2012 Belgian Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Belgium 2012 was held on September 2 at the Circuit de Spa -Francorchamps in Spa instead and was the twelfth round of the Formula 1 season in 2012.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso led the drivers' championship with 40 points ahead of Mark Webber and 42 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull -Renault led with 53 points ahead of McLaren -Mercedes with 54 points, ahead of Lotus -Renault.
At the Grand Prix of Belgium presented the Pirelli P Zero tire compounds drivers the hardware (silver) and P Zero medium ( white), as well as for wet conditions Cinturato Intermediates (green) and Cinturato Full Wets (blue ) are available.
Michael Schumacher took part in this weekend at his 300th Grand Prix. Since he was not in a race to which he has qualified, however, it was not until his 299th start.
With Schumacher ( six times ), Kimi Raikkonen (four times ), Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton and Vettel ( once each ) were five former winners of this Grand Prix.
As race stewards acted Yves BACQUELAINE ( BEL), Steven Chopping (AUS), Garry Connelly (AUS) and Eliseo Salazar (CHL ).
Training
The first free practice took place under rainy conditions. Kamui Kobayashi scored the fastest lap in front of Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo. Shortly before the end of the training Massa suffered an engine failure. In this training Valtteri Bottas Williams by Bruno Senna and Dani Clos took the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan. In the second free practice session it remained in wet conditions. Only 18 riders lined up at all on the track. A time put ten pilots. The only times came to pass, as the pilots after the training even conducted exercises start on the grid. Charles Pic was the fastest ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Alonso. In the third free practice session the track was dry. Nico Rosberg rolled after twelve minutes with technical problems. Alonso set the fastest time ahead of Raikkonen and Sergio Pérez.
Qualifying
In the first part of qualifying, Maldonado scored the fastest lap. The HRT, Marussia and Caterham pilots and Rosberg retired from. In the second section Jenson Button was fastest. The Toro Rosso drivers and Senna, Massa, Schumacher, Nico Hulkenberg and Vettel dropped out. In the last section Button kept the lead. Kobayashi was second ahead of Maldonado.
In the grid Rosberg and Webber were treated for early gear changes at five positions, and Maldonado for Hulkenberg handicapping of three positions to the rear.
Race
The Grand Prix of Belgium began with a mass collision before the first corner excreting in Hamilton, Alonso Pérez and Romain Grosjean. Hamilton was pushed by Grosjean and thereby lost control of his vehicle. This maneuver caused a chain reaction in which excreting these four pilots. Grosjean took off and flying with his vehicle through the air. He missed the helmet of Alonso scarce. All drivers were unhurt. It was Alonso's first loss after the Canadian Grand Prix 2011. In the 23 intervening races he scored consistently points. The race stewards locked Grosjean, the cause of the collision, for the next race.
The launch accident triggered a safety car phase. Button led the race ahead of Raikkonen and Hulkenberg. In the safety car phase Pedro de la Rosa, Kobayashi and Maldonado went to stops for repairs to the box. Maldonado had also become more noticeable with an early start.
While Button settled out front, Hulkenberg went to past Raikkonen on the second position. Further back Maldonado crashed and retired. In midfield, there were some overtaking. Among other things, Vettel improved by overtaking on the track from the twelfth to ninth place. In the 10th round, the first pit stops began. Button, Schumacher and Vettel remained of the front group for the longest time on the track, therefore kept Button leadership in this phase throughout. Before Schumacher's pit stop, there was almost a collision between Schumacher and Vettel, almost cut off as Schumacher Vettel the way before the pit entry.
Halfway through the race, led button with about eight seconds ahead of Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Webber, Massa, Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Schumacher, Jean- Éric Vergne and Paul di Resta. Shortly after racing half the phase of the second pit stops for the drivers on a two -stop strategy began.
Shortly after Karthikeyan was excreted in an accident, there was duels between Schumacher and Raikkonen for third place. Schumacher, who had not been for the second time in the pits, was first overtaken by Raikkonen before the Bus Stop chicane. In the subsequent round Schumacher made using the Drag Reduction System ( DRS ) the position on the Kemmel straight good again and walked past Raikkonen. Two laps later ventured Raikkonen before Eau Rouge to attack Schumacher, who was successful. Hulkenberg, who was in fifth place behind the two opponents tried to overtake on the Kemmel straight and Schumacher, but failed. One lap later Hulkenberg went first before La Source Schumacher past, was using the DRS but back overtaken on the Kemmel straight. Shortly afterwards, Schumacher gave up his original one- stop strategy, and changed a second time the tires.
While there was some jostling for position in midfield, Button won the race with 13.624 seconds ahead of Vettel. It was a start- to-finish victory. At a Grand Slam was missing only the fastest lap, which went to the Twelfth Senna. In addition to Button and Vettel was only Pic ( 16th place) on a one -stop strategy on the go.
The points completed Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Massa, Webber, Schumacher, Vergne, Ricciardo and di Resta. While the positions in the Constructors' World Championship in the top three positions remained unchanged. In the drivers' standings Alonso kept the lead, lost due to his first loss of the season but a projection. Vettel and Webber swapped positions, which Vettel came in second place.
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).