Octane - Saudi Arabia 2022
A Formula 1 blog, done differently.
Quote of the Weekend
"You can follow so much better! I would not have been able to get Lando back, and it's because of these new cars. You can attack every lap like a go-kart race." - Esteban Ocon.
Hello and welcome to the second article in Octane, a new F1 blog series aiming to find the news beyond the news, educating both casual fans and seasoned supporters about stories you might not have heard. I'll include quotes, a word of the week, on this day, and further insight into those pesky stories in the paddock.
This week's word is…
Margin
Margins. Something Formula 1 is very familiar with and very representative of this week. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen knew that all too well, fussing over pit lane entry margins, the 1 second DRS margin, the DRS activation line and the 0.549-second margin that decided the race. The chess game that ensued in those final ten laps represented everything I love about Formula 1: the sheer speed, the guile, the possibility of some external factor influencing the race, and intelligent strategising to maximise odds of victory.
The battle between the two of them wasn't the only battle in the margins of the weekend. Pole-sitter Sergio Perez was unlucky with the timing of his pitstop just before the Safety Car and had to swap places with Carlos Sainz after he *just* crossed the safety car before Perez. It shows how fine margins make all the difference as they finished in 3rd and 4th - the same as when Perez made his pitstop.
Also providing fireworks were the pink Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Alonso nearby ran straight into the back of Ocon after a late move to the inside to defend his position, which I felt was a little beyond the margin of acceptability. What followed over the next few laps were nail bitting back and forth moves between them; you could sense an incident occurring before Alpine's new team principal Otmar Szafnauer ended the scrap by ordering them not to overtake. It was probably the right move, too, Ocon had a good race, and Alonso was ahead of Ocon before his retirement. So far, things look better for Alpine this year; let's hope the midfield continues to provide thrilling entertainment.
Russell
Mercedes' George Russell had a relatively uneventful race, which makes it quite eventful given it was Jeddah. The Mercedes is the 3rd quickest car and should slot in 5th and 6th on a typical weekend - and sure enough, both drivers were 5th and 6th for a large part of both races. The case of George Russell is an interesting one because, unlike Hamilton, he went with a conservative setup and, unlike Hamilton, didn't need to carve through the field to get points. A solid race for George to get the most out of his machinery.
On that topic, Mercedes should bring an update to the floor next race in Australia and the aerodynamics in Imola, the race after. It's easily the best part of a second a lap slower, and Mercedes feel they need to take risks with setup and updates to gain more on Ferrari and Red Bull, who are undoubtedly developing the car at a rate of knots. Should be exciting times ahead for the teams near the top.
Star
Lando Norris is my star of the weekend, pulling what was a poor McLaren up to 7th from 11th on the grid - McLaren took a step up this week, which bodes well for the next few races. His teammate Daniel Ricciardo continued to have issues that McLaren will have to iron out; however - 2022 is a massive regulation change from last year - there are significant gains to be had before teams get their ducks in a row.
On This Day
March 28th
1993 - Ayrton Senna picks up his last home Grand Prix win in Brazil.
2010 - Jenson Button wins the Australian Grand Prix after being the first to pit for dry tyres in a wet to dry race.
2021 - Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen race wheel to wheel in the opening race of the season in Bahrain, setting the stage for last year's brilliant championship battle.