Tag: red bull

F1 2021: Abu Dhabi Gp Review – Super Max is World Champion

At the first free practice session of the 2014 Japanese grand prix a driver by the name of Max Verstappen stepped into the cockpit of the Toro Rosso. What immediately stood out about the 16-year-old Dutchman was his poise behind the wheel and of course – that prodigious speed.

A year-and-a-half later he stood on the top step of the podium in Spain as the youngest ever race winner. There was some discontent though about Verstappen’s driving style and some even deemed it dangerous. While a case could be made in support of that opinion what also becoming clear was that Verstappen was a revelation. He came into F1 and seemed to be instantaneously in command. Naturally, there were a few mis-steps but it was clear that it would be only a matter of time before Max Verstappen would become world champion.

That day came in Abu Dhabi this past Sunday in a manner most befitting of one of the most memorable, exhilarating, and dramatic F1 season in living memory. From Bahrain to Spain to Monaco to Baku and Brazil the 2021 Formula 1 season has been one lived on the edge of your seat from the first lap of the season until, quite literally, the last.

Thanks to an unbelievable comeback from Lewis Hamilton which saw him win three on the bounce in Brazil, Qatar, and Jeddah, the championship protagonists went into the season-ending Abu Dhabi grand prix equal on points. Max Verstappen threw down the gauntlet by taking pole position on Saturday but the ever-present Hamilton was right alongside him on the front-row of the grid. It was short-lived advantage for Verstappen though as Hamilton aced the start and swept into the lead of the race. But Verstappen wasn’t about to give up and sent a move up the inside of Hamilton at the turn 6 chicane. Though Verstappen kept within the white-lines Hamilton ran off the track and maintained the lead of the race. Most were sure that Hamilton would have to yield the place to Verstappen but race stewards felt otherwise and deemed no investigation necessary.

On soft tyres Verstappen steadily lost time to Hamilton in the opening stint. On lap 13 Verstappen fitted the hard compound tyre which Hamilton too opted for one lap later. It was clear fairly early on that the Hamilton had a definite pace advantage over Verstappen. Red Bull would need to rely on strategy if they were going to have any chance of beating Hamilton. Enter Checo Perez. The Mexican, dragging his Red Bull around on severely worn soft tyres, was told to hold-up Hamilton as much as he could. It seemed for all money that Hamilton would merely breeze past Perez on his fresher tyres but not only did he miraculously hold off Hamilton but Perez did so long enough for Verstappen to close down a nearly seven-second gap to roughly one-and-a-half seconds. But again, Hamilton’s raw pace allowed him to re-build the gap to Verstappen. Perez’s work wouldn’t be in vain however as a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed on lap 36 to recover the stricken Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi.

Hamilton stays out while Verstappen chooses to pit for new hard tyres. He emerges only 17 seconds behind Hamilton and the race is on to catch the race leader. However, somehow Hamilton, a master of tyre conservation, appears to be doing enough to stymie the Verstappen-threat. On lap 53 of 58 the Williams of Nicholas Latifi crashes into the barrier of Turn 14 and it requires a full Safety-Car to be cleaned up safely. Red Bull rolled the strategy dice one more time and brought Verstappen in for fresh soft tyres while Hamilton stayed out. Initially, it appeared that the race would end under the Safety-Car. However, while originally lapped cars were told to hold position, they were then instructed to overtake the Safety-Car as Race Director Michael Masi was set on returning to racing conditions, even if only for one lap. Five lapped cars overtook and left Verstappen right behind Hamilton for the re-start. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff bemoaned Masi’s decision to allow lapped cars to overtake as “unfair”. Verstappen made his move for the lead of the race by diving down the inside of the re-profiled turn 5. He held off Hamilton on the two straits and crossed the finish line to become the 2021 world champion.

Instead of accepting defeat however Mercedes immediately lodged an appeal against the race result by citing that not all lapped cars had overtaken the Safety-Car and therefore the regulation was not adhered to. This after Wolff demanded that the result be counted back one lap in order to hand Hamilton the victory. In the steward’s hearing, which dismissed Mercedes’s protests, it was pointed out that the regulation prescribes that any lapped cars and not all lapped cars can be instructed to overtake. It was further pointed out that the race director is imbued with overriding authority over use of the Safety Car. Still, Mercedes have stated their intent to appeal the steward’s decision.

There is little doubt that the stewards and race director’s decision-making has been ambiguous at many points throughout the season. And there is some scope for understanding why Mercedes feels aggrieved. But then there is scope for pretty much all the teams to have felt aggrieved sometime in the season. The fact is however that the issue of clarity in decision-making must be addressed.

The regulation allowing lapped cars to overtake was brought in for the simple reason that having back-markers amongst the frontrunners could interfere with racing. Case in point, Hamilton would’ve been advantaged by Verstappen having to pass all five lapped cars thereby giving him a leg up.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen’s storied 20-year career came to a close with a wheel-nut failure on lap 29. The 2007 champion bows out after a staggering 349 races, 21 wins, and 105 podiums. He doesn’t leave empty-handed though as his legion of fans around the globe combined to vote the Iceman as Driver-of-the-Day. Perez’s retirement promoted Carlos Sainz to third. The Spaniard, in his first year at Ferrari, beat highly-rated teammate Charles Leclerc to fifth in the final driver’s standings. Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly were fourth and fifth for Alpha Tauri while Valtteri Bottas trundled home in a lowly sixth in his final race for Mercedes. In seventh was Lando Norris ahead of Alpine duo Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in eighth and ninth. Leclerc scored the final point in tenth.

Seven years has been a long time coming for Max Verstappen but there has always been an air of inevitability about it. If there were stand-out moments that genuinely solidified the fact that Verstappen could be champion this year those moments came in France and Texas. The manner in which he drove the in- and out-laps around his pitstop in France was so magnificent that not even Mercedes could understand how they had been undercut. And then there was the defensive drive in Texas. Red Bull had left him with an awful lot of work to do but instead of questioning the team he pumped in the laps and held off a faster Hamilton in true Schumacher-esque style. Oh, and the other eight wins and ten poles helped some too.

In 2014 Max Verstappen arrived in Formula 1 as an uncompromising, self-confident, and blindingly quick teenager. Over the last seven years he has not only become, astonishingly, even quicker but he has also refined into an unquestionably deserved world champion. Goed gedaan Max.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

December 13, 2021
F1 2021: Saudi Arabian Gp Review – Red-flags, Controversy, Penalties, and Chaos

The sheer speed achieved around the Jeddah circuit raised many eyebrows. Add to this that is lined with barriers and you have yourself the perfect ingredients for chaos. And bedlam most definitely ensued. As has been true of the entire 2021 season Hamilton and Verstappen were far and away to biggest story of the race. Here follows a breakdown of events.

Saturday Qualifying – The first run of the Q3 session has Lewis Hamilton in pole with teammate Valtteri Bottas in second with Max Verstappen third. On the final run of the session however Verstappen is flirting with disaster as he skims the walls but is on his way to a stunning pole position. It wouldn’t eventuate though as he clips the wall on the final corner with his right-rear. He starts the race in P3.

Mick Schumacher crash, lap 10 – The Haas drivers crashes heavily into the Tecpro barrier of turn 23. A safety-car is immediately deployed which prompts both Hamilton and Bottas into the pits for hard tyres. Verstappen opts for track position and does not pit. The race is then red-flagged, which Hamilton deems unnecessary. However, since the death of Jules Bianchi, safety protocols dictate that whenever machinery is on track a session will be red-flagged.

Hamilton’s displeasure with the red-flag decision is motivated by the fact that Verstappen, per regulation, is allowed to change tyres under red-flag conditions. A rule Hamilton himself benefitted from earlier in the year at Imola.

From a standing-start Hamilton gets the better of Verstappen but the Red Bull driver cuts across the turn ½ runoff area and takes the lead. Hamilton clashes with Ocon and loses another place to the Alpine. Chaos ensues behind bringing to an end Perez, Russell, and the second Haas driver’s races. With a sea of carbon fibre littering the track another red-flag is shown.

Race director Michael Masi gives Red Bull the opportunity to drop behind Hamilton for the restart following Verstappen’s cutting on the chicane. This has been noted as controversial by some but is no different than race-control instructing a team to return a position on-track. Red Bull accept and Verstappen drops to third on the grid with Ocon now in P1.

Crucially, Verstappen takes the re-start on new medium tyres while Hamilton remains on hards. It works a treat as Verstappen pulls off a sublime move into turn 1 to take the lead of the race. Hamilton momentarily falls behind Ocon but is back into P2 by lap 22.

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 05: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B , leads Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, and Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12 during the Saudi Arabia GP at Jeddah Street Circuit on Sunday December 05, 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images)

Virtual Safety Cars – On lap 24 Yuki Tsunoda clashes with Seb Vettel in turn 1 and strews debris over the track, prompting the VSC. On lap 30 another VSC is needed this time to collect more debris from a clash between Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel. Racing resumes on lap 33 with Hamilton within DRS range of Verstappen. However, the canny Dutchman stretches his advantage just enough in sector-1 to ensure he stays ahead. On lap 36 another VSC is called on to collect debris that had fallen off Vettel’s wounded Aston Martin.

Lap 37 – Hamilton is closer than ever on the main-strait and makes his move. Verstappen brakes late and again cuts across the run-off of turn1/2. Verstappen is instructed to give the place back to Hamilton and he slows on the back part of the track to do just that. However, because Hamilton doesn’t want to get to the DRS activation point first, thereby giving Verstappen DRS, he too, bizarrely, brakes and runs into the back of Verstappen.

Hamilton would allege that Verstappen had brake-tested him, while Mercedes would say that Hamilton was ‘confused’ about what was happening. The question remains however as to why Hamilton would not overtake a slowing car? The answer we now know is DRS. Laughably, Verstappen was given a post-race 10-second penalty for the incident, which did nothing to the final classification.

Lap 42 – Hamilton is back on Verstappen’s gearbox and makes a pass into turn 1. Again, Verstappen cuts across the run-off and maintains the lead. Verstappen then gives the place back to Hamilton but, peculiarly, still incurs a five-second penalty. To say that race control was a bit shambolic on the day wouldn’t be completely untrue.

To the end – Verstappen, with diffuser damage and worn medium tyres, nurses his Red Bull home in second place. Hamilton’s win means that both championship protagonists head into the finale this weekend equal on points. Verstappen still leads the championship by virtue of more race wins.

Third and fourth were Bottas and Ocon as the Finn just pipped the Alpine to the podium. In fifth was Daniel Ricciardo as Gasly, Leclerc, Sainz, Giovinazzi, and Norris occupied the rest of the top ten places.

The Saudi Arabian Gp could not have delivered a more chaotic and controversial race if it tried. And regardless of who has your loyalty and support it should be recognized that as fans of F1 it is an utter privilege to be living through one of the most intense and fascinating seasons in living memory.

December 6, 2021
F1 2021: Saudi Arabia Gp Preview – Into the Mix

In 2021 Formula 1 has served up what is easily going to be one of the most memorable seasons in the last two decades. With breath-taking racing on-track F1 and commercial rights holder, Liberty Media, has also taken F1 to venues that have never before formed part of the calendar. Some of those venues, over the last two years, have produced inspired racing while other additions have raised some eyebrows.

There will be no beating around the proverbial bush in acknowledging that this weekend’s race in Saudi Arabia is a controversial addition to the calendar. The vociferous debate around Saudi Arabia’s human rights, and women’s rights, are, arguably, the most prominent issues within which there exists stern opposition. These issues are as pressing and vital to address as any other. But the reality is that it is not only Saudi Arabia which is a controversial venue for F1. Countries such as Bahrain, Russia, Hungary, even China continue to form part of the calendar despite their own questionable approaches to human rights and equality. Stefano Domenicalli, group CEO of F1, has stated that his hope that is to stimulate a conversation around these issues by bringing a global sport to these countries.

In the meantime, the show will go on around what is being billed at the world’s fastest street circuit. As the second longest track on the 2021 calendar the Jeddah Corniche circuit’s 6.175 km will three DRS zones and run for a total of 50 laps in Sunday’s race. The track, divided into a hefty 27 turns, is a high-speed rollercoaster through the floodlit streets on the shores of the Red Sea. Due to its flowing, high-speed nature most of the corners are likely to be driven at full throttle with an estimated top speed being set at 322 kph. To illustrate the high-speed nature of this circuit computer simulations put the average speed of a lap around 252 kph.

It begs the question then as to whether this track will suit Mercedes or Ferrari? Throughout the season high-speed circuit have been the bread-and-butter of Mercedes. What’s more, Mercedes is also expected to fit Hamilton’s fresh Brazil engine to his car. This will undoubtedly give Hamilton an advantage in terms of horse power. Couple this with Mercedes’ and Hamilton’s form over the last few race weekends and you have yourself a team and driver sitting somewhat pretty. Nevertheless, if anything is known of Max Verstappen and Red Bull it is they won’t go quietly, if at all. After all, one of the biggest flubs of this entire season has been believing that one track will suit either Mercedes or Red Bull only to show up and be proven categorically wrong. Circuit designer Herman Tilke believes that a powerful engine would help but that the fast corners could give Red Bull the advantage. But comments and computer simulations are just that – speculation. And as the stop watch never lies it’s only on-track on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that will reveal the truth of each car and driver’s performance.

As it stands Max Verstappen will start the weekend with an eight-point lead over Lewis Hamilton. Mathematically, Verstappen could clinch the title this weekend. However, unlikely this permutation is what we have learned from F1 2021 is not to rule out anything. Nevertheless, it remains a fairly unlikely outcome. And should Hamilton win, and score an extra point for fastest lap, with Verstappen in second place it will move the championship fight on to Abu Dhabi with both drivers equal on points. Spicy indeed.

November 29, 2021
F1 2021: Brazilian Gp Review – Hamilton Produces Epic Drive

Max Verstappen’s win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi grand prix in 2020 provided a little hint that Red Bull may be able to fight Mercedes come 2021, especially since the regulations stayed mostly stable. But the 2021 season, so far, has turned out to be far beyond the wildest expectations of most F1 fans.

And as if determined to write its own dramatic chapter into the history books of 2021 the famed Interlagos circuit hosted an incredible Brazilian grand prix weekend. The sprint format was called upon again, which meant that running was reduced to only two practice sessions. As the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton hit the track the FIA documentation confirmed that car number 44 would start five places lower on the grid from where he qualified due to fitting a new internal combustion engine. It wasn’t ideal, but also not the end of the world given the that the circuit is significantly easy to overtake on than at last week’s Mexican grand prix.

It wouldn’t be the only setback for Hamilton and Mercedes though as a technical rule infringement sent him to the very back of the grid for the start of the Saturday sprint qualifying race. The infringement centered on the rear-wing DRS flap and the slot gap, which was found not be at the compulsory 85 mm when in operation. It felt team principal fuming and uncharacteristically disparaging. Nevertheless, there was a job to be done and Hamilton had to do it.

What followed from Hamilton was a mesmerizing 24-lap exhibition of overtaking. While Valtteri Bottas got the jump on Max Verstappen and held off the Red Bull driver to win the Sprint Hamilton carved his way through the field to finish a highly impressive tenth. But if Saturday’s performance was impressive then what he delivered on Sunday was breathtaking. The ‘Still We Rise’ mantra, a play on a famed Maya Angelou poem, has adorned his helmet for several years now but this weekend he truly exemplified it. By lap five of the race, he had already carved his way through the field, from tenth to fourth. He eased into third with some assistance from Bottas and set off after the Red Bulls. The Safety-Car was deployed on lap 6 as debris littered turn 1 after a more-than-ambitious move from Yuki Tsunoda resulted in a clash with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Cognizant of Hamilton’s prodigious straight-line speed Verstappen would have to be smart about the restart, which he left until the very last to nullify the slipstream effect, at least temporarily. Two laps later the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) would deploy, this time to gather up debris from Mick Schumacher, who lost his front-wing.

Racing resumed on lap 15 and Hamilton took only three laps to close the gap to Perez. The Mexican did all he can to hold off Hamilton, even re-overtaking him into turn 4, but Hamilton returned the favour a lap later and was into second place. Verstappen had built around a four second gap at this stage and Hamilton wasn’t making as much in-roads. Instead, Mercedes called Hamilton into the pits on lap 27 to affect the undercut. Verstappen responded with his own stop a lap later and emerged in the lead of the race but with Hamilton now only 1.5 seconds behind.

Another VSC was needed on lap 30, this time to collect debris falling off Stroll’s car. The gap between Verstappen and Hamilton hovered around the one-second mark until Verstappen stopped for the hard compound tyre on lap 41. Hamilton stayed out for three more laps before making. His stop on lap 44. Again, he emerged, again, just behind Verstappen. He was soon within DRS range and on-board graphics showed a 30 kph advantage in Hamilton’s favour over Verstappen. On lap 48 Hamilton attempted a move around the outside of Verstappen in turn 4, but both ran off track as the Dutchman opened his steering and defended the position. While race stewards noted the move, no investigation was deemed necessary and thus Verstappen got no penalty. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Hamilton fan who’d agree with the steward’s decision just as you’d struggle to find a Verstappen fan who sees anything wrong with the move. But, in reality, the move was on the edge of deserving a penalty. In fact, Verstappen should feel like he got away with one for that move. Nevertheless, everyone would rather see it chalked up to hard racing that decided with penalties.

Eventually, Hamilton would take the lead of the race on lap 59 and sailed off into the distance. Meanwhile, Verstappen cruised home in second knowing that he didn’t have the pace to challenge Hamilton. Third-place finisher Bottas benefited from the Schumacher-VSC with a cheap pitstop and jumped Perez, ultimately fourth, through the pitstop phase. The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fifth and sixth ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly in seventh. Esteban Ocon scored his first points in Brazil with a fine eighth place finish in front of Alpine teammate Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Lando Norris in tenth.

Fan or not, Hamilton’s performance in Brazil deserves all of the praise and recognition. It was a stunning performance against a seemingly insurmountable task and it should be celebrated for the breathtaking drive it was. Three races remain in 2021 and what has gone before shows that whether it is Verstappen or Hamilton who walk away with the big prize both would be deserved of the 2021 crown.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

November 15, 2021
F1 2021: Mexican Gp Review – Verstappen at a canter

In the greater scope of 2021, the Mexican Grand Prix will not be remembered for producing the most exhilarating on-track racing.

At the head of the field the lack of edge-of-your-seat entertainment was due to Max Verstappen’s utter dominance of proceedings. At least in part. Mercedes would’ve been buoyed with a front row lockout in Saturday qualifying by Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. But the elation was short lived as the start of the race saw Verstappen take full advantage of the slipstream. Add to that a lot more bravery on the brakes than the Merc pair and you had Verstappen sailing around the outside of both of them in turn one.

The double overtake in turn one would be the hardest that Verstappen would work all afternoon as he disappeared into the distance. If losing the lead at lights out wasn’t bad enough for Bottas he was also tapped into a spin, at the first corner, by McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo. While most of the blame for the clash would ordinarily be attributed to Ricciardo Bottas braked so early into turn one that it likely caught Ricciardo off guard. Speculation abounds as to why Bottas braked so inexplicably early, with the chief theory being to allow Hamilton through. Whatever the reason just as in Hungary Bottas’s lack of courage at crucial moments has again made him the master of his own downfall.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 07: Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, 3rd position, and Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, celebrate with Champagne during the Mexican GP at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday November 07, 2021 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images)

Though qualifying presented Mercedes as rapid it was not the case in race trim. Hamilton and Merc were planless as Verstappen disappeared into the distance. It is a staggering observation that Hamilton, once not in the lead of a race, transforms into a sullen driver seemingly not able to unleash the experience and talent of a driver many cite as the ‘greatest of all time’. There’s no question that Hamilton would’ve pushed his car in the race. But where is the impossible result seemingly conjured from nothing? The greatest champions have always been defined by winning races they has no business winning. But this does not appear to be in the make-up of Lewis Hamilton. While he is an incredible front-runner it just doesn’t seem like it will be enough in 2021. Mind you, there is still a long way to go with a heck of a lot of points on the table. But as it stands there’s not much coming from Hamilton that suggests he has any answer for Verstappen. And that is one of the most surprising narratives of the season.

There is nothing like home support and there is nothing like Checo Perez racing in front of a fervent Mexican crowd. The spectators created a colourful cacophony of support for Perez who became the first ever Mexican driver to lead the Mexican Grand Prix and to stand on the podium. For a while it looked for all money that Perez would take second but Hamilton just held on to the position in the closing stages of the race. Nevertheless, it was a day and a scene that Perez won’t soon forget.

In fourth Pierre Gasly ran a fairly anonymous but still impressive race. The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz was fifth and sixth with an important haul of points over McLaren for third in the constructor’s championship. Seb Vettel was seventh for Aston Martin ahead of former teammate and current Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen in eighth. Fernando Alonso was ninth ahead of Lando Norris who fought his way through from the back of the grid after serving having served penalties for a power unit change.

In a bid to nick one point off Verstappen Mercedes pitted Bottas for fresh tyres at the end of the race and ensured fastest lap. It was scant consolation for Bottas who finished a lowly fifteenth.

The day belonged to an imperious Max Verstappen who cantered to yet another victory in 2021. Nineteen points is the gap to Hamilton and some would suggest that the writing might be on the wall. But Verstappen himself would be the first to tamp down any such proclamations. This version of Verstappen is not only blindingly quick but also calmness personified. There’s little doubt that he is ready and able to be a world champion.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

November 8, 2021
F1 2021: Mexican Gp Preview – Advantage Red Bull?

Not too long ago a Formula 1 season would have run its course by this point of the year. Several years ago, the final race on the calendar would just sneak into the month of November and a couple of year before that it ended even earlier in October. But in 2021 the racing is far from over with five more races to go, including this weekend’s Mexican grand prix.

The stunning venue of Mexico City, and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, has been a welcome stop on the F1 calendar since 2015. Previously, the circuit had hosted F1 as the season finale in the early 60s. Situated in one of the world’s most vibrant cities the circuit stands out for its positioning nearly 2 kilometers above sea level and for the end of the lap, which is situated within the raucous Foro Sol stadium section.

All drivers are likely to have their supporters amongst the crowd but the majority of the boisterous and colourful Mexican crowd will be cheering on Checo Perez. He arrives at his home race this year with his best opportunity of being on the podium, if not winning. It has been a difficult year of adjusting to the demands of the Red Bull car for the popular Mexican driver but there have been some moments and performances that have validated his re-signing, by Red Bull, for 2022. Not least of all his defense against Lewis Hamilton just two weeks ago in Texas while in a severely compromised physical state. And if ever there has been a moment for Checo to shine in 2021 this race, in his beloved Mexico, would be it.

Due to its positioning high above sea level the Mexican track has, since its return, always been one that has suited the Red Bull package. At exactly 2285 meters above sea level the lower concentration of oxygen has a big impact not only on power unit performance but also on the aerodynamics of the car as the thinner air provides less downforce.

The 4.3 km circuit too has a few overtaking opportunities available to drivers. The 1.2 kilometer run to turn 1 on the first lap is nearly always dramatic as the slipstream allows for a lot of overtaking. A shortish sequence of corners follows the long strait and promotes wheel-to-wheel racing before opening up into a second, longish, strait.

F1 last visited Mexico in 2019 and Hamilton and Verstappen were in vastly different places two years ago. Hamilton’s 2019 win from then-Ferrari driver Seb Vettel took him a decisive step closer to his seventh title while Verstappen finished sixth after a first-lap clash with Hamilton and another clash, a few laps later with Valtteri Bottas. And that, after he had been stripped of pole position for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying. But Verstappen arrives this weekend a far different driver. Aside from turning Red Bull’s nigh-impossible strategy into race-winning gold in Texas there is an inherent calmness about Verstappen’s demeanour. Not much appears to faze him and he has been able to maintain an incredibly high level of performance throughout the entire year. Barring accident or reliability, there is nothing to suggest that fans are not going to be treated to yet another breathtaking showdown between Verstappen and Hamilton.

There’s no doubt that Hamilton and Mercedes will be pushing as hard as they can to win this weekend. And they need to. Because if Verstappen walks away from Mexico with another win under his belt the writing might just be on the wall for the reigning world champions

November 5, 2021
F1 2021: US Gp Review – Masterful Max Wins in Texas

With six wins under his belt around the Circuit of the Americas Lewis Hamilton has earned the nickname, King of CoTA. For six years it’s been a Mercedes stronghold but in 2021 a superb drive from Max Verstappen gained the Dutchman a famous victory.

The Texas based race is renowned for its pomp and circumstance and it seemed even more lavish this year. The US Grand Prix returned to the F1 calendar for the first time since 2019 and it made hay while the sun shone. An estimated total of 400,000 fans packed into the grandstands throughout the weekend and were treated to an enthralling and intense battle between the top two in the title fight.

Verstappen’s Saturday pole position was short lived as Hamilton, starting second, swept into the lead of the race as the lights went out. But the Merc didn’t scamper off into the distance. Verstappen, with teammate Sergio Perez in third, was able to stick behind the Merc for all of the opening stint of the race.

High temperatures and an abrasive track surface combined to make tyre degradation the most important factor of the day. It would mean that calling the right strategy could be the difference between winning or losing. Rather than be reactive to Mercedes, Red Bull boldly called in Verstappen on lap 11. The team triggered the undercut and it gained Verstappen track position as Hamilton emerged from his stop, three laps later, around six seconds adrift.

By every indication Hamilton appeared to have the quicker car and was closing down Verstappen fairly quickly. But again, Red Bull pulled the trigger early on the second round of pitstops and called Verstappen in on lap 29. Hamilton extended his stint even further this time around and only dove into the pitlane on lap 37. He emerged in second, roughly eight seconds behind the race leader. With tyres eight laps younger than Verstappen’s the writing seemed to be on the wall. This was further compounded by Verstappen’s loss of around four seconds as he tried to lap several back-markers. With ten laps to go and a three-second gap to Verstappen it seemed inevitable that Hamilton would re-take the lead of the race.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 24: Race winner Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing, second placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, third placed Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing and Masashi Yamamoto of Honda celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on October 24, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

But Verstappen was not about to surrender without a fight. Despite Hamilton’s fresher tyres and the Mercedes’s top-speed advantage, Verstappen held off the 7-time champion. Of his now 18 career wins this one in Texas will rank high up on the list. Not only did Verstappen execute a bold and aggressive strategy by Red Bull but held off a much quicker Lewis Hamilton in stellar execution of tyre management and shrewd driving.

Sergio Perez completed a double podium for Red Bull in third but found himself significantly behind the top two. A problem with his drinks bottle meant the Mexican had no liquid refreshment throughout a very hot race. Perez confirmed that he was starting to lose some strength, and likely concentration, in the middle of his second stint. He was visibly depleted post-race which makes his third-place finish all the more impressive.

In a fairly lonely but no less impressive drive Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari ahead of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo in fifth. Valtteri Bottas, suffered yet another engine change and grid penalty from which he never truly recovered. The Finn started ninth and was sixth by the chequered flag. Former teammates Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris were seventh and eighth while Yuki Tsunoda, ninth, and Seb Vettel, tenth, scored the final points on offer.

It was a tumultuous day for Fernando Alonso who came off second best to Kimi Raikkonen in a spicey exchange into turn 1 that saw both loss some bodywork. For all his troubles the day would eventually end in retirement for the Spanish driver. Esteban Ocon too retired from the race along with Pierre Gasly. Raikkonen was running well in tenth and putting pressure on Tsunoda for ninth when a spin scuppered his chances of a points finish.

The win in Texas is unlikely to be the decisive moment of the championship fight between Verstappen and Hamilton. But what is unequivocally true is that Hamilton has never been pushed as much as he has in 2021. Verstappen’s win sees his points lead extend to 12 points over Hamilton with five races to go. Max Verstappen’s drive to win the US Gp should live long in the memory banks as his most mature yet. What’s more, there is no inkling that he’s about to let up either.

October 25, 2021
F1 2021: USA Gp Preview – Battle Renews in Texas

Only five rounds remain in the 2021 season and just who will walk away as champion is as unclear as it was at the first race of the year.

This weekend Formula 1 is in Austin, Texas for the 17th round of season. The Circuit of the Americas has proved a popular one amongst fans and drivers since its introduction in 2012. F1 returns to the US for the first time since 2019 following a Covid-induced absence from last year’s calendar. F1 also returns to North America on the heels of the news that Miami has entered into the fray as a Grand Prix host for 2022.

As the US eyes up a big piece of the F1 pie the battle raging between Red Bull and Mercedes and Verstappen and Hamilton seems to have been balanced on a knife edge since the opening of the season in mid-March. Hamilton’s exercise in damage limitation at the Turkish Grand Prix could’ve gone slightly better however he will arrive in Texas at a circuit where he excels. With six wins around this track and without any penalties, as it stands, there is every expectation that he’ll start the weekend as favourite for the top step of the podium. But this season has been like few others for Hamilton. Over the last several seasons the second half of the year is, traditionally, when Hamilton would hit a level that previously made him all but unbeatable. But this hasn’t been the case in 2021 and the relentlessness which has previously been synonymous with Hamilton simply isn’t present. Nevertheless, there is still a handful of races to go and Hamilton is expected to raise the bar once more.

What also cannot be ignored is the engine issues that Mercedes have been struggling with over the last few months. The issues, seemingly contained to the internal combustion engine, has already forced two replacements on Valtteri Bottas’s side of the garage. And one of the engines replaced ran only 931 km before giving up the ghost. It’ll be an area of particular focus for Mercedes in the run towards the end of the season. In a championship as closely contested as 2021 all fingers are crossed that unreliability does not have a say in the ultimate outcome.

Despite Hamilton’s grand record around the Circuit of the Americas the Red Bull should perform especially well in the first sector of the lap. It’s high-speed sweeping turns, akin the sector one of Suzuka and the Maggots-Becketts complex at Silverstone, will emphasize the aero proficiency of the Red Bull. With the weather set fair for the weekend it’s likely to come down to the smallest of margins yet again. Teammates, Bottas and Perez, also become ever more vital not only in terms of support for Hamilton and Verstappen in qualifying, but also to serve as a potential obstacle where strategy comes into play.

Given the high-speed nature of the track Ferrari are not expected to feature as prominently. McLaren on the other hand, now powered by Mercedes, and with an in-form Lando Norris could drive home the advantage over constructor rivals Ferrari.

Six points is all that separates Verstappen from Hamilton at the top of the driver’s standings. It’s a thin margin that continues to ebb and flow between the pair. And it simply wouldn’t be Formula 1 in 2021 if there wasn’t at least a few more twist.

October 21, 2021
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