HAMILTON DOMINATES 1000th F1 RACE IN SHANGHAI
After 3 consecutive 1-2's, can anyone stop Mercedes?
Mercedes Masterclass
The top 3 in the Chinese Grand Prix
It's fair to say that Lewis Hamilton seemed in control of last weeks race however, does this raise the question if Mercedes have any genuine competition on their hands for this season? Many people were quick to mention that this race reminded them of 2014-2016, the era where Mercedes won over 85% of races. The failed promises of Ferrari only pushed Mercedes further where now they lead the constructors championship by 57 points which, by today's standards is a colossal margin.
More salt was rubbed into the wounds of Ferrari when Mercedes pulled off a fairly unbelievable double stack which truly cemented their excellence in the race. This also shows how far Mercedes have come after entering the sport in 2010 and in 9 years they have accumulated 90 wins, placing themselves 4th place in the all time wins for constructors only 24 wins away from Williams. His most recent win was his 75th win which brings him ever closer to the elusive record of 91 wins as set by the legendary Michael Schumacher. His record doesn't really look too far away for the driver from Stevanage.
False dreams for Ferrari?
Vettel hasn't won a race since the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix
It seemed from testing that Ferrari were finally ahead of Mercedes but due to reasons unknown to the team themselves, that pace hasn't been carried into the first 3 opening rounds of the season. The woes for Ferrari started in Melbourne where the lead Ferrari of Vettel was alarmingly 7 tenths down on Hamilton in Qualifying. The Red Bull of Max Verstappen split the two Ferrari's in Qualifying only to overtake Vettel and claim Honda's first ever podium since 2008. Furthermore, Ferrari also used team orders to ensure Leclerc stayed behind Vettel after catching the German in the latter stages of the race.
Further disappointment for Ferrari
A fortnight later in Bahrain, Ferrari showed pace with topping all the practice sessions and Charles Leclerc becoming the 99th F1 driver to get a pole. The start of the race was hectic with many overtakes including Vettel passing Leclerc into Turn 1 on the first lap. Leclerc however, overtook Vettel to regain the lead, showcasing his talent and bravery. His efforts were later in disarray as an engine power loss meant that Hamilton could take the lead as well as Bottas passing him for 2nd. Ferrari's race was also spoiled when Hamilton had emerged from the pits behind Vettel and was looking to pass him into Turn 3 when midway through the corner, Vettel spun the car around in a similar fashion to his spins 2018. The media was quick to criticize Sebastian for his mistake but Lewis Hamilton defended the 4 time world champion. Lewis was also sympathetic with Leclerc after the race as he stated "Charles deserved the win today." Mercedes, yet again, picked up another 1-2 finish which extended the championship lead against Ferrari.
Then in China, the much despised team orders were enforced again, in favor of Vettel, allowing him to get his first podium of the season.
Hamilton claims his 74th win in Bahrain
Vettel stood on the podium for the first time in 2019 in Shanghai
Redemption for Bottas?
It took us all by surprise how Valtteri Bottas won the opening round of the season by 20 seconds, demonstrating that he meant business. When asked on what he had for breakfast the morning of the race he said that he had porridge, clearly the breakfast of champions.
New year, New Valtteri?
After a disappointing 2018 with many missed opportunities and potential race wins such as Russia or Baku, this sudden resurgence startled his critics which poised the question, is Bottas finally a genuine contender for Lewis Hamilton? His qualifying performance has been on par with Hamilton and he even went on to get pole in China before Lewis overtook him at the start and controlled the race from the very first lap. Some people however, were not convinced that Bottas's feisty nature would carry on as the season progresses, that is a question only time will answer unfortunately. After quite a dismal start to the year for Ferrari, Bottas aims to stay above them which he has done as he has finished either 1st or 2nd of the first three races.
Bottas wins the opening round of 2019, the Finnish driver's 4th win in F1.
P2 for Valtteri after failing to defend from Hamilton on the opening lap in Shanghai.
Have Mercedes proved themselves untouchable?
Daimler CEO, Dieter Zetsche, celebrates Mercedes' 1-2 in China
Maybe not yet but if Ferrari continue to produce average results like a few podiums and maybe only a couple of wins then this will be an anti climactic season for F1 fans as we were expecting a closer fight at the top. 2 weeks later in Baku could be Ferrari's 1st win of the season or Mercedes' 5th consecutive win. Will Ferrari have to play catch up? Will Bottas prove difficult for Hamilton? Can Red Bull fight for wins? I am sure we will get the answer to most of these questions soon.
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Comments (2)
Hope the Fezzas come back...
Me too