Archive for category: F1

The start of the British GP behind the safety car is provoking a lot of discussion. Since it had rained few minutes before the green traffic light, Charlie Whiting started the race behind the safety car, withdrawing the safety car not before the fifth lap.

Neither the fans nor the insiders, from the drivers up to the Team Principals, have appreciated his decision. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen opposed this decision, complaining for a too delayed withdrawal. Maurizio Arrivabene agrees with them “In that moment it wasn’t raining so there wasn’t any danger. Formula 1 is the ultimate expression of Motorsport”. In his comment on the Grand Prix, Gian Carlo Minardi has already evaluated this choice negatively. “I could understand if we were in a preliminary championship where there are boys who have to cut their teeth, but here we were in a Formula 1 grand prix. It has seemed me an exasperated decision. We are overdoing safety” the manager from Faenza said and now widens his thought “Doing this way we risk to nullify the show and let go the fans. The same is true for the asphalted escape routes. Silvertsone remains a fascinating circuit, but it has lost something like many other circuits. All the drivers made some mistakes without paying any duties. We miss the gravel. The drivers are more confident and can allow themselves too many mistakes”, Minardi concludes.

Lewis Hamilton – 10 He could not do better this weekend. Absolutely a perfect race, but we have also to stress the result in qualifying. After achieving the pole position with a new record, his time was took away. Back on track, he managed to take the pole position again. He is in a great shape and did something exceptional for his fans.

Max Verstappen – 9 he troubled Daniel Ricciardo, managing to keep himself in the first positions not just in race but also in qualifying. An extraordinary race where he optimized his Red Bull that is improving race by race thanks to an almost perfect aerodynamics. This driver excites us not just for his leaps forward and overtakings but is also good at defending his position.

Nico Rosberg – 8,5 he was good at reacting to the new F1 phenomenon, in spite of his gearbox problems. It is a hard moment for him. If there is a problem, it always occurs to his Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo – 7,5 he struggled with tooth and nails, especially when the team asked him to push, after Nico Rosberg’ penalization. Anyway, he definitely lost the comparison with his teammate.

Sergio Perez – 7,5 once again he ended the race ahead of Hulkenberg and obtained precious points for force India. He strengthens his fifth place in the world championship.

Carlos Sainz – 7,5 for both qualifying and race. What a pity his mistakes at bend 1 that prevented him from struggling with Force India drivers.

Kimi Raikkonen – 7 too many mistakes, without them he would have had the chance to fight with Ricciardo. He brought home the fifth place after having hard time in overtaking Perez. The renewal did not give him a particular energy. Surely, the fault belongs also to a Ferrari that is not at its best.

Daniil Kvyat – 7 an important point for his state of mind in a hard time of his career.

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button – 7 apart his mistake at bend 1 that prevented him from reaching the point zone, the Spanish driver signed some amazing lap times. The McLaren is growing on the frame side, and both Fernando and Jenson would deserve something more.

Sebastian Vettel – 6,5 in qualifying, he did not manage to stay ahead of his teammate and during the race made some mistakes. Surely, Ferrari did not support him and showed all its weaknesses.

 

Max Verstappen – 9 he deserve the highest mark, thanks to an extraordinary race. Once again, he proved to be a racing bulldog in spite of his mistake on Friday.

Jenson Button – 8 thanks to his struggle, in spite a low-performing McLaren. A sixth place that counts as a victory.

Pascal Wehrlein 8, a point that is worth gold for him and for the little Manor that excluded Sauber from the top ten.

Lewis Hamilton – 8 good at the start. This time he did not any mistakes. I know to be against the tide, but I have not liked the play towards Rosberg, especially because it arrived at the last lap. This time, the luck backed him, and he brought the win home.

Kimi Raikkonen – 7 once again he completed his task without being trenchant. He gained the podium, thanks to the others. He never assaulted Verstappen seriously and when he tried to do so, he found the Dutch driver’s defense.

Romain Grosjean – 6,5 he is not in a winning team, but he took advantage of the occasion, bringing Haas important points for the championship.

Nico Rsberg – 6,5 I know to be against the tide, but in my opinion the fault must be split with Hamilton. Anyway, Nico have to start thinking to the world championship. A second place would have guaranteed him a more important booty in terms of points.

Daniel Ricciardo – 6 he definitely lost in the comparison with his teammate.

Felipe Massa – 6, the race of the Brazilian driver has been uncolored and little trenchant. He is definitely different compared to a year ago.

Nico Hulkenberg – 5 after an amazing qualifying, he lost his way during the race. It is a pity.

Sebastian Vettel – without judgement. He had some problems in the weekend and the tire explosion at race is not his fault. Anyway, a champion with his experience should intervene in team choices.

Baku surprised me in a positive way. This atypical city circuit. The second seasonal race track by length, after Spa-Francorchamps, very fast, with a straight where engines go at full speed for 20”. It also received positive feedbacks by drivers and team principals.
Nico Rosberg – 9 on Saturday, he achieved an excellent pole position, after playing hide and seek with Hamilton putting him under pressure. Impeccable in race. A win that worth him heavy points for the World Championship.
Sebastian Vettel – 8,5 he is fighting with an undoubtedly inferior car than competitors, and I can hardly find out where is the main problem of this SF16-H. Compared with his team-mate, anyway, he manages the best.
Sergio Perez – 8,5 he is optimizing his Force India, darkening Hulkenberg out. Maker of an extraordinary season so far. A podium that becomes heavy points for a team in economic troubles.
Kimi Raikkonen – 8 commissioners used a too heavy hand. Against a Perez like this, I think he would have gained the third place anyway.
Lewis Hamilton – 6 scarcely a passing grade. Too many mistakes in qualifying that affected the race.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen – 7,5 same grade for both Red Bull drivers, protagonists of different strategies. Once again, the Dutch driver gave us amazing overtaking.
Nico Hulkenberg – 6 he brings to Force India precious points, but lost the comparison with his team-mate.
Felipe Massa – 6 a score  achieved thanks to his experience, not  more.

Formula 1 is getting ready to come in Baku, onto an anomalous circuit, 6000 meters length that make it one of the longest in the World Championship and a straight of over 2 kms where incredible speeds will be reached , more than 340 km/h, to face then hard braking. The old city’s segment is also marked out with a very tight street, 7 meters without any space for mistakes.

These are all the unknowns that lead to a grand prix rich in surprises and to a variety of possible results in which the safety car could work overtime. Doing any predictions is difficult, or impossible, because we have no reference points. Surely, a well-performing car as Mercedes gives an advantage to its drivers who will have to focus mainly on the track. As usual, the attention will focus on Ferrari that comes from a not easy moment, excluding its second place in Montreal. They will have to keep working to get close to Hamilton and Rosberg, paying attention to a growing Red Bull. Matching up to Nico Rosberg in Canada, Verstappen proved all his worth once again. Unfortunately, in this moment, at Ferrari there is only Sebastian Vettel.

The other unknowns are the tires. Even in this case, Mercedes and Ferrari have chosen two different strategies. Pirelli will bring Medium, Soft, and Super Soft tire compounds. Vettel and Raikkonen will have at their disposal 7 sets of SuperSoft, 5 of Soft, and 1 set of Medium, instead Hamilton and Rosberg played a card with 8 sets of SuperSoft.

We are talking about an extremely important Gran Prix because it will close the first third of the season. Mistakes excepted, Mercedes will start as the favourite once again, with a good internal struggle between Rosberg and Hamilton. Nico will have to try to restore his supremacy on Lewis who dominated the stage among the little roads of the princedom. Ferrari, back from two difficult grand prix has used some tokens to develop his Power-Unit and will have to regain its role as a second power in the world championship, a role currently assaulted by a Red Bull in strong growing. Since Montreal is a circuit where aerodynamics and brakes have a key role, Adrian Newey’s creature could reach the spotlight.

Given its geographical position and the lack of mountains, the weather can quickly change. Up to now, the weather forecasts talk about temperatures around 20°C, thus also the tires could make the difference.

At Williams they should pay attention to Force India and Toro Rosso. They will bring some updates that will be analyzed in the post GP, but in this moment the gap between Ferrari and Red Bull is too wide.

A GP rich in unknowns awaits us. Behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are ready to battle. We have just to watch the race starting at 20:00.