Pip Pip Tally Ho, Bitches! Wake Up for the Classic Silverstone aka Silvastun Formula 1 GP 🇬🇧🏎💂🏾
Today is yet another day of Marlbo-, ahem, sorry Mission Winnow being weird. But this race weekend, we're in for a real treat... we have some sprint qualifying to do!!!!!!!!!!!!! Formula 2 has already begun doing this, so these heffas are late. Not sure what this sprint "race" means for the weekend, OP will do her best to explain. Round 10 of 23 (maybe 22, or 21, or just go the fuck back to 17). Today's race begins 10:00 AM ET.
A Recap, as always, from The Moving Bricks
Click to viewOur Austrian GP Results!
1st Place: Max Verstappen
2nd Place: Valtteri Bottas
3rd Place: Lando Norris
Here's What the Driver's Championship looks like so far:
https://instagram.com/p/CQ6drdCIOYB
and the Constructor's Championship:
https://instagram.com/p/CQ6oTiYI_X9
Who is the Speed King?
*Vettel
Silv'stn is a historic GP, it's the home of Formula 1. Let's dive into some classic moments and stats in Sir Lewis's streets.
In 2020, there were no fans, but today there are over 100,000 in the middle of the pandemic. It was the first race for the inaugural Formula One Championship, so what better way to introduce the sprint race.
Regular race weekend
- Free Practice (FP) 1, FP 2, FP3, the Saturday's Qualifying which sets the grid order for Sunday. OP has already gone into how this works, if you need a review, click here.
Sprint Qualifying weekend order
- FP 1
- Qualifying is now on Friday. This is the regular 20, eliminate by 5 each time routine. HOWEVER, the results of the regular qualifying will be the grid order for SPRINT! Qualifying.
- FP 2
- Sprint Qualifying will now occur on Saturday in place of the FP3. The race is 100km, about 1/3 of a regular race, so anywhere from 25 - 40 mins, so is it really a sprint????? 🤔. There are no mandatory pit stops, but teams are allowed to make them. The sprint qualifying serves as to be a revert back to pure open-wheel racing. This also means OP has go digging in the ESPN schedule again so early like this:
- Okay so here's how the results of sprint qualifying works. Once the Sprint Qualifying is completing, that resulting order will be the order for Sunday's race! The top three finishers in Sprint Qualifying are awarded 3, 2, or 1 point. At this point, no major changes to the car can be made with the exception of some small adjustments that would be regulated by the FIA.
- Those who lament the idea of Sprint Qualifying might argue that this will still end up in the favor of Red Bull and Mercedes and okay, that may be right.
HOWEVER!
This can be a great chance for the midfield and even back markers to score some worthy points for their team for Sunday, given car is in decent shape and team strategy is in top form. And as we have seen in some previous races, some of these men can drag these shitboxes to places they don't deserve. We might see some pleasant surprises. So, for Sprint Qualifying, it's worth fighting tooth and nail. Damn it, let Baby Schumi get him some points.
Let's go fight Bernie Ecclestone on sight y'all
We're using C3, C2, and C1 - the hardest Pirelli Compounds. Oh yeah and a new tyre rule. They are only allowed to use the soft tyres to complete their laps but they get a free choice in the sprint race. In Q1, there was lots of damn traffic like a lot. Mr. Saturday (George Russell) became Mr. Friday as he pushed the Williams to Q2. Estaban Ocon (Alpine) got him a new chassis, so let's hope he can make it to Q2 again.
He made it to Q2, but knocked out of Q3. Russell (Williams) knocked Fernando Alonso (Alpine) out of Q3.
Honestly, it was a pretty decent Quali session simply because no one spun and these results just simply go to Saturday's Sprint! Qualifying. Sir Lewis is taking a not pole position, they have no idea what to call it and David Coulthard (former McLaren and RBR driver) asked Valtteri some rude ass questions.
Who is our Speed King after Qualifying? Yes, it's sounds like something you'd make up when you were seven or if you were Nicky Pizza writing for another season of True Detective.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
It's Sir Lewis Hamilton!
https://instagram.com/p/CRZo_AUIA_v
They gave him a lil' tyre, but I think with the name he should've gotten a Burger King crown (they have Impossible Burgers). And Ch4rles is well, ya know - cursed.
Let's do the Sprint Race. Is this just for more money?
Yes.
In the first lap, Alonso gained six places from 11th to 6th. Phenomenal. Russell managed to push Carlos on track. Well looky here, some trust fund kid (not Lando, Stroll, or Schumacher) spun. There's been some brilliant defending by Verstappen on his overtake or Sir Lewis, but he also started with his brakes on fire so ummmmm we'll see. Sergio spun in lap five but managed to get back onto the Hangar straight with some front wing damage, losing a significant amount of time but still ahead of Mazepin. Ricciardo did a lovely overtake on Alonso with on of the best battles during the Sprint! Sprint leaders Verstappen and Hamilton gained some significant blistering on their front tyres starting on lap 12, but with only 17 laps - having a pit is just poor choice. And the Vettel - Alonso War of the 2010s comes on back, but Alonso delivered a thrilling start, overtaking 6 cars in just nine corners - that's pretty much unheard of, except if you're Alonso - my messy legend.
Oh look it's a HAM-BOT-VER combo: Wreath Edition with a bus victory lap hosted by Fine White Man Jenson Button! And Ch4rles.
https://instagram.com/p/CRb1vO1I8O8
https://instagram.com/p/CRcD_zJIKzT
In the end, Verstappen took P1, while Mercedes take 2nd and 3rd. - OP wanted Lewis to get his lil' wreath, it'd be so wholesome like dis
What OP who's been an F1 fan for all of two seconds thinks the weekend format should go:
- put a little bit more effort in those wreaths.
- Sprint Qualifying should have no effect on Sunday's race. So just keep standard qualifying as it is for Sunday.
- But if Sprint Quali were to stay, keep points for the top 3, but also awards points for fastest lap, most overtakes, most positions gained at the finish. At least that gives more close wheel to wheel racing as the midfield teams and back markers can actually have a legit chance at gaining some points points.
Good morning, let's look at the new 2022 F1 car...
https://instagram.com/p/CRWpkN-JRrh
isn't it just fucking hideous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some of the new changes. We have 18 inch Pirelli tyres as opposed to 13 inch to give a more "contemporary aggressive look" - definitely their words, not mine and is built to maintain clean airflow. The rear wing is well, "Visually, the 2022 rear wing is a very different, with its upper ‘rolled tips’ rather than straight endplates and additional lower elements. The new design is specifically to draw the aerodynamic wake (the airflow coming off the car) up and over the following car rather than directly into it - a factor that has made it hard for drivers to follow in the current era." There's still DRS.
In traditional F1 fashion, the reveal was hella cringey featuring the like of the President of Pirelli some Italian dude, FIA President Stefano Domenicali, and F1's Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds, ya know that man that help orchestrate one the sport's biggest cheating scandals. It featured of a lot of empty corporate speak from them reading off a script about F1's committment to sustainability.
The Hamilton Commission Puts a Spotlight on Motorsport Inequality
https://instagram.com/p/CRRpxzTIfnc
You can read the full report here. But Hamilton along with forming the commission has pushed for there to be more presence in STEM fields for racial and ethnic minorities, highlighting issues that Black people in motorsport and who want to be in motorsport have faced. Trust me, if you're like OP and have worked in an overwhelmingly white field, lots of these findings well - aren't surprising.
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