New Motor Sport Magazine article: The races that never happened: F1's cancelled grands prix

Hamel Alrayeh [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org
/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Today the not-exactly-surprising confirmation has landed that the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled for April 19, is at least postponed due to coronavirus.

But as with most things in Formula 1, grands prix being postponed or cancelled is far from being new.

So for Motor Sport Magazine I have taken a look at five notable previous times that F1 races were canned.

You can have a read here.

Motor Verso F1 2018 Season Summary - Bahrain Grand Prix review

By Habeed Hameed (2014 Formula 1
 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) [CC BY-SA
 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

As mentioned we have a slightly different format for our Motor Verso race reviews this year. All is going into a single super duper F1 2018 season summary article. In that you'll find my take on pre-season expectations, other content and details about the year, and we'll be adding my view on each race after they happen one-by-one.

And my take on the Bahrain race has now been added. A race that reminded us that F1 never is predictable. All of a sudden it appears Mercedes isn't having the walkover this year that we expected. We got a thrilling finish too.

You can read my latest thoughts here: https://www.motorverso.com/2018-f1-summary/

Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.

Bahrain GP Report - Changed days

To think that just over two weeks ago after Melbourne's season-opening qualifying session we were bracing ourselves for a year of Mercedes domination. Somehow Ferrari, and Sebastian Vettel, has won the campaign's opening two rounds. The first time the Scuderia has done so since its pomp of 2004.

Against advance expectations Sebastian Vettel

made it two wins from two

Photo: Octane Photography

It's not been quite as simple as those days of demonstration runs in red. The Melbourne win owed much to external events. This time in Bahrain though it all of a sudden was down to pace, mixed on race day with some seat of the pants strategy. F1 whatever else happens never loses its capacity to surprise.

Quite where the Ferrari potency came from isn't clear, but Bahrain is a very different challenge in temperature and layout to Australia; the Italian team also had worked on its troublesome front end between rounds. Add in F1's capacity for voodoo and the Ferrari was the car to beat here.

It locked out the front row of the grid, Vettel ahead, and looked hard to stop. A recent F1 truism is that the usually haughty Mercedes is less happy relatively on softer tyre compounds, as well as when the temperatures go up. The combination of these in Bahrain led to it struggling with overheating the supersoft rubber in qualifying. Adding to its woe, gearbox damage from Melbourne meant Lewis Hamilton had to add five to his starting slot from the fourth place he managed in quali. But of course Mercedes is never to be counted out, and it sought to make a virtue of its vices.

Bahrain GP Betting Preview - Silver below the surface

We know the importance of digging deeper. It is true that Sebastian Vettel won in Australia two weeks ago, and that he won the Bahrain round last year. So, on the surface, does that make him a slam dunk to win again in Bahrain this weekend? No, not quite.

Sebastian Vettel won in Melbourne, but the smart money
remains with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
Photo: Octane Photography

Vettel was clear throughout the Melbourne curtain-raiser that even with his success the Ferrari isn't handling to his liking and the red machine has a way to go to catch Mercedes. The on-track running said that as well, aside from the impact of Seb's sizeable slab of fortune from a Virtual Safety Car appearance midway through the race.

The odds available on Seb at 7/2 to win in Bahrain aren't hideous, but perhaps the better value is with his team-mate this time. Kimi Raikkonen was Ferrari's pace-setter in Melbourne, his gentle style seems better for meeting the current Ferrari halfway. He has a good record at this Sakhir track too - he's finished fourth here four times in the last six. The 11/4 available for him to finish on the podium again this time looks very tempting. As is the 12/1 for a Kimi special of bagging fastest lap.

Sakhir Preview: Desert mirage

Typical Tilke. It is a phrase that for better and worse has entered the modern F1 vocabulary, reflecting that architect Hermann of that ilk has for two decades been responsible almost exclusively for the sport's new circuits. The Bahrain track that we visit this weekend embodies the phrase more than most.

Bahrain's Sakhir circuit is a 'Typical Tilke' venue
By Dave Jefferys - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaffapix/
26252296810/in/album-72157664943710804/, CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48424119

Built from nothing on a vast expanse (in this case, desert). All clean lines and gleaming architecture. With a sense that every one of Bernie's numerous exacting demands have been met.

Yet the place has some of the typical Tilke flipside too. The round represented a large geographical stride into a new world, but this has been amid agonising over whether F1 neglected core support in the same movement; indeed F1's new owners appear minded to row back on this a little. While this particular round has had controversy attached for more weighty reasons still.

The Sakhir track is typical Tilke in its layout as well. Long straights book-ended by tight corners designed to promote overtaking, with a dash of variation and a quick esses elsewhere. Its triangular layout is like a flattened-out Red Bull Ring. However also like the Red Bull Ring it despite everything tends to produce entertaining races. And F1 could do with one.

Bahrain Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Two out of three ain't bad

By Dave Jefferys - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaffapix/
26252296810/in/album-72157664943710804/, CC BY-SA
2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/
w/index.php?curid=48424119

It was just like the season. It was captivating. It took us around the houses. But in the end it came back to the chief theme of Sebastian Vettel vs. Lewis Hamilton.

After qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix it looked like it might be different. But come the race the already-established tete-a-tete was soon back on. And that was only the beginning of the parallels with previous rounds of the fledgling 2017 campaign.

While after vanquishing Lewis and Merc once again, for Seb and Ferrari as the old song goes two out of three ain't bad.

I give my take on it all in my review of the Sakhir action for Motor Verso. You can have a read here: http://www.motorverso.com/bahrain-gp-2017-review-two-three-aint-bad/

Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.

Firstpost Video - Bahrain Grand Prix Review

Here's the latest Firstpost Video Grand Prix Review. This time Mithila and Kunal from the Inside Line F1 Podcast review last weekend's excellent Bahrain race won by Sebastian Vettel. You can watch below:

Bahrain GP Report - Returning to the theme

Come back to what you know, as the song went. F1 returned to already familiar themes in the Bahrain Grand Prix today. Valtteri Bottas's interloper performance to get pole position proved just that - again things distilled to the Sebastian Vettel versus Lewis Hamilton game for two players. And it was another thrilling one.

For the second time in three rounds, Sebastaian Vettel
and Ferrari got it right to win
Photo: Octane Photography

It was one of strategy, on the watch, not wheel-to-wheel. But no less gripping for that. And for the second time in three it was Ferrari and Seb that got it right to triumph. The Scuderia's calls were both aggressive and spot on - something that seemed a world away last season. Seb meanwhile was fast and immaculate in converting it all to a win under pressure. That bit is altogether less new.

There were echoes of previous rounds of the fledgling 2017 season everywhere in the Sakhir race. Just like round one in Australia, Vettel having been outpaced in qualifying looked the quickest thing in the race. Just as in Australia too - after vaulting Lewis at the first turn (something Seb aptly called "crucial"), later on the brakes - he apparently was happy to sit on the leading Mercedes's gearbox, this time that of Bottas, in the opening stint.

Sakhir Qualifying - Valtteri comes to the party

The story could have been achingly familiar. One in which thoughts of a challenge to the Mercedes were dashed. Just like happened at this track last year. And the year before. The Sakhir circuit is a place where Merc likes to snatch hope from its rivals - and of a few others - that it's about to be usurped.

In Bahrain qualifying Valtteri Bottas came to the party
Photo: Octane Photography

It did just that in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but the story even so was not familiar. As for the first time since his promotion to the Brackley squad Valtteri Bottas stepped up. And stepped up all the way to pole position. His first ever.

Our tantalising Mercedes vs. Ferrari scrap, new for 2017, has from many viewpoints been distilled to Lewis Hamilton vs. Sebastian Vettel. On the basis of the opening two rounds one had good reason to think that way. But, despite some appearances, F1 can never be said to be altogether predictable. And in today's qualifying session the embattled Finn, still new in the Merc squad, in the nick of time reminded us that we can't be necessarily quite so reductive.

Bahrain GP Betting Preview - Flutter on Ferrari

F1 in 2017 has been a lot about Ferrari. It's of course had a strong start to the campaign - surprisingly so - and in China demonstrated it is the real deal in a real championship fight, by at least matching Mercedes on race pace at a track that in theory suited the silver team.

There are reasons to think Ferrari will be leading
Mercedes again in Bahrain
Photo: Octane Photography

Yet for the bookies old habits die hard it seems. They still have Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes as favourites to win out this weekend in Bahrain. But even over and above Ferrari's general form, as outlined in my race preview plenty about this one in Sakhir - hot temperatures, a premium on rear grip among many other things - could well mean it's Ferrari country. And you can get Sebastian Vettel to triumph in the race at a full 19/10. Tempting.

Despite all of this Mercedes, and especially Lewis Hamilton, has still had a qualifying talisman this year. Lewis to get his third pole from three in 2017 this weekend can be backed at evens.

And if you want to really follow through on your Lewis to start on pole/Seb to win the race theory, you can also get 5/2 on the Bahrain race winner starting second, and (if you have faith in Valtteri Bottas) 9/2 on the winner starting third.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen to get onto the podium in Bahrain looks good value at 6/5. Partly as the above considerations about Ferrari apply to him too, but also that Kimi has a good record at this track, and indeed has finished second in four of the last five Bahrain Grands Prix.

In terms of longer shot stuff, Felipe Massa to finish the race in the top three can be got at a stonking 70/1. This coming in would likely require some attrition ahead, but the Williams has looked strong on raw pace at least in 2017 (perhaps in Red Bull territory), the Sakhir track should suit the car plus Felipe is another who tends to go well here. The odds, given these, look generous.

Romain Grosjean at 6/1 to finish in the top six in Bahrain also looks a reasonable punt. He finished fifth here least year and the Haas has looked decent this season. Esteban Ocon is to do the same at 16/1 looks even more reasonable. Force India has a good Bahrain record, such as Sergio Perez finishing third in 2014.

All odds quoted in this article were accurate on the Oddschecker website at 2100 GMT on Wednesday 12 April 2017.

Sakhir Preview: Ferrari the favourite?

Typical Tilke. It is a phrase that for better and worse has entered the modern F1 vocabulary, reflecting that over recent decades the architect Hermann of that ilk has been responsible almost exclusively for the sport's new and new-fangled circuits. And the Bahrain track that we visit this weekend embodies the phrase more than most.

Bahrain's Sakhir circuit is one of F1's
archetypal modern venues
By Dave Jefferys - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaffapix/
26252296810/in/album-72157664943710804/, CC BY-SA
2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/
index.php?curid=48424119

Sakhir is indeed typical Tilke. Built from nothing on an open vast expanse (in this case, desert). All clean lines and gleaming architecture. And comes with a sense that every one of Bernie's numerous and haughty demands have been met.

Yet it has some of the typical Tilke flipside too. As with so many of these new circuits it represented a large geographical stride into a new world. Some agonise over the extent that F1's been turning its back on its core support, as well as over the motivations of its newer hosts. The Crown Prince of Bahrain has been known to justify the event more in terms of 'national branding' than sport. While as we know this particular round has had controversy attached for more weighty reasons still.

Bahrain Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Things go for Rosberg

Here is my latest Motor Verso race review, this time for the Bahrain Grand Prix just passed.

Photo: Octane Photography

Just like in Australia, wrangles off-track threatened to dominate the Sakhir weekend. Just like in Australia, the excruciating qualifying system was used. Just like in Australia too through, the race despite everything turned out to be a diverting one. And just like in Australia, everything's coming up Rosberg. Still.

For Motor Verso I give my take on all that went on at the Sakhir track. You can have a read here: http://www.motorverso.com/bahrain-gp-2016-review/

Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.

Bahrain GP Report - Rosberg keeps rollin'

When things are rolling for you, they roll for you. Really, you enter a race with three credible rivals, yet one has dropped out before the race has even started and the other two have had their days severely compromised as quickly as the point of exiting turn one. Already the day is as good as yours. It's hard to imagine how it gets much better.

Nico Rosberg had another win come his way
Photo: Octane Photography

That's exactly what happened to Nico Rosberg in today's Bahrain Grand Prix. First off Sebastian Vettel didn't last even to the end of the parade lap, his Ferrari engine going pop; redolent of Michael Schumacher in France 20 years ago. The red cars' reliability hasn't looked near to being perfect in the 2016 calendar year and in this instance F1 once again demonstrated that it abides closely by Murphy's Law.

Then neither Lewis Hamilton nor Kimi Raikkonen got good starts. Worse for Lewis a rather lairy Valtteri Bottas hit him at the first corner, the upshot of it all was that Kimi was P5 and Lewis could continue but in P7. Worse still for Lewis was that his car was damaged, particularly in the floor, and some later spoke of it costing him up to a second a lap. For more than one reason he was condemned to damage limitation. While moreover the matter of first place was done pretty much by the first turn.

Sakhir Qualifying - Lewis lights up the gloom

Light and shade, this F1. Light and shade.

Lewis Hamilton made it two poles from two in 2016
Photo: Octane Photography

And rarely can it have been more markedly the case than in today's Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying session. Not merely either because it is one of the few run under artificial illumination.

The notorious flopped qualifying format did no better than when it debuted in Melbourne two weeks ago, as everyone worth listening to said it wouldn't. The long spells of empty track; cars being eliminated while sat in the garage; that the final grid was not the jumbled one that the system was designed to create. All were repeated pretty much exactly as in its excruciating first outing. Albert Einstein's definition of insanity - of doing the same thing and expecting different results - was quoted endlessly. Surely now we'll never see its like again.

But in another repeat of a fortnight ago the awful system at least provided a worthy pole winner. In fact it did so even more emphatically than then, as the lap that took it was as extraordinary as it was unexpected. Just like then Lewis Hamilton won out. Unlike then this was one taken against the head.

Sakhir Preview: Reds in the reckoning?

Typical Tilke. It is a phrase that for better and worse has entered the modern F1 lexicon, reflecting that for pushing the last two decades the architect Hermann of that ilk has been responsible almost exclusively for the sport's new-fangled circuits. And that for the forthcoming Bahrain round embodies the phrase more than most of them.

The Bahrain round has often been controversial,
but also has provided good races
By Habeed Hameed - https://www.flickr.com/photos/
122685162@N04/13712443725/, CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/
index.php?curid=32283169

The Sakhir facility is indeed typical Tilke. It's built from nothing, all clean lines and gleaming architecture. And comes with a sense that everything has been thought of.

Yet it has some of the typical Tilke flipside too. As with so many of these new circuits it represented a large geographical stride into a new world; when it debuted in 2004 it was the first F1 race in the Persian Gulf. Some of course agonise over the extent that F1's been turning its back on its core support, as well as over the motivations of its newer hosts. The Crown Prince of Bahrain has been known to justify the event more in terms of 'national branding' than sport, while as we know this particular round has had controversy attached for much more weighty reasons than that.

It is typical Tilke in its layout too. Much of the fingerprint is there: long straights book-ended by tight corners designed to promote overtaking, with a dash of quicker turns elsewhere. This track is a little bigger on the former at the expense of the latter compared with some of Tilke's other efforts however, its triangular layout somewhat like a flattened-out Red Bull Ring. Like the Red Bull Ring also though it has with reasonable regularity produced entertaining races.

Latest episode of A Racer's Experience

I must have done well on my A Racer's Experience debut as they invited me back for the following episode. This latest episode is below. Herein presenter Matt Nicholas and I look in detail at the Bahrain Grand Prix as well as ahead to what we can expect when the European season kicks off in Spain.

You can have a watch below. My bit starts at around 26m and 45 seconds.



And if you're interested earlier in the episode Matt chats to Conor Daly about the IndyCar and Indy Lights Grands Prix of Long Beach as well as with Steve Parrish about the MotoGP in Argentina and the Superbike World Championship in Assen.

You can also check out the other A Racer's Experience episodes here.

Bahrain Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Lewis Wins When He Shouldn't

Photo: Octane Photography

My Bahrain Grand Prix review for Motor Verso is now available. In it I reflect on a race which while its winner didn't look appear a shock on the face of it, this one was in many ways the F1 equivalent of an away win.

You can have a read via this link: http://www.motorverso.com/bahrain-gp-lewis-wins-shouldnt/

As mentioned these race reviews will be a permanent feature from me on Motor Verso this season, so do keep an eye out for them.

On Motor Verso you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out weeklong test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.

Bahrain GP Report: The Empire Strikes Back

We should have known better really. We thought this would be different. That it would be another day like in Malaysia, and the Mercedes would be required to step down.

It was a familiar face that triumphed, and
perhaps against expectations this time
Photo: Octane Photography

But it didn't happen. Not quite anyway. Whatever else happened today, Merc won a race that many expected it not to. The team will walk away from Bahrain well pleased.

And of its number, Lewis Hamilton especially so, who just as he did in Australian and China mastered the Sakhir race out front with a minimum of fuss. While he never was far away from his pursuers once again as in those previous two triumphs he never looked under threat.

There were a couple of minor false notes in this symphony. First was a slightly botched first pit stop, which brought the rest onto his tail. But Lewis simply set about moving smoothly away to re-establish his gap of old. Then on the last lap he developed a brake-by-wire problem, but after some weaving and a few palpitations from those watching on he still crossed the line 3.3 seconds to the good. And the familiarity of a Lewis-Merc triumph shouldn't deflect from that this scrum was rather won against the head.

Sakhir Qualifying: Holding on for tomorrow

This one was supposed to be different. Finally, we thought, the haughty Mercedes would have a fight on its hands. That the wind was gusting added another welcome variable. Some hope. Once this particular kaleidoscope had settled, its pieces were back in rather familiar places. Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix. As he has everywhere in 2015 thus far. And it wasn't even close in the end.

Lewis Hamilton continued his clean sweep of poles in 2015
Photo: Octane Photography

Many looked to Ferrari here, and indeed near the last of the final qualifying act Sebastian Vettel was at centre stage, on top of the timing screens. But crucially this was before Lewis had finished his lines, and they it transpired were emphatic, as he swept around almost last over the line with a mark four tenths under Seb's. Everyone was consigned back into their respective boxes.

"It's never easy doing qualifying" said Lewis later, and we don't doubt him. But like many sportspeople at the top of their considerable skills, Lewis right now makes it appear so.

But even so he couldn't conceal where he is right now: "As a driver, for me, I love qualifying" he went on. "You've got to go out and bring everything together that you've learnt for that one lap, and it's so intense...it's so much fun."

Talking about F1's Graham Keilloh on A Racer's Experience

This week I was invited to appear on the regular YouTube show A Racer's Experience. This is a programme by Matthew Nicholas which discusses the latest goings-ons in various motorsport categories.

With Matt I looked back at last week's Chinese Grand Prix as well as look to what can expect from Bahrain this weekend. You can have a watch by clicking on the below. I'm sure you'll agree it's worth 13 minutes of your time:



Apologies for the strange noises (other than those coming out of my mouth which I'll take responsibility for...), no idea what those are.

You can also check out the other A Racer's Experience episodes here.