DESERT REGION – LAS VEGAS CHAPTER
2nd Quarter 2021
Written by John Ratto
Edited by Chuck Damus
Dateline: Early April 2021
April 15, tax day…generally not a very good day for most people. But this is an entirely different April 15th because nothing is the same in the lingering throes of the pandemic. Tax day has been postponed! But, far more importantly, the end of the pandemic seems in sight. The Governor has decreed that it will be mostly business as usual (the old pre-Covid usual) as of May 1, and that if all goes well it will be full steam ahead from June 1.
Finally, I can definitely say that things are getting better and not worse! We have walked through the valley (desert) of death and made it out the other side. Future generations will remember us as those hearty souls that survived the pandemic of 2020. Pat yourselves on the back, and let’s get back to work…and play. Only the ongoing difficulties in other parts of the world cast pallor on the situation. True victory will only be achieved when the virus is conquered everywhere.
In response, our/your Club awoke from its inactivity and is showing signs of life. We conducted our first Board meeting in more than a year. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to see each other. A future Social was planned. Hopefully, we will recover fully and then move forward.
April 14: Board Meeting at Siena
For our first meeting in a very long time, the Board convened at one of our favorite hangouts, Siena Trattoria. Considering that the meeting was scheduled only a few days earlier, the turn out of ten Board members and others was heartening. People are still interested in participating. We decided that our first general event should be a Social, at old favorite Table 34 if possible. Such an event will provide insight into the mood of the crowd. Are people ready to get together and do a little partying, or are they still in hibernation mode? Bianca will investigate.
May 19: Social at Table 34
It was a cool and very blustery evening when we gathered at one of our favorite restaurants for some food and fun, and to gauge the mood of the membership regarding the prospects for our Club. Everything went better than planned, likely due to the efforts of Bianca and Elda, and the restaurant itself. First off, attendance was about 20, an excellent turn-out considering this was our first Social in 15 months, and that it had been organized and publicized at the last minute. Moreover, we were all pleased to see that Table 34 has erected an enclosed patio area that blocks virtually all the wind (and direct sun), allowing us to wine and dine outside in peace, privacy, and calm…simply perfect. To top it off, the restaurant provided some scrumptious appetizers to, shall we say, grease the social interaction during the cocktail hour. During this time your Board members ‘took the temperature’ of the attendees to determine their attitudes regarding the long term future of the club. I am happy to say that the attendees were more than happy that things were returning to normal and that Club activities would resume. Dinner was quite good as well.
When it was time to leave, everyone seemed genuinely happy to have attended. There were even three or four exotic cars in the parking lot awaiting their trot home.
This was an important event, marking our return to activity after the pandemic. Based upon what I observed our Club remains viable and vital. ONWARD!!
June 13: Ferrari Announces Fashion Collection
On Sunday, June 13, as part of a lavish fashion show, Ferrari launched a new era for Marenello as a lifestyle brand. Ferrari’s first ever ready-to-wear clothing collection was presented with a full runway spectacular. This new avenue (helmed by creative director Rocco Iannone) is part of a diversification project that hopefully will add significantly to Ferrari’s bottom line. Does that mean they will cut the price of the cars and servicing them? Just asking.
Let’s hope that these models come with timing chains, and not belts.
Dateline: Early July 2021
With the hot summer weather comes a period of Club inactivity. No one is anxious to drive when the thermometer reads 115. As a consequence, we have nothing planned for the near future.
However, at least one significant event is coming into view: the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance. This will be the second year for this show, and all that attended last year deemed it a success. So, maybe you should get over there and have a look. There is one major change this year: the event will be held at the beautiful new Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin. The event is scheduled for the weekend of October 21-24. Check them out at lasvegasconcours.com for additional info.
In the meantime, be sure to visit our website (ferrariclubvegas.com) periodically to find the latest news and information on upcoming events.
FORMULA 1 NEWS
Unfortunately, this year testing was not held in Barcelona. As a consequence, I have no behind the scene tidbits to reveal. So, before we start off on the 2021 season, let’s remember back to what happened last season. The final statistics for 2020 are as follows:
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
These statistics show that Mercedes dominated once again. They handily won the constructors’ championship, and their pilots were 1-2 in the drivers’ championship. They also show that 2020 was a disaster for Ferrari. The Italian reds could only manage 6th place in the constructors’, a terrible result for a team with such resources.
The 2021 season will see several driver shake-ups throughout the field, including at some of the major teams, which is unusual. Hell, it will see major shake-ups in the names of two teams:
Racing Point will become Aston Martin. Renault will become Alpine.
The driver line-ups will be as follows (an * indicates a new driver to that team, an R indicates a rookie driver).
Ferrari:
Charles Leclerc
Carlos Sainz *
Mercedes-Benz:
Lewis Hamilton
Valtteri Bottas
Red Bull:
Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez *
McLaren:
Lando Norris
Daniel Ricciardo *
Aston Martin/Racing Point:
Lance Stroll
Sebastian Vettel *
Williams:
Nicholas Latifi
George Russell
Alfa Romeo:
Kimi Raikkonen
Antonio Giovinazzi
Haas:
Nikita Mazepin * R
Mick Schumacher * R
Alpine/Renault:
Esteban Ocon
Fernando Alonso *
Alpha Tauri:
Pierre Gasly
Yuki Tsunoda * R
Several teams made no changes. Mercedes-Benz won everything last year, and did so convincingly. They made no changes to a good thing. Williams, on the other hand, brought up the rear of the field; they also made no changes. They have George Russell, who is very quick, but they also have a very slow car. Surprisingly, Alfa Romeo brought back both grizzled veteran Kimi Raikkonen and promising youngster Antonio Giovinazzi. Everyone expected one of their seats to be filled by one of the up-and-coming rookies in the Ferrari drivers’ academy. Instead, Alfa opted for a well-functioning pair of familiar faces.
Clearly, the biggest change was at Ferrari, where 4 time world champion Sebastian Vettel was unceremoniously shown the door. There was little question that Vettel had lost his mojo, but this change was handled poorly. His replacement, Carlos Sainz, is quick, but not one of the fastest on the grid. However, he is consistent, doesn’t make mistakes, and takes good care of the machinery. He is a good team player. It will be interesting to see if he can challenge incumbent Charles Leclerc for top dog of the team. I doubt it.
Naturally, Max Verstappen, still a youngster and perhaps the fastest and boldest driver in the field, returns at Red Bull. He is joined by Sergio Perez, who drove for Racing Point in 2020. After nearly 200 starts, Sergio finally won a race last year. Not the fastest of qualifiers, he is a great racer who excels in strategy, conserving his tires, and passing. He is a consistent points finisher. If Red Bull is looking to mount a serious challenge to Mercedes for the constructors’ title, Perez was the right choice to pad their score tally.
Daniel Ricciardo makes yet another move in his personal game of musical seats. In just a few years he has gone from Red Bull to Renault, and now from Renault to McLaren, which secured Mercedes-Benz power for 2021. McLaren was already fast in 2020, switching to German power should make them serious challengers for race wins, which likely enticed Ricciardo to jump teams. Ricciardo has always been fast and has always been in a fast car, yet mostly due to bad luck, some of it self-inflicted, he has accomplished little. Will he finally find happiness driving the McLaren, paired with upcoming incumbent Lando Norris, who is very quick? Failing to out-perform Norris would be a serious blow to Riccardo’s ego.
Sebastian Vettel moves from Ferrari to Racing Point/Aston Martin (RP/AM). This is the most intriguing change of the year. Vettel seemed disoriented and disinterested last season. Can he regain his luster? RP/AM, with new team owner Lawrence Stroll’s financial wherewithal, was clearly looking to make a splash, and they have done so by bringing on the 4 time world champion. They are also looking to move up the ranks. Bringing Vettel to the team will give them stature and media coverage, and championship winning experience. Can Vettel back it up on the track? He clearly needs to demonstrate superiority to returning youngster Lance Stroll to justify his existence on this rapidly improving team.
Haas will have two rookies (Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher – yes, Michael’s son), setting up a situation where failure is expected. They now have a mercurial car, and two drivers with no experience to drive it, or improve it. The talk in the paddock says that Russian Mazepin brings more rubles to the table than skill…we shall see. This could be a disaster
Alpine/Renault returns reliable Estaban Ocon and brings in former multi-world champion Fernando Alonso, who took a multi-year sabbatical from F1 to drive sports cars, Indy cars, Le Mans prototypes, etc. Does he have anything left in the tank? Will he be old and slow, or rejuvenated and quick? This guy has mad skills. If he can call up his former self, he could be a top competitor in the mid-field driving the Renault. Again, a most intriguing situation.
And, finally, Alpha Tauri returns the very competent and very motivated Pierre Gasly, and brings in the mostly untested and unknown Yuki Tsunoda (as an inducement to Honda for continuing to supply engines) to be his teammate. Gasly is very quick and competitive; he should do well in 2021. With his ‘wild man’ years behind him, this is his opportunity to grab a drive with a top team in 2022. Tsunoda is rumored to be wicked fast, very talented, and confident. As the youngest driver on the grid, let’s hope he shows some good judgement as well.
This year, pre-season testing was held in Bahrain. The teams were all present and spent three days in early March, sometimes trying for fast times, other times checking their reliability and compatibility with Pirelli’s new for 2021 tires. Testing results are notoriously unreliable, but here is what was gleaned from the days on track. The Red Bulls looked to be the class of the field. Both Verstappen and Perez were near (or at) he front of the field on a consistent basis. Both Mercedes suffered reliability (mainly gear box) and other issues. They showed some speed when they were not in the pits or in the gravel traps after spins. While Lance Stroll was competitive in the Aston Martin, Vettel suffered both self-inflicted and mechanical problems. Other drivers who showed well included Gasly, Norris, and Sainz in the Ferrari!
March 28: GP of Bahrain (Race 1)
In an effort to reduce travel in this time of the pandemic, the first race was held in Bahrain, where the teams had tested just a few weeks earlier. Given the situation, they got down to business rapidly, and soon the sounds of screaming engines permeated the air.
Fifty seven laps around the 3.4 mile circuit were scheduled. Bahrain is in the Middle East, so it was hot. Early sessions were run in the afternoons, when it was blazing, over 100 degrees. Later sessions, including qualifying, and the race were run in the evening, when temperatures were a bit more normal (think 80). Everyone complained of low grip and fading brakes in the two (early) afternoon sessions.
Practice: The durations of the three Practice sessions were reduced to 60 minutes. Not much that was unexpected transpired during Practice; the Red Bulls, Mercedes, and McLarens topped the charts, followed by the Ferraris and Gasly (Alpha Tauri). Everyone set faster lap times in the evening session, meaning that much of the data from the early sessions might not be representative of the true speed of the cars. One thing was clear: lap times of the cars were closer than they were last year. The slower cars have improved – become faster, while the faster cars have not.
Qualifying: From Q1 on, it was clear that the Honda (Red Bull and Alpha Tauri) powered cars were very fast. Meanwhile, Russian Nikita Mazepin (Haas) was all over the track and into the gravel traps as well. The really quick guys (Mercedes and Red Bull) contested Q2 on the medium tires so they could begin the race on that compound. They were generally successful, but Perez failed to advance. However, in order to advance to Q3, Ferrari (and most others) had to run Q2 on the soft tires. The final qualifying order: Verstappen, Hamilton (4/10 of a second behind), Bottas, Leclerc (soft tires), Gasly, Ricciardo (soft), Norris (soft), Sainz (soft), Alonso (soft – no one expected this performance), and Stroll (soft). Meanwhile, Vettel continued his baffling ways. He initially qualified 17th!, and then was penalized to the rear of the field for ignoring a yellow flag.
What do these results show? Ferrari has gotten better over the off-season. Alonso is still Alonso; the man can drive. Gasly and the Alpha Tauri can challenge. Vettel still seems lost in space. And finally, the McLarens, with Mercedes engines, are a threat to the front runners.
Race: Race evening was cooler and windy, so much so that it affected the driving characteristics of the cars. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) suffered electrical issues on the formation lap, stopped on the track delaying the start of the race, managed to restart his engine, drove through the pits, and wound up starting from the rear of the pack. Meanwhile, a second formation lap was run. After all that, the race commenced.
Leclerc managed to pip Bottas on the start, while Mazepin managed to execute one of his becoming famous spins, smacking the wall and bringing out the Safety Car. When things settled down, Leclerc was motoring along in third place. But, Bottas reclaimed the position a few laps later. From that point forward, the field was running in close order and there were many terrific battles for position throughout the pack. For example, Bottas and Norris managed to pass Leclerc, but only after several exciting wheel-to-wheel battles. Laps 6 through 13 were excellent. It is to be noted that Perez, who started dead last, was up to 12th place by this time.
The first pit stops for those (including Alonso, Stroll, Leclerc, Norris…) who had started on the soft tires began on lap 13. The big surprise was that Hamilton, who had started on the mediums, also stopped. New rubber meant bolder drivers, and more battles for position. On lap 30, after a series of exciting laps, the running order (and tire choice) was Hamilton – H, Verstappen – M, Bottas – H, Norris – M, and Leclerc – M. At this point, the two Mercedes stopped for a second time, with Bottas enduring a very long delay in the pits. He was never a challenge again. On the other hand, Verstappen delayed his second stop to lap 38; he rejoined, on hard tires, about ten seconds behind Hamilton. Game on.
From this point forward, all attention was focused on the two leaders, and the excitement was palpable. Verstappen, on newer tires was slashing Hamilton’s lead by about a second a lap, and by lap 48 he was on the Mercedes’ tail. But remember, as we all know, catching someone is one thing, passing is another. Verstappen zigged and zagged, probed and juked, but Hamilton repeatedly rebuffed his attempts to get by. Two factors were hampering the Red Bull’s efforts. 1) When tracking down Hamilton, Verstappen was running in clean air. Now he was running in Hamilton’s turbulent air, and that was slowing him down. 2) Verstappen’s tires were now also beginning to show the effects of wear, and that was contributing to his difficulties in passing. As a consequence, despite his best efforts and amazing skills, Verstappen could not pass Hamilton in the remaining 8 or so laps of the race. The finishing order was Hamilton, Verstappen (less than a second behind), Bottas, Norris, Perez (once again demonstrating his race craft, starting last due to mechanical issues and finishing 5th), Leclerc (nice job in the Ferrari), Ricciardo (finishing behind teammate Norris), Sainz (nice work in his first race for Ferrari), and Tsunoda (a points finish in his first F1 race!).
This, my friends was a fabulous race. Let’s hope they are all like this. As a bonus, this race shows that Ferrari is back on the pace. It doesn’t get much better than this.
April 18: GP of Emilia Romagna at Imola (Northern Italy) (2)
This 3 mile track in the northern Italian countryside is a favorite of the drivers. The surface provides excellent grip, and speeds are high (about 145 mph is a fast lap). Given the high grip, tire life should be relatively long. A one stop race was planned by most.
Practice: It was generally cloudy, cool, and windy the entire weekend. Our Russian friend Nikita Mazepin spun twice in P1, doing some damage the second time. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also spun, in P2, doing some serious damage to his mount, as did rookie Yuki Tsunoda in P3. When Practice ended, two things were surprising: the medium tires were nearly as fast as the softs and the Ferraris were right on the pace.
Qualifying: Qualifying was dominated by ‘track limits.’ Cars were having their lap times disqualified for exceeding the official boundaries of the track. Bottas, Norris, and Sainz (Ferrari) were especially affected, having their fastest laps disqualified. As a result, the starting order was a bit mixed-up. In the end, after a highly contested session with tiny time differentials, the starting order would be Hamilton, Perez, Verstappen, Leclerc (!), Gasly (Alpha Tauri), Ricciardo, Norris, and Bottas. Sainz was 11th in the second Ferrari.
Race: After a dark and gloomy morning, a full blown rain storm hit the area just half an hour before race time. With the rain persisting and cool temperatures damping evaporation, the stewards declared a wet race. Most of the drivers started on intermediate wet tires. A few opted for caution, and started on the full wets. Cars were slipping and sliding on the formation lap, so you knew the start was going to be eventful. It was. Verstappen immediately challenged Hamilton and, after some jostling, elbowed his way to the front. Leclerc then managed to get by Perez for third. Meanwhile, behind the leaders, cars were spinning, and sometimes making big contact with the walls. The Safety Car was deployed to clear the debris.
Racing resumed on lap 7, with Leclerc challenging Hamilton for second and a ferocious battle between Sainz, Stroll, Gasly, Bottas, and Norris just behind the leaders. These five ran side-by-side for about 5 laps, with many passes, aborted passes, and passes and repasses, all in the still wet conditions. Great racing! At lap 13 the running order was Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Perez, Ricciardo, Norris, and Sainz. Soon thereafter, the intermediate wet tires were starting to show distress. However, it was still wet. Too wet for slicks? Who would blink first and visit the pits for new rubber? Given the uncertainty, the first stops were delayed until lap 22, with most everyone choosing to continue on medium slicks. The leaders were the last to stop, delaying the inevitable to lap 29.
They weren’t cautious enough. Cars on the race rubber had virtually no traction, and were difficult to control; the resulting mayhem was fast-and-furious. Hamilton had two! serious off-track excursions, but managed to bring his seriously wounded mount to the pits. His race looked to be over. Russell and Bottas collided massively, both were out. Many of those running in the mid-field were doing so absent their front wings; debris (and damaged cars) was scattered on the track, prompting the marshals to red-flag the race. Everyone returned to the pits and the mechanics began repairing the cars that might be able to continue when the race re-started. Here is where Hamilton was again Mr. Lucky…he gained a tremendous advantage. First off, he was able to unlap himself. Moreover, his mechanics were able to repair his car while everyone else was also stationary. Absent this period with all cars in the pits, Hamilton would have been lucky to finish at all. He would have had no chance to score points. Instead, he was able to answer the restart in 12th place, with all repairs done.
The order at the restart was Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Perez, Sainz, Ricciardo, and Stroll. Hamilton, back in the field, then began a magnificent charge to the front. By lap 48 he was challenging Sainz for fourth place; several laps later he passed Leclerc for third, and a few laps after that he passed Norris for second. His driving was magnificent. Then the race ended with the final finishing order of Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Sainz, Ricciardo, and Stroll. Perez finished 12th and Vettel 15th.
This was another exciting race, with lurid spins, massive accidents, and non-stop action. It once again demonstrated the superiority of Verstappen and, especially, Hamilton. Yes, he was very lucky…he was also very good. Also of note: the Ferraris are back in the hunt. More of this please!
May 2: GP of Portugal (3)
This 2.9 mile track features 15 corners, massive elevation changes, easy overtaking, and a relatively low-grip racing surface. All of this, along with the cool and very windy weather conditions, seemed to favor Mercedes, and to spell difficulties for Red Bull. Sixty-six laps were scheduled; most teams planned to make only one stop for tires.
Practice: Not much of interest transpired during the three Practice sessions. As expected, the Mercedes and Red Bulls set the pace, but the ‘others’, led by the Ferraris and the Alpines, were not far behind. The omnipresent wind caused all the drivers to proceed with caution, which likely contributed to the highly competitive lap times being set; in most of the sessions 1 second covered the top 10.
Qualifying: It seemed that the wind blew extra strong on Saturday afternoon, leading to a few off-track excursions. As is becoming usual, the fastest few cars ran Q2 on the medium tires, hoping to be fast enough to advance to Q3 on them, and to then use them at the start of the race. Most everyone else ran Q2 on the softs, hoping to advance to Q3. The wind was especially fierce during Q3, leading most to be unable to match their Q2 times when it really mattered. When it was all over, the starting order was nothing unusual: Bottas (Medium), Hamilton (M), Verstappen (M), Perez (M), Sainz (Soft), Ocon (S), and Norris (S). Leclerc in the second Ferrari managed only 8th, but on the medium tires.
Race: Race day was significantly warmer, but also even windier than either Friday or Saturday. It was howling. The guys on the soft tires had the initial advantage over the top four at the head of the field, so fireworks on the first several laps were expected…and transpired. Sainz squeezed his way past Perez and Norris made an outstanding move to move past Ocon. Unfortunately, a minor collision involving Raikkonen scattered debris on the track, causing the Safety Car to be deployed. When racing resumed on lap 6, Verstappen passed Hamilton (!), and Norris passed both Perez and Sainz. After all this action, the running order at lap 10 was Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris, Perez, Sainz, and Leclerc.
The action continued hot-and-heavy. On lap 11, Hamilton squeezed by Verstappen to retake second place, and Perez passed Norris for fourth. With Verstappen behind him, Hamilton then began an assault on Bottas for the lead. Meanwhile, those who had started on the soft tires were beginning to suffer from tire degradation, and began to slow a bit to save their rubber. On the other hand, nothing was slowing Hamilton. On lap 20 he made a brilliant pass of Bottas to take the lead.
On lap 22, Sainz was the first to pit for fresh tires. He scrapped his soft rubber and opted to continue on mediums, which meant he might need a second stop to complete the race. The other drivers that had started on soft tires followed his lead shortly thereafter. Leclerc was the first of those who had started on the mediums to stop (lap 26); he chose to continue on the hard tires. The leaders, however, managed to continue to set acceptable lap times on their original, fading medium tires. Verstappen was the first of these to stop, but on 36, 10 laps later than Leclerc. Bottas and Hamilton did the same in the next few laps, leaving Perez in the lead on some very old tires indeed. However, the wily vet managed to extend his first stint to lap 52!! When he did stop though, the other leaders retook the front of the queue. During this period, Verstappen passed Bottas, but was unable to catch Hamilton for the lead. The final finishing order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Perez, Norris, Leclerc, and Ocon. Sainz limped home in 11th on his dilapidated medium tires with 46 laps of hard service behind them.
And now, a word about Mick Schumacher. With three races in the books, Michael’s son has yet to score a point, which some might see as a disappointment. I say the critics are missing the bigger picture. Mick is driving for Haas, which is now the slowest car on the grid. Expecting a rookie driver to score with an uncompetitive car is unfair. Instead of focusing on points, young Schumacher’s worth must be measured in another currency. First, it is to be noted that Mick (unlike his fellow rookie teammate) has managed to control the car, avoiding collisions and off-track excursions. He has also managed to consistently outpace his teammate (Nikita Mazepin) in both Qualifying and the races. For example, in Portugal, Mick was 1.5 seconds faster than Mazepin in Qualifying, and he finished the race more than a minute ahead of the Russian. It seems the young man is doing just fine.
May 9: GP of Spain at Barcelona (4)
Great weather was predicted for the entire weekend at this 3 mile, 16 corner track, which is demanding on the drivers and offers little opportunity for passing. Sixty-six laps were scheduled.
Practice: The three Practice sessions produced no real surprises except for the close lap times up and down the field. At the close of each session it was not uncommon for 1 second to cover the top 10-12 drivers. That is CLOSE! Why so close? Over the five or so years of this formula (known as the turbo-hybrid era) Mercedes (and to a lesser extent Red Bull) was the first to optimize its car, now the others are slowly catching up. The Ferraris showed well in Practice, boding well for their performance in the race.
Qualifying: Almost everyone ran Q2 on the soft tires, meaning nearly everyone would start on that compound. The closely contested lap times of Practice demonstrated that at this track, at least, medium tires would not be fast enough to advance to Q3, even for the fastest drivers at the front. Everyone talked about a one stop race (switching from soft to medium tires at about lap 25), but this seemed optimistic. No one was interested in using the hard compound tires, they were too far off the pace. After a highly contested session, the starting order was Hamilton, Verstappen (3/100 of a second behind), Bottas, Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Ricciardo, and Perez. Two Ferraris in the top 6 was music to my ears.
Race: Race day was cloudy and cool, conditions that might produce slightly longer tires lives than originally foreseen. The wind direction had also changed, tossing another variable into the equation.
When the lights went dark, Verstappen fought Hamilton tooth-and-nail down the long straight, and managed to come out of turn 1 with the lead. Just behind them, Leclerc and Perez both made good starts, moving up the field; Sainz, however, made a poor start and dropped back a couple of spots. After a few laps without incident, the engine of Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri expired, causing the Safety Car to be deployed so that the car could be removed. Racing resumed on lap 10, with Verstappen, clearly the quickest on soft tires, pulling away from Hamilton, and Hamilton pulling away from the rest of the field. Other than Stroll’s brilliant pass on Alonso, the next 10 or so laps were uneventful. Then, on lap 22, the pit stops began. Gasly, Vettel, Stroll, Alonso, Sainz, and Bottas all stopped and changed to the medium tires. Verstappen had a slow stop on lap 24, but managed to rejoin the fray ahead of Hamilton. Leclerc and Hamilton were the last of the leaders to stop, on lap 29.
As soon as Hamilton resumed, it was clear that the advantage had shifted to Mercedes. He was clearly quicker than Verstappen on the medium tires. The Mercedes was quickly on Verstappen’s tail, looking for a place to pass on this track where passing is very difficult. Hamilton juked and jived, but could not find a way to pass the Red Bull and regain the lead. After six or seven laps of frustration, Hamilton made a surprise move; on lap 42 he stopped again for a new set of medium tires. He rejoined in third place, about 10 seconds behind Bottas (now in second), and 22 seconds behind Verstappen in the lead. With about 24 laps to go it was GAME ON.
Meanwhile though, there was plenty of action throughout the field. Perez made a great move to pass Ricciardo (lap 47) and Sainz pulled off an excellent pass of Norris (lap 51) and then Ocon (lap 52). But the real nail biting action was at the front, where Hamilton was on a charge to catch the two cars ahead of him. He was on Bottas’ tail by lap 52, but the Finn put up a surprisingly strong fight against his teammate to hold on to second place. He failed, and Hamilton went by looking for Verstappen. Seven laps later he was on Verstappen’s tail, and on lap 60 the Brit regained the lead he had lost on the first corner of the first lap. The final six laps were relatively uneventful except for attempts to set fastest lap, and the finishing order was Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, Perez, Ricciardo, and Sainz. Two Ferraris finished in the top 7 – not too bad, especially when compared to last year.
May 23: GP of Monaco (5)
Monaco is the shortest, slowest, tightest, most famous, most picturesque and most challenging venue-track on the F1 circuit. The lap is only 2 miles, but has 19 turns, one a hair-pin that slows the cars to about 20 mph. Average lap speeds are in the 100 mph range. It is virtually impossible to pass at Monaco, so grid position is paramount. 78 laps were scheduled. The teams planned for one stop.
Practice: The Ferraris, with Sainz leading the way, were astonishingly fast throughout the Practice sessions. This was a revelation. It was wonderful to see the red cars back at the front. In the final session, P3, the top three times were posted by Verstappen, Leclerc, and Sainz. The Mercedes were off the pace.
Qualifying: The pundits did not know what to say after the Ferrari showing in Practice, but they generally concluded that things would return to normal in Qualifying. Then Leclerc and Sainz duplicated their Practice results in Qualifying. The grid order would be: Leclerc, Verstappen, Bottas, Sainz, Norris, Gasly, Hamilton, Vettel and Perez. Two Ferraris in the top four was simply unexpected. Hamilton mired in seventh place was beyond comprehension.
Unfortunately, there was a fly in the ointment. There is always a fly in the ointment. Leclerc, on his fastest lap at the very end on Q3, smacked a wall. That ended Qualifying a few seconds early, which prevented some of the fast guys from setting their fastest laps. More importantly, it meant that Leclerc’s car needed to be rebuilt before the race. The (English) pundits, clearly unhappy with Hamilton’s woes, predicted that the gearbox of the Ferrari would need to be replaced, which would incur a five grid spot penalty for Leclerc. Despite the general agreement that the gearbox would need replacing, Ferrari decided to roll the dice and to not replace the gearbox. Disaster struck almost immediately. The half-shaft on the opposite side of the accident suffered damage which was not visible to the eye, and failed when Leclerc attempted to drive the installation lap prior to the race on Sunday morning. The Ferrari pole at Monaco evaporated into thin air. Ferrari had shot itself in the foot, as it quite often does.
Race: All of the top ten were on soft tires. The plan was to make one stop when the soft tires gave up the ghost. The start was clean and relatively uneventful. In the first 500 feet, Verstappen had to make a serious move to block Bottas from jumping to the lead, but after that things settled down and not much transpired for the first third of the race. The cars were parading around the track, saving their tires, waiting for something to happen. Pit stops started on lap 30, when Hamilton stopped and changed to the hard tires. He rejoined behind Gasly, mired in traffic. Bottas stopped on the next lap, when his mechanics flubbed the stop by damaging the head of the knock-off wheel nut on one of the tires. No matter how hard they tried they could not remove the nut, they only made matters worse and Bottas retired. All of the top runners stopped in the next few laps, with Perez holding off until lap 36.
At this point it became obvious that it was simply impossible to overtake, and the race devolved into a colorful parade. Verstappen controlled the pace from the front and that was that. Sainz challenged the Red Bull several times, but was never able to mount a serious threat. The finishing order was Verstappen, Sainz, Norris, Perez, Vettel, Gasly, Hamilton, and Stroll.
With these results, Verstappen and Red Bull took a tiny lead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
The big question, though, concerns Ferrari. Where did this sudden competiveness come from? Is it here to stay? Or, is it a product of this unusual track? Tune in for the next episode…
June 6: GP of Azerbaijan (6)
This intriguing street circuit, 3.7 miles long with 20 turns, located on the Caspian Sea, offers some outstanding medieval architecture. The juxtaposition of a space age F1 car to the 14th (?) century castle is startling. The track itself is similar to Monaco, twisty and challenging, but with two long, long straights thrown in to add some spice. While it is pretty easy to pass here, it is also easy to hit a barrier. Drivers beware. Setting up the cars was a balancing act: enough downforce for the turns was needed, but too much would slow the cars on the straights. Most planned to start on the soft tires and to make one stop (for hard tires) at around lap 15, of the 51 scheduled. The weather was forecast to be hot the entire weekend.
Practice: After their impressive showing at Monaco, the Ferraris continued their rampage, running at or near the top of the leaderboards throughout the Practice sessions. The Red Bulls appeared to be their biggest challenge, with the Mercedes a bit off the pace. As predicted, there were quite a few encounters between machines and barriers, including one involving Max Verstappen himself. When Practice came to an end, the Ferraris seemed to be the cars to beat. The one fly in the ointment (there is always…) seemed to be that the red Italians were wearing their tires faster than the other top teams.
Qualifying: All of the Qualifying sessions were disrupted, interrupted, and/or delayed by accidents, and the clean-up efforts associated with them. High tech machines met archaic barriers, and the machines lost. Consequently, the results were not quite as significant/representative as normal: Leclerc (!!), Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly (!), Sainz, Norris (subsequently penalized three places), and Perez. One thing for sure: the Ferraris continued to be VERY competitive.
Race: The start was clean with few changes in positions thru the first lap. However, on lap 2 Hamilton used Leclerc’s slipstream on the long straight to easily overtake the Ferrari for the lead. Verstappen was able to do the same to Leclerc on lap 7. Meanwhile, Sainz in the second Ferrari was cruising along in 6th place, faster than those behind him, slower than those ahead. As predicted, the Ferraris were the first to stop for new tires (Leclerc on lap 9), but, surprisingly, most of the leaders followed his lead in short order. By lap 15 most of the leaders had stopped for tires and the leaderboard looked like this: Vettel (who had not stopped and was driving delicately, looking to make his tires last as long as possible), Verstappen, Perez, Hamilton, Stroll (who had started from the rear of the pack on hard tires and who had not yet stopped), Gasly, and Leclerc.
At this point, Verstappen was maintaining a comfortable lead and it looked as if the race was essentially over. NOT SO FAST! On lap 31, Stroll (still on his original hard tires) experienced a tire failure on the long straight that launched him into a wall. The massive shunt required massive clean-up, and deployment of the Safety Car to get it done. Surprisingly, none of the leaders used this opportunity to mount fresh tires. When racing resumed, the bunched field saw many challenges for position, but little actual change in the leaderboard. Then, on lap 47, Verstappen experienced spectacular tire failure similar to that of Stroll. He spun and smashed the wall, again bringing out the Safety Car; then the race was Red Flagged so that the debris could be removed. The drivers retuned to pit lane to await the action of the marshals. This time, with tire integrity in question, everyone mounted the best set of tires they had on hand, preparing for a sprint to the finish, just 4 laps in the future. (It was later determined that the tires had failed due to being cut by debris.) These circumstances handed a great boon to Vettel, as he was the only driver within sniffing distance of the front that still had a new set of soft tires, which had been held in reserve for just such as occurrence.
The standing re-start provided immediate action. Hamilton, from third on the grid, must have had some sort of failure…of tires, brakes, steering, or brain: he seemed to make no effort to negotiate turn 1 and simply drove off the track. (It was later learned that he had inadvertently changed one of the brake related settings on his steering wheel.) With the field again bunched up, and several of the fastest cars out of the race, some serious, hard-fought racing ensued. Gasly, Norris, and Leclerc waged a duel for the ages, while Sainz, Tsunoda, and Alonso (who would pass 4 cars in the final 4 laps) were battling just a few seconds farther behind. Meanwhile, Vettel was fastest on track and rapidly working his way to the front. When the 51st lap ended, every race fan certainly wanted more. But the race was over with the finishing order of Perez (whose Red Bull failed just yards beyond the finish line), Vettel (yes, that is not a misprint), Gasly (ditto), Leclerc, Norris, Alonso, Tsunoda (these were the rookie’s first points), and Sainz.
This race was exciting, dangerous, and bizarre. What more can you ask for? With DNFs by both championship leaders, the rest of the field slashed their gaps to the lead. Tune in next time for more on the weird and whacky world of F1.
June 20: GP of France (7)
Raceway Paul Ricard is a long, wide, open track located in the South of France. Only 15 turns grace its 3.6 miles, which sees speeds in excess of 200 mph. It also features some very nasty curbing for those that should venture off the assigned route. The weather report called for very hot and windy weather on Friday and Saturday, and possible rain on Sunday. Fifty-three laps were scheduled, and most planned for only one stop. The common strategy called for starting on medium tires and the switching to hard tires at about lap 20.
Practice: Numerous cars ventured off course during the three sessions. Those that managed to find the far-off walls certainly earned their comeuppance, while those who merely ran over the big, yellow curbs beside the track were treated to serious front wing damage. Data gathered in Practice hammered home one fact: the soft tires were too fragile for serious race deployment. In the end, as usual, the Mercedes and Red Bulls occupied the top of the time sheets.
Qualifying: The Qualifying sessions were stopped on two occasions to clean up from cars that smacked the walls. Despite the mayhem, Hamilton managed to pull off another minor miracle: after being significantly slower than Bottas in every Practice session, he managed to out-qualify his teammate when it really mattered. Times were very close, and the grid provided few real surprises: Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas, Perez, Sainz, Gasly, and Leclerc.
Race: Verstappen suffered a momentary loss of grip at the start and was promptly passed by Hamilton. In the mid-field, Alonso and Riccardo squeezed by Norris, and there were several other passes. Meanwhile, at the rear of the pack several changes of position also occurred, making for an exciting first lap.
Several drivers, most notably Alonso, began to complain about tire degradation as early as lap 11, much sooner than expected. Then, within two laps, Norris and Ricciardo, and then Vettel, passed Alonso. With most of the field complaining about tires, the pit stops started earlier than anticipated. Leclerc was the first (lap 15) to pit for hard tires, and most of the front runners followed suit. At lap 20, the running order was a bit jumbled. Perez was leading, but had not stopped (he was cruising, saving tires, and ultimately delayed his stop to lap 25). After their stops, Verstappen, Hamilton, and Bottas were running hard, nose-to-tail, pushing their new hard tires. Meanwhile, Leclerc and Sainz motored along in 7th and 8th, fighting the battles of the mid-field, looking to score maximum points.
Then, unexpectedly, on lap 26, with only 5-10 laps on their new hard tires, the front runners again began complaining of tire degradation. Each of the three leaders, still running in very close order, made it known that they could not remain competitive for another 25 +/- laps on their current tires. Things were clearly very unclear. Finally, on lap 32, Verstappen was the first to blink. He returned to the pits for a second stop and a new set of medium tires, rejoining the fray in fourth place, about 12 seconds behind Hamilton, the new leader. At this point the running order was Hamilton, Bottas, Perez (saving his tires), Verstappen, Vettel (saving his tires), Norris, and Stroll (also in tire conservation mode).
A very tense period of the race ensued, with Verstappen and Perez slowly but surely catching the two Mercedes at the front of the pack. Initially, Verstappen caught and passed his teammate; he then caught Bottas on lap 44. When Verstappen attempted to pass, Bottas fought the move tooth-and-nail. The two battled side-by-side through four consecutive corners before Verstappen finally claimed the position. He then set off to catch Hamilton, who was 5 or so seconds ahead. Meanwhile, Perez managed to catch and pass Bottas for third place on lap 49. Verstappen was on Hamilton’s tail by lap 51, and managed to pass the race leader with a ruthless move on lap 52. And then the race was over.
The final finishing order was Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Bottas, Norris, Ricciardo, and Gasly. Sainz finished 11th, Leclerc 16th.
This was a tense, exciting, and strategic race. It is too bad Ferrari wasn’t involved. Red Bull, on this occasion, was the team that defied general concurrence. Their different approach won the race for Verstappen, but by only a few seconds. This is turning out to be a classic year for F1.
June 27: GP of Styria (Austria) (8)
The Red Bull Ring, located in Northern Austria, hosted race 7 of 2021. The track is short (2.7 miles) and fast (average lap speeds are in the 150 mph range), resulting in very Quick lap times (just over a minute). Being in the mountains, the terrain is hilly and the track features large elevation changes. 71 laps were planned.
Practice: Friday and Saturday were both nice days, with the drivers pounding out as many laps as possible to determine their race pace, tire degradation (which seemed to be low), and figure out their strategies. The usual suspects; Mercedes, Red Bull, and Gasly, along with the Alpines and the McLarens; looked good. In P2 Bottas overcooked his departure from the pits and spun his car IN PIT LANE. He was given a three spot grid position penalty for endangering life and limb.
Qualifying: Considering the low tire degradation, most of the drivers decided to start on the soft tires. However, the fast three (Verstappen, Hamilton, and Bottas) opted for the mediums. The starting order was Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris (surprise), Perez, Bottas (penalized from second), Gasly, and Leclerc.
Race: Sunday was HOT…hot enough to relegate all the carefully mapped out strategies to the trash can. Moreover, rain was a serious possibility…another variable not yet accounted for.
The field made a pretty clean start; the only bumping involved Gasly and Leclerc (on an unlucky streak), who was forced to stop after less than a lap to replace a punctured tire. Gasly was not so lucky – he was out of the race. The action got going on lap 8, when four cars passed Ricciardo. Soon thereafter both Perez and Bottas passed Norris, so a lot of action was concentrated into a few laps. When things settled down a bit, the running order was Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez, Bottas, Norris, Stroll, and Alonso. While the front of the field was motoring away, the cars running from 7th through 14th were tightly bunched and squabbling to pass for position on virtually every lap. Good stuff. Meanwhile, Leclerc was on a charge from the rear of the field. He was up to 14th by lap 26.
On lap 27, Perez, who had started on the soft tires, was the first to pit. He had a slow stop and returned to the fray behind Bottas. By lap 35 most of the front runners had made their stops, and the running order was Verstappen (who seemed to be setting the pace with little effort), Hamilton (providing no real challenge to the lead), Bottas, Perez, Sainz (who had not stopped and was in tire conservation mode, hoping for a Safety Car period), and Norris. Sainz finally made his first stop on lap 43. Virtually everyone who stopped for tires during this window opted to resume the race on the hard tires.
The race was mostly uneventful from this point forward. Rain threatened, but never quite arrived. In an effort to shake things up, Perez made a second stop on lap 55, but rejoined too far behind the leaders to make a serious challenge. In fact, the final laps saw only Leclerc in his Ferrari making serious headway. As the laps ticked away, he managed to catch and pass Tsunoda (the rookie drove a nice race), Alonso, and Stroll, and finish seventh. Where would he have been absent that first lap collision, tire puncture, and pit stop? We’ll never know, but we do know the official finishing order: Verstappen, Hamilton, Bottas, Perez, Norris, Sainz, and Leclerc.
Given recent race results, it appears that the momentum has shifted…that Verstappen and Red Bull, after years of domination by Hamilton/Mercedes, have finally gained the upper hand. But it is a fragile advantage that Verstappen has eked out…a slight edge. Will the momentum shift again when Mercedes wins a race? Who knows? No one knows, but everyone cares. When it is this close, the excitement is palatable. So, be sure to tune in next week for our next exciting episode.
The Formula One Score Board – through 8 races
So, what does the scoreboard look like after 8 races? It looks close. After years of domination by Mercedes, it appears that 2021 will be a highly competitive season. Significantly, Perez (in the second Red Bull) is ahead of Bottas (in the second Mercedes. This hasn’t happened in years. It hints that at this moment the Red Bull is the superior car.
Drivers:
Verstappen…156
Hamilton…138
Perez…96
Norris…86
Bottas…74
Leclerc…58
Sainz…50
Constructors:
Red Bull…252
Mercedes…212
McLaren…120
Ferrari…108
These results further show that Ferrari is back in the game. The red cars are a threat for high grid positions and for scoring significant points. McLaren is now the team to beat for Ferrari. That certainly makes things more interesting than they were last year.