Oscar Piastri, you are moving me. If my boys in red can’t win, I’m rooting for the Aussie in Papaya. He’s just too cool. This is actually his job, and he’s doing it well. I have a feeling that when he wins a world title, we might get a smile. But until then, I’m cool with this.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli took Max Verstappen’s ankles. That was hilarious. I’m supposed to believe that he’s not having an easy time of it. Sure, the car is not what it once was, but Yuki Tsunoda scored the first points in the second Red Bull car since Sergio Pérez at the United States Grand Prix in San Antonio last October. So, it can’t be too bad. But the car wasn’t even the worst part of their weekend. For a team that has made an art form out of quick pit stops, Red Bull was not on it during the race. It’s not the crew’s fault though: The light that tells the driver he can drive off malfunctioned. There may have been some frequency issue around the circuit, because other drivers had issues with their dashboards and drag reduction systems.
Mercedes, I am in your walls. After three years of supplying the GOAT with a tractor, all of a sudden, in the last year of these regulations, you’ve figured out how to build a car? A car he helped develop? I take personal offense to Mercedes doing well. But I’m glad Antonelli gets to show his stuff after a disappointing Formula Two season.
As for my boys in red, I’m not too mad. Actually, I’m not mad. This is what I expected. My GOAT, Lewis Hamilton, overtook over and over again, and he overtook Verstappen. I might have smiled a little harder at that one. Can you blame me?
The few minutes where the Ferrari cars were one and two, I can only dream. The upgrades seem to be working, so hopefully the car can continue to develop, and hopefully Hamilton can get to grips with it. He deserves the grace to do that — adjusting to a new team isn’t an overnight thing — so I’ll wait. Fred Vasseur, what do you have for me?
Haas’ strategy team is on fire. They got Esteban into the top 10 after his crash in qualifying and Oliver Bearman drove from 20th to 10th. Fantastic, not shocking when you look at how he stepped up last season. He scored points on his debut. I’ve been seeing a lot of people questioning why he wasn’t driver of the day. It’s the viewer’s choice. You are a viewer. You had a choice. You didn’t make it. (Neither did I but who said I’m not a hypocrite?) Just a reminder: If you feel strongly about something and have the power to affect it, vote.
Pierre Gasly started in fourth and hung on for dear life to score some points. Vive la France! Every once in a while, Gasly remembers he was probably the third best driver on the grid in 2021 and moves like Ayrton Senna.
I don’t think I’ve said a thing about Aston Martin all season. Lance Stroll, I apologize; you started off well in the first few races. But I’m sure the team is waiting for Adrian Newey to cook up something diabolical with the new regulations next year. For now, there are four slow green cars on the grid. But at least the Aston Martin looks cool.
This was a better race. There was no fight for the lead, but the strategies made it more interesting. Drivers lost and gained places in the race. How can we make races more entertaining across all circuits? Make the cars smaller, perhaps. (I don’t have an engineering degree, so feel free to fact-check me.)
Pirelli, my bone to pick is with you. Why are your tires so temperamental? Not heating up enough, or heating up too much? I smell a Michelin man behind you.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile handed out penalties left, right and center. It felt like I was watching Oprah. You get a penalty! You get a penalty! Everybody gets a penalty!
Not bad, let’s keep cooking.
