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With just under half an hour to go before the lights go out at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the track temperature has climbed up to 21 degrees, with air temperature hovering around 15 degrees and humidity levels falling.
In the past fifteen minutes we have seen rain, drizzle, blue skies, and sunshine, but over head conditions are grey once more.
This afternoon's race will take place over 44 7.004km laps, covering a total distance of 308.052km. Six-time Spa winner Michael Schumacher is starting from the back end of the grid, but he is not the only man with good memories of the circuit. Felipe Massa won here in 2008; Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jarno Trulli, and Rubens Barrichello have all started the race from pole; Massa, Schumacher, Barrichello, and Sebastian Vettel have all set fastest laps.
Drivers are now lining up on one of the most chaotic grids in recent memory. All men out of the top ten will be starting in a different position to the one they claimed in qualifying, thanks to a host of penalties issued in the past 24 hours.
But Mark Webber is still on pole, with Hamilton in P2 and Robert Kubica in P3. The race to La Source will be a hard-fought battle, with all drivers warned not to use the run-off areas to gain places or face heavy punishment. Drama is expected across the grid, thanks to Saturday's rain-soaked qualifying session and penalty frenzy. Cars are out of position, something that often leads to chaos in the early laps as everyone jostles for supremacy.
With only two minutes remaining until the race start, the track temperature has increased by a degree. Rain is not expected for at least half an hour, but McLaren and Williams will be hoping for variable conditions. Their drivers each have three sets of intermediate tyres to use during the race, while everyone else has only two.
Droplets of rain are visible on the on-board cameras as drivers complete the formation lap.
And the lights are out! Mark Webber gets a terrible start off the line, and is overtaken by Lewis Hamilton, who leads into the first corner. Robert Kubica is in P2, with Jenson Button just behind.
[13:07:10] [redacted]: what the **** happened in that last corner
[13:08:03] … safety car out
[13:08:41] Kate Walker: Too much debris.
[13:08:49] [redacted]: ah
[13:08:55] Kate Walker: Poor Bar - 297th start, 300th entry, and he's out.
[13:08:59] [redacted]: coming into those last corners
[13:09:23] Kate Walker: Terrible start for Webber.
[13:10:08] … Likely penalties for But thanks to cutting La Source. FIA said they'd be heavy on penalties there.
[13:10:10] [redacted]: poor rubens
[13:10:32] Kate Walker: Not a great day to be Alonso, either.
[13:10:47] … SC in this lap.
[13:10:51] … End of lap 3.
[13:10:52] [redacted]: no day is a great day to be alonso
[13:11:08] Kate Walker: lol
[13:11:14] … His fans would disagree.
[13:11:30] … Kubica will cause trouble at the restart - watch out JB!
[13:11:45] … Less trouble than I thought - he's lost his position!
[13:12:05] … Ham got a good restart - nice gap to JB behind.
[13:12:22] [redacted]: sutil is doing well
[13:12:32] Kate Walker: That's because his car is better than Liuzzi's.
[13:12:38] … Allegedly.
[13:12:56] [redacted]: hahaha
[13:13:00] Kate Walker: Rumour has it they're on difference downforce packages.
[13:13:11] … Skies look awesome on TV. Just grey out the window.
[13:13:23] … Kubs is looking to move on Vettel.
[13:13:52] … Turn 19 incident under investigation by the stewards.
[13:13:52] [redacted]: alonso is gonna have to come back in again for dry tyres again
[13:13:59] Kate Walker: Alo pits again!
[13:15:05] … Vet and Kub under investigation now.
[13:15:23] … Gained advantage over JB, didn't cede place.
[13:16:00] … But has minor front wing damage. Will it hold till he pits?
[13:16:33] [redacted]: they've told him to change some settings
[13:17:02] Kate Walker: He's purple in S1, so not doing too badly.
[13:17:08] [redacted]: senna is out
[13:17:26] Kate Walker: Not surprised after that spin.
[13:17:46] … What's Ham saying on the radio?
[13:18:06] [redacted]: not sure
[13:18:12] Kate Walker: Can't believe it's L7 already.
[13:18:31] [redacted]: webber hit his anti stall off the line
[13:18:55] Kate Walker: Poor guy.
[13:19:05] … Can't believe Alo is behind Glo and Yam.
[13:21:08] … Not anymore, though!
[13:21:33] … Ham is pulling out more and more of a lead - up to 5.5s now.
[13:21:43] … But look at Kob - just taken 3s out of Schu.
[13:22:22] … Vet is hanging on But's tail - could be a fight for P2 if But can't gold him off with the broken wing.
[13:22:53] … Tru/Alo battle didn't last long enough.
[13:22:59] … Rain now expected in 20 mins.
[13:24:15] … No action in Kub/Vet investigation.
[13:24:45] … Alo is on a charge.
[13:25:08] … But pulled half a second out of Ham in the last lap.
[13:25:17] … Gaining on Ham or pulling away from Vet?
[13:25:48] … Is Kobs about to overtake Schu? Looks like it might happen soon.
[13:25:53] … Mercs collide!
[13:26:03] … Schu hit Britney - the powers that be won't be pleased.
[13:26:48] … Wing damage for Rosberg, possible tyre damage for Schu.
[13:27:10] … Alo/Bar crash to be investigated.
[13:28:00] … No further action on Turn 19 lap 1 advantage.
[13:28:41] … Vet is making more of a move on But now. Can he do it?
[13:28:51] … Ham/But gap back up to 7.6s.
[13:29:48] … Go Liu!
[13:29:59] … Alo wants it, but Liu's not making it easy.
[13:30:39] … But's got quite a train going on now as Ham pulls away.
[13:30:38] [redacted]: yeah
[13:31:30] … i think the front wing damage has screwed the balance of his car
[13:32:11] Kate Walker: Ham/But gap's up to 8.3s. But's wing is looking awful.
[13:34:05] [redacted]: rosberg is screwed
[13:34:18] Kate Walker: Thanks to his teammate, who's now in the points.
[13:35:03] … Alo has Liu. Took him long enough.
[13:35:12] [redacted]: possible rain in 10 min around about corner 14-15
[13:35:39] Kate Walker: That was more of a shove than an overtake.
[13:35:55] [redacted]: it was
[13:36:08] Kate Walker: But and Vet are screwed!
[13:36:15] … Vet's done another Turkey,
[13:36:19] … Oops.
[13:36:21] [redacted]: vettel is an idiot
[13:36:35] Kate Walker: Pit frenzy.
[13:36:42] [redacted]: how could he do that again?
[13:36:45] Kate Walker: But's going to have a job fixing that one.
[13:37:00] [redacted]: i think he might be done for the day
[13:37:01] Kate Walker: Good news for Web and Kub, though.
[13:37:09] [redacted]: yeah
[13:37:17] Kate Walker: But's out.
[13:37:45] … Vet just lost it.
[13:37:51] … And found But's car.
[13:38:31] … Good lord. Schu's now up to P6.
[13:38:42] [redacted]: it was vettel being a bit gung ho and not paying attention to the weather
[13:39:13] Kate Walker: Oops.
[13:39:21] … Too young, too hungry.
[13:39:39] … Ham now has a lovely gap back to Kubs. Could nearly pit and hold the lead.
[13:39:57] … Vet/But incident under investigation.
[13:40:09] … Think it will be seen as a racing incident, as he did just lose control.
[13:40:13] … Didn't look deliberate.
[13:41:21] [redacted]: they just said he might get a drive through for causing an avoidable accident
[13:41:28] … only might though
[13:42:15] Kate Walker: Just been confirmed - d/t for Vet.
[13:42:21] [redacted]: drive through for vettel
[13:42:49] … he won't be happy
[13:43:05] Kate Walker: Liu takes Vet!
[13:43:29] … Can't believe the race is nearly half run and the front runners are all still on options.
[13:43:39] [redacted]: i know
[13:43:43] Kate Walker: Tyre strategy wasn't as chaotic as expected.
[13:43:51] [redacted]: no
[13:44:03] … not as much rain as they expected though
[13:44:12] Kate Walker: Ham's pulled out nearly a second on Kubs since But retired.
[13:44:25] … Vet pits for d/t.
[13:44:30] [redacted]: vettel in pits
[13:44:56] Kate Walker: Amazing how little he's suffered given But's out.
[13:44:59] [redacted]: that mclaren guy looked pissed off
[13:45:15] Kate Walker: Naturally. But's lost P4 in the standings, no question.
[13:45:20] [redacted]: stood there in the pit lane
[13:45:28] … arms folded
[13:45:50] … bet he was swearing in his helmet
[13:46:06] … apparently there were 10 of them stood there
[13:46:06] Kate Walker: Sut pits from P5, promoting Schu.
[13:46:49] … Not bad for Schu - P900 to P5, in half the race.
[13:46:50] [redacted]: that's ok vettel will catch him soon and then crash into him
[13:46:54] Kate Walker: lol
[13:47:04] … Vet's setting purple sectors.
[13:47:23] … Ham goes purple.
[13:47:23] [redacted]: the red mist has descended
[13:47:38] Kate Walker: Web pits.
[13:48:09] … Very odd - they don't know about the weather yet, he might need to pit again.
[13:48:18] [redacted]: looked like the mclaren guys were trying to get in the way of webbers pit stop
[13:48:37] … just stood as far out as possible
[13:48:43] Kate Walker: Really? That's not on.
[13:48:50] … Vet's purple.
[13:48:54] [redacted]: i might be wrong
[13:49:13] … ham hasn't pitted yet. has he?
[13:49:21] Kate Walker: Nope.
[13:49:30] … Kubs and Mas pit.
[13:49:39] … Schu's going to be in P3!
[13:49:47] … Oh wait, no he's not.
[13:49:50] [redacted]: they might have been getting ready for ham
[13:50:09] Kate Walker: No sign of Ham pitting yet.
[13:50:53] [redacted]: he's only 15 seconds ahead as well
[13:51:02] … not enough for a pit stop
[13:51:04] Kate Walker: And doesn't have a teammate to help out.
[13:51:08] … Ham pits.
[13:51:12] [redacted]: ham in
[13:51:13] Kate Walker: Clean stop,
[13:51:41] [redacted]: still in front
[13:51:46] Kate Walker: Sut goes purple.
[13:52:04] [redacted]: maybe he will crash into msc
[13:52:11] Kate Walker: Sut's going for it.
[13:52:13] … Has it!
[13:52:19] [redacted]: sutil is flying
[13:52:25] Kate Walker: Merc really are having aero problems, aren't they?
[13:52:29] [redacted]: flew up that hill
[13:52:39] … like a rocket
[13:52:49] Kate Walker: He's got a Merc engine and working F-duct.
[13:53:05] [redacted]: working really well by the looks of it
[13:53:17] Kate Walker: Vet and Liu are on for round 2 of the battle.
[13:53:27] [redacted]: bbc talking to jenson now
[13:53:27] Kate Walker: Kubs goes purple.
[13:54:05] … Liu pits AGAIN! Why?
[13:54:14] [redacted]: were gonna change but's wing in pit stop
[13:54:36] … ripped out his radiator and completely lost drive
[13:54:55] Kate Walker: Vet's going to get in trouble again for slicing Liu like that.
[13:55:03] … Tyre damage for Vet.
[13:55:05] [redacted]: liu lost his front wing endplate
[13:55:17] Kate Walker: Major tyre damage.
[13:55:18] [redacted]: vettel has a puncture
[13:55:43] Kate Walker: Less of a puncture than flailing rubber.
[13:55:50] [redacted]: trying to limp back to the pits
[13:55:56] Kate Walker: Mas goes purple.
[13:56:19] [redacted]: vet doing well
[13:56:31] … nearly back i think
[13:56:32] Kate Walker: Ham has a nearly 10s lead over Kubs.
[13:56:49] … Possible rain in 10 laps.
[13:56:58] [redacted]: actually i don't think he's anywhere near
[13:57:12] Kate Walker: Vet makes it to the pits.
[13:57:18] [redacted]: vettel is back
[13:57:41] … mclaren were there again
[13:57:46] Kate Walker: What a chaotic race this has turned out to be.
[13:57:47] [redacted]: it has indeed
[13:59:24] … vet in 20th place
[13:59:26] Kate Walker: Sut and Mas should be good to watch over the next few laps.
[13:59:30] [redacted]: that's got to hurt
[13:59:38] … yeah
[14:00:13] Kate Walker: Looks like Vet's second crash has been viewed as a racing incident.
[14:00:29] [redacted]: i think so
[14:00:36] Kate Walker: Ham goes purple.
[14:00:48] … Hope Kubs holds on to P2 till the finish.
[14:01:03] … Would be great to see him on the podium again.
[14:01:05] [redacted]: hmmm looks like rain on the radar
[14:01:35] Kate Walker: Heavier rain expected in 10 mins.
[14:01:59] [redacted]: looked heavy on the radar - a big blob of blue
[14:02:03] Kate Walker: Ham's lost a second on Kubs since he switched to hards.
[14:02:46] … Pulled out 1.5s in that lap, though!
[14:03:31] … Kobs is doing well to keep Alo behind.
[14:04:24] [redacted]: yeah was just watching it. doing well
[14:04:56] … can't believe vet is still in 20
[14:05:37] … ham is only going to change when it is definitely ready for inters
[14:05:50] Kate Walker: Seems sensible.
[14:05:53] [redacted]: I.E heavy rain
[14:06:12] … i assume
[14:06:12] Kate Walker: RBR are expecting heavy rain.
[14:06:27] [redacted]: ham purple
[14:06:32] Kate Walker: Ominous clouds there.
[14:06:50] [redacted]: helicopter has rain on the lens
[14:06:58] Kate Walker: Was that rain on Hul's on-board, too?
[14:07:10] [redacted]: not sure
[14:07:51] Kate Walker: Hul/Dlr looking tasty.
[14:07:57] … So close!
[14:08:02] [redacted]: dlr past
[14:08:26] Kate Walker: RAIN
[14:08:37] [redacted]: raining now
[14:08:41] Kate Walker: Shower will be 20mins, nearly to end of race.
[14:08:48] … Glo first to pit.
[14:09:35] … Yam pits.
[14:09:43] … Bue pits.
[14:09:51] … Ham wobbles on track, doesn't pit.
[14:09:52] [redacted]: ham still going
[14:09:57] Kate Walker: Could be a major mistake.
[14:10:10] … Frontrunners all staying out.
[14:10:20] [redacted]: web still going too
[14:10:30] Kate Walker: Getting worse out there.
[14:10:55] … Ham should have pitted,
[14:10:55] [redacted]: i think ham is coming in
[14:11:00] … ham gone off
[14:11:02] Kate Walker: Off at Rivage.
[14:11:24] … Something just fell off Ham's car.
[14:11:42] [redacted]: really
[14:11:49] … didn't see it
[14:11:56] Kate Walker: Rain's looking awful.
[14:12:04] … Ham pits from lead, lap 45.
[14:12:10] [redacted]: ham just coming in
[14:12:29] Kate Walker: Front three all pit.
[14:12:36] … Kubs pit stop goes wrong.
[14:12:41] [redacted]: kub overshot pit
[14:12:50] Kate Walker: Mas pits.
[14:13:06] … Check out that rooster tail.
[14:13:19] [redacted]: yah
[14:13:29] Kate Walker: This is getting tense.
[14:13:32] [redacted]: go ham
[14:14:32] … poor bobby kubs
[14:14:43] … rain getting heavier here
[14:14:46] Kate Walker: If he can hold the podium...
[14:15:09] … Alo/Vet incident under investigation.
[14:15:18] … Big spin for Hul.
[14:16:05] … New nickname for Kobs, btw - Cowboyashi.
[14:17:31] … RBR are getting read with full wets for Vet.
[14:17:46] [redacted]: vet in pit
[14:18:04] Kate Walker: Alo stops, track yellow.
[14:18:05] [redacted]: alonso out
[14:18:14] Kate Walker: Alo climbs out, ret,
[14:18:19] [redacted]: possible sc
[14:18:19] Kate Walker: SC.
[14:18:27] … Race will finish under SC, probs.
[14:18:40] … SC deployed lap 38.
[14:19:05] … Too much wet kerb, stalls car. Screws suspension.
[14:19:09] [redacted]: lost it on the astro turf
[14:20:57] … looks like it's still rain there
[14:21:00] Kate Walker: Oops. He'll slip down the standings.
[14:21:04] … Raining really hard.
[14:21:14] … But dry in front of the press centre.
[14:21:35] … Sun's coming out on track.
[14:21:36] [redacted]: alosnsos car out of the way now
[14:22:01] … i think sc will be in next lap
[14:22:04] Kate Walker: 5 laps to go.
[14:23:47] … When is the bloody SC going in?
[14:24:00] [redacted]: i don't know
[14:24:16] Kate Walker: SC in this lap.
[14:24:18] … At last!
[14:24:30] … Race to restart on lap 41, in essence.
[14:24:46] [redacted]: yup
[14:24:54] … it's gonna be tense
[14:25:05] Kate Walker: They are off!
[14:25:57] [redacted]: quite alot of water
[14:26:02] Kate Walker: Britney takes Schu!
[14:26:38] … Trulli's spin was terrifying.
[14:26:43] [redacted]: trulli off
[14:26:52] … still going though
[14:27:03] Kate Walker: Mas: not bad for a number 2 driver.
[14:27:13] [redacted]: lol
[14:27:51] Kate Walker: 3 laps to go.
[14:28:21] … Is Liu on full wets?
[14:28:30] [redacted]: sutil doing well
[14:28:38] … not sure
[14:29:12] Kate Walker: 2 laps to go...
[14:29:24] … DLR off, not ret.
[14:29:26] [redacted]: dlr off
[14:29:36] … same place as ham
[14:31:11] Kate Walker: Last lap...
[14:31:20] [redacted]: nearly there
[14:31:26] Kate Walker: Definitely drying out there.
[14:31:31] [redacted]: looking alot drier now
[14:31:40] Kate Walker: Snap!
[14:32:06] … When the flag goes I'm signing off, need to run for my lift.
[14:32:45] … Ham will have 182, Web 179.WDC will be v close.
[14:33:02] … Ham takes flag, with Web and Bobby Kubs just behind.
[14:33:16] … Press room applaud. Kate Walker Girlracer magazine
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