Hectic Hockenheim
The F1 race at Hockenheim, Germany has been run and won, the victor crowned and the losers commiserated, probably. It was a race of highs and lows, a hectic race full excitement, heartbreak hero's!
The race started wet and with limited running with this year's 2019-specification cars it was always going to throw up some excitement, great racing and , of course, curve-balls! It did not fail to deliver.
With several drivers starting out of position on the grid like the two Ferrari's of Vettel and Leclerc those fast charging cars threw the cat among the pigeon's as they carved up the field. Out front title-leader Hamilton raced away into the lead from pole position. All runners started on wet tyres but as a dry-line formed some dived into the pits for full slicks...And then the chaos started.
Tyre strategy won the day at Hockenheim where those on the right tyre at the right time pushed themselves up the order and those others...Well, they ended in the wall or at the back of the field. With rain threatening, on and off the whole race, and a few spots falling here and there the race was interesting from start to finish with loads of great driving, overtaking and several offs that ended the day for some of the drivers. The safety car, deployed to allow track-marshall's to clear away the wrecked cars, played a roll with a couple of deployments in addition to the virtual safety car deployment as well. Those drivers who took advantage of the safety periods and ducked in for tyres did the best and at the end finished well. (Image snapped from Sky Sports on my TV.)
At the conclusion of the race the podium looked like this:
First | Second | Third |
---|---|---|
Verstappen - Red Bull Honda | Vettel - Ferrari Honda | Kvyat - Torro Rosso Honda |
A few notable drives:
- Sebastian Vettel - (Ferrari) coming from 20th (last on the grid) to finish 2nd.
- Daniil Kvyat - (Toro Rosso) 3nd place equaling his bet ever finish
- Lance Stroll - (Racing Point) coming home in 4th
- Max Verstappen - (Red Bull Honda) recovering from 4 pit stops and a 360 degree spin in the wet to place 1st
Of course anyone who finished that race did well and there were battles up and down the order all the way to the end.
A few notable fails:
- Lewis Hamilton - (Mercedes) Pole position to 9th place after a penalty for a pit lane-entry infringement and a spin off the track.
- Valteri Bottas - (Mercedes) crashed out from 2nd place
- Daniel Ricciardo - (Renault) did not finish through engine failure
- Charles Leclerc - (Ferrari) crashed out
Only 13 of the 20 starters finished the race and those that did called it one of the longest races they have run considering all the drama throughout. It was a race that required skilled driving (as always), a clear head, the right strategy and a little luck. It was also a race that delivered one of the best races I've seen in over ten years.
The next instalment is this week, Sunday 4th, from Budapest, Hungary. The Hungaroring is notorious for being difficult to pass on and should deliver some good racing as well. There'll be a few drivers looking to take advantage of the momentum gained from Hockenheim and others looking to redeem themselves. It should be a good race weekend.
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Exciting racing from the sounds of it.
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Certainly was. Some F1 races are a little bit boring st times but the last three have been really good. This one was the best I've seen in a long time.
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Hopefully, the dark clouds will stay in Europe 7 more days. :)
Last year we had a massive thunderstorm in Qualy, but the very next day was 30+ near the track, was a good race and Ric had a very nice show-off.
Yeah, Yesterday's race was frantic! Sadly for Alfa losing all the points, and Sainz - that guy was at least 4-5 times off the track, and managed to finish 5th... :)
Hungary can be a mixed bag however I’m hoping it’s a great race considering the last three, Austria, Silversrone and Hockenheim have set a high standard.
I also hope Aussie RIC can put in a good effort. With the driver market entering the silly season I wonder if he’s looking for a move considering Renault are not delivering a good package. We’ll see ai guess.
Would have been good to see Kimi get on the podium in Hockenheim but good to see Kyvat there. A bummer Alfa lost their points. McLaren seem to be improving too huh?
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The best race of the year! It should rain all the time! ;)..Would be much more fun!
I agree although it would have been good to see my fella Danny RIC finish. Still, it was a good race, entertaining and enjoyable, so I shouldn’t complain.
The driver market is getting interesting huh? #sillyseason
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Danny is a very good driver. I think he is Formula One's pass master! :D...But he has been very unlucky :/.
Yes, it's very interesting right now. Anything can happen. Do you believe in the rumors that Vettel is quitting?
RIC the pass-meister! 😂
Hmm, VET. I don't know. I mean I can see him actually quitting. He seems to hold his cards close to his chest so maybe he'll come out and surprise everyone.
On the other hand I don't actually think he will; I think there's more life in the old dog. Maybe a year or so. He's a tenacious bastard and I don't think he'd be happy going out at a low point.
It will be interesting.
I see KUB gone from F1 totally and probably GRO also. GAS out of Red Bull and possibly BOT out of Mercedes. If VET goes maybe RIC to the Scuderia? Hmm...And what about HULK? A very interesting silly season ahead I think.
Your thoughts?
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I agree with you, I think VET will drive at least one more year.
I believe:
KUB --> gone
GRO --> gone
Ocon --> Haas
GAS --> somewhere else.
BOT --> will stay in Mercedes. They have such good team spirit with BOT and HAM in the team. I don't think they wanna change that.
I don't know about HULK, he has never been in top 3 in a GP but he is a pretty good driver.
I could see Danny in Ferrari, but not yet! :)
Oh yeah, I like Ocon. Came from humble beginnings, parents put it all on the line for his career...I like that about him. Good driver too.
I tend to agree with your list...BOT will be an interesting one. I guess the team like him there as it doesn't upset HAM too much. Exciting times in F1.
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Yeah, Ocon's story is incredible, very similar to Räikkönen's. Finnish drivers have never had any extra money to get a seat in F1. Unfortunately, quite often money decides who is driving....I mean like Pastor Maldonado! xD
Haha, Maldonado...HEewas a wacky dude huh? Pastor Crashdonado!
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Maldonator crashed into everything and everyone! Have you seen this video?
Haha, nah hadn't seen that, thanks for sharing. He's a fkn goon isn't he? I wonder where he's racing now.
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Yes he is! :D..I don't know, I hope he's not racing anymore! ;)
WEC apparently. Sports cars. Just looked it up.
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Okay, cool! Wishing all the best to him. But you know what? He still remains the most recent Williams driver to win a race. That's pretty incredible!
Good point...Would really like to see Williams come good.
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Nico was so close... this man is one of the most underrated drivers in F1
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I was devastated when he crashed out. I'm a Danny Ric supporter but I always like to see different drivers excel. The Hulk hasn't made it onto the podium yet and I was hoping this was his day. I think he's taken it pretty hard to be honest. At his age...I don't know...I can't see him getting into another team with a winning car so I hope Renault come good in 2020 and the lads smash it.
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I had plenty of friends watching this weekend and actually invited me over but had to work most of the weekend! There is a growing community here enjoying this sport which has surprised me; I will need to eventually give it a try as there is nothing not to love about fast cars!
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There's always room for new things in life right?
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