Ferrari's shambolic loss of power during qualifying should have been a hint of the topsy turvy, eventful race that lay ahead.
When I saw rain on the grid parade, my heart soar. This is the sort of race where unexpected teams score points, LeClerc and Vettel were going to storm through the field (with LeClerc breaking his duck) and Raikkonen was starting from 5th. I knew a good race was on the agenda but...
By the end of the first lap, Raikkonen was up to 3rd. By the end of the second lap, we had our first spin, by Perez. There was a safety car and by the fifth lap, Kimi was 11th. A few quieter laps and then Sainz was off.
Just as Francesco Bernoulli was commenting joyfully on Hamilton's 5.6 second pit stop, LeClerc was off into the gravel and hoarding and we felt that any chance of a good race was gone. Then, on the same lap, Hamilton lost his front wing at the pit entrance (jammy s*d), the crowd were cheering, Mercedes mixed up the tyres and kept changing their mind. An investigation was launched about whether he entered the pits on the wrong side of a bollard. This is all on one lap! Even better, he was given a 5 second penalty a few laps later for going slow behind the safety car.
We started cheering on the minnows who could achieve greatness but they didn't want to unfortunately. Hulkenberg went into the barrier from a potential 3rd. Then Stroll started leading the race...! We're only two thirds of the way through the race.
With eleven laps to go. Hamilton spins off and recovers, despite the crowd's cheers. Bottas followed him soon after but couldn't recover.
Unfortunately in the last few laps, Vettel overtook Stroll for third, then Kvyat for second. What a shame that Kvyat wasn't let off press duties to go and see his newborn daughter; he took advantage of being made to do interviews to make a covert pitch to Red Bull for his old seat back. Hamilton didn't do any interviews.
A final note, that I have just discovered the injustice that you have to be in the top ten to score a point for fastest lap...never here folks.
Monday 29 July 2019
German GP - Results
1. Evel Marque - 596*
2. The Hope Fulls - 595*
3. BottHaas - 547
4. PickedInAHurry - 529*
5. Je suis Charlie - 507
6. Jack the Lad - 448
7. The Pitstop Princess - 435
8. Hippy F1 - 404*
9. Ferrari Rocher - 294
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 292*
* Home track played
2. The Hope Fulls - 595*
3. BottHaas - 547
4. PickedInAHurry - 529*
5. Je suis Charlie - 507
6. Jack the Lad - 448
7. The Pitstop Princess - 435
8. Hippy F1 - 404*
9. Ferrari Rocher - 294
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 292*
* Home track played
Monday 15 July 2019
GB GP - "That's the home win mate"
First thing to note....Channel 4 appeared to have dropped The Chain.
Bottas gave us a surprise pole, which was very welcome. The first half of the race was a classic; the second half was boring. On Lap 1, Haas took out Haas, which was a prelude to a much more interesting smash later. There was a great bit of overtaking without injury between the Mercedes, Hamilton on Bottas and straight away, Bottas on Hamilton. I continue to maintain that Vettel will retire at the end of the season, which I wrote when he was overtaken by Gasly on Lap 12...
I haven't missed Bedward, watching on Sky as we do, his shrieking every time something happens is off-putting, see Verstappen and LeClerc's battle on Lap 14.
Giovannizi's (sorry if I've spelt that wrong, this is his first mention on the blog) retirement triggered a safety car, which gave Hamilton a free pit stop and the race win.
Further confirmation of my Vettel retirement prediction came on Lap 38 when he shunted Verstappen. I was very pleased there was an escape road for Verstappen to return to the race track.
The tale of the first half ends here.
I have one further note and that is that Hamilton made a nice speech thanking his team post-race.
Bottas gave us a surprise pole, which was very welcome. The first half of the race was a classic; the second half was boring. On Lap 1, Haas took out Haas, which was a prelude to a much more interesting smash later. There was a great bit of overtaking without injury between the Mercedes, Hamilton on Bottas and straight away, Bottas on Hamilton. I continue to maintain that Vettel will retire at the end of the season, which I wrote when he was overtaken by Gasly on Lap 12...
I haven't missed Bedward, watching on Sky as we do, his shrieking every time something happens is off-putting, see Verstappen and LeClerc's battle on Lap 14.
Giovannizi's (sorry if I've spelt that wrong, this is his first mention on the blog) retirement triggered a safety car, which gave Hamilton a free pit stop and the race win.
Further confirmation of my Vettel retirement prediction came on Lap 38 when he shunted Verstappen. I was very pleased there was an escape road for Verstappen to return to the race track.
The tale of the first half ends here.
I have one further note and that is that Hamilton made a nice speech thanking his team post-race.
GB GP - Results
1. The Hope Fulls - 560*
2. Evel Marque - 549*
3. BottHaas - 519
4. PickedInAHurry - 486
5. Je suis Charlie - 460
6. Jack the Lad - 384
7= Hippy F1 - 361*
7= The Pitstop Princess - 361
9. Ferrari Rocher - 282
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 247*
* Home track played
2. Evel Marque - 549*
3. BottHaas - 519
4. PickedInAHurry - 486
5. Je suis Charlie - 460
6. Jack the Lad - 384
7= Hippy F1 - 361*
7= The Pitstop Princess - 361
9. Ferrari Rocher - 282
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 247*
* Home track played
Monday 1 July 2019
Austria GP - "We are so proud of you"
What an epic race! A great start from Norris and a shockingly poor start from Verstappen and during the following lap Raikkonen really went for it. It was the most exciting start to a race that I can remember without any crashes. Norris helped the top four by holding up everyone else and it made me think that LeClerc would break his duck.
On Lap 22, Ferrari showed what they're capable of, with an excruciatingly long pit stop. Hamilton followed on Lap 31 with a new wing, which probably cost him a podium place. He was surprisingly calm about it in the post-race interview though.
The sea of orange supporters for Verstappen went berserk when when he attacked Vettel on Lap 50 and from that point onwards things just got more and more exciting. Five laps later, there was a power scare on his car which was proven to be fatal when he overtook Bottas less than a lap on.
It led me to wonder when Verstappen is really so significantly better than Gasly that he should be so far ahead or do Red Bull choose a favourite driver and invest all their resources in their direction? It would explain why Ricciardo felt he had to jump so far.
The pressure really began to mount. LeClerc told his team to: "Leave me alone". DRS was definitely a key player in the race outcome, enabling Verstappen to get closer and closer. And on he went, in the Honda that Alonso didn't want. By Lap 68 (of 71) the racing couldn't have been any closer and on Lap 69 Verstappen finally made it stick. If the race hadn't been a comeback for Verstappen, I'd have been much more upset on LeClerc missing out. Ultimately the A1 Ring is his track.
On the penultimate lap Vettel squeezed past Hamilton. Some commentator stated this was Honda's first win in 27 years which was bitterly disputed by my sofamate. We believe last win to be Button in 2006. Corrections in comments please.
LeClerc blamed tyre degradation for his victory loss and Bottas found both attacking and defending a problem with his car.
Three hours later the race result was confirmed. The stewards had a good contemplate of further ruining F1 but decided against it.
On Lap 22, Ferrari showed what they're capable of, with an excruciatingly long pit stop. Hamilton followed on Lap 31 with a new wing, which probably cost him a podium place. He was surprisingly calm about it in the post-race interview though.
The sea of orange supporters for Verstappen went berserk when when he attacked Vettel on Lap 50 and from that point onwards things just got more and more exciting. Five laps later, there was a power scare on his car which was proven to be fatal when he overtook Bottas less than a lap on.
It led me to wonder when Verstappen is really so significantly better than Gasly that he should be so far ahead or do Red Bull choose a favourite driver and invest all their resources in their direction? It would explain why Ricciardo felt he had to jump so far.
The pressure really began to mount. LeClerc told his team to: "Leave me alone". DRS was definitely a key player in the race outcome, enabling Verstappen to get closer and closer. And on he went, in the Honda that Alonso didn't want. By Lap 68 (of 71) the racing couldn't have been any closer and on Lap 69 Verstappen finally made it stick. If the race hadn't been a comeback for Verstappen, I'd have been much more upset on LeClerc missing out. Ultimately the A1 Ring is his track.
On the penultimate lap Vettel squeezed past Hamilton. Some commentator stated this was Honda's first win in 27 years which was bitterly disputed by my sofamate. We believe last win to be Button in 2006. Corrections in comments please.
LeClerc blamed tyre degradation for his victory loss and Bottas found both attacking and defending a problem with his car.
Three hours later the race result was confirmed. The stewards had a good contemplate of further ruining F1 but decided against it.
Austria GP - Results
1. Evel Marque - 504*
2. BottHaas - 470*
3. PickedInAHurry - 445
4. The Hope Fulls - 438
5. Je suis Charlie - 423
6. The Pitstop Princess - 339
7. Jack the Lad - 355
8. Hippy F1 - 281
9. Ferrari Rocher - 256
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 256*
* Home track played
2. BottHaas - 470*
3. PickedInAHurry - 445
4. The Hope Fulls - 438
5. Je suis Charlie - 423
6. The Pitstop Princess - 339
7. Jack the Lad - 355
8. Hippy F1 - 281
9. Ferrari Rocher - 256
10. Francesco Bernoulli - 256*
* Home track played
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