2011 Japanese Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Japan 2011 was held on 9 October at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka place and was the 15th race of the Formula 1 2011 season.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Singapore Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel led the drivers' championship with 124 points, ahead of Jenson Button with 125 points ahead of Fernando Alonso. Red Bull -Renault resulted in the constructors' championship with 138 points ahead of McLaren -Mercedes with 223 points ahead of Ferrari. Vettel only needed a point to visit the Drivers' Championship to decide for themselves.
At the Grand Prix of Japan presented Pirelli riders the tire compounds medium ( white) and soft (yellow), as well as for wet conditions Intermediates (light blue ) and Full - Wets (orange ) are available.
With Michael Schumacher ( six times ), Alonso, Vettel ( twice each ), Rubens Barrichello, Lewis Hamilton (once each ) were five former winners of this Grand Prix.
Training
In the first free practice session Button scored the fastest lap ahead of Hamilton and Vettel. In this training Nico Hülkenberg the Force India of Adrian Sutil, Karun Chandhok took over the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen and Narain Karthikeyan HRT Vitantonio Liuzzi of. In the second free practice remained Button fastest driver ahead of Alonso and Vettel. In the third free practice drove Button set the fastest time ahead of Hamilton and Vettel. The HRT pilots managed in any training session times within the 107- percent rule.
Qualifying
In the first phase of qualifying Kamui Kobayashi scored the fastest lap time. The HRT, Virgin and Lotus pilots and Nico Rosberg retired from. Rosberg and Liuzzi put no time and thus failed at the 107- percent rule. Both were subsequently permission to start the race. In the second segment Hamilton was the fastest driver. The Toro Rosso, Williams and Force India pilots and Sergio Pérez resigned from. In the final section finally sat Vettel ahead of Button and Hamilton to the top of the field.
Race
At the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, it came to a duel for the lead. This Vettel forced his opponent button to leave the track and almost go off the gas. Hamilton took over while the second position. The race stewards investigated this duel and decided not to impose a penalty. Local hero Kobayashi started not good and dropped from seventh to twelfth place.
In the initial phase Vettel succeeded in outperforming the rest of the field. Hamilton got tire problems early and went after it had been overtaken by button to change a tire on the box. In the next few laps all riders from the lead group came to their pit stop. While the first two positions remained unchanged, Alonso drove past Hamilton. Further down the first pit stop phase had a negative impact on Sébastien Buemi. His right front wheel was not attached properly and he put his car on the gravel. It was the only failure in this race.
Button succeeded in this section to reduce the gap to Vettel. In the second pit stops, where Vettel moved ahead of Button tires, Button eventually took the lead. Behind the top three pilots, there was a renewed Duel of Hamilton and Massa. Hamilton Massa let this little space, so that both touched. It broke up in Massa a part that remained on the track. Both drivers drove on and the race stewards spoke no penalty from. A few laps later, Webber also lost in a duel with Schumacher a part of his front wing, which was also lying on the track. Therefore, the jury decided to carry out a safety car phase while cleaning the route. Of the leading pilots no one came to the pits.
At the restart button kept the lead and sat down in the following rounds of Vettel from. Vettel was again more to the box and moved to the harder tire compound. Since the drivers closer together were based on previous safety car phase, Vettel fell behind Sutil and Nico Rosberg. While there, he managed to overtake both, but he fell back behind Alonso, who later went to the box. In the phase of final pit stops Schumacher led the race for three rounds. It was his first laps led since the Japanese Grand Prix in 2006. Having completed his pit stop, he got ahead of Massa in sixth place on the route, which no longer even overtook him.
While there was some jostling for position between the Force India drivers, Petrov and Rosberg in midfield, moved the drivers at the top closer together. Red Bull told his driver, however, by radio on, not taking unnecessary risk and to keep the positions. Alonso was initially closer to zoom button, but this succeeded a lap to go yet to achieve the fastest lap.
Button eventually won ahead of Alonso and Vettel, the third place was enough to premature winning the Drivers' World Championship. With the successful title defense Vettel was at the age of 24 years and 98 days became the youngest double world champion in Formula 1 history. The record held last Alonso.
On the other points standings Webber, Hamilton, Schumacher, Massa, Perez, Petrov and Rosberg finished the race.
In the Constructors' World Championship McLaren -Mercedes decreased although the gap to Red Bull -Renault, who can win the title early but the next Grand Prix.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
, The first ten of the race were 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point (s).