Rate the race and driver of the weekend. Round 8, France 2018

Mean Reader Score: 5.61

With this being the first race here for quite some time there is no data from last year to compare so we can confidently say 5.61 is the best score this circuit has achieved since its transformation from a testing circuit to a fully fledged F1 race track.

A mean reader score of 5.61 rates this race as fourth best out of the eight races we have seen so far this season. Not the best of races with most ‘action’ taking place in the run up to turn 1 on the opening lap. Vettel on US tyres got off (from P3) to a great start, which was rather unfortunate as he was boxed in by the two leading Mercedes, braked, locked up, hit an unsuspecting Bottas and sent the two of them limping back to the pits.

Bottas suffered a rear left puncture (amongst other things) and Vettel got a new front wing and a five second penalty for causing a collision.

The three Frenchmen in the race showed just how attractive they are by colliding with each other in the first lap.

Grosjean got away with it but not so Ocon and Gasly who were out of the race in front of their home crowd. It was then up to the Renault drivers to carry the French flag and Sainz did a sterling job by taking P3 in the early stages and scrapping (a little bit) with Hulkenberg later on.

Vettel managed to make his way back through the field to fifth, giving Hamilton (who won the race)  a good excuse to complain about the punishmet not fitting the crime, as team mate Bottas only made it to P7.

Not the best race this season BUT a jolly good race for our driver of the weekend…..

Driver of the weekend: Kevin Magnusson, 24.41% of reader vote

Well, well, well, it was an excellent drive for Kevin Magnussen who brought home (and saved) the bacon for Haas in France. With Haas and STR both having 19 points in WCC the eight point haul won by KMag this weekend was very welcome indeed.

Kevin qualified well, kept his nose clean, drove a solid race and won enough points to take Haas up to P7 in the constructors championship and himself to P10 in drivers championship……well done Kevin.