Motorsport gets the green light
All the action from the first two F1 races of 2020 at Austria’s Red Bull Ring kicking off what promises to be an exciting few months for Indian motorsport!
Breaking the agony of seven months without much in the form of motorsport, the 2020 season of the Formula One Championship has finally begun with an action packed race at Austria’s Red Bull Ring! At qualifying it seemed like business as usual, with the Mercedes of Valteri Bottas on pole, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton briefly held the second place before being demoted to fifth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mclaren’s Lando Norris lined up second and third on the grid ahead of the second Red Bull of Alex Albon. Meanwhile, the Scuderias’ who are obviously still a ways away from the front of the grid found themselves amongst the Racing Points and Renaults of the grid, with Charles Leclrec in seventh and Sebastian Vettlel in eleventh place.
With rusty drivers coming out of what turned the longest winter break in Formula One history, fans were told to expect an action packed race as drivers tried to establish dominance early in a shorter season. As the lights went green the cars got out clean enough, but it wasn’t long before the attrition began. Daniel Ricciardo, Alexander Albon and Kimi Raikkonen were amongst 9 drivers that were forced to retire over the course of the race. In the end though, it was Bottas who pulled off one of his signature almost flawless flag to flag races. Followed by a surprise second by Charles Leclerc saving face for the Rosso brigade. On Leclerc’s tail it was Mclaren’s Lando Norris making his maiden appearance on a Formula One podium. Hamilton who had initially crossed the flag behind his team-mate found himself in fifth place after a 5 second penalty for an incident with Albon during the race.
Returning for the second round at the Red Bull Ring for the Styrian GP, the weather decided to join in the action, and in the wet there are few as technical and smooth as Lewis Hamilton. For most of qualifying and the entire race the remaining pack tried and failed to keep in Hamilton’s tailwinds as he put on a clinical drive from flag to flag to claim his 65th race victory, leaving him just 6 shy of Michael Schumacers record. Behind the race leader an action pack race was unfolding as Max Verstappen and Bottas battled for second place, eventually it was the Mercedes’ tremendous power advantage that triumphed with the Red Bull of Verstappen forced to take the final step on the
AS THE LIGHTS WENT GREEN THE CARS GOT OUT
CLEAN ENOUGH, BUT IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE
ATTRITION BEGAN
podium. Close behind, once slighted Alex Albon proved that Red Bull Racing was indeed the second best team in the 2020 Formula One championship. Following the lead pack, was the Mclaren of Lando Norris that took fifth place ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez. Meanwhile Ferrari seem to unravelling and fast with Charles LeClerc losing his SF1000 and as result taking out his team mate early in the race resulting in their second double DNF under similar circumstances. As of now, the standings have Bottas at the top of the board ahead of his teammate ahead of Mclaren’s Lando Norris while Ferrari’s Charles Leclrec finds himself in fourth place and on the back foot in the championship.
The Formula One championship will head for the Hungarian GP next, for what promises to be a month of racing like never before! Meanwhile, the rest of the world of motorsport is expected to get started as well, with the 2020 MotoGP kicks off at Jerez in a few weeks and round 4 of the WRC is set to start with the Rally of Estonia on the first weekend of September. In India though, it still may be awhile before motorsport gets started, with FMSCI officially waiting on relaxations in government policy, the president of the FMSCI indicated -- almost contrarily-that it is unlikely that events will get under way this year.