Hi fellow Steemians!
So the Canadian GP came and went pretty quickly. And it was quite underwhelming. I predicted the race to be exciting (more exciting than Monaco GP at least), but that didn't turn out to be correct. I also incorrectly guessed the winner too. Damn. Still, F1 race weekend is so much better than one without it! Let's go through some key points from the race.
Stroll vs Hartley
It looked like Stroll had a puncture in the first few corners of the race and ended the race very early in front of his home fans. Unluckily, Brendon Hartley was next to him when Stroll oversteered from his puncture, causing Stroll to crash into Hartley. Very unfortunate for both and especially for Hartley, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. There are rumours that he may be replaced at Toro Rosso and crashes like this won't be favourable for him.
Alonso's misery at McLaren
I have great admiration for Fernando Alonso. I think he's one of the most consistent drivers currently on the grid but the machines he's using are not up to scratch. Previously, he's had engine issues at McLaren. This season, the power-unit seemed to have improved but he's facing issues in other areas like gear box and exhaust. In his 300th GP, Alonso retired again half-way through the race because of exhaust issues. I hope he won't abandon F1 to race in Indycars. It would be a horrible loss to the sport.
Grosjean's on a mission
Grosjean couldn't even start his qualifying session yesterday because of turbo / oil issues meaning he started last on the grid for the race. But he looked like a man on a mission, passing cars left and right. He's had very unfortunate incidents happen to him in the last few races and seemed to be redeeming them today. It was like seeing Verstappen in Monaco last time.
LeClerc showing his potential
LeClerc has been doing very well recently and once again, he finished in a position higher than he should have with the car he has. He definitely is living up to his potential and if he continues, one of the big boys (likely Ferrari) will snatch him up very soon.
What happened to Hamilton?
Hamilton dominated previous Canadian GPs and I predicted that he would do so again. Boy was I wrong. What happened to him?
Dominant races are boring
This season, we've seen many races where one driver dominated the race. It was Vettel who dominated Bahrain and Australia, Hamilton dominating Spain, Ricciardo dominating Monaco and now Vettel dominating Canada. In all these races, the winner seemed to be determined in the first few laps. I want to see more races where there are 2 or 3 drivers fighting for the first place, not fighting for 2,3 or 4th place. Credit to Vettel though, he drove superbly, albeit not under much pressure.
Conclusion
Probably the most interesting moment of the race was when the chequered flag was waved a lap early by mistake. What a disappointment the race was. Still, it was quite enjoyable nonetheless. Next race will be in France at Circuit Paul Ricard, which is holding the first F1 race since 2008! Let's hope that will be more exciting.
Source:
Motorsport
F1 Twitter 1
F1 Twitter 2
Vettel was amazing, deserves to win the championship.
So far, he's definitely been the best
Hamilton still has much to show us, it will be an interesting season.