2016 Grand Prix of Mexico
Esteban Gutierrez was front and center for his first home grand prix as a Haas F1 Driver. Bot eht team and crowd were filled with the anticipation of A Mexican driver racing in his home country.
Expectations were kept within reason as the Haas driver started from the 17th position on the grill. His teammate Romain Grosjean was forced to start the race from pit lane after his car required a new floor board after qualifying.
The excitement for the Haas fans was short lived. Romain Grosjean complained all day about his lack of grip and braking problems and finished 20th. Gutierrez was able to beat his teammate and finished in P19.
The Haas F1 Team may not have fared well against their competitors, but there was a bright spot for the team. It was the 12th race of 19 races where both cars finished the race. For a first time team this is important, and a reason for optimism.
Lewis Hamilton won the race for Mercedes. It was Hamilton’s 51’s career F1 victory, and he is now tied with Alain Prost on the all-time win board. The only other driver with more wins than Prost and Hamilton is Michael Schumacher, with 91 victories. Matching the win count to Prost is a formidable achievement. The next 40 victories will be more difficult to achieve for Lewis. But for today, Hamilton has achieved a true milestone in his career.
There are just two races remaining in this 2016 season. The Haas team holds 29 points and has a secure hold on 8th position in the constructors championship. Torro_Rosso is sitting in 7th for the constructors championship, and secure at 69 points. In 9th position is the Renault F1 team with only 8 points. So it is safe to say that the Haas F1 Team will finish 8th for the 2016 F1 season. Not too shabby. Each race is an entirely new experience for the Haas Team. The team lacks prior performance data to compare the car to. With each year the team will build upon it’s experience. But getting to the end of the first season may be more pain than gain.
Bring on Brazil!!!