Formula 1 Saturday Roundup

After yesterdays lack of running thanks to the rain, Saturday was looking to be no different. Ahead of the final practice session of the 2013 season the track was looking rather waterlogged, standing water would prove a real problem.

Free Practice 3:

Predictably there wasn’t much action at the start of final practice, with limits on the amount of tyres the teams didn’t want to use them up in a hurry. The teams are allocated just three sets of the extreme tyres per driver per weekend. When the drivers did make it out on track they were unable to push hard making it difficult to prepare for Qualifying later. But in the final 20 minutes it was rather busy, the rain had eased and the track surface was not quite as wet. The tyre to be on was clearly the full wets, however Mark Webber braved the conditions on the Intermediates. It was a brave call and a big gamble considering there was only two hours until Qualifying. But he set the fastest time of the session and remained at the top of the time sheets for the rest of the session. Nico Hulkenberg was struggling with the balance of the Sauber, he was sliding his way around the circuit and losing time. He returned to the pits to make a setup change and it appeared to have worked setting the fifth fastest time. Both Williams drivers managed a top ten finish and so too for Force India. It was wet throughout and there wasn’t a huge amount on track action, but after one hour this is how the top ten looked.

Top Ten in FP3

1. Webber – Red Bull
2. Grosjean – Lotus
3. Kovalainen – Lotus
4. Bottas – Williams
5. Hulkenberg – Sauber
6. Vergne – Toro Rosso
7. Gutierrez – Sauber
8. Maldonado – Williams
9. Di Resta – Force India
10. Sutil – Force India

FP3 Analysis:

It’s difficult to analyse everything in the wet conditions, But Lotus did look like a possible threat for Qualifying. Mercedes didn’t feature really in this session, not everyone set a time as it was very wet. But looking at the Red Bull of Mark Webber, on Inters in that rain, he really was impressive. The car has real pace again this weekend even in the wet. Bottas impressed once again and actually so too did Maldonado.

The rain eased off shortly after final practice, but it returned again for Qualifying.

Brazilian Grand Prix, Qualifying.

It was clearly going to be about being on the right tyre at the right time. Conditions were very changeable, the rain eased off but was threatening to return once again. It was going to be an exciting final Qualifying session of 2013.

Q1:

The first session began with a very busy pit lane, everyone wanting to get out early to beat the imminent rain. Lewis Hamilton set the benchmark early on in the Mercedes which continued to look strong. As the session went on Mark Webber found himself in the knockout zone, he puts in a lap to save himself but it was really anyones game. Kovalainen does the same and puts in a tremendous lap. It was Pastor Maldonado who couldn’t improve in the Williams and Adrian Sutil almost getting caught out himself.

Q1 Knockout: 17-Maldonado 18-Gutierrez 19-Pic 20-VanDerGarde 21-Bianchi 22-Chilton

Q2:

The second session like the first was very busy at the start, the rain was falling and the track getting wetter by the minute. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time quite early on and remained at the top of times for most of the session. That was until the Lotus of Romain Grosjean blitzed it late in the session with a fantastic lap. The conditions were treacherous and Adrian Sutil had a massive sideways moment on the exit of turn three. Rivers had formed across the track, making it super tricky. Amazingly there hadn’t been a single car in the wall so far this weekend, but Sergio Perez became the first as he lost the back end of the McLaren at turn five careering into the barriers. His session was well and truly over, the session had finished and the rain was falling hard.

Q2 Knockout: 11-Kovalainen 12-DiResta 13-Bottas 14-Perez 15-Button 16-Sutil

With the rain falling hard the final Qualifying session was delayed while the circuit conditions were being monitored. The initial ten minute delay was extended continually, Alan Van Der Merwe was checking conditions in the Medical Car, the two tonne Mercedes was sliding around in certain areas of the track. But finally after 47 minutes, Qualifying could be completed.

Q3:

The final session started with both Red Bull lined up at the pit exit waiting for the green light. On the first runs the full wet tyre was chosen but it quickly became clear that Intermediates could possibly cope with the conditions. There was no standing water on track and it was pedal to the metal. Sebastian Vettel took provisional pole position and he just kept going faster and faster. The dominant German was over six tenths faster than second place Nico Rosberg, and a much improved qualifying result for Fernando Alonso who finished in third. It was well worth the wait for the final qualifying session, this was the top ten result.

Top Ten Qualifiers

1. Vettel – Red Bull
2. Rosberg – Mercedes
3. Alonso – Ferrari
4. Webber – Red Bull
5. Hamilton – Mercedes
6. Grosjean – Lotus
7. Ricciardo – Toro Rosso
8. Vergne – Toro Rosso
9. Massa – Massa
10. Hulkenberg – Sauber

With such changeable conditions all day here in Sao Paulo, it has proved to be a very interesting day. Red Bull do clearly have the pace, but pole position isn’t vital around here and overtaking is possible. Tomorrows race is set to be a thrilling end to the 2013 Formula 1 season, you won’t want to miss it.

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