Italy GP Race Report

The race started with a bananas grid, McLaren scored the second row and Williams were 8th and 10th.  It's always tempting to get your hopes up at races like this.  It was LeClerc's to lose though, with Verstappen starting in 7th and both rear gunners at the back of the pack with Lewis Hamilton.  Would Russell, starting 2nd, break his duck?  Norris went nowhere off the grid and caused the pack to have to move to avoid him.  It made a messy start, with LeClerc hearing the crowd roar as he kept his lead, Russell going off the track to secure the Ferrari in place and Ricciardo taking a confident 3rd.  Gasly was up to 4th, showing his dance card for the silly season recruiters.  Two laps in though Verstappen was in 3rd and on to the podium.  De Vries held his 8th place, with Williams team mate Latifi sinking to 14th.  By 5 laps in, Verstappen had overtaken Russell for 2nd.  Sainz was making excellent progress through the field to save his team mate from the Dutchman's clutches, whilst Perez just couldn't overtake the "slower" cars.  Hamilton had some incident at the start and couldn't get past 18th for a long time.  Perez was pitted and given a catherine wheel, which smoked it's way around the track.

Ricciardo held up the pack well and was in position to pick up a podium place if anyone Ferraried up at the front.  De Vries found himself in no position to overtake anyone in front of him, just needing to hold up everyone behind him.

Former Ferrari driver, Vettel, in his last Italian race, lost power and pulled off to the side of the track, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car.  Ferrari brought in LeClerc for a "free" stop and came out in 3rd ahead of Ricciardo.  The mechanics swarmed around the car like panicky wasps, in their celebratory yellow and black uniform.

The next round of pit stops shook things up more, with some teams winning and some losing.  Ricciardo and Gasly were battling on track, then Alpha Tauri did a poor stop and gave McLaren the place.

Alonso came in and was retired.  Was it the curse of the World Champion?  Or the curse of the former Ferrari drivers?

LeClerc continued to manage Ferrari's strategy from his cockpit as radio transmission was all about Plan B, Plan C and Plan D.  He's a busy man: lead driver, chief strategist, PR.

Stroll was retired in his Aston Martin.  Monza was putting drivers and their vehicles under pressure.  With 6 laps to go, Ricciardo's engine failed and last year's race winner was out and the Safety Car made an appearance.  His victory last year was a highlight of the season, this year his retirement saw a sour end to the race under the Safety Car.  Where the FIA trying to prove that they can handle these technically-tricky situations?  But only in Verstappen's favour.  The crowd, rightly, booed.  De Vries finished 9th and brought home some points for Williams.  I wonder whether the money this brings Williams will be more than Latifi brings in as a pay driver?  He also made Driver of the Day.

Ferrari told LeClerc he had raced well and managed the tyres well in a dejected tone.  I think they are starting to get scared about what LeClerc will say and do to the media and back behind closed doors.

Italy GP Qualifying Report

It was another Qualifying where the result of the session would not reflect the grid.  A Qualifying without purpose.

Off the track, Albon had appendicitis and was off for surgery leaving reserve rookie, Nyck De Vries to race in his place.  He started one tenth of a second off Latifi's pace, seemingly putting the nail in the coffin of the Canadian's career.  For no apparent reason, the Ferrari drivers had been dressed in yellow, like expensive bananas.  However, following on from the Dutch GP, the elegant and civilized Tfosi were breath of fresh air, if only because of the lack of flares.

In the first session, both Aston Martins failed to make the grade (great choice there, Fernando).  The Haas just couldn't catch a break, as they crossed track limits lap after lap.  Latifi's car just drove off the track and through a chicane despite his immense driving skills and he was out with his rookie team mate De Vries through.

Unfortunately, De Vries couldn't keep his Williams on the track all the way round on his final quick lap and was out in 13th but will move forward with other drivers taking penalties.  Ricciardo managed to get his car through to the final session though!

LeClerc took the pole from Verstappen to the delight of the crowd.  The commentary team frantically tried to work out who would start where, following penalties.  They still didn't know at the end of the broadcast.

Netherlands GP Race Report

Before the race Lewis Hamilton was out adjusting a sound system near his pit as it made the turn in close.  He had an eye for detail in this race that he did have the potential win.  However, most agreed it was Verstappen's to lose.

It was a clean start, then Magnussen couldn't keep his car on the road and went through the gravel, touched the wall and just as it looked like a Safety Car would be coming out, KMag kept the car going and went out the other side of the corner and rejoined the race behind Latifi.

The were some early pit stops, led by Vettel.  Alonso, having fought past both Alfa Tauris also pitted.  Some of the last in this phase were Sainz and Perez.  Perez went over the Ferrari wheel gun and Ferrari Ferraried things up by not having the right tyres ready and giving Sainz a 12 second stop.

Then there was not a lot of action for a long time.  After the Mercedes finally stopped and the proper order was resumed, Hamilton overtakes Perez.  The Mercedes are showing strength in straight line speed, as witnessed last race by Albon's Williams.

It wasn't until Lap 44 that Tsunoda pulled over at the side of the track, well on it really, telling his pit that the tyres weren't properly fitted.  All the teams came out into the pit ready.  His team told him they were fine and to keep going, so he did. Unfortunately, he had undone his seatbelt so had to pit anyway.  After the Perez spin and Safety Car yesterday and as the Red Bull's sister team, once again, something smells fishy at the sea side track of Zanderboorg.  Under the Virtual Safety Car, different teams did and didn't pit and for different tyres.  The key beneficiaries were the Mercedes, who were now 2nd and 3rd behind Verstappen.

10 laps later, Bottas stops on track.  Sainz Ferraris things up for himself, by overtaking Ocon under the Yellow Flag, next to the stranded car.  With the Alpha Romeo parked at the end of the straight, there was no clear way to remove the car.  The Ferrari was then released unsafely in front of an Alpine, placing an order for another penalty.

In retro 2021 style, Hamilton was in the lead under the Safety Car but lost it to Verstappen on the first corner.  The radio waves were blue with Lewis complaining to his team.  I'm not sure why.  It clearly distracted him because Russell went straight past him on the straight.  It seemed to all be about Russell being pitted for different tyres and not staying out to play the important role of "buffer" between himself and his current nemesis.  Just as we were processing this, LeClerc was past him for the last podium position.

The end of the race crept up on me.  Guido van der Garde wasn't good enough for the podium interviews and David Coulthard (at best an honorary Belgian) stood up.  Verstappen didn't get the hint to address the crowd in Dutch (or he doesn't speak Dutch?).  Russell joked about how close he and Hamilton are.  I think things are going to go the way of Rosberg and Bottas now.

Netherlands GP Qualifying Report

In Qualifying 1, there was nothing much to report beyond the bellowing cheers of the sea of orange-shirted fans as Verstappen lapped his way to first place.  Verstappen and LeClerc were confident of their first run times and didn't go out for a final run, as did Albon in his Williams!  Ricciardo went out in 18th with his team mate finishing 5th, don't know if he's driving slowly as a gesture to his team.  Vettel went wide across the pretend gravel and also went out.

There was no real shock in Q2 - Alonso went out.  The action was all down to pigeons and flares, which sounds like a fun night out in the 70s.

After the first runs in Q3 LeClerc was leading, so tension was mounting.  Stroll proved that money can buy you a lot of things but it can't buy you a consistent race car, as he was out with a technical problem.  In the closing minute, Perez spun, bringing out the yellow flags.  This meant that Verstappen was guaranteed pole as no one  could go quickly past his team mate's beached car.  The Orange Army got what they came for and it looked like we were in for a boring race.