DT's 10 Hot Takes: On Ferrari's fuel penalty, 'Sir' Hamilton, Perez's pass and more

Written By Journalist David Tremayne 06 December 2019
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A celebrated Formula 1 journalist with more than 500 (consecutive) Grands Prix’ experience, David Tremayne is one of those familiar paddock figures who has seen it all, met them all, and written about it all, over almost five decades of F1 racing. Here, he shares his hot takes from round 21 of the season in Abu Dhabi…

1. Frustratingly few answers over Ferrari's fuel issue

Everyone got a bit excited when doubt was cast over Charles Leclerc’s race after it was revealed before the start that Ferrari were being investigated for a “significant difference” in the amount of fuel they put in the car and what they told the FIA they were putting in for the race, which includes laps to the grid, the formation lap, the race, the in-lap and any fire-ups that would be needed.

Why?
Well, ever since Ferrari came on so strong – especially in a straight line – since Spa at the end of August, there has been a lot of talk about their engine performance. There have also been a couple of technical directives issued by the FIA’s Jo Bauer to clarify what might be deemed to be grey areas, after Red Bull and Honda did some reverse engineering of what they thought Ferrari might be doing, and proposed using similar technology to the FIA.

But what did this latest controversy actually mean?
It meant that, potentially, Leclerc went to the startline with nearly 4.5 percent more energy in his fuel tank than Ferrari had told the FIA was in the car.
In theory, having more energy on board could confer an advantage in fuel usage and power ratings even though the mandatory limit of 110 kgs was not exceeded. But it’s hard to envisage that being a crime. It’s more a strategic choice to carry slightly more weight in return for a performance boost.

The FIA didn’t specify any particular suspicion of what advantage they thought Ferrari might have gained, and neither did the stewards. And Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto afterwards revealed that, in any case, both Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel had to run their races in Engine Mode 4 in the interests of reliability.

The stewards deemed the 4.88 kg discrepancy to be illegal since it put Ferrari in breach of Technical Directive TD/014-19 and infringed Article 12.1.1.i of the International Sporting Code, and left it at that while fining them €50,000 accordingly.

I’m sure I’m not the only person left feeling slightly confused by all this.

2. Abu Dhabi win was a huge relief for Hamilton

You’d never question Lewis Hamilton’s levels of self-confidence, would you? But did I detect a smidgeon of relief in the world champion when he finally managed a pole position, his first since Hockenheim? And as he stood on the top step of the podium after such an emphatic win?

He talked about having to recentre after an “erratic” Friday (when to be fair he said he was experimenting with the set-up), but he pulled it all together to be fastest in quali. And his race performance was flawless.

After the challenges he’s had in the second half of the season, from Ferrari and Red Bull, and being overtaken twice by Max Verstappen in Brazil, signing off his sixth title-winning season with an 11th victory from the 21 races, in his 250th Grand Prix, must have been massively satisfying. And possibly a big relief.

3. Perez's pass really was that good

I’m not sure how many people will have seen it, but Sergio Perez’s pass on Lando Norris on the penultimate lap was epic. It’s not just buffalo girls who go around the outside; the Mexican came from a long way back, and squeezed into the narrow gap outside Lando as they went into Turns 11 and 12.

Lando wasn’t impressed with himself for letting that happen, but the truth is it was one of those special moves that a driver pulls off every so often. And a reminder that McLaren made a mistake when they let Perez go at the end of 2013.

Carlos Sainz also did something similar to Nico Hulkenberg, thus assuring himself of a thoroughly justified sixth place overall in the drivers’ points table.

Lovely stuff!