When Ferrari and Renault self-dismiss as possible candidates to win a Formula 1 grand prix before 2022, they must see it very hairy. First it was the French team that, on the occasion of the announcement of the return of Fernando Alonso with a view to the coming course, made it clear that the color of the next two titles will be silver. "I am fully aware of the situation and that this year and probably also in 2021 only one team will win," agreed the Asturian on the day that the diamond mark made his return public. Days later it was John Elkann, the president of Ferrari, who acknowledged that he does not expect to see one of Il Cavallino Rampante's carscelebrating a triumph until the revolutionary rule change is implemented in two seasons. "Ferrari is going through a difficult time that comes from afar. We haven't won the constructors 'title since 2008, and the drivers' title since 2007 [with Kimi Raikkonen], ”Elkann told Gazzetta dello Sport . “First came the Red Bull cycle (2010-2013) thanks to its aerodynamic capacity, and then the Mercedes cycle due to its skill in hybrid technology. Our car is not competitive. At the moment we are laying the foundations to be able to win again when the change in the regulations takes place, in 2022 ”, added the executive.
Now we know why: as revealed by Motorsport.com , several teams in the paddock performed phonometric measurements at Silverstone, during the third screening of the timed session (Q3), which coincides with the decisive moment of the grid formation and when the prototypes are configured to deliver their maximum performance. The obtained values revealed that the Mercedes power unit is capable of delivering more than a thousand horsepower at specific moments. Those same studies, applied to the engines of other manufacturers, made it possible to develop a sort of ranking based on the muscle of each car. The Honda engine of the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri would occupy the second position, with 28 horsepower less than Mercedes. That of Renault (Renault and McLaren), the third, with a deficit of 37 compared to the German and that of Ferrari (Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo), would go to the last place in that table, with 42 fewer horses than Mercedes.
That difference partly explains why Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas share five of the six victories that have been put into play this season, with a crushing 4-1 advantage in favor of the former. If Max Verstappen was able to prevail last week in the second consecutive stop at Silverstone, it was because he played the counterattack with tire management and the bet was lost. Renault continues, like Ferrari, in a re-founding stage, and it has also already been erased from the tatami. The Scuderia, in turn, has problems that go beyond a lack of power.
Thus, Hamilton is racing towards the seventh title that will place him on the same legendary plane in which Michael Schumacher is installed so far alone. He has everything in his face and, as was clear this Sunday in Montmeló, he also does everything well at the wheel of the most dominating car in the history of the event. And not just because of its engine. The Briton made good the pole that was awarded on Saturday to take the lead of the pack and dedicate himself to temporizing and controlling the distance over Verstappen. The Dutchman managed in the start to rob Bottas a second place that the Finn had practically in his pocket. This is the 88th win for Hamilton's service record, which is just three short of the all-time record held by Michael Schumacher. Carlos Sainz, for his part, finished sixth, a position that is again above the real possibilities of the McLaren he drives.
A masterclass from @LewisHamilton as he takes his fourth win of 2020 to extend his lead at the top of the driver standings! #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 # F1 pic.twitter.com/EpRRBgPE2n
- Formula 1 (@ F1) August 16, 2020