12/05/2013
NEWS STORY
 |
In the 22 Grands Prix that have taken place at the Circuit de Catalunya, the pole-sitter has gone on to win the race – the most recent being Pastor Maldonado (who starts from 17th today) in 2012.
Whether Nico Rosberg will become the eighteenth is highly dubious.
As we have seen previously, Mercedes appears to have a fixation on taking pole position rather than concentrating all its efforts on the race, opting for Saturday’s headlines over Sunday’s result. To the outside it’s short sighted logic, but, then again, it’s their team.
Therefore, if we discounts the Silver Arrows duo, who will still no doubt pick up a decent points haul, today looks to be about Red Bull, Lotus and Ferrari.
While Mark Webber starts from seventh and Felipe Massa ninth, following his penalty, neither should be written. Indeed, we see the Australian as today’s dark horse.
However, for most, it would appear that today will be between Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.
Over the years, the bland nature of the circuit, combined with the huge amount of testing done here – especially in the days when tests were held just a few weeks beforehand – earned it the epithet Borecelona. Hopefully that will not be the case today.
As in 2012, the Pirelli rubber means we should always expect the unexpected, which is why we refuse to rule out Massa or Webber.
With no chance of rain spoiling the party, we will have to rely on silliness, unreliability – a rarity these days – errant protestors and our old friends tyres.
As the big guns battle for the podium, it will be interesting to watch the progress of the Force Indias and Toro Rossos here, both teams having been mighty impressive all weekend. Sadly, the same cannot be said of 2012 winner Williams, whose fall from grace is truly alarming.
That said, if the Grove outfit is hurting, what about its Surrey rival McLaren, where, after just four races, Martin Whitmarsh finds himself fending off talk of ‘quitting’. In all honesty, the decline at Woking hasn’t been sudden, and while many cite the decision to come up with a completely new car as the reason, one cannot help but feel that the company has lost direction in its attempts to spread itself into various other markets.
Sauber appears to be having a typically Swiss weekend here, all neutrality and not actually doing anything, while the Caterham/Marussia battle continues to entertain, the Anglo-Malaysian outfit having lost some of the ground it appeared to have gained in Bahrain.
Earlier today, Race Director Charlie Whiting issued a statement in which he claimed the on-board marshalling system which has been plagued with problems in the first four races appear to have been fixed. He didn’t add the words ‘fingers crossed’ so we did it for him.
Tyre compounds are hard and medium, the prime being an entirely new compound to that used previously, while Pirelli insists that Paul di Resta’s failure on Friday, and Massa’s in Bahrain, was due to debris. That said, the Italian manufacturer added the rider that it would continue to investigate the issue.
We are expecting three, possibly even four, stops today, while there are two DRS zones, one on the main straight and the other on the back straight linking Turns 9 and 10.
As the pitlane opens, the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees.
As the field heads off on the warm-up lap, all but Bianchi, Chilton and Pic are on the medium rubber. Ricciardo, Button, Bottas, Maldonado, Van der Garde and Gutierrez all sporting brand new boots.
As they go round, Vettel complains that the Mercedes duo are “ridiculously slow”, “tell them to hurry up,” he urges. Moments later, pole-man Rosberg is told to “bunch the field”.
They’re away and although the Mercedes duo make great starts, Hamilton loses out to Vettel when he out-brakes himself into T1. Indeed, the Englishman loses out to Alonso also through the first complex of corners. Strong starts from Alonso, Perez, Massa and Sutil, the Brazilian making short work of his Mexican rival to take sixth.
At the end of lap 1, it’s Rosberg, Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Perez, Massa, Sutil, Grosjean and di Resta.
As DRS is enabled at the end of lap 2, Bianchi pits for a new front wing though its not clear how he damaged it.
“Really important to look after the left-rear,” Rosberg is told. After 3 laps the top six are covered by just 2.8s.
Replay shows Alonso taking Raikkonen and Hamilton in the first complex of corners, superb start from the Spaniard, going around the outside of both of them.
“I can’t get any heat into the tyres,” complains Capt. No Grip, who is currently running in seventeenth. Meanwhile, Hamilton is under pressure from Raikkonen and Massa, the Mercedes driver, who is losing ground to Alonso, having flat-spotted his tyres at the start.
Unlike Bahrain and China the DRS doesn’t appear to be aiding overtaking. That said, Raikkonen nails Hamilton going into T10 on lap 8 to take fourth. Webber is told to pit (from twelfth). Rejoining in twenty-first, Webber is told he has to push.
No sooner has Massa passed Hamilton than the Brazilian pits, as do Sutil, Hulkenberg, Maldonado and Pic. Maldonado drivers into the wrong pit slot. Grosjean also pits, the Frenchman having badly damaged his rear suspension. With smoke pouring from the back of Sutil’s car one has to wonder if there was contact with the Lotus.
Hamilton, di Resta, Alonso, Vergne, Van der Garde and Bottas all pit at the end of lap 9, as Grosjean climbs from his car his race over.
Rosberg pits at the end of lap 10, as do Vettel, Raikkonen, Perez and Ricciardo. Elsewhere, Massa goes quickest.
Vettel rejoins just behind Alonso who nails the German into the first corner. Gutierrez leads, from Rosberg, with Massa fourth, ahead of Raikkonen and Webber. Button pits.
After 11 laps, all but (race leader) Gutierrez and Chilton have pitted, Grosjean the only retirement.
At the start of lap 13, Alonso nails Rosberg into T1, much to the delight of the crowd. Shortly after, Vettel also nails the Mercedes driver, the world champion aware that he cannot afford to lose ground to the Spaniard.
Gutierrez finally pits at the end of lap 13, Alonso now leading from Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Webber, Perez, di Resta, Hamilton and Ricciardo.
As Raikkonen nails Rosberg to take fourth one has to wonder if all this pole taking nonsense is worth the effort, the Mercedes duo now running fifth and ninth. Indeed, Hamilton is under intense pressure from Ricciardo.
As Ricciardo nails Hamilton to take ninth, Rosberg, now 3.1s down on Raikkonen, is advised that Webber, who is 3.3s behind, is on a four stop strategy.
Perez, who is 0.9s down on Webber, is told that the Australian and Rosberg are struggling on their tyres. The Mexican has di Resta and Ricciardo in hot pursuit. Hamilton is already 2.4s down on the Australian.
Out front, after 17 laps, Alonso is pulling away, albeit little by little, from Vettel, the gap now up to 3.7. Webber complains that his front-left tyre doesn’t feel right.
Despite his best efforts, di Resta is unable to hold off Ricciardo, the Australian doing himself no harm in terms of his 2014 job prospects with sister team Red Bull. The Scot subsequently pits.
“Please let me come in,” wails Massa, who is told to pit at the end of the lap. The Brazilian, in third, is currently, 2.1s down on Raikkonen. As Massa rejoins in seventh, behind Ricciardo, Webber and Vergne also pit.
Next time around, at the end of lap 21, race leader Alonso pits. The Spaniard rejoining in fourth. Hulkenberg also pits.
Frantic call from Van der Garde who feels a wheel has not been fitted correctly, the Dutchman having pitted a lap earlier. He is told to make his way back to the pits.
On fresh rubber, Massa goes quickest (28.132) however, one has to wonder how many stops he and his teammate will be making today.
Elsewhere, Van der Garde parts company with his left-rear. Caterham could be facing a heavy fine for that. And rightly so.
As Raikkonen closes on Vettel, Massa is all over Rosberg. Elsewhere, Perez pits from seventh. Third placed Alonso goes quickest (27.731).
Vettel pits at the end of lap 24, the German rejoining in fourth, as Raikkonen takes the lead. Webber sweeps past Hamilton to take eighth, the Mercedes almost embarrassing. Indeed, the Englishman is subsequently passed by Button, di Resta and Hulkenberg.
Raikkonen pits at the end of lap 26, thereby handing the lead back to Alonso, who now heads his Ferrari teammate by 6.884s.
“Left-front is critical,” Vettel is told, as Hamilton is passed BY Hamilton, thereby dropping the Mercedes to fifteenth. Rosberg pits from fifth at the end of lap 27.
After 28 laps, it’s: Alonso, Massa, Vettel, Raikkonen, Webber, Gutierrez, di Resta, Button, Hulkenberg and Perez.
“I’ve been overtaken by a Williams,” complains Hamilton.
Gutierrez and Button both pit as Alonso goes quickest in S1 and Hamilton re-takes fourteenth from Maldonado.
As Raikkonen closes in on Vettel, Hamilton is seriously unimpressed when told to conserve his tyres. “I can’t drive any slower,” he responds.
Enjoying a 10.7s lead, Alonso is worried about his front-left. Raikkonen continues to hound Vettel, the pair 6.9s down on Massa.
A brave, brave move from Raikkonen who tries to go around the outside of Vettel in T10 but is unable to make it stick. However, a few corners later the Iceman finally makes it through going into T1. Further back, Ricciardo passes Perez to take ninth.
Hulkenberg pits from ninth at the end of lap 34, Vergne also stops (from twelfth). It’s the third stop for both of them.
Already 2.6s clear of Vettel, Raikkonen is now lapping around 0.8s quicker than Alonso.
Replay shows Hulkenberg almost hitting Vergne is the pits after being released into the path of the Toro Rosso.
Both Ferraris pit at the end of lap 36, as do Webber, Hamilton and Sutil. A brave move by the Maranello outfit.
Raikkonen now leads Alonso 1.658s with Vettel a further 3.5s behind.
Hulkenberg is handed a 10s stop and go penalty for an unsafe release, the driver punished for his team’s error.
On fresh rubber Alonso leaves Raikkonen for dead, nailing the Finn into T1 at the start of lap 39. Di Resta, Perez and Vergne all pit as the cameras show the Frenchman having suffered a delamination.
As Vettel pits at the end of lap 39, Webber passes Rosberg to take fifth. Ricciardo also pits. Button is battling Gutierrez for seventh. Raikkonen is told that his front brakes are too hot and the rears too cold.
Now 13.1s down on Massa and 30.1s on race leader Alonso, Vettel is 9.2 clear of his Red Bull teammate. Raikkonen remains second, 6.4s down on the leader.
With 23 laps remaining, the big question is whether Raikkonen’s three-stop strategy will trump Alonso’s four stop.
At the end of lap 45, Raikkonen makes what should be his last stop, the Finn taking on a set of new primes. The question is, can he make them last the remaining twenty laps?
After 46 laps, Alonso leads Massa by 18.3s, Raikkonen is third (11.1s down on Massa, Vettel is fourth (4.1s down). Button pits from ninth, rejoining in twelfth.
As Hamilton complains that he has no grip and is “sliding everywhere”, teammate Rosberg pits from sixth. He rejoins in ninth.
Alonso makes his fourth stop at the end of lap 49, rejoining still in the lead, just ahead of his Ferrari teammate, but, more importantly, 7.3s clear of Raikkonen.
After 50 laps, it’s: Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Vettel, Webber, di Resta, Perez, Ricciardo, Rosberg and Gutierrez. Button passes Hamilton to take eleventh, at which point the Mercedes driver pits.
Massa and Perez pit at the end of lap 51, as Vettel is told to watch his left-front. The German subsequently pitting.
The ultimate embarrassment for Hamilton, he is blue flagged as Alonso closes in. Teammate Rosberg is currently eighth and under pressure from Gutierrez.
Webber passes di Resta on the main straight to take fifth. Elsewhere, Vergne is told that he will need to retire as he has terminal suspension damage – most likely die to the incident with Hulkenberg in the pitlane.
Gutierrez pits at the end of lap 55, his fourth stop, as Sutil closes in on Hamilton and di Resta hounds Rosberg.
As Rosberg is told that he’s battling di Resta, the German asks about the state of his tyres. Elsewhere, Massa posts a new fastest lap (26.394). Moments later, Gutierrez posts a 26.217.
Perez closes to within 0.5s of Button who is 5.2s down on di Resta, posing the question, will the Englishman be told to move aside for his Mexican teammate.
“We need to make sure we get to the end of the race, we can’t afford to damage the tyres,” the call to Perez just about summing up the current state of the sport. Tyre conservation and team orders.
Gutierrez closes on Ricciardo as they battle for the final point. Meanwhile, di Resta is urged to use his DRS to pass Rosberg.
In his pursuit of that point, Gutierrez posts a new fastest lap (26.217). Elsewhere, Maldonado makes his fifth stop of the day.
As Alonso begins his final lap, the crowd rises. The Spaniard 11.8s clear of his nearest rival, Kimi Raikkonen, who is 15.5s clear of Massa.
Alonso takes the flag, literally, slowing down to take a flag from a marshal, a scene reminiscent of the Senna days.
Raikkonen finishes second, ahead of Massa, who is followed by Vettel, Webber, Rosberg, di Resta, Button, Perez and Ricciardo.
Gutierrez is eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Sutil, Maldonado, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Pic, Bianchi and Chilton.
Not the most exhilarating of races, but then again, we’ve had worse, much worse.
If nothing else, it has headed off the Vettel steam roller and allowed Alonso and Raikkonen to close the gap.
All of which sets us up nicely for Monaco.
Check out our Grand Prix gallery, here.