Tag: alfa romeo

F1 2021: Italian Gp Review – Ricciardo & McLaren Return on Top

Just when you thought the drama of the Formula 1 season might be ebbing it delivers the 2021 Italian grand prix.

The sprint format last seen at Silverstone was utilized this weekend, which included an 18-lap sprint-qualifying race to determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race. While Valtteri Bottas walked away the victor of the sprint qualifying race a raft of penalties, incurred for fitting a new power unit, dropped him to the back of the grid. It promoted Max Verstappen to pole with Daniel Ricciardo alongside in second. In third on the grid was Lando Norris while Lewis Hamilton, due to a bad start in the sprint-quali race, lined up in fourth.

The first corner, or chicane if you will, at Monza has more often than not delivered a tense opening salvo to many a grand prix. It was no different this time around at Ricciardo scythed into the lead of the race ahead of Verstappen and his McLaren teammate Norris. Hamilton and Mercedes decided to play the long game by starting on the hard compound tyre but the Brit was stuck behind Norris for the majority of the opening stint of the race. But because Verstappen was unable to pass Ricciardo up ahead the gap to the leading duo didn’t grow as much, which left Hamilton well within striking distance.

As the laps ticked by Riccardo held his own in the lead of the race. The Aussie dove into the pitlane while Verstappen stayed out. One lap later the Dutchman stopped on his marks in the pitlane and disaster struck. From the Hungarian grand prix onwards the FIA has implemented a mandate, which requires a mechanic to press a button once a wheel has been fastened onto the car. In Verstappen’s 11-second pitstop was due to the mechanic in question not pressing this button which, in turn, meant the light that signals the driver remained red. It dropped Verstappen well behind Ricciardo and should have dropped him behind Hamilton as well. But the Mercedes driver had his own tardy stop of 4 seconds, which saw him emerge from the pitlane alongside Verstappen.

Neither driver yielded as they went into the first chicane, which resulted in a spectacular clash and the end of both their races. Verstappen’s rear tyres climbed over the cockpit of Hamilton’s car, which looked a frightening incident in slow motion. It was clear that once again the Halo had protected Hamilton for sustaining serious injuries. As in Silverstone the Hamilton and Verstappen fans will be steadfast in their blame of the other driver.

Those for Hamilton will argue that he was ahead in the corner and those for Verstappen will contend that he wasn’t left enough space. Because both could make a valid argument it does tend more towards a racing incident. However, the race stewards found that Verstappen was proportionally more at fault and thus has been given a three-place grid penalty at the next race. The only potential solace of this penalty is that it may amount to nothing, as it is likely that Red Bull will take several grid penalties for installing fourth power unit to Verstappen’s car at the Russian grand prix.

As much as the championship protagonists dominated the headlines it is Daniel Riccardo, Lando Norris, and McLaren who deserve all of the plaudits. New to the team in 2021 Ricciardo has struggled at times to find his feet but with the support of McLaren the highly rated Honey Badger delivered a race victory that will live long in the memory. The win wasn’t lucked into either as Ricciardo led the race from start to finish on pure merit while Hamilton and Verstappen played bumper-cars behind him.

Lando Norris’s second-place finish earned McLaren their first 1-2 finish since 2010. It has been a remarkable journey for the Woking based team who found themselves occupying the back rows of the grid just a few years ago. The combination of Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl and many others behind the scenes has eventuated in a turnaround every single member of McLaren should be utterly proud of.

The pitwall was draped in papaya orange at the mechanics cheered home Ricciardo who crossed the line for his eighth and probably most memorable win closely followed by Norris in second. Sergio Perez was third on the track for Red Bull but a 5-second time penalty, incurred for cutting the track and gaining an advantage, dropped him down the field. Valtteri Bottas, thanks to the safety car deployed for the Hamilton/Verstappen crash, finished fourth but moved up to third due the Perez-penalty. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was fourth with Perez in fifth ahead of Carlos Sainz in sixth. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was seventh as Fernando Alonso was eighth for Alpine. Mercedes-bound George Russell was ninth as Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten.

There will be vociferous agreement and disagreement on the Hamilton/Verstappen incident. But one thing that is unanimously true is that the 2021 Formula 1 season is mind-bogglingly spectacular.

Images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

September 13, 2021
F1 2021: Dutch Gp Review – To The Max

From Brazil to Monza to Silverstone to Germany there have been crowds that have elevated Formula 1 races to an unbelievable levels of unforgettable passion. And now the Dutch have added themselves to the list of most extraordinary F1 crowds.

A sea of orange greeted F1 from the moment the first wheel was turned in Friday practice. With 70,000 fans packing out the grandstands every single day the electrifying atmosphere built to a breathtaking crescendo on Sunday as Max Verstappen became the first Dutch driver to ever win his home race.

The weekend was preceded by the news that Kimi Raikkonen has decided that 2021 will be the final Formula One season of his illustrious career. And as if by supernatural design Raikkonen continued to dominate the headlines as it was announced on Friday night that he would not be taking part in the rest of the weekend after returning a positive COVID-19 test. Raikkonen will have to return two negative tests before he will be allowed to partake in this weekend‘s Italian Grand Prix. Robert Kubica slotted into the vacant seat for the weekend.

Nevertheless the show must go on and it most certainly did. Despite failing to open the DRS flap on the final run of qualifying three Max Verstappen still secured pole position for his home Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton lined up along side the Dutchman in second while Valtteri Bottas was third quickest in the second Mercedes. As the lights went out on Sunday it was line astern for the top three while the rest of the field jockeyed for position on the undulating Zaandvoort circuit.

Verstappen’s win wasn’t especially dominant but the Red Bull driver also never seemed especially under pressure from Hamilton. Mercedes threw everything they could at Red Bull in terms of strategy even going so far as to use Bottas as a blocker against Verstappen in aid of Hamilton. Unfortunately for them Verstappen made short work of the Finn and from there on seemed able to control the race.

Throughout the weekend what became clear is that the Zaandvoort circuit is a classic old school track with peril around every corner. As such the Practice sessions and even qualifying were littered with red flags. But surprisingly no safety car or red flag was needed in the race. But for few wheel banging overtakes all the drivers were inch perfect.

Mercedes attempted to dupe Red Bull on strategy, which comprised of pitting Hamilton early. But not only did Red Bull not fall for the bluff but it left Hamilton extremely unsure as to the possibility of carrying a set of tires to the end of the race. As it were the Brit was pulled back into the pit line for another stop, which was easily covered by Verstappen. Ultimately Mercedes chose to stop both its drivers a third time with the aim of securing the point for fastest lap for Hamilton.

Behind the top three Pierre Gasly finished a fine fourth ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso continues to underline his incredible talent with a fighting sixth place finish followed by Carlos Sainz in seventh. Sergio Perez was voted driver of the day for his recovery drive from a pitlane start to eighth. Esteban Ocon was ninth while Lando Norris took the final point in tenth.

Verstappen’s win sees him retake the lead of the driver’s championship but it also a serious statement of intent. No matter what Mercedes and Hamilton threw at him he, seemingly, handled it with ease; and that under the enormous pressure of a highly expectant Dutch crowd.

The worst kept secret in F1 at the moment is that George Russell is off to Merc for 2022. This announcement, and Bottas’s move to Alfa Romeo, is expected in the next few days. In fact the Bottas to Alfa Romeo move may already be official by the time you are reading this.

September 6, 2021
F1 2021: Hungarian Gp Review – Ocon Emerges in P1

You’re only as good as your last race. If there were any truth to this old racing adage then half of the Formula 1 field would be absolutely elated while the other half is absolutely fuming. Such was the chaos at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The wet weather that came down just minutes before the race start seemed like it would cause the most difficultly on the opening few laps but it turned out to be Valtteri Bottas instead. As the drivers battled wheel-spin off the starting grid Bottas made the poorest starts of the first few rows. Hamilton, starting on pole, was relatively clean away with Verstappen, starting third, well on his way to slotting in behind him. But Bottas’s mind clearly wasn’t where it needed to be. The Finn, at best described as an errant torpedo, failed to brake early enough for turn 1 and scuttled nearly half the field. The Mercedes driver triggered the chaos by hitting the back of Lando Norris who in turn walloped the side of Verstappen. In a sort of two-for-one special Bottas also collected the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez on his way into the turn 1 barriers. Bottas wasn’t the only one who forewent the braking into turn 1 as Lance Stroll skittered across the inside kerb of said corner and took out himself, Charles Leclerc and punted Daniel Ricciardo into a spin.

The shambolic start couldn’t have been worse for some but several others were still in the running and picked their way through the mess of carbon fiber. With Hamilton unscathed in the lead it was Esteban Ocon in second with Aston Martin’s Seb Vettel in third. Carlos Sainz, who’d started 15th was now fourth with both Williams drivers also running solidly in the points. But the debris on track proved too much and the red flag was subsequently put out. As the cars came to a halt the Red Bull mechanics worked feverishly to repair Verstappen’s car that was, miraculously, still running. Albeit car no. 33 had suffered significant damage, including a missing right bargeboard and severe damage to the floor which resulted in a nearly un-drivable car. Not only was Verstappen at the back of the field with a drastically damaged car but Perez too was out of the race.

And still the shambles of the Hungarian Grand Prix was far from over. The red flag period was long enough to dry the track and prompt the drivers back into the pits at the end of the formation lap. All the drivers bar one. Lewis Hamilton remained on track and lined up as the only car on the grid. In comical fashion the lights went out and Hamilton pulled away. It was clear fairly quickly that Merc had made the wrong call to stay out and Hamilton was forced to pit at the end of that lap. It dropped him to last place for the time being.

As the race sorted itself out at the front Ocon led Vettel by roughly a second for the majority of the race. Try as he might Vettel was not able to overtake the Alpine for the lead of the race. Initially, Hamilton’s progress was stunted but once he undercut Verstappen with a slightly earlier switch to hard tyres he was on the move. The damage to Verstappen’s car was evident as the Dutchman spent far too much time trying to overtake the much slower Mick Schumacher in the Haas. As it were Verstappen would only manage tenth place by the chequered flag.

Meanwhile, Hamilton had made a second stop for brand-new medium tyres and was on an almighty charge with a substantial pace advantage over those ahead of him. It seemed highly likely that the Brit would recover to win the race. That was until he encountered the Alpine of one Fernando Alonso. Despite being in a slower car with much older tyres Alonso delivered a stunning defensive drive to hold off Hamilton just long enough. Eventually the Merc was past the Alpine and also made short work of Sainz’s Ferrari in third but it was too late for Hamilton to attempt an overtake on either Vettel or Ocon.

Unfortunately, Seb Vettel’s great drive was sullied by a post-race disqualification. As per regulation the FIA requires the withdrawal of 1 liter of fuel from the car, which they were unable to do. Aston Martin has lodged an appeal against the disqualification. Bottas and Stroll get off fairly lightly with a 5-place grid drop at the next race as the only penalty for eliminating half of the field.

The last two races have been nothing short of a nightmare for Red Bull who has now lost the lead in both the constructors and driver’s championship. But it doesn’t diminish what was a good day for many others on the grid. Vettel’s disqualification moves Hamilton into second while Sainz is third. The driver-of-the-day Alonso is fourth ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Gasly and Tsunoda in fifth and sixth. Nicholas Latifi is seventh with Williams teammate George Russell in eighth and Verstappen in ninth. Somehow, despite a 10-second penalty for an unsafe release by the Alfa Romeo team in the pitlane Kimi Raikkonen is able to salvage tenth and the final point on offer.

After being dumped out of F1 in 2019, for no good reason, Esteban Ocon had to somehow find his way back into the sport in an ultra-competitive midfield. He’d done so slowly but surely and Sunday’s drive showcased not only his determination but put on display all the skill and talent that he promised a few seasons ago. It was an utterly stellar drive and win for one of the nicest guys in the paddock.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

August 2, 2021
F1 2021: Hungarian Gp Preview – Battle Ready

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been at the forefront of conversation. It’s established now that these two are the main protagonists in the fight for the ultimate prize of the world championship. And as with any good drama an intense amount of controversy has been added to amp up the intensity. After all, what good is any story without some type of conflict?

The 2021 British Grand Prix and the clash between Hamilton and Verstappen lives rent-free in the minds of most F1 fans. Regardless of who you think is to blame, or not, it has magnified an already fierce battle. In Hungary this week there will undoubtedly be questions from the press to both drivers and their respective teams about the incident and it will all receive run-of-the-mill ‘we’ve moved on’ responses. The best and most important response will come on the track where it matters most.

Despite a nightmarish race weekend at Silverstone with zero points in the bank Red Bull is still likely to start the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend as favourites. The Hungaroring circuit might be known as one of the most spectator friendly, given that it’s effectively situated in a bowel, but it is not one famous for overtaking opportunities which places most, if not all, of the emphasis on qualifying. There’s no special format this weekend either as F1 returns to its traditional three practice sessions, quali on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. So far this season Red Bull have held the ascendancy in pure pace over one lap. But Mercedes, through Hamilton, was able to best Verstappen at Silverstone. It might have been the rather big upgrade package or the vociferous home support or a combination of the two that propelled Hamilton to p1. The true test of whether Mercedes are genuinely closer, or even equal to Red Bull on pace, will come in Hungary.

As the championship battle expectantly twists and turns at the epicenter of Formula 1 there is much else that need to be confirmed, sorted out, and finalized during the winter break that follows the Hungarian Grand Prix. One of the most prominent stories involves the 2022 Mercedes seat alongside Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff has been just short of singing Valtteri Bottas’s praises after the Finn moved out of Hamilton’s way at Silverstone. And still George Russell continues to outshine his Williams car in an effort to snatch the Merc seat for himself. Elsewhere, Checo Perez hardly covered himself in glory in his last race but the expectation is that the Mexcian has done enough to maintain his Red Bull seat for next year.

Then there is the perennial question of Kimi Raikkonen and if he will continue or retire. The Finn is not only the oldest driver on the grid at 41 but also the most experienced in the history of the sport. As Alfa Romeo has re-stated its support of the team there is a raft of possibilities for the two seats. From GP2 stars such as Callum Illot and Theo Pourchaire to Mick Schumacher and even Valtteri Bottas have been linked with the team. It’s unlikely that all of this will be resolved in the winter break but the picture of 2022 will definitely begin to take shape.

As much of the focus is on the Hamilton/Verstappen duel the titanic scrap between McLaren and Ferrari, for third in the constructors standings, is another enticing prospect for this weekend. And such is the form of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris that it can’t be ruled out that they may be able to mix it at the sharp end of the grid, at least in qualifying.

As enthralling as the title fight is one of the most enticing things about this season is that up and down the 2021 Formula 1 field there are drivers eager to stake their claim, teams keen for supremacy over their nearest rivals. And all there is only one place all of it can come to a head – on the track.

July 28, 2021
F1 2021: British Gp Review – Hamilton Takes Controversial Win

Drama has been synonymous with Formula 1 racing for all of its history. And so has controversy. For the 2021 British Grand Prix an extra helping of controversy was in the offing.

It was Max Verstappen who started from pole after winning the first ever sprint race on Saturday afternoon. The Dutchman went wheel to wheel with title rival Lewis Hamilton as the lights went out all the way around the famed Silverstone circuit. The battle though would only last until the ultra-fast Copse corner. Hamilton, desperate for the lead of the race, placed his car on the inside while Verstappen took the racing line into the corner. As it were Hamilton’s left-front collided with the right-rear of the Red Bull, which ended in a 51G impact with the barrier for Verstappen. The race was red flagged in order for the barrier to be repaired and the debate begun as to who was to blame for the incident.

As it were, Hamilton offered an array of defenses that included that he was alongside Verstappen, that he was ahead, and that Verstappen had turned in on him. A review of footage disproves all of these rationalizations. In fact, an on-board with Verstappen shows him deliberately leaving Hamilton space on the inside. The reality is that not Verstappen fans nor Hamilton fans will be convinced that either of the driver that they support was to blame. Here are the indisputable facts: Hamilton was not alongside Verstappen and he not only had more than enough space but was wide of the apex. It is a certainty that he knew exactly where the other car was positioned at all times. The same cannot be said for Verstappen and his awareness of where Hamilton was. For this reason he was fully capable of knowing that a collision was highly likely but decided to carry on with the attempted overtake.

While Verstappen was transported to a local hospital for precautionary checks Hamilton was given a decidedly light ten second penalty, which is the second-most lenient penalty a driver, can be given. In another stroke of luck the red flag period also allowed Mercedes engineers to repair any damage on Hamilton’s car at no time loss. In fact, it was revealed post-race by Mercedes that without the opportunity to repair the damage to Hamilton’s car, under the red flag, he would have been forced to retire from the race.

As it were Charles Leclerc picked up the pieces from the Hamilton/Verstappen clash and took the lead. He drove a stellar race and led for the majority of it despite a software problem, which caused the engine to cut sporadically threatening the Monegasque’s race. But the Ferrari is far from a front-running car in 2021 and certainly hasn’t been anywhere near the pace of a Mercedes either. It was all but inevitable then that Hamilton would make short work of Leclerc given the superior pace of his car. Heck in more than half of the races this season Leclerc has finished more than 50 seconds adrift such is the pace deficit of the Ferrari in comparison to the Red Bull and Merc. A slow pitstop for Lando Norris meant another obstacle was removed for Hamilton who only had teammate Valtteri Bottas in between himself and Leclerc. Naturally, Bottas was told to let Hamilton through and the Finn, eager to please the team bosses and maintain his seat, obeyed and moved aside.

Leclerc, easily the best driver of the day, finished in second ahead of perennial wingman Bottas in third. Despite a slow pitstop Norris was fourth ahead of his McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo in fifth. Carlos Sainz, who suffered his own pitstop issues, was sixth while Fernando Alonso was seventh for Alpine. Lance Stroll was eighth for Aston Martin ahead of Esteban Ocon in ninth and Yuki Tsunoda in tenth.

The win brings Hamilton to within eight point of the title lead. Not only that but Mercedes also closed the gap to four points in the constructors’ standings, as Sergio Perez scored no points after starting from the pitlane. If you’d tuned in to listen to the radio messages between the Merc pit wall and Hamilton you’d have thought they’d beaten Red Bull by half a minute such was their boastful jubilation. Under a cloud of controversy that will not trouble either Hamilton or Mercedes the British Grand Prix has injected some dissent into the title fight. On to Hungary.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 20, 2021
F1 2021: British Gp Preview – Hamilton-mania to Propel Merc?

Formula 1 not only returns to the famed Silverstone circuit but also to a full capacity crowd. With the exception of Monza, and maybe Zaandvoort later this year, there is hardly a more raucous us F1 crowd anywhere in the world.

The Silverstone circuit, based in Northamptonshire, is a marvel too. It’s ultra high-speed layout and iconic corner like Copse, Stowe, and the Maggotts-Becketts complex are as iconic as they are demanding. The black and white painted kerbs become little more than a blur as the cars buzz around the English countryside at one of the most magnificent venues in all of Motorsport.

All drivers will have their supporters at Silverstone not to mention the legendary teams such as McLaren and Williams. But it’s expected that none will have a bigger swell of support than Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion arrives somewhat on the back foot and not having won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix at the beginning of May. But it isn’t necessarily an unknown position for Hamilton to be in. After all, in 2018 Seb Vettel looked to be running away with the title before fading in the second half of the season. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are a completely different equation to Vettel and Ferrari. It wasn’t that long ago that Red Bull were reeling off championship titles much in the same way that Mercedes have done in the last seven years. And it doesn’t seem like they have forgotten how to put together a championship title run.

Mercedes haven’t had an answer to Red Bull for a good few months but they have a fairly big upgrade package to run on the car this weekend. It isn’t only on-track where they’re looking for some answers either. There is also the matter of who Hamilton’s teammate will be for 2022. As is usual there are a slew of rumours making the rounds with the most vociferous of them suggesting that a certain George Russell will be announced this weekend as a works Mercedes driver for 2022. If you were to ask Valtteri Bottas the Finn believes that he has more than a good chance of retaining his seat. An argument can easily be made for and against that. It would make sense for Toto Wolff to maintain the peaceful status quo with Bottas. But they also need to think about the future. And who better for Russell to learn from than Hamilton?

Rain or shine Lewis Hamilton has always been something special around the Silverstone track. He wants to win everywhere but none more so than on home soil. As impressive as Verstappen and Red Bull have been in 2021 a win at the British Gp will be a significant step towards the title. Not only will it mean an extended points gap but also it will unquestionably introduce, if not intensify, any grain of doubt in Hamilton’s mind. And there is every expectation that Red Bull will be the car to beat at Silverstone.

A full capacity crowd anywhere is a rarity these days, almost a novelty. Another novelty will be the re-jigging of the weekend’s format. Friday’s first free practice session remains unchanged but is followed by qualifying at 7pm. This quali session will determine the grid for Saturday’s 100km sprint race. Free practice 2 will take place on Saturday at 2pm while the sprint race is scheduled to start at 5:30 pm. It is important to note than there are no mandatory pitstops in the sprint race and that only the top three will earn points. Also, the finishing order of the sprint race will be taken as the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Teams will also not be able to make any changes or adjustments to the cars as they enter parc ferme at the end of the first practice session. The new format, including the sprint race, is considered a trial run. There are some fears that the sprint race will amount to little more than a high-speed train, so says Hamilton, but it’s certainly worth it to see what might come out of it.

July 12, 2021
F1 2021: Austrian Gp Review – Three Wins in a Row for Verstappen

If you are not a regular viewer of Formula 1 you’d be forgiven for assuming that the race around Austria’s Red Bull Ring was a replay of seven days ago at least from a Red Bull perspective.

Again Max Verstappen took the top step of the podium for a third consecutive win in 2021. But for as much déjà vu as Verstappen on the top step of the podium evokes there were some marked differences too. Not only did he win with seeming ease but also the margin, in terms of pure pace, was even bigger to Mercedes this week.

With no answer on pace or strategy the best Mercedes could do was a second place with Valtteri Bottas. For the majority of the race Lewis Hamilton ran second but some unexplained and unconfirmed damage at the rear of the car meant a lack of pace, even in comparison to teammate Bottas. Not only did he lose out on second but Lando Norris also made short work of the reigning champion to take yet another podium finish in third. Again, Norris delivered a stellar weekend, which included a first-ever front row start after missing out on pole position be less than half a tenth of a second.

Ultimately Hamilton finished fourth and seemed fairly downcast post-race. Mercedes clearly have a lot of work to do in order to catch up to Red Bull and Hamilton was reluctant to divulge in which area the car is lacking the most. In two weeks time F1 will run around the Silverstone circuit where Mercedes are expected to perform better. But the same was expected in France too. It remains to be seen what Hamilton and Mercedes can pull out of the bag against a rampant Red Bull and Verstappen.

It was a solid day for Carlos Sainz who brought his Ferrari home in fifth. The same can’t be said for Checo Perez though who banged wheels with both Norris and Leclerc on his was to a sixth place finish. The Mexican driver looked set to snatch second off Norris on lap 2 of the race but ran off track into turn 6. Norris, quite harshly, was given a 5-second penalty for forcing a driver off the circuit and Perez had dropped well down the field. A skirmish with Leclerc later in the race at the very same corner saw Perez given a 5-second penalty, which once again defied logic. As if to add insult to injury another tussle with Leclerc, this time in turn 8, earned Perez yet another 5-second penalty. The stewards certainly didn’t cover themselves in glory as they did their level best to discourage hard racing. One hopes that they’ll take a good hard look at themselves after a fairly poor showing.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for McLaren with Charles Leclerc in eighth overall ahead Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly in ninth. An entertaining late-race battle between George Russell and Fernando Alonso saw the Spaniard sneak into the final points-paying position in tenth.

Never before at any level of his racing career has Max Verstappen led a world championship. But three wins on the bounce with the most recent seeming no more taxing than a Sunday afternoon cruise makes Verstappen look very much at home. As it stands there are 14 more races and an awful lot of racing that remains on the 2021 calendar. Much can change in the next six months but what is becoming ever more certain is that if it is within Max Verstappen’s control then 2021 may just be the most special year of his racing life.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 4, 2021
F1 2021: French Gp Preview – Can Title Battle Animate Paul Ricard?

As a travel destination the country of France is arguably one of the most coveted in the world. But when it comes to Formula 1 racing the Paul Ricard doesn’t exactly fill fans with an over boding sense of excitement.

The circuit, located between the cities of Toulon and Marseilles, made its return to the F1 calendar in 2018. Lewis Hamilton won the last race around the circuit in commanding fashion, which racked up Mercedes’s eighth successive victory of the 2019 season. In 2021 Merc and Hamilton arrive at the Le Castellet venue in quite a different position.

Granted the French grand prix has been pushed to earlier in the season but still few were likely to imagine Mercedes arriving on the French Riviera not leading on either of the driver’s and constructor championship standings. After a chaotic Azerbaijan grand prix in which neither Hamilton nor Max Verstappen scored any points the Red Bull driver holds a slender lead of four points over his rival. Checo Perez’s win in Baku also earned Red Bull a 26-point lead in the constructor’s standings.

Traditionally, Mercedes have been untouchable around the Paul Ricard circuit. So dominant were Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in 2019 that the nearest qualifier to them, Charles Leclerc, was nearly seventh tenths off. Similarly, in the race Hamilton was roughly twenty seconds up the road from Bottas in second who had put a good twenty seconds into Leclerc as well. But if we know anything from the 2021 season it is that Mercedes have not performed nearly as clinically as they have in past years. Here and there some cracks have begun to show, some instance revealed of a team not at 100%. It isn’t a given then that the team will arrive in France at the favourites and this is exactly what Red Bull needs to take advantage of.

Max Verstappen is driving probably better than he ever has and this removes any doubt that if the car is up to the task the Dutchman will be at the sharp-end. But it’s the ominous consistently of Verstappen that is most impressive in 2021. Even if Mercedes were to be quicker on race day you can bet your house that Verstappen will be a close second, barring unreliability or freak tyre blowouts.

If Hamilton and Mercedes find themselves in uncomfortable territory it is nothing compared to what Valtteri Bottas is experiencing. The Finn has scored only 47 points and had a poor showing in Azerbaijan, which has done nothing but re-ignite the Russell-to-Merc rumours. So boisterous have the rumours become that there are a good few who believe that George Russell may well be announced as a 2022 Mercedes driver during the Silverstone grand prix weekend next month.

As the battle rages for the top honours there is a French driver who has well and truly covered himself in glory this season. Pierre Gasly’s breakthrough podium in Brazil was a true watershed moment. His subsequent win in Monza and another podium in the last race has only solidified his talent. It seems unlikely that a move back to the senior Red Bull team is in Gasly’s future but there should be quite a few teams keen to get his signature in the next few years.

It is an important race for Alpine too as they will race at their home grand prix under their new guise for the first time. Fernando Alonso impressed in Baku but has so far been outdone by French teammate Esteban Ocon. Alpine, headed by Davide Brivio, hasn’t maintained the progress gained towards the end of 2021. But an invigorated Alonso has always been to do miraculous things with cars that have no business being in the points. The question is whether his run in Baku was a once off or if the Spaniard is getting on top his car and his teammate.

Race previews are usually expected to indicate who is favourite for the win. But the best thing about Formula 1 in 2021 is that this has become all but impossible to predict. All indication, and the track layout, says that Mercedes should have the edge but it just hasn’t been that simple this season. What is a certainty however is that the fight for supremacy and victory is red-hot and might even be enough to inject some life into a circuit that has delivered rather dull races in its last two appearances.

June 15, 2021
F1 2021: Azerbaijan Gp Preview – Four Teams in the Mix

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix first made its debut on the F1 calendar in 2016. And all of the races since it’s debut have been packed full of drama.

Nico Rosberg who not only secured pole position and the fastest lap but also led every one of the 51 race laps dominated the first race, dubbed the European grand prix. It was an uncharacteristically messy race for Hamilton who crashed in qualifying before coming home in fifth while Sergio Perez scored a brilliant third-place finish for then Force India. A year later the drama intensified ten-fold and is mostly known for the now infamous incident of Seb Vettel bumping into the side of Hamilton under the safety-car. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who, at one stage, was 17th in the running won this race with all of its crashes and controversies, and a red flag. It also marked Lance Stroll’s first podium finish in third. The 2018 race will forever be known for the collision between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on the start/finish strait. The drama wasn’t over though as race-leader Bottas suffered a late-race puncture ultimately retirement. It handed the win to Hamilton who finished head of Raikkonen and the ever-present Perez. By all previous comparisons the 2019 race was a fairly sedate one in which Bottas earned redemption with a win from Pole.

Because of the global pandemic Baku didn’t feature on the 2020 calendar. Its return in 2021 promises to be nothing short of dramatic if the previous races around the Azerbaijan streets are anything to go by. And it might not by a straight out fight only between Red Bull and Mercedes either. McLaren should fancy their chances around Baku. The car is a rocket ship and did very well, on merit, in Monaco. Perhaps it’s not quite quick enough to take the top spot but any hijinks or drama or mistakes and McLaren will undoubtedly be in position to reap the rewards.

It isn’t all about the sharp end of the grid as the plotlines of the season are beginning to take shape. A driver under pressure and who needs to impress his team boss is Yuki Tsunoda. Aside from a splashy performance in Bahrain the rookie driver hasn’t done anything worth noticing on-track. He has however revealed quite a volatile demeanour over team radio. It’s been reported that Tsunoda has been moved from UK to Italy in order to be more closely “supervised”. Which is really just a polite way of saying the young Japanese driver needs to reevaluate his approach and adjust his attitude quickly. After all Red Bull and Helmut Makro aren’t known for their patience. They’ve racked up more than a few merciless axing’s in their time from Jean Eric Vergne to Sebastian Buemi to Dannil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon to name a few.

Mercedes had a nightmare Monaco Grand Prix weekend and will want to rectify it in the most emphatic way possible. Bottas has proven to be quite handy around Baku. But all indications are that it simply won’t be a straightforward weekend. Not only could McLaren be there or there about but Ferrari too has traditionally performed well on the Azerbaijan streets. The Scuderia will be buoyed by the car’s performance on the Monte Carlo streets. And with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc clearly in brilliant form Ferrari could find themselves mixing it at the sharp end.

June 2, 2021
F1 2021: Monte Carlo Gp Review – Max Wins Monaco

On the very first of 78 laps of the Monaco Grand Prix Mick Schumacher accounted for the only overtake of the race by audaciously passing his Haas teammate into the Lowe’s hairpin for eighteenth place. Otherwise the race around the Monte Carlo streets was fairly unspectacular in literal terms.

But in terms of the story that is the 2021 championship Monaco delivered on the drama. It kicked off on Saturday afternoon as Charles Leclerc secured pole in a surprisingly quick Ferrari. But the Monegasque’s joy was tainted as he clouted the barriers on the exit of the swimming pool in the dying seconds of quali. Potential damage to the gearbox could mean a five place drop on the grid should it need to be replaced. However, after inspection Ferrari was happy to continue as is. Unfortunately, a sighting lap before the start of Sunday’s race revealed an issue with a rear drive shaft which was enough to end Leclerc’s race before it even got started.

Though Leclerc’s spot on the grid remained vacant Max Verstappen was effectively in P1 with Mercedes’s Valtteri Bottas in P2. As expected, the Red Bull easily held off Bottas at the start and from there controlled the pace without any real or sustained pressure from behind. Carlos Sainz, running third, did well to salvage Ferrari’s day. In fact, the Spaniard began to close the gap to Bottas around the time the pitstops rolled around. But he wouldn’t have to fight much longer with Bottas as the Finn was forced into retirement at his first stop. An effective cross-threaded wheelnut meant that Bottas tyre couldn’t be changed which guaranteed his retirement.

Elsewhere, Hamilton’s lacklustre qualifying performance left him down in seventh. Promoted to sixth due to Leclerc’s non-start the Brit made zero progress. In fact, after the round of pitstops his lack of pace meant that he fell behind Perez, Vettel, and Gasly. A clearly irate Hamilton demanded answers from his team. The answer he sought was fairly simple – he was simply too slow to compete with the Alpha Tauri and Aston Martin much less the Red Bull.

Bottas’s retirement promoted Sainz to second with McLaren’s Lando Norris in third. A stellar stint before his first stop meant that Perez leapfrogged several cars to run a close fourth. Checo briefly challenged Norris but McLaren’s superstar kept his head well despite struggling on the hard compound tyre.

Equally as impressive, and voted driver of the day by the fans, Seb Vettel drove an extremely impressive race to deliver fifth place to a struggling Aston Martin team. Aston Martin’s chief strategist Bernadette Collins brilliantly called Vettel’s overcut strategy which means staying out longer than your immediate rivals. The consistent Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of Hamilton in seventh. Lance Stroll converted an alternative strategy of running the opening stint on the hard tyre to a fine eighth place finish while Esteban Ocon was ninth. Antonio Giovinazzi capped a fine weekend for him by scoring the final point on offer in tenth for Alfa Romeo.

It was a day to forget for Daniel Ricciardo who not only qualified fourteenth but also had to endure the indignity of being lapped by his McLaren teammate. Fernando Alonso’s struggles against Alpine teammate Ocon continued as he finished thirteenth overall.

At the front focus was still required from Verstappen to keep it clean and out of the barriers. But apart from this the Dutchman was all but cruising. A Monaco race win is arguably on the bucket list of all F1 drivers and now Verstappen has ticked that box. What’s more, for the first time in his F1 career he finds himself in the lead of the driver’s championship.

It is uncharted territory for Verstappen. But it is also uncharted territory for Merc who hasn’t faced a sustained challenge since Ferrari bossed the first-half of the 2018 season. Though the racing may not have been top-notch in Monaco it certainly has set up the 2021 championship in a very sumptuous way.

It took Mercedes and Hamilton five races to build a gap of fourteen points over Red Bull and Verstappen, which was completely reversed in the space of one afternoon. It indicates just how fickle a points-lead can be and it indicates too that every single point is important in 2021.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

May 25, 2021