10/06/2012
NEWS STORY
Whatever one might think of gambling, in a season notorious for its unpredictability, today is a day when those that do indulge are going to have to earn their money.
On the face of it, Red Bull, which, despite the various FIA rulings, is clearly back on top of its game; strangely enough at a circuit on which it has never really shone, while Sebastian Vettel is clearly a man on a mission.
However, despite the expected fear of tyre wear, Lewis Hamilton is looking good here this weekend as is Fernando Alonso.
One thing is certain; and we're sticking our necks out here, it appears that Chris Freer's prediction that Kimi Raikkonen will win here was wide of the mark.
Montreal has a reputation for throwing up surprises, not least way back in 1978 when the man after whom the track is now named took an audacious win, indeed his first world championship Grand Prix win. There have been many more surprise results since then - Alesi in 1995 - not least last year when, against all odds, Jenson Button came through from last, surviving a crash with his teammate, to take victory on the last lap when Vettel made a rare error.
With the Englishman enjoying a difficult return here twelve months later, no wonder team boss Martin Whitmarsh insists on reminding him that it can be done.
However, other than Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso, let's not forget Webber, while Massa has been looking good of late. Then there's Rosberg, who finally broke his duck this year, and, of course, his teammate, Schumacher, a six-time winner here.
While some are given to hyperbole, at Pitpass we do our very best to avoid it. Nonetheless, we have no hesitation in stating that this is a race where anything can happen and most probably will.
In recent years it has been shown that pole is not vital here, though Vettel will aim to capitalise on it. On the other hand, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has a reputation for first lap incidents - and let's not forget the legendary Wall of Champions. Like Monaco, mistake here rarely go unpunished.
One thing pretty much for certain, especially in view of last year, the longest race in the history of F1, the weather is unlikely to play a significant role in today's race, at least in terms of rain. On the other hand, temperature fluctuations could play havoc with tyre strategies this afternoon, a factor on which some drivers are building their hopes.
Unlike last year, there is but one DRS zone here today, with activation shortly after the hairpin on the straight leading to the pit entrance. Tyre options, like Monaco, are soft and supersoft.
While most are expecting a two-stop strategy, other believe a one-stopper is possible, Perez and Button immediately springing to mind.
A late decision to change the gearbox on Pastor Maldonado's car - the result of his clash with the Wall of Champions in qualifying - sees the Williams driver incur his third penalty in two races. Having qualified seventeenth he now moves back to twenty-second.
The pitlane opens and the first drivers start making their way to the grid. Air temperature is 27 degrees C while the track temperature is 45 degrees. Humidity is 28 percent while the wind speed is 1.7 mps.
Adrian Newey walks the grid checking out the opposition, he pays the Lotus particular attention… then moves on to the McLaren.
Of the front five rows, all but Button are starting on the option rubber (super soft), the exception being Button who starts on the prime (soft).
They head off on the warm-up lap, all get away cleanly; Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Perez, de la Rosa and Maldonado, like Button, on prime rubber.
They're away, Vettel gets away cleanly and as they head through the first corner there are no significant incidents. A poor start from Alonso who is caught napping while Massa closes on Rosberg.
At the end of lap 1, it's: Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, di Resta, Grosjean, Schumacher and Button. Massa is all over Rosberg. Maldonado up to nineteenth from twenty-second.
Next time around Massa sweeps past Rosberg going into the final chicane. Vettel posts the fastest lap (20.663).
As a queue forms behind Rosberg, Raikkonen is eleventh, ahead of Kobayashi, Perez, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen and Senna. Di Resta, making use of his DRS, leaves Rosberg for dead. Button lapping over a second off Vettel's pace.
After four laps, Vettel leads Hamilton by 1.9s with Alonso just 0.7s behind. Massa closes in on fourth-placed Webber.
On lap 6, Massa loses the back end and spins in Turn 2; other than losing a heap of positions he flat-spots his tyres. He drops to thirteenth. Elsewhere, Rosberg is told to do a better job looking after his tyres under traction. Further back Vergne and Ricciardo battle for sixteenth. Unsurprisingly, Massa complains of a bad vibration.
Rosberg is now told that he needs to conserve fuel, the German being given a number of options. To be told that just 9 laps into the race is a little bit disconcerting, to say the least.
Having passed Rosberg, di Resta now leads a train of nine cars, all covered by around 5s. Button is told that the cars are showing signs of degradation. The McLaren driver remains tenth, 15.9s behind the race leader.
After 11 laps, the gap between Vettel and Hamilton remains static at around 1.5s, while di Resta complains that his tyres are going off.
At the end of lap 12; Massa is the first driver to pit, the Brazilian switching to the prime tyres. He rejoins in twentieth.
Next time around di Resta and Schumacher both pit, rejoining in fifteenth (di Resta) and seventeenth (Schumacher).
At the end of lap 14, Raikkonen out-brakes Button into the final chicane to take seventh. Perez misses the apex but doesn't gain anything. Elsewhere, Grosjean posts a new fastest lap (19.634).
As Button pits at the end of lap 15, Hamilton and Alonso close in on Vettel. Button switches to options.
Vettel pits at the end of lap 16, the German taking on a set of primes. Vergne also pits.
Next time around it's Hamilton who pits, as do Webber and Ricciardo. Hamilton rejoins ahead of Vettel, courtesy of brilliant work from the McLaren crew.
Surprisingly, having gone quickest in S1, Alonso doesn't pit at the end of lap 18, as Hamilton and Vettel fight for fourth. Rosberg is currently third, ahead of Grosjean, but both have yet to stop.
At the end of lap 18, Alonso dives into the pits, as does Rosberg. The Spaniard rejoins just ahead of Hamilton, the Ferrari driver effectively now leading the race - though in reality it is Grosjean who leads.
Hamilton is all over the Ferrari, knowing that the Spaniard's tyres are not yet up to racing temperature. Sure enough, into the final chicane the McLaren driver nails him. Vettel isn't quite so lucky and remains stuck behind the Ferrari. All the while, Raikkonen closes in, the Finn looking strong in fifth.
Grosjean pits at the end of lap 21, as does Hulkenberg. The Frenchman rejoins in ninth.
Now in clear air, Hamilton posts a new fastest lap (18.940) as he extends his lead over Alonso to 1.4s. Vettel remains third ahead of Raikkonen, Kobayashi, Perez, Webber and Rosberg.
A big spin going into Turn 1 for Karthikeyan, the resultant yellow flag causing Vettel to back off as he lined up Alonso. The HRT driver subsequently pulls off track to become the first retirement of the day.
At the end of lap 24 Kobayashi pits, the Sauber driver rejoining in twelfth. Glock also pits.
Now down in thirteenth, Schumacher is told that he needs to; "take di Resta to make our race".
Another fastest lap from Hamilton (18.698) as his lead increases to 3.1s, Alonso's attention now fully taken up by Vettel who is all over the back of the Ferrari.
More misery for HRT as de la Rosa becomes the second retirement of the day, the thick black dust from the front of the car suggesting that brakes are the issue.
Hamilton is told that he is posting purple in various sectors, the claim that he is still on target for this stint suggests that the McLaren driver will have to make another stop. As Maldonado and Pic pit, Raikkonen and Perez (fourth and fifth) remain the only drivers yet to stop.
Webber posts a new fastest lap (18.345) on lap 29, the Australian just 9.6s down on the race leader. Elsewhere, Button is down in fourteenth.
As he closes in on Raikkonen, Perez is told that it is "all very good, very good". Meanwhile, the leading three are setting near identical lap times.
At the end of lap 33, Button makes his second stop of the afternoon, the McLaren driver staying with the option tyres. He rejoins in seventeenth.
From out of nowhere, Rosberg produces a 17.972, the German now 3.8s down on sixth placed Webber.
"Hang in there Mark, we're waiting for it to open up at the moment," Webber is told. However, another fast lap from Rosberg (17.908) sees Rosberg close to within 1.8s.
"Think about apex gear choice," Button is told, "think about longer gears". "I can't," the McLaren driver replies, "I've got no grip".
Rosberg pits at the end of lap 38, rejoining in ninth, while a mistake sees Webber miss the apex at the second chicane.
At the end of lap 40, Raikkonen finally pits, thereby leaving Perez in clear air. The Finn rejoins in eighth ahead of Rosberg. Elsewhere, Schumacher makes a late, late charge to take eleventh from Kobayashi at the hairpin.
Perez pits at the end of lap 41 as Hamilton asks his team if he's sure the opposition isn't one stopping. Perez rejoins bang in the middle of the Rosberg/Raikkonen battle, the Finn the loser as the Mercedes driver wins out to take back seventh. Perez rejoins ahead of Raikkonen thereby adding to the Finn's frustration.
Consequently, after 44 laps, it's: Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Webber, Grosjean, Massa, Rosberg, Perez, Raikkonen and Kobayashi.
Schumacher is told that his DRS flap is stuck wide open, the German having to pit to have the situation resolved. Another cruel blow for the German who is pushed back into his garage.
Vergne is handed a drive-through for exceeding the pitlane speed limit.
Hamilton advises that his rear tyres are "going off", the team, seemingly ignoring his concern, tell him to maintain pace.
Lap 49 sees another fastest lap for Rosberg (17.393) who, though down in seventh, is fighting Webber for fourth overall.
Hamilton pits at the end of lap 50, rejoining in third after a problem with his right-rear. "Give it everything, we need to keep this gap," the Englishman is told.
Webber pits at the end of lap 52, as Hamilton posts a new fastest lap (17.244). Webber rejoins in eighth ahead of Raikkonen. Elsewhere, another stop for Button, his third of the afternoon.
Lap 53 sees another fastest lap for Hamilton (17.135), the Englishman now 13.1s down on race leader Alonso who is 3.1s clear of Vettel. "One second quicker than Alonso, great job," Hamilton is told.
Although he's lapping a second quicker than the leading duo, the question is, are they both stopping again?
After 56 laps, it's: Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Grosjean, Massa, Rosberg, Perez, Webber, Raikkonen and Kobayashi.
A mistake sees Rosberg miss the final chicane and gain a position over Massa. He knows that he must hand it back to the Ferrari driver but Perez is there to benefit also. In one fell swoop the German drops from sixth to eighth. The Mexican subsequently passes the Ferrari to take fifth.
Struggling for grip, Massa is soon passed by Rosberg and then Raikkonen. Unsurprisingly the Brazilian subsequently pits. Ricciardo also pits.
On lap 59, Hamilton posts a 17.020, Alonso is running at 18.668 and Vettel 18.282. In all honesty, it's almost too late for the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers to stop. The gap between Vettel and Hamilton is now down to 3.2s.
With ten laps remaining, Perez posts 16.889, the Mexican sniffing a podium should it all go pear-shaped for Alonso or Vettel.
As Hamilton shadows Vettel the result is inevitable, once they get to the DRS zone it should be a formality. Sure enough the McLaren driver makes his move and there is absolutely nothing the world champion can do about it. Alonso is now another 2.1s down the road.
Vettel makes a surprise stop at the end of lap 63, rejoining in fifth. Meanwhile, Hamilton is all over Alonso, and after two feints finally makes his move, courtesy of his DRS, on the straight leading to the pits.
In no time at all, Hamilton has built a 1s comfort zone as Massa posts a new fastest lap (16.828).
Grosjean closes in on Alonso with Perez also looking dangerous, the Mexican setting a string of very competitive times. Even on fresh rubber Vettel is making no real impression.
Grosjean passes the Ferrari with ease as Perez continues to real in the Spaniard. What was it we said earlier about gambling? Clearly it hasn't worked for Ferrari or Red Bull.
Vettel up his pace, having brush the Wall of Champions, he subsequently posts a new fastest lap (16.047). "You're almost two seconds a lap faster than Alonso," the German is told.
Perez makes short work of Alonso, the Spaniard down from leader to fourth in just a few short laps. Elsewhere a big spin for Ricciardo.
It goes from bad to worse for Vettel, passed by Vettel the Ferrari driver is now under threat from Rosberg.
Hamilton takes the flag to become the seventh different driver to win a race this season. "Fantastic job," he is told over the radio, "a beautifully controlled race."
And indeed it was, but credit also to Grosjean and Perez for their performances, having outshone a number of far more experienced drivers here this afternoon.
The delight on the face of Martin Whitmarsh speaks volumes, but it is a weekend of mixed contrasts for the Woking team. While Hamilton has finally come good it has been an absolute nightmare for teammate Button.
And then there's Ferrari and Red Bull where the gamble clearly didn't pay off, as teams continue to get caught out by their failure to understand the 2012 rubber.
All in all a fair result, a result who only adds to the intrigue that sums up F1 2012.
As the man said: a beautifully controlled race.
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