McLaren driver Jenson Button suffered a collision with his teammate and with Fernando Alonso, received a drive through penalty, and powered from last to first to win a very wild and wet Grand Prix of Canada.
Before the start of the race, Jarno Trulli of the Team Lotus team told us: « It’s going to be a tricky race. We all know it’s going to rain, but when? We’ll need to have an aggressive race strategy”.
The track was very wet when the cars completed their formation laps. The race direction announced that the Drag Reduction System (DRS) is disabled on all cars because it is a wet race. All cars are shod on wet tires.
After three laps behind the Safety Car, the start of the race is finally given.
Pole sitter Sebastian Vettel leads from Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Michael Schumacher (Mercedes).
On lap 7, Hamilton tried to pass the McLaren of his teammate Jenson Button on the pit straight. Hamilton’s car was squeezed against the wall and saw its rear suspension damaged. He retired a few corners later, bringing out a Safety Car period.
The race is restarted on lap 12. One lap later, Button receives a drive through penalty for exceeding the Safety Car speed limit.
The first stops to switch to the intermediate tires started on lap 17. But on lap 19, heavy rain starts to fall and the Safety car returns in action! Vettel is still the leader in front of Massa and Kamui Kobayashi. Several top drivers use the caution period to switch to full wet tires.
Vettel says by radio that certain portions of the track, especially corner 4 are too dangerous because of the standing water. On lap 24, it’s a downpour and the race is red flagged.
After some two hours of waiting, the signal is given to restart the race. All cars must be shod on wet weather tires. After several laps behind the Safety Car, the field is finally unleashed in lap 34.
Most front runners stop to get intermediate tires. Then, Button and Alonso collide. The Ferrari ended up in the wall while the McLaren suffered from a flat tire. The Safery car returned on the track.
The running order is Vettel, Kobayashi, Massa and Nick Heidfeld in the Lotus Renault GP. The race is restarted and Vettel slowly stretched his lead out in front.
Michael Schumacher is flying. On lap 52, he is running in second place! The racing line is almost dry. It time to pit for slicks. Heidfeld breaks his front wings against the Sauber of Kobayashi and leaves the track. Guess what? Yes, it’s another Safety Car period! The running order is Vettel, Schumacher, Webber and Button.
Action resumes on lap 60. Button passes Webber and Schumacher and targets leader Vettel who’s running two seconds slower a lap than him. Vettel gets the wakeup call, but almost too late. Button pushes him really hard, and Vettel almost loses control of his Red Bull with half a lap to go on the wet and Button passes him!
Button crossed the line in front place ahead of Vettel, Webber, Schumacher, Vitaly Petrov in a Lotus Renault GP, Massa and Kobayashi.
Grand prix of Canada - Final classification
Montreal, Sunday June 12, 2011
1 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/26-Mercedes) - 70 laps*
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB7-Renault) - 2”7
3 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB7-Renault) - 13”8
4 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W02) - 14”2
5 - Vitaly Petrov (Renault R31) 20”3
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari 150) - 33”2
7 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C30-Ferrari) 33”2
8 - Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso STR6-Ferrari) - 35”9
9 - Rubens Barrichello (Williams FW33-Cosworth) - 45”1
10 - Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso STR6-Ferrari) - 47”0
11 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W02) - 50”4
12 - Pedro de La Rosa (Sauber C30-Ferrari) - 1'03"6
13 - Vitantonio Liuzzi (Hispania F111-Cosworth) - 1 lap
14 - Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania F111-Cosworth) - 1 lap
15 - Jerome d'Ambrosio (Marussia Virgin MVR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Timo Glock (Marussia Virgin MVR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
17 - Jarno Trulli (Lotus T128-Renault) - 1 lap
Fastest lap: Jenson Button 1’16”956
Retirements:
67th lap - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM04-Mercedes)
61st lap - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW33-Cosworth)
55th lap - Nick Heidfeld (Renault R31)
49th lap - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM04-Mercedes)
46th lap - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari 150)
28th lap - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus T128-Renault)
7th lap - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/26-Mercedes)
* Unofficial results
 |
| Photo: René Fagnan/Auto123.com |
Before the start of the race, Jarno Trulli of the Team Lotus team told us: « It’s going to be a tricky race. We all know it’s going to rain, but when? We’ll need to have an aggressive race strategy”.
The track was very wet when the cars completed their formation laps. The race direction announced that the Drag Reduction System (DRS) is disabled on all cars because it is a wet race. All cars are shod on wet tires.
After three laps behind the Safety Car, the start of the race is finally given.
Pole sitter Sebastian Vettel leads from Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Michael Schumacher (Mercedes).
On lap 7, Hamilton tried to pass the McLaren of his teammate Jenson Button on the pit straight. Hamilton’s car was squeezed against the wall and saw its rear suspension damaged. He retired a few corners later, bringing out a Safety Car period.
The race is restarted on lap 12. One lap later, Button receives a drive through penalty for exceeding the Safety Car speed limit.
The first stops to switch to the intermediate tires started on lap 17. But on lap 19, heavy rain starts to fall and the Safety car returns in action! Vettel is still the leader in front of Massa and Kamui Kobayashi. Several top drivers use the caution period to switch to full wet tires.
Vettel says by radio that certain portions of the track, especially corner 4 are too dangerous because of the standing water. On lap 24, it’s a downpour and the race is red flagged.
 |
| Photo: WRi2 |
After some two hours of waiting, the signal is given to restart the race. All cars must be shod on wet weather tires. After several laps behind the Safety Car, the field is finally unleashed in lap 34.
Most front runners stop to get intermediate tires. Then, Button and Alonso collide. The Ferrari ended up in the wall while the McLaren suffered from a flat tire. The Safery car returned on the track.
The running order is Vettel, Kobayashi, Massa and Nick Heidfeld in the Lotus Renault GP. The race is restarted and Vettel slowly stretched his lead out in front.
Michael Schumacher is flying. On lap 52, he is running in second place! The racing line is almost dry. It time to pit for slicks. Heidfeld breaks his front wings against the Sauber of Kobayashi and leaves the track. Guess what? Yes, it’s another Safety Car period! The running order is Vettel, Schumacher, Webber and Button.
 |
| Photo: WRI2 |
Action resumes on lap 60. Button passes Webber and Schumacher and targets leader Vettel who’s running two seconds slower a lap than him. Vettel gets the wakeup call, but almost too late. Button pushes him really hard, and Vettel almost loses control of his Red Bull with half a lap to go on the wet and Button passes him!
Button crossed the line in front place ahead of Vettel, Webber, Schumacher, Vitaly Petrov in a Lotus Renault GP, Massa and Kobayashi.
Grand prix of Canada - Final classification
Montreal, Sunday June 12, 2011
1 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/26-Mercedes) - 70 laps*
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB7-Renault) - 2”7
3 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB7-Renault) - 13”8
4 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W02) - 14”2
5 - Vitaly Petrov (Renault R31) 20”3
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari 150) - 33”2
7 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C30-Ferrari) 33”2
8 - Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso STR6-Ferrari) - 35”9
9 - Rubens Barrichello (Williams FW33-Cosworth) - 45”1
10 - Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso STR6-Ferrari) - 47”0
11 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W02) - 50”4
12 - Pedro de La Rosa (Sauber C30-Ferrari) - 1'03"6
13 - Vitantonio Liuzzi (Hispania F111-Cosworth) - 1 lap
14 - Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania F111-Cosworth) - 1 lap
15 - Jerome d'Ambrosio (Marussia Virgin MVR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Timo Glock (Marussia Virgin MVR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
17 - Jarno Trulli (Lotus T128-Renault) - 1 lap
Fastest lap: Jenson Button 1’16”956
Retirements:
67th lap - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM04-Mercedes)
61st lap - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW33-Cosworth)
55th lap - Nick Heidfeld (Renault R31)
49th lap - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM04-Mercedes)
46th lap - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari 150)
28th lap - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus T128-Renault)
7th lap - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/26-Mercedes)
* Unofficial results