Hamilton Takes Another....

[mts]

Hamilton had a 1.5 second lead over Alonso at the finishing line

 

 

Lewis Hamilton produced yet another incredible performance to claim his second successive F1 win in a McLaren one-two at the Unied States Grand Prix. The victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway extends Hamilton's lead over Fernando Alonso to 10 points at the top of the drivers' championship.

 

Hamilton held off a spirited overtaking move from Alonso at Turn One on lap 39 but managed to push his team-mate wide.

 

The Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen took third and fourth place.

 

Hamilton produced yet another unflustered performance leading from the front of the 73-lap race, despite an early challenge from team-mate Alonso.

 

The reigning world champion attempted to pass his team-mate at the very start but backed off to the inside after the first two narrow turns, giving Hamilton the advantage.

 

And from there on Hamilton dominated, opening up a 2.5 second gap before his first pit stop on lap 21.

 

But Alonso hauled the lead back and almost nosed his way into the lead on lap 38.

 

The Spaniard pulled alongside Hamilton on the main straight but was unable to complete the pass as Hamilton ushered him to the right to block off any chance of overtaking.

 

[mts]

Lap 73: Hamilton records back-to-back victories as he claims victory in the United States Grand Prix - his first-ever race at Indianapolis.

 

Hamilton takes the chequered flag from McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso by 1.5 seconds, to move 10 points clear ahead of the Spanish reigning world champion in the title race.

 

The 22-year-old is the first Briton to win the US Grand Prix in 24 years.

 

Massa finishes in third ahead of Raikkonen while Kovalainen crosses the line in fifth for Renault. BMW Sauber debutant Vettel collects a point on his debut in eighth.

 

Lap 72: Liuzzi also makes a late withdrawal as he rolls his Toro Rosso back to the pits.

 

Lap 69: Problems for Rosberg as smoke plumes from his car and there are yet more reliability problems for Williams. He jogs away from his car as flames lick around the engine bay. Rosberg's misfortune puts debutant Vettel in the points in eighth.

 

Lap 66: A little bit of a battle for the Britons lower down the order, as Super Aguri's Anthony Davidson nips past Jenson Button for 12th place.

 

"Button has got a massive problem - apart from driving a Honda - as his lap time is way down."

Five Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

 

Lap 65: The McLarens aren't racing now but the Ferraris are. Raikkonen is pushing Massa hard for third, closing to 0.4 seconds with the advantage of the softer tyres.

 

Lap 64: Vettel has a sniff at a championship point on his debut as he closes to within 0.9 seconds of Webber.

 

Lap 63: Webber has another go at Trulli into Turn One but he bounces up the curb and across the grass and has to let the old Toyota pro through.

 

Lap 61: The race looks to have settled down at the front but there could be one or two moves through the field. Raikkonen is just 0.5 seconds behind his Ferrari team-mate Massa and could yet attempt a pass. Webber tries to make a move on Trulli for seventh.

 

Lap 60: Webber comes into the Red Bull pits from fifth place.

 

Lap 57: Looks like the race for top spot is over as the McLarens have really eased up on their pace now. Hamilton holds a 2.3 second lead over Alonso.

 

Lap 56: Heidfeld was running well in seventh but his race is over now as he pulls onto the grass with technical problems.

 

Lap 54: "Alain Prost and Aryton Senna did not like each other but as far as I can tell, Alonso and Hamilton get on very well."

Five Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

 

Lap 52: Massa comes into the Ferrari pits - which means Hamilton is back in the lead. Massa feeds back in ahead of his team-mate Raikkonen in third.

 

Lap 51: Hamilton pits and he feeds out in front of Alonso to regain his advantage over his team-mate. Will that be the end of the race for victory in Indianapolis?

 

Lap 50: Alonso into the pits and he is out in 6.5 seconds.

 

Lap 49: Takuma Sato is penalised for passing under yellow flags earlier in the race and will lose 10 places on the grid at the French Grand Prix in two week's time. Raikkonen sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1:13.117.

 

Lap 48: Kovalainen is back into the Renault pits from sixth and Heidfeld pits from fifth soon afterwards.

 

Lap 45: There are no further reprisals at the front for now as Hamilton pulls 1.1 second clear of Alonso.

 

Lap 43: Raikkonen is the fastest man on the track at the moment as he is the only driver under 1:14:00. Watch out for him trying to close down his Ferrari team-mate Massa in third. Raikkonen has already used his hard tyres so will have an advantage with the softer tyres in the closing stages.

 

Lap 42: Life at the back of a Formula One race is thus: Christijan Albers runs his Spyker wide onto the grass. He is already two laps behind.

 

Lap 41: Rosberg pits from fourth. The fuel nozzle requires a bit of a jiggle to get it out of his Williams but he gets out quickly to feed back in 10th.

 

Lap 40: Alonso is 0.5 seconds behind Hamilton.

 

Lap 39: Alonso has a real chance to overtake Hamilton down the main straight as he gets in the Briton's slipstream. The Spanish world champion tries to get past on the outside as they go side-by-side but Hamilton holds him off. There are reports of wincing in the McLaren garage.

 

Lap 37: Fisichella comes into the Renault pits from 11th for his only stop.

 

Lap 35: Alonso is 0.8 seconds behind Hamilton as Button tries to sweep past Alexander Wurz in the Williams for 13th.

 

Lap 34: "Where Alonso is making time is on the quicker parts of the track and Hamilton is coming under a bit of pressure. They will probably be allowed to race until the second pit-stop."

Five Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

 

Lap 33: It looks like the McLarens are set to play out a private battle for honours in Indianapolis as Massa drops 14.1 seconds behind leader Hamilton and 13.6 seconds adrift of Alonso.

 

Lap 32: Jarno Trulli pits from third for Toyota and takes on soft tyres.

 

Lap 31: Webber comes into the pits and gets in and out very smoothly. Hamilton now has just a one-second lead over Alonso as more traffic looms on the horizon.

 

Lap 30: Fisichella finally gets past Vitantonio Liuzzi's Torro Rosso with a gliding movement on the outside to move up into 11th.

 

Lap 29: Hamilton is now clear of the traffic and so he should get back on the pace now.

 

Lap 27: Kovalaienen pits from the lead. He feeds back out in ninth as he gets a little bit caught up in traffic. And traffic does look like it is becoming a bit of a problem as Alonso closes to within 1.2 seconds of Hamilton.

 

Lap 26: A bit of a slow lap from Hamilton and Alonso is closing up to him, he is now 1.9 seconds behind the Briton.

 

Lap 25: Raikkonen pits from third - he didn't get that much further on the hard tyres.

 

Lap 24: Alonso overtakes Trulli down the main straight to move up to third.

 

Lap 23: Kovalainen leads a Grand Prix for the first time in his rookie career for Renault.

 

Lap 22: Alonso comes into the pits to pick up more fuel and a new set of soft tyres.

 

Lap 21: Hamilton comes in to the pits for McLaren and Felipe Massa comes in at the same time.

 

Lap 20: Hamilton is approaching traffic at the back markers and the McLaren mechanics are out in the pits.

 

Lap 19: Alonso looked like he was on a hot lap but Hamilton responds by accelerating away to a new fastest lap of 1:13.324.

 

Lap 17: Hamilton's lead at the front is 3.2 seconds.

 

Lap 16: "The Renault car is improving race by race, but the team still have some way to go before they catch the McLarens and Ferraris."

Five Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

 

Lap 15: Hamilton has been motoring on at a relentless pace at the front. He is now 2.9 seconds ahead of Alonso - and remember he has never driven round the Indianapolis circuit before.

 

Lap 14: Oops Sato is out anyway as he goes wide at Turn One and slides into the gravel trap and that's the end of his race. He was steering so hard the steering wheel literally comes off in his hands.

 

Lap 12: Super Aguri's Takuma Sato is under investigation for passing when the yellow flags were raised because of Ralf Schumacher's early shunt into Coulthard.

 

Lap 11: This is what's happening at the front: Hamilton is 2.1 seconds ahead of Alonso with Massa a further 2.3 seconds adrift of the Spaniard in third.

 

Lap 10: Button and Fisichella are engaging in a bit of a battle for 16th and 17th. The British Honda driver does well to hold off the Renault man but eventually Fisichella drives through on Turn 8.

 

Lap eight: Renault's Kovalainen is coming under a little bit of pressure from Raikkonen - the Ferrari is only 0.6 seconds behind.

 

Lap seven: Hamilton still pulling away from Alonso his lead is now exactly two seconds.

 

Lap six: "Hamilton and Alonso made equal starts. Alonso tried to come out of the slipstream to try and run outside Hamilton but Hamilton was not going to be intimidated at all, and now he is almost two seconds ahead."

Five Live analyst Maurice Hamilton

 

Lap five: Alonso sets a new fastest lap of 1:13.681 as he pulls further away from Alonso.

 

Lap four: Hamilton holds a 1.3-second lead over Alonso. Adrian Sutil has done well to pull his Spyker through from 21st on the grid up to 13th.

 

Lap three: Coulthard's race is over and so is Barrichello's. Meanwhile, at the front Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race so far of 1:14.329.

 

Lap two: Some incidents to update you on from lap one. Ralf Schumacher is out after bumping his Toyota into David Coulthard, who has to go back to the Red Bull pits. Rubens Barrichello is also back in the Honda pits with suspension damage.

 

Lap one: Alonso tries to hussle pole-sitter Hamilton but the British rookie holds his McLaren team-mate off and is clear away. Nick Heidfeld and Haikki Kovalainen both move beyond Kimi Raikkonen up to fourth and fifth respectively.

 

1804: Slow to form the grid in Indy but off they go.

 

1800: The drivers are off on their parade lap, weaving left to right to warm up their tyres. Most of the drivers have opted for the soft tyres, with the exception of Kimi Raikkonen.

 

1759: "Hamilton's main job (at the start) will be to move from left to right and try and get in front of Fernando Alonso and block him off."

[MazdaMomma]

I actually got to catch the last 2 laps of the race.

 

Will watch the video tape later on.

[mts]

Very good.... a new addict

[MazdaMomma]

yup, yup, yup

[///BHRpowered]

excellent, the dementia spreads

[///BHRpowered]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDKc9rYMcEc