Formula 1 drove for the first time last weekend at Mugello, the Tuscan circuit that is owned by Ferrari. It was a pretty chaotic Grand Prix: two red flags, with the race being completely stopped, were the ultimate proof of that. The Mercedes were again dominant. At Red Bull, only Alexander Albon had cause for a party.
Max Verstappen had a chance at Mugello to make life difficult for both Mercedes. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, his race already came to an end on the first lap. A few meters after the start he ran into problems due to a faltering engine. As a result, the declining Verstappen ended up in the bustle of the midfield. His RB16 was hit from behind by Kimi Räikkönen’s Alfa Romeo, who in turn had to avoid Pierre Gasly. Verstappen ended up in the gravel pit, tried to drive away for a while, but his rear wheels only dug in further with every dot of gas. End of exercise, also for Gasly.
After seven laps behind the safety car, the race could start again, but then disaster struck again. On the straight, the drivers tried to position themselves optimally behind Valtteri Bottas, who set the pace. In that positioning, where the speed is not constant, Antonio Giovinazzi made an error of judgment and drove into Nicolas Latifi, who then hit Kevin Magnussen again. Carlos Sainz then hit the back again. The drivers got out unharmed, but the straight was littered with parts and wrecks. As a result, the race management was forced to stop the race. After clearing up, the drivers gathered back to their positions and the race started again. However, it was not long before Lance Stroll was in the tire stacks. The competition management decided to repeat moves and waved the red flag again.
Alexander Albon seized his chance in the final stages of the race. Verstappen’s teammate outwitted Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo and then drove to his first podium unthreatened. Lewis Hamilton once again took the victory. We will never know whether Verstappen could have prevented him from doing so. In two weeks, Formula 1 will be in action in Russia, on the Sochi circuit.