FLOYD ON F1: Can anyone stop Hamilton’s title charge?

After Brazil and Qatar F1 Grands Prix, it is obvious Mercedes now has the upper hand when it comes to engine performance, leaving Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the proverbial dust.

Lewis Hamilton’s new engine, taken prior to Brazil, was well worth its five-second penalty. Let’s not go into the rear wing issue which pushed the Englishman to the back of the grid…

But his brilliant drive to victory was breathtaking, as was the incredible power of the W12’s new power unit.
Doubtlessly, many in the F1 pit lane – particularly those also using the Mercedes engine – wonder why there has been such an earthshaking improvement from the Brackley-based team’s cars.

This has yet to show in recently replaced Mercedes customer units. Perhaps the primary difference is simply Hamilton and his burning desire to retain his title.

It was disturbing to hear from team chief Toto Wolff that in Qatar it was an older-specification engine powering the Englishman to another easy victory.

In an interview with Sky, he was reported as saying: “Saudi should be a good track for us. We know this year when you think it’s a good one, it can turn the other way round but it has a lot of long straights.”

He continued. “We’ll get our spicy engine out for Saudi Arabia that we did not use in Qatar. Hopefully Valtteri is right up there – we need him. If everybody finishes the race it’s going to go to Abu Dhabi.”

This F1 season is really going down to the wire…

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The need for rules and regulations in any form of motorsport is essential, but of concern is the application of such rules by trackside personnel and the use of technology to assist everyone.

In the closing minutes of last weekend’s final qualifying F1 session, Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen were on flying laps in an attempt to grab pole position.

Unfortunately, Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri picked up a puncture. The Frenchman was pulled off the racing line and attempted to crawl back to the pits.

The marshals deployed both single and double yellow waved flags as the three drivers approached the final bends, Verstappen second, Bottas third and Sainz seventh.

The Spaniard was not penalised but the other two received a five and three grid penalty respectively for failing to slow.
After hearing from the F1 Red Bull driver and team representative, the stewards reviewed the evidence and decreed that double yellow flags were displayed at flag point 16.6, after the exit from turn 16, but did agree the lights system was not enabled.

The very points the team had put forward as mitigating circumstances led Verstappen to believe the yellow flag condition was over.

The stewards emphasised the double yellow flag display and penalised both drivers correctly, but if such electronic systems are available, surely they should be activated to agree with the waved flags of the trackside personnel?

To see the F1 drivers’ world championship standings, click here.