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#952 2016 Japanese Grand Prix

2023-01-05 00:00

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#2016, Fulvio Conti,

#952 2016 Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton tries to forget the Malaysian Grand Prix, when the engine of his Mercedes betrayed him at the climax, and focuses on Japan, next round

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Lewis Hamilton tries to forget the Malaysian Grand Prix, when the engine of his Mercedes betrayed him at the climax, and focuses on Japan, next round of the Formula One world championship, scheduled in the next weekend.

 

"A big disappointment in Sepang, but I’ve experienced worse moment. There’s nothing better than hard work and that has never scared me".

 

The points gap from his team-mate, Nico Rosberg, are 23. A margin still recoverable for Hamilton, provided that his car no longer gives him problems:

 

"It was a disappointment for the whole team. Sepang only transmits negative energy, I have to leave it behind. I will find the strength within myself to fight in these next five race weekends. If I can be competitive as last weekend and the car supports me, everything it’s still possible".

 

Also because there’s a particular feeling with Suzuka track: in the last two years Hamilton finished the race ahead of everyone:

 

"It’s a circuit that I love and in the last two years I’ve been the best. Let’s hope the trend continues".

 

It’s eve again in F1. The Circus flies from Sepang to Suzuka where, a week after the Red Bull’s double in Malaysia, Mercedes is looking for redemption. Rosberg, with 288 points, lead the ranking with a gap of just 23 points from the World Champion and team-mate Lewis Hamilton. With five Grand Prix to go, the challenge between the two Anglo-German cars is as heated as never, with Red Bull and Ferrari, ready to enter the clash that is dominating the four-wheel scene for three years now.

 

"Final victory is feasible, but I don’t start thinking about it, because it wouldn’t be the right way for me. It’s going really well, I think about the race and that’s it".

 

Lewis Hamilton, instead, leaves behind the engine failure due to a damage of the bearing between the connecting rod and the crankshaft which forced him to retire in Malaysia when he was leading the race and is looking forward to the Japanese Grand Prix where he plans to win again and regain points towards his partner. 

 

"The Sepang withdraw wasn’t the hardest moment, I’ve certainly experienced worse. Now we can only focus on the next race and take a step at a time. There’s nothing better than hard work and that’s never scare me".

 

Immediately after his retirement in Sepang, the English rider accused his team of not wanting him to win, a controversy that was resolved with an apology a few hours later.

 

"The guys are also hurted by what happened and I know that they will also work hard to make things right".

 

The three-times World Champion ensures that he can still defend the world title:

 

"I will find the strength within myself to fight in these next five race weekends. If I can be competitive as last weekend and the car supports me, everything it’s still possible".

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In Japan Hamilton has won the last two edition:

 

"It’s a circuit that I love and in the last two years I’ve been the best. Let’s hope the trend continues. I know that I will receive fantastic support from the stands that will give me an extra push. I hope I can repay all their love and strength they give me".

 

Things are going decidedly worse for Ferrari which, after the summer break, has no longer been able to keep up with Red Bull's pace. Kimi Raikkonen takes stock of the situation.

 

"We would have like to be in a better position and fight to win and until we’re in front we will not be satisfied. We lack speed, but we have all the tools and people to improve. At the moment we have this on our hands and we have to do our best. The positions we’ve filled recently aren’t the ones we want. We have to keep working and try to improve very soon. There are small details that need to be corrected and if they add up they lead to losing a lot of lap time".

 

Vettel also said he was ready to the Japanese race:

 

"I like it here, it’s a phenomenal track and I’ve been lucky to get on the podium many times. We’re not satisfied with our performance so far, if we could change in a day we would". 

 

The same cannot be said of Ferrari, which has struggled throughout the season: 

 

"The last race didn’t go well in terms of Constructor points, but I continue to believe that we should get back up in the next races, this is our goal. Despite the lack of success this year, I think it's a good season, if you look at what's happening behind the scenes. Of course on the track this doesn't happen overnight, but I think I wouldn't trade it for last year".

 

Boycotts. Sabotage. Envy. The heart of Formula. Not exactly the ideal of sporting fair play, but with engines there has always been suspicion. Of the loser, of course. Here is the last image again, in Sepang: Lewis Hamilton crouched on the lawn, only the helmet prevents the world from seeing his anger at the burning engine due to a broken connecting rod bearing: he was first, now he sees the World Championship further away. And it’s only his Mercedes that has problems, that of Nico Rosberg - his rival, at home and for the title - seems immune to everything. And that's why he screams instinctively: 

 

"The great powers don’t want me, don’t want me to win".

 

Sabotage? Mercedes reply piqued and annoyed: 

 

"How dare you?" 

 

Lewis’ fans Twitter and Instagram speak for him, they give voice to what cannot be said. It’s been a week, or rather four days, and now we are racing in Japan, in Suzuka. Hamilton spent his time in Tokyo, and who knows if the memory of distant 2007 crossed his mind, a truly troubled year, the father of all boycotts/sabotage: first of all for the Stepney affairs, with the former Ferrari technician who spread white powder in the tanks of Raikkonen and Massa to favour McLaren and passed information to Coughlan, a rival colleague. 

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But also for the rivalry in the Anglo-German house, between Hamilton and Alonso. Go and ask even today what the Spaniard thinks about that experience: Lewis Hamilton was Ron Dennis’ favourite, and Fernando Alonso made no secret of his concerns regard the management of the single-seaters. Also because the good Fernando Alonso was not immune to privilege: in 2004, at Renault, with Jarno Trulli as a partner who kept the duel well, it happened that - after the triumph of the Italian driver at the Monaco Grand Prix - he was no longer able to repeat himself: his Renault seemed to have become less competitive. Here, then: will Hamilton have remembered those days? After all, it would be enough for him to drink from history: even Juan Manuel Fangio had the courage to accuse Enzo Ferrari of boycotting him. He, who had won two World Championship thanks practically to the renunciation of the other teams... In motors it is almost normal to spy, copy and do tricks. Provoke and annoy. And if by chance the fathers don't accuse, then the children take care of it: 

 

"In my opinion it was sabotaged at McLaren, in 1993".

 

Marco, son of Mario Andretti, revealed one day.

 

"They made the car do strange things when cornering using the electronics, things beyond its control. Senna, his team-mate, was one of the few who knew what really happened in the team and I think he believed my father. In Monza he told the team: Give him my car. Give him exactly what I have". 

 

And then let's gloss over what happened in Williams in 2013 between Bottas and Maldonado, with the latter shouting his anger at the world, stuff of children of a lesser God. By the way, it’s exactly what Lewis Hamilton, who correct the shot, said: the opposing strong powers they spoke of weren’t those of Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda, ​​but those up there, high in the skies. Understand? So what can we say, one must really have faith. And so Friday's battle ends according to script, without surprises. Or maybe yes, depending on your point of view. There’s the Mercedes faster then everyone (both in the first and second free practice sessions), with Nico Rosberg better than Lewis Hamilton. And then Kimi Raikkonen. With Sebastian Vettel losing - so to speak in quotation mark - fourth position from a good late lap by Max Verstappen. But it’s Friday, and now it’s a day that is used for a double purpose: try solutions for the present, but also test ideas for the future. Everyone does it: looking for solutions for 2017. And since the times and possibilities for the winter tests have been limited, the teams are therefore making a virtue of necessity, taking advantage of the Grand Prix, also considering that the ranking allows it, in the sense that the situation is well defined: no challenges between teams, but only the internal one at Mercedes. The Anglo-German team could really celebrate their victory in the Constructors' World Championship here: it’s enough to score six points more than the two Red Bulls, and experience says that the podium in Kuala Lumpur will not be easily repeatable. Closed on Friday on the track, all the engineers will try to analyse the data and decide on the settings of the single-seaters also based on the weather: Rain is expected during the night between Friday and Saturday, with consequent cooling of the asphalt. A non-negligible factor, together with the possibility of rain during qualifying, which is ruled out for now.

 

"But in Japan the weather is constantly changing, and we can't rule anything out".

 

Ferrari says. Who have a lot of hope in the particular characteristics of the track, which has two very different parts: Sebastian Vettel must make amends for what happened in Sepang. Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene talks about Sebastian Vettel.

 

"Renew with Vettel to make him feel the confidence of the team? I don't think people are won over by renewals. Today times have changed and what worked in the past with Schumi would not necessarily work with Seb. He just needs to concentrate on the car, he is a person who gives a lot and his giving so much means he takes a little interest in everything. He doesn't do it in a polemical spirit, but because he is totally immersed in what many call family but which I call the Ferrari team. So sometimes he needs to be taken back and focused on the main work he has to do". 

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In short, it is early to talk about the future: 

 

"Seb has a contract with us today, we have some work to do and next year then during the season we'll see. Each of us has goals and it is right that everyone earns their place and their salary. Seb is certainly not one of Ferrari's problems, but isn’t the solution either. He is part of the team like everyone else and is one of the solutions to achieving the objectives. Then it’s obvious that the riders are very important, and Sebastian is particularly important at this moment".

 

Arrivabene then apologises for a season below expectations: 

 

"A lesson in humility has come from Red Bull. What happened has taught us not only to look forward but also to watch our backs. And the lesson was understood by everyone. We aren’t where we thought we would be at the start of the season, we are paying dearly for certain oversights but it doesn’t mean that the team isn’t determined and that we aren’t looking at this year and next year nor that we give up with five races to go".

 

Five Grand Prix to put a patch on. Avoid a zero-win season. Ferrari risks not finishing in the victory medal table, in the pole position table and, as if that weren't enough, also in the Constructors' World Championship standings, which sees Sauber, which uses the Ferrari engine, at zero points (and will also next season). Maranello is obviously not to blame for the latter, but it is another sign of a cursed season, of a year that goes like this, as Maurizio Arrivabene, the Ferrari team principal, has been repeating for a few weeks. The clock is ticking: there's this Japanese weekend, then the double US-Mexico away race, then Brazil and the grand finale in Abu Dhabi. The ticking of the hands doesn't help Mattia Binotto's group. The engineer who, put in charge at the end of August with the mandate to fix the racing management, is forced to work overtime to avoid a horribilis 2016. Mathematics says that Raikkonen and Vettel (in strict ranking order) are out of the world title race, just as Ferrari is out of the Constructors' World Championship. In this latest ranking, Ferrari currently gives 46 points to the Red Bull team, second behind Mercedes. The Maranello team is only third: it had accustomed us well in the recent past, and we have to go back - up to 1993 - to find it further back, fourth. But there have been worse times: in 1980 Ferrari finished second to last (and Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve were driving). Indeed, it was the worst team in 1969, with only seven points: in that unfortunate year there were Pedro Rodriguez and Chris Amon driving (who did not compete in the Italian Grand Prix and was replaced by Tino Brambilla). 

 

It's not that the analysis improves from the point of view of pole positions, and it must be said that it's a good thing that the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix favoured Sebastian Vettel, both for qualifying and for the race, otherwise Ferrari would have repeated the sad streak of 1991-1992-1993, without a single pole position. Instead, thanks to the German, the Maranello team avoided the shame that had already lasted since 2013: The fastest last lap of all was achieved by Fernando Alonso in the 2012 German Grand Prix. A meagre balance sheet, to which is added the history of the engine-customers: Ferrari has always been reluctant to give other teams its engines, but has had to give in to pressure from the FIA ​​since 2006, thus losing exclusivity. The first Red Bull, the one that debuted in F1, was equipped with a Ferrari turbo. Then Spyker, Toro Rosso, Force India, Haas, Manor, Sauber and Marussia also had this privilege. Except that fitting the Maranello power unit didn't help the latter two teams: they respectively ended 2014 and 2015 without a single point. And this year Sauber is again in the same position: zero. The engineers present in Maranello will certainly not be responsible for this, but it certainly doesn't help the image. Unless Marchionne, institutionally, asks the FIA ​​to officially remove the name of the engine supplier from the rankings and rolls of honour. Saturday 8th October 2016, the third free practice session begins on a damp track: the drivers initially use intermediate wet tyres, but soon prefer to return to the pits. Fernando Alonso, after about twenty minutes, is the first driver to tackle the track with slick tyres.

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The best session time still goes to Nico Rosberg, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo. The two were also helped by the fact that they did not encounter too much traffic on the circuit during their best lap. This does not happen for Sebastian Vettel, who nevertheless set the third fastest time, but was forced to slow down during his first flying lap, thus having to resort to a second fast lap to seek the best time. Hamilton, on the other hand, slowed down several times by other cars, preferred to give up the search for a fastest lap. At the end of the tests, Manor replaced the gearbox on Pascal Wehrlein's car, who was thus penalised by losing five positions on the starting grid. A few hours later, the first phase of qualifying took place on damp track conditions but without rain. The Mercedes immediately took the lead in the ranking, followed by the two Red Bull Racing, with Nico Hülkenberg managing to insert himself between these two blocks of cars. The fight for access to the next stage is very heated, given that there is only one second gap between sixth and sixteenth. In the central phase of Q1 the two Ferrari take the top, with Kimi Räikkönen preceded by Sebastian Vettel, by fifteen thousandths. In the final part the drivers of the Maranello team and Mercedes decide not to take to the track anymore, unlike what the other drivers do, including that of Red Bull. Jenson Button returns among the qualifiers, at the last attempt, but shortly afterwards the Williams drivers manage to do better, demoting the Englishman to seventeenth place. In addition to the McLaren driver, Kevin Magnussen, the two Sauber drivers and the two Manor drivers were eliminated. Even in the next phase the two Mercedes drivers are still the fastest. Also in this session the distances between the riders, with the exception of the first two, are very limited. The Williams drivers decide to make just one attempt, even if this is not enough to qualify for Q3. In addition to Bottas and Massa, the Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers Fernando Alonso and Jolyon Palmer are eliminated. In Q3 Nico Rosberg set the best time, but was beaten by Lewis Hamilton. 

 

Kimi Räikkönen follows, preceding his team-mate, Sebastian Vettel, and the two Red Bulls. These four drivers are separated by just 0.056 seconds. In the second attempt Kimi Räikkönen is able to overtake Nico Rosberg but, when the two Anglo-German cars reach the finish line, Nico Rosberg is able to improve and beat Lewis Hamilton, thus conquering his thirtieth career pole position, by just 0.013 seconds of advantage. The other positions remain unchanged, with Vettel (however penalised) ahead of the Red Bull duo. At the end of qualifying Kevin Magnussen and Felipe Massa were reprimanded by the stewards for their excessive slowness in returning to the pits at the end of Q1. Team Ferrari replaces the gearbox on Kimi Räikkönen's car; the Finn is therefore penalised with the loss of five positions on the starting grid. Jenson Button, following the replacement of various components of the power unit, also suffered a 35 position penalty on the starting grid, relegating him to last position. Thirteen thousandths give Nico Rosberg the pole position of the Japanese Grand Prix, a sign of an almost perfect balance between the two Mercedes: in the race, at the first corner there will be a great challenge between the two rivals. But Ferrari also did well with Kimi Raikkonen, followed in turn by Sebastian Vettel. The two Ferrari precede Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. Perez is seventh, followed by Grosjean, Hulkenberg and, tenth, Gutierrez of Haas. A sign that the Ferrari power unit, at least for qualifying, is at ease on the humid Suzuka circuit, and the weather factor should not substantially change. We always compete in Japan, Spain and Great Britain. This is what they say, jokingly at Ferrari, considering the respective three circuits more complete, and therefore congenial to the Maranello car. Of course, Raikkonen and Vettel are not yet at the level of the Mercedes drivers, but at least - on this track - faster in the flying lap than the Red Bulls. It's a shame that Vettel will have to be relegated to seventh place, after the penalty he suffered for the start in Kuala Lumpur: 

 

"But he will have more straight line for the comeback at the start".

 

Someone says, half seriously and half jokingly. And Raikkonen's satisfaction, less gloomy than usual, should guarantee the quality of the performance. 

 

"The car has a good balance, it's still the same car, let's hope everything goes well".

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While Vettel adds: 

 

"Anything can happen tomorrow".

 

In fact, rain is expected this night, so the track will be - if not wet - certainly humid and this could reserve some surprises.

 

Then there is the duel for the world title: if Rosberg has once again confirmed that his car is balanced and reliable, as is his driving, it can be reiterated that Hamilton has further shown that, before giving up the restored title, they will have to get over him: in qualifying, after a weekend of continuous comeback, he was about to score the pole position, which Rosberg took away from him by 82 centimetres, 0.013 seconds at the last desperate attempt. But the Briton remains positive: 

 

"We worked continuously on the car, with changes even during qualifying. Of course, if I could I would have taken everything but I'm happy with how things went. And it's a shame we couldn't do a few more laps…".

 

On Sunday 9th October 2016, at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton's start was very negative, so much so that the Briton was just eighth at the end of the first lap. Polesitter Nico Rosberg leads the race, ahead of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. Daniel Ricciardo follows, who in turn precedes Sebastian Vettel. But the German driver, already during the first lap, managed to climb into fourth position. And subsequently he recovers one more position, during lap 2, when Sergio Pérez passes. During lap 5 Kimi Räikkönen moved up to sixth place after passing Nico Hülkenberg, who also ceded his position to Lewis Hamilton two laps later. During lap 10 the two Red Bull Racing drivers make their first stop; on lap 11 it is Nico Hülkenberg's turn, followed, after two laps by Nico Rosberg, the two Ferrari drivers and Sergio Pérez. Lewis Hamilton awaits lap 13; at the same time Kimi Räikkönen passes both Sergio Pérez and Jolyon Palmer, returning to eighth position. At the same time, the two Williams drivers, who have not yet changed tyres, move into the top positions. However, the two English cars are slow, and the drivers are forced to give up their positions. Lewis Hamilton also recovers positions, now fourth, behind Sebastian Vettel. Nico Rosberg remains in first position, followed by Max Verstappen. Daniel Ricciardo follows Lewis Hamilton, and in turn precedes Kimi Räikkönen. The two Williams drivers make their pit stop between lap 25 and lap 27, while Kimi Räikkönen, already on lap 26, stops in the pits for the second time. Among the other leading riders, the first to stop for the second time was Nico Hülkenberg, who opted to use the medium tyres on lap 29. In the following laps all the drivers in the top ten carry out the second tire change: the last is Sebastian Vettel, who waits for lap 34 and uses soft tyres. The ranking remains unchanged. 

 

In the final part of the Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton approaches Max Verstappen and tries to attack him at the last chicane, during lap 52. But the Dutchman resists, maintaining second position. Nico Rosberg wins the Japanese Grand Prix, followed by Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa. Perfect race for Nico Rosberg, who took the lead from pole and then took off until the checkered flag. A show-stopping race for Lewis Hamilton who staged his usual disaster at the start, suddenly finding himself in the middle of the group and then climbing up to third position, behind the usually wild Max Verstappen. In short, everything as expected, including Hamilton's attempt to overtake in the final laps against Verstappen, the young man's usual (harsh) maneuver and Mercedes protesting against the Dutchman (art. 27.5 of the regulations) for his maneuver during the English driver's overtaking attempt. The FIA ​​has reserved the right to decide at the next Grand Prix and the Anglo-German team is withdrawing its appeal. In any case, the World Championship at this point seems to be sealed: Nico Rosberg - thanks to his ninth victory of the season - has a 33-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, a very high number in this season finale with four races to go. Niki Lauda himself admits:

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"There's no way Nico could lose it".

 

There should be a celebration in the Mercedes pits, having mathematically won the World Constructors' Championship, but observing Lewis Hamilton it seems more like he has suffered a loss. The Briton does nothing to mask his disappointment at third place in Japan and the world title that is slipping away, and to say that only with his stubbornness (and a still remarkable car) was he able to ensure that the damage was not worse. The English driver answers in monosyllables and does not dwell on the reason for such a painful start.

 

"At the start I had a lot of skidding, then the car gave me better sensations, I had a good pace and made several overtakings, but not to recover second place. The title? Rosberg has a comfortable margin…". 

 

And the German, increasingly confident, reiterates that he will not make calculations: 

 

"I don't see why I should change my approach to racing, I don't want to manage the advantage".

 

Two dates are enough to understand: 31st July and 28th August 2016. A month in which Nico Rosberg turned himself around and started from a blank sheet of paper, as he said in Belgium. Today, after having also won the Japanese Grand Prix, that sheet of paper is filling up with the right numbers, the ones he was hoping for. Niki Lauda virtually crowned him champion: 

 

"Hamilton's comeback? Impossible, unless there are strange facts. Today his finger slipped on the anti-stall, it was his fault. Sin. Yes, because 33 points is a lot when you have a team-mate with the same car as you and who goes as fast as you, it's much more difficult to overtake him and win the championship, because if nothing strange happens, all of this is impossible. He started by winning the last three races of last season and that's when he changed his way of thinking. I don't know how this can happen, but this year, unlike Lewis, he is much more aggressive and is currently just as strong as Hamilton".

 

Nevertheless, on July 31st, Rosberg was 19 points behind Hamilton after starting the season with four wins from four races. Then the Briton made a comeback, with the German depressed at the summer break. Upon returning to the track, however, from that August 28th, Rosberg achieved something like four victories out of five Grand Prix, and a third place: 52 points more than Lewis Hamilton, and a lead of 33 points. It means that it would be enough for him to always be second to win the World Championship. The question, then, is: what the hell happened in August? What is Rosberg's hidden secret? Magic, psychology?

 

"Talent, in today's F1, is a necessary condition but sometimes it isn’t enough".

 

Try to explain Riccardo Ceccarelli, the founder of Formula Medicine, the doc of the paddock for thirty years. 

 

"Discipline is needed. So the question should be asked of both drivers".

 

Let's scroll back to Twitter then: here's Nico Rosberg in the hot August sun, immortalised while playing with his two dogs in the garden at home and saying:

 

"Nothing is better than family". 

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Lewis Hamilton instead is posing with rappers Swizz Beatz and ASAP Rocky in New York. But first he made a trip to the Caribbean (where his relatives are). Then he visited Mexico, an episode in Jamaica and the grand finale in Costa Rica. A tour de force, however enviable, which probably did not help him in the focus that every driver must have. Ceccarelli is convinced of this: 

 

"In Senna's time everything was simpler, today drivers have many events to manage". 

 

And this is distracting for brain performance. 60% of driving performance comes from the head. Perhaps Rosberg understood this more than Hamilton, and sacrificed a piece of his worldly life. 

 

"We, thanks to scientific studies, resonances done on pilots during stimulation, have found a 20% lower performance when the brain is not trained, such as after the winter break".

 

Be careful, this does not mean psychologist, or even mental coach. But the paradoxical thing about a super professional world like F1 is that the physical part has remained very similar to thirty years ago. 

 

"The pilots self-manage with their trainers". 

 

Teams are often not informed about the lifestyles of their drivers between one Grand Prix and another, and there is only one reason: they believe the car, with the talent of the driver, is decisive. For this world of technicians, resources are concentrated almost entirely on the mechanical vehicle, only the crumbs go to the preparation of the pilots.

 

"But then we're talking about the inability to manage the pressure when you make a mistake while driving…".

 

The founder of Formula Medicine warns. It is obvious that victory in a Grand Prix is ​​decided by the right set-up or pit stop, but the human factor should not be overlooked. Something clicked in Rosberg in August. The same spark that went out in Hamilton, regardless of engines burning or cars skidding at the start. And Rosberg confirms that the psychological factor remains primary with his words after Suzuka: 

 

"The advantage? I won't change my approach to racing, I won't make calculations. The important thing is to keep all your energy".

 

In this photograph there is all the dominance of Mercedes winning - well in advance and for the third time in a row - the World Constructors' Championship. But in this same photo there is the Ferrari disaster, for the umpteenth time off the podium despite the Maranello cars showing here that we are really fast (the fastest lap was set by Sebastian Vettel, 1'35"118 shortly after half the race). In fact, in the end Vettel placed fourth, ahead of his team-mate, despite having been in third position for a long time in the race. Applause, however, for Raikkonen who started - it should be remembered - in eighth position due to the replacement of change before the start. The too long wait for the pit stop further jeopardised - as did the pre-race penalties - the final result. Says Sebastian Vettel: 

 

"It would have been nice to get on the podium, we fought for second place for a long time, then we decided on a long strategy and lost time. We hoped the soft tyres would last longer, but it seemed like the right decision. And shared, we were close to Verstappen, and it made no sense to make the same choices as him: it seemed sensible to take a gamble. But in the end the gap shows that we could have made another choice...".

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And Kimi Raikkonen is also disappointed: 

 

"What I feel? A very big disappointment because the car was very competitive: if we had started further forward we could have exploited the speed better but that's how it went. Obviously on a circuit like this the problem is more evident and you end up following the lapped ones, but some of them were simply crazy. Every track is different, but the fact is that when there are blue flags only some slow down and let you pass. I'm one lap behind and I understand that sometimes they are fighting themselves, but it's not difficult to let people pass. You will always lose time, but if you are one lap behind that is part of racing. We end up doing a full lap behind them which could have been much better, but I don't think that changed our race any more than it did our starting position".

 

And he adds:

 

"This week we were fast. The final result did not show our true pace. We have already seen that the gaps between the various teams can change from race to race and therefore I don't know what position we could be in next weekend. My sensations were positive, everything worked in the right way and the car performed well. So I hope it's the same thing in the next race too. We used some parts at the last race and then decided to mount them here too for comparison. The pace was good all weekend and we wouldn't have put all the components on the car if we hadn't had confirmation that they would be useful to us. There are no big differences, just small changes here and there. So I would say that this is not the reason why we were suddenly more competitive than in the last race, because I don't know what the reason is, but all these things are still helping us".

 

Desperately looking for a strategist. With the third strategic error of the year (but also the fourth) and yet another missed podium, the question arises spontaneously: what is Ferrari doing? The last case, and we might as well have the protagonist tell it, involves Sebastian Vettel: 

 

"Verstappen, in second, tried to bring forward his pit stops to maintain track position. We tried to fit the softer tyres in the final stages, and initially we thought it would work, but the degradation was too high and took us away from the leading group. In hindsight it is easy to criticise and I’m sure that many 'experts' had already understood everything, but both on the wall and in the car we agreed and I wanted to try this strategy, delaying the last pit stop. I also lost time with the lapped riders, and in any case I don't know if the pace would have been enough to get to the podium".

 

This is what happened in Japan, but 2016 started badly straight away, right from the first Grand Prix in Australia. In Melbourne the two Ferrari - thanks to an excellent start - were in the lead on ultrasoft tyres and seemed to be travelling calmly. The strategy still included supersoft tyres at the first pit stop and then the softs to go towards the finish line. Instead, Alonso's terrible accident changed the fate of the race and the track engineers chose not to change the tyres when the Safety car restarted: they should have chosen the medium ones. From March to June, in Canada, another mockery by Hamilton who, overtaken by Vettel after a bad start, manages to extend the first stint to the maximum, saving a stop by stopping on lap 23 and taking his car to the finish line with the soft tyres. Another hard blow for the Maranello team's strategists. In the end, in Singapore, on September 18th: this time the victim is Raikkonen, and the technicians' error costs the podium to the Finnish driver who had managed to gain third position with a wonderful race and a nice overtaking on Hamilton: but what happens? On lap 45 Hamilton enters the pits to change tyres in order to carry out a very aggressive final stint of the race. And at Ferrari, instead of asking Raikkonen to push, they let him enter the pits, exactly the opposite of what happened at Suzuka.


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