23/09/2012
NEWS STORY
 |
OK, before we go any further, let's get a few facts out of the way.
Firstly, on the previous four occasions this race has been held the Safety Car has made at least one appearance, not least for the Renault debacle that was to become Crash-gate.
As it happens, unlike some circuits there haven't been any startline crashes here that necessitated the appearance of the Safety Car. Liuzzi and Heidfeld crashed in 2010, bringing out the Safety Car, but that was at the end of the first lap. While though there was first corner contact last year, with Ricciardo needing a new front wing, but nothing serious and no Safety Car. Same goes for 2009 when Alonso and Webber ran wide at Turn 1, the Australian subsequently picking up a penalty.
Secondly, two of F1's biggest hot-heads, Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean start from the front end of the grid, the Frenchman fresh back from his one race ban following his stupidity in Belgium. Furthermore, the last time Maldonado started from the front row he went on to win. That said, he benefited greatly from Lewis Hamilton's massive grid penalty.
Talking of Hamilton and Maldonado, the pair have history, and while the Williams driver assures us that he has learned from his past mistakes - not that we're saying that every clash was his fault - once the visor is down the lights go out…
Thirdly, in terms of tyre strategy most teams, especially those at the front, face a wild gamble today. There is a difference of up to 1.7s between the two compounds (soft and super-soft) however, when the option (super-softs) go off they go off quickly, in some cases after just two laps. However, other than deciding how many stops, the teams at the front need to decide exactly how far they can go into the race before stopping. Too early and they risk rejoining in the midfield, too late and they risk being passed by the midfield. What to do, what to do?
After the "majesty" of Spa and the "passion" and "history" of Monza, those masters of hyperbole that the Marina Bay circuit will soon be up there and is already one of the true highlights on the calendar. Patting aside the gimmick of racing at night - which if Bernie has his way will become the norm - this race does at least see the drivers being kept on their toes. Two hours in length, in exhausting temperatures, bodyclocks still uncertain and on a traffic which punishes mistakes, it is a circuit that demands respect, if only from those twenty-four guys sitting in the cars.
Now, putting aside the possibility of a first corner incident - and that's a mighty big stretch of the imagination today - Lewis Hamilton is clearly on a roll. With two wins from the last three races the Stevenage Rocket is looking might good. Sebastian Vettel might have dominated all three practice session but when he really needed it wasn't there.
His money having assured him of the Williams seat again in 2013, Maldonado doesn't have to win today, though a good podium result might help push his 'bad boy' reputation to the back of people's minds.
Jenson Button, like Mark Webber, hasn't entirely given up on the title, while Fernando Alonso, still enjoying a comfortable championship lead, could prove to be the dark (prancing) horse.
Talking of Webber, the Australian, in True Grit, style, when asked of his concerns in terms of Maldonado, told reporters that the Venezuelan is aware of his good "right hook".
Mercedes, of whom much was expected courtesy of its many upgrades, opted not to post a time in Q3, leaving both drivers free to choose their tyre strategy today. Force India, especially Paul di Resta, remains convinced that it has the beating of the Silver Arrows here. Special mention to Michael Schumacher, the German having done well to get his car up to ninth on the grid, ahead of his teammate. Not bad for an old 'un!
Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were the big shocks of Q2, Sergio Perez's early shower always on the cards once teammate Kamui Kobayashi was eliminated in Q1. Nonetheless, this little group should provide some thrills and spills in the opening stages, especially the Japanese driver as he attempts to make early work of the Toro Rossos.
A number of drivers have yet to secure seats for next season and while a good result today might not secure their futures a bad result could condemn them. This is especially true of Bruno Senna whose nightmare weekend got even worse when he learned that the off that meant he failed to post a time in Q2 resulted in a subsequent gearbox change and therefore a five-place penalty.
Furthermore, Charles Pic, who appears to have lost his seat to Max Chilton and his Axa millions, will have 20s added to his race time following his red flag misdemeanour yesterday. That and a day of community service for the FIA.
Other than Senna, who will start 22nd, the only other driver to get a grid penalty is de la Rosa (new gearbox) who starts 24th, which is where he qualified.
Talking of Marussia, the Russian team has made great strides in the last couple of races, and while Caterham opened the gap again yesterday, it is clear John Booth and his team are heading in the right direction.
Even though both titles are very much up for grabs, there remain six more races after this and while neither can be won here today they could be lost. At most of the remaining tracks minor mistakes will go unpunished, and after the nightmare of Spa for some and Monza for others, the motto today should be points make prizes. Keke Rosberg won the title with just one win, as did Mike Hawthorn. And let's not forget Jack Brabham (1959), Phil Hill, John Surtees and Denny Hulme - greats every one of them - who each won a title with two wins that particular season.
Ahead of today's race, the sport will pay tribute to one of its own, the late, very great, Professor Sid Watkins. Ten minutes before the lights signalling the start of the race, the track will fall silent for one minute in tribute to the man to many in this sport, including a few on today's grid, owe their lives. Indeed, considering the work the Prof pioneered in F1, many in motorsport and beyond have good reason to thank the man.
It is a moving tribute, all fall silent, Bernie, whose father knew Sid, is deep in thought, while Niki Lauda, for once, removes his cap. The Austrian legend, one of many who owes his life to the Prof's quick thinking and skills.
As the field prepares to head off on the parade lap, air temperature is 29 degrees C, as is the track temperature. Humidity is 67 percent.
All are on supersofts except Hulkenberg, Perez, Vergne, Kobayashi, Glock, Pic and de la Rosa. Rosberg told to cool his engine using seventh gear and low revs.
The grid forms… it seems to take forever.
They're away. They're away cleanly but a couple of drivers use the run off at Turn 1. Vettel gets ahead of Maldonado as does Button.
At the end of lap one it's: Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Maldonado, Alonso, di Resta, Webber, Grosjean, Schumacher and Rosberg. Petrov is last, the Russian having lost his front wing in a clash with his teammate. Elsewhere, Massa is running last before heading into the pits with a left-rear puncture.
As Hamilton enjoys a 1.2s lead, Raikkonen passes Hulkenberg.
The stewards investigating first lap clash and drivers missing first corner. Rosberg, Perez, Senna, Ricciardo and Glock were among those that used the run off, the Mercedes driver appearing to be forced wide by Webber.
On lap 3, Vettel posts a new fastest lap (56.187) as he seeks to close the 1.4s gap to Hamilton. Schumacher told that he has to cool his car as Raikkonen closes in, the German having been passed by his Mercedes teammate.
As Lotus reveals it is receiving no telemetry from Grosjean's car, Massa, who is running last and now on primes, posts a new fastest lap (55.664).
The stewards, quite sensibly, announce that no further action is to be taken re the earlier incidents.
Perez is advised that his tyre strategy (primes) is looking good. Should pay off for Hulkenberg (12th) also.
Massa is advised that he has very good pace, even though he is 11s down on Petrov and 77.8s on Hamilton. As Webber goes quickest in S1, Raikkonen is frustrated behind Schumacher.
At the end of lap 8, Webber is the first to make a scheduled stop. He fits a set of primes and rejoins in 20th behind Pic. Of whom he makes short work.
Replay shows Glock hitting the wall, but continuing, while Vettel misses the chicane. Senna told not to use first gear as there is a problem with it. The Brazilian is currently battling Ricciardo for fourteenth.
At the end of lap 10 it is Vettel who pits, the German rejoining in eleventh behind Perez. Senna also pits.
On his first lap on the harder rubber Webber posts a PB (56.771), quicker than the leader and around the same pace as Button and Maldonado.
Alonso pits next time around, as do Schumacher and Ricciardo. Alonso rejoins in twelfth.
Told he is losing time, Hamilton says his tyres have a "funny feeling". Button has closed to within 3.6s.
Hamilton and di Resta pit at the end of lap 12, as does Rosberg. Hamilton rejoins in fourth. Vettel passes Raikkonen to take fifth.
Maldonado pits at the end of lap 13 as Vettel posts a new fastest lap (55.495). Raikkonen pits also, as does Glock.
Button, who has yet to stop, leads Grosjean , the McLaren driver subsequently diving into the pits. Grosjean also stops. Consequently, Hamilton leads again, from Vettel, Button, Maldonado, Hulkenberg.
Maldonado gets mightily out of shape as he battles Hulkenberg, the Williams driver almost leading it in Turn 6.
After 16 laps, Hulkenberg is fifth, but still to stop, with Perez, who has also still to stop, seventh. Webber, the first to stop, is up to ninth while Massa is twentieth.
Alonso makes short work of Hulkenberg and sets off after Maldonado, the Spaniard having previously passed Perez.
Vettel trails Hamilton by 1.3s, with Button a further 3.5s down the road.
Hulkenberg and Perez both pit at the end of lap 18, rejoining in 14th and 16th sandwiching Ricciardo. De la Rosa and Petrov also stop.
Massa makes his second stop of the day, albeit the first was due to a puncture.
Raikkonen, currently eleventh, goes quickest in S1 and Hulkenberg in S2. Schumacher told to use "magic alternative". The German is currently tenth, as countryman Hulkenberg posts a new fastest lap (54.494).
Karthikeyan is the last driver to make a scheduled stop, having gone 20 laps on the option tyre.
Massa, on the prime tyre, goes quickest (54.481) as he closes the gap to twentieth placed Pic.
As Petrov takes to the marbles in his efforts to pass de la Rosa, Hamilton grinds to a halt, he has no drive. As he shakes his head in disbelief it appears that he is stuck in neutral. In the McLaren garage and on the pit-wall the disappointment is obvious. He's advised that it was a gearbox failure, the team appearing to have feared such a problem. "We did all we could yesterday," is the cryptic message. Did the Englishman damage his gearbox when he clouted the wall in Q3, did his team take a gamble rather than take a grid penalty?
Consequently, after 23 laps, Vettel leads Button by 2.4s with Maldonado a further 1.7s behind. Alonso is fourth, ahead of di Resta, Webber, Rosberg, Grosjean, Schumacher and Raikkonen.
Weaving his way through the backmarkers, Alonso takes to the marbles, the Spaniard just 8s down on the race leader.
Senna makes his second stop at the end of lap 25, switching to the option tyre. Glock also pits.
Now 3.4s down on Vettel, Button complains about the back markers.
Rosberg old to increase his pace otherwise temperatures will go "out the window".
No sooner has Vergne posted a new fastest lap (53.743) than Senna posts 53.610.
As Button, who is told he is "in the window" posts a PB (55.261), Webber makes his second stop, the Red Bull driver rejoining in eleventh on the super-softs.
At the end of lap 29, Maldonado and Alonso both pit. Thy rejoin in sixth and seventh, right behind Grosjean, the Williams driver on options and the Spaniard on primes.
As they work their way through the backmarkers, Maldonado and Alonso battle sixth, all the time harrying Grosjean.
Ricciardo and Petrov both pit at the end of lap 31, as Vettel maintains a 3.1s lead over Button.
Heart in mouth time as Alonso, clearly frustrated, makes a number of attacks on Maldonado. However, the Williams driver is having none of it.
Out comes the yellow flag and then the Safety Car as Karthikeyan hits the barriers at Turn 18 on lap 34. Raikkonen immediately pits, as do Vettel, Button Pic, di Resta, Rosberg, Grosjean, Maldonado (again), Schumacher, Senna and Massa. Alonso didn't pit, nor did Hulkenberg or Perez.
Behind the Safety Car, it's: Vettel, Button, Alonso, di Resta, Hulkenberg, Webber, Perez, Rosberg, Grosjean and Maldonado.
"We have a hydraulic problem, we have to retire now," Maldonado is told. A sad end to a fine performance. That said, the Venezuelan doesn't pit. Maybe he thinks it's a late April Fool.
In the HRT pits, clouds of brake dust from de la Rosa's car.
Next time around Maldonado peels off into the pitlane.
At the end of lap 38 the Safety Car pulls off, as they generate heat in their tyres and brakes Button almost runs into the back of Vettel. A close one.
Webber is all over Hulkenberg and Schumacher challenges Vergne. Rosberg nails Perez as does Grosjean, while True Grit Webber nails Hulkenberg.
Disaster for Schumacher who repeats his mistake of 2011 locking up and running into the back of another car, in this case Vergne. As the Safety Car is deployed, Ross Brawn looks unimpressed.
Vergne gets out of his car ands walks towards the German veteran, for a moment you wonder if there might be a confrontation. Instead the two give another a reassuring pat.
Replay shows Vergne a totally innocent victim as Schumacher locks up and slams into the back of him. At the time the Frenchman was concentrating on his battle with Perez.
Webber pits, as do Hulkenberg, Perez, Petrov and de la Rosa.
As Petrov grinds to a halt at the end of the pitlane, the stewards announce that they are to investigate the Schumacher incident. Replay shows Button to be unhappy with Vettel's actions just before the first re-start, the McLaren driver feeling it was a brake-test.
The Safety Car period is a lot shorter this time, it pulls off at the end of lap 42. Petrov leaves the Caterham garage to rejoin the action, albeit in last place.
At the re-start Raikkonen makes a move on his Lotus teammate but Grosjean is having none of it. Massa all over Senna for ninth. They touch and for a minute it all looks horrible, however, somehow they get away with it. The Ferrari gets past the Williams in a great move at the bridge, Kobayashi closing in amidst all the excitement. On the pit-wall Rob Smedley shakes his head in disbelief.
Vettel posts a new fastest lap (53.302) however, Button remains a tantalising 1.4s behind. Alonso, in third, is unable to shake off di Resta.
The stewards are announcing the Massa/Senna incident.
As Vettel goes quickest in S2, teammate Webber goes quickest in S1. A new fastest lap from the German (53.152).
Massa passes Ricciardo with ease to take eighth, however, we await news from the stewards. Williams clearly feel that the earlier incident was out of order.
With twenty minutes remaining, the tyre-master, Button, aka Capt No Grip, goes quickest, the Englishman banging in a 53.060. He is now 1.8s down on the race leader. Rosberg remains fifth, ahead of Grosjean, Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo and Senna. Webber is twelfth, all over Kobayashi.
Raikkonen sails past his Lotus teammate as the Frenchman is told "do not hold him up".
All eyes on Glock who is running fifteenth. Any more retirement up ahead could work out very well for Marussia in terms of the championship. And that means money.
Perez and Hulkenberg touch, the Mexican's reaction suggesting that it was the German's fault. However, on board it appeared the Sauber driver made a brave move but his rival (fairly) shut the door.
Moments later Webber finally gets by Kobayashi with Hulkenberg following through. However, the German's car touches the Sauber leaving the Force India with a puncture. Elsewhere, Senna does well to stay out of the barriers at Turn 9. Damage following that earlier incident sees Kobayashi pit also.
As Glock moves up to thirteenth, with teammate Pic right behind, the stewards announce that they will take no further action re the Massa/Senna incident. However, they are investigating the Webber/Kobayashi move when the Red Bull driver completely left the track in his efforts to pass the Japanese.
Any more problems up ahead, meaning retirement, would promote Glock to twelfth and Marussia to tenth in the championship.
On lap 53, Hulkenberg posts a new fastest lap (51.033). Di Resta told that Alonso, 3.4s up the road, is on tyres that are four laps older and he should therefore take full advantage.
Webber closes on tenth-place Senna, the Australian sweeping pass the Williams with the aid of KERS and DRS. While his teammate heads to victory, his second of the season, Webber moves into the last point-scoring position.
Asked if there is a car problem, Senna says he has a loss of power. That will comes as great news to Glock who is 33s behind. Indeed, moments later, he pulls off track, Glock goes twelfth and Marussia goes tenth in the championship.
The two hour rule comes into play, and consequently at the end of lap 59, Vettel takes the flag ahead of Button, Alonso, di Resta, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Massa, Ricciardo and Webber.
Perez finishes eleventh, ahead of Glock, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen, Pic, de la Rosa, Senna and Petrov.
While it is all smiles and hugs on the Red Bull pit-wall, McLaren, despite Jenson Button's performance, and Williams, will feel justifiably disappointed. A race that promised so much for both Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado delivered nothing, only misery and failure.
On the other hand it does set us up nicely for the next six races.
Vettel moves into second in the Drivers' Championship, however, that man Alonso continues to collect the points… and as we've already said, points make prizes.
Another great drive from di Resta while Massa did well to get into the points following that first lap puncture. Honourable mentions to Rosberg, Raikkonen and Ricciardo, while commiserations to Perez and Hulkenberg.
We now move onto Japan as an already intriguing championship takes another twist.
Check out our Grand Prix gallery, here.