In Formula 1, Australia:
Suffice to say, the circus that is F1 is off with a loud bang, for it’s first race of the season was full of drama. From the restriction on team radio instructions that get’s softened as the weekend progresses, to the qualifying shambles that underscores my calling the series a circus, which gets pulled after a barrage of complaints from teams, driver and fans – but most importantly from Bernie. Well, one thing is for sure. Quoting crashnet, “F1 can do a knee-jerk very well.”
Luckily, the race itself proved to be an exciting one, with the defending champion Lewis Hamilton loosing a lot of ground at the start. Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had a stunning getaway and took 1st and 2nd place demoting both Mercedes. However, after the race was restarted (red flag for Alonso-Gutierrez mishap) Nico Rosberg recovered nicely and partly due to a better tire strategy defeated Vettel who had to make an extra pit stop, which turned out to be a pretty slow one. To add insult to injury, the Ferrari ace uncharacteristically managed a couple of self inflicted wounds that saw his chances further deteriorate. A fast charging Hamilton eventually passed Vettel in the closing stages to take 2nd place. Vettel would finish third.
Just 12 months after the Honda-powered McLaren proved to be a disappointment, a jubilant Fernando Alonso announced “the car is fantastic”, even though he qualified P12. Though had a good start and first stint on lap 18 (out of 57) he tried an overtaking manouvre on Esteban Gutierrez (Haas F1) that did not go as planned. The Spaniard clipped the rear left tire at 300 km per hour sending him barrel rolling across the gravel trap. Though shaken up, Alonso would walk away unhurt. In spite of the car coming to rest upside down, he was able to quickly scramble from underneath it. Of course, this accident has brought the cockpit ‘halo” device into question, but Charlie Whiting (F.I.A. race director) has said that he will press on for a 2017 introduction.
The biggest story coming out of the fist race of the season is how well the new entry of Haas did. Romain Grosjean‘s 6th place finish in the car’s very first F1 race is a validation for the “risk” to commit to a “start up” in a sport that has traditionally seen such outfits struggle to succeed. Of course, a superb strategy call under the red flag, propelled Grosjean from 19th to 6th at the finish, much to the delight of just about everyone present at the track.
Top five:
- Nico Rosberg, GER, Mercedes-Mercedes,
- Lewis Hamilton, GBR, Mercedes-Mercedes,
- Sebastian Vettel, GER, Ferrari-Ferrari,
- Daniel Ricciardo, AUS, Red Bull-TAG Heuer,
- Felipe Massa, BRZ, Williams-Mercedes
Dutchman Max Verstappen had a great start of the race and at one point was as high as 5th. However, his race went downhill after a couple of bad luck situations after the restart, which was further compounded by his teammate holding him back. He would finish in 10th, one spot behind his teammate.
Ferrari’s performance showed much promise, until Raikkonen retired from the race with what he called “something broke” on his car. Back in the pits fire could be seen coming from the scoop just above his helmet. The Ferrari engines aren’t bullet proof…yet.
To watch a short video highlight of the race, please click here.
The next race will be the Bahrain GP, April 1-3
Please check back soon for updates.
Sources: crash.net, Formula 1,
FULTROT Magazine 