Round 18 of the 2014 Formula 1 season took place at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo, Brazil.
It was the 42nd Brazilian Grand Prix to appear on the F1 calendar and the 25th event to take place at the classic track. It was the penultimate race of the year.
There was very little time to reflect on the drama of the United States Grand Prix, with just a few days separating the chequered flag falling in Texas and the start of practice one in Brazil.
Of course, the thoughts of the entire motorsport community continue to be with Jules Bianchi after his serious accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
FP1
The opening 90-minute session got off to a busy start, with Jenson Button being the first to take to the track. He was followed out by Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean and Daniel Juncadella - who replaced Sergio Perez at Force India.
However, as the 2009 world champion tackled the new pit lane entry chicane, he lost electrical power and stopped. Max Verstappen, in for Jean-Eric Vergne, put in the opening lap time with a 1:19.999.
The Mercedes duo quickly moved to the front, with Rosberg leading Hamilton early on. There were plenty of off-track excursions due to the tricky track conditions, including spins for Kimi Raikkonen, Verstappen and Juncadella - who found the wall at turn eight and caused a red flag with 30 minutes remaining.
Nico Rosberg ended the session fastest with a 1:12.764, two tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton. Daniil Kvyat, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Verstappen and Maldonado were next up. Raikkonen, Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10. Felipe Nasr, replacing Valtteri Bottas at Williams, was 12th. Button and Esteban Gutierrez failed to set lap times due to problems.
FP2
Second practice got off to a quiet start at the Interlagos circuit, but it was a very eventful session. Drivers continued to struggle for grip, with numerous spins, slides and off-track excursions.
Vergne caused an early red flag after he stopped his car at turn four. The two Mercedes drivers quickly moved to the front, before being displaced by Ricciardo after the Aussie was the first to switch to the soft compound tyre.
Rosberg and Hamilton returned to the front, with the latter losing time on his first option tyre lap after a mistake at turn 11. Alonso's day came to a fiery end after an engine failure on the back straight, leading to another red flag. As soon as the action got back under way, the session was stopped again after Gutierrez parked his car.
Rosberg ended practice two at the top of the timesheets with a 1:12.123, two tenths clear of Hamilton. Raikkonen was third, with Ricciardo, Bottas, Massa and Alonso next up. Kvyat, Sebastian Vettel and Magnussen completed the top 10. Perez failed to complete any running due to damage from Juncadella's FP1 crash.
FP3
Overnight rain caused tricky track conditions for the third and final practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. Maldonado, Grosjean and Bottas were the first to take to the circuit.
Vergne put in the opening lap time with a 1:16.838. Magnussen and Bottas briefly topped the timesheets, before Massa moved to the front. Perez was the first to move on to the soft Pirelli compound with 30 minutes remaining.
Rosberg then put in a 1:10.446 to go fastest with his low-fuel option tyre run. It proved to be the quickest lap of the session, with Hamilton finishing one tenth further back. Massa, Bottas and Ricciardo completed the top five.
Button, Raikkonen and Alonso - who sat out the final part of the session, as his engine was down on power - were next up. Magnussen and Kvyat rounded out the top 10. Vettel was 11th, losing time on the straights, while Hulkenberg and Perez propped up the timesheets.
Q1
The slowest four drivers were eliminated from the fight for pole position in the opening segment of qualifying. The session got off to a quiet start, with Sutil being the first out on track.
Bottas and Massa briefly topped the timesheets, before Rosberg and Hamilton traded fastest times as the circuit conditions continued to evolve.
Rosberg's 1:10.347 lap time proved to be the quickest of the session, with Hamilton finishing one tenth further back. Massa was third, with Bottas, Button, Magnussen, Raikkonen and Kvyat completing the top eight.
A battery problem hampered Vettel's first lap, but he improved to 13th and just made it through to Q2 by two tenths of a second. Grosjean was joined in the drop-zone by Vergne, Perez and Maldonado.
Q2
Four drivers were also eliminated from the second segment of qualifying. Hulkenberg - who scored pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix back in 2010 - was the first to take to the Interlagos circuit.
The German put in the opening lap time, but he was quickly displaced by Rosberg and Hamilton. The two title rivals were separated by four tenths of a second after the opening runs.
The Mercedes duo and Kvyat remained in the pit lane for the final minutes of the session. Rosberg remained fastest, with Massa and Bottas improving to second and third. Hamilton, Button, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Alonso all made it through to Q3.
Gutierrez and Sutil both missed out on the top 10 shoot-out in 11th and 13th, with Hulkenberg and Kvyat - who already had a seven-place penalty and did not complete a lap - also being eliminated.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying decided the top 10 positions on the Brazilian Grand Prix grid. Hamilton and Rosberg were the only driver to take to the track in the opening two minutes.
Rosberg edged out Hamilton by 0.029 seconds after their first attempts. Massa and Bottas went third and fourth. Both were within one and a half tenths of pole position.
Raikkonen went seventh with his late opening lap. Hamilton improved on his second run, but Rosberg beat him by 0.033 seconds with a 1:10.023 to take his 10th pole of the 2014 season.
A mistake caused Massa to abort his final lap, but he remained third. Bottas took fourth on the grid, with Button, Vettel and Magnussen next up. Alonso, Ricciardo and Raikkonen completed the top 10.
Full qualifying results can be found here.
The Race
Conditions were warm and dry for the start of the 18th round of the 2014 Formula 1 season, with the Brazilian Grand Prix taking place at the Interlagos circuit.
The thoughts of the entire F1 world continued to be with Jules Bianchi following his accident in Japan. Rosberg secured his 10th pole of the year on Saturday, with Hamilton rounding out the front row. Could the 2008 world champion take the fight to his team-mate? Read on to find out...
The revs rose, the lights went out and the Brazilian Grand Prix got under way in São Paulo. Off the line, Rosberg had a strong start to lead into turn one. The two McLarens got very close at turn two, with Vettel running wide at turn four and dropping to eighth.
Rosberg pulled out a 1.2 second gap in the opening two laps, while further back Vettel and Ricciardo battled with Alonso for seventh. Maldonado was the first top take to the pit lane at the end of the fourth lap.
Massa was the first front-runner to stop on the following tour. This triggered several other teams to react, with Bottas, Button and Vettel pitting on lap six. Rosberg stopped on the next lap, with Hamilton switching to the medium compound on the eighth lap.
The Englishman emerged just behind his team-mate. Further back, Massa was handed a five-second stop/go penalty for speeding behind the pit lane. Hulkenberg and Kvyat briefly led the way after starting on the prime tyre, before Rosberg and Hamilton moved ahead.
Tyre management became more difficult in the second stint, as temperatures continued to rise. After a long first stint, Grosjean pitted on lap 24 and released Ricciardo. Meanwhile Vettel stopped on the same lap for the second time.
Massa took to the pit lane on the following tour, completing his five-second stop/go penalty. Rosberg moved on to a fresh set of medium tyres on lap 26, with Bottas also pitting and losing time with a long second stop due to a seat belt issue.
Button emerged ahead of the Williams driver when he pitted. Meanwhile Hamilton spun on his in lap at the fourth corner and returned to the track after his stop seven seconds behind his team-mate. He gradually closed in on Rosberg, as Ricciardo retired from the race with a front suspension failure.
After falling behind Hulkenberg, Bottas stopped for the third time on lap 43. Magnussen and Alonso battled closely for sixth place, with the Danish rookie eventually losing out at turn five. Rosberg and Hamilton pitted on the 50th and 51st laps, with the latter emerging just one second behind his title rival.
Button and Vettel both displaced Raikkonen on lap 61 after a fantastic fight. Grosjean became the second retirement from the race on lap 65, with smoke pouring out of the Frenchman's Lotus.
Despite closing to within just a few tenths of his team-mate, Hamilton couldn't find a way through. Rosberg took the chequered flag to take his first F1 win in Brazil and his fifth of the season.
Nico Rosberg wins the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix
The German driver scored his first win since the German Grand Prix in July, closing to within 17 points of his team-mate in the drivers' standings. He put in a faultless drive and kept cool under pressure to take the victory. Hamilton put in a great recovery drive after his earlier spin, finishing just 1.4 seconds off the lead.
Massa scored a popular podium in front of his home crowd, despite a stop/go penalty. Button put in a strong performance to finish fourth, with Vettel rounding out the top five. Alonso and Raikkonen battled closely in the closing stages, with the Spaniard eventually emerging ahead to take sixth.
Raikkonen was the only driver to complete a two-stop strategy. Hulkenberg was eighth for Force India, ahead of Magnussen and Bottas. The Finn dropped back due to two slow stops. Kvyat, Maldonado, Vergne and Gutierrez were next up, with Perez and Sutil completing the finishers. Grosjean and Ricciardo were the only retirements.
The Brazilian Grand Prix result can be found here.
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| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
There was very little time to reflect on the drama of the United States Grand Prix, with just a few days separating the chequered flag falling in Texas and the start of practice one in Brazil.
Of course, the thoughts of the entire motorsport community continue to be with Jules Bianchi after his serious accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
FP1
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| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
However, as the 2009 world champion tackled the new pit lane entry chicane, he lost electrical power and stopped. Max Verstappen, in for Jean-Eric Vergne, put in the opening lap time with a 1:19.999.
The Mercedes duo quickly moved to the front, with Rosberg leading Hamilton early on. There were plenty of off-track excursions due to the tricky track conditions, including spins for Kimi Raikkonen, Verstappen and Juncadella - who found the wall at turn eight and caused a red flag with 30 minutes remaining.
Nico Rosberg ended the session fastest with a 1:12.764, two tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton. Daniil Kvyat, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Verstappen and Maldonado were next up. Raikkonen, Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10. Felipe Nasr, replacing Valtteri Bottas at Williams, was 12th. Button and Esteban Gutierrez failed to set lap times due to problems.
FP2
Second practice got off to a quiet start at the Interlagos circuit, but it was a very eventful session. Drivers continued to struggle for grip, with numerous spins, slides and off-track excursions.
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| © Daimler |
Vergne caused an early red flag after he stopped his car at turn four. The two Mercedes drivers quickly moved to the front, before being displaced by Ricciardo after the Aussie was the first to switch to the soft compound tyre.
Rosberg and Hamilton returned to the front, with the latter losing time on his first option tyre lap after a mistake at turn 11. Alonso's day came to a fiery end after an engine failure on the back straight, leading to another red flag. As soon as the action got back under way, the session was stopped again after Gutierrez parked his car.
Rosberg ended practice two at the top of the timesheets with a 1:12.123, two tenths clear of Hamilton. Raikkonen was third, with Ricciardo, Bottas, Massa and Alonso next up. Kvyat, Sebastian Vettel and Magnussen completed the top 10. Perez failed to complete any running due to damage from Juncadella's FP1 crash.
FP3
Overnight rain caused tricky track conditions for the third and final practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. Maldonado, Grosjean and Bottas were the first to take to the circuit.
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| © Daimler |
Vergne put in the opening lap time with a 1:16.838. Magnussen and Bottas briefly topped the timesheets, before Massa moved to the front. Perez was the first to move on to the soft Pirelli compound with 30 minutes remaining.
Rosberg then put in a 1:10.446 to go fastest with his low-fuel option tyre run. It proved to be the quickest lap of the session, with Hamilton finishing one tenth further back. Massa, Bottas and Ricciardo completed the top five.
Button, Raikkonen and Alonso - who sat out the final part of the session, as his engine was down on power - were next up. Magnussen and Kvyat rounded out the top 10. Vettel was 11th, losing time on the straights, while Hulkenberg and Perez propped up the timesheets.
Q1
The slowest four drivers were eliminated from the fight for pole position in the opening segment of qualifying. The session got off to a quiet start, with Sutil being the first out on track.
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| © Lotus F1 Team |
Bottas and Massa briefly topped the timesheets, before Rosberg and Hamilton traded fastest times as the circuit conditions continued to evolve.
Rosberg's 1:10.347 lap time proved to be the quickest of the session, with Hamilton finishing one tenth further back. Massa was third, with Bottas, Button, Magnussen, Raikkonen and Kvyat completing the top eight.
A battery problem hampered Vettel's first lap, but he improved to 13th and just made it through to Q2 by two tenths of a second. Grosjean was joined in the drop-zone by Vergne, Perez and Maldonado.
Q2
Four drivers were also eliminated from the second segment of qualifying. Hulkenberg - who scored pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix back in 2010 - was the first to take to the Interlagos circuit.
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| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
The German put in the opening lap time, but he was quickly displaced by Rosberg and Hamilton. The two title rivals were separated by four tenths of a second after the opening runs.
The Mercedes duo and Kvyat remained in the pit lane for the final minutes of the session. Rosberg remained fastest, with Massa and Bottas improving to second and third. Hamilton, Button, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Alonso all made it through to Q3.
Gutierrez and Sutil both missed out on the top 10 shoot-out in 11th and 13th, with Hulkenberg and Kvyat - who already had a seven-place penalty and did not complete a lap - also being eliminated.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying decided the top 10 positions on the Brazilian Grand Prix grid. Hamilton and Rosberg were the only driver to take to the track in the opening two minutes.
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| © Daimler |
Rosberg edged out Hamilton by 0.029 seconds after their first attempts. Massa and Bottas went third and fourth. Both were within one and a half tenths of pole position.
Raikkonen went seventh with his late opening lap. Hamilton improved on his second run, but Rosberg beat him by 0.033 seconds with a 1:10.023 to take his 10th pole of the 2014 season.
A mistake caused Massa to abort his final lap, but he remained third. Bottas took fourth on the grid, with Button, Vettel and Magnussen next up. Alonso, Ricciardo and Raikkonen completed the top 10.
Full qualifying results can be found here.
The Race
Conditions were warm and dry for the start of the 18th round of the 2014 Formula 1 season, with the Brazilian Grand Prix taking place at the Interlagos circuit.
The thoughts of the entire F1 world continued to be with Jules Bianchi following his accident in Japan. Rosberg secured his 10th pole of the year on Saturday, with Hamilton rounding out the front row. Could the 2008 world champion take the fight to his team-mate? Read on to find out...
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| © Daimler |
The revs rose, the lights went out and the Brazilian Grand Prix got under way in São Paulo. Off the line, Rosberg had a strong start to lead into turn one. The two McLarens got very close at turn two, with Vettel running wide at turn four and dropping to eighth.
Rosberg pulled out a 1.2 second gap in the opening two laps, while further back Vettel and Ricciardo battled with Alonso for seventh. Maldonado was the first top take to the pit lane at the end of the fourth lap.
Massa was the first front-runner to stop on the following tour. This triggered several other teams to react, with Bottas, Button and Vettel pitting on lap six. Rosberg stopped on the next lap, with Hamilton switching to the medium compound on the eighth lap.
The Englishman emerged just behind his team-mate. Further back, Massa was handed a five-second stop/go penalty for speeding behind the pit lane. Hulkenberg and Kvyat briefly led the way after starting on the prime tyre, before Rosberg and Hamilton moved ahead.
Tyre management became more difficult in the second stint, as temperatures continued to rise. After a long first stint, Grosjean pitted on lap 24 and released Ricciardo. Meanwhile Vettel stopped on the same lap for the second time.
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| © Daimler |
Massa took to the pit lane on the following tour, completing his five-second stop/go penalty. Rosberg moved on to a fresh set of medium tyres on lap 26, with Bottas also pitting and losing time with a long second stop due to a seat belt issue.
Button emerged ahead of the Williams driver when he pitted. Meanwhile Hamilton spun on his in lap at the fourth corner and returned to the track after his stop seven seconds behind his team-mate. He gradually closed in on Rosberg, as Ricciardo retired from the race with a front suspension failure.
After falling behind Hulkenberg, Bottas stopped for the third time on lap 43. Magnussen and Alonso battled closely for sixth place, with the Danish rookie eventually losing out at turn five. Rosberg and Hamilton pitted on the 50th and 51st laps, with the latter emerging just one second behind his title rival.
Button and Vettel both displaced Raikkonen on lap 61 after a fantastic fight. Grosjean became the second retirement from the race on lap 65, with smoke pouring out of the Frenchman's Lotus.
Despite closing to within just a few tenths of his team-mate, Hamilton couldn't find a way through. Rosberg took the chequered flag to take his first F1 win in Brazil and his fifth of the season.
Nico Rosberg wins the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix
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| © Daimler |
The German driver scored his first win since the German Grand Prix in July, closing to within 17 points of his team-mate in the drivers' standings. He put in a faultless drive and kept cool under pressure to take the victory. Hamilton put in a great recovery drive after his earlier spin, finishing just 1.4 seconds off the lead.
Massa scored a popular podium in front of his home crowd, despite a stop/go penalty. Button put in a strong performance to finish fourth, with Vettel rounding out the top five. Alonso and Raikkonen battled closely in the closing stages, with the Spaniard eventually emerging ahead to take sixth.
Raikkonen was the only driver to complete a two-stop strategy. Hulkenberg was eighth for Force India, ahead of Magnussen and Bottas. The Finn dropped back due to two slow stops. Kvyat, Maldonado, Vergne and Gutierrez were next up, with Perez and Sutil completing the finishers. Grosjean and Ricciardo were the only retirements.
The Brazilian Grand Prix result can be found here.
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