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W Series drivers will be writing a series of columns for The Race this year, giving their verdicts on what’s going on in Formula 1.
Alice Powell is back again this week with her take on Ferrari’s controversial Styrian Grand Prix.
In the wake of the Styrian Grand Prix, I am more convinced than ever that Charles Leclerc is the right driver to lead Ferrari. The move which caused his opening-lap shunt with team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Turn 3 was rash, but his reaction afterward was the complete opposite. The Monegasque was calm and measured, belying his 22 years.
Having qualified down in 11th and been demoted a further three places for blocking in qualifying, Leclerc must have been seething on the grid, wondering how it had all gone so wrong at a circuit where he finished second last week and almost won last year. He was simply too eager at the start, lunging up the inside of Vettel for a gap that was always going to slam shut on him. They were already three abreast going into that corner where you always get a slight funnel effect anyway, so there was never going to be enough room for Leclerc.
It was the move of a driver who is just two races into his third full season in F1 and is still learning. But, just because he is at Ferrari, that fact shouldn’t be forgotten. Faced with that situation again in future, he will see the bigger picture in the race and the championship – ‘there are three cars going into the corner so, even if it means I come under pressure from behind, I’m going to hang back to get the best run out of the corner down the straight to set up a better chance to attack’.
If there are any doubts over Leclerc’s ability to learn from his mistakes and lead Ferrari into F1’s new era, there shouldn’t be.
Having given him a contract until the end of the 2024 season, the Italian team clearly has every faith in him and his reaction on Sunday showed why. He held his hands up, acknowledged his error, and apologised to Vettel and the team. I made similar mistakes on-track at that age but I never reacted like that and I can’t think of many 22-year-old drivers who could be as mature in the immediate aftermath.
Ferrari had a torrid trip to Austria and must improve quickly. They desperately need something to spice up their season and I hope they find it because F1 races without Ferrari fighting at the front just don’t feel right.
The weekend felt like a metaphor for the season as a whole. With races coming thick and fast, the driver who shows best judgment and adapts to conditions quickest will come out on top
If Ferrari plunged new depths last weekend, Lewis Hamilton scaled new heights. In my column after the Austrian Grand Prix I criticised Hamilton for causing the collision with Alex Albon. The champion’s response was emphatic.
I was blown away by his pole position lap on Saturday. Qualifying must have been very close to being called off because the conditions were treacherous. The rain was lashing down, puddles were forming, visibility was awful and the drivers were getting wheelspin even in fourth gear. But Hamilton was in his element and pulled out a truly sensational lap – one of the best I’ve ever seen.
I smiled when Hamilton compared it to racing at Larkhall, a karting circuit just south of Glasgow in Scotland. Like Lewis, I competed there lots as a junior and I can’t recall many visits when it was dry!
It’s amazing to think that places like that were his proving ground. Sure, you need a great car underneath you and your team to find you some space on track to give you the best chance, but some drivers just have a knack of finding grip in those conditions and Hamilton is the master. On Saturday, he placed his car in exactly the right spots and his steering movements were inch-perfect. It was pure class and he backed it up with an equally flawless performance in the race.
The weekend felt like a metaphor for the season as a whole. With races coming thick and fast, the driver who shows best judgment and adapts to conditions quickest will come out on top. The circus now hastily packs up and moves to Budapest where it is usually warm and humid so keeping the car cool will be key. We saw Renault struggle with that in Austria’s relatively easy conditions, and Mercedes have had cooling issues in the past so it will be a challenge. Max Verstappen is looking very fired up and he gave Hamilton a great run in Hungary last year so I’m expecting a really intriguing weekend.
Alice Powell finished third in the inaugural W Series championship in 2019, winning the final race at Brands Hatch last August.
The 27-year-old Briton was the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship and score points in GP3. She is currently competing in the W Series Esports League, which is on every Thursday at 19:00 BST until August 13.
