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2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix

11 Nov 2011       
09:00-10:30   First free practice   
13:00-14:30   Second free practice
   
12 Nov 2011       
10:00-11:00   Third free practice   
13:00-14:00   Qualifying
   
13 Nov 2011       
13:00   Race

Jaime Alguersuari - onboard lap - Abu Dhabi - Toro Rosso STR5 - 2010 - Engine sounds

Double DRS zone for Yas Marina
9 November 2011

Two DRS zones will be on offer for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, promising much overtaking on a track where passing has traditionally been notoriously difficult.

Yas Marina debuted on the Formula 1 calendar in 2009 although, as demonstrated by the inability of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber when trying to overhaul Vitaly Petrov in last year’s championship finale, overtaking spots are sparse. However, this weekend’s penultimate round of the campaign promises more on-track action.

The first DRS zone will be the long back straight between Turns 7 and 8, which gradually thins towards its end; for this area, the detection beam – measuring whether a chasing car is within the necessary one second window – will be placed before the hairpin, in the spot of the 2010 crash between Schumacher and Liuzzi.

As soon as the first DRS zone ends, a second detection beam will be positioned in the middle of the Turn 8-9 chicane, with the next activation zone coming between the fast-sweeping Turn 10 and tight left-hander at Turn 11.

       
Yas Marina weather update: Bright days, clear nights
10 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Thursday

Highly pleasant viewing conditions are anticipated for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with rain certainly no factor for Yas Marina’s third Formula 1 event.

The UAE round is unique in that it is the only twilight race on the calendar, with the red lights going out shortly before dusk and the chequered flag falling under floodlights.

Ambient daytime temperatures will remain in the high 20s across the weekend, never falling any lower than 15°C (59°F) at night, with good visibility throughout. A 10mph wind speed of Thursday will gradually drop to just 6mph by race day.

This weekend marks the first time that Abu Dhabi has not hosted a season’s final race since it joined the calendar; after Sebastian Vettel led home a dicing Mark Webber and Jenson Button in 2009, the German dramatically sealed a maiden title last year.

_{Courtesy of:   gpupdate.net}

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Button quickest in opening Abu Dhabi practice
11 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Friday first free practice results

Jenson Button has topped the timesheets in first practice for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 2009 World Champion led the way from the Red Bull of Mark Webber as both Ferrari drivers struggled with handling issues. Also in action were up and coming Jean-Éric Vergne, Romain Grosjean and Robert Wickens.

Having achieved a double podium finish last year after leading the inaugural race a season earlier, McLaren now aim to win at Yas Marina and in the process eat into Sebastian Vettel’s 100 percent victory rate at the ultra-modern facility. For this opening period, the entire field was presented with the challenge of a dusty surface.

As Sam Michael began to digest the atmosphere as McLaren’s new Sporting Director, his former team Williams continued to struggle; a sudden and terminal engine failure for Rubens Barrichello left the Brazilian, not only at the bottom of the classification, but returning to the pits by alternative means with barely three laps to his name. He will have to undergo an engine change but will not incur a ten-place grid drop like team-mate Pastor Maldonado, who is having to use his ninth unit of 2011.

The teams spent much of the session trialling Pirelli’s experimental Soft tyre which will, in a modified form, by raced next year; the changed yellow-marked compound is aimed to be more durable than this season’s product. Incidentally, the yellow-mark Soft and white-marked Medium compounds are being used this weekend.

GP2 Champion Grosjean was first to set a time, notching up more laps than anybody as he adapted to the LRGP car; however, he was pipped to the post by Formula Renault 3.5 runner-up Vergne – in the Toro Rosso - as the French duo occupied spots 11 and 12. Canadian Wickens, the Formula Renault 3.5 Champion, was 23rd quickest for Virgin and half a second in arrears of Timo Glock.

There were dramas for Kamui Kobayashi, who suffered a minor gearbox problem, and Pastor Maldonado, who cracked a front wing as he clouted a marker post. Also hitting a bollard was Fernando Alonso as he endured a spin at Turn 5; this came just moments after a similar off-track moment for team-mate Felipe Massa at Turn 1 and both Ferrari drivers struggled for grip and confidence throughout the session.

In the closing stages, the Renault of Vitaly Petrov was smoking heavily and quickly received fire extinguisher treatment as it was pushed back into its garage; this followed dramatic fires for ex team-mate Nick Heidfeld in Barcelona and Budapest.

At the top of the order, Button led the way with a best effort of 1:40.263, edging out Webber by a tenth of a second as respective team-mates Hamilton and Vettel completed the top four. Despite their issues, Alonso and Massa both ended the session in the top six as the Force India of Adrian Sutil moved up to seventh on its final run. Nico Rosberg, re-signed at Mercedes for at least another two campaigns, was eighth from Paul di Resta and Jaime Alguersuari – the pair battling for rookie honours this season.

First free practice results - 2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps

1.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:40.263   20
2.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:40.389   25
3.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:40.403   26
4.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:40.755   26
5.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:40.801   24
6.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:41.260   16
7.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:41.340   22
8.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:42.130   25
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:42.151   27
10.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:42.377   26
11.   fr Jean-Eric Vergne   Toro Rosso   01:42.633   25
12.   fr Romain Grosjean   Lotus Renault   01:42.685   29
13.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:43.118   13
14.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:43.255   29
15.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:43.389   24
16.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:44.412   28
17.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:44.484   17
18.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:44.565   27
19.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:44.898   25
20.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:46.385   28
21.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:46.532   27
22.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:48.024   20
23.   ca Robert Wickens   Virgin   01:48.551   23
24.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   no time   3

_{Courtesy of:   gpupdate.net}

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Hamilton leads McLaren 1-2 on Friday evening
11 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Friday second free practice results

Lewis Hamilton led team-mate Jenson Button as McLaren locked out Abu Dhabi’s second practice session on Friday evening. With a full moon shining over Yas Marina, the 90 minutes were characterised by two other World Champions, as both Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso crashed into the barriers at Turn 1.

Friday has delivered a selection of dramas in the Middle East, with numerous cars suffering spins and off-track excursions. However, with Button having topped the first session, McLaren’s underlying pace confirms that the Woking team is favourite for victory.

In the first 90-minute period of the day, three reserve or rookie drivers were in action as Romain Grosjean, Jean-Éric Vergne and Robert Wickens drove for Renault, Toro Rosso and Virgin respectively, although all race drivers were back in their cockpits as night fell.

A selection of names took turns atop the leaderboard, including Alonso and Mark Webber who so dramatically lost out on the title here last year, although it was eventually the McLarens which moved ahead before the heavy fuel runs began. Teams also trialled an experimental Soft tyre compound as Pirelli continued to test its products ahead of 2012.


Massa's wing shook again

After India, Ferrari claimed to have rectified its quality control issue, although Felipe Massa’s front wing again vibrated and hit the ground on the back straight, spectacularly throwing up several sparks in the process. There was also drama for Webber, who spun at the notorious Turn 19 before briefly rolling backwards down the section of circuit which lies adjacent to the five-star Yas Marina Hotel.

The most excitement came at Turn 1, as Vettel dramatically lost control and slid sideways, skidding across the vast run-off area before suffering a relatively harmless tag with the cushioned TechPro barriers; the German, who has already experienced Friday crashes in Turkey, Canada and Japan this year, lost half an hour of running time but was able to rejoin the session with ten minutes to go.

Barely 15 minutes after Vettel’s off, Alonso ran into trouble and crashed at the first corner, suffering a heavier and more rearward impact than Vettel; the Spaniard’s frustration was obvious as he returned to the pit lane with his helmet still on. This summed up a trying day for the Maranello cars, with both Alonso and Felipe Massa having suffered spins in the opening session.

Despite his troubles, Alonso still managed the third-quickest time after the McLarens, which were separated by two tenths of a second as Hamilton managed a 1:39.586 best effort. The team symmetry continued, with Massa fourth from the pair of Red Bulls, with Webber again in front of team-mate Vettel. Three Mercedes-powered cars were next up – as Michael Schumacher was joined by the Force India pairing – although Nico Rosberg found himself 20th after encountering problems.

Rubens Barrichello has taken a new engine, following his terminal failure in Practice 1, although the Brazilian does not face a ten-place grid penalty like Williams team-mate Pastor Maldonado; an Indian Grand Prix gearbox failure damaged his eighth engine of the season, meaning a ninth has to be used this weekend.

Second free practice results - 2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps

1.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:39.586   31
2.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:39.785   30
3.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:39.971   20
4.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:39.980   34
5.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:40.104   35
6.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:40.132   26
7.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:40.553   34
8.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:40.951   34
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:41.021   37
10.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:41.490   34
11.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:41.565   34
12.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   01:41.680   33
13.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:41.947   31
14.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:41.983   34
15.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:42.369   36
16.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:42.798   35
17.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:42.910   34
18.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:43.562   36
19.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:44.050   38
20.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:44.265   41
21.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:45.486   34
22.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:46.142   32
23.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:46.249   21
24.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:46.328   34

Abu Dhabi’s third and final practice begins at 2pm local time (GMT +4) on Saturday

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Hamilton stays quickest in Saturday practice
12 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Saturday third free practice results

Lewis Hamilton has ensured that McLaren has locked out all three practice sessions in Abu Dhabi, setting the pace at Yas Marina ahead of qualifying on Saturday. The 2009 pole-sitter led the way from Champion Sebastian Vettel, with Mark Webber and Jenson Button completing the top four from Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari.

This afternoon’s session, prior to nightfall for qualifying, was chiefly incident-free although there were pit lane problems for two drivers; Jarno Trulli was consigned to his garage after just a single lap, due to Lotus gearbox problems, whereas Rubens Barrichello’s Williams suffered a huge oil leak following its engine failure of Friday and goes into qualifying with a real danger of Q1 elimination.


Vettel was second to Hamilton, but four tenths adrift

In the midfield, a closely-bunched pack consists of the Renault, Sauber and Toro Rosso drivers, with Pastor Maldonado likely to qualify 17th judging by his current pace. Nico Rosberg and both Force Indias squeezed into the top ten, as did Felipe Massa who has now reverted to an older front wing after Ferrari found themselves scratching heads over why Friday’s modified new version was still hitting the ground.

There was a close call between Hamilton and Michael Schumacher at Turn 11, with the McLaren on the inside line as the Mercedes cut across the run-off area after contact was narrowly avoided. Alonso also continued to struggle for grip, at one point taking too much kerb and running wide out of Turn 6.

An entertaining battle for the top spot developed over the final five minutes of the hour-long period, with Webber holding it before Hamilton registered the first sub-1:39.000 lap time of the weekend; the Englishman then improved on this by two tenths of a second. Once again, Button was less pleased with his chassis and could only move to within half a second of his team-mate’s best effort.

In the closing stages, there was a near-miss between the two Red Bulls, with Webber – on a flying lap – having to swerve around Vettel, who was weaving to warm his tyres up on the approach to the final corner.

Third free practice results - 2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:38.976   17
2.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:39.403   18
3.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:39.427   18
4.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:39.429   16
5.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:39.661   16
6.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:40.135   19
7.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:40.183   18
8.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:40.429   21
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:40.511   19
10.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:40.938   18
11.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:41.509   21
12.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:41.527   21
13.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:41.566   20
14.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:41.594   18
15.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   01:41.622   18
16.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:41.855   18
17.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:42.025   19
18.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:43.409   22
19.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:43.861   5
20.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:45.262   23
21.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:45.302   20
22.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:45.509   22
23.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:45.732   20
24.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   no time   1

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Vettel steals Abu Dhabi pole from McLarens
12 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Saturday qualifying results

Sebastian Vettel has prevented an all-McLaren front row for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by sealing pole position on Saturday night. In doing so, the Champion equals Nigel Mansell’s 1992 record by achieving 14 pole positions for a single driver in one Formula 1 season. Mark Webber will start fourth ahead of the pair of Ferrari cars.


Williams' torrid session leaves both cars on the back row

After McLaren topped all three practice sessions, the Woking team and Lewis Hamilton in particular were clear favourites for pole position as the sun set over the UAE tonight. However, although the two front row men are the same as in 2009 and 2010, it was last year’s order which was repeated as Vettel delivered.

The session was one of utter misery for Williams, with Rubens Barrichello rooted to his garage with problems following an engine failure yesterday and oil leak in final practice today. The Brazilian will be joined at the back of the grid by team-mate Pastor Maldonado, who takes a ten-place penalty for using his ninth engine of the campaign – the qualifying result is Williams’ worst for three decades.

Daniel Ricciardo impressed again for HRT, out-pacing team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi by half a second and also beating Virgin’s Jérôme d’Ambrosio. Ahead, Timo Glock could not get the better of the two Lotus cars, the quickest of which was Heikki Kovalainen who will start 17th from Jarno Trulli.


Hamilton's Q2 lap would have left him on pole position...

The Turn 8 bollard was dislodged six minutes into Q2, with Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton – who, between them, destroyed a marker post last year – running over parts of it, leaving debris on-track and the red flags flying. As red became green, Massa continued to push hard and momentarily became airborne over the kerbs of Turn 13; the Brazilian could face punishment, as all four of his wheels were outside the white line delineating the edge of the Herman Tilke-designed circuit.

The team symmetry continued in Q2, with pairs of Saubers, Renaults and Toro Rossos being knocked out. There was a scare for both Massa and Michael Schumacher, who dropped to respective 13th and 17th spots as midfield runners returned from pits to track with the quicker, Soft compound Pirellis; when realising they would not be eliminated, the former team-mates returned to their crews.

In a bid to save tyres, Paul di Resta did not complete a flying lap in the final shootout and therefore starts tenth, sharing Row 5 with team-mate Adrian Sutil; Force India are well placed to out-score Sauber for their personal Constructors’ Championship battle. Ahead are the two works Mercedes cars, with Nico Rosberg out-qualifying Schumacher for seventh. Ferrari’s position as the third-quickest team was reflected as Alonso and Massa managed no more than accomplishments of fifth and sixth.


...but Vettel's final effort equalled yet another record

All eyes – including those of former ‘Beatle’ Paul McCartney, who watched from the pit wall – were on the McLaren-Red Bull contest in the closing moments. Hamilton had topped the timesheets after the first runs, although his last Q3 lap was not as quick as his best Q2 effort. Button briefly stole pole from Hamilton, only to be replaced by his team-mate before Vettel snatched the position which had already been his on 13 previous occasions in 2011. Two tenths shy of Button and four behind Vettel, Mark Webber was left in fourth spot as McLaren somewhat surprisingly contemplated another Vettel pole position.

Vettel’s 29th F1 pole matches the sum of five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, although McLaren’s pace in practice and two DRS zones promise a dramatic evening of racing as the silver cars attempt to fight back on Sunday.

Qualifying results - 2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:38.481   16
2.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:38.622   15
3.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:38.631   14
4.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:38.858   19
5.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:39.058   16
6.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:39.695   20
7.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:39.773   17
8.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:40.662   18
9.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:40.768   17
10.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   no time   15
11.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:40.874   18
12.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:40.919   18
13.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   01:41.009   15
14.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:41.079   15
15.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:41.162   16
16.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:41.240   17
17.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:41.760   13
18.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:42.979   11
19.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:43.884   11
20.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:44.515   9
21.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:44.641   9
22.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:44.699   8
23.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:45.159   8
24.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   no time

   

Sunday’s 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starts at 5pm local time (GMT +4)

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Hamilton wins as Vettel retires in Abu Dhabi
13 November 2011
2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix: Sunday race results

Lewis Hamilton has picked up his third victory of the 2011 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, leading home Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and team-mate Jenson Button. Mark Webber beat Felipe Massa to fourth, although Champion and pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel suffered a puncture and flew off the circuit at the second corner.


Vettel's first-lap puncture sends him out of the race...

McLaren always was a genuine threat to Red Bull this evening, with the Woking cars having topped all three practice sessions before Hamilton was pipped to pole position by Vettel on Saturday, courtesy of a superb lap by the Red Bull driver. However, as the sun gradually set when the five red lights went out, events were quickly turned upside down.

An ideal getaway for Vettel allowed the German to stretch out an easy lead on the run to Turn 1, allowing Hamilton to slot into second place as Alonso overhauled Webber on the outside line; the Spaniard, who had started fifth, went on to grab second from Button at Turn 8 as Nico Rosberg retook the position he had lost to team-mate Michael Schumacher.

Vettel found himself crawling back to the pits after exiting stage right at the second corner, with a right-rear puncture sending the Red Bull off-track backwards. The title winner, previously unbeaten at Yas Marina, spent the rest of the race analysing data in his garage and received a visit from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The retirement marks Vettel’s first of the year and only the second for Red Bull Racing.


...leaving Hamilton at the front, where he remained

Hamilton settled into his lead over the opening laps, with Alonso chasing ahead of Button, Webber, Felipe Massa, Rosberg and Schumacher. Adrian Sutil ran eighth, as team-mate Paul di Resta and Sébastien Buemi provided a highly entertaining scrap for ninth which was eventually won by the Swiss when the Scot ran wide at Turn 11.

There were early-race stops for Sergio Pérez, who damaged his Sauber’s nose cone, as well as Bruno Senna, who quickly switched from the slower, Medium tyres to the quicker, Soft compound. However, it was fellow early-pitter Kamui Kobayashi who made his strategy work, rinsing through the field to collect his first point since the German Grand Prix in July by finishing tenth. Despite that, Force India has significantly boosted its chances for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship after Sutil and di Resta finished eighth and ninth, respectively.


Webber was unable to take advantage of Vettel's retirement, finishing fourth

At the front, Hamilton was only ever headed during the pit-stop windows, with he and Alonso exchanging fastest laps early on before the former posted several rapid efforts to maintain a lead of around four seconds in the middle of the race. The Spaniard attempted to jump the McLaren with his second and final visit to the pits, by coming in three laps later – on Lap 43 of 55 – although only a 20-second advantage and being unintentionally slowed by Daniel Ricciardo both conspired against the former title winner.

Button overcame a KERS problem, which was fixed during the race, to seal the final podium slot, with Massa’s attack weakened by Webber’s own challenging of the Brazilian for fourth; both were delayed by Pastor Maldonado, who took a drive-through penalty for ignoring blue flags and could face further punishment later, although the Australian – who, unlike his nearest rivals, was on a three-stop strategy but lost much time due to a slow first stop - came out on top courtesy of several fastest laps and a spin for Massa at Turn 1.

Nico Rosberg held third place before pitting for the last time, beating team-mate Schumacher to the chequered flag for sixth by 23.6 seconds; the seven-time World Champion then pulled off the circuit after crossing the finish line. Also in the wars tonight were Senna, who like Maldonado took a drive-through penalty for ignoring blue flags, plus Jérôme d’Ambrosio, the aforementioned Buemi and Daniel Ricciardo, who all retired with technical problems.

Lewis Hamilton’s 17th F1 victory leaves him 15th in the all-time rankings, once win ahead of compatriot Stirling Moss and one behind former rival Kimi Räikkönen. He remains fifth in the 2011 Drivers’ Championship, but now only six points in arrears of Mark Webber for fourth.

Button is still favourite to finish runner-up to Vettel, carrying a ten-point advantage over Alonso to the final race of the campaign.- Post-



Race results - 2011 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time
1.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   1:37:11.886
2.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   +8.457
3.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   +25.881
4.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   +35.784
5.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   +50.578
6.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   +52.317
7.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   +1:15.964
8.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   +1:17.122
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   +1:41.087
10.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   +1 Lap
11.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   +1 Lap
12.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   +1 Lap
13.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   +1 Lap
14.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   +1 Lap
15.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   +1 Lap
16.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   +1 Lap
17.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   +1 Lap
18.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   +2 Laps
19.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   +2 Laps
20.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   +2 Laps

Did not finish
21.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   +7 Laps
22.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   +36 Laps
23.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   +37 Laps
24.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   +54 Laps

The final race of the 2011 Formula 1 season, the Brazilian Grand Prix from São Paulo, will take place in a fortnight’s time

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix

25 Nov 2011       
12:00-13:30   First free practice   
16:00-17:30   Second free practice   

26 Nov 2011       
13:00-14:00   Third free practice   
16:00-17:00   Qualifying   

27 Nov 2011       
16:00   Race

Preview: Round 19 – Brazil
23 November 2011

Here we go, then. The last one of the year. It is hard to believe that the start of this 2011 Formula 1 season, which we all looked forward to with so much excitement, is almost over after eight months. But the exhilaration doesn’t end there because the Brazilian Grand Prix will provide a mix of thrill and tension both on and off the track…


It's Massa 100th Formula 1 race in a Ferrari

This weekend, the iconic and highly populous São Paulo is hosting the season finale for the first time since the incredible Lewis Hamilton-Felipe Massa showdown of 2008. Incidentally, that race marked Massa’s last F1 victory to date and he now returns for his 100th Grand Prix with Ferrari. In fact, the focus is very much on the three Brazilians in the field this weekend for more reasons than one, and those will be highlighted in a special feature which is coming up on GPUpdate.net tomorrow.

On the track, what fascinates us is the number of battles still raging in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships. Who will grab that runner-up spot? At the moment it’s held by Jenson Button, who ironically was the first of the ‘big five’ to drop out of the running last year. Whether or not he is beaten by Fernando Alonso or Mark Webber, what we do know is that Button has beaten Hamilton and becomes the latter’s first team-mate to do so.


In-house fight for seventh: May the best man win?

Further down the order, the Mercedes duo enters this event just seven points apart; all indications point towards Nico Rosberg sealing that place and getting the better of Michael Schumacher for the second consecutive season. They’re not the only Germans in the thick of it, though. Adrian Sutil lies 11th and would so love to leapfrog LRGP pairing Petrov and the ousted Heidfeld – he needs to finish at least eighth on Sunday if that is going to happen. But perhaps the most mesmerising squabble is that for seventh position amongst the teams; Force India have pulled away, leaving Sauber to fend off the Toro Rossos and a blanket could be thrown over the pair of them.

Talking of Sauber, do you remember that Pedro de la Rosa guy who raced for them last year? And who impressively finished 12th when subbing for Sergio Pérez at the latest notice possible in Canada this year? That’s right, he’s pulled a rabbit out of the hat and done it again – de la Rosa is back in F1 with HRT for 2012. Okay, he might be steady rather than speedy and it sure will generate much sponsorship interest for the team now owned by Spain’s Thesan Capital, but it could be just what the doctor ordered for HRT and a smart move by Colin Kolles.


De la Rosa's return really shakes up the driver market...

Pedro has thousands and thousands of testing kilometres under his belt, makes few mistakes and knows what he is doing it for; therefore he won’t be getting frustrated to be in a slow car. He will be able to pace himself but scrutinise every minute detail to help boost performances. Being so amicable with the media is a major advantage for the team, too.

What de la Rosa’s signing has done is open up an even more intriguing situation for the driver market. Will his entrance leave Tonio Liuzzi on the sidelines? Or will the Italian stay as Daniel Ricciardo joins Toro Rosso, leaving either Jaime Alguersuari or Sébastien Buemi out of the picture? And then there is Jean-Éric Vergne, although the chances are that that Frenchman will take a job as Red Bull Racing reserve. In reality, it’s impossible for anybody to predict the eventual outcome, as the Red Bull-Toro Rosso situation will come down to the choices of Helmut Marko. In theory, though, we could have both of the current Toro Rosso drivers and Liuzzi all looking for drives on the run-up to next season.

So what of the aforementioned Brazilians? Massa remains at Ferrari for one more year, that we know. Bruno Senna is a different matter. At present, Kubica and Petrov are contracted to LRGP for 2012 and, even if the Pole can’t return, Team Principal Eric Boullier appears to be lining up Romain Grosjean. And then there is Barrichello. Is he going to be driven into an Eddie Irvine-like forced retirement after 19 seasons of top quality F1 performances?


The Williams pair could be facing their last F1 Grand Prix, but for very different reasons

Well, Adrian Sutil is a likely candidate to take a drive at Williams, assuming Paul di Resta is retained alongside the promoted Nico Hülkenberg at Force India. On top of that, Kimi Räikkönen rumours continue to float around. But could possible illegal sponsorship from PDVSA be Barrichello’s saving grace? The petroleum giant is owned by the Venezuelan government and is Pastor Maldonado’s F1 backbone; if the company is as corrupt as many claim and the agreement does turn sour, the talented rookie’s days could sadly be numbered.

I also feel the need to mention Lewis Hamilton, although I would rather not delve into one’s personal issues. He has been pictured by newspapers in a somewhat emotional exchange with ex girlfriend and Pussycat Doll singer Nicole, supposedly in a Los Angeles car park. Now, while it is by no means any of my business, it will perhaps allow us to see just how composed the emotionally-driven McLaren driver is by the time the Interlagos track action begins. Can he keep that side of his life out of his mind? We know it will distract him if he can’t. Naturally, many sympathise with the man. At the same time, pure motor racing fans will hope he delivers another Abu Dhabi-like drive and help to contribute to a stunning end to the season.




 Fast Facts: Autódromo José Carlos Pace



In 2010, Hülkenberg stunningly stormed to pole for Williams

Laps: 71

Direction: Anti-clockwise

Corners: 15

Length: 4.309km / 2.677mi

Lap record: 1:11.473 / J.P. Montoya / Williams-BMW / 2004

Local start time: 2pm (GMT -3)

Slick Pirelli tyre compounds:

Soft (yellow markings) and Medium (white markings)

DRS zone(s):

Detection: To be confirmed
Activation: To be confirmed

FIA driver steward:

Alexander Wurz

2010 pole position winner:

Nico Hülkenberg – Williams-Cosworth

2010 Grand Prix winner:

Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull-Renault


Circuit changes for 2011:

- Routine maintenance only
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

F1 2010 (Codemasters) - a lap of Interlagos (Brazil) [HD]

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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FIA confirms one DRS zone for Interlagos
24 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Thursday

The FIA has confirmed that a single DRS zone will be in place for this weekend’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. According to the Paris-based federation, the zone should provide opportunities for passing, while not making overtaking too easy.

The final DRS zone of 2011 will be placed on the Reta Oposta (Back Straight) between Turns 3 and 4, beginning 70 metres after Turn 3 and lasting for 600 metres.

As usual, the system - which was new at the start of this year - can be used at any point during practice or qualifying, providing track conditions are dry, and on the third lap after the start or any Safety Car restart in Sunday’s race.

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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First free practice results - 2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:13.811   26
2.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:13.825   25
3.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:13.961   20
4.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:14.025   28
5.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:14.507   34
6.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:14.541   26
7.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:15.162   28
8.   de Nico Hulkenberg   Force India   01:15.178   28
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:15.241   31
10.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:15.321   29
11.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:15.468   29
12.   fr Romain Grosjean   Lotus Renault   01:15.547   18
13.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:15.663   27
14.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:15.732   32
15.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:15.747   31
16.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:15.836   27
17.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:15.979   35
18.   fr Jean-Eric Vergne   Toro Rosso   01:16.052   33
19.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:16.514   33
20.   br Luiz Razia   Team Lotus   01:17.595   31
21.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:18.140   29
22.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:18.653   29
23.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:18.952   33
24.   cz Jan Charouz   HRT   01:19.577   37

Webber ends first Brazilian practice on top
25 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Friday first free practice results

Mark Webber set the pace in Friday’s opening practice ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. After McLaren had headed the timesheets earlier on, the 2009 winner moved ahead of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, with Champion Sebastian Vettel fourth. Running with an old engine, Fernando Alonso parked his Ferrari.

Conditions were ideal as the final Friday of the season began, with crowds enjoying a mostly all-blue sky and track conditions peaking at 42°C (108°F). No less than five temporary drivers were in action, with GP2 Champion Romain Grosjean driving at LRGP as Nico Hülkenberg, Jean-Eric Vergne, Luiz Razia and Czech Jan Charouz drove for Force India, Toro Rosso, Team Lotus and HRT respectively.

At Team Lotus, a new rear wing was in place which is aimed at improving DRS performance for qualifying, with Ferrari running high-visibility aerodynamic paint on its front wing which has raised eyebrows by hitting the ground in both India and Abu Dhabi. A number of drivers ran with modified helmet designs which will be auctioned off after the race weekend.

The Mercedes cars headed the order early doors, although it was soon McLaren and Vettel who led the way, with Webber’s eventual best effort of 1:13.881 edging out Button by just 14 thousandths of a second. Behind Vettel, Felipe Massa - who narrowly avoided Jérôme d’Ambrosio and a slowing McLaren during the session - was fifth and ahead of Ferrari team-mate Alonso, although the latter stopped at Turn 2 as his old engine expired with just over five minutes remaining.

The session featured few incidents, with a trip across the Senna S grass for Charouz and a spin at Bico de Pato for Kamui Kobayashi perhaps being the biggest talking points. Grosjean was forced to make his way back to the pits on foot, as the Franco-Swiss suffered a clutch problem when performing a practice start in the pit lane exit.

Second free practice results - 2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:13.392   35
2.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:13.559   41
3.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:13.587   41
4.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:13.598   35
5.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:13.723   38
6.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:13.750   39
7.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:13.787   36
8.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:13.872   42
9.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:14.144   41
10.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:14.807   48
11.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:14.856   38
12.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:14.931   37
13.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:14.970   32
14.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:15.019   45
15.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   01:15.264   44
16.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:15.388   41
17.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:15.679   43
18.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:15.903   40
19.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:16.298   36
20.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:16.338   48
21.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:18.031   39
22.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:18.051   45
23.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:18.367   42
24.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:18.476   42

Hamilton moves ahead in second Interlagos practice
25 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Friday second free practice results

Lewis Hamilton has finished on top after the opening day of practice in Brazil. The 2008 Champion led the way from Sebastian Vettel, with Michael Schumacher moving into the top five for Mercedes. In a chiefly incident-free session, Sergio Pérez was the only driver to stop on-track as the weather stayed warm and dry.

After Mark Webber prevented a McLaren one-two result this morning, it was the Woking team which ended Friday fastest, with Hamilton delivering a 1:13.392 lap time; this edged out Vettel by a tenth, with the Red Bull duo split by three hundredths of a second. Notably, only seven and a half tenths covered the first nine runners.

Felipe Massa avoided contact with Jarno Trulli and was the highest-placed Brazilian in sixth, with Bruno Senna and Rubens Barrichello 12th and 18th respectively. After taking too much kerb at the Laranjinha hairpin, Pérez adopted a wider line but was forced to park his Sauber on the uphill gradient after Junçao due to a gearbox issue, with the downshift problem having caused the Mexican to overshoot the corner.

Force India enjoyed a positive day, with both drivers featuring in the top ten for the two sessions. Team Lotus made the most of a new, more DRS-effective rear wing to move to within half a second of Williams and 1.7 seconds ahead of Marussia Virgin. Curiously, team-mates are locked together in the final classification from ninth position to the tail end of the field.

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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Third free practice results - 2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:12.460   21
2.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:12.547   19
3.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:12.597   21
4.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:12.622   15
5.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:12.765   17
6.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:13.113   22
7.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:13.286   21
8.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   01:13.393   19
9.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:13.419   19
10.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:13.583   18
11.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:13.838   20
12.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:14.283   19
13.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:14.286   20
14.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:14.311   24
15.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:14.454   22
16.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:14.547   24
17.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:14.551   15
18.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:15.843   24
19.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:16.026   22
20.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:16.616   26
21.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:17.143   23
22.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:17.296   23
23.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:17.984   23
24.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   no time   3

Vettel goes quickest in final Interlagos practice
26 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Saturday third free practice results

Sebastian Vettel has set the pace in the final practice session of the 2011 Formula 1 season, leading the way from Jenson Button and Mark Webber on Saturday morning at Interlagos. Conditions stayed dry, although there is a chance that rain could affect qualifying and an even greater threat of thunderstorms for Sunday’s season finale.

This morning’s result confirms that three different drivers have finished fastest in as many different practice sessions so far this weekend, with Webber having led the way on Friday morning before Lewis Hamilton moved ahead in the afternoon. Today, with the leading times having changed continuously, Vettel registered a final best effort of 1:12.460 to edge out Button by just 87 thousandths of a second, although third-placed Webber appeared to suffer blistered tyres.

A number of cars ran with modified components. At HRT, Daniel Ricciardo’s was fitted with new brake pads as the Lotus Renault GP pairing ran different front wings; Vitaly Petrov used the seventh version of the team’s latest wing, whereas team-mate Bruno Senna – one of three Brazilians in the field – used an updated form of a previous model. There was also a front wing change at Red Bull, as Webber was finally able to run the same version as Vettel after suffering a problem on Friday. Rear wings was the topic at Williams, with Rubens Barrichello electing for an older, firmer type whereas Pastor Maldonado used a new one.

Kamui Kobayashi was first on-track for Sauber, having headed the queue at the end of the pit lane, and soon after Button complained of a dirty visor which was duly changed. There were far greater problems for Toro Rosso, as Sébastien Buemi suffered a hydraulics leak which most likely affected his powered steering; the squad formerly known as Minardi is now hurriedly working to ensure that the car is ready for qualifying later this afternoon.

There were no significant dramas although Felipe Massa did narrowly avoid hitting the back of Michael Schumacher in the pit lane exit as Jaime Alguersuari ran wide and came close to spinning at Turn 4 in the closing stages. Fernando Alonso also took a somewhat agricultural line, at the Senna S, as his tough weekend continued.

Behind the leading contenders, Force India continued to impress and has seen both of its cars finish in the top ten all weekend so far; Adrian Sutil momentarily topped the timesheets before dropping to a respectable sixth, with Paul di Resta a solid ninth. Also in the top ten were the Mercedes cars of Nico Rosberg and the aforementioned Schumacher, plus Massa.

The overall lap times point towards an exciting qualifying session in São Paulo, although any rain could turn plans upside down. In a drying Q3 session last year, Nico Hülkenberg stunningly seized Williams’ first pole position since mid-2005.

Qualifying results - 2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time   Laps
1.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   01:11.918   17
2.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   01:12.099   16
3.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   01:12.283   18
4.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   01:12.480   22
5.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   01:12.591   22
6.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   01:13.050   21
7.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   01:13.068   18
8.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   01:13.298   23
9.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   01:13.761   29
10.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   no time   18
11.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   01:13.584   17
12.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   01:13.801   17
13.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   01:13.804   18
14.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   01:13.919   22
15.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   01:14.053   16
16.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   01:14.129   18
17.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   01:14.182   21
18.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   01:14.625   11
19.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   01:15.068   11
20.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   01:15.358   14
21.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   01:16.631   8
22.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   01:16.890   9
23.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   01:17.019   10
24.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   01:17.060   10

Vettel breaks Mansell’s record with Brazil pole
26 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Saturday qualifying results

Sebastian Vettel has set a new F1 record by achieving 15 pole positions in a single season. The Champion will share the Brazilian Grand Prix front row with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, with the McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton next up. Fernando Alonso starts fifth from the leading Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

Thunderstorms continue to be forecast for Sunday’s season-ending race at Interlagos, although the rain which threatened qualifying failed to arrive at the track. It was Heikki Kovalainen who led the field out of the pit lane, soon going on to out-qualify Team Lotus team-mate Jarno Trulli. Just ahead and in 18th, the Williams of Pastor Maldonado was unable to jump ahead of the sister car driven by Rubens Barrichello. A disastrous session for Virgin leaves Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Timo Glock on the back of the grid for tomorrow’s 71-lap race.

As in the first phase of the hour, Q2 saw all cars rush out onto the track with the fear that showers could soon affect proceedings. Vettel warned rivals of his rapid pace by leading the way, as Rosberg set a highly impressive effort to beat team-mate Michael Schumacher by a full second. Toro Rosso suffered a session of struggles, with Jaime Alguersuari left to tumble down the order as he sat in his garage and Sébastien Buemi reporting a ‘loss of power’ following a hydraulics leak in final practice.

Rubens Barrichello was delighted to manage 12th place, describing his effort as ‘like pole position’ on what could be his final Formula 1 weekend. Compatriots Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna progressed to Q3, leaving Scotland’s Paul di Resta out of the top ten for the first time this weekend. Sauber were the slowest of the Q2 runners, managing only 16th and 17th places.

With the rain threat seemingly gone by the time the shootout arrived, local crowds were more than excited by the fact that Bruno Senna was through to Q3 in the 20th anniversary year of late uncle and triple title winner Ayrton’s first of two São Paulo wins. However, any chance for anybody other than Vettel was already seemingly gone thanks to his first lap time of 1:12.268, which was then itself destroyed by a stunning 1:11.918 effort.

Button grabbed second spot, only for Webber to cement an ideal result for World Champions Red Bull ahead of an assault on the 2011 runner-up prize tomorrow. With the title winners and McLarens locking out the first pair of rows, Alonso was again left to pick up the pieces in fifth as Rosberg confirmed a ‘best of the rest’ sixth.

The top ten is completed by Massa, consistent Adrian Sutil, Senna and Michael Schumacher, who set no lap time in Q3 to help save tyres.

As well as beating Mansell’s record, Sebastian Vettel has now recorded 30 Formula 1 pole positions, moving ahead of five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio; and with the thunderstorm risk still ever-present, a dramatic season finale is promised on Sunday.

The season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix begins at 2pm local time (GMT -2) on Sunday

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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Webber wins again as season ends in Brazil
27 November 2011
2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix: Sunday race results

Mark Webber picked up his first win since last year as the F1 season ended in Brazil on Sunday. The Australian, who has finished third in the standings, led home team-mate and Champion Sebastian Vettel as Jenson Button passed Fernando Alonso for the final podium spot. Lewis Hamilton retired with gearbox problems.


The final F1 season finale in Brazil since 2008

Prior to the weekend, weather forecasters had practically guaranteed that thunderstorms would affect the season-ending race, although no drops affected proceedings after the five red lights went out at two o’clock. Before the race, the drivers gathered for the annual end-of-season photograph.

The start was remarkably clean for the entire field, with Webber suffering an initially poor getaway but just managing to fend off the McLaren duo and rapid Alonso. Vettel headed the pack by two and a half seconds on Lap 5, although a sluggish start by local favourite Rubens Barrichello – who could have been competing in his final F1 race – saw him slip down the order.

Michael Schumacher was out of any contention by as early as Lap 10, as he and Bruno Senna touched at the first corner; the German had moved across under braking, although the Brazilian was handed a drive-through penalty for sliding into the Mercedes. With a rear puncture, Schumacher coasted back to the pits and finished the day in a lowly 15th place.


Vettel leads as the Ferrari of Alonso is edged out

The lead changed at the start of Lap 30, with Vettel yielding to Webber as the Australian swept around the outside of the first corner. At the time, Red Bull feared that the title winner would not make half distance, although – comparing himself to Ayrton Senna in 1991, with the Brazilian having also had a gearbox issues – Vettel crossed the finish line 17 seconds behind.

Behind, Button and Alonso’s entertaining battle began on Lap 11, with the latter pulling off a brilliant move around the outside of Ferradura. Using a differing pit-stop strategy, running the harder compound tyres for longer, both DRS and three quarters of his KERS allowed the  Englishman to zoom back ahead on Lap 62; the Turn 4 overtake followed a previous move from the McLaren driver on the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa, at the same corner. Behind, Massa was the highest-placed Brazilian in fifth and the last car to finish on the lead lap, with Lewis Hamilton about to challenge when his gearbox failed on the 48th tour.

Adrian Sutil’s sixth position means Force India enjoys its best ever season, with sixth overall and just missing out on LRGP’s top five place by four points. The top ten was completed by Nico Rosberg, statistically best 2011 rookie Paul di Resta, Kamui Kobayashi and Vitaly Petrov. Team Lotus, soon to become Caterham, finishes tenth in the Constructors’ Championship for the second consecutive campaign and therefore receives winnings in the region of 30 million dollars. Also coming out of South America on top is Sauber, which beats Toro Rosso to seventh overall.

Excluding Hamilton, three drivers retired from the race; Timo Glock’s left-rear wheel came off following a Virgin-HRT pit lane duel, Pastor Maldonado crashed at Laranjinha and Vitantonio Liuzzi suffered a technical problem.

Mark Webber’s seventh F1 victory is his first since Hungary last year, although the result marks his second triumph in São Paulo after 2009.

Race results - 2011 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix
Pos.    Driver   Team   Time
1.   au Mark Webber   Red Bull   1:32:17.464
2.   de Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull   +16.983
3.   uk Jenson Button   McLaren   +27.638
4.   es Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   +35.048
5.   br Felipe Massa   Ferrari   +1:06.733
6.   de Adrian Sutil   Force India   +1 Lap
7.   de Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   +1 Lap
8.   uk Paul di Resta   Force India   +1 Lap
9.   jp Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber   +1 Lap
10.   ru Vitaly Petrov   Lotus Renault   +1 Lap
11.   es Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso   +1 Lap
12.   ch Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso   +1 Lap
13.   mx Sergio Perez   Sauber   +1 Lap
14.   br Rubens Barrichello   Williams   +1 Lap
15.   de Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   +1 Lap
16.   fi Heikki Kovalainen   Team Lotus   +2 Laps
17.   br Bruno Senna   Lotus Renault   +2 Laps
18.   it Jarno Trulli   Team Lotus   +2 Laps
19.   be Jerome d` Ambrosio   Virgin   +3 Laps
20.   au Daniel Ricciardo   HRT   +3 Laps
Did not finish
21.   it Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT   +10 Laps
22.   uk Lewis Hamilton   McLaren   +25 Laps
23.   ve Pastor Maldonado   Williams   +45 Laps
24.   de Timo Glock   Virgin   +50 Laps

_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}