Posted in: 02/08/2022 – 11:54
Paris (AFP) – Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso’s move to the Formula 1 team Aston Martin to replace Sebastian Vettel, who announced his retirement at the end of the current season, has been the focus of attention following the Hungarian Grand Prix. AFP is highlighting five points to talk regarding, as the World Championships enters its annual summer recess.
Ferrari problems
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto faced mounting pressure following the recent failure in the Hungarian Grand Prix, as Ferrari started Sunday’s race in second and third places, along with Spaniard Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc of Monaco, but finished fourth and sixth in the final.
On the other hand, Dutch world champion Max Verstappen and his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez moved from tenth and eleventh to first and fifth, in a clear reference to teamwork and smart strategy.
Red Bull leads the constructors’ standings with 431 points, ahead of Ferrari (334) and Mercedes (304).
Although Ferrari had the fastest car for most of the season, particularly in testing, it squandered this advantage through failed strategic decisions, driver errors, engine failures and other technical issues and a lack of consistency and reliability.
Former British Formula One Sky Sports analyst Johnny Herbert described Ferrari’s latest failure as “embarrassing”.
The Italian team asked Leclerc, who is 80 points behind in the title race, to stay on the track on medium-vehicle tires while he was leading 30 laps ago, before being called into the pit, switching to solid tyres, and falling back in the standings.
Binotto remained calm and blamed an unexpected drop in car and tire performance, but promised a series of in-depth reviews.
Mercedes recovery
Mercedes has recovered from a rough and lopsided start to the season, re-branding seven-times champion Lewis Hamilton not only to revive his belief that he can claim his 104th career victory, but also to challenge for the drivers’ title for the record eighth time.
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The 37-year-old Briton, who has made five successive podium appearances this season, including two consecutive runner-ups, confirmed the team’s return as a competitive force.
“Certainly, if we take that pace in the second half of the season, we can start fighting the other guys,” Hamilton explained.
Alonso transfer ignites the season
Alonso’s quick move to replace Vettel has sparked speculation amid expectations of more heat in the driver market for 2023.
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The first vacant seat in the Alpine team, where Australian reserve driver Oscar Piastre, winner of the Formula 3 world championship in 2020 and the Formula 2 world championship the following year, is an obvious candidate. The young driver, led by former Red Bull driver and compatriot Mark Webber, is one of the next big talents.
Also, there may be another vacancy at Williams, as Canadian Nicholas Latifi’s contract expires this year. Williams may be interested in Piastre, if he is not picked by the Alpine team, or Mercedes’ reserve driver Nick de Vries.
The Dutch driver excelled in test races with Williams in Spain and Mercedes in France. Also among the candidates with low chances is the name of the British Williams reserve driver, Jamie Chadwick, who dominated the only women’s championship this season, but the move may not be high in fortunes.
The future of German Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary seven-time champion Michael, remains another point of discussion, as his contract with Haas expires this year.
bounce problem
While drivers will head to European beaches for their holiday, many teams will continue to work on solutions to the rebound problem that has affected many cars this season.
The FIA is set to introduce measures to control the problem and protect drivers starting from the Belgian Grand Prix, but some teams, notably Red Bull, are still opposed to any changes affecting the “ground effect” formula introduced this season.
Red Bull has built a car that’s less prone to these problems, and the results are rewarding.
Team boss Christian Horner has warned that there might be a rift in the teams’ maintenance center if new rules are introduced mid-season.
abusive behavior
Abusive behavior by some fans in past races and on social media has led to a huge backlash in the world of Formula 1.
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Campaigns have been launched in this regard to reject it, but there have been persistent reports of abusive behavior and video footage on social media showing allegations that Verstappen fans burned Lewis Hamilton-related merchandise at the Hungarian circuit.
“It’s unacceptable,” Verstappen said, adding, “I certainly don’t agree with that because it’s disgusting.”
The recent events in Austria-Hungary came following others, when some drivers’ fans cheered sarcastically and jeered at drivers who had been involved in accidents.
© 2022 AFP
