Indian GP:  Oh so close for Williams F1

The Williams F1 team would see their drivers start from fifteenth and eighteenth with Valtteri Bottas out-qualifying team-mate Pastor Maldonado for the 2013 Indian Grand Prix. After qualifying there was a lot of discussion regarding tyre strategies with several drivers in the top ten choosing to run the prime medium tyre in the final period of qualifying. Thee was four drivers in the top ten running the medium tyre including Webber, Alonso, Button, and Perez. On pole was Vettel with the Mercedes of Rosberg and Hamilton in second and third. Pirelli had advised that the soft tyres should only be used for a maximum of fifteen laps and the mediums thirty five. When the drivers running on the soft tyre was a big question over the early stages of the race. There were two DRS zones at this circuit, one down the pit straight and the other the long back straight into Turn four.

The drivers would move ahead on their parade lap and Vettel would come back and stop on his place on the grid. The field would from up and the lights would go out and it would be a great start from Hamilton. In the start Alonso's car would get damaged and going into Turn four Massa would pass the two Mercedes cars to be second with Webber down in seventh after a poor start. For Williams Pastor had made a great start to be thirteenth while Valtteri was seventeenth. Di Resta and Vergne would both pit both taking on the medium tyre in what was a planned move. Pic and Van der Gar would both pit this time as a result of contact.

Vettel would pit after just two laps seeing Massa take the lead. Vettel was now on the medium tyre as Alonso came in with his front wing being replaced and he would continue on the medium tyre. Pastor was running on the soft tyre for his first run while Valtteri was on the medium. At the front Massa was leading Rosberg was 1.1 seconds. Hamilton was third and Hulkenberg fourth followed by Raikkonen, Webber, Perez, Ricciardo, Button, and Sutil in tenth. Pastor was now in eleventh and Valtteri fourteenth. Van der Gar would retire in his pit while on lap six Hulkenberg would pit taking on the medium tyre. Alonso would complain about the handling of his car after having made contact with several cars at the start including Webber and Button. Webber would pass Raikkonen for fourth as Button pitted on lap seven taking on the soft tyre. Perez would also pass Raikkonen with Raikkonen struggling on the soft tyres.

Rosberg would pit on lap eight joined by Raikkonen. Both would take on the medium tyre with Vettel passing Valtteri for twelfth. Massa was told to pit on lap nine and he would come in joined by Hamilton. Pastor would also come in with all taking on the medium tyre. Pastor was in tenth when he pitted with Valtteri one place behind. Pastor would drop to seventeenth while Valtteri was now in ninth despite having been passed by Hamilton. Gutierrez would get a drive through penalty for a jumped start which he would take on lap seventeen. Lap twenty and Webber was still in the lead with Perez now second and Vettel third. Vettel would pass Perez for second using his DRS gong into Turn four. In fourth was Ricciardo followed by Sutil, Massa, Rosberg, Hamilton, Valtteri, and Hulkenberg in tenth. The other championship contender Alonso was down in thirteenth. Lap twenty two and Webber was leading by 11.6 seconds as Raikkonen was told to start cooling his car.

Rosberg was attacking the Ferrari of Massa trying to pass him at Turn four but he would run wide seeing Massa come back past. Both Hulkenberg and Raikkonen would get past Valtteri with Valtteri now eleventh. Valtteri had locked up as Hulkenberg tried to go around the outside at Turn four with Hulkenberg taking to the run-off to make the pass. Vettel continued to close in onto Webber with the gap 10.2 seconds after lap twenty six. Gutierrez and Vergne would both pit on lap twenty seven seeing Pastor move up to be fifteenth. Rosberg would pit on lap twenty eight taking on another set of mediums returning in thirteenth. At the front Webber would pit on lap twenty nine joined by Perez. Webber was now on the softer tyre as was Perez. Perez would come back out in seventh behind Massa and Hamilton. Webber would return in second place with Ricciardo third. Perez was able to get past Hamilton to be sixth as Webber set a new fastest lap. lap thirty one and Massa and Hamilton would both pit joined by Di Resta and Alonso.

Vettel would pit again on lap thirty two with this most likely to be his last stop. For Williams Valtteri would pit from eighth making his first stop staying on the medium tyre. This would mean he would have to stop again as Webber pitted again for the final time. Webber would come out behind Ricciardo who was in second. Button would pit from fifteenth making it his third stop. Hulkenberg and Valtteri were under investigation for their incident that saw Hulkenberg run wide and off the track. Lap thirty four and Ricciardo would pit along with Perez and Hulkenberg. Pastor was running in twelfth and Valtteri fifteenth. Even with the pit strops in front of them their positions would not change while at the front Vettel was leading Webber by 12.7 seconds after thirty five laps. Sutil was in third but yet to stop, with Raikkonen fourth followed by Rosberg, Grosjean, Massa, Ricciardo, Hamilton, and Perez in tenth.

Alonso would pit again on lap thirty seven as Raikkonen passed Sutil for third using his DRS. Lap thirty nine and both Ricciardo and Pastor would both pit with both coming back out on the medium tyres. But for Webber his race would end on lap forty one with a retirement at the side of the track been told to stop his car due to a problem with his alternator. Yet another DNF for Webber as on lap forty two Sutil would make his first stop coming back out on the softer tyre. For Williams Valtteri was now eleventh and Pastor fifteenth. Valtteri had been passed by Gutierrez for eleventh on lap forty six using his DRS at Turn four, with Ricciardo also looking to get past the Williams. We had Sutil, Gutierrez, Valtteri, Ricciardo, and Alonso all running close together. For Lotus their cars were in second and fourth as on lap forty eight Gutierrez would pit. Alonso would pass Valtteri for twelfth seeing Valtteri and Pastor running close together in thirteenth and fourteenth.

Ten laps remaining in the race with Vettel leading comfortable from Raikkonen and Rosberg. Valtteri would make his final stop on lap fifty one taking on the soft tyre for the run to the finish. Pastor was now in thirteenth and Valtteri now seventeenth as Rosberg would pass Raikkonen for second using DRS at Turn four. Raikkonen and Grosjean were now third and fourth with Massa fifth. Sixth was Hamilton followed by Perez, Hulkenberg, Di Resta, and Sutil in tenth. Lap fifty four and Hulkenberg would pit from eighth taking on the soft tyres. Perez was now challenging Hamilton for sixth as Hulkenberg pitted again to retire his car in his pits. Pastor was now in twelfth with the two Lotus cars now fighting over third. Grosjean would try to pass Raikkonen using his DRS at Turn four. The two would make contact with Grosjean finally getting past going into the final corner coming onto the start straight.