The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

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cmlean
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The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:33 am

This is the place to discuss everything related to the 17th round of the 2018 season taking place in Suzuka between the 6th and 7th of October.

To submit your 10 'n' Pole Picks for Japan click here, to register in the competition click here.

Picks for Japan close at the start of Saturday practice

The event timetable for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Friday
1st Practice 10:00 local time - 01:00 GMT
2nd Practice 14:00 local time - 05:00 GMT

Saturday
Practice 12:00 local time - 03:00 GMT
Qualifying 15:00 local time - 06:00 GMT

Sunday
Race 14:00 local time - 05:00 GMT

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:01 pm

This weekend we are back to Suzuka for round 17 of the season.

I really can't see Ferrari getting their ducks in a row and sorting out their lack of performance with just one week from the last grand prix. This season is gone for both for the drivers and constructors championships.

So these are my thoughts.

1st and 2nd: Mercedes. I hope that for Valtteri Bottas' sake that he is given this race after giving Russia to Hamilton.
The pace shown by the Red Bulls in Russia with their 'B' Spec engines was sensational.
Because of this, I am thinking that they and Ferrari will be sharing the spoils for positions 3 to 6.
Haas are probably the next best team followed by the Force India's.
Renault just haven't got their chassis in order and they will again struggle.
As much as Toro Rosso would love to be at the forefront in Japan, they just aren't quite there.
McLaren and one Sauber will be near the back with Williams holding down the final 2 positions.

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:13 pm

FP1 Results

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:28.691	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
2	1:29.137	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
3	1:29.373	Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
4	1:29.627	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
5	1:29.685	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
6	1:29.841	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
7	1:30.591	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
8	1:30.814	Romain Grosjean	  Haas
9	1:30.929	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
10	1:31.073	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
11	1:31.073	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso
12	1:31.100	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
13	1:31.272	Sergio Perez	  Force India
14	1:31.274	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
15	1:31.418	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
16	1:31.508	Lance Stroll	  Williams
17	1:31.908	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
18	1:32.034	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
19	1:32.513	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
20	1:32.683	Lando Norris	  McLaren
So, what happened in the session?
Most frightening was Hamilton catching an almost stationary Gasly at the chicane after 130R. Hamilton avoided the Toro Rosso but had to miss his chicane and use the bike grand prix version. Gasly faced the stewards after the session and was reprimanded.
Alonso dropped his left rear off at Degna 1 (turn 5) and spun through the sand trap. No real damage and drove back to the pits.
Gasly had the Toro Rosso lose the rear in turn 1 on his out lap. Again avoided all the hard things and drove back to the pits.

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:50 pm

FP2 Results

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:28.217	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
2	1:28.678	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
3	1:29.050	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
4	1:29.257	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
5	1:29.498	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
6	1:29.513	Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
7	1:30.035	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
8	1:30.440	Romain Grosjean	  Haas  
9	1:30.478	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
10	1:30.502	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
11	1:30.510	Sergio Perez	  Force India
12	1:30.644	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
13	1:30.795	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso
14	1:30.904	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
15	1:30.906	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
16	1:30.956	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
17	1:30.988	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
18	1:31.087	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
19	1:31.215	Lance Stroll	  Williams
20	1:31.981	Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
Gasly had a fuel pump problem and missed the first hour or so of the session.

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:14 pm

FP3 Results

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:29.599	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
2	1:29.715	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
3	1:30.054	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
4	1:30.304	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
5	1:30.422	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
6	1:30.474	Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
7	1:31.088	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
8	1:31.483	Sergio Perez	  Force India
9	1:31.513	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
10	1:31.521	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
11	1:31.636	Romain Grosjean	  Haas
12	1:31.760	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
13	1:32.030	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
14	1:32.201	Lance Stroll	  Williams
15	1:32.224	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
16	1:32.442	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
17	1:32.608	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
18	1:32.631	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
19	1:33.034	Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
20	1:33.105	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso

The session started with an expectation of rain and it took only a matter of minutes for it to arrive.
A couple of teams push on for a shot time but then the track became too we for slick and no-one had inters to spare.
With 20 minutes left in the session, the rain cleared and the cars slowly ventured back onto the circuit.
Kimi had a moment in the esses losing the rear of the Ferrari but steering clear of the left side barrier.
With 2 minutes left, Hulkenberg was no so lucky. He dropped his left rear off the circuit also in the esses and lost his Renault into the right side barriers. This brought out the red flags and effectively concluded the session.

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Sat Oct 06, 2018 6:06 pm

Qualifying

Code: Select all

Pos	Time		Driver		  Team
1	1:27.760	Lewis Hamilton	 Mercedes
2	1:28.059	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
3	1:29.057	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
4	1:29.521	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
5	1:29.761	Romain Grosjean	  Haas
6	1:30.023	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
7	1:30.093	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso
8	1:30.126	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
9	1:32.192	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
10	1:37.229	Sergio Perez	  Force India
_______________________________________________________
11	1:29.864	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
12	1:30.226	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
13	1:30.490	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
14	1:30.714	Lance Stroll	  Williams
15	No Time		Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
_______________________________________________________
16	1:30.361	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
17	1:30.372	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
18	1:30.573	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
19	1:31.041	Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
20	1:31.213	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
Ericcson crashed out in Q1
Ricciardo had engine problems in Q2
Vettel just had his strategy wrong and the rains hurt him

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Sun Oct 07, 2018 9:43 am

Grid

Code: Select all

Pos	Driver		  Team
1	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
2	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
3	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing
4	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
5	Romain Grosjean	  Haas
6	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
7	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso
8	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
9	Sergio Perez	  Force India
10	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
11	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
12	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas
13	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
14	Lance Stroll	  Williams
15	Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
16	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
17	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
18	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
19	Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
20	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
Esteban Ocon incurs a 3 place grid penalty for a red flag infringement when Hulkenberg hit the barriers in FP3.

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Re: The 2018 Japanese GP Thead

Post by cmlean » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:59 am

Results

Code: Select all

Pos	Driver		  Team
1	Lewis Hamilton	  Mercedes
2	Valtteri Bottas	  Mercedes
3	Max Verstappen	  Red Bull Racing 
4	Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull Racing
5	Kimi Räikkönen	  Ferrari
6	Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari
7	Sergio Perez	  Force India
8	Romain Grosjean	  Haas
9	Esteban Ocon	  Force India
10	Carlos Sainz	  Renault
11	Pierre Gasly	  Toro Rosso
12	Marcus Ericsson	  Sauber
13	Brendon Hartley	  Toro Rosso
14	Fernando Alonso	  McLaren
15	Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
16	Sergey Sirotkin	  Williams
17	Lance Stroll	  Williams
DNF	Charles Leclerc	  Sauber
DNF	Nico Hulkenberg	  Renault
DNF	Kevin Magnussen	  Haas

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