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| Race Report - Canada; Round 6 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 12 2007, 09:24 PM (163 Views) | |
| Paul_Murtagh | Jun 12 2007, 09:24 PM Post #1 |
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Chief Engineer
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It took Senna 18 races, it took Prost 22 races and it took Schumacher 18 races, and here in Canada Lewis Hamilton took his first of what will surely be many grand prix wins after only 6 races, and followed in the illustrious footsteps of both Gilles Villeneuve and Jean Alesi in winning his first race at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. It was a superb display by the young Brit who has now established a healthy lead at the top of the championship standings. On a day when many drivers lost their cool and their head, Hamilton picked his way through the mayhem to score a memorable win. After qualifying it looked promising when Lewis Hamilton took his first pole of his career, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso and the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld in third place. Off the grid Hamilton led away but was being challenged by both Alonso and Heidfeld. Coming into the first corner, Hamilton led but Alonso tried to pass his team-mate around the outside, only to run wide across the grass and fall behind both Hamilton and Heidfeld into third place. Behind them there was very little drama, but Button wasn't able to join in the action after stalling off the startline. After some frantic activity by the Honda team, he was unable to start and became the first of many reitrements. At the beginning of lap 3 Webber tried a move on Kubica to steal 8th place, only for it to all go wrong and spin, dropping him down to 14th behind the Williams of Alex Wurz and Scott Speed's Toro Rosso. These two drivers were to provide the next piece of action when Speed tried an ambitious move on Wurz into Turn 8, only to clip the right rear of the Williams and break his suspension, parking the car on the way down to the hairpin. As for Wurz, he managed to continue but with a huge chunk of his rear wing missing. At this point Hamilton had built up an 11-second lead to Heidfeld, who in turn was 2 seconds ahead of Alonso. The current world champion then ran wide again at the first corner, this time letting Felipe Massa in the Ferrari past dropping the Spaniard down to fourth. Heidfeld then pitting for the first time on lap 20 and Hamilton two laps later. Just as Hamilton exited the pits, Adrian Sutil in the Spyker clipped the wall at Turn 4, causing the safety car to come out and turning the race on it's head. Alonso and Rosberg reacted immediately by pitting, but under the 2007 regulations they were unable to pit while the safety car was on track. It was unfortunate for the two of them, as they were both due to make their first stops on this lap, and the resultant pit stop cost them both a 10-second penalty. Massa, Fisichella, and Kubica amongst others were able to wait until the pit-lane was declared open while the saferty car was out to make their own stops, but both Massa and Fisichella exited the pits while they were closed, meaning that both were disqualified. Alonso and Rosberg were to be delayed taking their penalties however when the safety car was summoned for a second time. It had only come back into the pits when it was called upon again after a spectacular crash involving Robert Kubica. The Pole had tried to go round the outside of Trulli exiting Turn 9, only to clip the back of the Toyota, and unable to steer, went straight into the wall. After hitting the wall, the car distinigrated and flew back across the track after flipping, coming to rest against the armco barrier on the other side of the track. Luckily Kubica only escaped with some concussion and a sprained ankle - a testiment to the strength of the modern Formula 1 car. When the race restarted after an extended safety car, Hamilton led with Heidfeld in second, and remarkably the Super Aguri of Anthony Davidson in third. But coming into the last chicane Davidson was to receive the worst of luck after connecting with a beaver who had strayed onto the track, damaging the front wing of the Aguri and ruining any chances of his first F1 points. After Massa and Fisichella had finally been giving the black flag, Hamilton still led with Heidfeld second, Wurz third, Kovalainen fourth and Raikkonen fifth. Alonso had dropped down to sixth and Sato in the other Super Aguri was seventh. But then on lap 67 the global F1 public witnessed something that would have never been considered possible 18 months ago - Sato's Aguri drove around the outside of Alonso and moved upto sixth place. It was the most unexpected of moves and was greeted with delight from the attending fans. So Hamilton went on to win his first grand prix from Heidfeld, Wurz, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Sato, Alonso and Ralf Schumacher. It was a great win and surely the first of many for F1's newest superstar |
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| The Saint | Jun 17 2007, 02:56 PM Post #2 |
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A nice graphic showing times and gap between Hamilton and Alonso![]()
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12:24 AM Jul 11