With the first stop of the season, following the first two races, it's time for the first comments and analysis. And, for the occasion, we interviewed exclusively Roberto Chinchero, journalist for Motorsport.com and columnist for Sky Sport F1 during the race weekends.
Here are his statements:
Roberto what a start to the season! Did you expect it like this?
“I wished so! The new regulation was very ambitious, so I definitely hoped for it. However, I had one fear: I thought there was a team that, in some way, could interpret the regulations better than the others, thus witnessing a real domination which, frankly, after last year's balance, would have been difficult to accept. So it was a pleasant surprise”.
Great expectations had arisen around Ferrari, did it surprise you a bit?
“The merit of such a beautiful start to the season is undoubtedly also due to Ferrari, which has managed to become the antagonist of Red Bull. Luckily the Reds were ready and went well beyond my expectations: I was sure that Ferrari would improve, but by how much? An answer that no one could give at the beginning of the season, and instead they were able to amaze us. We must therefore be grateful, but the fans of the Reds are undoubtedly grateful as well as all fans of this sport. When starting a new project, engineers always set themselves technical objectives in which they try to have very specific targets. The problem is that you don't know how much the opponents have managed to do. However, I believe that the awareness of having worked well in Maranello has always been there, even if at the tests in Bahrain, when we saw the new Mercedes for the first time, I won't hide from you that there was a few hours of panic. In reality, somewhat naively, we have associated revolutionary forms with performance success, when they are two completely separate things”.
What about overweight Red Bull instead? Losing weight is not easy even for cars…
“It's a very difficult exercise. It's not that when the engineers designed the car they didn't keep weight in mind; they simply failed to do better than that. Now, faced with a very important problem like weight, you don't mess around. We have seen how much, on average, 10 kg more means losing a couple of tenths, and we have seen how important two tenths are with this Formula One. Now there's a race to cut the gram but, beyond the budget cap aspect, it's a difficult exercise. It's not easy at all. Once upon a time you could have fine-tuned certain materials a bit, but today they're already tight at the start and no one can get me out of my head at the first race of the season in Bahrain. at Red Bull they ran out of petrol, a choice made above all for the weight problem".
But are Milton Keynes scared by the engine problems seen at AlphaTauri?
“Right now it is especially for AlphaTauri. I think we need to consider a fundamental aspect: they still have the engines they receive from Japan, from the Honda headquarters, but the technicians who manage the engine on the track have changed. I think it's more of a transfer of knowledge. Engines are complex: they are managed, configured, monitored. So I believe that on this front, in AlphaTauri, there is not yet such an expert staff available, because it becomes difficult to believe that an engine, reliable last year, will not magically be so this year. There are probably external causes and this handover didn't help; also because if there are still few Japanese engineers they are diverted to Red Bull. But, despite everything, I can tell you that the Austrian team didn't seem particularly alarmed about this aspect, at least for the moment”.
Going back to the track, how much are you enjoying the Leclerc-Verstappen clash?
“Formula One is clearly a technical sport, but then in the end there are those two hours of racing in which the element that can make the most difference is the driver. I am very happy to see the challenge between two guys who already know a lot of it some time ago, and I am happy to see Leclerc again able to race for the highest goals because he has just returned from two years of purgatory. I'm also happy to see Verstappen who can no longer afford to race like he did at the end of last year, when he was obviously ahead in the standings: this is the Verstappen we like, also because he can't afford to finish the race on the streets escape with Ferrari. We are really seeing the beautiful side of Verstappen, which is really a lot, and the beautiful side of Leclerc, of which I am convinced: he can't wait to get on track in Melbourne to try to bring home the victory".
Mercedes chapter: I'm in trouble. How do you rate their start to the season and how much can the budget cap weigh in view of their next updates?
“It will start to matter the moment they realize that to correct the errors on their car, they will have to modify a large part of it. In any case, they have budgeted for the development budget for the next few years, but those for extraordinary works will have set aside only a little. They're in bad shape. They are still convinced that when they manage to solve the jumping problem, the value of the project will be seen, but I won't hide from you that I am beginning to have some doubts about the project itself: they had a test session and two race weekends at their disposal and I they seemed to be in a positive trend. Developments are expected in Melbourne: a new rear wing without a doubt, while for the bottom we may have to wait for Imola. Then the updates will come, but in the meantime the opponents run away. I think Mercedes will have to reduce its usual objectives this year, but I hope that from Imola/Barcelona they can be in the match: the Red Bull-Ferrari show is already wonderful, let alone with the addition of Mercedes”.
Do you expect Russell to get into the fight too?
“I expect it. When the Mercedes takes you, it is normal for expectations to be high. I think it is clearly a mistake to think that Mercedes has taken Russell as Hamilton's squire. This is absolutely not the case. Russell has to prove he's the after Hamilton for Mercedes, otherwise it would be a big problem for them, because if Hamilton were to retire, and he will, they need the early drive they hope they've already found in Russell. Also because market situations would become very complicated: Leclerc is firmly in Ferrari and Verstappen has signed for life with Red Bull. At this point I think they would be forced to tack on Norris."
What is the team that has amazed you the most so far?
“Definitely Haas. Let's remember where they started from: they were last but also for posting. They took Magnussen who is clearly not the latest arrival, but I thought he needed a little more time to adapt and instead the test in Bahrain was enough for him to put everything in focus. Without forgetting that the car is good, which makes all the difference in the world. Let's look at Norris for example, who is a super good driver, but to go and find out you have to go and check the times, the comparison with Ricciardo, which is not everyone's exercise. It's a bit like the fate of drivers who drive cars that don't allow them to stand out. It's clear that right now it's easier to notice Magnussen than Norris, but I think McLaren too will come out in the end, we always wait more or less for Imola/Barcelona, because if you do badly there too then the season takes a bad turn".
I'll throw you a little provocation: on this Alfa Romeo, how much I would have loved to see Giovinazzi... what are you saying?
“I would have liked it a lot, if we also think about this car. But I'm still hopeful: there's going to be quite a bit of movement in the driver market this year, so he can have a chance. But be careful not to underestimate Bottas: Antonio had his best season last year, but I would have liked to see Giovinazzi alongside Bottas. Watch out for the Finn who, especially in qualifying, knows how to do the lap and Hamilton knows something about it".
One of the most discussed topics in recent days has been safety in Formula One. What level do you think we are at?
“The cars are amazing. Suffice it to say that, for example, ten years ago accidents like Schumacher's, which represent the worst case scenario for the driver, would never have been resolved like this. So 10 and praise to the International Federation that when it makes a mistake, we always know how to criticize, while on safety we really can't say anything and it continues to be an open building site and to always move forward. Even after Grosjean's accident there was a long study. We must give them credit for having taken some really crazy steps in this respect. Coming instead to the safety of the tracks, there are some things that escape a bit. Sometimes we say that the circuits are not demanding for the drivers, that they don't make a difference… . Clear: Jeddah is a bit on the edge. We are talking about a street circuit, in which the escape routes are very small, walls… but with very high speeds. This is a combination that significantly raises the danger of the track. I believe that in these cases the only ones we have to refer to are the riders and, no matter how many talks we've made about safety, no rider has complained about the dangers of the track and it struck me a bit, when in reality I was expecting a grip very strong position on their part. It's an open debate, in which I find it hard to take sides however, that Jeddah is more dangerous than Singapore, it doesn't rain much, but at the moment I wouldn't go on a crusade against the route in Arabia”.
Do you want to give some advice to the Formula One fantasy managers? What will be your team at FantaF1?
“Of the first three top teams, I would take Verstappen. Then I would bet on Norris, Gasly, Ocon and for the last place bonus I'll take Latifi ".
