Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes-AMG wins the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2019 by overtaking his teammate Lewis Hamilton late in the race.  Hamilton was on the Pirelli Hard Compound tires and Bottas was on the Medium Compounds.  As what’s become a Hamilton norm, he was able, for a long time, to nurse his tires and stay out in front of the pack, but even so he experienced enough degradation in the tires allowing Bottas on fresher Medium tires to overtake him.  Even though Bottas won, and going into the race Bottas was the only driver left that could challenge Hamilton for the 2019 drivers Championship, by coming in second Hamilton was able to win his 6th Drivers Championship coming in second after starting the race in P5 (Position 5).  Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also ran an excellent race and finished 3rd.  The Ferrari’s were really not a factor in the race.  Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished 4th and also earned the Fastest Lap point and his teammate Sebastian Vettel left the race after his right-rear suspension broke.  It was an excellent very exciting race with all of the end of the race Mercedes-AMG pit stop, tires drama we’ve become accustom to seeing this season.

The track for the United States Grand Prix is sinking.  The track has sunk over 1 meter (over 3 feet).  The changes in the track are causing very bumpy places along the circuit.  At the start of Free Practice 1 (FP 1) Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG could be heard on the radio to his pits questioning the safety of the track.  To date, various parts of the track have been scrapped to try to get rid of the high areas being created by parts of the track sinking.  No doubt before next season’s race the track will need to be resurfaced.

Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton starts in Row 2 behind the Ferraris and wins in a very exciting race with the normal tire compound choices, did we pit him too soon, will it be a one pit stop or a two pit stop Formula 1 drama as normal.  When Lewis pitted he was put on the Pirelli Hard Compound (white) tires.  Ironically, Lewis with his audio communication with the pits did not think that the Hard Compound tires were performing properly and questioned the logic of putting him out on the Hard tires.  What’s become a Mercedes-AMG norm is that the pit assured him that the tires were O.K. and that he could push hard.  Per what’s becoming a Mercedes-AMG team norm, he, knowing that the team has his back, pushed hard on the Hards and earned a victory getting him closer to another World Championship.  Only his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who finished 3rd, has a chance of beating Hamilton for the Drivers’ Championship.  The Ferraris that started with a Front Row Lockout came in 2nd (Sebastian Vettel) and 4th (Charles Leclerc).  Leclerc also earned an extra point for having the fastest lap.

After starting in Row 2 ahead of the all Ferrari lockout on Row 1, Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes-AMG starts the race by overtaking both Ferraris before Turn 1 and goes on to win the FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2019.  Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari, who started on Pole finished 2nd and Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes-AMG finished 3rd.  The Podium finishes for both Mercedes-AMG drivers gave the Mercedes-AMG team enough points to lockdown the Constructor’s Championship for the 6th straight year.  Hamilton also won the fastest lap of the race point.  With only 4 races left to go this season based on the points lead that the Mercedes-AMG drivers have over the rest of the field means that a Mercedes-AMG driver will win the Driver’s Championship, we just don’t know which one yet, will it be Hamilton or Bottas?

After starting behind Charles Leclerc on the Front Row in Position 2 (P2) and getting overtaken by Sebastian Vettel, Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton wins his 2nd straight race in the FORMULA 1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2019 with his teammate Valtteri Bottas comes in 2nd ahead of Leclerc.

The race from the start was filled with drama, the normal Formula 1 tires drama with the Ferrari starting on the Pirelli Soft (red) compound, in Positions 1 and 3 and the Mercedes-AMG cars starting on the Medium (yellow) compound in Positions 2 and 4.  As the race started Vettel was able to overtake Hamilton before Turn 1 by taking advantage of the hole being punched in the air by Leclerc.  Vettel kept his momentum and was also able to overtake Leclerc for the lead and stayed in the lead for most of the first  half of the race.  The second piece of race long drama was that Leclerc felt that he had performed as a team player at the beginning of the race, and by doing so, gave up the lead to Vettel and that Vettel should follow team orders to reduce his pace to allow Leclerc to takeover the lead.  If team orders were given to Vettel to allow Leclerc to overtake him Vettel ignored the orders and pressed hard to stay in front.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start on Pole for the FORMULA 1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2019.  Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes-AMG will again split the Ferraris starting on the front row in Position 2 with Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari starting on Row 2 in Position 3.  Max Verstappen rounds out Row 2 for Red Bull in Position 4.  Row 3 will see Mercedes-AMG’s Valtteri Bottas in Position 5 and for McLaren Carlos Sainz, Jr.

2019 Russian Grand Prix: Qualifying Highlights

Charles Leclerc scored his third Pole Position in a row for Ferrari for the September 20-22 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2019 at the always fun, always challenging Marina Bay Street Circuit with Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes-AMG splitting the Ferraris to start along side Leclerc in Position 2 and Sebastian Vettel in the other Ferrari starting in Position 3, Row 2.  Max Verstappen for Red Bull will also start on Row 2.  Row 3 will have Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes-AMG in Position 5 and, racing for his first time in Singapore, Red Bull‘s Alexander Albon in Position 6.  All teams ran Pirelli’s Soft (C5 red) tire compound for Qualifying Session 3 (Q3).

Statement from Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations at Formula 1 -more-

Charles Leclerc for Ferrari will start on his 2nd Pole in the last two races. Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton will start on the front row next to him, with Mercedes-AMG’s Valtteri Bottas in the 2nd row, 3rd position.

If the FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2019 had been 45 laps instead of 44 laps Lewis Hamilton/Mercedes-AMG, more than likely would have caught and overtaken Charles Leclerc/Ferrari on the last lap, but the race at Spa, Formula 1’s longest track was 44 laps and Hamilton’s late race push could not catch Leclerc.  Earlier in the race Hamilton pitted one lap after Leclerc, both putting on the Pirelli Medium compound tires.  Hamilton is famous for being able to get excellent wear out of his tires and it showed again at the Belgian Grand Prix with Leclerc’s tires wearing out near the end of the race allowing Hamilton to close, what had been, a significant gap due the degradation of the tires on the Ferrari.  Mercedes-AMG rounded out the Podium with Valtteri Bottas coming in 3rd.  Sebastian Vettel came in 4th for Ferrari.