Parc Ferme: Day of the Dead

This was possibly the only way to describe Carlos Sainz’s weekend. It seemed as early as FP2, the Spaniard had the measure of the track, underlining his point as the only driver to enter one minute fifteen territory in Q3.

“Perfect lap, Carlos”, chimed his engineer as he took pole. “Two”, replied Sainz, correcting him. He was right! It’s worth noting the rest of the grid would have gladly owned his first effort of one a minute sixteen … pretty much flat.

Despite a stellar start by Max Verstappen, the Spaniard was only held at bay by the Safety Car. Once it returned to the pits, he quickly dispatched Verstappen and trundled off into a lead that was never to be challenged. A perfect race Carlos!

If Lando Norris had been paying attention, he could have learnt a thing or two from the Smooth Operator on how to pass his Dutch nemesis without getting kicked into touch. Clearly, he was not awake, wasn’t watching or simply, the penny just didn’t drop.

Max graduated from the School of Jos. This means he learnt that any driver on his outside shouldn’t be there and deserves to be fired off into the hedge if spotted.

You’ll find no argument on that one from Parc Ferme. However, for the sake of good order, I’ll articulate it now: Lando, pass on the inside, comprendas?

It took the action of the Stewards to finally enable Norris to gain position on Verstappen. Valiantly passing the Dutch F1 world champion when he entered the pits for his compulsory twenty-second, don’t pass go, do not collect two hundred penalty tyre change.

Parc Ferme pondered the idea that Lando deliberately facilitated their little on-track tete-a-tete. That it was all a McLaren ruse to sucker Verstappen into one of his trademark tantrums.

Further reflection suggested that this was giving too much credit to the team. Race strategy has hardly been from top draw this season. Either way, it worked out. I guess Max just got fed up with Norris’s whinging and decided to give him something to really go to his mum about.

Meanwhile, at the back of the grid, Sergio Perez administered his own personal beasting, highlighting why he should walk the Red Bull plank at the end of the season.

Exiting Q1 in a car that achieved anti-pole in the hands of someone else was only the beginning. He then undermined a great start by failing to line up on the grid correctly, earning a five-second penalty.

He then embarrassed himself and his nation as he flayed around at the back of the grid. Notably, struggling to overcome a man in a Red Bull B car that will probably replace him in 2025. Not a good look for Checo.

Finally, it is worth contemplating the two near misses of the weekend. Up first was George Russell’s “off” at Turn 9 in FP2. Russell only narrowly missed an appointment with God as he slammed sideways into the Tecpro. A few meters earlier, it would have been a concrete wall!

Then, late on in the race, Charles Leclerc produced what will probably be the save of the season. Exiting Turn 17, the rear of his car suddenly stepped out under power. This resulted in a brief “me to you, to me” correction before he subdued his Ferrari.

Meanwhile, Norris inherited another position without doing anything, but at least it was a Ferrari one-three on the podium. The F1 drivers' championship may still be dead in the water, but the constructors'… that’s another matter.