Teams weigh up DRS options in first practice

2011 Italian GP FP1 analysis

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Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Monza, 2011

Practice got underway in Monza with the teams facing difficult decisions over how to set their cars up to get the most out of the Drag Reduction System.

By running with more downforce they can find more time in the corners and still be quick down the straights in qualifying thanks to DRS. But that could leave them vulnerable in the race, when the use of DRS is restricted.

Some cars had noticeably different rear wing angles, particularly the McLarens, who seemed to be running more rear wing than the likes of Red Bull.

Despite that, McLaren were slightly quicker through the speed trap than Red Bull.

Longest stint comparison

  • All the teams ran medium tyres in first practice
  • Monza is not an especially punishing track for tyres and tyre life seems good, with several drivers setting their best laps at the end of stints.

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2011drivercolours.csv

12345678910
Sebastian Vettel89.79387.66686.38186.49485.91492.16585.849
Mark Webber87.189.08586.49385.75785.90785.459
Lewis Hamilton85.64685.08592.42487.58284.12790.36188.49683.865
Jenson Button87.73184.96394.33184.78688.97386.04
Fernando Alonso92.26589.25789.18789.47386.93386.64787.819
Felipe Massa90.77588.29387.17987.70486.88289.452
Michael Schumacher87.79490.26787.66287.44687.11693.02
Nico Rosberg89.68288.96588.96189.39695.10295.86194.23688.25787.93987.492
Bruno Senna88.9688.07287.74987.55687.60287.385
Vitaly Petrov94.51188.72787.68590.96787.04
Rubens Barrichello91.27487.71692.27689.45888.30389.64786.83687.7
Pastor Maldonado91.68790.26893.78290.14791.70192.03394.4491.525
Adrian Sutil90.55687.20486.79996.3586.6686.55
Nico Hulkenberg90.50187.79987.36693.1491.9286.826
Kamui Kobayashi88.88588.62195.65487.24787.15187.022100.44988.681
Sergio Perez93.77291.92290.84489.85988.83188.69688.53392.69787.625
Sebastien Buemi88.15687.6688.18889.11387.60194.29288.352
Jaime Alguersuari87.86787.28688.44586.69687.039
Heikki Kovalainen91.56390.49698.91890.20197.26289.539
Karun Chandhok93.23491.40594.61793.96790.48991.21890.73190.148
Daniel Ricciardo91.83991.04491.11992.93190.60992.31291.149
Vitantonio Liuzzi93.64495.70992.33591.48492.24491.208
Timo Glock130.48897.15891.50291.05292.719
Jerome dAmbrosio95.25394.34793.95692.63292.12395.768

Ultimate lap times

An ultimate lap is a driver’s fastest three sector times combined.

  • As usual, the HRTs and Virgins are hovering around the 107% mark. However Virgin had problems with both cars in this session.
CarDriverCarUltimate lapGapDeficit to best
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’23.7990.066
24Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’24.7100.9110.076
31Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’25.0761.2770.155
42Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’25.4591.6600.000
510Vitaly PetrovRenault1’26.2222.4230.403
65Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’26.3332.5340.314
714Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’26.4072.6080.143
86Felipe MassaFerrari1’26.4622.6630.214
917Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’26.6472.8480.047
1019Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’26.6862.8870.010
117Michael SchumacherMercedes1’26.6992.9000.000
1215Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1’26.7292.9300.097
1316Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’26.7642.9650.232
1411Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’26.7682.9690.068
159Bruno SennaRenault1’27.1873.3880.198
1618Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’27.2283.4290.205
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’27.3223.5230.043
188Nico RosbergMercedes1’27.4923.6930.000
1920Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’29.5395.7400.000
2021Karun ChandhokLotus-Renault1’29.9676.1680.181
2123Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’30.3286.5290.291
2222Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’30.4056.6060.204
2324Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’31.0527.2530.000
2425Jerome D’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’31.7207.9210.179

Complete practice times

  • Ferrari may be 2.7s off the pace but Fernando Alonso missed the last ten minutes of the session after a cut was found on his left-rear tyre.
  • The fastest time, set by Lewis Hamilton, was almost two-tenths of a second of the best time seen in first practice last year. The track has been partly resurfaced.
CarDriverCarBest lapGapStint lapAt timeLaps
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’23.8658/89318
24Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’24.7860.9214/68919
31Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’25.2311.3663/66925
42Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’25.4591.5946/67324
514Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’26.5502.6856/69223
610Vitaly PetrovRenault1’26.6252.7603/46520
75Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’26.6472.7826/75020
86Felipe MassaFerrari1’26.6762.8115/59224
917Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’26.6942.8295/68928
1019Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’26.6962.8314/57715
117Michael SchumacherMercedes1’26.6992.8343/39221
1215Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1’26.8262.9616/66521
1311Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’26.8362.9717/89125
1416Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’26.9963.1318/86929
1512Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’27.3653.5004/56525
169Bruno SennaRenault1’27.3853.5206/67623
1718Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’27.4333.5685/57025
188Nico RosbergMercedes1’27.4923.62710/109224
1920Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’29.5395.6746/6459
2021Karun ChandhokLotus-Renault1’30.1486.2838/88419
2122Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’30.6096.7445/76127
2223Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’30.6196.7543/56824
2324Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’31.0527.1874/58712
2425Jerome D’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’31.8998.0343/47321

Speed trap

  • Despite their steeper rear wing angles, the McLarens were quicker than the Red Bulls in a straight line.
  • Sebastian Vettel was the slowest through the speed trap, 19.5kph off the fastest. That’s far further behind than he was in the same session last year. Team mate Mark Webber’s speed looks more representative but is still in the bottom half.
  • Both Ferraris are also well down the list.
  • These could indicate a lack of straight-line speed but, this being first practice, it’s also possible they were running old engines and/or not using DRS.
  • The highest speed, set by Vitaly Petrov, was 1.6kph slower than the highest seen last year, by Jaime Algeursuari in qualifying.
#DriverCarEngineMax speedGap
110Vitaly PetrovRenaultRenault347.1
219Jaime AlguersuariToro RossoFerrari345.71.4
318Sebastien BuemiToro RossoFerrari343.14
416Kamui KobayashiSauberFerrari341.45.7
517Sergio PerezSauberFerrari340.96.2
620Heikki KovalainenLotusRenault339.67.5
715Nico HulkenbergForce IndiaMercedes338.68.5
814Adrian SutilForce IndiaMercedes338.68.5
99Bruno SennaRenaultRenault338.38.8
103Lewis HamiltonMcLarenMercedes336.810.3
114Jenson ButtonMcLarenMercedes336.610.5
1222Daniel RicciardoHRTCosworth336.310.8
1321Karun ChandhokLotusRenault335.911.2
142Mark WebberRed BullRenault33413.1
157Michael SchumacherMercedesMercedes333.513.6
168Nico RosbergMercedesMercedes333.313.8
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliamsCosworth331.615.5
1824Timo GlockVirginCosworth331.615.5
1925Jerome D’AmbrosioVirginCosworth331.415.7
206Felipe MassaFerrariFerrari330.516.6
215Fernando AlonsoFerrariFerrari330.216.9
2223Vitantonio LiuzziHRTCosworth329.817.3
2311Rubens BarrichelloWilliamsCosworth329.417.7
241Sebastian VettelRed BullRenault327.619.5

2011 Italian Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
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    9 comments on “Teams weigh up DRS options in first practice”

    1. I think Red Bull is having the wings flat because their car body gets them enough downforce (and drag) all by itself. The upside of that is, that they will not be able to improve that much in Qualifying, so we might really have a chance of seeing a car different then Red Bull on pole!

      It would be really nice to see a McLaren first row with Alonso and Webber right behind, although I expect Vettel to be there when it counts.

    2. it is no surprise that the ‘slower’ teams are running less wing as there races will depend on making places at the start.

      It is interesting that despite a ‘big’ upgrade for monza, virgin are over 0.5s behind HRT.

    3. Good point on the Virgin front, Zecks. Doesn’t seem like the step forward they were anticipating.

      Also, rather strange that a Renault powered car is the fastest through the speed trap, yet Red Bull are nowhere..!

    4. Nice to see Lotus with a bit of straight line speed. Guess that puts out the Cosworth doubters.

      Mclaren really look to be aiming at qually trim.
      Merc was slow, but given the comments I’ve read I assume they’ll just be trying to make the tyres last.

    5. Neither Lotus (Loti?) use Cosworth.

    6. Four Ferrari engines in the top five maximum speeds! Great!

      1. Except Ferrari!!

    7. The Mclaren’s are trying to get in more corning speed which will help them ti exit parabolica more neatly then others & help the car in front to attack in the DRS zone.

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