Analysis: How Lewis Hamilton could catch Schumacher’s win total and those feuding Force Indias
The Belgian Grand Prix set the pulse racing at several points, despite being another race with a serious lull in the middle.
Highlights were Fernando Alonso’s opening lap, the pass by Daniel Ricciardo on Valtteri Bottas at the restart after the late Safety Car, Vettel’s attempt to do the same with Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes and the two collisions between the Force India drivers.
We will look at that in a moment, but we have to consider first of all Lewis Hamilton’s history making this weekend, equalling Michael Schumacher’s 68 pole positions and winning his 200th Grand Prix.
It was a fantastically open contest on race day, with Hamilton put under real pressure at the end when a Safety Car for the Force India collision debris, meant a late stop for new tyres for most drivers. With no new ultrasofts to fit (as he had used them for a second run in Q2 on Saturday) Hamilton had to fit softs. Vettel had a new set of Ultrasofts available, so on paper he was much better set up for the final sprint. The Ultra softs should be in excess of 1 second per lap faster.
Vettel misjudged his run into La Source and got too close to Hamilton on the run down the hill, losing momentum by pulling out of the slipstream too early. It was his one chance of the race to get the lead and he didn’t execute properly, unlike Ricciardo, who in exactly the same circumstances against Bottas did make the pass stick.
But credit to Hamilton for very crafty defending, as well as coping with a wrong power mode immediately after the restart, adding in a slight lift that forced Vettel into doing the same at the foot of Eau Rouge. It was very subtle and very effective, as Vettel conceded after the race.
For Hamilton to take the all time pole record is entirely appropriate; he has been one of the fastest drivers in F1 history and an exceptional qualifier.
However another, previously unimaginable record is now conceivable. No-one thought that Schumacher’s 91 Grands Prix wins would ever be matched, but with Hamilton on 58 now and likely to take that to at least 61 or 62 by the end of the year, he has conceivably three more seasons with Mercedes ahead if he mirrors Vettel’s deal at Ferrari to the end of 2020, as we expect him to do. At 10 wins a season, which he has been easily doing these last three years, that takes him to the magic 91.
Now F1 is supposed to get more competitive and it’s hard to imagine three more years for Hamilton like the ones he has just enjoyed. In all probability he will still be some way short at the end of 2020, but it makes you wonder.
Another fascinating stat is that for the first time since 1974, we have now gone 12 races without any one driver winning back to back Grands Prix. It’s a good indication of how open things are between Mercedes and Ferrari.
Ferrari spanked Mercedes at Budapest much as Mercedes had spanked Ferrari at Silverstone. We all expected a repeat today of Silverstone and it didn’t happen. That gives huge encouragement to Vettel and Ferrari and means that they will be competitive everywhere. As long as they don’t have to take an engine penalty somewhere as the early season turbo usage catches up, then they are in a strong position for this championship.
Force India civil war; “He (Perez) should get a one race ban”
All season we have been telling the story of the fantastic battle between the team mates at Force India, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. This has provided great entertainment at every round as the pair are so closely matched and occasionally that has led to conflict.
In Montreal there was a case for the team to intervene to let Ocon, who was faster, have a crack at the car in front of Perez. In Baku, the following race, the aftermath of that feud spilled over as the pair collided. As they were ahead of eventual race winner Daniel Ricciardo at the time, the conclusion was that at least a double podium had gone begging, perhaps a victory.
And now we have had Perez twice putting Ocon into the wall on the run down from La Source to Eau Rouge. Ocon forgave Perez the first but said the second was the Mexican ‘trying to kill me” and on the slow down lap he called for his team mate to receive a one-race ban.
“The second one is one too much. What is the point of doing that? He just squeezed me into the wall at 300kph risking my life, risking his life, for no reason and costing a lot of points for the team,” he told reporters after the race.
“He’s supposed to be a professional driver and he didn’t show it today.”
Perez, in contrast, said the first was 100% his fault as he’d made a poor start but the second was Ocon being far too ambitious. Ocon scored points, Perez didn’t.
Team boss Otmar Szafnauer told Sky Sports immediately after the incident that if they couldn’t be trusted then they would not be allowed to race each other in future, “We let them race up until now and if they can’t do it in a manner which is good for the team, then they won’t be racing anymore,” he said.
One of them is therefore looking increasingly likely to end up moving to Renault next season. For Mercedes boss Toto Wolff it would make more sense if it were Ocon, as he could place Pascal Wehrlein at Force India. But there are forces at the Silverstone based team that are not keen on Wehrlein. Meanwhile Perez had a good offer from Renault last year but renewed for a year with Force India so he could be available if a Ferrari or Renault driver came up.
What did you make of the Force India drivers today? Who do you blame for the two incidents? Have things gone too far? Leave your comments in the section below
Source :https://www.jamesallenonf1.com
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