Points at last (STR race review)

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Sebastien Buemi ended the team’s six-race points drought by bring the car home in the top ten for the first time since the European Grand Prix.

Sebastien BuemiJaime Alguersuari
Qualifying position1816
Qualifying time comparison (Q1)1’33.568 (+0.097)1’33.471
Race position1011
Average race lap1’43.776 (-0.707)1’44.483
Laps53/5352/53
Pit stops12

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Sebastien Buemi

Was knocked out in Q1 for the first time having been on course to improve with his final lap before losing time behind a HRT.

Had an uneventful race, rising to tenth largely due to other drivers’ problems. Felt he could have pushed Rubens Barrichello harder if he’d changed tyres sooner:

It was a good race for us and I am happy to have got a point.

However, it was a bit frustrating as, towards the end, I was catching Barrichello by around one second per lap and maybe if I had switched to the Option tyre earlier I would have been more competitive and got closer to him and maybe got past.

The problem I had in qualifying with the floor of my car did not help, as it was the first time I have failed to get into Q2.
Sebastien Buemi

Compare Sebastien Buemi’s form against his team mate in 2010

Jaime Alguersuari

Out-qualified his team mate but threw away his chance of points by needlessly banging wheels with Kamui Kobayashi and damaging his front wing, which meant he had to pit:

Kobayashi was much faster than me, but that is not a reason to let him past, so I fought as hard as I could and we touched and I had to pit for a new nose.

I hope my team principal is happy that I was very determined. I am happy for the team that Buemi got a point.
Jaime Alguersuari

Alguersuari hasn’t scored since the Spanish Grand Prix and is now placed lowest in the drivers’ championship among the drivers who are not racing for new teams.

Compare Jaime Alguersuari’s form against his team mate in 2010

2010 Japanese Grand Prix

    Browse all 2010 Japanese Grand Prix articles

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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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    7 comments on “Points at last (STR race review)”

    1. i think point :] at last

    2. Alguersuari has actually outqualified his team mate 4 times in the last 6 races. Jaime has often mentioned his lack of experience and said that he needed to learn a lot of new tracks this season. This seems to make sense. The results improve as he returns to the tracks he already knows. I think that the next season will be crucial in Jaime’s career.

      I believe that he did a good job by not simply letting Kobayashi pass in the final part of the race. In that moment, they were fighting for the 10th place.

      1. Buemi obviously had a problem with the car in qualifying:

        “The problem I had in qualifying with the floor of my car did not help, as it was the first time I have failed to get into Q2.”

      2. Kobayashi already had the place. Hitting him was needless and only guaranteed he scored nothing.

        But you’re right about his qualifying pace, he is turning the table on Buemi.

        1. Not to mention that he’s a bit of a “Rainmeister.”

          1. I’d like him to be in F1 next year, but since STR’s favourite past time is playing Russian Roulette with its drivers I’m not holding my breath.

    3. There are always excuses, when Buemi is slower then Alguersuari… Damaged floor, hitting by another car, chassis production issue, traffic and another bla bla bla… Jaime s manouever on Kobayashi was unnecessary and he just gave the last point to Buemi as a gift on a silver tray… It was a tough lesson for Alguersuari, but I think he will learn from it… I am still sure, he is promising for the future, he just needs to gain more experience and make things right… Remember he could score more points in Spain, but his pitstop
      wasn t ok and his team threw away a chance of good points also in Singapore… In Belgium he also crossed the line in 10th place anter a strong race… He should have the same points as Buemi, there was just some bad luck involved…

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