Canadian GP 2015

JUNE 12, 2011

Race Notes - Button wins dramatic Canadian GP

Jenson Button, Canadian GP 2011
© The Cahier Archive

Jenson Button in the McLaren-Mercedes won the Canadian GP in Montreal, making a final lap pass when Sebastian Vettel made a mistake. Vettel finished second, 2.7 seconds behind in his Red Bull-Renault, his team mate Mark Webber finished third, 13.8 seconds behind the leader.

The win is Button's tenth career victory, and his first since the Chinese GP last season.

Michael Schumacher (14.2s) in the Mercedes GP finished fourth, followed by Vitaly Petrov (20.3s) in the Renault in fifth, Felipe Massa (33.2s) in the Ferrari in sixth, Kamui Kobayashi (33.2s) in the Sauber-Ferrari in seventh, Jaime Alguersuari (35.9s) in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari in eighth, Rubens Barrichello (45.1s) in the Williams-Cosworth in ninth and Sebastien Buemi (47.0s) in the other Toro Rosso taking the final points paying position.

Rains came Sunday morning on-and-off approaching start time, with more expected throughout the afternoon. The race was declared wet and all the drivers would start the race behind the safety car on full wet tyres. As it is a wet race, DRS is be disabled.

Jamie Alguersuari, after needing repairs on his car overnight would start from the pitlane.

The field pulled away from the grid behind the Safety Car, and the race officially started.

Ferrari radioed Alonso that the rain would get heavier in 20 minutes.

The Safety Car was in at the end of lap three, and the race goes green.

Vettel takes the lead from Alonso and Massa. Hamilton and Webber come together at the first turn, Webber spins and both continue, Webber in 15th

At the end on lap 4 Vettel leads Alonso by 2.0 seconds followed by Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Hamilton, Button, Di Resta, Heidfeld and Kobayashi.

On lap 5 at the hairpin Hamilton goes to the outside of Schumacher but goes wide.

On lap 6 Vettel cuts across the grass at turn 7 but continues.

Hamilton tries to pass Button on the pit straight, Button squeezes him, the two touch, Hamilton touches the pit wall, damaging his car. The Safety Car is deployed. Button pits and changes to intermediate tires. Hamilton pulls off the circuit, his day is done.

Webber is having a problem on downshifts, and the team tells him they will change the steering wheel on the pitstop.

The Safety Car comes in at the end lap 11, and the race resumes. Button passes both Maldonado and Di Resta, then serves a drive through penalty at the end of the lap for speeding behind the Safety Car - he rejoins in 15th.

On lap 14 Button passes Buemi. The next lap Button passes Barrichello. Webber passes Petrov for eighth. Button passes Sutill and Maldonado.

On lap 15 Barrichello pits for intermediate tyres. Sutil pits the next lap. Webber passes Heidfeld for 7th. Button hounding DiR Resta

On lap 18 Alonso and Rosberg pit from second and third, Maldonado and Buemi pit as well.

On lap 19 Schumacher pits.

At lap 18 Vettel leads Massa by 6.8 seconds, followed by Kobayashi, Webber, Alonso, Heidfeld, Petrov, Button, di Resta, and Rosberg in tenth.

On lap 19 Alonso passes Heidfeld for 6th,

The rain starts to get harder, and the Safety Car comes out once again.

Alonso Button Rosberg Alguersuari Kovalainen, Trulli, Maldonado, Barrichello pit for full-wet tyres,

Vettel and Webber pit for full-wet tyres. Massa pits the next lap.

Under the Safety Car, Vettel leads Kobayashi, Massa, Heidfeld, Petrov, Di Resta, Webber, Alonso, De la Rosa and Button in tenth.

Vettel complains that the back of the circuit is undrivable and that the cars are aquaplanning.

On lap 23 the rain intensifies. Button says he can't see anything. The weather reports say that heavy rain will continue for the next 20 minutes.

At lap 25 race control red flags the race, the cars come to the grid with 1h14min of the race still to run.

With the heavy rains continuing, speculation started wether the race would be restarted.

One hour after the red flag, the rains continue to fall.

After an hour and a half stoppage, at 15:36 it was announced that the race would resume in 15 minutes at 15:50. All cars required to start on full-wet tyres.

The grid clears and the cars follow behind the Safety Car to resume the race on lap 25. On lap 29 Kovalainen slows with a problem with his Lotus, trying to nurse his car back to the pits.

At the end of lap 34 the Safety car comes in and the race goes back green.

Vettel continues in the lead, as Massa attempts to pass Kobayashi for second place, but Kobayashi keeps the position.

Schumacher, Sutil, Glock, Barrichello, Liuzzi and Buemi pit. Heidfeld, Di Resta, Button, De la Rosa, Alguersuari and Maldonado pit the next lap.

On lap 36 Kobayashi, Massa, Webber, Petrov, Rosberg and Alonso pit.

On lap 36 Button and Alonso touch, Alonso spinning into the wall at turn 4, Button limping back to the pits, and then continues.

The Safety Car is deployed once again.

Vettel pits for intermediates and keeps the lead.

The order behind the Safety Car is Vettel, leading Kobayashi, Massa, Heidfeld, Di Resta, Webber, Schumacher, Petrov, Rosberg and Sutil.

The Safety Car is at the end of lap 40 and the race continues, all on intermediate tyres.

On lap 41 Sutil runs into the back ofosberg.

On lap 43 Schumacher passes Webber for sixth place. Schumacher and Webber pass Di Resta for fifth place, Di Resta pits for a new nose.

On lap 44 race control enables DRS.

On lap 45 Schumacher passes Heidfeld for fourth place. Kobayashi and Massa battle for second place.

On lap 49 Alguersuari and Button pass Maldonado, then Button passes Alguersuari for 10 place.

On lap 50 Webber pits, taking on dry tyres.

On lap 51 Kobayashi and Massa battle side-by-side - Schumacher gets the momentum and passes both of them.

Button, Alguersuari, di Resta and Buemi pit, Di Resta retires.

On lap 53 Schumacher, Massa and Heidfeld pit for dry tyres.

On lap 54 Vettel, Koba, Pet an Ros berg pit .

Massa, trying to pass a backmarker bushes the wall, damaging is front wing - the Brazilian pits for a new nose.

On lap 56, Heidfeld battles Kobayashi for fifth place, Heidfeld running into the back of Kobayashi at turn two - Heidfeld's front wing detaches, he runs over it and then crashes in the outside wall and runs down the escape road of turn 3.

The Safety Car is deployed because of there is debris from the Renault is all over the track.

The race restarts on lap 61, Vettel leading, Schumacher, Webber and Button running closely for second place.

On lap 62 Maldonado retires.

On lap 64 Webber passes Schumacher before the final chicane, but then shortcuts the chicane and gives the position back. Webber attempts the pass the next lap but missing the chicane again - Button almost running into the back of the Red Bull. Button passes Webber and sets off after Schumacher and passes him the next lap.

On lap 67 Button is chasing down Vettel for the lead, setting fastest lap.

Webber passes Schumacher for third place.

On the final lap Vettel makes a mistake in turns 7 and Button passes him for the lead.

At the flag Massa passes Kobayashi for sixth.

Button wins ahead of Vettel and Webber.