Pitched battles in Bahrain
NEW FORMAT SIZZLES: PENALTY FORCES HAMILTON TO SETTLE FOR SECOND PLACE
‘It doesn’t seem to me that they are doing things for money... whereas I was.’
The third race of 2017 in Bahrain proved once again the new format is working. Sure, it is the same teams at the top but we are seeing some fine battles between them, rather than the Mercedes benefit runs of the last few years.
After qualifying, Valtteri Bottas was the man on pole – his first in F1, having taken it by 0.023 seconds from team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had to be satisfied with third and fifth, being split by the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.
Vettel and several million others were concerned that Mercedes had found an edge once again.
It was not the race that Bottas expected. After an excellent start he complained of a lack of grip and was informed by his engineer that they were aware of his problem as the pressure in his rear tyres was too high.
Apparently this was due to a faulty compressor unit on the grid that failed to bleed off excess pressure.
Strange that he was not informed at the time but had to find out on track several laps later.
Again, it was a race to forget for the McLaren team. Power Unit failure has become the norm for both Stoffel Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso.
You have to wonder whether it is worth all the effort of getting to the tracks when you face an almost certain non-start or finish.
Alonso has pushed his vehicle to its limit, but says it’s the slowest race car he’s ever driven.
On the straight his competitors are 300 metres behind but catch him, which does not bode well for his retention by the Woking team.
Is it any wonder that the Spaniard relishes the opportunity to drive at Indianapolis in a competitive car and is looking at Le Mans next year?
He has faced a fair amount of criticism for his decision to drop the Monaco Grand Prix for the Indy 500.
Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull, believes it’s a big mistake.
He said: “It’s a difficult time in F1 for Fernando, but he must be barking mad. Indianapolis is the nuttiest race I’ve ever seen.
“No testing, and he’s going to jump in the car. Turn one is a proper turn, its easy flat at 340 km/h the whole way round. I think he needs to see a psychiatrist.”
But, history has shown that F1 drivers have done well in the Indy 500.
With the unreliable powerless Honda engine and his total lack of points so far this year what has he got to lose by not racing in the so-called jewel of the Formula One crown?
If Honda had an answer to the problem and a time-frame for resolving the issues there would at least be a goal to aim for, but the Japanese manufacturer does not know what the problem is, let alone an upgrade date to encourage the team.
Back to Bahrain and the strange situation regarding Hamilton and his pit stop behind Bottas during the safety car period.
The Englishman has admitted that he created the problem that resulted in a five-second penalty for him.
With the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo right on his tail as they entered the pit lane, Hamilton says he slowed to prevent stacking behind Bottas in his pit area, but the race stewards deemed it a breach of the sporting regulations.
It also meant that Mercedes had to change tactics and get Hamilton ahead of Bottas in an attempt to beat Vettel’s Ferrari and take a one two result.
The Finn followed orders and allowed him through but Hamilton could not make up the lost time and had to settle for second with his team-mate in third.
Not a perfect finish for the Brackley team and certainly not for Bottas, but a result that further indicates a great season.
Bernie Ecclestone was on form in Bahrain. Having been invited by the royal family as their guest, the 86-year-old gave several impromptu interviews over the weekend, some surprising, particularly his comments regarding costs to organisers.
Ecclestone is apparently regretting the fees he charged and reportedly said: “I charged them too much for what we provided so I feel a bit responsible. So when they ask me things I try and help them.”
Asked about the new owners, he said: “It doesn’t seem to me that they are doing things for money, which is good, whereas I was.” What an interesting statement. As far as overcharging, I think we all agree with him, but his suggestion that Liberty Media are not “doing it for the money” would be of real concern for the new shareholders and investors.