Singapore GP Report
September 27th 2010 01:19
The dazzling night-time Singapore Grand Prix is quickly establishing itself as Formula One’s party-event. Tickets sold out, Missy Elliot put her thing down, flipped it and reversed it – and the drivers held nothing back as they attacked the street circuit. Different strategies kept people guessing how the race would wash out – and there was an obligatory controversial collision between a Red Bull and another car.
Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (1st)
Nando kept his ball of momentum rolling seamlessly on the streets of Singapore. A second straight pole to flag victory has turned the glimmer of hope for a third world championship into a backable possibility. It wasn’t a crushing victory – but it was an important one.
Felipe Massa (8th)
No such luck for hapless Felipe, who was left to languish after an immediate gearbox failure in qualifying. The Brazilian opted for the bold early-stop strategy that he also used in Monaco, but following the first safety car he was stuck behind the Glock-train, stopping all stations to nowhereville. Once he finally cleared the slower cars he was able to salvage some points at least.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel (2nd)
Dissapointed not to have taken pole, Seb was blisteringy quick all weekend. He never let Alonso out of his crosshairs for the entire race, and on the harder tyre, he could close right up for a good sniff of the Ferrari’s rear exhaust, but the chance to overtake just wasn’t there. A solid second to keep his championship hopes alive.
Mark Webber (3rd)
The championship leader seemed to concede defeat even before qualifying – reckoning he just wasn’t quick enough for the others in front. On a track he detests, he just got on with his job, bravely picking off midfield contenders and thanks to a clever strategy, he jumped the McLarens to score a podium. Again, the luck that had eluded the Aussie all his career helped him at Singapore – following a smack with Lewis Hamilton, he was able to continue, despite his tyre being only 5mm away from falling off the rim. Even the Bridgestone boss was amazed.
McLaren
Jenson Button (4th)
Button did his usual lurking drive, clinging to the tail of the leaders to sweep up some handy points. The defending champ seemed happy to watch it all unfold in front of him, and despite pleas from his crew to attack Webber who was on old (and flimsy) tyres, he couldn’t crack the podium.
Lewis Hamilton (DNF)
A second straight DNF has all but blasted Lewis’ title hopes with cruel ruthlessness. Burnout Boy was leapfrogged by Webber in the pits, but was able to attack when the Red Bull driver was held up by a backmarker. The move wasn’t quite comprehensive enough and the McLaren was fatally wounded. Webber went on to finish third, while Hamilton threw his steering wheel at a marshal.
Mercedes
Nico Rosberg (5th)
The dreamboat was solid, if unspectacular - the story of his 2010. His fifth place was another ‘best of the rest’ job, and again he cooly made his illustrious teammate look a bit silly.
Michael Schumacher (13th)
Singapore was the first ever night race for old man Schumacher – a concern for his eyesight, which is no doubt failing given he is ancient. It started relatively promising from P9 on the grid, but an odd sudden hatred for Sauber had Schumi crashing into both of them, and subsequently dropping way down the order.
Williams
Rubens Barrichello (6th)
Woobens was a star for Williams yet again, despite going backwards at the start. He conducted his race faultlessly, as you would expect from a man who was racing in F1 at the same time when stone henge was being built.
Nico Hulkenberg (10th)
Hulky’s race was scrappy, but he still was able to net some points at his first outing under lights. It was a good performance given his ugly qualifying performance that left him 17th on the grid. He crossed the line eigth but was given a 20-second penalty for cutting a corner. Naughty Hulk.
Renault
Robert Kubica (7th)
Koobs quickly nestled himself into a solid sixth place after surviving the start, but late in the race his giant banana was brought into the pits when his engineers spotted a soon-to-be puncture. He dropped down to 12th, but spent the last dozen laps slicing and dicing his way back up to seventh. Some spirited driving from the owl-man.
Vitaly Petrov (11th)
Not for the first time this season, Petrov’s seat at Renualt was a talking point, with news that none other than Kimi Raikkonen was looking to take the Russian’s seat in 2011. Petrov wasn’t able to plead his case in Singapore though, after being disposed by Hulkenberg who had taken a couple of crazy pills before the start of the race. No points for Petrov.
Force India
Adrian Sutil (9th)
Force India had a horror qualifying in Singapore with Sutil 15th and Liuzzi 16th. To salvage a point was handy, but still nothing to celebrate as Williams caught up in the constructors to sit on 59 points, the same as Force India. Sutil’s race wasn’t specatular and he, like Hulkenberg, copped a 20 second penalty for cutting a corner.
Tonio Liuzzi (DNF)
The Italian stereotype’s season goes from bad to worse. He lasted all of three corners before he crashed into Nick Heidfeld and limped off the side to retire.
Toro Rosso
Jaime Alguersuari (12th)
Lil’ Algy was in impressive form all weekend – and just missed the cut for Q3 thanks to a certain seven-time world champion. The prospect of points though faded when his Toro Rosso started coughing up coolant before the beginning of the race. The Spanish youth started from pitlane and trundled along stuck in the Glock train. His pace was strong and he probably deserved some points today.
Sebastien Buemi (14th)
Some early contact with a Sauber stunted Buemi’s race, but he regrouped and fought back to within the points, until he bumped into another car – only Robert Kubica in the world’s most visible car. Another pitstop and a lowly 14th place for the Swiss driver.
Virgin
Lucas Di Grassi (15th)
Lucas Who? was, for once, the best of the new teams crossing the line in 15th, ahead of Heikki Kovalainen. Never mind that Heikki’s car was technically engulfed in flames…
Timo Glock (DNF)
Glock dog ran as high as 10th thanks to the first safety car period. The German cheerfully built up a collection of carriages behind him for several laps – including a orce India, a Williams – even a Ferrari. Eventually they found their way past, but Virgin at least had some decent TV time. A hydraulics failure ended his race only a few laps from the flag unfortunately.
Lotus
Heikki Kovalainen (16th)
The Finn was performed strongly once again, fighting with Toro Rossos towards the end of the race. Somewhere near the end his Lotus tried to incinerate himself, and he was forced to jump out and be a firefighter. Lotus may need to rethink fitting their cars with on-board barbeques.
Jarno Trulli (DNF)
Trulli kept up with Heikki from the start, but developed a puncture and needed an early stop. Then shortly afterwards, the bane of the new teams’ existence – hydraulics – befell the Italian’s car.
Sauber
Kamui Kobayashi (DNF)
Kamui had the Sauber team in high spirits following a top ten qualifying performance. Unfortunately the race didn’t pan out so well and the Japanese driver’s afternoon ended in the wall. After fighting and passing Schumacher, he pushed a little too hard to try and catch up to the points, hit a kerb just a bit too aggressively and another victory for wall was chalked up in the ongoing duel between wall and car.
Nick Heidfeld (DNF)
The return of the bearded wonder was not quite as trouble-free as he’d have liked. Heidy was instantly up to speed during practice, but could only manage 15th in qualy with unfamiliar tyres. Three corners in, Liuzzi backed his car into the Sauber, and then later in the race Schumacher thought it would be fun to push him into the wall. A shame not to finish, but his pace was strong when cars weren’t crashing into him.
HRT
Bruno Senna (DNF)
Bruno was a little red faced when his new teammate, Klien rocked up and blitzed him by over a second in qualifying. The race was no better for the Brazilian, he struggled for pace and ended up running into Kobayashi’s crashed car.
Christian Klien (DNF)
Klien’s return to F1 racing was almost overlooked given HRT turn up with different drivers every round. But with Yamamoto sick and Chandhok off picking up milk from the servo – Klien was called up for his first race since 2006. The former Red Bull driver raised eyebrows by annihilating the high-rated Senna by more than a second in qualy. During the race the Austrian was up to speed and kept out of trouble, but given he was driving a bucket, there was little chance to show off to teams for a possible 2011 seat, and in the end crap hydraulics prevented him from finishing.
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