Formula 1 is a high-stakes game. Drivers and teams are always under pressure to perform, no matter what the situation. That’s why it was so tragic when Daniel Wehrlein crashed during a practice session earlier this week. Wehrlein had been one of Formula 1’s brightest prospects in recent years, but his career has taken a major turn for the worse this season. After crashing during practice, it’s unclear whether or not he will be able to compete in this weekend’s race. Whatever happens this weekend, it’s clear that Wehrlein and Formula 1 have both taken a big hit.
Daimler-Mercedes driver Wehrlein crashes during a Practice Session
On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017, during a Practice Session for the Formula One British Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein crashed. The German driver was hitting 190mph when he lost control of his car and hit the wall at turn 15. This caused a red flag to be dropped and Wehrlein was taken to the hospital in a helicopter with serious injuries.
At this point it is still unknown what caused the accident but it is presumed that Wehrlein lost control due to excessive speed. At this stage, it is unclear if he will be able to compete in the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
What this means for the Driver and Team
The German driver Nico Rosberg has taken the lead in the Formula 1 championship after a good performance at the Belgian Grand Prix. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who finished second and was leading the championship before this race, had to retire with an engine problem.
Nico Rosberg’s victory gives him a four-point lead over Hamilton with six races remaining. However, there is still enough time for Hamilton to catch up and win the championship – provided he avoids any further incidents or accidents.
What can we expect from Wehrlein in the Race
The 2017 season is swiftly coming to an end for Pascal Wehrlein and Sauber. With just 4 races remaining in the calendar, Wehrlein has racked up a total of 10 points finishes, which puts him in 2nd place on the Drivers’ Championship standings. Sauber is currently sitting 12th in the Constructors’ Championship, so anything can still happen in the final races. With this being said, many are predicting that Wehrlein will struggle to keep up with championship leader Lewis Hamilton in the final rounds.
Nevertheless, there are some reasons to be optimistic about Wehrlein’s chances of claiming his first world championship title. He is one of only two drivers to have finished inside the top 3 positions in each race this season (the other being Hamilton). Furthermore, he has shown great consistency throughout the year – finishing within 1 second of the fastest lap in every race but one. Finally, his qualifying performances have been strong too – he has scored 5 pole positions this season and has only failed to finish a single race from Q3 on 6 occasions.
Whichever way you look at it, Pascal Wehrlein is definitely battling it out for a podium finish at the end of 2017. So whatever happens between now and the end of the season – we can expect a very exciting championship fight!
Mercedes Reaction to the Crash
Mercedes reacted to the crash by suspending Wehrlein from first practice. The team also said they would further investigate the cause of the crash. This comes as a surprise, as Wehrlein had been doing well in Practice Session 2.
Mercedes is one of the most dominant teams in Formula One, and this crash will have no impact on their lead in the championship.
Result of the Crash
Some drivers had high expectations for the new season, but Michael Schumacher’s retirement had a big impact. Nico Rosberg has been in the lead since the first race of the season, but lost two points to Lewis Hamilton after crashing at Silverstone.
The race situation changes quite a bit when it comes to championship positions. The gap between second and third place is now just four points, and five different drivers are within reach of the title. This week’s practice sessions were important for this reason: they gave us some clues as to who will be fighting for victory at each race.
Rosberg took first position in both sessions, defending his advantage from Silverstone. But Hamilton was very close behind him, with Verstappen third and Vettel fourth. In the second session, Rosberg crashed heavily on lap one and was forced to retire. This put Hamilton into first place and allowed him to build up a large lead over Verstappen in second place. Vettel was able to pass Verstappen later on in the session, but he still lost ground to Hamilton overall.
This weekend’s races are going to be very close, so we can only wait to see how everything unfolds!
How Wehrlein Can Recover
Wehrlein has been one of the most consistent drivers in the championship this season, leading the standings for a majority of it. However, his weekend at Silverstone was anything but perfect. In a Practice Session on Saturday, Wehrlein crashed into barriers after losing control of his car. This resulted in a broken front suspension and damage to his rear wing. The German driver managed to walk away from the incident unscathed, but this is not what counts as success for him right now.
It’s clear that Wehrlein was not at his best on Saturday and he will need to put all of his effort into recovering from this crash to ensure he can continue racing at the front. He is currently undergoing surgery on his broken suspension and must wait until it heals before returning to racing action. Whilst he is out, Mercedes-Benz will be hoping their other drivers can take their places and challenge for victory in Formula One this season.