The Japanese Grand Prix was a miserable one for McLaren, while for Toro Rosso and Red Bull there were positive signsFernando Alonso’s ire at the Japanese Grand Prix after he was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after being pushed off by Lance Stroll at the chicane might have been the low point of the Spaniard’s weekend. But for the team, qualifying in Japan will be a moment they would rather forget. Suzuka’s magnificent layout is one of the great tests in F1, it rewards a good car and exposes the failings of others. McLaren looked terribly vulnerable. They were comfortably the slowest cars in qualifying – a statement that would have been dismissed as comic a...
Ferrari paid the price for a slow stop at the Hungaroring while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen blew a fuse after a power failureHaving made three strategic errors this season, the pressure has been on the Mercedes pit wall. With qualifying crucial in Hungary they were on top of their game in a chaotic wet session. Tyre choice at the right time was key and it was by no means easy. The team handled it well and ensured their drivers were on the right rubber at the right time. After this it was Lewis Hamilton who was once again exceptional. As Mark Webber pointed out, on his pole lap he took the inside line for traction on the penultimate corner. Always...
It was a fine race for Sebastian Vettel but in different ways Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly also made their markThe Scuderia might have been fortunate to win in Melbourne but victory in Bahrain was anything but a fluke. The team had the pace all weekend and their car proved, at the Sakhir circuit at least, to be superior to Mercedes. But they also had to be willing to take a risk and trust their driver. Switching to a one-stop mid race was a bold move and Vettel had to put in a superlative performance to turn it into a win. He made his tyres last 39 laps when Pirelli’s predicted lifespan was just 30 and did so without going...