PROMOTED AND FAILED LAS VEGAS F1 GP 2023
PROMOTED
Charles Leclerc: he is the big protagonist this week in Nevada. The Ferrari driver shone from the (only) free practice session on Friday, showing a good race pace and a top-level qualifying lap. Pole position arrived due to dispersion for the Ferrari driver ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz who was then unfairly penalised. In the race it is probably the best version of the 2023 Red, even superior to that of Singapore when it won the victory: this time too luck turned its back on the Monegasque, with the Safety Car coming onto the track at the wrong time and penalizing him in the comparisons of the two Red Bulls. The main regret may be a less than perfect start, but overall it’s still a great weekend.
Max Verstappen: a more sweaty victory than usual, but achieved with great authority and class by the Dutchman. One of those years in which every episode turns in his favor: not even the five-second penalty after the start and the contact with Russell affect him. After a not very brilliant Saturday, the three-time world champion was able to respond once again in the race when he counts: 53 victories like Sebastian Vettel and his name is increasingly in the history of Formula 1.
Esteban Ocon: a fantastic race for the Frenchman from Alpine. From seventeenth position he achieved a fourth place which seemed absolutely unexpected on the eve of the race: also rewarded by the Safety Cars which are excellent wildcards drawn from the deck, but it depends on the quality of the driver to know how to take advantage of favorable situations.
Lance Stroll: probably the best race of the season also for the Canadian. Aston Martin seems to be fairly competitive again and he reaches a great fifth place from fourteenth position, elbowing his way to put Sainz, Hamilton, Russell and teammate Alonso behind him. A nice response after a central phase of the season full of difficulties and criticisms.
FAILED
McLaren: the main disappointment of this weekend. There is no pace either in qualifying or in the race, showing obvious limitations especially on the straight. Piastri tries to keep things afloat, runs a good race before going back due to a contact with Hamilton and finishing in tenth position. Norris even ends up in hospital due to a technical problem that causes him to hit the wall after just three laps. Little race pace, little luck, little reliability: a weekend to forget.
Mercedes: Not a great weekend for the two silver arrows. Hamilton gets into trouble by not passing Q2 in qualifying and leading a complicated race from the back, Russell starts from fourth place, confirms his position on the track, but finishes eighth due to a naive penalty received for contact with Verstappen. Less consistency compared to Ferrari: in Abu Dhabi, much more will be needed to defend second place in the constructors’ championship.
FIA: the international federation has demonstrated its inadequacy for the umpteenth time. A start to the weekend to forget with the blowing of a manhole cover. The one who pays the price is Carlos Sainz who destroys his car and is forced to change the battery. Instead of granting an exemption, the FIA decided to penalize the Spaniard by ten positions on the grid due to neither his nor the team’s faults. Disastrous management and no elasticity to deal with this type of situation.
Photo: Lapresse
2023-11-20 05:00:26
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