The things you do for love… early mornings, late nights, moments of utter joy tempered with moments of abject sadness. It is an inexplicable bond, this thing called love, that causes a person to stand by the object of their affection in bad times and to celebrate the good times with an air of reckless merriment and joy.
No, you have not accidently stumbled onto a “how to fix my love life blog” or a tribute to some mysterious love. What you have found is my story on this love affair with Formula One that, as the Brothers Johnson would say, keeps me coming back for more. A few weeks ago my Crew colleague, Aaron Irwin, invoked the Righteous Brothers as he described losing that loving feeling he has for the sport of F1. He inspired me to examine the reason why I am still in love with F1 and keep on tuning in for more regardless of time differences.
I will be honest, much like a relationship with an actual human, there have been moments of sheer frustration that have made me stop and question why I still have this feeling for the sport. My friends, the non-F1 crowd that is, have a hard time understanding F1 to being with and so you can imagine their confusion when I vent about “the silly grid penalty nonsense and artificial feeling tracks”.
Credit: Pirelli
It was Michael Schumacher who cemented my attraction to the sport but it was Ayton Senna who formed its foundation. I loved how drivers as openly emotional and passionate as Senna and one who as passionate in a more clinical and equally brilliant manner that Schumacher possessed, could drive beyond what even their cars technically allowed. Schumacher battling with Mika Hakkinen and later Fernando Alonso would result in my family waking up at 5am on certain Sunday’s, due to the time differences to Australia and Japan, to the sound of Murray Walker saying “GO GO GO!”.
But with good times, comes the bad. F1 saw technical changes which resulted in certain teams finding loopholes well within the laws, giving them a technical advantage and negating any real competition for many years. Slowly the personalities of drivers were being controlled and the days of free speakers like Juan Pablo Montoya were ending, (although Kimi will always thankfully be Kimi). F1 was slowly feeling a bit too artificial with even drivers being told what to say and do and how to say and do it so as not to create a PR disaster. Tracks felt more like pandering to big money instead of reaching F1’s heart and soul… its fans.
Credit: Pirelli
Right about now, you would be staging and intervention trying to reason with me….
Yet I did not miss a race… not a single one. There were the little things that kept me there, Jenson Button’s empathic maiden championship win, Alonso joining Ferrari, Sauber staying in F1, Schumacher coming back and then breaking my heart by retiring.
You see the uncertainty of F1 is like nothing else. Take this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. It seemed to be all Sebastian Vettel for sure, many online said they would not even watch the procession, but then the first corner happened and changed the 2017 championship forever, similarly the resurgence of the Red Bull team, when many had written them off. You cannot predict an F1 weekend outcome. I still have that feeling, as the lights are about to go out, a nervous excitement and elevated heart rate, which prima facie sounds silly because, after all, I have nothing personally invested in the race. Lately, however, there has been a swing back to more openness and a nostalgic feel to things, the talent of a driver seems to be allowed more room and teams are closer, technically, to each other.
Credit: LAT Photographic/Williams F1
Like any relationship, my love of F1 faced some introspection, what kept me loving the sport? Perhaps Liberty Media have been the correct relationship counsellor? Let us examine that for a quick second. It is evident that fans are less critical of the new regime when compared to that of Bernie and Co. It seems that the more open approach, such as the access to the F1 drivers meeting and more access to the track, have given the fans more of a hands on approach to F1. It is all of that and more. It may sound a bit dramatic, (I am a lawyer, drama is pre-requisite), but my heart and mind and truly invested in F1. While there may be other motorsports that I enjoy, I love F1 and will continue to do so if the ethos remains.
What is this you may ask? For me it is the authentic feel of the F1 of old remaining and the marriage of driver and machine reaching the peak of human physicality and performance, tempered with the emotional and visual entertainment that only F1 can bring.
The minute of silence in respect to the people who suffered from the earthquake in the Mexico City was one of the most emotional moments in the Mexican Grand Prix. People are above everything and we should always help and support each other.
Max Verstappen took the chequered flag in Mexico, but Lewis Hamilton was the big winner of the weekend. Hamilton became the first British, F1 racing driver, with four world titles.
On Saturday, Vettel set the fastest lap in Q3 of the qualifying session and took the pole position in Mexico, followed by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Lights out, a brave start from the young Max Verstappen who added some pressure on Vettel, took the lead after a wheel to wheel battle with Sebastian, who forced to retreat, and had to fight with Hamilton for the second position. Vettel collided with Hamilton, damaged his front wing and caused a puncture to Hamilton’s rear left tyre. Both drivers pitted and dropped down to the back of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton stuck behind Sainz’s car, whilst Vettel was pushing hard to gain position. Sebastian had to finish in the first two positions, in order to have chances for the championship in the two remaining races.
For almost 30 laps, Hamilton, couldn’t find the speed to pass Carlos Sainz’s Renault, Brendon Hartley retired on lap 31 after an engine failure, gave the chance to Mercedes to call Hamilton into the pits, whilst the race was under VSC, and fit him the super-soft tyres.
The new tyres gave the chance to Hamilton to start his counter attack and cover ground as Vettel was gaining places and was hoping for a miracle in order to get a place on the podium. The German, was far behind the first three drivers, he managed to move up to position four and placed behind Raikkonen, Bottas and Verstappen.
A few laps before the chequered flag, Hamilton asked his team if Vettel could get the second position, Mercedes’ reply was “Negative” as Bottas was second and it would be hard for anyone to take it from him.
Esteban Ocon had his chance to shine, especially after lights out, Ocon was third, but after the first pit-stop period Kimi Raikkonen moved up to the third place and forced Esteban to retreat to fourth. Ocon, had to defend his place from Vettel, but that was not easy, and the German took the fourth place. Ocon’s fifth and Perez’s seventh place, were enough to give the fourth position to Sahara Force India in the constructors’ championship.
Lance Stroll had a quiet race, took advantage of Hulkenberg’s and Ricciardo’s retirements also gained an advantage from Hamilton’s and Vettel’s collision and managed to finish sixth and score eight points for Williams.
The four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had a tough start this season, but despite the difficulties that he faced, mainly during the first half of the season, he had the courage to fight back, and showed to everyone why he is one of the best drivers on the grid. Silverstone was the spark that led to Hamilton’s comeback and to his fourth world title (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017).
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States of America. Sunday 22 October 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONY2503
The weather just south of Austin, Texas was fine for the start of the United States Grand Prix, with the early morning rains moving on with plenty of time. That heavy rain, though, cleaned the track up considerably with all the rubber deposited over practice and qualifying washed away. This newly-green surface added an element of uncertainty to the pre-race proceedings. The very-American opening ceremony proved to be polarizing. For every fan that enjoyed Michael Buffer’s boxing-style driver introductions (beneficial to an American audience, many of whom aren’t as familiar with Formula One), there was one who found it ‘cringey AF.’ Whatever your reaction, you can’t deny that Liberty Media delivered on the promise of spectacle for this race’s opening ceremonies.
The word of the day for the United States Grand Prix was ‘poised’. After a record-setting weekend, Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Valtteri Bottas faced the day poised to secure the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship for Mercedes AMG Petronas. Sebastian Vettel was poised to breathe a bit of life into the Drivers Championship if he drove well, and if he didn’t (or if he suffered some other issue) Hamilton was poised to seal his fourth Drivers Championship. Carlos Sainz was poised to make a good impression in his debut with Renault. Brendon Hartley was poised to make a good showing in his first single-seater race in years. The paddock was full of expectations. Who would see their goals realized? Who would leave disappointed?
When the lights went out, Lewis Hamilton made a solid start but Sebastian Vettel did him one better, leaping off the line to take the lead at the outset. The remainder of the field enjoyed a fairly clean start.
The opening lap saw a great deal of shakeups in the field. Force India’s Esteban Ocon briefly got the jump on Kimi Raikkonen for 5th, but it was not to last. Fernando Alsonso’s McLaren overtook Carlos Sainz’s Renault for 7th, in what I’m sure McLaren hopes to be a harbinger of next season. Williams’ Felipe Massa overtook the other Force India of Sergio Perez for 9th. At the bottom of the field, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg took 17th from Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne of McLaren took 19th from Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley. There was a contact between Weherlein and Magnussen, which was later determined to not merit any further action by the stewards.
And Max Verstappen began his inexorable climb in his Red Bull. In the first lap alone, he overtook both Saubers and Williams’ Lance Stroll, bringing him up from 16th to 13th. In the second lap, he claimed Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Toro Rosso’s Dany Kvyat. Lap 3 saw him pass Perez, and Massa in lap 4, rising to 9th by lap 5.
Toward the front of the field, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo brought the fight to Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas several times in the early laps, but wasn’t able to make any of the attempts stick. Raikkonen lurked quietly behind Ricciardo, searching for an opening. Hamilton and Vettel traded fastest laps early on, with Hamilton declaring that the, “[p]ace feels pretty good,” as he settled into the groove. Hulkenberg’s race came to an untimely end in lap 4 thanks to an engine failure, to the disappointment of both his fans and his team.
Lap 6 saw Hamilton finally able to make a move on Vettel to retake the lead. Despite a valiant defense, Vettel was unable to deny Hamilton, and the #44 Silver Arrow found its legs. Weherlein’s race came to an end at this point with a retirement due to damage.
Lap 10 brought Max Verstappen into 6th place, overtaking Ocon in at turn 12. The teams began eyeing pit stops, with Stroll going in for softs on lap 11 and Ricciardo requesting that he be brought in as soon as there’d be good track position. Vettel reported blistering on the left front during lap 12, and Raikkonen made an attempt on Ricciardo.
Pit stops began in earnest in lap 13, with Ricciardo and Perez both taking new tyres. Perez, pitting from 11th and rejoining in 15th, opted for a set of softs, while Ricciardo pitted from 4th left the pits on a set of supersofts to rejoin in 9th. Ricciardo’s stop allowed Raikkonen to rise to 4th and Verstappen to 5th. With his fresh tyres, Ricciardo handily overtook Sainz to advance to 8th. Ocon and Alonso both stopped for fresh rubber in lap 15, with Ocon rejoining in 12th and Alonso in 14th on soft tyres.
After setting the fastest lap thus far, misfortune struck Ricciardo. His Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit gave up the ghost, leading him to coast to a halt on the grass past turn 15 and bringing out a double yellow for sector 3 as his car was recovered. Both Renault and Red Bull were doubtless feeling a bit of nervousness for their remaining drivers, though (spoiler alert!) there were no further Renault-powered retirements.
By this time, a significant gap had emerged between the Mercedes, Ferraris, and lone Red Bull at the front of the pack.
Lap 17 saw Vettel dive for the pits from second, emerging on his new set of soft tyres in 5th behind the hard-charging Verstappen. When faced with Vettel’s pit stop, Hamilton confidently declared, “Tyres are good, I can extend.” His confidence in his well-worn ultrasofts seemed to be well-placed, as the onboard camera shots showed no indication of striping or blistering. Nonetheless, worn ultrasofts, no matter how well-managed, would be tricky to match against Vettel’s fresh set of softs. Vettel confirmed his tyres’ puissance by setting the fastest second and third sectors, and then going on to set the fastest lap shortly thereafter.
Mercedes brought Bottas in for soft tyres in lap 18, causing him to take his turn in 5th when he rejoined the track and allowing Raikkonen, Verstappen, and Vettel to each climb one place. The battle in the midfield continued apace, with Sainz and Massa jockeying for position with McLaren and Force India. Sainz’ stop in lap 19 for – you guessed it, softs – left Massa in 6th, trailed by Ocon, Alonso, Perez, and Vandoorne. Alonso issued a call to his team for strategy information, sarcastically telling them, “It’d be nice to know what I’m doing.” Rejoining in 11th, Sainz would face an uphill battle for position for the remainder of the race.
Hamilton finally entered the pits in lap 20, also taking a set of soft tyres. His crew turned in an excellent stop, though this led to a fraught moment for Mercedes, as Vettel was closing fast while Hamilton climbed out of the pits and up to turn 1. While his tyres were a few laps newer than Vettel’s, they were cold while the Ferrari’s rubber was already up to temperature. Hamilton did manage to rejoin in 3rd, just in front of Vettel, and was able to defend his position. Vettel wobbled and ran a bit wide in turn 1, and Hamilton set about rebuilding his lead and catching Max Verstappen.
With Raikkonen entering the pits for softs in lap 21 (and duly taking his turn in 5th upon exit), Verstappen’s strategy became a hot topic. Verstappen began the race on a used set of supersofts, and despite his masterful performance thus far they clearly wouldn’t last forever. This was brought into focus in lap 23 when Hamilton was able to successfully attack Verstappen and reclaim the lead. The question of a Verstappen-Vettel battle began to loom when Red Bull finally called their wunderkind into the pits in lap 25 for a set of… softs. Verstappen dutifully rejoined in 5th.
In the midfield, Marcus Ericsson went into the pits in lap 21, emerging with softs of his own but falling from 13th to 18th in the process. In lap 25 tragedy – by now firmly farce – then struck struck Fernando Alonso. Again. With a call from the pit advising him to back off, he returned to the garage and ended his race with yet another Honda-powered retirement. Our hats are off to Alonso for being able to maintain any sense of equanimity after the absolute disaster that is the modern McLaren-Honda partnership, though doubtless seeing the Renault-shaped light at the end of the tunnel helps. We also wish Toro Rosso the best of luck for 2019. Unless Honda is able to resolve these serious issues, they’ll need it.
The following lap, Alonso’s more fortunate teammate pitted for a set of ultrasofts, rejoining in 15th. Sainz began to methodically reel Force India in up in the middle of the pack, while Perez and Ocon continued to vie for position themselves. Happily, both Force India drivers kept it clean, avoiding the on-track contact that cost the team so dearly earlier in the season.
At the front of the pack, Verstappen went on to set the fastest lap of the race. Vandoorne meanwhile passed Hartley on lap 28 and Stroll in lap 29 to rise back to 13th. Massa made his first stop of the race in lap 30, trading his supersofts for a set of new ultrasofts. This late stop did cost him, as he rejoined in 12th. Meanwhile, Hartley continued his quiet-but-proficient drive, breathing down Stroll’s neck.
Continuing the long, slow burning battle between the Force India drivers and Sainz, Perez’s calls to the pit wall requesting that Ocon let him by were denied. Ocon’s fine, he was told, YOU need to manage better, and management’s what we need right now. Sainz’ patience finally paid off, and he overtook Perez at turn 19 to advance to 7th. This in turn left Perez in Kvyat’s sights. In the midst of all this, Massa began to regain positions, overtaking Magnussen in lap 32 and later claiming the other Haas in lap 39.
Lap 38 saw a surprise pit stop from Max Verstappen for a set of supersofts. While exiting the pit, his crew radioed, “You know what we’re up to. We need a big lap.” Vettel followed Max in on lap 39 for a set of supersofts of his own. Pitting from second, he rejoined in 4th. This was a risky move. Would Verstappen’s new supersofts outperform Vettel’s used set? Would Vettel be able to close the gap to Raikkonen and Bottas? Ferrari would doubtless issue team orders, instructing Raikkonen to let Vettel pass, but Bottas certainly wouldn’t be so obliging. Verstappen then set the fastest lap thus far.
By lap 42, Raikkonen was able to mount a successful challenge on Bottas for second. By lap 44, commentators were discussing the scenario of Vettel passing Bottas, and Raikkonen being issued the expected orders to let Vettel pass.
In an example of the interesting things that can happen when the front runners lap the backmarkers, on lap 46 Marcus Ericsson attempted to follow Vettel past Kevin Magnussen at turn 12 under the blue flags. Magnussen wasn’t having it and tried to close the door. The drivers bumped, with Magnussen coming out worse for the wear after a spin, plummeting to 16th. Though Ericsson did briefly claim 13th, the stewards handed him a 5-second time penalty for his trouble and Stroll quickly overtook him for the position.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz continued his long search for advantage over Esteban Ocon, but Ocon’s defense continued to be impregnable. This so impressed the world feed directors that they continued to broadcast the feed from Sainz’s car as Vettel set the fastest lap of the race and approached DRS range on Bottas.
By turn 1 of lap 51, Vettel was in position to attack Bottas. Bottas, apparently relying on traffic to provide cover, miscalculated the his position relative to Vettel and the lapped Vandoorne and failed to mount an effective defense against Vettel’s attack on the outside. This cost Bottas 3rd, and opened him up to attack from Verstappen. Bottas was able to more effectively use traffic, in the form of Romain Grosjean’s Haas, to hold Verstappen off for a bit.
In lap 52, the expected radio call from Ferrari’s pit wall to Kimi Raikkonen arrived. “Seb is now the car behind, Seb is now the car behind. OK, if Seb comes alongside, let him by.” The Finn dutifully ceded 2nd place to his teammate. A short distance behind, Bottas had run out of time against Vertstappen. Verstappen attacked on the inside, forcing Bottas wide. Bottas wasn’t able to make his counterattack stick, and with nothing to lose he made a gamble of his own by pitting for a set of ultrasoft tyres. Sadly, it amounted to nothing and Mercedes’ in-house Finn was left to finish in 5th.
Overshadowed by the action at the front, Massa quietly overtook Kvyat for 9th place, and a couple of points for Williams.
Having dispensed with Bottas, Verstappen then set his sights on Raikkonen. With only 2 laps left and a little more than a second between them, Verstappen would have only one chance to attack Raikkonen. Pushing hard, it appeared that Verstappen would fall just short of Raikkonen.
As Lewis Hamilton crossed the line to secure the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship title for Mercedes AMG Petronas, Verstappen mounted an audacious attack on Raikkonen at turn 17 as the chequered flag fell, and claimed third place for his efforts.
In what will doubtless be a long-discussed penalty, the stewards determined that Verstappen had exceeded the track limits to gain advantage, and gave him a five second time penalty. This led to an awkward moment after the race, as Verstappen was already in the cool-down room.
The final finishing order, after time penalties, was:
HAM
VET
RAI
VER
BOT
OCO
SAI
PER
MAS
KVY
STR
VAN
HAR
GRO
ERI
MAG
DNFs:
ALO
RIC
WEH
HUL
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for a well-fought victory in Austin! Congratulations to Mercedes AMG Petronas for the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship! Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for setting the fastest lap of the race, with 1:37.766 and keeping the Drivers Championship alive, at least mathematically! Congratulations Max Verstappen for getting us up out of our seats and shouting in the dwindling seconds of the race!
We can’t wait to see what Mexico brings us on Sunday.
Last back to back race of the season, directly tickets from Texas to Mexico City were booked by the Formula 1 staff, some had to climb Trump’s wall in order to arrive in Mexico, but everything is almost ready for the 18th race of the season.
Max Verstappen as another Speedy Gonzalez, will have to control his nerves and the “stab in the back” pain from FIA, must race as a normal racing driver under the official rules. Kimi Raikkonen from the other hand, the cool type that we all love, will go to Mexico with one purpose, to support Sebastian Vettel from Friday till the chequered flag. The Finn, was second in Austin and was looking very comfortable, but suddenly Ferrari discovered that he was going to run out of fuels, the order was clear “Save fuels, Kimi” and to our big surprise, Kimi stepped aside and let Vettel pass second, he almost lost the third place from Max, but as many said on the social media, one Finn supports the other, and Mika Salo advised the stewards to give 5 second time penalty to Max Verstappen after the chequered flag.
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States of America. Sunday 22 October 2017. World Copyright: Steven Tee/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _R3I1833
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the 3.7-4 world time champion Lewis Hamilton. The Brit had an easy weekend in Austin, no pressure for him, he read the script and followed exactly Mercedes’ plan. The track suited perfectly to Lewis and his sixth victory in COTA proves that, now the Champ has to finish fifth or above in Mexico in order to celebrate his fourth world title.
AUTÓDROMO HERMANOS RODRÍGUEZ
Laps: 71
Circuit Length: 4.304 km
Race Distance: 305.354 km
Lap Record: 1:20.521 (Nico Rosberg – 2015)
Mexico Grand Prix re-appeared in the Formula One calendar in 2015, after a long absence. Nico Rosberg was the driver who took the chequered flag in that year. Last year Lewis Hamilton won the Mexican Grand Prix, and he will try to repeat his success this season as well.
It is a home race for Sergio Perez, the fans will cheer for him and hopefully he will not complain about Oconstistency’s pace.
Sergio Perez – “Racing at home means a lot for me. It’s always a busy week, both for me and the team, but being at home makes all the hard work we put in for our fans and our partners worthwhile. It’s definitely the most enjoyable weekend of the year for me. It’s a great race for everyone involved in Formula One. There’s so much passion and the whole week is a big celebration. Everyone in Mexico City is looking forward to the race.The track is quite fun to drive and being on those long straights is special. Because of the altitude, even though you’re running high wings, you still achieve very high speeds and it’s really hard to stop the car under braking – in that sense it feels like a bit like Monza.I am lucky I get to race in my country in front of my fans. Their support means so much to me and it’s inspiring to see fans waving the Mexican flag in every grandstand. I really want to give them a special result to celebrate.”
Felipe Massa – “First of all, it’s a shame to see what’s happened, it’s so sad to see the people losing their lives and also their homes from the earthquake so that’s really, really sad. I think we need to help them and get as much support for them. We need to pass the message to people around the world. That is the most important thing. Secondly, they are really in love with Formula One and they go crazy for the race. When you see the people in the grandstand and around the roads, they are proper Formula One fans and I think it’s fantastic to race there. I always enjoy it, I go with some friends, my father and we always enjoy the atmosphere there. It looks very similar to São Paolo so you also feel at home. I really hope we can have an important race for them in this difficult moment.”
In the American Grand Prix, Mercedes AMG celebrated their fourth consecutive constructors’ title, despite their bad start this season, the team managed to overcome their problems and the hard work paid off for them as they won the world title, massive congratulations to every member who contributed to the success.
Max Attack – Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen On How To Overtake & Win Races In F1 | M1TG
It is difficult to know quite where to begin, so here are just a few statistics.
At the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa at the end of August, Stoffel Vandoorne passed a threshold that, equated into distance, would have cost him a kilometre in engine-related grid penalties. The gap from position to position on is eight metres.
Vandoorne has officially been penalised 170 places this season for exceeding various elements of his Power-Unit quota of four elements each.
At the Italian Grand Prix Kevin Magnussen qualified 16th, but with no fewer than eight drivers receiving penalties for exceeding their quota of elements, he lined up ninth.
Sergio Perez himself was meant to go back five places from 11th at Monza. Guess where he started.
Nope, you’re wrong. He lined up 10th.
It really has gotten silly. The reasons for introducing grid penalties back in 2004 were good ones, where if you changed an engine during a weekend you were penalised ten places in qualifying.
Author: Rick Dikeman Engine penalties were first enforced in 2004, but the rules were a lot clearer
In those days, you didn’t have a Power-Unit that was almost as complicated as trying to tie your shoelaces with only your left hand. You had no individual elements to change.
Attempting to work out the grid is now almost a routine part of a Saturday afternoon at a Formula One Grand Prix, and that is not attractive to anybody whatsoever.
No one actively wants to be confused at a Grand Prix and the debate and talking points should be about on track action, not a guessing game about who starts where.
There are a couple of ways around this, however.
The idea behind the penalties is to improve reliability and save engine manufacturers an awful lot of money that would spent on developing and making the various engine parts, with technical costs in F1 never far away from paddock chatter.
One idea to end the nonsense of endless grid penalties is to replace grid drops with Constructors’ points deductions, provided the deductions don’t go over the top.
The driver who would otherwise be forced to start from the back of the grid, or possibly 12th, would therefore not have his race completely ruined before it even began.
Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. Sunday 09 2017. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren MCL32 Honda, is returned to the garage as he retires from the race. Vandoorne has been penalised 170 places for exceeding the elements quota of his Power Unit World Copyright: Steven Tee/McLaren ref: Digital Image _O3I5054
He would be allowed to fight where he should be fighting while the team, responsible for reliability, would suffer without the spectacle being impacted for the spectators and worldwide public.
However, there is a drawback.
Team points deductions would affect some teams more than others, with Sauber just one example of a constructor that rely on prize money given out at the end of the season.
It is well documented that the late Jules Bianchi’s two points for ninth at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix kept Manor/Marussia alive until the end of 2016.
Points deductions, no matter how small, could hurt smaller, independent teams for years to come while it may prove to be no deterrent to the big boys.
A second, more feasible route would be to limit track time at Grand Prix weekends, with a 20-minute penalty in free-practice sessions for each element exceeding the quota to be served after the first 15 minutes of any session, with a total and complete ban on work on the car during this period.
This would provide a sporting penalty to impact both driver and team, without completely ruining the weekend of the driver affected by mechanical problems.
The team and driver would both be affected but nobody would feel like it was a triumph if they guessed the right grid order.
It would have the same impact on bigger teams and smaller teams alike as limited track time would similarly hamper a Mercedes to a Sauber.
Whether the FIA do indeed decide to put an end to the farce that is the current penalty system is another matter.
But leaving the results of one of the most important sessions of a weekend as vague as the current system can often be is far from the way forward in an era where Formula One constantly strives to pioneer.
Formula One has a lot of thinking to do in order to solve its technical problem.
Alex Zanardi is the guy who never gives up. He is a person which inspires generations and has become the idol of many young kids. Alex has taught to all of us that life is hard, but we must never give up.
Born in Italy, on 23 October 1966, Alex Zanardi had the chance to race in Formula 1 for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams. In 1991, the Italian driver made his debut in Formula 1 with Jordan, where he remained only for one year. The following year, Zanardi raced for Minardi, but again the next year he changed a team and signed a contract with Lotus.
In Lotus, Alex, had his best moment of his F1 career. He scored his first point in the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1993. Alessandro qualified 15th, but after a tremendous race, he managed to finish sixth, behind two British drivers, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell. Despite the good result that Alex had in Brazil, 1993 was not a good year for the Italian driver. Zanardi had an accident with his bicycle, but that was not enough to hold him off the sport. Alex raced in Germany with several broken bones, but a spun didn’t let him finish the race.
Zanardi’s injuries forced him to postpone his racing in 1994, Alessandro had to wait to fully recover from his injuries. Hence, he missed the season premiere, but he returned in the Spanish Grand Prix, where he replaced Pedro Lamy, who at that time was racing for Lotus.
In 1999, Zanardi raced for his last time in Formula 1. At that time he was driving for Williams and his last race was in Suzuka. The Italian qualified 16th, but he forced to quit the race due to electrical issues.
That was the end of his career as an F1 driver.
15 September 2001
Zanardi continued his career as a driver in another series, in Indy Car. At the EuroSpeedway Lausitz September 15, Zanardi had a terrible crash which it could cost him his life. During the final laps he was leading the race, his team decided to call him for a late pit-stop, when he re-joined the race, Alex had spun and lost control of his car, while his he returned to the track, unable to control his vehicle, was avoided by Patrick Carpentier, but Alex Tagliani crashed on Zanardi’s car. Tagliani crashed on the side of Zanardi’s car, behind the front wheel. From the crash, the Italian lost both his legs and lot of blood. The doctors managed to stabilise his condition and save his life.
After his surgery, the Italian joined a rehabilitation program, he even designed and built his own custom legs. Zanardi continued to race in European Touring Car Championship. Alessandro won his World Series race in August 2005, he also won in Istanbul in 2006 and won twice in Brno in 2008 and in 2009. At the end of 2009, the Italian decided to quit the WTCC series.
In 2006, BMW Sauber gave a chance to Alex to drive a modified Formula 1 car, where he could control it with his hands. Zanardi knew that he would never sign a contract with an F1 team, but still, it was very special for him.
Zanardi’s new chapter
In 2007, Zanardi decided to try something different and started practising with a handcycle. His aim was to enter the Italian Paralympic team. Zanardi managed to fulfil his dreams. In 2011, Alex won a silver medal at the UCI Paracycling.
It was not long before his first race in London’s Games. In 2012, the Italian lifted with his hands his handcycle above his head. It was a very memorable moment at Brands Hands race circuit, it was the moment where Alex Zanardi celebrated his first gold medal in Paralympic games.
Alex won a gold medal in the individual road race H4 and a silver medal in the mixed relay team H1-4.
The Italian made himself known to everyone, he was awarded the Best Male at the 2013 Paralympic Sport and Media awards.
“This is a great accomplishment, one of the greatest of my life.” Zanardi said about his gold medal in London.
Rio 2016
Zanardi travelled to Brazil with the thought to win more medals and inspire the world.
“Even my accident, what happened to me, became the biggest opportunity of my life, all the things I am doing today are related to my new condition.” He said.
“When you find yourself in a certain situation you have to identify where you want to go and focus on what you can achieve on that given day.Whether it is a small thing or big one, step-by-step you can make things happen.” Zanardi added.
In Rio, the Italian claimed his third gold medal in Paralympics. He won the H5 time trial at Pontal in Rio de Janeiro. It was a hard race for Alex, he passed Tripp over the second half of the route and won the gold medal by 2.74 seconds.
“It has been a long journey, which basically started the day after the London games when I decided that I would focus on a new horizon in my life and that this would be Rio. After the exciting years of preparation and coming here to a course that was not really my kind, of course, it is just fantastic to finally enjoy the taste of gold once more.” Said Zanardi.
More than fifteen years have passed since Zanardi’s terrible accident, but the Italian is still racing and he never gave up. During his hardest moments in his life, Alessandro found the courage and he didn’t give up.
He is a legend for me, and he is the idol that all the generations must have and follow. I don’t want to underestimate any Paralympic athlete, every each of them has a history which I am sure that it is very admirable.
Max Verstappen continues to race for Red Bull Racing for a further three years. The 20-year-old Dutchman, who won this year’s Malaysian GP, is happy with the decision. “Their support, from the guys and girls in the factory through to the crew in the garage, no matter what plays out on the race track, has always been 100 per cent. We’ve also had some fun times! I’m very happy to commit further to Red Bull Racing.”
Max started his F1 journey as a part of Red Bull’s young driver programme. “Red Bull has always shown their faith and belief in me with actions; inviting me in to the young driver programme as a 16-year-old, then giving me my start in Formula One when I was just 17, and then the opportunity to race with Red Bull Racing where I had such a dream start with this team. They have always backed me and my ambition and I know we share that ambition.” He expects more successes in the future.
Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The Team Principal said: “We are delighted that Max has agreed to extend his contract with Red Bull Racing. We had a phenomenal start together in Spain last year and Max has only pushed on from there. It was a great moment for the whole team to see him put the frustrations of this season behind him in taking that fantastic victory in Malaysia last month. He is pure racer, with an undeniable talent at the wheel and a rare instinct for what it takes to compete consistently at this level. Coupled with a committed work ethic and a mature approach to learning his craft that belies his years, Max is right to be hungry for success”. Christian Horner belives that Red Bull Racing is the right team for Verstappen to win the championship. “As we now look to the long term with Max he is in the best place in the sport to build a team around him to deliver our shared ambition.”
Formula One is travelling to the United States and more specifically in Texas for the American Grand Prix which will be held in Austin.
Lewis Hamilton needs to score 16 more points than Sebastian Vettel in order to secure his fourth title in his Formula 1 career, considering Ferrari’s performance in the last races, it is not an unachievable target for the British driver.
Ferrari was not able to be competitive in Asia and now Lewis Hamilton has the upper hand in the drivers’ championship. Scuderia, must finish ahead of the two Mercedes if they want to stay in the game and go to Mexico, a track which suits Ferrari, with more confidence and hopes.
Austin entered Formula 1 in 2012, it is an anti-clockwise circuit which is contained by 20 corners. The 5.5 kilometre track, designed by Hermann Tilke in collaboration with local architects, the layout of the circuit was inspired by other tracks.
Circuit of the Americas
Laps: 56
Circuit Length: 5.513 km
Race Length: 308.405 km
Lap Record: 1:39.347 (Sebastian Vettel – 2012)
Pirelli will provide three tyre compounds to the teams, Ultrasoft (purple), Supersoft (Red) and Soft (Yellow).
Lewis Hamilton is the only driver, on the grid, who have won more than once in COTA, Sebastian Vettel have won only one time in the American Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen’s best finish was second, whilst Daniel Ricciardo have finished two times on third place.
Brendon Hartley will make his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso, the New Zealander will replace Pierre Gasly, who will race for the Super Formula series in Japan.
Carlos Sainz will make his debut with Renault in COTA, the Spanish driver said:
“I’m very excited to joining the team and I hope to hit the ground running. We have some hard work ahead of us going into Austin with lots of things to learn and many people to meet. I’m going to give everything to be on the pace as soon as possible even though I know it can take a bit of time to adapt, but I’m confident we can do it. It’s key to have this immediate taste with Renault and get to know the people and the car. It’s a big challenge, but it motivates me. We have this last push for the season and I have to find where the limit of the car is, get used to the steering wheel, things like that. That’s the procedure and I will embrace the challenge. It’s good to see the people at Enstone putting the work in to get back to the top. They can be sure all the effort being put in is being matched on my side of things and I will be pushing flat out to help the team. Austin is one of my favourite tracks and I had one of my best races in Formula 1 there last year, finishing sixth. I can go there with confidence as I know how to go fast in Austin. I just need that adaptation to the car and the engineers. The first sector is special, it’s one of these modern tracks which is well designed, very fast with quick changes of direction and high G-forces. I love these sort of tracks and it’s a good opportunity for me to test the limit of the R.S.17.”
Red Bull Racing was competitive in the final races and they want to keep up the pace. The Bulls aiming for another podium, if Ricciardo finishes on the podium, it will Daniel’s 10th podium this season.
“Everyone knows I love the city of Austin but I also love the circuit. It’s certainly unique with the wide apexes, you can pass in more than three areas, it’s fast, it flows well and it’s definitely one of the best tracks on the calendar for overtaking.In the city there is so much to see, I like going to the well-known places like Pete’s Piano Bar but also some of the more local places for live music and food. I have done Barton Springs, visited a ranch and this year I’m doing Austin City limits, there’s so much to do and it’s all so good.Some people are asking if I have a beard plan for Austin this year, I haven’t thought that far ahead yet but I still feel my little beard in 2014 was my best, so I might just bring that one back.”
Watch Max Vertappen’s preview for the U.S. Grand Prix via Mobil 1 The Grid.
I am expecting to see a fast and strong Lewis Hamilton who will give everything for the pole-position and the chequered flag, the British feel comfortable in COTA and he wants to secure his fourth title as soon as possible.
