FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2011 (Montreal)
What an enthralling and exciting race, stupendous.
The red flag period lasted for three weeks such was the anticipation of seeing the continuance of the exciting racing. Actually just over two hours. Another race was now on, that of getting the remaining 45 laps into the 74 minutes left on the race clock. Though the clock stops for red flag situations, the on track racing time of 2 hours is not extended.
The race resumed on lap 26 behind the safety car. Once again full wet weather tyres were mandatory. The top 10 drivers at the restart were - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Nick Heidfeld (Lotus R), Vitaly Petrov (Lotus R), Paul di Resta (Force India), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) and Nico Rossburg (Mercedes). Taking advantage of the red flag to change tyres, Kamui, Nick, Vitaly, Paul and Nico had not pitted.
On lap 29 Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) had no power and drove slowly back to the pits and out of the race.
On lap 34 it was indicated that safety car would go in at the end of the lap. Jerome D'Ambrosio (Virgin) immediately pitted for intermediate tyres. He was premature as the safety car was still on the track and so he earned a drive through penalty for being behind the safety car with the wrong tyres.
When the safety car did go off the track, 5 cars at the tail end of the procession pitted and fitted intermediate tyres. Those closer behind the safety car had to go around to the pit lane.
On lap 35, 7 cars pitted for intermediate tyres, notably Jenson Button (McLaren) for his 4th pit stop.
On lap 36, the drivers in positions 2 to 7 pit for tyres. Only Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) leading the race does not pit, but pits on the next lap. This Strategy works extremely well as Sebastian comes out still in first position. Had he pitted before or at the same time and one of the others had not, he would not have retained the lead.
On lap 37 both Ferraris pit with Felipe ahead of Fernando and Fernando needs to queue while Felipe has his tyres changed. Fernando's pit stop is a long one at 26.1 seconds. When he exited the pit lane he was ahead of Jenson Button. In the entrance to turn 3 Jenson went inside Fernando and they collided. Fernando's car beached itself on the kerb of turn 4 after lightly hitting the wall and his race was over. Jenson had a front left puncture after the contact and he drove slowly around to the pits. He pitted to change tyres and replace the nose. This was Jenson's 5th pit stop and it took 31.7 seconds. On the exit of pits Jenson was in the last, 21st, position.
The safety car was again deployed while the Ferrari was recovered. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) had another free pit stop and fitted intermediate tyres in a stop of 22.958 seconds.
The safety car came in at the end of lap 40.The race order was then Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Nick Heidfeld (Lotus R), Paul di Resta (Force India), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Vitaly Petrov (Lotus R), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Nico Rossburg (Mercedes)
The two Williams of Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello passed Nico Rossburg (Mercedes) on lap 41. Mark Webber (Red Bull) went wide in turn 10 and Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) overtook him.
On lap 42 Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) overtook Paul di Resta (Force India). Then Mark Webber (Red Bull) overtook Paul and at the end of the overtaking move Paul swung into the back of Mark's car and broke his car's front wing. Pau had to pit for a new one and came out last in 21st position..
On lap 44 Jenson Button (McLaren) was flying and overtaking the back markers and was up to 14th position. Adrian Sutil (Force India) was given a drive through penalty for overtaking behind the safety car and takes it on the next lap. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) overtook Nick Heidfeld (Lotus R) for 4th position.
On lap 45 Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) did the then fastest lap of the race in a time of 1:29.215. Team radios were reporting that the intermediate tyres were overheating.
DRS became available on lap 46. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) did lap 46 in 1:28.756.
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) did lap 47 in 1:27.575.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) did lap 48 in 1:27.202.
On lap 50 Jenson Button (McLaren) passed Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) for 8th race position. Mark Webber (Red Bull) is the first of the top runners to react to the improving conditions, there was a dry strip of track on the racing line. He pitted from 6th for Option Tyres and came out in 11th. Mark's 52nd lap was in 1:24.626, showing the speed improvement that the options had over the intermediates.
A lot of teams responded to Red Bull's lead and pitted in laps 50 to 53 to fit the slick option tyres. This included Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) who retained the lead when he exited the pits after a remarkably fast 22.5 second pit stop.
Care had to be taken to keep on the dry racing line as off of it the track was still wet and slippery. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) demonstrated this by sliding into the barrier when he went wide in turn 7 and damaging the front wing of his car. He had to pit for a new nose and rejoined in 12th position.
The top 10 runners after lap 53 were Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Jenson Button (McLaren), Nick Heidfeld (Lotus R), Vitaly Petrov (Lotus R), Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) and Nico Rossburg (Mercedes).
On lap 54 Jenson Button (McLaren) overtook Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) for position 4. Jenson was 6.3 seconds behind Mark Webber (Red Bull) and set the then fastest lap of the race at 1:20.513. His next lap time was 1:20.221, some 4 seconds faster than front runners and he was 2.1 seconds behind Mark Webber (Red Bull) who was attacking Michael Schumacher (Mercedes).
On lap 56 Nick Heidfeld (Lotus R) ran into the back of Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) and his front wing went under the car. Nick used the run off area in turn 8 and retired from the race. The safety car was once again released due to the debris on the track. The safety car came in at the end of lap 59.
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) was defending his race position from Mark Webber (Red Bull) who had Jenson Button (McLaren) on his tail. The racing was so close that at times it looked as though the three cars were joined together. What exciting racing.
On lap 63 Mark Webber (Red Bull) overtook Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) in the first DRS zone but came into the chicane too fast and cut across the inside of the apex. Mark had to give the position back. With a fantastic bit of driving Mark allowed Michael pass him but kept Jenson behind him. Mark again approached the turn twelve chicane too fast ant cut across the apex. That time his wet tyres lost traction and he nearly went into the wall. Jenson overtook him for position 3.
Lap 64 and Jenson used his DRS and he overtook Michael with ease. Jenson was in position 2, 3.1 seconds behind the race leader Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull). Jenson's next lap time was 1:18.886 and the following one 1:17.967 to put him 1.6 seconds behind Sebastian.
Sebastian responded with a lap time of 1:17.837 but Jenson's was 1:17.509, then he was 1.3 seconds behind Sebastian.
On lap 68 Sebastian's lap time was 1:17.380 and Jenson's 1:17.218. Jenson was then 1.1 seconds behind Sebastian. Mark Webber (Red Bull) passed Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) using DRS. The Mercedes was very good in the wet conditions and Michael is a master at wet driving. On the dry racing line and on slick tyres the car did not seem to have the pace to match Red Bull or McLaren.
On the penultimate lap Sebastian's time was 1:17.217 and Jenson's a stunning, fastest of the race, of 1:16.956.
On the last lap Sebastian just got his right hand tyres in the off line wetness at the entry to turn 6 and this was enough to drag him wide and allow Jenson to go past
Jenson Button (McLaren) recorded his tenth formula one win and his first in Canada after a stunning race that saw him 6 times in the pit lane.
Behind him Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) came second, followed by Mark Webber (Red Bull) in third. Immediately behind Mark was Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) in fourth and Vitaly Petrov (Lotus R) was in 5th. In a photo finish Felipe Massa (Ferrari) passed Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) right on the finish line to record 6th place. The full race results are below.
Jenson Button's win in the McLaren was not official until 2 hours after the race as the race stewards were investigating the incidents he had with his team mate Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). The stewards ruled that they were racing incidents and that no further action would be taken.
Great drive by Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) who started last from the pit lane and came 8th. Great to see Rubens Barrichello (Williams) with two points from coming 9th from 16th on the grid. Well done also to Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) 10th from 15th and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) 7th from 13th.
The driver of the day had to be Jenson Button in his McLaren. With a drive through penalty, puncture, broken front wing, too soon on intermediate tyres and 5 pit stops. He was last of 21 drivers on lap 37 and still won. What a drive in what was a tremendously exciting race and altogether entertaining race weekend. Well done Formula One and Montreal.
To see the full race results, the lap chart for the top ten finishers, the Formula One Drivers Championship standing to date and the Formula One Constructors Championship standings to date Click HereThe full race resultsNext one Europe, Valencia 24 - 26/06/2011
This report should be read in conjunction with The 2011 Formula One GuideNorman Racer
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