FLOYD ON F1: And the Oscar goes to Piastri

The Hungarian F1 Grand Prix promised so much after qualifying. The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton on pole with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen alongside him. The two revitalised McLarens filling the second row. And a few names we have not seen this high on the grid for some time.

Sergio Perez was starting lower than he hoped. His chase for the podium should be worth watching, but I seem to have written that too often following his poor qualifying results.

The battle for position between the Red Bull of Perez and the McLaren of Oscar Piastri was fascinating. The young Australian F1 driver proving his mettle as he made the Mexican work for his place. It was hard racing but fair in a true wheel-to-wheel battle.

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F1 champion in the making?

But it was the remark between Piastri and his pit wall when it was suggested to him Perez had forced him off to gain the position which impressed me. He replied very casually: “he didn’t leave me much room did he.” No whining or claim he was pushed, he just got on with his drive.

Let’s not forget his excellent move at turn one after the start. He managed moved to second place ahead of his team-mate Lando Norris and polesitter Hamilton. A real racer. Perhaps a new F1 champion in the making?

The new qualifying system employing allocated tyre compounds seems to have received mixed reactions. It works as follow; hard compound for Q1, medium in Q2 and soft for Q4.

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Tyred of improvements

Did it really achieve Pirelli and FOM’s objectives of levelling the playing field and reducing the transportation of a large selection of tyres and of course F1’s carbon limiting aim by 2030?

Personally I believe the continuing antics of FOM to “improve” the sport are more an interference. It removes more of the essence of the sport.

If one considers the incredible amount of time and money required to design, build and fine tune the ultimate car, one has to wonder why we are limiting the amount of free practice time and now the choice of tyre compound, both vital to realise the result planned by the designers and engineers.

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Domination inevitable

There is no doubt the field has closed up in many ways. But inevitably there will always be a team which finds the edge with the consequence being their domination.

It has happened many times even in pre-war Grand Prix racing and regularly in F1 since its inception in 1950.

This weekend it’s the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix. Let’s hope for a dry track and a classic event.