nd position behind his team-mate, Mark Webber soon managed to rise to the top with a 01:27.011. With Sebastian Vettel the only driver to have led a racing lap around the Buddh International Circuit, many drivers up and down the paddock are eager to challenge the runaway German. However, Mark Webber’s pace was soon bettered by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, who only just managed to pip the Australian ace with a 01:27.010. As the session progressed, many drivers began electing for Pirelli’s soft tyre compound including the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
With the softer rubber bolted to his Red Bull, the reigning Champion instantly improved with a barnstorming 01:25.722, which propelled him to the top of the timing sheets. As more drivers gradually began opting for Pirelli’s softer tyre compound, many also began completing high-fuel race simulation work. This saw Sebastian Vettel’s time at the top remain unchallenged for the remainder of the afternoon, as all focus switched to race preparation. However, as the session continued many teams and drivers began suffering from excessive tyre wear on the soft compound, creating widespread skepticism up and down the paddock.
Pastor Maldonado’s session was brought to a premature conclusion during the latter stages, when the front-right wheel nut managed to work its way loose only moments after he completed a race-style pit-stop. With Williams coming under severe fire for a similar issue last time out at Suzuka when Pastor Maldonado lost a rear tyre during practice, the team instantly instructed the Venezuelan driver to pull over at the side of the track. With lots of worried faces within the Williams camp, the team also elected to bring an end to Valtteri Bottas’s session.
Meanwhile the remaining 21 drivers continued with their preparations for the weekend ahead, despite the ongoing issue with the soft tyre compound. With all of the drivers focusing solely on long runs in the latter half of the session, Sebastian Vettel remained fastest as the checkered flag was unfurled at the end of the session. The German ace once again finished ahead of his Australian team-mate, with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean 3rd fastest for Lotus. With the Red Bulls locking out the timing sheets with a 1-2 finish during both practice sessions throughout the day, the universal predictions throughout the motorsport fraternity is for yet another weekend dominated by the Austrian outfit. However, with severe tyre wear a possibility, anything could happen around New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.722s 35 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.011s +0.289s 38 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.220s +0.498s 36 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m26.399s +0.677s 36 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.430s +0.708s 39 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.582s +0.860s 40 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.601s +0.879s 41 8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m26.632s +0.910s 32 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.857s +1.135s 40 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.972s +1.250s 39 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.304s +1.582s 17 12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.375s +1.653s 36 13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m27.429s +1.707s 31 14. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.491s +1.769s 40 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.608s +1.886s 38 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m27.720s +1.998s 23 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.949s +2.227s 34 18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.431s +2.709s 30 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m28.692s +2.970s 39 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m28.799s +3.077s 32 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m29.366s +3.644s 37 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.164s +4.442s 27
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Sebastian Vettel stamps his authority after practice one at India
Sebastian Vettel has wasted no time in immediately stamping his authority over proceedings at the Buddh International Circuit, after the opening practice session ahead of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix. The reigning Champion, who has led every Formula 1 lap on Indian soil, was followed by team-mate Mark Webber with Nico Rosberg 3rd.
After a two-week gap since the thrilling Japanese Grand Prix around the legendary Suzuka circuit, the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened at New Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit for the third running of the Indian Grand Prix. With only four races remaining in a season once again dominated by Sebastian Vettel, the German entered the weekend a strong favorite to finally clinch his fourth successive Drivers’ Crown.
With a thick smog lingering over the Buddh International Circuit, it was a slow start to the opening practice session of the weekend. As expected the entire field eventually left the confines of the pit-lane to complete their various installation laps, with Pastor Maldonado becoming the first driver to take to the track at the start of the session. The Venezuelan ace was immediately joined on the circuit by the likes of Max Chilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas, as preparations for the weekend were set into motion.
After almost ten minutes of unendurable silence once the traditional installation laps had been completed, Sergio Perez finally returned to the Buddh International Circuit to finally begin a competitive flying lap in his McLaren. The Mexican sensation eventually produced the first timed lap of the weekend with a 01:30.953, before continuing to improve down to a 01:28.207 after eight timed laps. As Sergio Perez returned to the pits, many other drivers elected to return to the track including the Williams duo of Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas. Despite the sudden flurry of track activity, no-one immediately managed to set a time faster than Sergio Perez.
Eventually more drivers began to take to the Buddh International Circuit, as Jenson Button finally managed to thwart his Mexican team-mate with a 01:27.995. The 2009 World Champion’s reign was relatively short-lived, as Nico Rosberg shot to the top for Mercedes with a 01:27.937 as Felipe Massa ran slightly wide at Turn 14. Meanwhile Nico Rosberg managed to improve slightly at the top, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:27.196. The fellow countrymen traded fastest times at the top, with Sebastian Vettel eventually edging clear at the top with a 01:26.683 as Fernando Alonso limped back to the pits with a suspected gearbox issue.
As the opening session of the Indian Grand Prix progressed, several drivers began pushing to the limits as preparations for the weekend continued. Future Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo missed the apex at Turn 7, whereas the Williams of Pastor Maldonado suffered a minor spin at Turn 6 but managed to continue. Fernando Alonso’s preparations for the weekend ahead were dealt a major blow, after a gearbox change was required after his earlier limp back to pits. Meanwhile former team-mate Lewis Hamilton managed to out-brake himself at Turn 1 and run extensively wide, skipping through one of the few gravel traps around the track in the process.
Mark Webber slotted into 2nd position to create a Red Bull 1-2 at the top as the session drew to a close, with the Austrian outfit clearly eager to clinch both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships this weekend. Whilst the Red Bull duo looked once again almost unstoppable at the front, Force India reserve driver and GP2 ace James Calado spun at Turn 15. The Briton was able to avoid contact with the barrier, as the limped back to the pits after a busy opening day for the Silverstone-based team.
Eventually the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the opening practice session, with Sebastian Vettel fastest ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg 3rd. With the German sensation so utterly dominant around the Buddh International Circuit, many are understandably expecting him to once again dominate throughout the remainder of the weekend. However, the reigning Champion will certainly not be taking anything for granted, as he strives to join the greats with a fourth successive title. The teams and drivers will return to the Buddh International Circuit later in the day, for the second practice session around the sweeping 5.137km circuit.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m26.683s 24 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.871s +0.188s 17 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.899s +0.216s 23 4. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.990s +0.307s 20 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m27.227s +0.544s 21 6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.335s +0.652s 23 7. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.416s +0.733s 23 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.692s +1.009s 21 9. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.770s +1.087s 19 10. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m27.800s +1.117s 23 11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.035s +1.352s 25 12. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m28.214s +1.531s 6 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.336s +1.653s 18 14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m28.342s +1.659s 21 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m28.468s +1.785s 20 16. Esteaban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.538s +1.855s 18 17. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m28.730s +2.047s 18 18. James Calado Force India-Mercedes 1m29.197s +2.514s 22 19. Giedgo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m29.413s +2.730s 24 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.560s +2.877s 20 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m30.026s +3.343s 23 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.471s +3.788s 17
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Sebastian Vettel makes it fantastic-five in Suzuka
Sebastian Vettel has stormed to his fifth race victory in succession, after a fantastic drive from the Red Bull ace during the 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix. Despite a minor altercation with Lewis Hamilton at the start, the German managed to deny both team-mate Mark Webber and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean the luxury of victory.
At the start Mark Webber defended heavily to his Red Bull team-mate, as Lewis Hamilton tried his hardest to thread his way through the two Red Bulls. Unfortunately for the Briton this endeavor failed horribly, as he collided with Sebastian Vettel and sustained a right-rear puncture. This saw the former Champion plummet through the order, as Romain Grosjean enjoyed a masterful start in his Lotus and flew into the lead at Turns 1 and 2. Further back carnage ensued between Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi, who came together and speared into the retaining tyre wall in a cloud of dust.
Despite the heavy impact into the tyre wall for Giedo van der Garde, the safety car was not deployed as the ever-efficient Suzuka marshals began clearing the stricken vehicles. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton limped miserably back to the pits for a change of tyres, despite further damage to the floor of his Mercedes. By Lap 6 Romain Grosjean had managed to open up a small lead to the Red Bull duo, with Sebastian Vettel lounging around a distant 3rd after the start. Further down the order Kimi Raikkonen surged up into 10th position around the McLaren of Jenson Button, as Jean-Eric Vergne became one of the first drivers to make a scheduled pit-stop in his Toro Rosso.
After a torrid start to the race for Lewis Hamilton, the Briton failed to improve after his pit-stop. Due to damage sustained to the floor of his Mercedes, the German marque elected to retire him on Lap 6. The brought to a conclusion a brief and highly frustrating race for the 2008 World Champion, as further pit-stops ensued for the likes of Jenson Button, Valtteri Bottas and Adrian Sutil. The sole Mercedes of Nico Rosberg ran extensively wide at Turn 1 as the race progressed, which in turn allowed the Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso to close the gap to the German. Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta became the next two drivers to pit on Lap 10, as Fernando Alonso struggled to find a way around his Ferrari team-mate of Felipe Massa.
On Lap 11 Mark Webber elected to pit for Red Bull, along with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. This allowed Sebastian Vettel to rise up into 2nd position, with Romain Grosjean still impressing many out in the lead of the race for Lotus. However, the Frenchman soon stormed into the pits a lap later along with Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez. This saw Sebastian Vettel ominously take the lead of the race, as Mercedes’ race failed to improve when they unsafely released Nico Rosberg into the path of Sergio Perez.
This incident in the pit-lane instantly saw the race stewards elect to investigate the issue, before Nico Rosberg was eventually struck with a drive-thru penalty. Fernando Alonso became the next driver to pit for Ferrari, as Mark Webber instantly produced the fastest lap of the race in his Red Bull on fresh tyres. After staying out for several more laps, Sebastian Vettel eventually pitted. This allowed Romain Grosjean to resume his lead of the race, as the reigning World Champion rejoined the action back in 3rd position behind the Frenchman and his Red Bull team-mate.
Once again Daniel Ricciardo had elected to carry out a different strategy from those in front of him, by being one of only two drivers to start the race on the hard tyre compound along with the Caterham of Charles Pic. By Lap 18, the Australian ace had still not pitted for his first tyre stop, and was therefore creating an exciting train of cars from 4th down to to 9th. This battle included the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as well as the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen. Eventually the Sauber ace managed to muscle his way around the future Red Bull star, as Felipe Massa and Esteban Gutierrez banged wheels through Turn 11 in what was becoming a hard fought battle within the midfield.
Daniel Ricciardo finally elected to make his first scheduled stop on Lap 21, as fellow countryman Esteban Gutierrez and Sergio Perez became locked in a grueling battle for 8th position. Several laps later Mark Webber returned to the pits in his Red Bull, as Sebastian Vettel locked up heavily into the final chicane. Further down the order the usual freneticism ensued, as Daniel Ricciardo ran perilously wide at the daunting 130R after trying to overtake Paul di Resta around the outside. Although the Australian ace managed to make the move stick, he was soon under investigation by the race stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. As expected the Toro Rosso driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty, as Romain Grosjean pitted from the lead of the race on Lap 29.
This allowed Sebastian Vettel to once again rise up into the lead of the race, as Felipe Massa became the latest driver to incur the wrath of the race stewards for speeding in the pit-lane. This saw the Brazilian driver struck with a drive-thru penalty, after initially enjoying a highly competitive start for the Scuderia. As the race unfolded it became apparent that both Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel were on two-stop strategies, whereas Mark Webber would have to pit for a third and final time during the closing laps. With the Australian driver’s competitive pace, he would have to pass both Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel if he had any hopes of securing his first victory of the season.
Sebastian Vettel made his second and last pit-stop on Lap 37, rejoining the action only just behind the Lotus of Romain Grosjean in 3rd. The German wasted no time in catching the Lotus ace, and perfected a masterful overtaking maneuver several laps later into Turn 1. Mark Webber made his final stop on Lap 42, allowing Sebastian Vettel to quickly return to the lead. The Australian driver made his intentions perfectly clear during his stop, switching to the medium tyre compound in a bid to catch and overtake the leading duo ahead of him.
However, the task at hand proved to be trickier than expected for the 37-year-old. As expected he soon managed to catch up to the rear of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus, however a combination of excellent defensive driving from the Frenchman and the E21’s superlative speed prevented Mark Webber from instantly storming into 2nd position. As Sebastian Vettel causally led at the front, Mark Webber was forced to wait several more laps before eventually muscling his way around Romain Grosjean.
As the closing laps of the race ticked away, Sergio Perez and Nico Rosberg suffered minor contact at the final chicane. This forced the Mexican to dive into the pits with a left-rear puncture, in what was becoming a frustrating afternoon for both Mercedes and McLaren. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, managed to overtake Nico Hulkenberg for 4th in the closing stages, as Sauber once again enjoyed a tremendously competitive race. Nico Hulkenberg eventually came home 6th after being overtaken by Kimi Raikkonen shortly after Fernando Alonso, with Esteban Gutierrez a jubilant 7th to secure his maiden points in Formula 1.
Out in front though it was a familiar sight as Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to secure his fifth straight victory after Belgium, Italy, Singapore and Korea. The Red Bull ace was followed home by team-mate Mark Webber, who made it a Red Bull 1-2 with Romain Grosjean a promising 3rd for Lotus. With Fernando Alonso finishing a relatively competitive 4th, the Sebastian Vettel will have to wait until India to clinch the Championship. The German has won every Formula 1 event around the Buddh International Circuit, and will unquestionably be the favourite to secure his sixth successive victory in several weeks time.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka, Japan; 53 laps; 307.471km; Weather: Dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Sebatian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h37.410s 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +7.1s 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault +9.9s 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari +45.6s 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault +47.3s 6. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari +51.6s 7. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari +1m11.6s 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes +1m12.0s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +1m20.8s 10. Felipe Massa Ferrari +1m29.2s 11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes +1m38.5s 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +1 lap 15. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault +1 lap 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault +1 lap 18. Charlies Pic Caterham-Renault +1 lap 19. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth +1 lap Fastest lap: Mark Webber, 1m34.587s Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 9 Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 0 Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 0
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