Ted Kravitz takes a glance again at a chaotic Australian Grand Prix
Ted Kravitz takes a glance again at a chaotic Australian Grand Prix
After a chaotic Australian Grand Prix, received by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, how are every of the 10 groups feeling as they fly house from Melbourne?
The sold-out Albert Park crowd have been handled to an exciting race of crashes, battles and a sprinkling of controversy. While Max Verstappen fought again to win Red Bull’s first race in Australia since 2011, he was joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Reliability, collisions and penalties brought on ache for a lot of, together with George Russell and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Ted Kravitz delivers his verdict on all 10 groups…
Red Bull – ‘Super-duper DRS is half their benefit’
Max Verstappen will get DRS on Lewis Hamilton and makes a simple overtake to take the lead of the Australian Grand Prix
It was a weekend of blended fortunes for Red Bull, who’ve typically struggled in Australia as Verstappen received, whereas Sergio Perez restricted the factors misplaced to his title rival after a horrible Saturday that noticed him crash out of qualifying after three corners.
TED’S VERDICT: Max Verstappen P1 – it was a horrible lap one with Verstappen all the way down to P2 – the Mercedes acquired previous him, Lewis pushed him off.
But Max finally breezed previous Hamilton with the magic DRS.
What phrase we could consider to explain this DRS? ‘Super-duper DRS’.
It is a bonus – the engineers in the pitlane estimate that it is price two-tenths or three-tenths of a second on that lap in comparison with one other automobile with DRS.
Highlights of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit
So, this Red Bull super-duper DRS is price quite so much.
When you think about that Red Bull’s total benefit is two-tenths or three-tenths, that is fairly a helpful benefit to have.
I do not suppose it’s their total benefit – there’s a terrific automobile, it is aerodynamically environment friendly, it is engineered effectively and all the rest of it, but it surely may very well be half of their benefit that’s all the way down to their super-duper DRS – meals for thought for the different groups.
Watch as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen strikes additional ahead earlier than launching on the second purple flag restart
Sergio Perez pitted twice below the first Safety Car, acquired the arduous tyres out of the means, acquired boxed in at the begin – that was his downside, and then, after that, it was a quieter weekend for Checo.
He made his means via, but it surely’s a missed alternative – I feel after qualifying and after the issues they’d on Saturday with the brakes, it’s a missed alternative for Red Bull and Perez – he ought to have been P2 or larger.
Mercedes – ‘They’re blissful round right here’
George Russell makes a terrific begin and takes the lead from Max Verstappen as Charles Leclerc crashes out and brings out the security automobile on the opening lap!
Despite Russell’s fiery finish to the race, Mercedes shall be typically happy as they seem to have made progress, taking the combat to Aston Martin and Ferrari in the competitors for the second-quickest automobile – solely three-tenths off Verstappen in qualifying, will future developments assist them combat for future wins?
TED’S VERDICT: They must be blissful at Mercedes as a result of Lewis Hamilton was second.
George Russell DNF, it is an engine failure – went pop, apparently it wasn’t a leak.
George Russell’s automobile units on hearth and he’s out of the race with an influence unit challenge!
Poor George had already been achieved over by the purple flag brought on by gravel.
Lewis Hamilton acquired Max Verstappen at the begin, stayed out earlier than Max acquired him again.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton says his P2 end is a superb end result and provides the workforce hope as they give the impression of being to meet up with Red Bull
Lewis was difficult Russell earlier than Russell pitted, however I believed Lewis managed all of it very effectively and secured P2, so I feel they’re blissful round right here.
Aston Martin – ‘They acquired a little bit of luck in the present day’
After ending third at the Australian GP, Fernando Alonso admits he was confused as to what precisely was taking place after a purple flag brought on pandemonium at the finish of the race
Aston Martin have been uncommon in that each drivers had good days, ending third and fourth – one thing they could not have seen coming after the second restart, which noticed Alonso spin out and Lance Stroll off into the gravel.
TED’S VERDICT: Fernando Alonso’s acquired his third podium in three races and he acquired a little bit of luck even when it was the appropriate interpretation of the guidelines.
Alonso stays P3 and Lance Stroll stays P4, and each benefited from the gravel purple flag.
Alonso challenged Max Verstappen in race two and then he chased Lewis Hamilton, however he mentioned it was troublesome to get shut.
Fernando Alonso is tagged by Carlos Sainz which causes a protracted line of accidents at the second race restart and brings out one more purple flag!
It was a disastrous purple flag too – Alonso spun, however they acquired that reinstated.
Solid race from Stroll, [as he] acquired caught behind Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz’s combat.
McLaren – ‘Woo! Gravel!’
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri grew up in Melbourne the place he scored his first F1 factors on Sunday
McLaren go away Melbourne with their native boy scoring his first F1 factors as a rookie at his house race and the workforce transferring off the backside of the desk after two torrid races in the Middle East.
TED’S VERDICT: They have scored their first factors of the yr, so effectively achieved McLaren – 12 factors and that places them straight into P5 in the Constructors’ Championship – Lando Norris P6, Oscar Piastri P8.
I’ve acquired ‘Woo! Gravel’ right here.
They have been very a lot advantaged by the purple flag for gravel, each into ninth and tenth with the free pit cease.
McLaren chief government Zak Brown insists there isn’t a exit clause in Lando Norris’ contract and he has no considerations about the prospect of him leaving the workforce
Oscar Piastri misplaced out at the restart, dropped to P12 and then he acquired as much as P11 forward of Yuki.
Lando was actually fast, did so effectively – effectively achieved McLaren.
Haas – ‘That was scary’
Haas thought Kevin Magnussen suffered a wheel puncture after the Danish driver utterly loses his proper rear tyre after clipping the wall
At one stage, it seemed as if Nico Hulkenberg was going to attain his first F1 podium, however regardless of their protests, he strikes again to seventh to at the least rating factors after his team-mate’s wheel got here off – it was that form of loopy day.
TED’S VERDICT: DNF for Kevin Magnussen with that spin and it is Hulkenberg with P7.
Hulkenberg almost hit Alex Albon when he span – that was scary, he mentioned.
Magnussen misplaced out at the purple flag and restarted final, he then ran brilliantly, Lando Norris then challenged him and acquired P8, then Magnussen spun and crashed, placing wheel-rim particles throughout the observe.
Alfa Romeo – ‘Would have been far more than it was’
Alfa Romeo scored simply two factors as they misplaced out throughout a purple flag
Safety Cars and purple flags could cause groups to roll a cube hoping for double sixes, however Alfa Romeo got here away lacking out – Valtteri Bottas’ mullet in Melbourne clearly was not the fortunate allure they have been hoping for.
TED’S VERDICT: Let me let you know the sorry story of Alfa Romeo’s race as a result of after pitting early on the first Safety Car, they might have been set for a lot of factors, so they’re annoyed at the purple flag for gravel.
They do not actually know why the purple flag occurred and they have been at all times catching up from that time on.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas believes his victory at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix was the better of his profession
Valtteri Bottas P11 and Zhou Guanyu P9, so effectively achieved Zhou Guanyu, he is acquired two factors.
Both benefitted from the gravel early on [when they pitted under the Safety Car] however then misplaced out when there was a purple flag [the second of the three] – it will have been far more than it was.
AlphaTauri – ‘This is what we’ve, I’m sorry’
AlphaTauri scored their first level of the season with Yuki Tsunoda in Melbourne
It’s been a difficult begin to the season for AlphaTauri with an uncompetitive automobile, however Yuki Tsunoda managed to attain the Red Bull junior workforce’s first factors of the season.
TED’S VERDICT: They acquired a degree, Yuki Tsunoda had a degree and I feel that is AlphaTauri’s first level of the season.
Yuki restarted P8, Nyck de Vries acquired clonked on the restart too by Ocon.
Yuki struggled with the set-up of the automobile, the stability of the automobile, the engineer mentioned ‘that is what we’ve, I’m sorry’.
Check out all the funniest Formula 1 moments from the weekend in Australia
De Vries was battling the automobile for the entire race, after that clonk, he mentioned that the automobile was not proper, he pitted, Yuki additionally pitted on the Magnussen security automobile and misplaced out due to the purple flag – he would have been a lot additional up.
Ferrari – ‘Groans, a thunderous face however a bit little bit of tempo’
Carlos Sainz is livid at being handed a five-second time penalty for inflicting a collision with Fernando Alonso
Leclerc crashed out on lap one and Sainz was taken from fourth [to] out of the factors resulting from a controversial penalty that he referred to as “unacceptable” – Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur reportedly has a foul again and these race outcomes will solely add to the ache.
TED’S VERDICT: It’s Sainz P12 and Leclerc DNF.
Carlos Sainz, [his penalty was] very unfair I feel he believes, and by the look on his face, which is worse than thunder, I might think about he is aware of that that end result just isn’t going to be adjusted.
Fernando Alonso is tagged by Carlos Sainz which causes a protracted line of accidents at the second race restart and brings out one more purple flag!
It was by no means going to be adjusted – let’s face it – however they needed to give it a go and check the concept.
Charles Leclerc, an actual fan favorite, groans in the grandstand when he has had the incident with Lance Stroll.
And once you qualify badly in P7 and you are in the carbon-fibre zone, this sort of factor can occur.
As for Sainz, it was an excellent combat on lap one, pitted below the Safety Car earlier than the gravel brought on the purple flag, and that sunk him to P11, then he acquired caught behind Gasly for fairly some time, however acquired via and was going to be P4 however then acquired the five-second penalty for clonking into Alonso, which he thought was a racing incident.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was left annoyed after being taken out by Lance Stroll on the opening lap of the Australian Grand Prix
But at the least Ferrari had some tempo, and that is an attention-grabbing little upside for Ferrari going ahead.
Alpine – ‘A expensive end result’
Karun Chandhok analyses the onboard view as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly collided at the finish of the Australian Grand Prix
To quote Sky Sports’ Sam Johnston, who was reporting from Australia, Alpine have been trying “frisky” and have been set to attain factors with each of their drivers, however the French workforce was one in all the largest losers as each Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly acquired caught up in the manic last restart.
TED’S VERDICT: I hope dinner’s good as a result of they’ve ended up with two wrecked automobiles and no factors.
Not their fault – it was the first time that the drivers had come collectively – we at all times thought they’d, however really it wasn’t a factor as a result of they have been simply harmless with one another.
Carlos Sainz passes Pierre Gasly with an excellent dummy transfer on the Alpine man!
Ocon pitted at the finish of lap one, Gasly benefited from the purple flag.
It was all going effectively, and then Gasly went huge, rejoined and clonked into his team-mate, so you have to really feel sorry for them as a result of that could be a expensive end result from a race the place they need to have had 10, 11, 12 plus factors down right here at Alpine.
Williams – ‘Alex completely gutted’
Alex Albon was flying throughout qualifying, and seemed like scoring factors in his low drag and low downforce automobile – it was the lack of downforce that will have brought on his enormous crash and that left Williams pointless.
TED’S VERDICT: It’s a DNF for Alex Albon, it is P16 for Logan Sargeant.
Alex Albon completely gutted – it had been a terrific weekend, he was P6 when the rear let go, he spun it into the wall and out.
Logan Sargeant pitted below the first Safety Car, placed on the arduous tyre and then he went onto the medium, he mentioned ‘this tyre is horrible, we’ve to get off it’, and then he had some extra fruity phrases on the radio and they mentioned ‘cautious on the radio Logan, we do not like these form of phrases’.
There you go, one other lesson for Logan in his Formula 1 debut season
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