Malaysian GP: Oh so close for Williams

After having qualified well down the grid the Williams F1 drivers, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas, would be faced with a wet track as they prepared for the 56 lap 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix. The rain started around thirty minutes prior to the cars coming out and such were the wet conditions that both Pastor and Valtteri would leave the track as they completed their laps prior to going to the grid. Valtteri would force his mechanics to replace his front wing as a result of his off-track moment. We also saw Webber and Ricciardo leave the track. But as the final minutes counted down the rain had eased with a few spots continuing to fall and several turns were still quite wet. But other parts were drying making intermediates the most likely choice. For Pastor he had an engine change prior to the race and Raikkonen had received a
three grid place penalty for blocking Rosberg during qualifying.

On pole was Vettel from Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg, Button, Sutil, Perez, and Raikkonen now tenth. Pastor was down in sixteenth and Valtteri eighteenth. There were two DRS zones with one being on each of the long straights. The top twelve were all on the intermediate tyres as the grid moved away on their parade lap. Both Williams drivers were also on intermediates as they completed their lap and formed up on the grid. The lights would go out and it would be Vettel leading with Alonso second but Webber would squeeze past but Alonso would retake Webber. Alonso had made contact with Vettel damaging his front wing. Hamilton was fourth from Massa and Rosberg. Webber would pass Alonso on the start straight but Alonso would have his wing fail and go underneath the front of his car seeing Alonso take to the gravel to retire.

A costly mistake from Ferrari not to call Alonso in as Vettel continued to lead from Webber and Hamilton. Pastor was down in fourteenth while Valtteri had dropped to twenty first. Rosberg would pass Button for fourth with Button now fifth followed by Massa, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sutil, and Ricciardo tenth. Hulkenberg would pass Perez at Turn two moving up to seventh. Pastor had dropped to fifteenth with Gutierrez now fourteenth. Valtteri had passed Chilton for twentieth while Pastor had lost a further place to be sixteenth and Vergne fifteenth. At the front Webber had closed in onto Vettel but Vettel would pit taking on dry tyres. He would be followed by a rush of drivers including both Williams cars to take on the medium tyre. Also in were Sutil, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Di Resta, Van der Gar, and Chilton.

Lap eight and Webber and Hamilton would pit from first and third. We also had Button, Hulkenberg, Perez, Grosjean, Gutierrez, Vergne, and Pic. Vergne and Pic had made contact as the Torro Rosso left his pit box. Lap nine and Rosberg would pit from the lead with Webber out in front of Vettel. Pastor was now in twelfth and Valtteri seventeenth. Grosjean would pass Ricciardo for ninth while at the front Webber was on the hard tyre and would be 2.9 seconds ahead of Vettel. Gutierrez, Vergne, and Van der Gar had also changed to the hard tyre. Raikkonen had passed Ricciardo for tenth as on lap twelve the order was Webber from Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Hulkenberg, Massa, Grosjean, Perez, and Raikkonen. Pastor was still in twelfth
but dropping away from eleventh placed Ricciardo. Both Williams drivers were told to look after their tyres but Pastor would go off the track at Turn eleven damaging his front wing..

Pastor would pit taking on a new front wing as well as a set of medium tyres. Valtteri was now fifteenth but Pastor had dropped to twenty first. Raikkonen would pass Perez for ninth on the start straight using his DRS. Gutierrez would lose a place to Sutil when he ran wide while Valtteri was 5.1 seconds behind the Sauber. Lap seventeen and Webber was now 2.5 seconds in front of Vettel, followed by Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Hulkenberg, Massa, Grosjean, Raikkonen, and Perez in tenth. Di Resta would pass Ricciardo using his DRS on the main straight to take eleventh. Webber would pit on lap twenty taking on the medium tyre and coming back out behind Button. Ricciardo would also pit while on the next lap Massa, Grosjean, and Di Resta would all pit. Massa had taken on the hard tyre but Di Resta would have a very long stop with a problem with his left front. Hamilton would pit on lap twenty two joined by Button, Hulkenberg, and Raikkonen, with all three taking on medium tyres.

Vettel would pit on lap twenty three taking on the hard tyre, followed by Rosberg. Perez was also in while Webber would return to the lead as we had Sutil, Gutierrez and Valtteri also pit. Like Di Resta Sutil would also have a problem with his left front. So it was Webber from Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg and Button after their second stops. Di Resta had left his pit but would pit again from twenty first. Valtteri was now fourteenth and Pastor seventeenth. Vettel had closed in onto Webber with the gap only 1.2 seconds after lap twenty four. Di Resta would retire in his garage as Vettel was looking to pass Webber. The Mercedes cars were in third and fourth and closing in onto the Red Bull's. Vergne would pit from fourteenth with Valtteri now thirteenth and Pastor sixteenth. Vettel would come on the radio saying that Webber was too slow and they should get him out of the way. Sutil would pit and retire in his pit.

Pastor was about to be lapped while on lap thirty one Hamilton would pit from third. Rosberg was now third and running right behind Vettel. Webber would pit on lap thirty two followed by Rosberg. Both drivers would take on the hard tyre as Vettel pitted on lap thirty three also taking on the hard tyre. But for Vettel he would see both Webber and Hamilton get past the Red Bull with Rosberg one place back. Lap thirty four and Pastor would pit from fifteenth. Valtteri would continue to run in thirteenth as we had Massa, Perez, and Ricciardo all pit. Button was now leading but yet to stop with Webber second and Hamilton third. Lap thirty five and Hulkenberg and Raikkonen would also pit. Button would pit on lap thirty six seeing Webber return to the lead from Hamilton and Vettel. Grosjean would also come in as Button's car came to a stop in the pit lane. This was as a result of the right front not going on correctly and just about coming off see Button forced to stop. He would eventually get pushed back to his pit and would return to the track.

Valtteri was now in tenth and Pastor sixteenth but on lap down. Webber was now 3.6 seconds ahead of Hamilton with Vettel tight behind Hamilton. Rosberg was fourth followed by Massa, Grosjean, Perez, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen and Valtteri. Vettel would pass Hamilton on the start straight using his DRS seeing the Red Bull's one-two. Button was now fourteenth and a lap down after his problems. Lap forty one and Valtteri would pit while on the next lap Hamilton would pit taking on medium tyres, returning in fourth. Vettel would pit on lap forty three joined by Rosberg with both drivers taking on medium tyres. Vettel came back out in second and Rosberg fourth. Valtteri had dropped to thirteenth as on lap forty four Webber would pit taking on heard tyres. But on the exit Vettel had closed right onto his team-mate seeing Webber fighting to keep Vettel behind. Vergne would pit from tenth on lap forty five as we now had the Mercedes cars running close together.

Hulkenberg would also pit as on lap forty six Vettel would finally get past Webber when he got a good drive out of Turn four seeing him ease past his team-mate. For Williams Pastor's race would come to an end when he would pull off the track to retire, making it two retirements. Massa would pit from eleventh on lap forty eight, returning in eighth. Vettel was now leading by 1.3 seconds over Webber, with Hamilton a further 9.4 seconds back in third. Rosberg is now 1.1 behind Hamilton. Webber was now losing ground to Vettel with Hamilton 8.9 seconds behind Webber. As the lap counted down Vettel would extend his lead and by lap fifty two he was 3.7 seconds ahead of Webber. Hamilton was in a safe third with Rosberg right behind in fourth. Grosjean was now fifth from Massa, Raikkonen, Perez, Hulkenberg, and Vergne in tenth. Massa would pass Grosjean for fifth while for Williams Valtteri was in eleventh. Rosberg would come in the radio saying that Hamilton was too slow and that he should be allowed to pass but Ross Brawn would tell him to hold station.

Button would retire from twelfth in his pit. Perez would also pit not losing a place coming back out in ninth. Vettel would start his final lap which he would complete to win in Malaysia. With Webber second it was a Red Bull one-two. Hamilton was third from team-mate Rosberg, Massa, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Perez, and Vergne tenth. Valtteri would finish in eleventh just 1.3 seconds behind tenth. A great effort from him to start in eighteenth and come home so close to a point scoring finish. For Pastor another retirement and an off-track moment would see him have a race that did not go to plan. A good effort from the Williams team as they continue their efforts to get better performance from the FW35.