By: Leeroy Wuone
leeroywuone02@gmail.com
Lando Norris led an impressive pole to podium win at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit which started at 3pm Australian time at the Albert Park circuit In Australia.
Lando’s win for McLaren was impressive showcasing his ability of capitalizing other drivers’ misfortunes to his gain. Seasoned drivers like Carlos Sainz who competes for Williams and Fernando Alonso who competes for Aston Martin showed the unpredictability of the track at times, as both are experienced Formula one drivers.
Heavy rainy weather conditions before the start of the race led to soaking of the track which caused low grip levels as the track was slippery and wet due to its smooth asphalt and painted lines.
Tight corners and walls also caused nightmares to several drivers; an example is Alonso’s loss of control when his torque induced spinning which resulted in contact with walls, also a result of the slippery track causing him to exit the race.
Torque is the rotational force produced by the cars power unit engine that drives the wheels through transmission, torque is very crucial for quick exits from slow corners (like hairpins in Melbourne’s turn 9 and Monaco)
A hairpin on the other hand is a very sharp 180-degree turn in a race truck which requires a driver to apply significant change in direction, heavy breaking and also determines how drivers will either loose or gain significant lap time.
Temperature sensitivity of Melbourne kept the track temperatures low making it harder for the drivers to get their tyres working in the right conditions.
After the post Alonso crash many of the drivers opted for slicks only for the rains to pour again affecting drivers such as Liam Lawson (Red bull racing).
In a heartbreaking yet heartwarming moment Anthony Hamilton, Lewis Hamilton’s dad was seen consoling Isack Hadjar on his way to the paddock after crashing out in the formation lap leading to his retirement. When a driver retires it means they are forced to leave the race due to a mechanical issue or another problem with their car.
Formula one race cars have different tire sets for different scenarios;
Slick tires are made of soft, sticky rubber components which ensure maximum grip with the asphalt on track. Lack of tread on slicks ensures optimal traction on a dry surface, these kind of tires are also best for dry tracks only, which was an opposing factor at the Albert circuit making drivers lose control due to less grip with the asphalt surface.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) lost his grip when sudden downpour hit after drivers were forced to switch to slick tires. He span off at the corner sliding into the grass and losing significant lap time as he had to recover. This costed a McLaren potential one two podium finish as Piastri was overtaken by Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Beginner Isack Hadjar (Racing bulls) lost his grip at the opening lap even before the race started. As he exited turn one on intermediate tires, he span into the barriers triggering an aborted start.
Intermediate tires have a green band designed for wet tracks but not heavily flooded. In addition they are quicker than full wet tires on a damp track or when a track is drying out after rain offering a balance between slick and full wet tires.
Moreover, they have small cuts with shallow grooves and a rubber compound being harder than the slicks but softer than full wets balancing grip by allowing water to sip away. In today’s Australian Grand Prix drivers used intermediate tires due to wet weather conditions before the start of the race.
Full wet tires on the other hand have deeper grooves and offer more water dispersion and they are the best in heavy consistent rain.
Australian beginner Jack Doohan (Alpine) was forced to exit as he lost grip in the wet conditions colliding with the boarder wall on the first lap prompting a safety car.
Kimi Antonelli, an eighteen year old Italian driver who drives for (Mercedes) overtook Nico Hulkenberg who drives for (Sauber) at turn 11.The Mercedes switch from slicks to intermediates during the end stages of the race also helped Kimi capitalize on other drivers’ misfortunes. Starting from P17 to P4 crossing the line and passing several experienced drivers where rain caused spins and crashes; proved his adaptability despite his limited wet weather experience.
The strategic impact of the race was crucial as seen in the formation lap, Hadjar’s crash showed the impact of over warming of intermediate tires. In mid race teams opted for slicks for increased speeds but the rains punished drivers who didn’t switch strategically to intermediates as seen by Red Bull’s Lawson which would have been slower but safer for him.
Poor communication on the other hand costed the Ferrari pair as Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s request for a stop at the Pitts for a change to intermediate tires proved futile with the team opting for the pair to stay on track.
Ill-timed pit stop decisions from team Ferrari kept Hamilton and Leclerc on slick tires on an additional lap as drivers such as Lando Norris of McLaren pitted immediately for intermediate tires in readiness for the rainy weather conditions. As a result Hamilton lost 15 seconds to Norris on that lap alone, while Leclerc dropped 12 seconds which both drivers could not recover.
The Ferrari teams’ blander on tire timing and a lack of decisive action from the pit wall upon a request for intermediaries from slicks over the radio, forced both drivers to swing into recovery mode instead of attacking for points.
The Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for March 23rd at the Shanghai International circuit will be another chance for the drivers to competitively seek for an improvement from the race today; this will be the second round of the 2025 season.
Leroy, this is a great piece 👍. Keep up the good work.
Congratulations 👏