Let me start first with a quick comment on the Sprint Race format, which I don’t like and hope that will be removed soon.
I don’t see the reason why there should be, only in three of the twenty-three races, an opportunity to scores extra-points based on a short race, which will also affect the Sunday one.
It creates an unfair result in the World Championship and it doesn’t create any spectacle at all, since most of the drivers are just careful to not damage the car and lose places on the Sunday grid.
I think a shorter weekend with more races will make Formula 1 more attractive, rather than a longer weekend.
Furthermore, attending qualifying on the Friday is more difficult for fans.
Since the beginning of the season I’m saying that Red Bull in my opinion has the best package, thanks to its great balance, despite lower downforce set-ups, which allow to reach higher top-speeds, and to be kinder with tyres; this weekend has shown even more that, if the reliability issues are sorted, they can come back quickly to the top.
If you’re watching every race since the 90s, like me, you’ll know that the performance of the “second driver” is the best indicator of the quality of the car: Perez, who is a good driver but not “Championship material” is fighting for poles and wins this year, while last year he was far behind Max Verstappen.
This to me is suggesting that Red Bull has the best solution.
Ferrari will need to bring something more soon, and hope that Sainz has finished his period of poor performance and bad luck, because at Maranello they’ll need him at his best; Charles Leclerc can’t fight both Red Bulls alone, and today we saw that the result of racing over the top in tricky conditions can be a mistake.
Held back to the next race also the judgment to the team, that seemed immediately more vulnerable with less linear events, a trait already seen at the Ferrari box in the last years.
The battle for midfield has been again electrifying and unpredictable; the level of performance between these teams is constantly changing and with such tiny margins between each car, some drivers are able to make a difference a score important points for their teams.
Great results and solid driving for Bottas, who is probably showing his true value when not forced to block other drivers or to get out of the way, and for the two youngsters Norris and Russell, both embarrassing their more experienced teammates; these two, Max and Charles will surely deliver entertaining GPs for a while.
I want to also dedicate few lines to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. They both took advantage of a tailored Technical Regulations era, which for eight years allowed them to build the status of infallible machines.
What is happening in the first months of this season is proving that all the numbers and stats they’ve accumulated are a bit overestimated and that in normal circumstances they can make mistakes and be average, too.
Imola is a great track, although probably a little too narrow for modern Formula 1 cars; in just two weeks time we’ll discover the new Miami circuit, which I hope can deliver more than what it’s promising.
All Along The Racetrack 