The results of the 2013 Indian GP would see the Williams F1 team come oh so close to secure their second points scoring finish of the season, with Pastor Maldonado finishing in 12th place. Team-mate Valtteri Bottas would have a difficult race finishing in 16th. Despite this both drivers took a lot of positives from the race.
Indian GP Race Review
The Williams F1
team would see their drivers start from fifteenth and eighteenth with
Valtteri Bottas out-qualifying team-mate Pastor Maldonado for the 2013
Indian Grand Prix. After qualifying there was a lot of discussion regarding
tyre strategies with several drivers in the top ten choosing to run the
prime medium tyre in the final period of qualifying. Thee was four drivers
in the top ten running the medium tyre including Webber, Alonso, Button, and
Perez. On pole was Vettel with the Mercedes of Rosberg and Hamilton in
second and third. Pirelli had advised that the soft tyres should only be
used for a maximum of fifteen laps and the mediums thirty five. When the
drivers running on the soft tyre was a big question over the early stages of
the race. There were two DRS zones at this circuit, one down the pit
straight and the other the long back straight into Turn four.
The drivers would move ahead on their parade lap and Vettel would come back
and stop on his place on the grid. The field would from up and the lights
would go out and it would be a great start from Hamilton. In the start
Alonso's car would get damaged and going into Turn four Massa would pass the
two Mercedes cars to be second with Webber down in seventh after a poor
start. For Williams Pastor had made a great start to be thirteenth while
Valtteri was seventeenth. Di Resta and Vergne would both pit both taking on
the medium tyre in what was a planned move. Pic and Van der Gar would both
pit this time as a result of contact.
Vettel would pit
after just two laps seeing Massa take the lead. Vettel was now on the medium
tyre as Alonso came in with his front wing being replaced and he would
continue on the medium tyre. Pastor was running on the soft tyre for his
first run while Valtteri was on the medium. At the front Massa was leading
Rosberg was 1.1 seconds. Hamilton was third and Hulkenberg fourth followed
by Raikkonen, Webber, Perez, Ricciardo, Button, and Sutil in tenth. Pastor
was now in eleventh and Valtteri fourteenth. Van der Gar would retire in his
pit while on lap six Hulkenberg would pit taking on the medium tyre. Alonso
would complain about the handling of his car after having made contact with
several cars at the start including Webber and Button.
Webber would pass Raikkonen for fourth as Button pitted on lap seven taking
on the soft tyre. Perez would also pass Raikkonen with Raikkonen struggling
on the soft tyres.
Rosberg would pit on lap eight joined by Raikkonen. Both would take on the
medium tyre with Vettel passing Valtteri for twelfth. Massa was told to pit
on lap nine and he would come in joined by Hamilton. Pastor would also come
in with all taking on the medium tyre. Pastor was in tenth when he pitted
with Valtteri one place behind. Pastor would drop to seventeenth while
Valtteri was now in ninth despite having been passed by Hamilton. Gutierrez
would get a drive through penalty for a jumped start which he would take on
lap seventeen. Lap twenty and Webber was still in the lead with Perez now
second and Vettel third. Vettel would pass Perez for second using his DRS
gong into Turn four. In fourth was Ricciardo followed by Sutil, Massa,
Rosberg, Hamilton, Valtteri, and Hulkenberg in tenth. The other championship
contender Alonso was down in thirteenth. Lap twenty two and Webber was
leading by 11.6 seconds as Raikkonen was told to start cooling his car.
Rosberg was
attacking the Ferrari of Massa trying to pass him at Turn four but he would
run wide seeing Massa come back past. Both Hulkenberg and Raikkonen would
get past Valtteri with Valtteri now eleventh. Valtteri had locked up as
Hulkenberg tried to go around the outside at Turn four with Hulkenberg
taking to the run-off to make the pass. Vettel continued to close in onto Webber with
the gap 10.2 seconds after lap twenty six. Gutierrez and Vergne would both
pit on lap twenty seven seeing Pastor move up to be fifteenth. Rosberg would
pit on lap twenty eight taking on another set of mediums returning in
thirteenth. At the front Webber would pit on lap twenty nine joined by
Perez. Webber was now on the softer tyre as was Perez. Perez would come back
out in seventh behind Massa and Hamilton. Webber would return in second
place with Ricciardo third. Perez was able to get past Hamilton to be sixth
as Webber set a new fastest lap. lap thirty one and Massa and Hamilton would
both pit joined by Di Resta and Alonso.
Vettel would pit again on lap thirty two with this most likely to be his
last stop. For Williams Valtteri would pit from eighth making his first stop
staying on the medium tyre. This would mean he would have to stop again as
Webber pitted again for the final time. Webber would come out behind
Ricciardo who was in second. Button would pit from fifteenth making it his
third stop. Hulkenberg and Valtteri were under investigation for their
incident that saw Hulkenberg run wide and off the track. Lap thirty four and
Ricciardo would pit along with Perez and Hulkenberg. Pastor was running in
twelfth and Valtteri fifteenth. Even with the pit strops in front of them
their positions would not change while at the front Vettel was leading
Webber by 12.7 seconds after thirty five laps. Sutil was in third but yet to
stop, with Raikkonen fourth followed by Rosberg, Grosjean, Massa, Ricciardo,
Hamilton, and Perez in tenth.
Alonso would pit
again on lap thirty seven as Raikkonen passed Sutil for third using his DRS.
Lap thirty nine and both Ricciardo and Pastor would both pit with both
coming back out on the medium tyres. But for Webber his race would end on
lap forty one with a retirement at the side of the track been told to stop
his car due to a problem with his alternator. Yet another DNF for Webber as
on lap forty two Sutil would make his first stop coming back out on the
softer tyre. For Williams Valtteri was now eleventh and Pastor fifteenth.
Valtteri had been passed by Gutierrez for eleventh on lap forty six using
his DRS at Turn four, with Ricciardo also looking to get past the Williams.
We had Sutil, Gutierrez, Valtteri, Ricciardo, and Alonso all running close
together. For Lotus their cars were in second and fourth as on lap forty
eight Gutierrez would pit. Alonso would pass Valtteri for twelfth seeing Valtteri
and Pastor running close together in thirteenth and fourteenth.
Ten laps remaining in the race with Vettel leading comfortable from
Raikkonen and Rosberg. Valtteri would make his final stop on lap fifty one
taking on the soft tyre for the run to the finish. Pastor was now in
thirteenth and Valtteri now seventeenth as Rosberg would pass Raikkonen for
second using DRS at Turn four. Raikkonen and Grosjean were now third and
fourth with Massa fifth. Sixth was Hamilton followed by Perez, Hulkenberg,
Di Resta, and Sutil in tenth. Lap fifty four and Hulkenberg would pit from
eighth taking on the soft tyres. Perez was now challenging Hamilton for
sixth as Hulkenberg pitted again to retire his car in his pits. Pastor was
now in twelfth with the two Lotus cars now fighting over third. Grosjean
would try to pass Raikkonen using his DRS at Turn four. The two would make
contact with Grosjean finally getting past going into the final corner
coming onto the start straight.
Massa would also get past
Raikkonen who was now fifth. A personal best from Pastor as the final laps
counted down as Raikkonen started to defend from Hamilton and Perez. But
going into Turn four Perez was able to get past both Raikkonen and Hamilton
to be sixth. Raikkonen would pit on lap fifty nine his tyres finished and
he was able to get back out still in seventh. Vettel would start his final
lap with Pastor still in twelfth and Valtteri sixteenth. Vettel would
complete his lap to take victory in the 2013 Indian GP to be World Champion
for the fourth time. Red Bull would also take victory in the Constructors
Championship. Rosberg would finish second followed by Grosjean, Massa,
Perez, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Di Resta, Sutil, and the last point going to
Ricciardo. Button would pit on the last lap stopping in his pit.
Vettel would stop on the start straight after having completed several
donuts. He would get out of his car and go to the crowd throwing his gloves
over the fence. The officials would push his car back into the pit. For
Williams their day would see them come home in twelfth and sixteenth.
Another frustrating race for the team with Pastor being just outside the
points. Oh so very close!
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