Can they recover tomorrow?
We thought there might be drama for the title on the run to the first corner, and indeed we got it, but in a rather unexpected way! Instead of contact, Hamilton simply got a poor start, and was punished for it all the way to Turn 1. From there it was so difficult to pass, that he was stuck in 5th behind Norris all the way to the end. This is a big dent for his title hopes, and it will be crucial tomorrow that he gets past both McLaren’s, probably through strategy, to limit the points lost! On a track where they were set for a great weekend, this is a nightmare for Mercedes, and will be a big test for them tomorrow!
At least Bottas did all he could in the Sprint race, to deny Verstappen maximum points. This will be a morale boost for the Finn, after a tough year so far! Even more worrying for Mercedes, is that Max had very strong race pace, and could stay with Bottas all the way through the race. Which means that even if Lewis passes the McLaren’s early on, it may be hard to beat the Red Bull. Verstappen just has to be smart tomorrow, as he was today, but be wary of the McLaren’s and run his own race.
Speaking of the Papaya team, it worked perfectly for them in the Sprint, as whilst Ricciardo may have hoped to get Max, both cars gaining 1 place is still amazing. Norris was brave going down to Turn 1, and it paid off, he probably knew Hamilton wouldn’t push the issue too much. He also handled the pressure incredibly well, as Lewis was on him throughout the race. It is just lovely to see Daniel back to his smiley cheeky self, as his form has definitely improved over recent races! Tomorrow, they need to play it smart, run their fastest race, as a 3-4 is very possible, if they battle Max and Lewis too hard, it will bring the Ferrari’s into play, which is not what they want!
Ferrari themselves have probably done as well as they can on one of their weakest circuits on paper. They have faced various setbacks over the weekend very well, although they need to be wary of the threat from Checo! Giovinazzi was able to maintain his position over the 18 laps, in another superb effort at his home race! I just don’t understand where the pace has come from! Perez as I mentioned should continue to march forward in the race tomorrow. Beating the McLaren’s may be tough, but 5th would really help Red Bull in the constructors!
Alpine and Aston Martin used the soft tyres to varying degrees of success. They are perched right on the edge of the points, and will probably continue their battle over the 50 odd laps on Sunday! Alonso deservedly got move of the race, with his cunning switch back, although there weren’t many overtakes to choose from!
Williams and Haas did all they could, and will need a miracle to score points in the Grand Prix. As for Gasly, it was an unlucky situation, where he just misjudged how much Ricciardo would slow down, as a result of Verstappen cutting him off. It is an incident similar to the one he had at Bahrain, and will cost him a bag full of points, because I doubt he can fight back to points tomorrow!
The run off the start down to the 2nd chicane will be all important for both Max and Lewis, as the McLaren’s could be thorns in both their races! if they stay as how they start, it could be huge for the title race!
-M
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