(My strategy for now is to get into the rhythm of getting things done same-day, so here goes.)
Silverstone. The British Grand Prix. For the moment, it's the center of the motorsport world, and the home course of one Lewis Hamilton. Yeah, he did it again. I only got to watch the last 12 laps of today's race, but I'm going to watch replays and then share my general opinions on the current state of F1, influenced in no small part by Netflix's brilliant show 'Drive to Survive.' It's a terrible name, but is binge-worthy at the highest level. There are a few drivers outside the top 5 that made a real statement today (like Alex Albon flying through the field to finish 6th, from dead last), and maybe I'll get around to doing a big project on F1.
With all that said, let's break down the top 5 2020 British Grand Prix finishers.
1st Place: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Of course Lewis Hamilton won at Silverstone again. That makes seven total British GP victories, which is the most all-time. Complain all you want about the 'performance gap' between Mercedes and the rest of the field, but I think most naysayers misinterpret why Mercedes is so successful. It's not just those egghead engineers. Make no mistake: the Silver Arrows are truly magnificent cars, but they're no guarantee of pole position. Just look at the 2019 season, where Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) actually scored more pole positions (7) than Hamilton (5) and the rest of the field. Mercedes' ability to seemingly walk away with races only really shows when both Hamilton and his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, occupy the 1 and 2 spots before the lights go green. Like today. But as today's final lap showed, it's not always smooth sailing.
2nd Place: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Honda
Wait, no Bottas? Max only 5 seconds behind Hamilton? Well, after Bottas AND Hamilton suffered punctures on the final lap of the race, Max put on an absolute clinic. He cut Hamilton's lead from thirty seconds down to just SIX , earning him the fastest lap of the day. If there's one thing I know for sure about F1, it's that Max Verstappen in maximum attack is an apex predator. I think his eyes even roll back into his head for safety - like a shark. If not for Lewis Hamilton, I'm pretty sure that Red Bull Racing would be the team to beat. But it's not a one-driver effort: Max stole the fastest lap from his own teammate, relative newcomer and massive talent Alex Albon (P6). Both Red Bull cars had great races today, but Max's improving to second place changed the drivers' and constructors' championship layout in a big way.
3rd Pace: Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari
Charles Leclerc is continuing to make a name for himself. He absolutely exploded onto the scene in his first year in a red jumpsuit. Today's race, from what I've gathered, was more of the same for LEC: consistently faster than most of the field, holding his position until the final lap. What amazes me the most is Leclerc's consistency and confidence. It's not uncommon for young, talented drivers to feel defeated by the exploits of the wily vets of the field, even if they are teammates (ahem, SEB). But Charles just keeps his head down, learns what he can, and continues to prove himself as a real powerhouse in F1. He's currently seventh in drivers' championship points, but I'd expect him to make a real pass at the top 5 for the rest of the summer.
4th: Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1
I'm not really sure what to think about this guy. He's obviously really talented, and the Renault car is better than it's looked in years, but I just get the sense that he's not living up to his potential. Still, he had a great drive today, capturing 12 points in the drivers' championship and vaulting him into a 2-way tie for 9th. I can't help but wonder what could have come of that Verstappen-Ricciardo Red Bull lineup, but the guy's a hothead, I get that. I want to root for Danny, but a million-dollar smile doesn't win races. I'm going to call this one a fluke, I'm just not that impressed with what I've seen from him. I think he's got to turn it around if he wants to earn a seat after his time with Renault expires.
5th: Lando Norris, McLaren Renault
This kid was born in 1999. Two years ago (as an 18 year-old), he was appointed to be McLaren's test and reserve driver, where he learned the McLaren system from top to bottom. He finally got his shot in 2019, where he earned 49 points and placed as high as fifth. Earlier in the 2020 season, he qualified in 3rd after a penalty set Hamilton back five seconds. Apparently this kid has no idea what pressure is, because he went on to finish in third, carding the fastest lap of the race to earn his first career podium. Imagine standing on a F1 podium as a 20 year old? Imagine being the fourth best racing driver in the world as a 20 year old? I think this crop of young drivers has some real killer instincts, but Lando has got to take the prize. I'm excited to see what this kid does with the rest of the 2020 season.
After today's race, the drivers' championship standings are as follows:
1 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 88
2 Valtteri Bottas MERCEDES 58
3 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING HONDA 52
4 Lando Norris MCLAREN RENAULT 36
5 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 33
6 Alexander Albon RED BULL RACING HONDA 26
7 Sergio Perez RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 22
8 Lance Stroll RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 20
9 Daniel Ricciardo RENAULT 20
10 Carlos Sainz MCLAREN RENAULT 15
11 Esteban Ocon RENAULT 12
12 Pierre Gasly ALPHATAURI HONDA 12
13 Sebastian Vettel FERRARI 10
14 Antonio Giovinazzi ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
15 Daniil Kvyat ALPHATAURI HONDA 1
16 Kevin Magnussen HAAS FERRARI 1
17 Nicholas Latifi WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
18 Kimi Räikkönen ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 0
19 George Russell WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
20 Romain Grosjean HAAS FERRARI 0
As I'm catching myself up on the F1 landscape, I find that this young crop of drivers is really taking their futures seriously. I'm happy to see that Pierre Gasly finished in the top 10, and I want to see more of Albon's brilliance. Keep an eye on those two guys to improve massively in next week's race, which is also at Silverstone.
If you watched any of the 'Drive to Survive,' you're no doubt aware of their inability to get any sort of break. What the eagle-eyed fan may have noticed is that exactly ZERO of the Racing Point cars even started today's race. RP is 5th in the constructors' championship, but I don't expect them to maintain that. Missing races is no way to win.
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