So we waited, waited so long over the three week interval before this weekend - eager to see what monumental gains the teams would have made. The potential for a complete restructuring of the grid, teams that spent those four fly away races off the pace hoping for a comeback, and to resurrect their season's prospects... But what did we end up with when the cars actually took to track this afternoon - very little change at all - the generic running order remained the same up and down the field, even down to the projected disparity between race and qualifying pace is expected to identical to how it was in all that time ago out in the desert in Bahrain. However if the race turns out to be similar to that then we are in for a bit of a treat tomorrow afternoon, because it was quite entertaining. If the GP2 race is to go by things are going to be rather fun, with cars sailing through the air and generally biffing each other about - less so in GP3 though which was a little bland...
Today we saw a similar story at the front of the grid to the one we've had for a couple of races now, and in some respects that will make the race tomorrow more interesting, because in race trim I can foresee some cars getting in the way of the field. Speaking of cars being in the way, everyone seemed to have a little difficulty re-adjusting to a traditional style European circuit and there were some issues on track with blocking during today's session - one of which falling to everyone's favourite rookie and another from a supposedly more experienced pilot. So while they were penalised, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Lotus were the favourites coming into the start of qualifying based on practice times, but at the end there was to be an addition to that list...
Qualifying
Three weeks later, and as we opened up the first qualifying session of the 2013 European season and it was like we never left, because the teams had arrived without any form of intensity and desire to go straight out on track. I hoped that perhaps people might want to head out show off the updates and new pieces but apparently not, probably because they we're not really that effective. Eventually it was the two Saubers that ventured out followed by the Torro Rosso's - but their times were eclipsed when Lotus came out with Raikkonen. For a while Kimi was out front by a safe margin on the harder tyres, but it was Ferrari took possession of the Q1- but only just, by 0.08s. Yet as the session drew towards the conclusion - Hamilton pulled a lap out of nowhere to finish the first session out front.
Down in the all important world of relegation in Q1 it was the usual suspects arguing over the back rows of the grid, and since the updates both Marussia and Caterham were on identical pace, which put an end to the Bianchi dominance. Pic lead the group for a while, and Jules was actually last - albeit temporarily. At the end of the session it was the surprisingly strong effort from Gierdo Van Der Garde who beat Bianchi took pole of the lower division. Continuing their poor form were Williams as both cars ended up in relegation just failing to beat Gutierrez's Sauber.
Off into Q2, and Sauber were out once more on track first, and Hulkenberg set the early pace from Gutierrez who was now under investigation for blocking Raikkonen in Q1, and it is convenient how often some patterns emerge, as it was the Finn who demolished the times to go fastest again. All off the major contenders started to populate the top end of the timings, while Sauber still had both cars in the promotion places. This meant that the relegation zone was rather intensely populated, including both struggling McLarens and the Force Indias who had been very competitive before our extended break. Then we had our second substantial blocking issue of the day as Webber got caught up behind Felipe Massa in the middle of the final sector - and the Ferrari was slowing on the inside apex and decided the racing line was the place to be.
With a limited amount of time remaining those cars presently languishing in the relegation zone needed to make progress and this started with Force India - both Sutil and Di Resta were able to break into the top 10 - Paul doing the better job. Because positions were changing quite a lot this jump was far from secure as the Torro Rosso's broke into the top ten therefore bumping Hamilton out into relegation - but Lewis wasn't going to stay there too much longer. The Mercedes driver unleashed an immense time to knock 0.6s off the top time - and thus one of the Torro Rosso's was returned to relegation, the second one was removed when Perez got a slow McLaren out of relegation. Things were not as successful on the other side of the garage as Button could only manage 14th and is slowly running about parts of the car to complain about and use as an excuse.
Only ten cars left into Q3, all drivers coming from the top teams with the exception of the Force India of Di Resta replacing a second McLaren. Five of those drivers opted to go out for two runs and left the garage in the early part of the session - Ferrari, Lotus and Rosberg setting the opening times. On the practice times and perceived form - Ferrari were listed at the favourites from Lotus, but here in the real world perceptions don't matter too much because Nico Rosberg went fastest of the five early runners. Alonso and Massa 0.001s apart were 2nd and 3rd ahead of Lotus heading into the mid session interval for new tyres and a little break.
As the second runs began Vettel and Raikkonen were the first two to leave the pits, with only ten cars on track it is odd that everyone wanted to be on the same piece of road as the remainder left the pits together. Both Kimi and Vettel produced sector times quicker than Nico, but by the time the final time came round the advantage had vanished and Rosberg stayed first - and even managed to eke out a little more time on the rest of the field. No-one could match the time the Mercedes had in qualifying trim, but we have two Mercedes' around and Hamilton also had a lot of pace but couldn't beat his team-mate only managing 2nd place, and a Mercedes front row lockout. Vettel and Raikkonen occupy the next row, the Ferrari's who were favourites only find themselves on row three, before Massa's penalty is applied. Another all Renault row with Grosjean and Webber 7th and 8th ahead of Perez and Di Resta rounding out the top 10.
The Bonus Points Championship Points Winners
Well, well, well after three weeks of not too much going on this opening session was a little sedated, perhaps waiting for tomorrow to go a little mental, yet there were some good performances worth noting with some important bonus points..
- 10pts - Nico Rosberg - After Hamilton was quick through qualifying to find the pace right when it really mattered in Q3.
- 8pts - Giedo Van Der Garde - After being brought in as a pay driver to be winning the entire lower division today earns points
- 6pts - Sergio Perez - Very strong lap in Q2 to drag a poor McLaren into the top ten for Q3
- 5pts - Paul Di Resta - The only mid-field car in the top ten and staying ahead of the supposedly faster Sutil.
- 4pts - Lewis Hamilton - There is a lot of qualifying pace in that Mercedes
- 3pts - Tom Dillman - For having the most eventful race in GP2 and still almost made the podium
- 2pts - Felipe Massa - For being 0.001s away from Fernando on home turf on the first Q3 run
- 1pt - Eddie Jordan - For simply being mental
The Penalties Championship
Two penalties were added to the scoreboard today, both for impeding other cars on track in the first two phases of qualifying:
- Esteban Gutierrez - For blocking Raikkonen in the final chicane
- Felipe Massa - For Blocking Webber in turn 12
Looking to Tomorrow
The Spanish GP has not been a hive of activity in recent years - or the majority of years, due in part to the flowing nature of the track preventing cars running close enough to each other, and that as a testing facility the fastest cars are naturally at the front. As a result almost every race here has been won fron the front row, and things have been a little sedated throughout the races, however this time things are a little different. Indeed we have the fastest cars on the front row, but that is only in affect on single lap pace, as we saw in Bahrain. Mercedes will likely fade due to excessive tyre wear making them very vulnerable to everyone else behind them - Ferrari and Lotus have the stronger race pace so over the actual race distance a front row winner is unlikely. Additionally with the front two cars falling back there will inevitably be some congestion along the way, and congestion leads to unpredictability. It cost Markus Ericsson a victory in GP2 with a crash at the chicane.
We also have dual DRS zones, the second of which may not be too successful as it relies on cars staying close through Campsa and in the era of high downforce this is unlikely - but on the main straight there is plenty of space for overtaking. Add the unpredicable tyres to that list and the 2013 Spanish GP could be a considerable improvement on it's predecessor, unless of course you are Maldonado... because it is a tale of opposites in that part of the pitlane. So until tomorrow this is farewell from Blog HQ
No comments:
Post a Comment