Chinese GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com April 24th, 2016
It is cloudy with some glimpses of the sun here in Bejing and with the rain coming down in short showers the last two days, we could be in for another thriller. Two Silver Arrows in the first row, but they are 0-for-2 in converting pole positions into race victories.
Lap 1:
The grid is forming up... here come the two
Lotus into the last two start positions and the red lights are going up... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
CHAPMAN WITH A GREAT START THIS TIME AND HE LEADS THROUGH THE FIRST CORNER...
HOLTZ WITH A HUGE LOCKUP AND INTO THE WILDERNESS, THAT WILL COST SOME PLACES!
LIPPONEN P2,
De GRAAF P3
Schmitt in the
Van Dorn also nearly destroyed his tyres... and look at that! The
Lotus in the midfield.. that is
Vidal, crossing the line in P13!
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.2 3.
De Graaf +4.3
Vidal P13 +9.7
Woodford P18 +10.8
Lap 2:
The first two drivers are streaking away and
Holtz is up to P9, recovering from that mistake in turn 1.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.5 3.
De Graaf +6.5
Vidal P15 +16
Woodford P20 +18.1
Lap 3:
Big shunt!
Schmidt AND
Surikov get it wrong and collide with the
Rossini of
Niilo Saarinen that gets damaged badly. Both in trouble with the race stewards.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.0 3.
De Graaf +7
Vidal P16 +22.5
Woodford P18 +23.6
Lap 4:
North runs into the back of
Iker Vidal's car... breaking skills are needed today...
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.0 3.
De Graaf +8.9
Vidal P15 +25.5
Woodford P18 +28.5
Lap 5:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.2 3.
De Graaf +10.5
Vidal P15 +28.7
Woodford P18 +33.7
Lap 6:
First round of pitstops and repairs...
Schmidt,
Vidal,
North, all in
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +2.2 3.
De Graaf +12.6
Vidal P14 +34.4
Woodford P18 +40.4
Lap 7:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +2.9 3.
De Graaf +14.6
Woodford P18 +58.6
Vidal P20 +62.5
Lap 8:
De Graaf pits from fourth,
Vázquez in the
Kitano could be the big winner, driving in P4 with the hard tyre.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +5.1 3.
Vázquez +31.9
Vidal P19 +67.4
Woodford P20 +76.9
Lap 9:
The leaders dive into the pits at the and come out clean but
Saarinen falls a long way back with a mechanical issue!
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +8.3 3.
Vázquez +11.9
Vidal P18 +48.4
Woodford P19 +57.9
Lap 10:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +10.2 3.
Vázquez +15.5
Vidal P17 +52.5
Woodford P20 +61.5
Lap 11:
Most drivers are on the harder compound of tyre now... this will be an endurance race.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +11.7 3.
Vázquez +19.9
Vidal P17 +57.1
Woodford P20 +65.9
Lap 12:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +13.7 3.
Vázquez +25.3
Vidal P17 +60.8
Woodford P20 +69.2
Lap 13:
Surikov's
Panther in the pits with a engine problem. That will take some time to repair!
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +15.0 3.
Vázquez +28
Vidal P16 +63.3
Woodford P20 +71.3
Lap 14:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +16.1 3.
Vázquez +30.6
Vidal P16 +66.0
Woodford P19 +74.1
Lap 15:
Chapman is flying on the medium tyre, posting the fastest lap and lapping
Surikov and
Woodford already.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +18.0 3.
Vázquez +35.9
Vidal P16 +71.9
Woodford P19 1 LAP
Lap 16:
Vázquez into the pits with his worn out hard tyres... he stayed out too long folks.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +18.7 3.
De Graaf +40.3
Vidal P16 1 LAP
Woodford P19 1 LAP
Lap 17:
Pit stops for the backmarkers...
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +18.6 3.
De Graaf +41.4
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 18:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +18.4 3.
De Graaf +42.2
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 19:
Chapman losing ground with his old medium boots... should've pitted this lap...
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +16.8 3.
De Graaf +42.0
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 20:
And he stays out again..
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +16.4 3.
De Graaf +43.0
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 21:
And after he lsot a ton of time behind the backmarkers, he now comes in at the end of lap 21...
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +14.3 3.
De Graaf +42.2
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 22:
Which means
Lipponen takes the lead with his worn out tyres.
Chapman back out on the medium tyre... he and the
Lotus seem to have the same strategy... just the
Steinmann is already 105 seconds down the road.
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +4.8 3.
De Graaf +29.8
Vidal P18 1 LAP
Woodford P19 1 LAP
Lap 23:
And with the fresher tyres,
Chapman is already all over the gearbox of the
Windsor...
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +0.3 3.
De Graaf +29.8
Vidal P17 1 LAP
Woodford P19 1 LAP
Lap 24:
Tries to go down the outside in turn eight... BUT
Surikov IS IN THE WAY DESPITE THE BLUE FLAGS!
Chapman is furious... and nearly loses his front wing three corners later.
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +0.4 3.
De Graaf +29.2
Vidal P17 1 LAP
Woodford P18 1 LAP
Lap 25:
BUT NOT THIS TIME.
Chapman takes the inside line into six and the finn could only watch and concede the place.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +1.7 3.
Oliveira +43.6
Vidal P17 1 LAP
Woodford P18 1 LAP
Lap 26:
Lipponen dives into the pits at the end of the lap to get some new boots, but the leader will be long gone.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +4.3
Oliveira +44.3
Vidal P17 1 LAP
Woodford P18 1 LAP
Lap 27:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +21.8
De Graaf +51.1
Vidal P15 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 28:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +19.6
De Graaf +48.4
Vidal P16 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 29:
If they can bring the car home,
Lipponen is in a great position as
Chapman has to pit again.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +17.2
De Graaf +52.7
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 30:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +17.0
De Graaf +52
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 31:
Chapman just lapped his teammate in seventh...
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +16.8
De Graaf +51.8
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 32:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +17.3
De Graaf +52
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 33:
AND THERE COMES
CHAPMAN IN THE PITS AND
LIPPONEN IS THROUGH!
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +5.7
De Graaf +35.7
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 34:
The brit is on the soft compound and will be looking for blood...
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +3.9
De Graaf +37
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 35:
Seven to go and
Chapman is looking good for a win. In third,
De Graaf is in trouble as his tyres are close to dead... he has 20 seconds of room between him and the
Rossini of
Wexler.
1.
Lipponen 2.
Chapman +1.0
De Graaf +38.4
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 36:
As easy as candy from a baby.
Chapman takes it on the pit strait and laps
Woodford for a second time in the process.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +0.8
De Graaf +39.4
Vidal P19 1 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Lap 37:
De Graaf pits and
Wexler is in for another podium, but has a pretty hot aussie girl behind him...
Zoe Sharp is three seconds behind on the soft compound.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +5.1
Wexler +56.6
Vidal P18 1 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Lap 38:
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +7.1
Wexler +58.3
Vidal P18 1 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Lap 39:
Lipponen dashes into the pits for a four fresh boots.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +10.7
Wexler +58.1
Vidal P18 1 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Lap 40:
Chapman follows suit... and lost alot of ground due to the undercut.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +3.4
Wexler +55
Vidal P19 2 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Lap 41:
But
Lipponen does not look like he can make an impression here.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +3.4
Wexler +39.2
Vidal P19 2 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS
Final Lap:
And that is a win for
Harry Chapman and
Steinmann. The 31-year old shows off his speed and the speed of his car to overtake
Lipponen late and makes the top step of the podium with a great performance.
1.
Chapman 2.
Lipponen +3.7
Wexler +40.3
Vidal P19 2 LAP
Woodford P20 2 LAPS