According to the F1 expert, for Valtteri Bottas, it is appropriate to consider whether the fault lies with the car or the driver.
For Max Verstappen no stopper found. Sunday’s Formula 1 Hungarian GP saw one of the toughest tricks of the reigning world champion’s career so far.
The Red Bull driver’s car lost power in the last part of Saturday’s qualifying and he did not gain any time in his last attempt. As a result, the tenth starting grid and a big concern about the car’s functionality.
On Sunday, a new power source was installed in Verstappen’s drivetrain for the race. The Dutchman showed phenomenal speed on the track and took an overwhelming victory.
Sports expert Jukka Mildh emphasizes that Verstappen did not perform alone.
– Red Bull’s race strategy was perfect, just as Ferrari’s was a complete fiasco, Mildh reminds.
Verstappen enters the three-week summer break with a solid 80-point lead over Ferrari Charles Leclerc. There are nine races left, but catching up with the Dutchman in the Drivers’ World Series is a huge task for others.
Ferrari’s internal power relations are telling
The Hungarian GP showed again how Ferrari’s weak decisions are watering down the team’s own championship streak. The Italian team is in a crisis for which there is no simple solution.
– Before the Hungarian race, Ferrari’s car was completely superior on paper. Their car currently has superior braking capabilities, the benefit of which was not claimed by the team, Mildh reports.
According to Mildh, the bigger problem lies in the power relations within the team, which need a completely new dynamic. Ferrari refused to tell Leclerc after the race why his car was replaced with hard tires. Ferrari’s strict rule, according to which the driver never goes ahead of the team, is sawing red knots on his own ankle.
– It is alarming that the driver did not receive an explanation. I’m afraid that at the moment the team is losing and the driver is whining. Leclerc should take a stricter line in decisions and lead the race from the car in the future, says Mildh.
– Sainz suffers from the same problems. They are currently the best driver duo in the entire sport, who cannot get used to being under the yoke of the team.
Along with the bosses, there are also problems in making the grassroots level. According to Mildh, Ferrari’s pit stops are helplessly slow compared to others.
– Ferrari is fiddled with a lot. What does it really cost there? The team is forced to start taking risks in the future, because the car is still made of winning material.
Mercedes surprised again in a positive way
Whereas Ferrari is melting down, Mercedes has weakened considerably as the season progresses. Ferrari, which is second in Red Bull’s karate in the Manufacturers’ World Series, has to increasingly turn its attention to the “silver arrows” coming hard behind.
– Hamilton is finding his driving speed and Russell drove his first pole in Hungary. It’s starting to have more moving parts in front of Ferrari, and these will turn in favor of Red Bull and Verstappen, says Mildh.
Although Mercedes’ performance is increasing, their car is still slow compared to previous years. However, the Hungaroring track and the cooler weather favored the Mercedes racers, who took the two dimmer places on the podium in the second race weekend in a row. Lewis Hamilton being the second and of George Russell third.
– Mersu’s rise will strongly affect the championship fight towards the end of the season, Mildh estimates.
Russell’s potential was known, but the first pole of his career still came from the basket. According to the expert, the young British driver has fulfilled Valtteri Bottas left boots well.
– He is a really smart driver and doesn’t seem to take too much pressure. Without undermining Bottas, Mercedes knew it needed new blood for these new cars and the development process. Russell has redeemed all the expectations placed on him, Mildh sees.
What about Bottas?
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas’ race ended in a stoppage in the last laps of the race.
The start has been really difficult for the Finn this season. Bottas started the race with a harder tire compound, which backfired when the Finn dropped as many as five places at the start.
– It is a question of a thousand bucks why Bottas’ starts fail from race to race, even though different clutch models have been tried throughout the season. In Hungary, it was emphasized that the cars around Bottas started the race with soft tires.
– However, the biggest concern is still how he gets off the line. It is not known whether the fault lies with the driver or with the car’s technology, but the matter is clearly starting to weigh on Valtter, Mildh.
According to Mildh, Alfa Romeo lacks imagination. The team has one of the best engines in the sport, which should only get more out of it.
– The team has always started the games with a rather conservative tactic and will stick to it until the end. In this competition too, the conditions changed several times in terms of weather and temperatures, more creativity would have been needed, Mildh concludes.
F1 will be on a three-week summer break. Next up is the 14th race, which will be held in Belgium from the 26th to the 28th. August.
You can watch the story about the results of the race on Sunday’s Sports Screen.