Author: Natalie

F1 2018: Hungarian Gp Review – Hamilton Cruises to Victory

The Hungarian grand prix weekend was never one Mercedes would’ve marked as one where they had a clear shot at the win. Its tight and twisting layout rewards superior aerodynamics and a shorter wheelbase, which are two areas where Ferrari and Red Bull hold the upper hand.

But Formula 1 in 2018 has arguably been one of the most unpredictable seasons of this decade and likely the previous one too. Extraordinarily a downpour during Saturday qualifying nullified Mercedes’s biggest weaknesses and brought their drivers’ prowess to the fore. Lewis Hamilton took a stunning 77^thcareer pole and Valtteri Bottas ensured a team lock out of the front row.

Mercedes biggest job on race was to orchestrate a clean start and from there Hamilton would be able to control the race. It panned out beautifully for the Silver Arrows as Bottas slotted in behind with Vettel and Raikkonen in third and fourth. Before long Hamilton had built a handy lead with the assistance of his teammate Bottas who team boss Toto Wolff referred to as a “sensational wingman” post race.

Try as they might Ferrari couldn’t make inroads on Hamilton who never looked troubled on his way to a sixth victory around the Hungaroring. It wasn’t quite the day Red Bull had envisioned either. Max Verstappen had made a rapid start from seventh to fifth but was soon forced into retirement with yet another power unit failure this time on the MGU-K. If the Red Bull/Renault relationship was fraught before it is now boiled over and some serious questions are likely to be asked by Christian Horner and co.

The ever dependable and impressive Daniel Ricciardo, who started 12^th, made his way through the field in true Honey Badger style as he dispatched several drivers with numerous brilliant overtakes. Still Hamilton was leading with ease with a significant gap to Bottas who was now beginning to struggle on his soft compound tyres.

Vettel was on the gearbox of the Mercedes but never within striking distance of taking the place. However, it all went off the closing stages for Vettel as he elbowed his way into second. Bottas desperately tried to maintain his position and lost a good chunk of his front wing in the process, which also allowed Raikkonen through into third. Raikkonen finished just 2.9 seconds behind Vettel despite making an extra pitstop and losing time in the pitlane. His fifth podium in a row surely means that the Finn deserves to be signed up for 2019.

It wasn’t the last of Bottas’ woes as he frantically tried to keep Ricciardo at bay by running into the side of the Red Bull in Turn One. Ultimately Bottas was handed a ten second penalty but still finished fifth on the road behind Ricciardo. For as quick as Bottas occasionally can be, i.e. Russia and Austria, he does not have the essential mettle against the top drivers. In Bahrain earlier this year he was mugged by Vettel, similarly in Silverstone and again in Hungary Vettel doffed him up.

Unfortunately for Bottas he’s beginning to get a reputation of being soft in wheel-to-wheel combat. It’s unquestionably an issue that he should be pondering over the break.

Elsewhere, Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly finished a superb sixth with Kevin Magnussen of Haas in seventh. Birthday boy Fernando Alonso finished eighth ahead of Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean in ninth and tenth respectively. Early on Charles Leclerc was out of the race with suspension damage. Verstappen joined him on the DNF list as did Stoffel Vandoorne whose McLaren conjured up yet another gearbox failure.

Hamilton’s win ensures him a 25-point lead in the driver’s championship standings over Vettel ahead of the Belgium grand prix on August 26.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 30, 2018
F1 2018: German Gp Review – Hamilton Delivers Miraculous Win

How dramatically the Formula 1 pendulum can swing. For most of the German grand prix pole sitter Sebastian Vettel seemed well in control and seemingly heading towards a first win at the Hockenheimgring.

He led Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen cleanly from the start and was eking out the first stint on the ultrasoft compound. Meanwhile Hamilton, starting 14^thafter a mechanical failure in quali, was scything his way through the field on the soft compound tyre. Nevertheless, before too long he was a pitstop adrift of the race leader.

Raikkonen pitted first of the front-runners on lap fifteen. On the soft tyre the Finn delivered a string of fastest laps, which ultimately netted him the lead of the race after the pitstop phase. However, as Vettel’s tyres were twelve laps fresher the Ferrari pitwall instructed Raikkonen to let his German teammate through. Hamilton and his Mercedes team chose not to pit and completed a stunningly impressive stint of 42 laps on the soft tyre. It was unquestionably a master class in tyre management.

By now Daniel Ricciardo, starting from the back of the grid due to penalties had pulled out of the race after reporting that he was “losing power”. On lap 46 the rain came in and prompted several drivers, including Verstappen, into the pitlane for intermediate tyres. While the track remained slippery unfortunately for them the rain didn’t increase and they had to switch back to slicks.

Vettel’s race too would be dramatically affected in the slippery conditions. as the race plunged into chaos with a dozen laps to go. Caught out by conditions Vettel dumped his Ferrari into the barriers and out of the race. It brought out the safety car which Raikkonen and Bottas took advantage off by switching to fresh ultrasofts.

Hamilton too was initially called in only to be told to stay out. The Brit stayed out by controversially cutting the pit entry line. Post race a Mercedes team representative and Hamilton were summoned to the stewards for breaching Appendix L, Chapter IV Article 4 (d) of the FIA International Sporting Code. The regulation states that crossing the pit entry line is prohibited. While Raikkonen received a five second penalty for breaching the same rule in the 2016 Azerbaijan grand prix Hamilton was given only a reprimand. Remarkably, the stewards considered the fact that the “team candidly admitted the mistake and the fact that there was confusion” as a mitigating factor. Considering this and the inconsistency of the rule application teams will undoubtedly store this nugget for future reference.

Nonetheless, Hamilton’s drive was a stellar one. His control on the soft tyre and ability to master the slippery conditions makes this victory, arguably, one of the best of his career. The one two victory for Mercedes regains them the lead in the constructors standings by eight points while Hamilton returns to the top of the driver’s standings as well. Raikkonen’s third place, his fourth podium in four races, keeps his third in the standings and some would say still within striking distance should all thing be equal.

Elsewhere, Verstappen finished fourth after a gamble on the intermediate tyres didn’t pay off. Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg proved best of the rest in fifth with Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon, Marcus Ericsson, and Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley rounding out the top ten. Meanwhile, in addition to Vettel and Ricciardo both McLaren drivers and both the Williams’ failed to reach the chequered flag.

Hamilton now takes a 17-point lead to the Hungarian grand prix next weekend where Ferrari and especially Red Bull are expected to have the upper hand.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 23, 2018
F1 2018: German Gp Review – Ferrari Favourite?

Formula 1 returns to Germany and the Hockenheimring for the eleventh round of the absorbing 2018 season.

Throughout the decades Germany and Formula 1 have become synonymous, arguably, because of a man named Michael Schumacher. Schumi’s unprecedented brilliance not only made him a record breaking seven times world champion but also catapulted F1 to superstardom in Germany. What’s more, Schumacher’s relentless genius easily transcended the boundaries of his sport and seeped into the consciousness of sports fans around the globe. To this day hardly anyone would speak of Formula 1 with mentioning the unmatched genius of Schumacher. Keep fighting Michael.

These days there is another German at the forefront of the sport. Sebastian Vettel, aiming to win a fifth world title, currently leads the driver’s standings by eight points from Lewis Hamilton. And if he was determined to take victory at Silverstone one can only imagine that he’ll be even more resolute to win on home soil.

Ferrari’s stunning pace in Silverstone would’ve come as a bit of a surprise to Mercedes given the team’ long running domination of the British circuit. Mercedes have been an incredible team at the forefront of Formula 1 for the last three and a half years. But they’ve been placed under enormous pressure in 2018. Ferrari has pushed the German mark into uncharted territory and they haven’t responded in the most elegant of ways. Off the track technical director James Allison called Raikkonen’s clash of wheels with Hamilton in Silverstone “either incompetent or deliberate”. Peculiar statements like this only tell of one thing – they’re starting to feel the pressure.

Nevertheless, they are an incredibly resourceful and driven team who will bounce back sooner rather than later. Their first opportunity to do so comes this weekend around the 4.574 km Hockenheimring. The circuit’s layout is a blend of long straights and a final sector of medium-speed corners that should play to the strengths of a superior aero package and may bring Red Bull somewhat in to play.

The hairpin in the first sector of the lap is a key area for overtaking and demands good braking performance. Despite a relatively short lap drivers and engineers seek to strike a balance between top-speed and downforce. “You’d like to have the downforce for the stadium and to keep it steady on the brakes but equally you don’t want too much drag on the straights,” says Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The final sector is not favourable for overtaking but the stadium section is a vital element to what makes the German GP unique. The decidedly muted sound of Formula 1 cars should make it possible to hear the cheering of the crowds, should a certain German driver be leading the race.

The driver’s will need to vigilant at the start of the race as the first corner tightens dramatically before opening up onto the straight. Although there is an expanse of run-off area a touching of wheels or front-wing is a high probability.

Though it may be the home race of Mercedes it’s likely to be a difficult task for Hamilton and co to beat Ferrari to the chequered flag. And if either Hamilton or Bottas best the Italian team it’ll be 67 laps you wouldn’t want to miss.

July 19, 2018
F1 2018: Spanish Gp Preview – Merc, Ferrari, Red Bull In The Mix

Formula heads to Spain’s circuit de Catalunya for the fifth round of the 2018 season.

Amid the enthralling on track action of the season there has been many, significant, developments off it. Firstly, it was recently announced that the aerodynamic rules for the 2019 will be modified with the aim of allowing cars to follow each more easily. This, the FIA hopes, will ultimately aid in overtaking. The revision include a wider, simplified front wing and brake duct with no aero winglets and a wider and deeper rear wing that will increase the effectiveness of DRS. These changes are a bit of a quick fix for the 2019 season while the FIA are planning a comprehensive overhaul of the sport’s technical regulations for 2021.

On the face of it anything that improves the ability to overtake is a positive. However, several teams voted against the 2019 changes and for good reason. The changes proposed by the FIA aren’t trivial and will likely force several teams into completely changing aerodynamic philosophy of their cars. And a re-designed aero package precipitates a re-design that will likely cost teams a lot of money.

Elsewhere, the local authorities of Miami will vote this week on a bid to bring F1 to Florida from 2019 onwards. The bid is being backed by Miami mayor Francis Suarez and with American-owned Liberty Media wanting to expand the sport’s presence in the US it seems like a no-brainer. The first images of a possible layout for the Miami street-track have been revealed and it features a, first-ever, bridge that runs across the water and back, an idea first touted by Bernie Ecclestone in the 1980s. With F1’s calendar already bulging with 21 races it remains to be seen how a Miami Gp will be slotted in.

Amidst it all there is a grand prix to be had this weekend around a circuit that teams and drivers know all to well. The circuit de Catalunya has long been the pre-season testing venue of choice meaning that teams arrive at the Southern-Spain track with a vast amount of data and know-how. Still the cars tested in late-February will be significantly different to what they arrive with this weekend. What’s more, it is the traditional trend that the Spanish grand prix weekend sees several teams bolt on upgrade packages to their respective cars.

While Lewis Hamilton may have taken victory in a chaotic Azerbaijan grand prix he has been decidedly lacking in his usually near-faultless form. Still, he comes into the weekend with a four-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and with the expectation of being near the sharp-end of the grid.

However, what has been most thrilling about F1 in 2018 is that no grand prix weekend has been predictable. Whether it be because of safety-cars, pit strategy, or out-right pace the potential has been there for at least six drivers to stand on top of the podium.

Your money could be on Mercedes as they traditionally excel in Spain, or Ferrari who have seemingly built a car that can perform well at all circuits, including over one lap. Or you could put your money on Red Bull. After all it was here that Max Verstappen won his first race and who would bet against an ultra-confident Daniel Ricciardo? If nothing else this is what fans of the sport have wanted, and deserved, for the last several years – the beautiful unpredictability of Formula 1.

May 11, 2018
F1 2018: Azerbaijan Gp Review – Chaos & Collisions in Baku

The ingredients were there to make the Azerbaijan grand prix a cracker. And they all mixed together to produce as thrilling and unpredictable a race as any Hollywood director could dream up.

There wasn’t a long wait for the inevitable safety-car as Esteban Ocon collided with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen after leaving the Finn no room into turn two. It meant that Raikkonen needed to stop for a new front-wing and the soft compound tyre, which dropped him to plumb last.

For most of the race pole starter Sebastian Vettel seemed to have it under control as he managed the pace ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes. But the mid-race lull quickly gave way to a melee of crashes and safety cars. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen who dramatically took each other out at the end of the start/finish strait induced the second appearance of the safety-car.

The two Red Bull drivers had been swopping paint and banging wheels throughout the race as the battled for supremacy. Ultimately the FIA race stewards adjudged that Verstappen had moved twice ahead of Ricciardo that prompted the crash. Both drivers were given a reprimand and Red Bull management have chalked it up to “two guys taking things into their own hands” and that blame would not be appropriated either way, at least that’s what team principal Christian Horner said in public.

It certainly hasn’t been the first time that Verstappen has made two moves under braking as Vettel, Raikkonen and others have criticized him for it in the past. His errors in judgment are beginning to pile up and well into his third season in the sport the excuse of ‘inexperience’ cannot be used any longer. While his aggressive approach to racing has been lauded and welcomed Verstappen runs the risk of developing a reputation that wont be easy to overcome.

The second safety-car was good news for Valtteri Bottas, who, because he hadn’t stopped yet, was in the lead of the race. His twelve-second window over Vettel was enough to get him in and out of the pitlane ahead of the Ferrari driver. The re-start prompted Vettel to attempt a dive up the inside of Bottas for the lead of the race but the Ferrari driver only succeeded in significantly flat-spotting his tyres. He dropped behind the Force India of Sergio Perez to finish fourth.

The joy was short lived for Bottas though as he was agonizingly forced out of the race with a right rear puncture. As the dust settled Lewis Hamilton emerged to win the 63^rd race of his career ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who was at one point plumb last. Sergio Perez kept his nose clean enough to earn the final step on the podium. By his own admission Hamilton considered ‘lady-luck’ the determining factor in his race win. Nevertheless, luck is part of the sport and Hamilton kept it together when everything was going off around him.

Renault’s Carlos Sainz secured a brilliant fifth place finish by the driver of the day was undoubtedly Sauber’s Charles Le Clerc with a stunning sixth place. Fernando Alonso recovered from a double-puncture to finish seventh ahead of Lance Stroll who scored Williams’ first points on the season in eighth. Stoffel Vandoorne took ninth for McLaren as Brendon Hartley scored the first point of his F1 career in tenth.

Hamilton’s victory takes him four-points clear at the top of the driver’s standings while Ferrari retake the lead in the constructor’s standings ahead of F1’s return to Europe for the Spanish grand prix in two weeks time.

April 30, 2018
F1 2018: Azerbaijan Gp Review: Battle in Baku

The Formula 1 paddock is set for Baku this weekend as it jets into Azerbaijan for the fourth round of the 2018 season.

On the back of the first three races the teams will arrive at this weekend’s grand prix with a varying degree of mindsets. Ferrari should arrive in a fairly decent frame of mind but all is not up to par in the Italian team’s stable. The general assumption would be that Ferrari would have learned from several dubious strategy calls in 2017 but, again, the calls in China left a lot to be desired. It is an area that in 2017 cost them race wins and if they are to genuinely take the fight to Mercedes they cannot fall into the same hole this season.

Notorious for taking Ferrari to task the Italian media has delivered a scathing rebuke of the team’s treatment of Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has started the 2018 season in fine form but was still, shamefully, used as a blocker for his teammate during the Chinese Gp. It’s a slippery slope Ferrari find themselves on. If they continue to sacrifice Raikkonen in aid of Sebastian Vettel they will, undoubtedly, forfeit any chance of winning the constructor’s title too. And if Ferrari is in the market for a replacement for their last world champion, say someone like a Daniel Ricciardo, it must be careful as to what image they are projecting to prospective drivers.

For Mercedes Baku has turned into a must-win grand prix. The German team finds itself in unprecedented territory having not yet won a race in the 2018 season. Regardless of the circumstances that led to Ferrari, and Red Bulls’, victories the fact remains that Mercedes finds itself needing to respond. More so, Lewis Hamilton has looked decidedly off colour even in comparison to teammate Valtteri Bottas. Nevertheless, the team seems confident that it can bounce back. “We just need to stick our heads together, stay calm, get the head down and come up with some solutions. Huge confidence in the team, they’ve proved that in the past,” says Toto Wolff.

The Baku circuit is one where Mercedes should do well. The circuit in Azerbaijan is the third longest on the calendar as comprises a rather unusual layout for a street circuit. The tight and twisting middle sector is bookended by long, power hungry straits, which combines in the first counter-clockwise lap of the year. While the track hasn’t shown too much tyre degradation in the two years that it’s been on the calendar it may prove a factor this weekend. In particular Ferrari has taken an aggressive approach by selecting ten sets each of the ultrasoft compound while Mercedes has gone for nine and Red Bull for eight set of the softest compound this weekend. “Baku is a bit strange,” says Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola. “Because it’s a street circuit, but with a very high speed straight. You have some sectors that are very, very fast, but also you have some parts of the track under the sun, and some parts in shadow”.

The long straits may put Red Bull into some difficulty with overall laptime when compared to Mercedes and Ferrari but they should in no way be discounted this weekend. The probability of a safety-car around the exceedingly tight mid-sector is high and Red Bull’s strategy calls have already netted them a race win. Max Verstappen’s performance this weekend will be worth noting as the young Dutchman has not only been shown up by his Aussie teammate, so far, in 2018 but also has to iron out some recklessness from his own driving.

The chances are good that this will be the weekend that Lewis Hamilton bounces back into form. The question is will Ferrari have the speed and more importantly the composure to stop him in his track, no pun intended.

April 25, 2018
F1 2018: Chinese Gp Review – Red Bull Win Shanghai Thriller

The 2018 Chinese grand prix may have taken some time to kick off. But once it came alive it produced one of the most thrilling and memorable races for quite some time.

Ferrari’s front-row lock out in Saturday qualifying, some half a second clear of the first Mercedes, set up what seemed like a foregone victory for the Italian team. However, even as dominant as Mercedes have been in the hybrid era Formula 1 remains one, if not the, most unpredictable sports in the world.

Nevertheless, the race got off without too much excitement. Sebastian Vettel cut off teammate Kimi Raikkonen to retain the lead while the Finn dropped behind the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. The opening stint of the race was uneventful with Vettel heading to a third win in as many races. However, it was a dubious day for Ferrari as Mercedes, with Bottas, took over the lead with a sharper strategy call.

Ferrari weren’t done with the astonishing calls though as they decided to leave Kimi Raikkonen out on track to serve as a blocker for teammate Vettel in his quest to get back the lead of the race from Bottas. Ferrari’s call dropped Raikkonen to sixth after the pitstop. To treat their last world champion in such a manner was nothing less than shameful by Ferrari.

The race kicked off soon after as Pierre Gasly crashed into the side of his Toro Rosso teammate Brendon Hartley. Not only did Gasly incur a ten second penalty but the debris strewn across turn 14 prompted the deployment of the safety-car. While Bottas and Vettel missed a chance to dive into the pitlane for fresh tyres both Red Bulls of Verstappen and Ricciardo were called in and armed with new soft tyres.

Again, Ferrari was out-smarted on strategy as there was enough time to make the call to switch Raikkonen to new tyres. Mind you, Mercedes didn’t call in Hamilton either but did so as they though track position would be more important than fresh rubber.

The pace advantage of both Red Bulls was clear immediately in comparison to Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, and Bottas. But Max Verstappen proved too impetuous in his overtaking moves as he ran off track when attempting to overtake Hamilton. He regrouped but got it wrong again when he hit Vettel at the turn 14 hairpin. The Dutchman was given a ten second penalty and will undoubtedly receive a talking to from his team.

He’ll be well advised to take note of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo who pulled off several stunning moves. First, he came from impossibly far back to take the place off Hamilton at the hairpin and followed it a lap later by easily picking off Vettel at the same spot. The best of the lot was the audacious on Bottas to take the lead of the race. Ricciardo scampered off into the distance to secure the sixth win of her career.

Valtteri Bottas held on to a solid second place by just six tenths of a second. Kimi Raikkonen secured third despite being hung out to dry by Ferrari. Though Verstappen recovered from his collision with Vettel his fourth on the road turned into fifth with a warranted ten-second penalty for causing a collision. Lewis Hamilton trundled home in a desolate fourth in what was an off-colour weekend for the reigning champion.

Nico Hulkenberg brought his Renault home in a solid sixth place ahead of Fernando Alonso’s McLaren in seventh. Sebastian Vettel limped home in eighth with Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top ten.

Daniel Ricciardo’s brilliant win in China illustrated a Formula 1 team in perfect synergy. The team was pushed to the limits after needing to change the Australian’s engine on Saturday in time for qualifying. A job that normally takes three hours to complete was miraculously accomplished in two. And then there was the genius strategy calls and tremendous work in the pitlane to stop and service both cars back-to-back. To top it all off Ricciardo provided the icing on the cake with a sensational driving performance. Now that is Formula 1 at its best.

All images courtesy of Red Bull Racing & Pirelli Motorsport

April 16, 2018
F1 2018: Bahrain Gp Review – Vettel Holds Nerve for 49th Career Win

It may only be the second round of the 2018 season but the Bahrain grand prix delivered a race to be remembered. Packed with thrilling overtakes, drama in the pits, and intense on-track action it’s one to remember.

Ferrari’s front row lock out on Saturday meant Sebastian Vettel was able to lead cleanly off the line while Valtteri Bottas, on the clean side of the grid, got the better of Kimi Raikkonen into turn one. Further down the field Hamilton, starting ninth due to a gearbox penalty, tangled slightly with Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver had started fifteenth after a crash in the first part of qualifying a day earlier. While Hamilton continued unscathed Verstappen suffered what initially looked only like a left-rear puncture. However, he retired soon after with damage to the diff. As if to add insult to injury Daniel Ricciardo, running a solid fourth, pulled over moments later with a suspected electrical issue prompting the deployment of the virtual safety car.

As racing resumed Vettel was leading from Bottas and Raikkonen with 5^th place starter Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen running fourth and fifth respectively. In what was by far the boldest and most spectacular overtake of the day Hamilton passed all three of Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg simultaneously into turn one. The reigning champion then made short work of Gasly for fourth, fourteen seconds adrift of the race lead.

The first round of pits stops saw Ferrari and Mercedes opt for different strategies as Vettel and Raikkonen fit the soft tyre that which seemed to indicate a two-stop strategy. Mercedes, in contrast, fitted the medium tyre and were set to run to the chequered flag. On lap 36 Raikkonen dived back into the pitlane for his second stop. Disaster struck as the Finn’s car was released without the left-rear being changed, hitting a mechanic in the process. Raikkonen was immediately told to stop his car in the pitlane due to an unsafe release. The Ferrari mechanic suffered a broken leg and the team were slapped with a, roughly, R735 000 fine (€50 000).

The system used to release cars, a set of lights that turn from red to green, is clearly flawed. The fact that the pitcrew are unable to stop a car from being released if it is not in the correct condition is a serious issue that has now resulted in injury. Following on from Haas’ double retirement in Australia, in similar circumstances, to Ferrari’s pitlane incident this weekend it is clear that the FIA has to conduct a thorough investigation as to the best, and safest, procedure to use during pitstops.

Whether it was planned or not Ferrari switched Vettel onto an ambitious one-stop strategy that required him to run the soft tyre for a 36-lap stint. By now Vettel had built a gap of seven odd seconds over Bottas with Hamilton a further nine seconds adrift. It became clear to Mercedes that Vettel would be going to the end and both Mercedes drivers were instructed to close down the race leader.

Bottas, on much better tyres, was able to cut the deficit by one second a lap and soon found himself on the gearbox of the Ferrari. By this stage Vettel’s tyres were falling off the performance cliff and he was sure that it would be a matter of time before the Merc came flying by. “I came on the radio with 10 laps to go and said I had everything under control – and that was a lie,” said Vettel. “There was nothing under control. When they told me the pace of Valtteri at that time, I said no way I can do that. But Bottas lacked the crucial bit of tenacity and resolve to pass the Ferrari into turn one.

Hamilton crossed the line in third while Toro Rosso Honda launched into euphoric celebrations as Gasly finished a brilliant fourth. Kevin Magnussen scored Haas F1’s first points of the season in fifth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso in sixth and seventh. Marcus Ericcson delivered an excellent drive for Sauber in ninth while Esteban Ocon wrapped up tenth for Force India.

Vettel took the 49^th win of his career in his 200^th race start and a 17-point lead in the driver’s standings over Hamilton. Formula 1 heads to China this weekend for the third round of the season.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

April 10, 2018
F1 2018: Bahrain Gp Qualifying Report – Ferrari Supreme

The hotter temperatures and circuit layout in Bahrain played perfectly the Ferrari’s strengths as Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen easily locked out the front row of the grid for the second round of the 2018 season.

The German’s 1:27:958 was one and half tenths quicker than Raikkonen’s best lap. However, the Finn cited traffic as an issue during his final run in Q3. Valtteri Bottas will line up third for Mercedes and share the second row with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Lewis Hamilton had set the fourth quickest time overall but drops to ninth following an forced gearbox change. Elsewhere, Max Verstappen made an early exit from qualifying with a crash in the opening session. The Dutchman is slated to start the Bahrain grand prix from fourteenth on the grid.

Pierre Gasly was the star of qualifying as he remarkably set the fifth quickest time in his Toro Rosso Honda. Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz round out the top ten on the grid. It was a dismal day for McLaren as Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne managed only the thirteenth and fourteenth quickest times. Similarly, Williams continues to struggle as Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll are set to line up in eighteenth and twentieth, respectively.

While qualifying is a vital part of any race weekend prizes are only handed out on race day. And with Hamilton having to fight his way through from ninth, on a contra strategy, it’s advantage Ferrari in Bahrain.

April 7, 2018
F1 2018: Bahrain Gp Preview – Ferrari to drive home advantage?

Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher won the first Bahrain grand prix, held in 2004. While it was a new, never before raced at, venue for F1 it didn’t produce much excitement as it earned the unfortunate moniker ‘Bore-rain’ thanks to its processional races.

However, in 2014, as the tenth anniversary of F1 in Bahrain rolled around, no pun intended, organisers decided to run the race under lights. It was a masterstroke as the formerly docile race came alive and produced some of the most exhilarating racing all season. It was Lewis Hamilton who beat then teammate Nico Rosberg to victory following thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead.

In 2017 Valtteri Bottas scored the first pole position of his career but ultimately didn’t have the composure to hold of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. It is a new season though and Australia has not done much to reveal the true pecking order of 2018.

Though Ferrari stood on the top step of the podium in the first race of the season the Sebastian Vettel was the first to admit that the opportunistic win had a definite element of luck infused. Further, he admits that the 2018 Ferrari isn’t yet where it needs to be. “I think our car has huge potential but I’m still struggling a little bit. When you talk about something that you miss as a driver, it’s because the car doesn’t respond the way you like. Ours is still sliding in places you don’t want it to slide. I want the car to be spot-on when I hit the brakes and turn in, and in that window, I’m not yet happy,” says Vettel.

The Sakhir International circuit is not the ideal test of an F1 car but it will allow them to stretch their legs a bit more than in Australia. Low speed corners dominate the circuit layout, which means that traction and tyre temperatures significantly influence the laptime. Specifically, management of rear tyre temperatures is the key in Bahrain.

The top three teams, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have made similar tyre choices for the weekend where the supersoft, soft, and medium tyre will be run. The high desert temps and difficulty in managing rear tyre wear could play to Ferrari’s favour as Mercedes has traditionally suffered on the softer compounds of the Pirelli range.

It isn’t all about what happens at the sharp-end though as the tight mid-field battle has all the potential to produce some of the closest racing of all. The team to look out for is Haas. They were desperately unlucky that cross-threaded wheel-nuts forced both cars retire in Australia. However, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were turning a genuinely quick pace and should be able to replicate it this weekend.

Many drivers including Lewis Hamilton and both Red Bulls complained about the lack of overtaking opportunities in Australia. This should be somewhat alleviated in Bahrain partly due to its kilometer long straight.

There was little question in Australia that Mercedes had a quick car. However, there are several factors, most notably the higher temperatures and rear tyre wear, that could play in Ferrari’s favour. Given that Vettel does not yet feel 100% comfortable with his Ferrari it could well be Kimi Raikkonen who has a record seven podiums in Bahrain.

April 5, 2018