SOCHI REVIEW BY BEN STEVENS
Outside the top 3, it was another tough
day for Red Bull, starting with an engine-
scare for Daniel Ricciardo, and finishing with
their best lap 1.711 seconds off pole in Q3. If
there’s 3-tenths between the Renault engine
and Mercedes, I’m Vladimir Putin. The French
manufacturer is three tenths away from being
three tenths away, at the very least.
Speaking of struggling, two drivers who
have endured particularly trying starts to
the season – Pascal Wehrlein and Jo Palmer
– enjoyed similarly dismal Saturdays. Both
drivers went off at the end of Q1, although
you get the sense that unlike Wehrlein, such
incidents are something Palmer increasingly
can’t afford.
And what happened to Romain Grosjean?
Finishing dead last in the Haas, I haven’t seen
a Frenchman this frustrated by Russia since
Napoleon invaded in 1812. He clearly had no
confidence in the car, and it makes it hard to
believe the P6 in Melbourne qualy was little
more than a month ago.
After making an appearance in paddock
in Bahrain, the aforementioned Ecclestone took
it to another level in Sochi, showing up with
his crew in matching jackets. If we don’t get a
musical showdown between his gang and the
Liberty Media boys, I’ll be sorely disappointed.
On a final note, it was highly alarming
to hear Fernando Alonso say the “car felt
good” at the end of Q1. Few things can be more
indicative of the apocalypse than the Spaniard
praising his McLaren, thankfully he was back
to blasting it by Q2 – crisis averted!