Lap times tumble at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

2011 Canadian GP FP1 analysis

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Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, Montreal, 2011

The F1 cars lapped the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 2.5 seconds quicker than they did in last year’s first practice session.

But with a slippery track, differing tyre compounds and some teams not using their DRS in the first session, it’s difficult to draw conclusions about how competitive each of the cars are at this early stage.

Here’s all the data from first practice in Canada.

Longest stint comparison

  • Several drivers used the development medium compound tyre in the first practice session, which is not available to them on Saturday and Sunday, meaning it won’t be until the next session that we get a useful indication of how well the tyres are lasting

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2011drivercolours.csv

12345678910111213
Sebastian Vettel82.17179.95778.95278.85281.986
Mark Webber80.79880.00780.14479.58979.70280.88279.20779.28879.24579.256
Lewis Hamilton82.30581.66884.19480.424
Jenson Button80.24180.15878.84881.72878.266
Fernando Alonso80.12779.54878.90479.33280.01180.27
Felipe Massa78.04377.23885.57776.92685.83678.35378.647
Michael Schumacher82.29880.37780.58298.29180.31278.82192.80380.048
Nico Rosberg76.23976.00280.68579.24379.73375.59187.994
Nick Heidfeld82.2848191.45880.09982.66984.15579.18879.01590.901
Vitaly Petrov81.41779.52978.50682.42684.03579.85478.97178.906
Rubens Barrichello82.83181.99883.56376.9983.55478.58377.649
Pastor Maldonado87.12585.76984.01882.1481.53579.7793.24779.688
Nico Hulkenberg83.42187.59680.06379.61179.024
Paul di Resta83.77981.19580.38679.74289.10386.13779.97579.183
Kamui Kobayashi83.93881.69484.85780.47181.637
Sergio Perez90.63880.9479.68579.24492.20178.87781.4584.64378.23777.66288.73177.81
Daniel Ricciardo85.48882.77681.81782.07783.42180.55880.82480.77280.38982.31680.35480.35880.351
Jaime Alguersuari81.00779.63979.93879.65379.15482.87878.84680.80578.70578.5281.23378.45878.697
Heikki Kovalainen79.79779.67189.9479.4228683.07587.11
Jarno Trulli8782.66982.95381.9481.36286.00781.07182.59
Narain Karthikeyan83.25586.95581.49481.3380.83988.98284.35584.09282.454
Vitantonio Liuzzi83.685.75781.87781.64481.168
Timo Glock83.14681.98680.79586.60581.511
Jerome d’Ambrosio90.16788.20685.61387.34783.8783.18592.73183.582.465

Ultimate lap times

An ultimate lap time is a driver’s best three sector times added together.

  • The McLaren drivers in particular seem not have had particularly clear laps. Lewis Hamilton was seen cutting the final chicane during one effort
CarDriverCarUltimate lapGapDeficit to best
18Nico RosbergMercedes1’15.5810.010
25Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’16.1390.5580.000
37Michael SchumacherMercedes1’16.3730.7920.176
44Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’16.3740.7930.302
56Felipe MassaFerrari1’16.4810.9000.177
63Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’16.5730.9920.269
711Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’16.9901.4090.000
89Nick HeidfeldRenault1’16.9961.4150.449
915Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’17.2891.7080.005
1014Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1’17.3271.7460.222
1117Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’17.6622.0810.000
122Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’17.7502.1690.070
1310Vitaly PetrovRenault1’18.1562.5750.350
1419Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’18.3742.7930.084
151Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’18.6343.0530.218
1618Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso-Ferrari1’18.6483.0670.000
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’18.8983.3170.034
1816Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’19.0233.4420.554
1921Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’19.1773.5960.097
2020Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’19.2253.6440.197
2125Jerome d’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’19.8384.2570.000
2223Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’19.9414.3600.019
2324Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’20.3634.7820.157
2422Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1’20.8395.2580.000

Complete practice times

  • Nico Rosberg’s fastest time compares to the best time in this session last year – which was also held in dry, warm conditions – by Jenson Button, of 1’18.127
  • With the drivers yet to use the super-soft tyres, and track evolution usually quite pronounced at Canada, the lap times could get much quicker
  • Last year’s pole position time was 1’15.105 by Lewis Hamilton
  • The quickest lap of the current configuration was set by Ralf Schumacher in 2004: 1’12.275
CarDriverCarBest lapGapStint lapAt timeLaps
18Nico RosbergMercedes1’15.5916/78432
25Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’16.1390.5484/57127
37Michael SchumacherMercedes1’16.5490.9585/69030
46Felipe MassaFerrari1’16.6581.0673/39226
54Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’16.6761.0852/39120
63Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’16.8421.2513/39119
711Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’16.9901.3994/78828
815Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’17.2941.7032/68226
99Nick HeidfeldRenault1’17.4451.8542/48928
1014Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1’17.5491.9583/48320
1117Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’17.6622.07110/128827
122Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’17.8202.2293/36930
1319Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’18.4582.86712/138631
1410Vitaly PetrovRenault1’18.5062.9153/88515
1518Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso-Ferrari1’18.6483.0575/54535
161Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’18.8523.2614/5548
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’18.9323.3415/57220
1821Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’19.2743.6836/67529
1920Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’19.4223.8314/78730
2016Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’19.5773.9861/29126
2125Jerome d’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’19.8384.2475/69031
2223Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’19.9604.3693/46923
2324Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’20.5204.9294/49221
2422Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1’20.8395.2485/98027

Speed trap

  • The numerous long straights mean the effect of DRS is especially pronounced at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
  • Vitaly Petrov was fastest through the speed trap in last year’s race, hitting 324.7kph. He was one of five drivers to go quicker than that this morning
#DriverCarEngineMax speedGap
110Vitaly PetrovRenaultRenault329.1
29Nick HeidfeldRenaultRenault3290.1
312Pastor MaldonadoWilliamsCosworth327.61.5
415Paul di RestaForce IndiaMercedes326.22.9
514Nico HulkenbergForce IndiaMercedes325.83.3
611Rubens BarrichelloWilliamsCosworth324.54.6
719Jaime AlguersuariToro RossoFerrari324.15
818Daniel RicciardoToro RossoFerrari323.65.5
917Sergio PerezSauberFerrari320.78.4
1021Jarno TrulliLotusRenault320.58.6
111Sebastian VettelRed BullRenault320.19
1220Heikki KovalainenLotusRenault3209.1
136Felipe MassaFerrariFerrari319.79.4
1424Timo GlockVirginCosworth319.69.5
152Mark WebberRed BullRenault319.49.7
165Fernando AlonsoFerrariFerrari319.49.7
1725Jerome d’AmbrosioVirginCosworth319.29.9
1822Narain KarthikeyanHRTCosworth317.711.4
197Michael SchumacherMercedesMercedes317.611.5
2023Vitantonio LiuzziHRTCosworth317.411.7
218Nico RosbergMercedesMercedes317.411.7
2216Kamui KobayashiSauberFerrari317.112
233Lewis HamiltonMcLarenMercedes315.513.6
244Jenson ButtonMcLarenMercedes314.614.5

2011 Canadian Grand Prix

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    Image © Force India F1 Team

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    12 comments on “Lap times tumble at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve”

    1. Megawatt Herring
      10th June 2011, 18:21

      Glad to see Lotus very close to the midfield, makes me wonder what their car would be like if they had kers. Looking forward to this race despite the 9am thermodynamics exam I have on Monday morning.

    2. Wow, why are McLaren so far down in the speed traps? KERS problems?

      1. Or maybe a low engine mode, lots of fuel, and some other component-conserving to exaggerate the extra amount of drag they already have from added downforce (not using DRS, for example).

        I would think they can go faster, but then again, so can Red Bull I think. I wonder if that fastest time of Ralf will be broken in qualifying!

        1. I think you are right on the McLaren and Red Bulls.

          And I think that fastest time might be beaten. Most cars had not done running on other tyres then the testing mediums (makes sense on a track not rubbered in) and were not pushing yet.
          So I am not yet gambling on it, but we will know after FP2 if the times really come down fast enough.

      2. No DRS.

        Lots more to come from them.

    3. Wait until they lay down some more rubber…times are going down…if the rain holes off

      1. ops “hold” edit button?

    4. I really don’t understand Renault. They’ve always emphatically fastest at the speed traps (taken into account that the Renault is not the strongest engine).
      Shouldn’t they drive with more wings – more aerodynamical grip to make up in all ares of the track(s) where they lose time to cars that lap faster than them despite less top speed?

      1. Straight line speed, as RBR have proved, doesn’t really count for much. You can’t just stick wings on without creating drag.

    5. Last year’s pole position time was 1’15.105 by Lewis Hamilton
      The quickest lap of the current configuration was set by Ralf Schumacher in 2004: 1’12.275

      I think the pole will be faster than last year’s but slower than the lap record.

    6. Now, I know it’s only practise, but for a circuit where McLaren are thought to have a significant advantage, their straight line speed leaves a lot to be desired.

    7. too right AT, you’ve hit the nail on the head….as per usual, sir. STOP.

    Comments are closed.