Tag: max verstappen

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
F1 2020: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Clinical Verstappen signs off season

The saying goes that good things are worth waiting for. Red Bull have lived this adage more than most in 2020 as it was only at final race weekend that Max Verstappen could secure his first pole position of the season.

It was a stunning lap from the Dutch driver to edge out Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton by less than a tenth of a second. It may have taken seventeen qualifying sessions to secure the first place on the starting grid but it proved to be the perfect launching pad towards Verstappen’s tenth career win.

The Red Bull driver led cleanly off the line and easily gapped Bottas who in turn was able to pull away from Hamilton in third. A brief virtual safety car, which turned in a full safety car, to scoop up the stricken Racing Point of Sergio Perez prompted most of the field into the pits. But still Verstappen was unflappable in the lead of the race. Though the Abu Dhabi grand prix left a lot to be desired in terms of entertainment it was a brilliantly controlled and clinical drive from Verstappen.

For once Mercedes had no answer to the Red Bull’s pace. Second-placed Bottas never got closer than two and a half seconds and eventually finished more than ten seconds adrift by the time the chequered flag fell. Lewis Hamilton made his return after testing positive for Covid-19 but finished an unspectacular third. For most of the weekend Hamilton did appear low on energy and the 7-time champion confirmed afterwards that it was one of the most physical races he’d ever completed. Alex Albon came home in fourth and will now have to wait for news on his future with Red Bull.

It was a standout day for McLaren and Lando Norris led home teammate in Carlos Sainz in fifth and sixth respectively. The haul of eighteen points secures third place in the Constructor’s championship for McLaren. It is an especially extraordinary achievement for a team who just three years ago finished ninth out of ten teams with a paltry thirty points on the board for the entire season. To affect such a stunning turnaround in not very much time is a testament not only to the designers of the car but to the management of Andreas Seidl and Zak Brown and the ability of Norris and Sainz to not only unite the team but to also deliver on track.

Daniel Ricciardo signed off his final race at Renault with a solid seventh place finish ahead of Monza race-winner Pierre Gasly in eighth. Esteban Ocon was ninth in the other Renault while Lance Stroll could register only one point in tenth. In what has been a difficult season for all Ferrari-powered cars Kimi Raikkonen finished twelfth ahead of both works Ferrari drivers with Charles Leclerc leading home Seb Vettel, in his last race for the Scuderia, in thirteenth and fourteenth. As it were Perez was the only retirement from the race. The Mexican driver is seemingly out of the F1 picture for 2021 with only the merest of hope resting with a possible call up to Red Bull.

That Verstappen is ready to fight for a world championship is not in doubt. He showed his class once again with a faultless drive to win in Abu Dhabi. Though the Mercedes juggernaut is likely to roll on in 2021 Red Bull’s performances in the final third of this season presents a glimmer of hope. With Verstappen and the fairly unchanged regulations for next year 2021 may not be as straightforward as it appears. The good news is that there is only 93 days until we find out if Red Bull and perhaps even Ferrari have what it takes to challenge Mercedes.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

December 13, 2020
F1 2020: Bahrain Gp Review – F1 Safety the Winner

A cursory glance at the results of the weekend’s F1 race would reveal another seemingly comfortable victory for Lewis Hamilton ahead of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon. But it would not even begin to tell the story of the 2020 Bahrain grand prix.

The race was immediately brought to stop after only three corners. From the wide shot it appeared that a car had made impact with the outside barrier on turn three and burst into flames. It was a sight highly uncommon in Formula 1. It was soon confirmed that the driver involved was Romain Grosjean. Due to the seriousness of the crash and a lack of immediate information on the driver’s conditions no replays were shown of the incident. Several moments later however the broadcast cameras picked up Grosjean being assisted away from the scene by Dr. Ian Roberts and medical car driver Alan van der Merwe.

With Grosjean seemingly without serious injury the replays were broadcast. The horrific images revealed that the Haas had split into upon impact and that the front section had pierced the steel barrier. The medical car, which always follows the field at the start of a race, stopped at the scene moments later. Ian Roberts ran towards the raging flames as marshals and Alan van der Merwe attempted to douse the fire with extinguishers. Dr. Roberts later reported that the fire extinguisher pushed the flames back just enough for him to assist Grosjean over what was left of the barrier. As it were Grosjean was in the burning car for roughly twenty seconds before being able to pull himself out. He suffered second-degree burns on his hands and some burns to his left foot. Dr. Roberts also reported that the visor on Grosjean’s was melted. It is believed that the impact of the car with the barrier was registered at 221km/h and 53G.

From the monocoque, to the safety belts, to the fireproof overalls everything worked in unison in the crash to allow Grosjean to walk away with only minor injuries. And there was one other piece of equipment that ensured his survival, the Halo. The burnt monocoque was unrecognizable but clearly showed the halo head protection system completely intact. From early assessments, by Ross Brawn and others, it is clear that the Halo had played a significant role in saving Romain Grosjean’s life. There should never again be a discussion about the Halo’s inclusion in the sport and any and all detractors would be best served by keeping their asinine opinions to themselves.

The red flag lasted from more than an hour as track workers replaced the destroyed barrier. The race barely got underway before the safety car was called upon. This time it was Lance Stroll who found himself upside down in the Racing Point after a coming together with Dannil Kvyat. Thankfully, Stroll was uninjured. Racing resumed with Hamilton in the lead and Verstappen in second.

The Merc driver was able to maintain a gap of around four seconds to the Red Bull for most of the race. Verstappen made a late pitstop for fresh tyres and an attempt at the fastest lap. Sergio Perez had been running solidly in third for the majority of the race but was forced into retirement with only three laps to go. As it were Albon inherited third place.

McLaren completed a good day at the office with Lando Norris in fourth and Carlos Sainz in fifth. The Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly was sixth ahead of Ricciardo in seventh. Bottas, who had suffered an early puncture, was eighth while Ocon and Leclerc was ninth and tenth.

As fans of the sport we always hope for a spectacle, an edge-of-the-seat race that gets the heart pumping. But on this occasion the anti-climax at the end of it was welcomed. Absolute safety in F1 can never be guaranteed. But because of the work that has been done by the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart, Prof. Sid Watkins, Alex Wurz, and so many others Romain Grosjean was able to walk away from a horrifying crash. We owe all of them the greatest debt of gratitude.

November 30, 2020
F1 2020: Turkish Gp Review – Hamilton, 7 times World Champion

At 2004 Belgian grand prix Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher became a seven times Formula 1 world champion. There was seemingly no end to the Schumacher/Ferrari behemoth and there was certainly no fathomable thought that one day the record could be matched.

Sixteen years later we stand in a moment that has seen Schumacher’s record equaled by Lewis Hamilton. The British drove as brilliantly as he ever has to deliver a stellar race victory in Turkey, which has taken him to an incredible seventh world title.

Mercedes and Hamilton may have ultimately climbed onto the top step of the podium in Turkey but it was far from the straightforward stroll to victory that most have become accustomed too. Saturday belonged very much to Lance Stroll as the Canadian driver snatched a breathtaking pole position in treacherously slippery conditions. His Racing Point teammate Sergio Perez was third on the grid while Max Verstappen was second quickest. As the race settled and Stroll pulled away to the tune of more than a second a lap Seb Vettel emerged in fourth from eleventh on the grid. The Ferrari seemed to come alive in the wet conditions as he easily held of Hamilton for the better part of the race. Meanwhile Valtteri Bottas’s afternoon is best forgotten as the Finn swapped ends at least four times in the race. As if to add insult to serious embarrassment Bottas was also eventually lapped by teammate Hamilton.

A rare mistake from Hamilton allowed Alex Albon and his Red Bull teammate Verstappen through into fourth and fifth with Stroll building a lead of more than ten seconds over the chasing pack after the first round of stops. It was during this phase of the race that Red Bull looked easily the favourites to win the race. Nevertheless, a rash decision from Verstappen to attempt an overtake on Perez around the outside of turn 11 sent the Dutchman into a spin and needing to pit for new intermediate tyres.

By lap 29 it was clear that the Racing Points were struggling with overheated inters as Albon, Vettel, and Hamilton quickly eroded the gap to the leaders. Stroll’s dilemma became greater the more the track dried. However, it wasn’t dry enough for slick tyres forcing just about everyone to fit new intermediate tyres in the second pitstop phase. But as Stroll faded dramatically from contention Hamilton and Perez persevered on the worn inters. But it was Hamilton who clearly had the better pace as he swept into the lead of the race and drove off into the distance.

Ferrari’s good pace was underlined by Charles Leclerc who charged into third place in the final few laps of the race. The Monegasque driver challenged Perez for second but failed to make the move stick and ran wide at turn 12. The mistake allowed Vettel, easily one of the best drivers of the day, into third while a disappointed Leclerc finished fourth. Carlos Sainz delivered an excellent drive into fifth for McLaren as Verstappen and Albon had to be content with sixth and seventh overall. Lando Norris made it a double points score for McLaren in eighth as pole-sitter and early race leader Stroll trundled home in a disappointing ninth. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo scored the final point on offer in tenth.

The Turkish grand prix, its exceptionally slippery track surface, the wet weather and an on point Lewis Hamilton combined to deliver an unforgettable race. Eventually, Hamilton recovered from being a pitstop behind, wore his intermediate tyres down to slicks and won the race by a staggering 30 seconds. After fourteen seasons in the sport and 93 wins it was brilliant a drive as Silverstone in 2008 or Hungary in 2013 or Germany 2018. And there’s no sign that the motivation or the hunger is waning.

The perennial ‘who is the greatest of all time’ debate is sure to carry on. Is it any of Fangio, or Lauda, or Senna, or Schumacher? Or is it Lewis Hamilton? The answer is startlingly easy. It is none of them and all of them. In each of their respective eras these giants of the sport have defined Formula 1. There is no singular greatest driver of all time for the simple fact that all of these monumental achievements merit respect and reverence. Not least of all are the immense feats of one Lewis Hamilton. We are all indelibly privileged to bear witness to this greatness.

November 16, 2020
F1 2020: Turkish Gp Preview – Return to Istanbul Park

If you are a fairly new fan of Formula 1 you may not be all that familiar with the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey. The anti-clockwise circuit, designed by Herman Tilke, was first introduced in 2005. Due to the worldwide pandemic it makes it’s re-introduction to the calendar for the first time since 2011.

F1 has moved on a fair bit since the last Turkish grand prix. Aside from the worldwide pandemic making short work of the official race calendar much has changed in the sport that never sleeps. For one 2011 would have seen the sport in the thick of the Red Bull and Seb Vettel period of domination with Mercedes trundling around as nothing more than midfield contenders. There would be no inkling of a Max Verstappen nor a Charles Leclerc let alone the suggestion that Vettel himself would pull up stakes and swop Red Bull for Ferrari red. The turbo-hybrid era too was still a few years off as in 2011 F1 cars were still being pushed around the circuits of the world by a screaming V8. Heck not only was Lewis Hamilton still a McLaren driver but he had just one championship title under his belt.

Along with Malaysia’s Sepang circuit the 5.3 km Turkish circuit is widely regarded as some of track designer Tilke’s best work in F1. Turn one is akin to Brazil’s Senna S and has been compared to Laguna Seca’s corkscrew albeit with a slightly less dramatic dip. The famed turn 8 is a quadruple-apex left-hander that truly tested not only the prowess of an F1 car but also the commitment of the driver. In 2020 the once fearsome turn 8 will be far easier to negotiate for the modern F1 car. In fact, the expectation is for the cars to blast flat out around turn 8. Nevertheless, the circuit does present several overtaking opportunities and DRS too will have a bigger impact, especially when used on the back strait.

The first race in 2005 was won by then McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen. One year later a 19-year-old Vettel made his F1 debut in a 2006 practice session for BMW Sauber. 2006 was also the year in which Felipe Massa earned his first pole position and race win and proceeded to take three wins in a row around the Istanbul Park. A few years later in 2010 Vettel, now at Red Bull, would dramatically crash with teammate Mark Webber.

It is very much a foregone conclusion that Mercedes go into the weekend as the favourites for victory. Last time out at Imola has already seen the team claim a record-breaking seventh constructor’s title and this weekend presents the first opportunity for Hamilton to clinch a seventh driver’s championship title.

The permutations are straightforward for Hamilton too. Currently, the six-time champion holds an 84-point lead over teammate Valtteri Bottas with a maximum of 104 points still on the table. Hamilton needs only to finish ahead of teammate Bottas to be crowned world champion. Bottas, as the only driver able to ‘challenge’ for the title, must outscore Hamilton by eight points to move the fight for the championship on to the next race. Stranger things have certainly happened in the past. However, barring unreliability it is difficult to imagine that Hamilton won’t leave Turkey as a seven times world champion.

November 11, 2020
F1 2020: Portugal Gp Preview – Primed for Portimao

The Circuit Algarve, known casually as Portimao, is the newest venue to makes its 2020 debut as Formula 1 heads to Portugal for the first time since the 1996 grand prix around the famous Estoril circuit.

Portimao is well known to World SBK (Superbike) fans which has been on the championship calendar since 2008. Designed by Ricardo Pina the track has hosted several motorsport series including A1 Gp, the Le Mans Series, FIA GT and World Touring Car Championship, and an F1 winter test back in 2009.

At 4.7 kilometers in length the undulating nature of the Portuguese circuit is comparable to Belgium’s Spa-Franchorchamps and Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. The circuit width should present the opportunity for some overtaking but it is unlikely to be race that overwhelmed by the number of positions changes. The lap will be a quick one due to the flowing nature of the layout and the slipstreaming effect should play a fairly big role too. The downhill braking in some sections and blind entry in others should be a test for drivers.

There is little that suggests anything other than a Mercedes win this weekend. So dominant has the team been in 2020 that development has ceased on the W11 in favour of focusing all their attention of 2021. A mammoth 180 lead over Red Bull in the constructor’s standings has made Mercedes decision to shift its focus to next year’s car all the more obvious and comfortable. There is some reliability concern however given Valtteri Bottas’s retirement at the Nurburgring being related to the power unit. Nevertheless, with a 69-point lead over Bottas it is rather when and not if Lewis Hamilton will wrap up title number seven.

The race towards the driver’s title may be over bar the shouting but the midfield battle is as tight as it has been at any point in 2020. A scant eleven points is all that covers five drivers from Sergio Perez (68) in fifth through to Lance Stroll (57) in ninth. Add into the mix Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz, in tenth and eleventh, only a handful of points adrift and it’s clear that the midfield is by far the most intriguing on-track battle. The mid-field has already produced numerous scintillating dices and given how close it is, on pace, between the likes of Racing Point, McLaren, and Alpha Tauri it promises to be the most exhilarating watching too.

October 21, 2020
F1 2020: Eifel Gp Review – Hamilton equals win record

With visits to Mugello and the Nurburgring it is all but confirmed that old school circuits far outclass the passionless supermarket car parks that pass as F1 circuits these days.

The Nurburgring, back in the line-up for the first time since 2013, is a proper challenge to car and driver with the peril of gravel lurking just beyond the edge of the circuit. Friday’s practice sessions were cancelled to due fog and the subsequent inability of the medical helicopter to fly should it be needed. The absence of running on Friday, and extremely cold conditions, heightened the challenge on an already highly technical circuit.

Nevertheless, Valtteri Bottas was able to secure pole position ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc drove an outstanding lap too to qualify fourth fastest for Ferrari. Saturday morning also brought the announcement that Lance Stroll would be unable to drive for the rest of the weekend due to illness, not Covid related. In stepped super-sub Nico Hulkenberg who had subbed for Checo Perez at Silverstone several races ago.

Miraculously, the rain held off for all of Sunday which left Bottas a clear run into turn one. He momentarily lost the lead to Hamilton but steamed around the outside of turn one to retake P1 while Verstappen followed behind in third. Bottas’s aggression came as a bit of surprise given his reputation of not getting his elbows out when it matters most. Unfortunately, the Finn’s ascendency was short-lived as he locked up into turn one on lap 13 and allowed Hamilton into the lead of the race. While Verstappen was keeping relatively close in third the top three quickly gapped fourth placed Leclerc. The lofty heights of fourth have been uncharted territory for Ferrari in 2020 and it didn’t last very long at the Nurburgring either as Daniel Ricciardo quickly dispatched of Leclerc. It was even worse for Vettel who spun off at turn one while running outside of the points. Vettel was forced into the pits to get rid of his flat-spotted tyres while Kimi Raikkonen, in his 323^rd race, locked up into turn one and careened into the side of George Russell. The Williams drive was forced into retirement with rear suspension damage while Raikkonen was handed a ten-second penalty for causing a collision.

As if surrendering the lead of the race wasn’t bad enough for Bottas it got a whole lot worse on lap 18 retired from the race with a lack of power. The retirement decimated even the smallest chance that Bottas had to win the title. It did prompt an enticing battle for the final step on the podium with Ricciardo, Lando Norris, and Sergio Perez well within range of snapping it up. While Verstappen was cruising in second Alex Albon’s difficulties at Red Bull continued as he wiped the front-wing off Daniil Kvyat’s car by pulling in front of the Alpha Tauri before being completely clear of him. For what can only be described as a rather embarrassing driver error Albon was given a five-second penalty for the incident. It all came to naught though as he too retired from the grand prix with a mechanical issue. He was followed a lap later by Renault’s Esteban Ocon who retired with a hydraulic failure.

Though Verstappen was able to keep Hamilton within six seconds the gap behind the leading duo was heading towards a minute. Ricciardo, running third, in turn held a healthy gap over Norris but the McLaren driver still fancied his chances at third place. It wasn’t to be though as a sensor issue put paid to his race. Norris’s retirement on lap 44 brought out the safety car and set up a ten-lap sprint to the chequered flag. Hamilton and Verstappen pitted while Ricciardo, Perez, and Sainz too followed suit into the pitlane. The Safety Car was a saving grace for Ricciardo who was facing a near impossible task of keeping Perez, on fresh tyres, at bay.

There was little Verstappen could do in second to challenge Hamilton who secured a record-equaling 91^st race win. Ricciardo’s third place finish is the first for Renault since 2011 while Sergio Perez came home in fourth ahead of Sainz in fifth. Pierre Gasly churned out another solid drive in sixth as Charles Leclerc salvaged seventh for Ferrari. Nico Hulkenberg completed only a handful of laps in qualifying before the race and finished a stunning eighth after qualifying 20^th. Romain Grosjean scored his first points of the season in ninth ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi in tenth. The two former teammates Vettel and Raikkonen finished 11^th and 12^th.

The achievement of Michael Schumacher’s 91 race wins seemed a near impossible record to break. Lewis Hamilton’s win in Germany equals that staggering number but there is no doubt whatsoever that it will be surpassed in the coming weeks. Some will always put the Mercedes forward as the reason for Hamilton’s unfathomable success. They would be right but it simply doesn’t tell the whole story. To maintain the motivation and desire and level of skill that he has must be commended. The Schumacher family too recognized Hamilton’s incredible achievement with a presentation of Schumacher’s 2012 Mercedes helmet by son, Mick Schumacher.

October 15, 2020
F1 2020: Eifel Gp Preview – F1 Returns to Nurburgring

The last time the Formula 1 paddock visited the Nurburgring was in 2013. Back then the sport was vastly different to how it’s known today. For one the sports was still running the 2.4-liter V8 and were standing on the cusp of switching to the hybrid power unit packages still being run now in 2020. There was some expectation that works team would excel in the hybrid era but no one could have foreseen the utter Mercedes dominance that ensued.

In 2013 F1 too was on the eve of welcoming Honda back into the sport after its so stunningly quit the sport three months before the start of the 2009 season. Seven years later it’s rather frightening how history repeats itself. Though they’ve given more notice than they this in 2008 Honda has again announced its intention to leave F1 at the conclusion of the 2022 season. It leaves Red Bull, and Alpha Tauri, without an engine supplier and it also leaves F1 in a difficult spot.

For Red Bull they’ll have to consider whether they want to go knocking on a current manufacturers door or even consider building its own engine. There is peril in both choices. For one they may, and probably will, get turned down by Mercedes and Ferrari as neither would want to provide an engine to a direct competitor. Designing and manufacturing an in-house engine is an enormous financial undertaking not to mention the resources required. And there’s no guarantee that it will work as needed straight away. Case in point is Honda who toiled under extreme pressure and were only able to reap the rewards years later. Heck, even the might of Ferrari’s resources can’t get it right.

If all options are exhausted Red Bull could revert to once again running Renault engines. The split between the pair was anything but amicable and Christian Horner and Cyril Abiteboul have nothing but a hate-hate relationship. However, the Concorde has a provision that just might save Red Bull. It states that the manufacturer who has the least amount of customer teams will be compelled to provide an engine should a team have no other option. In this case it will be Renault which will have no customer teams when McLaren switch to Merc power in 2021. It might be some time before anyone knows what Red Bull’s decision will be.

Back in 2013 it was Sebastian Vettel, on his way to title number four, that stood on the top step at the Nurburgring with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean alongside. It will be some race if those three end up on the podium this weekend. Nevertheless, the Nurburgring is a technical circuit that comprises mostly of high-speed corners and only one or two obvious overtaking opportunities. The level of grip that a 2020 car produces will also shorten the braking distance and even negate some altogether which will make for a exhilarating lap. It may well be even more of an adventure as cold and, potentially wet, weather is predicted for the weekend.

This weekend also marks the 323rd race start of Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 career. It started all the back at the Australian grand epic in 2001 and was followed by glittering stints at McLaren and Ferrari for which he won the world championship in 2007. It also included a deviation to rallying and even some NASCAR in 2010 and 2011. The enigmatic Finn returned to F1 for a two year run at Lotus which was highlighted by a third place finish in the driver’s standings, a slew of podiums, and two memorable wins. The wins were elusive in his return to Ferrari before an outstanding drive secured him victory in Austin in 2018. When most expected him to hang up his gloves off he went to Alfa Romeo.

Though the Ferrari power unit has severely stunted the competitiveness of the Alfa in 2020 Raikkonen has shown that he’s lost none of fire or pace with some outstanding drives this season; not least of all in Mugello. Raikkonen’s so-called imminent retirement has been a story probably the last seven or eight years. And while he is definitely in the twilight of his career his prowess and technical ability means that it’s up to him to call time. But Alfa team boss Fred Vasseur wants the Finn to stay on and it seems likely that the Iceman, easily on the most beloved drivers on the grid, may well line up again in 2021.

October 7, 2020