Opening Commentary
We began the second half of 2018 in pretty much the same situation as we opened the year. The Democratic hue-and-cry concerning some of the President’s policies continued, but little has actually resulted from it. The highly questionable policy of separating migrant-refugee children from their parents has been set aside, but that seemed inevitable. Of greater long term significance was the retirement of another Supreme Court Justice, creating an opening that Trump filled with a rather controversial nominee.
Other than that, things continued to hum along in July-August. The economy remained strong and unemployment low. The stock market was stable. Our houses are worth significantly more than last year. Ferrari prices continued to be stable. Times were good. Clouds on the horizon in mid-2018? Are we in a growing bubble that will burst? Will the looming trade/tariff battle scuttle the global economy and bring recession? Is the sharp rise in government and corporate debt a subject of great concern?
But, forget all of that…the good and the bad. The most important thing in July 2018 was Formula 1, mid-way through an epic season. It was close…and it was exciting…and Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel were in the lead!
With that in mind, here is a recap of what transpired in the second half of 2018. Your Board of Directors hope you were able to attend a few of these events, and that you will attend some future events over the next few months. Springtime is just around the corner, and it will be time to exercise the horses! Meanwhile, don’t forget to visit our NEW! IMPROVED! website at ferrariclubvegas.com for the latest news and information.
July 10: Board Meeting at The Pasta Shop Restaurant
With 6 Board members (Chuck Damus, Ted Schlazer, Dan and Jan Fogle, Scott Howard, and John Ratto) and two guests present, we had a good turn-out. Unfortunately, it was confirmed that former Board member Elda Fanucchi has retired after a most successful tenure. We would welcome her back with open arms. With our Treasurer, Scott Howard, in attendance, we got the financial report from the Cavallino’s mouth, so to speak. In short, our balance has grown slightly. A list of new members, renewing members, and non-renewing members was reviewed, along with our less than rewarding relationship with our dealer, Towbin Motorcars. We need to have more interfaces with them. It was then noted that we have come to an agreement with Jeff Wenger regarding the Website issues; it is nice to see this matter concluded…hopefully. Finally, future events, including the Holiday Party, were discussed.
Late July: Death of Sergio Marchionne
When Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the parent company of Ferrari, last appeared in public on June 26, in Italy, he appeared fatigued and clearly not well. FCA subsequently announced Marchionne had taken medical leave for shoulder surgery.
It was well known that Marchionne had suffered from shoulder pain for several years and had been diagnosed with an invasive sarcoma, the severity of which he concealed from his colleagues while he underwent treatment. The shoulder surgery, done as part of this treatment, was considered a high-risk operation. During the operation in mid-July, Marchionne suffered severe brain damage and lapsed into a coma. He was given little chance of recovery.
Consequently, immediately after the surgery, FCA released a notice saying that Marchionne would not return to his position (essentially an announcement of his retirement) due to post-surgical complications. On July 21, due to the gravity of his condition, Marchionne was officially replaced at FCA and Ferrari, as well as other subsidiaries.
Sergio Marchionne died on July 25; he was just 66 years old. He is survived by his former wife Orlandina, his current partner Manuela Battezzato, and his two adult sons, Alessio and Tyler.
How this all will affect Ferrari is yet to be seen. The future is unknown.
August 2: Social at Marche Bacchus
Considering it was a dark and stormy evening, we had a fantastic turnout for this event, held at a popular Summerlin hot spot. Located on a man-made lake, Mache Bacchus is relatively unknown outside its immediate locale, but we Ferrari people know good food (and fabulous ambiance) when we eat it, so we have been heading there for years. They set up a large square table for us (as opposed to the typical long tables we are usually given at other establishments) that allowed everyone to talk with everyone else, which maximized the social aspect of our dining experience. Be sure not to miss this one the next time.
Mid-August: Notice of the Demise of the Siena Car Show
This was a sad day – the day we learned that the annual Columbus Day car show at Siena Ristorante has been cancelled. We thank Antonio and his staff, especially Kumiko, for their massive efforts to make this such a wonderful event. Thanks for the memories, friends.
September 26: Social at Vintner Grill
We had an excellent turnout (more than 20) for drinks and dinner at this Summerlin hot spot. And we fit right in with all of the beautiful people. Of note was attendance by 3 new, never before seen, members: John Mautner, long time Ferrari owner Doug Daniels and his wife Joy, and Willian Zavison (spelling?). This is good news for the club as ‘fresh blood’ is the life blood of an organization such as ours. We welcome our newbies and hope to see them again soon. Meanwhile, long time members Jan and Dan Fogle wowed us with a new addition to their tribe, a beautiful grey F599 Fiorano. It made my mouth water! Congratulations on the acquisition.
October 11: Board Meeting at the Home of Chuck Damus and Kerri Howard
The Board thanks Chuck and Kerri for their fine hospitality in hosting this meeting, especially given that we had a giant turnout…13, including 5 members of the Board. After a bit of socializing and a nice Italian (naturally!) dinner, the Board got down to business. The first matter discussed was our relationship with our local dealer, and ways that it could be improved. Subsequently, we reviewed recent problems (apparently caused by hackers) with our website, which seem to be in the process of being corrected; dates and locations for the Holiday Party; and upcoming socials, drives, and activities. Finally, I would like to say that it was a real pleasure to have Marshall Buck, who has recently moved to Las Vegas, in attendance. Back in the olden days, Marshall was one of the first ‘Ferrari Crazies’ in the US, and was instrumental in the creation of the Los Angeles based Ferrari Owners’ Club. He had some great tales to tell.
November 29: Board Meeting at Siena
Although this was an important meeting to elect next year’s board, relatively few members attended. In any case, potential new board members were nominated and voting information was e-mailed to club members a few days later. Did YOU vote?? Other than that, the main topic of discussion concerned the Holiday Party and the lack of timely member response. EVERYONE NEEDS TO RESPOND TO THESE RSVPs!!
December 1: Shooting at Green Valley Range
This event was well attended and everyone that attended seemed to have a great time. We even had a few relatively new faces (hello John Mautner, Takuya Ishida, and Bill Zavison/Marilyn Scarsella) and generally unseen members show up, and several long standing members brought guests. We thank long standing member Lindsey Freeman for making the arrangements and making it all happen, despite being precluded from actually attending while recovering from an operation.
December 8: Holiday Party at Canyon Gate Country Club
After some hand wringing concerns regarding attendance, the turnout was quite good, and everyone seemed to like the food, always a good thing. Even new Las Vegas Chapter member Marshall Buck and wife made a welcome appearance to liven up the proceedings. Outgoing Chapter president Chuck Damus gave a short, but poignant, goodbye speech, and the White Elephant gift exchange proved to be a great success. A nice evening with old friends is always most welcome in the hub-bub of Holiday Season.
Wrap-Up – July through December 2018
The political battles in Washington continued unabated throughout the second half of 2018, with healthcare, immigration, building a border wall, tariffs, possible impeachment, etc., etc. leading the list. Heck, as this goes to press we have a partial government shut-down. The stock market finally reacted to all this non-sense, producing numerous gut-wrenching drops (one on Christmas eve – talk about bad timing!) that have been generally followed by sharp (but lesser) recoveries. The Democrats made important gains in the mid-term elections, and will take control of the House in January. This should make the situation even more contentious-interesting. As the year comes to an end, there seems to be uncertainty everywhere. But, I guess, that’s part of what makes life worth living.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Socials will resume in January, after the holiday season is fading in the rear view mirror. Meanwhile, be sure to visit our new website for the latest information. FerrariClubVegas.com.
FORMULA 1 NEWS RECAP
Season Status after 9 Races
We opened the second half of the season with EXCITEMENT in the air. This has been a great year for Formula 1 … and an excellent year for Ferrari. At the front (the so called big 6), the races have been ultra-competitive, and the point situation reflects that. The points standings going into race 10 of the year:
Top Constructors Top Drivers
Ferrari 247 Vettel (F) 146 Ricciardo (R-B) 96
Mercedes 237 Hamilton (M-B) 145 Verstappen (R-B) 93
Red Bull 189 Raikkonen (F) 101 Bottas (M-B) 92
Yes, it is THAT close. After 9 races one point separates Vettel and Hamilton. One point! This spells exciting racing ahead. Be sure to watch, at home on ESPN or at Siena, with the rabid Ferrari fans and that good Italian food.
With the cars so equal, tires, and tire strategy, have become crucial. The cars (the Red Bulls) that can manage/conserve their tires have a significant advantage over those that cannot (Mercedes seems the worst of the top 3). The teams that time their pit stops judiciously have a similar advantage. However, these factors seem to favor different teams in different races. Very interesting.
July through November: F1 Viewing at Siena and other venues
July 8: GP of Britain (10)
The entire weekend was held under clear, sunny skies and very hot temperatures. The normally lush green grass areas were dry and brown. These conditions are completely unusual for Silverstone, England, and represent the best evidence of global warming I can point to. The track though, remained the same. It is long (3.6 miles – 52 laps), very fast, and its ultra-high speed corners challenge the bravery of those that dare attempt to tame it. Tracks like this favor Mercedes and to a degree Ferrari, and punish Red Bull, whose Renault engines rank third in the horsepower war. Ferrari supplied the team with new aero pieces in hopes of nullifying the advantage Mercedes had gained at Austria with its upgraded engines. Pirelli supplied the hard, medium, and soft tires.
Practice was relatively uneventful, the only incident of note being Verstappen’s encounter with one of the tire barriers. All of the top teams opted to contest Q2 on the soft tires, and therefore start on them. The strategy was for a one stop race, with the soft tires going about 15-20 laps and then a switch to the mediums. At the end of Q3 the starting order was predictable: Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Verstappen, and Ricciardo; the Haas duo managed an excellent 7th and 8th.
Perhaps encouraged by the lack of the normal English rain, or perhaps because their native son (Hamilton) was on pole, the crowds were huge on race day Sunday. The start of the race, as is becoming usual, was eventful. Vettel, Raikkonen, and Bottas all made excellent starts, while Hamilton bogged down and became an obstacle in their paths. Vettel and Bottas managed to pass the pole sitter in the first 100 yards, but Raikkonen was stuck directly behind him and a slight collision occurred between Raikkonen’s front wing and Hamilton’s rear tire. Hamilton spun and by the time he got straightened out, he was last. Raikkonen meanwhile suffered wing damage that he complained about for the rest of the race. He also lost a spot to Verstappen, and then was given a 10 second penalty for being judged the perpetrator of the collision. At the end of lap 2, when the dust had settled a bit, the running order was Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo. Hamilton was 17th and slicing his way through slower traffic back to the front. By lap 10 he was up to 7th and clearly a man on a mission.
Raikkonen was the first to pit, on lap 14, at which time he also served his 10 second penalty. He resumed on new medium tires and mired in heavy mid-field traffic. The other fast cars stopped for tires (all choosing the mediums) progressively thereafter, with Hamilton being the last to do so, on lap 25. At this point, the running order was Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, and Hamilton. Unhappy with his second set of tires, Ricciardo stopped again (lap 31); this time he rejoined the fray on the soft tires. Then, on lap 33, Ericsson (Alfa Romeo-Sauber) hit a wall, bringing out the Safety car, and prompting Vettel, Verstappen, and Raikkonen to pit for new tires. Ricciardo, who had pitted just a few laps earlier, persevered with the tires he had, as did the Mercedes duo, clearly choosing to proceed on a different strategy – choosing track position over fresh tires. This was clearly a difference of opinion, as another accident again brought the Safety Car out just a few laps later with the Mercedes duo continuing on their worn tires. However, it must be pointed out that the slow laps behind the safety car were an advantage to the Mercedes drivers as the tires degrade less in such conditions.
When racing resumed on lap 41 the (bunched up) running order was Bottas, Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo. With everyone now nose-to-tail, a terrific battle ensued at the front with everyone having a go at everyone else. Taking advantage of his Ferrari’s superior horsepower, Raikkonen passed Verstappen on lap 44, and soon thereafter Ricciardo did the same. At this point it became clear that Verstappen was having mechanical problems; he was out soon thereafter. Meanwhile Bottas was beginning to struggle on his worn tires, and was passed by Vettel on lap 47. Hamilton and Raikkonen both managed to do the same in the final few laps, giving a final finishing order of Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, and Ricciardo.
Hamilton pouted throughout the post-race festivities, clearly implying that his collision with Raikkonen was a Ferrari plot. But he had little to complain about as he was going so slowly at the start that a collision with someone seemed inevitable. Rather, he was lucky that no real damage was done and that he was able to finish second, something that would not have happened absent Raikkonen’s penalty. This result slightly increases Vettel’s lead in the drivers’ championship and Ferrari’s lead in the constructors’ championship. Let the games begin
July 22: GP of Germany (11)
Once again, it was blazing hot and very dry in a country known for being cool and wet. The grass around the circuit was brown and sere, where it is normally emerald and lush. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and ultra-soft tires, skipping the super-softs, for the 67 lap race around the windy but fast, 2.8 mile track at Hockenheim.
The big news on Friday Practice was that Ricciardo had been again forced to replace portions of his Bed Bull’s power unit, and would thereby start last. The other big news was that the ‘silly season’ had officially started, with rumors rife of possible driver movement, and news of driver signings. We learned that both Hamilton and Bottas had resigned with Mercedes, but that Raikkonen was apparently persona non grata at Ferrari. Meanwhile, the rumors had LeClerc going to Ferrari, and then Ricciardo making that move instead. Innuendo swirled around many drivers of the mid-pack as well, with the futures of Romain Grosjean, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, and others the subject of discussion. But the important news concerned tires, which were wearing very fast in the stifling heat and of the possibility of rain on race day.
The skies opened on Friday night, bringing some much needed rain to the area; unfortunately, it also washed away much of the grip producing rubber that had been laid down during Practice. So, in Qualifying, the cars were slipping and sliding while trying to set the fastest times possible. Strangely, Hamilton was having more trouble than most; he ran off track several times in Q1 and wound up jarring the car so badly that it suffered an hydraulic failure and died on track. Unable to get the car back to the pits, he would start 14th. When Qualifying was over, the starting order was set: Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Verstappen. The Haas duo did very well to grab 5th and 6th. All the front runners qualified and would start on the ultra-soft tires. Hamilton, down in 14th, was free to choose any tire available; he opted for the longer lived softs. Ricciardo, starting last, had the same choice; he chose the medium rubber. The word on pit lane was that all the front runners were on a one pit stop strategy, hoping that that the tires would have enough life to make this possible. Many of the pundits were skeptical.
It was hot again for race day, but the weather report predicted rain as well. Hallelujah – the cars made it through lap one without incident. The early laps saw few, if any, changes at the front, but Hamilton and Ricciardo were moving up fast through the back markers. They were 7th and 13th, respectively, by lap 10, by which time the front runners were beginning to experience degradation to their ultra-soft tires. Raikkonen was the first to pit, on lap 15 (certainly earlier than he hoped), but most of the other leaders (Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, in that order) managed to get to lap 25 to 30 before stopping. They all mounted the soft tires. Hamilton, meanwhile, seemed quite content to proceed on his original soft rubber. At lap 30 the running order was Raikkonen, Vettel (who had a slow pit stop), Hamilton (who had not stopped), Bottas, and Verstappen.
At this point, Ferrari made a tactical error. Raikkonen, on much older tires, was clearly holding up Vettel, who was looking for a way past his teammate. Rather than directing Raikkonen to move aside for the faster Vettel, the Ferrari brain thrust did nothing, leaving Vettel in Raikkonen’s dirty air, which wore his new tires quickly. Meanwhile, the cars behind Vettel were gradually closing the gap to the two leading Ferraris. The directive to let Vettel by was not given until lap 39, by which time the damage to Vettel’s tires had been done.
While this was playing out at the front, the skies were darkening and rain seemed inevitable. Hamilton, who was on some seriously worn tires, was clearly hoping for the rain to come soon so he could make his stop for wet tires at the same time as everyone else. However, when the rain did not come, Hamilton was forced to stop, which he did on lap 43. Here, Mercedes made a critical and brilliant decision, they opted to provide Hamilton with a set of the ultra-soft rubber, reasoning that they might last for the remaining 20+ laps, but also considering that the ultra-softs might have enough grip to survive a period of light rain. This is exactly was happened. Light rain started on lap 47, prompting some to switch to the intermediate wet tires. But the rain generally ceased on lap 49, though residual moisture and a few isolated cloudbursts kept the track wet and slick for many laps thereafter. During this period, most of the front runners managed to safely circulate, albeit at reduced speeds, on their worn soft compound tires. On lap 49, Bottas passed Raikkonen, whose tires were the oldest and slowest in the field. But Hamilton, running fourth behind Vettel, Bottas, and Raikkonen, on new ultra-softs, was going much faster than anyone else and was quickly catching, and threatening the leaders.
Then, on lap 52, Vettel seemed to suffer momentary brain fade. Pushing on his worn tires to stay ahead of the charging Hamilton, he approached the hairpin where the conditions were damp and slippery and simply missed the braking and turn-in point, was unable to save it, and drove straight off the track and into the barriers. He was out! Then, two laps later, to cause further Ferrari misery, Raikkonen was forced to pit for new tires. When the race ended, the final finishing order was Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hulkenberg (Renault), and Grosjean, and another golden opportunity for Ferrari had been squandered. Instead, Hamilton and Mercedes reclaimed the leads in the championships. A sad day.
July 29: GP of Hungary (12)
Practice on Friday was run in very hot and humid conditions on the tight, twisty, slow track (2.7 miles, 14 turns, 70 laps) outside Budapest, a track that was expected to favor the Ferraris and Red Bulls. As expected, these two teams dominated the lap times during the Practice sessions, with the Ferraris clearly fastest. The Mercedes, meanwhile, were seriously off the pace.
Pirelli supplied medium, soft, and ultra-soft tires, which looked to have short life spans in the very warm weather conditions. Everyone was hoping to complete the race with only one stop, but it looked doubtful.
But, the real bombshell did not concern tires. Nor did it concern the weather. Nor did it concern Ferrari…or Mercedes. Instead, it concerned Daniel Ricciardo, who announced he was leaving Red Bull and moving to Renault for the 2019 season. What a ballsy move! Or was it simply stupid? Or did he simply have no other reasonable alternative? Riccardo was not challenging for a championship with Red Bull, and his overall future there was less than rosy. Red Bull has not been able to win consistently with the best chassis (consensus opinion), two excellent drivers, and the Renault engine package. Next year they will be switching to Honda power, which at this point does not look like an improvement. There are no other engine choices, as neither Ferrari nor Mercedes want to supply engines to a potential threat to their supremacy. So, looking strictly at the hardware, the move seems reasonable. Then there is Ricciardo’s (soon) former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, who is younger, perhaps faster, certainly more audacious, and clearly more popular with the fan base and perhaps with management as well. Red Bull signed Verstappen a long term extension a few weeks earlier, while Ricciardo’s contract negotiations were put on the back burner. This was certainly no vote of confidence for the Aussie. Going to Renault would immediately crown Ricciardo as team leader, on a factory team that is perhaps more stable and that will be certainly be more appreciative than Red Bull. It also indicates that Ricciardo had little hope for the competiveness, at least in the short term, of the Red Bull-Honda marriage. I’m sure there were also some big euros thrown in. So, the move was not crazy overall, and we’ll have to wait until next year to see if it made any sense at all on the track. There is one thing that may have given Ricciardo the confidence to jump ship. About five years ago Hamilton was driving a somewhat competitive McLaren when he inexplicably switched to non-competitive Mercedes-Benz. That move turned out pretty good. In fact it now seems prescient.
It rained hard on Saturday morning, and conditions were unsettled and changing as Qualifying began Saturday afternoon. The track was drying but still quite wet, and more rain was forecast as the cars rolled out for Q1. At first, everyone opted for intermediate wet tires, but when the rain did not come and the track continued to dry, the bolder drivers switched to slicks. Despite the uncertainty, the fast 6 were able to advance to Q2, during which the rapidly changing conditions caught Ricciardo out and relegated him to 12th of the grid. Meanwhile, the Mercedes were looking strong in the wet. A few moments later, when Q3 began, it was pouring, and everyone was out on the full wet rubber. Yet, when all had been said and done, the starting order was not too surprising: Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Carlos Sainz (Renault).
Race morning dawned very hot and humid, but with no rain in the forecast. Since Qualifying had been run in wet conditions, everyone was free to start the race on whatever tires they chose. Vettel (starting behind the Mercedes duo) and Ricciardo (starting 12th) opted for the soft rubber, while most of the others chose the ultra-softs. During a pre-race interview Hamilton said something prophetic: The Ferraris are probably faster than us, but not enough faster to pass us. The start was relatively uneventful, with some wheel banging but no real collisions; at the end of the first lap the order was Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Raikkonen, and Verstappen; Ricciardo had fallen to 16th. The first few laps saw Hamilton pulling away from Bottas, who was blocking Vettel’s attempts to pass. The only real action was provided by Verstappen, whose engine failed on lap 6, and Ricciardo, who was moving up the field fast. Raikkonen was the first to stop, on lap 15, for new tires, with Bottas doing the same on lap 16; both mounted soft tires, hoping they would last to the end, some 55 laps. Meanwhile, little had changed at the front, where Bottas was clearly trying to prevent Vettel from passing him so that he could challenge race leader Hamilton. Most of the other cars in the field stopped for fresh tires between laps 20 and 30, by which time their ultra-softs had come to the end of their useful lives. All chose to switch to the soft rubber. However, Vettel and Ricciardo, who had started on the soft tires, continued without stopping. At lap 30, the running order was Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo, and the game was clearly on.
The first indication of possible tire problems was on lap 39, when Raikkonen, who had been the first to make a stop and who had then worn his soft tires pushing Bottas for 3rd place, made a second stop (for another set of soft tires). Immediately thereafter, Vettel, who had been having difficulties lapping the backmarkers on his worn out soft tires, made his first stop, (for new ultra-soft tires), and it was a slow one. As a consequence of these two factors, he rejoined behind Bottas instead of ahead of him. He would be stuck there, unable to pass, for the next 20+ laps. Ricciardo, meanwhile, delayed his first stop to lap 45. So, as Vettel, on relatively new tires, was being held up by Bottas, Raikkonen (also on newer tires) was catching both of them. These three proceeded to run nose-to-tail, and relatively slowly, for the next 20 laps or so. The Ferraris on their newer tires were clearly faster than Bottas on his worn out tires, but not enough faster to pass him. On lap 65, with the end in sight, a very frustrated Vettel made his move: he pushed past Bottas and took second place. However, Bottas, driving on cords rather than rubber, incomprehensively refused to concede the spot and tried, in desperation, to repass the Ferrari. In the process he slid wide and damaged his front wing, which allowed Raikkonen to also sail past the Mercedes. Ricciardo was the next to catch the ailing Mercedes, and he too had to fight Bottas tooth-and-nail for the position before finally making a move stick on the final lap of the race. The finishing order was Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Bottas, and Gasly (! Toro Rosso).
After the race Bottas complained about Vettel’s pass, but he really had no axe to grind. He had been blocking Vettel, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo for more than 20 laps, and could not expect his pursuers to simply let that happen indefinitely. This is racing, not follow the leader. And, his blocking was effective as it allowed Hamilton to control his pace and save his tires with no challenge. Which means that, in the end, Hamilton extends his points lead and another golden opportunity for Ferrari was wasted.
August: The Summer Break
In what has now become a yearly tradition, the teams must take a mandated summer vacation. During this time there is (supposedly) to be no work on the cars or any other efforts made to improve performance. Engine development is OK, though. That does not stop the news machine from cycling. For example, in August we learned the following:
Alonso was offered (according to him) and declined Ricciardo’s vacant seat at Red Bull. Instead, he will be leaving Formula 1, most likely for the greener pastures of Indy Car, where he hopes to win the Indianapolis 500. We wish one of the all-time greats the best of luck.
Next year, current Toro Rosso rookie Pierre Gasly will take the empty seat at Red Bull. Gasly has performed quite well his year, but this promotion is a windfall for him.
Carlos Sainz, cast aside at Renault to make room for Ricciardo, will take Alonso’s vacant seat at McLaren in 2019.
The ownership/management of the Force India team has been reorganized, and now will be led by Lawrence Stroll, father of Williams driver Lance Stroll. From this point forward the team will be named Racing Point Force India. It is anticipated that driver Stroll will move to Force India to join father Stroll, either later this season or for the beginning of 2019. That leaves current Force India pilot Esteban Ocon looking for a ride, something he deserves to get.
August 26: GP of Belgium at Spa (13)
The circuit at Spa is one of the most famous and beloved (by both drivers and fans) in Formula 1. Winning here means a lot, perhaps more than even at Monaco. At 4.4 miles, the track is the longest on the calendar, and it is ultra-fast. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for the 44 lap test of speed and endurance.
The Ferraris, sporting an updated power package, were clearly quickest in the three Practice sessions, with the Red Bulls (and their underpowered Renault propulsion) off the pace. Mercedes was second best. To add to Mercedes’ woes, Bottas had to change the power unit in his car, and he (along with Hulkenberg of Renault) was relegated to starting at the back. Then, Qualifying threw a curve ball. It was cool and windy, and rain seemed inevitable. When would it arrive? The skies opened up just as the cars were coming on track for Q3, and no one set a fast time before the track was so wet as to preclude that. The cars came in for intermediate tires, but nothing could be done to change their aero-settings for the maximum downforce demanded by the conditions…They tried again but again failed to set quick lap times. Then, as quickly as it arrived, the rain was gone, the clouds dissipated, and the track dried. This led to a mad scramble to change tires and get out on track to set fast times. In the confusion, Raikkonen’s car was not ready and he sat in the pits fuming while the others were driving. Vettel too seemed unprepared. Meanwhile, Hamilton and the Force India duo were on track and going fast. When it was over, the starting order looked a bit strange: Hamilton, Vettel, the Force India duo of Ocon and Perez, Grosjean (Haas), Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Magnussen (Haas).
Race day was cool and cloudy, but no rain was forecast. All of the top 10 qualifiers started on the super-soft tires, while the bottom 10 were on the soft rubber. Nico Hulkenberg, starting from the back, got a little over exuberant and caused a massive crash immediately after the start. In the process, Raikkonen and Ricciardo came together, and, after masking gallant efforts to continue, both were forced to retire. However, the carnage did not affect the front runners, where a real battle was in the offing. For a short time, Hamilton, Vettel, Ocon, and Perez going at it hammer-and-thongs, and were actually running pretty much side-by-side, battling for the lead. When things settled down, Vettel was first, followed by Hamilton, Perez, and Ocon. Then the safety car was deployed to address the debris scattered near the start line. When racing resumed on lap 4, the running order was Vettel, Hamilton, Perez, Ocon, Verstappen, and Grosjean, with Bottas still near the back of the field.
With Vettel slowly but surely pulling away from the field, Verstappen’s heroics became the center of attention. He passed Ocon on lap 7, and then did the same to Perez on lap 10. On lap 22 (when the running order was Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Perez, Ocon, and Grosjean), Hamilton was the first to pit for fresh tires. He switched to the softs. Vettel matched the strategy by stopping on lap 23; he also chose the softs. Over the next several laps, most of the front runners also stopped. Bottas, who had started on the soft tires, delayed his stop to lap 30, by which time he had worked his way up to 6th. From this point forward, the race turned into a bit of a parade. Vettel had been faster than Hamilton on the super-soft tires, and he was even quicker on the soft rubber. The Ferrari simply cruised for the second half of the race and won comfortably. Most of the others simply followed, maintaining their positions but not able to mount a challenge on the cars ahead. Only Bottas managed to make any headway. The final order was Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Perez, Ocon, Grosjean, and Magnussen.
The Ferraris looked seriously fast at Spa. Absent Raikkonen’s crash, a one-two finish was likely for them. Now the question becomes, can they maintain the speed advantage they showed in Belgium, or will Mercedes produce an updated engine package to challenge the red machines. Next up is Monza, another very fast track. Tune in next week for the next chapter of this drama.
The points situation:
Mercedes 375 Hamilton 231
Ferrari 360 Vettel 214
September 2: GP of Italy (14)
The cars were simply blazing around the 3.6 mile Monza track, hitting 220 mph at the end of the long straight, and averaging better than 160 mph laps. Given these speeds, everyone was using low downforce aero packages, which means higher tire degradation. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft rubber for the 53 lap race. During the Practice sessions, the Force India duo was again near the top of the time sheets – what has gotten into these guys? Meanwhile, the Red Bulls were clearly off the pace, as was to be expected due to the nature of the track and their horsepower deficiency. Ericsson (Alfa Romeo-Sauber) also raised a few eyebrows with a spectacular high-speed crash during Free Practice 2 that saw his car barrel roll down the track, looking much like a stunt aircraft. It seemed amazing that he was unhurt and permitted to continue driving the next day. As is becoming usual, Ricciardo was forced to replace portions of the power unit of his Renault engine, and would start from the back. Hulkenberg (also Renault powered) suffered a similar fate. In the end, though, the Ferraris were the overall fastest during Practice, maintaining the advantage they had shown at Spa the previous week.
Qualifying was cloudy and humid, with rain possible. Top speeds were so fast that teammates were slipstreaming each other to gain the last possible iota of top speed. The times were close and Q3 ended in dramatic fashion with the top four cars all in the same TV frame completing their final, fastest laps. The start order would be Raikkonen, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Grosjean (Haas), and Sainz (Renault). Advantage Ferrari!
Race day was cloudy with a bit of drizzle. All of the top qualifiers were planning only one stop, and all were starting on the super-soft tires. The drivers towards the rear of the field were on the soft tires. It was a highly contested start, with Raikkonen and Vettel side-by-side, and Hamilton, in their combined slipstream, charging fast. Hamilton, looking to pass, and Vettel, looking to block, came together; Vettel spun – disaster!. Luckily, none of the other cars hit him, but Vettel was forced to pit for a new nose, and in the process mounted the soft tires. In the confusion, Verstappen, ever the opportunist, passed Bottas. This incident plus a few others at the start caused the Safety Car to be deployed; when racing resumed Hamilton, again using the slipstream, passed Raikkonen, who returned the favor a moment later. Meanwhile, Vettel and Ricciardo were at the rear of the field, quickly working their way forward. Exciting stuff. After 5 laps the running order was Raikkonen, Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, and Grosjean (Haas); Vettel was 16th, Ricciardo 15th.
Scheduled pit stops began on lap 21, with Raikkonen being first to stop. A few laps later, with his engine smoking badly, Ricciardo made an unscheduled stop and retired. Will his wretched luck improve at Renault? Will it be out of the frying pan, into the fire? Soon thereafter, the other leaders, except Bottas, stopped. Now leading the race, but on worn tires, Bottas deliberately blocked Raikkonen’s progress to the advantage of third place Hamilton. Vettel, who had already stopped once, stopped again on lap 32, switching to the super-soft tires for a sprint to the finish. At this point, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Hamilton were nose-to-tail, all being held up by the leading Mercedes on worn out rubber. Raikkonen made several futile efforts to pass, all thwarted by Bottas’ questionable tactics. Bottas finally stopped on lap 36, by which time Raikkonen had damaged his tires running in the Mercedes’ wake and in trying to pass it. With his worn tires, Raikkonen could then not defend against Hamilton, who passed the Ferrari on lap 45. Great strategy by Mercedes, but certainly vexing.
When it was over, the final order was Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bottas, Vettel, Verstappen (who was given a 5 second penalty), Grosjean (Haas), and Ocon (Force India).
So, another opportunity lost. If Ferrari and Vettel finish second – again – in the championships this year, they cannot blame the car. Rather the blame will rest with bad strategy and sometimes poor and sometimes tentative driving. Vettel cruising at the front is a beast; Vettel fighting for position is a lamb.
September 15: GP of Singapore (15)
After a long stint in Europe, the circus moved to the Far East and encountered some real heat. It was hot and humid in this Asian city-state, and the drivers, tires, and cars suffered for it. They don’t run this race after dark for nothing. To make matters worse, the very tight and windy 3.1 mile circuit, much like Monaco, is laid out on city streets with unforgiving concrete barriers everywhere. It too is tough on the cars and the drivers. Pirelli supplied the soft, ultra-soft, and hyper-soft tires. It was so hot that in Free Practice 2 brakes, tires, and even wheels were combusting. Also during FP 2, Vettel bumped a wall a little too hard and spent the remainder of the session in the pits having his car repaired, losing out on valuable information gathering laps.
This week’s big news: Ferrari made it official – Kimi Raikkonen has been demoted to Sauber while Charles Leclerc will be promoted to Raikkonen’s seat at Ferrari, all beginning next year.
Everyone was hoping to complete the race with only one stop, and hoping to start the race on the ultra-soft tires. This was not to be: the hyper-softs were simply too much faster, and all of the front runners were ultimately forced to run them in Q2 (and thereby start the race on them) in order to get into Q3. This called into question whether only one stop was possible, as the anticipated life of the hyper-soft tires was only 15 laps. After a hard fought Qualifying, the start order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo.
It was an exciting start, with Vettel challenging both Verstappen and Hamilton for the lead; he managed to make the pass on Verstappen stick and thereby took second place. A couple of accidents in the mid-field caused the Safety Car to be deployed, and racing resumed on lap 4. By lap 10 the running order was Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo, with Hamilton stifling the pace, hoping to make his tires last. Vettel was the first to stop (lap 15); he chose the ultra-soft tires for his second stint and resumed in 7th, behind Verstappen. Hamilton stopped just one lap later, but chose a different strategy. He resumed on the soft tires, so the game was on. Ricciardo delayed his pit stop to lap 27, the last of the top 6 to change tires. On lap 30 the running order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo.
As Hamilton continued to set a sluggish pace, the other leaders were running close behind him, which resulted in a bit of excitement as they all began to catch and lap the back-markers. Suddenly, on lap 38, the screen was filled with 6 or 7 (either lapping others or being lapped) cars all fighting for the same bit of track, and it seemed possible that in the confusion Hamilton might be passed by both Verstappen AND Vettel. However, normalcy prevailed and order was restored, and then little happened from then on. The final finishing order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo.
Singapore was not a track where Mercedes was seen to have an advantage, yet Hamilton managed to win again. With the season slipping away, the points situation was a cause for sorrow.
Mercedes 415 Hamilton 281
Ferrari 390 Vettel 241
In the background, I hear the tifosi mumbling, ‘Wait ‘til next year.”
September 30: GP of Russia (16)
Mercedes and Red Bull dominated the three Practice sessions, consistently setting the fastest times; meanwhile, the Ferraris were clearly off the pace. Then, during Saturday Qualifying, we learned that both Red Bulls (Ricciardo and Verstappen) were taking engine change penalties and would therefore start 18th and 19th, respectively. Although the Ferraris were clearly improved for Qualifying, these penalties are what vaulted them to the second row of the grid. The starting order was Bottas (somewhat of a surprise), Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Magnussen (Haas), Ocon (Force India), LeClerc (Sauber), and Perez (Force India). This excellent result by LeClerc demonstrates why Ferrari is so high on him.
Sochi, home of the Russian GP, is quite a beautiful place; it is known as Russia’s vacation spot. The park area surrounding the track was home to the Winter Olympics a few years ago, so it is ultra-modern and littered with stunning architecture. Pirelli supplied the soft, ultra-soft, and hyper-soft (which the teams believed were too soft) tires for the 53 lap race around the 3.6 mile circuit. The top four started on the ultra-softs, while most of the rest started on the soft tires.
When the lights went out, Vettel made a great start, immediately challenging the two Mercedes ahead of him. However, Bottas and Hamilton took side-by-side positions into the first corners, essentially blocking the Ferrari from passing either of them. So, at the end of lap one the order at the front was unchanged: Bottas, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, and Magnusson. Meanwhile, the spectacular stuff was happening at the back of the field. Verstappen made an incredible start and, with some audacious moves, simply passing other cars left-and-right, was moving up fast. He jumped from 19th to 13th by the end of the first lap! He was 9th by lap 3, 7th by lap 5, and 5th by lap 8. Incredible! His teammate Ricciardo was also moving up the field, but at nowhere near this pace. Also in the field, a raging battle (that would last most of the race) developed over 7th place between Magnusson, Ocon, and Perez. Back at the front, Bottas and Hamilton were slowly pulling away from Vettel, who was driving a fine race but who clearly did not have the pace to challenge the two German cars ahead.
Bottas was the first of the leaders to pit (lap12), followed almost immediately by Vettel (13) and Hamilton (14). For once, the Ferrari strategy worked as Vettel was suddenly in 2nd place, ahead of Hamilton. However, Hamilton immediately caught him and then forced his way passed the Ferrari to reclaim his previous position. It was all very exciting, but not important in the end. Raikkonen was the last of the top four to stop (lap 18), and when he did Verstappen (still on his original soft tires) took the lead of the race. All who made stops at this juncture switched to the soft tires.
Then, the much maligned ‘team orders’ came into play. Bottas was instructed (lap 25) to allow Hamilton to pass him, and complied. Verstappen, still in the lead, made his first stop on lap 43. Although it would have seemed that switching to the hyper-soft tires for the final 10 laps was the strategic move, the Red Bull rejoined the fray (in 5th place) on a new set of ultra-soft tires. At this juncture the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Raikkonen Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Leclerc. Given that the top three were basically running nose-to-tail, with Raikkonen and Verstappen (on virtually new tires) only six and 14 seconds respectively farther back, it looked like an exciting finish was in store. Vettel did mount a challenge to Bottas for second, and Verstappen did make a valiant attempt to catch Raikkonen, but neither succeeded. The final finishing order was Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and LeClerc.
October 7: GP of Japan (17)
The track at Suzuka is unique; it is the only ‘figure 8’ (with an overpass) circuit on the schedule. It is 3.6 miles and 53 laps long and has hosted some of the most dramatic, tragic, and controversial F1 races in history. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires.
Free Practice 1 was run in cool, cloudy conditions, with the Mercedes duo dominating the lap times. Free Practice 3 on Saturday morning was run in warm, humid conditions, and began in wet conditions from overnight rains. Then, more rain interrupted the actual session. In these difficult conditions, Vettel and Raikkonen set times very close to those of Hamilton. Qualifying was also run in variable, changing conditions, with rain again disrupting the proceedings, in the all-important Q3. This time, though, Mercedes won the strategy battle, while Ferrari (and especially Vettel) fumbled the ball. The starting order would be Hamilton Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Grosjean (Haas), Hartley (Toro Rosso), Gasly (TR), and, finally, Vettel. Ricciardo, you may ask? He had engine related problems (again) and was relegated to 15th.
In addition to dominating the front row, the two Mercedes managed to qualify, and therefore start, on the longer lived soft tires, while most of the others were starting on the super-softs. When the lights went out, it was clear that Vettel was irate and on a mission: he passed 2 cars in the first 5 seconds of the race, and a few corners later forced his way past Grosjean for 5th. Then, Verstappen and Raikkonen bumped each other, which allowed Vettel to dart by his teammate to take 4th. The incident was blamed on Verstappen who was given a 5 second penalty, meaning that Vettel was now essentially 3rd. At lap 4 the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen (penalty not yet served), Vettel, and Raikkonen. Ricciardo was up to 11th. Vettel immediately began an assault on Verstappen, and tried to pass him on lap 9. Verstappen, a driver who simply refuses to cede a position, even to a clearly faster car, closed the door and the two bumped; so Verstappen had managed to touch both Ferraris! Unfortunately, Vettel came out the worse for the incident, and dropped to the very back of the field (19th). Meanwhile, Ricciardo continued to move up; he was fifth by lap 15, when the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Ricciardo.
Raikkonen was the first to stop for fresh rubber (lap 28), opting for the medium tires, which were projected to last 40 laps, meaning they should be OK to finish the race. He returned in 10th place, but on new tires moved up quickly; he was 7th by lap 21. Verstappen was next to stop (lap 22); he served his 5 second penalty and chose the soft tires. Both Mercedes and Ricciardo stopped on lap 24, indicating that the soft tires they had started on would not last much longer than the super-softs the others had started on. Vettel was the last of the fast guys to pit, delaying his stop to lap 27, and opting for the soft tires. He rejoined in 15TH and was thereby forced to work his way through the field again. The next 10 laps saw many exciting battles throughout the field, with cars on different tires and on tires of different ages battling for positions and points. Vettel’s progress through the field was quite astonishing, he commandeered 6th place (passing 9 cars) before the fray concluded with the final finishing order Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, and Vettel.
October 21: GP of the United States (18)
And God said ‘let there be rain.’ It was cold, wet, and rainy in Texas the entire week leading up to the race weekend. Then it rained some more on Friday, and it was cloudy and cold on Saturday, disrupting Practice and Qualifying. These very un-Texas-like conditions prevented the teams from gathering tire wear and speed information. It didn’t, however, prevent the FIA from giving Vettel a 3 grid spot penalty for failing to sufficiently slow down during Free Practice 2 for a red flag.
Pirelli supplied the soft, super-soft, and ultra-soft tires for the 56 lap race on the 3.4 mile circuit, but on Friday and Saturday the wets and intermediates were the tires most often being used.
There was no rain during Qualifying, but the weather remained cloudy, windy, and cold. Verstappen (Red Bull) suffered a suspension failure, likely because he had been too aggressive riding over the curbs, during Q1, and then was given a 5 spot grid penalty for repairing the mess. He would start 18th. When all was said and done, the times at the front were incredibly close. Hamilton was quickest by 0.06 second over Vettel, who was 0.01 second quicker than Raikkonen in 3rd. After Vettel was assessed his penalty, the starting order became Hamilton, Raikkonen (who was staring on the ultra-soft tires while most others had opted for the super-softs), Bottas, Ricciardo, Vettel, and Ocon (Force India).
Race day dawned clear, sunny, and warm, meaning that all of the data gathered the previous two days was worthless. The consensus opinion was that the tires would be short lived, and that two stops might be needed. Hamilton made a bold move to block Raikkonen at the start, but Kimi, on his stickier tires and with no championship to lose, just motored ahead and took the lead; meanwhile, Vettel passed Ricciardo, who fought back leading to an encounter between the front wheels of the two cars. Ricciardo went on his merry way, but Vettel spun, naturally, and resumed at the rear of the field. More bad luck. At lap 2 the order was Raikkonen, Hamilton, Bottas, and Ricciardo. Verstappen was already up to 9th, while Vettel was 13th. Kimi seemed quite comfortable in the lead, perhaps because he was on the faster ultra-soft tires. But it was Hamilton who seemed to be having tire issues, not Raikkonen as would have been expected.
On lap 9, Ricciardo suffered yet another engine malfunction and retired at the side of the track, bringing out the Safety Car. This prompted Hamilton to pit early for new rubber (going with the softs, which seemed unlikely to have enough life to finish the race). However, when Hamilton rejoined in 3rd place, not far behind Bottas in second, his strategy looked brilliant. Racing resumed on lap 12, with the order at the front Raikkonen, Bottas, Hamilton (the only leader who had changed tires), Verstappen, and Vettel.
By lap 15, Raikkonen’s ultra-soft tires were fading, allowing Hamilton to catch the race leader and begin to pressure to pass. Raikkonen refused to give an inch, and some exciting racing ensued with Hamilton unable to follow the Ferrari closely enough (because of turbulence) to get past. This continued for many laps, which likely took a toll on Hamilton’s fresh tires. Raikkonen finally stopped on lap 21, switching to the soft tires. On the other hand, Verstappen stopped on lap 23 and opted to continue on the super-softs. Vettel, meanwhile, delayed his stop until lap 27, becoming the last of the front runners to pit. At that point the running order was Hamilton, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Bottas, and Vettel, with Hamilton’s tires already showing distress and Raikkonen, on newer tires, closing fast. On lap 37, Hamilton stopped for new tires once again, handing the lead to Raikkonen. At lap 41 the running order was Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hamilton (now on the freshest tires), Bottas, and Vettel, with all the leaders not far apart, and with Verstappen catching Raikkonen, Hamilton catching Verstappen, and Vettel catching Bottas. We were poised for an excellent finish.
Hamilton was the first to attempt a pass, challenging Verstappen for second. They fought tooth-and-nail, wheel-to-wheel for a quarter lap, but in the end Verstappen fought off the challenge. Excellent! Meanwhile, as those two were in a battle for second, Raikkonen was able to build up a bit of a lead and essentially cinch the victory. Then, it was Vettel’s turn to get bold. He mounted an attack on Bottas and managed to make a pass stick with a great move, again excellent stuff. So, once the dust had settled, the finish order was Raikkonen, Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, and Bottas.
This, my friends, was an epic motor race.
October 28: GP of Mexico (19)
This track is at high (8,000 feet +/-) altitude, thus there is no air in the air. That means reduced downforce, power, and cooling, both for engine and brakes. It also means lower air resistance, meaning higher speeds. Reduced downforce means the cars squirm around, meaning faster tire degradation. In other words, a lot of variables!
In response, Pirelli supplied the super-soft, ultra-soft, and hyper-soft (which were generally deemed useless) tires for the 71 lap race over the 2.7 mile track. What?? These 3 compounds are the softest and least durable. The teams used Free Practice 1 and 2 mostly to gather tire data and finalize aero setup on the cars. This was fortuitous as FP 3 was run in wet conditions, with little to be learned. The Adrian Newey designed Red Bulls are unquestionably the most aero efficient of the cars, and they showed it by dominating the lap times in these unusual conditions.
It was cloudy, cool, and foggy for Qualifying. The big 6 all ran Q2 on the ultra-soft tires (longer lived then the hyper-softs), so that they could start the race on them; they succeeded in passing through to Q3 on that rubber. Some of the others opted for the hyper-softs, while some others chose the super-soft rubber, going for the long game strategy. The order at the front was unusual, but to be expected given the times that had been set in Practice: Ricciardo, Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, and Raikkonen.
Race day was warmer, and attracted a huge crowd of well over 100,000. One strange rendition of the Mexican national anthem was performed, with two short intermissions, music dominated by trumpets and drums, and a huge chorus of singing children.
When the race began, Hamilton immediately passed Ricciardo, who made a terrible start, and then Bottas drove off track. Raikkonen also made a poor start and dropped to 7th place. At lap 3, once things had settled down, the order was Verstappen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Vettel, Bottas, and Raikkonen. But, by lap 10, Hamilton’s tires were fading, allowing Ricciardo to press for second place. Hamilton and Bottas pitted on lap 12, both choosing to continue on the super-soft rubber (the hardest available). The two Red Bulls stopped immediately after the Mercedes, and were soon challenging for the lead, prompting both Ferraris to head for the pits and new rubber. At lap 20 he running order was the same as it had been at lap 3.
At this point, with some 50 laps to go, the front runners were pacing their cars, trying to save their tires so that another stop would not be required. Vettel, however, was the exception to the rule. With the championship still possible, but slipping way, he threw caution to the wind and challenged Ricciardo for third place. He passed Ricciardo on lap 34, and then caught and passed Hamilton for second place on lap 39. Then he was on Verstappen’s tail, pushing for the lead. A few laps later, Ricciardo also caught Hamilton, whose second set of tires were fading fast; he managed to get by the Mercedes on lap 47. This was some exciting stuff. All of this speed meant that everyone’s tires were dying, and both Vettel and Hamilton made second pit stops on lap 48, with both choosing the ultra-soft rubber. On lap 49 Raikkonen joined the ‘let’s pass a Mercedes club’, disposing of Bottas for 4th. Immediately thereafter, race leader Verstappen and Bottas both stopped for the second time, meaning that Ricciardo and Raikkonen were the only two of the leaders who had not made a second stop.
All of this chaos created some interesting battles through the end of the 71 lap race, with drivers on different rubber, newer and older rubber, and different strategies. Ricciardo’s engine failed on lap 62 (can this guy catch a break?) producing a finishing order of Verstappen, Vettel, Raikkonen (who made only one stop), Hamilton, Bottas, and Hulkenberg (Renault).
This clinched Hamilton’s fifth world championship and a place for him among the immortals. The guy is in the wrong car (go red, my man), but he sure can drive.
November 11: GP of Brazil (20)
Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for the 71 lap race at the famous, and famously fast, 2.7 mile Interlagos circuit. Soon after Practice began, the fast guys were lapping in just over one minute…what is this? NASCAR?
Rain was forecast for Qualifying, so everyone was out on the track at the turn of the lights, hoping to get a fast lap in before the skies opened, which happened about halfway through Q1 and continued intermittingly through Q3. The Ferraris managed to officially qualify on the soft tires, while most of the others were on the super-softs. This was seen as an advantage, as the super-soft rubber was expected to have a half-life of about 10 laps. The top 6 qualified as follows: Hamilton, Vettel (with the threat of a ridiculous penalty that never materialized), Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, and Ricciardo (who would start 10th due to a change of gearbox penalty…can this guy catch a break?).
The sun finally made an appearance on race day and in response the rabid Brazilian race fans turned out by the bazillions. The grandstands were packed. Bottas, with the tire advantage, passed Vettel at the start, and Verstappen (also with the tire advantage) worked his magic to pass Raikkonen and Vettel a few moments later. Then Raikkonen passed Vettel, and Ricciardo was rocketing up through the field, so there was a lot of action at the front. At lap 6 the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Ricciardo.
By lap 10, the super-soft tires that all were running except the Ferraris were beginning to fade, meaning that the Ferraris now had the tire advantage. Unfortunately, although Verstappen managed to get by Bottas, Bottas succeeded in holding up everyone else, especially the now fastest in the field Ferraris. He finally pitted for fresh tires on lap 19, finally letting the faster cars behind him through. Hamilton stopped for fresh tires on lap 20. Both the Mercedes were now on the mediums. On lap 20 the running order was Verstappen, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Ricciardo, with Hamilton 7th and Bottas 9th.
The Ferraris pitted on about lap 30, but the Red Bulls continued to run on their original tires, and were now leading the field. They finally stopped for new tires on about lap 38, going to the softs rather than the mediums, as Mercedes had done. After rejoining the fray, Verstappen on his faster, newer tires quickly caught and passed Hamilton, whose second set of tires were already fading. At lap 40, the running order was Verstappen, Hamilton (fading fast), Bottas (also fading), Raikkonen, Vettel, and Ricciardo.
Then, something strange happened. Ocon (Force India) made a second stop, which put him directly behind (but a lap down) race leader Verstappen. Suddenly the fastest car in the field on spanking new rubber, Ocon made a move to pass Verstappen and un-lap himself. But, rather than let the unimportant Force India by, Verstappen challenged the pass and a collision resulted, sending Verstappen momentarily off track and allowing Hamilton to pass him. In the remaining laps, Ricciardo battled and passed Vettel, and then passed Bottas as well, Raikkonen passed Bottas, Vettel made one more pit stop to put himself out of contention, and Ricciardo passed Bottas. With only 4 seconds covering the top 4, the final order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Bottas, and Vettel.
With this result, Mercedes-Benz won the manufacturers’ championship.
November 25: GP of Abu Dhabi (21)
Pirelli supplied the super-soft, ultra-soft, and hyper-soft tires for this late evening race (the last of the season), at the Yas Marina track (3.4 miles, 55 laps) in the United Arab Emirates. Qualifying was noteworthy for two things: no grid penalties for a change and ultra-competitive times from the top 6. The start order would be Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, and Verstappen, with all six posting times within 0.8 second. Five of the top 6 started on the ultra-soft tires, with Verstappen on the (faster/shorter lived) hyper-soft rubber. The rest of the field was divided between all 3 of the tire choices.
Verstappen made a poor start, and immediately dropped to 10th place. Meanwhile, Leclerc passed Ricciardo, and Hulkenberg (Renault) had a huge accident that brought out the safety car. When racing resumed on lap 5, Verstappen embarked on an epic battle to pass the two Force Indias ahead of him, which was a pleasure to see. Unfortunately, Raikkonen’s Ferrari died on lap 7, leading to Hamilton and many in the mid-field (including Leclerc) to take the resulting virtual safety car period as an opportunity to pit for new rubber. At lap 10 the running order was Bottas, Vettel, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Hamilton, and Ocon, with only Hamilton having made a stop. Most of the others in the lead group stopped for new tires (super-softs) between laps 15 and 20, with race-leader Ricciardo being the noteworthy exception. He delayed his stop to lap 34, but also chose to proceed on the super-soft tires. As a result, the running order at lap 35 was Hamilton (on the oldest tires), Bottas, Vettel, Verstappen, and Ricciardo (with brand new shoes), with everyone in close proximity. Then the passing began, and it was exciting. Bottas’ tires were fading which allowed first Vettel, and then Verstappen, and finally Ricciardo to force themselves by the slowing Mercedes. Then, this trio tracked down race-leader Hamilton, but it proved impossible for them to get by. The final finishing order was Hamilton, Vettel (only 3 seconds back), Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Bottas.
The final points tally:
Drivers Manufacturers
Hamilton 408 Verstappen 249 Mercedes GP 655
Vettel 320 Bottas 247 Ferrari 571
Raikkonen 251 Ricciardo 170 Red Bull Racing 419
F1 RECAP – 2018
Another year goes into the books without a championship for Ferrari. How long has it been now…10 years? 12? Longer? What really hurts is that 2018 was a year that Ferrari could have won the championship(s), maybe even should have won them. It was all foiled by poor strategy, bad luck, and a bit of stubbornness.
When the season opened an eternity ago, there was little to choose between the Ferraris and the Mercedes. It was essentially a dead heat between them in terms of overall performance. Given that Hamilton is probably a touch faster than Vettel that meant that Ferrari’s car was just a bit better. This conclusion is reinforced by the fact that Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari, was clearly faster than Bottas in the second Mercedes. It is also verified by the fact that Ferrari, with some good strategy, jumped to an early lead in the points. In fact, Ferrari’s lead should have been greater than what it was, but no matter, a lead in the points was an occasion to celebrate.
Then, with 3 or 4 races in the books, Mercedes struck back. The factory put out a set of improvements that erased Ferrari’s advantage and gave the edge to the German team. With the edge back to Mercedes, the pressure at Ferrari was up and they responded poorly, making several tactical errors concerning tire and pit stop strategy that proved disastrous. Over the course of the next several races, Mercedes clawed its way up the point ladders, and suddenly Ferrari’s early lead was gone. But the Italians were not ready to throw in the towel. Instead, Ferrari delivered its own improved parts, and suddenly, at race 10 in England, the advantage swung heavily back to the red cars. The Ferraris were clearly superior at Silverstone, and in the following several races (Germany, Hungary, Belgium, and Italy), but they didn’t get the points boost they deserved. Vettel did win in England, but Hamilton was second. Poor strategy and a big error by Vettel handed the German race to Hamilton, with Vettel scoring a big fat zero. Rain during Qualifying in Hungary led to a poor start position for Vettel, which undermined his race, allowing Hamilton to take the win. Vettel dominated in Belgium, but Hamilton finished second; an accident at the start doomed Vettel in Italy; he finished fourth while Hamilton won. So after 5 races in which the Ferraris were clearly the fastest cars, Mercedes actually increased their point leads.
Then, things got worse for Ferrari. Additional ‘improvements’ provided by the factory turned out to be just the opposite. The team’s failure to acknowledge this led to the ‘improvements’ being used for longer than they should have been. And, suddenly, the advantage on track swung back to Mercedes; the German cars were now fastest and they stretched their lead. Ferrari righted the ship in the last few races, but never really recovered. It was too little, too late.
With the 2018 season in the books and fading in memory, we must bid a fond farewell to Kimi Raikkonen who had an excellent career with the Scuderia. While the Finn was often abrupt, terse, and curt, he provided a certain sense of humor to the proceedings that no one else could seem to manage. His fans, especially those in Europe and Asia, loved him. And he was a top-notch driver, winning one championship, and nearly a second. He will be driving the Sauber-Alfa Romeo next year, and likely will be making some noise.
So, enough of the past 6 months. Forward we go – the future awaits. Lets all have a great 2019.
Happy New Year
John Ratto
