download

#877 2012 United States Grand Prix

2023-01-02 00:00

Array() no author 82025

#2012, Fulvio Conti,

#877 2012 United States Grand Prix

Not really the talkative type, Kimi Raikkonen, however when he does speak, he often throws in well-aimed barbs…The Finnish driver, rejuvenated from hi

fotor-20230921124454.jpeg

Not really the talkative type, Kimi Raikkonen, however when he does speak, he often throws in well-aimed barbs…The Finnish driver, rejuvenated from his first success behind the wheel of the Lotus in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, going back on his experience with Ferrari, sends a few jabs to the Maranello team, in particular dwelling on the divorce.

 

"Memories of the years spent in Maranello? Nor good nor bad. I won a championship with them, I experienced good moments. I’m satisfied with the three years I spent there. Maybe we could’ve done more, but I know why it didn’t happen and I do not want to get into the reasons behind me not continuing with them.  I don’t miss any of them. Leaving felt liberating to me. Things could’ve gone differently, but that’s the past and we can’t go back. Things don’t last long and the relationships aren’t always good".

 

The Finnish driver, after a not-so-positive experience in the Rally world championship, has made his comeback to the Formula 1 circus this year, and after winning his first race with Lotus in Abu Dhabi he currently sits third behind Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in the world championship standings.

 

"I didn’t come back for money or fun, but out of love for this sport and for the pleasure of fighting with the other drivers. From this point of view, there is no sport like F1. With Lotus, I got on very well from the beginning. The people work calmly and well. They want to win, sport and technique come before politics and everyone heads in the same direction. We must continue to follow this path, it’s the only way to get good results".

 

So, prompted by a question, the Lotus driver also comments on Ferrari’s 2012 season.

 

"They’ve been slow to react, but lately they’ve been faster than the others in doing so, or maybe the others have made more mistakes than usual. There have been a lot of different winners and even without the fastest car, it’s possible to gain a lot of points. If I see Alonso world champion? He was the one with the highest chance, either way, there are still a couple of weekends left and everything can change".

 

Two races from the end and a ten-point advantage to manage. Sebastian Vettel, Redbull driver and defending world champion, ahead of the last two races of the calendar, assesses the current season that despite beginning with some difficulties, saw him became the protagonist of a great comeback against Fernando Alonso thanks to a couple of accidents of the Spanish driver that cost him precious points in Spa and Suzuka.

 

"If you look at the whole twenty races of the season, it’s possible to have unwanted incidents or retirements due to technical problems. It also happened to us and luckily, we were able to get over this phase, it’s really difficult to get through this many races without having any problems. It’s not something you can calculate but you must always keep your eyes open".

 

Just like Alonso, he also lost important points throughout the season.

 

"If we look at the races so far, I think that the accidents that have happened to Fernando and mine are equivalent and I still believe that the more deserving driver will win the title. There is no doubt that we are in a very good position and I hope to do well until the end to make sure we deserve the title".

fotor-2023092113530.jpeg

Optimism also emanates from the words of Fernando Alonso, with the US Grand Prix in sight. During the press conference on Thursday 15 November 2012, the Spaniard spoke about the new Austin circuit, which will play host to the return of the US Grand Prix in the F1 World Championship.

 

"I think it could be a very good weekend".

 

The Spaniard seemed quite relaxed despite the championship battle with Sebastian Vettel.

 

"I know I’m giving everything, that’s why I’m relaxed. My preparation remains the same, just like my approach to the race: maximum concentration, and maximum effort. Besides, everyone in the team is working hard. We’re hoping to test some new parts tomorrow and to get an idea of how they work, trying to get a smooth surface on Friday".

 

Alonso then concentrates on the new Austin circuit:

 

"I had a look at the circuit on the simulator after Singapore. Then yesterday I did two laps on my bicycle. I find it spectacular and I think it will be challenging for drivers and engineers. I think it will offer a good show with the overtakes. Sure, we’ll have to do a lot of laps, study the trajectories, and maybe even some tricks…".

 

Alonso is relaxed:

 

"I’m much more relaxed compared to the past and the other years during which I fought for the title until the end. In 2006 me and Schumacher fought ‘till the last race in Brasil, it was definitely stressful. The same happened in 2007".

 

Instead, in 2010 he was tricked in Abu Dhabi by Sebastian Vettel himself.

 

"I was much calmer compared to the past and I was optimistic. I felt completely ready, but in the end, the race went how it went".

 

Telegraph poles, oil wells, and rattlesnakes. There couldn't have been a more fitting location for Sebastian Vettel's duel with Fernando Alonso, who was so serious about it as to retweet an unfortunate photo of Felipe Massa with one of those paintball guns that fires balls of colorful paint. Formula 1 lands in the United States, in Texas, in the democratic enclave of Austin. And, like a seasoned actress, it hides behind a curtain of lingering questions: what kind of circuit will it be? Which cars will benefit from the layout, cool temperature, and humidity? Who among the drivers will be the first to learn the secrets of the trajectories? These questions dominate the scene, on this American eve, even more than the words, slick and circumstantial, of the two protagonists. Fernando Alonso explains:

 

"We studied the circuit on the sim but you can’t say much before you are actually on track. We all start with a clean slate, no one knows the circuit and the one that will understand it better will have the biggest advantage".

 

Matters change if, instead of considering the drivers’ point of view, you consider the cars’. It seems that the track designed by Herman Tike (Ecclestone’s trustworthy architect) is kind of a sum up of all the others, in particular the Indian and the Korean ones. Red Bull Racing prevailed on both circuits. We must also add that in Austin the Anglo-Austrian team is bringing an update package specifically designed for the circuit. In contrast to Ferrari who’s bringing a generic yet radical development of the car. Which one will work best? 

fotor-2023092113538.jpeg

Red Bull Racing seems quite confident, while the team from Maranello, after last week’s aerodynamic tests in Spain, stays tight-lipped. Fernando Alonso is asked: are you feeling more or less optimistic after the results of the tests?

 

"I feel the same".

 

Even though everyone knows that the Spaniard doesn’t like talking about the updates of the car, it leaves the impression that not everything went as planned in Maranello while preparing for the race. Some say there was yet another problem with the wind tunnel data, which was again different from what was later observed on the track. On Friday 16th November 2012, the engines will be fired up. And the first verdicts will come. The beginning of the Texas weekend turned out to be very successful, thanks to the very special circuit in terms of the layout of the corners and the straights. The first to appreciate its qualities is Sebastian Vettel, who had set the fastest time during Friday’s first free practice session, with a gap of over a second from Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren. Fernando Alonso sets the third-best time, going over two seconds slower. The track appears to be not very rubberized, so much so that we also assisted with some spins. Kimi Raikkonen was forced to stop at the end of the pit lane during the last minutes of the session due to a technical issue. During the first free practice session the Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua replaced Narain Karthikeyan at HRT. Charlie Whiting, FIA’s technical delegate, reaffirms the regularity of the RB8 front wing whose high flexibility was questioned during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

 

"What we saw on the Red Bull in Abu Dhabi was an extreme situation: they had set up the cameras on the edge of the front wing and the mechanic that tried to change it during the pit stop accidentally crooked the camera. But I think that if any other team had positioned the camera car in the same area, we would have had a very similar situation to the one that occurred with the RB8".

 

Regarding 2013 there’s the intention to limit the use of DRS only in the detection points and also during free practice sessions and qualifying:

 

"I spoke with some drivers, and they pointed out the risk of always opening the DRS early in the corners. This year we had an increase in accidents so it’s better to intervene with appropriate measures. The use of DRS is not gradual: it’s an on-off switch that causes repenting changes in the behavior of the car, it’s not like using the accelerator, because the driver can manage the power by adjusting the throttle".

 

After clarifying these points, we are back on track. During the afternoon, in the second practice session, Sebastian Vettel once again sets the fastest time, followed by the second Red Bull of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. Initially, when the drivers were on the hard tiers, Mark Webber had the fastest time. Kamui Kobayashi was slowed down by an exhaust fault. HRT also did not complete many laps due to technical issues. The German Red Bull Racing driver also missed part of the session due to an oil leak. Nevertheless, Sebastian Vettel dominated the free practice day of the US Grand Prix. At the brand new Austin circuit in Texas, the reigning World Champion improved on his Red Bull Racing car during the afternoon session, stopping the clock at 1'37"718. Behind him, trailing by 0.757 seconds, was his team-mate Mark Webber, who climbed from the fifth position obtained during the first practice session. In third place, there is still Fernando Alonso who, compared to the over two-second difference he had during the morning session, managed to reduce the gap to 0.765 seconds. Talking about the new circuit Felipe Massa says:

 

"Today was mainly dedicated to getting to know this new track: we completed many laps with this as our principal aim. This morning the track was dirty and very slippery: I can’t remember ever driving on an asphalt with so little grip. Then the situation got better and we started to gain a bit of confidence and to find a good trajectory. I like this track: it’s fun to drive here and I think we’ll see a good show during the weekend. The tyers? Hards, no doubt. We have to find a way to get them up to temperature, especially given qualifying".

fotor-2023092113544.jpeg

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher also praise the Austin circuit. The two Mercedes drivers ended the sessions respectively in seventh and tenth place. Nico Rosberg comments:

 

"I like the new track here a the Circuit of the Americas, they did a great job with the layout. We also received a pleasant welcome to the USA, you can already see how many fans are here at the circuit and it’s only Friday. The stands look full. Today we had a good start to our program, the car felt better than the last race. The conditions were hard, especially in the morning, the temperatures were low and the tyres were at their very limit".

 

Micheal Schumacher adds:

 

"It’s nice to come back to the USA, and I hope that the fans will appreciate the return of F1. The circuit will surely help showcase what our sport has to offer. The layout is great and the positive thing is that it’s also tricky. Yesterday I went out with my scooter to explore the track, and it was quite different from today with the lowered driving position of our cars that compromises the visibility a lot. It takes a while to figure out what to do and where the more difficult points are. The track is still very slippery, especially outside of the racing lines, but there’s a lot of potential for a great show. Regarding today’s program, we had some tire problems with a puncture during FP2 that slowed us down a bit. Anyways, I’ll try to give my best tomorrow and on Sunday during the race".

 

Seven-tenths of a second. That’s the gap between Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull and Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. A difference that as the races go by seems to be more unbridgeable each time. The free practice sessions, dominated by an unexpected climate, cold and dry, very similar to the one seen during some winter testings, tell the same old story of the last few months: Red Bull Racing, first in the standings, sets the fastest time with Ferrari always behind. It’s only Friday. Nothing is lost. On the contrary, considering the numerous variables that come into play, especially the new track and the weather conditions that make getting the tires to the right temperature particularly hard, there is plenty of room for surprises. It remains undeniable that, once again, while designing the developments for the car, Ferrari didn’t rise to the standards that the team had set for itself: catching up with the competition. Fernando Alonso comments:

 

"The problem is that Red Bull and Mclaren can set the time on the first lap and we need more time".

 

And so, the men of the Maranello team have no choice but to put their heads down, lock themselves inside the box, and concentrate on a race that could be decisive. Sebastian Vettel only needs 15 more points than Fernando Alonso to reach his third consecutive title. No distractions, then, no concessions to the spirits of an eve that appears as restless as ever and dominated by controversy. Some are inevitable, others less predictable. The inevitable ones have to do with the photograph, tweeted by Felipe Massa and re-tweeted by Fernando Alonso, showing the two drivers holding rifles. It was a joke: the two guns were paintball guns (a simulation game in which you shoot paint) and the caption referenced the final battle against Red Bull Racing. The joke, however, did not please anyone. Ferrari, which had to explain itself to the international press (the German Bild explicitly wonders if Alonso had gone mad), Red Bull Racing, which officially did not comment but made it clear that they did not appreciate the exasperation of the tones, and the FIA, where someone reminded how for a similar case this summer two Australian swimmers were expelled from the Olympics (they had tweeted a photo with two real machine guns in their hands). The less predictable ones, on the other hand, are the ones generated by the comments of two drivers that, in twenty-four hours, confessed that they had both declined offers from Ferrari, one for 2014 and the other for 2013, Sergio Perez and Mark Webber.

fotor-2023092113550-fotor-20230921131243.jpeg

"No one from Ferrari has offered anyone a seat for 2014, not even Perez. Silly season really never ends".

 

It’s the comment from the Maranello team that secures one of F1’s common grounds: any respectable driver dreams, at some point in his career, to drive a Ferrari. To avoid further controversies the FIA is trying to develop a penalty system to reduce the impact of the so-called young lions. Talented but impulsive drivers, like Romain Grosjean or Pastor Maldonado, those who, with their stunts, are at risk of compromising their colleagues’ races at any given moment. the federation is designing a point-based penalty system that, in case of continuous out-of-order behavior, should automatically lead to being disqualified for one race. But let’s go back to the US GP report. On Saturday 17 November 2012, during the third and last free practice session, Sebastian Vettel yet again set the best lap time, in front of Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado. Many drivers completed a lot of laps with the same set of tires trying to get them up to the right temperature. Jean-Éric Vergne was forced to retire from the session before even setting a time due to a suspension failure. Charles Pic and Sergio Pérez made contact at turn 7, while Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher were nearly involved in a collision. At the end of free practice, Romain Grosjean is forced to replace the gearbox of his Lotus: for this reason, he will be penalized with the loss of five grid positions. The contact between Charles Pic and Sergio Pérez, however, is not sanctioned by the stewards. A few hours later, during Q1 qualifying, to avoid elimination, many teams decided to immediately mount Medium tires. Nico Rosberg only managed to enter Q2 thanks to his last attempt. The two Caterhams of Vitalij Petrov and Heikki Kovalainen, the two Marussia cars of Timo Glock and Charles Pic, and the two HRT cars of Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan, joined by Daniel Ricciardo, were eliminated. All fall within the 107%. The Marussia cars managed to qualify in front of the Caterhams for the first time. In Q2 the track managed to offer more mechanical grip, thanks to the increased rubber deposit. Sebastian Vettel once again set the fastest time in Q2. At this stage of qualifying, the two Sauber cars of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi, Nico Rosberg, Bruno Senna, Jean-Éric Vergne, Paul di Resta as well as Jenson Button, penalized by a loss of power from the Mercedes engine of his McLaren, are eliminated. In the decisive phase, many drivers decide to complete several flying laps to try and get the right tire temperature. The two Ferrari drivers opt for a used set of Medium tires. Sebastian Vettel takes pole position, even though Lewis Hamilton sets only a slightly slower time than the German driver. Fernando Alonso, who is fighting with Sebastian Vettel for the title, is eighth, given the penalty that Romain Grosjean will have to serve, having replaced the gearbox on his Lotus. At the end of qualifying, Fernando Alonso admits:

 

"It was not an easy qualifying, I suffered quite a bit, and we were too slow".

 

The Spanish driver is bitter about the bad qualifying and is not looking for excuses regarding the tire temperature, but at the same time, he does not want to give up ahead of the race.

 

"The tires are the same for everyone and we all had similar issues. During the race, anything can happen. What we have to do is score more points than Sebastian (Vettel). The possibility is there, we will see and talk about it tomorrow".

 

Unlike Alonso, the Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali, identifies the struggle to bring the tires to the right temperature as the main issue for the Maranello cars:

 

"I think that failing to get the tires to the right temperature to make them work was the problem, we’re starting with both cars on the dirty part of the track and that’s not a very good position for tomorrow. We don’t have to change our mentality, we have to get our enthusiasm back and get ready to attack tomorrow".

fotor-20230921131848.jpeg

Disappointed is also the other Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa:

 

"We more or less know where the car is, a qualifying session like this is similar to a lottery. With the time I set in Q2, I would have started a lot further up the grid tomorrow, we hope to score as many points as possible. It’s going to be an important race for everybody".

 

Sebastian Vettel comments:

 

"It takes a bit of time to find grip here, it’s also quite fun. I could’ve gone even faster but I lost some time in the last sector. Me and Webber are starting from the clean part of the track, a good position to try to cling to the constructor’s title tomorrow".

 

Lewis Hamilton, who is starting second, is also satisfied:

 

"I don’t want to create problems for anyone but I want to win so I’ll give my best despite starting on the dirty side of the track".

 

His worst qualifying this season cost Fernando Alonso half of the Championship: he’s starting eighth (he qualified ninth but Romain Grosjean got a five-place grid penalty) and from there, the idea of catching up to Sebastian Vettel can’t be considered completely crazy for the simple fact that in F1 you never know what could happen, a puncture, an accident, a broken engine. But something strange will have to happen at the Austin track to prevent Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull Racing team from winning their third consecutive World Drivers' Championship, or at least from hypothecating it, turning the Brasil GP into a simple formality. Regarding the Constructor’s championship, the battle has been closed for some time, considering that the Anglo-Austrian team needs only four more points to mathematically win the title. This time, a good part of the responsibility for such a dismal Saturday rests with the Spaniard. Who has been driving imprecisely and ineffectively since Friday? The qualifying laps were an agony from the morning's free practice, every corner a gamble, and every straight felt like a marathon. Blame the dirty circuit and the winter cold, which accentuated the problem of not being able to get the tires up to temperature quickly, enough for Ferrari to try the desperate move of putting on used tires instead of new ones. This was also Fernando Alonso's fault, as he was unable to find the right set-up on the car and the feeling with the circuit. Counter-evidence: for the first time since the start of the season, without the excuse of technical problems, Felipe Massa qualified ahead of the Spanish driver (he will start sixth). And by quite a lot too: 0.4 seconds. That is even more than the Spanish driver is normally ahead. Felipe Massa explains unapologetically:

 

"Fernando and I made different choices in terms of set-up".

 

Which can be translated as Fernando got the set-up wrong. The Spaniard initially returns the courtesy:

 

"Once or twice a season my teammate may qualify in front".

 

Then, reluctantly, he confirms: 

 

"Felipe did an extraordinary job and I couldn't do the same". 

 

However, Fernando Alonso does not give up: 

fotor-2023092113434.jpeg

"I will make up for it in the race. I have this feeling. I am very optimistic, don't ask me how or why, but I feel that in the race I will be in a position to score more points than Sebastian". 

 

The plan is already clear: 

 

"Maximum aggressiveness, maximum risks. Aim heavy on the first corner and the first lap, and take points away from Vettel".

 

Having closed the moment of dreams, Fernando Alonso returns to reality and, without any malice, points out the real problem of the weekend, and perhaps of the whole season. The car did not make the progress that was expected. 

 

"We were seventh and ninth in Abu Dhabi, we are seventh and ninth here. The car is identical. There is nothing new. The point is that this circuit turned out to be different from what we expected. We needed more downforce". 

 

Then, when asked to better elaborate on the sportingly dramatic concept, the driver, with a nervous smile, cuts it short: 

 

"That's our business".

 

Meanwhile, not so far from the Ferrari motorhome, swarmed by American fans who see Fernando Alonso anyone dressed in red walking around the paddock, Sebastian Vettel flaunts confidence. Happy and content inside his car, the German looks around and smiles, perhaps thinking about the words Fernando Alonso had used in the previous weeks to try to belittle him in an attempt to put him under pressure: 

 

"I am racing against Adrian Newey and not against Vettel". 

 

The German gave his answer on the track. He beat his team-mate Mark Webber, who is also racing in Adrian Newey's Red Bull Racing, and left only the phenomenal Lewis Hamilton in the game: if the Englishman had not had an unreliable McLaren, he might have had some chance of winning the World Championship this year. On Sunday 18 November 2012, Ferrari's unexpected move comes at dawn, as all self-respecting twists and turns do. And if it works, it could go down in the history of this World Championship: Felipe Massa will replace the gearbox. A seemingly unfathomable choice, given that Felipe Massa's gearbox works perfectly. Yet the maneuver is strategically brilliant. Since, to replace the gearbox, Felipe Massa will have to break the seals (and he will only do just that since the gearbox had no problems...) and will therefore be penalized. Downgraded on the grid, from sixth to eleventh position. Ferrari officially thanks Felipe Massa:

 

"We chose to take the gearbox-related penalty. This has been a strategic decision, to maximize Fernando Alonso’s starting performance, who is still in the fight for the championship. Yesterday we saw how starting from the dirty side can be: the risk of finding ourselves already too far from the higher positions during the first lap was high. It was a choice that was shared with both drivers. We always said that the team's interest is greater than that of the individual and this is the spirit with which we have always operated, with the utmost transparency: Felipe has understood the reasons and has once again demonstrated his great sense of belonging to the team and for this, we want to thank him publicly".

 

The demotion will have two consequences, the first, marginal, is that it will gain a position (from eighth to seventh) for his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, who is still in the running to win the World Championship. 

fotor-2023092112462.jpeg

The second, much more important, will be to have both Ferrari drivers start on the clean side of the track. All Formula 1 tracks have a starting grid divided in two, with one side good, clean, and rubberized, and the other not so good, and dirty. Differences are usually minimal but considered very useful by the drivers. In Austin, however, the difference between one side and the other is not minor at all. Quite the contrary. There are studies made by the teams that speak of sensational margins: starting on one side rather than the other is equivalent to gaining four positions, according to the McLaren team (according to the Red Bull Racing team even five). The FIA engineers claim that there is a forty-metre difference. So much so that Felipe Massa, who thanks to Romain Grosjean's disqualification had gained one position (from seventh to sixth) complained:

 

"It’s the first time in history that gaining a position equals losing a couple".

 

And just like that Ferrari, disappointed from a terrible Saturday, after a sleepless night of working and planning, relaunches with their surprise move. After all Fernando Alonso did explain it:

 

"I’m betting everything on the start, it’s going to be crucial, and the same goes for the first turn".

 

We'll see, meanwhile, Ferrari fans can get their hopes up to the sound of the Spaniard's words after his disappointing performance and Sebastian Vettel's pole position:

 

"Don't ask me how or why, but I feel that in the race I will be in a position to score more points than Sebastian". 

 

In the meantime, protests are mounting over Ferrari's move, described as unsportsmanlike by English commentators. They believe that F1 and Ferrari have failed to make a good impression at an important Grand Prix, which was meant to publicize F1 in the United States. On Sunday 18 November 2012, at the start of the US GP, Sebastian Vettel kept the lead, followed by his teammate, Mark Webber. Further behind is Fernando Alonso, who is fourth, behind Lewis Hamilton. This is followed by the Germans Michael Schumacher, Nico Hülkenberg, and the two Lotuses of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. During the second lap, Nico Hulkenberg overtakes Michael Schumacher. Soon after Kimi Räikkönen also tries to pass the German driver's Mercedes, but Romain Grosjean takes the opportunity to overtake both on the long straight. Michael Schumacher has no pace, though, and quickly gives up several positions. During the fourth, Lewis Hamilton overtakes Webber after a failed attempt in the previous lap. In the sixth lap, Romain Grosjean spins, ruins the tires, and is forced to make an early stop. During lap thirteen, Kimi Raikkönnen overtakes Nico Hulkemberg for fifth place. The German is overtaken soon after by Felipe Massa. During lap seventeen Mark Webber retires due to an alternator failure and Fernando Alonso climbs up to third place. Between laps 20 and 21 Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Fernando Alonso pit. Only Ferrari has a small slip-up that causes Fernando Alonso to lose a few seconds. Sebastian Vettel continues ahead in the race, followed by Kimi Räikkönen, who has yet to change his tires, then Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa (also on worn tires), Fernando Alonso, and Jenson Button. During lap 24, Lewis Hamilton overtakes Kimi Raikkönen, who pits on lap 25. In the meantime, Jenson Button, who has not yet changed tires, also passes Fernando Alonso, as several laps are needed to get the tires up to temperature. Felipe Massa makes the change on lap 27 and rejoins the track ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Räikkönen. But both pass him on lap 28. On lap 30, Daniel Ricciardo pits for a tire change. Jenson Button makes his third pit stop on lap 35, while his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, is closing in on Sebastian Vettel. The standings, behind the top two, again saw Fernando Alonso in third, followed by Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean, and Jenson Button. On lap 39 Jenson Button overtook Romain Grosjean, while on lap 40 Felipe Massa took fourth place thanks to an overtaking move on Kimi Räikkönen. 

fotor-20230921125313.jpeg

Jenson Button also manages to pass the Finn on lap 46. The top of the leaderboard changed on lap 42, when Lewis Hamilton, having closed in on Sebastian Vettel when lapped, took advantage of the DRS and took the lead at the end of the long straight. Vettel, however, does not lose ground to the Briton. But the classification remains unchanged: Lewis Hamilton wins the US Grand Prix, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Felipe Massa is fourth, followed by Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna. It is not over. Or maybe it is. Sebastian Vettel had the first match ball in his hand and wasted it, by bowing too easily to Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso, with his usual grit, took third place and postponed all verdicts to Brazil. It's not over yet, the last race will be the decider, or maybe it is, because in any case the Spaniard has come within 40 seconds of his rival, Red Bull Racing has once again demonstrated its overwhelming superiority over Ferrari and hoping that in a few hours, the picture will be reversed, even though Interlagos is a profoundly different track to Austin, seems like a gamble. But it is not over and so, as Ferrari swears, it is right not to give up. Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali promises a tough fight to the end. Fernando Alonso is ready to start his fierce war again. It will be fought using every possible means. Wits, tactics, and rules pushed to the limits. 

 

As shown in Texas, with Ferrari's cunning move, sacrificing Felipe Massa's gearbox before the race, replacing it forcibly, causing the Brazilian to move back five positions, and guaranteeing Fernando Alonso (clean side of the track with seventh position) a sensational start. A smart move, of course, but a legitimate one, as Red Bull Racing itself admits, less scandalous than when the two Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers back off to allow Sebastian Vettel easier lapping. It has happened several times this season and to be nitpicky (if proven) this is more of an allowed team order now, as teams may have the same ownership but pay two entry fees. Clever, that of Ferrari, but in the no-holds-barred war we need to understand if it is only cleverness that of Red Bull Racing, which has a genius designer, a competitive car, but also a wing that is never clear whether it is too flexible, therefore irregular, or not. There are suspicions, there is discussion, but then it all ends there, the FIA threatens but does not intervene, and we start arguing again as if nothing had happened. Ferrari was smart, it did something to help itself, but did it in the light of day, regulations in hand. Some will say it was not politically correct, but it did not break any laws. Certainly, in the name of sport, Lewis Hamilton, who had nothing more to say and instead gave a big helping hand to Fernando Alonso, once a bitter enemy in McLaren, deserves all the applause. He has inserted himself, for enjoyment, between the two disputants, leaving Brazil to write the final word. Lewis Hamilton said during the prize-giving ceremony at the end of the race:

 

"I am really happy. All weekend the US fans have been very loving and very warm. This is a nice circuit. Today is a really special day. I haven't won a race for a long time: I am very happy about my race, the support of the crowd, and the great work of my team".

 

The leader of the World Championship, Sebastian Vettel, congratulates Lewis Hamilton on winning the US Grand Prix, and at the same time points out that he has a substantial lead ahead of the last race in Brazil:

 

"Lewis was incredible, it was a nice return here for my Grand Prix number 100. I am happy to have won the Constructors' World Championship. I'm in a better position for the championship. Lewis had one chance and he took it".

 

Fernando Alonso smiles. The way things had gone on Saturday afternoon, after the worst qualifying of the season, the championship could have ended here. The Spaniard says:

 

"Anything can happen in Brazil. We can win and we can lose. We don't know. What we do know is that until I see the chequered flag in front of my car I will not give up”.

fotor-20230921125920.jpeg

Overpowered by the weight of a Red Bull Racing team that won its third consecutive constructors' title during the race. But no.  Instead, everything is still open. The impression is that it will remain so, hanging by a thread, until the last meter. Credit to a Ferrari that, as Alonso's samurai demands, never gives up, of course. But also, thanks to a Hamilton who, in the least expected moment of the season - two races from the end - seems to have regained full feeling with a McLaren that has finally returned to the levels promised during the summer. In Sao Paulo, the Englishman is going to be the classic key factor, the man with the power to interfere decisively in their World Championship battle. Fernando Alonso says:

 

"The championship is still alive, and this is already a big result. Most of it, as we predicted, was decided at the start. We managed to gain those three positions and that put us in the best possible position for us. From that moment on the race was easier. I didn’t have the pace to fight with Vettel and Hamilton. So, I had to aim for the podium. In the end, I think that having lost only three points to Sebastian is a great result. If anyone had prospected this outcome for us yesterday or even on Friday, we wouldn’t have believed them. This counts as a victory for us".

 

Now Brazil is coming and with Brazil also comes a new opportunity:

 

"However, it might end, we have to be very proud of what we did this year. We’ll arrive in Sao Paulo knowing that we had a great Championship. Only Vettel managed to do a bit better than us. But it’s not over yet. And we will give it all".

 

Sebastian Vettel, not far from him, listens and doesn’t seem particularly worried, he exchanges some banter for the American public with Lewis Hamilton (on the very popular theme of the Texan grid girls) and then raises the challenge.

 

"Today we were very quick, quicker than Ferrari. While Mclaren maybe had more pace than us. We lost another three points and we will give it all in Sao Paulo where we’ve always had great results".

 

His confidence, however, seems to slightly crack when someone points out that, yet again, Red Bull Racing had a little too many issues regarding reliability.

 

"Yeah, Mark’s alternator failed and that’s not great news for us".

 

But, sensing the smile Fernando Alonso was concealing, he picks himself up.

 

"However, we’re very happy to have won the third Constructor’s title in a row. We have a great team. And we’re going to show it in Brazil".

 

Ferrari’s team principal, Stefano Domenicali, says:

 

"After seeing yesterday’s results, we had a goal and we achieved it. We are happy about how today ended. Our drivers had a good race and managed the tires well. Now we have to recharge, stay calm, work, and wait. We’ll see how it ends in Brazil".

 

Fernando Alonso has to regain 13 points from Sebastian Vettel but he still has faith.

fotor-20230921125656.jpeg

"The numbers say that the possibilities are very slim, a 25% maybe, but inside me, it’s so much more. The start was very good. In the first turn of the first lap, I saved a lot of points while on Saturday we suffered with the pace, in the first few laps we were with the group in front. The race pace was good even though the first two were out of our reach, but we had the car to reach the podium. Then Webber stopped, and on Saturday they are leaking, they have problems with the gearbox, the Kers, and today with the alternator, let’s hope to have better luck in Brazil. The race is next Sunday and we cannot expect miracles. During qualifying, we’re going to be between fifth, sixth and seventh place and Red Bull is going to be in front, but in the race, anything can happen. Those two don’t always reach the finish line. We have to give the final push. And then, if it rains, there’s a very dangerous variable, and we have less to lose". 

 

Keep believing until the end, until the last lap. The day after the US GP, optimism still prevails in Ferrari, even though Sebastian Vettel has a 13-point advantage over Fernando Alonso, with only one race left in the championship, the one to be held in Brazil. Ferrari’s thoughts are entrusted to the president, Montezemolo: 

 

"I know it will be very hard but myself and everyone here believe in it".

 

This is the message from the columns of the Ferrari website.

 

"We have achieved a goal of which we should be proud. In the last sixteen years, with very few exceptions, we have always been used to arriving at the end of the championship in this situation and we have succeeded this time too, in a season that, however it goes, has seen us as protagonists. But pride is not enough: we want to win".

 

Montezemolo adds:

 

"In Austin, the team was once again perfect, as were both drivers: Fernando was once again on the podium and Felipe (Massa) was the author of a beautiful race, as well as proving himself once again to be a team man". 

 

The focus is now on the Interlagos race: 

 

"Now we will go to Sao Paulo in Brazil with the desire to win and with the knowledge that we will be fighting until the last kilometer of the last lap of the race at Interlagos. I know it will be very tough but myself and all of us believe in it".

 

Sebastian Vettel has two rivals for the title: Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari and his Red Bull’s alternator, which, in the US mortified Mark Webber’s ambitions for the championship fight.

 

"It’s a ticking bomb".

 

Admits Adrian Newey, technical director and designer of the RB8. In Brazil, Sebastian Vettel will be World Champion for the third consecutive time if he manages to finish at least fourth: a feat well within the German's grasp. Unless the alternator fails again. The problem that stopped Mark Webber is nothing new: 

 

"It's the third time this has happened to us this year".

fotor-20230921125022.jpeg

Says Adrian Newey, recalling the failures that stranded Sebastian Vettel in the Monza and Valencia races. 

 

"It's a real ticking bomb, nobody knows when it will stop working. I am convinced, however, that we will solve the problem for the weekend". 

 

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner adds:

 

"We have to analyze the situation carefully".

 

The F1 World Championship race played out to a photo finish is a good advertisement for the motor racing world, according to circus owner Bernie Ecclestone who sees Sebastian Vettel as the big favourite for the title. Interviewed by German agency Sid, Ecclestone says he sees Vettel as the big favorite: 

 

"I would bet on Sebastian".

 

The British manager replies, recalling the German's 13-point lead over Fernando Alonso. But who deserves the title more in 2012? 

 

"Maybe Sebastian, based on his results (five wins), although Fernando hasn't had the best car for most of the season and he would deserve it too for that".

 

A few hours away from the US Grand Prix, before flying back to Brazil, Stefano Domenicali is in Maranello to take stock of the situation in an increasingly difficult World Championship. 

 

"The balance, after qualifying on a Saturday that could have been a really difficult day for us, is definitely positive. We succeeded in our objective of fighting for the Drivers' title in Brazil. A goal achieved in a very difficult American weekend from a performance point of view, because we were never able to fight to stay ahead of the others". 

 

Alonso, from New York, pretty much repeats the same thing: 

 

"We have seventy-one laps left, in which everything will be decided: anything can happen, the important thing is that we do everything perfectly. I have confidence in myself as I do in the team: we will fight until the end. We know we are not super competitive but if we are still in contention it is thanks to the team, which is the best of all".

 

Despite the difficulties found in Texas, at Ferrari, there is still a desire to believe in the title. Stefano Domenicali acknowledges:

 

"Now we go to Brazil with the knowledge that we have to give our all, to believe in it to the end, to fight to the end against a very strong driver and team. Two years ago we went through the same situation, but in a different way, so we are aiming for the end. We are counting a lot on the contribution of Felipe Massa, in Brazil he will give his all both because it is his home track and because he has rediscovered his form, which is very important for us. Today, then, I want to thank him more, more calmly, it's not easy for a driver. Once again Massa has shown that he is a team man, that he understands Ferrari's priorities and you have to give him credit for that".

 

And the team principal continues:

 

"Fernando will have nothing to lose and so he will have to do a flawless race, take advantage of every possible opportunity. We know it's not just up to us, but in the meantime,  we'll have to do our job and then we'll see what Vettel does. In Brazil, by the way, there seem to be special conditions, with rain that could come. Anything is possible this weekend, it's important that we get off to a good start on Friday and do what we have to do with great rationality, and without getting carried away by emotion. What's new technically? Maybe some small adjustments, but the important thing is to prepare the car package to be as competitive as possible both on Saturday and Sunday. Personally, I will have to control the emotional aspect which, needless to say, will be very strong. This is our strength, I don't think any team can boast this pedigree. We will aim to win, it will not be easy, but we will try".


instagram
twitter
youtube
whatsapp
tiktok
spotify

©​ 2024 Osservatore Sportivo

Team

Contact us

Info

Create Website with flazio.com | Free and Easy Website Builder