Singapore 2010
RED BULL SEEMED TO BE THE DOMINANT TEAM DURING THE FREE PRACTICE SESSIONS, PARTICULARLY SEBASTIAN VETTEL. MARK WEBBER HAD A NEW CHASSIS FOR THIS WEEKEND AND HE WAS NOT QUITE HIS NORMAL FAST SELF. HOWEVER, FERNANDO ALONSO TOOK THE COVETED POLE POSITION ON SATURDAY WHICH, ON ANY STREET CIRCUIT, IS ALWAYS THE BEST PLACE TO START FROM.
DESPITE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INCIDENT AT TURN ONE, WITH THE FIVE TITLE CONTENDERS FILLING THE FIRST FIVE PLACES ON THE GRID, REMARKABLY THIS HURDLE WAS TAKEN CLEANLY AND THE RACE THUS GOT UNDER WAY WITH THE FIRST FIVE CARS ON THE GRID MOTORING ALONG IN THE SAME ORDER.
THE FIRST SAFETY CAR DEPLOYMENT WAS ON LAP 3 WHEN VITANTONIO'S FORCE INDIA CAR SUFFERED BROKEN SUSPENSION AFTER COLLIDING WITH NICK HEIDFELD'S SAUBER (NICK AND PEDRO DE LA ROSA HAVE SWOPPED PLACES - PEDRO TAKING OVER THE PIRELLI TEST DRIVER ROLE). MARK WEBBER CHOSE TO CHANGE TO THE HARD TYRE ONCE THE SAFETY CAR WAS IN CHARGE, THUS DROPPING TO 11TH. THE OTHER FRONT RUNNERS CHOSE TO STAY OUT.
MARK MADE GOOD PROGRESS UP THE FIELD AND BY THE TIME OF THE SECOND SAFETY CAR INCIDENT, AFTER A COLLISION BETWEEN KAMUI KOBAYASHI AND BRUNO SENNA, HE WAS BEING CHALLENGED FOR 3RD PLACE BY LEWIS HAMILTON. LEWIS TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AS THEY BORE DOWN ON A BACK-MARKER. HE GOT HIS NOSE AHEAD AS THEY ROUNDED THE NEXT CORNER BUT MARK HAD THE INSIDE LINE AND REFUSED TO YIELD AS LEWIS TURNED IN. END RESULT WAS THAT LEWIS'S SUSPENSION WAS DAMAGED AND HE RETIRED FOR THE SECOND RACE IN SUCCESSION.
MARK CARRIED ON, APPARENTLY UNSCATHED, TO TAKE 3RD PLACE. HOWEVER, HE WAS VERY LUCKY NOT TO RETIRE OR, WORSE, CRASH OUT BECAUSE HIS RIGHT FRONT TYRE HAD BEEN KNOCKED OFF THE WHEEL-RIM. HOW IT STAYED ON AND ALSO KEPT ITS PRESSURE WAS QUITE REMARKABLE.
MEANWHILE, FERNANDO HAD DRIVEN BRILLIANTLY AND TOOK THE WIN FROM SEBASTIEN VETTEL. SEBASTIAN HAD PRESSURED FERNANDO FOR THE WHOLE RACE BUT NEVER QUITE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT A PASS. AFTER THE RACE, THE STEWARDS PENALISED NICO HULKENBERG BY ADDING 20 SECONDS TO HIS RACE TIME FOR LEAVING THE TRACK ON LAP 1. ADRIAN SUTIL WAS ALSO PENALISED FOR THE SAME OFFENCE. THEY HAD FINISHED 8TH (SUTIL) AND 9TH (HULKENBERG) IN FRONT OF FELIPE MASSA WHO HAD HAD TO START FROM THE BACK OF THE GRID AFTER BEING UNABLE TO POST A QUALIFYING TIME ON SATURDAY. FELIPE THUS GAINED TWO PLACES AS A RESULT
SO THE FIVE DRIVERS ARE ALL STILL COVERED BY A SINGLE RACE WIN - 25 POINTS - WITH ONLY 4 RACES LEFT AND THAT MAY SOON BE ONLY 3 RACES BECAUSE THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE KOREAN TRACK MAY NOT BE FINISHED IN TIME. TALK ABOUT CLOSE!!
STARTING GRID
| | | |
| 1.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 2.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 3.
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
| 4.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 5.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 6.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 7.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 8.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 9.
|
Michael Schumacher
|
| 10.
|
Kamui Kobayashi
|
| 11.
|
Jaime Alguersari
|
| 12.
|
Vitaly Petrov
|
| 13.
|
Sebastien Buemi
|
| 14.
|
Nico Hulkenberg
|
| 15.
|
Aidrian Sutil
|
| 16.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 17.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 18.
|
Timo Glock
|
| 19.
|
Heikki Kovalainen
|
| 20.
|
Lucas di Grassi
|
| 21.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 22.
|
Bruno Senna
|
| 23.
|
Christian Klein
|
| 24.
|
Felipe Massa
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 2.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 3.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 4.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 5.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 6.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 7.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 8.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 9.
|
Aidrian Sutil
|
| 10.
|
Nico Hulkenberg
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Mark Webber
|
202
|
| Fernando Alonso
|
191
|
| Lewis Hamilton
|
182
|
| Sebastian Vettel
|
181
|
| Jenson Button
|
177
|
| Felipe Massa
|
128
|
| Nico Rosberg
|
122
|
| Robert Kubica
|
114
|
| Adrian Sutil
|
47
|
| Michael Schumacher
|
46
|
Constructors :
|
| Red Bull Racing
|
383
|
| McLaren
|
359
|
| Ferrari
|
319
|
| Mercedes
|
168
|
| Renault
|
133
|
| Force India
|
60
|
| Williams
|
56
|
| BMW Sauber
|
27
|
| Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
10
|
| Lotus
|
0
|
| Hispania Racing
|
0
|
| Virgin Racing
|
0
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
27th September 2010
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