Portugal Grand Prix – W2W Race Review

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It was Lewis Hamilton who edged further ahead in the 2021 Drivers’ Championship standings after winning the Portugal Grand Prix. In this round three races from one of the most compelling circuits on the calendar, there was certainly no shortage of talking points. Wheel2Wheel analyses the latest round of the season from the familiar front three, to a compelling midfield battle that is shaping up nicely as we prepare to head to Spain next.

Two horse race for the title, it would appear…

When Valtteri Bottas narrowly claimed pole on Saturday, there was hope by many that the Finn would use this opportunity as a springboard to bring himself back into the World Championship picture. In a race where his teammate Hamilton and rival Max Verstappen were simply just outright quicker, it appears Bottas doesn’t have the pace to compete with the two leading drivers. Simply put, he wasn’t good enough on Sunday and despite leading for the opening stint, was never really as comfortable as Lewis turned out to be. The extra point from that final fastest lap is more important to Mercedes as constructors than Valtteri himself, it seems. With all the hype building ‘Max v Lewis’, it was an opportunity to stamp his authority. An opportunity that not only did Valtteri not take, but it also highlighted just how far behind the Finn really is regarding performance.

A good day for Alpine

The midfield battle was a very intriguing part of Sunday’s action. A P7 and P8 finish for Alpine’s Ocon and Alonso respectively, illustrated to audiences just what the car and drivers can offer this year. The set up seemed especially suited to this particular circuit and capped off a very positive weekend for the French team. After a rocky and somewhat unlucky start, Alpine would appear to be nearer to McLaren and Ferrari than many gave the team credit for. In a comparison to Aston Martin, it seems that Alonso and Ocon are outperforming Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in what at the start of the season, appeared a very close battle between to equal teams.

Norris shines again, Danny Ricc Redemption for McLaren

With a P5 finish for Lando Norris continuing the strong start the young Brit has made to the season, McLaren seem to have the edge on Ferrari in the constructors battle to be the third strongest team on the grid. Despite a poor qualifying for teammate Daniel Ricciardo, a strong race had him turn P16 into P9, following an incredible first stint that saw him make his tyres last much longer than most other drivers. Despite the double points score for the British team, you get the feeling that there is more that the car can offer, especially from the Australian’s side of the garage. With podiums an outside possibility if Red Bull and Mercedes are off their game, all eyes move to Spain to see what is next for the orange team.

Aston Martin still not firing on all cylinders…

Aston Martin seem to have taken at least a couple of steps backwards from their Racing Point results of last year, which included a win, a pole position and a couple of podiums. Seb and Lance have shown glimpses of a good car performance, including the Canadian’s strong performances in the first two races and Seb’s Q3 appearance this weekend. However, in what hoped to be a challenger to P3 in the constructors championship, it has been a very poor start. Seemingly someway off McLaren, Ferrari also seem to be a level up. The battle appears to be more with Alpha Tauri and Alpine for a P6 finish. Underwhelming at the very least.

How bad is Nikita Mazepin though?

Nikita Mazepin will find it increasingly difficult to finish this season in his current run of form. Surely things have to change sooner rather than later. With the money behind his father an issue of a potential clash of interest, the problem is the Russian is so far behind everyone else. When Haas let Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen go at the end of the 2020 season, there was cause for optimism in youth. However, with more talented drivers failing to get a seat this year, questions must be raised as to Mazepin’s future. The off the track controversy didn’t help his transition into Formula 1 at the start of the year and incidents like a clash with Sergio Perez in Portugal when the Mexican was P1 and two laps ahead, don’t help his case either. When you see the Russian finish dead last every week and finish a bad last at that, whilst at the same time spinning more than one of those fairground attraction Waltzer rides, things will have to turn around quickly for the rookie if he is to hold on to his seat. F1 is as cut throat a sport as it comes, remember.