Sharky's "Still Better than CCY's" Party In The Spa Bath Race Wrapup
Podium Rundown:
1st: Horton (McLaren)
2nd: Davidson (Super Aguri)
3rd: Beyens (BMW Sauber)
Race Statistics:
Fastest Lap: Dunstan (Ferrari); 1min 51.916
Retirements (as per usual - a lot):Hayha (Williams, lap 1), collision
Trendell (McLaren, lap 6), collision
Dubois (Honda, lap 13), collision
Rees (BMW Sauber, lap 14), accident
Smith (Spyker, lap 21), accident
Chang (Williams lap 25), electronics
Leaders:Horton (led 34 laps)
Machiels (Red Bull, led 10 laps)
Fastest Scheduled Pitstop: Horton (4.58
* sec)
Slowest Scheduled Pitstop: Butler (Honda, 12.11 sec)
Most Pitstops: Horton (3), Dunstan (3), Butler (3)
* Note: Outright quickest stop (Horton again) was 4.43 sec, but that came with a 1.08 sec driver mistake attached.
Race Report:
Race Duration: 44 laps
Weather: BONE DRY!
Lap 1:
Charkaoui (Super Aguri) stalls in fourth place.
Smith (17th) follows suit...
...as does Toyota driver AlMomen in 21st.
Machiels takes Trendell for the lead. As per usual.
Beyens (P6) punts Hayha (P7) off for no apparent reason. Or did Hayha attempt to punt Beyens off? Who knows.
Lap 2:
Graham (Renault) tangles with "KamiKawa" (Spyker). Yet again. When will these boys learn? Kawasie has to pit to clear carbon-fibre from his radiators, while Graham begins his quest for the slowest lap of the day.
Lap 3:
Kawasie makes his pitstop. Rejoins immediately ahead of his team mate Smith. Begin getting cosy with each other. Eww.
Lap 6:
Bonus points to whoever takes Trendell out when he starts on pole. This time they go to Dunstan.
Horton passes Machiels for the lead.
Lap 9:
Dunstan nips past Machiels for second.
Lap 10:
Horton pits from the lead, and Dunstan follows him in in second.
Lap 11: (25% race distance)
As Charkaoui gets past for tenth, Skywalker (Red Bull) is left wondering why he is so slow.
Lap 13:
Dubois is body-slammed by Chang. Dubois parks it, and shouts expletives at the Williams team while Chang manages to keep circulating, albeit a lot slower than before.
Lap 14:
Rees feels like a bit of shopping, and parks it at Bus Stop chicane. I guess nobody told her it's not
actually a bus stop...
Lap 15:
Machiels pits from first, rejoins in second.
Weather Change! GREASY!
Lap 16:
Machiels gives racing room to Dunstan in the battle for second place.
Lap 20:
Dunstan pits from second place.
Lap 21:
Smith attempts to impress the ladies in the stands at Les Combes by attempting to avoid using the brakes. He fails.
Smith's team mate Kawasie spins at the infamous Eau Rouge. He doesn't stall the Dutch machine, and manages to keep circulating.
Horton pits from the lead. Loses a second when he has a mini-stall exiting his pit box.
Chang pits from second place.
Lap 22: (50% race distance)
EASYPASS: Chang loses fifth to Skywalker.
Lap 24:
Skywalker pits from fifth.
Lap 25:
Chang's electronics throw a paddy and switch off.
Safety Car is deployed.
Lap 31:
Butler pits from sixth. Comes out last, due to what ends up being the slowest pit stop of the day.
Lap 32:
Safety Car pulls off.
Lap 34:
Beyens passes Skywalker for fifth.
Lap 40:
Second-placed Machiels' exhaust falls off. The reduced power, predictability, causes Machiels to slow down.
Lap 43:
Machiels, hanging onto second place, is pressured into a mistake by Davidson, and runs wide at the first turn.
Lap 44:
Horton takes another win, virtually sealing the driver's championship.
The Red Bulls put on a rather impressive formation finish in fifth and sixth.
Crunching The Numbers:
Best Performing Teams Overall: Super Aguri (2nd and 7th), Red Bull (5th and 6th), Ferrari (4th and 8th)
Worst Performing Teams Overall: Williams (17th and 22nd - double DNF), Toro Rosso (13th and 16th), Honda (12th and 20th)
Fastest Team (is an average of both driver's fastest lap): Red Bull (1min 53.701)
Best Overtakers: Super Aguri, Honda (13 passes)
Biggest Movers - Team (average of both drivers' qual change): Toyota (up 6)
Biggest Movers - Drivers: Davidson (up 14), Nikolakopoulos (Toyota, up 12), Skywalker (up 10)
