Maldonado and Williams F1 win in Spain
Pastor wins in Spain
By Andrew Hooper
May 13 2012
The 2012 Spanish Grand Prix would be won by Williams F1 driver Pastor Maldonado. A fantastic moment for the team and driver as the Williasm F1 team secured their 114th Grand Prix victory. Unfortunately team-mate Bruno Senna would retire afer an incident with Schumacher. Despite this this race win is a fantastic moment for Pastor, Frank Williams, the Williams team and all their fans.
| Spanish GP Race Review |
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The grid for the
2012 Spanish Grand Prix would see for the first time Williams F1 driver
Pastor Maldonado in pole position. Pastor had finished qualifying in second
but was moved on to pole after Hamilton was excluded from qualifying as a
result of having stopped his car out on the circuit at the end of qualifying
due to not having enough fuel in the car to return to the pits.
Disappointing for Hamilton but great news for Pastor. Team-mate Bruno Senna
was not so fortunate starting from seventeenth. The conditions were dry
despite rain overnight as the grid formed up for the sixty six lap Spanish
Grand Prix. For the Williams team this race would be one of keeping Pastor
at the front while helping Bruno to move forward from his poor starting
position. It was now a question as to whether they can achieve this. |
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Lap two and Pastor was able to
reduce Alonso's lead to 0.9 seconds. Bruno had dropped to eighteenth while
at the front Alonso had extended his lead out to 1.1 seconds. Lap four and
Pastor was able to maintain the gap to the Ferrari in front. Raikkonen was
2.4 seconds behind the Williams with Rosberg 3.3 seconds behind the Lotus.
Vergne was now in tenth but was under attack by Massa. Alonso would complain
about his tyres starting to degrade after just six laps. Pastor was now 1.5
seconds behind the Alonso. Lap seven and Webber would pit taking n the hard
tyre after having made a bad start. Lap eight and Vettel would also pit
taking on the hard tyre. The top three were starting to pull away from the
rest of those following. Vettel was back out in eighteenth and Webber twenty
second. Lap nine and Kobayashi would also pit also taking the hard tyres. Pastor continued to follow Alonso while Hamilton was now in twelfth having past Hulkenberg. Lap ten and we would have Rosberg, Button, and Di Resta all pit. Lap eleven and Alonso would pit seeing Pastor take the lead. Grosjean and Schumacher would also come in joined by Vergne, Massa, Hulkenberg, and Petrov. Alonso would take on the hard tyre while Grosjean would take on another set of soft tyres. Pastor would also pit the following lap joined by Raikkonen. Alonso would return to the lead s Ricciardo pitted. Lap twelve and Alonso was now leading Pastor by 3.4 seconds with Raikkonen3.6 seconds behind Pastor. Bruno was now in eighth while Schumacher would take to the gravel with his car badly damaged after having made contact with Bruno. Grosjean had just earlier made contact with Bruno damaging his front wing endplate. Schumacher had hit the Williams in the rear going into Turn one. Schumacher would get out of his car to retire while Bruno would limp along a few corners to finally pull off to retire with a damaged rear wing and flat rear tyre. At the front after lap fifteen Alonso was now leading by 2.8 seconds with Raikkonen 4.3 seconds behind Pastor. Hamilton had pitted and would run over a piece of equipment as he left. He was now in fourteenth behind Hulkenberg. Webber was struggling in ninth and would be passed by several drives including Di Resta, Vergne, Massa, and Hamilton. Webber would pit and receive a new nose explaining his lack of pace. Perez would also pit on lap eighteen. Pastor was slowly closing the gap to Alonso with it now being 2.2 seconds. Grosjean was still running in fourth from Rosberg, Vettel, Button, Kobayashi, Di Resta, and Vergne in tenth. Lap twenty and Pastor was now just 1.7 seconds behind the Ferrari. Pastor was closing slowly hoping to get into the DRS zone. Massa and Hamilton were running close behind tenth placed Vergne. Lap twenty three and Rosberg would pit from seventh, taking on the hard tyre. |
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Lap twenty four and we would
have Di Resta and Vergne pit while Hamilton would try to pass Massa going
into Turn one. Pastor would pit on lap twenty five taking on another set of
hard tyres. Pastor would come out on a clear piece of track. Would he be
able to get past Alonso when the Ferrari pits. Pastor was 1.3 seconds faster
in the middle sector than Alonso while Button would pit on lap twenty six
taking on the soft tyre. Ricciardo would pit from eleventh as on lap twenty
seven Alonso would pit. He had been stuck behind Pic and this would allow
Pastor to get past to move ahead of Alonso. A great moved from the Williams
team plus a bit of luck with Alonso being caught behind Pic. With
Raikkonen's pit stop on lap twenty seven Pastor would take the lead. Vettel
would be given a drive through penalty after a yellow flag infringement
having not slowed sufficiently in a yellow flag area. Lap twenty nine and Pastor was now leading by 7.0 seconds with Raikkonen 12.3 seconds behind Alonso. Grosjean was still fourth with Hamilton now fifth. As the laps counted down Pastor was able to maintain his lead and by lap thirty four Pastor's lead was now 6.5 seconds. Raikkonen and Grosjean were still in third and fourth while Kobayashi had been able to pass Button for seventh. Hamilton was now in fifth with Rosberg sixth. With twenty laps to go Alonso would continue to close the gap to Pastor. Lap thirty six and Hamilton would pit coming back out in fourteenth. Pic had received a drive through penalty for ignoring the ble flags and he would take his penalty on lap thirty eight. Pic would come in only to retire his car in his garage. Pastor's lead was now 5.6 seconds while Vettel would pass Button for seventh. Pastor would close into onto Raikkonen as on lap forty five Alonso would pit. Raikkonen wa snow in the lad from Pastor with Alonso now third but quite close to the Williams. Pastor was able to get past Raikkonen using his DRS at Turn one while Alonso would struggle to get past the Lotus. Alonso would pass Raikkonen again going into Turn one using his DRS. Now it was down to Alonso and his chase of Pastor as he started to close in onto the Williams. Lap forty nine and Raikkonen would pit seeing Grosjean now third. Pastor's lerad was now just 1.4 seconds over Alonso. Raikkonen would come back out in fourth. Alonso was now in the DRS zone as they started lap fifty. Pastor was catching the second Ferrari of Massa as Alonso continued to look for a way past. Rosberg was now fifth from Kobayashi, Hamilton, Button, Vettel, and Hulkenberg in tenth. |
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Pastor was looking very under
control given the pressure he was under as they started lap fifty two on the
run down to Turn one. Pastor was able to maintain his lead as on this lap
Grosjean pitted. Pastor would get past Massa on the main straight using his
DRS. Lap fifty three and Pastors lead was out to 1.3 seconds with Raikkonen
18.1 seconds behind Alonso. The nest lap and Pastor was able to keep his
lead at 1.3 seconds with eleven laps remaining. Lap fifty five and his lead
was down to 0.9 seconds as Alonso continued to track the Williams. Alonso
was well and truly in the DRS zone while Pastor only had his KERS to defend.
They would start lap fifty eight with Alonso having a quick look to pass
Pastor but pulling back as they went into Turn one. Lap fifty eight and
Pasto had pulled out fourth tenths over Alonso to be 1.0 seconds ahead of
the Ferrari. Vettel would pass Button for eighth. Alonso had been told that
he could use all available revs in his engine as at the end of lap fifty
nine Pastor had pulled out 0.4 seconds to be 1.4 seconds in the lead. Raikkonen was now 11.2 seconds behind Alonso with Grosjean still fourth. Lap sixty and Pastor's lead now 1.7 seconds. Raikkonen had taken a big amount of time off Alonso now being 9.8 seconds behind the Ferrari. Kobayashi had passed Rosberg for fifth while after lap sixty one his lead was out to 2.0 seconds. After lap sixty two Pastor found another 0.3 seconds with Pastor having the better speed as they looked towards the finish. Vettel was attacking Hamilton for seventh and would pass him using his DRS at Turn one. Lap sixty three and Pastor was 2.4 seconds in the lead with just three elaps remaining. Raikkonen was now 6.6 seconds behind Alonso as Pastor continued to extend his lead with it now 3.0 seconds after lap sixty four. Pastor would start the final lap of the race with his lead now 3.3 seconds. A brilliant race from Pastor as he completed the lap to cross the line to win the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. What a victory for Pastor and the Williams team and what a birthday present for frank Williams. Alonso would finish second from Raikkonen, Grosjean, Kobayashi, Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Button, and Hulkenberg in tenth. This would be Williams 114th win and there first in eight years. Just fantastic! In the post race interview Pastor was asked about his first victory. He responded " I think it is a wonderful day. We have been pushing hard and after a great qualifying today it was a tough race as with the rear tyres we struggled after a few laps .... My first podium and my first victory you can imagine how I feel." |
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