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Formula 1: the calendar for the 2022 season
Formula 1: manufacturers' classification
Formula 1: drivers classification
Max Verstappen, more than ever king at home
Max Verstappen is heading straight for a second title of world champion in a row with now 109 points ahead of his pursuers in the World Championship.
In other words, while there are still seven races to go, he has four full jokers.
Something to almost roll your elbow at the door… This Sunday, in his stronghold, the Dutchman was imperial.
At the start, already, resisting perfectly to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc which was however better off.
Then by digging an interesting gap which allowed him to maneuver strategically with his hand.
And finally after the intervention of the safety car, which reshuffled the cards in favor of Mercedes, Verstappen managed an unstoppable blow to get rid of Lewis Hamilton as soon as the resumption.
A "masterclass" which made the traditional orange tide happy,
Fernando Alonso, the return of the warrior
If Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine at the end of the season, a start that can be described as eventful and not necessarily well accepted within the French team, the Spaniard is nonetheless an immense professional.
Out of the question for him to tarnish the end of his adventure with the Blues.
This Sunday, he did not let go of anything from start to finish.
In the first loops, he had the merit of playing with the two Alpha Tauri preceding him, in particular that of a Yuki Tsunoda whom he superbly overtook.
And in the last loops, when he was under threat from Lando Norris, he resisted magnificently, was not even far from getting the Red Bull of Sergio Pérez who was ahead of him.
On arrival, his 6th place is good for the constructors' classification for Alpine.
George Russell, the good strategist
The Briton is certainly only 24 years old, but he already has everything of an old veteran, with an astonishing maturity.
Thus, when the safety car had just entered the track 15 laps from the end, Russell saw himself propelled into second position.
It could then have burst into flames.
But no.
With remarkable lucidity, he then informed his pit of his decision to stop in order to change tyres, to put on soft rubbers.
This dropped him to third place.
Not serious.
Armed with his brand new tires, he swallowed Lewis Hamilton and recovered his property, to the chagrin of his teammate, mad with rage (see above).
With 188 points on his counter, Russell is only 13 small units behind the Leclerc-Pérez tandem.
FLOPS
Ferrari, one less tire
What could have happened on lap 14 at Ferrari for the transalpine team to welcome Carlos Sainz Jr. to the pits with only… three ready-to-use tires?
However, the judgment of the Spaniard had obviously nothing improvised.
If it was the Reds' first mistake, it could have passed but as the Scuderia multiplies them over the course of a season which is becoming more and more like a huge mess, it must have made more of them cry. 'one in Maranello.
Really, this image of this single-seater stopped waiting for a tire at the rear left was as pathetic as it was sad.
Fortunately, the safety car was still able to allow Charles Leclerc to save 3rd place because otherwise the Bérézina was full...
Read alsoFormula 1: Ferrari's disastrous pit stop for Carlos Sainz (video)
Lewis Hamilton, the losing choice
This Sunday, for sure, Lewis Hamilton must have dreamed, at one time, of triumphing over Max Verstappen on his land.
With a cleverly shifted strategy, the Briton was in the lead about fifteen laps from the checkered flag.
With George Russell buffering normally behind him.
But his teammate, feeling that the victory was only a pipe dream, decided to change tires, unlike his seven-time world champion teammate who stayed on the track, imagining himself resisting a Verstappen who was finally going to double….
From the first corner after the resumption of the race.
A disastrous recovery for Hamilton, very naive at the time.
And in the end, who was going to finish at the foot of the podium after having almost ejected his teammate from the race and showing a black anger on his radio.
It remains to be seen if it
is really his choice to stay on track or not.
But there must be someone responsible...
