Another fantastic qualifying session delivered this season. An interesting addition was the inclusion of interviews with Ocon and Wehrlein as Sky had to fill the time whilst they rebuilt the safety barrier somehow.
I think that was the earliest crash in a race I have seen. As Hulkenberg went out it was good news for Williams, then Massa got a puncture, then Bottas' seat came undone, then Massa had a slow stop, then... then... then...
There was a marshal on track during Lap 3, preceded by a giant lizard in FP3. Singapore is always a funny race.
Hamilton's frustration at being in third couldn't be hidden: "I need a strategy I can overtake". In response they gave Rosberg a slow pit stop. Where's the bias now?
The best scrap of the race was Kvyat versus Verstappen. Was that message about Alonso being Kvyat's real target a coded message for the Toro Rosso driver to move out of the way for the Red Bull?
There was much whooping when Raikkonen overtook Hamilton for a podium place on Lap 33. Only for Ferrari to give it away and then Raikkonen gave up, as usual.
It was a procession but quite an interesting procession. And looked stunning too.
Monday, 19 September 2016
Singapore GP - Results
1. Weak End of Bernie - 878*
2. The Pitstop Princess - 844
3. Merc-redible Hulk - 817*
4. Halo, it's me - 810*
5. Hippy F1 - 765*
6. Claire has to type this sentence out each time as my team name - 752*
7. BogOffBernie - 742*
8= Beauty & the F1 Geek - 736*
8= Three teams, one dream - 736*
10. The Hopefuls - 649*
11. No Vices Now - 626*
12. The Maranello Marvels - 588*
13. Marian's Marvels - 493
14. British Racing Green - 463*
15. Indiana Walker & the Tyres of Doom - 388
16. Put out to Pastor - 281*
*Home track played
2. The Pitstop Princess - 844
3. Merc-redible Hulk - 817*
4. Halo, it's me - 810*
5. Hippy F1 - 765*
6. Claire has to type this sentence out each time as my team name - 752*
7. BogOffBernie - 742*
8= Beauty & the F1 Geek - 736*
8= Three teams, one dream - 736*
10. The Hopefuls - 649*
11. No Vices Now - 626*
12. The Maranello Marvels - 588*
13. Marian's Marvels - 493
14. British Racing Green - 463*
15. Indiana Walker & the Tyres of Doom - 388
16. Put out to Pastor - 281*
*Home track played
Tuesday, 6 September 2016
Italy GP - "Really good job on that first stint"
Sad (?) news to start the weekend with Massa and Button retiring. Button may come back in 2018. I imagine he will be snapped trying to get into his car in a wet suit and then charged with drunk driving. Will we see the Massa family in hospitality most weekends? Will he be the new Jean Alesi?
What to write about qualifying? Dull, dull, dull.
Then on to the race. A good start with Bottas telling DC where to stick it on the grid. Then a slow start by the Mercedes, or at least one Mercedes. Hamilton told the team: "Don't worry about the start, it was my fault." The words he is looking for is "sorry".
And I have no notes after that. I spent the race quietly cursing Verstappen and Massa for not getting more points/not starting lower down the grid and working their way up/not getting fastest lap as I thought this was my home track. It's not.
Finally, the podium. Jordan got to show off the four words of Italian he knows. Then Vettel had a go with his standard Italian phrases of "grazie" and "grazie mille". Rosberg went next and interviewed for a seat at Ferrari, which was quite funny until he started singing Seven Nation Army.
What to write about qualifying? Dull, dull, dull.
Then on to the race. A good start with Bottas telling DC where to stick it on the grid. Then a slow start by the Mercedes, or at least one Mercedes. Hamilton told the team: "Don't worry about the start, it was my fault." The words he is looking for is "sorry".
And I have no notes after that. I spent the race quietly cursing Verstappen and Massa for not getting more points/not starting lower down the grid and working their way up/not getting fastest lap as I thought this was my home track. It's not.
Finally, the podium. Jordan got to show off the four words of Italian he knows. Then Vettel had a go with his standard Italian phrases of "grazie" and "grazie mille". Rosberg went next and interviewed for a seat at Ferrari, which was quite funny until he started singing Seven Nation Army.
Italy GP - Results
1. Weak End of Bernie - 826*
2. The Pitstop Princess - 794
3. Merc-redible Hulk - 775*
4. Halo, it's me - 768*
5. Hippy F1 - 739*
6. Claire has to type this sentence each time as my team name - 712*
7. BogOffBernie - 701* (looks like it's going to happen!)
8. Three dreams, one team - 696*
9. Beauty & the F1 Geek - 694*
10. The Hopefuls - 629*
11. No Vices Now - 586*
12. The Maranello Marvels - 550*
13. Marian's Marvels - 452
14. British Racing Green - 436*
15. Indiana Walker and the Tyres of Doom - 357
16. Put out to Pastor - 255*
2. The Pitstop Princess - 794
3. Merc-redible Hulk - 775*
4. Halo, it's me - 768*
5. Hippy F1 - 739*
6. Claire has to type this sentence each time as my team name - 712*
7. BogOffBernie - 701* (looks like it's going to happen!)
8. Three dreams, one team - 696*
9. Beauty & the F1 Geek - 694*
10. The Hopefuls - 629*
11. No Vices Now - 586*
12. The Maranello Marvels - 550*
13. Marian's Marvels - 452
14. British Racing Green - 436*
15. Indiana Walker and the Tyres of Doom - 357
16. Put out to Pastor - 255*
Monday, 29 August 2016
Belgium GP - "Awesome result"
A race that has to be written about in prose...
Following an artificially exciting qualifying, the track and grid combined promised a great race. And then...how many times did I need to rewatch that start?! Rosberg went off like lightening, I thought Verstappen was in the lead for a while. How did Vettel keep going after that shunt? Next, Sainz blew a tyre: E for effort in trying to get that car back to the pits. The F1 bleeper editor was working overtime although missed a big F from Sainz and then some more from Raikkonen in a couple of laps time. Next, we saw Raikkonen's car on fire, cue the puns. DC contributed: "gone up in smoke". I needed the virtual safety car on Lap 3 to catch my breath. Next thing I knew, Button was being interviewed on Lap 5. Just as I was wondering why was Massa up in the top 5 and then suddenly 13th on lap 6, Magnussen completely smashed the tyre wall to smithereens. He was limping but okay but I don't think I've ever seen the insides of a car like that. With the race red-flagged, I was amazed to discover that Alonso was in 4th place. Bedward reported that a Williams mechanic was "slightly injured" - he had dislocated his knee. Bedward is the Black Knight of F1. As the race unfolded that action lessened, Raikkonen really brought the racing (and the swearing) and it doesn't seem fitting that he finished with only 2 points. The action switched to the pit lane with Hamilton suffering a poor tyre change then Alonso and Hulkenberg battling it out.
At the end of the race, I felt that if Rosberg hadn't have won this race, he really wouldn't be a fitting world champion. The booing was unnecessary though.
Following an artificially exciting qualifying, the track and grid combined promised a great race. And then...how many times did I need to rewatch that start?! Rosberg went off like lightening, I thought Verstappen was in the lead for a while. How did Vettel keep going after that shunt? Next, Sainz blew a tyre: E for effort in trying to get that car back to the pits. The F1 bleeper editor was working overtime although missed a big F from Sainz and then some more from Raikkonen in a couple of laps time. Next, we saw Raikkonen's car on fire, cue the puns. DC contributed: "gone up in smoke". I needed the virtual safety car on Lap 3 to catch my breath. Next thing I knew, Button was being interviewed on Lap 5. Just as I was wondering why was Massa up in the top 5 and then suddenly 13th on lap 6, Magnussen completely smashed the tyre wall to smithereens. He was limping but okay but I don't think I've ever seen the insides of a car like that. With the race red-flagged, I was amazed to discover that Alonso was in 4th place. Bedward reported that a Williams mechanic was "slightly injured" - he had dislocated his knee. Bedward is the Black Knight of F1. As the race unfolded that action lessened, Raikkonen really brought the racing (and the swearing) and it doesn't seem fitting that he finished with only 2 points. The action switched to the pit lane with Hamilton suffering a poor tyre change then Alonso and Hulkenberg battling it out.
At the end of the race, I felt that if Rosberg hadn't have won this race, he really wouldn't be a fitting world champion. The booing was unnecessary though.
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