Posts

Alexander Albon Scores Best F1 Result in Japanese Grand Prix

Honda obviously wanted a strong result at its home race, especially in a season that has seen the Japanese power unit return to winning ways after a 13-year drought. In the end, the power unit saw its best result in Suzuka achieved by rookie star Alexander Albon , who finished just off the podium, taking the best result of his short career to date in Formula 1. More significant still was his showing in qualifying, given that the Thai was able to equal team-mate Max Verstappen’s time to the nearest thousandth of a second before the Dutchman’s race was spoiled by the collision with Leclerc soon after the start. Once he and his team had worked a two-stop strategy to bypass one-stopping Carlos Sainz, Albon had a lonely race, but he made no mistakes and got the best result possible, even if he was almost a minute down on Bottas. “Fourth is my F1 career best finish and this weekend has definitely felt like my best with the Team. Immediately from FP1 I felt comfortable with ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Power Unit Struggles for Ferrari in Sochi

How did Ferrari manage to lose a race it looked set to win? The answer is simple; it lacked reliability. The MGU-K failure on Vettel’s car was the key, not just because it put him out of the race, but also because it came at the only moment when Leclerc was vulnerable, following the Monegasque’s pit stop but prior to either Mercedes driver doing likewise. Once he lost track position, Leclerc was never able to go for a win that, after an emphatic march to pole on Saturday, had seemed more than likely. However, while it’s true that, overall, Ferrari had an advantage in Sochi, it was not significant enough for Leclerc to get past Valtteri Bottas, especially as he Finn did an excellent job in denying the Ferrari driver any opportunity for a late charge. And so for the red cars, the race ended in the red. The mid-race implosion was not the only talking point for Ferrari, however. The tow Leclerc provided to Vettel after the start and the somewhat testy radio chatter that went on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Charles Leclerc Feels the Forza

Clearly, when Ferrari wins at Monza the party really gets going and that’s just what happened on Sunday as Charles Leclerc took the chequered flag at. Indeed, it reminded me of that 2003 race, when Michael Schumacher, in the F2003-GA, and Juan Pablo Montoya, in an on-song Williams FW25, fought it out almost all race long. The battle between Michael and Juan Pablo on the opening lap at the Roggia chicane was very similar to that between Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ascari on lap 23 of Sunday’s race. The Ferrari man did not back down and was on the limit of what the rules allow, as great champions always are and have to be. In fact, Leclerc was also very shrewd in the way he handled the situation in that truly bizarre Q3 qualifying session on Saturday. Following on from his win in Spa the previous Sunday, Charles had an incredible weekend. The thing that impresses me most about him is how quickly he learns from everything he does, getting better all the time, as a driver...
Post a Comment
Read more

Verstappen Crashes Out at Spa

Topping the list of those who were disappointed on Sunday has to be Max Verstappen. The Dutchman’s race was all over after a few hundred metres, following a collision with Kimi Räikkönen at La Source, much to the despair of the sea of orange that indicates the presence of his home fans who flocked to the Ardennes, just as they do at so many of the European races. However, Verstappen looked to be facing a tough task right from the start of the weekend, because on a track like Spa, Red Bull clearly had to give best to not just Mercedes but Ferrari too. Honda has undoubtedly made great progress this season but it’s still not quite a match for its rivals on certain tracks. Max might have hoped to finish fifth and maybe a bit more, given that Vettel was struggling with his tyres but on Sunday, a podium was not on. However, there’s a big gap between that and having to walk back to the pits, helmet in hand just a few moments after the start. “It was of course not a great end to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lewis Hamilton Has One Hand On Drivers Championship Trophy

Lewis Hamilton had to fight like the champion he is to win at the Hungaroring on the weekend. He produced a final stint lapping at almost qualifying pace, slicing through back markers, and making up almost 20 seconds in just 18 laps to catch and pass Max Verstappen with ease. Earlier, the two men fought a thrillingduel that went in the Dutchma n’s favour. It’s true Max’s tyres were shot towards the end, but Mercedes had the benefit of seeing first hand what the Hard tyres could do, thanks to a long stint from Valtteri Bottas. It seemed odd to be calling Hamilton in when his tyres seemed in good enough shape to keep pushing but it turned out to be a masterstroke. Mercedes therefore deserve credit for taking a risk on strategy when they could have gone the more obvious route and then wait for the race to evolve. “We've been together for seven years, but this feeling never gets old. If it wasn't for everyone here and back at the factory, this wouldn't have been ...
Post a Comment
Read more