F1 fans across the globe have been witness to one of the most thrilling seasons in recent memory. An extremely tight battle for the throne in both the Drivers and Constructors Championships has kept fans at the edge of their seats throughout the season.
Before we head to the Hungaroring in a week’s time, let’s revisit the three best Grand Prix weekends which have lit up the F1 calendar this year.
3. BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
The first race of this season was an absolute thriller. It also marked the beginning of an intense rivalry between two drivers which has been at the absolute brink throughout the season. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton put on an absolute clinic at the Bahrain International Circuit.
View this post on Instagram
Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole with Hamilton second and his teammate right behind. The race got off to an absolute flyer with Verstappen just about staying ahead of his rival, and Charles Leclerc slipping in front of Bottas. Lando Norris passed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the middle of the pack while Nikita Mazepin sent his Haas spinning into retirement in his debut race, deploying a safety car on the first lap. The restart was brilliant for Norris as he made up another place and began to put pressure on Bottas, meanwhile, Pierre Gasly and Ricciardo made contact which had a negative impact on their respective races. During lap 8 a sensational battle was on show between Norris and Leclerc, the two youngsters neck and neck trying to pull off moves in different parts of the track and it was the young Brit who finally came out on top.
Mercedes meanwhile pulled off an absolute masterclass by undercutting Verstappen, ensuring Hamilton was in the lead with a seven-second lead. Although everything didn’t go to plan for Hamilton, he was forced to pit again on the 28th lap. About ten laps later it was Verstappen’s turn to pit for the final time, and he came out nine seconds behind Lewis but on much fresher tyres.
The final five laps of the race were an absolute roller coaster; Verstappen was going toe to toe with Hamilton. On the 52nd lap it looked like it was all over for Hamilton, Verstappen went past him but the Dutch was forced to hand the position back due to an illegal overtake. Hamilton was gifted a second chance and this time he did not waste it. He managed to win the Bahrain Grand Prix by the barest of margins with Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas completing the podium.
2. BRITISH GRAND PRIX
This year’s British Grand Prix was one for the ages. A full capacity Silverstone bore witness to a tremendous weekend of racing. It was also the first time Sprint Qualifying laid the grid for Sunday. Verstappen and Hamilton were top two yet again after a heavily contested qualifying, but the highlight of the sprint was Fernando Alonso rolling back the years and going from 11th to 5th on the first lap.
The first lap of the main race on Sunday saw an intense battle between Verstappen and Hamilton after the home favourite got the better start. The Red Bull driver kept the Mercedes at bay but a better exit after turn four was incentive enough for Hamilton to attempt a move. It was at turn six when Hamilton clipped Verstappen’s tyre, sending him crashing into the tyre wall at nearly 300 km/h. The race was red-flagged as a result and it turned into, undoubtedly, the most controversial moment of the season so far, dividing fans across the globe and significantly heating up the Verstappen-Hamilton rivalry. Hamilton was given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision which was met by equal amounts of acceptance and disagreement by the F1 world.
View this post on Instagram
The race restarted with Lewis behind Leclerc who took first while the chaos unfolded before the red flag. Hamilton pitted from second and then re-joined the race in fourth, but quickly went past Lando Norris and his teammate. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari was suffering from intermittent power issues which allowed Hamilton to keep the Monegasque in his sights. It was on the 51st lap when Hamilton finally went past the Ferrari in a moment of Deja vú as it was the same move at the same turn where he tangled with Verstappen. After that, it was smooth sailing for him as he won his home race despite a heavy time penalty. Leclerc took runner’s up with Bottas behind.
View this post on Instagram
1. AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX
A race of plot twists was on display in Baku. Charles Leclerc took pole after showing tremendous pace in qualifying, with Hamilton in second and Verstappen starting third.
All drivers started the race cleanly and not many maneuvers took place at the start, with Leclerc leading the pack. Hamilton managed to pass Leclerc on the second lap and Verstappen did the same four laps later. Hamilton was the first driver to pit from the top three but an unfortunate delay held him back which caused him to lose time to Verstappen and Perez as they both came out in front of him. The race then settled down before a tyre failure caused Lance Stroll to crash on the main straight leading to a safety car. The restart saw some brilliant racing from Sebastian Vettel as he passed both Leclerc and Gasly to go fourth, while the top three were unchanged. On the 46th lap, the Red Bull of the race leader suffered a left rear tyre failure causing Verstappen to crash and the race to be red-flagged as a consequence. Perez and Hamilton were the top two now. The race started again from a standing start and Hamilton looked like he was about to take 1st when he locked up and went off track. Meanwhile, Gasly and Leclerc were battling away for the majority of the lap with the former finally coming out on top. Sergio Perez proceeded to win his second ever race, his first for Red Bull Racing, with Vettel in second and Gasly coming third.
View this post on Instagram
Ten races in, both Championships seem open as ever. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are breathing down the necks of Max Verstappen and Red Bull and as we head to Hungary, while momentum is now with Mercedes.
[Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool]
Aarya Bhagwat