The Melbourne circus ends with the usual victory of Verstappen. Podium for Hamilton and Alonso, Ferrari out of the points.
– There is new management on the red flag in Formula 1. To interrupt the race, until a few weeks ago, we would have needed to witness a storm or an episode that could objectively compromise the safety of the riders in the race. Today we even had three. The first took everyone by surprise, given that the removal of Albon’s Williams seemed manageable even under the safety car. All of this damaged the race of those who had already changed tires a few laps earlier, Russell and Sainz above all. The second, due to Magnussen’s crash, seemed to have been made to enhance the show given that in other times the race would have ended behind the Safety Car. The third, dunno, I think no one has managed to follow the direction’s line of reasoning;
– A clip of a video game in which a driver easily surpasses all the others under the notes of California Girls by Katy Perry. The title is Verstappen’s 2022/2023 season. Well, today Max didn’t have to make too many overtakings, but the only fact embarrassed the whole paddock. How easily he got rid of Hamilton outside, second fastest on the track today, is objectively disarming. The gaps at the end of the race, thanks to the 3 safety cars and the red flags, say nothing about the progress of the race, which would normally have ended with the gaps in Jeddah. Not a perfect race, however, by the Dutchman. Starting from the start, totally wrong. The holes of a regulation more imaginative than ever and the performance of his car, however, they also allow him some drool;
– Dear Ferrari fans, there’s no getting out of it. After the first two races dominated by Red Bull, Melbourne puts us in front of the harsh reality that even Mercedes and Aston Martin are faster. Friday’s indications combined with Perez’s harakiri had left a minimum of hope of a Sunday podium. Instead, the errors of evaluation during qualifying, the enthusiasm of Leclerc and the three red flags compromised the race, sadly concluded only by Sainz in twelfth position (he would have been fourth without penalties). Don’t be deceived by the Spaniard’s big step on white rubber: both Hamilton and Alonso have always been in tire management. The anti-drs gap that Fernando scientifically maintained throughout the race (until it became a circus) bears witness to it. There are 3 consecutive races without a podium, the notorious updates will have to be revolutionary to ensure that the bleeding is somehow stopped;
– Charles and George united by the same fate. Same age, pure talent, same feeling of having happened in the wrong place at the right time. In the era of the cannibal Max Verstappen, both would need a vehicle that performs at least as well as the Reb Bull to try and aspire to that title they’ve been dreaming of since their first kart races. Be aware that you are probably in your own prime and not being able to get the results suited to your talent must be frustrating. It is true that the two older riders finished on the podium today but the years go by and so Stirling Moss award it’s around the corner;
– More than half an hour to deliberate what to do after the third, disastrous restart that led to the third, grotesque, red flag. In the end the race direction approved a rolling start behind the safety car with the starting order of the third grid. With the imaginative addition of the penalty imposed on Sainz, who had previously buffered Alonso. However, he restarted the race starting third on the grid, so as if nothing had happened. Not to mention the Alpine case, both withdrawing after having played 56 laps as protagonists. Basically, therefore, three races in one and three starts in one. For the happiness of Stefano Domenicaliwho no more than seven days ago had declared that Formula 1 needed more sprint races and less free practice. And many greetings to safety, given what happened after the third restart. After all, somehow we have to limit the total lack of entertainment of the first three races of the World Championship. Suspend the races to promote safety at the expense of safety (and credibility). An interesting point of view.
The article Scattered considerations after the Australian GP comes from Sportellate.it.
