Japanese GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com April 2nd, 2017
Welcome to the Japanese GP, 32 laps of drama, action and raw speed await us. The two
Steinmann cars are split by World Championship leader
Dieter Wexler and his red caboose and the news of both Silver Arrow drivers struggling with a dodgy neck could become crucial in this race with lots of high G medium speed corners.
Lap 1:
Of the top 10,
Saarinen and
De Graaf start on the soft, and
Iker Vidal is the first runner on the medium tyre, looking for a potential 1-stop strategy. The start will be crucial on the front... if
Wexler can get the lead, will he run away like he did in Doha?
The red lights are on... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
ALL THREE RUNNERS WITH A GOOD START,
CHAPMAN INTO THE FIRST CORNER SIDE BY SIDE WITH
WEXLER... AND THE GERMAN GOES WIDE AND LOSES LOTS OF PLACES!
BUT THE
KITANO OF AUSSIE
ZOE SHARP SHOOTS PAST EVERYONE LIKE A TORPEDO IN THE MEDIUM SPEED FIRST SECTOR AND TAKES THE LEAD!
Chapman goes past
Holtz on the outside of the 180R and
Wexler ends lap one in P9!
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +0.7 3.
Holtz +1.5
Vidal P11 +4.7
Woodford P19 +7.7
Lap 2:
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +0.8 3.
Holtz +1.5
Vidal P11 +8.5
Woodford P20 +13.0
Lap 3:
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +1.0 3.
Holtz +1.5
Vidal P11 +11.8
Woodford P20 +17.4
Lap 4:
Chapman is closing in on
Sharp...
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +0.5 3.
Holtz +2.7
Vidal P11 +14.4
Woodford P20 +20.3
Lap 5:
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +0.7 3.
Holtz +2.6
Vidal P11 +16.9
Woodford P20 +23.9
Lap 6:
1.
Sharp 2.
Chapman +0.3 3.
Holtz +0.7
Vidal P13 +20.6
Woodford P20 +26.7
Lap 7:
Sharp loses loads of time, close fight between the three drivers... and
Chapman AND
Holtz go through AND
Lipponen follows suit.
Wexler is now up to P5 after his teammate let him through...
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +1.0 3.
Lipponen +2.7
Vidal P13 +21.6
Woodford P19 +30.4
Lap 8:
But the
Windsor of
Aki Lipponen pits early and needs some repairs. Too bad for the Finn.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +1.3 3.
Sharp +6.1
Vidal P12 +25.2
Woodford P19 +35.1
Lap 9:
And the
Steinmann come in... and the queue again... unbelievable.
1.
Sharp 2.
Wexler +0.3 3.
Margate +1.1
Vidal P11 +18.9
Woodford P18 +38.5
Lap 10:
All soft runners now in the pits...
Chapman in P4 the virtual leader.
1.
Surikov 2.
Saarinen +0.5 3.
Flores +9.1
Vidal P6 +14.9
Woodford P19 +31.8
Lap 11:
1.
Surikov 2.
Saarinen +0.8 3.
Flores +9.8
Vidal P6 +15.2
Woodford P18 +28.2
Lap 12:
1.
Surikov 2.
Saarinen +0.4 3.
Flores +10.9
Vidal P5 +16.3
Woodford P18 +29.0
Lap 13:
De Graaf in from P7 and
Saarinen from P2... and the
Espirit driver will have to wait a bit longer in the pits as he needs repairs... too bad.
1.
Surikov 2.
Flores +11.7 3.
Chapman +12.1
Vidal P4 +16.8
Woodford P17 +29.9
Lap 14:
Chapman already into P2 with a pit stop at hand, but the 1-stop cars look handy here...
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +10.7 3.
Flores +12.8
Vidal P4 +16.3
Woodford P15 +31.3
Lap 15:
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +8.9 3.
Flores +14
Vidal P5 +18.0
Woodford P15 +33.1
Lap 16:
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +7.1 3.
Flores +15.4
Vidal P16 +41.7 PIT
Woodford P20 +65.5
Lap 17:
Surikov and
Flores try to get the second stint done on the soft tyre... this could work or hurt them as they are slow on the completely done mediums...
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +5.8 3.
Flores +15.8
Vidal P16 +41.5
Woodford P20 +66.1
Lap 18:
And they pit now... and
Flores needs a topping up of the hydraulics... the two Silver Arrows 1-2,
Margate made some progress with the supersoft... but they all have to pit again.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +12.7 3.
Margate +13.6
Vidal P14 +41.5
Woodford P20 +66.1
Lap 19:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +13.6 3.
Margate +14.5
Vidal P12 +38.8
Woodford P19 +64.2
Lap 20:
Margate in first.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +14.5 3.
Wexler +15.3
Vidal P10 +40.2
Woodford P19 +66.7
Lap 21:
Margate in first.
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +16.4 3.
Wexler +16.7
Vidal P10 +40.9
Woodford P19 +68.5
Lap 22:
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +16.9 3.
Wexler +18.7
Vidal P11 +42.7
Woodford P20 +71.9
Margate went past again... but there is a good chance for points still.
Lap 23:
Chapman,
Wexler in, but all runners apart from
Surkov have to pit again.
1.
Holtz 2.
Surikov +2.4 3.
Saarinen +9.7
Vidal P9 +43.7
Woodford P20 +74.4
Lap 24:
Chapman has to overtake the Russian
Panther driver on the track if he wants to win.
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +5.0 3.
Saarinen +9.0
Vidal P8 +25.9
Woodford P20 +58.7
Lap 25:
And he takes 4.9 seconds out of the lead in one lap...
1.
Surikov 2.
Chapman +0.1 3.
Saarinen +9.2
Vidal P9 +27.8
Woodford P20 +59.4
Lap 26:
And is past easily.
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +1.7 3.
Rodriguez +10.5
Vidal P8 +28.9
Woodford P20 +61.5
Lap 27:
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +2.2 3.
Rodriguez +11.7
Vidal P7 +29.9
Woodford P20 +64.5
Lap 28:
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +4.1 3.
Holtz +18.6
Vidal P7 +32.0
Woodford P20 +68.0
Lap 29:
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +6.8 3.
Holtz +18.4
Vidal P6 +35.4
Woodford P20 +72.8
Lap 30:
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +8.0 3.
Holtz +17.6
Vidal P6 +36.0
Woodford P19 +75.8
Vidal has Rodriguez on the supersoft and Saarinen on the soft behind him... this will be close...
Lap 31:
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +7.9 3.
Holtz +18
Vidal P7 +37.4
Woodford P19 +77.4
Rodriguez through
Final Lap:
And the World Champion puts his name on the board with a dominant win.
Harry Chapman wins it from pole with
Nikolai Surikov executing a great 1-stop strategy for P2 and
Holtz on P3.
Wexler P5 and the second
Panther P6. Great race.
1.
Chapman 2.
Surikov +9.1 3.
Holtz +19.4
Vidal P8 +40.8
Woodford P19 +1 LAP
Saarinen slipped through, but still a great drive.