8:22 – Mercedes sent out a warning shot to Ferrari with an emphatic display at Monza, as Lewis Hamilton moved into the championship lead. GPUpdate.net presents its winners and losers from the Italian Grand Prix.
Winners
Mercedes was left surprised by Ferrari’s strong pace at Spa-Francorchamps but a week later at Monza the W08 was in a class above, as Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas claimed a dominant 1-2. Hamilton underlined his superiority with a sublime pole position lap in extremely wet conditions, finishing a scarcely believable 1.1 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, an effort deserving of a new all-time record. Hamilton duly cruised clear in the race, while Bottas quickly moved into second, as the pair finished half a minute up on Sebastian Vettel, demonstrating 2014-16-style dominance. Bottas suggested “we just found a different kind of stability that we haven’t found before” but warned it will be a “completely different story” in Singapore, where relative struggles are expected. Mercedes, though, is firmly on the way towards a fourth straight Constructors’ title, and now has double Ferrari’s tally of wins this year.
Daniel Ricciardo started only 16th due to engine and gearbox penalties and a so-so start was followed by a brush with Romain Grosjean. It was, it seemed, going to be one of those days. However, Ricciardo re-grouped, and pulled off a sequence of exquisite passes, completing switchback moves on Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Pérez, both into Roggia. Along with those manoeuvres, Ricciardo’s pace on worn Softs was crucial, and his later stop enabled him to clear a bunch of potentially problematic Mercedes-powered rivals. “I like ’em vulnerable,” quipped Ricciardo, and once on Super Softs he raced up to Kimi Räikkönen and came from so far back into Rettifilo that it appeared as if the pair were in different categories. Even accounting for Räikkönen’s older, worn tyres, Ricciardo once more demonstrated extraordinary finesse under braking to complete his recovery drive with such a move.
The top seats remain locked out for 2018 by some of Formula 1’s greatest ever drivers, but the next generation displayed their talents at Monza, and in tricky conditions. Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Stoffel Vandoorne were all exceptional in qualifying, in varying circumstances. For Stroll, his apparent ‘hero or zero’ season was firmly in the former camp, as he captured a front-row grid spot, making a mockery of Williams’ usual wet-weather woes. Ocon, having played the team PR game in the wake of the Spa clash, edged Sergio Pérez by just 0.002s in Q2 before excelling in Q3. Vandoorne, meanwhile, held the edge over Fernando Alonso in both qualifying and the race, making it into the top 10 on Saturday, despite Honda’s deficiencies, and challenging for points before a grimly inevitable failure. Max Verstappen, too, shone, finishing second to Hamilton in qualifying, before his hopes of executing a recovery were wrecked by early contact in the race.
Losers
Sebastian Vettel insisted post-Belgium that Ferrari had no track to fear, but a week later was trying to put a brave face on its crushing defeat on home soil. The high-speed, low-downforce Monza layout suited Mercedes – and its 1-2 was no surprise. However, the margin of victory was. Ferrari struggled for one-lap pace in the wet, while its long-run deficit on Friday was replicated in the race, as it failed to extract the maximum from its low-downforce set-up. Vettel admitted a wide moment, costing him three seconds, hindered his confidence, accentuating the margin, while Kimi Räikkönen repeatedly struggled through Parabolica, almost spinning several times. Sergio Marchionne accepted Ferrari did not optimise its performance, with Toto Wolff warning it was an “outlier”, rather than a trend. Much like Mercedes in Monaco, the aforementioned combination of factors created a domino effect, and it has an ample opportunity to respond in Singapore. But for its worst display of 2017 to come in front of a sea of red was disappointing.
McLaren was braced for a struggle at Monza and while its performance over one-lap was encouraging – aided by towing tactics – it is still angling for a divorce with Honda. Multiple discussions took place between McLaren, Renault, Toro Rosso, Honda, along with Formula 1 chiefs and Red Bull, in order to find a resolution. It is a tricky situation, with each party understandably focused on its own interests, both short- and long-term. For McLaren, it is difficult to envisage a positive scenario. If it switches to Renault, it will gain some performance, probably keep Fernando Alonso, but lose works status and be third in the hierarchy, with a title challenge likely out of reach. If it stays with Honda, it is dependent on the manufacturer turning around its form, and will likely lose Alonso’s services, but if – and it is a big if – Honda eventually sorts out its house, it will reap the benefits. It has backed itself into an unenviable corner, and the decision will hugely shape its future.
Formula 1’s engine penalty system was introduced with good intentions but consistently creates confusion. Of course, those who have designed reliable engines do not require the need to take penalties, and for that they must duly be applauded and recognised. However, Formula 1 has steadfastly retained a method of penalisation that serves only to have a negative impact. Having a power unit limit of four is positive for pushing green credentials and for cost-saving methods, but it is of little use if a manufacturer is willing to enter double-digit numbers, before work back at factories is even taken into consideration. Fans are also denied a true race, for the second- and third-fastest drivers over one-lap were shuffled down the order. Someone knocked out in Q1 started ninth, and drivers had 25- and 35-place drops on a 20-car grid. It makes Formula 1 look silly, and an alternative approach – a points deduction for teams, perhaps – should be evaluated. Source :http://feeds.gpupdate.net
Comments
