20/03/2016
NEWS STORY
In order to be totally fair, our esteemed editor, having endured qualifying once, put himself through the torture of watching a reply, just to ensure that he hadn't missed anything or overreacted. He hadn't, he didn't, it was just as bad second time around.
Consequently, today's race had better be damn good if it is to put the debacle of qualifying out of our minds.
Of course, the powers-that-be lulled us into a false sense of security, never allowing Mercedes to show its hand until it was effectively too late, and serving up a final practice session that suggested it really was going to be close.
When Vettel closed to within 0.228s of Hamilton in FP3, despite a mistake, it really did look as though we might have a fight on our hands, only for the Briton to pull away the tablecloth in Q3 and reveal the true chasm between the Silver Arrows and its rivals.
Whilst Vettel admits that "in comparison to the Mercedes drivers we are a bit further behind than we expected", teammate Raikkonen offers a crumb of comfort to fans suggesting that "it's not too bad"
With rain unlikely it's not as if we can expect the weathers gods to look kindly on us in return for the qualifying fiasco, consequently we will have to rely on guile and overzealousness from the drivers.
As expected, Mercedes is the class of the field, and Ferrari is next, albeit over half-a-second behind, and it's not as if we even have any doubts over the W07's reliability.
The big story is what follows, for currently we have a midfield pack that consists of Williams, Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Force India, with McLaren, Renault and Sauber snapping at their heels. In other words it's tight.
Whilst Haas and Manor appear to be taking up where Caterham and HRT left off, these are very early days for both teams, and with the technical support available to both it won't be too long before they are hounding the midfield.
No doubt with an eye on qualifying, unlike previous seasons, certainly in terms of today's race, Pirelli isn't making any predictions. "The rain and limited running on Friday, as well as a brand new set of tyre regulations, mean that race strategy is hard to predict," admits the tyre manufacturer.
Last year, Hamilton won courtesy of a one-stop strategy, however, a two-stopper is the most likely option today.
Indeed, tyres - of which the supersoft, soft and medium available today - played their part in the qualifying debacle, the teams opting to conserve their rubber for when it mattered most... the race.
A late gearbox change for Bottas means the Finn drops five places and will now start from 16th on the grid, just ahead of Nasr.
The pitlane opens and the drivers begin making their way to the grid, the Mercedes duo performing practice starts.
In a late move, on a day which has witnessed a surprising amount of backtracking from the powers-that-be, it has been confirmed that they have agreed to an easing of the new radio rules.
Teams can now discuss "the driver's own race pitstop strategy as well as those of his competitors" but "this is limited to the timing of pit stops and which tyres will be (or have been) used". Furthermore "for the avoidance of doubt, no car or power unit set up may be included in any such strategy discussion".
Another, very late, decision sees the ban on drivers discarding visor rip-offs on track delayed... another concept from the 'arranging deckchairs on Titanic' meme the sport forever adheres to.
The good news however, is that Arnie is back!
As the grid takes shape, conditions are the best they've been all weekend, the air temperature is 23 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 36 degrees C. Though the sun is shining, the risk of rain is 10%.
The national anthem warbled, on go the sponsors caps and the drivers head back to their cars.
Over the years we've had our fair share of first lap clashes here, will today be the exception?
The leading eight all start on supersofts, behind them Alonso, Palmer, Magnussen, Ericsson, Nasr, Wehrlein and Haryanto also go for the softest rubber, whilst Perez, Hulkenberg, Button, Bottas, Kvyat, Grosjean and Gutierrez have opted for softs.
Interesting, but unsurprising tactical move by Force India.
They head off on the warm-up lap.
Oh dear, at the end of the warm-up lap, Kvyat stops before getting to his grid slot, in fear of overheating, the rest of the grid is sent on another lap. Meanwhile, the Russian climbs from his car, as his car is pushed in the opposite direction, it looks like his weekend is over.
As the grid forms again, Kvyat's car is still being manhandled.
They're away. Brilliant starts from the Ferrari duo who lead into the first corner, Vettel making an almost carbon copy of his Hungary 92015) start. A poor getaway from Hamilton who runs wide in T1, after a minor clout from Rosberg, the Briton consequently being passed by Verstappen, and Massa.
Further on there's a tyre smoke and sparks from one of the Renaults. "Puncture," complains Magnussen, who is told to pit. Not sure what happened but he ran wide in T2. Sparks were no doubt from the skid-block following the puncture.
At the end of lap 1, it's: Vettel, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Verstappen, Massa, Hamilton, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Alonso. Great start from Wehrlein who is up to 14th.
"I've got problems with the engine," complains Gutierrez as Magnussen pits.
"That was awesome, keep your head down," Vettel is told. And so it was.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
At the end of lap 2, DRS is enabled. Vettel leads his Ferrari teammate by 1.644s, with Rosberg a further 1.403s behind.
As Hamilton shadows Massa, Sainz keeps a watching eye. The Briton makes a bold move, careful not to trip over Magnussen, as he passes the Williams in T4 to take 5th.
The world champion sets off after Verstappen who is 1.343s up the road.
In their pursuit of the leaders - can't believe we're writing this - the Mercedes duo trade fastest sectors. A new fastest lap from Rosberg (31.575).
Magnussen is told to respect the blue flags.
Hamilton is all over Verstappen, who is now 3.292s down on Rosberg.
A succession of blue flags for the hapless Magnussen who is being lapped after that early pit stop.
Further back, Bottas doesn't appear to be making progress, he's still 16th. Wehrlein is up to 14th.
At the end of lap 8, Sainz is the first driver to make a regular pit stop. Elsewhere, Bottas passes Ericsson to take 14th. Sainz, now on softs, rejoins in 20th.
The crowd erupts as Ricciardo nails Massa into T1 to take 6th.
"I can't get past him guys," admits Hamilton.
At the end of lap 10 Nasr pits, back on track Vettel maintains 2.347s lead. Verstappen is now 11.231s down on the race leader... which is bad news for Hamilton.
Massa pits at the end of lap 11, as do Wehrlein and Ericsson. The Brazilian rejoins in 15th.
Great stuff from Palmer who is taking no nonsense from Bottas in the scrap for 11th. However, the Finn uses all his guile and finally passes the rookie Briton.
Rosberg pits at the end of laps 12, the German switching to softs. Somehow, he rejoins just ahead of Hulkenberg in 5th. Replay shows the Mercedes driver almost knocking over one of his crew in his eagerness to get out.
"There's got to be another strategy," says Hamilton.
Vettel and Verstappen both pit at the end of lap 13, the German, still on supers, rejoining just ahead of Rosberg. The Mercedes challenges but the Ferrari driver is having none of it.
"Come on box me, my front is really suffering," begs Raikkonen who is now leading.
In fourth, Rosberg posts a new fastest lap (31.298).
Sainz leaves Button for dead as he sweeps by to take 9th.
As Raikkonen awaits the call to pit, teammate Vettel posts a new fastest lap (30.757), subsequently going on to pass Mercedes.
Button pits at the end of lap 15.
Raikkonen pits at the end of lap 15, teammate Vettel assuming the lead. The Finn sticks with the supers.
Hamilton also pits as do Hulkenberg and Perez. Hamilton has switched to the mediums and rejoins in 7th. This is the first time he has used the mediums all weekend and indicates a run to the finish.
The Safety Car is deployed as the cameras pick up on a clash involving Alonso and Gutierrez at T3. It's been a big clash. Bottas pits.
If course, the Safety Car will greatly aid Hamilton.
Replay shows Alonso switching sides as he's about to pass Gutierrez who brakes very late. The two collide and the McLaren right-front is ripped off. The Spaniard then clouts the barriers before sliding into the gravel trap at which point he is sent barrelling over. Thankfully, both drivers are out of their cars and looking fine, they hug.
Asked if he is OK, Gutierrez is more concerned at Alonso.
It was a massive crash, the McLaren totally wrecked.
Red Flag. The Safety Car leads the field back to the pits.
At this point, the order is: Vettel, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Sainz, Hamilton, Massa, Grosjean, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Palmer, Perez, Ericsson, Button, Nasr, Wehrlein and Haryanto.
Of course, the big losers are the Ferrari duo.
Having confirmed the incident will be investigated after the race, officials announce that the race will re-start at 16:55. The race, which had been reduced to 57 laps after Kvyat's DNS, was stopped after 18 laps.
Asked about Alonso, Ron Dennis confirms that the Spaniard is OK, though his "marbles were rattled a little bit".
Ahead of the re-start, Vettel and Raikkonen are on supers, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Sainz and Wehrlein are on softs and Rosberg, Hamilton, Massa, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Perez and the rest are on mediums.
They head out of the pitlane behind the Safety Car and a lap pater are released, free to race. Good start from Vettel but Raikkonen is almost caught off guard by Raikkonen. A new fastest lap from Vettel (30.524).
Good move by Button on Perez to take 13th. Classic move by the McLaren driver.
The big question is whether Ferrari have got it right by sticking with the supers which will mean another pit stop. On the other hand, can the Mercedes duo go the distance on their mediums.
At the end of lap 22 Raikkonen dives into the pits. "Something has happened," he warns, "something is broken." Moments later, smoke and flames erupt from the rear of the car, the Finn doesn't wait for an invitation before bailing out.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
Raikkonen's DNF means there's nobody to ride shotgun for Vettel, who posts another fastest lap (29.951). It also promotes local hero Ricciardo to a podium position.
Ericsson is under investigation as his crew were allegedly working on his car at the 15s signal. Moments later it is announced that he has been handed a drive-through.
Prior to the red flag Hamilton was stuck behind Verstappen, this time around it is the other Toro Rosso, that of Sainz, who heads the Briton.
As Ericsson serves his penalty, it is revealed that Alonso has visited the medical centre and been formally declared OK.
Whilst Hamilton is unable to make a dent on Sainz, teammate Rosberg slowly closes on the race leader.
Down in 8th, Grosjean, who could score points for Haas on its race debut, is under pressure from Hulkenberg and Bottas, with Palmer and Perez closing in.
At the end of lap 30, Button pits and switches to the medium rubber.
After a little weaving from Sainz, which causes Hamilton to run a little wide, the Spaniard releases the Mercedes driver when he dives into the pits. A lap later Verstappen also pits, the youngster appearing to catch his crew off guard. The Toro Rosso driver loses out to a number of drivers including his teammate.
All of course is good news for Hamilton, who is now up to fourth.
A bold move sees Sainz pass Perez for 10th, as Verstappen complains to his team that he should have pitted before his teammate. "How many times did I tell you I had a problem with the tyres, I warned you," he complains. "I wanted to pit first."
Meanwhile, Rosberg has closed to within 1.356 of Vettel.
At the end of lap 35, Vettel pits, the German switching to softs. There's a slight problem with the left-front wheel-gun but nonetheless he rejoins in 4th, around 10s behind Hamilton.
As the Toro Rosso duo hound 9th placed Palmer, Rosberg leads Ricciardo by 8.653s. Hamilton is a further 2.324s behind, 9.331s clear of Vettel. Masa is 4th, ahead of Grosjean, Hulkenberg and Bottas.
As Sainz battles with Palmer, Verstappen asks for permission to pass his teammate. "Let me try because this takes too long," demands the youngster. However, Sainz shows no sign of wielding to his teammate's demands.
Meanwhile, Hamilton is reeling in Ricciardo, with Vettel, the fastest man on track, keeping the Mercedes driver in his sights.
"We have to do something," urges Verstappen.
Told to push, Sainz says: "I am pushing, I am pushing!". He is warned that unless he can do something, the order will change next lap.
Under pressure Sainz locks-up, which is good news for Palmer.
Out front, Rosberg has the luxury of a 9.859s lead. But will his tyres go the distance.
At the start of lap 42, Hamilton nails Ricciardo in T1, making it, not for the first time, a Mercedes 1-2.
Great move sees Sainz take Palmer in T1, with Verstappen following through moments later as the Renault struggles for grip. Now the Toro Rosso duo will need to battle one another.
Kudos to Palmer for some very mature driving.
Ricciardo pits at the end of lap 42, switching from his softs to supers and rejoining in 5th.
On fresh rubber, Ricciardo goes quickest in S1, subsequently posting a PB (30.048).
Grosjean doing a sterling job in 6th, the Frenchman under enormous pressure from Hulkenberg and Bottas.
Again the crowd erupts, as Ricciardo passes Massa on the run to T1 to take 4th.
4.618s down on Hamilton, Vettel is lapping around 0.6 - 0.8s quicker than the world champion.
He's at it again. As Sainz closes in on Bottas and Hulkenberg, Verstappen feels that it is he who should be released to fight them.
Moments later the youngster has a huge wobble exiting T11, running on to the Astroturf but somehow saves it.
The gap between Hamilton and Vettel has stabilised, the German now lapping just 0.2s quicker. Rosberg maintains an 8.406s lead.
Lap 49 sees a new fastest lap from Ricciardo (28.997).
Perez is told that his front brake wear is critical and that he will not make it to the end as it is.
Vettel has closed to within 0.922s of Hamilton after the Briton made a mistake and out-braked himself in T9. The error also allows Rosberg to open a 9.919s advantage.
Yellow flags are waved after Verstappen spins in T15. Replay shows the youngster locking-up then clouting the rear of his teammate. "I have front wing damage," he reveals.
With Rosberg's lead down to 7.5s, one feels that Vettel is pushing Hamilton as opposed to the Briton holding back the German. Then again, on those mediums Vettel is aware that the Mercedes cannot take the pace.
At which point Vettel makes a mistake and runs wide in T15 giving Hamilton all the breathing space he needs. "Sorry guys," says the German.
Rosberg begins his final lap, picking up where he left off in Abu Dhabi, albeit courtesy of that red flag.
"Yay, awesome guys," shouts the German. "Great start to the season!"
Rosberg takes the flag, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Ricciardo, Massa, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Sainz and Verstappen.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
After yesterday's shenanigans today was a whole lot better, with incidents and action a plenty.
Ferrari will feel aggrieved about that red flag, but it is clear, based on today's evidence, that the red cars can give the Mercedes a run for its money. That said, Raikkonen's retirement causes concern in terms of reliability.
Hamilton paid the price for a poor start, but was later aided by the accident involving his former teammate, the red flag, and Ferrari's error in terms of tyre strategy, helping the Briton and his team.
Though Rosberg also benefitted from the race stoppage, it shouldn't take away from a strong performance by the German, who really needs a good start to the season if he is to take on his teammate.
If he's honest, fourth must be more than Ricciardo - or his team expected - especially as teammate Kvyat didn't make the grid for the second successive season. Certainly this is a good foundation for the Austrian team... now can they please cut down on the quit threats.
Good performance from Masa also, the Williams veteran showing that there's life in the old dog yet.
Then there's Haas and what has been as day of mixed fortunes. Poor Gutierrez is eliminated in that horror clash with Alonso, whilst Grosjean gives the American newbies a fistful of points on its debut.
Hulkenberg and Bottas will be looking to build on this, Force India never looking that convincing today, no doubt paying the price for tyre strategy and the red flag.
The Toro Rosso duo certainly provided the entertainment factor, and expletives, though one has to wonder if Verstappen needs calming down... if only for his own good.
Bitter luck for Palmer not to score points on his debut, the Briton giving a really good account of himself, whilst Magnussen's 11th offers hope of decent points finishes for Renault as the season progresses, especially when you consider his first lap pit stop.
Tough day at the office for McLaren, what with Alonso's crash and Button only managing 14th. Nonetheless, the Woking outfit is looking in much better shape than a year ago.
A tough day also for Manor, but a convincing performance from Wehrlein, even if the record books wont reflect this.
If yesterday left most of us thoroughly disheartened, this afternoon has offered hope. Now it is up to the sport to build on this.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.