Tag: lewis hamilton

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: Styrian Gp Review: Red Bull juggernaut Wins Again

As another race is ticked off the 2021 calendar there is one question that is becoming all but impossible to ignore – has Mercedes finally met their match?

There’s only been eight races in what is slated to be a 23-race calendar but there is no denying that Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in serious form. After securing a first pole position on home soil Verstappen all but cruised to a fourth consecutive win for Red Bull in Austria. Lewis Hamilton was second for Mercedes but had no answer to Verstappen’s pace. Aside from a late race pit stop to snatch an extra point for fastest lap Hamilton was trailing by roughly 15 seconds. It was a big statement too. So far the margin, in terms of pace, has been razor thin between Red Bull and Mercedes and but for a few mistakes Hamilton could well have won in Baku and France. But here in Austria the superior pace run by Verstappen was well beyond anything Mercedes could muster.

Valtteri Bottas was handed a rather harsh 3-place grid penalty after spinning in the pitlane during practice. Nevertheless, the Finn was able to hold off a late charge from Sergio Perez to finish third. A slow pit stop dropped Perez behind Bottas but the Mexican driver, who finished fourth, continued to show impressive pace in the Red Bull, which will undoubtedly please those in charge. Aside from the championship protagonist the driver who has surely been the most impressive in 2021 is Lando Norris. The McLaren driver racked up another fifth place finish after delivering a stunning performance on Saturday too. Though he may be slightly out of the spotlight in comparison to Verstappen and Hamilton Lando Norris is turning into something quite special.

Carlos Sainz drove a brilliant race for Ferrari into sixth while teammate Charles Leclerc recovered from a first lap clash to finish seventh and be voted driver-of-the-day. Lance Stroll was eighth for Aston Martin ahead of Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in ninth. Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda was tenth while his Alpha Tauri teammate, Pierre Gasly, retired on lap one with suspension damage. Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen drove brilliantly to eleventh place after starting eighteenth. George Russell ran as high as eighth place before being painfully forced into retirement with a hydraulic leak. Despite being in the deeply uncompetitive Haas Mick Schumacher once again easily outdrove his teammate to finish sixteenth.

Mercedes has been challenged before but not this relentlessly. Ferrari mounted a serious attack in the first half of 2018 but then faded after the summer break. Before Mercedes even had to think about having to come up with an answer or a plan. But in 2021 it doesn’t seem like Red Bull are likely to fade. And what is most surprising is that Mercedes and Hamilton seem completely stumped. There’s no doubt that they were shell-shocked by Red Bull’s pace in France. But what is more telling about their current inability to respond is their demeanour. The way that Hamilton has spoken post-race tells a story by itself. Instead of motivating talk of fighting until the bitter end or pushing for every last tenth of a second Hamilton seems almost resigned. By saying that Red Bull is simply faster and there’s nothing he [Hamilton] can do about it is what you’d expect from a 7-time champion.

Mercedes have clearly been pushed well out of their comfort zone and they don’t seem able to provide anything to counter the Red Bull onslaught. It isn’t complacency brought on by their complete domination of the hybrid era. But perhaps they are slightly guilty of resting of their laurels and relying on what has happened before to carry them through 2021. But it doesn’t seem, at this stage, like that will be enough. They may be relying on Hamilton’s experience of winning 7 titles but Verstappen’s run is gaining a near unstoppable momentum.

Mercedes have another chance this weekend to do better around the Red Bull Ring and the season is far from over. In 2016 Nico Rosberg proved that Hamilton’s greatest weakness is his mentality. If that begins to crumble he becomes ever more susceptible. And judging by his comments it appears that he is not in a good mental space. The question is now what is Hamilton, who many have dubbed the greatest of all time, really made of when the pressure is on?

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

June 29, 2021
F1 2021: French Gp Review – Mighty Max Fells Mercedes

You’ve got to know that you are in the midst of a cracking Formula 1 season when even the usual drab French Grand Prix turns into a cracker of a race.

Pole position, the perfect race strategy, and a mighty Max Verstappen combined brilliantly to secure a sumptuous win for Red Bull in France. Though he started from pole a snap of oversteer into turn two cost him the lead of the race. Hamilton, now in the lead of the race, maintained a three-second gap to Verstappen as the pit stop phase drew closer. But a gross mistake by Merc and a stonking out-lap by Verstappen earned him back the coveted position of P1.

Some might say that there are cracks beginning to show in the Mercedes armoury and they might be onto something. The Silver Arrows were completely caught out by the power of the undercut and the reality is they didn’t need to be. All the strategists had to do was pay attention to Daniel Ricciardo undercutting both Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz by more than three seconds. But such is the pressure from Red Bull that it is requiring every ounce of their attention. Mercedes dropped the ball on the finer points of Sunday’s race but they will learn from this and will most definitely not lie down.

Lewis Hamilton deserves much credit. The team’s strategy placed him in a difficult position on severely worn tyres. Yet still he managed to deliver some very impressive lap times. It underlines very much that Hamilton is driving at a high level and that it requires something quite special to beat him.

And something special is what Max Verstappen’s 2021 season is turning into. The Dutchman is getting pretty used to the top step of the podium these days but this win was easily his best, so far. On paper having fresher tyres seemingly equals an easy run. But with a formidable opponent in Hamilton, the difficultly of the windy conditions, and the weight of expectation it isn’t as easy as most might think. Nevertheless, Verstappen is on an incredible run of form and he is most definitely making hay while the sun shines.

Checo Perez’s recent form has likely assured his seat for 2022. The Mexican driver eked out his tyres with a longer first stint and transformed his one-stop strategy in a third place finish. Valtteri Bottas started off the weekend seemingly on the up. But when it mattered most the Finn simply wasn’t in the mix. His frustration boiled over on team radio too as he berated the team for not putting him on a two-stop strategy. The fuming Finn eventually finished fourth.

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo delivered some important points for McLaren in fight and sixth. The points are crucial for McLaren’s fight against Ferrari for third in the constructor’s championship. As it were neither Ferrari driver was able to score any points. Pierre Gasly was seventh while his Alpha Tauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished 13th. Fernando Alonso, in eighth, was able to hold off Seb Vettel who brought his Aston Martin home in ninth ahead of teammate Lance Stroll scored the final point of offer in tenth.

From an entertainment point of view the French Grand Prix could not have delivered a more intense and thrilling race. It’s a big win for Red Bull too. To beat Mercedes on a circuit where they had previously destroyed the field is a big statement. It bodes very well for the rest of the season. But Mercedes will regroup and they will find a way to strike back. And the most beautiful thing about F1 2021 is not only the upcoming Styrian Grand Prix this weekend but that this enthralling battle is set fair for the rest of the season.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

June 21, 2021
F1 2021: Azerbaijan Gp Review – Bedlam in Baku

It’s only been on the F1 calendar since 2016 but the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has quickly become known for delivering the most chaotic and breathtaking races, bar none.

The 2021 race around the streets of Baku was already set fair when Charles Leclerc emerged out of the chaos of Saturday qualifying to secure an unexpected pole position. Lewis Hamilton too, on the back foot for most of the weekend, engineered his way to a second-place starting position. Meanwhile Verstappen, once again denied a shot at a final Q3 lap because of a red flag, was third quickest. Alongside Verstappen on the second row was a lighting quick Pierre Gasly who determinedly put his Alpha Tauri fourth fastest.

In the opening laps of the race Leclerc led briefly before failing victim to first Hamilton then Verstappen and Perez. By the first round of stops Verstappen had built a healthy lead while Perez was holding off Hamilton who sat within DRS range for nearly all of the of the race. Hamilton blinked first and swopped his soft compound for the white-walled hard tyre. He lost a smidgen of time in the pit box but Verstappen and Perez’s pace was such that he would fall behind the Red Bull pair anyway.

The race seemed to settle for a period after the stops were completed. Try as he might Hamilton simply didn’t have enough to overtake Perez and the Mexican driver would definitely not be pressured into a mistake either. Elsewhere, Lance Stroll and Aston Martin has played a blinder on strategy with the Canadian running a solid 7th with a long opening stint on the hard tyre. But a dramatic failure on the left-rear tyre pitched the Aston Martin into the barriers on the start/finish strait at more than 300 kph. While Stroll was unharmed he was clearly shaken by the violent and sudden failure.

The race resumed and so did Hamilton’s pressure on Perez but the Mexican had it well covered. With Verstappen in the lead Red Bull looked on for a one-two finish. But five laps from the end disaster struck for Verstappen as he too suffered a rear tyre failure on the start/finish strait. Because of the debris littered over the track the race was red-flagged. Verstappen’s retirement would seemingly have massive ramifications for the championship, as Hamilton looked poised to retake the lead.

In the pitlane just before the restart Hamilton reminded his team that, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint. So got to be measured on how aggressive we go”. Hamilton aced the restart and was for all intents and purposes heading into the lead of the race. But he locked his front-brake and went straight on at turn 1. The Mercedes driver rejoined last. A post-race radio communication revealed that Hamilton had left on the “magic”. It turns out that the “magic” refers to a button, which Merc uses to heat the brakes during the safety-car/warm-up lap period. It was this button that Hamilton forgot to disengage and thus his brakes were overheated. It was a rare mistake from Hamilton as in Imola. Only this time it cost him any chance of capitalizing on Verstappen’s misfortune.

To describe Valtteri Bottas’s race as woeful would be doing him a kindness. The Finn started tenth and made zero progress. At no stage did it get any better as he fell victim to a number of drivers including being overtaken into the tightest section of the track by Alfa’s Kimi Raikkonen. Eventually, Bottas finished an embarrassing 12^th ahead of only the Haas drivers.

As Checo Perez held on for an extremely popular first win with Red Bull it was revealed after the race that he too nearly didn’t reach the chequered flag thanks to an increasingly severe hydraulic issue. For the second race in a row Seb Vettel was crowned driver-of-the-day and this time he was able to celebrate the accolade on the podium with a sublime second place finish. Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc had an almighty battle for the final step of the podium from which the Alpha Tauri driver emerged victorious. Leclerc finished a fine fourth ahead of Lando Norris in fifth.

In sixth place was Fernando Alonso in the Alpine while Yuki Tsunoda delivered a much-improved performance in seventh. Carlos Sainz was eighth for Ferrari ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in ninth and Kimi Raikkonen in tenth.

The lack of points scored for either of the two championship protagonists is certainly big news in F1. But the drama of the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the breathtaking manner in which it constructed the final podium of Checo Perez, Seb Vettel, and Pierre Gasly can hardly leave anyone dissatisfied.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

June 7, 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
F1 2021: Monaco Gp Preview – Mercedes Momentum

One of the most difficult things to overcome, in most sports, is momentum. It affects either competitors or teams. Not only does it infuse an incredible amount of confidence and self-belief but it can also, conversely, create a seed of doubt in the opposition. And if the tiniest bit of doubt begins to creep into the psyche it can have a snowball effect if it isn’t managed properly.

In the context of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship it is evident that the momentum currently rests with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. With brilliant strategy and superb driving Sir Hamilton has won three of the first four races and holds a solid fourteen point lead over Max Verstappen. Mercilessly, Mercedes’s push both 2021 titles will continue and more than likely increase in intensity. The monumental job of wresting away the precious momentum is fully on the shoulders of Red Bull.

The good news is that Red Bull are a team that has championship winning mentality and they have easily one of the best drivers on the grid in the shape of Verstappen. However, the longer it takes for Red Bull to strike back the more difficult usurping Mercedes will become. Without exception every race and every point in a championship campaign is vital. The next race only becomes more important, or vital, if you’re behind the eight ball. Thus the upcoming race, which happens to be the Monaco grand prix, is rather important for Verstappen in the grand scheme of the championship.

As has been known for several years, if not several decades, the city streets of Monte Carlo is not conducive to overtaking. Though there may be the odd chance of an overtake success in this race relies almost entirely on qualifying. There exists the slightest possibility that strategy could enter the equation but only on rare occasions.

The Mercedes and the Red Bull have been closely matched in 2021. There isn’t must to suggest that it will be any different in Monaco. If anything, Red Bull’s most apparent advantage this season has been in qualifying. It’s is an advantage, if still prevalent, that will stand them in good stead in Monaco. But Red Bull also needs Checo Perez to step up to the occasion. The Mexican’s race pace can hardly be questioned but too often his lackluster quali form has left him out of the equation in Red Bull’s fight with Mercedes. An improved quali performance wouldn’t only imbue Perez with confidence but having to fight against two Red Bull’s will also force Mercedes and Hamilton into a position that haven’t been in before.

There will be those that say that the Monaco grand prix is a must win race for Verstappen and his championship aspirations. The reality is that if you are the one trailing then every race is a must win. What’s more, for Verstappen every race is a must win regardless of his position in the standings and that relentless quality and unyielding hunger for victory is sure to stand him in good stead against what is the biggest test of his racing career.

May 18, 2021
F1 2021: Spanish Gp Review – Merc, Hamilton Ace Strategy

The circuit de Catalunya Barcelona isn’t one known for delivering the most thrilling races. The 2021 edition didn’t produce the wheel-to-wheel battle that most would have hoped for but it did deliver an intense and very high-speed game of chess.

On Saturday Lewis Hamilton secured the 100th pole position of his career by 0.036. It is a monumental achievement that must be applauded and will not only stand for some time but certainly be remembered forever.

It didn’t mean too much to Max Verstappen as he snatch the lead off the race as the lights went out. Valtteri Bottas was, customarily, dumped out of the equation nearly immediately as he fell behind the Ferrari at the start of the race. It quickly turned into a two horse race as Verstappen and Hamilton cleared off at the head of the field by one second a lap. The pack were brought back together as the safety car was deployed to facilitate the recovery of Yuki Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri which seemed to suffer some electric issue.

As the first stint of the race wore on it was clear that Hamilton was able to manage his tyres better than Verstappen. As it were the Dutchman entered the pitlane first. There was a bit of a delay on the right-left wheel but still Verstappen’s pace on fresh tyres meant he would easily retake the lead of the race. Hamilton pitted a handful laps later and emerged five seconds behind. The seven-time champion made short work of the gap and maintained a gap within DRS range. On lap 41, mere tenths behind Verstappen, Mercedes made a bold call to pull Hamilton into the pits for a second stop. Red Bull couldn’t react as the undercut on fresh tyres meant that Hamilton was already ahead on track should Verstappen made a stop on the next lap. As it were Red Bull left Verstappen out and banked on track position winning the day. It was, even in hindsight, the only card they had to play. If it worked they’d win the race. If not, they’d emerge in second where they were bound to end up anyway.

And second is where Verstappen would ultimately end up as Hamilton took the lead of the race on lap 60. Hamilton’s win in Spain showed that somehow after so much success he is still able to raise his game. But it isn’t just Mac Verstappen versus Lewis Hamilton in this championship. What the Spanish Grand Prix proved is that it’s as much a fight between Mercedes and Red Bull. Red Bull will be the first to admit that they were well and truly outsmarted on strategy.

As Hamilton, Verstappen, and Bottas once again occupied the podium it was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who finished in a fine fourth place. Checo Perez was fifth for Red Bull ahead of Daniel Ricciardo is sixth and Spain’s Carlos Sainz in seventh. In eighth place was Lando Norris while Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scored the final points on offer in ninth and tenth.

The next race, surely another face off between Mercedes and Red Bull, is the fifth round of the season around the picturesque city streets of Monte Carlo.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

May 10, 2021
F1 2021: Portugal Gp Review – Hamilton on Top

By the lofty standards of 2021 the Portuguese Grand Prix didn’t deliver much in terms of excitement. But it is no less important in the greater scheme of the season.

You’d be forgiven for looking at Lewis Hamilton’s winning margin and scoffing at the apparent predictability of it. But the 29 odd second gap to second-placed Max Verstappen is a bit superficial given that the Red Bull driver made a late pit stop in a bid to score the extra point on offer for fastest lap. In reality Hamilton had to work quite a bit to secure the win. Not only was he beaten to pole by teammate Valtteri Bottas, albeit by seven thousands of a second, but he had to work his way back to the front from third.

As it happened the two Mercs led cleanly from the front row of the grid with Verstappen in third. An uncharacteristic but no less odd mistake from Kimi Raikkonen resulted in the Finn losing his front wing which prompted the deployment of the safety car. Raikkonen appeared to clip the left-rear wheel of his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi on the start/finish strait, which wedged the wing under wheel of Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo. Not only did it bring an early end to his race but it also littered the strait with carbon fibre hence the need for a safety car

Bottas was especially canny on the restart and waited right up until the safety car line before accelerating for the restart of the race. It must’ve caught Hamilton slightly by surprise as he not only missed his chance of having a crack at the lead of the race but was also subsequently overtaken by Verstappen. For all money it looked as if Red Bull were in the pound seat as Verstappen hounded the rear of Bottas in P1. But a slight mistake in turn 14 to allowed Hamilton to close up to the Red Bull. Not one to be wasteful of opportunities Hamilton made short work of Verstappen into turn one with the assistance of some DRS. It wasn’t too much later after that when he scythed around the outside of Bottas, again in turn one, and into the lead of the race.

Without setting the world alight Hamilton built a solid gap of around four to five seconds in the lead, which he comfortably maintained. Red Bull stopped one lap earlier for the hard compound tyre than second-placed Bottas. It proved decisive as Bottas emerged from the pitlane ahead of Verstappen but only momentarily. Because his tyres were up to temperature the Dutchman was able to take second off the Merc driver.

Bottas threatened a bit of a comeback later on in the race but a sensor issue put an end to his challenge on second place. Despite starting on pole it’s back to the drawing board for Bottas who has stood on the top step of the podium only once in the last nineteen races.

There was a number of overtakes further down the field but overall the Portuguese Grand Prix was just a bit flat. But still there are more than a few drivers who will be happy with their afternoon’s work. Checo Perez finished a solid fourth well ahead of the ever-dependable Lando Norris in fifth. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari ahead of the two Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso in seventh and eighth. Daniel Ricciardo salvaged two points in ninth after starting sixteenth while Pierre Gasly took the final point on offer in tenth.

There’s no respite for the paddock as F1 moves straight over to Spain for the fourth round of the season. The Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona is notoriously poor for overtaking which means that qualifying may well be the be all and end all for the main protagonists this weekend.

May 5, 2021
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Review – Hamilton vs Verstappen

In recent history there could hardly have been a more exhilarating start to a Formula 1 season that what was produced in Bahrain in 2021.

Saturday qualifying already put not only the paddock but fans around the world on notice that the season opening race was bound to be something special. Max Verstappen delivered a stunning lap to take pole position from Lewis Hamilton by nearly four tenths ons second. Not only did it set the stage for an epic race battle but it also confirmed that for the first time in years Red Bull were hitting the ground running.

But the more than one hundred days of waiting didn’t seem to be enough for the racing gods as the first start of the race was aborted. Unfortunately for new Red Bull driver Sergio Perez it was because his car had decided to switch itself off on the formation lap. The Mexican driver was able to restart his engine but was consigned to a pit lane start.

After another formation lap the race got underway with Verstappen leading cleanly from Hamilton. It was Valtteri Bottas who was under most pressure as he fought off the fast starting Charles Leclerc. But the Ferrari was too canny for the Finn and snatched third place on the road. Elsewhere Lando Norris pulled off a stunning move in the first sector over new McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo. But the racing wouldn’t even last a full lap before the safety car was deployed to enable the recovery of the Haas driver’s car who is not Mick Schumacher. Curiously, he had spun off by himself and crash into the turn 3 barrier.

The racing resumed on lap four with Verstappen able to pull a couple of seconds clear of Hamilton. Behind Leclerc and Bottas, at this stage third and fourth on the road, Pierre Gasly was running ahead of Norris and the returning Fernando Alonso. Norris, clearly in a racy mood, quickly passed Gasly. The Alpha Tauri driver was immediately under pressure too from Ricciardo and subsequently lost his front wing and ruined any chance of scoring a decent haul of points.

While Hamilton pitted on lap 13 for hard tyres Red Bull chose to extend their first stint for a few more laps. But the undercut, read fresh tyres, proved decisive as Hamilton leapfrogged Verstappen into the lead of the race as the first round of pit stops shook out. The Dutchman was able to close the nearly seven second gap to Hamilton but didnt overtake the Mercedes driver before Hamilton opted, just 16 laps later, to visit the pitlane for a second time. It appeared that the Mercedes was working its tyre far more than the Red Bull with the advantage seemingly swinging towards Verstappen. By this stage Valtteri Bottas, already off the front running pace, had suffered a slow pitstop which put him well and truly out of contention.

Fernando Alonso’s return to F1 ended before the chequered flag as the Alpine driver was forced into retirement by a suspected brake issue. Nevertheless, the show carried on with a not-so-uncommon mistake from Seb Vettel which saw the Aston Martin curiously bump into the back of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine on lap 44. Vettel not only picked up some slight front wing damage and a red face but also a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision.

By now Verstappen once again found himself in second place but with fresher tyres than Hamilton. It seemed for all money that the Red Bull would catch and pass the Mercedes and take victory. Verstappen closed the gap and by lap 53 had his best shot of taking back the lead. But the Dutchman, while overtaking Hamilton around the outside of turn 4, had run off the track. Ever the sportsman Verstappen returned the place to Hamilton but also in the process relinquished his chance of getting back in front. There has been much controversy over the enforcement of track limit at turn 4 by the FIA stewards during the race. A clip on social media shows Hamilton exceeding track limits for 29 of the 56 laps without sanction. Naturally, the lack of enforcement of the track limits rule in this case has led to much heated debate online.

Nevertheless, Hamilton drove a stellar race to somehow eke out 26 laps on a set of tyres. There are those that will look at the result and see Hamilton as the victor and dismiss it as just another win for the Brit. But this one he really had to work for, he really had to earn. And the fact that Red Bull clearly had the quicker car makes Hamilton’s drive a genuinely impressive one. He had no business winning that race but he did anyway. That was a champion’s drive.

While Verstappen finishing in second just seven tenths of a second behind Hamilton it was Bottas who trundled home in a disconsolate third. Lando Norris drove an impressive race to finish fourth ahead of Perez who went from the pitlane to fifth on his Red Bull debut. Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari while Daniel Ricciardo brought his McLaren home in seventh. Carlos Sainz was eighth on his Ferrari debut ahead of rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda in ninth for Alpha Tauri. Lance Stroll scored the final point on offer in tenth in what was a decidedly underwhelming weekend for Aston Martin.

The 2021 Bahrain grand prix and the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen could not have delivered a better opening to the season. There is great hope that this is merely the opening chapter in what could be an epic fight glory in 2021. One down, twenty-two to go.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 29, 2021
F1 2021: Bahrain Gp Preview – Red Bull Ready?

The 2020 Formula 1 season was groundbreaking and will be remembered for many reasons. Not least of all being that it was run and completed in the midst of a global pandemic. While the world is still fighting the battle against covid-19 Formula 1 is readying itself for a record-breaking 23 race season in 2021.

Ten teams, twenty driver, and hundreds of team personnel will kick off F1 2021 F1 with the least amount of testing ever run before a new season. A total of three days was all the teams were prescribed to shake off the dust and begin the process of understanding what the respective factories have produced for the new year.

The new racing season will start at Bahrain’s Sakhir International circuit this weekend. It’s a circuit well known to all with an interest in Formula 1 and one that, more often than not, produces an adrenaline-charged and engaging race under the flood lights. It isn’t the first time that Bahrain has hosted the season opener either. Back in 2006 the first race of the season was moved to the Middle Eastern track as Australia played host to the Commonwealth Games that year.

Though the circuit might be familiar there are several enticing questions that accompany the start of the 2021 season. Mercedes has been the dominant force of the hybrid era, which was underlined by their utter command of 2020. Nevertheless, their ‘struggles’ in pre-season testing has been well documented. Lewis Hamilton himself appears convinced that Red Bull has the quicker car heading into the season and he isn’t often a man that utters untruths. Nevertheless, it remains a near unfathomable concept that Mercedes does not have the pace to occupy the front row of the grid nor the top step of the podium. But if it is the case then F1 fans are in for a monumental championship season.

Nothing so far has suggested that the Red Bull is anything but a very quick car. In the hands of Max Verstappen, and perhaps even Checo Perez, it won’t be too bad a bet to stick some money on them for a win this weekend. If it is assured that Mercedes and Red Bull will occupy the top of the timing sheets then it is equally unsure as to which team comes next.

There is quite a bit of excitement around McLaren but there is also an expectation that Ferrari has taken a step forward, especially on the power unit front. How will Fernando Alonso do in his first race back in the sport? And how will the rookies Mick Schumacher and the ever-exciting Yuki Tsunoda fare? Alpha Tauri turned an eye-catching pace in pre-season testing. But was it all just for show?

The permutations and questions are seemingly endless of the eve of the new Formula 1 season. But that is what is building the 2021 season as possibly one of the most exciting in many a year. Simply put, it isn’t nearly as predictable, very little is a certainty, and you cannot afford to miss a single second.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

March 22, 2021