Tag: alpine

F1 2022: Red Bull? Ferrari? Mercedes?

The wait for the start of F1 2022 is over. This weekend the season-opening race in Bahrain brings with it the start to a whole new era in the storied saga of Formula 1.

The new regulations have produced not only a completely different visual aspect to F1 but has showcased some of the brilliant engineering and design prowess up and down the paddock. From McLaren’s wavy floor to Ferrari’s scooped side pods to Mercedes seemingly complete lack of side pods the innovation has been cranked to the max.

The three days of public testing around the Sakhir International circuit has revealed at least some of what the picture could look like at the start of the season. The mid-field battle promises to be exceptionally tight with the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, and Alpha Tauri expected to occupy this space.

Williams looks in fairly good shape, relatively speaking, with Haas and Alfa Romeo expected to bring up the rear. For Haas it certainly hasn’t been a straightforward pre-season. First, their equipment and freight were delayed from arriving to Bahrain in time due to a broken-down plane. Then their title sponsor and one driver were removed from the team, which left them with the task of quickly finding a replacement. Although Pietro Fittipaldi, as reserve driver, seemed to be the most obvious choice Haas opted for experience instead and drafted Kevin Magnussen back into the team. The Danish driver brings with him a decent pedigree of being able to get the most out of a car and will be a good barometer for teammate Mick Schumacher.

What then of the top three. There are some who agree that Mercedes starts the season not as outright favourites. In fact, some have penned them down as in third place behind Red Bull and Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton himself has declared Mercedes as not in a position to win races. But we’ve read this chapter before, haven’t we? Mercedes downplays their chances and sandbag on track only to show up at race one and blitz the field. But there may be some truth to Sir Hamilton’s words. Firstly, the porpoising which Red Bull and Ferrari are appearing to manage is still a major problem at Merc. So much of an issue is the porpoising that Merc have taken to sawing off some underfloor strakes in a bid to change the air flow distribution not only on the forward section of the car but also into the underfloor and the rear diffuser. The front-wing angle has also been significantly altered to combat the understeer that has been plaguing the W13 throughout testing.

But Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz are not buying the line that Mercedes are struggling. Both point out that the Silver Arrows have made a habit of underplaying their position before the season starts. And despite an apparent consensus amongst the pundits in the paddock that Hamilton and co might not be the quickest the fact remains that only time will tell, literally.

Ferrari starts the season in the best shape they’ve been in for a few years. Without any reliability issues the car has run smoothly, and importantly, it’s been quick in both Charles Leclerc and Sainz’s hands. Yet team principal Mattia Binotto is remaining cautious by insisting that the Italian team remain “outsiders” behind Red Bull and McLaren.

On the final day of testing Red Bull bolted a serious upgrade package to its car and it went quite a bit faster, 7 tenths faster than anything Ferrari could manage. But headline times in testing are just that. It’s only in Q3 on Saturday where everyone’s hand will finally be shown. And as it stands right now it looks as if Red Bull and Max Verstappen are holding all the cards.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 14, 2022
F1 2021: Turkish Gp Review: Bottas Takes Straightforward Win

As with most F1 races in 2021 the Turkish Grand Prix was as highly anticipated as most of the others than have gone before it this season.

Halfway through the weekend the gauntlet was thrown down to Lewis Hamilton. Despite having the clearly quicker car over the weekend the Mercedes driver would drop down ten places from wherever he finished qualifying due to taking on board a new internal combustion engine. As it were, Hamilton was fastest overall on Saturday afternoon which saw him drop to eleventh on the starting grid.

Valtteri Bottas inherited the pole while Max Verstappen started alongside him in second. The Red Bull, sporting a striking white and red livery as a Honda homage, never had the pace of the Mercedes but there was still the potential for an advantage to be gained.

Condition proved testy with a damp track necessitating the start on intermediate tyres. Bottas led cleanly away from the start and never faced any sustained or serious pressure from Verstappen. The opening lap saw only one incident between Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso which saw the Spanish driver tipped into a spin at the exit of turn one. Although Gasly was adjudged at fault, and given a 5-second time penalty, the Frenchman was hard done by as he found himself sandwiched between Alonso on the right and Sergio Perez on the left.

Hamilton made steady, if unspectacular, progress at the start until he spent several laps stuck behind the Alpha Tauri of Yuki Tsunoda. But the Brit pulled off a sumptuous move around the outside of turn 4 to run sixth by the end of lap 10. Although the rain had ceased before the race start the track remained wet. As cold conditions lingered so too it delayed the drying of the track. Because no dry line was forthcoming the decision of when to pit was delayed more and more. However, albeit slow, the drying track was transforming the inters to slick tyres. It didn’t faze many drivers though as they continued to pound around the Istanbul Park circuit.

By the halfway stage of the 58-lap race, it was clear that Verstappen did not have the pace to beat Bottas. At this point Hamilton was bearing down on Sergio Perez for P4. Hamilton, clearly with superior pace, drew alongside Perez going into the turn 12 braking zone and the pair ran side-by-side through the final sequence of corners. But the Mexican held his own against Hamilton and denied him the position in a manner that will undoubtedly have pleased his Red Bull bosses.

By lap 38 both Bottas and Verstappen had stopped for a new set of inters while Charles Leclerc took over the lead of the race. The Monagasque sniffed a chance of an opportunistic win but would have to do so without making a pitstop. Ferrari rolled the dice on this strategy but quickly called Leclerc into the pits when he passed for P1, by Bottas. Meanwhile, Hamilton had initially asserted to his team that he would stay out to which the Mercedes pitwall agreed. However, despite running in third Hamilton began to lose time to Perez and Leclerc. He was called in on lap 51 and emerged in fifth place and under pressure from Gasly. Hamilton was fuming over team radio at the decision to call him. Ultimately, Mercedes decision was the correct one albeit too late. Hamilton likely would’ve been overtaken by Perez and Leclerc, on fresher rubber, and be shuffled down the fifth. If Mercedes had made the call earlier to box Hamilton, he may have had more time to catch up to and pass Perez and Leclerc. Nevertheless, the strategy error from Mercedes may seem only like a minor error but in a championship battle as close as in 2021 every point counts.

With Hamilton mostly of the equation for a race win Bottas took what could likely be his final opportunity to win, in impressive style. Lest we forget Bottas spun five-times in the 2020 Turkish grand prix. It makes his win, nearly error-free, all the more impressive then. Verstappen will be happy with a solid day’s work in second while Perez drove a brilliant race for Red Bull which netted him third place.

Charles Leclerc was fourth ahead of Hamilton in fifth while Gasly, recovering from his penalty, was sixth overall. Lando Norris ran a fairly anonymous race to seventh as Carlos Sainz recovered from the back of the grid to eighth place. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was ninth ahead of Esteban Ocon, who was the only driver to run all 58 laps on one set of tyres, in tenth.

October 10, 2021
F1 2021: Turkish Gp Preview – Turkish Delight Beckons

Circumstances may have necessitated the return of Formula 1 to Turkey. However, it’s re-introduction to the Formula 1 calendar delivered a stunning Grand Prix in 2020. So much so that the organizers of the event are trying to secure a ten-year deal for Istanbul Park as part of the Formula 1 world championship.

They will have their work cut out though as in recent weeks F1 has committed to Qatar and Miami. And there are strong rumours too that the championship could return to Kyalami in the not too distant future if the final arrangements can be agreed upon. It does bring into question the length of the calendar and the subsequent strain on team personnel who are already stretch thin. As an example, F1’s season-ending triple header will see teams, in just four weeks, travel from Brazil to Qatar to Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi.

There is more news about the future of F1 as Porsche and Audi are assumed to be close to joining the championship as the 2026 engine rules are finalized. The teams and the sport have agreed to drop the MGU-H which has, in the past, because of its complexity and expense dissuaded manufacturers from committing to F1.

With the future of F1 taking shape there still remains the matter of the 2021 championship. To illustrate how different this year has been Lewis Hamilton ended the 2020 Turkish Gp as the world champion. It’s a far different scenario in 2021 as Hamilton goes into this weekend’s race only two points clear of Max Verstappen. The fact that Hamilton has also scored 85 points less than at the same point last season is another example of how hard the Mercedes driver has had to work.

There’s no sign either that the task will get any easier in the final seven races of the year. In fact, all indications are that the title fight could go all the way to the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. But then, F1 in 2021 has proven that very little is predictable and that neither Mercedes nor Red Bull will have an easy run into the flag.

Unless things take a dramatic turn, it doesn’t appear that Hamilton or Verstappen will have much support from their respective teammates either. For Sergio Perez there haven’t been nearly enough moments this season where he has performed to the standard of the Red Bull. As such, the expectation that Perez will able to take points off Mercedes, or at least influence their race strategy on Sundays, isn’t especially high.

For completely different reasons Valtteri Bottas too is unlikely to hamper the progress of Verstappen. Though the Finn hasn’t consistently shown great pace this season his loyalty to the team has also been nullified given that he’s been, effectively, fired and replaced with George Russell for 2022. It is this lack of allegiance, as evidenced in Bottas’s lack of defense against Verstappen in Russia, which means that he cannot be fully relied on to ‘take one for the team’.

The Istanbul Park circuit shouldn’t expressly favour either the Red Bull or the Mercedes but, like in 2020, the weather could have a significant impact on the running order. The likes of McLaren and even Ferrari could well have an impact should the forecasted rain make an appearance.

October 4, 2021
F1 2021: Russian GP Review – The Great Escape

If any season could jolt the Russian Grand Prix into life it would be 2021. And come to life it most certainly did. In fairness, the excitement started on Saturday as heavy rain not only saw free practice 3 cancelled but turned qualifying on its head.

A drying track at the end of qualifying on Saturday saw the young generation of drivers come to the fore in a big way. While Hamilton not only clouted the wall in the pitlane but also spun on his flying lap the likes of Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and George Russell aced the conditions. As it were, Norris scored the first pole position of his career while Sainz and Russell rounded out the top three.

With the longest run on the calendar to the first braking point, the slipstream was always going to have an effect for those starting at the sharp end. It was Carlos Sainz who manoeuvred it best of all as he took the lead of the race from Norris. Hamilton struggled at lights out and dropped behind Lance Stroll, Daniel Ricciardo, and Fernando Alonso, to seventh, for most of the opening stint of the race. Meanwhile, Verstappen started dead last due to penalties but made decent progress in the opening laps. Mercedes opted to fit yet another power unit to Bottas’s car in what they termed as “tactical” decision. The only tactic they were playing at was to use Bottas as a blocker against Verstappen. But Bottas has never been the most robust in defence nor is he a match, in a straight-out fight, for Verstappen. As if to emphasize this Verstappen overtook Bottas on lap 6 of the race with a minimum of fuss.

Up ahead, as Russell and Stroll dipped into the pits, Norris closed down Sainz and passed the Spanish driver into turn 2 on lap 14. Sainz diverted to the pitlane on lap 15 but Hamilton and Norris opted to stay out. At this point, Verstappen had made significant progress to run only four seconds behind Hamilton. Both championship contenders entered the pitlane on lap 27 and emerged in 9th and 12th respectively. Verstappen made short work of Russell for 11th place and now only had Ricciardo between himself and Hamilton. As Norris pitted Hamilton progressed to 5th to run 8 seconds behind the net race leader.

For all money, Hamilton’s pace suggested that he’d breeze past Norris and into the lead of the race. But Norris was driving brilliantly and kept the Merc at bay at the most crucial parts of the lap around the Sochi Autodrom. But it would all be turned on its head as the rain came down with just five laps to go. Though it did come down the rain light enough to sow some doubt in the drivers’ minds. Initially, both Norris and Hamilton elected to stay out on slicks. But with 3 laps to go Hamilton swopped his slicks for Inters but Norris decided to try and hang on with his dry tyres. In hindsight, Norris’s decision was the wrong one and resulted in a heartbreaking tumble down the field. It doesn’t take away what stellar driving the 21-year-old McLaren driver had delivered all weekend.

Hamilton meanwhile took the chequered flag first for the 100th time in his career. It’s a monumental achievement and a record that won’t be broken for a very long time. The win has also regained him the lead in the driver’s championship but, incredibly, by only two points. For when it was all going off at the front of the race Verstappen too opted onto the Inters early enough to gain himself an incredible second-place finish.

Red Bull always knew Mercedes held the advantage in Russia. A second-place finish then was likely the best they could do even on a ‘normal’ day. But a second-place finish on a day when Verstappen started dead last is an enormous result. And that with a fresh power unit in his pool to boot.

The third step on the podium was snapped up by Carlos Sainz while McLaren’s Ricciardo finished fourth. Bottas, who also benefited from an early switch to Inters, was fifth ahead of Alonso in sixth. The unlucky Norris was eventually seventh ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who on his return to F1 after testing positive for Covid-19 drove a superb race to finish eighth in what is a grotesquely off-the-pace Alfa Romeo. For the final points paying positions, Sergio Perez and George Russell were ninth and tenth.

Only seven races remain in the 2021 season and if what has gone before is anything to go by then what is to come is not only going to be the stuff that champions are made of but is also likely to culminate in one of the most memorable and exhilarating Formula 1 season ever.

September 27, 2021
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