Lewis Hamilton | “I think I have done well to avoid all the incidents. But we have 19 more [races] and we could connect. He feels he perhaps has a lot to prove. I’m not in the same boat.”
Max Verstappen | “I have nothing to prove and avoiding contact goes both ways. So we have done well. We race hard, we avoided the contact both sides. Let’s hope we can keep doing that and keep racing hard against each other.”
Zak Brown | “I’m delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond. He’s been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we’re proud of the growth he’s shown since he first started with us back in 2017.”
Sebastian Vettel | “No advice! Obviously I didn’t succeed, Lewis beat me, so it’s better not to give [Verstappen] any advice! I guess he wants to succeed. It’s a long year, there are a lot of races so, I don’t know, it doesn’t work like this. I’m not giving him any advice.”
The Thursday Form
Practice 2 Top 5
1 | Charles Leclerc | 1:11.684 | 30 Laps
2 | Carlos Sainz | 1:11.796 | 32 Laps
3 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:12.074 | 28 Laps
4 | Max Verstappen | 1:12.081 | 27 Laps
5 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:12.107 | 32 Laps
Practice 1 Top 5
1 | Sergio Pérez | 1:12.487 | 36 Laps
2 | Carlos Sainz | 1:12.606 | 32 Laps
3 | Max Verstappen | 1:12.648 | 39 Laps
4 | Pierre Gasly | 1:12.929 | 37 Laps
5 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:12.995 | 34 Laps
Red Bull and Mercedes continue their battle, but it was Ferrari who provided the headlines on Thursday.
There were mixed fortunes in the Scuderia garage in the morning session. Carlos Sainz consistently produced purple sectors throughout the session and ended up second, but Charles Leclerc’s Monaco curse appeared to be continuing as he suffered a gearbox issue which saw his morning running over after just four laps.
The afternoon was good news for all in red, though, as the drivers finished with a surprising 1-2. Leclerc showed no ill effects from missing the earlier session and topped the times, an impressive four tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Whether they can stay at the front come qualifying – after Monaco’s traditional rest day on Friday – is another matter, but they appear to be a genuine threat to the title rivals.
“Driving around this track is like riding a bike around a living room”, said Nelson Piquet. COVID-19 meant that the world’s most advanced ‘bikes’ were unable to traverse the world’s most expensive ‘living room’ last year, but this week finally sees the return of the Monaco Grand Prix.
The 2021 season has thus far served up four highly entertaining battles between seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and the heir to this throne, Max Verstappen. Whilst races at Monaco can often be a somewhat mundane affair – more rush hour than Rush – when they are good, they tend to be very good.
Here are the best of the 77 grands prix to this point. Let’s hope that number 78 will be able to compete with them.
1965
Image credit: Stuart Heydinger
Graham Hill completed a hat-trick of victories in Monte Carlo and cemented his position as ‘Mr. Monaco’ after a stunning comeback drive in 1965.
After having secured pole position and then opened up a comfortable lead, Hill spun whilst trying to overtake backmarker Bob Anderson on lap 25 and found himself down an escape road. At a time when reverse gear wasn’t available in F1 cars, the Briton was forced to climb out and push his car back onto the track.
Over the following 40 laps, Hill steadily but surely clawed back the 30-second deficit to the leaders and then picked them off one by one. He withstood a late charge from reigning champion John Surtees to take the chequered flag and earn the third of his five victories in Monaco.
1970
Image credit: Corbis
Jochen Rindt and Colin Chapman had many a disagreement regarding the safety of the Lotus cars and, after a huge accident in Spain, Rindt refused to use the latest Lotus 72 at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix.
Despite that, the Austrian made steady progress through the field from eighth on the grid – aided by numerous retirements in front of him – and found himself in second place with 19 laps remaining. Jack Brabham’s appeared to have a comfortable 15-second lead but it gradually decreased and, after being held up twice by backmarkers, it was down to four seconds on the penultimate lap.
Rindt blitzed the lap record and was suddenly within touching distance. Under pressure at the final hairpin, Brabham went off-line to lap Piers Courage and slithered off into the barrier, leaving Rindt to inherit his sole Monaco triumph and the last ever victory for the famous Lotus 49.
1982
Image credit: LAT
The 1982 Monaco Grand Prix was a race which, it appeared, nobody wanted to win.
Alain Prost appeared favourite after his pole-sitting teammate, René Arnoux, had spun on lap 15. But with three laps remaining and rain starting to fall, Prost himself spun out and handed the lead to Riccardo Patrese, only for the Italian to spin as well during the following lap. That left Didier Pironi in the lead, but his car ran out of fuel on the final lap. Andrea de Cesaris would have inherited the lead but had also run out of fuel and Derek Daly – the next man down the road – had just retired with a gearbox failure.
Two years later, another wet race saw Ayrton Senna announce himself as a superstar in the making.
At the request of Niki Lauda, Bernie Ecclestone used his power to have the tunnel flooded, as oil from prior use had “turned it into a fifth gear skid pad” when the cars came racing in carrying the spray from their tyres. Pole-sitter Prost was passed on lap nine by Nigel Mansell, to lead a grand prix for the first time, but the Briton crashed six laps later after sliding on a painted white line.
Prost reassumed the lead and, on lap 29, began waving to the stewards to signal the race should be stopped, with Senna – who had started the race 13th in an uncompetitive Toleman – closing in rapidly. The red flag was duly shown at the end of lap 32. Senna passed Prost’s slowing McLaren before the finish line but, as per the rules, the positions were counted from the last lap completed by every driver and Prost retained the victory. Nonetheless, Senna had emphatically displayed the wet weather skills that would become infamous over the next decade.
1992
Image credit: LAT Images
1992 saw another Senna Monaco masterclass; this time, though, in defensive driving.
That season’s Williams was one of the most dominant in the history of the sport, Mansell taking the championship at a canter and winning a then-record 9 of 16 races. In Monaco, however, a late puncture in a race he had been dominating saw him emerge from the pits seven seconds behind Senna’s McLaren.
That gap had disappeared in just a lap and a half. Senna was still sporting the same tyres on which he had started the race, but was not about to let his rival through in a hurry. Mansell darted left and right for the remaining five laps but to no avail as the Brazilian positioned his car perfectly and remained utterly resolute. The Master of Monaco was not to be denied that day and took his fourth consecutive victory in the Principality.
1996
A pre-race downpour in 1996 saw a fraught start during which five drivers – including Michael Schumacher – retired from the race on the first lap. Another four had gone before lap 10.
Amid the chaos, a certain Olivier Panis had moved up from 14th on the grid to run eighth at the halfway point. With the rain clouds having moved on, the Frenchman instructed his Ligier team to monitor the first driver pitting for slicks and report on their progress. That would prove to be Damon Hill, whose instant speed convinced Panis to pit on the following lap.
Others weren’t as quick to respond and Panis moved up to fourth. He quickly dispatched Eddie Irvine – into the wall, to be specific – and, when Hill and Jean Alesi suffered mechanical failures up ahead, found himself in the lead. A lack of fuel threatened the Frenchman’s maiden victory, but he clung on from the chasing David Coulthard and was the first of just three drivers to reach the chequered flag. It would prove to be his only win. But, if you’re only going to get one, it’s not a bad one to have.
2008
Image credit: EFE
Small mistakes have huge consequences in the tight confines of the Circuit de Monaco. Those consequences are almost always bad but, in 2008, a small mistake ultimately led to a victory for Lewis Hamilton.
Once again, rain played a major part in an eventful Monaco Grand Prix. Hamilton had passed Kimi Räikkönen for second place on the opening lap, but on lap 6, with the conditions worsening, he fractionally misjudged his exit from Tabac and tapped his right-rear wheel against the barrier, popping the tyre off the rim. That led Hamilton and his team to take a risk, fitting intermediate tyres and fuelling for a long second stint.
It proved to be inspired. The rain ceased, a dry line emerged, and Hamilton took the lead. When the time came for his next stop, conditions had reached the point for a transition to slicks and Hamilton maintained his lead to the chequered flag, despite a late safety car. Behind him, Adrian Sutil had been running in an unlikely, career-best fourth place, only to be taken out of the race by Räikkönen with just eight laps to go.
2016
Image credit: The Telegraph
2016 saw another wet race and another Hamilton win, but in very different circumstances.
Daniel Ricciardo led away from pole, followed by the Mercedes pair of Nico Rosberg and Hamilton. The two Silver Arrows were on best behaviour – after their infamous crash in Spain two weeks beforehand – and, after struggling with the conditions in the early laps, Rosberg obeyed a team order to allow his teammate through.
Out front, Ricciardo had built a comfortable lead but, when the time came for his change to slicks, the Red Bullpit crew weren’t ready. Mechanics fumbled for the right tyres and Hamilton agonisingly swept by when Ricciardo eventually reached the end of the pit lane. Over the course of the remaining 45 laps, Hamilton produced a defensive display akin to Senna in 1992 as a frustrated Honey Badger bit at his heels.
It felt like redemption for Hamilton who had suffered a similar fate 12 months earlier when an erroneous call to pit lost him a certain victory. And Ricciardo himself would right the wrongs in 2018, claiming an impressive win after an engine issue left him down on power and defending for his life for most of the race.
What had been threatening to become a trademark soporific Spanish Grand Prix was reignited by a Mercedes strategy gamble, which paid off in the form of a fifth consecutive victory for Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Saturday saw Hamilton claim his 100th pole position in Formula 1 – a simply mind-boggling achievement – and many assumed he would move one step closer to a century of wins on Sunday. But that assumption was immediately brought into question thanks to a bullish move into the first corner by Max Verstappen.
The two title rivals got away fairly evenly – the Dutchman aided by an unusual level of rubber on the normally dirty side of the track – and, with the Red Bull in his blind spot, Hamilton felt unable to move over and claim the inside line. Verstappen is not a driver that requires more than one invitation. He braked very late and, not for the first time this season, got his elbows out at the first corner, leaving Hamilton nowhere to go on the outside.
Verstappen and Hamilton streaked away at the front, the Mercedes driver hounding his rival but never getting quite close enough to threaten a pass. With Sergio Pérez too close behind for Mercedes to attempt an undercut, it was Verstappen who pitted first.
It was unscheduled – Verstappen sensing Hamilton was about to pass him on the straight – and resulted in an uncharacteristically slow Red Bull pit stop. That offered Mercedes an opportunity, but they declined – they had a different plan in mind…
Hamilton extended his stint a further four laps, rejoining a little over five seconds behind Verstappen. But, with the Mercedes clearly well-suited to the medium tyre, Hamilton was once more closely inspecting his rival’s rear wing within a few laps.
As ever, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya provided little in the way of passing opportunities, though – especially since the recent reprofiling of Turn 10 – and it appeared likely that we would watch Hamilton follow on the brink of the DRS window for the next 45 minutes.
But this is when Mercedes produced their surprise.
Hamilton darted into the pits on lap 42 to fit another set of medium tyres. This had been in Mercedes’ thoughts throughout the weekend and they were the only team to have kept two fresh sets of the medium compound for the race. So, it was to be a repeat of the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, as Hamilton set about closing down a gap of more than 20 seconds in just over 20 laps.
The Red Bull computers predicted that Hamilton would catch their driver on the last lap, but that would prove to be an optimistic forecast as Hamilton took nearly two seconds per lap out of the gap. Despite not getting much help from his teammate – more on that later – the Briton was on the back of Verstappen by lap 59.
The Red Bull weaved along the start-finish straight, desperately trying to break the tow he was providing, but the pass was an inevitability, Verstappen later describing himself as a “sitting duck”. Hamilton used the extra grip from his much younger tyres to brake later and comfortably claimed the lead as they entered Turn 1.
Image credit: XPB/PA
Behind them, Bottas had pitted in an attempt to claim the fastest lap, but in doing so allowed Verstappen to do the same. There was to be no repeat of his mistake in Portugal this time and the Dutchman took the extra point with ease. It was Hamilton who took the chequered flag, however, and extended his lead in the championship to 14 points.
Is the Mercedes Now the Fastest Car?
It has only been six weeks since Verstappen took pole by four tenths in Bahrain and the F1 status quo appeared to have been turned on its head. And yet now, without us really noticing, Hamilton has equalled his best ever start to a season. Three wins and one second place were also his results during the first four races of 2015 – a season that would prove to be one of his most dominant – so are we kidding ourselves that there is such an exciting title battle?
In a word, no.
But for some small yet costly mistakes – and some luck on Hamilton’s part – Verstappen would be the one leading the championship. Bahrain was his race to lose, but he did. Hamilton was very fortunate to recover to second in Imola, and the complexion of the race in Portugal would likely have been different had Verstappen not lost pole position due to a track limits violation. These are the minute differences that can swing a championship one direction or another, and Mercedes are very experienced in ensuring that they swing their way.
Image credit: Honda Racing
However, in terms of pure speed, the Red Bull looks a genuine match for them this year. Spain has always been a Mercedes circuit – that’s five wins in a row for Hamilton – but Red Bull were right there with them, three hundredths of a second behind in qualifying and leading for 90% of the race.
Monaco in two weeks time will be a very different challenge. The Mercedes car has looked strong in slow corners – of which Monaco, obviously, has many – but it also has a very long wheelbase and Red Bull have performed well through the streets of the Principality in recent years. The circuit provides such a unique test of a Formula 1 car that there’s no way of knowing who will do well until the cars are being driven in anger, millimetres from those infamous walls.
Hamilton may have the edge right now, but this title battle remains very much in the balance.
The Best of the Rest
Leclerc had another excellent weekend. He qualified in fourth for the third time in four attempts this year and the predictable combination of Ham-Ver-Bot is almost now extendable to Ham-Ver-Bot-Lec.
Image credit: Getty Images
After his excellent early pass, he kept the far superior Mercedes of Bottas behind for the first stint and eventually finished a comfortable 10 seconds ahead of Pérez to move to just one point behind Lando Norris in the standings.
Norris himself was a little anonymous this weekend on his way to eighth and, for the first time in 2021, was legitimately beaten by teammate Daniel Ricciardo. The Honey Badger’s trademark smile was very much back on his face as he finished a solid sixth, holding off Carlos Sainz in the final laps.
Alpine initially appeared to have picked up where they left off in Portugal with Esteban Ocon qualifying an excellent fifth but, on Sunday, their strategy was lacking and their pace disappeared. Ocon clung onto a points finish in ninth, but Fernando Alonso tumbled back through the field in the dying laps and eventually finished behind a Williams in 17th. There is still work to do for the French team.
Pierre Gasly recovered from a clumsy five-second penalty, for parking his AlphaTauri beyond his allocated spot on the grid, to earn the final point for 10th. But it was the rookie on the other side of the garage who made the headlines on Saturday. One of his infamous, expletive-ridden radio messages was followed up by an interview where he questioned whether he had the same car as his teammate. Undoubtedly, Team Principal Franz Tost will have had some very stern words with the youngster, who it appears has some growing up to do.
The Bottas ‘Block’
Image credit: XPB Images
As previously mentioned, Hamilton’s pursuit of Verstappen late in the race was made a little harder by his teammate. As the World Champion approached, Bottas was told by his engineer, “Don’t hold Lewis up”. But he did just that. Hamilton followed closely for the best part of a lap – losing at least a second to Verstappen – before somewhat having to force a pass into Turn 10.
“I definitely could have let him by earlier,” Bottas said after the race. “But I was doing my own race. I’m not here to let people by, I’m here to race.” He said at the start of this season that he would be more selfish and single-minded; it would appear he is following up on that promise.
Does his mindset reveal anything about Mercedes’ plans for next year? Is this a man who knows his time is up and, thus, is now going to do everything in his power to take the title in what would likely be his last ever chance? That is just conjecture for the moment. But, whether he likes it or not, Bottas has held onto his seat at Mercedes by being the ideal driver for their second seat. One that is fast enough to keep Hamilton on his toes and help with strategic battles during the race, but one that is also compliant when required.
If he ceases to be that driver, his chances of remaining with the team beyond 2021 look slim at best.
The Spanish Grand Prix in 60 Seconds
Answering the Burning Questions
Can Verstappen strike back in the title battle? Not quite, despite a valiant effort.
How will the teams fare without having had their usual pre-season testing at Barcelona? There was no noticeable difference and just the one retirement.
Can Alpine continue their good form from Portugal? On Saturday, yes. On Sunday, not so much.
Will the Aston Martin updates bring them back towards the front of the midfield? Nope, they still have quite a bit of work to do.
Most Driver Wins: Michael Schumacher | 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Most Constructor Wins: Ferrari | 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013
The Weather
The Quotes
Lewis Hamilton | “We have a good package but it has weak areas which we are working on. You’re seeing the closest battle you’ve seen for some time. Max is performing exceptionally well. He has a championship-winning car and team without a doubt who can really pull off the job this year if we don’t do our job.”
Max Verstappen | “I always try to get the best possible results out of it. I went twice outside of the track limits where it cost me basically a pole and a fastest lap but it’s also because I don’t settle for second or third. It is exciting and I am looking forward to every single battle.”
Valtteri Bottas | “There are still 20 races to go which is a huge amount of points and I am definitely not giving up on the goal this year. I believe the hard work will pay off and keep believing and I know the results will come and pay off.”
Kimi Räikkönen | “The worst thing was my son saying ‘you always tell me to look forward’ when he drives go-karts… He gave me a bit of that!”
The Friday Form
Practice 2 Top 5
1 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:18.170 | 32 Laps
2 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:18.309 | 31 Laps
3 | Charles Leclerc | 1:18.335 | 28 Laps
4 | Esteban Ocon | 1:18.466 | 29 Laps
5 | Fernando Alonso | 1:18.518 | 30 Laps
Practice 1 Top 5
1 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:18.504 | 25 Laps
2 | Max Verstappen | 1:18.537 | 19 Laps
3 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:18.627 | 22 Laps
4 | Lando Norris | 1:18.944 | 24 Laps
5 | Charles Leclerc | 1:18.996 | 25 Laps
Mercedes surprisingly appear to be slightly ahead of their title rivals over at Red Bull so far in Barcelona. Most had expected the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – with it’s long, sweeping corners – to suit the Red Bull but it was the German marque who topped both practice sessions.
Max Verstappen made a mistake on his flying lap in Practice 2 so his fastest time came on the medium tyre earlier in the session, but he was around a tenth of a second behind Hamilton at that point. Continuing the trend of 2021, it would appear to very nip and tuck between the two leading teams and will all come down to who is holding more back and who can nail that crucial Q3 lap tomorrow.
Behind them, the Alpines look to have picked up where they left off in Portugal and there was also promising pace for the Ferraris and AlphaTauris, who saw Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda finish Practice 2 in sixth and seventh.
The World Champion had missed out on pole number 100 by just 0.007 seconds on Saturday and fell back to third early in the race on Sunday. An uncharacteristic mistake from Kimi Räikkönen, as he bizarrely drove into the back of his Alfa Romeo teammate on the start-finish straight, brought about an early safety car. Hamilton was caught out when he “literally just for a split second” checked his mirror to see where Verstappen was and “in that split second, that’s when Valtteri went”. With the jump on Hamilton, Verstappen passed him into the first corner and set about pressuring the leading Mercedes.
The Red Bull was clearly faster in the tighter, middle section of the track but lacked the straight-line speed to make a pass on the straight, even with DRS. And when Verstappen suffered a moment of oversteer coming through the penultimate corner, Hamilton was able to retake the place, bravely diving to the inside as the Dutchman defended. Verstappen tried to come back at the second corner but Hamilton was able to repay the favour he received in Imola, taking the racing line and running his rival out of road.
Image credit: LAT Images
Hamilton closed in on his teammate and, as they started lap 20, pulled off another daring overtake, sweeping around the outside of Bottas into Turn One. From there, the Briton never looked under threat. Behind him, Bottas continued to hold off Verstappen as he had earlier in the race, until Red Bull pulled the trigger and attempted an undercut with a pit stop on lap 35.
A slightly tardy stop for Bottas one lap later put him under pressure from the onrushing Verstappen. As the Finn slithered about on his cold tyres, and then got a bit sideways coming out of Turn Three, Verstappen was able to get alongside him on the straight and take the position.
Bottas was homing back in on second place later in the race, but a sensor issue caused him to lose power briefly and he failed to close the gap again. Sergio Pérez, in the second Red Bull, had done his trademark tyre-whispering job and eventually pitted for soft tyres with 15 laps remaining. The Mexican is yet to claim his first podium for Red Bull but a solid fourth at the chequered flag is his best result yet and what the Red Bull management brought him in to achieve.
Behind the leading teams, in ‘Formula 1.5’, Lando Norris continued his excellent form with a fine drive to fifth, including an opportunistic move around the outside of Esteban Ocon on the opening lap. Charles Leclerc came home in sixth, ahead of the Alpine pair of Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Daniel Ricciardo recovered well to ninth, after a disappointing qualifying had left him 16th on the grid, and Pierre Gasly completed the points finishers.
Verstappen and Bottas both went for the fastest lap late on. The Red Bull man completed the faster tour but lost the ensuing bonus point when his lap time was deleted for a track limits infringement. Further frustration for Verstappen after track limits had also denied him pole on Saturday. Christian Horner was content overall, though, saying that they were happy with second as they “knew this would be a track that favours Mercedes”.
This grand prix may not have had the thrills and spills of the first two races, but there were some great overtakes and the battle remains tight between the two protagonists at the top. They will continue their fight a bit further along the Mediterranean coast in Barcelona in just a few days time – the first of many double-headers this season.
Image credit: Daimler AG
Progress at Alpine
It was a good weekend over in the blue corner of Alpine. The French team had so far struggled to get on top of their 2021 car and – after fighting for third in the championship last year – had slid back towards the back of the midfield.
There were updates in Imola which showed promise but perhaps required some more mileage to fully understand. Additional updates were brought to Portugal and, from the outset, they were visibly faster. The two drivers finished Friday afternoon’s practice session in fifth and sixth and Ocon maintained that form on Saturday.
Whilst Alonso never looked comfortable after a spin early on in qualifying, his younger teammate was flying. He finished Q1 and Q2 in fourth place and ultimately claimed sixth on the grid, just three thousandths of a second behind Leclerc.
And Sunday showed that their race pace was a match for their short runs. Alonso made amends for his scrappy qualifying with a thrilling comeback from 13th on the grid to eighth, finishing just a second behind his teammate who, after losing an exciting early battle with Norris, had produced a mature drive worthy of his six points. “The car feels much better and much more alive and really competitive”, said Alonso. “It has been a big step forward for us.”
The Portuguese Grand Prix in 60 Seconds
Answering the Burning Questions
Who will take the next round in the Hamilton-Verstappen battle? It was round 3 to Hamilton, but certainly not a knock-out blow.
Or will we get a third different winner in three races? Nope. Bottas started well, but faded away as the race went on.
Can Lando Norris continue his excellent form at the start of this season? He can and remains third in the drivers’ standings.
Will we get some cold-track chaos like we did at last year’s race? The sunny weather made things more manageable but the wind kept the drivers on their toes.
George Russell | “The incident is one thing, my actions afterwards were another, and in my opinion they weren’t good enough. I do want to be a role model, I do want to lead by example, and my actions post-crash were not that.”
Max Verstappen | “It was of course great to win, after missing out in Bahrain it felt very satisfying to win the race in Imola. There were definitely a few things that we wanted to learn from the Bahrain race, which we did, and we could bring home the win.”
Fernando Alonso | “It’s going to be difficult here, for sure. It’s another new circuit. Most of the grid, they raced here five months ago, so that’s something that I will need to get up to speed with quickly in the free practice.”
Nicholas Latifi | ” Obviously it’s really disappointing for me, two years my home race has been cancelled. But I do believe it was the right decision for the health and safety of the Canadian people and the travelling Formula 1 personnel.”
When the lights did go out, it was Verstappen who made a flying start from third on the grid. He had the racing line into the first corner and was able to run his main rival, Lewis Hamilton, out of road and claim the lead. Hamilton bounced over the raised kerbs and damaged his front wing but held onto second. Further round the first lap, Nicholas Latifi spun his Williams and then, upon rejoining, put himself into the wall after leaving Nikita Mazepin nowhere to go on the run down towards the Variante Alta.
That produced a safety car and (you’d expect) a moment of calm… But no, Mick Schumacher overcooked it whilst warming his tyres and pitched himself into the wall at the pit exit. The German rookie was able to recover but would have to drive round minus a front wing for a couple of laps as the pit lane was closed, ironically, to clear the debris from his crash. Sergio Pérez then ran wide into the gravel and earned himself a penalty by passing two cars to reclaim his position under safety car conditions.
Image credit: Formula 1
Verstappen controlled the restart well and the leading pair dropped the rest of the pack. Leclerc – running in an impressive third – was already 15 seconds behind when Verstappen pitted on lap 28. Hamilton responded a lap later but a slow stop ruined any chances of him jumping the Dutchman and he rejoined a few seconds behind.
The World Champion appeared to be more comfortable on the dry tyres, though, and was closing the gap as the two drivers worked their way through the backmarkers. However, on lap 31, Mercedes‘ race imploded.
George Russell slowed to allow his fellow countryman past as they approached the Tosa hairpin, but stayed on the racing line. Force to overtake on the wet part of the track, Hamilton slithered off into the gravel and ultimately the wall, as the appalling turning circle of a modern Formula 1 car was laid bare. After some trouble, he engaged reverse gear and excruciatingly back-pedalled over the gravel and onto the track, but with a damaged front wing. And things were about to go from bad to worse in the Mercedes camp.
As Hamilton limped back to the pits, the other Mercedes driver and the Mercedes protégé came together in a massive way. After a poor qualifying had seen Bottas start from eighth, his struggles had continued come the race and he unbelievably found himself defending against a Williams. At full speed on the start-finish straight, Russell pulled alongside the Mercedes but put a wheel on the grass and immediately speared across into the Finn, both drivers going straight on and smashing into the barriers. With debris all over the track, the race was red-flagged.
After a brief stoppage, the drivers rejoined the track for a rolling restart. Ironically, the Mercedes disaster had actually aided Hamilton, who found himself in ninth, no longer a lap down, and with a repaired car. Verstappen then got lucky himself as he lost the car whilst backing the pack up for the restart, but was just about able to save the situation and Leclerc politely remained behind.
When he did successfully get the race back underway, the McLaren gamble to fit soft tyres saw Lando Norris pass Leclerc for second and briefly put pressure on the leader. Yuki Tsunoda passed Hamilton into the first corner but immediately spun and a lap later Pérez also found himself pointing the wrong direction in the gravel. A tale of hero to zero for the Mexican who had been the first teammate to outqualify Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo left the team.
Two drivers may have removed themselves as obstacles, but Hamilton still had a lot of work to do if he was to recover to the podium. But recover he did. Slowly but surely, he got to within a second of each of the cars in front and executed a move into Tamburello. Norris put up an excellent fight on what were now very worn soft tyres, but eventually ceded his position with three laps remaining. He would hold off the chasing Ferraris for third, though, and claimed a very well-earned podium – the second of his career.
Ricciardo took sixth but – after earlier having to move aside for his teammate – admitted he still has a lot of work to do as he tries to acclimatise to his new, papaya machine. Late penalties for Lance Stroll and Kimi Räikkönen saw Pierre Gasly promoted to seventh and Alonso claim his first point since returning to the sport, despite never looking especially comfortable in the car.
Image credit: Getty Images
Out front, it had all been plain sailing for Verstappen since his minor blunder at the restart and he had built up a comfortable 20-second lead. Hamilton snatched the fastest lap late on, which keeps him one point ahead in the drivers’ standings, but the title fight is very much on.
A Damaging Day for Bottas and Russell
Now that the field has closed up so dramatically on the Silver Arrows, when Bottas has one of his off-days in qualifying, it is far more brutally exposed. He was a little under half a second shy of his teammate’s pole time and whilst, in the past, that would often still have seen him on the front row, in Imola it left him in an embarrassing eighth place.
And yet, Sunday was arguably worse. Surprisingly, considering his heritage and love of rallying, driving in the wet does not appear to be a strong suit for the Finn – just look at his performance in Turkey last year… He fell back a further two places at the start and then spent 28 laps stuck behind the Aston Martin of Stroll. That is what put him into a situation where he could be crashed into by an arguably overexcited Russell.
If you are expecting that to reflect well on Russell’s chances of replacing him next year, however, you’d be wrong. Whilst qualifying saw another performance worthy of his ‘Mr. Saturday’ moniker and the incident with Bottas itself could have been excusable, it was his reaction during the aftermath that left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Image credit: Getty Images
First, Russell stormed up to the smoking wreckage that contained Bottas, lambasted him for “trying to kill them both” and gave him a smack on the helmet for good measure. As Bottas emerged visibly winded from his car and was then being examined at the medical centre, Russell was already Tweeting his criticisms and claiming that Bottas would have defended differently if it were another driver.
Whilst his initial, heat-of-the-moment reaction was understandable, he really should have thoroughly examined the footage before going to see the media as it seems pretty clear to most that it was somewhere between a racing incident and Russell’s fault. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff described it as 60:40 in terms of blame and was left fairly unimpressed.
This comes not long after the young Briton crashed behind the safety car whilst also chasing points at Imola last year. There is no denying that he has talent – and he obviously cannot have any blame attributed to him for what happened in Bahrain last year – but, if he is not careful, he could gain himself a reputation for choking when opportunities come his way. And throwing his toys out of the pram in the process.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 60 Seconds
Answering the Burning Questions
With a very different location to the last race, will Red Bull still have the fastest car? It was hard to say. It looks like Mercedes have certainly at least closed the gap.
Can Max Verstappen make amends for his near miss last time out? Very much so!
Will any of the teams have brought significant upgrades for the first European race after a three-week gap? Ferrari’s new floor appears to have given them a performance boost.
How will the midfield shape up? Can Alpine or Aston Martin improve on their disappointing performances in the desert? A little but the midfield order appeared pretty similar.
Will we see some challenging conditions with cold temperatures and a fair chance of rain? We will!
Lewis Hamilton | “You can see that Red Bull currently are ahead and we are the hunters. I think we like that position. I like it. That’s what I started out with back when I was racing karts at Rye House. It’s nothing new for me and it’s definitely exciting.”
Max Verstappen | “They are very close even if they don’t say it. [Bahrain] is definitely an opportunity missed, but if we have the fastest car it won’t matter because we have 22 races to finish in front of them.”
Daniel Ricciardo | “Such a fun circuit. It’s so fast. I think last year was my favourite qualifying lap of the year. It’s awesome.”
George Russell | “I made what is probably the biggest mistake of my career at Imola in 2020 when crashing under the safety car. It’s a track where, if you make a mistake, you’re out. But that’s what racing should be about! I’ll look to try and rectify my mistake from last year with a good result this weekend.”
To quote a great man: catching is one thing, passing is quite another.
Image credit: Getty Images
If the Bahrain Grand Prix is anything to go by, 2021 could be the year when F1 fans finally get to see the no-holds-barred fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen that they have been craving for years.
It was largely expected that this season would prove to be another tale of Mercedes dominance; one more efficient stroll to an eighth consecutive title double. But those expectations have gradually dissipated over the last few weeks. Pre-season testing may always boil down to rumours, sandbags and cloak-and-dagger lap times but, by the end of the truncated three-day meeting, there was a growing consensus that Red Bull may actually have the fastest car.
And so it proved to be, as Verstappen claimed pole position by nearly four tenths on Saturday, with Hamilton claiming he “gave it everything”. It was Red Bull‘s race to lose – but lose it, they did.
Both leading drivers got away well and the first stint was something of a stalemate. Crucially, though, Hamilton was able to remain within two seconds of the Red Bull and could therefore undercut the Dutchman when his pit window opened on lap 13. That gained the World Champion the lead and he – just about – kept it to the end.
Image credit: Getty Images
Verstappen still appeared the more likely victor as he closed the Mercedes down with a set of tyres that were 10 laps fresher. The gap reduced steadily to the point that, when Hamilton ran wide on lap 51, Verstappen was straight into the DRS window. And, sure enough, the Red Bull was ahead a couple of laps later. However, not legally, as he had passed Hamilton whilst off the circuit.
Going around the outside at Turn 4, Verstappen had a snap of oversteer which took him wide and his team immediately informed him to allow Hamilton back past. That would prove to be his best chance, as his tyres overheated following the Mercedes and his advantage was significantly reduced. The frustrated Dutchman gave it his all over the remaining three laps but ultimately had to watch as Hamilton took the chequered flag, ending a gripping battle of strategy and racecraft.
There has been some controversy regarding the track limits. Not really with the decision for Verstappen to give up the place – the drivers know you can’t complete a pass off the track. But that temporary overtake ironically came at the corner where the Mercedes drivers were told to stop ‘extending’. So, the question has revolved around what constitutes a ‘lasting advantage’. As ever, the stewards lacked consistency and, having initially told the drivers there would be no issue with track limits at Turn 4, changed their minds and sent Mercedes a warning halfway through the race. The pundits and fans have said it numerous times, but surely grass run-offs are the easiest way to clear up this issue…
How Mercedes Won the Battle
For once, this was a Mercedes team acting as the hunter rather than the hunted. We have grown so accustomed to the Silver Arrows leading from the front in the hybrid era that this felt like something of a novelty. And they proved that they are predictably good at it.
Image credit: LAT Images
It is usually Red Bull doing the chasing and making the aggressive strategy calls with Mercedes maintaining a conservative approach. This time, it was Hamilton who profited from a perfectly executed undercut. By the end of the following lap, Verstappen’s gap back to Hamilton was too small to get out ahead and, with Valtteri Bottas uncomfortably close behind, Red Bull were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Red Bull’s second seat really is the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor of F1. And the curse didn’t hang about this year, as the latest victim – Sergio Pérez – ground to a halt on the formation lap. He was able to get moving again but had to start from the pit lane, which meant – as has usually been the case for the last two years – Red Bull were left to fight one-handed. Bottas pitted two laps after Hamilton and forced Red Bull to respond against another undercut; this prevented them from building the tyre offset they would have liked.
The second stops would likely have followed a similar pattern, but a painful, 10-second pit stop for Bottas meant Red Bull could leave their driver out this time and he was able to pit 10 laps later than the race leader. At this point, it was largely out of Mercedes’ hands. Fortunately for them, it was in the hands of Hamilton. And if there is one man on the grid who can keep his tyres alive whilst still pounding out respectable lap times then it is the seven-time world champion at their disposal.
It was another masterclass in tyre management. By rights, Verstappen should have been on his tail far sooner than lap 51. And, if he had been, the pass would likely have been more of a done deal. When he did catch up, the pair traded blows with the excellent car control and positioning you would expect. Under immense pressure, each made one slight mistake, but eventually it was Hamilton who held his nerve as the Red Bull breathed down his neck for the final three laps.
How Red Bull Have Started the War
Image credit: Honda Racing F1
They may have lost on the day, but Red Bull undoubtedly had the fastest car in Bahrain. So, how has that happened when we were all told repeatedly that so little was changing on the cars between 2020 and 2021?
Well, it would appear the regulation changes that did happen have affected the teams with low rake far more significantly than those with high rake. A large portion of the rear of the floor has effectively been chopped off over the winter in a bid to reduce downforce. The idea being to reduce speed and, thus, the strain on the overworked tyres in the wake of the multiple blow-outs experienced at last year’s British Grand Prix.
One of the greatest strengths for Mercedes was their rear downforce. And it would appear that the chunk removed has severely affected their rear stability. They have done an impressive job in the two weeks since the pre-season test to improve that and close the gap – which they believe was around 0.8 seconds – to Red Bull.
This theory is backed up by the other main losers in this regulation change – Aston Martin. The former Racing Point team infamously did their best to copy the Mercedes philosophy and appear to have been hit hard in the same area, but with less of an advantage to fall back on. They have seemingly gone from arguably the third best car last year to Lance Stroll fighting for a solitary point in Bahrain, whilst Sebastian Vettel had a debut to forget further back.
Honda have also given Red Bull a significant helping hand. The Japanese marque leaves the sport – again – at the end of the year, so rushed through its 2022 engine a year early and it would appear to be a masterpiece. This was also demonstrated by AlphaTauri‘s pace at the opening weekend.
Time will tell who is truly the team to beat. Bahrain is a fairly unique circuit, located in a gusty desert, and there is now a three-week gap for teams to further refine their new machines. It would also not be a surprise to see some updates in time for the return to Imola – so let’s watch this space. Either way, it appears that we have a race on our hands.
What About the Rest?
Now, bear with me as I attempt to condense down a lot of information into a few paragraphs…
McLaren lived up to expectations, claiming ‘best of the rest’ thanks to an impressive fourth for Lando Norris and a solid debut for Daniel Ricciardo in seventh. Surprisingly, it is Ferrari who seem to be their biggest challengers currently.The Scuderia were pleasantly surprised by the performance of the much-improved SF21 and Charles Leclerc produced a signature qualifying lap for fourth on the grid. The red cars reached the chequered flag in sixth and eighth and, whilst you still couldn’t exactly call that success for a team like Ferrari, it is certainly a big step up from last year.
Pérez recovered impressively after his nightmare start to claim fifth place and remind those instantly writing him off what he can do on a Sunday. The experienced Mexican claimed Driver of the Day and will surely continue to improve as he gets better acquainted with the RB16B. Another contender for Driver of the Day was Yuki Tsunoda. The AlphaTauri rookie shocked the paddock by finishing Q1 in second, before making a mess of Q2 and starting down in 13th. But he produced a mature performance on Sunday and finished ninth to become the first Japanese rookie ever to score points on his debut.
Aston Martin and Alpine appear to have dropped back from their positions – under different names – last year. Fernando Alonso briefly ran in the points on his return before retiring due to an unwanted sandwich wrapper. Meanwhile, the other multiple world champion in the midfield – Vettel – crashed into the back of Esteban Ocon to cap off a terrible first weekend in British racing green. That earned him two penalty points to add to the three he picked up for ignoring yellow flags on Saturday.
Alfa Romeo appear to have made progress but didn’t end up with anything to show for it, finishing just outside the points in 11th and 12th. Williams will be happy to at least no longer be propping up the field, as that honour now goes to the Haas team. The controversial Nikita Mazepin immediately earned himself a new nickname of Mazespin, with no fewer than five spins over the course of the weekend, the final one pitching him into the barriers three corners into his debut race.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Bahrain Grand Prix in 60 Seconds
Answering the Burning Questions
What is the pecking order? Who was holding the most back during testing? …See above.
Do Red Bull actually have the fastest car?! It’s close but, for now at least, it appears they do!
How will Sergio Pérez do in his first race for Red Bull? A tricky start but a trademark race performance.
How will Fernando Alonso fare on his return? Showed that he still has the speed…but does his car?
Have Ferrari made progress since last year? Yes, quite a lot!
What is the pecking order? Who was holding the most back during testing?
Do Red Bull actually have the fastest car?!
How will Sergio Pérez do in his first race for Red Bull?
How will Fernando Alonso fare on his return?
Have Ferrari made progress since last year?
The Track
The Stats
Track Length: 5.412 km
Laps: 57
Race Distance: 308.238 km
Maximum Speed: 321 km/h
Lap Time at Full Throttle: 69%
First Grand Prix: 2004
Race Lap Record: Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren | 2005 | 1:31.447
Outright Lap Record: Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2020 | 1:27.264
Most Driver Wins: Lewis Hamilton/Sebastian Vettel | 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020/2012, 2013, 2017, 2018
Most Constructor Wins: Ferrari | 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018
The Weather
The Quotes
Lewis Hamilton | “It’s massively exciting for us as a team. We’re not the fastest. How are we going to work to get to where we want to be? That challenge is so exciting.”
Max Verstappen | “I’m not downplaying anything, I’m just realistic. We don’t know what the others have done. We know what we have done but let’s see if it’s enough.”
Fernando Alonso | “My age is a big question but I am a little bit surprised by that. I am not that old. The guy who is dominating the sport is 36. I am not 20 years older.”
Mick Schumacher | “Thinking about it, it’s 30 years since my dad started his first race, and now I’m starting mine. The fact that I’m in Formula 1 and away to be racing – it feels so amazing.”
