Reuters
Formula One F1 – Tuscan Grand Prix – Mugello, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy – September 12, 2020 Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lando Norris during qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Tuscan Grand Prix – Mugello, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy – September 12, 2020 Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lando Norris during qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
With perfect weather conditions shining upon the beautiful track at Mugello, the expectation was that of a fairly competitive race with a few twists and turns. But what followed was absolute madness.
It all started with Raikkonen losing a bit of control in P17. Pierre Gasly (P16) was sandwiched between him and also Romain Grosjean (P14).
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The resultant move saw Gasly go into the gravel, and Verstappen was involved as well. At the same time, Carlos Sainz’s car spun in the middle of the track.
And while Sebastian Vettel tried to get out of his way, he slowed down but suffered damage. It is suspected from the video that he has lost a bit of the front wing setup.
Sebastian Vettel will look to gain a higher points finish
However, the positive for Vettel is that the front wing can be replaced. And with that, his chances of attaining points thrive. Coming into the Main Race, the German driver was positioned in P14.
He was expected to make his way up battling the AlphaTauri and McLaren cars. But the crashes in Mugello have significantly shifted the dynamic. This could potentially mean that Vettel would now have to speed past Williams’ George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen.
By contrast, Charles Leclerc stole the charge following Verstappen’s power loss in the initial lap before Turn 1. Down the outside line just before the track limits, Leclerc zipped past Hamilton before conceding a little.
He then slotted into P3 and was going strong before the yellow flag came out. Interestingly, the second crash of the race saw his future teammate Carlos Sainz retire the car. Sainz was, in part, the reason why Vettel lost his front wing.
Vettel seeking to deliver a day of happiness for Ferrari
Amidst the surrounding craziness, Vettel has been served with the perfect opportunity to finish in the top half and secure a good result for Ferrari.
Of course, that will hinge on whether the power unit can hold up in Mugello’s testing conditions. But if he can wade his way through the dangers and nail the pit strategy from his end, it would seal a decent return on account of the team’s 1000th GP celebrations.
