Ferrari are fired up
The Scuderia might have been fortunate to win in Melbourne but victory in Bahrain was anything but a fluke. The team had the pace all weekend and their car proved, at the Sakhir circuit at least, to be superior to Mercedes. But they also had to be willing to take a risk and trust their driver. Switching to a one-stop mid race was a bold move and Vettel had to put in a superlative performance to turn it into a win. He made his tyres last 39 laps when Pirelli’s predicted lifespan was just 30 and did so without going off despite the deteriorating grip. Had he spilled it just once, it would likely have cost him the win. The team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, was rightly effusive. “Today’s result is confirmation of the great job done by the team, of an effective car and of a driver who drove like a true champion.”
Hamilton still sharp
Ninth to third was a fine result for Lewis Hamilton, although he was disappointed at now trailing Vettel by 17 points in the world championship. It was, however, an impressive recovery drive on many levels. He played the percentages from the start, cautious in avoiding contact, with his eye on the bigger prize of the world championship. Then, with a little more room to manoeuvre, he attacked. His pass up the inside of turn one to overtake Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg – three cars in one – was a grandstand move and a reminder of why the four-times world champion is held in such high regard across the paddock. “It’s not an easy manoeuvre to pull off; it’s quite risky,” he said. “But I’d lost so much ground [because] I was trying to be cautious.” This ability to measure risk and reward will be crucial to the title fight and is an object lesson to Max Verstappen.
Gasly makes his mark
For the 22-year old Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly fourth place in only his seventh grand prix was a remarkable achievement. It confirmed the promise he has shown in junior formulae and put down a marker for his promotion to the senior Red Bull team. The young French driver had qualified in sixth and then drove a race that entirely belied his lack of experience. But there was import beyond his performance. He did it with the Honda engine with which McLaren struggled so for the past three years. If this is a sign that the manufacturer finally has its power unit on track, Red Bull, whose current deal with Renault ends this season, will be looking long and hard at their performance. Honda, too, might finally allow themselves a smile. It is the manufacturer’s best finish in a grand prix since Rubens Barrichello was third at the British GP in 2008.
McLaren’s investigation begins
Toro Rosso’s fourth was one better than the fifth which was the best McLaren achieved with Honda over those three years, which will have been difficult to swallow. It was exacerbated by a weekend in which they were really struggling. Optimism was severely shaken after they could qualify only 13th and 14th, which left the racing director, Eric Boullier, saying he was “astonished” and that “there is a need for a big investigation”. Fernando Alonso ultimately finished in seventh but admitted the place flattered their car. “A pretty difficult weekend saved by the bell at the last moment,” he said. The team have to discover where they are losing pace with what they had touted as a very strong chassis. Red Bull and podiums were their stated targets this season – on this form they may be in a serious scrap with Toro Rosso and a schadenfreude-inspired Honda.
Liberty have work to do
Over the weekend F1’s owners, Liberty Media, revealed their plans for the future of the sport when the regulations change and the new contract with teams is drawn up in 2021. What they presented was broad brush strokes – simpler, cheaper, louder engines, more competitive racing with emphasis on the driver, a budget cap and fairer redistribution of revenue. All are laudable goals but, publicly at least, the detail of how they would be achieved was not forthcoming. The teams received more information and their response was generally positive. But the real work is now to be done. Liberty must find consensus, crucially including Ferrari and Mercedes. Or, if they are serious about changing F1, be willing to face down both manufacturers. It is a crucial juncture. Decisions made now will shape the next decade of the sport.
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