Half season review - Part 2 - Testgate and Punctures

After the Monaco Grand Prix followed a big discussion if this tyre test in Barcelona was legal or not. Red Bull and Ferrari protested these topic before the race and FIA had to investigate what is going to happen. It also was THE TOPIC at the following Canadian Grand Prix...

Beside the politics the teams and drivers had to face the race in the Montreal. In the rainy qualifying Valtteri Bottas surprisingly managed it to be 3rd. Vettel took the pole ahead of Hamilton.

The German was also able to win a superior race for the first time - even with a few mistakes like missing the braking point into Turn 1. Alonso came from behind and beat Hamilton with a nice overtaking move at the start-finish straight and finally finished second.

Unfortunately a marshal died while recovering a crashed Sauber car.

Ahead of the next Grand Prix Mercedes and Pirelli had to go to court. In the end Mercedes and Pirelli were reprimanded and the German team was suspended from the Young Driver Test (YDT) in July.

The following British Grand Prix showed us that they should argue if a tyre test is legal, more that such a test is necessary.

Hamilton was leading the first couple of laps and than suddenly his left rear tyre was destroyed. He lost his lead, returned into the pit lane to get a new tyre and found himself back at the end of the field.

Massa who had another strong start and gained a lot of positions also became a victim. He lost control in the middle of a corner and spun.

After another tyre failure of Jean-Eric Vergne Charlie Whiting decided to deploy the Safety Car.

All drivers were ordered to avoid using the kerbs to prevent further tyre problems.

At this time Vettel was leading the race ahead of Nico Rosberg. But the German had to stop because of a gearbox failure and caused the next Safety Car deployment. Most of the cars made another pit stop for the final laps at that time.
Shortly after the Safety Car came in Perez got a tyre failure and the parts of the rubber almost hit Fernando Alonsos head who was attacking him.
Mark Webber came closer and closer to Rosberg but he would have needed a few more laps.
The German driver won his second race of the season.

Apart from all these tyre issues announced Mark Webber before the British Grand Prix his retirement at the end of the season. That was the start of the Silly Season....