JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - POST RACE SUMMARY
GRID STOPS, LAP BEST LAP RESULT
NICO ROSBERG P16 2 (40, 49) 1:29.926 (10th lap 27 ) DNF
ALEX WURZ P18 1 (16) 2:05.636 (22nd lap 19 ) DNF
SYNOPSIS
Fuji Speedway may have been absent from the Formula One calendar
for 30 years, but conditions upon its return for last weekend’s
Japanese Grand Prix proved remarkably similar to those at
the sport’s last visit in 1977. A rain soaked weekend
played havoc with Saturday’s running and then eliminated
almost half the field come Sunday’s race. AT&T Williams
driver, Alex Wurz, was the first victim of the conditions,
while team mate Nico Rosberg’s race also ended prematurely
following an electrical issue. The result was the team’s
first non-points scoring race since the British Grand Prix
in July.
Friday’s practice sessions progressed smoothly under
scattered cloud. Extensive homework on the team’s simulator
prior to arrival at Fuji paid dividends for both drivers and
allowed the team to effectively work through their usual job
list of systems checks, set-up work and tyre evaluations.
Nico and Alex concluded the day having covered almost 600kms,
recording top ten times in FP1 and just outside in FP2 while
doing their longer stints. The team confirmed that Nico would
have to endure an unscheduled engine change which would drop
him ten places in Saturday’s qualifying.
Proceedings were severely disrupted on Saturday morning with
the third free practice session rendered albeit redundant,
the result of poor weather conditions limiting visibility
which grounded the recovery helicopter. None of the teams
were able to attain any consistency, with the majority only
on track for one or two laps. The AT&T Williams pairing
recorded the quickest times of the distorted session ahead
of qualifying.
The afternoon’s qualifying session was marred by more
disruptive weather and was run on a wet track. Combined with
a call to the weighbridge and some heavy traffic, Alex Wurz
was eliminated in the first round, his time of 1:27.454 putting
him in P18. Nico Rosberg eased through rounds one and two
and made it into Q3. Sixth place followed a blisteringly quick
lap time on what transpired to be a heavy fuel load. Nico’s
efforts awarded him a place in the top ten for the tenth time
this season but any celebrations were short-lived as the ten
place grid penalty moved him to an undesirable 16th on the
grid for Sunday’s race. Race day didn’t bring
any clearer conditions and the race was started under the
confines of the safety car. Both drivers made clean starts
on prescribed wet Bridgestone Potenzas. The team brought Alex
in for his one and only stop towards the end of the safety
car period and fuelled him to the end of the race.
What could have been a progressive strategy was soon nullified
when Alex was tagged under braking by Sato at turn one and
sent into the gravel a lap after the safety car was brought
in. Nico’s race was similarly unsuccessful. At the conclusion
of the second safety car period, Nico suffered a problem with
his onboard control systems. A change of steering wheel during
his second stop did not solve the problem and Nico was forced
out of the race on lap 49.
TYRES & FUEL
Both drivers ran the full wet tyre for their entire race
running and started the race on heavy fuel loads with a view
to a long first stint.
SYSTEMS & RELIABILITY
Nico Rosberg’s premature retirement, only the fourth
out of 30 starts this year, was prompted by an electronic
fault on a brake pressure sensor which will be rectified prior
to China.
NEXT EVENTS
The team will travel straight to Shanghai for the Chinese
Grand Prix on Sunday 7th October.
SAM MICHAEL
“The result in Japan certainly wasn’t what we
were hoping for. We had a good strategy on Alex’s car
but unfortunately couldn’t capitalise upon it after
his incident with Sato forced him out quite early. Nico was
evidently on the pace all weekend but retired in the last
third of the Grand Prix following a problem with an electrical
sensor. We need to get back into points-scoring positions
in China this weekend, particularly as the Championship is
still so tight with just two more races to go.”
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