The 2014 Spanish GP would see Williams Martini driver Valtteri Bottas finish in a great 5th place after having run in 4th for most of the race. Team-mate Felipe Massa would finish in 13th. For the Williams team it was a result that would see them move ahead of McLaren in the points.
Spanish GP Race Review
Qualifying for
the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix would see Williams Martini drivers Valtteri
Bottas and Felipe Massa finish in fourth and ninth, a great result for the
team which would put them in a good position for Sunday's race. Felipe was
disappointed with his grid position as he said that he made a mistake on his
final lap that cost him time, so it was looking like there was more to come
from the Brazilian in the race. On pole was Hamilton followed by team-mate
Rosberg. Ricciardo as third followed by Valtteri, Grosjean, Raikkonen,
Alonso, Button, Felipe, and Vettel. The grid had formed up for the sixty six
lap race and it would be Hamilton who would lead them away on their parade
lap. In the race it was looking like it would be a Mercedes dominated event
given their pace in the practice sessions and qualifying leading-up to the
race.
All the top ten were on used medium tyres while those outside the top ten
were on new medium tyres. The only driver to start on the hard was Vergne
who was starting at the rear of the grid. The field would return and form up
on the grid and the lights would come on and go out seeing the race start
with Hamilton leading from Rosberg and Valtteri. Valtteri had made a great
start with Felipe running in eighth. Ricciardo was fourth followed by Grosjean, Raikkonen, and Alonso. Magnussen would made
contact with Vettel running in fifteenth behind Vettel. Lap two and Hamilton
was running 1.6 seconds ahead of Rosberg with Valtteri 1.2 seconds behind
Rosberg. DRS was now enabled as Felipe pressured Alonso for seventh. The
Mercedes cars were running over a second quicker than the rest of the field
such was their domination. Replays had shown Maldonado making contact with
Ericsson on the opening lap which would see the matter under investigation
by the stewards.
Ricciardo was
still running close behind Valtteri and would try to pass at Turn one but
just could not make the pass. Grosjean was still in fifth 1.6 seconds behind
Ricciardo. Even with the use of his DRS Ricciardo could not get close enough
to look at a pass of Valtteri with seven laps completed. Valtteri continued
to run in third but was dropping back from Rosberg with the gap 10.3 seconds
after lap eight. Kvyat would pass Gutierrez for eleventh with Button also
coming through going into Turn one. Vettel was now thirteenth while for
Williams Felipe was 1.1 seconds behind Alonso still running in eighth. Lap
eleven and Valtteri was now 14.1 seconds behind Rosberg. At the front
Rosberg was dropping away from his team-mate now 3.0 seconds behind after lap twelve. Vettel would pit at the start of lap thirteen
taking on the hard tyre.
Magnussen was able to pass Gutierrez at Turn one moving into thirteenth as
Ricciardo pitted on lap fifteen taking on the medium tyre again. Ricciardo
would come back out in twelfth as Grosjean and Felipe pitted on lap sixteen.
Felipe would return on the medium tyre as was Grosjean. Felipe was now
running sixteenth and Grosjean fourteenth. Alonso would pit on lap seventeen joined by Vergne.
Alonso would return in fourteen running on the medium tyre with Felipe now
fifteenth. Valtteri was now 20.3 seconds behind second placed Rosberg.
Rosberg had closed the gap to Hamilton with it now 1.6 seconds. Lap eighteen
and Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, and Button would all pit. Sutil and Chilton also
came in as the leader Hamilton pitted on lap nineteen. Rosberg was now
leading with Hamilton coming back out on the medium tyre.
Perez and Kvyat
would pit from fifth and sixth. Rosberg was now pushing setting a new
fastest lap as Magnussen pitted from seventh coming out fifteenth. Hamilton
was second 20.7 seconds behind Rosberg. Valtteri was still third 5.1 seconds
behind Hamilton. Valtteri would pit on lap twenty one returning on the
medium tyre. Rosberg would pit on lap twenty two taking on the hard tyre,
running opposite to Hamilton. Hamilton would return in the lead with Rosberg second. Ricciardo was now
third followed by Valtteri, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Alonso, Felipe, Vettel, and
Hulkenberg in tenth. Rosberg was 3.7 seconds behind Hamilton with Ricciardo
17.0 seconds behind Rosberg. Valtteri had dropped a considerable margin to
Ricciardo with the gap now 12.3 seconds. Raikkonen would try to pass
Grosjean at Turn one but the Lotus driver would hold his spot.
Vergne would pit from fifteenth on lap twenty six dropping to the rear of
the field, only to retire in his pit with an exhaust issue. Raikkonen would
pass Grosjean and Alonso would also come through using his DRS at Turn one.
Raikkonen was now fifth and Alonso sixth. At the front Rosberg was able to
set tyres that would see him close the gap to Hamilton, 2.9 seconds after
lap twenty six. Vettel was now ninth and running close behind Felipe. Felipe was closing in onto Grosjean who was seventh.
Felipe would pit on lap twenty nine returning in fourteenth taking on the
hard tyre. Even with the hard tyre Felipe would go fastest in the first
sector. Lap thirty one and Hamilton's lead was 4.4 seconds with Ricciardo
now 22.8 seconds behind Rosberg. Valtteri was 11.2 seconds behind the Red
Bull. Vettel would pit from tenth on lap thirty four taking on the medium tyre, returning in fourteenth. Felipe was now
thirteenth as Grosjean pitted from eighth on lap thirty five taking on hard
tyres.
Alonso would pit
on lap thirty six from sixth returning on the hard tyre and in eleventh with
Felipe right behind the Ferrari. Hulkenberg, Button, and Kvyat would all pit
on lap thirty eight. All would come back out on the hard tyre as Vettel
passed Felipe for eleventh. Perez would pit from sixth on lap thirty eight
seeing Magnussen now ninth with Felipe behind the McLaren. Magnussen was
still on the medium tyre and Felipe the hard. Vettel was now 2.1 seconds
behind sixth placed Alonso on lap thirty nine. Kobayashi had retired in his
pit with a brake issue. Felipe would pass Magnussen for eighth as they
started lap forty one going into Turn one. It was looking like Ricciardo now
was o a two stop strategy making Valtteri's chances of a podium that much
harder. Magnussen would pit from twelfth on lap forty three taking on the
hard tyre.
Hamilton would pit on lap forty four taking on the hard tyre returning in
second. Raikkonen would also pit also taking on the hard tyre coming back
out in seventh. Rosberg would pit on lap forty six taking on the medium tyre
returning in second but behind Sutil. Ricciardo would also pit taking on the
hard tyres. He was followed by Valtteri who was also onto the hard tyre.
Valtteri was now sixth and Ricciardo third. Alonso was fourth and Vettel
fifth as Felipe pitted again on lap forty seven. Felipe's pit stop would now
see him in fourteenth, again on the hard tyre. Felipe had now being lapped
by the leader in what was turning out to be a disappointing race for the
Brazilian. At the front the Mercedes pair were swapping fastest laps.
Rosberg was now 3.1 seconds behind Hamilton with Ricciardo 37.5 seconds
behind Rosberg.
Magnussen would pass Kvyat at
Turn one for twelfth place while for Williams Valtteri was now sixth 7.2
seconds behind Vettel. Lap fifty one and Rosberg was now 2.3 seconds behind
Hamilton while further back Perez would pass Hulkenberg fro ninth. Vettel
would pit on lap fifty three seeing Valtteri move up to fifth but he was 9.4
seconds behind fourth placed Alonso. But Alonso would also pit again on lap
fifty four seeing Valtteri now fourth. Vettel would pass Alonso for fifth as the
Ferrari came out of the pits. Kvyat would pit from fourteenth with Felipe
now thirteenth. Vettel was closing on into fifth placed Raikkonen and would
get right behind and would pass the Ferrari to now be fifth. Raikkonen was
now sixth and Alonso seventh followed by Grosjean, Perez, and Hulkenberg in
tenth. Vettel was 6.5 seconds behind Valtteri while at the front Rosberg was now 1.8 seconds behind Hamilton on lap fifty seven.
Vettel was able to close the gap to Valtteri with it dropping to 5.0 seconds
after lap fifty eight with eight laps remaining.
Lap sixty and Rosberg was now 0.9 seconds behind Hamilton while Alonso was
challenging Raikkonen for sixth. Vettel was now 2.5 seconds behind Valtteri
with six laps remaining. The gap reduced to 1.4 seconds with five laps
remaining. It was looking like a fifth for Valtteri would be his result with
Vettel now right behind the Williams. But Valtteri's straight line speed was
helping him to stay in front at the end of the main straight. Alonso would
get past Raikkonen for sixth as they went through Turns one through to four.
But Vettel would take fourth from Valtteri under braking at Turn ten with
Ricciardo and Vettel now third and fourth. Lap sixty six and Hamilton would
start his final lap but Rosberg would lock up at Turn ten giving Hamilton
that little bit of space.
Hamilton would cross the line to win the 2014 Spanish Grand prix with
Rosberg second Ricciardo was now third followed by Vettel, Valtteri, Alonso,
Raikkonen, Grosjean, Perez, and Hulkenberg tenth. The second Williams of
Felipe would finish in thirteenth. A great fifth placed from Valtteri but
for Felipe the thirteenth must have been a massive disappointment. For the
Williams team another points scoring finish in a race that showed they have
started to turn things around with the development that they have made to
the FW36. The results would also see Williams move ahead of McLaren in the
points.
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