2012 European Grand Prix lap charts

2012 European Grand Prix

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Three of the top four finishers all started outside of the top ten: Fernando Alonso won from 11th, Michael Schumacher went from 12th to third and Mark Webber finished behind him having started 19th.

Here’s how they did it.

European Grand Prix lap chart

The positions of each driver on every lap. Use the control below to show/hide different drivers:

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2012drivercolours.csv

0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657
Sebastian Vettel1111111111111111111111111111111111
Lewis Hamilton22222222223339875554333333335666664333333222222222222224
Pastor Maldonado3555555555555512121212121077766666710101010108886666444444444444443710
Romain Grosjean43333333332222222432222222222222222222222
Kimi Raikkonen56666666666664910101010866655555455555544444433333333333333222
Nico Rosberg61111111111111111111110101054434512131312121110987777811121312111111999991312121111111111111186
Kamui Kobayashi74444444444443101111111191718181717151514131313131313
Nico Hulkenberg8777777777778713141414141299988887111111111111999777755555555555555555
Jenson Button9131312121212121212191918161515151515131010109991315151515151515121111109998888888810101010101010108
Paul di Resta1099999999999984332234451415141413121212121212101010988866666666666668867
Fernando Alonso11888888888887636997655444444333333111111111111111111111111
Michael Schumacher12121213131313131313121111116566617151414131312111098888766655551111111110999888876633
Felipe Massa13101010101010101010101617151413131313118887777121414141414142020202020201918181818181818171515151618181716
Bruno Senna14141414141414141414131212127877872323232323232322222121212121181716151515151414141414141111121212121212121111
Sergio Perez151515151515151515152020191816161616161411111110101616161616161616161313121110101077777777777799999
Heikki Kovalainen16181818181818181819171721212020201919191817171818171721212020202020171818171616161515151515151414141414141414151414
Daniel Ricciardo171616161616161616161413131318181817171613121211111098644444355141414141313131313121313131313131313131212
Jean-Eric Vergne182020202020202020201818161717171720202019191919191818
Mark Webber1917171717171717171715141414119889151615151514131211109999977781313131212121211101010999987744
Vitaly Petrov20191919191919191918161515191919191818181416161616191917171717171717141414131212121010101012111518171616151515141313
Pedro de la Rosa212121212121212121212121202022212121212120202020202020181918181818181515151617171716161616161616151818181817171817
Narain Karthikeyan222222222222222222222222222221222323232322222222222222201822222222221919191919192019191919191919191919191919191918
Charles Pic23232323232323232323232323232323222222222121212121212119201919191919161617181818181717171717171716161717171616161515

Alonso owed his progress in the race to several things: a good start, rapid pit work by Ferrari, his own overtaking prowess – and a ready supply of unused tyres due to his exit in the second part of qualifying.

He passed Button off the line, and took Rosberg and Di Resta in turns four and five. Hulkenberg was dispensed with on lap 12.

Quick pit stops got him ahead of two rivals who might have proved especially hard to pass: Raikkonen at his first stop, Hamilton at his second – the latter thanks to more problems for McLaren on pit lane.

In between the two Alonso made light work of passing Webber, Senna and Schumacher in little more than one lap in a quite superb piece of driving.

Having inherited third from Hamilton, he nailed Grosjean with an opportunistic pass for second after the restart. It was Vettel’s retirement which ultimately handed him the lead, but Alonso and his team’s graft won him every other place he gained.

European Grand Prix race chart

The gaps between each driver on every lap. Use the control below to show/hide different drivers:

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2012drivercolours.csv

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657
Sebastian Vettel000000000000000000000000000000000
Lewis Hamilton1.9694.0025.3866.8367.6138.5089.2029.69110.11312.38113.83415.28430.11636.47936.92227.64917.97219.88221.79822.90824.06625.11126.55627.83128.8729.77230.64763.09857.60412.8094.3954.821.7252.0851.61.7091.8922.5612.7313.4443.9033.5853.7843.923.7173.9384.2764.2664.2173.6113.5043.5243.7574.588.655
Pastor Maldonado4.5356.4767.6788.6110.23611.5212.40313.28913.6914.6316.19418.49721.45539.4744.01333.83424.26229.02634.11837.72538.19838.07539.85540.28940.70541.39341.69767.90564.19518.848.4548.2293.1484.3274.6636.4858.6929.1089.3359.76310.2049.910.15610.17410.26510.55610.87110.54210.1289.4498.738.2857.887.5618.65222.81734.63
Romain Grosjean2.7444.4186.0017.3978.2059.1629.8910.52710.56211.47611.97612.55113.69114.45815.29321.05315.8117.54118.73419.03619.97120.32120.69520.80620.5520.24719.06741.92535.5855.8861.4250.9680.3910.860.5890.710.7320.7420.6941.465
Kimi Raikkonen5.0887.5178.7399.42710.83912.21213.08714.30214.3415.1616.71618.89220.25637.35441.72132.49223.70927.76433.00934.58635.26135.55736.95937.37937.437.2336.95361.23455.63411.7723.3413.9461.6232.392.5622.3592.7633.2813.4013.9764.8414.6134.4914.5024.3784.4474.9074.9525.3285.0244.4844.2564.3335.2677.4517.4866.421
Nico Rosberg8.53111.15513.30714.88117.01919.11620.87922.624.07226.12127.72328.98230.27831.48832.23623.78515.45819.31423.22540.53647.26548.83550.46752.20853.47454.51455.36368.47559.03417.0544.6095.5992.3855.9058.3711.02312.81215.06916.3617.59618.8219.17320.68221.60422.48637.20743.01343.65742.15939.41936.83934.26731.75128.58526.13624.79421.176
Kamui Kobayashi4.0135.0556.4347.989.00910.12111.0611.88812.32613.44515.09616.8418.92637.84842.87733.07324.00228.44433.81657.0162.79562.88963.9764.54365.48765.86865.72380.75872.20321.61610.53210.5554.339
Nico Hulkenberg6.17.79.81310.79312.10113.61615.33216.68317.59119.08620.63923.32424.87942.13247.40837.90228.08229.80435.09138.69240.40541.57243.15444.82846.42947.66648.972.77965.219.6219.1549.0893.6764.6765.1276.839.0659.97710.3210.8811.60311.56912.46812.73912.6612.82113.42813.56213.55512.96712.6712.89913.42614.22915.83618.35319.993
Jenson Button9.57112.6414.29115.49317.48719.68821.62423.63125.07540.64946.02946.6647.40548.24448.46839.35529.35431.11335.67139.79841.24342.61344.27545.92447.54462.37767.16984.87175.46228.03312.25611.8314.9116.2356.9578.74710.35612.54213.84515.94917.37917.89819.08320.20220.90321.61822.4422.62924.38224.13723.79723.46923.72424.12424.48825.65124.653
Paul di Resta7.2599.5811.51513.25715.0917.08718.92820.42721.39122.71424.05425.4626.85228.45729.5821.43713.28416.72620.79724.79729.39234.87956.25463.16664.47565.07765.12479.46266.57420.1319.8659.984.2325.1825.8467.4099.43610.95912.00113.15913.87213.80614.41514.77214.56515.06415.46415.49615.50715.40915.39415.48516.46318.23120.34622.61922.866
Fernando Alonso6.7028.68410.36811.73913.25514.99416.30817.5518.18619.57521.10622.3322.71423.19936.81131.8822.96426.08728.69829.48730.22831.46432.48933.41734.02334.46234.3156.51751.9959.6442.0531.7950.493000000000000000000000000
Michael Schumacher9.17211.88414.95116.51618.72320.88622.75924.6526.31628.26430.21131.81833.45835.06336.52929.20421.67425.99646.55353.46854.64155.13455.88856.58957.29657.48557.02869.73960.6117.7086.9367.0352.383.1513.9655.716.3926.8747.2267.99422.47326.98426.27526.20925.99725.14824.35323.40622.78220.6618.66716.97216.85415.53716.14817.09512.639
Felipe Massa7.90510.07911.88513.89515.57117.67419.77821.23622.77424.53140.31745.93246.41646.44246.30736.59226.76729.12234.67938.05739.65340.86342.61444.30245.83347.19862.27983.24673.97125.90111.3911.2494.34857.36962.63162.54462.90963.94864.70765.60766.98667.20168.21568.80469.48570.98173.00374.55278.35979.59481.49484.06101.297106.788110.027111.663
Bruno Senna10.08714.2916.88318.71420.8822.74524.71126.9128.26630.06831.63533.33834.60235.99538.02629.98622.10526.85732.848105.527112.994114.353116.102126.417133.275135.362145.688170.555163.981157.748110.19268.58132.45932.28533.01234.27335.63936.74937.8438.97339.92740.08440.93140.90340.89141.17642.71643.16743.71842.65842.01241.30540.98740.13639.52639.1735.961
Sergio Perez10.34914.98817.17319.14521.28223.22425.04227.4628.67645.4650.19249.2248.8649.3249.30239.87730.08731.7436.04440.47941.94743.35845.2347.64765.9570.98470.2685.44476.13329.02912.92512.4185.6186.7478.5419.48910.54413.01214.03616.47216.96716.36216.0815.7415.34615.7116.08916.21516.15615.79916.00716.65119.09320.70822.77924.87827.777
Heikki Kovalainen11.83916.5419.53321.65224.21126.82429.38231.88935.33338.20640.87359.03465.6267.33967.87759.14349.98652.5654.94157.70660.15162.12765.93868.24570.51973.095136.031164.342162.823154.644109.49167.89430.31231.30233.75336.17538.10840.26542.09543.72345.5746.67648.24249.78951.39453.53756.32658.39760.96462.98265.4168.49772.49176.50483.08389.46194.654
Daniel Ricciardo10.96515.52817.83519.89621.98824.03225.72428.13529.56131.36433.04234.50235.89553.9159.56749.5840.03541.42342.64344.06245.35746.14847.32548.43350.07251.18651.86564.46655.16410.9522.7712.7071.1921.6163.4735.22724.28831.53832.11632.5832.96132.24932.37431.90931.59332.33547.45147.74947.46346.11345.27544.56743.70842.6641.87340.76537.041
Jean-Eric Vergne13.21217.5921.51824.68427.45430.01632.25834.71336.93539.47742.0944.88948.24551.26853.79646.65855.14763.61465.43666.93268.1468.64369.74470.78971.98973.564
Mark Webber11.50416.13818.6720.87122.86525.126.73629.1230.52732.50334.1535.72836.9837.98538.76130.6922.75827.42642.42354.17955.76856.17656.71257.50758.07258.72158.85172.05563.42218.6047.7997.7712.6913.954.5186.0769.16620.66129.90928.9627.98327.61127.24426.94126.85126.13125.46824.21223.46821.70819.60517.59117.32716.71916.6417.27213.628
Vitaly Petrov12.56316.96620.30522.72225.37327.68730.0232.57334.85637.25139.6342.41459.63865.2265.26356.14146.58948.65750.44553.15756.66958.64260.81763.83282.16288.36790.108127.056107.76457.74415.10614.4956.5688.2519.39411.57613.74615.88117.65919.72221.62522.58724.3225.95329.53331.84268.08874.9279.24179.73681.68382.26281.43680.3679.90178.73575.871
Pedro de la Rosa13.94118.53622.34226.09229.91633.76937.48341.32144.90748.92853.63457.98862.71286.58693.80985.68477.17880.10583.37786.56189.59392.57295.85299.918104.416109.659114.317158.07161.257152.62108.40566.1328.51929.46830.90533.18637.26841.11144.51347.70150.68152.9156.13859.66362.53765.68369.84873.62880.22284.89389.30893.82298.445103.45112.753120.716
Narain Karthikeyan14.54319.41424.29128.31232.41737.37741.35447.03351.25955.49860.02364.79470.11776.48798.16499.48592.16995.97699.207102.002106.477109.523113.008116.445119.807122.677133.705152.603180.118166.218127.48879.38538.89540.11641.61444.13446.93349.96762.6572.97475.46677.16279.95582.60785.25987.90890.51692.84694.94296.94799.288102.086107.019111.476121.22129.983
Charles Pic15.22620.23425.50929.51933.70238.09442.01748.03752.10156.3586.53293.91695.45997.31698.59690.83482.68885.93188.98391.82294.94897.761100.771103.815108.264111.451114.837158.469162.125153.905109.07667.67429.78130.71632.68535.60139.25542.21845.16448.57251.67953.88156.77460.08563.21766.26570.33873.89479.09382.08284.25386.64388.85991.26194.1796.32896.551

Schumacher made a less promising start from one place behind Alonso. The highest starter on the medium tyres, he held position to begin with, then slipped behind Button.

He ran longer than most in the first stint (though not quite as long as his team mate did on softs, Mercedes evidently not struggling with their rears) and when the safety car came out Mercedes were one of several teams to leave their drivers out.

In a 22-lap stint on softs, Schumacher ran as high as fifth before making his final pit stop with 16 laps to go. His pace in this final stint was such that even Ferrari had their eye on him, wary of a repeat of Canada.

He didn’t get quite that far but, with Webber following in his wheel tracks, he took Petrov, Button, Perez, Di Resta and Hulkenberg.

Had Maldonado and Hamilton not tangled, would Schumacher have caught the McLaren? The sudden loss of pace suffered by Hamilton on lap 55 – when he was 3.5s slower than Schumacher – suggests he might have.

The race chart also reveals Vettel’s lead peaked at 20.81s on lap 24 – almost the time it takes to make a pit stop.

Grosjean had begun to reverse the time loss before the safety car came out, cutting Vettel’s lead to 19s, but it’s far from certain Vettel would have allowed this progress to go unchecked any longer.

2012 European Grand Prix

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Image © Daimler/Hoch Zwei

Author information

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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13 comments on “2012 European Grand Prix lap charts”

  1. looking at Webber and Shumacher’s charts during the race, it’s like they are twins, or Webber had his car connected to Shumacher’s nearly all through the race.

    1. It also shows Schumacher was fending off Webber/an RBR for almost 40 laps and did a magnificent job right to the finish line making zero mistakes. A fantastic performance.

    2. Was about to post the same. Really happy for the two old guys as well

    3. Can'tTurnBackTime(MW)
      25th June 2012, 19:57

      It was pure speed with clinical and synchronized overtaking just beautiful.

    4. @mostcool Well spotted! Really weird but cool.

    5. Yep, sounds like Michael had him covered all the way. His best drive since he came back, for me. Webber has a few words about it on the Red Bull site:

      Michael Schumacher was conserving his tyres at the start of that final stint and I got pretty close to him on a couple of occasions – but he’s not in his first grand prix and it’s not easy to pass into Turn 10.

  2. I am thinking was the right strategy what Schumacher and Webber did?

    1. It only worked due to the safety car…. By lap 27 they were almost a minute behind Vettel, 30 off the podium. Fortunately overtaking was possible this time so they werent punished too much by being out of sync.

  3. What happened to rosberg at the restart? They didn’t show in the tv coverage

  4. What happened on lap 16? Grosjean lost like 6 seconds to Vettel :O? Yellow flag or something?

    1. @fer-no65 They both pitted on lap 16, so it’ll be caused by Vettel coming in and resuming in the lead, beginning a new lap, while Grosjean comes out and then has to get up to speed.

      1. @keithcollantine Ah, I see… thanks !

  5. Thanks for putting in the effort!

Comments are closed.