Tyres appear to be a topic that is always talked about in Formula 1, with the strategy group’s proposed changes once again bringing the topic to light again this week. As part of our Classic F1 series for 2015, we look back at the race where tyres played more of a part than usual…
Home favourite Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes front row lockout off the line, with both Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Silverstone ace Mark Webber behind. British driver Paul Di Resta started from the back in his Force India after failing the post qualifying car weight test.
Vettel passed the poor starting Rosberg into the first corner, whilst Webber made contact with Grosjean at the first corner and fell down the order, suffering front wing damage in the process. Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg had a great start to get into fourth place, coming under pressure from Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus.
The real drama, though, began on lap eight. Lewis Hamilton had a healthy lead over Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, but as he progressed up the Wellington Straight the Brit’s rear left tyre let go, ruining Hamilton’s hopes of winning at home and handing the lead to the German champion.
Two laps later, the FOM cameras cut to Felipe Massa’s Ferrari spinning off after Aintree corner – just entering the Wellington Straight. He too had suffered a left rear puncture.
Mark Webber had announced his retirement at the end of the season going into this race, meaning the Toro Rosso duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean Eric Vergne were in the contest to replace the departing Australian. The Frenchman was trying to hold off the Lotuses of Grosjean and Raikkonen on lap 14. Kimi passed the sister car following a team radio call, but it was Grosjean’s countryman Vergne that was drawing the attention. Just before Stowe corner, the rear left tyre on the Toro Rosso delaminated, spewing debris all over the track and almost over Raikkonen. Vergne wrestled the car back to the pits, and the Safety Car was deployed to allow the marshalls to clean the ruined tyre off the track.
Despite being relegated to the back of the field, Lewis Hamilton had not given up. He was closing on Paul di Resta by lap 33, as the Scotsman was suffering with tyre wear. So to, though, was Hamilton’s Mercedes. Raikkonen and Alonso closed up to the back of Hamilton’s car entering the old pit straight, with the Lotus and Ferrari sweeping through in quick succession.
The Safety Car would make a second outing as the lap counter ticked into the early fourties. Leader Sebastian Vettel was coming under pressure from second place man Nico Rosberg, but the Mercedes driver didn’t have to work hard for the pass. Entering the vale, the Red Bull gearbox broke and Vettel coasted to a halt – to the delight of the British crowd that cheered the sight. Nico Rosberg now led the action packed race, whilst the Safety Car was deployed to allow the marshalls to clear the stricken Red Bull from the start finish straight.
Fernando Alonso would be scattered in tyre after yet another failure. This time it was the McLaren of Sergio Perez that suffered a rear left puncture. The shocking series of failures led to huge changes in the tyre construction for the remained of the season.
Williams did not suffer a tyre failure
Red Bull’s Mark Webber wanted to leave the track he loved with a win. After passing Adrian Sutil’s Force India to reach a podium position, he set about hunting down Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen. A brave, late duck out of the slipstream and a wheel to wheel duel saw the Australian launch into second place at Copse Corner – the place where Raikkonen passed Hamilton earlier.
Raikkonen would lose another position when future team mate Alonso took the podium away from him, with the recovering Lewis Hamilton also chasing – and eventually passing – the Lotus driver a lap later.
Webber gave his all to reel in the leading Mercedes, but ran out of laps. Nico Rosberg took victory by seven tenths, with Alonso fending off Lewis Hamilton to take third.
Pirelli were put under severe criticism following the tyre failures in this race, which proved to be an absolute thriller. The fans flocking to Silverstone will be hoping for another this weekend.
Picture courtesy of Williams F1 Team
