Abu Dhabi GP: Positive result for Williams
Rubens Barrichello
By Andrew Hooper
November 13 2011
The 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would see AT&T Williams F1 drivers Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado finishing the 12th and 14th, after having seen the pair start from the rear of the grid. Pastor could have come home higher up had it not been for a drive through penalty. The Williams team must be congratulated for trying to take something away from this race after such a difficult lead-up. Despite not having scored any points the team should feel a degree of satisfaction of their efforts. At least for Rubens he did not have any technical problems during the race after having a series of engine related issues over the weekend.
| Abu Dhabi GP Race Review |
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With the AT&T
Williams F1 team seeing their drivers start from the rear of the grid the
fifty five lap 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be a difficult one where
strategy would play a vital role. Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello
would start from twenty third and twenty fourth. With the sun starting to
set the grid would move away with Vettel leading the field away. Both of the
Williams cars would start the race on the prime medium tyre. Hamilton was
second from Button, Webber, Alonso, Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Sutil, and
Di Resta in tenth. Vettel would return to his grid spot and the grid would
form up and the lights would go out and it would be Vettel leading from Hamilton and Button.
But Vettel would be seen spinning off with a puncture of the rear right tyre
at Turn two. He would come back on while at the front Hamilton was leading
while Alonso would pass Button seeing Button now third and Webber fourth. |
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Both Sauber's were now at the
back of the field while for Williams both drivers continued their move
forward with Rubens fourteenth and Pastor fifteenth, still running on the
prime tyre. Lap eight and Hamilton's lead was now 2.4 seconds with Button a
further 3.7 seconds behind the Ferrari. Rubens was 2.5 seconds behind
thirteenth placed Kovalainen as Buemi and Di Resta continued to fight over
ninth. Both drivers would use the DRS in an attempt to keep in front. Sutil
was now starring to close in onto seventh placed Schumacher. Rubens had lost
a few tenths to now be 3.2 seconds behind Kovalainen after lap ten. Pastor
was 3.1 seconds behind Rubens as the track lights started to come into play. Webber would start to close in onto Button as Button told his engineer that he still had a problem. Rubens was now 5.2 seconds behind Kovalainen as Di Resta and Buemi continued to fight. Buemi would get past using his DRS but again Di Resta would re-pass the Torro Rosso but would make a mistake under braking seeing Buemi get past. Webber was now right behind Button while it was found that Button's problem was his KERS. Massa would pit from fifth on lap sixteen again taking the soft tyre, leaving the harder tyre for later in the race. Alguersuari would pit from twelfth as Massa came back in eighth. Lap seventeen and Hamilton and Alonso would both pit with both taking on the soft tyre. Button would also pit joined by Sutil and Schumacher. Kovalainen would also pit as we now had Webber in front but he would pit on lap eighteen. Hamilton would be back in the lead as Webber lost time in a long pit stop with a problem with is right rear tyre. Rosberg had also come in as Webber returned in fifth. Hamilton was now leading Alonso by 3.3 seconds from Button, Massa, and Webber. Lap nineteen and we would have Petrov and Rubens pit from eleventh and twelfth. Pastor was in thirteenth while seventh and eight placed Buemi and Di Resta had yet to pit. Sutil was now in seventh as Buemi had problems with his suspension seeing him return to his pit to retire. Di Resta had allowed Sutil past while for Williams Pastor was in tenth and Rubens had dropped to seventeenth as a result of his pit stop. |
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Lap twenty and Hamilton was
leading by 3.6 seconds over Alonso. Fourteenth placed Senna would pit on lap
twenty one Pastor was still in tenth and Rubens now fifteenth. Kobayashi
would pass Pastor for tenth as night set in. Ninth placed Di Resta was also
looking like been one a one stop strategy. Lap twenty seven and Pastor would finally come in and make his first stop. Pastor would nearly make contact with the wall in the pit exit. Rubens was now in thirteenth and Pastor fifteenth and one lap down. Fourth placed Massa was beginning to close in onto Button as one lap twenty eight Di Resta would pit. Perez would also pit again from thirteenth. Hamilton's lead was now 4.1 seconds over Alonso as Button, Massa, and Webber all rain close together. With the pit stops Kobayashi would move into ninth from Petrov and Rubens. Pastor would get a drive through penalty for ignoring blue flags. This really added to the Williams teams difficult weekend. Massa and Webber were fighting over fourth with Webber passing Massa and Massa re-passing Webber. Lap thirty one and Hamilton was leading by 5.6 seconds as Pastor would take his drive through penalty. Pastor was running just in front of Massa and Webber having got past Alguersuari for sixteenth. Rubens was right behind Petrov and he would pass taking tenth. Petrov and Di Resta would now be fighting over eleventh as on lap thirty five Kobayashi would pit from ninth. Pastor would find himself involved in the Massa and Webber fight as he tried to get out of their way, even at one point running off the track. Alonso had close the gap to Hamilton to just 4.4 seconds as on lap thirty six Rubens would make his second stop. Webber would also pit taking the soft tyre meaning his will have to stop again. Webber would come back out in sixth. Lap thirty seven and Button would pit from third taking on the hard tyre as Rubens dropped to fourteenth while Pastor was now in sixteenth. Sutil would pit from eighth as Rubens took thirteenth from Kovalainen. Senna would also get a drive through penalty for ignoring blue flags. Perez would pass Petrov for tenth and on lap forty Petrov would pit. Webber was now right behind Button as on lap forty one Hamilton would pit taking the prime tyre for his run to the flag. |
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Massa would pit from third while
Kovalainen would pit from thirteenth. Alonso was now leading Hamilton by
19.9 seconds from Rosberg, Button, Webber, Massa, Schumacher, Sutil, Di
Resta, and Perez in tenth. Webber would pass Button under braking after using his DRS. Pastor would be investigated after the race for ignoring the blue flags. Lap forty three and Schumacher would pit from seventh, taking on the harder tyre. Alonso would pit on lap forty four but he would have a HRT pit in front of him slowing him. Alonso would come out seeing Hamilton comfortably in the lead. Rubens was now twelfth and Pastor fourteenth. Rosberg was still in third as fourth placed Webber continued to push, knowing that he will have to stop again. Hamilton's lead was now 4.4 seconds with Rosberg 17.7 seconds behind the Ferrari. Rubens was 10.1 seconds behind eleventh placed Kobayashi so it would be difficult to close the gap. Pastor would lose part of the front wing of his car seeing Massa hit it, as Webber passed Rosberg using his DRS. Ten laps remaining and Hamilton had extended his lead out to 5.8 seconds with Webber 15.6 seconds behind Alonso. Kobayashi would pass team-mate Perez for tenth as Button closed in onto fourth placed Rosberg. Lap forty nine and Rosberg would pit from fifth taking on the hard tyres. Massa would spin at Turn one losing enough time to allow Webber to pass him when Webber would have to pit for the hard tyres. Rubens was no 5.4 seconds behind eleventh placed Perez but it was more a case of Perez slowing after been passed by team-mate Kobayashi. After lap fifty one this would be 2.8 seconds but Perez was now 12.4 seconds behind tenth. Pastor was still in a lonely fourteenth as Rubens had a fast closing Webber behind him. Two laps remaining and Hamilton was leading by 7.8 seconds from Alonso, Webber, Button, Massa, and Rosberg. Webber would pass Rubens and on lap fifty five Webber would pit taking on the hard tyre for his last lap. Webber would return in fourth place with Button now third. Hamilton would complete his last lap to take victory in the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Alonso was second from Button, Webber, Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Sutil, Di Resta, and Kobayashi in tenth. Perez was in eleventh and Rubens would come home in twelfth with Pastor was in fourteenth. |
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| After starting from the last two grid positions to finish in twelfth and fourteenth was a good effort. Pastor could have come home higher up had it not been for a drive through penalty. The Williams team must be congratulated for trying to take something away from this race after such a difficult lead-up. Despite not having scored any points the team should feel a a degree of satisfaction of their efforts. At least for Rubens he did not have any technical problems during the race after having a series of engine related issues over the weekend. |
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Pos Driver Team Time 1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1h37:11.886 2. Alonso Ferrari + 8.457 3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 25.881 4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 35.784 5. Massa Ferrari + 50.578 6. Rosberg Mercedes + 52.317 7. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:15.900 8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:17.100 9. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:40.000 10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap 13. Petrov Renault + 1 lap 14. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap 15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap 16. Senna Renault + 1 lap 17. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap 18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps 19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps 20. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps Fastest lap: Webber, 1:42.612 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 49 Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 19 D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 18 Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1 |
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