As who’ll break the next record?
Yeah, who knows what will happen next?
Especially since we’ve been in the relatively “Quiet” month of April. With
Formula 1 having cancelled both Middle East races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
due to the Iran War! And MotoGP postponing its Qatar round until early
November, in hopes the Straight of Hormuz will have been reopened, Splat!
IndyCar got off to a frenetic start with three
races in three weeks, before a week off for the 12 Hours of Sebring. And then
March’s Nightcap at thee Oh, so Beautiful Barbers. Saw some drivers and teams
race five weeks in-a-row.
Before a three weeks gap to Long Beach and an
Open test at some ‘lil ‘Ol Oval. (April 28-29) Gave drivers and their teams
plenty ‘O time to hunt for Easter Eggs, but I digress…
Alas, a month ago now, I began the weekend of
March 15th by tuning into Friday’s IndyCar first practice on FOX. Although
really didn’t feel like we learned anything.
Then began Saturday morning by listening to
Chinese GP Sprint race highlights, which Ho Hum, George Russell won, Yawn!
Then I “watched”, err listened to the entire
IndyCar Qualie’ session on FOX, being my very final TV show before the Spectrum
technician arrived to take away my overpriced cable box, having finally “cut
the Chord!”
Being somewhat surprised with the amount of “air-time”
Josef Schlick’ Newgarden got for having to switch to a backup chassis after
crashing in practice. Before ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin crashed in the
exact same corner during qualifying, Youch!
Have to say I was totally rootin’ for Marcus Ericsson
to secure His first IndyCar pole, with two sets ‘O fingers crossed. As believe
it was James Hinchcliffe who mentioned Ericsson may be had the advantage of
going first in the Fast Six Shootout. Since His tyres and brakes were totally
warm, while the other waited. With Marcus having the shortest turn-around time
between sessions…
One-by-one, they couldn’t go faster than
Ericsson. With only Alex Palou, the “Surgeon” waiting to break Ericsson’s
Heart! But Palou ended up a half second slower than Ericsson, and the Swede
claimed His first pole position in thirteen Gory years, Aye Karumba!
During Sunday morning’s pre-race blather. Heard
IndyCar Radio’s Ryan Marin say it was Ericsson’s first pole in any discipline
in 13 years. Since claiming pole for the June 30, 2013 Silverstone GP2 race.
Which interestingly, somebody named Alexander Rossi was also participating in…
Actually, it was the day prior (June 29) when
Ericsson claimed His second and final pole position of the season driving for
DAMS for the Feature race. As the Swede’ won once at Germany’s Nurburgring,
with a total of five podiums to finish sixth overall that year.
Alexander also claimed one win at Abu Dhabi’s
season finale on Yas Isle, starting from pole. With Rossi Finishing ninth
overall in the (2013) GP2 championship, driving for Caterham Racing.
As it was Rossi’s maiden GP2 win, and the first
ever by an American driver. With Rossi claiming three more wins in 2015 for Racing
Engineering, enroute to Vice Champion, err runner-up, albeit a distant second
to Stoffel Vandoorne.
Meanwhile in Shanghai, Andrea Kimi Antonelli
claimed His maiden Formula 1 pole in just His 26th Grands Prix. Becoming the
sport’s youngest ever pole winner, as a teenager!
Antonelli’s pole came at the tender age of 19
years, six months and 18 days. (19yrs 201 days) The first ever teenager to do so. With the previous
record holder being ‘lil Syd Viddle’.
As Sebastian Vettel claimed the first of His
eventual 53 pole positions at 21 years, two months and 11 days old. (21yrs, 73
days) At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix,
some 18 years ago, Momma Mia!
Also the site of where Vettel would win His
first Grand Prix for Scuderia toro Rosso at Monza. The Minnowesqe Italian
team’s debutante Grand Prix victory! And the first non-Ferrari chassis to do
so, since toro rosso was utilizing 2.4-litre V-8 customer Ferrari lumps’.
Antonelli becomes the 116th maiden
Grand Prix winner, and the first since Oscar Piastri at Hungary, 2024. The year
that both current McLaren F1 drivers scored their maiden Grand Prix wins at,
with Lando Norris having done so at the Miami Grand Prix earlier that year…
Yet Antonelli wasn’t done setting records yet.
Since not only did He go back-to-back with another pole position and win at the
Japanese Grand Prix. Kimi also left Suzuka with the drivers point lead,
becoming the youngest ever to do so.
As move over George, (Russell) Thars’ a New kid in town!
