Spanish GP: Race sees Williams Racing come so close
By Andrew Hooper
May 9 2021
The results of the 2021 Spanish GP would see the Williams Racing Team come away with drivers in 14th and 16th with George Russell leading home team-mate Nicholas Latifi. The race itself would see both George and Nicholas pit early under a Safety car and as others pitted they would slowly move up the order. The pair would make second stops and nearing the end of the race George was able to move into 10th but would drop to 11th but was the smallest of margins outside the points. But by the end of the race he and Nicholas had no tyre life left and would be passed by a group of cars all on newer tyres. It was a race of been so close yet in relaity been so far away. A disappointing but also positive race for the Williams Team.
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Williams Racing Spanish Grand Prix Race Review |
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Qualifying for the sixty six lap
2021 Spanish Grand Prix would see the Williams Racing Team finish in 15th
and 19th with George Russell leading Nicholas Latifi. Now come tne race they
would choose the medium tyre for the start. On pole was Hamilton from
Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Ricciardo, Perez Norris and Alonso
in tenth. They would all be starting on the soft tyre. Outside the top ten
the tyre choice would only see Raikkonen on the medium tyre with the rest of
the field on the soft. The cars would complete their parade lap and with the
start it would be Verstappen passing Hamilton at Turn one. Leclerc was third
followed by Bottas and Ricciardo. The Williams drivers were down in 17th and
19th with George losing places at the start.
George would be passed by Tsunoda seeing the Williams drivers now 18th and
19th. It may be the case that both drivers are suffering the same issues
with running in traffic. Lap five and Verstappen was leading by 1.6s over
Hamilton with Leclerc still third. Bottas was fourth followed by Ricciardo,
Perez, Ocon, Sainz, Norris and Alonso tenth. Lap nine and there would be a
yellow flag as we had Tsunoda stop with an engine issue. George would get
past Schumacher to be 16th with Nicholas 18th. With the position of
Tsunoda's car we would see a Safety Car deployed. Giovinazzi would pit with
a puncture but there was a mix up with this tyres seeing him to drop to
19th. This would see the Williams drivers 15th and 17th. But both Williams
drivers would pit switching to the medium tyre. |
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This would see the pair come
back out in 17th and 18th. Simon Roberts from Williams would comment that
this double stack of both cars was something they train for. George would
pass Mazepin to be 16th and was followed by Nicholas with the pair now 16th
and 17th. With the restart Verstappen was able to keep his lead over
Hamilton and Leclerc. George would pass Schumacher for 15th as DRS was
enabld again after the restart. Gasly in 13th had received a penalty for
been out of position at teh start while George was looking at passing
Raikkonen. Nicholas would pass Schumacher for 16th seeing the Williams
drivers 15th and 16th.Lap seventeen and Verstappen remained in the lead over
Hamilton and Leclerc.
There was blistering of the rear tyres of both Verstappen and Hamilton such
was their pace. Gasly would pit also taking his penalty returning in 19th on
the medium tyre. This would see the Williams drivers now 14th and 15th. Lap
twenty one and both Williams drivers had completed eleven laps on their
medium tyres. Alonso and Vettel would pit on lap twenty three taking on the
medium tyre. This would see George and Nicholas 12th and 13th. Sainz and
Stroll were in next taking on the medium tyres. The Williams were now 10th
and 11th with Giovinazzi 12th. There were more pit stops with Bottas, Ocon
and Norris all coming in. This would see George and Nicholas 8th and 9th but
on used tyres. Verstappen pits on lap twenty six but his stop was a bit slow
with Verstappen now fifth on the medium tyre. |
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The order now was Hamilton,
Leclerc, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Perez, Bottas, and Raikkonen. But Ricciardo
would pit on lap twenty seven taking on the medium tyre. George and Nicholas
were now 7th and 9th split by Ricciardo. Hamilton was going long still on
the soft tyre. Ricciardo would pass George seeing the Williams drivers
eighth and tenth. But Nicholas would pit again as Hamilton also came in
taking on the medium tyre but came out behind Verstappen. George would also
pit again dropping to 16th one place ahead of Nicholas. Bottas was now third
ahead of Leclerc, who had pitted, Ricciardo, Perez, Raikkonen, Sainz, Ocon
and Norris tenth. The Williams drivers were now 16th and 17th. George would
pass Giovinazzi for 15th.
Verstappen continued to keep Hamilton behind with forty two laps completed.
Bottas was a distant third while for Williams George and Nicholas were now
12th and 13th. But Hamilton would pit taking on new medium tyres. He was now
third behind Bottas. Nicholas would be lapped by the leader with Hamilton
now twenty two seconds behind Verstappen. Behind the Williams drivers were
Stroll, Raikkonen and Vettel all on the soft tyre having pitted. Both
Ricciardo and Sainz would pit from fifth and sixth dropping to 8th and 9th.
Gasly would pity seeing George now 11th and Nicholas 13th. The order was
Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Leclerc, Perez, Ocon, Ricciardo, Norris, Sainz
and Alonso tenth. Nicholas would drop to 15th as he was passed by others on
quicker tyres passed him. |
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Lap fifty two and Hamilton was
clsoing the gap to his team-mate in second. Norris would pit taking to the
soft seeing George now in 10th while Nicholas had pitted switching to the
soft now in 17th. with tweklve laps remainign. Bottas would also pit
switching to the soft tyre no doubt lookinbg for the fastets lap point. Ten
laps remaining and Verstappen was still leading from Hamilton and now
Lelcerc. Lap fifty nine and Perez would pit taking on teh soft tyre. Leclerc
would pit returning in front of Perez. George was still 11th but 0.4 behind
Alonso in tenth. At the fron hamilton would take the lead from Verstappen
with the Red BUll having no tyres left to defend. But for George he would be
swamped by a train of cars all on teh soft tyre. He would drop to 15th. He
would say to his team "The tyres are gone. Sorry guys I gave it all "
Alonso would pit seeing George now 14th and Nicholas 16th. Verstappen would
set the fastest lap getting the championsjip point. The order was mow
Hamilton from Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, Perez, Ricciardo, Sainz, Borris,
Ocon and Gasly tenth. This is how the race would end with the Williams
drivers finishing in 14th and 16th. Hamilton would take victory while for
Williams it was very much a cae of being so close to that result but still
so far. Such a disappointment for all at Williams Racing. |
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