Formula 1: Good month, bad month - August 2023
Good month
Hollywood Gold
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones’ remarkably earnest tribute to the commentating abilities of Martin Brundle during his grid-walk was the Spanish GP highlight.
Go on Guenther
Guenther Steiner did the rare thing in Monaco of someone from the F1 paddock actually giving their unfiltered opinion in his view on poor race stewarding.
Interesting take
Lando Norris’s scorching P3 qualifying lap in Barcelona brought about the most bemused radio reaction of the season from a driver: “Interesting.”
Playing an ace (kind of)
Ferrari strategists took some Le Mans inspiration by actually getting it right at the Canadian GP, putting Leclerc and Sainz up to fourth and fifth respectively from poor grid positions.
Pirelli preservation prowess
A brilliant P7 was what Williams’ Alex Albon richly deserved in Canada after making his tyres last 58 laps, holding four cars at bay in the closing stages.
Bad Month
World’s fastest wooden spoon
The Jim Clark Trophy was inaugurated in 1987 for non-turbo F1 entrants. Should we bring it back for all non-Verstappen cars?
Perez peters out
Some of the blame for this year’s championship representing a ‘Heineken 0% excitement’ tumbleweed lies at the Red Bull man’s door – no match for Max.
Wall of shame
The extended Montreal pitwall exit – luridly branded with Pirelli banners, naturally – ruined one of F1’s best views in the run down to Montreal’s first corner.
No race pace
Hülkenberg qualifying second but finishing 15th in Montreal tells you all you need to know about the Haas car’s Sunday capabilities.
No sweat
So desperate was he for something to happen, Formula Partridge himself (George Russell) mistook sweat on his visor for rain in Barcelona. We can relate.
