Daniel Ricciardo Fastest As Rain Strikes Again At Silverstone
Daniel Ricciardo has ended the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix weekend fastest overall, as heavy rain once again struck the legendary Silverstone circuit. For the majority of the session the drivers remained in the pits, before Daniel Ricciardo led them out in the closing minutes in the still treacherous conditions.
The Formula 1 paddock reconvened in typical British weather for the opening practice session of the weekend, as the teams and drivers were greeted with heavy and persistent rain over the legendary Silverstone circuit. Despite several installation laps up and down the field at the start of the session, the awaiting masses were treated to very little track action during the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez were the first to brave the elements at the start, before many others including local favorites Paul di Resta, Max Chilton and Jenson Button also took to the track.
During the opening hour of the session, the majority of the drivers elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane with only a handful of drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and Esteban Gutierrez tip-toeing around the Silverstone circuit on Pirelli’s Cinturato full wet tyres. The Sauber driver completed several laps, however he failed to produce a timed lap during his stint after passing through the pits to carry out practice starts at the pit exit.
As the damp proceedings drew to a miserable conclusion, Daniel Ricciardo injected some track action as the Australian sensation finally shattered the monotonous silence and took to the track once again to produce the first timed lap of the day with a 02:00.029. The Toro Rosso driver managed to improve by several seconds during his next lap with a 01:57.992, as many other drivers followed his trend and finally took to the Silverstone circuit with only ten minutes remaining in the session.
Local hero Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in giving his adoring home fans something to cheer about, as the 2008 World Champion quickly rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:55.458. Whilst Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of the session for the German marque, Charles Pic was caught out in the still treacherous weather conditions as the Frenchman spun into the retaining tyre barrier at Turn 18 and lightly damaged his car. The ever-efficient marshals swiftly cleared the stricken machine, before Daniel Ricciardo pounded around the track to produce a 01:54.249 to return to the top and end of the session fastest for Toro Rosso. The Australian driver was followed at the top by Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado, with rain still falling overhead.
Naturally the teams, drivers and fans will be hoping for better weather conditions for the second practice session of the weekend later in the afternoon, when further track action should allow the drivers to continue their vigorous preparations for the weekend ahead.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m54.249s 10 2. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.033s + 0.784s 7 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m55.354s + 1.105s 7 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m55.458s + 1.209s 5 5. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.825s + 1.576s 9 6. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m56.361s + 2.112s 7 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m57.891s + 3.642s 4 8. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m58.859s + 4.610s 6 9. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.719s + 5.470s 7 10. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m59.876s + 5.627s 8 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 2m06.534s + 12.285 6 12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes no time 3 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes no time 4 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault no time 1 15. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes no time 4 17. Fernando Alonso Ferrari no time 4 18. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault no time 1 19. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes no time 1 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault no time 3 21. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault no time 4 22. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault no time 0
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Paul di Resta Fastest In Wet Opening Practice Session At Canada
Paul di Resta has ended the opening practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend fastest for Force India, in what was a wet/dry opening 90 minutes of track action around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Scotsman finished ahead of the McLaren of Jenson Button, with Romain Grosjean 3rd for Lotus.
The opening practice session ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix got underway in gloomy and wet weather conditions around the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez and Marussia of Max Chilton eventually becoming the first drivers to take to the Montreal circuit. Naturally the entire field elected to carry out numerous installation laps, with Sebastian Vettel in particular returning to the pits after every lap to complete a practice start at the end of the pit-lane.
Whereas the reigning World Champion continued to complete practice starts at the end of the pit-lane, Esteban Gutierrez produced the first timed lap of the weekend with a 01:34.113. The Mexican driver managed to continue improving, eventually working his way down to a 01:30.224 on the full wet Cinturato tyres. The 21-year-old’s reign at the top was short-lived, however, as Mark Webber soon rose to the top for Red Bull after producing a 01:29.412 on the intermediate tyres. The Australian ace then lowered the benchmark even further with a 01:27.909, as more drivers began braving the elements on the intermediate tyre.
As Valtteri Bottas got to grips with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and skipped through the grass at Turn 3, Kimi Raikkonen rose to the top for Lotus with a 01:27.334, before Jean-Eric Vergne thwarted the Finn as the times at the top began to tumble thanks to the improving weather conditions. Nico Rosberg soon asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:26.051 for the German marque, before improving with a 01:24.902. The German ace seems intent on continuing from where he left off after the Monaco Grand Prix last time out.
Jules Bianchi ran straight on at Turn 3 as the opening practice session progressed, forcing the Frenchman to prematurely end his session after struggling to engage the reverse gear. Whilst Jules Bianchi began his walk back to the pits, Mercedes continued to dominate at the front as Lewis Hamilton produced a time +0.616 seconds behind his team-mate to go 2nd fastest. Nico Rosberg continued to improve at the top for the German marque as the session entered its closing stages, as the Toro Rosso duo of Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo became the first to switch to Pirelli’s dry tyres in the improving weather conditions.
Nico Rosberg once again improved at the top with a 01:23.680, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel stormed to the top for Red Bull with a 01:23.047. The German sensation has surprisingly yet to win a race around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and will be striving to bring an end to that stat this weekend. Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg made minor errors as the session drew to a close, before Jenson Button rose to the top for McLaren with a 01:21.551.
Pastor Maldonado made contact with the wall at Turns 3 and 4 during the final minutes of the session, as the Venezuelan driver spun into the wall and destroyed the front of his Williams. The 28-year-old’s stricken Williams was quickly cleared, allowing Paul di Resta to rise to the top for Force India as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the opening practice session. The Scotsman was followed home at the front by Jenson Button in the McLaren and Romain Grosjean in the Lotus.
The teams and drivers will return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve later in the day for the second practice session ahead of Sunday’s 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix. The drivers will naturally be hoping the rain fails to return for practice two, as they continue their many preparations for the weekend ahead.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m21.020s 10 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.108s + 0.088s 20 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m21.258s + 0.238s 21 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.308s + 0.288s 16 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m21.608s + 0.588s 22 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.068s + 1.048s 18 7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.402s + 1.382s 22 8. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.587s + 1.567s 17 9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.047s + 2.027s 26 10. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.131s + 2.111s 16 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m23.341s + 2.321s 13 12. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m23.352s + 2.332s 17 13. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.3e6s + 2.366s 19 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m23.417s + 2.397s 19 15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.957s + 2.937s 33 16. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m25.054s + 4.034s 21 17. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.354s + 4.334s 22 18. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m25.753s + 4.733s 21 19. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m25.821s + 4.801s 19 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m27.143s + 6.123s 20 21. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m27.522s + 6.502s 11 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.306s + 8.286s 8
Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team
Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program Postponed
The Rookie Orientation Program for the forthcoming Indianapolis 500 has been postponed due to inclement weather conditions which are forecast to strike the legendary circuit on the scheduled day. The program will include all four rookies who are scheduled to compete during the event, including Conor Daly and A.J. Allmendinger.
IndyCar officials will announce a revised date for the program, where the competing drivers are expected to run two or three phases of car control at varying average speeds. The day was initially scheduled for April 11th, one month before the opening day of the official event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pole day is on May 18th, with the coveted 200-lap race on May 26th.
“We have been monitoring the weather reports in Indianapolis to make sure the conditions would be suitable for ample on-track activity,” explained Brian Barnhart, President of Operations and Strategy for IndyCar. “With the strong chance for rain and lower ambient temperatures, we felt it was best to postpone our Rookie Orientation Program until a later date.”
Rookies Tristan Vautier, A.J. Allmendinger, Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz are scheduled to attend the program, as they will be regarded as rookies for the 200-lap race. For Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz, this will be their debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
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Yvan Muller Storms To Race 2 Victory At Monza In Treacherous Conditions
Yvan Muller stormed to a sensational victory in the second World Touring Car Championship race at Monza, starting his 2013 campaign in sensational style with two consecutive race victories. Michel Nykjær finished a competitive 2nd, as Gabriele Tarquini only just hung on for 3rd ahead of rookie Marc Basseng.
Despite taking place several hours after the first race around Italy’s legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the weather conditions had failed to improve as the rain continued to lash down upon the circuit. However, the race stewards elected not to start the race under safety car conditions, unlike the first race. This saw proceedings get underway in the traditional standing-start format. Both Robert Huff and Tom Boardman started the race from the pits, with Darryl O’Young and Marc Basseng starting the race on the front row of the grid.
At the start Gabriele Tarquini enjoyed another of his absolutely sensational starts. scything his way through the order from 5th to the lead by the opening three corners. Franz Engstler ran straight on and through the escape road at Turn 1, as the field tip-toed their way through the opening lap in almost undriveable conditions. With visibility absolutely atrocious, it was no surprise that several drivers made minor mistakes on the opening lap including Fredy Barth who spun through the Ascari chicane.
After starting from 22nd and last on the grid after crashing out of the opening race, many were surprised when Stefano D’Aste had worked his way up to 12th by Lap 2. Alex MacDowall suffered a disastrous end to the second lap, after running extensively wide through the gravel at the final corner. At the start of Lap 3, many drivers ran down the escape road after striking an almighty puddle which was forming at Turn 1, including both Jean-Philippe Dayraut, Mehdi Bennani and Alex MacDowell.
By Lap 4, opening race winner Yvan Muller was already up to 2nd position after starting 9th and was clearly catching the Honda of Gabriele Tarquini. Towards the end of the lap, Muller had muscled his way around the Italian driver for the lead, whereas rookie Marc Basseng was impressing many by holding onto 3rd position. Mehdi Bennani was issued with a drive-thru penalty for exceeding track limits, just as Marc Basseng’s luck ran out as he ran down the escape road at Turn 1 and lost 3rd position to Michel Nykjær.
As the race entered its closing stages, the Danish driver began to reel in Gabriele Tarquini for 2nd. The duo battled hard for the position throughout Lap 8, before Nykjær managed to make the move stick through the Ascari chicane. Further down the order saw Tom Boardman spin at Turns 4 and 5, whereas Gabriele Tarquini began to come to under severe pressure from Marc Basseng. As Yvan Muller crossed the line to secure his second consecutive race victory of the day, with Michel Nykjær 2nd, Gabriele Tarquini only just managed to hold on for 3rd ahead of the charging Marc Basseng by less than a tenth of a second.
Despite the utterly treacherous weather conditions, the opening race weekend of the new World Touring Car Championship season was one of pure excitement, and should remain an enthralling spectacle throughout the entire season. The paddock will reconvene in several weeks time for the Race of Morocco, around the tight and twisty confines of Marrakech’s Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan.
Results - 10 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Yvan Muller RML Chevrolet 23m27.254s 2. Michel Nykjaer NIKA Chevrolet + 2.482s 3. Gabriele Tarquini Honda + 4.994s 4. Marc Basseng Munnich SEAT + 5.081s 5. Tom Chilton RML Chevrolet + 5.612s 6. Pepe Oriola Tuenti SEAT + 6.755s 7. James Nash Bamboo Chevrolet + 14.445s 8. Tiago Monteiro Honda + 20.573s 9. Stefano d'Aste PB BMW + 23.722s 10. Rob Huff Munnich SEAT + 25.442s 11. Tom Coronel ROAL BMW + 37.126s 12. Darryl O'Young ROAL BMW + 41.394s 13. Franz Engstler Engstler BMW + 43.904s 14. Fredy Barth Wiechers BMW + 45.921s 15. Fernando Monje Campos SEAT + 50.678s 16. Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT + 53.591s 17. Charles Ng Engstler BMW + 59.157s 18. Jean-Philippe Dayraut Anome BMW + 1m06.537s 19. Mehdi Bennani Proteam BMW + 1m26.721s 20. Alex MacDowall Bamboo Chevrolet + 1 lap 21. Rene Munnich Munnich SEAT + 1 lap 22. Norbert Michelisz Zengo Honda + 1 lap
Picture Copyright © WTCC
Lewis Williamson Fastest On Third And Final Day Of GP3 Estoril Test
Lewis Williamson has ended the third and final day of the GP3 Estoril test fastest overall for new team Bamboo Engineering, in a day which once again featured heavy rain. Kevin Korjus ended the morning period fastest for rookie outfit Koiranen GP, with the 27 drivers battling hard against the treacherous elements.
Just like the previous day, the third day dawned with heavy rain lashing down upon the Estoril circuit, providing the drivers with incredibly tricky track conditions early on. Only two driver changes occurred over night, with Nick Cassidy replacing Tio Ellinas at Marussia Manor Racing and Lewis Williamson returning to Bamboo Engineering in place of Ryan Cullen. Despite the inclement weather conditions, many drivers were eager to begin testing once the track turned green.
However, there was a controversial and early red flag delay when a stray dog was found wandering around the circuit. Naturally proceedings were halted until the dog was removed, and when the session restarted Kevin Korjus set the early pace for Koiranen GP. Due to the tricky track conditions many drivers made minor errors throughout the morning period, with the likes of Jack Harvey and Patrick Kujala spinning and therefore causing further red flag delays.
Kevin Korjus remained at the top of the timing sheets as the morning progressed, as the unrelenting rain continued to dampen proceedings. Patric Niederhauser became the next driver to fall foul of the tricky conditions, as the Swiss driver spun into the gravel and brought out another red flag delay. Alex Fontana did likewise once the session was resumed, therefore enabling Kevin Korjus’s time at the top to remain unchallenged, as the Estonian driver was followed by Carlos Sainz jr. and Jack Harvey.
Despite the terrible weather conditions of the morning period, sunshine greeted the 27 drivers once the afternoon session began. Nick Cassidy and Nick Yelloly set the initial benchmark, with the weather conditions still not perfect with strong winds gusting through the circuit. As the track continued to dry out, the drivers elected for the dry tyres and therefore began to set much more competitive lap times.
Kevin Korjus and Carlos Sainz jr. rose to the top as the afternoon session continued, whereas rookie Jimmy Eriksson spun as the rain began to fall once again. Many teams decided to run race simulations in the afternoon period, however Jack Harvey soon rose to the top for ART Grand Prix with only one hour remaining. Alex Fontana caused yet another red flag delay as his Jenzer Motorsport machine was struck with technical issues, whereas Lewis Williamson set the pace with a 01:27.675 to end the first GP3 pre-season test fastest for Bamboo Engineering.
The GP3 fraternity will reconvene next month for the second pre-season test around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, as preparations for the new season continue to gather momentum. During the opening test the new GP3/13 car completed a combined total of 3809 laps, with much positivity from the entire GP3 grid.
Today’s times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Lewis Williamson Bamboo 1m27.675s 44 2. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 1m27.763s 46 3. Robert Visoiu MW Arden 1m27.848s 66 4. Jack Harvey ART 1m28.080s 60 5. Dino Zamparelli Manor 1m28.139s 63 6. David Fumanelli Trident 1m28.159s 52 7. Alex Fontana Jenzer 1m28.179s 54 8. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 1m28.212s 51 9. Facu Regalia ART 1m28.322s 60 10. Kevin Korjus Koiranen 1m28.372s 53 11. Giovanni Venturini Trident 1m28.385s 59 12. Emanuele Zonzini Trident 1m28.459s 57 13. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden 1m28.485s 52 14. Nick Cassidy Manor 1m28.522s 74 15. Conor Daly ART 1m28.923s 63 16. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 1m29.044s 74 17. Ethan Ringel Bamboo 1m29.076s 42 18. Nick Yelloly Carlin 1m29.104s 56 19. Patrick Kujala Koiranen 1m29.335s 41 20. Luis Sa Silva Carlin 1m29.341s 75 21. Vicky Piria Manor 1m29.461s 54 22. Josh Webster Status 1m29.648s 52 23. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin 1m29.823s 69 24. Samin Gomez Jenzer 1m30.177s 77 25. Roberto La Rocca Bamboo 1m30.399s 29 26. Melville McKee Status 1m31.780s 37 27. Jimmy Eriksson Status 1m32.761s 38
Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
2012 GP3 Series Season Review: Part 2
After the first two rounds of the 2012 GP3 Series season, it was almost a month until the teams and drivers reconvened for the third round of the Championship at the Valencia Street Circuit in support of the European Grand Prix. Aaro Vainio was in the lead of the Championship with 54 points, with Mitch Evans a close 2nd with 43 points.
As ever the weekend began with a practice session on the Friday, which Championship leader Aaro Vainio topped with a 02:00.094 for Lotus. The Finn was followed by team-mate Conor Daly, with the Marussia Manor Racing of Tio Ellinas a close 3rd. However, Mitch Evans was able to storm to a superlative pole the following morning, as the Kiwi asserted his authority over the proceedings. He was joined on the front-row of the grid by team-mate David Fumanelli, with the second row consisting of Championship contender Aaro Vainio and Ocean Racing Technology driver Kevin Ceccon.
The opening race of the weekend later in the afternoon saw Mitch Evans carry out a extremely mature and dominant drive at the front, as the Kiwi stormed to a lights-to-flag victory from the Lotus of Aaro Vainio and the MW Arden of David Fumanelli. As usual there was utter confusion further back during the opening laps, as Marlon Stockinger lost his rear-wing whilst Robert Visoiu, Fabiano Machado and Antonio Spavone were forced into retirement.
Despite loosing his rear-wing on the opening lap, Marlon Stockinger was able to return to the pits to allow his mechanics to fit a rear-wing to his car. This saw the Pilipino driver drop a lap behind the leaders, however he was able to continue racing albeit at the back of the pack. Lap 2 saw another big incident between the Carlin of Antonio Felix da Costa and the Marussia Manor Racing of Dmitry Suranovich, as the former slammed into the side of the Russian driver. This incident ended both of their races, but amazingly did not force the safety car to be deployed.
This victory for Mitch Evans saw the Kiwi retake the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with only a two point advantage over Aaro Vainio who remained a close 2nd for Lotus. Marlon Stockinger remained in a distant 3rd position in the Championship, with fellow MW Arden driver David Fumanelli 4th with 35 points scored.
After finishing the opening race of the weekend in 8th, Patric Niederhauser would start the second race from the reverse grid pole alongside the Ocean Racing Technology of Kevin Ceccon. The Swiss driver capitalized greatly on his starting position, and took his maiden GP3 victory during the 14-lap race the following morning.
The 21-year-old was followed home by the Lotus of Daniel Abt, who initially started the race from 3rd. Matias Laine eventually finished the race in 3rd, after starting from 4th on the grid. Tio Ellinas initially finished 3rd, however the Cypriot was issued with a penalty after forcing Kevin Ceccon off the track throughout the closing stages of the race.
Just like race one, several collisions ensued further back throughout the opening lap of the race. This included an incident between the Lotus of Conor Daly and the Atech CRS GP of John Wartique, as both were forced into retirement. Alice Powell also retired on the opening lap, as she endured yet another tough weekend in the series.
Ethan Ringel retired several laps into the race, after a collision with fellow series rookie Fabiano Machado, who was issued with a penalty for causing the incident. Carmen Jorda also retired in the latter stages of the race, leaving Trident’s Vicky Piria as the only female driver to finish the race.
Although Mitch Evans could only managed 6th position after starting the race from 8th, the Kiwi still retained the lead in the Drivers’ Championship from Aaro Vainio as the GP3 fraternity prepared for the fourth round of the season at the legendary Silverstone circuit in support of the British Grand Prix.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix weekend, there were several driver changes throughout the paddock as Fabio Gamberini replaced John Wartique at Atech CRS Grand Prix and Facu Regalia replaced Jakub Klasterka at Jenzer Motorsport. The British Grand Prix weekend was one plagued with extremely inclement weather conditions, as heavy rain struck the circuit on numerous occasions throughout the weekend.
Antonio Felix da Costa was fastest during a wet practice on the Friday, as the GP3 teams and drivers carried out their preparations for the weekend ahead. Hungarian driver Tamas Pal Kiss was 2nd, with Championship leader Mitch Evans 3rd. However, once the practice session had come to a conclusion, both Tamas Pal Kiss and Ethan Ringel were struck with grid penalties for race one after various yellow flag infringements.
Despite the wet practice session on the Friday, the GP3 fraternity was met with surprisingly dry but overcast weather conditions for the all-important qualifying session early Saturday morning. However, the track was not 100% dry, with several notoriously damp patches remaining on the track, which caught out several drivers throughout the session. Mitch Evans stormed to his second pole of the season for race one, and would start the race alongside fellow Championship contender Aaro Vainio.
The opening race of the weekend was also run in dry conditions, despite the treacherous weather conditions witnessed the previous day. Despite qualifying on pole, Mitch Evans was unable to translate his superlative qualifying performance into a race victory, as the Carlin of Antonio Felix da Costa stormed to a commanding victory ahead of the Kiwi. Aaro Vainio was able to finish a distant 3rd, however the Finn still remained behind Evans in the Drivers’ Championship.
In stark contrast to the usual incident-filled races witnessed throughout the opening three rounds of the year, the first race of the British Grand Prix weekend featured only two retirements as William Buller retired on the opening lap after a collision. Ethan Ringel followed the Briton into retirement several laps later, with the American’s car almost catching fire in the process. After retiring on the opening lap of race one, local driver William Buller would therefore start the second race on Sunday morning from last on the grid.
However, this minor fact did not deter William Buller from storming to an absolutely unforgettable victory during the second race, despite starting from plum last during a wet/dry 14-lap race. Only moments before the start of the race, rain began to fall upon the Silverstone circuit, presenting the drivers with a conundrum as to which tyre they should start the race on. Several drivers opted for the safer option of starting on the wet tyres, whereas others decided to stick with the slick tyres.
As the lights went out it quickly became clear that the drivers who started the race on the wet tyres were visibly faster, as Tio Ellinas and Antonio Felix da Costa rose to 1st and 2nd position in the opening laps. However, as the race wore on, the rain began to subside thus allowing the drivers on the dry tyres to rise back through the order. As the race entered the halfway mark, Patric Niederhauser began to challenge Tio Ellinas for the lead after overtaking Antonio Felix da Costa for 2nd. William Buller was already in 6th position, and was clearly the fastest driver on the track.
By Lap 10, William Buller had scythed through the order like a hot knife through butter into lead ahead of Patric Niederhauser and Robert Visoiu. Whilst one local driver wowed the Silverstone faithful at the front of the pack, another in Alice Powell endured yet another frustrating race as she beached her Status Grand Prix machine into the gravel and into retirement.
In the closing stages of the race, Aaro Vainio, Marlon Stockinger and Daniel Abt joined Alice Powell in retirement. Daniel Abt spun out of the race, whereas his team-mate Aaro Vainio collided with fellow countryman Matias Laine. Although Laine was able to make it to the end of the race, albeit a lap down, Aaro Vainio was forced into a disastrous retirement.
Whilst the race drew to an incident-filled conclusion, William Buller stormed across the line to take an absolutely mesmerizing victory after starting last. The Briton was followed home by the Lotus of Conor Daly, with Patric Niederhauser a very competitive 3rd. After an entertaining race weekend, Mitch Evans retained his lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 100 points scored, ahead of Aaro Vainio (89 points) and Antonio Felix da Costa (58 points).
Part 3 to follow…
Picture(s) Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/Andrew Ferraro/GP3 Series Media Service
Fernando Alonso: “It Was One Of The Most Difficult Races”
Fernando Alonso has explained how the Brazilian Grand Prix was one of the most difficult races of his career, mirroring the same beliefs of race winner Jenson Button who also described the season finale as the toughest of his career. Despite finishing 2nd, Fernando Alonso was still unable to clinch the Drivers’ Championship.
After starting the race from 7th, Fernando Alonso immediately capitalized on Sebastian Vettel’s early spin on the opening lap by rising up the order to 4th. However, with the Spaniard unwilling to take unnecessary risks in his plight to secure the Championship, he was forced to pit on Lap 11 for the intermediate tyre along with the likes of fellow Championship rival Sebastian Vettel. This saw him plummet down the order, however he steadily rose back up to 4th before once again pitting for the dry tyre as the track conditions began to steadily improve.
Fernando Alonso remained in 4th position for the majority of the race, however once the rain began to intensify once again, the Spaniard was forced to pit for intermediate tyres. This saw him drop behind his team-mate, however once Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton had their coming together, Massa allowed his team-mate through into what turned out to be 2nd position. However this was still not enough for the Championship, as Sebastian Vettel as able to finish 6th, allowing him to clinch his third successive Drivers’ Championship.
“It was more or less what we wanted.” Explained Fernando Alonso after the race, “Mixed conditions and [a] very, very difficult race. It was one of the most difficult races we ever drove, I think with the conditions out there and you [could] feel that you are with the wrong tyre every lap but you ask the team and everyone is in the same position so you need to keep fighting. There was a lot of risk every lap to crash and have an accident and finish the race there.”
With Ferrari’s F2012 car unquestionably slower than Red Bull’s RB8 on average throughout the season, Fernando Alonso’s superlative record of finishing all but two races all season and finishing on the podium thirteen times is a pure testament to the Spaniard’s unwavering competitiveness throughout the year. Fernando Alonso might not have secured the Drivers’ Championship, but he most certainly showed he is capable of remaining competitive regardless of the car supplied to him by the team.
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