Schumacher could lose podium

Michael Schumacher’ celebrated his first podium since the Chinese GP in 2006, and he certainly looked very comfortable being back holding a champagne bottle, like we have seen him do so many times before.

But the joy of finishing 3rd, in an action-packed European Grand Prix, could be stifled by race stewards, who are right now debating whether Schumacher´s podium should be taken away from him. There are rumblings that Schumacher did not slow down for yellow flags when he used DRS.

Mark Webber had radioed the pits to inform his team, and FIA, that the DRS of Schumacher´s car was open when they went through a yellow flag zone. Both Schumacher and a representative from the Mercedes team are right now talking to the FIA. If penalized, Schumacher will most likely lose not only 3rd place, but could be dropped ten places for the British Grand Prix in two weeks.

Kobayashi given penalty for Silverstone

Sauber´s Kamui Kobayashi has been given a five-grid penalty for the British Grand Prix in two weeks, for his involvement in the incident with Felipe Massa, during the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

The Japanese driver were unable to finish the race, but during the action-packed race in the Valencian harbour, he made contact with other drivers twice. Once with Bruno Senna, for which the latter got the blame, and then the incident with Felipe Massa. As the two drivers came over the bridge of the harbour, Kobayashi hit the side of Massa´s Ferrari and the stewards have decided to penalize Kobayashi with five places for the British Grand Prix.

“What a race today, but I am very disappointed,” Kobayashi said after the race.

I definitely had a good start from seventh. I made up two positions straight away and then overtook Pastor Maldonado on Lap 1. I was fourth and it looked promising.

“At my first pit-stop, after 14 laps, we had a problem with the front-left wheel. After that I was 11th and still had a good chance. On Lap 20 I was following Kimi Räikkönen, who was overtaking Bruno Senna, and then was on the inside next to Senna. I had the wall (on my right) and nowhere to go when we touched. I had to pit for a nose change.

“Later, when the race was restarted after the Safety Car period, I was fighting with Felipe Massa for position. Our cars touched and this time the damage was too bad to continue.”

Maldonado blames Hamilton: He was completely lost

Two laps to go and Lewis Hamilton was holding on to 3rd place in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, when from behind came Pastor Maldonado who tried to overtake Hamilton. And then things went bad.

At the end of Turn 12, a place where nearly every driver locked up their brakes during the weekend, Maldonado was on the left side of Hamilton, going into the right-left turn, when suddenly the two cars made contact, and sent Hamilton´s car into the barriers and out of the race. Maldonado lost his front wing in the process, but were able to finish in 10th place.

Maldonado is now blaming Hamilton for the accident, saying Hamilton tried to run him off the track.

“He tried to put me off the track,” said Maldonado. “He didn’t leave any room for me to stay on and do the corner side by side. I jumped over the kerb and I couldn’t avoid the accident.”

At the time of the accident, the tyres on Hamilton´s car was completely shot, and he had just lost a position to Kim Raikkonen. Many observers believe that Hamilton should have moved over to allow Maldonado to pass.

“I don’t know why he drove like that,” continued Maldonado. “He was struggling too much with the tyres. He was completely lost and at that moment I was getting very good pace. He tried a very aggressive move on me.”

 

Alonso wins in Valencia, as Schumacher takes third

Fernando Alonso took everyone by surprise in Valencia on Sunday, as the Spaniard won the European Grand Prix, after Sebastian Vettel failed to finish the race.

Valencia Street Circuit is usually a rather non-eventful and boring race, with few overtakings, was completely transformed for the 2012 edition. Right from the beginning, the entire field was driving very close and tight and lap after lap, there were several close fight, often involving 7-8 cars battling out within half a second.

At first Vettel and Hamilton got away cleanly, while Maldonado made a move inside on Grosjean and took 3rd. Fernando Alonso made a great start, claiming three positions at first, and after 2 laps, he was 8th. Kobayashi also made a dream start to claim 4th, squeezing Maldonado back to 5th, while Raikkonen and Hulkenberg had to settle for 6th and 7th.

A few laps later Felipe Massa and Paul di Resta had a good battle, as Mark Webber had a nightmare of a first stint, fighting to stay in 17th.

On lap 9 Grosjean  made a move on Hamilton, probably the smoothest overtaking seen in a long time, as Raikkonen overtook Maldonado on the outside at Turn 12. the race continued to throw up surprises and great racing, from pretty much every driver on the circuit.

Alonso fought and battled, so did Raikkonen and Grosjean against their respective opponents. On lap 20 Kobayashi and Senna touched, as Senna didn´t see Kobayashi coming from the back and the inside. Senna received a puncture and Kobayashi damaged a part of his front wing. However, Senna then received a drive-through penalty for his involvement in the accident, though I would say it was a joint effort.

And then it happened. Just as Button pitted from 13th, elsewhere on the circuit Jean-Eric Vergne and Heikki Kovalainen had a difference of opinion on which way to point their cars. IN replays it looked as though Vergne veered off a little, probably because he thought he was clear of Kovalainen, but they touched and Vergne retired.

Safety car came out and completely changed the race from here on end. Running order under safety car was Vettel, Grosjean, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Rosberg, Schumacher, Webber and Maldonado. Deploying the safety car meant that di Resta´s strategy of one-stop failed, but on lap 34 the race was once again clear.

Alonso immediately took Grosjean for 2nd, Kobayashi and Massa touched at the bridge, and all of a sudden, Sebastian Vettel stopped his car on track, his race was over. Grosjean now started to hunt down Alonso, while Hamilton passed Raikkonen and then Ricciardo for 3rd.

fast lap after fast lap for Alonso in front, as Kobayashi retired, and completely out of the blue Grosjean´s Lotus stopped on track too. On lap 44 the race order looked like this:

Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Hulkenberg, di Resta, Perez, Button, Rosberg and Petrov.

Schumacher took Petrov for 10th again, as Raikkonen came up from behind to battle with Hamiton, for 2nd. Petrov and Ricciardo had a little get-together, causing Petrov to pit for a new front wing, and ahead of them Schumacher passed Button on the inside of Turn 13, having attacked at Turn 12 to force Button wide.

On lap 51 Alonso was still leading Hamilton and Raikkonen, when suddenly Schumacher became the man on a mission. He takes Perez for 7th, then di Resta for 6th. Webber, who has had a very bad race was able to drive up to 7th, , and with just two laps remaining, Hamilton made a brake error, allowing Raikkonen past, to take 2nd. Hamitlon´s tyres were done, as he was now under pressure from Maldonado.

With one lap to go, Alonso was in control of the race and it looked as though that was it. But at Turn 12 Maldonado attempted to overtake Hamilton on the outside but Hamilton didn´t allow enough space and the two cars collided. Hamilton went into the barrier, while Maldonado was able to limb across the finish line to take 10th. As those two drivers missed important points, Schumacher was able to take Hulkenberg for 3rd, with Webber having a final shot to take Schumacher.

Unfortunately for Webber,he just missed the chance and ends up 4th, but what a performance.

Amazingly, the final results is Alonso wins the European Grand Prix, the first double winner of the season, Raikkonen takes 2nd and Schumacher 3rd, his first podium since China 2006. Webber is fourth from Hulkenberg, Rosberg, di Resta, Button, Perez and Maldonado.

Alonso has now taken over the lead in the championsip standings, with 111 points. Webber has 91, Hamilton 88, Vettel 85, Rosberg 75, Raikkonen 73, Grosjean 53, Button 49, Perez 39, Maldonado 30, di Resta 27, Kobayashi 21, Schumacher 17, Hulkenberg 17, Senna 15, Massa 11, Vergne 4, Ricciardo 2.

Vettel is out!

Sebastian Vettel´s race in Valencia is over.

The double world champion was leading by more than 20 seconds, when suddenly Jean-Eric Vergne and heikki Kovalainen collided. A safety car period started, but at the re-start Sebastian Vettel´s Red Bull racer suddenly came to a halt on the track, ending the hopes of victory for the 24-year old.

Fernando Alonso is leading the race, as I write this, with Grosjean a second behind in second.

Only 23 drivers today

Marussia´s German driver Timo Glock will sit out the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

After not being able to participate in Saturday´s qualifying session, due to stomach ache, Timo Glock had further tests done to reveal an intestinal infection. The stewards granted him permission to race, as his final practice time on Saturday morning, was fast enough to put him inside the 107% rule.

Glock will not be replaced for the race by test driver Maria de Villota.

Quick poll: Who will win in Valencia?

Sebastian Vettel stands a very god chance of making it three from three, as the double world champion took his 3rd pole in Valencia. But what about Lewis Hamilton in 2nd or Pastor Maldonado, the race winner from Spain, in 3rd?

Don´t see your driver? Just add him in the comment section.

Lotus duo happy with results

Both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean seems to be getting the best out of the car these days, coming from Canada´s great result for Grosjean as he finished on the podium for the second time this season, while Raikkonen did have to settle for 8th.

Still it´s valuable points and the performance of the cars and the drivers is just one example why the team is 3rd in the standings with 108 points. Both drivers agreed the qualifying pace was high and that meant not much had to go wrong in order to drop out of the top ten, but Raikkonen starts 5th on Sunday, with Grosjean sitting behind Lewis Hamilton in 4th place.

“It was very close in qualifying, especially in Q2, so it’s good to be fifth on the grid,” said Raikkonen.

“The car felt good. If we could have improved just a little bit on my last lap then we could have gained a couple of places, but it is an improvement on last time out so I’m very happy with that. We found a few good things with the setup this morning to make the car easier to drive. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. The car usually goes well in the race when it’s hot, so let’s see what we can do.”

“Today we got pretty much the most out of the car that we could have,” Grosjean added.

“P4 is a good position for the start of the race but of course you want always more and to do better. Sebastian did an unbelievable lap and today we could not have matched it. We have improved our qualifying performance but there is still room to do better. Tyre degradation will be more important than what we saw at the last race. There will be 57 laps in hot conditions on Sunday; we will see what we can do for a good race tomorrow.”