By Joe Murphy
Ahead of the first American Grand Prix of the year, thoughts have very swiftly moved on from what can only be described as an average and extremely underwhelming Azerbaijan Grand Prix event. That being said, there is at least something of a title race, so how will the latest round contribute to that? Let’s see…
Checo needs PERfect weekend
If he is indeed a credible title challenger, he needs to win again. The Mexican claimed victory in both the sprint and main feature races last week but needs to develop that consistent victors mentality if he is to sustain a challenge to his teammate. Max is set to be at the top of his game, but simply put Sergio out-drove him last week. Can he do it again? Well, he needs to.
Fernando to Shake it Off and focus on racing.
If you were hoping for Taylor Swift puns in this section, then there’s going to be bad blood. Ah, ‘look what you made me do’! This ‘love story’ was all over coverage of the last race and has been teased on the Spaniard’s social media all week. Wheel2Wheel like the focus to be on the track, so the target for the Aston Martin driver will be to surely return to the podium. However, Lewis, Charles and George will all have something to say about that, as will his teammate. Its a long shot, maybe it’s only going to happen in his ‘wildest dreams’.
Pressure on the other Spaniard grows…
A glaring omission from the list above is Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver was well below his teammate in last week’s events, doing well to hold off the Mercedes challenge behind but ultimately finishing well off his teammates pace. Leclerc managed to at least cause problems for Red Bull. Carlos, not so much. If the Monaco man continues to finish clear of his teammate, pressure will naturally grow on Sainz to achieve the same standard of results. Its doubtful on current form, but Carlos could do with a podium this weekend to hush the naysayers.
No more – Nyck de-bris
It’s not been the best start to a Formula 1 career we’ve ever encountered. The Alpha Tauri driver has been soundly beaten by his teammate over the course of this season so far. Much like with Carlos, the pressure will soon start to mount if results don’t follow. We need to see more from the former Formula E World Champion. We need to see the same Nyck that impressed at Monza last year. Less crashing an debris on track that’s for sure. As for Yuki, its probably his bets start to a season yet, and it needed to be with him the unofficial ‘first driver’ of the team.
Outlandish prediction – Norris to struggle in orLANDO? Are you Taking the Piastri?
A new feature for the predictions pieces. The last entry will be a wild prediction that could very well happen, albeit in a very unlikely scenario. This week’s, Oscar Piastri to get a points finish and finish ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. Piastri has raced well so far this campaign with his performances going somewhat under the radar. Well, no more!
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