Octane - Emilia Romagna 2022
Quote of the Weekend
"Everyone keeps crashing in front of me; it's great!" - Lando Norris.
Word of the Weekend
Deludente - that's how Ferrari fans would describe this weekend, a disappointing display from the Scuderia, who should have managed to pick up a lot more than just eight points this Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz had a miserable weekend from start to finish, as did Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc spinning in 3rd and damaging his wing meant he had to climb back up the order and could only manage 6th. Ferrari would be wise not to be so hasty, as these slip-ups cost them valuable points in both championships.
On the topic of Lewis Hamilton, he had the worst race of his career since I can remember; it has to be some point in 2009. The car is inadequate in many areas; Hamilton chose the wrong setup, couldn't overtake with DRS and was thoroughly beaten by his teammate this weekend - he stated for the first time this year that his championship chances are over.
What was also disappointing was the race in general. Not a nail biter for a large part of the race; it only really entertained us during the start, the change to dry running, and Leclerc's come back through the field after his mistake. The lack of DRS for half the race, for some reason, just added to the sense that this was more of a train journey than the world's finest form of motor race. The F1 circus goes to Miami for the first time in a fortnight, which I hope proves more entertaining than this week's Grand Prix; we shall see.
Star of the Weekend
This weekend, Valtteri Bottas is my star driver. 8th in qualifying, 7th in the sprint and 5th in the Grand Prix. People, not least myself, expected him to qualify well and then have trouble overtaking much in the race - as it happens, he's proven himself a fine racer with the racecraft to match his raw qualifying speed with this current generation of cars. Yuki Tsunoda is also worth mentioning, who has largely been mediocre in his Formula 1 career but managed a fantastic race, going from 16th to 7th in a quiet but productive Grand Prix.
Surprise of the Weekend
McLaren was the weekend's surprise at the first race this year in Bahrain, but for very different reasons to this week. Lando Norris, in particular, showed pace all weekend and, with some good luck, managed to nab himself 3rd position whilst Ferrari floundered. An incredible turnaround from just a few races ago, where McLaren languished in 14th and 15th. It's worth mentioning Aston Martin too, who both finished in the points despite the pace of their car.
On This Day
It's Imola races all the way down; April 25th was the date of the 1982, 1993 and 2004 San Marino Grand Prix, held in Imola.
The 1982 Grand Prix was marked by the drivers protesting an exclusion of cars from the previous Grand Prix, leading to the driver association for 14 of the 17 teams pulling out, with some later opting to participate in the race. It ended as a seven-team race, with Didier Peroni winning for Ferrari on home turf.
The 1993 Grand Prix was notable because McLaren driver and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna publicly said he wouldn't race for McLaren whilst Ford blocked giving them engines. Later that year, Senna would be on a race by race contract, only racing if he received payment before the race weekend.