Round 7: Canadian Grand Prix live retrospective blog

Justin:

Ok I realise calling this a live retrospective is a slight contradiction, but stay with me.

I've just returned from a week-long trip to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix.

The race wasn't a corker by any means, but it was an amazing experience for sure. Plus, whilst the race was a bit dull, being there live means you see things you wouldn't see up close on a TV. I was stood at the fence in front of grandstand 12 for a while, and the way the cars fly into the corner, hurl themselves at you before darting immediately right is a sight to behold. They also sound beautiful, sounding like fighter jets as they brake from the start/ finish straight.

I'm not a Ferrari fan, but that car under Seb looked amazing. It looked the most driveable car of the lot in that section. And...the engine. My word. The engine sounded like poetry in motion!!!

Grandstand 12

As you can see from the photo below, I couldn't have picked many better places to see the action from (though, you pay £250 for a 3 day ticket, you possibly might expect more than a metal bench to perch on..). We would have witnessed all the first corner mayhem, if any had happened. Still, we saw Mad Max try and take Bottas on the first lap, plus a couple of other spins through the race.

40th anniversary - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

It was the 40th anniversary of the first race on this circuit, which was won by the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. So, we were in for a treat. Jacques driving his Dad's Ferrari 312 around the track!!! Now, I have seen video of Jacques absolutely punishing this car around a test track (can't recall what video exactly), but even a parade lap where he was toddling along sent shivers down my spine and made a special weekend even more so. The sound of the engine....I just cannot. :-).

Excited!!!

Now, I'm a chap who gets excited when attending Grand Prix weekends. Part of the build up for me is simply spotting F1 people on the flight over to wherever the race is. My mates and I spotted DC at Brussels airport in 2012. I was reading Damon Hill's book when I spotted him in the waiting area for my Singapore flight in 2016. This year I saw none other than both Tom Clarkson and Andrew Benson on the flight and Jenny Gow in the passport queue. How fantastic is that eh?! Me spotting F1 people I look up to is all part of it for me.

The last time I'll see Fernando Alonso at an F1 race in person?

It could be. I'd rather it wasn't, but it could be. I won't be seeing another race in person until next year now, when he might be in Indycar or the World Endurance Championship full time (and only in that). Who knows?

I'll just leave a photo and video from Canada here.

Vettel - 50 up!!

Whilst I said the race was dull above, it actually wasn't. It was a pleasure witnessing a driver at the peak of his powers utterly dominating the track and his peers. Vettel looked completely on it for every lap of the race. The car danced to his tune. The Ferrari looking amazing and sounding amazing all weekend.

I'll sign off with a couple more pictures :-).

Round 4: Russia

Justin:

Best radio transmission of the year, or any year in recent history..
Clearly goes to Mr Vettel. Amongst the many bleeps, he was essentially exasperated at being punted off not once, but twice! Classic, amusing stuff there. Kvyat admitted fault for turn 2 as he locked up, but at turn 3 Vettel was lifting off because he thought he had damage. It's a bit more difficult to react when you are following someone a metre behind at 200mph, when they suddenly slow down where they are meant to be doing flat out.

Ferrari are not having the best of starts to a season at all. Then again, Kimi has collected two podiums in as many races. You'd have thought Vettel could have done more though.

Fun racing, but not at the front
It was a great race to watch, with plenty going on through the field, except at the front. Rosberg was comfortable in leading throughout and took his 4th win of the year, 7th in a row (joining Ascari and Schumacher on that tally, with only Vettel on 9 ahead of him). I've said this before...Hamilton ran off like a scalded dog for most of 2015 and there was no fighting at the front. Same for Rosberg right now.

Once again his main competition had problems and fell away at the start (Vettel), or even before the start (Hamilton with his engine issues starting 10th).

Rosberg knows the challenge will come eventually. Hamilton knows too. He also knows he can't buy any luck at all right now.

McLaren rising? 
Alonso the racer and fighter is still there, as evidenced by him going round the outside of all the mess at turn 3. Opportunity/ luck/ instinct...call it what you will, it lifted him to 8th and he eventually finished 6th. Button took 10th and despite Vettel falling off the track, both guys said the pace was there and a double points finish was on merit.

Driver of the day
Max was running second for a while, Alonso got a good result. Both Williams drivers did well too. Magnussen came 7th....in a Renault. Right there is my driver of the day I think. Either him or Hamilton.

To Spain in two weeks we go. I want a fight at the front between Lewis and Nico.

Might be worth pointing out that it's twenty years since Damon Hill won the championship. To date, he is the only world champion son of a world champion. To date. Twenty years is a nice round number no?

The final word is for Ayrton Senna. I read somewhere that the Russian GP this year was the first to be held on May 1st since Senna died 22 years ago. Wow. 22 years. Still feels like yesterday.

A legend. He passed away on raceday, but of course we cannot forget Roland Ratzenberger, who died the day before.

Both guys were 34, which I only just realised.

Looking towards the next race in China

Justin: Better late than never I guess. My Co-blogger left it to me to talk about Alonso's engine blowing at the end of the race in Sepang. What can I say? I was so traumatised I just could not face blogging about it. Talk about some fun racing though! Twice he overtook only for Button to re-pass him straight away. Nail biting stuff there!

It's too late in the day for me to go over what happened in Malaysia, particularly as my co-blogger did such a splendid job.

Looking towards China, forget the title race for a moment. I'd say the person with perhaps the most riding on this one is none other than Shumi himself.

Interestingly he came on record recently saying he was happy with his comeback thus far.

This article from The Observer comments about his comeback thus far - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/apr/11/michael-schumacher-mercedes-formula-one

Personally, I don't think the Mercedes is a winning car so he won't win races just yet. But surely the arguement that it isn't a winning car doesnt mean Michael should be coming in lower than 6th in each race, usually miles behind his team mate.

I'm sure Shumi will be stung by being pigeon holed with Petrov as being the only two people on the grid to be out qualified at every race thus far by their respective team mates!

Ok, its only one more race, the 4th on his comeback trail, but I'd have thought he'd like to start going forwards as opposed to backwards sooner rather than later.

Race starts at 8am on the 18th, so coverage starts at 7am I think. Quali is on an hour or so earlier on the Saturday so it's two early ones. Bah! The things we do for F1 eh.

Welcome to the blog

Phil: Welcome to our new blog. We're one race into one of the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 seasons in years, with Alonso at Ferrari, the return of Michael Schumacher, three new teams and a ban on refuelling. The first race, at Bahrain two weeks ago, however, was criticised for being a bit boring. Well, you haven't seen boring yet. Wait until a few more blog entries, you'll be begging for Bahrain 2010 then.

This weekend's race in Melbourne is billed as a sunset spectacular. That's sunset in Australia, so still redeye in the UK. We'll post again over the weekend, if we can be bothered to get up early at watch it.