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Rosberg prays to the race start god at the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

When the circus finished their last Saturday in Europe at the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton looked unstoppable with a decisive pole lap, clearing teammate Rosberg by nearly half a second. One bad start from Hamilton on Sunday, however, flipped the script and Rosberg took the win and gained seven points on Hamilton.

Here we are, two weeks later, and a near exact mirrored result reflects on Rosberg. He performed brilliantly today and claimed pole by over half a second. Even better for the German, it’s not his teammate sharing the front row. Daniel Ricciardo split the Mercedes with a stonking lap in the Red Bull. Hamilton finished Saturday P3, over seven-tenths behind. But, and this is a big but, both Rosberg and Hamilton have botched starts this season. And looking in the mirror shows us it’s Rosberg’s turn to have trouble when the lights go out.

Rosberg fans can only hope the German immediately dropped to his knees, clasped his hands together, and prayed most passionately to the race start god. Ask the race start god for strong clutch-bite, smooth torque modulation, and minimal tire spin. Beg for quick reaction time, or at least quicker than those around you. Ask for the strength to keep your eyes on turn-one and your mind on the exact start procedure given to you by Mercedes engineers. Rosberg, this is your chance to regain the championship lead. Don’t blow it!

Speaking of championships, both Force India cars qualified ahead of both Williams. Williams currently is ahead of Force India by two, itty-bitty points. So a strong performance by either Hulkenberg or Perez may catapult the team right back to fourth in the constructors championship, a position they grabbed after Belgium and immediately lost it again in Italy.

In a surprise show of form, Toro Rosso qualified ahead both the aforementioned teams, Carlos Sainz in 6th and Daniil Kvyat in 7th. That tells us the chassis is held back the year-old Ferrari power unit. The Italian team currently stands in 7th in the constructors, 3 points behind McLaren. A strong performance could move them up.

Singapore is full of what ifs, a lot of possibilities, and a decent number of potential shake-ups. Let’s not forget that Vettel starts from the back and Red Bull has its best chance of the year to steal another victory from Mercedes.

Qualifying Result

-Robin

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2016 Italian Grand Prix in Pictures

Jamey Price always shoots with his soul. I know it because the emotion of the moment comes through beautifully in every image. Put him in a place chock full of passion and excitement and the resultant pictures are simply stunning.

September 2, 2016: Monza banking , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Monza and it’s original banked oval. We’ve all seen it, yet it’s a sight to behold every time. The shade of neighboring trees cast their shadow on the otherwise barren concrete. It’s in stark contrast to the age of cigar shaped 160mph rockets blasting by. Memories.

September 2, 2016: Daniil Kvyat, (RUS), Scuderia Toro Rosso , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Daniil Kvyat running nearly a car width past the “track limits” of Parabolica. You know, not that long ago Kvyat would’ve been skating off in the grass. Is this real progress? Safer, maybe. But definitely not the same challenge to nail the throttle early while exiting this fast increasing radius corner.

September 3, 2016: Lewis Hamilton (GBR), Mercedes , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Focusing on Mercedes does put everything else in a blur. According to Jamey, they look incredibly planted compared to the rest. Around Monza, that’s crucial. The lap times prove it.

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When Hamilton’s hands touch that wheel, the results devastate the competition. He lapped Monza half a second quicker than Rosberg and third quickest Vettel by nearly nine-tenths.

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Race day. No grand prix comes remotely close to the passion seen in Italy, where nearly everyone bleeds Ferrari red. By the way, is that a Finnish flag I see waving atop the prancing horse? Nice.

September 4, 2016: Lewis Hamilton (GBR), Mercedes , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

It’s easy to say in hindsight, but Hamilton looks to lack the intense focus you imagine a driver needs when preparing for the race start.

September 4, 2016: Nico Rosberg (GER), Mercedes , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Rosberg, on the other hand, stayed focused, nailed the start and put on a clinic. Unlike 2014, he kept his wits and didn’t give Hamilton any chance to steal away this race result.

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The Italians didn’t care. Look at the near homogeneous Ferrari red in the stands. That image is mirrored at every grandstand. Look at the attention. It’s Ferrari or nothing.

September 4, 2016: Nico Rosberg (GER), Mercedes , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Jamey Price captured the entire grand prix in this shot. You can see the elation in Rosberg, the disgust in Hamilton, and the bewilderment in Vettel. How will Ferrari catch Mercedes? It’s a head scratcher.

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Wow.

September 4, 2016: Sebastian Vettel (GER), Ferrari , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Vettel feels the love. And it shows. In Italy, it is Ferrari. If you are part of it, you are a hero.

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Both Massa and Button announce retirement at the 2016 Italian Grand Prix, Button calls it by another name

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

“To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point.” Said Jenson Button in regards to him not sitting in a race seat next year. Button also said, “I love McLaren-Honda – I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with – and I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team,”

September 1, 2016: Jenson Button (GBR), McLaren Honda , Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

Button, allow me to be clear with you. You’re retiring. Yes, I get it. You’ll still develop the car. And, yes, you may enter a grand prix if either Vandoorne or Alonso cannot. But you’re no longer a full-time driver anymore. You retired from that role. I’m sad about your decision because Williams, almost certainly, offered you a seat. They’re the other proud English team and, in-fact, more successful than McLaren. I’m even sadder that you cannot admit your decision means the close of one-chapter and an opening of another.

Felipe Massa on the other hand, announced his retirement without any different label. “My career has been more than I ever expected and I am proud of what I have achieved,” Massa added. “Finally, it is a great honor to finish my career at such an amazing team as Williams Martini Racing. It will be an emotional day when I finally conclude my Formula One career with my 250th Grand Prix start in Abu Dhabi.” Massa’s performance became inconsistent this season; he’s leaving at the right time and with dignity.

Nico Rosberg isn’t retiring. He’s not quitting either. After the Belgium Grand Prix we said Rosberg needed a little luck. Luck came, Rosberg capitalized. The race start at Italy mirrored Germany. There, Rosberg outpaced Hamilton and left the Briton to fume about his inability to match his teammates pace. No matter, on race day Rosberg slugged away from the line and finished fourth.

In years past, Rosberg struggled at Monza. In fact, the 2014 Italian Grand Prix proved pivotal as he, again, benefitted from a poor Hamilton start, but failed to defend when Hamilton caught him. Hamilton took the win and went on to take the Championship. Not this year, the German managed his pace, tires, and wherewithal perfectly. He started clean and built a healthy gap straight away. This applied too much pressure for Hamilton to overcome. As Formula ends its post-summer-break, two-race stint in Europe, Rosberg closed the gap to Hamilton to 2 points from 19. Momentum is on his side as well. Game on in Singapore.

Race Results

Button “not” retiring

Massa retiring

-Robin

 

 

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Hamilton drives the first nail in Rosberg’s championship hopes coffin at the 2016 Belgium Grand Prix

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

Hamilton stole Rosberg’s best chance of retaining his own championship hopes at Spa. With 55 grid positions tacked on the 44 car, Rosberg secured pole and saw his best chance to swallow up his teammates points lead and head to Italy on top. Indeed, the German checked every box within his control. He won the race without overly stressing the car and collected maximum points. But Hamilton, storming from the back and avoiding calamity along the way, made it to the podium. Collecting 15 points instead of the 1 or 2 most expected. He kept the championship lead most expected him to lose by a margin of 9 points. And now he also has a fresh supply of engines, or power units, or whatever you want to call them.

To win the championship, Rosberg now has to rely on talent, and talent alone. He possesses lots of it. Rosberg is extremely quick and cunning and capable. But history shows you need that, and a bit of luck to take on Hamilton. Belgium presented a chance to give Rosberg an edge and a chance to carry momentum, which is one of his strengths. But now he’ll need to start winning like the beginning of the season and not stop for another 8 races.

Kevin Magnussen took a massive hit after losing control of his Renault exiting Eau Rouge. But reports are positive that he will pass all medical tests and race again in Italy. The Renault cocooned Magnussen brilliantly, but largely he walked away from that accident due to luck. That same impact, nose first, would’ve hurt. We are also lucky as fans that the accident played out as it did. Racing is fundamentally a dangerous sport. Drivers control incredible amounts of energy. And controlling energy is like handling a Black Mamba snake, if it gets even the slightest bit out of hand, it’s potentially deadly.

Too many accidents like Magnussen’s allow fans to take-for-granted the real risk drivers endure. Don’t. We’re lucky not to see energy bite more often. So, thank you safety team for working quickly. Thank you current safety rules for mandating both the track and the car better absorb impact. Thank you Kevin Magnussen for trying everything to get back in the car in Italy.

Race Results

-Robin

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Kimi Raikkonen keeps Vettel honest, Qualifying Belgium GP 2016

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

Once we learned of Mercedes plans for Hamilton this weekend, qualifying lost its appeal. After all, the crew from Brackley added engines six, seven, and eight to the 44 car throughout Friday and Saturday, which means they also added a 55 grid position penalty to it. I think that means Hamilton will start in Brussels on the Rue de l’Ecuyer tomorrow.

With Hamilton’s penalty, Rosberg immediately became the heavy favorite for pole, which he achieved. Yay. (All kidding aside, Spa is a daunting track and competition from Red Bull and Ferrari and Force India proved formidable, so congratulations to Rosberg for the achievement. It’s his 28th, by the way.)

But with Rosberg-on-pole inevitability, qualifying did not disappoint. Max Verstappen, pumped up by legions of Dutch fans who popped across the border to watch, wrung the neck of the Red Bull chassis to grab P2, but a tenth behind Rosberg. Even more stunning, not only did Kimi Raikkonen out qualify his teammate, he came within a couple hundredths of taking P2 away from Verstappen. During post qualy interviews, Raikkonen spoke of a slow run through the chicane that cost him three-tenths during the lap, which meant pole was in reach. When is the last time we heard that from the Finn?

Spa is, I think, the greatest racetrack in the world today. And, starting from the back, Hamilton will put on a show working his way to the front. We also have unusually warm temps to disrupt many team’s tire allocation decisions. It may also rain. So look forward to a stunner of a grand prix. And look for Raikkonen to perhaps stun as well. Race win tomorrow? It’s possible.

Qualifying Results

-Robin

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Fifteen things Force India can’t live without after the 2016 German Grand Prix

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

Fifteen. That’s the number of points that Force India trails Williams in the Constructor’s World Championship (hence my super catchy headline 😉 ) If the Force India Formula 1 team gains 15 points over Williams within the next 10 races, they’ll finish fourth in the championship. Fourth! That means they’ll finish behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari; but in front of McLaren, Williams, Renault, Toro Rosso, and the rest. That’s incredible.

The team that spent the first 24 years of its life in Formula 1 as Jordan went through a fast cycle of name changes in the mid 2000’s. In 2005, it became the Midland team. Not long after, they changed again to Spyker F1. In 2008, Indian businessman Vijay Mallya bought the team and rebadged the apparel to the name we know today. From the beginning, we’ve seen a relatively steady rise in performance, from back marker to solid-mid-pack. These days, especially the middle of the 2016 season, seeing both Force India cars in the points is no surprise.

Season

 Points WCC
2008 0 10th
2009 13 9th
2010 68 7th
2011 69 6th
2012 109 7th
2013 77 6th
2014 155 6th
2015 136 5th
2016 74* 5th*
*So Far

WCC = World Constructor Championship

Breakout performances from Mexican driver Sergio Perez put Force India on the podium twice this year. Hulkenberg finished as high as sixth. And both drivers earned points in seven of the twelve Grands Prix. Perez has certainly led the charge, collecting 48 points, compared with Hulkenberg’s 33. In fact, performance from Perez piqued the interest of other teams. And rumors abound that he may sit in the Renault cockpit in 2017. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

In Germany today, Hulkenberg and Perez finished seventh and tenth, respectively, adding seven points to Force India’s tally. At Williams, Bottas only managed ninth and Massa DNF’d. Even more stark, in the last three grand prix, Force India scored 22 points, compared with Williams earning just 4. At this rate, Force India may well surpass Williams and take fourth in the championship. In 2016, Renault sits ninth with six points. As a factory team, they will certainly improve in 2017. But how much is a risk. Just ask Pastor Maldonado. My advice? Stay where you are, Sergio Perez. Ride the Force India wave for another year, who knows where it might take you.

Race Results

-Robin

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Lewis Hamilton Looks For Dinner Plates After Qualifying at the 2016 German Grand Prix

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Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

In Q3, Rosberg had but one chance. In the opening minutes an electrical glitch forced him to pit for a quick fix. Once Mercedes fixed the car, there was barely enough time to complete two laps in succession. Turns out he only needed one. While Engineers and mechanics went to work on the German’s car, Hamilton set a new lap record, a blistering 1 minute, 14.470 second lap around the 2.8 mile (4.6 km) Hockenheim circuit, the Briton comfortably ahead of everyone. But in the waning minutes, on Rosberg’s first flier, he set the quickest sector one and sector three times and went on the set a 1 minute 14.363 time. Pole by a tenth. Hamilton had time to respond and attempted to do so. Indeed his sector one time beat Rosberg’s by a tenth, but a lock up in sector two cost him time, which he was unable to recover in sector three. Rosberg won Pole, his 27th all-time and 5th of the season.

Hamilton responded with hilarious, thinly veiled disgust. During the post qualy interviews, he could muster no more than simple, 4 or 5 word answers to questions and refused to admit to any issue with the car or mistake in his driving. Instead of looking Rosberg in the eye, or saying his name, or acknowledging his existence, Hamilton continually rubbed his eyes and face with the white towel on the table. I can only conclude that Hamilton infuriated himself and headed to the interview table red-hot. Because circumstances left no one else to blame, emotions boiled over. It was either sit stilted and awkward, or throw dinner plates against the wall. And Hamilton couldn’t find any plates.

Why? Hamilton, you’re three times Formula 1 World Champion. You’ve won more races this season than many drivers manage in a career. More often than not, you outperform Rosberg. In fact, many fans consider you to possess the most natural talent of anyone on the grid today, a few think ever.

So often Rosberg has to take your better pace on the chin. How many times have we heard him say, “Hamilton was faster today.” It’s Rosberg’s home race. He’s fast here. He won the last race at Hockenheim. Give him this one. I read in Autosport that you feel like you let your mechanics down. I’m sure they forgive you. Now forgive yourself and take a moment congratulate your teammate for goodness sake.

Autosport Hamilton Demeanor after Qualifying

Qualifying Results

-Robin

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Who’s better? Esteban Gutierrez or Pascal Wehrlein?

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price

Pascal Wehrlein, clearly. So say the numbers at least. First and most obvious, Wehrlein is ahead in the Driver’s Championship, 17th with one point verses Gutierrez in 19th with none. Gutierrez has a best finish of 11th. Dig one layer deeper and you see that Gutierrez clearly drives the quicker car. Haas currently sits 8th in the Constructor’s Championship, holding 28 points; Manor, on the other hand, clings on to Wehrlein’s single point and sits 10th. In fact, the two teams share the statistic of one driver delivering all the points.

But Esteban suffered bad luck this year, you say. So has Pascal. Gutierrez started the season with two DNF’s, but since finished every race. Wehrlein couldn’t finish on two occasions either. And here’s more numbers, Wehrlein averaged 16.6th place, Manor’s average 17.6th, Gutierrez mirrors that performance averaging 14.6th against Haas’s 13.5th. One clearly under-performs the other outperforms.

Being a Ferrari Development Driver played a big role in Gutierrez landing the race seat at Haas. But is it enough to keep it? See the stats for yourself here.

-Robin

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Hungarian GP or yet another radio FIAsco

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price http://jameypricephoto.com

“So the brake pedal going to the floor is not classed as a safety issue? Quite interesting. I think Charlie [Whiting, FIA race director] needs to read up on what is safe and what isn’t.”

That was Jenson Button over the radio after receiving a drive-thru penalty for banned radio communication with his McLaren Honda team. It is yet another example of the silliness of the FIA’s radio rules. Had driver coaching from the engineers gone too far last year? Perhaps. Fans of the sport don’t benefit from teammate one being told that teammate two is faster in corner x, so try a different widget setting. But those same fans do benefit from seeing more cars finish the race and fight for positions. They do benefit from seeing their favorite driver compete and pass others, or fight to defend positions. Drivers can’t do that when things overheat or brake pedals go to the floor.

The call for the men in the cockpit to handle it themselves fails to recognize the incredible, and frankly outlandish, complication of a modern F1 machine. Hundreds of settings and sensors and data points and variables that teams of engineers monitor, literally hundreds. Is that what we love about drivers? Their sensitivity to hydraulic pressure and a memorized matrix of troubleshooting tactics? No! We love them because they enter a corner faster than the next guy, or dare to brake later, or pass on the outside in dirty air. That takes talent and courage. Learning spreadsheets do not. I’m a bit fed up with rules.

In fact the rules regarding track limits also sparks ire. The beauty of racing is that it demands bravery, the aforementioned courage and talent, but also cunning to find the fastest way around a circuit. If a driver does that by traveling extra distance to maintain a higher speed, I support it with all my heart. If Formula 1, the FIA, or track owners don’t like it, make going that way slower not faster. I admit there are occasions where it’s simply not possible, the chicane after the tunnel at Monaco is a good example. But drivers avoid that because it’s logical and purposeful and the curbing highly unsettles the car.

Ugh.

The good news? The vast majority of teams have voiced opinions and their cry for change gets louder. The Hungarian Grand Prix thrilled in a few senses. Throughout the race Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg stayed within three seconds of each other. Hamilton came out on top for the fifth time at this track. Matching his Canadian GP record of five out of ten. He also took the lead in the Driver’s Championship for the first time this year, now ahead by six points. But Rosberg’s home race is less than a week away and he’s fast there.

-Robin

Jenson Button Radio

Race Results

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Hungarian GP Qualifying, Rain Rain Come and Stay

Photo courtesy of Jamey Price http://jameypricephoto.com

Q1 started and stayed wet, causing four red flags. One was a direct result of the weather. The other three, indirect as three drivers skid in to the wall: Marcus Ericsson from Sauber, Felipe Massa from Williams, and Rio Haryanto from Manor. Massa’s came after the second red flag and he was one of a few that decided to try intermediates on a still sopping track. But after the third red, several drivers felt brave enough to run inters and indeed the track was drying, perhaps not quickly enough for Haryanto. Q1 took nearly an hour and yet didn’t get through the entire 18 minutes on the clock.

By Q2 the sun was out and the track began to dry quickly. Williams was one of the first to dare to put on intermediates and Williams again tempted fate and bolted super soft drys about half way through the session. Bottas fared better than Massa and indeed made it to Q3 for his efforts. In the final few minutes, lap times dropped a second or more at a time, the track forming a dry line in near record time. As time ran out, all 16 drivers were out attempting a last effort run. As a result, Both McLarens made it to Q3, but Raikkonen and Perez failed to follow suit.

Q3 gave drivers an essentially dry track, but that did little to calm the spectacle. Fernando Alonso led a group of drivers, including Hamilton, and spun in the middle sector. That caused a local yellow, which forced that group, including Hamilton, to slow. Legally not allowed to improve his sector time, Hamilton couldn’t better his first lap in the session. But Rosberg wasn’t in that group, Alonso was clear and the local yellow withdrawn when the German got to sector two. Call Rosberg lucky. Call his performance redemption. I call it the best qualifying we’ve seen this year.

-Robin

Qualifying Results