The permanent expert of the Championship, bronze medalist of the Formula V8 3.5 series, Egor Orudzhev, answered the main questions after the results of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, which Carlos Sainz unexpectedly won.
Is Ferrari’s success a one-off event or is there a chance it will continue to give Red Bull a run for its money?
I’m inclined to think it’s something unique. And I’m not entirely sure that if Max hadn’t gone down, Ferrari would have been able to win. But if I’m wrong, that’s okay, it will be interesting.
Don’t you agree with Pérez that Verstappen would not have been able to face Sainz even without retiring?
It’s hard for me to believe these words from Pérez. More like excuses for a lazy weekend.
Is this delay by Pérez more the fault of the driver or the shape of the car?
Without Max, of course, it’s hard to judge. One thing is clear: Red Bull was not at its best this time. And when Red Bull is not at its best, Checo does not usually get on the podium.
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Can such a performance by Sainz two weeks after the operation be considered a feat?
I still have my appendix so I don’t really understand what it is and what restrictions it imposes. Two weeks without intense training is bad, but not critical. And yet, running is not running: you feel good. In my life I don’t remember my abdominal muscles getting very tight or tired. So I don’t think you will feel it while driving. In any case, Carlos is the hero of the day.
How bad is it for a pilot to miss two weeks of training and a simulator session?
Like I said, it’s not critical. The main intensive training takes place in the off-season. And between races there are training sessions to stay in shape. If your physical “base” is good, then two weeks of low intensity training is not a problem. I don’t think there were ever any questions about Carlos’s physical fitness, there were no problems in physics. The only question left was whether it would hurt or not. The simulator doesn’t help much in your case either. It’s more for engineers: try this or that configuration modification. For a driver of Sainz’s caliber, with so much experience and so much real driving, he might even be glad not to have to spend the day in the simulator.
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What to expect from the internal team struggle at Ferrari? Who will be stronger?
Wait and see. On the one hand there is Leclerc, for whom everything is clear and there is room for the years to come. On the other hand, the mega-motivated Sainz does not have a defined future. And he needs to create this future now. But I would be surprised if things continue to go in Sainz’s favor. I’m sure we’re in for an exciting fight.
Was Alonso punished for the incident with Russell?
I understand Russell’s point of view very well. On the one hand, it’s his fault. You are a runner and also one of the best in the world. Hitting the wall without contact seems stupid, to say the least. On the other hand, when you suddenly find yourself so fast towards the car in front of you in a corner, the situation is out of your control. That’s precisely why I left Sebring in 2019: I found myself in a corner right next to the roundabout. I lost the pressure… and hello, wall. Very stupid and stupid! On the other hand, there is the clever old Fernando. They don’t brake twice. Any racer will tell you that if you brake twice before a corner, you are either up to something or you don’t know how to drive. But I don’t understand what he wanted. It’s so direct that Russell with DRS would have eaten it. And why reduce and then increase again before turning? In general, Fernando was wrong or exaggerated. Of course, if George had stayed on the track or just gotten out without an accident, I don’t think we would have received a penalty.
To what extent is Russell himself to blame for the accident?
Stopping a hundred meters before is an abyss. To exit a curve well, they brake five, maybe 10, meters early. At this speed, you won’t have time to adjust and you won’t have time to slow down in advance. It would be interesting to see George’s telemetry on this lap and the previous one. It’s hard for me to blame him when his opponent’s actions are so different from usual.
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Was Williams right to take the car away from Sargent, or is it wrong for the atmosphere on the team?
They are almost burned! We simply didn’t have enough tires, otherwise we would have scored a point. I think we can all agree that Logan would not have been in that position and would not have scored any points. And with the current density of teams in the middle, every point is valuable. Considering this point could be worth millions of extra dollars by the end of the year, then in some ways that replacement seems normal.
Hamilton said that the current start to the season is worse for him than even with McLaren in 2009. Is it just emotions or do you agree with him?
I think they are emotions. Here also adds Russell, who looks better so far. Then there was Heikki, and Lewis surrounded him, controlling him with one finger. They seemed to praise the car after pre-season testing… I think in Australia everyone had balance and grip problems. But since everyone has them, it means that this is simply a characteristic of the route and must be taken into account. Mercedes, objectively speaking, has the fourth fastest car. In 2009, I remember Lewis asked to “build a new car.” So I think current words are emotions.
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