FCA NEWSLETTER
DESERT REGION – LAS VEGAS CHAPTER
3rd Quarter 2019
Written by John Ratto
Edited by Chuck Damus
The 3rd quarter of 2019 saw the Club in a relatively quiet period, not unexpected as summer is the season when Las Vegas hibernates. Despite this, we hosted or participated in various events as detailed below. We hope you were able to attend a few. If not, make plans to participate in future activities. We would love to see you!
OPENING COMMENTARY
The Stock Market hit record highs in July, but then seemed to tread water for the next three months. It seems that this extended rally (more than 10 years and counting) is fueled largely by ultra–low interest rates, and is juiced by either further reductions…or rumors of further reductions. It will be most interesting to see if this one-down-manship can continue.
Meanwhile, the President’s tariff battles continue. No real progress seems to have been made; no deals have been finalized. This has caused certain aspects (farming mainly) of the economy to suffer, but has not seemed to cause any widespread downturn. This is another issue that remains.
Meanwhile, the horde of Democratic hopefuls remains just that, a horde. Few have been eliminated. New recruits have joined the fray. The two top runners both have serious problems: Elizabeth Warren seems too liberal while Joe Biden seems too old. Where is Goldilocks when you need her (him)?
Tensions with Iran and North Korea remain high. Some military action against Iran seemed inevitable in early September, but there has been none to date. Again, I would warn that there is little to gain by engaging countries that have nothing to lose. Painting them into a corner and then crowing about it does not seem a winning strategy.
In late breaking developments, the Democrats have initiated impeachment proceedings against President Trump. I thought the actions against Bill Clinton were a bid ludicrous and definitely ill-advised. I don’t think much more of these. Where is Don Quixote when you need him?
IMPEACHMENT – the musical
Coming soon to a theatre near you!
July 10: Board Meeting at Tommy Bahama’s
After a series of Board Meetings that seemed more like Socials due to high membership attendance, this Meeting, with only 9 present, felt like a Meeting again. The upcoming Drive to Mt. Charleston was discussed, as was the advisability of holding Drives and Socials during the hot summer months. In addition, all of the other typical issues were debated, along with a call to our members to provide some good photos of their car(s) for the website.
July 14: Drive to Mt. Charleston and Lunch
As it was scorching hot, it wasn’t too surprising that everyone in Las Vegas decided to copy us and drive to the coolest place around, Mt. Charleston. Add in some road construction and it meant that we were not only driving in the heat, but also in nasty traffic as well. Then, we were greeted with full parking lots once we arrived at the top of the hill. The triple whammy. Anyway, the less said, the better.
July 25: Social at The Grape Vine restaurant
It really didn’t start out optimistically… It seems someone alerted Bianca to this spot in the far north of Summerlin, and then the ball got rolling, and then a Social was scheduled. Then your Board members started to question whether we should have an event at a spot that none of us had ever tried. Too much like Russian roulette? But – the die was cast and we had a nice turn out despite the uncertainty. And….and….the place was great and the food was fabulous. Everyone seemed so pleased that the conversation(s) continued long past when the food had been eaten and the checks (surprisingly small ones) had been paid. Maybe we’ll play Italian Roulette again.
August 23: Towbin Ferrari Unveiling the New F8 Tributo – Fashion Show
Our Dealer put on quite shindig at the Fashion Show on the Strip to commemorate the debut of the new F8 Tributo. The party, including appetizers, a full bar, and a fashion show, was enjoyed by all, but the big star of the evening, the new ‘small’ Ferrari, stole the proceedings. It is a beauty.
September 11: Board Meeting at Towbin Motorcars
Our dealer, Towbin Ferrari, was gracious to allow us to use one of their conference rooms to hold our Board Meeting, and to supply a cornucopia of pizzas to assuage our hunger. We thank them profusely. As is becoming the norm, we had a good turnout of both Board and regular members and two special visitors (including Rich Kansky from Towbin’s service department and David Mortin of Mecum Auctions).
We discussed the odd absence of new members in recent months, and planned to investigate why. We also tied down Saturday, December 7 as the date for our Holiday Party. The show at Red Rock Country Club (September 28) was also mentioned; we hope some of you were able to attend. Chuck Damus mentioned that we really need more photos of members and their cars for our website. He encouraged that photos for the website be sent to the following: john@tunevision.tv. The upcoming elections of new Board Members will be addressed at the next Board Meeting, currently scheduled for November 13. But, we saved the best for last: David Mortin of Mecum Auctions gave us a most interesting presentation on the auction process in general and some real tidbits concerning the upcoming Mecum extravaganza (October 10 – 12) at the Convention Center right here in Las Vegas. As members of the Ferrari Club we will receive special treatment (including free bidder registration) and VIP pampering, so be sure to visit Mecum’s website for information as to how you can attend this event.
September 26: Social at Siena Trattoria
We had another excellent turnout; despite a few last minute no-shows we nearly filled Siena’s banquet room with about 20 hungry members. It was especially nice to have Paul and Shawna’s daughter in attendance for part of the evening…we old men will need to pass the torch sooner or later. Given that many millennials seem dis-interested in driving at all, I was very glad to learn that she wants to learn how to drive a manual transmission. There is hope. In any case, the food was very good, as usual, and the company was excellent. The room was abuzz with conversations, many centering on upcoming events our club will be holding. See you there and then.
September 28: Vegas Auto-Fest at Red Rock Country Club
I admit some doubts concerning this event, but I must eat my words…and I am happy to do so because this proved to be an excellent day. The weather (predicted to be very windy) turned out to be about perfect and the automotive turnout was spectacular. Hundreds of delectable rides were splayed across various lush fairways of the Red Rock Country Club, and the variety was noteworthy. Ever heard of a Pagani? Maybe you have…but have you ever seen one? Well, they are stunning…and there were 2 in attendance. Then there were Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches galore…offset by a cornucopia of American iron to satisfy anyone’s lust for cubic inches. The entire event was well organized and the creature comforts provided were top notch; everyone in attendance (and there was a nice crowd) seemed to have a great time. Don’t miss it next year!
Put it on your calendar!
Here is a list of upcoming events. For more information please see our website at ferrariclubvegas.com. That is where you will find the latest dirt on what is happening.
October 3 – 5: Barrett-Jackson Auction at Mandalay Bay
October 10 – 12: Mecum Auction at the Convention Center
Mecum is offering our members some nice perks, so if you plan to attend be sure to review Mecum’s Bidder Registration website to claim yours.
November 6 – 10: Annual Meet Hosted by the Desert Region in Arizona
November 5 – 7: SEMA Show at the Convention Center
Very difficult to obtain passes, but well worth the effort.
November 13: Board Meeting
An important one – new Board members will be elected.
December 7: Holiday Party at Towbin Motorcars
FORMULA 1 NEWS
The Situation in Early July
Nine races are in the books, almost half the season, and Ferrari has yet to win a single one. I guess that about says it all. Our boys have been regressing rather than progressing.
Those German cars continue to be a bit faster and the German team continues to be smarter…and much luckier. What do they say about making your own luck…? Meanwhile, the Ferraris have been very quick at certain tracks, but when push comes to shove (and there has been a lot of shoving) they have been consistently out gunned and out smarted. And, truth be told, they have been snake bit in the luck department. But they have also snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a few cases due their own errors.
Some of the races have been quite boring, but – again – that is the luck of the draw. Perhaps the fabulous race in Austria was a silver cloud on the horizon, a ray of hope for better racing to come. I hope so, because better racing spells more enjoyment in watching, and hopefully some good finishes by our red team.
So, with nine races in the books, let’s have a look at the points situation, as bad as it might be.
Drivers
Hamilton 187 … Bottas 151 …Vettel 111 … Verstappen 100 … Leclerc 87
Manufacturers
Mercedes GP 338 … Ferrari 198 … Red Bull 136 … McLaren 39
Alas, I see Mercedes with a comfortable lead (140 points) over Ferrari, and Red Bull hot on our tail.
Can Ferrari right the ship and get back in contention? Or can they at least keep it interesting? Hold on to second place? The races coming up will tell the story.
July 14: GP of Britain (10)
As usual, the mighty track at Silverstone (a former WW2 airfield) hosted the British GP. This track is long (3.6 miles) and, with three long straights, hyper fast (average speed over 150 mph). The track had been recently resurfaced, so it was a bit oily and quite slippery. High speeds and low grip…sounds like an interesting combination to me.
The Practice sessions were run in cool, windy, and cloudy conditions, with some drizzle, as might be expected in England. This only further decreased grip; the cars were doing some slipping-and-sliding, providing a bit of welcome excitement. The top Practice times set by the top 6 were very competitive, leading to expectations for a good race. Qualifying went the same way; the times were very close. In the end, the grid order was Bottas, Hamilton (6/1000 of a second behind), Leclerc (7/100 off pole), Verstappen, Gasly, and Vettel. Ferrari opted to start on the soft tires, while most of the other top teams selected the mediums. No one seemed to know which strategy would prove best.
Despite cool, cloudy conditions and the prediction of rain, the race day crowd was announced at 140,000. They were expecting a great race, and they got one. So buckle up your seatbelts, because this was a barnburner.
The start saw a lot of wheel-to-wheel jockeying for position, but only Vettel, on his stickier soft tires, managed a pass; he got by Gasly in the first 100 yards. In the laps that followed Hamilton consistently dogged Bottas for the lead, managing to pass him a couple of times, only to have the Finn take the lead back on the ensuing corner. Great stuff. By lap 5 the order was Bottas, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, and Vettel; Hamilton had dropped back a bit from Bottas to save his tires. After a few laps of follow the leader, the four cars behind the two leaders were bunched up, and this led to an epic battle between Leclerc, Verstappen, Vettel, and Gasly for third place. These four were battling each other, going at it wheel-to-wheel, passing-and-re-passing one another for about 5 laps before Gasly blinked and headed for the pits for new tires. Leclerc and Verstappen followed shortly thereafter (lap 14), and in the process Verstappen managed to get ahead of the Ferrari (a slow pit stop – will the errors ever stop?). His advantage was short lived, however, as Leclerc pushed by the Red Bull on the next lap. These two then proceeded to fight for position for the next 5 laps. Again, great racing action. Most of the early stoppers chose to continue on the hard tires, hoping they would make it to the end of the 53 lap race. Bottas, however, chose a new set of medium tires, meaning he was committed to making another stop.
Hamilton was the exception to rule; he continued to circulate, now in the lead, without making a pit stop. His perseverance paid off as a safety car period on laps 21-25 slowed down the field, allowing Hamilton to pit for new tires and retain the lead. Again, this man is Mr. Good and Mr. Lucky. Meanwhile, most of the other top runners, who had pitted for tires less than 10 laps earlier, also made another stop during the safety car period for fresh rubber. In the process, poor Ferrari strategy (timing) dropped Leclerc from third to sixth in the field behind the safety car. When racing resumed, the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Gasly, Verstappen, and Leclerc, all running pretty much nose to tail. It looked like a very exciting end game was in the offing. And we were not disappointed.
Initially, Leclerc and Verstappen staged a huge battle for fifth place, a battle in which Verstappen prevailed. In the process both caught and passed Gasly who had been in fourth spot. Leclerc’s pass of the Red Bull was an amazing move that had to be seen to be believed. By lap 35 Verstappen had caught Vettel, then running in third place, and began to pressure the Ferrari for the final podium position. Verstappen managed to pass Vettel on lap 38, but Vettel refused to concede the place and the two crashed. Vettel spun, suffered some damage, was assessed a 10 second penalty, and headed for the pits for repairs; he was never a factor again and finished 16th. Verstappen was far luckier, and was able to continue at reduced speed. He finished fifth. Meanwhile, Bottas was able to pit again in the closing laps without losing second place. The finishing order was Hamilton, Bottas, Leclerc, Gasly, and Verstappen.
This was an absolutely fabulous race with on track battles and passing and re-passing throughout. Mercedes won again, but when the racing is this good, I can live with that.
A quick note: I have long felt that Hamilton was an arrogant pup who showed open distain to the sport. He often acted as if the unwritten rules did not apply to him, and that he deserved to win every race. In reality, he was just plain very lucky to have switched from McLaren to Mercedes just prior to Mercedes becoming the best team, and McLaren one of the worst. But, I must say Hamilton has really matured, and he is now probably not only the fastest driver, but also the most measured and deliberate. Moreover, based on his skill and temperament he has become the face of F1; he truly deserves all of his success. Well done young man.
July 28: GP of Germany at Hockenheim (11)
Everyone arrived in Germany abuzz about how great the last two races had been. Could another epic be in the offing?
The Ferraris set the pace during Practice, both on Friday when it was very hot and on Saturday morning when it was cool and cloudy. Being fastest in both weather conditions seemed important, as rain was predicted for race day. In other words, things looked great for the red cars. Then, Ferrari’s bubble burst…bad luck…again! First, Vettel’s car experienced turbo-related problems and was unable to set a time in Qualifying 1: he would start 20th, dead last. Then, just before Q3, Leclerc’s car also had problems: he would start 10th. So, what looked at noon to be a Ferrari lock-out of the front row became a miserable qualifying at 2 pm. Ferrari’s absence from the front rows opened spots for the mid-field runners, and the top five grid spots seemed, shall we say, a bit strange: Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Gasly, Raikkonen (our old buddy in the Alfa Romeo), and Grosjean (Haas).
Race morning was quite wet, as predicted. The grandstands were full of Dutch Verstappen fans, mostly bedecked in orange. As the start time approached, the rain was abating, so questions loomed as to strategy and tire choice. Full wets, or intermediates? This was but the first of many variables that affected the race. In the end, the race was quite unusual, and so we’ll review it in an unusual manner.
Weather and Track Conditions: Weather and track conditions changed many times during the course of the 67 lap race. They varied from rain and a wet track, to drizzle and a damp track, to partly sunny and a mostly dry track. No track condition lasted for more than about 10-15 minutes, they were always in flux.
Tires: When the track was wet, full wet tires were necessary. Intermediate tires were best for a damp track, and soft slicks proved best for the mostly dry track, which seldom happened until the end.
Lap Times: The cars that were on the correct tires for the conditions were able to lap quickly and mostly under control. The cars that were not on the correct tires lapped much slower (3 – 4 seconds a lap slower!) and were slipping and sliding and spinning off into the barriers or the gravel, from which some were able to return to the race, sometimes after visits to the pits for repairs. Those that accurately anticipated changes in track conditions and changed to the best tires for them before their competitors reaped huge advantages.
Spins and Crashes: The cars running on the wrong tires, and even some running on the right tires, for the conditions were prone to off track adventures. These happened to everyone, from the young and inexperienced, to the sage old-timers. Drivers that lost control and crashed included Perez, Leclerc (!), Hulkenberg, Bottas (!), and Gasly. Hamilton and a host of others spun (some several times) into the gravel but were able to continue after unscheduled pit stops for repairs. The Safety Car was deployed 6 times to allow the marshals to remove damaged cars and/or remove debris from damaged cars.
Pit Stops: At most races, the drivers plan to stop once, and only once, for new tires. They occasionally stop twice, either due to different tire strategy or unforeseen circumstances. So, on average there might be about 30 pit stops per race. At this race, there were 78 pit stops, mostly to change tires due to the changing weather conditions or to repair damage suffered in off-road excursions…about 4 per driver. Hamilton, for one, made 6 (!) pit stops. The eventual winner made 5.
When the race was finally started (a bit late), all the cars were on the full wet tires, which were best for the still very wet track. Three laps were run behind the safety car (reducing the number of race laps to be run from 67 to 64) to suck and spray some of the surface water from the track. Then the cars moved to form the typical grid and the normal standing start was taken. Given that there are often accidents at the start in the best of conditions, and the wet conditions present, everyone got off well and the first lap was run without much incident except for the fact that both Red Bulls spun their tires, moved off slowly, and lost several positions.
We didn’t have to wait long for the first crash; it happened on lap 2, and brought out the Safety Car which prompted most to make their first pit stop, switching to intermediate tires. Meanwhile, Vettel and Leclerc were making up places after starting 20th and 10th respectively. Vettel was 10th by lap 5, and Leclerc 4th. The leaders were Hamilton, Bottas, and Verstappen. Lap 15 saw another Safety Car period, during which Leclerc stopped for new intermediate tires, which allowed him to run fastest in the field for the next 5 or 6 laps. But, by about lap 22, the rain had stopped and the track was drying; in response a few brave souls (including Vettel, Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, and Hamilton) switched to soft or even medium slicks. Then the rain started to come down hard, and all who had switched to slicks had to pit (number three for most of them) for intermediates. Some, like Leclerc and Hamilton, did not do so quickly enough; they spun on the wet track and were out (Leclerc) or in the pits for major repairs (Hamilton). All of this action meant that on lap 32 we had a quite unusual leader board: Verstappen, Hulkenberg (Renault), Bottas, Albon (Toro Rosso), Hamilton, Sainz (McLaren), Raikkonen, and Vettel, all running on the intermediate wet tires.
The next relatively dry period began at lap 36, leading to many exciting battles for position in the still damp conditions, conditions which caused Hulkenberg to lose control (lap 40) and smack a barrier. This caused the Safety Car to be deployed yet again, and most of the contestants to stop again for different tires. Upon removal of the Safety Car the bunched up field proceeded to wage many fights for position, especially because the top finishing places were suddenly within sight of drivers that would not normally even sniff them. How strange was the running order you ask? It was this strange: on lap 47 Lance Stroll in the Racing Point was leading the damn race. After another round of pit stops, most were on the soft slicks and the track seemed to be dry enough for a final sprint to the finish. At this point, lap 50, the running order was Verstappen, Kvyat, Stroll, and Bottas, with Vettel 7th and Hamilton 12th. Then, bad luck…finally…side-swiped Mercedes. Hamilton spun and had to pit (lap 54) and Bottas spun (lap 57) and had to retire. There would be no Mercedes drivers on the podium today…hallelujah free at last. All of these off track hi-jinx naturally caused the Safety Car to be deployed again, bunching up the field again. In the melee after the re-start, Vettel passed Sainz and then Stroll and then Kvyat, all within three laps. The final finishing order was Verstappen, Vettel, Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Stroll(Racing Point!), Sainz (McLaren), and Albon (Toro Rosso). Hamilton finished 11th. Neither Bottas nor Leclerc were even classified. Astonishing.
This race had a little bit of everything, but mostly excitement and unpredictability and surprises…so many surprises. It was great. It was heartwarming to see Vettel with a big smile after his stunning drive (last-to-second); I’m sure he exorcised a few demons after a string of disappointing finishes. It was stunning to have Lance Stroll (who has been struggling in the Racing Point) almost reach the podium. And two Toro Rossos in the top 6?…heavenly. And no points for Mercedes…simply poetic justice; it was the Germans’ turn for a bit of bad luck.
Another brilliant race goes into the books. Can this run continue?
August 4: GP of Hungary (12)
The drivers love this tight 2.7 mile circuit despite the fact that it is relatively slow and that passing is difficult. Every one of the 70 laps presents a real challenge. The pundits opined that the track would suit the Red Bulls. This was the final race before the summer break, so everyone had that to look forward to.
All three Practice sessions (two on Friday and one Saturday morning) were run in cool damp conditions, meaning that little meaningful information was gathered. Saturday afternoon Qualifying saw high winds and skittish cars; Leclerc spun in Q1, hit a barrier, and suffered a bit of light damage. The top six all ran Q2 on the medium tires (and all were successful in getting to Q3 on them), meaning that they would start on slower but more durable rubber. Q3 was highly contested, but the results were predictable: the starting order would be Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Leclerc, Vettel, and Gasly (the big 6).
The weather on race day was unexpected: sunny and warm. The Dutch (Verstappen) fans were bedecked in their orange livery, and it positively glowed in the sun’s rays. Speaking politically, Max’s win at Germany energized his base. The start was hard fought, with Bottas and Hamilton coming into contact. As usual, Mr. Lucky Hamilton suffered no real damage while Mr. Not-So-Lucky Bottas lost several places and a portion of his front wing. He was able to continue, however, and the running order at the end of lap 1 was Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Vettel, and Bottas. Bottas managed a few more laps with his damaged front wing, but then opted to pit on lap 6 for a new nose and a set of hard tires, hoping that they would survive the remaining 64 laps of the race. He rejoined the race in last place.
As the laps reeled off, Verstappen and Hamilton began to gradually pull away from the two Ferraris in their wake, and it began to look like a two horse race. Verstappen began complaining about lack of grip due to degenerating tires, and as he began to slow a bit Hamilton jumped on the perceived opportunity to try and snatch the lead. He pressed Verstappen for five laps, attempted several passes, but was unable to overtake the Dutchman. Very good stuff. Verstappen’s strategists finally gave the order, and the Red Bull stopped for new tires (hards) on lap 25. He managed to rejoin ahead of both Ferraris, indicating how big a margin the two leaders had amassed in the early laps of the race. Hamilton managed to make his original tires last until lap 31, when he stopped for a new set of hard slicks. During this period, many interesting battles for position were being waged in the mid-field, which kept everything exciting.
By lap 34, second place Hamilton was closing in on leader Verstappen; the Mercedes was clearly faster than the Red Bull, but could Hamilton get by it? He had already failed in his previous attempt. A massive battle for the lead between these two raged for the next 6 laps, with Verstappen rebuffing each of Hamilton’s attempts to pass, and there were many. This was F1 at its best. Finally, Hamilton went wide and off track in a passing attempt, and he reluctantly dropped back to reevaluate his situation. Meanwhile, Vettel made his first pit stop on lap 40, and rejoined the proceedings on soft tires, hoping to be the fastest car on track by a big margin for the final 30 laps.
After a period of relative stability, the Germans rolled the dice. They pulled Hamilton (on lap 49) into the pits for another new set of tires (mediums) and sent him off to catch the leading Red Bull. He rejoined in second place on new tires (Verstappen’s were already 30 laps old), some 20 seconds behind Verstappen. Could the Mercedes catch the Red Bull in the remaining 20 laps? Could it overtake the Red Bull if it was able to catch it? This could be a very exciting finish, with the pro-Verstappen crowd willing him to the finish line.
On track, Hamilton was charging and Verstappen was trying to go as quickly as possible while being gentle to his aging tires. As the laps rolled by, Hamilton closed the gap: it was 15 seconds at lap 57, 10 seconds at lap 61, and 3 seconds at lap 65, just 5 laps from the finish. Hamilton was epic while Verstappen was tense, wondering if his dying tires could manage another 10 miles. Hamilton caught Verstappen on lap 66 and swept past the helpless Red Bull on lap 67. Meanwhile, Vettel was engrossed in his own mission; he managed to pass Leclerc on lap 68 for third place and a spot on the podium. The finishing order: Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Leclerc, and Sainz (McLaren). Bottas was 8th.
September 1: GP of Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps (13)
Many questions greeted the teams as they returned from the summer break.
Who will be driving what next year? Alex Albon was promoted (effective immediately) from Toro Rosso (the scrub team) to Red Bull. I like the young Thai driver a lot, but wonder if he is ready to have ‘Mad’ Max Verstappen as a direct benchmark. Pierre Gasly (Max’s former partner) wilted under that pressure, was deemed lacking, and demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso. Nico Hulkenberg (a so-so driver who is approaching his ‘sell-by’ date) was not renewed at Renault, but Valteri Bottas was renewed at Mercedes (a no-brainer). Renault tabbed Esteban Ocon (an up and comer) to take Hulkenberg’s seat in 2020.
Would this streak of fabulous races continue? We shall see.
Could Max Verstappen keep his recent string of excellent finishes going? Has a seismic shift occurred in the pecking order? The Dutchman, with two wins and a second place in the past four races, has been hot-hot-hot. Will he continue to challenge Hamilton in the remaining races? Is he a championship contender?
The track at Spa-Francorchamps is majestic, 4.3 miles of undulating, snaking black top located in what looks to be a mountainous wilderness. Plus, it has two of the longest straightaways on the F1 calendar, making it very fast, to the advantage of the horsepower king Ferraris. Given these circumstances, it came as no surprise that the Ferraris topped the timing charts during all of the Practice sessions. Of note: Hamilton had a significant crash in Practice 3, but his team managed to repair the car before Qualifying later that day.
With all of the top contenders on the soft tires, Qualifying was fast and tense. In the end the grid order had a few surprises, but was mostly as to be expected: Leclerc, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, and Raikkonen. As has become the norm, a bevy of penalties were doled out for changing mechanical components: Sainz (McLaren), Ricciardo (Renault), Hulkenberg (Renault), Albon (Red Bull), Stroll (Racing Point), and Kvyat (Toro Rosso) were all dropped to the rear of the field for perceived infractions to the durability constraints.
Sunday dawned cool, cloudy, and damp, a complete reversal from the weather of Friday and Saturday. This would mean less grip, and an advantage to the Mercedes. The drag race to the first corner, less than 500 yards from the start line, was hotly contested, with much swerving and some outright jostling for position. Verstappen, after a slow start, was passed by Raikkonen; when Max tried to repass the Finn at the first corner they came together and the Red Bull was significantly damaged. Mad Max was out with less than a mile in the books. Just like that, Max fell off the gravy train and into the dog pound. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Vettel were going at it tooth and nail: Hamilton passed the German at the first corner, but Vettel returned the favor at turn two. Good hard racing, and very exciting. Seconds later the Safety Car was deployed so that Verstappen’s car could be removed from the premises, allowing things to settle down a bit. When the Safety Car was removed on lap 4 the running order was Leclerc, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, and Norris (McLaren). At this point the top 4 began pulling away from the cars in the bunched-up mid-field runners, who were staging numerous aggressive battles for the remaining points paying positions. There seemed to be multiple passes every lap, leading to excellent viewing.
Vettel, who had flat spotted one of his tires during his lap 1 battle with Hamilton, was the first of the leaders to stop for tires, on lap 15. He switched to the mediums. The other leaders managed to extend their first stints significantly longer: Leclerc to lap 21, Hamilton to lap 22, and Bottas to lap 23. However, Vettel, who had been running on new tires in the meantime, had gained the advantage; he was now in the lead by 3 seconds over Leclerc, who was 7 seconds ahead of Hamilton. But, now everyone behind Vettel was on new tires, and they began to run down the lead Ferrari. Vettel moved aside to let his teammate (Leclerc) pass (lap 27), but properly refused to grant Hamilton the same courtesy. An epic battle ensued between the two multi-time world champions that was simply racing at its very best. Hamilton finally forced his way past the Ferrari on lap 32, but by that time Leclerc had managed to build a significant lead over everyone behind him. Shortly thereafter Vettel made a second pit stop (switching to new soft rubber), hoping that a final assault on the new leaders could be mounted. Meanwhile, on lap 35 Albon pulled off a colossal pass on Ricciardo (Renault, and a man who isn’t passed easily) that seemed to justify the faith Red Bull had so recently placed in him.
At this point, a Leclerc victory looked to be a certainty…but Hamilton never concedes. He pushed his Mercedes to 11 (maybe 12) and set about catching the leading Ferrari. And, with slightly fresher tires, Hamilton was accomplishing his goal. By the penultimate lap (43 of 44), the Mercedes was within 2 seconds and looking for a place to overtake the Ferrari. But Leclerc kept his cool and rebuffed Hamilton’s challenges more like a seasoned veteran that the young sophomore that he is. The final finishing order: Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, and Albon.
This marks the first Formula 1 victory for Leclerc, and it would seem that there will be many more in his future, which looks very bright for him: he is very quick and very calm, especially for one so young. Leclerc is already challenging four time world champion Vettel for the position of team leader, something that could not have been expected when this season began. Keep up the good work!
It must further be noted that Albon, the newcomer at Red Bull, drove an especially fine race. He started 17th (due to penalties) and managed to avoid misadventure while working his way up through the field to finish fifth (including a stunning pass of veteran Daniel Ricciardo). An excellent day at the office. BRAVO!
September 8: GP of Italy at Monza (14)
With lap speeds averaging 160 mph and top speeds of 225 mph, the 3.6 miles of Monza are the fastest on the F1 calendar. THAT’S ITALIAN, especially since the long straights are to the advantage of Ferrari, the horsepower king.
The two Friday Practice sessions were run in cool, damp, cloudy, and wet conditions, so not much pertinent data was collected, and no conclusions regarding speed could be reached. Rather, cars were sliding about and having off track adventures in the low grip conditions, meaning that the overall number of laps run was significantly less than usual. Practice 3 on Saturday morning was conducted in much better conditions; moreover it saw an interesting strategy being practiced. The drivers were practicing slip-streaming their teammates in an attempt to have the resulting ‘tow’ increase the speed of the car following the leader. Essentially, they were trying to nullify Ferrari’s speed advantage on the long straights. From this, you might guess that the Ferraris were fastest during Practice 3. You would be right.
As is becoming the norm, a raft of penalties was handed down for violating the mechanical equipment durability standards: Verstappen and Raikkonen were relegated to the very back of the field while Gasly, Norris, and Perez were also demoted down the grid.
Qualifying started out as normal, with the top drivers and teams easily moving into Q3. Then, things got very strange indeed. About midway through Q3, after most of the top 10 had set a fast (but not scintillating) time, Raikkonen crashed, which temporarily stopped the session while his car was removed from danger. When the session resumed, with about 5 minutes remaining, no one wanted to be the first one out of the pits for the final showdown for pole because the first one out would be ‘towing’ everyone else to higher speeds while not having the advantage of the ‘tow’ himself. So, everyone just sat and waited until someone went out onto the track…and they waited…and waited. Finally, one of the McLarens went out, and everyone else immediately followed. But the McLaren dawdled (and no one wanted to pass it) on its out lap, and by the time the bunched field crossed the start-finish line to start their fast lap, the session had ended. No new times would count. This wasn’t egg-in-the-face, it was an omelet shower. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Anyway, the grid would be based on the times set at the start of Q3: Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Ricciardo, and Hulkenberg. Two Renaults in the top six would normally be the news flash of the day, but the debacle concerning the timing of the final Qualifying laps overshadowed everything.
Race day was sunny and warm, meaning less grip and advantage to Mercedes and Red Bull. All of the front runners were on soft tires, but many in the rear two-thirds of the grid were on mediums. At the start, Verstappen, who had started last on the medium tires, brushed another car and was forced to stop for a new front wing; he also changed to soft tires.
After things settled down a bit, Albon (Red Bull) and Sainz (McLaren) started a multi-lap battle for 8th place that saw several passes and re-passes that certainly provided high entertainment value. Meanwhile, Vettel was closing in on Bottas for third place. Unfortunately, on lap 7, Vettel spun into the gravel and then was given a stop-and-go penalty for dangerous re-entry to the track. After a pit stop to repair his front wing and another to serve the penalty, Vettel was never a factor again. While all of this action was transpiring behind them, the leaders (Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, and Hulkenberg) were motoring off into the distance. Only Verstappen, near the back of the field, was maintaining a competitive pace to them.
Hamilton was the first of the leaders to pit (lap 20) for new tires, followed closely by Leclerc, who, unlike most others that changed to mediums, opted for the hard tires. After his stop, Leclerc managed to return to the fray in first place, but just ahead of Hamilton. At this point Hamilton had the advantage of Leclerc’s ‘tow,’ the DRS, and the faster tires, but he still could not pass the Ferrari, despite many attempts to do so over the course of the ensuing 20 laps to do so. This was tense, side-by-side, and highly entertaining racing. Hamilton finally ran through the gravel in a miss-guided attempt to get by the Ferrari, and in the process fell far enough behind Leclerc to lose both the ‘tow’ and the DRS. The young Ferrari pilot had certainly shown his chops in this confrontation with the 5-time world champ.
Bottas was the last of the leaders to pit, delaying his stop to lap 28. He returned in 4th place, but was now on the freshest tires and primed to fight his way back to the front. On lap 42, Hamilton’s previously mentioned error and fading tires allowed Bottas to claim second place, and put him in position to track down the leading Ferrari. And, slowly-but-surely, he did just that. He was on Leclerc’s tail by lap 51, giving him 3 laps to find a way past. But, just like Hamilton, Bottas found it impossible to get by Leclerc, and the race victory went to Ferrari. The finishing order was Leclerc, Bottas, Hamilton, Ricciardo (Renault), Hulkenberg (Renault) and Albon (Toro Rosso). Verstappen, with his title dreams now effectively dashed, managed to finish 8th despite starting last, while Vettel failed to score points (13th).
So, this was a fantastic day to be a Ferrari fan. Not only did they claim victory at Monza, their home Grand Prix, but their up-and-coming star also drove a scintillating race, fought off both Mercedes lap-after-lap, and won his second race in a row. The only fly in Ferrari’s ointment was the dismal showing by Vettel, their fading star. Oh, and did I mention that the Italian fans were going crazy? Even Hamilton congratulated the winner with what seemed like genuine admiration for a job well done. But I’m sure he will want revenge at the next battle.
Also of note: Both Renaults finished in the top five. Was this an aberration or have they gained pace?
September 22: GP of Singapore (15)
The race at Singapore is different in many ways. First, its 3.2 miles are run on a street circuit that is bumpy and dusty with hard barriers poised to deliver punishment for errors. Then, there are turns…lots of them…and very little grip, both of which make it relatively slow and hard on tires, all of which are a disadvantage to Ferrari and an advantage to Mercedes and Red Bull. And, don’t forget the heat and humidity; Singapore is a challenge to both man and machine. Oh, and did I mention the race is run at night? Given all of this it is no surprise that Vettel loves this track and has raced most effectively upon it. (That is true, but baffling.)
In any case, Ferrari brought a new floor and a highly modified front nose/wing to the proceedings in an attempt to increase downforce, continue its recent successes, and overcome the inherent disadvantages noted previously. These upgrades proved to be effective and were used from Practice 2 onward; in fact the improvements allowed Ferrari to run at or near the top of the field throughout the Practice sessions, which was a huge surprise to all.
The pit lane at Singapore is also unusual: it is much longer than normal and has a much slower speed limit. This means that the time lost to make a pit stop is longer than at other tracks. This caused most of the teams to plan only one pit stop, and to plan to run most of the race on the hard tires, which have the longest life span. Deployment (how often and when) of the Safety Car was the wild card in all of these plans. Pitting for tires while the (inevitable given the conditions) Safety Car was slowing the field would be a huge advantage.
Not much transpired in Qualifying. The only surprise was the pace of the Ferraris, which was fast. With everyone of note on the soft tires, and everyone else on mediums, the front of the grid was dominated by the usual subjects, but in an unanticipated order: Leclerc, Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, Bottas, and Albon in the second Red Bull.
The start was clean and mostly uneventful; Vettel challenged Hamilton for second but was rebuffed. Ricciardo’s first laps were the exception; he started last due to some transgression and made some audacious passes. He was up to 15th before the first lap was completed. Then, something strange happened. Leading the field, Leclerc slowed the pace, obviously in an attempt to save his tires. And his followers seemed happy to allow this strategy to be employed; they did not challenge the Ferrari for the lead. This meant that the leaders did not pull away from the field as is normal; rather, after 14 laps the top 12 were covered by only 20 seconds. Given the 27+ second pit stop delta, this meant that if the top runners stopped for tires, they would return to the fray behind most of the mid-field, who could run many more laps because they had started on the medium tires. And so the race continued with little action at the front: everyone was postponing their stop, hoping for a Safety Car deployment that did not happen.
Vettel and Verstappen were the first to stop (lap 20), rejoining in 10th and 12th respectively, mired in the mid-field. Leclerc stopped on lap 21 and rejoined behind Vettel; Bottas stopped on lap 23. Hamilton, however, continued to circulate on his degrading soft tires, now in the lead. Meanwhile, those who had stopped were working their way back to the front on their new hard tires, hoping they would make it to the end of the 61 lap race. On lap 23 Vettel was 7th, Leclerc 8th, and Verstappen 9th. With no Safety Car deployment in sight, Hamilton stopped on lap 26, also opting for the hard tires. He rejoined in 8th and joined the other fast guys working their way through the slower cars on medium tires who had not pitted. By lap 35 everyone had stopped at least once and the running order was Vettel, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas, and Albon, all hoping their tires would make it to the end.
So, once everyone had given up on a Safety Car period, three occurred, one right after the other; they affected the course of the race for the next 15 laps. This slowed and bunched the field, but also provided a long period of relative respite for everyone’s tires. No more tire stops were necessary. When racing resumed on lap 52, Leclerc challenged Vettel for the lead, but was unable to get by his teammate. The finishing order was Vettel (ecstatic), Leclerc (irked that he had lost the lead to pit stop strategy), Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas, and Albon.
Firstly, let’s congratulate Alex Albon. In only his second drive in the Red Bull, he managed to finish only 11 seconds behind the leader, and only 8 seconds behind Mad Max Verstappen, his highly regarded teammate. Well done.
But, of far greater importance is the question this race poses. Will the Ferraris now be the class of the field at all the tracks? Singapore was projected to be a very difficult track for Ferrari, and the red cars were not expected to do well there. Yet, they were the class of the field. Did the new noses and undertrays cause the Ferraris to leap-frog to the front on even such an adverse track? This, my friends, bears watching. The last third of the season may be very interesting, very interesting.
September 29: GP of Russia (16)
The track at Sochi, host to a recent Olympics, is 3.6 miles of twists and endless turns broken up by three long straights. Like Singapore, the pit lane is long and has a very slow speed limit (35 mph), meaning that the pit stop time delta is long, some 30 seconds. All of the teams planned to stop only once.
Not much of interest transpired in the three Practice sessions beyond the now inevitable imposition of penalties for replacing mechanical components. Verstappen, Albon, and Gasly were given 5 place grid penalties; home town favorite Kvyat was relegated to starting at the rear of the field. To compound his woes, Albon crashed in Q1; combining this with his penalty, he would start last. Qualifying saw one surprise: the Mercedes ran Q2 on the medium compound tires while the other serious contenders opted for the softs. After all was said and done, the Ferraris were again at the front at a track where they were not expected to do well: Leclerc, Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, and Sainz (McLaren). After their penalties, Verstappen was 9th and Albon last.
Race day was sunny and warm, meaning tire degradation would be high. Vettel started as if shot from a cannon; he blew by Hamilton and nipped past Leclerc into the first corner to take the lead. He then proceeded to pull away from the entire field at a surprising rate. The German had the bit between his teeth, clearly reinvigorated by his win at Singapore the previous weekend. Initially, there was some talk of Vettel relinquishing the lead to teammate Leclerc, but Vettel was simply going too fast to disturb his progress. By lap 10 the running order was Vettel (clear of the field by a long way), Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Sainz, and Verstappen. Albon, meanwhile, with a series of bold overtaking moves, had worked his way from the rear to 14th.
On lap 15 the complexion of the race began to change. The Mercedes, on the medium tires, began to set lap times marginally faster than the Ferraris, on their fading soft tires. So, it was not surprising that Leclerc was the first of the leaders to stop for tires (lap 22). Vettel was the next to stop (lap 26), but then disaster for Ferrari struck. Immediately after rejoining the race, Vettel suffered a mechanical failure and had to stop on the track. This caused a Virtual Safety Car period that slowed the field and allowed all of those who had not yet stopped (including both Mercedes) to gain a tremendous advantage: stopping for new tires while everyone else was circulating at low speed. When racing resumed (lap 33) Hamilton was first, Bottas second, and Leclerc third. From there on not much transpired and the final order was Hamilton, Bottas, Leclerc, Verstappen (from 9th) and Albon (from last).
So, after a string of fabulous finishes, the Ferraris were less than stellar in Russia. But, take hope. This result was more the result of bad luck – and terrible timing – than lack of pace. Absent Vettel’s engine woes, it is likely that the Ferraris would have finished one-two; they certainly had the pace to do so. Instead, Mr. Lucky Lewis Hamilton won again.
Wrap-Up – Races 10 through 16
Well, things aren’t peachy-keen, but they are certainly looking up for Ferrari. Our last summary covered 7 races…Ferrari didn’t win a single one of them. This summary also covers 7 races, and Ferrari was victorious in three. Moreover, Ferrari drivers stood on the podium 8 times in those 7 races. Is this wonderful? Not really. Is this adequate? Not really. Is it a massive improvement? You betcha. There is hope, and that means that good racing is likely ahead.
So, let’s have a look at the points situation with 16 races are in the books.
Drivers
Hamilton 309 … Bottas 239 …Verstappen 197 … Leclerc 197…Vettel 169
Manufacturers
Mercedes GP 548 … Ferrari 366 … Red Bull 286
Vettel has faded and Leclerc has stepped up. But Mercedes and its drivers are still in the catbird seat.
Meanwhile, poor Daniel Ricciardo checks in with a measly 34 points. He must be devastated to go from the front of the field with Red Bull to the middle of the pack with Renault. If Hamilton is Mr. Lucky, then Danny Ric must certainly be the opposite.
John Ratto
