Tag: wiliams

F1 2020: Sakhir GP Review – Vamos Checo!

Several months ago Formula 1 announced that it would race around the outer loop of the Bahrain International circuit. Some speculation was abounding as to what a race around the short circuit could produce. But not even the wildest theories could have predicted the race it ultimately delivered.

The week started with the good news of Romain Grosjean’s release from hospital after a stunning crash just days earlier in the Bahrain grand prix. This was followed by the announcement that Lewis Hamilton had tested positive for COVID and would not race in the penultimate round of the season. The seat should technically have gone to reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne but George Russell was drafted in instead.

The current Williams driver has rarely put a foot wrong in his nearly two seasons in F1 and it would be the golden opportunity for Russell to put the best of his skills on show. And deliver he most certainly did. He missed out on pole to Bottas by 0.026 but already there were signs that he was well capable of delivering something special on Sunday. He aced the start and stole into the lead of the race as if he’d done it a hundred times before. Behind a coming together between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez forced Max Verstappen into taking avoiding action. Unfortunately for the Red Bull driver he couldn’t avoid the barrier and along with Leclerc ended his race on lap one while Perez dropped to eighteenth overall.

Russell led his Mercedes teammate Bottas comfortably for the majority of the race and looked well on course for an extraordinary win. He’d managed the first round of pitstops and a virtual safety car with aplomb. The Safety Car was called upon on lap 63 as Jack Aitken, Russell’s replacement at Williams, left debris on the exit of the final corner after brushing the barrier. Both Mercs were called into the pits for fresh rubber. Uncharacteristically, utter confusion reigned amongst the Merc pitcrew who fitted the wrong tyres to Russell’s car. It forced another pitstop to correct error but still Russell emerged in fifth with some hope of regaining the lead. He made short work of Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Esteban Ocon to run second in just a few laps. By now Perez had driven a stunning recovery right into the lead of the race. But just as Russell began to close the gap to the race leader he was called back into the pits with a slow puncture.

He emerged in fourteenth and was able to recover to ninth overall and set the fastest lap of the race. It was utterly gutting for Russell who was well in control and looked set to take victory. It may be scant consolation right now by Russell’s time will come. To be parachuted into a completely new environment behind the wheel of a completely new car is a monumental undertaking. George Russell has proven, unequivocally, that he is the man for Mercedes in the future.

As heartbreaking as the unraveling of Russell’s race may have been there was utter elation as for the first time in his 190-race career Sergio Perez claimed the top step of the podium. And by coming from eighteenth to first he did it in supreme style. The Mexican driver has stood on the podium on several previous occasions but never on the top step and he was understandably emotional. Esteban Ocon too delivered a high-class drive into second to secure the first podium of his career. The day though belonged thorough to Racing Point who also saw Lance Stroll on the podium in third.

In fourth place was Carlos Sainz for McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo was sixth in the other Renault as Alex Albon completed a fairly anonymous race in seventh. The history books will show that Bottas finished eighth ahead of Russell ninth but he, and everyone who was paying attention, will know that he was outdriven on the day. Lando Norris scored the final point on offer for McLaren in tenth.

As it stands Perez does not have a seat on the grid for 2021. Rumours have been lingering that he may have a chance at a Red Bull seat and he has undoubtedly given them something a bit more to think about.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

December 9, 2020
F1 2020: Russian Gp Preview – A reckoning for Bottas

In 2014 Russia make its re-entry to the Formula 1 calendar. Unlike previous plans to host a race in Moscow the race instead is situated in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi.

The Russian grand prix is likely to be the only semi-street circuit on the 2020 calendar as Australia, Monaco, Baku, and Singapore have all been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The Sochi Autdrom is a 5.8 km semi-street circuit built around the Olympic Park, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics. It is doubtful that the circuit would rank highly as a favourite amongst drivers. Sector one is dominated by full throttle blast of more than ten seconds and what is likely to be the only ‘straightforward’ overtaking opportunities. Pulling out of the slipstream and under braking for turn two is the first opportunity of the lap to make a move stick but not necessarily the last. The 750m constant radius left-hander that is turn three is taken flat-out before having to get hard on the brakes for the 90 degree turn four where overtaking is certainly possible. The rest of the lap comprises of low to medium speed 90-degree corners without any genuinely obvious spots of overtaking.

In the championship Lewis Hamilton holds all the cards with a mammoth 55-point gap over Valtteri Bottas in second place. Such is his lead that even if Hamilton were to miss two races, with the assumption that Bottas would win both, he could still return in the lead of the championship. Given how Bottas has performed in 2020 there is nothing to suggest that Hamilton will be beaten or even challenge as he strolls to a record-equaling seventh title. Realistically the only challenge can come from a driver in a car equal to Hamilton’s Mercedes. But Bottas simply isn’t up to the task and wont miraculously come to life. Since joining Mercedes in 2017 this season is most likely Bottas’s most disappointing.

As a fairly young driver catapulted into a championship-winning team he could have been forgiven for trying to find his feet in a new environment. But four years down the line it is abundantly clear that Bottas just hasn’t found what he needs to win a championship. His last two race performances underline this. In Monza he had a golden opportunity to claw back some points with Hamilton down in seventh. Instead he finished a lowly fifth in the quickest car on the grid. And though he was momentarily leading in Mugello he let that win slip through his fingers. He may well rack up a P1 this weekend in Russia where he has always perfomed well. But the championship title is probably further away than it’s ever been.

While the sharp-end of the driver’s title seems to be all but settled it certainly isn’t the case in the mid-field. Behind third-placed Max Verstappen the next five positions (fourth to eighth) is covered by only sixteen points. The mid-field battle between McLaren, Racing Point, and recently Renault has been an enthralling and unpredictable one in 2020. In addition to Pierre Gasly’s unforgettable win at Monza the fact that Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Lance Stroll have all stood on the podium season is indicative of just how colossal the fight has been in the mid-field. And there is every indication that it wont only linger for this weekend, but will likely go down right the to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

September 23, 2020
F1 2019: Japanese Gp Preview – Suzuka – An Incomparable Classic

The Japanese grand prix is one always highly anticipated on the Formula 1 calendar. The trip around the celebrated Suzuka circuit is a nostalgic and highly demanding one.

It’s nostalgic for it reminds racers and fans alike of how circuits used to be constructed – fast, demanding, and with little room for error. It’s nostalgic for less positive reasons too. It was here five years ago that then Marussia driver Jules Bianchi crashed heavily sustaining injuries that would sadly claim his life several months later. Bianchi, a Ferrari Academy driver at the time, held much promise to be an F1 star of the future. Earlier in the season he scored a sensational point in Monaco for the otherwise embattled Marussia team. It underlined his enormous potential and drew a line under the knowledge that he was likely to end up in a Ferrari sooner rather than later. Sadly, Bianchi’s potential will remain forever unfulfilled.

However, in a rather romantic twist of fate Bianchi was the Godfather of current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The Monaco-born driver has impressed in his short stint as a Ferrari driver and currently sits with the most pole positions starts of anyone in 2019. Ferrari’s recent uptick in form, including three wins in the last four races, comes on the back of a tremendous amount of work in Maranello and, specifically, the fast-tracking updates meant for 2020. The team will be buoyed but still wary of the challenge in Japan. It is markedly different circuit than those of Spa, Monza, Singapore, and Russia. Still, given Leclerc’s incredible form in the last two months it would be brave to bet against him, especially in quali. Seb Vettel too looks a man renewed after an emotional-fuelled win in Singapore.

Nevertheless, the Italian squad will face stern opposition from Red Bull and Mercedes. After all, it was here that Max Verstappen made his debut, in practice, just three days after his 17^th birthday. It’s a rollercoaster for the Dutchman since that includes 7 victories and slew of impressive drives from the back of the field. Though Red Bull has lagged behind since the summer break the Suzuka circuit should suit the characteristics of the car. As it happens to be engine supplier Honda’s home race to boot nothing less than a podium will suffice.

In Russia Mercedes one-two victory would have re-installed a much-needed calm. Of course there wasn’t any great panic in light of the results since the month-long break but there has undoubtedly been a few nervy and uncomfortable moments in the last two months. Japan should be a good track for Mercedes given the high to medium speed make-up of most of the corners.

Through the decades Japan’s Suzuka circuit has delivered some of the best and most memorable races in the history of the sport. It was here in 1990 that Ayrton Senna, arguably, drove into the side of archrival Alain Prost, took him out of the race, and won the championship title. It was here too that produced one of the best races in the history of the sport when in 2005 Kimi Raikkonen came from 17^th on the grid to pass Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault on the last lap of the race for a extraordinary and unforgettable win.

And it is here in 2019 where teams and drivers will arrive to fervent fans and one of the most iconic and beloved circuits in the world. On form the suggestion is that Mercedes head into the weekend as favourites but only by the smallest margin. But this Suzuka circuit has its own ambience, its own way of dishing up the unexpected and because of that so-called form and results from years gone by may not be the best predictor in Japan.

October 9, 2019
Game REVIEW: F1 2019 From Codemasters

Even a handful of years ago the content and graphics that we now see in gaming would have been inconceivable. This is especially true when you consider Codemasters’ latest offering, F1 2019.

Gameplay

When you get into the heart of your F1 career most of the mechanics remain the same as experienced in F1 2018. But there is a rather impressive change for F1 2019. Before you step into an F1 cockpit you have the choice of starting with F2. It’s not a full season of racing in the feeder series but it does include a story mode and a rather easily unlikable rival named Devon Butler. You’re exposed to two different scenarios before being unleashed, for a full race, around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit. Here, in the season finale, you must out-score Butler to win the championship. Proper drama!

From there you’re given a choice to join a driver academy programme followed by handful of offers from F1 teams for the 2019 season. One of the biggest features in career mode is unquestionably the addition of driver transfers. In addition to the ability for AI drivers to move teams drivers’ knack and aptitude too is on a moving scale, which means that up-and-comers can give established drivers a real challenge. This isn’t only revolutionary for the franchise but will certainly keep career mode fresh and interesting for quite some time.

Handling

As most fans of the sport would know most of suspension travel of an F1 car isn’t actually in the suspension. Instead, it’s the tyres that absorb the bumps. This travel, especially as the car makes contact with the kerbs, is especially evident in F1 2019. The reaction of the tyre is for all to behold and in minute detail too.

It’s clear to that a lot of work has gone into the re-profiling of kerbs. Where previously you could’ve gotten away with clipping various kerbs that you probably shouldn’t be anywhere near there is now a genuine penalty attached if you do so. Not a five-second penalty mind you, but still it’s going to cost you precious lap-time.

Jumping into one of the front-running cars in Time Trial mode is bliss. Hanging on the Mercedes around circuit Gilles Villeneuve and attempting to put together a semi-decent lap time leaves you with very distinct and visceral feelings. One, it feels properly fast! The sense of immersion and speed is undeniably improved from last year’s title. Two, driving these cars at full-tilt is just pure pleasure. Akin to that feeling you had as a kid waking up on Christmas morning. Lucky for us Christmas came early this year.

Graphics

F1 2019 is a beaut, a visually stunning game. The cars’ bodywork work and livery are ultra-smooth and I have never seen a more accurate visual tyre model in any other racing game than this.

Customizing

In last year’s review I mentioned that it would’ve been a nice addition to be able to customize say your gloves and racesuit. I’d like to think that Codemasters may have read my review and thought it a good idea but the truth is this was likely an element on the their drawing board long before I mentioned it.

But not only have they allowed a more immersive experience in terms of customizing your driver but also they’ve taken it one massive step further. Now you can customize the livery of your multiplayer car and race online with a colour scheme unique to you!

Verdict

I had thought that I’d long ago stopped being surprised at what Codemasters could deliver. They’d set the bar high with F1 2018. But what they have produced with F1 2019 is truly masterful. And you can add to that one of the best launch and marketing campaigns seen in a long time. There is unlikely to be another racing title on the market that is as impressive as F1 2019.

June 28, 2019
F1 2019: Azerbaijan Gp Preview: Must Win For Ferrari

The Baku circuit, the newest street track on the F1 calendar, was first introduced in 2016 and delivered one of the most stunning races of the year. Amid a melee or crashes and safety cars a year later Daniel Ricciardo emerged to take victory ahead of Valtteri Bottas and a surprised third place finisher in the form of then Williams driver Lance Stroll.

Against a stunning backdrop of the old town the circuit is characterized by two distinct but opposite sections. The massively long start/finish straight is perfect of slipstreaming but after Turn 1 the layout quickly transforms into a tight and twisty tour through the city’s medieval walls. The close proximity of the walls means that the slightest mistake is more often than not punished severely. The dichotomy of the track layout also prompts a compromise in car set-up, as one half requires downforce and the other less drag to achieve the ultimate top speed.

It should ostensibly favour Ferrari then as, in China, their advantage in straight-line speed was considerable. But on race day that supposed advantage was nowhere to be found. This could be an indication that Ferrari is not running its power unit to its full potential on race day due to reliability concerns. What adds fuel to this fire is the fact that all Ferrari-powered cars, except Alfa Romeo were forced into changing the control electronics ahead of the Chinese grand prix. Alfa’s reluctance to not change the system ended in regret as it kept Antonio Giovinazzi from competing in the qualifying session.

If reliability isn’t a genuine concern for the Italian squad that Baku’s enormously long straight should play well into their hands. But already team principal Mattia Binotto has played down any suggestions of a performance advantage. “I don’t think there is much on the straights in between us and the others”. And on top of the standings Mercedes are sitting pretty without having been truly pushed in 2019. Yes, if Leclerc didn’t have a reliability issue in Bahrain he would’ve won the race by the reality is that he didn’t and Ferrari are already playing catch-up in several areas heading into only the fourth races of the season.

There is no doubt that behind the scenes Mercedes are pushing to the absolute limit to extract everything from its car, engineers, and drivers. But from the outside there is something very comfortable about the situation in which they find themselves. Even psychologically they’re playing the game better than their rivals by continually pushing the message that Ferrari have the quicker car. It’s obvious that Ferrari need desperately to get some momentum going in their 2019 campaign and this weekend’s Azerbaijan grand prix is where it has to start.

April 22, 2019
F1 2019: Australian GP Preview – Ready to go

It’s been an awfully long wait but the start of the 2019 season is here. Twenty-one races, several countries and continents and a excess of expectation await.

Everyone is clamouring to understand and predict the pecking order and while there is a rough idea of who sits where, at least at the top, Formula 1 has always been better when it’s been unpredictable. Still, the probability is that Ferrari are a smidge ahead of Mercedes on pace. But given the unique layout of Australia’s circuit this may not count for much.

The traditional season-opener around the semi-permanent Albert Park circuit is unlike any other on the calendar and thus makes it an outlier in terms of performance. The fiddly track is akin to a street circuit albeit with a bit more run off area should the odd mistake arise. The layout comprises a mixture of medium speed corners and places an emphasis on stability under the braking. It is highly possible for a car to go well around this circuit and not truly be one in the running come Abu Dhabi in December but there are still 25 points for the one who sees the chequered flag first which makes it as important as any of the races in the line-up.

New for 2019 are the aero regulations surrounding the front and rear wing area of the car as well as the simplification of the barge boards. In addition, three colours have replaced the rainbow selection of tyre compounds for this season. White, yellow, and red will make up the range of compounds with white being the hardest of the weekend, yellow the medium, and red the softest tyre available.

It’s a big year for the teammates. At Mercedes Valtteri Bottas has to impress Toto Wolff and co enough to keep Esteban Ocon out of his seat. Not in the Finn’s favour is the fact that in order to do so he has to beat, or at least match, his teammate and five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. It’s a tall order for the Bottas but his task is crystal clear.

At Ferrari expectations are high for young Charles Leclerc too. All indications are that the Monegasque driver has all the speed he needs to well at the Italian team but it remains to be seen how he’ll handle the pressure of racing for the most famous mark in motorsport.

The rivalry between Max Verstappen and his new teammate Pierre Gasly hasn’t been given as much attention as the previous two but is no less intriguing. The French driver arrives from Toro Rosso where he easily had the beating of Brendon Hartley. It will be significantly more difficult to consistently out-perform someone like Verstappen.

All of this and the incredibly tight battle for mid-field supremacy hasn’t even made into the conversation yet. While Williams, now sans technical director Paddy Lowe, are unfortunately expected to prop up the rear of the grid the battle between the likes of Renault, Haas, and Alfa Romeo appears especially tight. The most important thing that needs to be known, for now, is that Formula 1 2019 is here.

March 13, 2019
F1 2018: Abu Dhabi Quali Report – Hamilton Romps to Pole

Decked out in shiny new golden dome Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton romped to pole position for the final round of the 2018 F1 season in Abu Dhabi.

The five-time champion lapped the Yas Marina circuit is a staggeringly quick 1:34:794 while teammate Valtteri Bottas was second on the timing sheets. The one-two lock out secures a record-breaking fifth consecutive domination of the front row in Abu Dhabi.

Elsewhere, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third quickest and will share the second row of the grid with departing teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Though Red Bull turned an impressive pace in free practice they weren’t able to replicate it in quali. In his final race for Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo is slated to start fifth with teammate Max Verstappen alongside in sixth.

Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean proved to be best-of-the-rest in seventh while Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg complete the top ten. In what is he last quali session, at least for some time, Fernando Alonso could only qualify 15th in his McLaren. He does however ensure a season whitewash of 21-0 over teammate Stoffel Vandoorne in qualifying.

(1. Hamilton, 2. Bottas, 3. Vettel, 4. Raikkonen, 5. Ricciardo, 6. Verstappen, 7. Grosjean, 8. Leclerc, 9. Ocon, 10. Hulkenberg, 11. Sainz, 12. Ericsson, 13. Magnussen, 14. Perez, 15. Alonso, 16. Hartley, 17. Gasly, 18. Vandoorne, 19. Sirotkin, 20. Stroll)

November 24, 2018
F1 2018: Italian Gp Review – Hamilton Snatches Victory

What a difference a day can make. On Saturday the Tifosi were in raptures as Ferrari locked out the front row of the grid with Kimi Raikkonen setting the fastest lap, in terms of average speed, in Formula 1 history.

But Ferrari’s front row lockout didn’t go anything like they would’ve planned.While it was a relatively clean start for polesitter Kimi Raikkonen the other Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel got caught up with Lewis Hamilton into the second chicane. Vettel and Hamilton came together with the Ferrari driver coming off worse for wear and with a broken front wing which dropped him to plumb last.

The move by Hamilton was deemed a racing incident and rightly so. Though Vettel may want to believe that the Merc driver didn’t leave him enough space it simply isn’t the case. Instead Vettel could benefit from some serious self-reflection. The old adage goes that you cannot win a race in the first corner but you can certainly lose it. In this instance Vettel should have kept calm and bided his time. But in the moment, as has happened before, he failed to see the bigger picture. This result could have serious ramifications for Vettel and his bid for a fifth driver’s title.

Hamilton had briefly taken the lead but Raikkonen brilliantly regained it with a move around the outside of the Mercedes driver into the Della Roggia chicane. The Safety Car was deployed to recover the stricken Toro Rosso of Brendon Hartley but Raikkonen handled the re-start easily and maintained the lead of the race. From there Raikkonen kept his Ferrari ahead albeit by a scant second.

The speed of racing around Monza meant the pitstop phase was upon the drivers fairly quickly. Mercedes sent out a pitcrew into the pitlane suggesting that they would call in Hamilton. However, no pitstop eventuated and the mechanics trundled back into the garage. Subsequently, the FIA has clarified that mock pitstops are illegal and will be policed more strictly going forward.

As it were, Raikkonen set a blistering pace immediately after his pitstop that left with a six second gap over Hamilton. But Mercedes played the perfect strategic hand by using Valtteri Bottas to back Raikkonen into Hamilton. Though the Ferrari driver was able to hold off Hamilton for quite some time with a hand full of laps to go it was clear that his rear tyres were in a critical state. Hamilton, on slightly fresher tyres, was able to take the lead of the race and ultimately the victory.

In fact, Raikkonen’s rear tyres were in such a critical state it’s a bit of a surprise that he managed to get to the chequered flag. This too could be viewed as a strategic error by Ferrari but one committed long before they even got to Italian grand prix. Ferrari paid the soft tyre next to no mind when it came time to select the compounds for the race. It eventually meant that the team, and Raikkonen, had little to no data and understanding as to how the compound would react and wear in long runs. Hence, they were unable to predict tyre life and likely made their pitstop too early.

Much further adrift Max Verstappen finished third on the road for Red Bull but had five seconds added to his race time for banging wheels with Bottas going into turn one. This promoted Bottas to third while Vettel was ultimately able to recover to fourth. It left Verstappen in fifth while his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo failed to reach the chequered flag with a confirmed clutch failure.

Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean finished sixth on the road but his car was subsequently disqualified as the FIA deemed the leading edge of the floor to be illegal. The American team has since lodged an appeal. Grosjean’s disqualification promoted Esteban Ocon to sixth with his Force India teammate Sergio Perez in seventh. Carlos Sainz was eighth for Renault, the team that lodged the complaint against Haas, while Williams’ Lance Stroll was ninth and Sergey Sirotkin scored the first point of his F1 career in tenth.

Hamilton’s win gives him a thirty point lead in the drivers standings over Vettel heading into Singapore in two weeks time.

All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport

September 3, 2018
F1 2016: Abu Dhabi Gp Preview – Season Finale, Title Decider

There is much significance to the 2016 season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. For one, it is going to decide if Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton walks away with the ultimate prize of driver’s champion.

What’s more, Formula 1 bids farewell to two drivers who have left their indelible mark in the history books of the sport. Brazilian Felipe Massa entered the sport as an erratic Sauber driver but spectacularly found his feet as teammate to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. It was during his time at the Italian team that he truly shone and put the best of his talent on display. At the peak of his powers there were few in the business that could’ve trumped Massa’s qualifying speed or his seemingly unbeatable form around Turkey’s Istanbul circuit. There is no reference to Felipe Massa without conjuring the images of the 2008 Brazilian grand prix. Though he felt heartbreakingly short of claiming the title his emotional response to the defeat revealed a man of great character and passion that will remain as one of the most successful Brazilians ever to be a Formula 1 driver.

Jenson Button has not officially announced his retirement from F1 but it is unlikely that he will be seen in the cockpit after his 2017 sabbatical. A fresh-faced Button made his debut for Williams in 2000 before moving to Benneton and Renault for the next two seasons. By the mid-way point of 2002 team boss Flavio Briatore announced that Button would be replaced and called him a “lazy playboy” and said that “time will tell if I’m wrong”. It turns out that Briatore was wrong, categorically so. Button went on to perform solidly for BAR Honda and capped it with a first career win at the 2006 Hungarian grand prix. Four months before the 2009 season Honda announced a sudden departure from F1 and left JB without a drive. The Honda team, bought by Ross Brawn, morphed in Brawn Gp, trounced the field and delivered JB to his much-deserved world championship.

He then boldly made the move to McLaren to partner a highly vaunted Hamilton. Button not only held his own against Hamilton but also showed him the way in 2012. Unfortunately JB exits the sport after two difficult seasons at McLaren-Honda but his super-smooth driving style, his incredible feel for conditions, great racing brain, and typically dry humour will be missed and remembered.

Besides the farewell parties that are sure to happen there will be a victory party for one of the Mercedes drivers after Sunday’s race. With a 12-point lead Rosberg and barring unreliability is standing in front of an open goal. The permutations for a Hamilton-championship win aren’t easy. Seeing that’s he’s pretty handy around this circuit lets, hypothetically, give him the win on Sunday. Still, he would need Rosberg to finish fourth or lower to win the title. Furthermore, if the drivers are tied on points at the end Rosberg will take the title as he has won more races in 2016.

With all the permutations running rampant the expectations for the Abu Dhabi Gp are grand so spare a though for both Merc drivers amidst all of it. One is on the cusp of achieving everything he’s ever dreamt of. The other has a chance to join a very select list of drivers who have four world titles. Aint F1 grand?

November 23, 2016
F1 2016: Australian GP Review – Rosberg Wins Frenetic Season-opener

After Saturday’s new qualifying format was unilaterally panned as farcical and anti-climatic F1 needed to bounce back quickly. It did so with an action packed Australian grand prix.

Naturally, before the start of any race several scenarios run through your mind, all them which include some situation that will spice up the race from the get go. The catalyst was an extra formation lap after Dannil Kvyat’s Red Bull was stranded at the back of the grid.

The exhilaration is delivered by the two Ferrari’s of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen who blast past Nico Rosberg and Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and first and second place. Behind the two Ferraris Rosberg fights to maintain his position and squeezes Hamilton to the edge of the circuit which causes the Brit to fall down to seventh place.

Immediately Vettel is able to open a two second gap over teammate Raikkonen who in turn keeps the Mercedes of Rosberg at bay. It’s a dream start for the Italian team who is more than able to match the race pace of Mercedes.

On lap sixteen the race changes. The race is red flagged for a crash between Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez and Fernando Alonso’s McLaren. The Spaniard’s McLaren clipped the left-rear of the Haas, flipped through the air and came to rest, on its side, against a barrier. The damage to Alonso’s car looked horrific but he exited the car and walked away without injury. There is no question that had this accident happened in any other era of the sport it would’ve had a far different outcome. Once more, this proves that the advancement of safety in F1 should never be taken for granted nor rejected because it may not be visually appealing.

This red flag is where the race changed for Ferrari. As the cars stood in the pitlane teams were able to make changes including which tyre compound to restart the race on. Ferrari opted for the red-walled supersoft tyre while Mercedes fitted the medium compound. It was evident that the Silver Arrow’s aim was to get to the end of the race without another stop.

For Raikkonen it didn’t make much difference as he was forced into retirement a few laps after the re-start. With fire and smoke pouring out the Ferrari it looked ominously like the engine had let go however the team later confirmed that it was a turbo failure.

Ferrari still had Vettel in the lead of the race but the tyre choice meant that the former champion had to pit again. It was a strategic error by Ferrari and it cost them a definite shot at winning the race. The possible reasoning for why Ferrari didn’t go with the medium tyre could be because of a lack of confidence that they could get the tyre up to working temperature in the cooler conditions. Vettel nearly recovered to second place but a slight error at the end sealed his fate in third behind Hamilton and Rosberg, respectively.

Sebastian Vettel said after the race that he feels that Ferrari can challenge for the title this year and given that he’s not the type to say things just for the sake of talking, it’s a great omen for the rest of the season.

Nico Rosberg may have taken the big prize but the Haas F1 Team owns the performance of the day. A sixth place finish for Romain Grosjean on the team’s debut is what Formula 1 dreams are made of. Coming into Formula 1 has always been a monumental task and this team is doing it with a staff of only about 170 people. It’s as great debut as we’ve seen in at least three decades.

If you were to look only at the result of this race another Mercedes 1-2 would make you think it’s pretty much the same story, different season. But they really had to work for it. An overheating right-front brake caliper and critical tyre wear on Rosberg’s car is indicative of just how hard they had to push. Twenty races remain in this F1 season and we may just have ourselves a real championship.

(All images courtesy of Pirelli Motorsport)

March 21, 2016