Styrian GP Report: Like an old friend

After the double-header in Austria that kicked off the 2020 season, the Red Bull Ring feels like an old friend to which to return. And maybe the familiarity was a reason for the unspectacular race. There is still plenty to discuss, though, so here’s your race report.

It seems as clear as a window now that Red Bull has made a step forward with their straight-line speed, leaving Mercedes behind. Max Verstappen was supreme all weekend, dominating in practice, storming to pole position in qualifying and walking away with it on race day.

Mercedes had a weekend similar to their race in France or an experience you may have in a museum - they weren’t far from Red Bull, but they couldn’t get close enough to touch them. This upturn in Red Bull pace is putting the world champions under pressure, leading to silly things like Valtteri Bottas spinning in the pit lane during practice. The spin gave the Finn a three-place grid penalty, which dropped him to fifth after he had initially qualified ahead of his teammate Hamilton. 

That meant that Verstappen and Hamilton started in front and drove off into the distance as they usually do. Lando Norris’ brilliant qualifying meant that he was in third position and a roadblock for Perez and Bottas. Perez did get through on the first lap, but Norris swept back around the outside with a bold move. Eventually, the number two drivers did get past before Bottas capitalised on a slow Red Bull pit stop to take third position. However, it was too late for them to catch Verstappen and Hamilton, who were already almost half a minute up the road.

Further back, Charles Leclerc was clumsy and drove into Pierre Gasly’s rear wheel as they jostled for position. This caused arguably the biggest drama of the race as a helpless Gasly tried in vain to avoid his competitors before retiring from the race. Leclerc needed to pit and then spent the rest of the race fighting his way back through the field with some great moves to finish seventh, just behind his teammate, Carlos Sainz.

George Russell was the drover keeping most fans on the edge of their seats as he looked on for his first points finish for Williams with genuinely good pace all weekend. Heart-breakingly, though, engine troubles hit, causing him to lose what would have been at least a ninth-place finish. Sadly, it was another would’ve, could’ve, should’ve situation for the young Brit.

There was no question who the winner was. Max Verstappen extended his lead by a further six points after a brilliant win over Lewis Hamilton, who minimised the pain by taking the fastest lap of the race.

Round 1 of 2 in Austria goes to Red Bull. Fitting, given that they own the circuit.

Biggest Winner: Ferrari 

After a dreadful French Grand Prix, Ferrari outscored their main rivals, McLaren, with a solid P6 and P7 finish. Carlos Sainz was close to catching Lando Norris. You can only wonder what Charles Leclerc could have managed had he not had his scruffy lap one incident. Ferrari needs to ensure that they maximise their performance next weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix because this is encouraging. It’s just a question of whether they can coax the softer tyres home.

Biggest Loser: Pierre Gasly 

Pierre and Alpha Tauri as a whole were on fire this weekend and were it not for his lap one retirement, which wasn’t his fault, I believe Pierre would have been in the fight with Norris and Sainz for fifth position. I predict a strong showing next weekend from Pierre, and I’m looking forward to it.

Moment of the Weekend: George Russell’s brilliance

Another shining light this weekend was George. In another weekend where rumours of him replacing Bottas at Mercedes swirled, George did his reputation no harm by qualifying 11th, narrowly missing out on the top ten shoot out. A penalty for Tsunoda meant that George then started 10th with a free choice of starting tyres. All things pointed to the Brit scoring his first points for Williams with a super start, running comfortably in the top 10. However, engine issues hit, forcing him to retire from the race. Gutting.

Honourable Mention: Hamilton’s save in the race at turn 4 

It was a moment that you may have missed, but Lewis was giving it everything to catch Max in his slower Mercedes, and it was showing. Exiting turn four, the champion ran slightly wide and nearly lost the rear of the car. But like Odell Beckham Jr, Hamilton had a great catch in his locker, and he delivered it.

AJontheLine Line of the week: Valtteri Bottas after his pit lane spin

“How’s the tyre warm-up”

It was a dry piece of Finnish humour that caught my attention. After spinning in the pit lane, most of us would have been rattled but not Valtteri. He inquired about the warm-up of his incident with his tongue firmly in his cheek - the answer: sub-optimal.

So Styria goes to Max but will the potential wet weather spice things up in the same neck of the woods this weekend? Let’s find out together.

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.