Brazil – the highs and lows of the editorial team

TOP 3

Max Verstappen, a masterful race!

The Dutch driver demonstrated mastery in every aspect this weekend. He secured a superb pole position and remained calm during the race to turn it into a victory. Thanks to a great start, he held onto his pole advantage and forced Mercedes to devise a different strategy to overtake him. Red Bull only had to align with this strategy to cover Lewis Hamilton’s pit stops. Surprisingly, he kept his cool when Robert Kubica’s Williams emerged right in front of him in the pit lane after his first stop. He also brilliantly overtook the new six-time world champion to reclaim his lead in the Grand Prix. He showed mastery during both safety car interruptions, whether it was for changing tires at the right moment or managing the second restart. Speed, intelligence, mastery, and composure are the defining characteristics of this well-constructed victory. Classic Max as we’d love to see more often.

A solid new weekend for Pierre Gasly, capped off with a superb podium.

Solid is once again the adjective used by Pierre Gasly for his race in Brazil. The Frenchman was the best of the rest at the wheel of his Toro Rosso, which he managed to exploit brilliantly. But this time, being the best of the rest meant a second-place finish. Thus, he achieved the feat of being the youngest Frenchman to stand on a podium, ending a drought for French drivers. Indeed, since 2015 and Romain Grosjean, no French driver had managed to finish among the top three in a race. He was able to push his single-seater to its limits to resist Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes for the last two laps. Defying all odds, his defense was masterful, and the Honda engine allowed him, by a few hundredths of a second, to withstand the final assault of the British driver. The joy in the Toro Rosso camp was a sight to behold; this superb second-place trophy is well deserved. Let’s hope this podium leads to more, as Daniil Kvyat achieved such a performance at the German Grand Prix, also completely crazy. Moreover, with this large batch of points gained yesterday, the Faenza team repositions itself against Renault, hoping to finish at a very respectable fifth place in the team championship this year.

A beautiful group shot by the Alfa boys

This weekend marks the return to grace for Alfa Romeo. There is still a significant performance gap to bridge, but whether it’s the experienced Kimi Räikkönen or Antonio Giovinazzi, the race was well managed. They were able to get the best out of the car and the strategy. Thanks to the multiple incidents that marked the end of the race, they finished just outside the podium. The Finnish driver confirms that he is still present and more than ever has his place within the team. As for the Italian driver, he has just been renewed and proves that the Alfa Romeo management made the right choice.

FLOP 3

Yet another mistake by Sebastian Vettel

New scandal within Scuderia Ferrari for this Brazilian weekend. Both could hope to secure third place in the drivers’ championship. In the end, after gifting Mercedes a relatively calm 2019, Ferrari finds themselves handing Max Verstappen the third spot on the podium on a silver platter. Once again, Sebastian Vettel lost his cool and let loose a devastating wheel clash. Charles Leclerc’s first overtaking maneuver was clean and well-executed through the Senna “S”. Sebastian Vettel had every opportunity to attempt to reclaim his position properly at the end of the following straight, thanks notably to DRS. He was just a hair’s breadth from succeeding… Naturally, Charles Leclerc had no intention of making it easy for him. But Vettel didn’t have to squeeze him at the start of that corner. Another disaster for Ferrari this year, yet another disastrous incident attributed to the German driver. It’s time for the reds to see the end of the 2019 season and utilize the off-season to build a solid foundation for 2020.

The FIA deprives Carlos Sainz of his first podium

The Hamilton/Albon incident did not seem so complicated to arbitrate. The podium ceremony took a long time to start. We thought the FIA was about to make a decision and have the driver who truly deserved that third place step onto the podium. But nothing happened, once again the FIA spoiled the show and in this case the joy of a first podium for Carlos Sainz.

Renault, nowhere in Brazilian land

After the turmoil of the Japanese affair, Renault managed to present itself in a better light and showcase the performance of its car and drivers. So much so that the option to finish fifth in the championship could have been strengthened on Brazilian soil. However, that was not the case; Daniel Ricciardo’s small blunder and Nico Hülkenberg’s lack of performance benefited Toro Rosso. Everything will have to be redone for the final round in Abu Dhabi in two weeks. Hopefully, they haven’t lost their chance this weekend, as the Toro Rosso engine seems to have made significant progress, and the Italian team will be galvanized by this performance on the Brazilian weekend.