Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Formula 1 Power Rankings: Spain
* Max Verstappen — Verstappen snatched the win in Spain as team orders dictated Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez let Verstappen pass for the lead on lap 49. Perez played the role of a good teammate and let Verstappen through, while Christian Horner played the role of Michael Masi.
* Charles Leclerc — Leclerc's power unit quit on lap 27 at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Ferrari driver was comfortably leading the race. Leclerc's Ferrari was the first car of the race to retire, giving new meaning to the term "dead last."
* Sergio Perez — Perez passed George Russell for the lead on lap 31 and held it until lap 49, when Red Bull's pit box ordered Perez to allow Max Verstappen to pass. Team orders in Formula 1 is basically a team telling its driver, "It's time for you to follow," or, more succinctly, "You're 'F'ed."
Perez finished 2nd, and didn't waste a drop of his magnum of champagne showering Verstappen, instead guzzling it all himself.
* George Russell — Russell finished 3rd in the Spanish Grand Prix as Mercedes AMG engine upgrades paid dividends, as both Mercedes cars were competitive. Mercedes seems to have remedied the "porpoising" issues that have plagued them all season. Mercedes cars, in the season's first five races, quite resembled a porpoise, in that you could say that either "blows."
* Carlos Sainz — Sainz survived a spin into the gravel on lap 7 and finished 4th, as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc lost power on lap 27 and finished last. Sainz is 5th in the standings, 45 behind Max Verstappen. Sainz is 39 points behind Leclerc, meaning that although he may be No. 1 in the hearts of Spaniards, he is clearly No. 2 at Ferrari.
* Lewis Hamilton — Hamilton, the 7½-time world champion, was nudged by Kevin Magnussen in Turn 1 and suffered a front-left puncture, relegating Hamilton to last place. That's when "K Mags" becomes "Not OK Mags."
Hamilton recovered and delivered an amazing drive to finish 5th. Hamilton later said he felt he could have won the race, and was pleased with the Mercedes engine upgrades, particularly the "confidence booster."
* Lando Norris — Norris, suffering flu-like symptoms, overcame those as well as 95 degree heat to finish 8th in Spain. If you would have told Norris before the race that he'd finish 8th despite flu-like symptoms in brutally hot conditions, I'm sure he would have "S'd" his pants.
Norris celebrated his points-paying finish by making an emergency pit stop immediately after the race.
* Valtteri Bottas — Bottas placed his Alfa Romeo 8th in Spain, and has scored points in five of six races this year. Interesting fact: when the Alfa Romeo team wants Bottas to push to pass the car ahead, they radio "Finnish him!"