Australian GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com October 30th, 2016
Ladies and gentleman, we are in for a race that could decide both inaugural Championships. All cars were relatively close in qualifying... except
Harry Chapman who has been driving in a different league, and with his $16M contract running out, could do so next season... but that is off season talk, the sun is shining and the formation lap begins.
Lap 1:
There are some runners on the soft tyre right away in the top 10...
Sharp,
Lipponen, their race could be interesting for sure.
Chapman just wants to get a good start and then run away into the distance.
The red lights are on... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
CHAPMAN AND
HOLTZ WITH A GREAT START, 1-2 INTO THE FIRST CORNER, BIG MOVE ON THE OUTSIDE BY
WEXLER, HE IS THIRD!
LIPPONEN GOT WIDE AND LOSES EVERYTHING, DOWN TO P18!
The
Thornton of
Moreno fooled everyone and is into P4... P3!... down to P5 after the first lap! It has all gone right for
Chapman in this first lap.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +2.8 3.
Wexler +3.5
Vidal P16 +8.5
Woodford P20+9.3
Lap 2:
Chapman is streaking clear with another qualifying lap.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.2 3.
Wexler +4.8
Vidal P14 +13.8
Woodford P20 +15.8
Lap 3:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.6 3.
Wexler +5.4
Vidal P14 +18.0
Woodford P20 +20.8
Lap 4:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.8 3.
Wexler +6.1
Vidal P13 +20.8
Woodford P20 +25.3
Lap 5:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.9 3.
Wexler +6.5
Vidal P12 +24.9
Woodford P20 +29.2
Lap 6:
The leader with a lock up into the hairpin, that cost some time and tyre life.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.0 3.
Wexler +6.8
Vidal P12 +28.7
Woodford P20 +32.5
Lap 7:
OH NO!
Saarinen crashes in the third corner and wrecked the barrier, huge shunt... SAFETY CAR, SAFETY CAR. Leaders pit.
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman 3.
Oliveira
Vidal P16 PIT
Woodford P18 PIT
Lap 8:
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman 3.
Oliveira
Vidal P16
Woodford P18
Lap 9:
Sharp pits and is relegated to the back of the field, stupid move.
Safety car in this lap.
1.
Chapman 2.
Oliveira 3.
Holtz
Vidal P16
Woodford P18
Lap 10:
Chapman on the soft compound nails the throttle and AWAY WE GO!
Holtz on the medium tyre takes
Oliveira in the hairpin for P2!
Vidal on fresh rubber passes two cars in the this lap, and
Woodford aswell! They both pitted under the safety car!
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +1.5 3.
Oliveira +3.2
Vidal P14 +8.9
Woodford P16 +9.9
Lap 11:
AND THAT WAS A
IKER VIDAL LAP! He overtakes
Flores in turn three, outdrags
De Graaf into turn four, and then hangs out two drivers out to dry in the hairpin to move FOUR places up.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +1.8 3.
Oliveira +6.1
Vidal P10 +13.3
Woodford P16 +15.9
Lap 12:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +2.2 3.
Oliveira +8.1
Vidal P10 +15.9
Woodford P16 +20.8
Lap 13:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +3.3 3.
Oliveira +11.1
Vidal P10 +18.4
Woodford P16 +25.7
Lap 14:
The two
Steinmann cars mean business today...
Oliveira and
Schmidt in for fresh boots... and
OLIVEIRA NEEDS A NEW FRONT WING. That will cost some time.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.2 3.
Wexler +15.4
Vidal P8 +19.4
Woodford P16 +30.7
Lap 15:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +4.5 3.
Wexler +16.2
Vidal P5 +22
Woodford P16 +33.2
Lap 16:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +5.0 3.
Wexler +16.8
Vidal P4 +24.0
Woodford P14 +35.5
Lap 17:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +5.1 3.
Wexler +17.4
Vidal P4 +24.7
Woodford P13 +37.4
Lap 19:
This could be tense in front...
Chapman on the soft has to pit earlier than
Holtz on the medium, and the gap is not that big...
And when does
Vidal pit?
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +5.1 3.
Wexler +17.4
Vidal P4 +25.2
Woodford P12 +40.2
Lap 20:
Chapman and
Vidal in for new rubber... Supersoft!
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +16.1 3.
Lundquist +29.6
Vidal P12 +42.8 PIT
Woodford P19 +68.8 PIT
Lap 21:
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +12.8 3.
Lundquist +30.7
Vidal P12 +41.7
Woodford P19 +64
Lap 22:
Holtz is getting undercut and is doing nothing against it...
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +9.0 3.
Lundquist +32.0
Vidal P12 +40.5
Woodford P19 +63.4
Lap 23:
Vidal takes
Lipponen and
Surikov on the supersoft compound, their strategy will net them some big points today.
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +5.9 3.
Lundquist +32.4
Vidal P10 +41.5
Woodford P19 +64.5
Lap 24:
The last of the medium runners pit and
Holtz with a hydraulic system refill needed, it second with a gap of 21.7 seconds. Folks, the two Championships are done and dusted...
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +21.7 3.
Wexler +30
Vidal P7 +37.8
Woodford P19 +67.3
Lap 25:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +20.5 3.
Wexler +30.3
Vidal P7 +39.8
Woodford P18 +65.2
Lap 26:
And, as
Oliveira comes into the pits again, also done and dusted is the fate of
Thornton Motorsport as
Vidal in the
Lotus Racing car is in for a HUGE sixth place.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +17.4 3.
Wexler +29.7
Vidal P6 +41.8
Woodford P18 +78.1
Lap 27:
AND
HARRY CHAPMAN IS THE WORLD CHAMPION! WORLD CHAMPION!
STEINMANN WINS THE CONSTRUCTORS WITH A DOMINANT 1-2 WITH
WEXLER 14 SECONDS BACK BEHIND
NINA HOLTZ!
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +16.0 3.
Wexler +30.3
Vidal P6 +43.2
Woodford P18 +72.5