Mika Hakkinen | São Paulo Grand Prix Preview

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The incredible Formula 1 season we are enjoying continues to produce surprises.  Ferrari will arrive at the Interlagos track this weekend feeling super confident after a really fantastic performance in Mexico which has taken them into 2nd place in the World Championship for Constructors.  With only 29 points separating them from championship leaders McLaren, a World Championship title is suddenly looking possible.

I have always said that having both drivers perform consistently is critical for any team.  That has proven to be a weakness for Red Bull Racing.  Max Verstappen won 7 of the first 10 races to set up a strong championship lead, but he has not won a race since June.  Meanwhile team mate Checo Perez has not made it onto the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix at the end of April, leaving Max to fight off a 2-car challenge from both McLaren and Ferrari.

As Red Bull’s dominance has fallen away it is McLaren who seemed to make the strongest progress, but Ferrari has done a brilliant job since the summer break.  The Italian team has won three of the last five Grands Prix.  The 1-2 in Austin was very nearly followed by a repeat in Mexico on Sunday but Charles Leclerc was pressured into a mistake by Lando Norris, allowing the McLaren driver to take a strong 2nd.

 

The fact that both McLaren and Ferrari have won five Grands Prix is an indication of just how close this season has become, particularly when you then consider that both Lando and Charles have three wins each.  Their team mates have both won two Grands Prix. I thought Carlos Sainz’s win in Mexico was a brilliant performance, his pole position lap showing how much confidence he has. He really controlled the race perfectly.

I think that so long as Lando and Oscar keep producing strong qualifying performances and converting them into points-finishes it will be difficult for Ferrari to overtake McLaren in the teams’ championship, but my old team cannot afford to have a bad weekend.  Ferrari’s boss Frederic Vasseur has commented that the tense battle between Lando and Max for the Drivers’ title is good news for Ferrari because the more the two championship-contenders get involved in fights, the easier it makes life for the red cars.

 

Take Note

This weekend will see another Sprint Race and the one thing we know about that format is that it gives drivers and teams very little time to get the cars working properly and any mistakes can really mess up your weekend.  The Interlagos track is fantastic, a circuit which really promotes overtaking on the 1.2km run from Turn 12 to Turn 1 and again from Turn 3 to 4.  The two high speed sectors are followed by a tricky, twisty in-field section, and remember that this is a circuit where the weather can sometimes make a huge difference.  Heavy rain showers are forecast for all three days so that will add another level of unpredictability to an already-close fight.

Mika’s Tip

As Red Bull’s pace has fallen away, the team now 3rd in the World Championship, they have joined Mercedes in hoping for good results but knowing that the faster, more consistent cars are at McLaren and Ferrari.  After a disappointing end to his race in Mexico, when he dropped to 3rd, I expect Charles Leclerc to make a strong comeback in Interlagos, and the man who will be equally pushing for the win – and getting the McLaren team’s support to do so – is Lando Norris.  He is still looking to catch Max in the World Championship, but Charles is getting closer to Lando!  It’s going to be a fascinating weekend.

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