The curious case of Pierre Gasly

When the F1 world thinks about drivers with uncertain futures, Pierre Gasly is a name that doesn’t necessarily come immediately off the tongue. However, he is on that list, which is frankly mad based on his performances over the past few years.

Despite being a race winner, team leader and fan favourite, news in recent days suggests that Pierre’s position at AlphaTauri could be under question.

Sergio Perez’s contract extension with Red Bull was announced last week following the Mexican clumsily mentioning the deal on the live feed following his excellent win in Monaco. The correct decision for Red Bull’s senior team, as proven by Perez’s performance on that wet day.

“So what next for the Frenchman?”

This news effectively closes the door to another promotion to Red Bull for Gasly. So what next for the Frenchman?

In reality, the status quo works for Pierre and for AlphaTauri. Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda are a great pairing of youth, speed and the ability to improve quickly. That is precisely what Red Bull’s junior team need in their drivers. It is also clear that Pierre is the team leader, happy and comfortable.

There aren’t any Red Bull drivers that obviously need promoting from the feeder series. Yet, Pierre’s position cannot last forever in what is a junior team. They say that once you are comfortable within your role, you should move on to something more challenging to develop further. So one way or another, it would be beneficial for the growth of Pierre Gasly to move on.

“Pierre was not just uncomfortable - he was out of his depth”

The issue is that when he last moved on, he was in a tricky car next to one of the quickest on the grid in Max Verstappen. Pierre was not just uncomfortable - he was out of his depth. And you can’t help but feel that a part of him may fear leaving his family in Florenza.

Where should Gasly go?

I wrote an article on Daniel Ricciardo’s future in F1, and McLaren will be critical in the driver market. If they ditch Daniel, all dominos will begin to fall. Zak Brown may have an interest in IndyCar drivers. However, the reality is that Pierre is a known quantity and rated well in the F1 paddock. So he will surely be on the shortlist.

Pierre would be an excellent signing for McLaren. He may be as quick as Lando Norris, but enough to ensure that both cars are up there and keep Woking’s leading man honest. It’s the same reason Gasly would be a suitable Mercedes recruit if Hamilton was to make a shock retirement (as much as this would disappoint Nick De Vries).

Crucially, something that counts against Pierre is that Red Bull’s top team seems to have a problem even considering Gasly returning to the team. It appears as though Pierre was more distracted by bad results and found it difficult to move on compared to Sergio Perez.

“other teams will have underlying concerns of history repeating”

While it is true that Pierre was parachuted into a demanding scenario at a young age, other teams will have underlying concerns of history repeating when considering his services.

While most people watching F1 would assume that Gasly will safely have a long successful F1 career, there is a fear that he will be left behind by his peers and replaced by someone new.

Pierre Gasly’s next career move will define his F1 legacy.

Our F1 season predictions were probably wrong - and that’s tremendous

Last week, we did a podcast episode on AJontheLine, predicting the upcoming F1 season. And while it was enjoyable, with some exciting and amusing thoughts, I suspect that our predictions will be whole-heartedly wrong. But that’s tremendous.

While one may look at this poor foresight as a lack of knowledge or understanding, I look at it differently. It means that we are heading towards a fascinating season of Formula 1.

I put Red Bull as the fourth fastest car, but that looks wrong as they seem favourites now. Similarly, I put Alpine last, and they seem quick as I write during the first practice session of the season. 

I could see Charles Leclerc as one of the biggest favourites for the championship in that lightning-fast Ferrari, but how can I count out his teammate Carlos Sainz? He beat Leclerc last year and held his own against Max Verstappen back in their Toro Rosso days. The fastest Ferrari driver battle will be a spicy and tightly-contested spectacle - and it could decide the champion.

Mercedes look like they are genuinely struggling with ‘porpoising’ (listen to this podcast for more on that) but have a fast car if they can sort that out. Will they come back later in the season? Will their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, the legend and the apprentice, remain harmonious? They surely need to initially as they get their car back to the front.

McLaren is so hard to call as well. Surely Lando Norris can find his first victory and Daniel Ricciardo his form. However, those brake issues were less than ideal last week. Either way, it is so good to see the team in a good, stable place with plenty of sponsors.

Then there is the ‘midfield’, the most confusing of the lot. Any remaining team could be the best of the rest or better on any given weekend. Will Haas, having dropped their Russian money for an old friend, be the biggest surprise? Will Fernando Alonso get the championship battle he returned to F1 for? Will Alpha Tauri shock the world and be better than the midfield? Pierre Gasly was fastest in the first session of the year, and young Yuki Tsunoda looks ready to balance his unfiltered brilliance with maturity.

There are so many questions, and those above are just the tip of the iceberg. This is a new F1 season feeling, but this time it is all-new. The shakeup in the regulations means that we can’t call anything. And that’s more than okay. Sit back, enjoy this season and join us on AJontheLine for all of the biggest talking points.

He's back! - How somebody posting a photo from the Grand Canyon nearly broke the internet

If you hadn't heard, the Abu Dhabi Grand at the end of last year's enthralling F1 season was a little bit controversial. Lewis Hamilton was dominant. However, Max Verstappen stole the race and the championship on the final lap thanks to some weird decisions from race control. 

Whatever your opinion - check Twitter, there are many - Lewis Hamilton was left heartbroken and "disillusioned". He had lost the championship that would elevate him to undisputed 'greatest of all time' status through no fault of his own. The other elephant in the room was that the FIA needed to ensure that never such a thing would happen again. 

Hamilton's team, Mercedes, protested the race result - a protest rejected by the FIA. Mercedes then appealed this before retracting the appeal, given that it knew the FIA would be the ones "marking its own homework," and there isn't much satisfaction in winning a championship in court. Mercedes did say, though, that the FIA needed to make changes.

The intriguing thing throughout all of this was the complete silence from Lewis Hamilton. He only spoke briefly after the race to congratulate Verstappen. He appeared in public twice to be knighted and celebrate Mercedes' team championship win. 

Silence is powerful.

The muteness accompanied by rumours of retirement has been the biggest talking point in the F1 community since then. The driver, who is arguably bigger than F1, may have been pushed away by the sport that he loves and to which he has given everything. 

But then, on Saturday evening, up pops Lewis on Instagram and Twitter, posting a photo of him turning and smiling at the camera in a desert. The caption: "I've been gone. Now I'm back!".

To say that this post caused a stir would be an understatement. It was the trending topic on Twitter, it made a Sky News bulletin, and t received more interaction than Max Verstappen's world championship celebration post. Yes, it's all a bit silly. But what does this all mean?

On the surface, it appears that Lewis Hamilton is not retiring, which is great news for Formula One, British sport and the world in general. You want the best in the world doing what they are the best at - otherwise, it feels a little bit like a waste.

Below the surface will be more intriguing. Lewis was said to have needed some assurances from the FIA before committing to another season in F1. So what deal has been agreed? 

Firstly, changes would need to be made in the FIA, as we have already said - this is a world-class sport and cannot be run by primarily ammeters. Many people call for Michael Masi, the race director, to be sacked, but I don't think that is helpful. As obtuse as he was immediately after the race in Abu Dhabi, he was put under extreme pressure and needs more support. 

Secondly, I suspect Lewis, like many, would have been calling for the laws of racing to be made clear and consistent. Last season, Max was over the limit and unpunished on multiple occasions. For drivers' safety and the fans' understanding, this needs to be addressed, and Lewis has the bargaining power to have that impact. 

Finally, he may have used his bargaining power to promote the long term goals of Lewis in the sport. F1 is elitist. Despite the 'we race as one' messages, it needs to do more for sustainability and be more accessible for competitors of all backgrounds. I wonder whether Lewis has encouraged a more effective strategy in this direction. 

Let me be clear. Lewis' silence was not simply a calculated move to change the sport. He was hurt, so taking time away from the public eye will have been extremely healthy and necessary after that draining season. The way that Lewis conducts himself and speaks this season will be fascinating. And his pursuit of title number 8, which he understandably feels should be his, will be enthralling to watch.

I am buzzing for F1 2022, and I hope you are too. Join us on AJontheLine for every twist and turn.

Britain’s love affair with losers has helped Lewis’ UK popularity - but at what cost?

Last week, from the train to the pub to the water cooler (if they are even safe nowadays), the world was talking about Formula One. As somebody who had watched, talked about and introduced people to F1 since I was seven, the lead up to the weekend was many emotions. Mostly pride. 

Sadly, F1 has a habit of shooting itself in the foot. Last weekend, it chose a rocket launcher, forgetting meritocracy in pursuit of drama and creating controversy in the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - listen to more on that here. 

As the world watched on, the victim of Sunday's cock up was Sir Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion led 57 and a half of the 58 laps of the final race in which he needed to win to become champion. In the penultimate lap, decision-making by the Race Director (referee) gave Max Verstappen the advantage that he needed to overtake Hamilton and snatch the championship. Did Max deserve the championship? Yes. Should Lewis have been the champion? Unquestionably.

This week, F1 has been on the news and trending on social media, with a public outcry for an apparent injustice within the meritocratic realm of sport. From Piers Morgan to Samual L Jackson, the world was upset on Hamilton's behalf. The 'next goal wins' analogy has been thrown around and is a great way to describe what people who love F1 as much as I still don't understand. 

“What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.”

People love a young champion who defies odds to represent their people on the world stage. Lewis Hamilton has been that and more for the past 15 years. What people love even more is seeing a champion fall, which is what happened on Sunday.

This wasn't a fall from grace or a question of being outclassed by a young buck. Lewis Hamilton has what it took to take on Max Verstappen in what is widely agreed to have been a minimally inferior car. Moreover, a broken Hamilton congratulated the Verstappen camp, losing with the dignity many would have not blamed him for putting to one side. Lewis' sportsmanship in the face of adversity was almost as awe-inspiring as the audacity required by the Race Director to break his own rules. 

“However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion.” 

One of the first blog posts I wrote talked about how Britain's negativity niggled with its success in a sporting arena. By no means did the UK's pessimistic mentality impact the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, that pessimism might well have been the reason that the British public has never really taken to arguably their greatest sporting champion. 

Something changed on Sunday. The outcry in this country for the injustice (yes, I know there are more significant problems in the world) was massive. On top of this, you never heard anyone criticising Hamilton - something that has become the norm. But how could you? The guy has done everything, from driving to sportsmanship, perfectly. For once, there wasn't really a way that the media could spin it in a way that would make Lewis look bad. Like the England team in the Euros this summer, he had looked destined to win until it fell apart cruelly in the closing minutes. 

“But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?”

While he lost the championship, Lewis Hamilton seems to have finally won some British hearts. But what impact has this daylight robbery had on the British superstar, who we forget is still a human?

Lewis hasn't been on social media all week, he chose not to go to the FIA prize-giving gala and, other than the interview that he did immediately after the race before going to the podium, he has not done any interviews. He returned to his team's headquarters to celebrate Mercedes' team championship victory on Friday. Oh, and he got knighted at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. So it's been quite a week. 

He has no obligation to talk about the pain he may feel as he processes last weekend in his own time. However, it means that we can only glean information about his state of mind from what those close to him have said. His boss, Toto Wolff, is an excellent example of this. And probably the only one too. 

In a media session following Mercedes' decision not to take the Sunday's events to court, Wolff explained that neither he nor Lewis would ever get over the pain and stress. While this may sound dramatic from the outside, it makes you think. Imagine you have dedicated your life to something. You have plenty of other things that you could be pursuing. Still, your passion for that something is so great that you reach the verge of becoming the undisputed greatest. At that moment, the world watches on, and through no fault of your own, somebody changes the rules to let someone else beat you. 

“Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.”

I fear that F1's biggest asset and ambassador is disillusioned. You wouldn't blame Lewis for walking away. However, you wouldn't blame him for living up to the 'bad loser' image that so many Britons seem to have of him when he lost on Sunday. Changes are required in F1 if it wants to keep Lewis Hamilton and the spotlight that he brings.

2022…

So long as he is mentally healthy and enjoying himself, I hope, and I believe that Lewis Hamilton will return next year. Worryingly for his competition, he is going to be stronger too. As we saw in Brazil this year, when his back is against the wall, that is when he shines the brightest. You then have to factor in Max Verstappen, who will be his biggest challenge next season, now armed with the experience of fighting for a championship. Let's not forget that significant changes are coming in terms of the cars, hopefully bringing them closer. With such changes, you can't rule Ferrari or McLaren out. All four drivers for those teams are top operators, but, for me, Charles Leclerc is the real deal.  

So while the final chapter of 2021 may be filled with controversy, do not despair with Formula One. If we had stopped watching football after Maradona's 'hand of God' intervened, we would have missed magical moments that include Lionel Messi. Like life, sport is unfair, injustice and can stab you in the back no matter how much love you show it. But with troughs come incredible peaks - I am grateful not to have missed Hungary, USA and Brazil, this year.

I can't guarantee another winner takes all decider, like this season. However, all being well, we will see the best driver on the planet fighting it out - this time, with more than two going for the championship. You wouldn't want to miss that. 

2021 has been a season for the ages, and I already can't wait for 2022. See you then.

Listen to the AJontheLine F1 2021 Season Review - out soon.

Hungarian GP Report: Sacre Bleu!

The Hungarian Grand Prix was being hyped up after the title-defining British Grand Prix, and I was concerned that it wouldn't live up to it. However, like a chocolate brownie, the battle of Budapest is impossible to overrate and delivered again. With a first time winner, crazy weather, a comeback drive, battles between the best and underdogs succeeding, this race had it all. 

Lewis Hamilton started from pole position after a scintillating lap in qualifying, giving him his 101st pole position. Behind Hamilton was his teammate Bottas, and then the two Red Bull's, who were seeking revenge after last time out. Drama on the horizon? Surely.

How do you complicate a Grand Prix? A downpour of rain just before the start of the race, of course. That's precisely what happened. Tension built, and when the lights went out, there was minimal grip. It was anybody's race.

Hamilton got away well but, his rear gunner certainly didn't. Verstappen, Norris and Perez all muscled their way through, but in a bid to make up the places, Bottas braked later than those ahead. Unfortunately, it was ambition ahead of the physics of friction. The Fin sailed into the back of Norris, leading to several drivers either being knocked out of the race or heavily damaged. Crucially for the championship, Verstappen was one of those who took on significant damage. 

Bottas was out.

Perez was out.

Norris was out.

And so too was the red flag.

As the drivers emerged from the pit lane, they were still on wet weather tyres, but the track had dried much quicker than anyone had predicted. Who was going to take the risk to pit for dry tyres and lose track position? As it turned out, everyone. Everyone except for the race leader Lewis Hamilton. Incredibly, Hamilton was the only one to line up on the grid. He had to race around the track and then pit on his own while everyone else, all on the right tyres, went past him. After avoiding all of the drama at the start, Hamilton was last.

So who led now? George Russell - I'm not joking, but only for a few corners before he was told to let these that he'd overtaken in the pit lane past. Somehow, Estaban Ocon was leading from Vettel, with Williams' Latifi in third. The championship protagonists of Hamilton and Verstappen were out of the points. 

If Lewis Hamilton was going to win his 100th Grand Prix, he would need to pull out one of his best ever performances. After making his way past the Alfa Romeos and Mick Schumacher, he pitted to undercut Verstappen and, crucially, Daniel Ricciardo with a brilliant move around the outside of the Aussie driver at turn 1. This allowed him to push into the clean air and get up to fifth position, but he was stuck behind the one-stopping Carlos Sainz on fresher tyres.

Ahead, Alonso led while Ocon and Vettel pitted. Given the searing pace of his out lap, Vettel should have taken the lead. However, his slow pit stop was enough to allow Ocon to remain ahead - just. 

Hamilton's tyre charge had allowed him to close in on Fernando Alonso for the battle that we all wanted to see for fourth position. Oh, and it did not let us down. The ten lap battle was pure, clean and hard racing. That was what it looked like to see the two most outstanding of their respective generations battling it out. Alonso may have just turned 40, but he still has it. He also won the race for Estaban Ocon. Alonso's defence meant that Hamilton only had three laps to catch and pass the two leaders by the time the Brit got through Alonso and Carlos Sainz for third. While he was only two seconds off the lead, it was enough. 

Estaban Ocon also spent 70 laps in the race lead with Sebastian Vettel, a four-time champion, pressuring him. Ocon is the guy that beat Verstappen in Formula 3. He's the guy who got dropped from F1 for a year. The Frenchman comes from humble beginnings, and now he is a Grand Prix winner for a French team in Alpine. To say he deserved that win is an understatement. 

More than half on the grid are now race winners in F1. I think that speaks of the incredible era of Grand Prix racing that we live in. 

Following the race, heart-breaking news arrived in the form of a Seb Vettel disqualification - his car didn't have enough fuel remaining in the car for a sample. Unfortunately, that's a slam dunk. Vettel was a champion on and off the track. Along with Hamilton, he fought against the proposed law that threatens the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary. Love is love. And we love Seb.

Further back, Verstappen managed to rescue two points for ninth position - incredible given that he was driving with so much damage. To the delight of many, the Williams pair of Latifi and Russell managed to bag a remarkable ten points to get them above Haas and Alfa Romeo in the championship. Finally, Russell has scored some points for Williams. His tears following the race showed what that meant to him. 

Biggest Winner: Lewis Hamilton

Going into Silverstone with a 33-point deficit to Verstappen and then coming out of Hungary, two races later, with an eight-point advantage, has to be a win for Hamilton. 

Lewis was lucky that Max got caught up in the pandemonium that was turn one. Still, he made that luck by qualifying on pole and was unfortunate to lose so many positions with the fast-drying track at the restart. Either way, it was a storming drive back to what is now second. He drove his heart out and will deserve a break in the championship lead.

Biggest Loser: Valtteri Bottas

Bottas had a tremendous weekend until he threw out the anchors too late at turn one. But the mistake could be integral for his future.

A stellar driver from Russell will be vital in helping his cause for the Mercedes seat next season. Especially when he is compared to Bottas, who was playing a game of ‘bowling’ at turn one, to quote Charles Leclerc. Ouch.

Moment of the Weekend: Lewis Hamilton vs Fernando Alonso 

It was the battle that got me into Formula One - King Lewis vs Rey Fernando. It was tense, it was exciting and vital for the race winner. Neither would give in, and it looked like a stalemate until Alonso made a slight mistake at turn one. You can’t give Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso an opportunity like that. Alonso is in the top four drivers on the grid for me.

Honourable Mention: Estaban Ocon 

He won! Arguably, Estaban should be the biggest winner, and I imagine Jimmy or Joe will rightly argue so. I didn’t choose him because I wanted to look at the big picture. Nevertheless, to hold off Sebastian Vettel for almost the whole race is remarkable. Ocon is underrated, and now he has led more laps than all but Hamilton and Verstappen this year. Let us also not forget that Ocon out-qualified Alonso, despite qualifying just 17th two races ago - what a turnaround that is. 

AJontheLine Line of the Week: 

Daniel Ricciardo: F***

David Croft (Commentator): Sorry for Daniel’s language.

Nico Rosberg: No, but it was the right word.

 Martin Brundle is a world-class commentator, and I always miss his voice when he isn’t there - I know I’m not the only one. However, it was less difficult this weekend when his replacement was the one and only, straight-talking Nico Rosberg. He offered brilliant insight all weekend, and on Saturday, his inner racing driver came out, and it was very amusing.

Well, there is your chocolate brownie of a Grand Prix - probably the best race of the season. Our hunger for F1 will ramp up now with a four-week summer break until Belgium. At least silly season will keep us occupied. Will Lewis Hamilton’s new teammate be announced? I’ll let you know.

Listen to the Hungarian GP Review Podcast on AJontheLine, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

70th Aniversary GP Race Report

Formula One celebrated its 70th birthday this year with another race at Silverstone, Formula One's birthplace. Over the years, we have met incredible characters, united by their love of speed, cars and winning. The first Grand Prix was won by Giuseppe Farina, in his mighty Alfa Romeo, and he would go on to win the Championship. The latest victory, seventy years on, was taken by a driver many feel will go on to define his generation. 

“While Mercedes sweated, Red Bull's Max Verstappen resembled the contents of a box of Magnums”

The opening rounds of the season have seen only one team standing on top, and many to predict that this would be the way all season. Mercedes have been, and continue to be, supreme. However, this is sport - everything can happen, and it usually does.

Last week, we looked ahead to the softer compounds of tyres and high temperatures coming this weekend, predicting the unpredictable. Tyres are undoubtedly essential - they are the only components of the car that should be in contact with the track. Consequently, you can have the best engine and chassis in the world, but if you can't control your tyres, achieving success is an uphill struggle. 

This lesson is one that many, including Mercedes, have learned the hard way over the years. In the past, the champions have struggled at certain circuits to generate enough heat in the tyres, leaving performance off the table. This weekend's weirdly warm weather in the UK meant that the problem had turned on its head - the high temperatures melted away the rear tyre of the Mercedes.

While Mercedes sweated, Red Bull's Max Verstappen resembled the contents of a box of Magnums - he even had the mental capacity to remind his engineer to drink. The Dutchman beat Lewis Hamilton by eleven seconds in a Red Bull that was plainly faster on this day in history. The fact that he managed to do so while cracking jokes on the radio shows the performance that he has left in him. At only 22 years of ages, he has at least one and a half decades left in this sport. Hamilton is beating records currently yet you wouldn't put it past Verstappen to match or outdo the Briton as his career goes on. Max Verstappen's stock continues to rise. 

“Last week, he asked for other teams to challenge him, and this week, he got what he asked for.”

Also rising was Max's position in the Championship. With Valtteri slumping from pole position to third across the finish line, Verstappen gained ten points on the Fin, overtaking him to take second place in the standings. Hamilton still has a thirty-point advantage, but this time, it is over Verstappen, who despite winning this Grand Prix, doesn't have the machinery to take Lewis on throughout the year. It is unsurprising that despite his team's woes, Lewis Hamilton was in a chipper mood following the race. He genuinely seemed satisfied with his hard-fought second-place finish. Last week, he asked for other teams to challenge him, and this week, he got what he asked for. Hamilton is certainly the king, but, without doubt, Max is the challenger. 

While we cannot see behind the face masks, there are no prizes for guessing whether Valtteri Bottas had a smile or a frown. Like his teammate, he struggled with the tyres. As the leading Mercedes, he looked to keep tabs with Max Verstappen and pitted earlier while Lewis Hamilton stayed out. Meanwhile, Hamilton stayed out and came into the pit lane to change his tyres later on. This alternative approach gave Hamilton the softer tyres and fresher rubber to chase and overtake his teammate. 

It seems that when the Mercedes drivers opt for different strategies, Lewis will often find a way to come out on top. Valtteri knows this and, despite signing a contract extension thanks to his calm, diplomatic nature, the Fin was quick to criticise his team's strategic decision-making. Quite frankly, Valtteri cannot afford these sorts of races if he wants to beat Lewis to the title. You will rarely start a Grand Prix ahead of Hamilton - he will rue the unconverted pole position which he earned by just six hundredths of a second. 

“…the divorce with their once-loved German man is already proving messy.”

It is interesting how a team's reaction to their results demonstrate the competitiveness of their car. A bad day for Mercedes sees them take the bottom two steps on the podium. For Ferrari though, fourth place feels like a win. Once again, Charles Leclerc maximised the potential of his relatively tardy red car. It is a similar story to last week for the Italian team's new golden boy. They do say that class is permanent, and Charles has bags of it.

The same people suggest that form is temporary. Sebastian Vettel will hope that such people are correct. The German had another dismal weekend. Qualifying twelfth, despite being almost half a second off his teammate, he told his team that he got the best out of the car. His race began with a spin on his own - ultimately finishing it prematurely. Vettel would then go on to publicly criticise Ferrari for their odd decision to pit him early. A second race ending with silence on the radio from Seb says a lot. 

Do I think that Ferrari are making it hard for him? I do. The Scuderia unceremoniously dumped Vettel, and have an environment on the line between high pressure and toxic. The intra-team politics are taking their toll on Sebastian’s confidence more than anything. Ferrari have moved on to their new man, Charles, and the divorce with their once-loved German man is already proving messy. You have to wonder whether they will last the season together. Sad, but unfortunately for Seb, that's Ferrari.

“For me, it seems as though Racing Point have been intelligent, maximising their competitiveness within the rules.”

The seat that many feel Sebastian is fleeing to was a lot more comfortable for the super sub, Nico Hulkenberg. Remarkably, Nico managed to out-qualify his Racing Point teammate to start from third place, just behind the two Mercedes. This performance showcases the German's brilliant ability behind the wheel - despite being new to the car and relatively unfit - putting him in the shop window for any suitors that can employ him. Lance Stroll won't have felt particularly good about Hulkenberg's success. The Canadian only started sixth. 

Saturday highlighted the lack of rationale in selecting Stroll and Vettel as Racing Point's drivers for next season. They are both excellent drivers, but I wouldn't pick them above Sergio Perez or Hulkenberg. Then again, I am not Lawrence Stroll, so we shall have to wait a little longer to learn in which drivers he will put his faith.

As a team, Racing Point made the headlines off the track as well as on it. They have been accused of cheating by using Mercedes' brake ducts from last season - something that is newly disallowed this season. Racing Point are confident that they have done no wrong. They have admitted that much of their car design is based on last year's Championship-winning Mercedes, and they have bought parts, where legal, from Mercedes. Despite this, Racing Point have been docked 15 points and fined by the FIA, who suggested that Racing Point were open, however, breached a technical regulation. 

Naturally, Racing Point appealed this ruling. They were joined in doing so by half of the teams, though not in support. The competitors feel that if Racing Point have an illegal component on their car, they should not be racing with it. For me, it seems as though Racing Point have been intelligent, maximising their competitiveness within the rules. Meanwhile, their competition feel hurt that they have spent plenty of money to create their own designs, all to be undercut by Racing Point copying last year's championship-winners. 

Arguably Racing Point have gone against the spirit of the sport, but if they are allowed to copy as they have, I am sure that the other teams will follow suit. This is a debate that will continue into the coming months. When the decision does come, it will be critical for Formula One because it defines how teams will go racing in the future.

Back on the track, I think we should have another great race on. I have been to Barcelona in the autumn, and wearing a hoodie would have made you look mad. I can only imagine that Barcelona in August will be another level of heat. If the past fortnight in Silverstone has been anything to go by, hot races are as variable as rainy ones. Next week Formula One heads to the Circuit de Catalunya for a midsummer's duel. I wouldn't miss it if I were you.