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On Saturday 18 July 2015, at 2:45 a.m., the Bianchi family announced the death of Jules Bianchi on the pilot's official social network profiles. Jules Bianchi died after nine months in a deep coma, in a silence broken by the noise of machines in intensive care. On Sunday 5 October 2014, at Suzuka, at the wheel of a Marussia, Jules Bianchi skidded off the track and hit a crane truck with his helmet. At that moment, his conscious life ended and his agony in hospital began, first in Yokkaichi, Japan, where he underwent brain surgery, then at the University Hospital Centre of Nice, a few metres from his home, where his battle ended during the night. The doctors had immediately spoken of diffuse axonal damage and had given up hope. But his mother, Christine, and father, Philippe, had long believed in a miracle. They resigned themselves in recent days, in an interview with France Info that today sounds like an omen:
"It's a daily torture, unbearable. Sometimes I think I'm going mad, it's worse than if he were dead".
These are the words of a father destroyed by waiting for a sign of life. There is no culprit, no one responsible for this death. But there is one: the victim. This is the conclusion of an investigation organised by the FIA and entrusted to ten wise men, including former team bosses Ross Brawn and Stefano Domenicali and former drivers Emerson Fittipaldi and Alexander Wurz: despite the double yellow flags waved by the stewards, Jules Bianchi did not slow down enough, went off the track and hit an emergency vehicle that was removing another single-seater, Adrian Sutil's Sauber. The commission charged with investigating Jules Bianchi's accident had submitted a 396-page document to the FIA explaining the causes of the accident and the responsibilities of the driver and the team. Of course, the Commission did not mention any responsibility of the FIA, but on the other hand, it would have been inconceivable for a Commission appointed by the FIA to accuse the FIA itself. The causes and responsibilities outlined in the report can be summarised in 12 points. The semi-dry line in Suzuka's T-7 corner was interrupted by a trickle of water. Sutil lost control here, as did Bianchi on the next lap. Sutil's car was being removed by crane when Bianchi arrived between turns 7 and 8. There were double yellow flags at this point. Bianchi didn't slow down enough to avoid losing control at the same point on the track where Sutil had lost control. If the drivers followed the rules for double yellow flags (article 2.4.5.1b) to be ready to stop at any time, neither they nor the marshals would risk their physical safety. The interventions after Sutil's retirement were in line with the rules and the interpretation of the 384 previous cases over the last eight years. Even with the benefit of hindsight, there was no need to bring out the safety car either before or after Sutil's Sauber crash.
Bianchi lost control while counter-steering, went off the track at the point where Sutil had left it, then drove towards the barriers where the crane was unfortunately located, hit them at high speed and slid underneath. In the 2 seconds he was off the track, Bianchi put both feet on the accelerator and the brake. The FailSafe safety algorithm was supposed to shut down the engine by overriding the throttle, but was unable to intervene due to the torque control that is part of the brake-by-wire system. Bianchi's Marussia had a very specific brake-by-wire system that proved incompatible with FailSafe. The fact that the FailSafe was unable to cut the torque required by the driver may have affected the speed of the crash, but to what extent is impossible to determine. However, it is possible that Bianchi was distracted by what was happening and by the fact that he locked the front wheels and was unable to steer to avoid the crane. Bianchi's helmet hit the underside of the crane. The force of the impact and the grazing trajectory caused a very strong deceleration of the head and a high angular acceleration, which resulted in very serious injuries. All the necessary medical measures were taken to save Bianchi's life. In a case like Bianchi's, it would not be possible to reduce injuries by using closed cockpits or by fitting cranes with anti-intrusion panels. With the forces involved, 700kg hitting a 6.5 tonne crane at 126 km/h. The protective structure of the single-seater cannot absorb the impact without destroying the survival cell or causing fatal decelerations. The idea that the pilot can be made to survive such impacts should be considered completely false.
The most important thing is to make sure that the car does not hit the crane or the marshals working there. Reading these twelve points, it is easy to think that the Commission has blamed those who cannot and will never be able to defend themselves. However, the FIA is not entirely innocent: it is known that drivers lift their foot just enough to avoid being penalised. Furthermore, even though the FIA knew (as they can see the telemetry of all the drivers in real time) that the whole group had passed at around 210 km/h in that section, they did not send the safety car out, but allowed a crane to go inside the barriers to remove Sutil's car. The team and the brake-by-wire system they used are also being questioned. In summary, the fail-safe system is a system that processes the electronic accelerator and brake signals coming from the control unit. If both signals (acceleration and braking) are present, the system gives priority to the brake signal and switches off the engine. An example of the fail-safe in action is the accident involving Felipe Massa in Budapest in 2009. In this case, the driver, hit by a spring from the single-seater in front of him, blacked out in the cockpit and pressed both pedals. The car began to decelerate until it hit the barriers at a very moderate speed. However, it seems that this system did not work on the Marussia, because according to the telemetry, Jules Bianchi pressed both pedals simultaneously for 2 seconds before the impact, without the system going into fail-safe mode and thus not intervening to shut down the engine. In addition, the fact that it was pouring rain, that visibility was limited, that an experienced driver like Felipe Massa continued to radio that the conditions were not right to race, that the crane truck was in the middle of the escape route, that no one slowed down or was penalised at that point, that a green flag was waved immediately after the crane truck, indicating that the danger had passed, was all considered normal. The car was returned to the team, which answered a specific question in the following days:
"She is with us in a safe place".
Following the family's announcement on Twitter, condolences poured in from Jules' world.
"Always in our hearts".
wrote Ferrari, who signed him in 2009, while President François Hollande said:
"French sport has lost one of its greatest hopes".
Fernando Alonso is one of the most emotional:
"Friend, partner, talent, smile, eternal: rest in peace, Jules".
Jules Bianchi is the first F1 casualty since the Imola weekend of 1994, when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna died one day apart. It was this double tragedy that forced F1 to revolutionise its safety parameters. Last year, after the Suzuka accident, the virtual safety car was introduced, a sort of tutor that forces drivers to maintain a certain average speed. Nine months ago, the real safety car would have been enough to neutralise the race and avoid the worst. On Monday 20 July 2015, car number 17 was withdrawn by the FIA. The next day, in Nice, the funeral will take place at 10:00 in the Sainte Reparate cathedral, in the presence of the most important F1 drivers and managers. His body will then be laid to rest in the Nice cemetery.
"Don't be afraid to cry".
said the wise Italian President Sandro Pertini. And no one hides their tears at the funeral of Jules Bianchi in the Cathedral of Santa Riparata. Thousands of people, fans and great personalities of the car, united in grief, close to the family of the French driver of Italian origin. All next to Philippe and Christina, father and mother, Tom and Melanie, brother and sister, destroyed. Felipe Massa cried. Sebastian Vettel was also moved and sad. And like them, old and young champions: Alain Prost, Jean Alesi, Olivier Panis, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, Adrian Sutil, Daniil Kvyat, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado. Almost the full Grand Prix line-up. Of the big names, only Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso are missing. But there are a lot of very young people, from karting to the smaller formulas, all friends of Jules. Ferrari with Maurizio Arrivabene, the third driver Esteban Gutierrez, the test driver Jean-Éric Vergne, Raffaele Marciello and Antonio Fuoco, who were Jules Bianchi's teammates at the Maranello Academy. The authorities were represented by Jean Todt, the French Secretary of State for Sport, Thierry Braillard and the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi. During the church ceremony, a song was played in Italian, La notte di Arisa, a favourite of Jules Bianchi and his girlfriend Camille Marchetti. To the applause of an overflowing crowd, the light wooden coffin containing the pilot's helmet was carried on the shoulders of Massa, Maldonado, Vergne, Gutierrez and Grosjean. The latter sent out a tweet on behalf of everyone:
"Adieu Jules, on t'aime".
A few days later, on Sunday 26 July 2015, the Hungarian Grand Prix, the tenth round of the Formula One World Championship, will be held at the Hungaroring circuit. But first, on Thursday 23 July 2015, the Sauber team confirmed that Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson will be its drivers for the 2016 season. The Swedish driver said:
"I am very happy that Sauber has renewed its confidence in me for another season. So far, I have only very good memories of our adventure together: I had a very good relationship from the very beginning and it is worth remembering that it was with this team that I scored my first points in Formula One at the beginning of the year. I am honoured to continue to be part of the Sauber family and I will do my best to give it the success it deserves".
The Brazilian adds:
"It is good to know that I will be able to drive for Sauber for another year. Extending my contract is an important step for my career. The first half of the season has taught me a lot, both from a driving and a personal point of view. Finishing fifth in Melbourne was definitely the most important moment of my life as a driver. Now I can't wait to start the second part of the season and continue to give my best, also with regard to the development of the new car".
Team Principal Monisha Kalteborn said:
"We are delighted to have extended Marcus and Felipe's contracts. Doing so so quickly shows that we are confident that we are on the right track. We have full confidence in their abilities and both have made important contributions, gained experience and learned quickly. Having them still in the squad will give us a positive boost. Despite their young age, they are two great professionals both on and off the track, so they will be very involved in the development of the new C35 for next year".
For this race, Pirelli, the sole tyre supplier, will provide soft and medium tyres. The FIA has set up two zones for the use of the drag reduction system: the first on the pit straight, the second between Turn 1 and Turn 2. There is a single point to determine the distance, set before turn 14. Emanuele Pirro has been appointed by the FIA to act as assistant steward for the race. The former Italian driver has performed this role many times in the past, most recently at the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix. Honda, McLaren's engine supplier, decided to make immediate use of the additional power unit granted, meaning that both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso will use a new power unit for this race, the Spaniard's sixth of the season, although he will not be penalised. In the first free practice session, Fabio Leimer (on his debut weekend in the World Championship) will take Roberto Merhi's place for Marussia, while Jolyon Palmer will replace Romain Grosjean for Lotus. On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, it must be said that the Hungaroring's weather service has a very particular idea of heat.
"Sunday, clear skies and cool temperatures: 33 °C".
The intense heat, according to the latest bulletins, was felt on Thursday 23 July 2015 (37 °C) and will be felt on Saturday 25 July 2015, during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with highs of 38°C. The beautiful dark asphalt will do its part, trapping the sun's rays and reaching over 60 °C, more than enough to boil an egg (as Pirelli mechanics did in Malaysia three months ago in similar conditions). The recommendations in Formula 1 are to avoid drinking fresh water or staying in the shade, but not to destroy the tyres. This is the first time that the soft compounds will be used in such an extreme situation. What will happen? And above all, who will benefit? We all know who put us back in the opposite conditions, with the spring climate of Silverstone and very hard tyres: Ferrari. That is why Ferrari themselves are now hoping for a step forward. Power, which is the strength of the Mercedes engines, is less important. The Ferrari team boss, Maurizio Arrivabene, admitted after the unexpected podium in Great Britain:
"There will be favourable circuits and others less so".
Here we are on the favourable side. The first objective is to close the gap on Williams, who already in 2014 showed a sudden improvement in performance in the middle of the season. The second, as usual, is Mercedes, unbeatable even if with gaps that in this year's race went from a few seconds to a minute. For the technicians of the Maranello team, this race has a special value: it serves to demonstrate that the work carried out in recent months has paid off, even if the latest results have fallen short of expectations. Sebastian Vettel is as optimistic as ever:
"It has been a wonderful season so far, and you cannot imagine how many promising new things we are preparing".
From the German's point of view, we must never forget where we started from:
"We are the team that has improved the most both in terms of performance and morale, I don't understand how you can't appreciate that".
There is another statistic that does not sit well in Maranello: with four victories, Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the Hungaroring in the thirty-year history of the circuit. Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, has won everywhere but here.
And there is something to be said for that. Even though Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the first free practice session on Friday morning, 0.109 seconds quicker than his team-mate Nico Rosberg. Sebastian Vettel missed the first half hour of practice with electrical problems on his Ferrari SF15-T, but finished sixth quickest, 1.254 seconds behind Hamilton. The session was red-flagged after the first hour when Sergio Pérez crashed at Turn 11. Entering the right-hander, the Mexican lost control of his car and spun. The car hit the barrier, broke the right front wheel and overturned. Shortly afterwards, Sergio Pérez quickly informed his team that he was uninjured.
"It was a really bad crash, really bad luck. I went in at the wrong angle, which caused the car to roll over, but everything is fine. It was a bit of a strange accident, I thought I was under control, but I guess the Astroturf was very dirty and that's why I went into the wall, but we have to check everything in detail".
The session resumed fifteen minutes later, but was interrupted again when Kimi Räikkönen's front wing came off in turn 12, leaving debris on the track. The Finn finished the session in third place, having set the fastest lap prior to the accident. Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat followed in fourth and fifth place respectively. Valtteri Bottas, who tested a new front wing in the first session, was ninth. Felipe Massa is 0.6 seconds behind his team-mate. The Finn was happy with the new wing and decided to use it for the rest of the weekend. While Jolyon Palmer replaces Romain Grosjean in the first free practice sessions, as he has done on previous race weekends, 2013 GP2 Series Champion Fabio Leimer takes part in his first F1 practice session, replacing Roberto Merhi at Manor. Following the Sergio Pérez accident, Force India decided not to take part in the second free practice session, preferring to have time to investigate the causes of the FP1 incident. In FP2, Lewis Hamilton was once again the fastest driver, but this time ahead of both Red Bull Racing drivers, with Nico Rosberg fourth. It was not a trouble-free session for Red Bull Racing, however, as Daniel Ricciardo was forced out of his car with twenty minutes to go with Renault engine problems, bringing out another red flag. McLaren, who have had a troubled season so far, proved more competitive, with Jenson Button saying the car was fine and that he hoped to qualify in the top ten. His team-mate Fernando Alonso was eighth fastest in the second practice session, while Button was twelfth. Following suspension changes, Force India will be cleared by the stewards to take part in the third and final session on Saturday morning. Lewis Hamilton is again quickest, but this time with team-mate Nico Rosberg less than 0.1 seconds behind in second. Sebastian Vettel, in third, is the only other driver to post a time less than a second off the Briton's. Meanwhile, Daniil Kvyat is the second fastest non-Mercedes driver in fourth place on the timesheet. McLaren confirmed the improvement in pace by finishing the session with the eighth and thirteenth fastest times. Kimi Räikkönen's second Ferrari didn't get any further than sixteenth place after a water leak on his car prevented the Finn from putting in any fast laps on the soft tyres.
"This track is one of my favourites".
Says Lewis Hamilton nineteen times a year, in correspondence with the various Grands Prix. It is one of those clichés that the public is fed, but in the case of Hungary it has a basis in truth. The five-time World Champion has taken pole here. The latest is the one he conquered on Saturday 25 July 2015, the epilogue to two days in which he left nothing to his opponents. The Briton was quickest in the three free practice sessions and three qualifying sessions, beating his team-mate Nico Rosberg by 0.5 seconds on the lap, proving that Mercedes may be a spaceship, but he is the commander.
Lewis Hamilton, after taking his ninth pole in ten races:
"It's been the best weekend of my career so far".
It is the gap to Nico Rosberg that marks the difference between a good driver and a phenomenon in the best conditions. The same difference in the team usually separates the Ferrari drivers: Sebastian Vettel is third fastest, behind the two Mercedes drivers, but above all he is 0.3 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who starts fifth (Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull Racing fits between the two Ferraris). Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are the only ones to have such a significant advantage. In terms of talent, Fernando Alonso would also be there if he were driving a normal single-seater instead of the McLaren-Honda that abandoned him a few metres from the pit lane on Saturday. The Spaniard didn't lose heart: he got out and pushed the car straight to his mechanics in the vain hope that they would fix it. Deceived. Only the fans appreciated and applauded, while some nostalgically recalled the precedents of Nigel Mansell in Dallas in 1984, who fainted from the effort, and Alain Prost in Hockenheim in 1986, who ran out of fuel a few metres from the finish line in the middle of a fiercely contested season. As well as being one of Lewis Hamilton's favourite races, the Hungarian Grand Prix is the tenth round of the World Championship and a turning point in the season. There is no virtual title of summer champion, but the statistics are favourable: from 2000 to 2014, the team leading at mid-season has won the title eleven times. Lewis Hamilton has a 17-point lead over Nico Rosberg, who has been able to stay in the slipstream by making better starts and taking advantage of his team-mate's mistakes, such as the unforgettable and useless pit stop in the final laps at Monaco. Ferrari are aiming for the podium, not the bottom step. The heat could help the SF15-T, which is struggling to get the tyres up to temperature, even if strategy, weather, pit stop efficiency and drivers are not enough against this Mercedes: you need the unexpected. Vettel is hoping a little, partly because he has never won here at the Hungaroring.
And he's never said it's his favourite track. On Sunday 26 July 2015, before the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix, a minute's silence was observed for Jules Bianchi, whose helmet was laid on the track, surrounded by those of the other drivers. The start was interrupted after the formation lap because Felipe Massa had not positioned himself correctly in his stall. The race was shortened by one lap for the new formation lap. The Brazilian was given a 5 second penalty, to be served at the first pit stop. At the start, the two Ferraris were quick off the line, so much so that Sebastian Vettel took the lead, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen, who overtook Lewis Hamilton; in the third corner, the Finn in the Ferrari also overtook Nico Rosberg. Shortly afterwards, Lewis Hamilton went off the track while trying to overtake Nico Rosberg and dropped back to tenth place. At the end of the first lap, the top three were Valtteri Bottas, Daniil Kvyat, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Pérez. On the second lap, Nico Hulkenberg overtook Daniil Kvyat. On lap 8 the Russian driver also lost a position to his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. On lap 10, Daniel Ricciardo overtook Nico Hülkenberg. During lap 14 Valtteri Bottas and Daniil Kvjat returned to the pits for a tyre change. On lap 16, Nico Hülkenberg also returned to the pits for a tyre change. Between laps 20 and 23, the two Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, and the two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, made their first pit stops. Out of the pits, Sebastian Vettel maintained first position, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo (who still hadn't changed tyres) and Lewis Hamilton, the author of a good comeback. The Briton then overtook the Australian on lap 29. After lap 40, Kimi Räikkönen's car experienced a problem with the electric motor. Then, on lap 43, the front wing of Nico Hulkenberg's Force India gave way on the finish straight: the car went off the track at high speed, but without any damage to the driver. The stewards called for the virtual safety car on the straight.
However, he then decided to bring the safety car on to the track, with the cars passing through the pit lane. At the restart, after six laps, Nico Rosberg overtook Kimi Raikkonen, while Lewis Hamilton was surprised by Daniel Ricciardo: the two also made contact, allowing Daniil Kvyat to pass the British Mercedes driver and move up to fifth place. Shortly afterwards, Lewis Hamilton returned to the pits to change his front wing and dropped back to seventh. Shortly afterwards, Kimi Raikkonen was also forced to return to the pits to try and rectify the engine problem, but to no avail. The Finn returned to the track but retired shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, the two STRs are back in the standings, with Max Verstappen in fifth and Carlos Sainz Jr. in sixth, ahead of Fernando Alonso. On lap 55, Fernando Alonso overtook Carlos Sainz Jr to move up to sixth. The Spanish Toro Rosso driver was then forced to retire on lap 60 due to a loss of power from the Renault engine. In the closing laps, Nico Rosberg closed on Sebastian Vettel but was unable to overtake him. Daniel Ricciardo comes up from behind and threatens Nico Rosberg's position. On lap 64, Daniel Ricciardo tries to attack Nico Rosberg, but the two drivers touch: Nico Rosberg punctured a tyre while Daniel Ricciardo damaged his front wing. Both drivers are forced to pit. Daniil Kvjat climbs up to second place, just ahead of his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. Nico Rosberg, on the other hand, was forced to spend an entire lap with a puncture and dropped back to tenth. With two laps to go, Lewis Hamilton overtook Romain Grosjean to finish sixth. Sebastian Vettel wins the Hungarian Grand Prix, equalling Ayrton Senna's total number of victories. Daniil Kvyat, who finished second, took his first career podium. The Russian driver said after the race:
"You know, some people say never give up. But they don't know what they're saying and until today I didn't know what it really meant, but today I really learned what it means to never give up because it can always come your way".
Daniel Ricciardo was third, followed by Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Marcus Ericsson. The result ended Hamilton's run of sixteen consecutive podium finishes, as well as Mercedes' run of twenty-eight races with a driver in the top three. Either way, it's the second longest streak in the history of the World Championship. Dedicated to Jules Bianchi. Sebastian Vettel sobs as he crosses the finish line at the Hungaroring, as tension gives way to emotion:
"This victory is for you".
The race started after a minute's silence for the Frenchman, who died after nine weeks in a coma. The drivers embraced in a circle during the national anthem, then returned to their respective single-seaters, lowered their visors and began one of the most entertaining and competitive Grands Prix in recent years, challenging each other with fair play and courage. The best won. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had the better start, overtaking Lewis Hamilton, who seemed glued to the asphalt, and passing Nico Rosberg's Mercedes one after the other. It's not a question of strategy or unexpected events, luck or rain: they're just faster. In fact, Ferrari was not even lucky: Kimi Raikkonen broke his car during his best race and a safety car wiped out Sebastian Vettel's twenty-second advantage, giving Mercedes a second chance. It happened around lap 48. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton receive a message on the radio that borders on the presumptuous:
"Guys, we can win".
No, they're not winning. On the contrary, they fall behind. And the further back they are, the more mistakes they make.
Lewis Hamilton crosses wheels with Ricciardo Ricciardo and has the worst. He finishes sixth, but consolidates first place in the standings. Nico Rosberg tries to get close to Sebastian Vettel, but realises that he doesn't have enough speed. So he settles down and tries to take second place, until he too collides with the Australian's Red Bull Racing. Looking at Sebastian Vettel on the podium, in front of a riot of red flags, we need to take a step back, a flashback to the Ferrari conference at the end of 2014. Maurizio Arrivabene, on his debut as Ferrari Team Principal, said:
"If we win a couple of Grands Prix next year it will be a success, if we win three it will be a triumph".
And Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne added:
"If we win four, we will go to heaven".
With ten races completed and nine to go, Ferrari have already reached the minimum target. After the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Maranello team also won in Hungary. But this time there's a big difference: victory in Malaysia may have been a fluke, but this time it's deserved. Says Sergio Marchionne, dedicating his success to Jules Bianchi:
"Unfortunately we can't celebrate a first and second place today, which were within our reach".
However, the Hungarian weekend had been a difficult one, so much so that Ferrari's Technical Director James Allison had his hands in his hair after free practice:
"This is the toughest Friday of my career".
But Maurizio Arrivabene advised calm:
"Someone is trying to destabilise us, but they won't succeed".
And the turning point came on Saturday, with the choice of a set-up that favours the start. And it worked well. The Mercedes team took care of the rest. Lewis Hamilton thinks he is invincible and finally apologises to the team:
"I had a difficult day at the office".
Nico Rosberg loses the chance to recover in the standings:
"If it were up to me, I would skip the holiday and get back in the car tomorrow".
And Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admits defeat:
"Ferrari deserved it. And I have grown more white hairs".
Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene collects the compliments and replies to Niki Lauda, who had only praised Ferrari's spaghetti:
"This time we had pizza. Angry".
For the last seven years, Ferrari has started the season with the aim of winning the championship, but has failed to do so. This time, the team has resigned itself to losing the championship and is now in full swing. After ten races of Mercedes dominance, Sebastian Vettel is only 21 points behind Nico Rosberg and 42 behind Lewis Hamilton, gaps that can be made up in a few races. No one in Maranello dares to talk about it, and not just out of superstition: victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix is the result of the work of the technicians in the garage and of Sebastian Vettel on the track. In a normal race, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg would have been beaten, but they would have finished just behind the Ferrari. But there is hope, it costs nothing and it rests on at least three points. First, performance. On at least one track, the Ferrari has been faster than the Mercedes, and there is no reason to believe that this will not happen again, for example in Singapore, another track where power is less important, the tyres are soft and the brakes are stressed. But it is above all the new engine, which will make its debut at Monza, that is pinning the hopes of a comeback on. Sergio Marchionne, the president of Ferrari, is unashamedly optimistic:
"The Italian Grand Prix will be another key point in the development of the car".
Second point, the drivers. There is nothing to complain about Hamilton-Rosberg, except that they steal points from each other. The difference in performance between Vettel and Raikkonen is clearer: with the exception of Bahrain, the German has always been ahead of his team-mate. In theory, the two are free to duke it out, but the situation in the standings already allows the team to ask Kimi to step aside if necessary. The same is unthinkable at Mercedes, at least as long as the situation remains balanced. Third point: character. In simple situations, the slightest inconvenience sends Lewis Hamilton into a crisis. Eight years of F1 have given us the same image of fragility as the dramatic finale of 2007, when Lewis made the wrong start and got into a duel with his team-mate, then Fernando Alonso. He lost in the first lap. In Hungary, Lewis slipped to fourth on the grid and had 69 laps to recover. He tried to make up ground immediately but lost the chance to win. Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. He is happy and enjoying himself, he has finished on the podium seven times out of ten, he has fallen in love with Ferrari, which reciprocates his enthusiasm, and he always gives his best. To protect the harmony in the garage, after the race Maurizio Arrivabene challenges the enemies and slanderers: those who can't count victories and podiums, those who try to divide the team and those who, like Niki Lauda, make fun of it. A team principal who creates controversy and diverts it to himself. This is also a strategy.