Rob
10th July 2011, 18:30
14 July 1951 – Froilan Gonzalez gives the Scuderia its first ever Formula 1 win in the British GP at Silverstone.
10 July 2011 – 60 years later, Fernando Alonso gives the Scuderia its first win of the year…
Silverstone, 10 July – It was the dream result in so many ways: it was the halfway point of the season, it took place at one of the most historic venues on the Formula 1 calendar and it came only hours after he drove the Ferrari that took the win here sixty years ago. So, it was almost too much to hope for, but at the end of 52 laps, Fernando Alonso gave Scuderia Ferrari its very first win of the 2011 season, while Felipe Massa also drove an attacking race to pick up more valuable points with a fifth place finish. The Spaniard was joined on the podium by the two Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettel who finished second and Mark Webber third.
Sunday looked like being the first completely dry day of the meeting, but shortly before the start, a short shower ensured that all 24 cars started the race on intermediate rain tyres.
As the lights went out, Vettel immediately passed his Red Bull team-mate Webber to take the lead, with Fernando attacking the Australian but staying in third. Felipe lost out to Button, but retook the McLaren on lap 2 to regain his grid position (fourth.) Button was then passed by his team-mate Hamilton, who had come up from tenth on the grid, so the order on lap 3 was Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Button with Di Resta seventh. Then came Kobayashi, Schumacher and Maldonaldo completing the top ten.
Vettel, with a clear track ahead had built up a 5.4 second lead after 6 laps, while Fernando was 2.6 behind Webber, with Felipe a further 2.4 behind his team-mate. On lap 7, the Spaniard had slashed a further half second off the gap to the Australian. Two laps later and Fernando was right on the Red Bull’s gearbox, while Felipe was coming under increasing pressure from fifth placed Hamilton. Schumacher brought his Mercedes in on lap 9 after losing his front wing, having crashed into Kobayashi. At this point, the German then became the first driver to try slick tyres. Button, Sutil and Kobayashi all switched to slicks on lap 11. Also in were Maldonaldo, Buemi, Petrov, Barrichello, Glock, and Liuzzi. Meanwhile Hamilton got past Felipe but only briefly as the McLaren ran wide.
Webber, Alonso and Hamilton all stopped on lap 12. They were followed in by Perez and Alguersuari. Vettel and Felipe pitted on lap 13, the German maintaining the lead as he rejoined the track. Felipe now found himself under attack from the other McLaren, that of Button, who actually got past the Ferrari at Vale corner. At this point, Schumacher was given a stop-go penalty for causing the incident with Kobayashi. The McLarens were evidently more comfortable on slicks in the damp as lap 15 saw Hamilton demote Fernando to fourth. This meant that with the whole field on slicks, the order at the front, was Vettel, 1.2 ahead of Webber, who had a huge 6.1 lead over Hamilton, the Englishman leading fourth placed Alonso by 0.8. Button was almost four seconds down on the Spaniard and had Felipe 3.6 behind him. On lap 24, Fernando was getting on terms with Hamilton again, pulling alongside and eventually going past to get back to third place. The Spaniard set a race fastest lap, as Hamilton pitted for a second time. Kobayashi parked the Sauber at the side of the track with smoke coming from the back.
Di Resta who had started sixth lost a lot of time when he made his second stop, as the crew had his team-mate’s tyres out instead of his. Webber pitted on lap 26, followed down pit lane by Button and Felipe and Buemi. Vettel and Alonso pitted together on lap 27, but the German had a slow stop which meant that as the red 150º Italia rejoined the track, Fernando Alonso was leading the British Grand Prix, but he had Hamilton all over his gearbox, as the Englishman’s tyres were more up to temperature than his. Meanwhile the second run of pit stops meant that behind Alonso and Hamilton, Vettel was now third, followed by Webber and Button with Felipe in sixth, comfortably ahead of Rosberg.
With 20 laps of the 52 remaining, Fernando had a 6.8 second lead over Hamilton, with Vettel half a second back in third. Webber was 0.8 behind his team-mate, followed by Button who was closing up on the lead four, with Felipe trailing the McLaren by 3.3 seconds. Vettel made his third stop on lap 36 and when Hamilton came in one lap later the German was back ahead of the Englishman. Webber came in on lap 38 and Fernando one lap later, followed by Button, who parked his McLaren after exiting the pit lane, as his right front wheel nut had not been replaced. This meant that, on lap 40, with all the leaders except Felipe having made three pit stops, the order was, Fernando leading by 10.3 seconds from Vettel, with Hamilton third and Felipe fourth ahead of Webber. The Brazilian Ferrari man made his third stop on lap 41, rejoining in fifth spot. Lap 45 and there was a change in the podium order as Webber managed to take third off Hamilton, who had been told to save fuel.
As has so often been the case this year, the closing laps, as tyres reached the end of their life, got very exciting. Webber was all over the back of second placed Vettel until team instructions from the pit wall told him to maintain station, but the biggest excitement came at the very last corner, as Felipe made one last desperate attempt to take fourth place off Hamilton, even going off the track in his efforts and having to settle for fifth at the flag. By this stage, Fernando had buzzed the pit wall, comfortably ahead of Vettel and Webber. Hamilton had been told he had to save fuel so Felipe had been closing and closing, even pulling alongside the McLaren. But catching and passing are very different and the Brazilian just could not manage it, even though he went off the track at the final corner he was trying so hard. This meant Hamilton hung onto fourth and Felipe was classified fifth ahead of Nico Rosberg.
The rest of the points went to seventh placed Perez, then came Heidfeld, Schumacher and Alguersuari. Next stop the famous Nurburgring in a fortnight’s time. The Scuderia can tackle with high hopes and in good spirit after this great weekend in England.
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/110710_F1_British_GP_Sixty_years_on.aspx
10 July 2011 – 60 years later, Fernando Alonso gives the Scuderia its first win of the year…
Silverstone, 10 July – It was the dream result in so many ways: it was the halfway point of the season, it took place at one of the most historic venues on the Formula 1 calendar and it came only hours after he drove the Ferrari that took the win here sixty years ago. So, it was almost too much to hope for, but at the end of 52 laps, Fernando Alonso gave Scuderia Ferrari its very first win of the 2011 season, while Felipe Massa also drove an attacking race to pick up more valuable points with a fifth place finish. The Spaniard was joined on the podium by the two Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettel who finished second and Mark Webber third.
Sunday looked like being the first completely dry day of the meeting, but shortly before the start, a short shower ensured that all 24 cars started the race on intermediate rain tyres.
As the lights went out, Vettel immediately passed his Red Bull team-mate Webber to take the lead, with Fernando attacking the Australian but staying in third. Felipe lost out to Button, but retook the McLaren on lap 2 to regain his grid position (fourth.) Button was then passed by his team-mate Hamilton, who had come up from tenth on the grid, so the order on lap 3 was Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Button with Di Resta seventh. Then came Kobayashi, Schumacher and Maldonaldo completing the top ten.
Vettel, with a clear track ahead had built up a 5.4 second lead after 6 laps, while Fernando was 2.6 behind Webber, with Felipe a further 2.4 behind his team-mate. On lap 7, the Spaniard had slashed a further half second off the gap to the Australian. Two laps later and Fernando was right on the Red Bull’s gearbox, while Felipe was coming under increasing pressure from fifth placed Hamilton. Schumacher brought his Mercedes in on lap 9 after losing his front wing, having crashed into Kobayashi. At this point, the German then became the first driver to try slick tyres. Button, Sutil and Kobayashi all switched to slicks on lap 11. Also in were Maldonaldo, Buemi, Petrov, Barrichello, Glock, and Liuzzi. Meanwhile Hamilton got past Felipe but only briefly as the McLaren ran wide.
Webber, Alonso and Hamilton all stopped on lap 12. They were followed in by Perez and Alguersuari. Vettel and Felipe pitted on lap 13, the German maintaining the lead as he rejoined the track. Felipe now found himself under attack from the other McLaren, that of Button, who actually got past the Ferrari at Vale corner. At this point, Schumacher was given a stop-go penalty for causing the incident with Kobayashi. The McLarens were evidently more comfortable on slicks in the damp as lap 15 saw Hamilton demote Fernando to fourth. This meant that with the whole field on slicks, the order at the front, was Vettel, 1.2 ahead of Webber, who had a huge 6.1 lead over Hamilton, the Englishman leading fourth placed Alonso by 0.8. Button was almost four seconds down on the Spaniard and had Felipe 3.6 behind him. On lap 24, Fernando was getting on terms with Hamilton again, pulling alongside and eventually going past to get back to third place. The Spaniard set a race fastest lap, as Hamilton pitted for a second time. Kobayashi parked the Sauber at the side of the track with smoke coming from the back.
Di Resta who had started sixth lost a lot of time when he made his second stop, as the crew had his team-mate’s tyres out instead of his. Webber pitted on lap 26, followed down pit lane by Button and Felipe and Buemi. Vettel and Alonso pitted together on lap 27, but the German had a slow stop which meant that as the red 150º Italia rejoined the track, Fernando Alonso was leading the British Grand Prix, but he had Hamilton all over his gearbox, as the Englishman’s tyres were more up to temperature than his. Meanwhile the second run of pit stops meant that behind Alonso and Hamilton, Vettel was now third, followed by Webber and Button with Felipe in sixth, comfortably ahead of Rosberg.
With 20 laps of the 52 remaining, Fernando had a 6.8 second lead over Hamilton, with Vettel half a second back in third. Webber was 0.8 behind his team-mate, followed by Button who was closing up on the lead four, with Felipe trailing the McLaren by 3.3 seconds. Vettel made his third stop on lap 36 and when Hamilton came in one lap later the German was back ahead of the Englishman. Webber came in on lap 38 and Fernando one lap later, followed by Button, who parked his McLaren after exiting the pit lane, as his right front wheel nut had not been replaced. This meant that, on lap 40, with all the leaders except Felipe having made three pit stops, the order was, Fernando leading by 10.3 seconds from Vettel, with Hamilton third and Felipe fourth ahead of Webber. The Brazilian Ferrari man made his third stop on lap 41, rejoining in fifth spot. Lap 45 and there was a change in the podium order as Webber managed to take third off Hamilton, who had been told to save fuel.
As has so often been the case this year, the closing laps, as tyres reached the end of their life, got very exciting. Webber was all over the back of second placed Vettel until team instructions from the pit wall told him to maintain station, but the biggest excitement came at the very last corner, as Felipe made one last desperate attempt to take fourth place off Hamilton, even going off the track in his efforts and having to settle for fifth at the flag. By this stage, Fernando had buzzed the pit wall, comfortably ahead of Vettel and Webber. Hamilton had been told he had to save fuel so Felipe had been closing and closing, even pulling alongside the McLaren. But catching and passing are very different and the Brazilian just could not manage it, even though he went off the track at the final corner he was trying so hard. This meant Hamilton hung onto fourth and Felipe was classified fifth ahead of Nico Rosberg.
The rest of the points went to seventh placed Perez, then came Heidfeld, Schumacher and Alguersuari. Next stop the famous Nurburgring in a fortnight’s time. The Scuderia can tackle with high hopes and in good spirit after this great weekend in England.
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/110710_F1_British_GP_Sixty_years_on.aspx