F1 suspense keeps building
AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX: VALTTERI BOTTAS PUT HIS MERCEDES ON POLE FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON.
He was without a doubt the man in control from the start.
Last Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix was another nail-biter. After qualifying, the usual suspects led the pack with the exception of Lewis Hamilton who had received a five-grid position penalty for a gearbox change, which dropped him to eighth.
Valtteri Bottas put his Mercedes on pole for the second time this season and without a doubt was the man in control from the start.
His lightning fast reactions from the grid box gave him the lead, a position he would not relinquish despite the best efforts of Ferrari’s Vettel.
The start was not good for Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. Verstappen had a clutch issue off the line and stuttered away, following was Alonso who was struck by the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat, pushing the McLaren into the rear of the Red Bull.
This ultimately led to the retirement of the Dutchman and the Spaniard but Kvyat was able to finish the race, albeit in 16th and last position, following a drive through penalty for causing the accident.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo put in a fine performance holding off the Mercedes of Hamilton to take third place.
The margin between Bottas and Vettel at the finish was an incredible 0.658 seconds – you don’t get to see it much closer than that.
It appears that the so called “silly season” has arrived early this year with predictions as to who is going where.
I am sure that we will see some changes in team line ups but at present everything remains a matter of conjecture.
Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen, Jolyon Palmer, Carlos Sainz and the possibility of a return to F1 for Robert Kubica top the list, according to many of the media.
Most are convinced that a move away from McLaren is a done deal for Alonso, moving to a more competitive team. But which team? The contenders at the sharp end of the field are all pretty well settled but a few are not yet confirmed.
Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen come to mind.
I would be very surprised if Mercedes do not extend Bottas’ contract for at least another season.
He has shown both the driving and ambassadorial skills that make a great champion.
Raikkonen is a possibility for replacement within the Ferrari camp, but let us not write off the former world champion just yet.
His single lap pace has on many occasions been very fast, but somehow he never seems to consistently produce that pace during the race.
That does not help in the fight for the Constructors title.
Constant comments from head man Sergio Marchionne regarding his future are not helping the situation and certainly will not aid the Finn’s confidence level.
The Red Bull and Toro Rosso camp are also fodder for the rumour-mongers.
Max Verstappen has had a poor season so far with continuing car problems and Carlos Sainz appears to be in a similar situation with a less competitive car.
According to one British tabloid, Verstappen is off to Ferrari at the end of 2017 while Sainz has been intimating he will not be with Toro Rosso next season.
That does not fit in with the ideas of Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko who have pointed out that both drivers have solid contracts.
Jolyon Palmer certainly has not had an outstanding career with Renault, but then he has not had the most reliable or competitive car.
It is difficult to understand why the French team would replace him, unless of course a Gallic driver should arrive on the scene.
But it has to be Robert Kubica who is the most interesting proposition.
After his rally accident in 2011 the Pole staged a remarkable comeback.
His results on the world rally scene in both WRC and WRC2 proved that he had made an incredible recovery and tests with Renault F1 recently demonstrated that his driving skills had not diminished.
One problem he may have in finding a seat in an F1 car could be his age.
In an era where drivers enter the sport at 18 his 32 years might prove to be a disadvantage.
This weekend it is Silverstone where the action will be for four days of the British Grand Prix spectacular.
Hamilton will be on home ground and guaranteed the adulation of British fans, hoping the Englishman will make it his fourth British Grand Prix victory in succession.
With his team-mate’s win last weekend Hamilton finds himself in a three way battle for the 2017 driver’s title.
Vettel leads on 151 points, 20 ahead of Hamilton but Bottas is just 15 points further back on 136.
Sunday will be interesting.