Mexican GP – Vettel is extraordinary third, but the FIA ​​"chooses" Ricciardo

While Mercedes archives another one-two, with Lewis Hamilton the absolute master of Mexico City and Nico Rosberg, a fresh accountant with calculator in hand with a view to the world championship, behind them all hell happens between the two Red Bulls and Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.

In a GP literally put to sleep by the medium Pirelli tyres, a medium compound but in fact marble-like on the very smooth Mexican asphalt, the high-speed procession is interrupted by the best Sebastian Vettel of the season, a tightrope walker who shuffles cards on the track, enchanting for his frenetic pace held with both the soft and medium tires and for the determination shown.

Seb comes back at the pace of fast laps, chases his prey Verstappen to go and get a podium that this uterine and indecipherable Ferrari has been missing for too long, subverting the values ​​of a nightmare Saturday in the village, and raising - this time really putting his own effort into it - the the bar of a Red finally back in great shape. Vettel is faster than the Dutchman, he is more experienced, he is more sure of his moves. But the new phenomenon in pectore of the Circus would kill himself to not give up his position, he must still remain faithful to the character they are building around him, showing the usual contempt for the rules and that belief in invulnerability that only the most spoiled have. And so with Seb able to pass, Max brakes, blocks the wheels, cuts the track, remains in front and does not give the position as per the regulations with the FIA ​​forced to penalize him immediately after the race, for the first time in the season.

However, the devil hides in the detail, and the powerful Red Bull isn't there. Vettel, in addition to being impeccable in attacking Max, was also impeccable in closing the door on Daniel Ricciardo, with a strong but correct defensive maneuver. A great Sebastian who put speed and malice on the track, the best by distance on the fascinating bowl dedicated to the Rodriguez brothers. Ricciardo, with soft tires and great speed, had tried but the German had opposed it, sealing his victory on the track in the "triello" with the Raging Bulls of Milton Keynes.

However, the FIA ​​does not have unanimity in its yardstick of judgement, it is terribly lacking in transparency, it just cannot leave the drivers free to express themselves and fight, applying the ax of penalties with ignoble schizophrenia. Third, fourth and fifth place were decided on the table, with Ferrari once again little considered.

Maranello, unable to defend third place in the appropriate places, suffered an absurd penalty with Sebastian, relegated to fifth position. The German had left all the space in the world to Ricciardo, but after hours the race commissioners took refuge behind the rigid application of the rules to oust him from the podium. Red Bull shouted, from Helmut Marko to the two drivers, who called their Ferrari colleague an idiot, and in the end they achieved the maximum: third and fourth place, despite Ricciardo having finished fifth and Verstappen having crossed the chicane beautifully. A surreal, grotesque verdict, which penalizes the only driver who had earned the podium on the track, driving hard and well.

A verdict also emblematic of the zero political weight of a Ferrari that no longer has a say in the control room. With Sebastian indulging (too much) in sterile profanity during the race, also sending race director Charlie Whiting to hell. Giving the image of a team that unfortunately also sins in diplomacy. Yet Ferrari, never like this time, had prevailed and this is why Maranello would have to take a strong and decisive position. Perhaps reminding the entire Formula 1 that on the grid, theoretically, we could do without a branded car with a drink but certainly not from the Scuderia which represents the very essence of the category. All that remains is to hope for the new American ownership, so that it can remedy this XNUMX-hour wrestling, because in IndyCar we don't see so much theatrics and whining, just to give an example.

Antonino Rendina

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