Well all the talk, predictions and speculation is done and we have finally got the new season going and now have some idea from the first event of what the pecking order of this new era of F1 racing is. Ok I know that one race does not give us the full picture and that Bahrain can not be a barometer of how the cars will perform at other tracks but it did shows us just what all the teams have got to play with as we start the title tace.
What were the big takeaways from the weekend then? Well firstly as mentioned in the heading Ferrari are definitely back on form. Their pace from pre-season testing was not a false dawn and anyone who likes to see the team from Marenello at the sharp end can breath a sigh of relief and look forward to them playing a big role in the events of this season.
LeClerc was surprised to take pole on Saturday and Sainz was similarly not expecting to be third on the grid after admitting that he had struggled all weekend for pace compared to his team mate but it is undeniable that they were in the fight from the get go. Many thought that RedBull would have the greater race pace but from where I was sitting Ferrari had it all under control throughout the race. The only thing that may have caught them off guard was Verstappens third and final stop but in the end that wasn’t an issue because the late safety car allowed then a free stop to head off the reigning champions challenge. Both LeClerc and Sainz didn’t put a foot wrong all day and a 1-2 was a great reward for all the effort that the team have put in through the last year and half.
Ok they were lucky to get Sainz home in second after RedBull’s day fell apart and not every race will go that smoothly for them but Ferrari are in the fight and that is brilliant to see. RedBull will be a bit beaten up with their drama at the end and the fact that they had two major problems will give the team plenty of homework to do as the teams move onto Saudi Arabia this weekend but their pace was strong they proved the intense title fight of last year didn’t take anything away from their preparation for the new regs. That itself is impressive especially given the fact that we are maybe seeing the opposite at Mercedes.
Merc will get things sorted out I am sure and their 3-4 finish will give them hope for the future but what is clear to everyone is that they have a lot of work to do to get on terms with Ferrari and RedBull and that will take time. When they will be in a position to fight for wins is unclear and by the time they get there the title will probably be out of reach. Hamilton and new team mate Russell will need get their heads down and push things forward as fast as possible.
Away from the big names the other big stories for me involved Haas and Alfa Romeo who have both been able to use the use the rule change to pull themselves well into the midfield. This pleases me on both counts because I have a soft spot for Haas after their struggles over the years and I have a lot of respect for Valterri Bottas so to see him with a machine that can get results is good.
One of the feel good moments of the weekend was undoubtedly seeing Kevin Magnussen take a fine fifth place on his unexpected return to F1. A couple of weeks ago racing in F1 again was not even on his mind but the teams enforced search for a new driver gave him what amounts to his third chance in F1 and he certainly made the most of it. A competitive and experienced teammate will only benefit Mick Schumacher as well, he had Mazapin well covered last season and the challenge of a fast driver in th other car will drive him forward.
There are other talking points of course but I dont want to delve to deeply into those here, we can explore them as the season goes forward. The final thing that is worth discussing though is the how the new rules themselves have worked. The ground effect regs arew something that I have been looking foreward to and from where I stand they have worked well so far. The cars were visibly able to follow each other easier and looked like to be making the drivers earn their million dollar salaries. Ascetically they look better than they have for a long time in my opinion and so my take on our first look at F1’s brave new world is a very positive one.
The aim of having the new construction of tyre being less sensitive to thermal degradation was the one thing that maybe didn’t show itself to have worked massively well but lets see how that goes over the upcoming races. Thankfully we only a few days to see chapter two of F1 2022 and I am certain we get more get more answers this weekend.
I will end by saying how great it is to have F1 back and a new season to get our teeth into. Our sport is great isn’t it. Am I only one who loves it when March comes around. Bring on Jedda.
My F1 talk 