Torquing Point

Lewis Hamilton stole the show at the Turkish Grand Prix, but his brilliance isn't the only thing from the race that needs discussing.Istanbul Park has always been a popular circuit, so excitement was high ahead of its long-awaited return to the sport. Finley and Michelle discuss the latest episode of Torquing Point by discussing whether it lived up to expectations, and why it was so challenging for drivers. They then move on to undoubtedly the biggest story of the weekend, Lewis Hamilton, as the Brit equalled Michael Schumacher's record tally of seven World Championships in some style with a stunning drive. How big of an achievement is it? And just how long can his reign of dominance go on for?Following Hamilton home in P2, albeit some way behind, was the Racing Point of Sergio Perez. He now sits in P4 in the Driver's championship despite missing two races this year. He's been in the form of his life, is one of the driver's of the season, and unquestionably deserves a seat for next year, but whether he'll get one is another matter...The final man on the podium was the man who is taking Perez's place at Racing Point, soon to be known as Aston Martin, in 2021, Sebastian Vettel. The German finally looked like his old self again, but is he back for good? And if so, just how much can he achieve with his new team, next year and beyond?To wrap things up, the PF1 team then take a brief look back at the five races that were added late to the 2020 calendar as stand-in races and choose which ones they'd most like to see stick around for next season.Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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There's much to discuss following an Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that featured plenty of triumphs, and a few disasters.As has so often been the case in 2020, one of those to triumph was Lewis Hamilton who, with a dose of luck, won yet again. Finley and Michelle kick things off by pondering whether he would he have done so without said luck.His win and Valtteri Bottas's P2 finish were enough to seal Mercedes' seventh straight Constructors' Championship. Are they the most dominant force in the history of F1? Is such dominance good for the sport? And will it continue when Hamilton and Toto Wolff do eventually leave?Joining the Silver Arrows on the podium was Daniel Ricciardo. With two-top three finishes in three races and P4 in the standings almost secured, the PF1 team reckon he's making quite the claim for the Driver of the Season accolade. His success is in part down to Renault's improvement though, with the French team now P3 in both the pecking order and the championship. Whisper it quietly, but Fernando Alonso may have actually made a good career decision for once...Coming home just behind Ricciardo was his former team-mate, Daniil Kvyat. His days in F1 look all but over, and judging by that performance, that could be seen as somewhat harsh. Still, at least he's going out on a high.Attention is then turned to a man who didn't have such a good day, George Russell. For not the first time in his short F1 career, he had a point in his grasp, but made a huge mistake and lost out. Should the Brit's struggles to handle pressure be a cause for concern for Mercedes and Williams?Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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Portimao's first Formula 1 race was a good one, and it threw up plenty of talking points for the latest episode of Torquing Point.The biggest of them is, once again, Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver is now officially the most prolific race-winner in the history of the sport, and win number 92 was once of his best yet. With a dominant car for at least another year and no signs of slowing down, just how many victories will he have to his name when he eventually retires?For the first time this season, Finley and Michelle then discuss what was, in many ways, a good weekend for Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc started and finished P4 and looked strong all weekend. Is this the start of a resurgence for the Italian team?Perhaps, but not on both sides of the garage, as Sebastian Vettel was again nowhere near his team-mate. Whether the reason for this is preferential treatment, different cars or Leclerc simply being that much better is up for debate, but regardless, it doesn't reflect well on Vettel or his team.The German wasn't the worst performing team-mate at the Portuguese Grand Prix though; that title goes to Alex Albon, who had yet another poor race. To make matters worse for him, two potential rivals for his seat, Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez, were excellent. That being said, neither of them is the favourite to replace the Thai driver should he be dropped.Nico Hulkenberg looks set to do so if Red Bull decide a change is necessary, but what are the chances of it happening? And if it does, will that be the end of Albon's time in F1? Oh, and what on earth did Gasly to not even be considered? Helmut Marko is likely the only man that has the answer to that, but the PF1 give their best guesses...Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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The latest episode of Torquing Point is all about the Eifel Grand Prix, a race that will live long in the memory for many.That's undoubtedly the case for Lewis Hamilton, who won at the Nurburgring to match Michael Schumacher's record tally of 91 victories. Finley and Michelle get things started by reflecting on how big of an achievement this is, how he compares to the German and by having the inevitable GOAT discussion. The race in Germany was also a memorable one for Daniel Ricciardo, who finally returned to the podium for the first time since 2018. He now has five consecutive top-six finishes and is P4 in the Driver's Championship, which begs the question: Is he the driver of the season? And will his form be enough for Renault to secure P3 in the Constructors'?Right now, Racing Point occupies that spot, and that's in part due to the incredible efforts of Nico Hulkenberg. The German started the race at the back of the grid with four laps of prior running under his belt and finished it in P8. He was undoubtedly Driver of the Day and showed he's one of the best around. Someone give him a seat. Many feel that he deserves Alex Albon's, and that's an opinion that would have only grown given Red Bull driver's terrible showing at the Nurburgring. Despite this, his team refuse to criticise him and look likely to keep him for 2021. Why are they so much more lenient with him than they were with Pierre Gasly? Only Helmut Marko knows for sure, but the PF1 team do their best to answer it themselves. Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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After two ridiculous races, the Russian Grand Prix was a return to reality for both Formula 1 and the Torquing point team.Arguably the most important moment of the race came before it even started, as Lewis Hamilton ended up being handed a 10-second time penalty for practising a start outside the designated area. Finley and Michelle get things started by wondering how the Brit and his team made such a rookie error and discussing his far from ideal reaction to the decision. Hamilton loss was Valtteri Bottas's gain, and the Finn returned to the top step of the podium for the first since the season opener in Austria? Would he have won if not for his team-mates penalty? And can this result kick-start something of a resurgence for him?The fight for P3 in the Constructor's Championship is turning out to be the most interesting battle of 2020, and that was again the case in Sochi. The pair pay tribute to the two stand-out drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez, and agree that Hamilton could learn something from the former, while the latter deserves better from his team. The 2020 race was arguably the best one Sochi has produced since joining the calendar in 2014, and it still wasn't great by any means. Given this, should it remain on the schedule going forward? The episode is wrapped up with a look at this, the somewhat controversial Turn 2 bollards, and a tribute to Roamin Grosjean's glorious handling of them. Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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Madness in Mugello made it two great races in a row, and again left the PF1 team the task of making sense of the carnage. We did our best...After a messy first corner of the Tuscan Grand Prix, the chaos reached another level nine laps later. Finley and Michelle kick things off by taking a look at the Safety Car restart that led to a huge incident, debating who, if anyone, was the blame for the pile-up that took out four cars.The incident brought out the first of two Red Flags for the race, and with so many of those being waved recently, the pair discuss what the current state of affairs is when a race is suspended. Are standing starts the way to go? Should drivers be allowed a free pit-stop?In a race that just 12 drivers finished, there were some stand-out performances that need to be talked about. As per usual, one of them came courtesy of Lewis Hamilton. Even after a poor start, he recovered to cruise to victory and take a step closer to sporting immortality. It begs the question, does Valtteri Bottas really believe that he can beat the Brit?Behind the Mercedes drivers, Alex Albon passed Daniel Ricciardo to take P3 and his first-ever podium. With Pierre Gasly winning in Monza and Max Verstappen retiring early on at Mugello, there was more pressure than ever on the Thai driver, and it's fair to say he delivered. Looking ahead, it may well be the drive that secures him a 2021 seat at Red Bull...Given it was Ferrari's 1000th anniversary in F1, they just have to be discussed. While both cars finished in the points, it was yet another weekend with little to smile about in the Italian camp. They'll be desperate to get back to winning ways, and the sport, fans and the PF1 team are desperate to see it. Episode number 20 is wrapped up with a discussion regarding whether Mugello deserves to be on the calendar next season, and a brief look ahead to the Russian Grand Prix, where things probably won't be quite as exciting, but who knows...Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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After becoming somewhat stale, the 2020 season burst into life with an incredible Italian Grand Prix, and the PF1 team couldn't be happier.When discussing the race, the only place to start is with Pierre Gasly. Given the year he's had, he's fast becoming one of the sport's greatest stories and best drivers.Did he just get lucky? What does the triumph mean for his career? Is a Red Bull return on the cards? One thing is certain - if he keeps driving like he is, the grid is his oyster.While Carlos Sainz may have been gutted to miss out on the win, it was still an excellent race for him and McLaren. Sainz and Lando Norris finished in P2 and P4 respectively and, unlike Gasly, they would've finished as high if not higher without the Safety Cars and Red Flag.With two podiums and 98 points to their name, the British team look to be back in the big time. What's more, with Mercedes engines next year, they'll be aiming even higher than P3 in the Constructors' Championship.The standing start with a mixed-up grid and the glorious 25 or so laps that followed were the perfect advertisement for reverse grid races, so is it time that they were introduced in some form, whether it be on Saturdays or Sundays?Finley and Michelle discuss this, weighing up the pros and cons, before taking a look ahead to next week's race at Mugello. If it's half as good as what just happened in Monza, there will be plenty to talk about, and they'll be a happy bunch indeed.Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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Sunday's race may not have been the best that Spa has produced, but there's still plenty of talking points for the PF1 team to discuss.Finley and Michelle get the ball rolling by once again applauding the efforts of Lewis Hamilton. However, while he's set to break record after record, his team-mate Valtteri Bottas can't get anywhere near him. Given how things are going for Mercedes though, do they really care?The same question can be posed to Red Bull. Alex Albon finished the race in P6, over 25 seconds behind Max Verstappen, but he wasn't helped by the strategy he was handed. Should he be worried about losing his seat, or are Red Bull happy to keep him as a human guinea pig for his team-mates strategies? Either way, his mood won't be helped by the brilliance of Pierre Gasly, and a moment is taken to pay tribute to his performances. Finishing ahead of Albon were the Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon. The Aussie was particularly impressive, and the pair debate just how good he is before taking a look at the midfield battle going forward. With just nine points separating McLaren in P3 and Renault in P6, it's sure to be tasty. One team who McLaren won't be worrying about is Ferrari, and the Italian team is the last topic of the episode. The Belgian Grand Prix was their worst race weekend in quite some time, with the car looking no quicker than those of their customer teams, Alfa Romeo and Haas. Returning to their homeland with their tail between their legs and a power-dependant track next up, things look set to get worse before they get better.                                                                                                        Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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The Spanish Grand Prix wasn't exactly eventful, but there's still plenty for the PF1 team to dig their teeth into in the latest episode of Torquing Point.They kick things off with a look at the fight at the front. Lewis Hamilton cruised to victory and seems to comfortably have the upper hand over Valtteri Bottas. Is this due to the Brit's brilliance? Or is the Finn floundering?Max Verstappen split the Mercedes pair in the race and is now comfortably doing so in the Championship. Finley and Michelle discuss how far off the German team Red Bull are and how Alex Albon needs to be closer to his team-mate for them to really be able to take the fight to Toto and co.The pair then move on to taking a look at Driver of the Day and Ferrari chief strategist, Sebastian Vettel. P7 may have been a step forward for him, but as his team radio messages showed, things are still far from well at the Scuderia. In the eyes of many, the race at Barcelona should no longer be on the calendar, and Finley and Michelle wrap things up by voicing their own opinions on the matter, before cheering themselves up by looking ahead to the ridiculously exciting triple-header coming up next.

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For the first time this year, we have a non-Mercedes victor. How and why did it happen? Finley and Michelle kick off the latest episode of Torquing Point by discussing just that. Max Verstappen may have won because of strategy rather than superior pace, but with hotter temperatures set to stick around for the next few races, could he put together a title challenge?Behind the Dutchman and the Mercedes drivers was the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. The pair discuss his excellent start to the season, in which he has dragged his team to P3 in the standings, and wonder whether he's getting the credit he deserves. They then turn their attention the other, less successful, side of the Italian team's garage. Vettel's struggled continued at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix - What is going so wrong? And could we see the two parties part ways before the year is up?A moment is taken to applaud the efforts of Nico Hulkenberg before a brief look at what to expect from next week's race in Catalunya. Will it be the start of a titanic title fight? Cross your fingers...Follow Planet F1:Twitter: @Planet_F1Facebook: Planet F1

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