This time, Red Bull was slightly more competitive in qualifying and the race.
Truth be told, in qualifying, Max Verstappen got an amazing tow from Hadjar, hoping for P1. He even managed it for a few seconds until Antonelli finished his lap and took the top spot.
But still, a P2 in qualifying for Max this season is something, considering how uncompetitive the car has been.
I only caught about 22 laps of the race because I had to leave for the “DRAFT pentru o retrospectivă comună” exhibition guided by Mr. Dan Perjovschi. But there were enough early-race incidents that I wasn’t completely gutted about missing the end.
I said I wanted to see a good start from Max, or for Charles and Russell to crash out.
The first lap delivered: Max had a great start (P1 for a few seconds), Charles, more confident on the brakes, moved up to P2 on lap one, and Russell was taken out in the first lap after contact with Lewis. ❤️
Russell is having a dreadful season. I enjoy making fun of him, but I get the feeling Mercedes is experimenting with his car.
Even though Charles led the race by lap 23 for a while, Mercedes still seems to have the better car, and Antonelli caught and passed him without much trouble. But I don’t think the gap between Mercedes and Ferrari is that huge.
It’s still disgusting to see these cars, which should be the most powerful, experiencing clipping (losing power) on the straights and in sections where you need to be flat out. That whole stretch from La Source through Eau Rouge, Raidillon to Les Combes, especially from Raidillon to Les Combes, the power just dies.
Antonelli continues to lead the championship with a very good chance of taking the title, but the gap isn’t massive. If he has two bad races, the situation could flip.
