Both at 8. There are two races left and the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen is equivalent to a sixth place in the race. Eight points out of 52 potentially available, including those for the famous fast laps (but couldn’t they at least not assign that point to the ‘flying laps’ made, let’s say, in the last five laps?). Such a small margin that even the role of the so-called squires Bottas and Perez (the former should have a cooler and relatively powerful PU) could finally come in handy. It’s hard to say how it would have gone in Losail if Verstappen hadn’t had to pay the grid penalty for ignored yellow flag. The impression is that Hamilton also had some to control his direct rival if he had started next to him, but the variable of the start at the traffic light remain and the fact that, if he had been under more pressure, perhaps Lewis would have pinched one of the deadly curbs of the circuit. In any case, we will never know. I see, however, that I had not gone so far from the target when I had invoked a more correct behavior on the part of the team principals, as is required of the coaches in football on pain of exclusion from the bench. Christian Horner received a yellow card for criticizing the Federation-Commissioners relationship in terms that sporting power has the right, in cases like these, to judge unacceptable. Otherwise we are in the banana republic.
World Qataratta. That said, there is a certain myopia on the part of both the pilots and the judicial bodies. I am obviously talking about the yellow flags that cost Verstappen the penalty and beyond. Here, too, compromises cannot and must not be made when safety is at stake: we have met too many pilots who have not “seen” the flags, from Mansell to Schumacher at the time of Benetton. However, there remains an evident asynchrony between the signals of the race direction, those reported on the displays of the single-seaters and the radio notices of the pit wall. And this gives the green light to the interpretations, and the interpretations then degenerate into controversy. Ideally, nowadays one could have a 360-degree view of what is happening on the track even without the use of drones (which are prohibited, for obvious reasons), reporting everything to a central control unit. Instead of the flags waved by the commissioners, however, signaling panels would be needed at each ‘post’. The fact remains that an experienced steward has every reason to intervene if he believes that a dangerous situation has arisen which was not detected in time by the race management. In short, it is a complicated matter: but personally I prefer to see more penalties and fewer avoidable accidents. You?
Red Dunes. A clue doesn’t make a test, but won’t the Ferrari Middle East syndrome, already detected last year, be back? Both SF21s have seen the finish line, but with abysmal gaps, after Charles Leclerc had not even managed to enter Q3. Celebrating Sainz’s strategic move – who is also very good at qualifying with medium tires – doesn’t make much sense, if the aforementioned, after the race, admits that he was unable to defend himself at the start. Leclerc seems to be in a phase of fogging, but perhaps it is a momentary fact and certainly the damage to the body – once again the mechanics were very good at reassembling everything on another chassis – did not help him. Ferrari, it must be said, has always structurally suffered from high curbs in an almost anomalous way, superior to many competitors. As for the race, the strategy was based on prudence, to avoid a second stop. There is, however, that the main reason for satisfaction is having beaten the McLaren slowed down by punctures, when he then takes his pay from the Alpines and an Aston Martin. By the way: “Alonsenfant” title for the over-the-top performance of Fernando and his French car. They too made the tires last, but at a different pace.
Armajeddah. We look forward. I really hope I’m wrong – the simulations, you know, are simulators – but the theater of the next Grand Prix seems to me to be made on purpose to create messes. A very fast and winding track in the middle of the walls. It’s okay that Saudi Arabia could, soon, control both the FIA and F1, respectively through the presidential elections and sponsor Aramco. But I have the impression that we have gone too far, with the desire to create circuits-spectacles.
Push-ups in place. Last but not least, there are rumors of new criteria for the checks on the flexibility of the wing surfaces, the ones that every day provide topics for conversation to Toto Wolff and Chris Horner. And here, in my opinion, we are not. Static controls have been insufficient for years, despite the increasing weights applied to the airfoils. Changing the cards on the table once again, two races from the end and with a totally open world championship, means, in my opinion, exposing the side to other complaints and controversies. That is the penultimate thing (after the accidents, of course) that this F1 needs, in a season that is nevertheless magical.
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