DT’s thoughts : On Bahrain and beyond

A celebrated Formula 1 journalist with more than 500 (consecutive) Grands Prix’ experience, David Tremayne (DT) 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 thoughts after round two of the season in Bahrain…

We’re seeing a different Ferrari this year

I always think you can tell a lot more about people from the way they behave in adversity than from victory. Last year Ferrari started strongly, before Mercedes got their act together after a bit of a wobbly start. And in the end, of course, things started to go wrong for the Scuderia from the Singapore GP onwards.

Far from falling apart, as they might have in the grand old pre-Schumacher era, they got their head down over the winter and they look an even more seriously strong threat to Mercedes.

After the fortuitous victory in Australia, Sebastian Vettel spoke of the way in which the front of the SF71H refused to go where he wanted it to. It seemed like something inherent that might take a while to hone, but in Bahrain a better set-up cured the problem and Ferrari looked awesome.

Grosjean must do better

Am I alone in thinking that Romain Grosjean made a bit of a pig’s ear of it in Bahrain? I like the Frenchman and a few years ago we were all talking about what he would do if he ever got into one of the top three teams.

When Gene Haas picked him for his new venture, it was a good choice and in their early races, Grosjean did the business. But in Kevin Magnussen he’s come upon a tough team mate who gets the job done with fewer histrionics. The way that Grosjean got in his way at one stage in Bahrain, much to Magnussen’s evident frustration, reminded me of the intransigent way drivers such as Rene Arnoux behaved in the twilight of their careers.

Jim Clark – gone but never forgotten

Fifty years ago on Saturday Jim Clark died in the Deutschland Trophy F2 race at Hockenheim, and the motorsport world was shattered.

Jackie Stewart was in Bahrain, and it reminded me of a comment he once made to me about the man who was a great friend. “Jim Clark,” he said, “was everything I aspired to be as a racing driver and as a man.”

Toro Rosso made me eat my words

I love an underdog. But I confess that when the Toro Rossos qualified only 16th and 20th in Australia I was among those who suspected that the Faenza team had been grandstanding during pre-season testing in Barcelona. We had to eat our words after this weekend’s performance in Bahrain, when Pierre Gasly sprung the first surprise with good speed throughout practice, before qualifying an extraordinary sixth and then driving a superb race to fourth after battling successfully with Kevin Magnussen in the early stages.

Swede success for Sauber

As a former employee of Peter Sauber, I felt a little thrill when Marcus Ericsson took his Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber to a wholly unexpected ninth place. The Swede doesn’t always get an easy ride in some sectors of the media, but he barely put a wheel wrong as he mixed it with some big names and I was delighted both for my old team and for him. It’s that underdog thing again…

A word on Bahrain

Is Bahrain the best event on the F1 calendar? One could make a good argument to that effect. The drivers love the Sakhir circuit. The paddock is one of the best: big enough to accommodate everyone, small enough to make hiding difficult for the people you want to find. In daylight it’s attractive, in the evening romantic. And the organisers appreciate that making everyone feel welcome and a key part of the event can be a significantly beneficial factor in the global promotion that ensures the race is a success. (formula1)