Podium finish in Spa for Force India

By Bigpip
August 30 2009

Giancarlo Fisichella has given Force India their first ever podium finish at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. A superb race where the Italian driver was never more than a second or two behind the prancing horse of the winner Kimi Raikkonen. Fisi seemed only to have been beaten by a KERS button!

Here's how the race panned out from my perspective.

Parade Lap.
All away.  Fisi weaving around to get the heat in the tyres.  

Lap 1
875 Race starts between the drivers on the first two rows!
Will Fisi get away in front?  Will it rain?

Fisi away well and leads into la source.  Rubens hits the anti-stall.  Bit of a tangle at the first corner.  Sutil looses his front wing.  Safety car as four cars including Button and Hamilton out.

Lap 4
Safety car in.
Fisichella first into La Source and Eau Rouge,  Raikonnen all over the back of him.  Takes him on the way up to turn 3  Fisi attempts to take the place back.

Lap 5
Kimi sets the fastest lap

Lap 6
Rubens passing all and sundry.  Adrian 15th behind Trulli who started 2nd.  Badoer in front of him.

Lap 7
Kimi not really stretching a lead over Fisi.  Three laps on and theres less than 1.5 seconds in it.
Sutil passes Badoer.  On screen graphics show that Fisi very quick in the final sector, keeping pace with the Kers equipped Ferrari.

Lap 8
Sutil trumps Nakajima  Fab move.
Brundel sounds surprised that Fisi has pace here.
Next target for Adrian is Rubens in the Brawn

Lap 9
kimi, Fisi, Kubica, Glock, Webber, Heidfeld.

Lap 11
Fisi can go a bit further into the race thanks to the Safety Car.

Lap 12
Kubica and Glock pit.
Kovalinen told that he could be top 6 if pace continues.

Lap 13
Fisi due in soon?  Goes through with Raikonnen still in view.  Renault think they can jump Fisi in the pit stop.
Sutil catching Barrichello.  Gap was 2 seconds.  Down to 1.3

Lap 14
Kimi in and Fisi straight in too.  Good stop, long fill for Kimi.  Fisi just behind.  Near collision in pit lane with Webber and Heidfeld.  Heidfeld takes position back.

Lap 15
Webber struggling  Barichello takes him easily. Sutil right behind.  Investigation for webber.  Sutil attempts an overtake.  Webber has a drive through.  Unsafe release from pit box.  Good news for Jenson who went out on the first lap.

Lap 16
Vettel pits from the lead. Rosberg leads.   Fisi is hanging in there.

Lap 17
Will Rosberg back Raikkonen up?  Alonso in 4th but not yet stopped.

Lap 18
First lap incident to be investigated after the race.
Webber serves his drive through.  Fisi gets lead down to less than a second!

Lap 19
Alonso up to 3rd.  Fisi actually taking time out of Raikkonen.

Lap 20
Kers flings Kimi up Eau Rouge.  Fisi holds on through pure aerodynamics! Trulli pits again for 2nd stop.

Lap 21
Fisi still only a second behind Kimi
Buemi pits
Tulli pits again.  Kimi being told to push it
Trulli out after starting second.

Lap 22 - Half way
Sutil up to 9th place.  Had a bit of an off.  Rosberg all over the back of him.
Fisi 0.8s behind Kimi

Lap 23
Fisi 0.7 behind Kimi
Brundell lost for words!  "Extroadinary!"

Lap 24
Alonso pits for the only time today.  Wheel stuck.  Fernando sitting in the car for 35 seconds.  Plus entry and exit that's ruined his race.

Lap 25
Replay shows Alonso took Sutil's wing off in the first corner.  Badoer pits.
Sutil in points scorring position in 8th.

Lap 26
Kubica 3rd.  Fisi still sucking on Kimi's exhaust.  Alonso about to retire - Front left problem.
Kovalinen into the pits
Big puff of blue smoke from Webbers car.  Buemi all over the back of Kovalinen
Sutil stopped but come back out in 9th.

Lap 27
Fisi still matching Kimi lap for lap.  Fisi could really win this.
Barichello stops - Good drive up to 6th for Rubens.

Lap 28
Lots of brake dust coming off Raikkonen's car.
Gap up to 1 second. Kubica being caught by Vettel

Lap 29
Gap is increasing but only just.  Who jumps first?  Kimi or Fisi?  Sutil drops to 12th place.

Lap 30
Raikonnen pulling forward to 1.2 seconds.  Fisi should be second.  Kubica pits for his second stop.  14 laps to go.
Ferrari in the pit and Fisi too.

Lap 31
Where can they come out.  Away before fisi gets to the box but Raikkonen gets out in front of Fisi.  Can Fisi close the gap and is kers worth it?

Lap 32
Vettel leads but needs to stop again.
Heidfeld pits.  Fisi setting fastest sector times.  Gap down to 1 second again.  Webber warned to stay off the kerbs in Eau Rouge.

Lap 33
Fisi 0.7s behind Kimi.  Vettel 11 seconds in front of Kimi but needs to stop again.

Lap 34
Unbelieveable gap between Kimi and Fisi.  What an amazing race for Force India.  Sutil holding station in 11th
Webber pits
Vettel pits.

Lap 35
This gap isn't going anywhere!
Vettel stays in front of Kubica.  Fisi .6 behind

Lap 36
Sutil .5s behind Glock.
Fisi .8s behind Kimi
Can Fisi push Kimi into an error?

Lap 37
Vettel sets fastest lap of the race.
Catching the back of Fisi
Ferrari can't believe Fisi's pace!

Lap 38
Good drive from Vettel
Sutil having a look at Glock.  Can't get past him.  Certainly got the speed.

Lap 39
Fisi maintaining the gap 0.8s   Vettel behind by 4 seconds

Lap 40
Vettel 3.6 seconds behind Fisi.  Fisi needs to push just a little harder to maintain that gap.  Vettel may need to back off to save some engines to the end of the season.

Lap 41
personal best lap set by Fisi.  3 laps to go.  He can't back off.  Gap to Vettel has gone back up to 4.4 seconds

Lap 42
Fisi again personal best
Barrichello engine smoking.  Looks about to go poom!
It's going to let go any moment.

Lap 43
Fisi again sets a personal best lap
Ruben's possible oil leak.  Leaders on final lap.
What a great race.  First podium for Force India, only beaten by a Kers car.

Good win for Kimi but an awesome result for Force India.  Excellent, Excellent.  Good finish for Adrian too in 11th.

2nd for Fisi but it'll feel like a win!