What a return to F1! Belgium provided one of the craziest first-turn incidents in the 2018 and Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari threw the first haymaker of the second-half of the season, comfortably dispatching of Mercedes to take the win. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes as transfers and financials have thrown a spanner in the works. Here’s the latest:
• Hamilton Comments on Climate of F1’s Transfers
Lewis Hamilton has commented on the current situation in F1 which sees a general preference for teams to take on drivers who can provide substantial money, rather than sheer talent. Hamilton has said such tendency means “the structure is probably wrong”. F1 is a sport with a substantially high entry cost for newcomers, and the situation of Estaban Ocon, regarded as an exceptionally talented driver, being forced out of Force India has risen the eyebrows of many, suggesting such an occurrence should not be happening.
• Hulkenberg Receives Grid Penalty for Monza
Nico Hulkenberg has received a 10-place penalty as a result of his first-corner crash in Spa. Nico conceded he misjudged the situation and admitted fault. The first-corner crash saw Fernando Alonso become airborne, brushing Leclerc’s halo. Additionally, the incident has brought to light the benefits of the halo as it potentially saved Leclerc from a serious injury.
• Ocon Confirms Stroll’s Force India Seat
Estaban Ocon has confirmed that Lance Stroll has replaced him at Force India, stating that the Canadian has “bought the seat”. Lawrence Stroll, among a host of suitors, purchased the financially encumbered Force India, with many speculating that the purchase would result in Lance Stroll coming to Force India. At this stage, Lance will partner Sergio Perez in the upcoming 2019 season.
And that wraps up everything in F1 for this week. Stay tuned next week for more from the F1 Weekly Roundup!