RE: Motorsport on Monday: 30/03/2015

RE: Motorsport on Monday: 30/03/2015

Monday 30th March 2015

Motorsport on Monday: 30/03/2015

Ferrari wins, Red Bull whines and Manor DID actually race, you know



F1 in Malaysia: that was more like it, wasn't it? We had a different winner, a battle for the lead, lots of surprises and far more interest to keep us awake at an ungodly hour with an hour's less sleep than normal. We had been expecting a Mercedes-AMG whitewash - certainly Red Bull was frenziedly kicking a fuss saying it must be stopped by hook or by crook - and Hamilton's perfectly executed pole on Saturday left us expecting little different.

"What have you done with Arnie?"
"What have you done with Arnie?"
But lo, it seems the Mercedes are fallible, and Vettel cruised through to a superb and historic victory on Sunday. Given the form of Ferrari last year, it's more than a little impressive and it was backed up by Kimi's corking fight through the pack after another weekend of It Shouldn't Happen To An F1 Driver to score fourth.

We can assume Nico wasn't happy about something he perceived Lewis did, and Lewis was also nonplussed about all the nonsense he was at times hearing on the radio. So it was down to Toto Wolff to give the rounded view: it wasn't strategy, it wasn't luck, it was Ferrari's race pace pure and simple.

Good job they didn't peg the Mercs back, then...

Another weekend of woe for Red Bull
Another weekend of woe for Red Bull
Red Bull-who?
On the subject of Red Bull, its target this weekend was its engine partner itself. Perhaps understandably, Red Bull is frustrated that Renault's had a year to apparently go backwards, but its masterclass in how to not manage relationships looked shakier still on Friday when the engine brand's boss Cyril Abiteboul said the French team is thinking about jacking it in and leaving F1 entirely. (He also suggested Red Bull's Adrian Newey was spreading lies in pinning the blame for the car's poor performance entirely on Renault, but apparently this was taken out of context, so we'd best not mention it).

If Renault did pull out, where would that leave Red Bull? Well, likely leaving F1 itself: Mercedes isn't going to give it an engine, Ferrari is unlikely to either, leaving... Honda? Indeed. So it seemed management belatedly realised antagonism perhaps isn't the best course of action as the weekend passed, instead vowing to work carefully with Renault and get to the bottom of why its car is so slow.

Some may be tempted to argue it's perhaps wasting time only looking at the engine, given how the 'B-team' Toro Rossos came in ahead of both Red Bulls in Malaysia. You can certainly bet this was noticed in France.

See, it really did race. And finish
See, it really did race. And finish
Manor's reborn
Manor ran on Sunday, as the miracle story of its comeback continues. But you'd never know it if you were watching the official F1 TV feed. I think I caught sight of Roberto Merhi in the background, once, but that was about it. Seems a bit unfair, given how the untested car ran right to the end?

Maybe, but this seems to be politics at play. Bernie was very, very angry with the team that they travelled to Oz but didn't run, and seems intent on teaching them a lesson. He's billed them for freight to Australia, told them they're not getting that split of the prize money, and has even said he's regretting letting them back in at all.

Is that also why we didn't see them on TV?

OK, he's right to be frustrated, but it does seem a bit rich. This is a pretty impressive story playing out after all, achieving things presumably on no budget that even the big-bucks McLaren team hasn't managed yet.

Let's hope China is like Malaysia
Let's hope China is like Malaysia
Ferrari will apparently be getting a call because of the fuel pressure issues that stopped Will 'I'm British, you know' Stevens starting the race, but Merhi went to the end and got his first decent miles in the car.

And this is the thing - both drivers were entering the race after never having driven the car before. No testing, nothing. Just step in and drive a 2014-spec car (with that wheezy old Ferrari engine) and be expected to qualify within 107 per cent of the much-tested, much-fancied 15-spec Mercs. That both got so close is, I think, remarkable: as they continue to learn the car and start to regroup after effectively starting again, what's to say they can't continue to justify Bernie's goodwill? If it hasn't now run out, that is.





[Pics: LAT Photo]

 

 

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
[redacted]

RobGT81

5,227 posts

185 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
So, F1 on Monday..

Oddball RS

1,757 posts

217 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Here's hoping.....................

RobertDB7V12

54 posts

163 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
Bernie: The worst thing of all is that with all Bernie's machinations I have become completely indifferent to Grand Prix racing. For some years I couldn't care less what happens. It's just business.

djroadboy

1,173 posts

235 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
RobGT81 said:
So, F1 on Monday..
Yeah, as usual!

V8 Supercars, VLN tragedy, etc.

Can the mods move this discussion to the F1 forums please. Yawn!

Dan

MG CHRIS

9,077 posts

166 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
djroadboy said:
RobGT81 said:
So, F1 on Monday..
Yeah, as usual!

V8 Supercars, VLN tragedy, etc.

Can the mods move this discussion to the F1 forums please. Yawn!

Dan
Agreed not even a piece on media day for the btcc. Considering haymarket sponsers the btcc you would think they would of had atleast one reporter there.