What are Sprint races?

This week, we have the first of three Sprint Races across this season at the Emilia Romagna (Imola) GP. So let’s talk about how the weekend works and whether they achieve the additional racing intended.

What are Sprint Races

Sprint races are shortened races a third of the distance of the regular race at a given circuit. Unlike the grand prix, there are no mandatory pit stops. The concept has been around in a variety of motorsports, including the feeder series to Formula 1 such as F2 and F3 but only came to our F1 calendar last year.

Why were they introduced

The idea is that the shorter distance and no time off track (for pit stops) will increase on track action. Wherever you finish in the sprint race is where you start the grand prix on Sunday, plus there are points available to the top finishers for extra incentive. Another reason is that the management wanted to introduce a competitive session every day of a race weekend so fans, particularly those at the track, would be entertained. This is good in theory, especially for those at the track, but for those who work Fridays European times and those who already have to get up at ridiculous hours to watch races (Australians, Americans etc) it will potentially mean missing a competitive session. It is good that the management are open to change, but the sprints have faced mixed feedback from fans and teams alike. The concept is good but the format needs tweaking.

How they impacted last season

Last season there were three sprint races across the season. During these we did see some spectacular performances, Fernando Alonso in Silverstone springs to mind where he fought his way up from p11 to p5 in just 17laps. There were only points available to the top three, so the midfield were not pushing too hard if they felt it was not worth the risk of crashing and ending up at the back of the grid for the main race where more points were available. The sprint races and the points they offered did contribute to the close championship race we had last season between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

What to expect this season

This season, we again have three sprint races (Imola, Austria and Brazil). The format of a sprint race weekend is, Free Practice 1  and (traditional) Qualifying are on Friday, Saturday morning has Free Practice 2 then the Sprint in the afternoon, Sunday has the full length grand prix as usual. 

There has been much debate about who should get the title of ‘pole position’. Last season it was given to the winner of the sprint race but this season it will go to the person who posts the fastest lap in traditional qualifying format (on the Friday). It will feel a bit odd that the person starting first on the grid will not, according to this, be on pole. However, it may be that the person who qualifies on pole, first on Friday, also wins the sprint so it may be a moot point. 

There are now more points available from sprints this season, now you can score if you finish in the top 8. Finishing 8th gets you 1 point. The winner receives 8 points, whereas previously they only received 3. Hopefully there will be more drivers wanting to take the risk in the sprint for those points. 

Overall, sprint races are a great novelty that do often deliver some excitement (usually in the midfield rather than the lead). However, it is additional stress and cost for the teams for ultimately little reward in the context of a whole season. Hopefully, with more points available for the sprints and with the cars being able to follow closer this season, we will see more competitive sprint races.

Written 19/4/2022 

Is Nicholas Latifi out of chances?

Nicholas Latifi was involved in yet another meeting with a barrier this weekend in Australia. Once again, this calls into question whether he is still worthy of his coveted Formula 1 seat. So let’s take a look at his career so far and whether he has done enough to keep claim to his seat. 

Latifi joined the grid in 2020 as the only rookie. He joined Williams because his father injected a LOT of money into the team. Obviously then, he is a ‘pay driver’ a driver who the only reason they have a seat is they have the money to pay to participate. This is allowed in Formula One, so nothing unusual there, in fact, you have to pay your way into all the junior formulas; it’s just that most people have to do it through sponsorships (earned through good performances) rather than family funds. In the past, you could argue this worked because it gave us such talents as Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, but in the last 10 or 15 years, there have not been any of such note. 

In 2020, Latifi’s teammate was George Russell, who had a year of experience in the sport and team, and was making a good name for himself but extracting the most out of the problematic car. George Russell was also under the scrutiny of Mercedes being in their drivers academy. So Latifi would have to put in the work to compete with this promising young racer. Ultimately, in 2020, Latifi was the only (permanent) driver to not score any points over the entire season. He was consistently unqualified by his teammate. So overall, nothing to get excited about, but it was his rookie season and we all knew the struggles of the team and the car, therefore it was worth giving him the benefit of the doubt. 

2021 was much of the same, with Williams still very much struggling at the back for the majority of the season, their main competition being Haas with two rookies. There were some glimmers of hope for the team as they were no longer outright slowest on pace and there were even Q2 from Latifi on three occasions. But yet again, he was bested by his team mate George Russell who managed to put his car into Q3 and even qualified second at the Belgian GP which was converted into a podium when the race was cancelled due to bad weather. The highlight of Latifi’s 2021 season was when he scored his first points for Williams at the Hungarian GP. He was aided by multiple incidents causing many cars ahead of him to be out of the race, but nonetheless he did well to manage the new pressure of points in treacherous conditions, earning a total of 6 points for himself and the team. He followed this up the next race in Belgium by scoring another point based on a good qualifying lap in difficult conditions as the race, mentioned earlier, was called off. 

So there have been glimmers of hope for Latifi’s racing skill, but they have not been consistent enough to substantiate any excitement about him as a driver. Barely anything in terms of finishing positions and points to reflect it either. Admittedly, it must be hard to measure up to a teammate that was tipped for a top team before even racing in F1 because of the Mercedes interest and winning the Formula 2 championship. But still, even with other drivers struggling with difficult cars and capable teammates, we see moments that prove why they got their seat, with Nicholas, there have been very few of those moments. 

Now, in 2022, he has a familiar teammate from his F2 days in Alex Albon, they have an almost equal amount of experience in the sport (although Alex has had a year out recently) so it should be relatively equal ground. The Williams car is still not a front runner, but is proving itself somewhat competitive in the mid to rear field.  In Bahrain, Latifi remained where he started in 16th place, Albon managed to get 13th so not a huge difference, but still bested by the returning driver. In Saudi Arabia, Latifi crashed into the barriers during qualifying and at lap 14 in the, Albon also crashed but much laterinto the race. This last weekend in Australia, Latifi collided with Stroll during qualifying as there was some confusion as Latifi rejoined the track. Then in the race, Latifi was the last car still running at the chequered whereas Albon took his first point for Williams. It seems that once again, Lafiti is underperforming compared to his teammate. 

If it were just a pace issue you could sort of understand keeping a reliable and familiar driver into the new regulations, but with a number of costly incidents that need repairing, especially for a financially struggling team like Wiliams, it is not good enough. In prior seasons, Latifi had his father’s investment and involvement with the team to keep him comfortable, but now with new investors Dorilton and new principal Jost Capito, Latifi may be finding himself in the firing line when contracts are redrawn. With Williams linked to Mercedes and creating their own drivers academy, there are plenty of drivers ready and willing to take the seat. Notable names such as W series champion Jamie Chadwick (who is already their reserve driver), Formula E champion Nyck De Vries (a Mercedes junior looking who frequently attends events with them) and F2 champion Oscar Piastri (who Alpine are happy to put in any F1 seat to prove his worth) amongst many others rising up the ranks. 

Nicholas Latifi’s contract expires at the end of this year and I honestly believe that unless he starts putting in the performances he is going to lose it. It will be a shame because he brings a great energy to the grid, but on the other hand, it would be a shame to miss out on the next great rising up because of him. For Latifi to stay, he will need to put that Williams further up the grid in qualifying and get at least a few points, and be competitive with his teammate at least. Of course, everything I mentioned in this article could be said about Lance Stroll too, who has also had an abysmal 2022 season so far, however Stroll still has the luxury of his father owning the team he is racing in so is extremely unlikely to be facing the same threat of expulsion from the team. 

For Latifi’s sake, I hope he can have a run of clean races that get him closer to the points. 

Written 10/4/2022

Should Saudi Arabia be removed from the Calendar?

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has once again been host to a myriad of dramas this weekend, both on and off track. With multiple concerns about safety, should this track still be on the calendar?

Location;

Saudi Arabia has not had the most stable political environment recently. The new crown prince is quick to violently crack down upon any dissent. Having said that, rebels are fighting for their freedom of speech and against the misery his actions have caused. This violent backdrop hit very close to home as a missile hit a petrol location only 10 miles away from the circuit on Friday. Understandably the drivers had concerns, and held a four hour long meeting together after FP2 to discuss matters. Ultimately, we don’t know what was said or by who, but just as Formula One management wanted the race is going ahead. 

There have also always been concerns about the human rights violations that have been known to take place in the country as well as their archaic laws with regards to women and the LGBT+ community. In 2020, Sebastian Vettel took a stand against these very issues (risking penalty or worse) by organizing a race event for female drivers and wearing a shirt during their ‘we race as one’ moment before the grand prix.  

With there now being a precedent of races being pulled due to the actions of a country (Russia is no longer hosting a race as a result of their actions in Ukraine), there is a possibility of breaking contracts in favor of fan-favourite circuits such as those in China, Turkey and Portugal. 

The Track

The circuit is one of the longest and fastest on the calendar including sections of fast direction changes. It is also a street circuit which means that the ‘track’ isn’t the specialized or well kept asphalt you see at dedicated race tracks, impacting on grip.

The barriers are also incredibly close to the track and whilst in some scenarios (like we saw with Mick Schumacher this weekend) this can be a benefit, generally speaking you don’t ever want to end up in the barriers. 

Plus, when there have been incidents the decisions of race directors have been questionable. For example, having cars running around behind a safety car when the recovery vehicle is on track, not ideal on these narrow streets. Similarly, the speed at which these events are acted upon or accessed are inadequate. In the Formula 2 practice, a severely concussed Cem Bolukbasi had to wait 4 minutes for the medical car to reach him. 

There have been significantly more yellow and red flags in Jeddah than other comparable street circuits and high speed tracks, simply because it is too narrow to avoid initial incidents, or to go around incidents causing more cars to be involved. 

Whilst the actual track is dynamic and fun to watch, any error is far too severely punished. It would be ideal if this track was not on the streets but an actual circuit with the appropriate run off areas, you would still have an epic race, just less injuries. 

Politics and Money

Of course, the main reason we race there is because Formula One agreed a decade long contract with Saudi Arabia in 2020, worth an estimated €535 million. 

Unfortunately, there is a precedent of these agreements being extremely tightly enforced as after the WWE supposedly broke the contract, they were delayed (more likely detained)before being able to fly home. 

Another incentive for the organizers to continue to race is very much financial. The Saudi company Aramco is one of the sports leading sponsors, so the Formula One management are unlikely to do anything that jeopardizes that relationship. 

In conclusion, whilst the actual race circuit is an exciting one that has given us some good racing, it is coming at a great cost. Saudi Arabia is fraught with safety concerns both on and off track and that is just not something that the drivers, teams and even fans should be having to worry about. 

Ferrari power could give Mercedes a season-long headache

Whilst we have only just completed the first qualifying session of 2022, a trend is already emerging about who could be successful this year.

Many people, myself included, had caught on early to the fact that Ferrari would be competitive this year. What was widely left unmentioned was how this would impact their customer teams. 

Four out of the top ten cars were powered by Ferrari, and just two by Mercedes. At the bottom end of the grid, four out of the five cars out in qualifying one were Mercedes powered. 

Throughout the three qualifying sessions, Ferrari-powered cars were consistently delivering, to a level that no one expected based upon previous seasons results. For example, Kevin Magnussen (having only signed his contract a week ago and completed one weekend of testing) made it to the top ten, a feat that has not been achieved by the team in a very long time. Similarly, Valterri Bottas just out-qualified the driver who replaced him at the Mercedes by some margin. 

Clearly, there is something within these Ferrari engines making it possible, because it is unlikely that all of the teams that were previously at the back of the grid suddenly all made amazing cars just on the aerodynamic regulation changes alone. During the commentary, Sky Sports pundit Ted Kravitz said that it was because Ferrari have favoured a “low-end traction” and this is the key thing giving those Ferrari-powered cars extra grip in those corners. 

Now, because this is an engine issue and not an aero one, it is unlikely to be influenced by the type of circuit. This means that no matter if teams develop their cars as they understand more about these new regulations, it is likely that we will still see the Ferrari power car doing well. 

Of course, this is just after one competitive session, but it is something to keep an eye out for as we progress through the season. 

Written 19/3/2022

Regulation changes to know about 

Before the 2022 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain, I thought it would be a good idea to do a quick overview of the changes to the sporting rules.

Q2 Tyre Rule

For the past … years, those who qualified in the top 10 had to start the race on the tyres which they set their fastest lap time in qualifying Session 2 in. The idea behind this was that it would mean those in fastest cars would be hindered slightly by using older tyres to make the start of races more exciting or potentially give us an alternative strategy call. Unfortunately, this was rarely the case as most teams up and down the grid stuck to the same strategy. As a result, some fans and drivers have been calling for an end to this rule to allow all drivers to choose their starting tyre and race strategy. Now as of this 2022, that wish has been granted, so let’s

hope that we do see the intended variation of tyres and strategy on the grid. 

Safety Car

After last year’s debacle behind the safety car and the, shall we say interesting, interpretation of the rule book, we now have some more explicit language in the code. The sporting regulations now read “If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message ‘LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE’ has been sent to all Competitors using the official messaging system, all cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the Safety Car.” Whilst some people like Sebastian Vettel (driver and leader of the Grand Prix Drivers Association) think there are still improvements to be made to the procedure to make restarts more timely, this clarification is much needed to dispel any ambiguity that had crept in.

Free Practice for Young Drivers

Every driver must now sit out a free practice session over the course of the season to allow an upcoming driver (with sufficient super license points) the opportunity to gain experience on track. So for all those academy, test and reserve drivers this is a chance to prove themselves. The drivers are only eligible if they have not competed in more than two Formula One races, so the likes of Robert Kubica (Alfa Romeo’s reserve) will not be able to counted in this allocation, whereas Alpine’s  reserve Oscar Piastri (2021’s Formula 2 champion) will definitely be making the most of this time. 

Why are people excited about Ferrari in 2022?

A number of fans and pundits alike are getting excited about the prospects of Ferrari’s 2022 championship campaign. After coming third in the constructors championship last season with a new driver (Carlos Sainz) on top of their ‘golden boy’ Charles Leclerc in the drivers standings, it is obvious why people are getting their hopes up for a Ferrari comeback. 

As we know, success in one season doesn’t necessarily transfer to the next, so why are people expecting big things from the Scuderia in 2022? Here are the top reasons. 

New Regulations

Throughout 2021, Ferrari showed great development on their car in their tussle with McLaren for third place in the constructors championship. Most prominent of these developments were the with the engine that was brought in at the Russian grand prix which proceeded to outpace their closest rivals for the remainder of the season. 

The Italian team made it clear that they were working on their 2022 car last year, the principal calling it a ‘necessity’ in order to continue to compete at the top end of the field. And the aforementioned power unit was a result of this development. By the sounds of things, this development has continued on to the 2022 car with Mattia Binotto claiming the team has made ‘significant innovations’ both to the power unit and the chassis. 

In general, the 2022 technical regulations are being brought in so that cars may follow closer in the hopes of causing more on track action. Although no detailed statement has come from the team as yet specifically about their car development, the new regulations are sure to mix up and/or even up the field. Pairing the new regulations with the funding, history and personnel Ferrari are looking certain to maintain their upward trajectory. 

New Sponsors

With the controversial Mission Winnow out, Ferrari now have Santander returning as a title sponsor. Santander had previously sponsored the team from 2010 to 2017. As before, there is an agreement that the livery will be red and white, perhaps this will evoke the spirit of those more competitive times. Also among the premium sponsors are of course their fuel supplier Shell and another new sponsor Velas (a cryptocurrency company). Alongside these title sponsors, they have a new second tier sponsor in Amazon Web Services, with their recent services to the sport in providing data for statistics graphics, it would be the natural next step to sponsor teams and where better to start than the most iconic one on the grid. Most of the other sponsors are remaining, giving some much needed consistency to the team.

With the return of Santander, the extra funding from third place in constructors last season, Ferrari is in a great financial standing for the 2022 season and all the development it has and will continue to entail. 

Drivers

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are the drivers for 2022 and they did great work together last season. Charles has been a Ferrari driver for three years now so was comfortable with the team and the car. Carlos was initially off pace but quickly adapted to his new surroundings (arguably quicker than any other driver who moved team last year). 

Whilst there are many changes for the team heading into 2022, they are also building on a solid foundation. With the field (in theory) being evened out by the new regulations and a strong driver line up there is every reason to believe in Ferrari during 2022. 

Sources

• https://scuderiafans.com/ferrari-updates-sponsorship-list-for-2022-formula-1-season/
• https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferraris-2022-f1-car-and-engine-will-feature-a-lot-of-innovation/6956875/
• https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-2022-predictions-ferrari-mattia-binotto-red-bull-mercedes-mclaren-1375885