Did Lewis Hamilton win the Spanish Grand Prix or did Ferrari lose it for their driver, Sebastian Vettel, courtesy of trademark bad strategy call? ‘Trademark’ may exaggerate Ferrari’s strategic blunders but over the course of the past few seasons the ‘Prancing Horse’ has definitely made more ill-judged mid-race decisions than prudent ones.
What is clear is the gap between Hamilton and Vettel is now negligible and we are set for a thrilling rivalry between the pair right the way up until the curtain closing race in Abu Dhabi in late November.
This weekend the action comes from Monaco, the sport’s showpiece race and venue which is, in truth, no more than a high-speed procession between mobile advertising hoardings. Overtaking will not happen and, barring mishaps, the pole setter will win.
But mishaps have become a feature of the Monaco Grand Prix and both of the last two winners were fortunate to prevail when the leading car (and pole setter) endured pit-crew failure resulting in them forfeiting the advantage.
Last year Daniel Ricciardo was sat in the pits, his car on jacks but with no tyres to put on his Red Bull for nearly 15secs; in 2015 Lewis Hamilton was erroneously pitted under safety car conditions and he did not emerge from the pits with the race lead as the Mercedes strategists had predicated. Removing these two perplexities from the form book and you will see ten of the eleven winners between 2004 and 2014 started this race from pole position.
You will need a crystal ball to safely predict who will start on pole, and consequently start a massive favourite with the bookmakers, this coming Sunday. It’s no two-horse race ether, Ferrari and Mercedes might just find themselves challenged for supremacy by Red Bull whose aerodynamically sound albeit under horse-powered car is sure to perform far better than it has done in the first five races of the season. A Mercedes may have won all of the last four Monaco Grand Prix but Red Bull won this contest for three consecutive years beforehand.
As for a major turn-up, if one is forthcoming, how about one of the Force India drivers, Sergio Perez or Esteban Ocon, taking a podium step in the Mediterranean principality?
The Force is Strong with India
With a passportless team-boss – Vijay Mallya, who is being sought by Indian authorities to face fraud allegations, is stranded in London – and a budget of around a third of the ‘big three’ (c€100m as opposed to €300m), the Force India team is performing brilliantly this season.
Both their drivers have finished within the points in all five races of the 2017 campaign and the team sit in fourth place in the constructors title race. Their 53 points sees them just 19 adrift of Red Bull and 32 ahead of fifth placed Toro Rosso.
Thus far a podium has not been forthcoming but Perez did record a season-best of fourth last time in Spain and he also claimed a bronze medal in this race last year.
