So that's the reason for his poor start... It did look he stalled at the start of the race, hence those at the back overtook him.
Awesome result for Lec. In a class of his own all weekend. Sad for Sainz - a total disaster of a weekend but he will be back. WCC is done. Ferrari will be victorious. Redbull have a competitive car, but the reliability situation is now critical. Very disappointed for Max who, at this point, it’s a the only guy capable of competing with Ferrari. WDC still possible as Max is just that good. Mercedes outperformed again - in part due to good fortune (max and Sainz dnfs, plus some good luck for Russel due to safety cars). The car has a great chassis, but the aero / porpoising are holding them back. If they can get on top of it, they could win races. No chance of WDC or WCC. Albon - driver of the day for me. Getting points after a mega long stint on hards was a huge surprise. Well done him. Aston - pack up and go home. Rubbish car. Rubbish drivers and no more development money as it’s all going to be spent rebuilding cars.
Any particular reason why Haas and Alpha Romeo couldn't perform like in the previous races? On another note, has any team bought any upgrades to this race, except for RB and Ferrari who got some developments near the barge-boards and spoon-shaped rear wing respectively.
It's easy when you have the best car ;-) Fuel leak on the RB seems odd - surely the fire would have been a bit more vigorous with fuel? The Merc starts looked good because NOR had a poor getaway and PER got caught up behind VER on the outside of turn 1. They were good, but not really much better than the rest.
+1 - surprise of the day for me was this result for Mercedes. I hope they get the vehicle sorted soon. We need 3 teams challenging overall. That would be a nice situation for the series F1 overall this year.
Superb effort overall for Charles. Was hoping Sainz would be challenging. More bad luck like that for Sainz and he is #2 without question. Perez is quicker but still not able to get the race pace Max has. Another DNF for Max soon would not be optimal for a title challenge if Ferrari remain this strong. Its interesting to see the reliability issues Max car is having now or actually RedBull in general. Tires today were a major factor. Graining on mediums apparent on different teams. They might be 'stronger' but are not without weakness. It will be fun to see the impact the new Ferrari updates provide. Lets hope they continue in the direction the team has set. Victory!
Verstappen F1 fuel system issue ‘totally separate’ to Bahrain problem Christian Horner says the fuel system issue that caused Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen’s retirement in Australia is “totally separate” to the problem that hit Red Bull in Bahrain.
Is this the race we learned to stop worrying and love porpoising? Two of this week's best race platforms: Ferrari and Merc looked like pogo sticks as they bounced their way down the straights on full fuel. And yet, no one could touch LeClerc, Sainz was very fast, and the Mercs' pace was much better than anyone expected.
I think the varying characteristics of every circuit would show or hide the effects of porpoising on our car. In the last two races, there was no visible porpoising, while in today's race it was apparent that we didn't had this issue resolved. It remains to be seen whether the forthcoming updates shall have a uniformity and this effect is relegated to the minimum irrespective of the track.
Max earlier and now Yuki doing well to have the safety car rules evaluated again for this year lol-- F1 stewards suggest review of safety car protocols after Schumacher near-miss The FIA stewards at Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix have suggested that future briefings should focus on how drivers safely maintain the mandated 10-length gap behind the safety car.
Yes another very interesting technical feature of this race. That runs counter to the wisdom how speed/pace and damage suffer with porpoising lol
4th would mean alpine leap frogging them- not happening or a Mercedes’ powered Mclaren beating them . Both not happening imo. I’m disappointed Renault/alpine haven’t done better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great race by Chuck. He is on course for WDC this year. Looking forward to that. Russel beat Hamilton, must be a bitter pill for the champion but not quite unexpected. Sad for Max and worried about his WDC hopes. Too many DNFs.
Ahhh...good times for us Ferrari fans. Everyone wins when Ferrari succeeds in F1; it's good for ratings, for the sport itself and embelishes a long and fascinating history of motor racing in general. For those of us who have supported Ferrari through some of the darker days, it is a pleasing come back and illustrates that hard work and perseverance have their rewards. The season is still young, and it seems to me that Red Bull is the most serious threat to our hopes of a dual championship. I don't have a particular fear of Merc right now; if you look at their strong finish today and then insert Max and Carlos at the front of the field where they truly belong, they end up 5 and 6. Succeeding off the misfortune of faster cars and drivers is not a sustainable way to win over the course of a long season. Russell is a bright star and a welcome breath at vitality at Merc. I have no idea what Sir Hamilton was whining about over the radio...the behavior of a prima dona, pure and simple. How 'bout Chuck? Great guy, humble, enthusiastic and appears to be very approachable. Certainly fits the bill of an authentic race driver and it's nice to see him as the new focus of media attention. The poor Sky Sports guys aren't sure how to call the races in this brave new world. Keep it up, Charles. And Carlos, there's lots of room at the top. There's a spot waiting for you at Imola. Going out to take a few victory laps in the Pista now...wonder if I'll hear the bells in Maranello from across the sea? Forza my friends, FORZA!
Do you realise how stupid that statement is? He only won a couple of GPs ... What does that make of Michael Schumacher then ?
