The Real Heroes of F1

I have never felt so numb in my life. To see a major accident happen during a race is devastating, heart wrenching and gut twisting. It brings you back down to earth and wakes you up. No matter how immersed we get into the world of motorsport, racing is dangerous and I think sometimes we forget that.

I have seen plenty of crashes and accidents in my many years of watching all kinds of racing but nothing compares to what I witnessed today. I'm sure you are well aware of what I am referring to but if not watch, or maybe not watch the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Let's have a quick recap as to what happened.

The race starts normally. Everyone makes it through Turn 1 and Turn 2 with very little, if any, incidents. I think a couple of front wings were knocked and a bit of carbon fiber confetti was thrown over others but that was all until Haas's Romain Grosjean cut across Alpha Tauri's Daniil Kvyat. I couldn't believe what I was watching. All I could focus on was the fireball stuck in the barrier and half a car strewn across the run off area. Yes, half a car. I could not stop shaking or tweeting, for that matter. I just wanted whoever was stuck in that car to be ok. Someone was watching over Romain today. To get away from that crash with minor burns and a couple of broken ribs is incredible. You could call it a miracle but I think it is very important to recognise the real heroes of the hour and the safety regulations that enabled Romain to escape what could have easily been a tragic accident.

Thanks to many people, past and present, today's accident ended with a positive outlook. From previous drivers, to medics and marshals, these people have all had an impact on the level of safety in motorsport in this day and age.

Within moments of Romain Grosjean's accident, medics were on scene. Of course, the accident happened at Turn 3, if it was further on in the lap things could have been different but they were there, regardless. As were the marshals. All worked together in an attempt to save Romain from the fire. Fortunately, it is rare to see the medics out on track but when needed, they are there. Alan van der Merwe is the current driver of the Medical Car and is usually partnered by a certified FIA doctor. In this case it was Dr Ian Roberts. The Medical Car was first commissioned during the 1970's after the 1978 Italian Grand Prix by the late Dr Sid Watkins OBE. Sid Watkins was a big advocate when it came to safety in Formula One and we can thank him for how safe our sport has become in the last twenty or so years.

Previous crashes have also played their part in making motorsport as safe as it is today. For example, after an accident at an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) testing session in the 1980's resulted in the death of a driver named Patrick Jacquemart, the HANS device was invented. The HANS device is a head restraint to reduce the likelihood of serious head injuries in an accident such as a basilar skull fracture that is usually fatal. Roland Ratzenberger sadly lost his life due to this injury at the 1994 San Marino Formula One Grand Prix. Then there is the halo, a controversial, driver, crash protection device which has saved many lives since it's introduction to Formula One in 2018. You can also look at the evolution of the chassis themselves and how they have evolved to protect the driver in circumstances like this one. When a motor racing car is designed, safety is always in mind.

These drivers put themselves through the risk of a serious accident every weekend for their passion and our entertainment. You come to think of them as immune to tragedy but when something happens it hits home. It hits home, hard. They are human, after all.

There are so many reasons as to why Romain Grosjean escaped from the fire ball. Some could call it fate, some could call it a miracle but we shouldn't take anything away from the real heroes of motor sport. Thank you so much to the medics, marshals, FIA, safety inspectors and anyone else who contributed to today's safety measures. You are stars.

Formula One, Boring? What are you watching?

Hello. It's me... Sorry, I haven't been around for over a year. I lost all motivation to write but I'm back and ready to bore you all with my opinions.

So, what have I been up to since we last spoke? Well, I went to the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix and then got mugged in the centre of Barcelona after the race so that was fun. Hasn't put me off returning though. What else? Hmm, I now like to run too. But that's enough. Let's get chatting about Formula One!

I want to have a chat about whether Formula One is boring or not. We are all well aware it's been a weird season but despite this, has Hamilton and Mercedes dominance almost "killed" the sport? I don't think so.

After a normal race you can almost guarantee someone on social media will moan that it was boring and that they're fed up of the same winner almost every weekend. If anything, seeing the same tweet after tweet is boring. I understand that we need more competition at the front of the field. Lets not forget the start of 2012 season! But, from driver to mechanics to team principles, Mercedes are winning. They have the perfect car, a perfect driver line up and from what I can tell, a perfect team moral. They are just the "It" package and well ahead of the pack. However, this shouldn't put a downer on the races.

Let's not lie here. Of course, some races send me to sleep. It's inevitable that some races will have more action than others. It depends on track, overtaking chances, strategies and chances of a safety car but if that is so, I enjoy what is being given to me.

First of all, let's not forget that the cars are not always reliable. An engine can blow at anytime. This always adds some spice to a race. As does incidents and penalties. Look at today's race (Monza 2020). All it took was Magnussen to break down and a corker of a race was born.

This leads me onto the Safety Car. Bernd Maylander, the driver of the Safety Car if you didn't know, doesn't appear in every race but when he does, you can be sure he's come at a bad time for someone or a perfect time for another. And, then there are "free pit stops" during the Safety Car period.

Pit stops and strategies are another thing that excites me during a race. Let's be honest, to have the perfect race you need the perfect strategy. And, when drivers try the "overcut" (overtaking a rival by pitting) or the "undercut" (vice versa), things get interesting. The Pit Team are under pressure to get a brilliant stop in and one mistake could mean the end. Sometimes, there is more drama here than the race itself.

Talking of drama, let's mention the most obvious factor which makes a Formula One race exciting. Midfield Battles. Close racing, lots of action and a couple of wheels bashing? I am all for it. It's no lie that Mercedes are in a league of their own. At least we have the likes of McLaren, Red Bull, Alpha Tauri, Racing Point, Renault etc giving us a show. It can be bloody brilliant.

And, then you have certain drivers that really put on a show. *Cough* Verstappen *cough*. Verstappen will be champion one day. I generally think he would give Hamilton a run for his money if they were in the same car. Alas, right now, it is not to be. And, it's not just Verstappen out there entertaining us. Look at Norris and Sainz at McLaren. Stroll and Perez at Racing Point. (Sometimes I still say Force India...) Even young George Russell down at Williams popping up in the midst of the midfield from time to time.

Anyway, I'm babbling on a little bit now but my point is FORMULA ONE ISN'T ALWAYS BORING. And, if you continue to think it is then maybe our sport isn't for you.

BLOGMAS DAY 10: SEASON REVIEW PART 2

Oh no. I've fallen behind on blogmas... But, Day 10 is here and so is Part 2 of my Season Review.

In my previous post, part 1, which you can find here: https://bronnypreece.wixsite.com/brontalksmotorsport/the-blog/blogmas-day-8-9-f1-2018-season-review-part-1 - I looked at the first third of the 2018 Formula One season. Covering races from the opener in Australia, to mayhem in Baku and steadiness in Canada. Now, it's time to move onto the middle of the season. Starting in France.

The French Grand Prix was held on Sunday 24th June at the Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France. Sebastian Vettel went into the race one point ahead of nearest championship rival; Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton stuck his Mercedes in pole, with Vettel down in third.

A pretty quiet race to start this third of the season, Hamilton led the drivers away but an over-optimistic Sebastian Vettel pushed too hard into the first corner, tagging Mercedes' Bottas, causing both drivers to pit for damage at the end of the lap. Still on lap 1, a safety car got deployed thanks to an incident at Turns 3/4 involving all three Frenchman on the grid; Ocon, Grosjean and Gasly. Thanks to the first lap incidents, a number of drivers took advantage of the damaged cars including Sainz for Renault, restarting the race in P3 and Sauber's Charles Leclerc, restarting in P6. After the restart, Hamilton pretty much controlled the race, Verstappen, who was running in P2, dropped back and was out of reach to have DRS to try an overtake on Hamilton. By mid-race, Vettel, who had dropped to the back of the field on lap 1 was running back in the top 5. Bottas; in the top 10. The race continued at a steady pace. No car was able to challenge Hamilton who took the victory.

Just one week later came the Austrian Grand Prix. The home of Red Bull and Red Bull Racing's home race. It was the second Mercedes of Bottas that took pole this weekend, ahead of teammate Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari.

A driver who had once won in Austria, Bottas had a relatively poor start, falling back to P4 by the first corner. The Finn recovered to P2, overtaking Raikkonen and Verstappen, just moments later. A clean start for the field, Vandoorne was the only driver to take enough damage to warrant a pit stop. Lucky for him, he could continue to battle on through the race. As for the others, things were about to get spicy. On lap 12, the Renault of Hulkenberg came to a halt on the start/finish straight followed by a gearbox failure for pole-sitter Bottas only two laps later. Ricciardo, at Red Bull's home race, was the next one to fall. On lap 54, the Aussie retired with an exhaust issue, with Kiwi; Brendan Hartley following suit less than one lap later. Hamilton, running in P2 at this point, retired on lap 64, giving Red Bull's Verstappen victory at the Red Bull Ring. A first for the Red Bull team. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel also stood on the podium.

Next up up was the home race of reigning World Champion; Lewis Hamilton who pleased the majority of his home crowd by achieving yet another pole position.

A slow start for Hamilton meaning he fell to P3 in the opening corners. A hit from Raikkonen caused the home favourite to spin and fall to the back of the field. An incident in which Raikkonen was punished for. A 10 second stop-go penalty in which he completed during lap 14. Two safety cars made an appearance during the duration of the race. The first one came after Marcus Ericsson's DRS failed to deactive, causing him to crash at Abbey. At this point both Ferrari and Red Bull decided to pit both cars. Mercedes stayed out on track to gain track advantage. The secone safety car came on lap 38 when the Haas of Romain Grosjean and the Renault of Carlos Sainz came together. Other retirees of the race included Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. A few laps before the chequered flag, Vettel overtook Bottas for the lead of the race. He subsquently went onto win the victory.

Time for a classic race. The German Grand Prix. This time, being held at Hockenheim. Missing from the calendar the year before, many Formula One fans alike were happy to see it make a return.

A few weeks before in Silverstone, Hamilton achieved pole infront of his home crowd. This time it was the turn of Sebastian Vettel, producing the quickest time in Q3 and giving him pole infront of his home.

A normal race start, so to speak. But everyone knew the rain was inbound. Not too much to keep an eye on in the first few laps bar the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who had started down in P14 due to a grid penalty. The Merc made it's way through the field, picking off the slower cars, one by one. Back at the front, Vettel's Ferrari was flying. Bottas loosing a tenth, a hundreth, a thousandth, to the leader. By mid race, rain was still on everyone's minds. Teams were making strategy calls based on what would happen with the weather. They didn't want to bring their driver in for slicks and then a lap later, inters. On lap 28, Red Bull's Ricciardo had yet another retirement. Something which would become common in the later season. The rain was still yet to arrive and tensions were rising down at Ferrari. Vettel wanted team orders, however the team did not oblige. On lap 44, the said rain arrived. It was heavy, but, only at the northern tip of the track. Leclerc, Alonso and Verstappen were the only drivers to switch to intermediates, something which would not work out. The rain got heavier and on lap 52, race leader Vettel crashed. He was out. After the safety car restart, both Mercedes lead a one-two, positions they would hold for the remainder of the race. The rain gods answered Hamilton's prayers that day.

The final race before the Summer break. The Hungarian Grand Prix. A race that is either thrilling or boring. It's still a pretty awesome track.

The Mercedes started as they finished the last race. A one-two to begin the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Raikkonen starting third. Vettel would be P4.

At the start of the race, Hamilton led away well with Bottas in hot persuit. A breif virtual safety car on lap 5, courtesy of Max Verstappen who happened to retire early on with engine failure. After the first round of pit stops, it was Hamilton, Bottas then Vettel. Vettel briefly moved into P2 but a clash with Bottas hindered the move and let Raikkonen on through. Bottas was later involved in another incident, this time with Daniel Ricciardo. It was this clash that got him handed a 10-second time penalty which had no effect on his finishing position down in 5th. Hamilton, again, won the race by nearly twenty seconds over Vettel and then Raikkonen.

The summer break was over and the F1 circus moved onto Belgium aka "one the best tracks and races in the history of F1 don't argue with me."

Another pole for Lewis Hamilton, the surprises came in P3, P4 and P5. Ocon, Perez and Grosjean would line up in that order. Beating out the likes of Raikkonen, Bottas, Verstappen and Ricciardo to the hight grid positions.

The beginning of 2018 Belgian Grand Prix was a messy one. A three-car pile up, triggered by Hulkenberg at the first corner brought out the safety car. An accident which heavily resembled the one in 2012, Hulkenberg got away with a grid penalty for the following race rather than a race ban in which people had called for. Another retirment came for Ricciardo only a few laps later, as well as Raikkonen just moments before that. The safety car returned to base on lap 4, letting Vettel, who had over taken Hamilton just before the safety car, put his foot down and go. But, he failed. Quoted "as one of his worst restarts ever," he did however stay ahead of the Mercedes. As the race went on, Mercedes struggled with their tyres. Red Bull's Verstappen on the other hand was having a great day. Past the two Force India's, he was into a podium spot! The race settled down and Vettel went onto win. Hamilton could only manage 2nd and Verstappen 3rd. The Force India's of Ocon and Perez held on to score decent points for the team, finishing in 5th and 6th position.

The Italian Grand Prix. Described as a "special one," this race would go down as a classic. A pole for Raikkonen, the first in a while, giving him the edge on his fellow racers for the race. Vettel and Hamilton would line up in 2nd and 3rd. A one-two for Ferrari meant that the Tifosi were out in full support.

An "iffy" start for the Iceman, having to block off challenges from both Vettel and Hamilton. He retained the lead into the first corner. Drama at the back of the field saw Toro Rosso's Hartley get pinched by the McLaren of Vandoorne, tearing his front wheel off and causing an instant retirement. Going into the first chicane, Vettel and Hamilton came together, spinning Vettel all the way to the back of the field. A safety car helped him however limp back to the pits for a new nose. Said safety car came in at the end of lap 3, and, with Hamilton hot on Raikkonen's tail, he had to be on it. On the start/finish straight Hamilton was the quickest car and got past the Finn into the first corner, revealing Kimi of the lead. However, Raikkonen came back straight away and retook it once again. The real race came in the pit stops. Raikkonen came in before Hamilton, with Hamilton being told to "let it rip." On his out lap, Raikkonen would need to floor it in order to come out ahead of Hamilton after his stop. However, this strategy screwed Raikkonen over. He came out ahead of the Mercedes, but, Ferrari let the Finn carry on producing faster and faster laps. Later on in the race, Raikkonen's left rear became increasingly blistered. This was not good for the Ferrari driver, especially with Hamilton getting closer. However, a lock up for Hamilton gave him a flat spot. This did not stop him. Raikkonen continued to struggle and the now much slower Ferrari had a Mercedes right behind him. With the help of DRS, Hamilton took the lead. He took off, leaving Raikkonen behind. Verstappen was to finish 3rd but a post race penalty demoted him to 5th, giving Bottas the final podium spot.

So, that's the end of the European races. Stay tuned for the final 7 as we go long haul!