Post-race Statistics of the Spanish GP

Fans seem to be split over the Spanish GP earlier, seen some say it was dull and some say it was fantastic. Pit stops were another hot topic today with a massive 77 tyre changes, possibly the most of any dry race. Mercedes qualified 1-2 for the first time since 1955 but in the race faded away and finished sixth and 12^th, not what they would have wanted.

Before this weekend only once had the race winner at Catalunya started outside of the front row, Michael Schumacher from third in 1996. Fernando Alonso won from fifth today, another row further back than Michael Schumacher. Kimi Räikkönen finished the race in second, matching Nick Heidfeld’s record of 33 consecutive race finishes but still some way short of Heidfeld’s record of 41 consecutive classified race finishes (i.e. still counts as a classified finish if you complete 90% of the winner’s distance but retire). Massa came third and it was the first time since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix that those three drivers were on the podium together.

Quite surprisingly today none of the drivers that started the race 1-2-3 finished on the podium but all three finished the race, the last time that happened was at the Chinese GP in 2010, something that has never happened at the Spanish GP at Catalunya. Young Mexican Esteban Gutiérrez briefly led the race and set the fastest lap but is yet to score a point in F1, something that I’m not sure has ever happened before, but it might have I don’t really know.

There haven’t been too many changes in the Drivers’ Championship, Fernando Alonso has passed Lewis Hamilton for third place and Massa passed Webber for sixth but no major switches. Vettel still leads with Räikkönen just behind. In the Constructors’ Ferrari jumped up to second ahead of Lotus, and that’s it, no other changes.