Lewis Hamilton is back on the top step of the podium. The qualifying on Saturday had allowed the British, in his element in the rain, to demonstrate its renewed form. In quest for a seventh world crown that would make him the equal of Michael Schumacher, the driver Mercedes, thwarted by his 4th place in the GP of Austria last Sunday, has largely dominated the first GP of Styrian history, on this very same Red Bull Ring Spielberg, seven days later. “I am grateful to be back in the first place. It’s been a long time since the last race last year,” commented Hamilton. “It is a great way to bounce back after a difficult weekend.”
Leclerc has “the con”
the image of The day will remain less glorious for the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc. As early as the third turn, the Monegasque took off on a vibrator while attempting to overtake his team-mate German of which he has ripped off the rear spoiler. Balance sheet: a double abandonment. “It is my fault. I have done the con, quite simply, it is necessary to admit it when it happens like that,” admitted Jones at the microphone of Canal+, after having apologised to Vettel in front of the cameras. This again failed plunges further into crisis a Scuderia that had no need of it… The second place unexpected Leclerc last week should not hide the fact that the performance is not at the rendez-vous track. “When you take the starting in the middle of the grid, these are the things that happen, but that’s not an excuse, admitted in front of the television Mattia Binotto, the Team Principal of Italian. It was mostly a weekend very disappointing ending of the worst ways. It serves no purpose to blame anyone, you have to react and move quickly.” A sign that nobody wanted to stir the knife in the wound, the appointment with the written press intended for the following for Binotto, Leclerc and Vettel has been cancelled.
Bottas remains in the lead of the championship
All goes well in contrast to Mercedes, of which the advantage appears significant. After the success without opposition of Valtteri Bottas last Sunday, the German brand will offer its first double of the year, the Finn who delighted in 2nd place at the Dutch Max Verstappen, the party in front of him. “I was pushing as much as possible to try and stay at their level but it just wasn’t enough. We still have work ahead of us,” has not hidden the driver of the Red Bull, 3rd after dropping out last week. On the side of the standings, Bottas holds on to the lead in the drivers with six points ahead of Hamilton and, already, we wonder if the Northern, which advertises itself as the only opponent of the British, held the tide. “In F1, it is quite easy to doubt oneself but, in this moment, I don’t see any reason to do so, replied the person concerned. In the light of the last weekend, I know what I’m capable of.”
on the French Side, no marked point with Romain Grosjean (Haas) 13, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) 15th and the abandonment of Esteban Ake (Renault). Off-track, the claim filed by Renault against its competitor Racing Point, that it puts an end to to have copied the brake ducts of the Mercedes sacred in 2019, has been deemed eligible and must now be examined.
Next step Budapest
the spectacle of The F1 launched at full speed without an audience to admire them, and again offered some surreal images. To set the mood, the initials and the numbers of drivers in the middle of the battle clignotaient on the seats stand empty. The podium also has benefited from a few additions more or less happy, with wreaths of smoke, and most of the members of the teams allowed to celebrate. The arrival of the trophies on carts, remote-controlled, however, has left some skeptical. The result takes the paddock on the Hungaroring in Budapest as early as next weekend, for the second “triple header” (three races in three weeks) in the history of F1. The experiment was attempted in the summer of 2018 had left the personal stables bloodless. In addition to the fatigue, it will take this time to deal with the isolation, the movement of british nationals and extra-europeans who have been limited from the hotel to the circuit by the authorities because of the Covid-19.
