Happy New Year!!
Opening Commentary
Nothing too exciting happened in the first half of 2016, and I guess you could say that was a good thing. These days, more than ever, it seems that no news is good news. In fact, one of the few things of real note to transpire (beyond the usual terrorist attacks) in the past six months was England leaving the EU. It was dubbed BREXIT by some pundit. How cute! Too bad my spell checker rejects it. I guess I must have the May 2016 update, and not the August. So yesterday!). Based upon the first wave of aftermaths, this was not a positive event.
Meanwhile, as we Americans prepared for 2016 – Part II, the big issue looming was the presidential election. Along with all of the other offices up for grabs, this election will have an important effect on the future of our country. So, I hope you all voted to make your opinion count. And, it was a close one, with one candidate (Hilary Clinton) winning the popular vote and another (Donald Trump, our next president) winning the electoral count.
As for Ferrari in F1: they have been sloppy, unlucky, and plagued by poor strategy. The tough competition (mainly from Mercedes and Red Bull) has made them pay for their foibles. ‘Wait until next year’ is becoming an all too familiar refrain in the realm of the Prancing Horse. Yet, it is time to cue it up again.
Perhaps due to the sluggish worldwide economy or the stratospheric price levels achieved in 2015 and the few years prior, prices for classic cars finally dropped (something I have been long predicting) in 2016, a phenomena not seen for many years. As Ferraris led the charge upward, they are also the most prominent losers. But the results from the multiple major auctions in Monterey in August suggest to me that there may be a correction, but certainly not a collapse. Prices offered were not significantly lower than a year ago; rather sellers’ expectations were somewhat higher. It will be of great interest to see the impact of the outcome of the election on car prices, if any.
So, here is a recap of what went down in the second half of 2016.
July 19: Board Meeting at Siena
Initially, it seemed there would be a small turn out, probably because so many Board members are typically away during the summer months. However, when the meeting was called to order, we easily had a quorum, with President Chuck Damus, Stephane Pedaggi, Rocky LaBriola, Scott Howard, and John Ratto in attendance, along with a few others to observe.
Two new members were noted, along with a small increase in our bank balance. The ongoing saga concerning the website was discussed; it was unanimously agreed that work should proceed under the auspices of Chuck and Stephane. Finally, the Christmas Party was set for Celebrity Cars on December 2.
September 13: Board Meeting – Home of Michael and Karen Obradovich
We give many thanks to Michael and Karen for hosting the Board and making the meeting it a very nice event. Some potential new members were in attendance, along with the usual crew. Our discussions centered on the progress of the website, which is now close to being operational. See FerrariClubVegas.com for the work in progress. In addition, we identified the Board Members whose tenure will expire at the end of the year, and pressed President Chuck Damus to wield the gavel for another term. Elections should be held within the near future, so be looking for your ballot.
September 22: Social at Siena
Perhaps it was a bit breezy, but what a beautiful, cool day. Fall has fallen upon us, and after a long, hot summer, that’s a good thing. We trekked up to Siena to re-boot the social season and, after the summer break, we had a great turn out. About 20 made it to the event, including fan favorite DeShawn. Nice to see you young lady. Also present was Paul Johnson, past president and all around good guy who now lives in Virginia, or some such place. It is always a pleasure to see him. The food was good (especially the lobster ravioli, from what I gathered) and the conversation lively. Man, it’s good to have something to do the fourth Thursday of the month.
September 25: Red Rock Concours d’Elegance
Just as last year, it was great weather and a very nice show, with more than 100 classic, exotic, and special interest cars splayed over the long fairway at the Red Rock Country Club. Peter Brock, famed automotive designer (Shelby Daytona Coupe and Corvette Stingray, among others) gave a most interesting presentation on the historical development of automotive aerodynamics and efficiency at the pre-show banquet. The overall Best of Show went to a car with neither, Greg Wood’s 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, reportedly a prize winner at Pebble Beach in the not too distant past. Among other trophy winners of note were a sublime 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder (Classic Sports Cars class) and FCA member Lindsey Freeman’s near-perfect Ferrari 328 GTS (Modern Super Cars class). Mark your calendars for next year’s show – this is a good one.
October 9: Italian Sports Car & Motorcycle Day at Siena
It was another beautiful, balmy day – ain’t Las Vegas grand in October. And, the turnout was, as usual, excellent for the 7th annual iteration of what has become a staple and a classic on the calendar. A pleasant surprise this year was the large number of motorcycles on display, including some very rare, vintage examples of the Ducati, Motto-Guzzi, and Aprillia marques. And, oh, there were also a La Ferrari, various top shelf Lamborghinis, and a brand new Aston Martin DB11 on which to feast you eyes, not to mention a Ferrari 333 SP, to numb your aural senses. Our thanks go to Kumiko (the brains behind the operation), Giancarlo (the man behind the food), and Antonio (the puppet master) for hosting this spectacular event. Be sure to attend next year – Columbus Day weekend – well worth the effort.
October 23: F1 – Grand Prix of the USA
We viewed the race at the home of Karen and Michael Obradovich. Please see the race recap below for more information.
November 15: Board Meeting at Bravo Italian Cuisine at the Galleria Mall
Every member of the Board that attended (Chuck Damus, Elda Fanucchi, Ted Schlazer, Dan Fogle, and John Ratto) enjoyed the food, service, and ambiance of this very nice and reasonably priced restaurant in the Galleria Mall; check it out if you have a chance, perhaps on one of your Christmas shopping trips. The usual matters were discussed: financials, new members, producing calendars to raise funds, and the new website. Ah, the new website. Progress has been made and we urge you to 1) visit the website often so that it moves up the Google ranks (ferrariclubvegas.com) and 2) submit photos of you and your car in iconic Vegas locations for inclusion as the site grows. Our next Board meeting is penciled in for Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
December 2: Holiday Party at Celebrity Cars
We had a nice turnout, about 30, for a very nice evening. I especially appreciated the room. Sometimes we are crowded like sardines for these events, but Celebrity Cars offered real space, and some excellent cars to drool over while sipping some drinks as well. The food was warm and comforting and quite good, all especially appreciated on a frigid LV evening. By the time the event drew to a close, everyone seemed to have enjoyed it greatly. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Final Thoughts on July – December 2016
Well, the stock market settled down after the initial BREXIT turmoil, and then it took an upturn after Trump’s victory. Maybe Armageddon has been postponed to 2017.
All-in-all, it was a successful 6 months for our Club. We had some nice events, and more will ensue in the coming months. Our new website is in progress and nearing usefulness. Be sure to check it out at FerrariClubVegas.com. See you soon and happy trails until then.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Look for socials to resume in January, once the Holiday dust has settled. They will usually be scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, so try to keep those evenings open. As the weather warms, there will be more drives; we will keep you posted. But, you should also visit the new (or the old) website for the latest information. FerrariClubVegas.com
FORMULA 1 NEWS RECAP
July through November: F1 Viewing at Siena and other venues
So, as we head into the second half of the season, where do we stand? The Mercedes-Benzes are still the cream of the crop by a significant margin. When they finish without issues, they generally finish 1 – 2, and with significant margins of victory. They lead the constructors’ championship and their two drivers are in a death match for the drivers’ championship. The Red Bulls and the Ferraris are the best of the rest, with (in July) a slight edge going to the Red Bulls. Each of these top three teams has experienced bad luck (mostly self inflicted by Mercedes, team strategy inflicted by the Red Bulls, and Daniil Kvyat inflicted by the Ferraris) and mechanical issues during the first half of the season, but these problems have been spread evenly so the points order reflects the strength of the teams, and the drivers.
Rosberg is seeing his hopes for a first championship slip away. His big, early-season lead has dwindled, and Hamilton, the better driver, is on the hunt. Rosberg looks desperate, and seems willing to do whatever it takes to maintain his slim lead. Do we have more M-B/M-B collisions on the horizon? Meanwhile, young Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is simply a revelation. Yes, he’s in a good car, maybe one he didn’t really deserve, but he is driving as good as, or perhaps better than, his far more experienced and far more highly-regarded teammate, Daniel Ricciardo.
Among the other teams, Force India is a pleasant surprise. They are truly competitive, which is hard to achieve for an underfunded squad. On the other hand, Williams is a disappointment. Despite having the superior M-B engines, they have regressed from a strong performance in 2015 to non-contenders in 2016. Two other teams deserve mention: McLaren-Honda and Haas-Ferrari. McLaren has risen from the ashes of an abysmal 2015 to be a consistent points scoring threat; and driver Fernando Alonso (no dreamer) predicts far better results in the future. Haas, our fledgling US team, is running consistent and strong, and has managed to score about 30 points for their efforts. This makes them a mid-pack team in their first season, something better than expected.
Given all this, it looks like there will be some good racing and exciting confrontations in the second half of the season. We hope to see you at Siena on Sunday mornings for some Church of F1.
July 10: GP of England (10)
The big news in the pits was that Kimi Raikkonen had signed on for another year with Ferrari. Pirelli supplied the soft, medium, and hard tires for this fast, 52 lap race, perhaps fearing that the really soft rubber would disintegrate under the heavy loads. Qualifying was run under cool, cloudy skies, and the starting order produced no real surprises: Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Raikkonen. After a 5-spot penalty for changing his gear box, Vettel was relegated to 11th on the grid.
Sunday dawned cloudy and wet: the cars all started on the full wet tires and behind the safety car, which paced the field for 6 laps. Meanwhile, a nice viewing crowd at Siena was comfortable and dry, with warm food to sooth their souls. As the skies cleared and the track dried, the more adventurous drivers began switching to the intermediate wet tires, which led to some lurid slipping-and-sliding on the still wet raceway. Nevertheless, by lap 15, most began to change to the medium slicks and the race was finally truly on. In the still damp conditions, Verstappen in the Red Bull, running third, was ‘The Man.’ He ran down and passed Rosberg in second, and then began drawing up on leader Hamilton. The track conditions emboldened some and scarred others, leading to some daring passes throughout the ensuing laps. At lap 25, the order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Perez, and Raikkonen. Meanwhile, Vettel was stuck in the mid-pack due a couple of spins on the still damp surface. But, the M-Benzes were back on their pace as the track dried completely, and soon Verstappen fell away from Hamilton and into the clutches of Rosberg. After some daring, but futile, attempts to pass the youngster, Rosberg finally squeezed by on lap 38, only to then begin suffering gearbox problems. He asked for assistance from the pits to resolve the issues, and was provided with sufficient information to do so (against the rules). The final finishing order, pending disciplinary action for Rosberg, was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, and Vettel. Rosberg, realizing that his lead over Hamilton had now evaporated, was in a nasty mood during the post race ceremonies, and I’m certain his mood only got worse when the stewards announced shortly thereafter that Rosberg had been penalized 10 seconds, moving Verstappen up to second place.
July 24: GP of Hungary
Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for this 70 lap race on the tight, twisty, tough to pass Hungaroring track. As the ‘silly season’ progresses, the big news in the pits was Rosberg re-signing for two more years with M-B, and turmoil in the management/technical/administrative division of Ferrari. The Pope doesn’t like it when the red cars don’t win. Oh, and Hamilton had a major accident in practice. Qualifying began with heavy rain and a couple of related red-flag delays. Once the rain eased and the cars were on track, they spun and crashed repeatedly, leading to more red flags, and more delays. Then, in Q2, as the track dried, things got very interesting as a new fast time was set and then eclipsed every few seconds. Things, and the track, settled down in Q3 and the starting order was not unexpected: Rosberg, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, and Vettel. Surprisingly, the McLarens were 7th and 8th, continuing their march up the field. Raikkonen, meanwhile, was caught out in the last minutes of Q2 and failed to make it into Q3; he would start 16th.
Sunday morning saw a nice turnout at Siena for the race viewing. Nearly 20 were on hand for food and F1. After an exciting, but uneventful, start, Hamilton snatched the lead and began to inch away from his teammate Rosberg. All of the leaders had started on the super-soft tires, and by lap 15 they began to pit for new rubber, generally the soft tires. Raikkonen, meanwhile had started on the soft tires, and was able to go far longer. By lap 20, he had moved from 16th to fifth (albeit with no stops). Raikkonen finally made his first stop on lap 20, switching to the super-soft tires. Most of the front runners made their second stops around lap 35-40, and they generally again opted for the soft tires. After this round of pit stops was completed, the running order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Raikkonen (having made only 1 stop), Vettel, Verstappen, and Alonso (more good performance from the McLaren-Honda). Raikkonen made his final stop on lap 51: when he resumed on fresh super-soft tires he immediately began to set fastest lap times. However, when he caught Verstappen, he simply could not (despite some serious attempts) find a way around the youngster and had to remain where he was. Meanwhile, Vettel was challenging Ricciardo for third, but his efforts were also thwarted. The final results were Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Vettel, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Alonso. With this, Hamilton has passed Rosberg for the lead in the drivers’ championship.
July 31: GP of Germany at the Hockenheimring
Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for this 67 lap race. During practice the topic of discussion centered on the turmoil at Ferrari management resulting from the sudden death of (top technical advisor) James Allison’s wife. He has apparently left the team, and his return seems unlikely. Qualifying itself was unsurprising and uneventful, except for the fact that one second covered the times of the top six, who all would start on the super-soft tires. The order would be Rosberg, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Vettel.
Hamilton (and Verstappen, and Ricciardo) immediately jumped Rosberg, who had tire spin, at the start, and that was pretty much that. Rosberg was in fourth place and defending from the Ferraris on his heels rather than challenging the leaders. After little real action, the first round of pit stops began on lap nine, and the second round on lap 28, after which the running order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Vettel, and Raikkonen. Then things got testy. Verstappen made a clean pass on Rosberg, who forced the Red Bull wide and off the track. Rosberg was given a 5 second penalty for the uncalled for action, which winded up dropping him behind Ricciardo, who then caught and passed teammate Verstappen. The finishing order was Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Rosberg, Vettel, and Raikkonen.
So, as we head into the summer break, Hamilton has snatched the lead for the championship, and Rosberg is crying in his beer (Champagne?). The championship is still up for grabs though, and we can only hope for some fierce competition for it from now until the end of the season. Wouldn’t it be nice if Ferrari were in the thick of it?
August 28: GP of Belgium at SPA
Summer vacation is over, and it was time to get back to work. It certainly wasn’t fall weather at SPA though; it was extremely hot and dry all weekend – global warming at work? This, at a place that is normally cool and damp, messed up everyone’s tire plans. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for the 44 lap race on the long (nearly 5 mile) circuit. It took the team engineers about 5 minutes to conclude that the super-softs would be next too useless (no longevity) in the Las Vegas like weather conditions. The other news concerned big grid spot penalties being taken by Hamilton and others to replace engines, gearboxes, etc. Hamilton would start at the very back, along with Alonso; others merely dropped to middle of the field. This provided Rosberg, who took pole position, with an opportunity to wrest the championship lead back from his teammate. The starting order would be Rosberg, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Ricciardo, with most of the leaders on the soft (rather than the quicker but fragile super-softs) tires. Hamilton, starting from the last row, opted for the even harder and slower, but longer lived, mediums.
Verstappen got a poor start, while the Ferraris immediately behind him did just the opposite. As a result, both Ferraris were ahead of Verstappen going into turn 1. Verstappen refused to give any ground when it was clearly the best option, and a three car collision ensued; both Ferraris and the Red Bull were soon in the pits to replace tires and bodywork. Then, only 5 laps in, Magnussen (Renault) had a major shunt and the race was red flagged for about 15 minutes to repair the damaged crash barriers. Meanwhile, everyone changed tires, some for the second time, which essentially threw all the tire strategies out the window. When the racing resumed, the top three were Rosberg, Ricciardo, and Alonso. Hamilton, who managed to avoid all the drama ahead, was already up to fourth, while Vettel was 11th, Verstappen 14th, and Raikkonen 15th. As the race settled down, lots of good tight driving ensued, as is normal at this famous circuit. Dare-devil passes and battles for position were the order of business all up and down the field, except at the top where Rosberg seemed to be in control. After a most exciting race, the podium positions went to Rosberg, Ricciardo, and Hamilton, permitting Hamilton to maintain his lead in the championship by 9 points (very close!). Of note: the Force India duo (Hulkenberg and Perez) finished fourth and fifth – these guys are for real. As to the Ferraris, Vettel managed to salvage sixth and Raikkonen ninth. Verstappen, finally driving like the novice he truly is, finished 11th.
September 4: GP of Italy at Monza
The weather was hot as Qualifying began at this fast, long track, and the Tifosi were out in force to cheer for the hometown team, Ferrari. Pirelli supplied the super-soft, soft, and medium tires for the 53 lap race. The starting order would be Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Ricciardo, and Verstappen. While most of the field elected to start on the fastest super-soft tires, the Mercedes duo opted for the slower, longer lived soft tires. The buzz in the pits was that the Ferraris would take the lead on the softer tires and then hopefully control the race. It was a nice thought, but it didn’t play out.
The start did give hope though: both Vettel and Raikkonen (along with a slew of others) passed Hamilton, who made a terrible start, in turn one. In the following laps Hamilton slowly moved back towards the front, while Rosberg, in the front, slowly pulled out a lead over the pursuing Ferraris. At lap 10, the running order was Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, and Hamilton. The drivers (including both Ferraris) on the super-soft tires began to make tires stops on lap 15, while the Mercedes duo on the soft tires managed to last until lap 24. Since both Ferraris opted for new super-soft tires, it seemed they would need three stops. Meanwhile, since both Mercedes chose medium tires when they pitted, it was clear that they were on a one-stop strategy. These differing strategies meant that the front runners were spread out on the track, leading to few dices for the top positions, and a relatively uneventful race. The final finishing order was Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, and Bottas. Thus, Rosberg sliced Hamilton’s lead in the championship to a mere two points. It looks like this will go down to the wire.
September 18: Grand Prix of Singapore
Being run at night, the race in Singapore is unique and visually spectacular. Being run in 100 degree plus temperatures and near 90 percent humidity, on a very tight and twisty street circuit, it is a real challenge for the cars, tires, brakes, and drivers. Pirelli supplied the ultra soft, super soft, and soft tires for the 61 lap race. As expected, the Red Bulls and Ferraris were quick on the tight circuit. What wasn’t foreseen was Hamilton’s difficulties in practice and Vettel’s suspension failure in Q1 that relegated him to start at the back of the field. After a qualifying that saw close lap times, the starting order was Rosberg, Ricciardo (Red Bull), Hamilton (perhaps still suffering from his practice woes), Verstappen (Red Bull), and Raikkonen. But, the advantage looked to be with the two Red Bulls, who were to start the race on super soft tires while all the other top runners were on the shorter lived ultra soft tires, except for Vettel who was on the most durable soft compound.
The start was eventful. Verstappen made a bad one, got caught behind slower drivers, and then collided with Hulkenberg (Force India) who spun majestically before destroying his car. Meanwhile, Vettel, starting from the back, passed several cars ahead in the first quarter mile of the contest. But, soon the safety car appeared to allow Hulkenberg’s debris to be removed, and the field was bunched up. After racing had resumed for a few laps, the order was Rosberg, Ricciardo, Hamilton and Raikkonen running nose to tail, and Alonso. Verstappen was back in eighth, while Vettel was up to 17th. Hot brakes then became an issue that would endure throughout the race, and affect mostly the Mercedes drivers, who had to periodically slow down to prevent complete failure. Pit stops for those on the ultra soft tires began around lap 15, and the leaders all seemed to choose different tires for their second stints. On the other hand, Vettel endured to lap 25 on his soft tires, and then changed to the ultra softs for a hopefully quick second stint; he returned in 10th place. Most of the leaders stopped again for tires around lap 30. Of note was Raikkonen’s subsequent performance: he actually caught and passed (an exciting move that involved banging wheels) Hamilton ON THE TRACK on lap 33, something you just don’t see this year. As a result, on lap 40 the running order was Rosberg, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel (only one stop), and Verstappen. A rash of final pit stops then occurred between laps 43 and 50 (during which Hamilton passed Raikkonen), and then it was an exciting dash to the finish with many wheel-to-wheel battles for position among very closely matched cars. But the real action, for a change, was at the front, where Ricciardo (on fresh tires) was catching Rosberg (who had stopped one time less) by 2 seconds a lap. Unfortunately, time ran out and Rosberg retained his victory, by less than a second. The final finishing order (with little time separating the top 5) was Rosberg (who retakes the lead in the championship), Ricciardo, Hamilton – with Raikkonen on his bumper, and Vettel (who, remember, started last). So, this was a great race and a good result for team Ferrari.
October 1: GP of Malaysia
Practice saw the Red Bulls and Force Indias to be quite quick, and the conditions to mirror Singapore: very hot and very humid. Pirelli supplied the hard, medium, and soft tires for the 56 lap race. After a tight but generally uneventful Qualifying session, the starting order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Vettel, Raikkonen, Perez (Force India), and Hulkenberg (Force India). Pretty much all of the top qualifiers were to start on the soft tires.
Vettel made a great start and was up dicing with the leaders into the first turn. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough room for everyone and a three car (Vettel, Rosberg, and Verstappen) collision ensued. As a result, Vettel was out, Rosberg spun and dropped to 17th place, and Verstappen dropped back a few positions, which he quickly reclaimed. Meanwhile, at the back of the pack, Alonso, who had started last, was up to ninth. When the virtual safety car was deployed, Rosberg stopped for new tires, switching to the hard compound. After things had settled down, the top four were Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, and Raikkonen. Rosberg then set himself to the task of working his way back towards the front as the others began to stop for new tires around lap 20 (most switched to the hard compound). At lap 32 the running order was Hamilton, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Rosberg. Hamilton’s engine then (lap 41) blew up in a big way, and the leader was out, leaving the Ricciardo/Verstappen Red Bull duo in the lead and running pretty much nose-to-tail, They duked it out for a few laps but then settled down to finish in that order with Rosberg third and Raikkonen fourth.
October 9: GP of Japan
The weather was cloudy, cool, and damp the entire weekend, always threatening rain but never truly delivering, quite a contrast from the heat of Singapore and Malaysia. The Ferraris had a new front wing that seemed to improve performance (to the level of the Red Bulls, but not the Mercedes), while both Haas cars seemed quick despite their ongoing brake issues. In any case, the top five qualifiers were within 0.5 second, so it was close. Based on speed, the order would have been Rosberg, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Vettel, Verstappen, and Ricciardo, all on the soft tires. But, Vettel was given a 3 spot penalty for the collision on the first lap of the previous race (down to seventh), and Raikkonen was penalized 5 spots (to eighth) for changing his gear box. In the end, this year Ferrari simply cannot win for losing.
Pirelli supplied the soft, medium, and hard (prime) tires for the 53 lap race. Since the race coincided with Siena’s extremely popular ‘Italian Sports Car Day’, the viewing venue was packed, and we were immediately treated to a spectacular start…including a typically bad start by Hamilton and typically good starts by the Ferraris and Verstappen. Luckily, there were no collisions at the front, and after the first lap the running order was Rosberg, Verstappen, Perez (Force India), Vettel, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg (FI), Raikkonen, and Hamilton. Things settled down by lap 3, and pit stops for tires began on lap 11 (Vettel went longer after starting on the hard tires), with most everyone opting for the hard compound for their second stints. Most made their second stops between laps 27 and 35, again choosing the hard tires in hopes of making it to the end. On lap 36 the running order was Rosberg, Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, and the Force India duo of Perez and Hulkenberg. By lap 45 Hamilton was on Verstappen’s tail, and made some bold moves to pass, all of which were thwarted by the Red Bull youngster. Moreover, Verstappen was catching, and then hounding leader Rosberg as the race drew to a close. It made for some very exciting racing. In the end, the finishing order was Rosberg, Verstappen (less than 5 seconds behind), Hamilton (less than a second farther back), Vettel, Raikkonen, Perez, and Hulkenberg; less than a minute covered the top 8. With this result, Mercedes-Benz clinched the constructors’ title, and Rosberg pulled out to a significant (33 point) lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship.
October 23: GP of the USA
We finally made it to our home GP, and (unlike last year’s monsoon) Austin, Texas graced it with some perfect weather. Pirelli supplied the medium, soft, and super-soft tires for the 56 lap race. During practice, the top three teams kept trading fastest times, leading to hope that it would be a close battle for pole. But in the end, the starting order was the seemingly preordained: Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Hulkenberg (Force India). Of note was that Hamilton, Rosberg, and Verstappen were to start on the soft tires, while everyone else was to be on the faster (but shorter lived) super-softs.
Race viewing itself was a real treat as it was hosted by Michael and Karen Obradovich in their spectacular Summerlin home. We thank Mike and Karen for their hospitality. Great food and good company greeted about 20 of us who attended; would it also be a good race?
Atypically, everyone made a decent start, so the running order was not shaken up at the get-go. Of the leaders, only Raikkonen managed to improve his position, and then by only one spot. The guys starting of the super-soft tires were predictably the first to stop for new rubber, beginning on lap 9, with most opting for the medium tires for their second stints. By lap 16, when most everyone had stopped, the running order was Hamilton, Ricciardo, Rosberg, Verstappen, Raikkonen, and Vettel. Second stops began on lap 27, with Verstappen’s engine failing shortly thereafter. Then, on lap 39, Raikkonen had a pit stop snafu associated with an air gun used on the wheel nuts, and he was out as well…another bit of bad luck for Ferrari in a season filled with little else. In the end, the finishing order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, and Vettel. With this result, Rosberg’s lead over Hamilton in the driver’s championship was reduced to 26 points. With only three races to go, it is going to be a real fight to the finish.
October 30: GP of Mexico
It was a warm, cloudy weekend in 7,000 foot high Mexico City. After a few practice laps, it became obvious that the track was slick with little grip. Everyone was slipping and sliding on the super soft, soft, and medium tires that Pirelli supplied for the race. More than 100,000 fans showed up for qualifying, indicating the level of enthusiasm in our southern neighbor for F1. They were naturally cheering loudest for home town heroes Perez and Gutierrez, but to little avail as the qualifying order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen, and Vettel. Not an auspicious result for Ferrari, to say the least.
The race was completely sold out. Hamilton (known for his poor starts) got an excellent jump, too good in fact as he missed the first turn entirely. Were the championship battle nerves getting to him? Then, Rosberg tangled with the ever over-driving Verstappen, and both were very lucky to be able to continue. And then a few more drivers collided and the safety car was deployed. Once the dust had settled, the running order was pretty much the same as that at the start. Pit stops began on lap 12, with most opting for the soft or medium tires for their second stints. Vettel was the last to stop, stretching his first tires to lap 32. He returned in sixth place (behind Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Raikkonen) with a chance to possibly win. But, several of the cars ahead were able to make their tires last until the end, thus thwarting Vettel’s plans. Those (including Raikkonen and Ricciardo) that did stop again did so between laps 45 and 50. By lap 56 Verstappen was challenging Rosberg (both on old tires) for second, while Vettel on his newer tires was slowly reeling in everyone ahead of him. But Verstappen mangled his tires trying to pass Rosberg and quickly fell into the grip of Raikkonen (on nearly new tires) who managed to pass him with a spectacular move. Several laps later, Vettel was on Verstappen’s tail and challenging to pass. Verstappen made a few questionable blocking moves, and then lost control and went off track, completely missing one of the turns. Now, it is well accepted that if a driver misses a turn to protect his position, that driver must relinquish the position. They usually do so without being told. However, Verstappen maintained his spot ahead of Vettel and, with only a couple of laps to go, race control decided to postpone any action until after the race was complete…sheer idiocy. Verstappen then proceeded to block Vettel so that his teammate Ricciardo could challenge Vettel from behind. Vettel was rightfully livid and most of his radio comments to the team were bleeped out. The finishing order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Vettel, and Ricciardo. However, immediately after the race was over, Verstappen was penalized and the official finishing order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo, Verstappen, and Raikkonen. Wow, what a race! Two races to go to decide the ever tightening quest for the championship.
November 13: GP of Brazil
The big news in the pits was that, long after the last race weekend was complete, Vettel was penalized 10 seconds for dangerous driving in Mexico, and thus relegated from the podium to fifth place. But, everyone seemed to agree that the penalty was truly for the choice words criticizing race control that Vettel yelled over his radio at the end of the race. Petty – petty, sounds like something Roger Goddell of the NFL would do.
In any case, the weather proved to be the overriding factor in Brazil: practice was hot and humid, qualifying was cloudy and cool, and the race was run in pouring rain. Pirelli supplied the soft, medium, and hard tires for the 71 lap race, but it hardly mattered as the tires of choice were either the full or the intermediate wets. The differing conditions meant that any information obtained during practice was useless. Nevertheless, the qualifying order was pretty much as usual: Hamilton, Rosberg (only 0.1 second behind), Raikkonen, Verstappen, Vettel, Ricciardo, and Grosjean (Haas).
Initially the start was delayed 15 minutes due to rain and a sloppy track, but when conditions failed to improve, the race was started behind the safety car with all drivers on the full wet tires. After 7 such laps, the safety car pulled off and racing began. Lap times were 18 seconds slower than qualifying times. By lap 10, the bravest souls were switching to intermediate tires, hoping for drying conditions and a competitive edge. Didn’t happen…the rain increased and cars were slipping and sliding, and spinning too. Lap 15 saw a major shunt, and redeployment of the safety car. Immediately after it pulled off, another major accident involving Raikkonen caused the race to be red flagged. After a couple more delays and re-starts, racing in earnest began again on lap 35; the running order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Rosberg, Perez (Force India), and Ricciardo. Despite the continued lack of grip, there was some exciting racing going on, with Verstappen and Vettel making some bold moves. Lap 48 saw another crash and safety car period, and the racing did not truly resume until lap 55, when some great racing took place, especially by Verstappen whose prodigious skills are only matched by his lack of etiquette. The final finishing order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Verstappen, Perez, and Vettel. So, we go to the final race of the season with Rosberg hanging on to a 12 point lead over Hamilton in the championship.
November 28: GP of Abu Dhabi
Finally, the final race of the season arrived. It seemed like a long campaign. Oh wait, it was. What was not too long ago a 12 race season is now a 21 race season. It is all about the money, honey.
Pirelli supplied the ultra soft, super soft, and soft tires for the 55 lap race on the low grip track. Evening qualifying meant changing conditions throughout, but it failed to produce any real drama, other than visual. The starting order would be Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Vettel, Verstappen, and then the Force India duo of Hulkenberg and Perez. The two Red Bulls would start on the super soft tires, while everyone else would be on the ultra softs.
The start went well except for a miscue by Verstappen that ended with him smacking Hulkenberg and then spinning. This guy is a great talent, but he pushes the issue too often; in this instance he was very lucky that his car suffered no damage allowing him to rejoin in last place. Most made their first stops on about lap 15. But Verstappen, who started on the harder compound tires, managed to persevere until lap 25, by which time he was up to third place! Of note was that Vettel also delayed his first stop, hoping to gain an ultimate advantage. In any case, lap 20 was exciting, with Raikkonen, Ricciardo, and Vettel having a heated battle for fourth place just prior to making their first stops, and then Rosberg (who had already stopped) fighting his way past Verstappen for second. Second stops began on lap 29, and when the dust had settled the running order was Vettel (1 stop), Hamilton (8 seconds adrift), Rosberg, Verstappen (1 stop), Raikkonen, and Ricciardo, By this time, everyone was on the soft tires and it looked as if Vettel might try to make it to the end with only his one stop. But, as his times began to slow, Vettel stopped for a set of ultra-soft (and ultra quick) tires on lap 38, rejoining in sixth. Over the next laps, Rosberg dogged Hamilton for the lead, while Vettel was charging back toward the front on his new, sticky tires. He passed Raikkonen on lap 42, Ricciardo on lap 46, and Verstappen soon thereafter. Meanwhile, it looked as if Hamilton was deliberately slowing down to let the chasers close in on Rosberg, and thus perhaps shake things up and win the championship after all. All of this made for an exciting finish with the top 5 covered by only 5 seconds. The order was Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, and then the two Force Indias.
With this result, Rosberg claims his first world title.
Recap of the 2016 Season
First of all, we must bid a fond farewell to the retiring duo of Jensen Button (who won one championship he didn’t really deserve to win) and Felipe Massa (who lost one he deserved to win). These two were real gentlemen and true ambassadors of the sport, and damn good drivers to boot. We will miss their driving abilities and candor in post race interviews. Ciao!
Teams: Just as in 2015, the Mercedes were consistently the fastest cars, and their dominance is demonstrated by the commanding point’s margin they (and their drivers) amassed. At the start of the season, Ferrari and Red Bull were about equal; but as the season played out the Red Bulls improved more than the Ferraris. However, Ferrari fans (that would be us) can’t really cry too much because it could have been worse, far worse. Look at what has happened to the previously powerful McLaren and Williams teams, they were handily beaten for fourth overall this year by a low budget, low profile team named Sahara Force India (of all things!). New blood near the top is always welcome, so hear-hear Force India.
Drivers: While Rosberg won the title, there is little doubt that Hamilton is just that tiny bit faster. Raikkonen revived his career with a strong showing this season, and will be in a Ferrari again in 2017. Vettel drove well, but seemingly without real verve. He was in pout mode far too often. The Red Bulls clearly have THE up-and-coming duo with Ricciardo and Verstappen. Verstappen, a contender at such a young age, seems destined to be a talent for the ages. However, he must learn to be patient and considered, rather than overly rash and bold. Right now, he has Senna type skills, but also Senna type overconfidence. Meanwhile, my favorite driver, Fernando Alonso, toils relatively unnoticed in an uncompetitive car (McLaren-Honda); I’d really like to see him at the front again.
We interrupt this article for some late breaking news: Less than a week after winning the title, Nico Rosberg announced his retirement from F1. Stunning! This opens up the most desirable seat on the grid. Who will Mercedes choose? A challenger to Hamilton? Or a youngster to groom for the future? Tune in, this could be very interesting.
John Ratto