The results of the 2013 German GP would again see the Williams F1 team fail to score points. Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas would finish in fifteenth and sixteenth in a race that again was so frustrating with pit stop issues and a lack of pace from their cars.
German GP Race Review
Having seen
their drivers qualify in seventeenth and eighteenth the Williams F1 team was
again facing the prospect of a difficult sixty lap German Grand Prix. The
team was celebrating their 600th Grand Prix so the hope was that the team
could achieve a good result. For the race Pirelli had supplied their medium
and soft tyres. Of the top ten on the grid the Ferrari's of Alonso and
Massa, Button, and Hulkenberg were on the medium tyre. On pole was Hamilton from Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen, Grosjean,
Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Button and Hulkenberg in tenth. Rosberg was in
eleventh despite looking like he would qualify near the front. It was
expected that a two stop strategy would be used as the grid moved away on
their parade lap. Prior to this Hamilton had an issue with a binding break on the grid.
For Williams both Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas were on medium tyres
for the start. The grid would form up and with the lights going out it would
be Vettel making a great start followed by Webber. We would have the Red
Bulls first and second with Hamilton third. Raikkonen was fourth followed by
Grosjean while for Williams Pastor was sixteenth and Valtteri twentieth.
Perez would pass Button at Turn one for ninth as at the front Vettel was 0.7
seconds ahead of Webber after lap one. Pastor was now fifteenth but 1.2
seconds behind Sutil while Valtteri was now nineteenth. Ricciardo was in
seventh followed by Alonso. Massa would spin at Turn one with his car
stopping ending his day. HI car would be removed as Di Resta pitted on lap
five joined by Vergne and Pic. Di Resta would be release into the path of Vergne
possibly looking at a penalty.
Ricciardo would
pit on lap six joined by Sutil, Van der Gar, and Bianchi fro the rear of the
field. All switched to the mediums as on lap seven Hamilton would pit for
medium tyres. Gutierrez would also come in coming back out behind Rosberg
and in front of Pastor. Pastor was now in eleventh and Valtteri thirteenth.
Vettel was still leading from Webber, Raikkonen, and Grosjean. Vettel would
pit on lap eight seeing Webber leading. Perez would pit from seventh with Vettel coming back out in front
of Rosberg and well in front of Hamilton. Webber would pit on lap nine also
taking on the medium tyre. He would be released with the right rear tyre not
fitted. As he drove down the pit lane his tyre would come off hitting a
cameraman in the pit lane. Webber was pushed back to his pit while on the
track Grosjean was leading from Alonso and Button.
Webber would come back out but in twenty first place. Vettel had passed
Hulkenberg from fourth with Rosberg and Hamilton sixth and seventh. Pastor
was now in ninth and Valtteri tenth. Vettel would also pass Button for third
at Turn one. Raikkonen was in eighth behind Hamilton with Hamilton
complaining that Rosberg was holding him up. Lap twelve and Grosjean was
leading by 13.0 seconds over Alonso but Alonso would pit on lap thirteen
despite having started on mediums. Grosjean would pit on lap fourteen taking
on medium tyres while team-mate Raikkonen would pass Rosberg at the second
DRS zone. Vettel was now leading from Grosjean and Button. Hulkenberg was
fourth followed by Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Alonso, Pastor and Valtteri
in tenth. Neither of the Williams cars had pitted as Rosberg was told to pit on
lap seventeen, returning in thirteenth.
Hulkenberg would
pit on lap eighteen while Hamilton would complain of no grip. Raikkonen
would pass Hamilton into the chicane seeing the Lotus fourth. Ricciardo
would pit from eleventh on lap nineteen with Pastor and Valtteri now seventh
and eighth. Alonso had closed right up to fifth placed Hamilton as Hamilton
continued to complain of poor grip. Grosjean was now 2.3 seconds behind Vettel with
Button still third. Alonso continued to attack Hamilton as on lap twenty two
Button would pit followed by Pastor. Valtteri had dropped down the order now
in eleventh and he would pit on lap twenty three. Hamilton and Gutierrez had
also come in with Hamilton taking on another set of mediums. Pastor was also
back out on mediums and in twelfth. Vergne had also pitted while Button
would come back out in sixth.
Bianchi would retire with an engine failure seeing him pull of near the
chicane. But his car would roll back across the track after Bianchi had
gotten out of it, with Bianchi watching on in amazement. It would cross the
track finally rolling backwards stopping because of an advertising
billboard. Lap twenty five and we would have Vettel, Grosjean, Raikkonen,
and Alonso all pitting. Perez and Sutil had also come in with the Safety Car
deployed. Rosberg and Di Resta would also pit. Vettel was now leading from
Grosjean, Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Pastor, Perez,
and Sutil in tenth. Valtteri was down in fifteenth with replays showing that
he had a problem with his right rear at his last pit stop. With the Safety
Car Webber was looking to get his lap back to be nineteenth while Vergne would retire
in his garage with a hydraulic issue.
The Safety Car
would come in at the end of lap twenty nine with Vettel getting a small
lead. Pastor was still eighth with Perez looking to get past. Lap thirty and
Vettel was leading by 1.0 seconds over Grosjean. Webber had passed Valtteri
to be fifteenth while Pastor had dropped away from seventh placed Hamilton.
Despite been eighth Pastor would have to stop again as he had not been on
the soft tyre. Lap thirty five and Vettel's lead had been reduced to 0.5
seconds while Pastor would be passed by Perez for eighth. Tenth placed Sutil
was right behind Pastor while sixth placed Hulkenberg was keeping Hamilton
behind him. Hulkenberg would pit on lap thirty eight taking on a set of
mediums but he would have to pit again to get a set of soft
tyres. The top three continued to run together with Alonso closing the gap
to Raikkonen slowly. Grosjean would pit on lap forty one taking on another
set of medium tyres. Ricciardo would pit from thirteenth while at the front
Vettel would pit for the third time.
Vettel would come out in front of Grosjean with Raikkonen now leading.
Pastor was still running in eighth with Valtteri fourteenth. On the track
Alonso was second from Button, Hamilton, Vettel, Grosjean, Perez, Pastor,
Sutil, and Di Resta tenth. Lap forty four and Sutil would pit from tenth
with Vettel looking to get past fourth placed Hamilton. Vettel would get
past in the run between Turns one and two. Grosjean would pass Hamilton
going into the chicane seeing Hamilton pit. Prior to Hamilton's stop Pastor
was eighth and Valtteri twelfth. Hulkenberg was now ninth and Hamilton tenth
having past team-mate Rosberg. Button would pit from fifth on lap forty
eight taking on softs for his run to the flag. He would come back in sixth
while on lap forty nine Rosberg would pit from eleventh.
Lap fifty and
Raikkonen would pit followed by Alonso with both taking on soft tyres.
Hulkenberg would pit taking on soft tyres as Hamilton passed Di Resta for
eighth, to now be running behind Pastor. Vettel was now leading from
Grosjean and Raikkonen. Hamilton had passed Pastor for seventh seeing Pastor
pit on lap fifty one taking on his soft tyres. He would have a long stop
with a problem with his right front tyre. This would end any chance he had
of scoring points. Button had passed Perez for fifth using his soft tyres at
Turn one. Valtteri was now tenth and Pastor had dropped to sixteenth, but
Valtteri had yet to pit. Webber was now in ninth as the leaders found their
way past back markers. Webber had passed Di Resta for eighth with Valtteri
pitting on lap fifty five.
This would see both Williams cars well outside the points as Raikkonen
passed Grosjean at the chicane. Vettel was now leading by 2.5 seconds over
Raikkonen with Grosjean now third. Hamilton would pas Perez for sixth with
Rosberg now tenth. Alonso was now right behind Grosjean looking to take
third. Pastor and Valtteri were fifteenth and sixteenth. Raikkonen continued
to close the gap to Vettel as the final laps counted down. Lap fifty eight
and Vettel was leading by 1.2 seconds but Vettel was able to keep the Lotus
behind to take victory in the 2013 German Grand Prix. Hamilton had passed
Button for fifth while Webber would pass Perez for seventh on the final lap.
Alonso would pull off at Turn one seeing him get out of his
car. The top ten was Vettel from Raikkonen, Grosjean, Alonso, Hamilton,
Button, Webber, Perez, Rosberg, and Hulkenberg in tenth. For Williams they
would finish in fifteenth and sixteenth in a race that again was so
frustrating with pit stop issues and a lack of pace from their cars.
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