Alonso heads times but Hamilton has fastest sectors

2013 Canadian Grand Prix Friday practice analysis

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The ominous weather forecasts for the first day of practice at Montreal proved to be mostly right. A lot of rain did fall but fortunately for the F1 fraternity most of it was before and after the two 90-minute sessions.

That left teams with more dry-weather running than they were expecting. However it was on a track that was very green and was improving at a rapid rate, making it difficult to assess who genuinely was quickest.

Fernando Alonso came close to topping the times on several occasions, only to hit trouble in the final sector. He eventually did nail the fastest time of the day but admitted “we must ensure we make the right decisions, because today we saw how getting a clean lap depends a lot on the time you make the decision and what track conditions are like at that moment.”

Alonso may have produced the quickest individual lap time but Lewis Hamilton had the fastest three combined sectors, indicating the Mercedes is still the benchmark car over a single lap. Nor was Sebastian Vettel far behind – and Red Bull tend to play an extra-conservative game on Fridays.

It was Romain Grosjean, not Kimi Raikkonen, who led the way for Lotus. “It wasn’t easy to get the tyres up to temperature today, but it’s pretty cold at the circuit so that’s not too much of a surprise,” was the 2007 world champion’s explanation. Warmer conditions are expected on Sunday, which should play into Lotus’s hands.

Daniel Ricciardo had a promising session in the Toro Rosso, ending up inside the top ten and was by far the fastest driver in the speed trap. “In the dry in the afternoon, after my first couple of runs on the prototype and the [medium], I felt we could get more out of the car, so we made a fairly big change which I think worked in our favour,” he said.

But Jenson Button was left to rue a technical problem which kept him from evaluating the McLaren’s long-run performance: “We needed everything to be reliable today, but I only managed three laps on my high-fuel run before I had a problem with the gearbox.”

Here’s all the data from the first two practice sessions for the Canadian Grand Prix:

Longest stint comparison

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

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2013drivercolours.csv

123456789101112131415161718
Sebastian Vettel80.4479.28379.06180.59579.36981.37480.85679.28478.79978.90579.06878.7579.29178.60178.89278.31779.77678.266
Mark Webber79.96979.66679.21278.95978.65978.71879.30779.17779.3380.09582.69480.956
Fernando Alonso79.36579.18978.9981.46778.95178.68181.2878.12578.46978.1878.1978.30178.34878.246
Felipe Massa80.85779.94580.27479.91579.94879.01378.97782.8278.68978.76678.53178.87182.88978.467
Jenson Button77.51584.00777.14379.34682.3976.71576.705
Sergio Perez82.33881.83780.97681.02480.40880.30280.84180.57681.36391.43680.06279.73183.51979.64979.09379.5179.493
Kimi Raikkonen82.29779.62179.91280.0679.73880.02380.04879.93779.7979.88483.5680.1583.785
Romain Grosjean80.78680.59880.46580.55680.58380.62380.59384.775
Nico Rosberg83.43782.29281.59682.75179.77182.00379.80979.89891.25979.28181.86380.35679.95479.68879.47979.627
Lewis Hamilton83.54980.49980.28780.1680.37883.42279.979.88179.72979.68579.72679.66679.878.949
Nico Hulkenberg82.75782.40481.99381.87185.78481.63981.48681.86381.46680.83180.55581.29380.75980.34379.965
Esteban Gutierrez81.25781.14381.00980.6880.68480.49480.70380.96881.30381.56381.401
Paul di Resta79.58876.87276.27186.92776.21288.70675.981
Adrian Sutil81.44980.62581.85180.16980.41880.46380.2481.2981.117
Pastor Maldonado83.35382.31481.02981.41482.49681.5783.62892.75390.44682.13692.60980.5280.84690.17893.36482.31580.87180.716
Valtteri Bottas84.13581.60580.96380.94390.90880.85580.70881.31680.86780.53880.45
Jean-Eric Vergne80.880.06880.73985.10880.55682.51280.42180.58380.30380.517
Daniel Ricciardo81.79580.96280.87980.23380.08280.23780.15280.50780.17781.02780.36879.98879.76179.57680.817
Charles Pic81.6481.17380.46883.46180.29480.61583.139
Giedo van der Garde83.31882.23983.18782.62383.41285.39882.91182.53282.663
Jules Bianchi82.10381.6185.5884.14481.47480.68580.51380.63584.27680.99681.531
Max Chilton81.34783.15481.45783.04181.06280.76480.84580.67481.05582.86980.88281.83680.48480.335

Sector times and ultimate lap times

PosNo.DriverCarS1S2S2UltimateGapDeficit to best
110Lewis HamiltonMercedes20.705 (2)24.042 (3)29.964 (1)1’14.7110.119
23Fernando AlonsoFerrari20.656 (1)24.020 (2)30.063 (2)1’14.7390.0280.079
31Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault20.804 (5)23.926 (1)30.112 (3)1’14.8420.1310.438
48Romain GrosjeanLotus-Renault20.895 (7)24.061 (4)30.124 (5)1’15.0800.3690.003
52Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault20.716 (3)24.081 (6)30.362 (12)1’15.1590.4480.053
69Nico RosbergMercedes20.751 (4)24.321 (12)30.112 (3)1’15.1840.4730.065
74Felipe MassaFerrari20.909 (8)24.139 (7)30.206 (7)1’15.2540.5430.000
815Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes20.977 (12)24.147 (8)30.272 (10)1’15.3960.6850.000
95Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes20.968 (11)24.232 (9)30.199 (6)1’15.3990.6880.023
1019Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso-Ferrari20.825 (6)24.368 (14)30.257 (9)1’15.4500.7390.116
117Kimi RaikkonenLotus-Renault20.948 (9)24.267 (10)30.305 (11)1’15.5200.8090.079
126Sergio PerezMcLaren-Mercedes20.965 (10)24.080 (5)30.517 (13)1’15.5620.8510.099
1314Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes21.224 (14)24.319 (11)30.243 (8)1’15.7861.0750.069
1416Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Renault21.121 (13)24.477 (16)30.639 (15)1’16.2371.5260.082
1517Valtteri BottasWilliams-Renault21.224 (14)24.366 (13)30.745 (18)1’16.3351.6240.039
1618Jean-Eric VergneToro Rosso-Ferrari21.282 (16)24.501 (17)30.568 (14)1’16.3511.6400.000
1712Esteban GutierrezSauber-Ferrari21.401 (18)24.391 (15)30.658 (16)1’16.4501.7390.025
1811Nico HulkenbergSauber-Ferrari21.433 (19)24.561 (18)30.791 (19)1’16.7852.0740.144
1922Jules BianchiMarussia-Cosworth21.449 (20)24.882 (20)30.739 (17)1’17.0702.3590.000
2020Charles PicCaterham-Renault21.357 (17)24.838 (19)30.980 (20)1’17.1752.4640.061
2123Max ChiltonMarussia-Cosworth21.787 (22)25.034 (22)31.003 (21)1’17.8243.1130.064
2221Giedo van der GardeCaterham-Renault21.678 (21)25.012 (21)31.513 (22)1’18.2033.4920.189

Complete practice times

PosDriverCarFP1FP2Total laps
1Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’21.3081’14.81864
2Lewis HamiltonMercedes1’25.0541’14.83066
3Romain GrosjeanLotus-Renault1’21.2581’15.08361
4Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’23.1311’15.21262
5Nico RosbergMercedes1’22.4021’15.24968
6Felipe MassaFerrari1’23.3411’15.25456
7Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’23.0471’15.28067
8Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’23.4171’15.39662
9Jenson ButtonMcLaren1’21.1081’15.42249
10Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso-Ferrari1’22.0681’15.56656
11Kimi RaikkonenLotus-Renault1’21.6081’15.59957
12Sergio PerezMcLaren1’22.5871’15.66156
13Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’21.0201’15.85532
14Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Renault1’27.5221’16.31957
15Jean-Eric VergneToro Rosso-Ferrari1’23.3861’16.35157
16Valtteri BottasWilliams-Renault1’23.3521’16.37457
17Esteban GutierrezSauber-Ferrari1’23.9571’16.47578
18Nico HulkenbergSauber-Ferrari1’25.3541’16.92957
19Jules BianchiMarussia-Cosworth1’29.3061’17.07049
20Charles PicCaterham-Renault1’17.23635
21Max ChiltonMarussia-Cosworth1’25.8211’17.88864
22Giedo van der GardeCaterham-Renault1’25.7531’18.39260
23Alexander RossiCaterham-Renault1’27.14320

Speed trap

#DriverCarEngineMax speed (kph)Gap
119Daniel RicciardoToro RossoFerrari323.1
215Adrian SutilForce IndiaMercedes3194.1
312Esteban GutierrezSauberFerrari318.94.2
414Paul di RestaForce IndiaMercedes318.94.2
59Nico RosbergMercedesMercedes318.54.6
63Fernando AlonsoFerrariFerrari317.65.5
723Max ChiltonMarussiaCosworth317.55.6
85Jenson ButtonMcLarenMercedes317.45.7
94Felipe MassaFerrariFerrari317.35.8
1010Lewis HamiltonMercedesMercedes317.25.9
1122Jules BianchiMarussiaCosworth317.25.9
1218Jean-Eric VergneToro RossoFerrari316.96.2
136Sergio PerezMcLarenMercedes316.76.4
148Romain GrosjeanLotusRenault316.66.5
1516Pastor MaldonadoWilliamsRenault316.56.6
1617Valtteri BottasWilliamsRenault315.77.4
172Mark WebberRed BullRenault315.27.9
187Kimi RaikkonenLotusRenault315.27.9
191Sebastian VettelRed BullRenault3158.1
2011Nico HulkenbergSauberFerrari314.58.6
2121Giedo van der GardeCaterhamRenault311.511.6
2220Charles PicCaterhamRenault309.913.2

2013 Canadian Grand Prix

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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...

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23 comments on “Alonso heads times but Hamilton has fastest sectors”

  1. Ferrari ‘s long run was approximately 1 sec faster than Lotus / lap

    Game over. Its ferrari’s race to lose.

    1. They did do a shorter run than the Red Bull’s though and weren’t significantly faster…

      1. I heard similar statement after Barcelona Fp2…..guess what…both ferrari dominate the field with outright pace.

        1. (cough) monaco…

          1. their long stint pace wasn’t great at monaco.. 3rd fastest from keith’s charts if I remember correctly .

        2. Of course it’s no formality @manished! The signs are there though that both should be pretty strong.

      2. @vettel1 I’d say that the Red bull like I had predicted are the class of the field in this type of tracks, as shown at Sahkir. Some people said the Mercedes rears problem was with lateral g’s rather than longitudinal, so that’s busted as they struggled with rear temps. Finally I though Ferrari would struggle with front temperatures and rear grip but Alonsos run on ss was cautiously impressive as Ferrari always run light. If it’s wet it’s RedBull ftw, if it’s dry it’s RedBull anyway. They never won at Montreal, honestly I don’t rememeber why as they did the last 2 poles at Canada.

        1. @vettel1
          Alonso’s long run

          1:19.3
          1:19.1
          1:18.9
          1:21.4 – Held up by traffic.
          1:18.9
          1:18.6
          1:21.2 – Held up by traffic again.
          1:18.1
          1:18.4
          1:18.1
          1:18.1
          1:18.3
          1:18.3
          1:18.2

          14 laps of Alonso pushing on his tyres, yet still going consistently quicker and quicker.

          1. Pushing is a relative term…

  2. Looks like Ferrari are doing a 3 stopper, Red Bull perhaps 2 stopper.

  3. Looking like Hamilton for Pole and probably Alonso for the win at this rate. The mercedes’ last laps on their option stints were quick, so they’re nursing them, but they are keeping life in them. They might have good enough race pace for a podium maybe

  4. Ricciardo in the speed trap though, wow! he’s gonna breeze past people in the race

    1. Yes, the speed differential between him and Vergne is interesting. I wonder if they ran different wing settings.

      1. No, Ricciardo’s only got a stronger right foot.

    2. That figure might have been a bit flattered by a good tow.

      1. Won’t matter. With drs open, everyone will be on the rev limiter through the speed traps.
        A good tow will improve acceleration but not top speed, that’s determined by the gearing

  5. I’m quietly optimistic, seeing that Alonso’s long run pace is noticeable fastest. They just need to realize it on Sunday.

  6. the kimster should just get his **** together, qualify near the front row, do 1 less stop less than the others and the win is his.

  7. Has Hamilton posted his fastest lap on a long stint on the last lap of a practice session before this season?

    Or do I need to take off the tin hat?

  8. Mercedes have already covered 134 laps of 4.361km, which equals 584km on this Friday alone. That’s already more than half a Pirelli test ;-)

  9. Hamilton is pushing the car trying to find out where he has been failing in previous attempts, everyone’s else is “just” practicing. Alonso for pole.

  10. They way its looking now we could have a major fight in the race between Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. Mercedes and Red Bull seem naturally fast around here but the Ferrari can do longer stints and are quicker on the straights vs the Red Bull. Lotus doesn’t seem to have the pace but we all know they have no tyre issues, I wouldn’t rule them out to be in the mix (Kimi that is, not Romain).

    1. Lotus’ team report mentioned they failed to switch on the tyre due to extreme cool condition……

Comments are closed.