Malaysian GP: Double DNF repeat for Williams


Rubens Barrichello

By Andrew Hooper
April 10 2011

The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix would see another double DNF for the AT&T Williams team. The race start would see Rubens Barrichello suffer a rear tyre puncture forcing him to pit and run at the rear. Pastor Maldonado would retire first followed by Rubens later in the race. Rubens issue was gearbox related with his car stuck in gear. The worst possible result for Williams.

 
 Malaysian GP Race Review
 
Barrichello
 

Race day and it would be hot but with some cloud at the Sepang circuit. Showers had hit the track early on in the day but the track had dried out. With the AT&T Williams drivers starting from fifteenth and eighteenth for the fifty six lap 2011 Malaysian GRand Prix the day could be a difficult one for the Williams team. Rubens Barrichello would start ahead of team-mate Pastor Maldonado, while on pole was Vettel from Hamilton, Webber, Button, Alonso, and Heidfeld in sixth.

While the final minutes counted down there was a few spots of rain falling but the race start was expected to be dry. The grid would move away on their parade lap and the twenty four cars would form up on the grid. The top ten cars would all be staring on the option tyre. p The red lights would go off and it would be Vettel leading with the two Renaults making good starts. Heidfeld was up to second after making a move at Turn two, while Webber had made a poor start dropping to ninth. He would drop to tenth but would take ninth back from Kobayashi at the final turn.

Hamilton was third from Button, Petrov, Massa, Alonso, Schumacher, and Webber in ninth. Rubens was still in fifteenth and Pastor eighteenth. Lap two and Vettel was leading by 2.4 seconds, with a fastest lap of 1m:44.539. For Rubens his race would go all wrong as he was to suffer a rear tyre puncture but he had already passed the pit entry and as such would have to complete a whole lap touring back slowly. Lap three and a 1m:44.209 from Vettel while Sutil had pitted while Rubens would come in with no tyre on the left rear rim. He would take on the softer tyre and return to the track. Pastor had made contact with a car in front losing the end plate of his front wing. No a good race for the Williams team.
 
Barrichello
 
Pastor was down in sixteenth while Rubens was last. Petrov would run wide at Turn thirteen losing places to the Ferrari of Alonso. Lap five and Vettel was leading by 3.7 seconds from Heidfeld, Hamilton, Button, Massa, Alonso, Petrov, Schumacher, Kobayashi, and Webber in tenth. But Webber would pass Kobayashi but on the main straight the Sauber would get back in front courtesy of his DRS and KERS. Rubens was now one lap behind the leader while Pastor was still in sixteenth and 4.7 seconds behind Perez. Button was now 3.7 seconds behind Hamilton and on lap nine Pastor would pit and he would be stopped for a considerable time. He would finally be shown as retired turning the Williams teams day into somewhat of a disaster.

Webber would pit on lap eleven while Di Resta pitted on lap twelve. Webber was now down in seventeenth as on lap thirteenth Hamilton would pit taking on the option tyre. Hamilton would come back out in tenth. The clouds had built up considerably as Vettel pitted on lap fourteen. He would be joined by Heidfeld, Button, and Massa. Heidfeld would come out behind Button as on lap fifteen Alonso pitted from the lead. Schumacher would pit from eighth also taking on the softer tyre. Petrov was now leading but yet to stop while Vettel was now second. Lap sixteen and Petrov would pit joined by ninth placed Buemi. Rosberg and Kovalainen would also pit from fourteenth and fifteenth.

So it was Vettel now leading from Hamilton, Kobayashi, Button, Alonso, Heidfeld, and Webber in eighth. Kobayashi was yet to stop as Alonso passed Button going into Turn one. Karthikeyan had retired from the race while Alonso would pass the Sauber of Kobayashi. But on lap eighteen Kobayashi would pit followed by Perez and Glock. Vettel was now leading by 6.3 seconds from Hamilton. Lap eighteen and a 1m:43.388 from Hamilton was Rubens pitted returning to the track at the rear of the field. As the laps counted down Hamilton was close the gap to Vettel and on lap twenty two it would be 4.4 seconds. lap twenty three and Webber would pit from seventh. Alonso was third 3.4 seconds behind Hamilton.

Fourth placed Button would pit on lap twenty four again taking on the option tyre. Vettel was
looking under pressure as both Hamilton and Alonso continued to close in on the Red Bull. Lap twenty five and Hamilton would pit from second taking on a new set of the harder tyre. Di Resta would pit from ninth while Rubens would retire in his pit. Another double DNF for Williams. Vettel would pit on lap twenty six taking on the softer tyre. A 1m:41.600 from Webber on lap twenty five as Hamilton would pass Petrov for fifth. Alonso would pit from the lead on lap twenty seven joined by fourth placed Heidfeld. Vettel would pass Massa of for the lead while Massa would pit on lap twenty eight followed by sixth placed Petrov.
 
Maldonado
 
As a result of the pit stops Button had moved ahead of Alonso as Schumacher pitted from ninth on lap twenty nine. Vettel was told not to use KERS by his engineer, helping to explain those following closing in on him. Rosberg would pit on lap thirty from twelfth. Despite his loss of KERS Vettel would set a personal best on lap thirty, 1m:42.043. Hamilton was 0.7 seconds slower seeing him drop to be 4.4 seconds behind Vettel. With thirty two laps completed Webber would pit from fifth taking on the hard tyre. A 1m:41.668 from Vettel seeing his lead now out to 5.4 seconds over Hamilton. His next lap was even faster with a 1m:41.539 to now be leading by 6.4 seconds. Alonso was told that Hamilton was on the harder tyre and that he should try to close. He would come back to the team saying: "I am pushing ..."

It was reported that Rubens problem was gearbox related with the car stuck in gear. Lap thirty six and a 1m:41.423 from Webber while Kobayashi would pit from ninth. Vettel was now 8.8 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Hamilton would pit on lap thirty eight with there being a problem changing the front left tyre. His stop was 6.6 seconds seeing him come back out in front of seventh placed Webber. The next lap and Button would pit coming back out in front of Hamilton. Massa had also pitted from fifth. Vettel was now leading Alonso by 15.2 seconds as they started lap forty. Heidfeld would pit from third on lap forty. With seventeen laps to go Hamilton was told by his engineer that they did not want him to stop again.

A 1m:41.388 from Button on lap forty seeing Red Bull responding bringing in Vettel on lap forty two. He was joined by Alonso with Vettel taking on the harder tyre. Alonso would come back out behind Hamilton and Webber in third and fourth. Vettel was now leading Button by 8.8 seconds with Hamilton 5.7 seconds behind his team-mate. Schumacher would pit from tenth on lap forty three after having run wide at Turn seven. Fifth placed Webber would pit on lap forty four completing his fourth stop. Massa would pass Petrov for sixth. Alonso was now attacking Hamilton for third. Petrov would pit from seventh on lap forty five. Alonso would make contact with his front wing on the rear of Hamilton's right rear tyre. A 1m:40.736 from seventh placed Webber as Alonso pitted on lap forty seven taking on a new front wing.
 
Barrichello
 
Vettel was now leading by 7.5 seconds from Button and Hamilton. Heidfeld was in fourth from Massa, and Webber now in sixth. Webber would eventually pass Massa going through the Turn one and two series of corners. Heidfeld had close in onto Hamilton taking the third from Hamilton going into Turn one, using his DRS to good effect. Lap fifty two and Vettel was leading by 6.6 seconds from Button and Heidfeld. Hamilton was now fourth but he would run wide going between Turn seven and eight seeing Webber pass him. At the end of the lap Hamilton would pit coming back down behind seventh placed Petrov. Webber could now see Heidfeld in front of him with the team telling Webber that Heidfeld's tyres were four laps older.

Eighth placed Petrov would run wide seeing his car leave the ground as he came back onto the track. He had hit a ditch or something that saw hi car well off the ground. His steering column would brake as a result as his car came to a stop. Webber was now right behind third placed Heidfeld as Heidfeld started to struggle but he was able to keep the Red Bull behind him. Vettel would start his last lap leading Button while Heidfeld continued to hold off Webber. Massa was fifth from Alonso, Hamilton, Kobayashi, Schumacher, and Di Resta in tenth. Two starts a two race wins from Vettel while for Williams it was two race starts and two double DNF's.
 
Maldonado
  
Pos  Driver  	   Team		  	      Time
 1.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           1h37:39.832
 2.  Button        McLaren-Mercedes           +     3.261
 3.  Heidfeld      Renault                    +    25.075
 4.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           +    26.384
 5.  Massa         Ferrari                    +    36.958
 6.  Alonso        Ferrari                    +    37.248
 7.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes           +    49.957
 8.  Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari             +  1:07.239
 9.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +  1:24.896
10.  Di Resta      Force India-Mercedes       +  1:31.563
11.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes       +  1:45.000
12.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +     1 lap
13.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
14.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
15.  Kovalainen    Lotus-Renault              +     1 lap
16.  Glock         Virgin-Cosworth            +    2 laps
17.  Petrov        Renault                    +    4 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:40.571

Not classified/retirements:

Driver        Team                         On lap
Liuzzi        HRT-Cosworth                 47
D'Ambrosio    Virgin-Cosworth              43
Trulli        Lotus-Renault                32
Perez         Sauber-Ferrari               24
Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth            23
Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth                 15
Maldonado     Williams-Cosworth            9
 

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Malaysian GP: Double DNF repeat for Williams
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 10/04/2011 11:03
Williams F1
10/04/2011 11:03
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