Tag: renault

F1 2020: Russian Gp Review – Hamilton own goal lets Bottas In

Since its introduction to the F1 calendar in 2014 the Russian grand prix has never really set the racing world alight. It wasn’t really any different in 2020 either as the 53 lap race petered out to a bit of a damp squib.

There was some commotion before lights out as stewards investigated pole sitter Lewis Hamilton for failing to follow the race director’s instructions, specifically article 19.2 of the event notes. As it were the Mercedes driver twice conducted practice start outside of the designated area at the exit of the pitlane. Though it took some time to examine Hamilton was given two five second penalties for each infringement. The effective ten-second penalty was served at Hamilton’s one and only pitstop of the race.

The opening stint of the race, led by Hamilton, made it clear though that he more than had the pace to hold off teammate Valtteri Bottas and Verstappen. But for a minor annoyance of Bottas trying to take the lead Hamilton led easily off the line and was seemingly able to up his pace at will. Several drivers didn’t make it to the end of lap one including Carlos Sainz who clipped the barrier at turn 2 when trying to rejoin and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll who had tangled with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The safety car was deployed to clear the track of debris and the reset could’ve been a good opportunity for Bottas to snatch the lead off Hamilton but the Finn isn’t exactly known for bold or aggressive or really any type of moves especially not against his Mercedes teammate.

The race re-started and after only one lap Hamilton had pulled a gap of 1.5 seconds over Bottas. Nevertheless, the ten-second penalty still loomed over Hamilton and was sure to drop him out of contention. In fact it dropped Hamilton to third and though he delivered some quick laps never really looked able to threaten Max Verstappen for second place. Further down the field the racing the in mid-field was the only true highlight of the grand prix. It might have been for the lower end of the standings at the time but Lando Norris, George Russell, and Alex Albon produced genuinely entertaining scrap between them that is a sure indication of what the future of F1 could look like.

The ever-dependable Sergio Perez delivered an impressive fourth place finish and has put himself well and truly the shop window for any team who might in the market for a 2021 driver. Daniel Ricciardo seems to have finally found his feet at Renault as he delivered a superb fifth place despite a five-second penalty for not rejoining the circuit in the correct manner at turn 2. In sixth Charles Leclerc thoroughly earned to be driver of the day as he somehow brought the Ferrari home in a position far ahead of what it should be capable of.

The second Renault of Esteban Ocon had made a bright start to the race but faded throughout the succeeding laps to eventually finish seventh overall. Daniil Kvyat delivered a strong drive on home soil to finish eighth ahead of his Alpha Tauri teammate Pierre Gasly in ninth and Red Bull’s Alex Albon in tenth. It was yet another forgettable day for Seb Vettel who finished one lap down in thirteenth place.

It came as no great surprise that Bottas was able to cruise to his second win of the season given the pace advantage that Mercedes holds. What was somewhat of a surprise however was Bottas’s post-race team radio. The Finn proclaimed that the win was a “nice time to answer his critics” and added what seems to have become his rarely uttered catchphrase: “To whom it may concern, f@#$ you”. It is sort of comical though that Bottas was this pumped. His words made it sound as if he’d wiped the floor with Hamilton when in reality he was gifted the race lead. And perhaps this is where Valtteri Bottas finds his motivation. Maybe he sees Hamilton’s own goal as a change in his fortunes and maybe it energizes him. But given that he didn’t beat his teammate in a straight-out fight his ‘defiance’ it feels rather manufactured.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

September 30, 2020
F1 2020: Belgium Gp Review – Hamilton, One hand on the trophy

The writing was on the wall as early as Saturday qualifying during which Lewis Hamilton secured a dominant pole position. The only chance, and it was a small one, that anyone would have of delaying his progress was at the start of the race. However, he led serenely from the front and strolled on to the top step of the podium for his fourth win in Belgium.

Valtteri Bottas came home in second place some eight seconds adrift of Hamilton. The Finn now languishes a massive fifty points behind in the driver’s standings and has seemingly no chance of getting his hands on the coveted trophy. For some of the opening laps Bottas kept himself relatively close to Hamilton’s gearbox. However, we he asked for an increased power mode in order to attack his teammate it was shot down by the pitwall. Effectively, the team had ordered Bottas not to race his teammate and he obeyed. For Mercedes Bottas is the perfect wingman to Hamilton. Yes, he may sometimes score a pole and maybe even a few wins but he is never going to disrupt Hamilton enough to truly take the fight to him over an entire season. The chance to win the title this year has already gone for Valtteri Bottas. Since joining in 2017 he has never mounted a serious and sustained challenge and is very much in danger of becoming F1’s nearly man. For while Mercedes will be happy with Bottas as a second driver at this stage there is some serious talent, in the form of George Russell, ready and waiting to slot into the Mercedes team.

Max Verstappen racked up another podium finish but described his race as fairly boring. The Red Bull driver was caught somewhat in no man’s land, as he wasn’t quick enough to challenge the Mercs and saw no one behind mounting an assault on his third place either. There is no doubt that Verstappen is ready to win a championship however he simply doesn’t have the car to challenge the might of Mercedes weekend in and weekend out. He can try his level best and sometimes even snatch the odd win but the reality is that Mercedes will not be conquered in 2020.

Formula 1 has always been better off when it has produced a battle for the championship titles but in 2020 the question is not if Hamilton will take his seventh crown but rather when. A dominant pole on Saturday saw the writing on the wall for 47 points It will have to be a bungling of monumental proportions for Mercedes and Hamilton to lose the titles from here.

Daniel Ricciardo not only set the fastest lap of the race but also drove a stellar race to finish fourth in the Renault ahead of teammate Esteban Ocon in fifth. The low-downforce setup adopted by Renault for the race paid huge dividends and will bode well for this weekend’s race in Monza too. Alex Albon was sixth in other Red Bull ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris in seventh. Pierre Gasly’s choice to start of the hard compound tyre paid off the final stint of the race as he netted an impressive eighth place finish. Racing Point would likely have hoped for more on the power-dominant Spa circuit but has to be satisfied with ninth and tenth for Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez respectively.

While Carlos Sainz was unable to take the start of the race due to an exhaust failure only two driver retired from the race proper. Antonio Giovinazzi lost the rear of his and destroyed his Alfa Romeo. The pursuing George Russell had to take avoiding action which pitched the Williams into the barriers. Though both drivers escaped unscathed the incident brought out the safety car.

It was by all accounts as miserable a day for Ferrari as they have experienced in some time. With thirteenth for Seb Vettel and fourteenth for Charles Leclerc there was never even an inkling of scoring any point. In fact so poor was the works Ferrari team performance that Kimi Raikkonen easily finished ahead of the pair of them in a customer Alfa Romeo. It used to be an honour to don the red overalls and drive for Ferrari and maybe one day it would be again. But what is happening in 2020 is utterly embarrassing. Some serious conversations need to be had over the next while and some serious changes will need to be implemented if Ferrari is ever going to recover from the doldrums.

To add insult to an epic lack of pace F1 heads to Monza this weekend, an even more power sensitive circuit. If Spa was a painful experience Monza is likely to be even more so. The only saving grace is that the grandstands around Monza will be empty which means that, at the very least, Ferrari wont have to face up to the Tifosi.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

August 31, 2020
F1 2020: Spanish Gp Review – Hamilton coats to victory

Fairly straightforward and supremely dominant is probably the best adjectives with which to describe Lewis Hamilton’s latest race victory. Seemingly without too much effort the Mercedes driver racked up career win number 88 by leading every one of the 66 laps of the Spanish grand prix from pole position.

So dominant was Hamilton that not even Max Verstappen could get close. Eventually, the Red Bull driver finished roughly twenty-four seconds adrift in second. It was another day in which the Dutch driver delivered the best result possible, which keeps him, somewhat, within touching distance in the point’s standings. Elsewhere, Valtteri Bottas was third for Mercedes after a strange lack of pace on the quicker soft tyre in the closing stage of the race. The call to put the Finn out on the soft compound was done with the expectation that he would be able to cruise up to the back of Verstappen, on the medium compound, and take second place off him. However, the pace never materialized and Bottas now sits a rather uncomfortable, and probably insurmountable, 43 points behind Hamilton.

Racing Point delivered a good haul of points with an impressive drive from Lance Stroll in fourth and masterful tyre management from the one-stopping Sergio Perez in fifth. Carlos Sainz delivered a sixth place for McLaren at his home race but the driver of the day was unquestionably Sebastian Vettel. Normally, seventh place wouldn’t seem all that impressive in a works Ferrari but it was on this occasion. The Ferrari’s lack of pace meant that Vettel started the Spanish Gp from 11^th on a circuit notorious for lack of overtaking. It’s been clear from the start of the season that the relationship between Vettel and Ferrari had deteriorated to the point of no return. Nevertheless, one would expect that Ferrari should still be doing their level best to score as many points as possible with both cars.

But it doesn’t seem to be the philosophy shared by the team. As on several other occasions throughout his tenure at Ferrari Vettel was again forced to take the reigns on strategy in Sunday’s race. Radio messages clearly indicate Vettel’s inquiries about tyres and strategy to which he received no response. Sometime in the final stint of the race the pitwall suggest trying to go to the end on the soft compound. The lack of care and attention to Vettel is not only indicative of the relationship between the two but also of a team in serious crisis. Somehow, without any help from the team, Vettel ran the soft tyre for nearly forty laps in the end and finished an impressive seventh.

In eighth was Alex Albon whose gamble to opt for the hard tyre at the first round of stops didn’t pan out. Pierre Gasly scored two points in ninth for Alpha Tauri while Lando Norris claimed the final point in tenth for McLaren. Charles Leclerc, who ran in sixth for most of the race, was the only retirement with a suspected electronic issue.

When Hamilton jumped out of the car after winning his fifth Spanish Gp he looked like he could probably run a hundred more laps so little effort had he expended. The only driver with the car to challenge Lewis Hamilton is Valtteri Bottas and it doesn’t seem likely that the Finn has the ability to do so. Yes, he may occasionally beat Hamilton to pole and even take a win off him here and there. But the fact remains that Bottas simply isn’t championship material, not against Hamilton anyway.

August 18, 2020
F1 2020: 70th Anniversary Gp – Verstappen Aces Red Bull Strategy

A masterful and bold strategy call on Saturday qualifying and a stellar drive by Max Verstappen on Sunday proved the perfect combination for Red Bull’s first win around Silverstone since 2012.

For Red Bull and Max Verstappen it would’ve been easy to cover the bases in quali and run the medium tyre as everyone else did. But Red Bull has never been a team that’s fit the mold. They have always pushed the boundaries and always dared to do things out of the ordinary. The call to start the race on the hard tyre, made by strategist Hanna Schmitz, was as definitely Red Bull as it comes.

It still had to be executed though and Max Verstappen did so in extraordinary fashion. The early part of the race saw, as usual, the two Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton leading the way. However, what was different this time was Verstappen’s ability to stick much closer to the Mercs than he’s been able to at any stage this season. Overworking the tyres in the dirty air of Hamilton’s car quickly became a concern for the Red Bull pitwall. Verstappen was instructed to drop back slightly from the car ahead but opted not to in typical Verstappen fashion by firing back that he wasn’t going to sit behind like a grandma. It proved the correct decision as pressure on the Mercs forced them into upping their pace and pushing their tyres into high levels of degradation.

It was clear early on that Verstappen had the race firmly under control. Through his own driving style and the make-up of the Red Bull car he never experienced the same tyre issues as Mercedes. The win on Sunday marked his ninth in Formula 1 but also showcased how much he has matured since his early days in the sport. There is no doubt that if Verstappen had a car capable of it he would be serious contender for the title.

Despite their tyre degradation issues Mercedes still finished second and third with Hamilton and Bottas respectively. It was announced this past weekend that Valtteri Bottas has signed a new one-year deal to remain at Mercedes till the end of 2021. While the Finn seemed happy enough with the deal one can’t help but surmise what this really means. A one-year deal with any driver is most often indicative of a team that doesn’t have long-term faith in the driver and that said driver is not in the teams long-term plans. Mercedes can’t be blamed for this stance towards Bottas. He simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a champion. Case in point was his performance in the weekend’s race. While an argument can be made that he was slightly hard done by when it comes to strategy it will also be where the excuses end. For the opening stint the race he was holding his own in the lead after securing pole the day before. But as soon as the pressure started to mount he folded. Verstappen emerged from the pits, after the first round of stops, slightly behind Bottas. It should be noted that Verstappen was a man on a mission and in a mood like that, with a sniff at the victory, he’s hard to resist. But Bottas put up a meager resistance. In a peculiar ‘defensive’ move he pulled to the outside of Brooklands and left Verstappen acres of space to send the Red Bull up the inside. For good measure he repeated the same move against Hamilton later in the race. So poor was his defense that if you didn’t know better you’d have thought he was moving over to be lapped. Bottas has dropped to third in the driver’s standings and its difficult to imagine how he could beat Hamilton to the title from there.

Behind the top three Charles Leclerc completed an impressive one-stop strategy to finish fourth. The afternoon wasn’t as good for his teammate Sebastian Vettel who could only recover to twelfth after a first-lap spin. The strategy to put Vettel on the hard tyre for ten laps and the less durable medium tyre for twenty laps made little sense other than the fact that it is Ferrari’s strategy calls as its diabolical best. It clear too that the relationship between Vettel and Ferrari is completely broken down. It’s almost as if Ferrari has already bid farewell to Vettel and has focused all of their attention on the other car.

In the sister Red Bull Alex Albon pulled off several impressive overtakes to finish a solid fifth ahead of Racing Point’s Lance Stroll. Stand-in driver Nico Hulkenberg was seventh after making a third stop late in the race while Esteban Ocon was eighth for Renault. Lando Norris was ninth for McLaren ahead of Daniil Kvyat in the Alpha Tauri.

The decision by Pirelli to run softer compounds around Silverstone this weekend added a tremendous excitement and unpredictability to the race. It’s clear too that the Mercedes has a bit of weakness when it comes to tyre management in high temperatures. Formula 1 travels to Spain this weekend where temperatures are expected to soar.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

August 10, 2020
F1 2020: British Gp Review – Late drama at Silverstone

The majority 2020 British grand prix wasn’t exactly one that spiked the heart rate. Here and there a few tasty fights and overtakes in the midfield piqued the interest but overall the race around Silverstone was turning into a bit of a damp squib.

Lewis Hamilton led away from pole position with teammate Valtteri Bottas and the ever-present Max Verstappen in third. Not even the two appearances from the Safety Car added any spice to the racing at the sharp end. The first Safety Car was brought out for a clash between Red Bull’s Alex Albon and Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen. A 50/50 move from Albon to take position off Magnussen saw the latter end up in the gravel trap with a destroyed car while Albon was subsequently given a 5-second penalty. The second Safety Car was prompted by a high-speed crash for Daniil Kvyat who’s Alpha Tauri appeared to suffer some type of failure in the Magotts-Becketts complex.

It was still plain sailing at the front for Hamilton and Bottas with Verstappen unable to make any impression. Further adrift in fourth Charles Leclerc trundled around in the Ferrari without any challenge from behind. The same couldn’t be said for Seb Vettel who struggled significantly all weekend. The German driver eventually finished a lowly tenth. The midfield battle between McLaren, Renault, and the lone Racing Point of Lance Stroll did their best to entertain with several laps of overtaking. It was a difficult weekend for Racing Point who had to replace Sergio Perez following his positive test for Covid-19. Nico Hulkenberg was drafted in at the eleventh hour and seemed to hit the ground running. Unluckily, the German driver was not able to take the start of the race due to a fault on the car. Hulkenberg is also expected to be in the car this weekend as Perez has been advised to self-isolate for ten days.

Still the race itself wasn’t all that enthralling. In fact, it’d do well to crack the ‘top 50 most exciting’ races of the decade. But then with just two laps to go Bottas ran wide and appeared to be limping around the circuit. The Finn had suffered a left-front tyre delamination. It proved disastrous for the number 77 car who slipped down to eleventh place. Red Bull immediately called in Verstappen as a pre-caution and he emerged back into second place. The camera quickly picked up the McLaren of Carlos Sainz who was also stricken with a left-front puncture. And if that wasn’t dramatic enough Hamilton next suffered the same fate on the final lap of the race. With Verstappen bearing down on him at a rate of knots Hamilton somehow made it around the lap and to the chequered flag for an unforgettable victory.

The British grand prix had suddenly exploded into life and delivered a stunning run to the flag. Though Red Bull could have won the race had they left Verstappen out on track it was confirmed after the race that they were seeing a worrying level of wear on the tyre. Even with the benefit of hindsight it appears to have been the correct decision to call Verstappen in for fresh tyres.

What we know for sure is that Pirelli will conduct a meticulous investigation this week to determine why the front-left tyre on three cars failed. They’ll get down into the nitty gritty and pour over every single megabyte of data in order to understand what happened. The compounds prescribed for next weekend’s race around Silverstone are a step softer. In other words, the soft tyre shifts from C3 to C4 for the next race. The weather too is expected to be much hotter on race day, which means higher degradation. Unfortunately, it may prompt them to shift the tyre compounds for next weekend’s race around Silverstone. Teams were given a directive by Pirelli, which stated that the hard compound should last for an estimate of 40 laps. What is important to note is that the directive from Pirelli on tyre life is an approximation. Throughout the ever-changing conditions of a 52-lap race there is no way that weather, track condition, car behaviour, or driving style can be taken into account.

While Hamilton, Verstappen, and Leclerc climbed onto the podium Daniel Ricciardo delivered an impressive fourth place finish for Renault. Lando Norris continues to impress with fifth place ahead of Esteban Ocon in sixth. Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpha Tauri while Alex Albon’s late charge netted him eighth place. Racing Point will be disappointed with only ninth for Lance Stroll ahead of Vettel in tenth. Bottas’s eleventh means he scored zero points on the day and has dropped a nearly insurmountable 30 points behind Hamilton in the driver’s standings.

There is every chance that Pirelli could practice an abundance of caution and shift the tyre compounds for the race this weekend. For the sake of racing and the potential of seeing a great strategic race let’s hope they leave it as is.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

August 5, 2020
F1 2020: British Gp Preview – Silverstone Primed for Merc Dominance

After a short break F1 returns this weekend for the first of two races at Britain’s Silverstone circuit.

Given what’s transpired in the first three rounds of the season it is difficult to look past Mercedes for the victory. With one win for Valtteri Bottas and two for Lewis Hamilton the Mercedes team has established itself well ahead of the rest of the field. Red Bull, seemingly the closest challenger, languished well behind in Hungary and chalked up their lack of pace to setup issues.

Traditionally the Hungaroring, and the Red Bull Ring for that matter, have been circuits where Red Bull has excelled in the last few years. But it hasn’t been the case in 2020 and it all has to do with timing. By the time F1 normally arrives in Austria and Hungary teams would have already run several races and would know their cars inside and out. What we know of Red Bull in the last few years is that they have tended to start the year slowly and gradually built momentum as the season progresses. However, in 2020 they haven’t had that luxury.

Instead they arrived in Austria and Hungary still learning the behaviour of the car and still discovering exactly how to extract best performance from it. Unfortunately for Red Bull the 2020 season will not afford any time for teams or drivers to find their way. The good news is that the calendar has been extended by three more races with the inclusion the Nürburgring, Portimaõ, and Imola. More good news is that the Red Bull does appear to be a quick car but unlocking the pace is reliant on hitting the setup nail on the head. And even then it might not be enough, on merit, to challenge the might of Mercedes.

Valtteri Bottas sits only five points behind teammate Hamilton. In the next two races at Silverstone he has a big opportunity to not only regain the lead in the driver’s standings but to land a significant mental blow on Hamilton. It’s been repeatedly proven that over the course of a season it is highly unlikely that Hamilton will be beaten in terms of pace.

The only way to ensure eventual victory over the six-time champion is to get inside his head, as proven in 2016 by Nico Rosberg. It will be a monumental effort but if Bottas manages to beat him two weeks running, especially at Silverstone, he will force Hamilton to take notice and adjust his approach.

For Ferrari it was slightly better in Hungary but still nowhere near where they are expected to be. A restructuring back in Maranello has taken some of the pressure off team principal Mattia Binotto but there is a substantial amount of work ahead of Ferrari to return to the top step of the podium. Silverstone should produce a better yardstick for the upgrades introduced in race two but the power deficit of their engine will likely be even more telling around the British circuit.

For much of the first half of 2020 the Formula 1 season was seriously in doubt. It is a real treat then to have back-to-back races on, arguably, one of the most iconic and historic circuits in the world. Silverstone hasn’t only been on the F1 calendar since 1950 but was the first circuit to host a championship race. The power dominant circuit has been re-modeled since and newish layout is possibly even better than its predecessor. Formula 1 too has raced through seven decades that has delivered unforgettable moments and memories. This latest iteration seems primed for Mercedes domination unless Max Verstappen can coax enough pace out of his Red Bull to contest the victory.

July 29, 2020
F1 2020 Game Review: Codemasters Set New Benchmark

When Codemasters took over the franchise of F1 games there were those who had doubts and there were those that had a wish list twice as long Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Year on year the doubters have been silenced and Codemasters have steadily chipped away at the lengthy wish lists. But surely those most outlandish dreams on said wish lists were assumed to be mere pipe dreams destined to remain fantasy. After all, it is a title based on the F1 season of a given year; a race around a set calendar with real-world teams. You would assume then that there’s only so much evolution that can take place in terms of gameplay. But Codemasters has set such a lofty benchmark for itself with every new F1 release that now even some of the most incredible wishes have been granted.

Not only has Codemasters produced a brilliant F1 racing game but also they have combined it with a fully-fledged management sim. In F1 2020 you are the boss. In the new ‘My Team’ features players can, for the first time ever, create their own teams from scratch and line it up on the F1 grid as the 11^th team in the paddock.

You won’t only be the boss though as you’ll be pulling double-duty as a driver too. In addition to customizing your own character there is a whole host of important decisions to be made. From selecting a team name, a second driver, a new livery, main sponsors, and an engine supplier to managing the various departments the new game mode is stuffed full of content that will keep you busy and engaged for some time to come.

The handling model of the title has been overhauled too. In many instances the handling of the 2020 cars feels slightly easier to manage but you’ll have to take more care accelerating out of corners as the cars now have slightly less traction. There are a litany of things that standout in F1 2020 from the razor sharp graphics to the minute details of the asphalt on the different track surfaces. The sound deserves its own mention. From the ultra-realistic gear shifts to the throaty off-throttle growl of the Honda engine to the plank of the Alpha Tauri skimming along the main strait of Brazil’s Interlagos circuit – the sound in F1 2020 is a marvel.

A tour, or several, around the newly added Zaandvoort circuit is highly recommended too. The experience is a spectacular tear around the undulating Dutch circuit akin to an exhilarating rollercoaster jaunt. You don’t have to feel daunted by F1 2020 either as a new set of assists allows even the most inexperienced gamers to try their hand at it and have fun while doing so.

In addition to the sparkly new features it also maintains several customary game modes (Time Trial, Grand Prix) including a traditional career mode, which allows the player to step into any of the current F1 teams and perform simply as a driver. And if you’re not ready for the cutthroat world of F1 you can ply your trade at F2 level with the full rostrum at your disposal.

If you are looking for the most complete racing experience possible then look no further than F1 2020 by Codemasters. Dazzlingly authentic, stunningly engrossing, F1 2020 is a wonder.

July 15, 2020
F1 2020: Styrian Gp Review – Hamilton Opens Win Account

Lewis Hamilton has taken his first win of the 2020 season with teammate Valtteri Bottas in second to make it one-two for Mercedes. Though he never had a true chance of fighting for the win Max Verstappen took the final step on the podium for Red Bull.

A severe rainstorm nearly saw the cancellation of Saturday qualifying but fortunately a break in the weather allowed the session to go ahead. In extremely difficult conditions all driver performed brilliantly but none were as dazzling as Lewis Hamilton who secured pole position by a staggering 1.2 seconds over Verstappen.

After qualifying tenth and eleventh for the second race in a row it didn’t seem like it could get worse for Ferrari. But it did as Charles Leclerc was given a three-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying. It dropped the Monegasque driver to fourteenth on the grid from which he never recovered. A cautious start from Vettel saw him side by side-by-side into turn 3 with the Racing Point of Sergio Perez and George Russell’s Williams. In what can only described as a rush of blood to the head Leclerc shoved his Ferrari up the inside of Vettel, clunked across the inside kerb, and destroyed the rear-wing of his teammate’s car. The incident, which was far too optimistic, ended both Ferrari drivers’ races. It also accounted for the only safety car period of the race.

Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon fought briefly on track before Ocon was called into the garage to park his Renault with suspected cooling issues. Up front Hamilton was five seconds in the lead and undoubtedly managing the race. Verstappen and Red Bull rolled the dice with an early stop for the medium tyres but he simply didn’t have the pace to challenge Hamilton. In fact, Verstappen had picked up some front-wing damage, which ultimately left him defenseless against a late charge from Valtteri Bottas. The pair put on an entertaining fight for second place but the Finn was clean through on the next lap with Verstappen unable to do much about it.

While Verstappen was happy enough on the third step of the podium Alex Albon finished fourth in the second Red Bull but the Thai-born driver was significantly off his Dutch teammate’s pace. In fact he just held off a racy Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver attempted a move on the final lap of the race but came away with front-wing damage for his effort.

Enter Lando Norris. Norris didn’t have the pace of last week’s Austrian grand prix but he delivered yet another stunning drive. The young McLaren driver started the final lap of the race in seventh and finished a stunning fifth by the chequered flag delivering yet another stonking final lap. Perez eventually finished sixth while his Racing Point teammate, Lance Stroll made a late lunge on Ricciardo to finish seventh. Behind Ricciardo in eighth was the second McLaren of Carlos Sainz in ninth ahead of Daniil Kvyat who secured the final point in tenth for Alpha Tauri.

It was a ‘run away and hide’ victory for Hamilton but the Brit also held some pace in hand. Formula 1 next heads to the Hungaroring for the third round of the 2020 season this weekend.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

July 14, 2020
F1 2020: Austria Gp Preview – It’s A GO….Finally

It is finally here. After months of no on-track action to speak off this weekend the 2020 Formula 1 season will finally kick-off.

The season-opener will run around the picture-perfect Red Bull Ring situated at the foothills of the Styrian Mountains. It’s been more than half a year and an awfully long dry spell for all involved but the Austrian grand prix may make the wait more than worth it.

At the outset every new season there are unknowns. Pre-season testing may have provided a rudimentary pecking order but the Red Bull Ring is a far different prospect than the traditional first race of the season around Australia’s Albert Park circuit. Instead of the unique semi-permanent street circuit F1 2020 will start on an Austrian circuit dominated by straights and heavy braking.

Though the teams all observed a compulsory shutdown period work on improving their cars has been progressing. Mercedes and Ferrari are guaranteed to bring a raft of upgrades to their cars. The number of parts may vary in comparison to the bigger teams but all teams are likely to run updated packages this weekend. Ferrari are supposedly bringing only ‘minor’ upgrades to their car. But it is believed that a new smaller and narrower nose configuration will also be introduced. Reports also suggest that Ferrari are readying an engine upgrade that is rumoured to be worth 20 to 30 BHP which could prove valuable on a circuit dominated by straights.

At Mercedes Technical chief James Allison confirmed that the team has made “significant progress” on the 2020 car and will bring a “chunk” of upgrades to Austria. It might mean that Mercedes will maintain the pre-season favourites tag. But Austria hasn’t been overly kind to Mercedes in the last few years. For one, the traditionally sky-high temperatures have severely affected the Merc on several occasions. However, as it stands the weather is forecast to be in the low twenties with 60% chances of showers on Sunday.

The more than three month delay to racing, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, ensures that the 2020 F1 season will long being remembered as one of the most unusual. In addition to the conjecture around Ferrari’s pace and Mercedes’s ability to preserve their dominance Red Bull too enter into the equation. It’s been seven years since they last won a title and the biggest question around the Austrian-owned team is whether or not a sustained challenge can be mounted for the championship. The opening rounds of this season, which include the double-header in Austria and a third round in Hungary, are circuit tailor-made to the characteristics of the Red Bull car. It is as good a chance as they’ve ever had to assert themselves in the championship fight.

In the midfield too there is great sense of anticipation. Can McLaren maintain their position as best-of-the-rest? They have momentum on their side but team’s financial difficulties add an extra layer of pressure to maximise every point-scoring opportunity. Was the pace shown by Racing Point in pre-season testing legitimate and can they keep their eye on the ball despite the team’s imminent re-branding as Aston Martin? Dubbed the ‘pink Mercedes’ due to its overwhelming similarity to the 2019 Merc the Racing Point team made a big statement in testing. It’s now though that they’ll need to prove that their pace is legitimate. Will Renault, undoubtedly under pressure from France, move forward? For a works team Renault has been languishing further down the field than it should be and must begin to show progress up the grid if it is justify its participation in the sport. Has Williams produced a car capable of scoring points? There were signs early on that the 2020 Williams was at least better than its predecessor. However, the 2019 car didn’t exactly set a high bar. The team seemed cautiously optimistic that it is moving in the right direction.

The 2019 Austrian grand prix, which culminated in a last gasp win for Max Verstappen, was easily one of the best races of the season. If the 2020 Austrian grand prix has even the slightest resemblance to it then we’re in for a cracker.

July 2, 2020
F1 2020: Who Will Renault Sign for 2021?

Some years the driver changes in F1 are downright predictable. But every now and then drivers and teams drop some bombshells that catch everyone by surprise. Seb Vettel’s departure from Ferrari is such a bombshell.

All expectations were for the four-time champ to resign with Ferrari and continue on his quest of winning the title in the red like his childhood hero Michael Schumacher. While Vettel still has one more chance in 2020 to claim that elusive fifth crown his time with Ferrari is guaranteed to be over after the final race of the season.

His decision caused significant reaction in the driver market. Ferrari has already announced the signing of Carlos Sainz Jr. while McLaren snatched Daniel Ricciardo from Renault to fill their vacant seat in 2021. As it stands the seat at Renault, alongside Esteban Ocon, remains empty. Unsurprisingly, the speculation as to who will join the French team continues to simmer.

The good news is that Renault has re-affirmed its commitment to remaining in F1 as a full works team. This put to bed any rumours of the team closing up shop and making an ungraceful exit any time soon. Importantly, it also assures any potential driver that Renault is serious about F1.

A few drivers’ names have been floating around for the Renault seat.

Most likely

Guanyu Zhou. At 21-years old the Chinese racing driver is easily one of the most in the Formula 2 championship. Massively quick and seemingly consistent Zhou is already part of the Renault Sport Academy and is currently retained as Renault’s reserve driver. In addition to his inherent speed Zhou also comes complete with serious sponsorship from China. If he were signed up Zhou would be the first Chinese driver in Formula 1.

Valtteri Bottas. At the end of 2020 Bottas will be out of contract at Mercedes. It is a pretty safe assumption that he will want to remain with the team. But there is, allegedly, interest from Daimler in the services of one Seb Vettel. This would mean Bottas needs to find a new seat and Renault could be a good fit.

Bottas’ performance at Mercedes has, at times, been fairly poor. For example, in 2018 he didn’t win a single race in easily the most dominant car on the grid and finished a lowly fifth in the championship. But his performances have also been good at times. Good enough to ensure the constructor’s title. But the tantalising though of Vettel and Hamilton in the same team may be one that Daimler simply cannot pass up.

He’ll probably do well at Renault too. There will be less pressure than at Mercedes. His only job will be to score solid and consistent points for the mid-field team something he has already proven capable of with his time at Williams. There are credible reports that Renault has initiated discussion with Bottas’ management.

Out-of-the-box

George Russell. The young Brit is a must on any team’s list of potential signings. Russell is a Mercedes Academy driver, and could well be in line for the Merc seat himself. From pre-season testing Williams appear to have put together a much-improved car for 2020. But sooner than later Russell will need to move up the grid and if Merc doesn’t take up the option of moving him into the works team he could be off to new pastures. Renault would do well sign up Russell.

Alex Albon. F1 chain reactions are real and this move is somewhat dependent on the speculation that Bottas could end up at Red Bull if Vettel takes his Merc seat. From his brief time as a Red Bull driver Albon has shown tremendous promise. The Thai driver is undeniably a star in the making and would boost any team he joins. But he’s comfortable at Red Bull and it is unlikely that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner would let him go. But stranger things have happened.

What box?

Sebastian Vettel. In the statement announcing the end of his relationship with Ferrari there was no mention of what Vettel’s future would be. He could well hang up the gloves at the end of the season. He could head off to Merc. Or he could join Renault.

He brings massive star power, presence, and a treasure trove of experience. It will boost morale at Renault and perhaps just be the shot in the arm the French manufacturer needs. But does Vettel want to putter around in the mid-field? Is his love of racing still deep enough to, potentially, give up winning?

Romain Grosjean. Frenchman in a French team is always the best-case scenario for a French team. Lets not forget that Grosjean signed for Haas just before Renault announced their full-time return to the sport. Chances are they would’ve retained his services if the uncertainty at the time didn’t force him to make the move to the American team.

Yes, he’s had several issues and even more crashes. But Grosjean has the potential to be very good. His time at Lotus proved his capability. All he needs is a bit of belief and consistency.

Special mentions

Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver finds himself outside of F1 after being dropped by Renault for Esteban Ocon. The question is whether Renault would want to dip into the Hulkenberg-well for second time? They know what he is capable of and if all other options fail to come to fruition he may be in with a shot of returning to the sport with Renault.

Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard has made no secret of his desire to return to F1 and his management will push hard to get the Renault seat. He won two titles with Renault in ’05 and ’06 and more than likely hasn’t lost any speed since his last stint in the sport. BUT. Signing Alonso doesn’t mean getting a prodigiously quick racing driver. It also means getting Alonso and all of his baggage.

June 9, 2020