Tag: Sebastian Vettel

  • Early assessment of the 2020 Formula One season

    Early assessment of the 2020 Formula One season

    The 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship season is currently in its second one-week break from racing amid a bizarre start to the sport’s 70th anniversary of F1 racing.

    In a season that was scheduled to start in March but was delayed until July amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the final schedule itself remains incomplete, with many races across multiple nations being cancelled until next season or being postponed to an unknown date. Amid the adjustments towards the sporting, technical and regulatory aspects prior to and during a race weekend, the competitiveness amongst the 20 drivers (10 teams) have not changed through the first six races of this season with all pursuing the same goal: win the championship in F1’s 70th season.

    For nearly the entire early portion of this year’s Formula One season, it has been dominated by Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay of this year’s racing season, the dynamic pairing of Hamilton, Bottas and Mercedes continue to be unstoppable on the track, thus leaving other competitors and teams to grind their gears. 

    It all started during the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring on July 5, where Bottas won and achieved his eighth career victory. Afterwards, Hamilton, the reigning six-time champion, went on to win the next four out of five races, including last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. One of Hamilton’s heroic performances of this season was when he suffered a left-front tyre puncture on the final lap, but he had a huge advantage over the field and enough power to limp home and win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 2. Following his victory last weekend in Spain, Hamilton recorded his record-breaking 156th podium result in Formula One after previously tying Michael Schumacher for the most (155). He has now won a total of 88 Formula One career races, leaving him three shy of tying Schumacher for the most (91), and has won a record 92 poles (his recent one coming last weekend in Spain).

    Through the first six races of this season, Hamilton, who has finished in the podium in all but one race and who awaits his racing plans for next season, leads the drivers’ championship standings by 37 points over Dutch’s Max Verstappen while Bottas, who has finished on the podium in all but one race and is set to remain with Mercedes for next season, is ranked in third place in the standings and trails teammate Hamilton by 43 points. In addition, Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings by 86 points over Red Bull Racing and strives to achieve its unprecedented seventh consecutive constructors’ title. Despite the season being far from over, the momentum Mercedes continues to exemplify on the track could very well result with the team etching more milestones on the track and in the record books.

    The competitor who emerges as a possible championship threat to Hamilton and Mercedes this year is Max Verstappen. Verstappen, who is currently in his sixth season driving for the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team, is the only non-Mercedes F1 competitor to win this season after he won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix on August 9 for his ninth career win. Verstappen’s season started off on a low note, where he finished in last place of the 20-car field due to early electrical issues. Since then, Verstappen has recorded podium results through the Spanish Grand Prix (including his win at Silverstone). One of his best performances this season was during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he rallied from wrecking his car while making his way to the grid to record a second-place finish. Even during last weekend’s race in Spain, where he recorded his third runner-up finish of the season, Verstappen was heard over the radio venting his frustration towards his crew and in failing to keep pace with Hamilton for the win. Despite the early frustrations, he is 37 points behind Hamilton and he has split the two Mercedes competitors atop the drivers’ standings. Both factors are crucial in giving the Dutch competitor and Red Bull Racing time this season to continue to intimidate Mercedes for this year’s F1 crown and pursue more Grand Prix wins. 

    Verstappen’s teammate, Alexander Albon, is currently situated in a tie for fifth place in the drivers’ standings with Canadian Lance Stroll with 40 points. Albon’s first full season driving for Red Bull Racing and since transitioning to the organization late last season started off on a disappointing note in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, where he spun following late contact with Lewis Hamilton while battling for a podium result late in the race and settled in 13th place. This marked the second time since last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix where Albon and Hamilton made contact and resulted with the Thai competitor missing an opportunity in recording his first F1 podium result. For the next five races, he has recorded top-10 results with a best result of fourth place in the Styrian Grand Prix in July. Though Albon has yet to establish his racing plans for next season and beyond, he continues to put his best foot forward on the track while aiming for his first victory and podium result in F1.

    With Mercedes and Red Bull Racing off to a fast start this season, BWT Racing Point F1 Team occupies third place in the constructors’ standings following a strong start. Through the first six Formula One races of this season, at least one car from Racing Point has finished in the top 10. Lance Stroll rallied from retiring during the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix to finish in the top 10 the following five races as he is tied with Albon for fifth place in the standings. Stroll’s teammate, Sergio “Checo” Perez, has also had a productive start to this season, though he missed two races after being diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms. In his other four races, Perez achieved top-10 results with a best result of fifth place last weekend in Spain. He is situated in eighth place in the standings. During his two-race absence, Nico Hülkenberg, who was left out of a full-time ride for this season after being released by Renault, filled in with hopes of returning to the sport next season. Hülkenberg competed in both Silverstone races, where he did not make the starting grid for the British Grand Prix due to an engine failure before he rallied during the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix after qualifying an impressive fourth place and finishing in seventh place. 

    Despite the on-track success between its two-car lineup, Racing Point was deducted 15 points following a protest launched at them from Renault following the Styrian Grand Prix, which alleged that Racing Point copied and utilized brake ducts from the Mercedes F1 W10 car used last season. Following similar protests launched against them in Hungary and at Silverstone, FIA stewards ruled that Racing Point illegally copied the brake ducts from the former Mercedes F1 car and the team was docked 15 constructors’ points and fined €400,000. Racing Point, nonetheless, continues to be situated in third place in the constructors’ standings by a slim margin with 63 total points and a long season ahead.

    Trailing right behind as the fourth best team in the competition is the McLaren F1 Team with 62 points accomplished between its youthful lineup of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Having achieved 12 drivers’ championships and eight constructors’ titles, the McLaren team is coming off a productive 2019 season, but continues to strive in returning back to competitive form and reigniting its past success on the circuit this season. 

    Thus far, the team got off to a fast start during the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, when Norris, currently in his second full-time F1 season, notched his first podium finish and was awarded third place as a result of Hamilton given a five-second time penalty following late contact with Albon. The late turnaround made Norris the third youngest F1 competitor to stand on the podium. In addition to his podium result in Austria, Norris has recorded top-10 results in five of the first six F1 races this season and is situated in seventh place in the drivers’ standings while hungry for more. Sainz, on the other hand, is looking for momentum and a strong conclusion following an up-and-down start to his second and final season racing for McLaren before joining Scuderia Ferrari for the 2021 season alongside Charles Leclerc. Last season, it took him until the first four races of the season for him to claim his first top-10 result. This season, Sainz recorded a strong fifth-place result in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix before he backed it up with back-to-back ninth-place results. He then struggled in both races at Silverstone, where he finished in 13th place in both races, before he rebounded with a sixth-place result at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, his home track. Currently situated in ninth place in the drivers’ standings, Sainz strives to achieve his first podium result since last season in Brazil, along with his first career win, and push for more on the track in his sixth season in F1. 

    Coincidentally, the Scuderia Ferrari team is situated in fifth place in the constructors’ standings with 61 points. Compared to previous seasons, this season has been a struggle for an organization that has achieved 15 drivers’ championships and 16 constructors’ titles. Thus far, Charles Leclerc, who is in second season driving for Ferrari, has achieved two podium results, including a runner-up result in the Austrian Grand Prix. Though he sustained two retirements, including last weekend in Spain, he is fourth in the drivers’ standings while trailing Hamilton by 87 points. Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, has yet to record a podium result in his sixth and final season driving for Ferrari. The four-time F1 champion from West Germany is in 11th place in the drivers’ standings, trailing Hamilton by 116 points, and has finished no higher than sixth place, which occurred at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix. With Ferrari admitting its struggle to find pace on the track with their new car, they have a long season ahead to turn the corner around and return to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull for podium results and wins on a weekly basis.

    Next is the Renault DP World F1 Team with 36 points and currently in its second season with Daniel Ricciardo and first with Esteban Ocon. For Ricciardo, this season marks his best start with Renault compared to last season. After the first six races of last season, Ricciardo achieved two top-10 results and was situated in 13th place in the drivers’ standings. This season, the Australian native has recorded three top-10 results, which includes a best result of fourth place in the British Grand Prix, and is 10th place in the standings. Ricciardo strives to achieve as much success as possible with Renault as he did in the past with Red Bull Racing before he moves to McLaren for 2021 alongside Norris. Ocon, on the other hand, is continuing to rediscover his competitive form as a full-time competitor following his one-year absence from the sport, where he was a Mercedes reserve competitor last season. This season, since joining Renault, the Évreux, France, native has achieved three top-10 results and is in 12th place in the drivers’ standings while he attempts to repeat the success he produced on the track in 2017 while racing for the Sahara Force India F1 team. Despite this season being far from over, Renault is already setting its sights for next season in returning to competitive form with two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso set to return from a two-year retirement period and reunite with the organization, where Alonso achieved his two series titles with Renault.

    Situated in seventh place in the current constructors’ standings with 16 points is the newly formed Scuderia AlphaTauri team. This team made its debut this season when rebranded from Toro Rosso to promote the AlphaTauri fashion brand, but it remains as a sister organization to Red Bull Racing. Though the team was rebranded, it retained its current driver lineup, featuring Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat, and it continues to run and be supplied with Honda engines like Red Bull. Through the first six races of this season, Gasly has recorded three top-10 results and is in 13th place in the drivers’ standings with 14 points while Kvyat has recorded two top-10 results and is in 16th place in the standings with two points. Though both competitors achieved a podium result last season (Kvyat in Germany and Gasly in Brazil), consistency on a weekly basis is the key element that the competitors and the team have yet to achieve to climb their way through the standings and serve as a competitive threat towards the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.

    With two points recorded throughout the first six races of this season in total thus far, the Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen is situated in eighth place in the constructors’ standings. The team was rebranded from Alfa Romeo Racing to Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen when Robert Kubica, who raced for Williams Racing last season, joined Alfa Romeo as a reserve competitor and brought his sponsor PKN Orlen with him as a co-title sponsor for the team. Currently, the team’s best result has been a ninth-place run in the Austrian Grand Prix with Antonio Giovinazzi. Giovinazzi is ranked in 15th place in the drivers’ standings and has finished no higher than 14th place (twice) in the last five F1 races of this season. His teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, is ranked in 18th place in the standings and he has finished no higher than 11th place through the six races of his 18th season in Formula One. Räikkönen, Giovinazzi and Alfa Romeo Racing have yet to announce their racing plans and lineup for next season.

    With only one point recorded throughout the early stages of this season in total thus far, this marks the lowest number of points recorded by the Haas F1 Team in the team’s fifth season in competition. Though the team’s two-car lineup emerges into competitive form prior to a Grand Prix race, from practicing to qualifying, they struggle in race trim and keeping pace with the leaders. The team’s best run this season was during the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, where both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were racing within the top five in the early stages of the race. In the end, however, Magnussen recorded a 10th-place result and a single point for the Haas team while Grosjean fell all the way back to 16th place. Through the first six races, Magnussen is in 17th place in the drivers’ standings with one top-10 result and three retirements while Grosjean is 21st in the standings with a best result of 13th place, one retirement and no points recorded early this season. With the slow start to this season, Haas, America’s lone F1 team, have a tall mountain to climb in order to muscle their way back into competitive form against the sport’s elite and to achieve their first podium result in F1. 

    Finally, the Williams Racing hold possession of the 10th and final position of the constructors’ standings with no points recorded this season thus far. For a team that achieved seven drivers’ championships and nine constructors’ titles in the late-20th century, the last three seasons, including the start of this season, have not been playing into the favors of the Williams team. The good news for the organization is that they have retained their current driver lineup, featuring Nicholas Latifi and George Russell, for next season. The bad news is that both competitors are ranked well below the drivers’ standings this season with both struggling to keep pace with the leaders. This season, the team’s best results include a 11th-place finish with Latifi in Austria and a 12th-place result with Russell at Silverstone. Latifi is currently 19th in the drivers’ standings while Russell is 20th and one of four competitors, along with his teammate, to have no points recorded early this season. Like the Haas F1 team, Williams have a tall mountain to climb in order to reignite the on-track success achieved from the past.

    The 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship season will resume on August 30 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix and the seventh racing event of this season.

  • Bottas takes points lead with win in Azerbaijan

    Bottas takes points lead with win in Azerbaijan

    Ferrari paced the field all weekend in practice, but then qualifying came and Charles Leclerc, who led the Ferrari charge, crashed in the second round of qualifying. Instead, Mercedes locked out the front row and it was Valtteri Bottas’ day on the streets of Baku.

    Bottas held off Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap score his fifth career Formula 1 victory. He even passed Charles Leclerc for the lead on the pit straight on Lap 32.

    The always humble Finnish driver wouldn’t say it was an easy race, even though “not that much (was) happening up front.”

    “I did not do any mistakes, but everything was under control,” Bottas said. “I’m happy to see the checkered flag and get this first place.”

    “It’s incredible as a team on which kind of level we’re performing now. I would say to the guys I’m so proud to be part of that, and we’re all performing really, really well.”

    While he missed out on the bonus point for the fastest lap, Bottas overtook Hamilton for the championship lead.

    Hamilton made a run at Bottas in the closing laps, getting into DRS range, but couldn’t catch him.

    After he congratulated Bottas, he said that his chance at victory “was all lost in qualifying.”

    Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium.

    Max Verstappen and Leclerc, who earned the bonus point for posting the fastest lap at 1:43.009 (a new track record), rounded out the top five.

    Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top 10.

    Race summary

    After locking out the front row, Mercedes led the field on the start, with Bottas taking charge for virtually the whole race.

    He surrendered the lead on Lap 12 to pit, and Leclerc, who started the race on medium tires, took the lead.

    His tires started to wear as he neared his stop, and Bottas ran him down and passed him on the pit straight on Lap 32.

    Hamilton pulled within DRS range in the last three laps, but couldn’t make a pass on his teammate. He ran wide in Turn 16 on the penultimate lap and couldn’t take the fight to Bottas for the final lap.

    What else happened

    Alexander Albon clipped the outside Turn 1 wall on the opening lap, and a second time halfway through the race.

    Robert Kubica, who started the race from pit road, was handed a drive through penalty for “car being driven to pit exit too early.”

    Romain Grosjean locked up and ran off track in Turn 15 on Lap 25, and later retired from the race for unrelated reasons.

    Daniel Ricciardo locked up and slid off into the runoff area in Turn 3. He was to the inside of Daniil Kvyat and collected him. While neither car was damaged by the slide, Ricciardo reversed into Kvyat. Both retired from the race, as a result.

    Pierre Gasly brought out a virtual safety car, when his car suffered a power failure and pulled into a runoff area on Lap 40.

    Nuts and bolts

    The race lasted one hour, 31 minutes and 52 seconds, at an average speed of 124.200 mph.

    There were two lead changes among two different drivers and one virtual safety car period for two laps.

    Bottas leaves Baku with a one point lead over Hamilton in the drivers championship.

    Mercedes leaves with a 74-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors championship.

    Formula 1 returns to action in two weeks, when it heads to Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona to start the European stretch of the schedule.

  • Hamilton steals victory in Bahrain

    Hamilton steals victory in Bahrain

    Lewis Hamilton wasn’t the dominant driver, Sunday, and he probably wouldn’t have won without misfortune befalling Charles Leclerc. But as the old saying goes, “It doesn’t matter how you won. It just matters that you did.”

    Leclerc was well on his way to his first career Formula 1 victory, until the energy recovery system failed on his No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari SF90 with 11 laps to go. At that point, he was chum in the water.

    Hamilton ran down and passed him going into Turn 14, with 10 to go, and cruised to his 75th career victory.

    “We were definitely lucky today, but you have to take it as it comes,” Hamilton said. “Ultimately, I still gave it everything in the race, and I pushed as hard as I could.”

    Valtteri Bottas finished runner-up.

    Like Hamilton, he didn’t dance around the luck aspect of their finish, especially when he noted that the balance of his car was “beat everywhere.”

    “We did no mistake, as a team, and the car was very reliable,” Bottas said. “And that’s the win today. So all the hard work at the factories is paying off, like this.”

    A timely safety car saved a podium finish for Leclerc, who was quickly losing time to fourth-place Max Verstappen.

    “I’m extremely disappointed, like the whole team, but it happens in the seasons,” he said. “I think we made the best out of it.”

    In the moment, he found it difficult to look on the bright side.

    “…as I said a lot in the past, I’m never really looking at the result, and I’m more looking at the (indiscernible) of what to do better. Today, third was not our place, but yeah, very happy anyway.”

    Sebastian Vettel, after a spin just past halfway and losing his front wing, rallied to a fifth-place finish.

    Lando Norris, Kimi Raikkonen, Pierre Gasley, Alexander Albon and Sergio Perez rounded out the Top-10.

    Race summary

    Vettel took the lead from Leclerc going into Turn 1, on the first lap. On the fifth lap, Leclerc used a run down the pit straight to overtake Vettel going into Turn 1.

    After ceding the lead for one lap, Leclerc cycled back to the front on Lap 16.

    Hamilton pitted from second on Lap 36. Vettel followed suit on Lap 37. Leclerc and Bottas pitted the next two laps.

    For two laps, Hamilton and Vettel battled for third, in Turns 5, 6 and 7. On Lap 38, Hamilton used DRS (drag reduction system) and a massive head wind to overtake Vettel, going into Turn 4.

    “I just gave it everything and braked later than usual and dived down on the outside,” Hamilton said.

    On exit, Vettel got loose and spun out. He recovered and drove on. A few moments later, however, Vettel’s front wing fell off and he was forced to pit (rejoined the race in eighth).

    This set up the aforementioned finish, in which Leclerc’s power unit had a component failure and Hamilton passed him to win.

    “It happens. It’s part of motorsports,” Leclerc said. “Unfortunately, today was not our day, but I’m confident that our team has done an amazing job to recover the lack of pace in Australia.”

    “I’m sure it was a devastating result for (Leclerc), obviously, because had done the job to win the race,” Hamilton said.

    What else happened

    Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo both suffered power failures in Turn 1, with four laps to go. This necessitated a safety car period, and the race ended behind the safety car (the eighth time in Formula 1 history).

    Nuts and bolts

    The race lasted one hour, 34 minutes and 21 seconds, at an average speed of 122.047 mph.

    There was one safety car period for four laps and four lead changes among three different drivers.

    Bottas leaves Bahrain with a one-point lead over Hamilton in the drivers championship.

    Mercedes leaves with a 39-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors championship.

    The next race is in China on April 14.

  • The Final Word – A day of three iconic races, and the return of an iconic 3 to Victory Lane

    The Final Word – A day of three iconic races, and the return of an iconic 3 to Victory Lane

    One day, three iconic events for racing fans. All you needed was a fine alarm clock or, better still, a fine recording device.

    It all began early Sunday morning along the coast of Monte Carlo and the Monaco Grand Prix. I am not a big fan of driving fast and little passing, but Monaco is a different breed. Fabulous architecture and big expensive craft that fill the marina are the background for a street race that has the competitors driving just a bit above the recommended speed limit for you and me. Simply put, they go fast on a road not built to go fast, be it alone or among 20 other speed demons.

    You get the idea that concentration might be a real attribute. Gazing at a beautiful building or Leo DiCaprio trying to save the planet on one of those monstrous sized yachts might not be helpful in winning. Sebastian Vettel won it for Ferrari this weekend, and was happy about it. Teammate Kimi Räikkönen was second and he did not appear happy at all. When you start on the pole, you expect to win, but his day went to the pits in the pits. As for Lewis Hamilton, he started 12th and finished seventh. Did I not mention that passing was at a premium?

    From the land of champagne the day took us next to the land of milk and the Indianapolis 500. Indy was built for speed, though I am not sure they had these kind of speeds in mind back in 1909 when they opened the facility. Fernando Alonzo has a win at Monaco, along with 31 other Formula One victories and a pair of championships. On Sunday, he was an Indianapolis rookie. While Alonzo and Andretti teammate, last year’s winner Alexander Rossi, swapped the lead between them, pole winner Scott Dixon made it just past the quarter mark when he went to pieces. Jay Howard bounced off the wall right into Dixon’s path, and the ride he went on would make most of us truly appreciate the soft safe confines of our sofa. Then, he stepped out of the wreckage and walked away. Amazing.

    It was riveting action from the Midwest. It was a great day for Andretti’s boys, at least for a time. A pit problem cost Rossi and sent him back in the pack to stay. A blown engine removed Ryan Hunter-Reay from the equation. Near the end, it was Alonzo’s turn to clear away the mosquitoes. That left only Takuma Sato from the Andretti stable in contention, but that was all they needed. Sato beat out three-time champ Hélio Castroneves to give Andretti Autosport its second straight, third in four years, and fifth overall Indianapolis 500 victory. Sato becomes the first Japanese driver to win the classic in a race that was must-see television from start to finish.

    Then it was time to move on to NASCAR’s endurance test, Charlotte’s World 600. Not that everyone was busy all night, as an Earnhardt changed the course of this one. The Intimidator’s grandson, Jeffrey, blew up, tossing a large metal part onto the track. That collected Chase Elliott, who caught fire and slowed down to nothing. That was enough to cause Brad Keselowski to skid in at high speed to pile drive Elliott, and with that, we had three less cars to worry about. We did not have to worry about the weather, we were told. A storm was going to pass to the north of the track. They must have moved the track, because it poured during that second stage and put a red flag to proceedings for 100 minutes. It rained hard. It rained long. For a moment, I thought the action had returned to Europe for the Venetian gondola races. Honestly, if you had been thinking about mowing the lawn, you were in luck. You had the time to do so.

    Happily, the clouds parted and the track dried. Not so happily, Trevor Bayne broke an axle leaving the pits, that cost him five laps. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne had a rear end failure, tagging the wall to end his day. As for Kyle Larson, he tagged the wall which moved things in his right front. It later gave up the ghost, went into the pearly outside fence, and his car was bound for automotive heaven. All this, and still 150 miles to go.

    As they counted down the final laps, it was fuel strategy versus performance. Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon looked to win it on stretching their petrol. Martin Truex Jr., who had been the best car on the night, along with Kyle Busch, were hoping their better entries would equate into victory. With 20 miles left, we still did not know how this would play out.

    With three miles to go, Johnson ran dry. Dillon had the lead. Busch got by Truex but on this day time ran out before the fuel did. Dillon took his grandfather’s team to Victory Lane. For Richard Childress, it marked the first win for his grandson. It also marked the first for the No. 3 since his friend, Dale Earnhardt, won for him at Talladega back on October 15, 2000.

    A great day for auto racing. A great way to end it.

  • Hot 20 – Motor Car Racing’s biggest day after one of NASCAR’s most newsworthy weeks

    Hot 20 – Motor Car Racing’s biggest day after one of NASCAR’s most newsworthy weeks

    Change. Sometimes change is good, like when you win a few million dollars. That is good. You get married to your sweetheart. Good. Your children start arriving. If you are a mature adult, and not some self-serving narcissist, that is very good. New talented drivers emerge on the scene. That is also a good thing.

    Some change sucks. Your favorite driver retiring, for example, if only for very selfish reasons. Trying to dump the Southern 500 was a bad thing. Abandoning such traditional names as the Firecracker 400 and the World 600 is not only bad but makes you appear dumb as a stick. About as dumb as adding a third stage for points in a 600-mile race, allowing the possibility of the driver finishing 26th to wind up with more points than the race winner. That is bad, also.

    As for changes in the 2018 schedule, good or bad? That is the question. Moving the Brickyard 400 to September? Iconic track, bad venue for NASCAR in my opinion. It does not much matter. Move Richmond from the final race of the regular campaign to the second of the Chase? It might work. Small market, short track, tons of tradition. Maybe.

    Changing the fall race in Charlotte to include its road course section? The World 600 is iconic. The fall race is not. Anything that includes another road course is good, but we will not know for sure until we see it. Will we be entertained? The fact that it is a Chase race ticks a box, and if it continues to be a 500-mile contest it would be by far the longest road course endurance test on the circuit.

    They thought about changing to the road course at Indianapolis. Those in charge of the iconic venue said no. Indy was all about the oval, in their opinion, period. I guess they decided not to cry over spilled milk and moved on.

    The Hall of Fame might need to change. Each year, they elect five more to be enshrined. Once, you needed a championship or 40 plus wins to get in. Now, no title and under 20 victories might still be enough. Mind you, Wendell Scott won just one race but his NASCAR journey was a lot like Andy Dufresne’s trek out of Shawshank. He deserves to be there. Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the other hand, once was a long-shot but today he is an automatic thanks to Curtis Turner’s induction in 2016. Is a change required? You be the judge.

    This week, the new inductees were announced. For a change, I can not argue with any of them. Engine builder and team owner Robert Yates. Inaugural NASCAR champ Red Byron. Championship crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham. Broadcast icon Ken Squier. Truck king Ron Hornaday. Next year, maybe mechanic, builder and crew chief Smokey Yunick might be included. He may not have kissed many rings and certainly no one’s ass, but he more than earned his spot. A softening of their attitude regarding him would be a most welcome change.

    Of course, for a change, this Sunday it is about more than just NASCAR. The Formula One offering starts the day with the Grand Prix of Monaco. Back on this side of the pond, the open wheelers are featured in the Indianapolis 500. Down south, the World 600 comes our way from Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton lead the way in F-1’s sixth race of the season. IndyCar finds Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon the top dogs. As for NASCAR, here is a look at our Hot 20 heading to Charlotte. In the words of Jackie Stewart, let the motor car racing begin.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 431 PTS
    When it comes to who should win this race this year, Truex is a “no change” kind of guy.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 408 PTS
    A rule is not “made up” if you failed to read the fine print. Sticker tires are 100% unused.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 323 PTS
    NASCAR makes up new rules, Johnson keeps winning championships. Expect more rules.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 475 PTS
    Thinks All-Star race and season finale should move to different venues. He is wrong, of course.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 320 PTS
    Joey and Danica will be in the lineup. Aric Almirola is gone for two or three months.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN – 276 PTS
    You would think a boy from Olive Branch, Mississippi would be the most peaceful guy out there.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 246 PTS
    Well, all day long at the track all I hear is how great Kyle is at this or that! Kyle, Kyle, Kyle!

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 238 PTS
    Rocket Man? Amongst our race winners, it is more like he is the Invisible Man.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 361 PTS
    After the fan vote last week, Chase is the new Danica. Okay, a more manly version.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 354 PTS
    Has won twice at Charlotte, but never this classic event.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 347 PTS
    Believes Truck Series should be run at non-Cup tracks, to bring out the fans. Harvick is right.

    12. KYLE BUSCH – 325 PTS
    Last week it was for money, this week it is for points.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 317 PTS
    If it is not a rule, then Crew Chief Mike Bugarewicz gets in touch with his inner Smokey Yunick.

    14. RYAN BLANEY – 291 PTS
    His dad did not get his shot until he was in his late 30’s. Ryan knows that he is a fortunate son.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 289 PTS
    29 career wins, but not one yet at Charlotte. There is always Sunday.

    16. TREVOR BAYNE – 250 PTS
    Failed to join his fellow stars in Saturday’s big race. He has incentive to do well this weekend.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 242 PTS
    Last week he won $1000 in a World of Outlaws race. So, they release prize money figures?

    18. MATT KENSETH – 233 PTS
    At least seven in the line-up for Sunday will wind up in the Hall of Fame. Matt is one of them.

    19. ERIK JONES – 217 PTS
    Stay off the grass.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 217 PTS
    Was last week his coming out party?

  • Vettel wins chaotic race in Bahrain

    Vettel wins chaotic race in Bahrain

    Sebastian Vettel outdrove Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps to score the victory in the desert kingdom of Bahrain.

    Hamilton pitted from the lead on lap 42, ate a five-second time penalty and exited pit lane behind Vettel. He closed the gap in the closing laps, but a local yellow on lap 52 — stemming from Marcus Ericsson’s car coming to a halt off the track near Turn 4 — sealed the deal for Vettel to win his 44th career Formula 1 race.

    “Yeah, really a great day. I don’t know what to day (sic),” Vettel said on the podium after the race. “The last half of the in-lap when all the fireworks were there and track was lit up, it was. I just love what I do. I didn’t find any words. It was a really great team effort today.”

    Hamilton finished second, earning his 107th career podium finish.

    “Obviously a very difficult race, it didn’t start out the best, but the pit lane was my fault, so apologies to the team for losing the time there,” Hamilton said. “I tried my hardest to catch up but it was a long old way to go, it was 19 seconds. But I gave it everything I could but Ferrari did a great job today. So we’re going to push hard together, re-gather as a team and come back fighting.”

    Pole sitter Valtteri Bottas rounded out the podium.

    “Yeah, it was really a tricky race for me; struggling with the pace all through the race,” Bottas said. “I think in the first stint we found a bit of an issue with the tyre pressures and that explained the rear end struggle. But ever since that I was just rear limited and I was out of the tools on the steering wheel, so it was just oversteering all through the race, which is why the pace was slow, which is a real shame because for sure the target for today was a lot, lot higher.”

    Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo round out the top-five.

    Bottas led the field off the start and held the lead exiting Turn 1. But Vettel, starting third, powered past Hamilton to take second and challenge for the lead. The top-five kept kept within sight of the leader, rather than the leader pull away as is typical in a F1 race.

    Vettel pitted from second on lap 11. Moments later, Max Verstappen suffered brake failure and his car slid into the outside wall in Turn 1.

    “I hit the brake pedal. Suddenly, I lost all the rear brake pressure,” Verstappen said. “So I only had the front’s left and you can’t stop the car.”

    On lap 12, Carlos Sainz, who was exiting pit road, made hard contact with Lance Stroll in Turn 1. Stroll’s car stalled past the exit of Turn 1 and brought out the safety car.

    While that was happening, Bottas and Hamilton pitted on lap 12. Hamilton was held up because the Mercedes crew wasn’t ready for him to pit yet. Adding to that, he was handed a five-second penalty for “driving too slow on pit entry” (for impeding Riccardio).

    Vettel cycled to the lead under the safety car period and held off Bottas on the ensuing lap 17 restart. He pitted from the lead on lap 33 and Hamilton, whom Bottas let by for second on lap 28 after reporting his rear tyres were “overheating,” assumed the lead.

    Prior to his final pit stop, the talk was Hamilton was going to one-stop his race with his five-second penalty. But he put that to rest when he pitted on lap 41, served the five-second penalty and left pit lane in third, setting up the run to the finish.

    Vettel leaves Bahrain with a seven-point lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship.

    Ferrari leaves with a three-point lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.

  • Lewis Hamilton Takes the Gold in Sochi

    Lewis Hamilton Takes the Gold in Sochi

    The world championship all but belongs to Lewis Hamilton after scoring the victory in Russia.

    The driver of the No. 44 Mercedes AMG Petronas car capitalized on the mechanical failure of teammate and pole sitter Nico Rosberg to score his 42nd career win in Formula 1. It moves him past his hero Ayrton Senna and ties him for third on the all-time wins list with Sebastian Vettel. Speaking of which, the driver of the No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari car finished runner-up. Last-lap mayhem allowed Sergio Pérez to take his Sahara Force India-Mercedes to his fifth career podium finish.

    Williams-Mercedes Felipe Massa and Red Bull-Renault’s Daniil Kvyat rounded out the top-five.

    Felipe Nasr, Pastor Maldonado, Kimi Räikkönen, Jenson Button and Max Verstappen rounded out the top-10. Fernando Alonso, who originally finished 10th, was handed a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits and was demoted to 11th. It cost McLaren-Honda their second double points finish of the season.

    This was one of the more bizarre races I’ve seen this season. It started on the first lap with a collision in Turn 2 involving the other Sahara Force India of Nico Hülkenburg and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson. It forced the deployment of the safety car.

    On lap six, Rosberg retired from the race with a broken throttle. With Hamilton winning the race, it all but ends the title hopes for the German driver.

    A few laps later, Romain Grosjean got loose in Turn 3, overcorrected and slammed the wall. It forced the safety car to come out a second time.

    Another unusual note is that the super-soft Pirelli tires, which are supposed to wear out at a significant rate, lasted more than half the race for some of the lead cars. To put it another way, as NBC’s Will Buxton did, “this’ll send the OCD fans into a tizzy.”

    In the closing laps of the race, Martinsville broke loose. Carlos Sainz Jr., who was running in the top-10, had a brake failure and spun out in the same part of the track where he had a heavy wreck the day before. A piece of his wing fell on the track and required a marshall to retrieve it. Someone wasn’t paying attention to the location of oncoming cars because he about got hit by Sebastian Vettel. Daniel Ricciardo was running fifth when he had engine issues in the closing laps and retired from the race.

    It was the battle for the final podium step on the final lap that will stand out the most. Rounding turn 4, Kimi Räikkönen made contact with Valtteri Bottas and sent him into the wall. This allowed Sergio Pérez to take the final podium step. After the race, Räikkönen was handed a 30 second time penalty, moving him down to eighth. This gave Mercedes the Constructors’ Championship.

    After all was said and done. Lewis Hamilton left as the points leader. Sebastian Vettel moved past Nico Rosberg for second in the points.

    There is a chance Hamilton can clinch the drivers championship in two weeks at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. That race will be Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2:30 p.m. on NBC.