Start critical for Vettel’s rivals as rain risk fades

2013 Korean Grand Prix pre-race analysis

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With the prospect of rain during the Korean Grand Prix looking increasingly unlikely, Sebastian Vettel’s rivals must capitalise on the start as their last, best chance of keeping him from victory.

Weather

As early as Wednesday the consensus among weather forecasts was that Tropical Storm Fitow would head away from South Korea and towards China. Nonetheless many headlines appeared claiming a typhoon was going to hit the track on Sunday.

Confidence in the predictions that the storm will stay away has continued to grow since then. At most F1 may see some rain during the build-up to the race, and there is a decent chance Sunday will remain dry until the chequered flag.

“The threat of storms has certainly abated somewhat since the beginning of the week,” said Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane. “However I think we can still expect to catch the outskirts of the bad weather meaning we could see some rain overnight and early tomorrow morning if not for the race itself.”

Overnight rain may reduce what little rubber build-up there has already been at the track, giving teams that were already having problems with graining even more of a headache.

The start

With two long straights immediately following the first corner there is plenty of potential for position-swapping at the start of the race.

From second on the grid, Lewis Hamilton has a vital chance to launch an attack on Sebastian Vettel. Last year Vettel started from second place and got down the inside of pole sitter Mark Webber, taking the lead of the race which he went on to win.

But there are plenty of drivers pinning their hopes on getting away well at the start, including Fernando Alonso, who made an excellent getaway in Singapore two weeks ago.

McLaren have opted for a longer seventh gear ratio which they expect will help them on the straights. “The first couple of laps should be really interesting for us,” said Button.

Strategy

A two-stop strategy was the preferred route for most drivers last year and Pirelli expect the same to be the case this year, despite having replaced the soft tyre compound with the medium

However some teams are concerned about how long they will be able to make the super-soft tyres last, including Ferrari. Alonso said the weekend so far has been “harder than usual”.

“Up until now we have always had a good race pace,” he explained. “Both yesterday and today we suffered on the long runs and that means we must absolutely improve for tomorrow.”

“We have a few problems with the tyres which we are unable to manage as well as the others: there’s a lot of graining and if you push very hard in the first sector you almost risk being unable to finish the lap. We will have to find the right compromise to get them to survive the number of laps proposed by our engineers, because the ideal strategy is still a two stop.”

Mercedes are more positive about their chances for tomorrow’s race which should give them a chance to regain ground lost to Ferrari in the constructors’ championship and perhaps even take on Red Bull. “Our high-fuel performance in Friday practice looked pretty strong and I am sure we can have a reasonable race on that basis,” said Ross Brawn.

Another team to keep an eye on is Force India, as Paul di Resta was able to run longer on the super-softs than many of his rivals in Singapore. He’s hoping for more of the same tomorrow.

“We’ve been focussing more on our race pace – as we did in Singapore,” said Di Resta. “Hopefully that will pay off for us tomorrow because our long run performance and tyre wear yesterday appeared to be very good.”

The front-right tyre takes the most punishment at this track as Vettel almost discovered to his cost last year. Having locked up the tyre early on he had to take great care to preserve it later in the race.

He will start on the super-soft tyre, as will every driver who reached Q3, including Mark Webber despite his subsequent demotion to 13th. He admitted afterwards he’d “taken a bit of pace out of the car” in qualifying – i.e. sacrificed downforce to cut drag and improve his straight-line speed.

Here’s all the data from qualifying for the Korean Grand Prix:

Qualifying times in full

DriverCarQ1

Q2 (vs Q1)

Q3 (vs Q2)
1Sebastian VettelRed Bull1’38.6831’37.569 (-1.114)1’37.202 (-0.367)
2Lewis HamiltonMercedes1’38.5741’37.824 (-0.750)1’37.420 (-0.404)
3Mark WebberRed Bull1’39.1381’37.840 (-1.298)1’37.464 (-0.376)
4Romain GrosjeanLotus1’39.0651’38.076 (-0.989)1’37.531 (-0.545)
5Nico RosbergMercedes1’38.4181’38.031 (-0.387)1’37.679 (-0.352)
6Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’38.5201’37.978 (-0.542)1’38.038 (+0.060)
7Felipe MassaFerrari1’38.8841’38.295 (-0.589)1’38.223 (-0.072)
8Nico HulkenbergSauber1’38.4271’37.913 (-0.514)1’38.237 (+0.324)
9Esteban GutierrezSauber1’38.7251’38.327 (-0.398)1’38.405 (+0.078)
10Kimi RaikkonenLotus1’38.3411’38.181 (-0.160)1’38.822 (+0.641)
11Sergio PerezMcLaren1’39.0491’38.362 (-0.687)
12Jenson ButtonMcLaren1’38.8821’38.365 (-0.517)
13Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso1’38.5251’38.417 (-0.108)
14Adrian SutilForce India1’38.9881’38.431 (-0.557)
15Paul di RestaForce India1’39.1851’38.718 (-0.467)
16Jean-Eric VergneToro Rosso1’39.0751’38.781 (-0.294)
17Valtteri BottasWilliams1’39.470
18Pastor MaldonadoWilliams1’39.987
19Charles PicCaterham1’40.864
20Giedo van der GardeCaterham1’40.871
21Jules BianchiMarussia1’41.169
22Max ChiltonMarussia1’41.322

Sector times

DriverSector 1Sector 2Sector 3
Sebastian Vettel34.404 (2)42.685 (4)20.005 (1)
Lewis Hamilton34.630 (12)42.599 (1)20.172 (4)
Mark Webber34.502 (6)42.668 (3)20.154 (3)
Romain Grosjean34.653 (14)42.612 (2)20.229 (5)
Nico Rosberg34.609 (9)42.738 (5)20.129 (2)
Fernando Alonso34.457 (4)42.901 (6)20.444 (7)
Felipe Massa34.493 (5)43.200 (13)20.437 (6)
Nico Hulkenberg34.382 (1)43.011 (8)20.518 (10)
Esteban Gutierrez34.626 (11)43.078 (10)20.535 (11)
Kimi Raikkonen34.590 (7)42.907 (7)20.457 (8)
Sergio Perez34.612 (10)43.086 (11)20.650 (13)
Jenson Button34.653 (14)43.032 (9)20.624 (12)
Daniel Ricciardo34.649 (13)43.180 (12)20.509 (9)
Adrian Sutil34.443 (3)43.302 (15)20.686 (15)
Paul di Resta34.606 (8)43.285 (14)20.696 (16)
Jean-Eric Vergne34.727 (16)43.382 (16)20.672 (14)
Valtteri Bottas34.985 (18)43.656 (17)20.829 (18)
Pastor Maldonado34.920 (17)43.912 (18)20.809 (17)
Charles Pic35.141 (19)44.639 (21)21.084 (20)
Giedo van der Garde35.245 (20)44.572 (20)21.054 (19)
Jules Bianchi35.388 (22)44.412 (19)21.369 (22)
Max Chilton35.323 (21)44.679 (22)21.320 (21)

Speed trap

PosDriverCarSpeed (kph/mph)Gap
1Fernando AlonsoFerrari320.0 (198.8)
2Felipe MassaFerrari319.4 (198.5)-0.6
3Mark WebberRed Bull319.0 (198.2)-1.0
4Sergio PerezMcLaren318.8 (198.1)-1.2
5Esteban GutierrezSauber317.7 (197.4)-2.3
6Nico HulkenbergSauber317.6 (197.3)-2.4
7Lewis HamiltonMercedes317.5 (197.3)-2.5
8Jean-Eric VergneToro Rosso317.4 (197.2)-2.6
9Adrian SutilForce India317.2 (197.1)-2.8
10Paul di RestaForce India317.0 (197.0)-3.0
11Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso316.5 (196.7)-3.5
12Sebastian VettelRed Bull315.8 (196.2)-4.2
13Nico RosbergMercedes315.6 (196.1)-4.4
14Jenson ButtonMcLaren314.4 (195.4)-5.6
15Pastor MaldonadoWilliams313.4 (194.7)-6.6
16Valtteri BottasWilliams313.3 (194.7)-6.7
17Max ChiltonMarussia312.3 (194.1)-7.7
18Jules BianchiMarussia312.1 (193.9)-7.9
19Giedo van der GardeCaterham310.7 (193.1)-9.3
20Charles PicCaterham310.4 (192.9)-9.6
21Kimi RaikkonenLotus310.3 (192.8)-9.7
22Romain GrosjeanLotus310.2 (192.7)-9.8

Over to you

What does the Korean Grand Prix have in store for us? Can anyone keep Vettel from another win? And how will the all-important start unfold?

Share your views on the race and the weekend so far in the comments.

2013 Korean Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
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    42 comments on “Start critical for Vettel’s rivals as rain risk fades”

    1. @keithcollantine was this intended, it doesn’t read right to me:

      “sacrificed downforce to but drag and improve his straight-line speed.”

      as always, ur analysis is always great

      1. “But” should be “reduce” or words to that effect

      2. @dragoll Changed it, thanks.

    2. Unless technical problems develop, Vettel is unstoppable. The race is for second.

      1. not really, the race is for first, Hamilton has a car quick enough to do it this weekend, we will see tomorrow if he is fast enough to do it, I suspect not, as vettel is the best driver (along with Alonso, but his car wont compete) during a whole racer – mr. consistency.

        1. W (@yesyesyesandyesagain)
          5th October 2013, 17:34

          The Ferraris are setup for top speed it looks like; I would not be surprised to see Alonso and Hamilton fighting for second. That huge straight makes passing with DRS pretty easy.

          1. ” I would not be surprised to see Alonso and Hamilton fighting for second. That huge straight makes passing with DRS pretty easy.”

            For Alonso to challenge Grojean and Hamilton, he would need to produce something special in the third sector, so that he can closely follow the cars ahead to use DRS. Ferrari are well-off the pace in that sector and even if Alonso does outmaneuver HAM, GRO and HULK at the start he’ll have a hard time keeping the Lotus drivers and HAM at bay.

        2. But if Alonso is right about the tyres not lasting the 1st. lap anything could happen, unfortunately this probably means everybody tippy-toeing around inline behind Vettel for the 1st. 50+ laps.

    3. Hamilton was quicker than Vettel in Long run chart yesterday. We have to see whether its true or not .

    4. Now having looked at the time comparisons actually, Alonso really should’ve mounted more of a challenge to Rosberg. The average improvement between Q2 and Q3 (excluding Räikkönen who was abnormally slow and Alonso himself) was 0.214s – that would have put him 0.085s behind Rosberg, using the best times for both drivers as the benchmark.

      The average positive improvement (i.e. excluding all who didn’t improve) was 0.353s, which would’ve put him ahead of Rosberg by 0.061s.

      Clearly the biggest loser was Räikkönen though: had he improved by the same 0.353s margin, he’d have been starting 5th (relative to the actual Q3 times of the drivers) on a 1:37.828. If that had happend, Lotus could’ve been on for a double podium possibly if their Friday long-run pace was a genuine representation.

      1. I think the drivers who set their lap times earlier in Q3 were able to improve on their Q2 times compared to the ones who set it later, such as Alonso. Maybe track evolution went the other way a bit in the final session. Perhaps a temperature drop or something.

      2. I wonder if Alonso may benefit from starting sixth as opposed to fifth, I mean considering the short run to the first corner, it could be argued that pole position is on the wrong side.

        1. @slr he’s starting 5th due to Webber’s penalty, bear in mind ;)

          1. Although having read it twice, did you mean Alonso *could’ve benefited?

            1. No I forgot about Webber’s penalty, so thanks for the correction. ;)

            2. Not a problem @slr! You seem to be right though: since the whole circuit is generally low-grip, second can just brake slightly later and force 1st wide (mirrored from all even and odd positions). So being odd-numbered could actually be a disadvantage, you are correct.

    5. Here’s a likely scenario for the start:
      Vettel gets a decent getaway and after a great exit out of turns 1 and 2, disappears into the distance, never to be seen again, in classic 2011 style. Behind him Hamilton has a slower start, and will be busy fending off Grosjean, Rosberg, and Alonso, with the latter ending up second by turn four.

      As for the qualifying, I got a little bit excited when I saw Hamilton’s 42.5 in the middle sector, although it turned out to be only a 42.599. I think Lewis could possibly have found a bit more time in S3, but Vettel was out of reach today anyway.

      I’m curious to see what Webber can do from P13 today. I think Mark has put in plenty of solid performances this season, but without any stand-out drives like last year Monaco and Silverstone, the year feels a bit wasted. A podium will be a long shot tomorrow, though at least he shouldn’t have the excuse of short gears in the race.

      1. That’s a typical start that’s happened in most races so far . I hope it does not tomorrow though.

      2. Grosjean is lurking just behind Vettel, this could be the best scenario for someone other than Vettel winning. There is an outside chance that Grosjean will take Vettel out in turn 1 or 2. jws

    6. Also, interesting that Nico Hulkenberg was the fastest man in S1 and high in the speed traps (6th, 2.4km/h behind Alonso). On average of the cars ahead of him, he holds a 7.1km/h speed advantage, so if he makes a good start he might be one to watch in the opening laps.

      1. Sorry, forgot to divide that value by 6! So 1.2 then!

    7. Vettel on pole and chance of rain gone. great…

    8. Just wondering will Webber have to start the race on the tyres he qualified on or does he get a free choice?

      1. on the tyres he set his fastest time on in q3

    9. Hyping The Hulk’s race. This track seems to suit the sauber better, maybe he can deliver a strong result.

    10. Funny Webber says that, yet he’s 6th fastest on the first sector, and his times improve on the 2nd and 3rd ones. Even faster than Vettel on the fast corners of sector 2 !

      1. He wasn’t givin’ it everything as he need some fresh tyres at the start

        1. That really is ridiculous isn’t it, trying to save the tyres in a qualifying lap!?

          1. I mean it’s not as if he just said ” okay I’m takin it easy ” He tried but did not overexert .

    11. I hope Hamilton attacks Vettel at the start, but he usually is very weak against Vettel. I don’t have any problem with Vettel winning the race, but please, let’s have some fight at the top.

    12. Clean air will benefit the driver leading by the end of the first lap. Vettle’s starts are pretty good, Hamilton has his work cut out for him. Then it may come down to the cars and drivers able to do better long runs and maybe even a one stop strategy. Interesting that DiResta was able to do the longest runs on super softs, but I would look more at Grosjean being in the position to make a one stopper work and considering his starting position.

    13. Looking at the speed trap datas, Grosjean could be a sitting duck on the first sector of lap 1.

      The Lotus is 5 to 10 kph slower than its main rivals in the longer straight, which I think will cost them a lot defending positions, and even more for overtaking in traffic.

    14. I think Grosjean can actually win this if he can make the SS last a little longer…

      1. you having a laugh grosjean always chokes the starts for some reason would be surprised if hes fifth by the end of the first lap

        1. I’m convinced it’s because the Lotus is easy on the tyres. RG’s car really didn’t start to work until the end of the first lap in Singapore. Even Kimi had lost places at the start of races this year, I think the E21 just doesn’t work the tyre hard enough at the start of the race.

    15. Rosberg out-started Vettel last race, and I see no reason why Hamilton wouldn’t take the lead doing the same. The probability must be in the 20-40% range, and not something like 5% as many seem to write it off.

      1. And Vettel has out-started Mercedes’ in several races. It can go either way.

    16. If only Raikkonen qualified 3rd Lotus could actually win imo

    17. I think there is a possibility that Hamilton can do what rosberg did at the start of Singapore and hold it together

    18. Maybe i’ve played too much F12013 today but the gear ratio’s for this track will be much different to Singapore so Vettel should get back to his standard good starts.

    19. Why does everyone think rain is going to be the one thing that can stop one of the best wet weather drivers?

      1. In my opinion button is the best wet weather driver . The way he read the grip in brazil 2012 was phenomenal . He may not be a hotshot interms of one lap pace but he is a great driver on any ” chaotic race day”

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