Chinese GP: Double points finish for Williams


FW 70 Birthday

By Andrew Hooper
April 15 2012

The result of the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix would see a double points scoring finish for the Williams F1 team with Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado finishing in 7th and 8th. This is a a great result for the team and a great way from Frank Williams to celebrate his seventieth birthday. The result for Williams seemed to prove that they do have good race pace and are good on their tyres with both Bruno and Pastor having only stopped twice in the race. Another small forward for the Williams team.

 
 Chinese GP Race Review
 
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For the Williams F1 team the fifty six lap 2012 Chinese Grand Prix would see their drivers, Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna, start from thirteenth and fourteenth. At the front it would be the Mercedes cars of Rosberg and Schumacher starting from first and second. For Torro Rosso Vergne would start from the pit lane while for McLaren Hamilton would start from seventh having received a grid place penalty for a gearbox change on his car. Kobayashi would start from third followed by Raikkonen, Button, Webber, Hamilton, Perez, Alonso, and Grosjean in tenth. Vettel was down in eleventh followed by Massa and the Williams drivers. The Williams team was confident that they had good race pace so it would be interesting to see if they were correct.

There was one DRS zone on the back straight going into Turn fourteen. It was an overcast day with cooler conditions as the cars moved away on their parade lap. The top ten were on soft tyres while Bruno was on the medium tyre and Pastor on the soft. Joining Bruno on the medium tyre were Ricciardo, Vergne, and Massa. The grid would form and the lights would go out and it would be Rosberg leading from Schumacher with Button third. Raikkonen was fourth from Hamilton and Kobayashi. Perez would pass Kobayashi as Webber passed Alonso. For Williams Bruno was in twelfth and Pastor thirteenth. Alonso would pass Webber going into Turn 14. Pastor had dropped to fifteenth as both Di Resta and Vettel were able to get past him., Vettel going past him at Turn one.
 
Maldonado
 
Bruno had slightly damaged his front wing on the rear of Massa's car. Lap three and Rosberg was leading by 1.6 seconds over Schumacher. Bruno was now 1.0 seconds behind tenth placed Grosjean. Bruno was told that his front wing look3ed OK and to keep pushing. Bruno continued to lose time to Grosjean while behind him Di Resta and Vettel were
looking to find a way past the Williams. Pastor was right behind Vettel and still in fifteenth. Lap five and Rosberg was now leading by 2.6 seconds from Schumacher, Button, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Perez, Kobayashi, Alonso, Webber, and Massa in tenth. Lap seven and Webber would pit going onto the medium tyre.

Bruno had moved up to eleventh and Pastor fourteenth as a result of Webber's pit stop. Rosberg would extend his lead out to 4.1 seconds while Webber was down in twentieth. Lap ten and Kobayashi and Vettel would both pit. Hulkenberg would also pit from nineteenth. Kobayashi and Vettel had both gone onto the medium tyre. Hulkenberg had taken on a new nose. Lap eleven and Raikkonen and Hamilton both pitted. Hamilton would come out in front as they exited the pits. They would come out right with Webber and Raikkonen would lose out to Webber as they went through Turn one. Hamilton was again on the soft tyre as Button pitted on lap twelve. joined by Grosjean, Di Resta, and Pastor. Button had also taken on the soft tyre as on lap thirteen Schumacher, Alonso, and Senna would pit. Rosberg would have a lock up at Turn six while team-mate Schumacher would pull off the track to retire with a front wheel issue as it was not put on correctly in his pit stop. Lap fourteen and Rosberg would pit taking on the medium tyre.
 
Maldonado
 
At the front it was now Perez leading from Massa, Rosberg, Button, Hamilton, Webber, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kobayashi, and Grosjean in tenth. For Williams Bruno was in twelfth and Pastor fifteenth. Lap seventeen and Perez would pit to fit the medium tyre. Rosberg would pass Massa for the lead going into Turn 14 after having used his DRS. Ricciardo
would pit from fifteenth as tenth placed Perez was attacking ninth placed Grosjean. Massa would pit on lap nineteen taking on another set of mediums. Button was second followed by Hamilton, Webber, Raikkonen, Alonso, and Kobayashi. Vettel would pass Perez for tenth while Bruno would start to close in onto Perez. Pastor was right behind twelfth placed Di Resta. Pastor was able to get past the Force India car seeing him now behind Bruno.

Webber would pit on lap twenty two again taking on the medium tyre, with his front left looking very worn. Hamilton would pit the next lap taking on the medium tyre. Bruno on the soft tyre was now in ninth and Pastor tenth as a result of the stops. Lap twenty three and Rosberg was leading by 4.3 seconds over Button, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Vettel, Perez, and the Williams pair. Lap twenty five and Button would pit taking on the medium tyre. He would come back out behind Pastor with Pastor now ninth. The next lap and Kobayashi would pit from eighth. Button would get past Pastor while Hamilton would pass Massa for twelfth. Webber was behind Massa as Button would also pass Bruno for seventh. Rosberg was leading Raikkonen by 11.3 seconds as Webber passed Massa for
twelfth.

Hamilton would pass Di Resta for tenth as Alonso pitted from third, as Webber also passed Di Resta. Lap twenty nine and Raikkonen would pit from second taking on the medium tyre. While all this was happening Pastor had moved ahead of Bruno to be seventh while Bruno was now ninth behind Hamilton. Lap thirty and Bruno would pit as Pastor moved
into sixth as a result of pit stops. Rosberg was now leading from Grosjean, Vettel, Button, Perez, and Pastor. Button would pass Vettel using his DRS. Bruno was now fourteenth as Alonso passed ninth placed Di Resta. Lap thirty two and Vettel would pit again taking on the medium tyre. Grosjean would pit from second on lap thirty three as second placed Button set a new fastest lap, 1m:40.908. Di Resta would also pit from twelfth. Pastor would pit the next lap, joined by Ricciardo. Lap thirty four and Rosberg would pit joined by sixth placed Webber. Rosberg would come out in front of Perez and Hamilton.
 
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Button was now leading as on lap thirty six Perez would pit from fifth. Rosberg was now 9.5 seconds behind Button with Hamilton now third from Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Kobayashi, Vettel, and Grosjean in tenth. For Williams Bruno was eleventh and Pastor thirteenth. Rosberg would start to close in onto Button running on the fresher tyres. Bruno
had moved into tenth and Pastor twelfth again as a result of pit stops. Fifth placed Massa had a train of cars behind him Lap thirty eight and Rosberg was now 7.4 seconds behind Button as Hamilton, Alonso, and Kobayashi would all pit. Button would pit on lap forty again taking on the medium tyre. He would have a slow stop with a problem with the left rear. He would come back out in sixth handing the advantage back to Rosberg. Massa was now second from Raikkonen, Vettel, Button, Grosjean, Bruno, Webber, Pastor, and Hamilton in tenth. Button had been able to get past Grosjean as Webber got past both Williams cars.

Massa would pit from eighth on lap forty two seeing Bruno and Pastor seventh and eighth. Hamilton had been able to pass Pastor at Turn six with Hamilton now eighth. Hamilton would also pass Bruno as Alonso would try to pass Pastor but would run wide coming back out behind Perez. Alonso was now eleventh while at the front Rosberg was now 22.6
seconds ahead of Raikkonen, Vettel, Button, Grosjean, Webber, Hamilton, Bruno, Pastor, and Perez in tenth. Webber would get past Grosjean as the Lotus ran wide seeing Pastor and Grosjean now fighting for eighth. Both Williams and Lotus cars would run side by side through several turns with Grosjean staying in front. Alonso was able to pass tenth place Perez. Bruno was now in seventh and Pastor ninth. Eighth placed Grosjean would start to close in onto Bruno as on lap forty seven Rosberg was leading by 24.7 seconds.

Raikkonen would make a mistake that saw him passed by Button, Vettel, Hamilton, and Webber. Raikkonen was now sixth with Bruno seventh. Raikkonen would continue to fall back with Grosjean now sixth from Bruno, Pastor, Alonso, and in tenth Kobayashi. Button was right behind second placed Vettel while Hamilton continued to close in onto Button.
Rosberg was now 25.1 seconds in the lead from Vettel with only a handful of laps remaining. Button would go past Vettel for second going into the hairpin. Hamilton was also now looking to get past Vettel. Four laps remaining and Hamilton and Webber had closed in onto Vettel. Bruno and Pastor weer still in seventh and eighth. Raikkonen was now in fourteenth with his tyres gone. Vettel, Hamilton, and Webber were all running close together with Alonso looking to get past Pastor. Hamilton would finally pass Vettel at Turn 14 as Webber started to attack team-mate Vettel.

Webber would pass Vettel at Turn 14, like Hamilton. Rosberg would start his final lap and would complete the lap to take his first race victory in Formula One. A very popular victory for the Mercedes driver. Button would come home second from Hamilton, Webber, Vettel, Grosjean, Bruno, Pastor, Alonso, and Kobayashi in tenth. For the Williams team a double points scoring finish is a great result for the team and a great way from Frank Williams to celebrate his seventieth birthday. The result for Williams seemed to prove that they do have good race pace and are good on their tyres with both Bruno and Pastor having only stopped twice in the race. Another small step forward for the Williams team.
 
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Chinese GP: Double points finish for Williams
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