by VALERIO BARRETTA
F1 Bahrain, the report cards of those promoted
1. Carlos Sainz. We talked about everyone and everything, about the track and the market. We only talked about the future, a lot about 2025, pretending that 2024 didn't exist. Hamilton-Leclerc, what a challenge, yes, but what do we do with Sainz? We don't know. Then he puts it down: “I'm here and I don't look anyone in the face anymore“, he seems to say with the Bahrain race. It thinks of itself, just as Ferrari thought of itself. With that smile of someone who has been waiting for this moment for a month: Smooth Operatorwhile the world was talking about his seat but not about him, he shows the world who he is and that he is there.
2. Adrian Newey. But not because he has produced yet another gem. What is fascinating is the idea of never sitting down, of not being satisfied even after three years of victories (or, call them – if you want – demolitions). Would it ever have been conceivable here? Maybe it's because we're the country with a 1-0 lead on the counterattack, but I highly doubt it. Then, of course, if you have Dominus at home you can afford this and other risks.
3. George Russell. Punish those who have won over 100 poles in qualifying. In the race he puts Leclerc on the outside as if he were any Bottas, then races with a crippled W15. Perfect race if it hadn't been for the mistake at the end that gives Leclerc fourth place (but he probably would have been overtaken anyway). Honorable mention for Stroll, who pays the Bottas tax and gives proof of his existence, and Hülkenberg, who still manages the miracle of bringing the Haas into Q3. It's a shame about the first corner accident, because Magnussen wasn't far from the points.
F1 Bahrain, the report cards of those promoted
3. VisaCashAntani with Stakeling on the right. But why the cinema on the length of their name? At least here, let's call them RB and Kick Sauber, which is the name of their chassis. Other teams also have sponsors in their name, but all this stink has never been done. A little respect for the only ones who entertained us yesterday, with Tsunoda in a kamikaze version against Ricciardo and Bottas stopped at the toll booth. Oh well, with three or four wheels it makes little difference now.
2. Mercedes. She came to Bahrain to find answers, she comes out with even more questions. Russell swears that the W15 is a car that can win, Hamilton reassures that Mercedes is good at developing and also believes that Red Bull is reachable. Meanwhile, the seats break, the engine reaches the temperature of Venus and Red Bull wins by taking inspiration from concepts thrown away by them.
1. Alpine. And thank goodness they didn't paint it to avoid weighing it down. Slow and overweight to the point of making even Ocon seem likeable (last laugh: April 2014). The drivers are the least of the problems, in fact it's surprising to see them down there because they deserve to at least fight for some points. Unfortunately for them they ended up in an environment in turmoil, in which: a driver with 0 GPs in F1 humiliates a team with 40 years of history and a team principal is removed from the wall in the middle of the race weekend, while whoever was supposed to replace him on an interim basis remains there. It's not difficult to understand why: but who wants to go to Alpine today? Those who can escape, as Harman and de Beer did yesterday. Then, anything can happen and the McLaren 2023 teaches this. In Woking, however, there are clear ideas, in Alpine it is not even clear who is in charge and who takes orders.
#Report #Cards #Bahrain #podium
