One in the bag, two up for grabs
THE 2018 Formula One crown is allbut decided, and the World Rally Championship and Australian V8 Supercar title fights have become closer than ever following last weekend’s bevy of topflight events.
While it was right and proper to focus on Australian Craig Lowndes Bathurst 1000 success, mainstream media missed a trick in neglecting to give more attention to the achievements of codriver Steven Richards. While Richards has been based in Australia for the entirety of his racing career, he has always raced as a Kiwi, and this was his fifth Bathurst 1000 win. He now ranks second (behind his father Jim Richards) as the most successful New Zealander in the history of Australia’s great race.
The chances of a Kiwi winning this year’s Australian V8 supercar championship also strengthened thanks to solid finishes by Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin. While van Gisbergen’s fifth place helped him retain the series lead, McLaughlin’s third saw him close the gap as the series heads to the Gold Coast.
Our Bathurst viewing was interrupted by a Japanese Grand Prix in which Mercedesbenz’s dominance was undisputed.
Despite Lewis Hamilton leading all the way, and the failure of Brendon Hartley to convert his strong qualifying result into a pointsscoring finish, the Japanese Grand Prix delivered plenty of excitement, helped no end by the brilliant Suzuka track.
Last weekend’s Wales Rally GB was also a great event, despite Hayden Paddon’s disappointing but respectable seventh placing.
After series leader Thierry Neuville struck early problems, Ott Tanak was handed a chance to secure what would have been a fourth successive WRC event win, but the Estonian made a mistake to open the door for defending champion Sebastian Ogier to revive his previously flagging title defence with a victory.