Canada GP Qualifying Report

There was no big news between the Sprint and Qualifying.  The pundits were very excited that Antonelli might try and get his own back on Russell over the weekend.

Aston Martin bought the early drama with an unsafe release for Alonso and a wheel rim falling off for Stroll.  There were a lot of sloppy laps from the drivers in the first session and out went Ocon, Albon, Alonso, Perez, Stroll and Bottas.  Yet again it was not looking like to would be Stroll's year to win at home.  Antonelli was the fastest ahead of the two McLarens.  His team mate was in eighth and we assumed sandbagging.

The action in the second session was at the top of the time sheet: Hadjar took the quickest lap right at the end with a ramshackle smattering of top runners behind him.  The bottom six were Hulkenberg, Lawson, Bortoleto, Gasly, Sainz and Bearman.  It wasn't a great showing for Williams despite having shown promise recently.  The Alpines and Audis really seem to be making progress.

Russell came quite close to the wall of champions in the final session but not close enough to be a champion.  There were lots of quick laps in the last minute.  It was very close between the two Mercedes with Russell getting it on the last lap set.  The top ten were Russell, Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Verstappen, Hadjar, Leclerc, Linblad and Colapinto.  Linblad is really outshining Lawson this weekend and Leclerc cannot shine as brightly as Hamilton, who, as we are always told, loves Canada.

Take a close look at Antonelli in the interviews; he looks like his figure has been added in in the edit and has been sized too small.

Canada GP Sprint Report

What was all the chat about before the Sprint race?  Tyres?  Engines?  Wet weather?  No!  Groundhogs.  The one Albon ran into during practice (that meant he missed Sprint Qualifying) had the consequence that he was starting in the pit lane alongside Bottas, Bearman and Gasly.  Stroll's suspension failed on the way to the grid so it looked like he would not be crashing into anyone during the Sprint but he was able to get going from the pit lane.

The Mercedes actually made good starts and went off in formation.  Behind them there was more action.  Hamilton was able to get past Piastri.  The Audis had an awful start, both cars dropping back several places in the melee.  

On Lap six, the Mercedes decided to go racing.  Initially I thought they had been told to hold places because Antonelli looked like he was deliberately staying back.  As they kept going, with Antonelli trying everything to get past, he went off twice and the second time Russell was even more aggressive in asserting his position and it was a bigger off.  Antonelli consequently lost a place to Norris and was pounced upon by Hamilton.  As Kimi complained on the radio, the team told him to "keep it cool" asking him not to draw attention to the team from the stewards.  Team Principal Toto Wolff put his foot down and told him to stop the "radio moaning".

Hadjar complained of engine problems and was then retired by Red Bull on Lap nine.  The mechanics worked some wizardry over one lap and sent him out again.  

On the final lap, the drivers pulled out all the stops to try and make up some places.  Antonelli went too far and went off across a grassy corner again as he tried to get past Norris.  Piastri got past Hamilton and the shock of it meant that Leclerc snuck through too.

The top eight for points were Russell, Norris, Antonelli, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen and Linblad with Colapinto and Sainz in the top ten but gaining no points.  Perez was eleventh for Cadillac, their highest finish yet.  Wolff came back on the radio to stop Antonelli criticising the team publicly.

The Mercedes team mates had the briefest of handshakes once they got out of their cars before Russell went for a chat with Norris.  Jean Alesi tried to gee up Kimi but failed.  

It bodes well for an interesting race with the Mercedes battle hotting up but another of other drivers hot on their heels behind and keen to scoop up the points.

Other notes: Lando has started growing his moustache ready for November.  Alesi looks like he's trying for a position with FIFA.

Canada GP Sprint Qualifying Report

There were so many reasons to look forward to this race.  The Brits were excited that Hamilton might be strong for a win as he gained his maiden victory at Canada.  The Brits were excited because it would probably rain (indeed the race start time had already been put back before a wheel had graced the tarmac).  The Brits were excited that Russell might attempt a comeback at a title challenge rather than let his young upstart team mate walk away with the drivers' championship.

It was not going well for the Brits or the wildlife though as Albon hit a groundhog on the track and then crashed his car.  Williams could not fix it in time for him to compete in Sprint Qualifying.  Lawson also wouldn't be starting because he had a hydraulics problem.

The drivers went out and tootled about and all was as normal until Alonso went into the barriers and the session was Red Flagged.  He had locked up and went nose-first into the tyres, which would have hurt and the barriers would need to be fixed.  Drivers were desperate to be first out of the pit lane.  Mechanics were poised with hands raised to let them out.  Hamilton had been the quickest but still felt the need to go out again at the restart.  The next eight stayed in the pits.  Colapinto, Ocon, Bearman and Gasly did not get across the starting line in time.  Stroll was not able to better his time or gave up.  Out went Perez, Stroll, Gasly, Bottas, Albon and Lawson.

In the second session, Russell finally found his groove and was the quickest driver.  There were a few cars fighting it out to just get through with Verstappen crossing everything in ninth place.  It was Sainz who took tenth, which will make Williams wonder what Albon could have done.  Out went Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Colapinto , Ocon, Bearman and Alonso, who could not go out with his broken car.

Hamilton continued to look strong in the final session.  With two minutes to go Russell went quickest with all purple sectors and the commentators called it.  However Hamilton was still going along with a few others.  They were stretching the life of the tyres and Norris was able to get onto the front row, knocking Hamilton off; Piastri pushing him back further.  Hamilton should have come out later because Antonelli was also able to put in a quicker lap.  The grid would like up with Russell on pole, then Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hadjar, Linblad and Sainz.

The questions for Saturday would be whether Russell could maintain this advantage and whether Mercedes will continue their run of poor starts.  There are a number of drivers who could take the win.  Giving that the Sprint is supposed to be speedy was quite lengthy in the end thanks to Alonso.

Miami GP Race Report

I wonder how many people tuned in for the race only to have found that they had missed it.  The race start was brought forwards because of storms that were heading for that part of the world.  There were still concerns about rain during the race though.  If there was a lightning strike within eight miles of the track that would be an automatic red flag.  Would any driver give us a performance that puts us in that kind of awe.

There were further tributes to Zanardi during the F1 programming; which really put into perspective what an outstanding sportsperson he was as we watched the race in comfy clothing, eating chocolates whilst he was winning hand-cycle races at the same old age as us.

The question at the start was not whether Antonelli would have a poor start but how many places would he fall back from pole position.  Hadjar was starting at the back after being disqualifed from Qualifying because his bargeboard was a tiny bit too small.  Leclerc made an amazing start in between Antonelli and Verstappen and was into the lead.  Somehow Verstappen went wide and then into a full 360 degree spin in the middle of the opening corners, amongst all the cars, he lost a lot of places through it.  Both Williams went forward dramatically, by several laps.

Colapinto and Hamilton were investigated for a first lap incident at turn 11.  It came to nothing but Hamilton's car was badly injured and radioed in that he couldn't race like this.  On the replay we saw that it was clearly a racing incident.

On lap four, Antonelli got past Leclerc for the lead.  On the next lap it was reversed.  Norris had been told to hold back and let them battle.  Norris was then past Antonelli.  We were waiting for a Safety Car to be called as Hadjar had just crashed, running into the wall twice.  Afterwards he told the press that he was just too eager.   Gasly confirmed that it would need to just be the full works, as he was tilted up against the barrier.  Hadjar stayed in his car for a long time thumping the wheel in frustration.

They took a while to show Gasly's incident, which hadn't looked too bad from the position, however Gasly had overtaken Lawson who had locked up whilst defending the place and gone into his side flipping him completely over and back again as he rolled over his halo (definitely doing a good job there).  No wonder he had been so quick to let everyone know he was okay over the radio.

At lap seven, it would be a very early cheat pit stop.  The only driver to take it was Verstappen who came out in 16th and he would have to get through the pack all over again.  He had been criticised by his former team mate Sainz about his attitude to taking "just because he's in the midfield.".  Lawson was forced to retire after coming together with Verstappen earlier in the race and running over Gasly's debris later.  Hulkenberg was brought into the pits too to have his car fixed and he sat in the car but ultimately was out.

The teams took advantage of the slower pace to let their drivers know that rain was expected in fifteen laps' time.  Leclerc backed them right up at the restart but went well before the start line and seemed to get away well.  Russell had a good go at Piastri.  I was wondering if we would see the battling racing after the restart we normally see at the start with the change in regulations.  Norris was able to get past Leclerc for the lead soon after.  Russell however was berating his team for being in the wrong strat mode.  Antonelli was able to get past Leclerc soon after but Leclerc was able to hold it, then back again.  This was what Norris was told to just spectate earlier only now he was in front of it.

By lap sixteen, Verstappen had made up ten places and was in the points (just the one) and behind both Williams.  Driving the Williams' cars were two disgruntled former team mates of his.  Leclerc and Antonelli were still going back and forth in second and third to Norris's great advantage in the lead.  

A few laps before the rain was due Russell and Leclerc both came in for fresh tyres; this was a great risk.  Ferrari's pit stop was slow and allowed Russell to get in front of him.

On lap 25, as predicted, some spots of rain began to fall.  Verstappen was up to fifth and behind Hamilton and past him.  Antonelli pitted from second place and came out behind Verstappen, who did not need to pit again on the one hand but on old tyres on the other.  It triggered stops from several other drivers.  

There were minor battles throughout the pack for a while.  By lap 46 of 57, Verstappen was in third, Norris second and Antonelli in the lead.  Black and white flags were beginning to be handed out for track limit violations.  Antontelli received one.  It must have been tricky to stay in the lines because veteran Alonso got one too.

With a few laps to go it looked like the top two were set but the battle was on between Verstappen and Russell behind him.  Russell tapped Verstappen's tyre with his front wing and damaged it.  Leclerc was up against Piastri, who overtook him on the final lap and wasn't able to grab the place back in the straight after a slide.  To compound the error, he span, hit the wall, recovered and had damage, which cemented his fourth place until he was overtaken by Russell and Verstappen in the last corner.  He would be investigated for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and also whether he was driving in a car in an unsafe condition.  Would be strange if that stood up in court.

Norris gave the team a pep talk on the cool down lap.  He was sure McLaren could get back to their winning ways; he was sure he could have won that race.  The top three were interviewed by Button and then put on a huge truck (it could have held a pool and I think the drivers would have appreciated it) around to the podium.  The top ten was Antontelli, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Colapinto, Sainz and Albon.  It was great to see the Williams scoring points again and a double points finish at that.  It didn't look as though this was something they were going to be able to do for a long time, if at all this season as the sounds coming from the team were quite negative (in a can-do attitude way).

Is Antonelli going to become annoying the way Vettel and Verstappen did?  At the moment he seems happy-go-lucky and everyone is enjoying his wins.  It seems like tension may grow between team mates in Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes because it seems everyone has the skill and opportunity to challenge Antonelli but  no one is.

There are three weeks until Canada and I wonder what they can work on between then.

Miami GP Qualifying Report

Before we could find out what order the drivers would start for the race, we learnt that thunder storms were on their way to Miami meaning the whole of idea of racing could change.  

As the first session got under way, it was Verstappen who set the quickest time initially.  Hulkenberg, who needed a new engine in his Audi, was out at the start of the session but his colleague Bortoleto was having work done and he didn't.  A lot of fixing was done and he did get out eventually; it was pointless because he was last and then his brakes caught on fire.  Piastri could only just make 16th, which is the last slot before you are out of Qualifying.  Linblad, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas, Perez and Bortoleto went out; no surprises here.

All Norris could do in the second session was seventh.  It seemed that there was going to be a huge sea change since the morning.  Hulkenberg, Lawson, Bearman, Sainz, Ocon and Albon went out.  Verstappen was still the fastest followed by Antontelli.

After the first round of laps in the final session, several drivers were in contention for pole including Verstappen and LeClerc but Antonelli was quickest.  Antonelli continued to maintain that position but it looked like Verstappen would take it from him on the final lap set of the session.  The top ten were Antonelli, Verstappen, LeClerc, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Piastri, Colapinto, Hadjar and Gasly.  The disparity between the two Mercedes drivers is going, with the young arrival starting to outshine his old team mate.  The McLarens lost any advantage they had during the Sprint to the wind or possibly something else.  Verstappen suddenly seemed strong out of nowhere.  Colapinto seems to really have the measure on his more experienced and highly rated team mate at Alpine, Gasly.

Journalists are not going to stop asking Antonelli whether or not he can make a good start, starting with Brundle in his immediate interview.  Verstappen however was very happy with how things had gone.  The race start could be moved or who knows what else if the rain, thunder and lightning come.  Will Antonelli be lightning off the start though?  Who will be thunderous in their disappointment with their team's performance (I predict Sainz)?  We will find out if the change in regulations mean better races or will they remain only fun for the first few laps and then a train of cars?