DESERT REGION – LAS VEGAS CHAPTER
4th Quarter 2020
Written by John Ratto
Edited by Chuck Damus
Dateline: October 2020
We seem to be waiting…waiting for some improvement in the virus situation, waiting for a vaccine, waiting for the election and its outcome and repercussions…waiting for a something…for anything…for a sign? We are waiting because, while the last 7 months have been eventful, nothing has been resolved. The virus continues to spread at very high rates – faster than ever before really, which seems impossible. This remains a harsh reality. More than 200,000 are now dead in the USA. The experts say it will likely get worse before it gets better. Can it get worse? How many more will die before the virus is stopped? Meanwhile, I must once again write this sentence:
Unfortunately, it still remains difficult to say whether things are getting better, or getting worse.
Only the stock market (but not the economy, unfortunately) seems healthy. Is it real, or an illusion, an illusion fueled by trillions of dollars in fiscal stimulus? It is difficult to remember a time with a greater abyss between the haves and the have nots. Will the election provide the people with a clear winner, a winner who cannot be disputed? Contested election results would simply be the icing on the cake of our discontent in 2020.
It seems that President Trump has beaten his encounter with the virus, but that should not be considered a moment of triumph, as the President advertises. Rather, it simply shows that someone with the best of care (I have seen estimates that Trump’s treatments would have a cost of over $400,000 if one of us bought them) can survive the virus. Trump’s outcome might have been quite different had he been a blue collar worker with insufficient or no health insurance.
So – damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! It’s time to vote and be counted, once or twice as the situation calls for.
Dateline: December 2020 – January 2021
Three months have passed since I wrote the introduction above for the fourth quarter of 2020. I listed some of my fears for the upcoming future; let’s see if any of them materialized.
- I feared contested election results…we got them in spades! And what an election it was. Trump supporters were expecting the Donald to win in a landslide. Biden supporters were anticipating just the opposite. In reality, it was damn close. Too close really. So close it led to a disputed result. Uncertainty – hell yeah. In fact, there is still some uncertainty as to whether Biden (officially the president elect) will take office according to the normal schedule. What else could you expect from 2020?
- I also feared continued devastation by the virus…we got that in diamonds. New highs in daily infections? New highs in daily deaths? New highs in daily angst? Check…check…and check. The virus lives, and it lives well…at our expense. It has taken nearly 20,000,000 Americans hostage, and has assassinated nearly 350,000 of them. Those figures represent a 100% increase from early October. Meanwhile, the vaccine(s) is here, but there seems to be no rush to administer it. As of NYE, we have vaccinated just over 2 million people. The projected number was 10 times higher. Ten times! I have heard absolutely nothing as to how the vaccination process will be handled. Have you? Will an Rx be required? Where will the vaccine be administered? What the hell is going on?
- I feared continuing economic problems for rank-in-file Americans. Despite a strong stock market…we got that too, in clubs. While the stock market goes up on a daily basis, many citizens are lined up for donated/free food. This is not a healthy situation. Marie Antoinette had a solution: ‘Let them eat cake.’ It did not end well for her.
So, we have the spades, diamonds, and clubs covered. What about the hearts, you ask. There were no hearts in 2020.
So, unfortunately, I must again ask: Are things getting better, or getting worse?
As the year came to a close we faced and persevered through a most difficult holiday season. There wasn’t a lot of thanksgiving or many jolly ho-ho-Hos. New Year’s Eve was a non-event in New York City, and a much smaller one than normal on the Las Vegas Strip. No spirits were bright. Few dreams came true…mostly nightmares instead. Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Yeah, neither did I.
Then, just as 2020 was fading into the sunset, more bad news. A fetid wind carried news that Scott Howard, longtime member of our Club and past Treasurer, had passed. Will the bad news ever end? Scott was literally a gentle giant, and one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. Our condolences go to Janet, his wife. This man will be missed by many.
I wish that 2021 could begin with a clean slate. That we could erase all of the negative realities we will face when we turn the calendar page and welcome 2021.
Your Club did not organize any Socials or Drives during the fourth quarter of 2020, and, given the turmoil and continued restrictions, there may not be any during the first quarter of 2021. So, there are no good stories to tell, and there may not be any for a while. The Ferrari Club lies dormant. But ‘We’ll be back!!!’
Hope springs eternal.
FORMULA 1 NEWS
At our last update, ten races had been run, about half the season, and Mercedes-Benz was dominating the proceedings. As October dawned, racing continued, once again with only a few, or no, fans in the grandstands.
The other disappointments concerned Mercedes Benz and Ferrari. The German team keeps winning almost all of the races, and thereby spoiling the excitement. Conversely, Ferrari is having a dismal season, and is not really in the hunt for anything besides mediocracy. With that said, let’s have a look at the standings with ten races in the books.
Drivers:
Hamilton…. 205 Bottas…161 Verstappen…128
Norris……… 65 Albon…..64 Ricciardo……..63
Leclerc……..57 (Vettel is in 13th place with 17 points)
Manufacturers:
Mercedes Benz…… 366 Red Bull…….192 McLaren…… 106
Racing Point………. 104 Renault…….. 99 Ferrari………. 74
This makes the situation clear; Mercedes will once again win both Championships (drivers and manufacturers) in 2020. It is all over but the shouting. But, with many races remaining, let’s get to that shouting.
October 11: Grand Prix of Germany (Eifel) at the Nurburgring (#11)
The Nurburgring is a technical track, 3.2 miles long, with many tight corners that lower average speeds to about 130 mph. It is picturesque, but located in the middle of nowhere, Germany. Ah, October in Germany…was anyone surprised it was COLD? I mean it was really cold (like freezing cold), and cloudy and dank. Everyone acted as if they were surprised, but maybe it was just that, an act. Anyway, Practice 1 and 2 were cancelled due to the cold and fog. The race itself was scheduled for 60 laps.
Other than the weather, the big news in pit lane centered on Honda, which announced that (after 2021) they would no longer be supplying engines to F1. Several teams, including powerful Red Bull, will be scrambling to find a new source for engines. In other news, Mick Schumacher, Michael’s son, was at the track, and scheduled for a test drive in the Alfa Romeo. The weather scuttled that plan. P3 went off without a hitch though, and the Renaults looked fast, as did the Ferraris, surprisingly. On Saturday morning it was announced that Lance Stroll was suffering from a bug and would not race. Racing Point brought in Nico Hulkenberg with virtually no notice to take his place.
Qualifying: Vettel once again failed to get into Q3, but Leclerc did so quite easily. What is wrong with the German multi-championship winner? Qualifying provided no big surprises or drama, and the grid was as follows: Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc (!), Albon, and the two Renaults (Ricciardo and Ocon). Vettel was 11th. Everyone in the top 10 contested Q2 on soft tires, meaning they would all start on them as well. However, several of the slower qualifiers chose to start on the mediums.
Race: Race day was very cold, partly cloudy, and windy. Once again, Bottas made a poor start, permitting Hamilton to challenge him immediately for the lead. However, Bottas managed to right the ship and retain his position. Elsewhere in the field there were several skirmishes for position, but no carnage to speak of. At the end of lap 1 the running order was much the same as the grid seeding. Several uneventful laps ensued, but then, on lap 6, Ricciardo mounted an attack of Leclerc, and, after a good battle, managed to pass the Ferrari several laps later. After another spirited fight, Hamilton managed to do the same to Bottas on lap 13. Both Leclerc and Bottas damaged their front tires defending their positions, and were soon in the pits (quite a bit earlier than planned) for new rubber. That meant that the top three after 15 laps was Hamilton, Verstappen, and Ricciardo. During this period, and for many laps following, the cold weather influenced the race: the tires were cold, which lowered grip, which resulted in spins and slides, and a few collisions. These circumstances brought out the yellow flags and the safety car, bunching the field. Watching these rocket ships tip-toe around the circuit was interesting, but really didn’t satisfy the urge to see them go ultra-fast. Mr. Lucky, Lewis Hamilton managed to avoid all of these pitfalls, naturally.
Deployment of the Virtual Safety Car on lap 17 led to the first pit stops by Hamilton and Verstappen, among many others. During the period of slow running, Bottas suffered an engine problem and retired, with Ocon and Albon soon following him to the scrap heap. Meanwhile, Leclerc was working his way back toward the front after his early difficulties. On lap 30 (the halfway point) the running order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Norris, and Perez. Soon thereafter a good battle fired up between Leclerc and Perez, with a series of passes and re-passes over five or six laps. In the end, Perez prevailed and Leclerc headed back to the pits for a second set of new tires. At lap 40 the running order had not changed much: Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Perez, who was catching Ricciardo. However, another Safety Car period bunched up the field and offered the opportunity for everyone to pit for fresh rubber. When racing resumed, several good battles ensued as the race came to its conclusion. In the end, it was Hamilton with another win, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Perez, Sainz, Gasly, and Leclerc. Vettel managed only 11th.
October 25: GP of Portugal (12) at Portimao
This would be the first F1 race ever at this track, which encompasses myriad elevation changes and blind corners over its 2.9 miles. As might be expected, the teams were working blind, having little or no information or data concerning the track and its condition. One thing was agreed – tire wear would be high.
One thing of note concerning the points situation: While Mercedes and Hamilton will certainly win their respective titles, and Red Bull will pick up the major scraps, there is a heated battle developing for third place in the constructors’ championship between Racing Point, McLaren, and Renault. 10 points cover these three, and the bad blood is almost palpable. This should make for excellent racing as the season draws to a close.
Practice: Bottas was fastest in all three Practice sessions, but the real news concerned tire wear…it was very high, especially when running the soft tires. The question became: who would take the leap and start on the mediums? The good news for Ferrari fans was the performance of Leclerc, who managed to hang around in the top 5 of all the sessions.
Qualifying: After a 30 minute delay to repair a drain hole cover, Qualifying went off without a hitch. Vettel stumbled, as has been his wont lately, and was mired in the field; he will start 15th. But what was of real note was that lap times on the medium tires were actually a tiny bit faster than on the softs. Mercedes and Ferrari were the only ones to come to this realization, and they ended up starting on the medium tires. Hamilton pipped Bottas at the last minute for pole, as he is wont to do, so the starting order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Leclerc (with an inspired drive), Perez, Albon, and Sainz.
Race: After rain overnight, the track was damp, and the conditions were cloudy, windy, and cold. The action was hot though, as before turn 3 Verstappen had passed Bottas, and had then had been repassed by the Mercedes. Once Bottas got his tires warmed up, he easily caught Hamilton as well, taking over the lead of the race. Meanwhile, Sainz (McLaren) was motoring up the field. He passed Leclerc, Verstappen, and Hamilton (!) before lap 2 was completed. Then he passed Bottas for the lead!! Some reflection indicates that this should not have come as a surprise. The Mercedes and Ferraris had started on the medium tires, and those tires took a lot longer to get up to operating temperature. As a result, Sainz, on the soft tires, had a huge advantage in the early laps. By lap 5 though, the medium tires were coming to temperature, and the Mercedes were gaining speed. In the next few laps first Bottas passed Sainz, and then Hamilton did the same. A few laps later Verstappen passed the McLaren, and then Leclerc did the same. To make matters worse, by about lap 12 the soft tires were fading, and pit stops loomed for most of the field. Ricciardo was the first to make a tires stop, on lap 15 (of 66). A few laps later, Hamilton ran down Bottas and passed him for the lead. All of this passing at the front of the field was a most welcome sight. By lap 20, things had settled down a bit and the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen (on old soft tires, he would pit soon), Leclerc (putting in a brilliant drive), Gasly (Alpha Tauri), and Sainz (McLaren).
There was really only one place to pass, at the end of the long straight, but DRS made passing there quite easy. This led to a large number of battles throughout the field. Everyone knew that if they could catch the car ahead, they could pass it. Powerful incentive to get on with it! For example, between laps 33 and 40, Raikkonen and Sainz waged a great battle, as did Perez (Racing Point) and Ocon (Renault). This was about the time when the front runners who had started on the medium tires made their first pit stops. Leclerc was the first of this group to do so (lap 35), followed closely by Hamilton (lap 41), and Bottas (lap 42). This group rejoined the race on cold, hard tires that had little grip, meaning that no challenges were forthcoming for the top positions through the end of the race. When it was all over, the finishing order of this highly entertaining race was Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Leclerc, Gasly, and Sainz. Vettel finished 10th.
With this victory, Hamilton has notched 92 trips to the top of the podium. This breaks Michael Schumacher’s previous total, and sets a new benchmark for wins in an F1 career. Given the situation, it is likely this record will be broken, by Hamilton, many times in the near future.
November 1: GP of Italia – Emilia Romagna @ Imola (13)
This makes it three Grands Prix in Italy in a single season! If Ferrari was more competitive, the Italian fans would be going crazy. The Imola track has hosted many GPs, usually called the GP of San Marino, so its quirks are well known. It is 3 miles long and pretty fast, with top speeds touching 200 mph. 63 laps were scheduled.
This was what is being termed an ‘abbreviated weekend.’ Sort of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. Only two days of events were scheduled: Saturday for Practice 1 and Qualifying, and Sunday for the race.
Practice: With only one session, everyone was out early and often, working hard to learn the track and gather data. Their efforts were by a beautiful, sunny Italian day. Perez was pushing, running fast times. The Mexican is looking for a seat for next season (he certainly deserves one).
Qualifying: Despite engine problems in Q2, Verstappen squeaked into Q3 so he could compete for the top grid positions. Several of the drivers attempted to contest Q2 on the medium tires, but in the end only Hamilton, Bottas, and Verstappen were fast enough to do so. They would start the race on the mediums, seen as a huge advantage…as if they needed one. The final grid looked familiar (at the front), but not so familiar immediately behind them: Bottas, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly, Ricciardo, Albon, and Leclerc. Vettel placed 14th.
Race: After a glorious Saturday of autumnal Italian splendor, race day Sunday was cool, cloudy, and gloomy. Only the tires welcomed the changed. The start was most eventful; in short order (about 20 seconds) Verstappen passed Hamilton, Ricciardo passed Gasly, and Leclerc passed Albon. Of the leaders, Bottas was one of the few who held his position. It was a great show. Things settled down a bit after that, and at lap 5 (of 63) the running order was Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Gasly and Leclerc. A pitched battle was being waged by those in 4th through 11th, with many instances of wheel-to-wheel combat being fought. Sainz’s great pass of Norris was especially noteworthy.
The first pit stops for tires occurred on lap 14, with most everyone opting to continue on the hards. Bottas and Verstappen, the two leaders, who had both started on mediums rather than softs, stopped on lap 19, choosing hards. They rejoined behind the leaders. Hamilton, meanwhile, soldiered on with his aging medium rubber. Mr. Lucky’s perseverance was rewarded when an accident on lap 30 elicited the Safety Car which allowed Hamilton to pit and retain the lead. At this point of the race Verstappen was setting the pace from 3rd place; he managed to catch Bottas on lap 43 and elbow his way past him with an epic pass. A great move! Unfortunately, the Red Bull experienced suspension failure on lap 51 and retired, stranded on the track, which brought out the Safety Car, bunching the field.
This also provided an opportunity for the drivers (including Hamilton, Bottas, and both McLarens) to stop again for new tires while the field was moving slowly. When racing resumed on lap 57, the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Albon, Perez, and Kvyat. This didn’t last long, as Perez immediately pulled off a brilliant pass of Albon, and then Kvyat did the same to Leclerc. After that, the final few laps were tightly contested, but relatively uneventful. The finishing order was Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Leclerc, Perez, and Sainz…nary a Ferrari in sight.
So, a good race with much action, and the same old top two at the front of the field. With this result Mercedes clinches the constructors’ championship, for the seventh year in a row.
November 15: GP of Turkey (14)
How appropriate…the GP of Turkey…11 days before turkey day.
This track last hosted a GP about 10 years ago. It was freshly resurfaced and ready to go (or so it seemed). It is a tough circuit with significant elevation change, and some very challenging corners. Moreover, the recent resurfacing made it treacherously smooth and slippery. There wasn’t any grip under the best of circumstances.
Practice: Friday was cold and gloomy; overnight rain was still standing of the track and the tires were refusing to achieve operating temperature. There was absolutely no grip. Everyone was on wet tires (full wets or intermediates); no one dared try slicks. Unfortunately, these conditions persevered throughout the weekend. Well maybe not so unfortunate…the conditions made for great racing. The Practice sessions brought out the differences in car chassis design, and aerodynamic efficiency. Some cars (including the Ferraris and Red Bulls) did OK in the conditions, others did not. It was a miracle, given the spinning and sliding, that no serious accidents occurred. Perhaps the fact that the cars were running laps about 20 seconds slower than was expected in dry conditions played a part as well. Anyway, most of the data generated in testing was based upon having wet weather tires mounted. This proved a God send as slicks were seldom seen this weekend.
Qualifying: Did I say it was cold and slippery in Practice? Well, double down on that in Qualifying. It was so nasty that Q1 was red flagged for an hour…and then red flagged again after it resumed. Conditions were improving as Q2 started, and the improving conditions meant that speeds not yet recorded were being run. Anyway, Q2 and Q3 were somewhat of a madhouse, as everyone was running 10 seconds a lap faster than they had managed previously. After the dust (no! the mist) had settled the starting order was Stroll (what??), Verstappen, Perez, Albon, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Ocon, Raikkonen, Bottas, Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Vettel, and Leclerc. Yes, Racing Points were first and third! Yes, Vettel had out qualified Leclerc. And YES, the fastest Mercedes was mired in sixth place. Wet conditions produce unexpected results.
Race: The conditions as race time approached were more of the same. It was cold and wet and VERY slippery. Everyone opted to start on the full wet tires. Stroll made an excellent start and claimed the lead, while Bottas, Albon, and Ocon spun and dropped down the field. Verstappen, Leclerc, and Hamilton started slowly, and were then fighting for their positions. Vettel made a perfect start and zoomed up the field. There was a lot of shuffling, passing and re-passing, as the drivers struggled to keep their steads on the proper path. It was great to watch.
At the end of lap 2, when things had settled down a bit, the running order was Stroll, Perez, Vettel (!), Verstappen, Albon, Hamilton, Ricciardo, and Raikkonen, with Stroll and Perez pulling away from the field. At this point, the rain slackened and the cars began going a bit faster in response. The improving conditions meant that the full wet tires would be wearing fast which prompted Leclerc to be the first to stop (lap 7) for intermediates. Soon thereafter, all of the front runners did the same, leaving a running order (on lap 15) not much different than the one after lap 2: Stroll, Perez, Verstappen, Vettel, Hamilton, Albon, Ricciardo, Sainz, and Leclerc.
A nice battle for fifth through eighth played out starting on lap 15: Hamilton tried to pass Vettel, but was rebuffed. Their fight allowed Albon to sneak by both of them with a terrific pass. Great stuff! Soon thereafter, Verstappen spun and flat-spotted his tires; he was in the pits for new intermediates on lap 19. After passing Hamilton and Vettel, and now driving in the clear air, Albon was the fastest car on track. He managed to catch Perez in second place, but then failed to find a way past the Racing Point.
At this point something strange began to occur. The speeds of virtually all the cars became quite variable. Someone would suddenly improve his lap times by over 2 seconds; this might last 4 or 5 laps. However, after the 5 laps were done, that same driver would slow down by several seconds a lap for 4 or 5 laps. Then, after another 4 or 5 laps, that driver would speed up again. The pundits concluded that the intermediate tires, which are not designed for longevity, were graining, causing the car to go slower. Then, the graining would stop, and the car would go faster until the graining returned. It was strange, but highly entertaining, as different cars throughout the field were suddenly very competitive, and then suddenly not. Even Vettel had a string of laps (around lap 28) when he was fastest in the field. In any case, after a most entertaining 10 or so laps the running order was Stroll, Perez, Albon, Vettel, Hamilton, and Ricciardo.
All of this concern being generated by the intermediate tires caused Leclerc to be the first of the contenders to make a second stop (lap 31). He opted for a new set of intermediates; the conditions were still too slippery to dare going to slicks. Some of the other front runners (including Stroll, the leader) soon did the same, but another group (including Hamilton) chose to continue on the now quite worn intermediates they had mounted on about lap 10. At the time, this seemed a questionable choice; no one expected the fading intermediates to make it to the end of the race. Then, a few laps later, the choice seemed to be prescient: the worn out intermediates suddenly found new lives, and the cars using them began to set very quick times indeed. Hamilton, suddenly one of the quickest cars, ran down Perez (the leader) and passed him easily. This ushered in a period (from about lap 40 to the end of the race) of quite exciting racing: a giant tussle between Vettel, Leclerc, Stroll, and Albon; a nice pass by Leclerc on Verstappen; Sainz elbowing his way past Albon; Norris shouldering by Ricciardo; Verstappen passing Albon; Norris edging by Stroll; and Vettel making an outlandish move to pass Leclerc less than 100 yards from the finish line.
When it was (sadly) all over, the finishing order was Hamilton, Perez, Vettel, Leclerc, Sainz, and Verstappen. Neither of the top two finishers made a second stop; they babied their intermediate tires for nearly 50 laps, which seemed impossible. Hallelujah – Vettel on the podium! – Leclerc right behind!
This was a fabulous race to watch. If you missed it, you missed something special. Meanwhile, talking about winning and losing, with this outcome, Hamilton has clinched the 2020 drivers’ championship. That makes 7 titles for him, which ties him with Michael Schumacher for most ever.
November 29: GP of Bahrain
Fifty-seven laps were planned on this 3.4 mile circuit, all run in the evening (officially twilight), as normally temperatures are high in this part of the world. However, someone failed to realize that winter occurs everywhere, even the Middle East. So, the weather, rather than being hot, tended towards cool and damp, especially after sundown. The track itself presents many passing opportunities and provides good grip, but tire wear was expected to be high.
Practice and Qualifying: The Practice sessions saw several cars spinning off track and suffering damage, including Verstappen and Albon, who destroyed his car. This made for a crew of very busy mechanics in the Red Bull garage. As Practice concluded everyone agreed on one thing: the soft tires were worthless on this track, in these conditions. Therefore, virtually every car ran Q2 on the mediums. None of this mattered much to the Ferrari drivers: neither advanced to Q3. In the end, the front of the grid was no surprise: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Albon, and Perez.
Race: Hamilton made a good start and secured the lead, while Bottas made a terrible one, and fell to 6th. But the real action was at the rear of the field where Grosjean (Haas) lost control of his car and went head first into a steel barrier. His car was essentially cut in half, and then it exploded into a 30 foot tall ball of flame. Wow! We almost never see accidents like this in modern F1 (they were more common 20 or more years ago, but that makes them all the more astonishing when they happen today). Luckily, miraculously, Grosjean was able to walk (limp might be a better word) away from the conflagration. He would not have done that 20 years ago. To give you an idea of the temperatures that were reached, the steel guard rail actually melted from the heat. Naturally, the proceedings were red flagged to allow the course workers the opportunity to remove the remains of the Haas and the guard rail, and create a new barrier, a task that required about an hour.
Despite this debacle, the re-start and the first few laps saw a few more accidents and race stoppages, and a few tire punctures requiring pit stops. When things finally settled down, on about lap 8, the drivers got down to work as the faster guys, mired in the field by all the action and mayhem, began to work their ways back to the front. Unfortunately, Leclerc was one of the cars being passed as this occurred, as was Vettel who slipped to 18th by lap 13.
On lap 17, Ricciardo was the first to make anything that resembled a scheduled pit stop. He chose to mount the hard tires, hoping that they would last 40 more laps, until the end. Many others stopped for tires between laps 20 and 30, re-shuffling the deck several times; but the leaders (Hamilton, Verstappen, and Perez) soldiered on until lap 36. By that time, they were far enough ahead to pit and still maintain their spots at the front. The only real action from that point to the end happened on lap 54 with the end in sight, when Perez, running third, suffered a spectacular engine failure. Final order: Hamilton, Verstappen, Albon (a nice finish in the second Red Bull), Norris (McLaren), Sainz (ditto), and Gasly. Leclerc limped home tenth, while Vettel was 13th.
December 6: GP of Bahrain II — Sakhir (16)
This race was run on the same track as the race of the previous week, but using a different, faster, and shorter layout. With only 2.2 miles and not many corners, speeds were very high and lap times were very short (under one minute). Laps would, however, be plentiful, as 87 were scheduled. This was officially a night race, as opposed to the twilight race of the week before.
Romain Grosjean, the victim of last week’s fire was at the track and looking quite chipper, the heavy bandages on both of his hands being the only evidence of his accident. He was replaced by Pietro Fittipaldi (a name that evokes memories) for this and the last race of the season.
In other news, Louis Hamilton finally hit a spot of bad luck; he tested positive for covid and did not run this race. He was replaced behind the wheel of the Mercedes by George Russell (who has been driving for Williams). So George jumped from the slowest car to the fastest. It would be most interesting to see how he fares against Bottas in a similar car.
Practice: The Renaults were consistently fast; meanwhile the Ferraris were having difficulties. Vettel spun twice in P2, and both Vettel and Leclerc had mechanical woes. But Russell’s performance was the talk of the hour: he set faster times than Bottas (and fastest of all) in both P1 and P2!
Qualifying: Only Mercedes dared to run Q2 on the medium tires, and they easily progressed into Q3 while doing so. In Q3 Bottas restored order and out qualified young George, but only by the slimmest of margins. The front of the grid would look like this: Bottas, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc (who by his own admission drove a miracle lap), Perez, and Kvyat. Vettel would start 13th.
Race: Sunday morning was windy and cool, with sand covering the track, making it slippery. Bottas made one of his patented slow starts, allowing Russell to take the lead. But, directly behind these two, an accident occurred that affected most of the other front runners in one way or another. Verstappen and Leclerc suffered most; they were out of the race. Perez suffered less damage and managed to continue. But, he dropped to the rear of the field and then pitted for new tires, opting for the mediums. Norris excelled in the carnage; he jumped from 19th place (due to a penalty) to 10th in less than a lap. Racing resumed on lap 6 when the Safety Car exited the track. At lap 10 the running order was Russell, Bottas, Sainz, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Stroll, and Gasly.
From that point, things settled down a bit, but the racing in the field was good and competitive. For example, on lap 20 Albon made a nice pass on Norris, who lost some momentum in the process. He was then passed by Perez (who was working his way back up the field from last). Then, Perez made an outstanding pass on Albon that was a thing of beauty. Pit stops began on lap 30, some choose to mount mediums, others choose hards. Stroll was the last to stop (lap 43) of those who started on the soft tires. He returned to the fray directly behind Ocon in the Renault, leading to a 3 – 4 lap battle for position between these two. The two Mercedes, who had started on the medium tires, finally stopped for new tires on laps 46 (Russell, still in the lead), and 49 Bottas (still second). Both went to hards.
Then, things got interesting:
- Albon and Norris staged a heated battle for position; these two passed and re-passed each other for several breathtaking laps.
- An accident on lap 56 brought out the Virtual Safety Car, providing an opportunity for those who had selected the medium tires for their second stints to mount fresh rubber.
- In a period of several laps, Perez, clearly on a mission, passed Ocon, Stroll, Albon, Sainz, and Riccardo (yes, 5 cars…bing, bang, boom).
- On lap 63, another deployment of the Safety Car brought the leaders (Russell and Bottas) to the pits for new rubber, which they really didn’t need as they were easily leading and controlling the race. Then, we had a Mercedes meltdown…finally. The two Mercedes entered the pits simultaneously, meaning they were stacked for service. But somehow in the confusion the tires meant for Bottas’ car were mounted to Russell’s car, and vice versa. The problem was realized before Bottas left the pits, but not before Russell was long gone. Bottas’ wrong tires (really Russell’s tires) had to be removed and replaced with Bottas’ used tires (all that was available). Then, Russell had to return to the pits the following lap to remove Bottas’ tires and mount his own. An epic mess! It sounds like something Ferrari would do, certainly not the precise Mercedes team.
As a consequence of all this shuffling and chaos, the leaderboard was quite changed when racing resumed on lap 69: Perez, Ocon, Stroll, Bottas (on very old tires), Russell, Sainz, and Ricciardo. This led to some serious racing, and some more high drama, in the final 20 or so laps.
- Russell, on fresh tires, made short work of Bottas, forcing his way past with a brilliant pass. He then passed Stroll on lap 72, and Ocon on lap 74. Young George had worked his way back to second place.
- Sainz, Ricciardo, and Albon ALL passed Bottas (who was admittedly hampered by his worn tires) on laps 77 and 78.
- Russell suffered a punctured tire on lap 79. He had to pit and relinquish second place. He rejoined the fray in 15th. I can imagine young George wailing, “They gave me Hamilton’s car, but not his luck.”
- Russell was the driver on a mission in the final 6 laps. He simply flew through the rear of the field, passing the opposition right and left, 6 cars, in total, in 6 laps.
As a consequence of all this action, when this race concluded the finishing order was quite unusual and unexpected (but highly welcomed): Perez, Ocon (Renault), Stroll (in the second Racing Point), and Sainz (McLaren). Bottas finished 8th and Russell, after an eventful day, managed 9th. Vettel struggled to 12th.
This was an absolutely fabulous race…a true pleasure to watch. It was high in excitement, and, more important, in unpredictability. And the finishing positions were the stuff of science fiction. Perez scored his first victory, after 190 races of trying. It was well deserved, remember, he was in last place after 6 laps. Ocon on the podium! Stroll in third for a Racing Point near sweep. MEANWHILE, NOT A MERCEDES IN SIGHT. And finally there is Russell, who scored his first ever points in F1 with a career defining drive that not only proves his speed and ability, but also demonstrates his cool under adversity. Louis Hamilton must be looking over his shoulder.
December 13: GP of Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit
News and Scuttlebutt: Hamilton is back after a quick recovery from the virus. He reclaimed his seat, pronouncing himself ready to go in the last race of the season. Did he feel a tiny bit of pressure from Russell’s showing?
Fifty-five evening laps were scheduled on this 3.5 mile track that features slow corners (meaning high tire wear) and two long straights.
Practice: There wasn’t much happening on track, but the pits were buzzing with activity. Leclerc was given a three grid spot penalty for the accident he caused last week. Perez was relegated to the rear of the field for changing engine components. Hamilton’s car had brake issues, and then electrical gremlins. Several cars suffered blown engines, including Raikkonen’s, which burned while stopped on the track. The mechanics were working hard.
Qualifying: Things were relatively quiet until Q2, when many of the quicker cars tried to qualify for Q3 on the medium tires. This confirmed the impression that the soft rubber would be short lived when racing began. Those not fast enough reverted to the softs to make it into Q3. In the end, Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas, Sainz, and Ocon would start on the mediums. Things got serious in Q3, when everyone mounted the softs to determine the grid. The sharp end was close and a bit surprising: Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Norris, and Albon. Leclerc, after his penalty, was 12th, Vettel 14th. Perez, who was relegated to the rear, along with several other outliers opted to start on the hard tires, meaning that all three compounds would be represented on the grid. This should make for something interesting, some different strategy.
Race: Surprise, surprise: they managed to complete lap one without a single incident. But the passing got serious beginning on lap 2: within just a few laps Gasly passed Ocon, Albon passed Norris, and Stroll passed Kvyat. While this was happening in the mid-field, Verstappen was slowly pulling away from Bottas in second place. Then, on lap 10, Perez suffered an engine failure (his second in three races) which brought out the Safety Car. In response, virtually the entire field stopped for tires, most opting for the hards, hoping they would last 45 more laps.
The race re-started on lap 14, with Sainz pulling of a great pass on (future teammate) Leclerc. Meanwhile, at the front, Verstappen quickly pulled out a 3 – 4 second lead over Bottas. The Mercedes just did not have their usual pace in this race. Laps 16 – 19 saw an excellent battle between Stroll and Leclerc, with each passing the other several times and then being repassed. In the end, Stroll managed to free himself of the Ferrari and pull away from it. On lap 20 the running order was Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Albon, and Ricciardo.
Leclerc, who had not stopped on lap 10, made his first stop on lap 23, choosing to continue on the hard rubber. At this point things were looking good for the Ferrari pilot, but he never was a threat afterward. He finished 13th. Vettel, who had started on the hard tires, delayed his first pit stop to lap 36. He continued on the medium tires, but he also was unable to make up much ground from there to the end. The German finished 14th in his last race for Ferrari. Ricciardo, who had also started on the hard tires, made his first pit stop on lap 40. He managed to finish 7th, showing that the strategy was sound, and that Vettel was merely slow. From there to the end not much happened. In fact, it was a rather mundane race from start to finish. The finishing order was Verstappen (who basically ran unchallenged from start to finish), Bottas, Hamilton, Albon, Norris, and Sainz.
Formula 1 2020 – Final Thoughts
And so another season goes into the books. As I write this in mid-December there is only one more piece of news to note: Sergio Perez has been taken on by Red Bull for the 2021 season. Perez drove beautifully in 2020 and deserves the seat. It will be most interesting…and instructive…to see how he does relative to new teammate Mad Max Verstappen in the same car next year.
With the season complete, let’s have a look at the final statistics. From the numbers below, it is clear that Mercedes once again dominated. They handily won the constructors’ championship, and their drivers were 1-2 in the drivers’ championship. Meanwhile, Ferrari could only manage 6th place in the constructors’, a terrible result for a team with such resources.
Drivers:
Hamilton…. 347 Bottas……….223 Verstappen…214
Perez………125 Ricciardo……119
Leclerc was eighth with 98, while Vettel was 13th with 33
Constructors:
Mercedes Benz…… 573 Red Bull…….319 McLaren…….202
Racing Point………. 195 Renault………181 Ferrari……….131