Vettel just shy of Grand Slam, Hamilton beats penalty record

[mnmracer]

Although there was not much of a threat to Sebastian Vettel's victory at the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, statistically speaking it was quite an interesting race to follow, with Vettel hunting for a record and Hamilton actually achieving one.

After starting from pole and leading the race for every lap, Sebastian Vettel was just a fastest lap short of a Grand Slam: pole, fastest lap and led entire race. Just after his last pit stop, he was putting in some lightning fast laps and was on his way to this rare achievement until Jenson Button lapped in 1:48.454 with just 7 laps to go. Although Vettel kept improving on his first sector-times, the backmarkers and yellow flags in the final laps meant the Grand Slam was just out of reach.


Not only would this have been a rare achievement, only 45 Grand Slams have been scored in the 61 year history of Formula One, but Vettel could have also become the youngest driver to score one. This record is currently still held by Ayrton Senna, who was just 25 years and 10 days old when he led the entire race from pole and set the fastest lap in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix. If Vettel wants to break this record, he needs to score one no later than the 2012 British Grand Prix on 8 july; 14 races from now.


A record that no driver would want to break, was broken today by Lewis Hamilton. Already holding the record after getting 5 penalties in the 2008 season, the drive through penalty that was handed to the Brit after hitting Massa was his sixth of the season; no other driver was given as many penalties in a single season before. Regardless if all the incidents deserved to be penalized or not, Hamilton's 2011 season will go into the record books for at least one reason.

1. Hamilton's first penalty of the season was a 20-second post race penalty at the Malaysian Grand Prix, for weaving when he was being overtaken by Alonso.
2. At the Monaco Grand Prix, his only qualifying time in Q3 was deleted for cutting the chicane, demoting him from 7th to 9th on the grid.
3. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding with Felipe Massa.
4. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he was given a 20-second post race penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding with Pastor Maldonado.
5. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'forcing another driver off the track' after spinning his car in front of Paul di Resta.
6. At the Singapore Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding' with Felipe Massa.

Trivia

• Just like last year, the numbers one and two of the race remained in that position for the entire race. Last year however, Alonso and Vettel actually started first and second, while Button moved into second position right after the start.
• Although Vettel has lead 2/3 of all the laps this year, and many before that, this is actually the first race that Vettel has been leading for every lap of the race, including pit stops.

[Eric_Cartman]

it's also called a grand slam, when you win all 4 classic races Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Monza in 1 season. In the 32 years where all 4 races took place nobody won all of them. Vettel was very close this time by winning in Monaco, Spa and Monza and finishing second in Silverstone.

There are also only 6 drivers who won all 4 classic grand prix at least once: Michael Schumacher , Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, David Coulthard and Sebastian Vettel

[f1freak]

Although there was not much of a threat to Sebastian Vettel's victory at the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, statistically speaking it was quite an interesting race to follow, with Vettel hunting for a record and Hamilton actually achieving one.

After starting from pole and leading the race for every lap, Sebastian Vettel was just a fastest lap short of a Grand Slam: pole, fastest lap and led entire race. Just after his last pit stop, he was putting in some lightning fast laps and was on his way to this rare achievement until Jenson Button lapped in 1:48.454 with just 7 laps to go. Although Vettel kept improving on his first sector-times, the backmarkers and yellow flags in the final laps meant the Grand Slam was just out of reach.


Not only would this have been a rare achievement, only 45 Grand Slams have been scored in the 61 year history of Formula One, but Vettel could have also become the youngest driver to score one. This record is currently still held by Ayrton Senna, who was just 25 years and 10 days old when he led the entire race from pole and set the fastest lap in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix. If Vettel wants to break this record, he needs to score one no later than the 2012 British Grand Prix on 8 july; 14 races from now.


A record that no driver would want to break, was broken today by Lewis Hamilton. Already holding the record after getting 5 penalties in the 2008 season, the drive through penalty that was handed to the Brit after hitting Massa was his sixth of the season; no other driver was given as many penalties in a single season before. Regardless if all the incidents deserved to be penalized or not, Hamilton's 2011 season will go into the record books for at least one reason.

1. Hamilton's first penalty of the season was a 20-second post race penalty at the Malaysian Grand Prix, for weaving when he was being overtaken by Alonso.
2. At the Monaco Grand Prix, his only qualifying time in Q3 was deleted for cutting the chicane, demoting him from 7th to 9th on the grid.
3. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding with Felipe Massa.
4. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he was given a 20-second post race penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding with Pastor Maldonado.
5. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'forcing another driver off the track' after spinning his car in front of Paul di Resta.
6. At the Singapore Grand Prix, he was given a drive-through penalty for 'causing an avoidable incident' after colliding' with Felipe Massa.

Interesting Analysis.

[f1freak]

it's also called a grand slam, when you win all 4 classic races Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Monza in 1 season. In the 32 years where all 4 races took place nobody won all of them. Vettel was very close this time by winning in Monaco, Spa and Monza and finishing second in Silverstone.

There are also only 6 drivers who won all 4 classic grand prix at least once: Michael Schumacher , Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, David Coulthard and Sebastian Vettel

Vettel has the potential to do it next year.

[Ali]

Sebastian Vettel: At the end of the race, I’m always a bit tempted to go for fastest lap [for Grand Slam]. I get told off, ‘don’t even dare to think about it.’

I remember team saying to Vettel the exact same thing in 2009 or something.

[F1Fan88]

Sebastian Vettel: At the end of the race, I’m always a bit tempted to go for fastest lap [for Grand Slam]. I get told off, ‘don’t even dare to think about it.’

I remember team saying to Vettel the exact same thing in 2009 or something.

It's going to be good to see him in the last few races allowed to really go for it once he has the championship.

[majidasadi]

let's take a look at what sebastian has done in the last 16 races (after korea 2010 when he had a disappointing engine failure)
no retirements, means perfect reliability and also being much more exprienced driver than last two years when they called him crash kid
13 pole postions
15 front row starts
11 wins, including 4 consecutive wins brazil and abudhabi 2010,australia and malaysia 2011
just one fastest lap in valencia
and 15 podium finishes the only grand prix in which he was not at pole nor front row and also the only non podium finish is his home grand prix at nurburgring which is funny

[Sander]

I guess vettel has the grand slam now after india :-)