Singapore GP: Williams F1 just outside the points

Qualifying for the sixty one lap 2013 Singapore Grand Prix would see the Williams F1 team finish in sixteenth and eighteenth, with Valtteri Bottas leading team-mate Pastor Maldonado. Now it was race day and could the Williams team achieve something from this race. Both Williams cars would start the race on the supersoft tyre as the filed moved away for their formation lap. The grid would form up with Vettel on pole with Rosberg next to him. In third was Grosjean followed by Webber, Hamilton, Massa, Alonso, Button, Ricciardo, and Gutierrez in tenth. The lights would come on and go off and it would be Rosberg attacking Vettel but the Red Bull driver was able to keep in front. Alonso was third as Webber passed Grosjean for fourth.

For Williams Pastor was in sixteenth and Valtteri eighteenth and reversal of their start positions. Lap one and Vettel would be leading Rosberg by 1.9 seconds. Valtteri would drop to nineteenth with Van der Gar ahead of the Williams. Grosjean was now fifth followed by Massa, Hamilton, Button, Hulkenberg and Perez in tenth. Ricciardo had dropped to be fourteenth from his ninth place start position. Lap two and Vettel was leading by a huge margin of 4.1 seconds. Raikkonen would pass Di Resta for twelfth on lap five as at the front Vettel was pulling away at roughly half a second per lap. There were gasp opening between the field as Vettel completed lap six with a 6.6 second lead.

Pastor was now right behind Vergne while Sutil was following the Williams. Lap eleven and Raikkonen would be the first to pit being Raikkonen. He would continue on the supersoft tyre showing that he was most likely on a three stop strategy. Next in would be Gutierrez joined by Vergne. Pic and Chilton would also pit on lap twelve. The next lap and Massa would pit taking on the medium tyre. Sutil would also pit while for Williams Raikkonen would pass Valtteri for fifteenth. Webber would complain that he had trouble with his rears seeing him pit on lap fourteen. Button and Hulkenberg would also come in while Webber would come back out on the medium tyre. Valtteri would also pit while team-mate Pastor had Massa right behind him as on lap fifteen Alonso would pit, also taking on the medium tyre. Perez would also pit as Rosberg was told to also come in. Alonso had come back out in sixth and behind Di Resta.

Rosberg would pit on lap sixteen joined by Grosjean and Hamilton. Ricciardo followed these drivers in for his first stop. For Williams Pastor was still out on the track but behind him he had Perez and Hulkenberg fighting over position. Ricciardo had swapped to medium sat his stop. Pastor would pit on lap seventeen returning on the option tyre. Vettel was told to pit on lap eighteen and in he would come taking on the medium tyres. Rosberg was back in second and also running on the medium tyre. Di Resta was third but yet to make his first stop, followed by Alonso, Webber, Grosjean, Hamilton, Massa, Button, and Raikkonen in tenth. Pastor and Valtteri were now running in a disappointing seventeenth and eighteenth. Alonso was still trying to get past Di Resta as Hamilton told his team that his second set of tyres were terrible. Di Resta would pit on lap twenty one returning in thirteenth.

Alonso how had Webber, Grosjean, and Hamilton running close behind him. Lap twenty five and Valtteri would pit again but we would also see Ricciardo go into the wall at Turn 18 seeing the Safety Car come out and there was a rush of cars coming in for pit stops including Alonso, Grosjean, Massa, Button, Raikkonen,
Perez, Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Sutil, and for Williams Pastor would also come in. Pastor had taken on a set of medium tyres joined by Valtteri for their second runs. For Vettel his lead was now gone with the top four drivers yet to pit. Vettel was told that he was OK for fuel. Pastor and Valtteri were now sixteenth and seventeenth on lap twenty eight of sixty one. But there was a chance that the race may not go the full race distance due to the two hour time limit.

The safety Car would come in on lap thirty and Vettel would lead with Rosberg close behind. Webber was third followed by Hamilton and Alonso. After one lap of racing Vettel was leading by 3.2 seconds such was his pace. Grosjean would be forced to pit with a problem that would see him return in twenty first from sixth. Pastor was now in fifteenth and Valtteri seventeenth. Valtteri had been passed by Van der Gar as at the front Vettel was leading by 16.5 seconds after thirty seven laps. Grosjean would pit again to retire. Vergne would pit from fifteenth on lap forty taking on a set of the option tyres. Webber and Sutil would pit on lap forty one with Webber taking on the medium tyre. Hamilton had moved up to third followed by Alonso and Di Resta. Rosberg was told to pit which he would do on lap forty two.

Pastor would also pit from twelfth as Rosberg came back out behind Webber. Rosberg also took on the medium tyre as on lap forty three Di Resta and Massa would pit joined by Valtteri and Van der Gar. Pastor had returned to the supersoft tyre for his final run. Valtteri had also taken on the option tyre. Hamilton and Vettel would also pit with Hamilton returning on the medium tyres while Vettel had taken a set of the supersoft tyres. Alonso was now in second followed by Button and Raikkonen. Perez was fifth followed by Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Webber, and Rosberg in ninth. Hamilton was down in tenth with forty five laps remaining. Valtteri would have debris cleared from his front wing which was affecting his pace. Pastor was now running in fifteenth and Valtteri seventeenth, not much of a change for either driver.

Webber was right behind seventh placed Gutierrez with Rosberg and Hamilton close behind the Red Bull. Webber would use his DRS to pass the Sauber at Turn seven. Rosberg was also able to get past at Turn nine with Hamilton quickly following his team-mate through. Out in front Vettel was leading by 11.1 seconds over Alonso. Di Resta would pass Gutierrez for tenth with eleven laps remaining. But would the two hour time limit come first. Lap fifty two and Raikkonen would start to attack Button and he would finally pass the McLaren at Turn fourteen while behind him Webber had moved forward and the Red Bull would also get past Button for fourth. Di Resta's race would come to an end when he would run into the barrier at Turn seven. Perez was in sixth with Rosberg and Hamilton right behind. Webber was now clear of Button and looking to close in onto Raikkonen. Rosberg would pass Perez as Massa came into the picture.

Webber was told to shot shift with four laps remaining. Rosberg would pass Button for fifth with the McLaren having no grip left in his tyres. Hamilton would also pass Button while Massa would pass Perez. Pastor was now in fourteenth running right behind Vergne. Valtteri was in fifteen by nearly twenty seconds behind Pastor. Massa would pass Perez for seventh as Webber was again told to nurse his car to the end with the gearbox issue. Pastor was able to take thirteenth from Vergne and would be on the attack for twelfth placed Gutierrez. Rosberg had caught Webber and would pass the Red Bull quite easily. Hamilton would also pass Webber as Webber came on the radio saying that he was in trouble. But it would turn out to be an engine problem with the short shifting being dome to save the engine. But for team-mate Vettel he would finish the final lap as Webber's car burst into flames as the engine failed.

Alonso would finish in second followed by Raikkonen in third. Rosberg was fourth followed by Hamilton, Massa, Button, Perez, Hulkenberg, and Sutil in tenth. Pastor would come home just outside the points and Valtteri was thirteenth. Webber would be given a lift back to the pits by Alonso with Webber holding onto the outside of the Ferrari. Despite great drivers from both drivers for the Williams team another race where they failed to score any points but at least they were able to move forward in the final results over their start positions. Despite this the final races of the season are going to be a difficult time for the team.