What an utterly dramatic race! And I thought the start would be the most eventful and exciting part of the race! The world of Formula 1 is filled with mouth-opening surprises and adrenaline-filled action. The night of Bahrain was definitely magical... Unfortunately for the Red Team it was cursed.
Lights went out at Sakhir in extremely windy conditions. Sebastian in P2 got an ideal start and accelerated into the lead. Another superb start was taken by Mercedes' Bottas from P4. The Finn made a self-confident move on his teammate and then also on Leclerc, who had lost the lead to Sebastian. It was a perfect opening lap for Bottas indeed. Unfortunately, in Turn 1 on the second lap, the Finn got surprised by the wind and locked up, losing positions both to Leclerc and Hamilton.
However, Leclerc proved fast like the wind in Bahrain and wasn't going to settle for playing the second fiddle. By lap 6 he had closed the gap to teammate Sebastian, and with the help of DRS it was quite easy for the Monegasque to take the lead back. Like in the qualifying, Sebastian seemed absolutely unable to match his teammate's storming pace.
Bottas was the first top driver to pit on lap 13. Predictably, the Finnish Mercedes ace opted for a fresh set of medium Pirellis. Ferrari reacted right away and called Leclerc in on the following lap. He switched to the medium compound as well, whilst Hamilton pitted for a fresh set of soft Pirellis. Sebastian pitted on lap 15, for a similar tyre choice to his teammate, and re-joined the track in P4. After the first pit stops Leclerc had a firm lead in the race. Renault's Ricciardo was second, as the Australian hadn't pitted yet. However, it was an easy job for Hamilton to overtake Ricciardo and move second.
Soon Hamilton was struggling with the soft tyres, and he started to lose ground to Sebastian. With determination Sebastian made it within DRS distance from his arch enemy, and on lap 23 the German made his move on the first DRS zone. Sebastian made it past Hamilton in style.
At the halfway point of the race the situation seemed stabilized within the top five drivers. Race leader Leclerc had managed to build up an 8-second lead to his teammate. Hamilton was two seconds off Sebastian, and the Briton had built up a 10-second gap to his teammate Bottas. Verstappen at the wheel of his RB15 was fifth, unable to match the two top teams' pace.
After the second pit stops the order of the top five remained the same. However, Hamilton's third stint on the medium tyres turned out much more competitive than his second one on the soft Pirellis. The reigning world champion was right at Sebastian's tail, lurking passionately for a chance to make a move. Turn 4 was the perfect hunting place for the Briton, who ingeniously used the tail wind to leave the braking as late as possible. Once Sebastian managed to defend his position successfully, but a lap later the battle saw a dramatic turn. Again the calculating Briton braked as late as possible and dived alongside Sebastian in Turn 4. Sebastian saw Hamilton coming and hit the throttle a bit too early; Sebastian span and lost the position to Hamilton! The failed duel had also another consequence in addition to the spin. The tyres of Sebastian's Lina were vibrating so badly, that it made the entire front wing to fly off in full speed, with sparks flying all over! Sebastian had no choice but to pit for a new nose, which meant giving up on hopes for a podium finish. This kind of drama I wouldn't have wanted to see! A mistake under the pressure seemed like a repetition from last year.
Gutted of his own mistake, Sebastian started his overtaking show. In no time he had made it past Norris in his McLaren, Kimi in his Alfa Romeo Racing and Albon in his Toro Rosso, climbing up to P7. The Renault duo of Ricciardo and Hulkenberg was soon in the German's sight. Sebastian first made it past his ex-teammate and then past his fellow countryman. However, Verstappen in P5 was already 30 seconds ahead, so there was no catching the flying Dutchman.
But what another dramatic turn the race saw 11 laps before the chequered flag. Leclerc had been cruising to victory, until the Monegasque suddenly reported on the team radio about engine wows. There seemed to be an issue with the energy recovery system, which made Leclerc lose 5-7 seconds each lap! It seemed so cruel, as Leclerc had dominated the whole weekend in a superior way. Hamilton inevitably closed the gap to unlucky Charles, who couldn't do anything but to watch the Silver Arrow of Hamilton close up on him and storm past only a few laps later. Bottas was the next one to chase Leclerc, whose SF90 reminded more of an F2 car due to the power loss. With only three laps to go, Bottas had hunted down groveling Leclerc, and snatched the second place. Also Verstappen had begun his hunt...
There's no doubt about Leclerc's aching misfortune, but on the other hand, he got his share of luck at the end of the race. Both Renaults came to a sudden halt simultaneously on lap 54, which brought out the safety car. As there were only two laps remaining, as the safety car came out, it meant that the order was going to remain unchanged until the chequered flag. Had there been a re-start, it would probably have seen Leclerc dropping out of points. It was an anti-climax to see the cars finish the race behind the safety car, but it brought even a glimpse of justice for the unlucky Ferrari debutant.
Amazing but true, Mercedes managed to make it a 1-2 in a venue, that was supposed to be Ferrari's turf! I was happy for Charles, who climbed on the podium for the first time, in spite of the dramatic technical problems. Charles also scored the extra point for the fastest lap time. Verstappen finished the race 4th for Red Bull, and Sebastian dropped himself off the podium by making the costly mistake in the battle against Hamilton. Norris continued his excellent performances by finishing sixth for McLaren. Kimi drove a very consistent race at the wheel of his C39. The Iceman seemed to enjoy his wheel-banging battles in the midfield, showing some classy overtaking moves as well. P7 meant valuable points for the Swiss team. Red Bull's Gasly, Toro Rosso's Albon and Racing Point's Perez completed the top ten.
The F1 circus now moves to China with Bottas at the top of the drivers' standings. However, the lead to teammate Hamilton is one point only. Verstappen is third with 27 points, Leclerc fourth with 26 points and Sebastian fifth with 22 points. Mercedes have a dominant lead in the constructors' standings, with 87 points to Ferrari's 48. Leclerc has definitely proved, that Ferrari has hired the right man for the job. What a diamond the team has in Leclerc! However, my heart beats most for Sebastian. He looked so disappointed after the race. It seems, that the difficulties continue haunting him. But the turnaround is there, I can feel it. I always believe in you, Sebastian! A new race always provides a fresh chance for success!
Kimi Räikkönen & Sebastian Vettel
sunnuntai 31. maaliskuuta 2019
Bahrain GP / Qualifying: Magnificent Leclerc took his maiden pole!
The Sakhir circuit at the desert of Bahrain is considered to be Ferrari's territory. Two weeks ago in the season-opener everyone wondered, where Ferrari's pace had disappeared after very promising winter tests. But like expected, the Red Team made an amazing turnaround coming to Bahrain.
Ferrari's pace seemed to be in a class of their own in the heat of the desert. Ferrari debutant Leclerc has previously won an F2 race in Bahrain, and the Monegasque felt at home on the track right from the very first segment. He set an incredible benchmark already on his first attempt, which teammate Sebastian proved unable to match. Unexpectedly, the German was two tenths down on his new teammate. At this point the gap to Mercedes seemed like a light year, as Bottas was a whole second off the Red Team's pace! Red Bull's pace seemed quite modest as well, Verstappen making it only 6th in the standings. Hamilton made a second attempt on the used set of tyres, jumping third in the standings, ahead of his tough Finnish teammate. Once again the battle in the midfield was extremely tight, and Kimi at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo Racing had to squeeze everything out of his car to make it into Q2. Actually the Iceman was the last driver to get through to the second session, whilst teammate Giovinazzi's fate was to be knocked out already in the first session. This time the big name casualty in Q1 was Renault's Hulkenberg, who had had various issues with his car. The rookies Norris and Albon stood out of the crowd, as the Briton made it shining P4 for McLaren and the Thai convincing P6 for Toro Rosso.
As Q2 was kicked off, Leclerc continued where he had left off in the first session. The talented Monegasque stamped his authority all over the place by going fastest by half a second! There was absolutely no chance for the Mercedes duo to match flying Leclerc's performance. After the first runs Sebastian was in tame P6, as his first flyer was everything but problem-free. The German had locked up his front wheels in Turn 10. This proved costly for Sebastian, as he was forced to make a second run at the end of the session, which cost him an extra set of soft tyres. Meanwhile, teammate Leclerc and the Mercedes aces could sit out the second runs. Sebastian managed to bounce back at the end of the session, jumping second in the standings, still unable to beat his teammate's time. As a positive surprise, both McLarens made it among the top ten, which hasn't happened for two years! Kimi, too managed to extract the maximum out of his car, being the last driver to make it through to the last session. Eye-catching was the missing pace of Red Bull. P7 was everything Verstappen was able to pull out in Q2, whilst teammate Gasly missed out on Q3. Renault's Ricciardo was also eliminated in Q2, alongside with the Toro Rosso duo of Albon and Kvyat and Racing Point's Perez.
Which one of the red-suited drivers was going to conquer pole in the darkening night of Bahrain? Sebastian had an extremely convincing statistics on his side, as he had taken three poles and four victories on Bahrain soil in the previous years. However, Leclerc came out and showed, that statistics didn't matter. Setting a flawless lap, the Monegasque had provisional pole firmly in his grasp. Hamilton was two and Bottas three tenths down on the storming Ferrari pilot. After the first runs Haas' Magnussen was fourth and McLaren's Sainz fifth. Q2's mistake compromised Sebastian's Q3, as the German was able to make one attempt only, as well as Red Bull's Verstappen. So everything depended on Sebastian's flying lap. And no, he wasn't able to beat his teammate's lap time! Sebastian ended up two tenths shy of Leclerc's benchmark. Leclerc even managed to improve his time at the end of the session, snatching pole with a new track record! It was extremely tight between Sebastian and the Mercedes drivers, as the gap between Sebastian in P2 and Bottas in P4 was only less than a tenth of a second! Having struggled in the first two sessions, Verstappen made it fifth in the final standings. Haas' Magnussen was the "best of the rest" by qualifying sixth. McLaren's Sainz qualified 7th, Haas' Grosjean 8th, Kimi 9th and McLaren's Norris rounded out the top ten. All in all, top teams aside, a very strong qualifying for McLaren and Haas.
Personally, I have to say I was surprised to see Leclerc take pole. He is definitely responding to all expectations in a stunning way. It's also a superb result for the team, as Sebastian made it a front-row lock-out for the Scuderia. This marked the team's 62nd front-row lock-out, which meant a joint record with McLaren and Williams. But what will happen at the start? I'm sure Sebastian doesn't want to settle for P2. He isn't used to look at the rear end of the other red car in the race. History-wise Sebastian hasn't been at his best in situations, where he has been beaten by his teammate. On the other hand, he is wise enough to know, that the benefit of the team is more important than a driver's personal interest. But it's going to be a heck of a battle into Turn 1! I'm sure I'm going to hold my breath, as the lights go out!
Ferrari's pace seemed to be in a class of their own in the heat of the desert. Ferrari debutant Leclerc has previously won an F2 race in Bahrain, and the Monegasque felt at home on the track right from the very first segment. He set an incredible benchmark already on his first attempt, which teammate Sebastian proved unable to match. Unexpectedly, the German was two tenths down on his new teammate. At this point the gap to Mercedes seemed like a light year, as Bottas was a whole second off the Red Team's pace! Red Bull's pace seemed quite modest as well, Verstappen making it only 6th in the standings. Hamilton made a second attempt on the used set of tyres, jumping third in the standings, ahead of his tough Finnish teammate. Once again the battle in the midfield was extremely tight, and Kimi at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo Racing had to squeeze everything out of his car to make it into Q2. Actually the Iceman was the last driver to get through to the second session, whilst teammate Giovinazzi's fate was to be knocked out already in the first session. This time the big name casualty in Q1 was Renault's Hulkenberg, who had had various issues with his car. The rookies Norris and Albon stood out of the crowd, as the Briton made it shining P4 for McLaren and the Thai convincing P6 for Toro Rosso.
As Q2 was kicked off, Leclerc continued where he had left off in the first session. The talented Monegasque stamped his authority all over the place by going fastest by half a second! There was absolutely no chance for the Mercedes duo to match flying Leclerc's performance. After the first runs Sebastian was in tame P6, as his first flyer was everything but problem-free. The German had locked up his front wheels in Turn 10. This proved costly for Sebastian, as he was forced to make a second run at the end of the session, which cost him an extra set of soft tyres. Meanwhile, teammate Leclerc and the Mercedes aces could sit out the second runs. Sebastian managed to bounce back at the end of the session, jumping second in the standings, still unable to beat his teammate's time. As a positive surprise, both McLarens made it among the top ten, which hasn't happened for two years! Kimi, too managed to extract the maximum out of his car, being the last driver to make it through to the last session. Eye-catching was the missing pace of Red Bull. P7 was everything Verstappen was able to pull out in Q2, whilst teammate Gasly missed out on Q3. Renault's Ricciardo was also eliminated in Q2, alongside with the Toro Rosso duo of Albon and Kvyat and Racing Point's Perez.
Which one of the red-suited drivers was going to conquer pole in the darkening night of Bahrain? Sebastian had an extremely convincing statistics on his side, as he had taken three poles and four victories on Bahrain soil in the previous years. However, Leclerc came out and showed, that statistics didn't matter. Setting a flawless lap, the Monegasque had provisional pole firmly in his grasp. Hamilton was two and Bottas three tenths down on the storming Ferrari pilot. After the first runs Haas' Magnussen was fourth and McLaren's Sainz fifth. Q2's mistake compromised Sebastian's Q3, as the German was able to make one attempt only, as well as Red Bull's Verstappen. So everything depended on Sebastian's flying lap. And no, he wasn't able to beat his teammate's lap time! Sebastian ended up two tenths shy of Leclerc's benchmark. Leclerc even managed to improve his time at the end of the session, snatching pole with a new track record! It was extremely tight between Sebastian and the Mercedes drivers, as the gap between Sebastian in P2 and Bottas in P4 was only less than a tenth of a second! Having struggled in the first two sessions, Verstappen made it fifth in the final standings. Haas' Magnussen was the "best of the rest" by qualifying sixth. McLaren's Sainz qualified 7th, Haas' Grosjean 8th, Kimi 9th and McLaren's Norris rounded out the top ten. All in all, top teams aside, a very strong qualifying for McLaren and Haas.
Personally, I have to say I was surprised to see Leclerc take pole. He is definitely responding to all expectations in a stunning way. It's also a superb result for the team, as Sebastian made it a front-row lock-out for the Scuderia. This marked the team's 62nd front-row lock-out, which meant a joint record with McLaren and Williams. But what will happen at the start? I'm sure Sebastian doesn't want to settle for P2. He isn't used to look at the rear end of the other red car in the race. History-wise Sebastian hasn't been at his best in situations, where he has been beaten by his teammate. On the other hand, he is wise enough to know, that the benefit of the team is more important than a driver's personal interest. But it's going to be a heck of a battle into Turn 1! I'm sure I'm going to hold my breath, as the lights go out!
sunnuntai 17. maaliskuuta 2019
Australian GP: Reborn Valtteri Bottas cruised to victory!
Yesterday's qualifying was the first sign, that the Finnish Mercedes ace Valtteri Bottas had reborn during the winter break. At today's start the Finn continued where he left off yesterday. At the lights out Bottas took a magnificent start and stormed to the lead, going into Turn 1. Teammate Hamilton suffered from light wheel spin but managed to keep the second place. Ferrari debutant Leclerc seemed hungry to challenge his teammate for P3. The contact was close, and the Monegasque ended up on the grass, losing a position to Red Bull's Verstappen. Magnussen took an upper hand on his Haas teammate Grosjean at the start, claiming P6. Kimi at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo Racing maintained his 9th place. Home hero Ricciardo had a very unfortunate start; going for a gap he put a wheel on the grass, which caused the whole front wing to fly off. The Australian's race was ruined as he had to pit for a new nose.
By lap 10 Bottas had built up a 3.7-second gap to his teammate. It seemed that the race was perfectly under the flying Finn's control. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz's McLaren was hit with a power unit issue, and the Spaniard had to stop the car near the pit entry. There were flames coming out from the rear end of his McLaren. The iconic team still seems to suffer from power unit issues, even though they have partnered up with Renault for this season.
Kimi started the pit stop roulette on lap 13; not because he wanted to try an undercut but because he had an issue with the cooling of his brakes. Sebastian pitted two laps later from P3; the German opted for the medium compound, similar to Kimi. Mercedes were forced to react to Sebastian's pit stop. The world champion team called Hamilton in. The Briton opted for a similar tyre choice to his main rival Sebastian. Meanwhile, race leader Bottas stayed out, as he was still setting excellent lap times. He didn't pit until on lap 24, also for the mediums, although Hamilton's pace on those tyres hadn't proved competitive at all. After Verstappen's pit stop Bottas was back in the lead.
On lap 28 Bottas had already opened a massive 15-second gap to Hamilton, who seemed completely unable to match the storming Finn's pace. A lap later Leclerc pitted for a different tyre strategy compared to the other top drivers, as he switched to the hard rubber, and re-joined the track in P5.
Verstappen was absolutely flying on his fresh set of medium Pirellis. The flying Dutchman had smelled Sebastian's blood, and was determined to make it on the podium. To be honest, my heart was bleeding, as I saw Max making a successful overtaking move on the German on lap 31. Although I do secretly admire Max and keep my thumbs up for him, I wouldn't have wanted to see that overtake. In terms of overtaking, Max is really one of a kind, as Albert Park is usually a very challenging circuit to overtake. The pass meant bye-bye for podium for Sebastian...
Last year in Australia Haas were driving an excellent race, until the race of both drivers was ruined after having an issue with the wheel nuts during the pit stops. Unfortunately history repeated itself. Grosjean had a delayed pit stop, and his front-left tyre hadn't been properly attached, which led to the Frenchman's retirement a few laps later. It was a shame, as Grosjean was on his way to score valuable points (P7 most likely).
With 10 laps to go, Bottas' lead to his teammate was unbelievable 25 seconds! Valtteri was driving a race of his life! Red Bull's Verstappen was at Hamilton's tail, lurking for a chance to overtake the Briton. Season 2019 saw a reform of an extra point given to the driver setting the fastest lap time in the race. In my opinion this is an excellent reform, as it makes the closing laps of the race extra interesting.
There was tight battle for positions from P7 to P11 in the midfield. Kimi in P8 was right at Hulkenberg's tail, even making it into DRS distance from time to time, but overtaking proved impossible. Leclerc in P5 was much faster than teammate Sebastian due to his much fresher tyres. The Monegasque rapidly closed the gap to his teammate, but the team didn't give the newcomer a permission to overtake Sebastian.
On lap 55 Verstappen had the fastest lap time in his grasp. However, race leader Bottas was absolutely determined to get the extra point. He said on the team radio: "I want those 26 points." It's amazing, how Bottas has managed to turn last year's difficulties and disappointments into self-confidence and success. Very well done for Valtteri! I hope he shares his secret with Sebastian, as Sebastian, too had a setback-filled last season. And the Finn really snatched the fastest lap time from Max at the end of the race! At the end of the day, Valtteri's winning margin was staggering 20.8 seconds! What a sweeping victory for the Finn, and the perfect way to open the new season! This time Hamilton had to settle for playing the second fiddle. Verstappen completed the podium, as the red-suited drivers had to settle for P4 and P5. After the winter tests there was a huge hype about Ferrari's strong performance and how the Red Team were considered the favorites this year. So I have to admit, that today's result was a big disappointment. Magnussen finished 6th for Haas and Hulkenberg 7th for Renault, whilst teammate Ricciardo had to retire his maiden race at the wheel of Renault. Kimi drove a consistent race and earned four points by finishing 8th. Racing Point's Stroll and Toro Rosso's Kvyat rounded out the top ten.
Ferrari have much homework to do. More than anyone expected before the start of the season. Red Bull's race pace is absolutely convincing, although they are struggling with their one-lap pace. Verstappen is extremely fast, but will teammate Gasly be able to match his teammate's pace? His first GP weekend at Red Bull wasn't convincing at all. After seeing the reborn Valtteri today, this could definitely be his year. Although I was keeping my thumbs up for Sebastian, I have to say it was great to hear the Finnish national anthem today!
By lap 10 Bottas had built up a 3.7-second gap to his teammate. It seemed that the race was perfectly under the flying Finn's control. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz's McLaren was hit with a power unit issue, and the Spaniard had to stop the car near the pit entry. There were flames coming out from the rear end of his McLaren. The iconic team still seems to suffer from power unit issues, even though they have partnered up with Renault for this season.
Kimi started the pit stop roulette on lap 13; not because he wanted to try an undercut but because he had an issue with the cooling of his brakes. Sebastian pitted two laps later from P3; the German opted for the medium compound, similar to Kimi. Mercedes were forced to react to Sebastian's pit stop. The world champion team called Hamilton in. The Briton opted for a similar tyre choice to his main rival Sebastian. Meanwhile, race leader Bottas stayed out, as he was still setting excellent lap times. He didn't pit until on lap 24, also for the mediums, although Hamilton's pace on those tyres hadn't proved competitive at all. After Verstappen's pit stop Bottas was back in the lead.
On lap 28 Bottas had already opened a massive 15-second gap to Hamilton, who seemed completely unable to match the storming Finn's pace. A lap later Leclerc pitted for a different tyre strategy compared to the other top drivers, as he switched to the hard rubber, and re-joined the track in P5.
Verstappen was absolutely flying on his fresh set of medium Pirellis. The flying Dutchman had smelled Sebastian's blood, and was determined to make it on the podium. To be honest, my heart was bleeding, as I saw Max making a successful overtaking move on the German on lap 31. Although I do secretly admire Max and keep my thumbs up for him, I wouldn't have wanted to see that overtake. In terms of overtaking, Max is really one of a kind, as Albert Park is usually a very challenging circuit to overtake. The pass meant bye-bye for podium for Sebastian...
Last year in Australia Haas were driving an excellent race, until the race of both drivers was ruined after having an issue with the wheel nuts during the pit stops. Unfortunately history repeated itself. Grosjean had a delayed pit stop, and his front-left tyre hadn't been properly attached, which led to the Frenchman's retirement a few laps later. It was a shame, as Grosjean was on his way to score valuable points (P7 most likely).
With 10 laps to go, Bottas' lead to his teammate was unbelievable 25 seconds! Valtteri was driving a race of his life! Red Bull's Verstappen was at Hamilton's tail, lurking for a chance to overtake the Briton. Season 2019 saw a reform of an extra point given to the driver setting the fastest lap time in the race. In my opinion this is an excellent reform, as it makes the closing laps of the race extra interesting.
There was tight battle for positions from P7 to P11 in the midfield. Kimi in P8 was right at Hulkenberg's tail, even making it into DRS distance from time to time, but overtaking proved impossible. Leclerc in P5 was much faster than teammate Sebastian due to his much fresher tyres. The Monegasque rapidly closed the gap to his teammate, but the team didn't give the newcomer a permission to overtake Sebastian.
On lap 55 Verstappen had the fastest lap time in his grasp. However, race leader Bottas was absolutely determined to get the extra point. He said on the team radio: "I want those 26 points." It's amazing, how Bottas has managed to turn last year's difficulties and disappointments into self-confidence and success. Very well done for Valtteri! I hope he shares his secret with Sebastian, as Sebastian, too had a setback-filled last season. And the Finn really snatched the fastest lap time from Max at the end of the race! At the end of the day, Valtteri's winning margin was staggering 20.8 seconds! What a sweeping victory for the Finn, and the perfect way to open the new season! This time Hamilton had to settle for playing the second fiddle. Verstappen completed the podium, as the red-suited drivers had to settle for P4 and P5. After the winter tests there was a huge hype about Ferrari's strong performance and how the Red Team were considered the favorites this year. So I have to admit, that today's result was a big disappointment. Magnussen finished 6th for Haas and Hulkenberg 7th for Renault, whilst teammate Ricciardo had to retire his maiden race at the wheel of Renault. Kimi drove a consistent race and earned four points by finishing 8th. Racing Point's Stroll and Toro Rosso's Kvyat rounded out the top ten.
Ferrari have much homework to do. More than anyone expected before the start of the season. Red Bull's race pace is absolutely convincing, although they are struggling with their one-lap pace. Verstappen is extremely fast, but will teammate Gasly be able to match his teammate's pace? His first GP weekend at Red Bull wasn't convincing at all. After seeing the reborn Valtteri today, this could definitely be his year. Although I was keeping my thumbs up for Sebastian, I have to say it was great to hear the Finnish national anthem today!
lauantai 16. maaliskuuta 2019
Australian GP / Qualifying: Hamilton clinched his 8th pole at Albert Park!
Welcome 2019 Formula 1 season! You've been impatiently awaited! The winter tests at Barcelona had painted a picture of dominant Ferrari, who were considered clear favorites for the upcoming season. Although their pace was overshadowed by tiny reliability issues here and there, the Red Team stood out of the crowd. The world champion team Mercedes' pace seemed to be kind of a question mark. There seemed to be two options: either the Silver Arrows were seriously sandbagging, or they were in trouble with their performance for real. Red Bull's performance had left a lot of questions in the air as well.
Ahead of the season-opening qualifying the dreams of every driver were wide open and everything was possible. You could almost touch the tension in the air. Mercedes and Haas are the only teams with the same driver line-up as last year, so there have been a huge amount of changes on the grid. Ferrari has replaced Kimi with Charles Leclerc, the exceptionally talented Monegasque, who is the youngest Ferrari driver since the 1960s. There are three rookies on the grid: Alexander Albon at Toro Rosso, Lando Norris at McLaren and George Russell at Williams. Kimi's Italian teammate Giovinazzi, too has only a few Grands prix under his belt before starting to this season. In addition to these interesting details, Robert Kubica returns to Formula 1 in the colors of Williams. Although Williams' pace has turned out utterly deplorable, it's interesting to see, how the Polish driver turns the wheel, taking his limitations into consideration.
The Formula 1 world has been shocked by the news of the sudden passing of the FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting, who has done remarkable work to improve the safety of the F1 drivers. He was respected and trusted by all teams and drivers and everyone at the paddock.
So, taking these starting points into account, who was to take the very first pole of the season? Q1 was kicked off at sunny Albert Park. Everyone else came out on the soft tyres, except the Ferrari drivers, who opted for the medium compound. After the first flyers, Mercedes' Bottas was topping the time sheets, with teammate Hamilton only 23 thousandths of a second off the Finn. Sebastian's first attempt made him third in the standings. However, the track conditions improved constantly towards the end of the session. Sebastian's lap time on the mediums was competitive enough to make it into Q2 (he was 11th in the standings), but the Ferrari debutant Leclerc had to switch to the soft rubber at the end of the session. Leclerc answered to the expectations by setting the fastest lap time. Alfa Romeo Racing had shown promising pace at the winter tests, and their performance proved very positive also in the qualifying. Giovinazzi was able to make it as high as P4 in the first session! Teammate Kimi was the last driver to make it into the second session. It was no surprise, that both Williams drivers were knocked out of Q2. More of a surprise was the elimination of Red Bull's Pierre Gasly, who was left in P17. Teammate Verstappen made it tame P10 but proceeded to Q2 anyway.
The second session saw all drivers coming out on the soft tyres. The Finnish Mercedes ace Bottas set the early benchmark, with the Ferrari debutant Leclerc second. The reigning world champion Hamilton made a mistake on his first attempt, which meant P3 for the Briton. Sebastian at the wheel of his Lina was fourth and Kimi, the oldest driver on the grid, was fifth, 1.1s off the pace. However, in Q2 Verstappen's Red Bull seemed to come alive, and the flying Dutchman went fastest. His gap to Bottas was as big as 0.471 seconds. In the end, Q2 saw the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Bottas take P1 and P2 in the standings. Verstappen was third and Leclerc fourth. Sebastian made a mistake on his last flyer, ending up off track, which forced him to settle for tame P6. Kimi managed to extract the maximum of his C39 and made it among the top ten. Quite sensational was the fact, that McLaren's rookie driver Norris made it into the final session, whilst teammate Sainz had been eliminated already in the first segment. The Renault duo of Hulkenberg and Ricciardo were out of Q3, as well as the Toro Rosso duo of Albon and Kvyat. Kimi's teammate Giovinazzi missed out on the decisive segment as well.
Bottas opened the decisive last session with a phenomenal lap, setting the new track record. It seemed that the Finn had found his self-confidence again during the off-season, after having a disappointing 2018 season. The provisional pole was in the Finn's hands, as teammate Hamilton was almost half a second off Valtteri's pace. Against all odds, Mercedes clearly turned out to be the team to beat. Sebastian was massive six tenths down on Bottas, and Leclerc was two tenths down on his teammate. Kimi and Racing Point's Perez made one attempt only, as they had only one fresh set of tyres left. The battle for pole was between the Silver Arrows. The 5-time world champion delivered when it mattered, and the Briton snatched pole by 0.11-second gap to Bottas, who proved unable to improve his lap time at the end. Sebastian in third was seven tenths off Hamilton, which was a lot more than I had expected. Verstappen in his RB15 managed to split the red drivers, which was the maximum result for the Dutchman. Haas have always shown excellent performance in Australia, and they didn't let their fans down this time, either. Grosjean qualified 6th ahead of teammate Magnussen. Norris in his McLaren was impressive 8th, with Kimi 9th and Perez 10th. This was already the sixth pole in a row for Hamilton at Albert Park! Altogether the dominant Briton has snatched pole phenomenal eight times on the Australian soil!
However, at Albert Park pole position doesn't play as significant role as in some other venues. Last year Sebastian won the season-opener, and I hope he will repeat this tomorrow! It's so exciting to see, how the top teams' race pace will turn out. Ferrari have openly told, that Sebastian is their number one driver, but I'm sure Leclerc is hungry to challenge his new teammate and prove his skills. Kimi has a bit tricky place to start in the middle of the pack, but if the Iceman manages to get away from the first corners unharmed, I'm sure he will drive a strong race. My number one wish is, that Sebastian will bring his Lina to the chequered flag as the race winner! I have to confess I sympathize with his car even more than previously, as she is almost the namesake for me! And as a funny detail I can tell you that at Ferrari I was known as Lina, when I took part in the Bring Your Passion competition by Ferrari two years ago and won the trip to Maranello ;)
I'm so happy that F1 is back! I simply love these days, when I can sit down with my laptop and write about the plot twists of the new Formula 1 season! Compared to the last year's season-opener, my life situation has remained the same. The hospital and the patient have changed, but the diagnosis has remained the same. I'm still leading hospital life. My middle son Samuel Sebastian (and no, he wasn't named after certain other Sebastian!), who turned 16 this week, is now going through the osteosarcoma treatments. His left leg was amputated on New Year's Eve, and the treatments will last until June at least. But as the present moment is all we have, so let's enjoy the little things in life. And this weekend I'm enjoying the Australian GP from the bottom of my heart!
Go Sebastian! I always believe in you. Go Kimi! Go Max!
Ahead of the season-opening qualifying the dreams of every driver were wide open and everything was possible. You could almost touch the tension in the air. Mercedes and Haas are the only teams with the same driver line-up as last year, so there have been a huge amount of changes on the grid. Ferrari has replaced Kimi with Charles Leclerc, the exceptionally talented Monegasque, who is the youngest Ferrari driver since the 1960s. There are three rookies on the grid: Alexander Albon at Toro Rosso, Lando Norris at McLaren and George Russell at Williams. Kimi's Italian teammate Giovinazzi, too has only a few Grands prix under his belt before starting to this season. In addition to these interesting details, Robert Kubica returns to Formula 1 in the colors of Williams. Although Williams' pace has turned out utterly deplorable, it's interesting to see, how the Polish driver turns the wheel, taking his limitations into consideration.
The Formula 1 world has been shocked by the news of the sudden passing of the FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting, who has done remarkable work to improve the safety of the F1 drivers. He was respected and trusted by all teams and drivers and everyone at the paddock.
So, taking these starting points into account, who was to take the very first pole of the season? Q1 was kicked off at sunny Albert Park. Everyone else came out on the soft tyres, except the Ferrari drivers, who opted for the medium compound. After the first flyers, Mercedes' Bottas was topping the time sheets, with teammate Hamilton only 23 thousandths of a second off the Finn. Sebastian's first attempt made him third in the standings. However, the track conditions improved constantly towards the end of the session. Sebastian's lap time on the mediums was competitive enough to make it into Q2 (he was 11th in the standings), but the Ferrari debutant Leclerc had to switch to the soft rubber at the end of the session. Leclerc answered to the expectations by setting the fastest lap time. Alfa Romeo Racing had shown promising pace at the winter tests, and their performance proved very positive also in the qualifying. Giovinazzi was able to make it as high as P4 in the first session! Teammate Kimi was the last driver to make it into the second session. It was no surprise, that both Williams drivers were knocked out of Q2. More of a surprise was the elimination of Red Bull's Pierre Gasly, who was left in P17. Teammate Verstappen made it tame P10 but proceeded to Q2 anyway.
The second session saw all drivers coming out on the soft tyres. The Finnish Mercedes ace Bottas set the early benchmark, with the Ferrari debutant Leclerc second. The reigning world champion Hamilton made a mistake on his first attempt, which meant P3 for the Briton. Sebastian at the wheel of his Lina was fourth and Kimi, the oldest driver on the grid, was fifth, 1.1s off the pace. However, in Q2 Verstappen's Red Bull seemed to come alive, and the flying Dutchman went fastest. His gap to Bottas was as big as 0.471 seconds. In the end, Q2 saw the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Bottas take P1 and P2 in the standings. Verstappen was third and Leclerc fourth. Sebastian made a mistake on his last flyer, ending up off track, which forced him to settle for tame P6. Kimi managed to extract the maximum of his C39 and made it among the top ten. Quite sensational was the fact, that McLaren's rookie driver Norris made it into the final session, whilst teammate Sainz had been eliminated already in the first segment. The Renault duo of Hulkenberg and Ricciardo were out of Q3, as well as the Toro Rosso duo of Albon and Kvyat. Kimi's teammate Giovinazzi missed out on the decisive segment as well.
Bottas opened the decisive last session with a phenomenal lap, setting the new track record. It seemed that the Finn had found his self-confidence again during the off-season, after having a disappointing 2018 season. The provisional pole was in the Finn's hands, as teammate Hamilton was almost half a second off Valtteri's pace. Against all odds, Mercedes clearly turned out to be the team to beat. Sebastian was massive six tenths down on Bottas, and Leclerc was two tenths down on his teammate. Kimi and Racing Point's Perez made one attempt only, as they had only one fresh set of tyres left. The battle for pole was between the Silver Arrows. The 5-time world champion delivered when it mattered, and the Briton snatched pole by 0.11-second gap to Bottas, who proved unable to improve his lap time at the end. Sebastian in third was seven tenths off Hamilton, which was a lot more than I had expected. Verstappen in his RB15 managed to split the red drivers, which was the maximum result for the Dutchman. Haas have always shown excellent performance in Australia, and they didn't let their fans down this time, either. Grosjean qualified 6th ahead of teammate Magnussen. Norris in his McLaren was impressive 8th, with Kimi 9th and Perez 10th. This was already the sixth pole in a row for Hamilton at Albert Park! Altogether the dominant Briton has snatched pole phenomenal eight times on the Australian soil!
However, at Albert Park pole position doesn't play as significant role as in some other venues. Last year Sebastian won the season-opener, and I hope he will repeat this tomorrow! It's so exciting to see, how the top teams' race pace will turn out. Ferrari have openly told, that Sebastian is their number one driver, but I'm sure Leclerc is hungry to challenge his new teammate and prove his skills. Kimi has a bit tricky place to start in the middle of the pack, but if the Iceman manages to get away from the first corners unharmed, I'm sure he will drive a strong race. My number one wish is, that Sebastian will bring his Lina to the chequered flag as the race winner! I have to confess I sympathize with his car even more than previously, as she is almost the namesake for me! And as a funny detail I can tell you that at Ferrari I was known as Lina, when I took part in the Bring Your Passion competition by Ferrari two years ago and won the trip to Maranello ;)
I'm so happy that F1 is back! I simply love these days, when I can sit down with my laptop and write about the plot twists of the new Formula 1 season! Compared to the last year's season-opener, my life situation has remained the same. The hospital and the patient have changed, but the diagnosis has remained the same. I'm still leading hospital life. My middle son Samuel Sebastian (and no, he wasn't named after certain other Sebastian!), who turned 16 this week, is now going through the osteosarcoma treatments. His left leg was amputated on New Year's Eve, and the treatments will last until June at least. But as the present moment is all we have, so let's enjoy the little things in life. And this weekend I'm enjoying the Australian GP from the bottom of my heart!
Go Sebastian! I always believe in you. Go Kimi! Go Max!
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