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  • 2012
  • Santander Spanish Grand Prix

2012 Santander Spanish Grand Prix

Table of Contents

  • Technical Specifications
  • Free Practice 1
  • Free Practice 2
  • P1 & P2 Report
  • Free Practice 3
  • Qualifying
  • Race Results

Technical Specifications

Circuit de Catalunya Specifications
Top speed: 320km/h
Average speed: 195km/h
Pit straight length: 1140m
Circuit length: 4.655km
Race length: 66 laps/308km
Number of corners: 16
Longest section at full throttle: 16s/1140m
Highest G-force: 4G
Downforce level: Medium-high
Brake wear: High
Full throttle: 57% of lap
Gearchanges per lap: 44
Grip level: Medium
Gradient change: Medium
Average ambient temperature: 25°C
Average track temperature: 30°C
Weather: Mostly warm and sunny
Circuit type: Permanent
Runoff areas: Medium-large
Configuration: Clockwise
Fuel consumption: Medium-High
Landscape: Industrial/suburban
Average attendance: 140,000

 

Results: Free Practice 1

PosNoDriverTeamTime/RetiredGapLaps
1 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:24.430   20
2 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:24.808 0.378 18
3 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:24.912 0.482 28
4 3 Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:24.996 0.566 24
5 19 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1:25.120 0.690 24
6 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:25.187 0.757 15
7 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:25.217 0.787 16
8 4 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:25.252 0.822 20
9 9 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:25.285 0.855 29
10 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:25.339 0.909 24
11 17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:25.367 0.937 22
12 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:25.433 1.003 21
13 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:25.539 1.109 23
14 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:25.607 1.177 20
15 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1:25.918 1.488 19
16 16 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:26.226 1.796 24
17 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:26.297 1.867 18
18 11 Jules Bianchi Force India-Mercedes 1:26.630 2.200 21
19 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1:27.475 3.045 20
20 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1:28.267 3.837 21
21 20 Alexander Rossi Caterham-Renault 1:28.448 4.018 25
22 25 Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1:28.633 4.203 22
23 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1:29.107 4.677 19
24 23 Dani Clos HRT-Cosworth 1:31.618 7.188 19

Results: Free Practice 2

PosNoDriverTeamTime/RetiredGapLaps
1 3 Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:23.399   38
2 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:23.563 0.164 38
3 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:23.771 0.372 41
4 4 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:23.909 0.510 32
5 9 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:23.918 0.519 32
6 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:23.964 0.565 37
7 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:24.065 0.666 34
8 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:24.080 0.681 36
9 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:24.214 0.815 41
10 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:24.365 0.966 22
11 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:24.418 1.019 35
12 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1:24.422 1.023 32
13 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:24.468 1.069 40
14 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:24.600 1.201 33
15 11 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:24.688 1.289 30
16 17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:24.733 1.334 34
17 16 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:24.769 1.370 37
18 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1:25.047 1.648 42
19 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1:26.296 2.897 36
20 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1:26.740 3.341 35
21 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1:27.314 3.915  
22 25 Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1:27.664 4.265  
23 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1:28.235 4.836  
24 23 Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth

P1 & P2 Report

Circuit de Catalunya, Friday May 11

 

JENSON BUTTON

MP4-27A-04

P1           1m24.996s (+0.566s)           24 laps                   4th

P2           1m23.399s                              38 laps                    1st

“It was a positive afternoon. I did a good lap on the Option tyre, the car is running well, and our upgrades seem to be working. But there are still some improvements to be made.

“The Option seems to be a bit easier for everyone as it’s softer and therefore more receptive to generating temperature. In P2, we also started to find a way to get the Prime to work, but then, later in the session, we couldn’t quite get back to that sweet-spot.

“If we can solve these issues with the Prime and get it into its correct working range, I think we can be quite competitive this weekend.

“There are a lot of quick cars out there, but, aerodynamically, I think we’ve got a strong car. We’ve just got to make sure that we make sure that the four things touching the road are working properly for us too.”

 

LEWIS HAMILTON

MP4-27A-03

P1           1m25.252s (+0.822s)             20 laps                    8th

P2           1m23.909s (+0.510s)             32 laps                    4th

“The car already feels better than it did at the last race – there’s a good series of improvements within the car. My long run this afternoon was very satisfying and there are positives to take from that, but there’s still more time in the car, as Jenson showed.

“I struggled a little with set-up today. It’s a little bit inconsistent, so it’s very difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s needed to make it better. But we’ll be looking at the data to find out where the most significant issues are, and I’m confident we can make improvements overnight.

“Nevertheless, the upgrades we brought to this race seem to be working well and we’ve got good pace on the longer runs. The guys back at the factory did a fantastic job.

“It’s been a positive day and we’re in the fight.”

 

MARTIN WHITMARSH

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“It’s pleasing to hear both drivers express their initial satisfaction with the suite of upgrades we’ve brought to the circuit this weekend. It’s now time for the engineers to sit down and look in detail at the data to determine what’s working and in what areas we can make further improvements.

“The Circuit de Catalunya is always a very stern test of machinery, so it’s gratifying to see Vodafone McLaren Mercedes assume the top spot on the timesheets at this early stage of the weekend. It was a very strong lap from Jenson.

“Looking deeper at the timesheets, it’s clear that, once again, we’re set for an extremely finely pitched and closely fought race – it’s going to be a fascinating weekend.”

Results: Free Practice 3

PosNoDriverTeamTime/RetiredGapLaps
1 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:23.168   13
2 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:23.336 0.168 19
3 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.350 0.182 19
4 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:23.578 0.410 16
5 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.742 0.574 22
6 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:23.807 0.639 15
7 17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:23.833 0.665 14
8 3 Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:23.909 0.741 13
9 9 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:23.936 0.768 16
10 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:24.070 0.902 24
11 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:24.179 1.011 16
12 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:24.323 1.155 17
13 16 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:24.331 1.163 15
14 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1:24.409 1.241 18
15 11 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:24.599 1.431 15
16 4 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:24.778 1.610 15
17 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:24.825 1.657 17
18 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1:25.911 2.743 20
19 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1:26.587 3.419 20
20 25 Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1:27.469 4.301 18
21 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1:27.689 4.521 16
22 23 Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1:28.207 5.039 24
23 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1:28.373 5.205 13
24 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault No time   2

Results: Qualifying

PosNoDriverTeamQ1Q2Q3Laps
1 4 Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:22.583 1:22.465 1:21.707 17
2 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:23.380 1:22.105 1:22.285 14
3 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:23.276 1:22.862 1:22.302 15
4 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:23.248 1:22.667 1:22.424 14
5 9 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:23.406 1:22.856 1:22.487 13
6 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1:24.261 1:22.773 1:22.533 14
7 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:23.370 1:22.882 1:23.005 17
8 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:23.850 1:22.884 no time 14
9 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:23.757 1:22.904 no time 15
10 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.386 1:22.897 no time 14
11 3 Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 1:23.510 1:22.944   13
12 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:23.592 1:22.977   8
13 11 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:23.852 1:23.125   14
14 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:23.720 1:23.177   13
15 17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:24.362 1:23.265   11
16 16 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:23.906 1:23.442   11
17 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:23.886 1:23.444   12
18 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1:24.981     8
19 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1:25.277     8
20 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1:25.507     8
21 25 Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1:26.582     8
22 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1:27.032     8
23 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1:27.555     6
24 23 Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1:31.122     4

Race Report

Circuit de Catalunya, Sunday May 13

LEWIS HAMILTON

MP4-27A-03

Started:                  24th

Finished                8th

Fastest lap            1m28.918s (+2.668s, 18th)

Pitstops                 Two: laps 14 (4.0s) and 35 (3.8s) [Opt-Pri-Pri]

Points                     53 (3rd)

 “I’m proud of my performance today, and proud of the team too. They did a great job: a real improvement with the pitstops, following our difficulties in that area recently. All in all, then, I think today’s result was the best we could do.

“I was the only driver to attempt a two-stop strategy, and I’m glad I was able to made it work. People often say that I have an aggressive driving style, but my final stint on the Prime tyre was 31 laps, so I reckon I proved today that I can make tyres last.

“It was a huge challenge to come through the field from the back, but I never gave up for a single second, right up to the finish line. Before the race I said I’d race my heart out, and that’s exactly what I did. For me, that’s what racing is all about.

“Today was all about damage limitation. But, now, looking at the bigger picture, I can’t really complain because, despite the setbacks I’ve had this season, I’m still only eight points behind the leader of the drivers’ world championship.

“The team has been working extremely hard, and our car is quick. So, when things go right, I think we’ll be in a great position – and it’ll come to us before too long.

“Finally, big congratulations to Pastor [Maldonado] and everyone at Williams – it’s a fantastic result for them and this is a great day for him personally.”

 

JENSON BUTTON

MP4-27A-04

Started                    10th

Finished                  9th

Fastest lap             1m28.624s (+2.374s, 14th)

Pitstops                  Three: laps 9 (4.1s), 25 (4.6s) and 38 (3.8s) [Opt-Pri-Opt-Pri]

Points                      45 (6th)

“Congratulations to Pastor! His was a great drive and I’m sure it will instil a lot of confidence in him and the Williams team.

“The Formula 1 form-book is very mixed-up at the moment, which is unusual, but that’s the way it appears to be going this season. As for us, well, a lot of my afternoon was spent stuck in traffic, and I had a Sauber breathing down my neck for most of the race. All in all, we weren’t quite quick enough today – but that’s something I need to solve myself. I need to find a set-up that suits me better as I feel like I have pretty poor grip at the moment.

“Having said that, I’m already looking forward to Monaco and a much better weekend there. It’s a circuit I love and hopefully a place where we can achieve a good result.”

 

MARTIN WHITMARSH

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Before I say anything else, I want to offer my very hearty congratulations to Williams, to Pastor and particularly to Sir Frank for a stunning victory here today.

“For Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, following our disappointments yesterday, today was always going to be about recovery. Even so, Jenson will be disappointed: he struggled with balance and grip all afternoon, and won’t be satisfied with the brace of world championship points that his ninth place delivered him.

“Lewis, having started in 24th and last place following his qualifying penalty yesterday, drove an absolutely storming race to eighth place at the chequered flag, all but catching and passing Nico [Rosberg] for seventh place on the final lap. Like Jenson, he won’t be content with the four world championship points he earned this afternoon, but in truth he should be immensely proud of his performance here.

“Lewis was the only driver to make a two-stop strategy work today – and that, given that his race strategy called for him to drive exceptionally hard and extremely fast in heavy traffic all afternoon, pulling off some sensational passing manoeuvres on a circuit on which overtaking is notoriously difficult, was a truly magnificent feat.

“Make no mistake about it, the 2012 Santander Spanish Grand Prix was one of the most impressive races that Lewis has ever driven. His performance combined fabulous verve with commendable caution – and I’d go so far as to say that, rising above the frustration he inevitably felt yesterday evening, he’s inspired each and every one of us at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes with his stirring drive today.

“He’s only eight points behind the leader in the Drivers’ World Championship, and he loves the Monaco Grand Prix, the next stop on the World Championship calendar.

“Jenson, too, is a past winner at Monte-Carlo, and, like Lewis, he’ll approach the dauntingly tortuous streets of the famous Principality with the forceful precision that marks out both our drivers as the superb World Champions that they are.

“They’ll both be aiming to win, of that you may be sure.”

Santander Spanish Grand Prix

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2012 Santander Spanish Grand Prix :: Free Practice

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