Portugese GP GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com May 7th, 2017
Were are here and looking over the grid for the Portugese GP. No rain expected right now, no tyre bonanza, just straight racing, and the starting grid looks intruiging.
Rossini,
Steinmann,
Rossini,
Steinmann. The water has muddied after the Silver Arrows were so dominating in qualifying in 2016...
Lap 1:
Lots of soft tyres on the grid... the first medium tyres on
Saarinen(P5),
Vidal and
Lipponen in P7 and P8. It is time to answer the burning questions. Who has the race pace? Can
Wexler deliever from pole for his second win of the season, or will the evil empire from Germany strike back.
The red lights are on... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
OH THEY STRIKE BACK!
WEXLER MESSES UP THE START AND
HOLTZ AND
CHAPMAN ARE THROUGH BEFORE THE FIRST CORNER... AND
CHAPMAN LEADS THE GRAND PRIX!
But
Wexler is not done and exits turn 8 towards the back straight side by side with
Holtz... AND GETS THROUGH THE CHICANE P2!
Margate slips AND
Rodriguez also slip past the
Steinmann!
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +1.8 3.
Margate +4.0
Vidal P6 +5.8
Woodford P20 +11.5
Lap 2:
But
Holtz recovers into P4 as she and
Vidal nearly push
Rodrigues off the track in turn 9!
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +2.9 3.
Margate +5.5
Vidal P5 +11.3
Woodford P20 +19.3
Lap 3:
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +2.3 3.
Margate +5.8
Vidal P6 +14.8
Woodford P19 +26.2
Lap 4:
Wexler may have the faster car...
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +1.2 3.
Margate +5.1
Vidal P7 +17.2
Woodford P19 +29.1
Lap 5:
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +1.2 3.
Margate +5.6
Vidal P7 +19.4
Woodford P19 +33.5
Lap 6:
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +0.8 3.
Margate +5.8
Vidal P8 +21.7
Woodford P18 +37.9
Lap 7:
Pit stops for the soft runners soon...
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +0.6 3.
Margate +6.2
Vidal P7 +22.4
Woodford P18 +39.9
Lap 8:
"PIT, PIT, let's undercut," so,
Wexler in this lap...
1.
Chapman 2.
Wexler +0.7 3.
Margate +5.6
Vidal P7 +21.8
Woodford P18 +41.7
Lap 9:
Chapman and
Holtz in and get queued... because they can... AND THEY MAKE A MISTAKE WITH THE TYRES WITH THE BRIT... OH THAT WILL COST THEM SOO MUCH GROUND!
1.
Chapman 2.
Holtz +0.7 3.
Margate +7.8
Vidal P7 +21.4
Woodford P18 +42.2
Lap 10:
1.
Wexler 2.
Saarinen +0.7 3.
Vidal +13.8
Woodford P16 +39.0
Lap 11:
Wexler is the big winner as
Chapman fell way back.
1.
Wexler 2.
Saarinen +14.3 3.
Vidal +15.3
Woodford P16 +37.0
Lap 12:
Vidal and
Saarinen in at the end of the lap....
1.
Wexler 2.
Saarinen +15.3 3.
Vidal +17.5
Woodford P19 +56.3 PIT
Lap 13:
AND
Vidal comes out ahead! Nifty pit work by the
Lotus crew and a mistake for
Van Dort!
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +16.3 3.
Rodrigues +17.1
Vidal P8 +32.8 PIT
Woodford P19 +57.7
Lap 14:
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +16.4 3.
Rodrigues +17.4
Vidal P8 +34.2
Woodford P19 +59.6
Iker is conserving tyre and fuel, waiting for Lundquist on a 1-stopper to pit so tat he can push with clear air.
Jeremy destroyed his tryes with a couple of lockups... and his race.
Lap 15:
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +16.6 3.
Rodrigues +17.2
Vidal P8 +36.2
Woodford P18 +61.8
Lap 16:
"You got clear air now mate, give us some qualifying laps," via the
Lotus team radio.
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +15.0 3.
Rodrigues +16.8
Vidal P6 +37.5
Woodford P17 +63.6
Lap 17:
... and he is the fastest out there...
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +14.6 3.
Rodrigues +16.9
Vidal P6 +35.5
Woodford P17 +65.0
Lap 18:
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +15.2 3.
Rodrigues +17.4
Vidal P6 +35.0
Woodford P17 +65.9
Lap 19:
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +16.1 3.
Rodrigues +18.0
Vidal P6 +34.7
Woodford P17 +67.5
Lap 20:
"
Holtz is 2.2 seconds in front of you on old mediums. We can overcut her, stay behind and save powder."
Lotus is looking racey again...
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +16.7 3.
Rodrigues +19.3
Vidal P6 +34.8
Woodford P17 +69.3
Lap 21:
Wexler pits AND exits in the lead. This looks like win #2 for the German.
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +3.1 3.
Rodrigues +5.5
Vidal P6 +24.6
Woodford P17 +71.5
Lap 22:
"Now, give it all
Iker!"
1.
Wexler 2.
Margate +6.6 3.
Chapman +9.6
Vidal P4 +23.4
Woodford P17 +58.5
Lap 23:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +12.3 3.
Vidal +26.1
Woodford P20 1LAP PIT
Lap 24:
"
Rodrigues is on the mediums, you can take him. 1.6 seconds ahead,"
Panther wants P2 for
Margate.
1.
Wexler 2.
Rodrigues +26.6 3.
Margate +28.2
Vidal P7 +42.6 PIT
Woodford P19 1LAP
Lap 25:
Vidal uses the fresh soft rubber and brakes late... to get
Holtz to the outside and past in sector three, great manouver!
1.
Wexler 2.
Rodrigues +25.8 3.
Margate +26.7
Vidal P5 +42.3
Woodford P19 1LAP
Lap 26:
And of all people,
Chapman gets the last laugh as
Rodrigues and
Margate tangle in the chicane after the back strait and he slips through and takes both. There is some gravel on the track as
Margate got it very wrong...
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +26.9 3.
Rodrigues +28.8
Vidal P5 +42.6
Woodford P17 1LAP
Lap 27:
Margate is not done as he and the
Rossini go SIDE BY SIDE THROUGH 12... THROUGH 13... AND THE PORTUGESE DRIVER STAYS AHEAD!
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +26.9 3.
Rodrigues +32.7
Vidal P5 +43.7
Woodford P17 1LAP
Lap 28:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +25.6 3.
Rodrigues +32.9
Vidal P5 +42.5
Woodford P17 1LAP
Lap 29:
And the Brit is back, looking at the pranching horse's gearbox... three to go....
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +24.4 3.
Rodrigues +31.3
Vidal P5 +41.2
Woodford P18 1LAP
Lap 30:
"Something is wrong with the steering guys," says
Nina Holtz and falls back from the gearbox of
Iker Vidal's
Lotus.
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +24.7 3.
Rodrigues +33.6
Vidal P5 +42.1
Woodford P18 1LAP
Lap 31:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +24.9 3.
Rodrigues +32.7
Vidal P5 +41.5
Woodford P18 1LAP
Final Lap:
AND IT IS A DOUBLE PODIUM FOR
ROSSINI!
Dieter Wexler extends his World Championship lead with
Nikolai Surikov down in ninth and
Rafael Rodrigues adds crucial points for the constructors while
Iker Vidal confirms his great shape with a P5 finish in front of
Nina Holtz.
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +25.1 3.
Rodrigues +31.6
Vidal P5 +39.7
Woodford P19 1LAP