F1 cars already beating lap time predictions for Buddh circuit

2011 Indian GP FP1 analysis

Posted on

| Written by

Adrian Sutil was first driver out at the start of practice

Pirelli’s predicted lap time for the Buddh International Circuit was beaten in the very first session at the track.

Lewis Hamilton’s lap of 1’26.836 beat Pirelli’s expected lap time of 1’27.0.

With track conditions likely to improve throughout the rest of the weekend, expect lap times to get faster still.

Here’s all the data from the first practice session:

Longest stint comparison

  • There’s little information about tyre life to be gleaned at this stage. As drivers became more familiar with the track and grip levels improved, lap times fell throughout the stints on the increasingly familiar circuit.

This chart shows all the drivers’ lap times (in seconds) during their longest unbroken stint:

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

12345678
Sebastian Vettel90.85788.80288.31691.56887.85493.60687.416
Mark Webber89.49193.75788.20387.67196.77587.42894.95187.642
Lewis Hamilton92.20594.97793.10789.22794.48891.52687.515
Jenson Button93.85692.81588.501109.27288.394
Fernando Alonso95.899
Felipe Massa88.64494.14694.62794.04894.53695.233
Michael Schumacher91.0988.53191.32103.31588.982
Nico Rosberg92.60391.28294.89888.982108.65888.542
Bruno Senna103.21699.45496.629101.3996.51794.897
Vitaly Petrov104.7397.62696.815100.16593.00692.311
Rubens Barrichello99.137104.87494.381101.64694.17392.131
Pastor Maldonado92.89497.491.61190.669106.76294.071
Adrian Sutil94.421106.51393.6795.09891.81698.9591.141
Paul di Resta91.56998.43491.248102.20790.56290.16198.17289.7
Kamui Kobayashi104.367103.30499.28497.38896.04794.98299.2998.634
Sergio Perez105.239102.881100.37899.36799.14996.11295.348
Sebastien Buemi91.03492.89889.96689.57189.21989.351
Jaime Alguersuari97.40294.31492.91191.90491.43691.299
Karun Chandhok95.16694.49893.14892.78892.56692.487
Jarno Trulli97.01299.26894.74593.30592.80392.639
Narain Karthikeyan94.75894.113104.85299.386100.684108.55296.98697.456
Daniel Ricciardo93.92895.20997.57895.04196.82198.87496.8
Timo Glock101.9198.01296.91996.63397.85595.345
Jerome dAmbrosio103.657100.487101.45999.31298.497

Ultimate lap times

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

CarDriverCarUltimate lapGapDeficit to best
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’26.8360.000
22Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’26.9780.1420.450
31Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’27.1420.3060.274
44Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’27.3610.5251.033
514Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’27.9241.0880.781
67Michael SchumacherMercedes1’28.2211.3850.310
76Felipe MassaFerrari1’28.3101.4740.334
818Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’28.4271.5910.792
98Nico RosbergMercedes1’28.5381.7020.004
1015Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’28.9182.0820.782
1110Vitaly PetrovRenault1’29.1832.3470.522
1216Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’29.3552.5190.000
139Bruno SennaRenault1’29.6932.8570.106
1417Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’29.8272.9910.305
1519Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’30.2733.4370.293
1611Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’30.3323.4960.035
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’30.3693.5330.300
1821Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’30.8183.9820.000
1920Karun ChandhokLotus-Renault1’32.0855.2490.402
2024Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’32.6385.8020.133
2123Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’32.6395.8031.289
2222Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1’33.7486.9120.365
2325Jerome D’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’34.7657.9291.031
245Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’35.8999.0630.000

Complete practice times

CarDriverCarBest lapGapStint lapAt timeLaps
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’26.8364/49221
21Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’27.4160.5807/77423
32Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’27.4280.5926/87426
44Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’28.3941.5585/56723
57Michael SchumacherMercedes1’28.5311.6952/57222
68Nico RosbergMercedes1’28.5421.7066/69228
76Felipe MassaFerrari1’28.6441.8081/67921
814Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’28.7051.8696/67323
918Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’29.2192.3835/66924
1016Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’29.3552.5196/68329
1115Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’29.7002.8648/87224
1210Vitaly PetrovRenault1’29.7052.8695/56621
139Bruno SennaRenault1’29.7992.9633/56920
1417Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’30.1323.2965/69125
1511Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’30.3673.5314/47720
1619Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’30.5663.7305/56318
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’30.6693.8334/66321
1821Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’30.8183.9825/57421
1920Karun ChandhokLotus-Renault1’32.4875.6516/67423
2024Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’32.7715.9354/49323
2123Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’33.9287.0921/78227
2222Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1’34.1137.2772/88230
2325Jerome D’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’35.7968.9604/49219
245Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’35.8999.0631/1543

Speed trap

#DriverCarEngineMax speedGap
118Sebastien BuemiToro RossoFerrari320.3
219Jaime AlguersuariToro RossoFerrari320.20.1
317Sergio PerezSauberFerrari318.32
47Michael SchumacherMercedesMercedes317.62.7
58Nico RosbergMercedesMercedes317.52.8
616Kamui KobayashiSauberFerrari317.42.9
711Rubens BarrichelloWilliamsCosworth3173.3
810Vitaly PetrovRenaultRenault315.84.5
99Bruno SennaRenaultRenault315.74.6
1012Pastor MaldonadoWilliamsCosworth315.64.7
116Felipe MassaFerrariFerrari315.64.7
123Lewis HamiltonMcLarenMercedes315.64.7
1315Paul di RestaForce IndiaMercedes315.64.7
1414Adrian SutilForce IndiaMercedes315.54.8
154Jenson ButtonMcLarenMercedes314.75.6
165Fernando AlonsoFerrariFerrari314.36
172Mark WebberRed BullRenault312.57.8
181Sebastian VettelRed BullRenault312.38
1925Jerome D’AmbrosioVirginCosworth309.810.5
2024Timo GlockVirginCosworth309.410.9
2120Karun ChandhokLotusRenault307.712.6
2222Narain KarthikeyanHRTCosworth307.612.7
2321Jarno TrulliLotusRenault307.612.7
2423Daniel RicciardoHRTCosworth307.612.7

2011 Indian Grand Prix

    Browse all 2011 Indian Grand Prix articles

    Image © Force India F1 Team

    Author information

    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

    Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

    8 comments on “F1 cars already beating lap time predictions for Buddh circuit”

    1. Pirelli had said 1:27s, Red Bull had said 1:17s as the estimated lap time. I guess, we are going to get 1:22s, 1:23s for qualifying.

      1. 1:17 was barely possible in the videogame, so I highly doubt it’ll hit that this weekend.

      2. I think Red Bull are sandbagging!

    2. all depends on grip levels, the track is still too dusty.

      1. We should see rapid improvements in lap time by Sunday.

    3. I think I will have to adjust the pole time in my predictions to fit better! Its still pretty hard to tell anything, although the Red Bull looks planted again, the McLaren will probably be as close as they were in Korea and Ferrari will be fighting for the podium places again.

    4. Wow, that chart is all over the place!

      Fair play to Pirelli for their tyre choice, it was always going to be a bit of a gamble.

    5. I really like this circuit. Far better than I imagined. I think the race will be very exciting due in part to how the track has some decent elevation changes and where those changes are at was well planned. A few corners show that when on the edge, it is easy to loose it. The pace in session two will be hard to match on race day, can’t see how they could keep up the pace, especially with what is being said about the hard tires. In the end it seems like REDBULL will be best suited for long runs even though McLaren has shown that it also has plenty of speed. Where did Massa come from today?? Made me think WOW.
      Looks like the status quo will remain the same, those at the top will stay there and those at the bottom will have their own special race seeing who can be the best of the bunch. I would love to see an HRT get into the top ten this race. It is also important for Force India to get a top ten. That would go along way to promote and secure the future of this event. Best new track since Abu Dahbi.

    Comments are closed.