Formula 1 is back, with Max at the top and chaos on the sidelines
The “lack of transparency” – Ford’s words – will bite them at some point
WAS THE WINTER FORMULA 1 BREAK TOO long or was it just me? It feels like F1 is back after ages, and I couldn’t have been more pumped. There were so many questions leading up to the first qualifying session about this year’s pace. I think it was safe to assume Red Bull would be the quickest but then what? Would Ferrari have closed the gap? Have the Mercs taken the big step they would have liked to? Who would be the best among the rest? Every year, the anticipation before the first race is intense. The results of this year’s qualifying session only intensified them – Leclerc missing out on pole by less than 0.3 seconds.
Then the race did that thing it usually does – slaps you in the face with reality. Max Verstappen took off into the distance and gave everyone a not-so-gentle reminder of how dominant he is, finishing the race a comfortable 22 seconds ahead of Perez in second. Ferrari’s consolation was a strong drive from Sainz to bag third place, while Leclerc faltered with brake issues. McLaren showed they’ve got good pace, the Mercs still can’t fight at the top and Alpine has been shafted by the constant churn in the organisation, leaving it plum last.
The race itself wasn’t particularly exciting. As a Ferrari fan, I was happy to see Sainz get aggressive, attack and take third. But that aside, there wasn’t much by way of great racing. That said, Formula 1 does this funny thing of always managing to stay interesting. And right now, it is keeping us glued with the drama off track. The big one is Hamilton moving to Ferrari. Who knows why this happened – did Fred Vasseur (who looked more Italian gangster than team principal in the recent DTS series) make him an offer he couldn’t refuse? Hard to think one of the highest paid athletes would get swayed by a bag of cash. Maybe Ferrari gave him a peek at what they’re up to with the 2026 regulation changes. Maybe Merc did something to put him off. They did keep his current contract as a 1+1 year contract, and not a 2 year one, giving both parties the option to opt out at the end of 2024. Or maybe it is just a boy fulfilling his boyhood dream. Hamilton has made it no secret in the past that driving in Red fascinates him, and has been a dream since he was younger. Seeing that his career is going nowhere with Merc, maybe he decided to fulfil that dream of his (and see his career probably go nowhere with Ferrari). It is hard to say, though, because on the surface, Hamilton looks more motivated and hungry than ever and wants to right the wrongs of the 2021 season.
In the other corner, problems are brewing in the Red Bull garage. Christian Horner was under investigation for an internal issue – alleged misconduct with a female employee – but has since been cleared internally and continues in his role as team boss. Clean chit for him but I don’t think it’s the end of his problems. Ford, soon to be partnering with Red Bull on powertrains, has been kept in the dark about what is happening and they’re not thrilled about that. Honda doesn’t seem to know too much of what is going on either. The “lack of transparency” – Ford’s words, not mine – will bite them at some point. Should Ford back out, will Red Bull Powertrains manage to prop themselves up on their own and stay competitive? Only time will tell. While all of this has been going on, Jos Verstappen has been running his mouth about the team being torn apart if Horner sticks around, and has been seen talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on the sidelines. This has kicked up a flurry of rumours of Max potentially leaving Red Bull. Max has dismissed them for now but it is impossible to say what is brewing behind close doors. All this, and we’re just one race in!
Drama does keep people glued to the TV, and stories like these bring a whole new energy to the sport. But at the same time, as interesting as all this gossip and drama is, I really do hope for equally exciting racing. Because that’s really what we’re here for. I hope Ferrari can challenge the Red Bulls. I hope Mercedes harries Ferrari and I hope McLaren forces everyone to look over their shoulders. I hope, even if Max wins, the championship is undecided until the last few races. The defending champ will do everything he can to prevent that from happening but one can hope! ⌧