Formula 1 is higher-class than NASCAR. It’s higher-tech. It’s sophisticated, and glamorous, and gallant and lots of other words including predominantly European.
Which makes it hilarious when its season is altered because the tires it uses couldn’t hold up over the course of a Grand Prix.
1. A chance missed Max Verstappen.
Verstappen was going to take a leg up on Lewis Hamilton, and while the Dutchman still leads the standings, he’s only ahead by four points, which isn’t a whole lot between two guys who tend to win races. Verstappen didn’t miss the chance—it doesn’t sound like there’s anything he could have done to avoid that back left tire going down—but the chance missed him, and the season is affected by that.
2. Lewis Hamilton missed a chance.
Hamilton had a podium finish in his pocket after Verstappen’s wreck, so when he locked up the brakes immediately upon restarting the race and slid through turn one, it was humorous on a number of levels. It embodied the bumbling hilarity of the race. It rendered the race harmless to Red Bull. It looked like something out of a blooper reel, with one car going straight while everyone else continued to drive the race, as though Hamilton had gotten distracted and forgotten to turn.
The explanation is funny as well—that Hamilton may have accidentally hit the button that shifts the braking towards the front brakes (a button that exists for the purpose of warming up the brakes prior to restarts). “Oops! Accidentally hit the can’t-turn button!”
3. Baku looked cool.
I’m hesitant to say, “Hey, we should go visit Azerbaijan!” because I don’t know much about that conflict with Armenia or about Azerbaijan in general and I don’t want to come out as anything but neutral on Azerbaijan in case there’s a reason I shouldn’t be neutral on Azerbaijan.
But.
Baku looked cool.
4. Verstappen’s reaction was incredible.
5. Hamilton asking if Verstappen was ok was a good moment.
Hamilton is a likable man.
6. I got to make a lot of jokes.
So glad I was watching. Here are my favorite jokes of my own. Let me make them again here.
“Pit strategy” always conjures images of regular reapplication of deodorant and the cadence for shaving your armpits.