Eifel GP Race Report: 2 GOATs

Formula One returned to the Nurburgring this weekend. Not for the German Grand Prix, but the Eifel Grand Prix - ask the rights holders why. Whatever the name of the race, the challenge of an excellent and classic track presented itself, and it didn’t disappoint.

Biggest winner: What do you reckon?

I know it’ll take many by surprise, so make sure you are sitting down before you read the following sentence. Lewis Hamilton won the Grand Prix. The metronomic fashion in which he churns out the victories has led to such high expectation from the world and himself - anything less than a win is a nasty shock. That is how the very best function. On this occasion, he joined the best, matching Michael Schumacher’s 91 victories at the top of the tree for race victories. 

Jackie Stewart was talking earlier this week of his opinion that Lewis will never match the greats of the past of Jim Clark and Juan Manual Fangio because he has had the best car. Stewart is highly respected by many; however, his view, like everyone, might be questioned. What is true is that over the years, the most outstanding drivers have sat in the most excellent cars, and this has been the case since Fangio and will be the case after Hamilton. 

I remember when I watched my first Grand Prix. It was the race in Canada in 2007. I was immediately excited by the rookie who was winning because that’s what I’d seen Lightning McQueen do. This rookie brought my attention to Formula One. 13 years later, that rookie is on top of his game as well as the competition. 

Once again, arguably Britain’s most successful sportsperson of this generation was overlooked for a knighthood. Yes, he’s not at the end of his career, but neither are Sir Mo or Sir Andy. With the greatest of respect to these fine athletes, it brings the meaning of honours into question.

However, whatever your opinion of the man, you can hardly deny that he is one of the greatest of all time and a fantastic ambassador for British sport. Congratulations.

Biggest loser: Alex Albon

It was a race of attrition, where a quarter of the field failed to finish. For that reason, you could argue that there were multiple losers, which is true. Bottas certainly suffered a significant loss, relinquishing the lead of the race due to a mistake into the first corner and then retiring with an engine issue. He now trails Hamilton in the championship by 69 points. He doesn’t give up, but overcoming that margin will require luck and beating a driver who I’ve already described with enough superlatives. 

Instead, Alex Albon had a concerning weekend. I want so badly to do well, but he is making it difficult for himself and his team. After qualifying fifth, he was asked whether he thinks that he can get a podium. He wasn’t so convinced and said that he would be happy with fourth. He is in the second fastest car. To finish fourth should be the minimum goal that he has in mind. The issue that he has is that Mercedes and Max Verstappen are consistently on form, so to get on the podium in normal circumstances is a challenge. But even so, as a top-level athlete, you have to be focused on only number one. 

With Bottas’ troubles, Albon had the tools to finish at least third. However, a tardy start saw him drop back. Red Bull then pitted him for tyres in a hope to make something happen with fresh tyres. Yet, in fighting back through the pack, he had a clumsy collision with Kvyat, resulting in damage that forced him to retire. The only positive of doing so meant that he didn’t have to serve his penalty. With the likes of Perez without a drive and Gasly winning in the junior team, Alex needs to swim fast because Formula One is the deep end.

Moment of the race: Ricciardo’s maiden podium for Renault

Daniel Ricciardo left his previous employers with a pair of boots that seemingly cannot be filled. At the end of the year, he will leave his current employers with a tattoo on the team boss. He finally achieved the podium that he and Renault had deserved this season. A former bet between himself and Cyril Abiteboul on whether the Aussie could score a podium also means that the Frenchman is getting inked for the first time. Daniel is picking the design. The Australian is part of the upper echelon of drivers, and even if he doesn’t have the car to do it every weekend, he is always aiming for the top. That’s why he could achieve the podium finish. 

The best moment for me was that Daniel made sure that he took the time to congratulate every team member that was waiting for him in the pit lane with a fist bump. Given that he is leaving at the end of the season, it could be unharmonious, but because it is Daniel, that won’t be the case. 

Honourable mention: Nico ‘Hulkenback’

At 11 am on Saturday, Nico Hulkenberg was sat with a friend in a Cologne cafe, drinking coffee. Tranquil. Moments later, he was in his car, driving to the Nurburgring. Lance Stroll was ill, and so Hulkenberg was called in to play the super-sub role - again. 

Covering for Perez at Silverstone was tough, but this weekend was even more difficult for the German because he had no practice at all. That translated to him qualifying in last place. The prizes aren’t handed out on a Saturday though, and Sunday was a different day. From the back, Nico climbed up the order, keeping out of trouble and showing his class to finish in eighth position. He is now 15th in the championship with 10 points. To put that into perspective, he is 7 points behind Sebastian Vettel, who has competed in all of the races this year - Nico has only started two Grand Prix. 

It was a shame that he lost his seat last year. These sorts of performances show that he is still one of the best drivers on the planet. I think that he and his teammate, Sergio Perez, would be great signings for Haas, who are looking around. 

‘AJontheLine’ Line of the weekend: Classic Kimi

In a record-breaking weekend for Formula One, and indeed world sport, it was fitting that Kimi Räikkönen became the most experienced Grand Prix driver ever. The word ‘indifferent’ was one made for Kimi, and in achieving this milestone, he was annoyed with the fuss that he was getting. You would expect nothing less. A dry sense of humour accompanies Kimi’s laid-back nature, and at 40, he is still as quick-witted as ever.

For Sky Sports F1, Kimi spoke on a Zoom call to highly-respected pundit and commentator, Martin Brundle, and the previous holder of the record and all-round good guy, Rubens Barrichello. In closing out the interview, Brundle observed that there were six legs, six arms and probably one brain between them. Kimi then pointed out that the single brain among them was his own. This is why he has the huge following that he does. This is why I am yet to find someone that doesn’t like Kimi.

It was apt that it was at the Nurburgring that Hamilton matched Michael. The Nurburgring is, after all, the local track for the Schumacher family. There was a touching moment after the race when Mick Schumacher (son of Michael and future F1 driver) presented Lewis with a race-worn helmet of Michael’s in recognition of the achievement. Given Michael’s state, pieces of the German’s history like that helmet means so much to the family and now to Lewis. It felt like a passing on of the baton, for Lewis to take it and run. Michael did always say that records were there to be broken.

See you in Portugal.