Dutch Dominance

 

The 2022 Formula 1 Season so far can be described simply in one word: dominance. 

Dominance by one driver. Dominance by one team. Dominance by Max Verstappen in a Red Bull. 

Before I continue I would like to apologize to my readers for the lack of posts this season. Having ankle surgery early in the year coupled with university assignments and rehabilitation made it slightly tough to keep up with the packed 23-race calendar year that Formula 1 has somehow managed to organize. Nonetheless, that should not be any excuse for some insightful content which I hope to provide in the coming weeks ahead. 

Formula 1's return to Monza marks its 73rd race at a single venue; the most at any track in F1 history. A legendary location where the Tifosi make it very clear who the favourites are: the Scarlet Prancing Horses that are Ferrari. Sporting a special livery for their 75th anniversary they were hoping to impress at their home race. 

Monza has been host to some nail-biting races in the recent past. 24 months ago Pierre Gasly held off Carlos Sainz to take his maiden victory in Formula 1 after Lewis Hamilton was handed a stop-go penalty. 12 months ago Daniel Ricciardo led a McLaren 1-2 (which nobody would have ever imagined) after the title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen came together at turn 1. The same nail-biting experience however cannot be said about this year's event. 

The lead-up to this year's race at the temple of speed has seen Max Verstappen fly away with the championship at a rate of knots reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton during the Mercedes dominated era from 2014 to 2020. Winning the last 4 races from positions as far back as 14th, he's been utterly ruthless in a car designed by Adrian Newey that has taken the concept of ground effect cars to another level. And it was no different at Monza this weekend. 

After taking a 5-place grid penalty for using a 5th internal combustion engine of the season, Max started the race in 7th as he just missed out on pole by a tenth of a second to Charles Leclerc. Within the first lap, he was up to 3rd place and by lap 5 he was in second. The (for lack of a better word) ridiculous straight-line speed of the Red Bull this season compared to the rest of the field made overtaking at the temple of speed that much easier. It was a breeze from there as Charles pitted under the VSC early in the race and had no answer for the pace Max was setting throughout the race. 

With 5 laps to go though, last year's winner Daniel Ricciardo suffered a mechanical issue which meant he had to pull over between the two lezmo corners resulting in the safety car being brought out. Immediately the pit lane sprung into action with many of the leading cars pitting for new softs in case the race was to restart. However, the precarious position of the car on the track coupled with the time it would take to let the lapped cars past meant the race would eventually finish behind the safety car – an extremely anti-climactic ending to a race that could have had a twist in the tail. Having said that the correct call was made by the FIA who on this occasion followed the rules correctly. Interestingly, if you recall the finale of last year's championship, there was a similar incident when Nicholas Latifi crashed with a handful of laps left in Abu Dhabi. Had the FIA implemented the same rules this weekend at the same time in November last year, the result would have been completely different. I highlight this because of the frustration made clear by not only the Tifosi at Monza but what I have noticed of Ferrari fans worldwide who would have loved to have a few laps of racing in comparison to Red Bull supporters who would have prayed for the race to finish behind the safety car. Please let me know your thoughts on the finish of this year's race in comparison to last year's finale :)

So it was Max Verstappen from Charles Leclerc with George Russell rounding out the final podium position – his 7th podium of the season. Carlos Sainz came home in 4th after starting 18th with Lewis Hamilton in 5th after starting 19th. Brilliant drives for the two of them. The same cannot really be said about Sergio Perez who, after starting in 13th, was only able to reach the chequered flag in 6th. With such a dominant car below him, it's surprising how far of a gap there is between himself and his teammate this year. Lando Norris would eventually take 7th ahead of 2020 race winner Pierre Gasly. However, all eyes would eventually fall on Nyck De Vries who, on his debut in Formula 1 as Alex Albon's replacement, came home in 9th place. A dream debut for the Dutchman who now has not only more points than Nicholas Latifi who has raced the entire season so far but more laps while being in the top 10. Zhou Guan Yu would eventually round out the top 10 making it a good afternoon for him. 

The same cannot be said for the likes of Ocon and Bottas though who finished out of the points. It would feel even worse for Aston Martin though who had a double DNF with both Vettel and Stroll retiring during the race. Vettel's former competitor Alonso would also not see the chequered flag after an overheating issue. 

If there is anything we learned from Monza this weekend, it's that the Dutch domination of the 2022 Formula 1 season has continued. The pressure applied by Charles Leclerc and Ferrari early in the season was short-lived and while it did give hope for a moment in time, it was quickly dissolved. 

Formula 1 travels to Singapore for the first time since 2019 back to the Marina Bay Street Circuit where Max Verstappen could mathematically win his 2nd drivers championship. The home of F1 Night Racing could be host to fireworks not only for the return of F1 to Singapore but for Red Bull too. It's a special time for me especially as Formula 1 finally has returned home. Funnily enough, I won't be in Singapore to witness the spectacle this time around. Nonetheless, I'll catch you in 3 weeks time.