Will the sprint cause chaos for the title fight?
For the final time this year, we have a sprint weekend for F1, which as well as making it a busier time for the teams, means we have more to talk about on a Friday!
Mercedes needed to fight back here in Brazil, after losing a lot of ground in the past few races, and that was just what they did. The blistering pace from Hamilton in FP1 continued into qualifying, and could not be bettered. The engine penalty he is carrying for this weekend undoubtedly helped him, yet the car was also excellent in the corners, which could be due to them being able to carry more downforce, in exchange for the extra engine power. The other theory is that they have focused more on qualifying, as they had a rather loose rear end all day, which could be a problem for the next two days. Nevertheless, it has been a teambuilding day for Mercedes, and put some fire back under Lewis, who will fight until the end for this title. Bottas did his job, by beating Perez, and needs to try and pressurise Max in the races, although that won’t be easy.
Bearing in mind this is a power track, Red Bull shouldn’t be surprised they got beaten today, however, you can tell they are not pleased with how things went. Verstappen was complaining about the car balance right until Q3, so I don’t think they optimised their pace either. Starting from 2nd, it will be interesting to see how Max handles the race, will he continue to be the aggressor, or will he protect his title lead, my guess would be the former, as that is what has got him into this position. Their race pace should be closer to Mercedes, so it could be an interesting few races ahead, although the race could easier for him with Hamilton having the penalty. Perez was solid in the end, and you cannot blame him for not beating Bottas, as Max didn’t beat Lewis.
AlphaTauri are doing incredible things right now, at least with Gasly, sadly Tsunoda could not repeat his exploits from Mexico, as he got knocked out in Q2. For Gasly, he will have a hard job to keep the Ferrari’s behind for 2 race starts, but I would guess his race pace should be equal to them. It is also a big weekend for the team, as if they can outscore Alpine, they will go to 5th in the constructors, which for a small team like themselves would be huge!
Ferrari just did what we expect of them now, but having already called this a power circuit, you can clearly see the gains they have made in the engine department. Charles was annoyed to be behind Sainz, as you can feel the rivalry start to build in the team. He had also been making a few mistakes at Turn 4 today, but could bring at all back in line when it mattered.
It was surprising that McLaren did very little soft tyre running in FP1 earlier in the day, and given they couldn’t fight with Ferrari at all, you would have to say it was a mistake. At least they both got into Q3, however, I can’t see them gaining points on Ferrari, unless chaos ensues. Looking back at the speed of McLaren at the start of the year with Norris, it is almost as if they have flatlined in performance, perhaps suggesting a strong focus on 2022.
Alpine did the best they could in their battle with AlphaTauri, but it looks to be in vain, as Alonso couldn’t go any better than 10th, with Ocon just behind him. They need to be wary of Yuki close on their tail too. Aston Martin should enjoy the sprint format, as it gives them more chances to show off their great race pace, which they will need to do to get some points.
Alfa Romeo managed to get both cars into Q2, yet that was all they could manage, as they start to settle for 9th in the constructors. Williams had a horrible day, with neither car reaching Q2 for only the 2nd time this year. The common factor between those two tracks was a strong tail wind in the twisty part of the track, which is a known flaw in that car. Haas were quite a way off given how short the lap it, and Mazepin was very emotional after messing up what was looking to be a very good lap, which gives a hint as to the tough times the team is having.
If any track is going to suit a Sprint format, it should be here at Interlagos, as this is a track which always promotes good racing, and some controversial moments. Would a sprinkling of rain too be too much to ask?
Some breaking news is that Hamilton has been referred to the stewards for a DRS infringement, it sounds like his DRS opened further than the allowed amount. This will likely mean a disqualification, and a pitlane start to change the rear wing, which will be a major dent in the title chances both for him and the team overall.
-M
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