Well there was no shortage of talking points following the latest installment of the Formula 1 World Championship from Silverstone last time out. After a largely successful new qualifying format was introduced, Sunday’s race was also not short of talking points. It could even be suggested that Formula 1 came home at Silverstone, as an Englishman saw off the Italians to win, even with penalties. Let’s go through some of the action, now…
Lewis wins in controversial fashion...
It depends which side of the garage you are on. A Mercedes team member would describe Lewis Hamilton’s attempt to take the lead on lap one as “daring”, a key attribute if any successful racing driver. They may also argue Lewis was largely alongside Max heading into one of the fastest corners on the calendar. However, Red Bull showcased their anger rather publically and lay full blame onto the seven time champ. A 10-second penalty was ultimately the punishment, which drew both criticism from many, and acceptance from others. This penalty may have made Lewis’ race more difficult, but ultimately the result was the same. He claimed an eighth home race victory to close the gap to his championship rival by 25 points, meaning we go into Hungary with the title race firmly on, if it wasn’t already. The rivalry between the Dutchman and the Brit will surely be intensified, especially in the wake of some bitter social media statements issued post race. All eyes on Hungary where the next chapter in this season, waits to be written.
Amazing performance from Charles Leclerc earns him Driver of the Day.
The day may have been about the forts lap action between the two serious title challengers, but Charles Leclerc produced an incredible performance to finish second, agonisingly close to the win leading the race from lap two to fifty, only being passed with two laps to go. Second is still a tremendous achievements in what is arguably a car slower than at least six others on the grid. The ability of the young Ferrari driver has never been in question, but it is refreshing, if nothing else, to see Charles on the podium again. This is especially the case when you consider where Ferrari where last year in relation to their rivals, seldom seeing Q3 during 2020. If the Italian outfit can keep improving on their current trajectory, Charles is more than capable of being a title challenger in future seasons. For now though, pipping McLaren to P3 is a more realistic target.
Is Lance Stroll not getting the Plaudits he deserves?
Another points finish for this Aston Martin driver in what is becoming a largely successful season for the green car. The Canadian finish well whereas teammate Sebastian Vettel did not even complete the race. In a car that was not as competitive around tracks like Silverstone, Lance Stroll did exceptionally well to score points for the team. He is under more pressure than most drivers, it could be argued, with more to prove than some others on the grid with the role of his father brought frequently into the equation. Nor only is he showing on a regular basis that he has the pace, he is also gaining more experience, has a number of podiums to his name and even a pole position (something arguably even more rare). With what seems like a safe, guaranteed seat next year, expect Lance to continue to go from strength to strength.
Make Kimi great again…
A stellar driver from “Veteran” Kimi Raikkonen almost had his Alfa Romeo in the points, if it weren’t for a late bump with the charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez. On the radio after you could hear the Finn’s frustration as he just wanted his team to make his car faster, simply so he and his teammate can compete for points, regularly. With the recent news that the Italian constructor is set to remain in the sport for at least the next few years, these improvements are surely what all of the team are hoping for. Furthermore, there isn’t one fan who wouldn’t like to see Kimi step on the podium one more time, before he retires from his “hobby”.
Sprint race a positive addition to the sport…
It is this writer’s belief that with a few small adjustments, the sprint qualifying format could be a huge success in the years to come. Unquestionably a financial decision, there is little debate that Friday is now more interesting to both the casual and hardcire fans. The points distribution is something Formula 1 themselves need to look at, as well as who gets the “pole position” with records set to be altered going forward. What the sprint race did offer us was more racing, a slightly shaken up grid and unpredictability. Received well by the majority of fans and critics over the course of the weekend, the format looks set to be here to stay. Overall, a positive addition to the sport so far, if has to be said.
By Joe Murphy
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