Bottas Sets The Bar

Bottas is back.

Attention at the first race of 2019 was focused on team changes and new drivers but everyone was upstaged by Valtteri Bottas.

The Mercedes driver was unstoppable. Starting from second on the grid, Bottas glided seamlessly past five-time-world-champion Lewis Hamilton to take victory at the Australian Grand Prix.

This was a long-awaited win, his first since the final race of 2017. Last season was rife with bad luck for Bottas. From his puncture while leading the race in Baku to succumbing to team orders in Sochi, the driver faced repeated setbacks. But after spending last year in his teammate’s shadow, the Finn stole the spotlight in Melbourne.

The transformation didn’t come overnight. One look at the 29-year-old’s social media shows the work he has done over the winter break. Bottas has taken every opportunity to develop his physical and mental approach to the sport.

Securing 26 points in the Drivers’ Championship after running the fastest lap, Bottas’ performance has set the bar for the season. He has come back stronger than ever.

He is not alone. Red Bull demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with. Max Verstappen said “we finished where we left off” after taking his sixth consecutive podium since the Japanese Grand Prix. The Dutchman, who has taken the sport by storm since his debut at the age of 17, showed that he will be making a charge at the Championship. This was Red Bull’s first podium with a Honda engine after their fractious breakup with Renault last year. For team principal Christian Horner this is a promising start to the Red Bull-Honda partnership.

The two-horse race between Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel may be over. If Melbourne showed us anything, it was that both of these Championship winners face fierce competition from inside their own teams. With Charles Leclerc already applying pressure on the German, both Vettel and Hamilton will be looking to Bahrain to assert their place as number one driver.

Bottas has shown that he will be fighting for the title. While many had written the Finn off as Hamilton’s “wingman”, the driver answered his critics in the most effective way possible. Mercedes may now be facing a challenging season with two drivers battling for supremacy.

Heading towards Bahrain, there is no clear favourite. There is everything to play for in 2019.

When Push Comes to Shove, Ocon was Wrong

Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen’s rivalry crossed the line in Brazil.

The Red Bull driver appeared to be cruising to his sixth career win when a collision with Ocon forced him to spin out and lose track position to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

An apoplectic Verstappen confronted the unapologetic Force India driver in the weighing room. The feud became physical with some pushing and shoving and neither man came out of the situation with much credit.

Ocon made contact with the race leader when attempting to unlap himself. Both cars veered off the track. Verstappen, rightly, felt robbed of victory.

The incident sparked widespread debate. Force India’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer took the view that “the rules state that you’re allowed to un-lap yourself… Ocon wasn’t left any space”. The FIA stewards thought differently and concluded that the 22 year-old was at fault. Ocon served a 10-second penalty for causing the collision but the punishment was no consolation for Verstappen.

Szafnauer was not the only one to suggest Verstappen was at fault. In the Green room, Hamilton told the 21 year-old “you had more to lose than he did. He had nothing to lose”.

Verstappen was accused of not leaving enough room for the backmarker. The Red Bull driver said, “you can’t crash into the leader who’s not doing anything crazy.” Ocon was an entire lap behind and in no position to race the frontrunner.

However, Hamilton’s advice was astute. Even though Ocon was effectively driving a separate race, perhaps the history between the two men should have left Verstappen a little more wary of his rival.

There is bad blood between the pair. Both drivers came through the ranks together. Ocon won the 2014 Formula 3 Championship with Verstappen trailing in third place. But the Dutchman did not spend long in Ocon’s shadow. The next year, the 17-year-old became the youngest driver to race in Formula One. By 2016, Verstappen was promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, where he became the youngest race winner. Verstappen has no need to prove himself. He has recorded two wins and 10 podiums this season. It is no surprise that he is tipped to be Formula One’s next star.

For Ocon, the future is not so bright. He is likely to be replaced at Force India by fellow competitor and friend Lance Stroll, whose billionaire father recently became part owner of the team. Without a drive for next year, it is no surprise that Ocon was provocative when challenged by Verstappen after the race.

Verstappen should not have had to give Ocon a wider berth. The FIA race director Charlie Whiting pointed out that the Force India driver chose not to wait until a DRS zone where he could have unlapped himself safely. Instead, he “decided to fight for it, which was wholly unacceptable”.

As race leader, Verstappen was focused on taking victory, not jousting with backmarkers. Despite calls for him to have been more cautious when approached by Ocon, lapped cars should not be attempting an unsafe pass on frontrunners.

Rivalry fuels Formula One but this was not racing. It was recklessness.

A New Force at Ferrari

Austin will be make or break for Ferrari.

While the battle for the title may not be over, the situation is desperate for Ferrari. If Lewis Hamilton wins the American Grand Prix, anything less than second for Sebastian Vettel will secure the Briton’s victory.

Hamilton is 67 points clear of his rival. After completing his fourth consecutive win in Suzuka, the 33-year-old may soon be taking home his fifth World Championship. So what went wrong for Ferrari?

Vettel had a strong start to the season. Winning the first two races and frequently taking pole position, the battle between the German and Hamilton should have gone down to the final race of the season. But things started to unravel at Hockenheim.

Slippery conditions at his home Grand Prix caused Vettel to lose control, skidding into the barriers. The race leader lost out to Hamilton, who went on to claim victory. Vettel’s unfortunate mistake in Hockenheim seemed to destabilise the team, who have only won one race since.

Ferrari’s problems go deeper than Vettel’s error. The Italian Grand Prix was a pivotal point for the team. The four-time World Champion fumed after his teammate Kimi Raikkonen took advantage of his slipstream and beat him to pole. The Finnish driver, who is almost always the German’s wingman, had a chance to secure victory for the Italian team at their home Grand Prix. It was not to be.

Tyre blistering pushed Raikkonen back into second place, allowing Hamilton to take the lead with ease. This was a bad omen for Ferrari. With just four races left, the chances of taking back their Championship lead are looking bleak. Raikkonen’s second place in Monza sealed his move to Sauber. While Austin may be their final fight for the title, Ferrari have already set their sights on next year.

Charles Leclerc may be the answer to Ferrari’s problems. The Monegasque celebrated his 21st today in the knowledge that he will drive for the prestigious team in 2019. But it is not just Leclerc who should be rejoicing.

Ferrari need a breakthrough. They have not won a Championship since 2008 and the team’s hopes lie with their new recruit. Leclerc and Vettel are likely to be a powerful force next year. Both Mercedes and Hamilton may soon find that their usual duel with Ferrari becomes a fight on two fronts. Leclerc’s arrival could mean a possible change of structure at the Italian team. Vettel will no doubt remain No 1 driver, but for how long?

Leclerc is unlikely to bow down to his teammate. As one of the youngest and most talented drivers on the grid, his potential is enormous. This may be one of the last seasons that Vettel can rely on his colleague to back him up. The German may have to compete with Leclerc and his Mercedes rivals next year.

Hamilton shows no signs of slowing down. With every race, he takes another step closer towards his fifth title. Austin will be one of Ferrari’s last-ditch attempts to haul the Mercedes man back. Yet they only seem to be putting off the inevitable.

Leclerc will make life more difficult for Vettel – and Hamilton. Ferrari’s comeback is on the horizon.

Ocon Deserves Better

Esteban Ocon is not the worst driver in Formula One. So why does he not have a seat for next year?

Ocon has shown himself to be one of the most promising prospects in the sport. But time is running out for the Frenchman. With almost all of the Formula One teams having confirmed their 2019 line-ups, it is likely that Ocon will be unable to take part in next season’s Championship.

Since his debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, the Force India driver has demonstrated his ability. The 22-year-old came eighth in the 2017 Drivers’ Championship and holds the record for the most consecutive finishes from the beginning of his career. It seems bizarre that he now faces redundancy after such a successful start.

Ocon’s situation has nothing to do with his driving. Force India’s high debts forced them into administration before the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team – and 405 jobs – were saved by a consortium led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll.

Stroll is no ordinary investor. His son drives for Williams.  Lance Stroll, who made his debut last year aged 18, has been driving for the British team for almost two years. Stroll is 17th in the Championship standings. The young Canadian’s time with Williams is coming to an end. It is likely that he will move to the team partially owned by his father.

Stroll’s move to Force India will leave either Sergio Perez or Ocon without a drive next year. But with Perez being a much more experienced driver, having picked up a podium this year in Azerbaijan, it is apparent that the Frenchman will be relegated.

However Stroll’s move will not necessarily be easy. Force India has not had the best record of teammate relationships. Perez and Ocon have duelled repeatedly over the past two years, coming to blows several times. Last season they had a collision in Baku and Perez went on to squeeze Ocon into the wall in Belgium. After one car’s front wing was damaged and the other suffered a puncture, team principle Otmar Szafnauer was left with no choice other than to ban the two drivers from racing each other. Incidents still occur though, most recently in Singapore. An attempted overtake from Ocon once again ended with Perez pushing his teammate into the barriers. Their rocky relationship does not bode well for Stroll. The Mexican driver has made it blatantly clear that he will race any teammate – regardless of his $2.7 billionaire father.

For Ocon the future looks bleak. His journey into Formula One has not been easy. Selling their home to help fund the racer, Ocon’s parents had to live in a caravan parked outside his school. His parents have sacrificed so much to get him to the Championship and Ocon has done everything to make the most of the opportunity.

Despite this awkward situation, both Ocon and Lance Stroll have managed to remain firm friends. The Canadian has received much criticism on social media due to his father’s new connection to Force India. However, Ocon retaliated saying that the hate was “not normal”. He went on to say “of course we come from a different background, but inside, we have the same motivation, and we have the same passion for the sport… I think it’s better to show your support more than hate”. Such generosity says much about Ocon’s personality. This, coupled with his racing talent, would make him a great asset to any team.

Whether he makes it through to next year or not, Ocon’s time in Formula One is surely far from over.

 

 

Lord of the Dance

How do you beat perfection? That is the question Ferrari need to answer quickly.

Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix with ease, but it was what happened 24 hours earlier that left his opponents dumbfounded.

The British driver stormed around the Marina Bay Street Circuit to take pole position with “the most complete lap” of his career. The difficult track was supposed to be ideal for the pace and power of the Ferrari. But it seems impossible to compete with the skill of Hamilton.

The Briton’s flying lap in qualifying left even his colleagues stunned. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff hailed the lap as “stardust” from an “exceptional individual and an exceptional driver”. This was Hamilton’s 79th pole but he was as emotional as at any time in his career.

Hamilton was almost speechless. “All of a sudden this lap out of nowhere was just flowing, beautiful,” he said. The lap was almost a religious experience for the four-time World Champion, embodying the art of driving. Hamilton reflected on the “magic” moment, saying “it was like a dance – awesome”. He has not forgotten the disparaging comment from the wife of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen who, seeing the driver as overly emotional, said that he should “do ballet”. The 33-year-old has found the positive in the insult, demonstrating how driving, like dance, can be skillfully beautiful.

It is not the only reproach the Mercedes driver has received this year. Hamilton has been criticised for being preoccupied with his fashion career, especially after the release of the TommyXLewis collection, a collaboration with designer Tommy Hilfiger. The driver came under fire after going from Shanghai to New York for the launch of the line, all in the two weeks before race night in Singapore. Accused of spending too much time indulging in his interests, Hamilton silenced his critics with a simple response: winning.

There is no reason to suggest that Hamilton’s fashion career is taking anything away from racing. If anything, his fellow competitors should be concerned that the Briton can spend his week indulging other interests and the weekend driving flawlessly.

The Englishman has the trust of his team – and vice-versa.  His gratitude is undeniable. Singapore was no exception. Hamilton said: “I’m just grateful for everyone’s hard work and the fans here.”  In almost every post-qualifying or podium interview, he thanks his fans and those who have worked on the car at the Mercedes Headquarters in Brackley. Whether you support him or not, his constant recognition and gratitude towards the team are admirable.

Hamilton’s gain is Sebastian Vettel’s loss. Trailing 40 points behind, the Ferrari driver’s window to reclaim the Championship lead is closing. The German’s unfortunate errors this season have not helped his challenge. A loss of control in Hockenheim left him with a DNF and a collision with Hamilton in Monza lost him the chance of earning points which would now be valuable in closing the gap to his rival. With Hamilton cruising through the second half of the season, Vettel will need to improve his performance significantly to keep his chances of the 2018 title alive.

Vettel needs to be careful Hamilton does not lead him on a merry dance in Sochi.

New Challenge for Vettel

Raikkonen out. Leclerc in. Who has the German’s back now?

Ferrari announced that rookie Sauber driver Charles Leclerc will be replacing Kimi Raikkonen for the 2019 season. After just 14 races in Formula One, the 20-year old will be driving for one of the most prestigious teams.

Leclerc has shown great potential this season, earning 13 of his team’s 19 points. It is clear that he is one of the most talented young drivers on the grid. With the opportunity to drive one of the best performing cars, Leclerc is likely to dominate the sport.

The upgrade for Leclerc sends Raikkonen to Sauber, who are currently ninth in the Constructors’ Championship. After taking pole in Monza, the Finn was unable to prevent Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton from winning at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix. With Hamilton’s lead from Sebastian Vettel increasing, the pressure is on for the Italian team to strike back. Perhaps by signing Leclerc they may not be in the same situation this time next year.

The Monegasque driver will be a threat to all opponents, including his future teammate. Ferrari have made it clear that Vettel is their No 1. Raikkonen has been Vettel’s sidekick for the past two years, with the team enforcing orders for the German to pass if Raikkonen is ahead. While these tactics can be justified now, Vettel’s days as their main man may be numbered.

Vettel’s expertise cannot be denied. The four-time world champion has been duelling with Hamilton for the title. But with the prospect of new talent coming through, Ferrari may wish to place their hopes on Leclerc.

Young stars are emerging in Formula One. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with, having already taken four career victories. His 2019 teammate Pierre Gasly is also on the rise. Red Bull are not the only team to put their trust in two young drivers. McLaren’s line up next year will be current Renault driver Carlos Sainz and Formula Two’s Lando Norris. Both men have shown great skill and are likely to pick up plenty of points for McLaren.

Ferrari will have two competitors who will be vying for victory. With five drivers on the 2019 grid under the age of 24, the future of Formula One is emerging. In a Ferrari Leclerc is likely to go on to have multiple successes and, at the age of 20, the possibilities are endless.

Whatever the future holds, Leclerc’s arrival at Ferrari will shake things up.

All Hail The Halo

The halo saved the day in Spa.

It was in the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix that Fernando Alonso’s McLaren came flying over the head of Sauber’s Charles Leclerc. The terrifying incident left both drivers unharmed thanks to the new halo device.

Alonso announced his retirement from Formula One over the summer break. The two-time world champion decided that he was ready to move on after 17 years in the sport. But the Spanish driver’s final appearance at Spa was ended abruptly after a hectic start.

Nico Hulkenberg’s braking mistake caused his Renault to crash into the back of Alonso. The Spaniard’s airborne McLaren sheared over Leclerc’s halo device, which prevented the car from making contact with his helmet. Despite a heavy landing, Alonso retired from the race uninjured, but it was Leclerc’s near miss that left both teams and viewers aghast.

The 6Kg titanium structure is the latest safety advancement in driver-head protection. However the halo has been subject to much controversy since its debut at the beginning of the season. Not only does the device change the car’s aerodynamics and aesthetics but its overall effect was questionable. The FIA conducted an investigation into accidents caused by car-to-car collisions, car-to-environment collisions and flying debris and found that the halo was the most appropriate system that could be implemented before the 2018 season. Many questioned whether the device was worthwhile, as it only improves protection by 17 per cent and is unlikely to protect against small debris such as the flying spring that left Felipe Massa with serious injuries in 2009. But Leclerc’s escape makes it difficult to argue against the halo.

The 20-year old praised the device which stood between him and the aerial Alonso. Leclerc said he had “never been a fan of the halo but I have to say that I was very happy to have it over my head today. I’ve been lucky on this one”. The Monegasque was not the only member of the sport to praise the device. Team Boss of Mercedes Toto Wolff had been sceptical about the halo, “but having saved Charles from harm and injury makes it all worth it”.

The incident also roused a response from the halo’s supporters. Alonso simply said “we didn’t need any proof but it is a good thing”, while Massa tweeted “after seeing this, we can say ‘The Halo is beautiful’!!!”

Regardless of people’s stance on the halo, it is impossible to deny its capacity to keep drivers safe. The incident in Spa illustrates its effectiveness and without it the result could have been tragic.

 

 

Tactics and Team Orders

It is time Kimi Raikkonen is allowed to drive for Ferrari and not just for Sebastian Vettel. Events in Hockenheim illustrate why.

What started like a dream for Vettel soon turned into a nightmare. Starting on pole in Hockenheim, the race appeared to offer up an easy win for the German. But everything was turned upside down for Ferrari when a loss of grip in the rain caused Vettel to run straight into the barriers. This was a disastrous end for the driver. His pain was heightened by crashing right in front of the Dutch fans who celebrated his misfortune joyously.  The DNF allowed Mercedes to reclaim their place at the top of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings. Budapest will be Ferrari’s last chance to retake the lead before the summer but this incident has left them vulnerable to the German team.

This left us questioning Ferrari’s tactics. Hockenheim is not the first time that we have seen Ferrari pull rank on Raikkonen. The team asked the Finn to allow his colleague to pass. This move clearly did not pay off, as Vettel’s DNF meant any possibility of victory was lost and Raikkonen had to take third place behind the two Mercedes drivers. Perhaps if Ferrari had not put all their hopes on their No 1 driver they may still have taken the win by leaving Raikkonen in the lead. Ferrari may reconsider the way they use Raikkonen in Budapest and move away from a one-driver strategy.

The Italians are not the only ones dishing out team orders. Mercedes will hope to recreate their success in Hungary. After duelling with his teammate, Mercedes asked Valtteri Bottas to hold his second position instead of taking on Lewis Hamilton and competing for the win. The Finn complied with the orders, which were understandable if a little frustrating. The team boss Toto Wolff wants to avoid the same fate Red Bull suffered in Baku when both drivers took each other out while vying for position. Although it may seem unfair to stop the two Mercedes drivers from going wheel-to-wheel, the team showed that they were unwilling to risk the chance of dropping points, especially after the opportunity Vettel’s crash had presented.

As we approach Budapest the true colours of both leading teams have been displayed. Mercedes team orders, although harsh, demonstrate their reluctance to create situations where they can take themselves out of the points. Ferrari’s orders, on the other hand, tell a different story. They appear to rely on using Raikkonen as a buffer between Vettel and other competitors. Ferrari’s Finnish driver may be the oldest on the grid, but he still has a lot to offer. It is sad to see the team constantly using him as Vettel’s wingman. Hopefully in Budapest Ferrari will give Raikkonen the freedom to race.

Crying Foul On Ferrari

Ferrari are under fire from Mercedes. With some members of the German team questioning Ferrari’s strategies, tensions between the teams are increasing. Especially with the help of Kimi Raikkonen’s wife.

The British Grand Prix was one of the most thrilling of this season. Within seconds of the start, a collision between Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton sent the British Driver to the back of the pack, effectually losing him the chance of victory. Despite the setback, Hamilton managed to take second place at his home Grand Prix, but it was clear that the Englishman and his team were infuriated with the loss.

The triple-header has not been the easiest for Mercedes. This collision at Silverstone came after a dreadful weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, where both cars were retired. The incident with the Ferrari was not the first of the season. In the French Grand Prix, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas was involved in an incident with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel which left the Finn with significant damage.

But at Silverstone it was Hamilton’s turn to face the wrath of Ferrari, this time dealt out by Raikkonen. The Ferrari driver, who went on to take third place, was given a ten-second penalty for causing the collision. This highlighted the generosity of the five-second penalty Vettel received two weeks ago. Perhaps the Stewards were responding to criticism they encountered for being too lenient in France, or perhaps this collision was considered more severe than Vettel’s. Either way, it is clear from the stark difference of these two punishments that the Stewards are cracking down on incidents like these.

Regardless of the penalties to Ferrari, the Mercedes team are feeling victimised. After The race, which was won by Vettel, Hamilton avoided interviews and headed straight for the Green Room. On the podium, the angry driver described the collision as “interesting tactics” from Ferrari and his boss Toto Wolff reinforced this by saying that this was “the second time we got taken out and that’s a lot of constructor points”. Wolff went on to say that people must make a judgement as to whether Ferrari’s actions were “deliberate or incompetence”. Raikkonen took responsibility for the accident but his wife Minttu escalated the tension.

The fitness model posted on instagram “if you cry like a girl when you lose, do ballet.” This comment referring to Hamilton’s reaction after the race was not only belittling but incredibly ignorant. Anyone who has seen the ballet dancer Sergei Polunin’s documentary ‘Dancer’ will know that ballet is not to be taken lightly. This documentary destroys the stereotypical image of male dancers being weak and effeminate and conveys the gruelling nature of the art form. By referring to Hamilton as acting “like a girl”, Mrs Raikkonen not only expresses a view that women are the weaker sex but that this type of supposedly feminine fragility belongs in ballet. It is sad to see such immature comments.

Feelings will be running high in Hockenheim in two weeks’ time.

Orange Army on the March

Austria was a phenomenal win for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. And a double disaster for Mercedes.

The second race of the Formula 1 triple header proved to be one of the German team’s worst efforts. Things began to fall apart when pole sitter Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire, causing a virtual safety car to be deployed. Despite both Red Bulls and Ferraris taking the opportunity to pit, Mercedes decided to leave Lewis Hamilton out.

One setback led to another.  Hamilton’s belated pit stop resulted in the Englishman dropping to fourth place, behind his main rival Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Then Hamilton suffered a loss of power. This led to his first retirement in 34 races. The strategic and mechanical error lost the team a potential one-two finish and delivered the drivers’ championship lead right back into the hands of Vettel.

An obviously frustrated Hamilton fumed “this is definitely the worst weekend that I can remember”, and for the team boss Toto Wolff it was “the most painful”. The team will look for redemption at Silverstone but this blunder will be difficult to forget.

It wasn’t just Ferrari that reaped the rewards of Mercedes’ mistake. Haas took home fourth and fifth place, their best result of the season. Romain Grosjean picked up his first points this year by finishing one place off the podium. This was a great relief for the Frenchman, who has endured a difficult campaign. He was able to answer his critics with this excellent finish. The American team are on the up, running in fifth behind Renault in the constructor’s championship.

This was arguably Max Verstappen’s most stupendous victory. The stands were aflame with the Dutchman’s 35,000-strong orange army. The troop celebrated their hero’s fourth career win with great excitement. The lederhosen-clad Red Bull team similarly rejoiced at their first home success.

Mercedes will continue to battle Ferrari for the championship at Silverstone. But Red Bull’s flying Dutchman will not be far from the spotlight.