The 2011 Belgian GP Race Log - Vettel marches on to the title at Spa

Text Size: Smaller - Bigger

Home » F1 Blog » August 31 2011 at 17:10 | posted by Hannah Hough | What do you think? Add a comment here
Photo: The 2011 Belgian GP Race Log - Vettel marches on to the title at Spa

A classic at Spa - but without the rain!

Sebastian Vettel has won an exciting Belgian GP, which saw the lead of the race change place eight different times between four different teams. Mark Webber and Jenson Button joined him on the podium after Fernando Alonso lost out due to his tyres towards the end of the race and Lewis Hamilton crashed out. The weather stayed dry at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and there was only one safety car. Before the race there was anxiety about the tyres blistering during the race amongst some teams including Red Bull.

Here is how the race unfolded:

Lap 1: There was plenty going on in the first lap of the race. Webber was slow away and dropped through the field. Nico Rosberg got a lightning start, moving from fifth to second, before overtaking Vettel for the lead. Felipe Massa got past Hamilton and Alonso made his way from eighth to fifth. Michael Schumacher, celebrating his 20th anniversary in F1 this weekend, got a great start from the very back of the grid to get up to 15th place. Both Lotus drivers got into a tangle, Jaime Alguersuari broke his suspension after a tangle with Bruno Senna and whacking his car of Alonso’s, and Timo Glock also got caught up in the chaos. Jenson Button was lucky after a bit of someone’s front wing became airborne and sliced off his wing mirror, missing his head.

Lap 2: Alonso got past Lewis, Senna pitted for option tyres and Alguersuari retired his car because of the damage.

Lap 3: Vettel took the lead back from Rosberg.

Lap 4: Jenson Button pitted because of a broken front wing, and Webber pitted for fresh tyres. Massa was right up behind Rosberg, wanting to take second place off him.

Lap 5: Despite having being dropped by the top four, Hamilton closed the gap. Rosberg, Massa and Alonso were in very close proximity to each other and fighting for position. Alonso got past Massa after a close battle, while Hamilton followed him through. Massa had qualified in fourth place, ahead of his team-mate in eighth.

Lap 6: Vettel pitted for fresh soft tyres and came out in ninth place. Sebastian Buemi was shown touring the track with a broken rear wing and he was forced to retire. After such a promising qualifying, with a 6th and 11th place, the race came to a very early end after only six laps for Toro Rosso. Senna received a drive through penalty, along with Timo Glock.

Lap 7: Alonso found his way past Rosberg. Hamilton complained over his team radio about his front tyres.

Lap 8: Hamilton overtook Rosberg and Vettel started his fight back to the front by passing Kamui Kobayashi.

Lap 9: Alonso pitted for soft tyres and came out in front of Webber. Going into Eau Rouge, Webber pulled off a spectacular move around the outside to get ahead of Alonso. He soon also overtook Sutil.

Lap 10: Alonso overtook Sutil and then took his place back off Webber. Massa pitted, while Vettel past Rosberg again.

Laps 11+12: Hamilton pitted for soft tyres and came back out in eighth. Kobayashi somehow picked up front wing damage. Rosberg had a slow stop which meant he came back out on 14th. Webber got past Kobayashi while Hamilton overtook Sutil and then Petrov, who went on to pit.

Lap 13: Hamilton overtook Kobayashi, and when he went into the next corner the pair collided sending Hamilton into a collision with the barrier. He was alright after the incident, and after the race he said he took 100% blame for the crash. The safety car was deployed so that debris from the incident could be cleared up.

Lap 14: Button, Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Webber and Sutil all pitted.

Lap 15: Daniel Ricciardo retired from the race, while Kobayashi pitted for fresh tyres and a new front wing.

Laps 16-19: The safety car came in and Alonso lead the cars away to restart the race. Vettel wasted no time in getting past Webber. Rosberg overtook Massa and Button started what can only be described a rampage by overtaking Barrichello. On the next lap he passed both Sergio Perez and Vitaly Petrov. Vettel past Alonso for the lead of the race again.

Laps 20-23: Button continued his run by reeling in Schumacher and passing him and then catching and overtaking Sutil. Perez and Buemi were also under investigation and Perez got a drive through penalty.

Lap 24: Button overtook Massa, however, not without slight contact at the final chicane.

Lap 26: Button brought his total to seven drivers in ten laps by overtaking Rosberg. He was now in fifth place.

Lap 29: Perez retired from the race with broken suspension.

Lap 30: Alonso pitted for the harder compound tyres and came out fourth.

Lap 31: Vettel pitted for the harder compound tyres and came out third. Massa, Rosberg, Petrov and di Resta pitted.

Lap 32: Webber pitted for the harder compound tyres, while Vettel overtook Button. Button then pitted for soft tyres - having started the race on the harder compound tyres he had the primes available to him.
Lap 33: Massa was forced to pit again after picking up a puncture.

Lap 37: Webber caught and passed Alonso. Rosberg was informed that he and Schumacher were free to race.

Lap 39: Button was chasing down Alonso for the final podium position. Schumacher was right up behind Rosberg.

Lap 41: Rosberg was advised to save fuel. Barrichello had contact with Kobayashi.

Lap 42: Button finally caught and overtook Alonso to get himself onto the podium. Schumacher overtook his team-mate.

Lap 44: Vettel crossed the line to win and lead a Red Bull 1-2. Webber and Button were also on the podium. Alonso, Schumacher, Rosberg, Sutil, Massa, Petrov and Maldonado were the other points scorers. Alguersuari, Buemi, Hamilton, Ricciardo and Perez were the retirements from the race.

The action continues in two weeks time in Italy at Monza.

Sebastian Vettel has won an exciting Belgian GP, which  saw the lead of the race change place eight different times between four  different teams. Mark Webber and Jenson Button joined him on the podium after  Fernando Alonso lost out due to his tyres towards the end of the race and Lewis  Hamilton crashed out. The weather stayed dry at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit  and there was only one safety car. Before the race there was anxiety about the  tyres blistering during the race amongst some teams including Red Bull.


Here is how the race unfolded:


Lap 1: There was plenty going on in the first lap of  the race. Webber was slow away and dropped through the field. Nico Rosberg got  a lightning start, moving from fifth to second, before overtaking Vettel for  the lead. Felipe Massa got past Hamilton and Alonso made his way from eighth to  fifth. Michael Schumacher, celebrating his 20th anniversary in F1  this weekend, got a great start from the very back of the grid to get up to 15th  place. Both Lotus drivers got into a tangle, Jaime Alguersuari broke his  suspension after a tangle with Bruno Senna and whacking his car of Alonso’s,  and Timo Glock also got caught up in the chaos. Jenson Button was lucky after a  bit of someone’s front wing became airborne and sliced off his wing mirror,  missing his head.


Lap 2: Alonso got past Lewis, Senna pitted for option  tyres and Alguersuari retired his car because of the damage.


Lap 3: Vettel took the lead back from Rosberg.


Lap 4: Jenson Button pitted because of a broken front  wing, and Webber pitted for fresh tyres. Massa was right up behind Rosberg,  wanting to take second place off him.


Lap 5: Despite having being dropped by the top four,  Hamilton closed the gap. Rosberg, Massa and Alonso were in very close proximity  to each other and fighting for position. Alonso got past Massa after a close  battle, while Hamilton followed him through. Massa had qualified in fourth  place, ahead of his team-mate in eighth.


Lap 6: Vettel pitted for fresh soft tyres and came out  in ninth place. Sebastian Buemi was shown touring the track with a broken rear  wing and he was forced to retire. After such a promising qualifying, with a 6th  and 11th place, the race came to a very early end after only six  laps for Toro Rosso. Senna received a drive through penalty, along with Timo  Glock.


Lap 7: Alonso found his way past Rosberg. Hamilton  complained over his team radio about his front tyres.


Lap 8: Hamilton overtook Rosberg and Vettel started  his fight back to the front by passing Kamui Kobayashi.


Lap 9: Alonso pitted for soft tyres and came out in  front of Webber. Going into Eau Rouge, Webber pulled off a spectacular move around  the outside to get ahead of Alonso. He soon also overtook Sutil.


Lap 10: Alonso overtook Sutil and then took his place  back off Webber. Massa pitted, while Vettel past Rosberg again.


Laps 11+12: Hamilton pitted for soft tyres and came  back out in eighth. Kobayashi somehow picked up front wing damage. Rosberg had  a slow stop which meant he came back out on 14th. Webber got past  Kobayashi while Hamilton overtook Sutil and then Petrov, who went on to pit.


Lap 13: Hamilton overtook Kobayashi, and when he went  into the next corner the pair collided sending Hamilton into a collision with  the barrier. He was alright after the incident, and after the race he said he  took 100% blame for the crash. The safety car was deployed so that debris from  the incident could be cleared up.


Lap 14: Button, Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Webber  and Sutil all pitted.


Lap 15: Daniel Ricciardo retired from the race, while  Kobayashi pitted for fresh tyres and a new front wing.


Laps 16-19: The safety car came in and Alonso lead the  cars away to restart the race. Vettel wasted no time in getting past Webber.  Rosberg overtook Massa and Button started what can only be described a rampage  by overtaking Barrichello. On the next lap he passed both Sergio Perez and  Vitaly Petrov. Vettel past Alonso for the lead of the race again.


Laps 20-23: Button continued his run by reeling in  Schumacher and passing him and then catching and overtaking Sutil. Perez and  Buemi were also under investigation and Perez got a drive through penalty.


Lap 24: Button overtook Massa, however, not without  slight contact at the final chicane.


Lap 26: Button brought his total to seven drivers in  ten laps by overtaking Rosberg. He was now in fifth place.


Lap 29: Perez retired from the race with broken  suspension.


Lap 30: Alonso pitted for the harder compound tyres  and came out fourth.


Lap 31: Vettel pitted for the harder compound tyres  and came out third. Massa, Rosberg, Petrov and di Resta pitted.


Lap 32: Webber pitted for the harder compound tyres,  while Vettel overtook Button. Button then pitted for soft tyres - having  started the race on the harder compound tyres he had the primes available to  him.

  Lap 33: Massa was forced to pit again after picking up  a puncture.


Lap 37: Webber caught and passed Alonso. Rosberg was  informed that he and Schumacher were free to race.


Lap 39: Button was chasing down Alonso for the final  podium position. Schumacher was right up behind Rosberg.


Lap 41: Rosberg was advised to save fuel. Barrichello  had contact with Kobayashi.


Lap 42: Button finally caught and overtook Alonso to  get himself onto the podium. Schumacher overtook his team-mate.


Lap 44: Vettel crossed the line to win and lead a Red  Bull 1-2. Webber and Button were also on the podium. Alonso, Schumacher,  Rosberg, Sutil, Massa, Petrov and Maldonado were the other points scorers.  Alguersuari, Buemi, Hamilton, Ricciardo and Perez were the retirements from the  race.


The action continues in two weeks time in Italy at  Monza.

Posted by Hannah Hough - Follow her on twitter @hannahhou.

Recent comments on this article:

Please post a new comment:

Your name*

Your email*

Comment*

Are you human? * We hate spam! Please enter the following number into the box below: 34

* Please complete all 4 fields to send a comment.
From James Wilson, the owner of enterF1.com:
EnterF1 Flag

"Thanks for visiting our website, enterF1.com. Have you got a suggestion? A potential improvement? Or if you would just like to get in touch with us then please do!"

"We listen to all our website fans and love to hear from you, so please leave some feedback or feel free to tweet me @enterF1."