Track Torque: Drivers to feel Hockenheim heat
There are 11 more races to go, including this Sunday's.
Germany is feeling some serious heat at the moment.
The country is in a heat wave at present, some of it caused by the failure of their football players (as defending champions) to get out of the pool stage in the recent World Cup in Russia.
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Sebastian Vettel and his home fans will be wishing for a win at Hockenheim to improve the sporting mood.
It really is hot so, unless it rains, Ferrari had better get their tyre choice right.
I think that the race will be all about strategy, tyres and heat … heaven help them!
Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel are capable of getting it right this weekend and finishing 1-2, thanks to a really good car.
Although Vettel is German and has homeground advantage, he and Raikkonen will be up against the three-pointed star of Mercedes in Germany and that is a major factor as well, so Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will be tough to beat.
It should be a great contest on another superfast track, similar to Silverstone, with its very challenging high-speed corners and great overtaking opportunities.
At this circuit, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are again going to be hampered by their slight lack of top speed.
This will be the situation until Renault can coax a few more horses out of their very good engine.
Talk this week in the racing press has also been about the power of the series two Honda engine not yet being fully realised.
This great engine manufacturer has always been known for its power and its ‘power of dreams’.
It simply has to make it in the long run, especially now that Red Bull have backed the engine for their works cars in 2019.
In the meantime we will watch Pierre Gasly’s progress in the Toro Rosso Honda with great interest.
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Another young man on a mission at the moment is Charles Leclerc.
He has gained points in five of the last seven races, continually outperforming his teammate Marcus Ericsson, and is now a genuine top 10 contender.
The Renaults of Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz, together with the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, should also be up there in the top 10.
Maybe the great driving ability of Fernando Alonso will also do it for McLaren Renault.
The race starts at 1pm this Sunday (22nd) with qualifying at a similar time on Saturday.
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