What to watch this F1 Weekend (May 7th - May 12th)

• Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix; from Catalunya Circuit, Spain. Practice 1. Friday @ 4:25am - 6:30am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix; from Catalunya Circuit, Spain. Practice 2. Friday @ 8:55am - 10am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix; from Catalunya Circuit, Spain. Practice 3. Saturday @ 5:55am - 7am (ESPN2) live    
• Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix; from Catalunya Circuit, Spain. Qualifying. Saturday @ 8:55am - 10am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix; from Catalunya Circuit, Spain. Race. Sunday @ 8:55am - 11am (ESPN) live
• Chasing Classic Cars. Marathon. Mon @ 10am - 4pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 4pm - 5pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Wed @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Restoration Garage. Marathon. Tues @ 10am - 4pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 

Short, busy week, so this will be brief. This race was much like last years race in that Bottas was the fastest on Saturday, Hamilton out raced him and took the victory and Verstappen was in the mix, splitting the two mercs when the checkered flag dropped. Bottas had a great start this time, unlike last year, but just wasn't as fast in race as Hams and Max. Bottas did snag the fastest lap, on the very last lap of the race as he and Max were sent out on softs to try getting what could be a very precious point come late in the season. What wasn't like last year was the fact that Sergio is now Max's teammate and took fourth to keep the points haul as high as possible for Red Bull; this is where they couldn't be last year with Albon, so on that level this is still a good thing. However, Max missed out on pole due to track limits and he wasn't pleased. Also, it appears that the advantage Red Bull had over the first two races has diminished and Merc has figured a few things out. Now this is Merc we're talking about, so it is to be expected to a degree, however, if the next few races go in AMG's favor Red Bull is really going to be pissed they weren't able to take the constructors' lead when they had the opportunity. The good news is that Red Bull and Merc are closer than they've ever been so if it remains tight it will give us all the entertainment we've been looking for. Time will tell; in the meantime, the transplants all looked decent this weekend -- Alonso looked better this race weekend, Perez is looking really comfortable in his RBR and Ricciardo, while not amazing, did improve some with his points after a rough qualy. Even Vettel looked pretty good in the Aston Martin, despite himself and Stroll both being out of the points. Lando is fast and the Ferrari boys are quick too, but unfortunately Sainz had tire management issues during the race leading to him getting feasted on in the last third. Tsunoda is having a rough time in the initially quick Alfa Tauri; Gasly snagged the final points position after a tough battle in the mid-field. McLaren vs Ferrari is turning into a pretty nice match up with Alpine trying to crash the party. With the checkered flag dropped, the driver's championship standings are as follows: Hamilton, Verstappen (-8), Norris (-32), Bottas (-37), Leclerc (-41), Perez (-47). Alonso is returning home, Red Bull is looking to counter, Ricciardo is looking to show his talent and Merc is looking to step on the competition. This should be another great race.

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of Formula1.

What to watch this F1 Weekend (Apr 30th - May 5th)

• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Practice 1. Friday @ 6:25am - 7:30am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Practice 2. Friday @ 9:55am - 11am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Practice 3. Saturday @ 6:55am - 8am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Qualifying. Saturday @ 9:55am - 11am @ (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Race. Sunday @ 9:55am - 12pm (ESPN) live; pre-race at 8:25am
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 4pm - 5pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Wed @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 

Action in Imola was both treacherous and intense. Countless cars spinning off track, countless shunts, many red flags and the race winner was determined by who kept it the cleanest and the ones who made the best decisions during the dry out phase on slicks. Max wasn't the fastest through qualy, Ham's taking pole on a 30th circuit, but his car was definitely faster in race pace per usual and for some reason Valtteri lost his mojo and was no where close to Hams. Meanwhile Perez did well in qualy reversing the typical arrangement at the front of the field; two Redbulls against one Merc. While all that was happening McLaren has proven to be quite the spicy meatball; Lando is legitimately fast. Leclerc was in his usual position in touch with the fastest cars, but not fast enough to compete for the podium. Hamilton has the luck of the Irish; Perez had an unfortunate slide late in the race which took him out of contention. Bottas and Russell came together at triple digits which led to plenty of controversy; unfortunately, after further review it appears that Bottas didn't do George as bad as he initially reacted, but the outside line was so wet at that stage of the race that there was no way it would've succeeded. Too late now though, they were both out; Perez was also out of the points as well, bringing us back to the manufacturers chip points; Lando was able to hold onto 3rd, Hams recovered from his safety car off to take second, which was nothing short of miraculous and Max rode off into the sunset for his first win in Italy at anytime. Meanwhile Leclerc and Sainz took really good points in 4/5, respectively. Ricciardo seems to still be getting used to his Merc and can't extract everything he wants from it yet; the same goes for Perez in the RBR. Portugal should be another interesting race to see where the mid-field and new drivers sort themselves out. 

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of Formula1.

What to watch this F1 Weekend (April 16th - April 21st)

• Formula 1 - Romagna Grand Prix; from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Practice 1. Friday @ 4:55am - 6am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Romagna Grand Prix; from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Practice 2. Friday @ 8:25am - 9:30am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Romagna Grand Prix; from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Practice 3. Saturday @ 4:55am - 6am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Portugal Grand Prix; from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Qualifying. Saturday @ 7:55am - 9am @ (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Romagna Grand Prix; from Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Race. Sunday @ (7:30am pre-race) 8:55am - 11am (ESPN) live
• IndyCar Series - Honda Grand Prix of Alabama. From Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Sunday @ 3pm - 6pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
  
• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Garage Squad. Mon/Wed @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Wheeler Dealers. Mini-marathon. Monday @ 8pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 11pm - 12am (MotorTrend) replays

Bahrain turned into the close racing between RedBull and Merc we've been looking for, despite the podium looking quite familiar once the flag dropped. Merc was on the back foot heading into this race having some detrimental effects from the 2021 floor regulations which they have yet to counter with development. The car is much better than testing, but still slower than the Red Bull, which was proven out with Max taking a spectacularly large 4-tenth gap in qualy for pole. The race boiled down to two particular strategy decisions deep into the race; the first was Merc pitting Hamilton for his thirds set of tires to cover off a possible Verstappen undercut which didn't quite pan out (Max didn't stop for another ten laps to counter that strategy) and Max giving Hamilton his position back after passing him off course on the very corner Red Bull blew the whistle on Merc for taking advantage of most of the race. The latter became the big discussion point as you'll see in the recap below. However the ability of Hamilton to hold off Max with ten-lap older tires and a slower car for the last handful of laps of the race was impressive to say the least. Also, Perez had an electrical problem in the formation laps which forced him to start from pit lane -- he overcame that better than expected and took sixth, but he wasn't in the strategy to counter Valtteri because he was out of the mix all race, so once again Max was racing by himself. In the end, Hams took the win, Max came in a close second and Valtteri took third. Sound familiar? In other action the rookie Tsunoda is officially fast. Alpha Tauri was fast all weekend to be frank, but had difficulties on race day and Tsunoda finished 9th, but in the points; the only points for the team with Gasly's DNF. Also, Aston Martin didn't look great, also struggling with the new regulations, Vettel looking even worse after getting caught up in yellow flag drama during qualy and not slowing down. Lando and Danny did well, taking 4th and 7th respectively and Leclerc took 6th, staying up in the mid-field per usual. Sainz took 8th so he did decently on his debut given Charles is the benchmark. Lance took the final points spot in tenth for Aston Martin's first race. There's a lot to unpack here; Merc have to get some downforce back in the rear of the car, but still have the best pair of cars/drivers to score the most points until otherwise proven. Red Bull have to get past the electrical gremlins (Max was also dealing with some odd power delivery problem, sound familiar?) to be more consistent on Sunday. We'll be in Italy this weekend so it'll be interesting to see if Ferrari can make a strong showing now that they have their powerunit sorted out relative to last season. It'll also be good to see who can make the next best step forward between the top teams. I usually list the drivers standings at this point of the post, but I'll start that later in the season.

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of Formula1.

What to watch this Weekend (April 10th - April 14th)

• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Garage Squad. Mon/Wed @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of EvolveAutomotive.

What to watch this F1 Season Kickoff Weekend (Mar 26th - Mar 31st)

• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Practice 1. Friday @ 7:25am - 9am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Practice 2. Friday @ 10:55am - 12:30am (ESPNU) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Practice 3. Saturday @ 7:55am - 9:30am (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Qualifying. Saturday @ 10:55am - 12:30pm (ESPN2) live
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Bahrain. From the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama. Race. Sunday @ 10:55am - 1:30pm (ESPN2) live
• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Garage Squad. Wednesday @7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Everyone is back to play with 2021-spec upgrades. Vettel is at the newly titled Aston Martin racing team, Red Bull is quick and has two of the best drivers in the field. Merc is back to chase manufacturers title number 8, with our usual duo, but still has a bit more work to do based on Bahrain testing. Ferrari is supposedly fast again, but we'll find out what the ground truth is this weekend.

In other news, we unfortunately found out about the passing of Sabine Schmitz over last weekend. There were rumblings of her battling illness, but I had no idea it was for multiple years. Sabine was a great driver as well as a great advocate and personality supporting German motorsport and the legendary Nürburgring (specifically the Nordschleife), a place we hold in very high regard here on ROTL. Sad to see someone, with so much positivity and enthusiasm for others, be taken away at only 51 years of age. VLN and Endurance Racing veteran race driver, Ring Taxi driver, Agriculturalist, Ring advocate, Top Gear presenter. Her passing shortly follows the passing of legendary F1 commentator Murray Walker; it hasn't been a good month. RIP Sabine and Murray.

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of Motorvision.

Video courtesy of Formula1.

What to watch this 12hrs of Sebring Weekend (Mar 19th - Mar 24th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• WSCC - 12 hours of Sebring (FL). 69th annual running of this historic race. Saturday @ 10am - 12pm (NBCSN), 12pm - 7pm (NBCSportsLive/App), 7pm - 10:30pm (NBCSN) live
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Last Stop Garage. Mini-marathon. Monday @ 8pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of Drivetribe.

What to watch this Weekend (Mar 12th - Mar 17th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Bitchin Rides. Mini-marathon. Monday @ 8pm - 12am (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of 311RSMotorsport.

What to watch this Weekend (Mar 7th - Mar 10th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Bitchin Rides. Wednesday @ 8pm - 9pm (MotorTrend) 
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your motorsport weekends.

Video courtesy of savagegeese.

What to watch this Weekend (Feb 28th - Mar 3rd)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• Garage Squad. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Bitchin Rides. Wednesday @ 8pm - 9pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Carfection.

What to watch this Weekend (Feb 20th - Feb 24th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• Bitchin Rides. Mon/Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Pikes Peak: On the edge. Monday @ 9pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Bitchin Rides. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrend) new
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Carfection.

What to watch this Weekend (Feb 13th - Feb 17th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 Ep.2 - A Massive Hunt. (Amazon Prime) 
• Bitchin Rides. Tue/Wed @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Auto Mundial. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend)
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) 
• Wheeler Dealers. Tuesday @ 8pm - 9pm (MotorTrend) new
• Bitchin Rides. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrend) new
• Restoration Garage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Hagerty.

What to watch this Weekend (May 31st - June 3rd)

• Bitchin Rides. Monday @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Restoration Garage. Mini-marathon. Monday @ 8pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Garage Squad. Tuesday @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Overhaulin'. Tuesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrend) new
• Faster with Finnegan. Tuesday @ 10pm- 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of TopGear.

What to watch this Weekend (May 10th - May 13th)

• Restoration Garage. Mini-marathon. Monday @ 8pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Garage Squad. Tuesday @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Overhaulin'. Tuesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrend) new
• Faster with Finnegan. Tuesday @ 10pm- 11pm (MotorTrend) new
• Vintage Voltage. BMW 1602. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video hosting courtesy of SpeedRacer38.

What to watch this Weekend (April 19th - April 22nd)

• Restoration Garage. Monday @ 4pm - 5pm (MotorTrend) replays
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Vintage Voltage. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrend)

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Drivetribe.

What to watch this Weekend (Feb 14th - Feb 19th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 4 - Seamen. (Amazon Prime)
• Formula E. Qualifying and Race from Mexico City. Saturday @ 3:30pm - 6pm (FS2) same-day delay/live 
• Restoration Garage. Tuesday @ 5pm - 6pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Speed is the new black. Tuesday @ 6pm - 7pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Garage Squad. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay
• Bitchin Rides. Wednesday @ 7pm - 8pm (MotorTrend) replay

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of TubiStyleKorea.

What to watch this Weekend (May 17th - May 22nd)

• The Grand Tour. Season 3. Episodes on demand. Friday (Amazon Prime) 
• Indy 500. Qualifying Day1. Saturday @ 5pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
• Indy500. Qualifying Day2. Sunday @ 12pm (NBC(HD)) live 
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Bitchin Rides. Tuesday @ 8pm - 9pm (MotorTrendHD)
• Wheeler Dealers. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrendHD) new

Indy500 Qualifying is going down on NBC this . Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of AMMONYC.

What to watch this Weekend (April 26th - May 1st)

• The Grand Tour. Season 3. Episodes on demand. Friday (Amazon Prime) 
• Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix; from the street circuit in Azerbaijan, Baku. Practice 1. Friday @ 4:55am - 6:30am (ESPN2(HD)) new
• Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix; from the street circuit in Azerbaijan, Baku. Practice 2. Friday @ 8:55am - 10:30am (ESPNU(HD)) new
• Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix; from the street circuit in Azerbaijan, Baku. Practice 3. Saturday @ 4:55am - 6:30am (ESPNNEWS(HD)) replay
• Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix; from the street circuit in Azerbaijan, Baku. Qualifying. Saturday @ 8:55am - 10am (ESPN2(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix; from the street circuit in Azerbaijan, Baku. Race. Sunday @ 7:30am - 10am (ESPN2(HD)) live
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Garage Squad. Wednesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrendHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrendHD) new

Last we left off in China, the 1000th F1 race, Bottas took pole, Ferrari looked suspiciously slow and inept with strategy and Merc took another 1-2 in a row. Renault had another mechanical failure related DNF, Hulk the victim by himself this time around, and Ricciardo finally finished a race. Verstappen split the Ferraris again, which is putting Maranello in a bit of a pickle. If they can't keep up with Merc it leads to them shooting themselves in the foot by not covering off Verstappen with their strategy. Also, if Leclerc is as good as he appears to be and Ferrari seems to be favoring Vettel with the benefit of team strategies, this lack of letting their drivers race each other will likely decide this years Championship; probably in favor of the silver arrows if they continue to remain as reliable as they've been thus far. Albon crashed out in P3, which took him out of Qualy, but he made it up to his team by taking back one championship point from the starting at the back of the field during the race -- great drive to take 10th. Gasly finally performed up to expectations, finishing right behind Leclerc in 6th. He also wisely snagged the fastest lap since he had a big enough cushion to pit late for softs, keeping the front runners from holding onto it. Kimi took 9th, Perez too 8th and both Haas couldn't find any real pace and finished out of the points. Daniil regained his torpedo status with a 7-10 split of McLaren's on lap one, which he got penalized for, but it lead to both himself and Norris not finishing the race. Sainz finally finished a race, but it was only in 14th. Hamilton's start proved to be both decisive and the deciding in this grand prix; he never looked back and drove an excellent race. He now leads the championship.

With the checkered flag dropped the current Driver's Championship standings are as follows: Hamilton, Bottas (-6), Verstappen (-29), Vettel (-31), Leclerc (-32), Gasly (-55). This weekend in Azerbaijan should be another entertaining race, we'll see if Ferrari can respond after a lackluster performance in China.

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Autosport.

What to watch this Weekend (April 19th - April 23th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 3. Episodes on demand. Friday (Amazon Prime) 
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Restoration Garage. Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrendHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. 1970 VW Fastback. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrendHD) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of ShiftedPerspective.

What to watch this Weekend (April 11th - April 17th)

• Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix; from Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Circuit. Practice1. Thursday @ 9:55pm - 11:30am (ESWN(HD)) live
• The Grand Tour. Season 3 Episode 14. Season Finale. Friday (Amazon Prime) 
• Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix; from Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Circuit. Practice2. Friday @ 1:55am - 3:30am (ESWN(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix; from Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Circuit. Practice 3. Saturday @ 10:55am - 12pm (ESWN(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix; from Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Circuit. Qualifying. Saturday @ 1:55am - 3am (ESPN2(HD)) live
• WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach. Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
• Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix; from Shanghai, China/Shanghai International Circuit. Race. Sunday @ 2:05am - 4am (ESPN2(HD)) live 
• IndyCar Series - Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Street track in Long Beach, California. Sunday @ 4:30pm - 6:30pm (NBCSN(HD)) live 
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Restoration Garage. Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrendHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. 996 Porsche 911 Carrera. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrendHD) new

What can you say about one of the most exciting and plot twisting races in quite a while, in the 2019 Bahrain GP? Poor Charles. He dominated all weekend, took pole position on Saturday, made a bad start Sunday, got back in the lead quickly, then he essentially experienced a dropped cylinder with about 15 laps left. This should've been his maiden grand prix victory, but it'll have to wait a bit longer. Hamilton, ever the opportunist, ran a strong race, was faster than his teammate, out dueled Vettel when team strategies lead to them going wheel to wheel, which put him behind Leclerc when his issue came up. The loss of that cylinder dropped his lap pace to over 3 seconds a lap under the field, which lead to him potentially finishing in 4th or 5th place -- but then the motorsport gods shined down upon him in the form of both Renaults breaking down with about 10 laps to go. It took so long to get Hulkenberg's car towed off the track, Ricciardo's remained through the checkered flag. Leclerc took 3rd under caution, which not only ensured his wounded car took third, but also ensured no one could break his fastest lap which came shortly before the engine problem. With these points he's leap frogged his teammate and put him fourth in the Driver's Championship. Vettel spun his car when Hams made the move to pass him (sound familiar?), but he salvaged the race by making his way back to fifth, behind Verstappen. I think what makes this season so great is that we have two young drivers on the top three teams which have the ability to compete for race wins and podiums; this is something we haven't had in a long time and it's mixing some things up. That said, things are looking up for Hamilton if he keeps turning out great results -- Vettel has a full on rival in his own team which will be limiting his ability to get max points everyweek. Bottas had a great first race, but didn't look as strong in Bahrain, so until we see more Hams should be the priority in silver. Verstappen will be a spoiler when the top two teams aren't strong enough which will further reduce the amount of points up for grabs. If Gasley could keep up with Max Red Bull would be an even bigger threat, but that isn't the case yet. Oh and Mclaren is still quick, with Norris taking 6th, but Sainz DNF'd again. This season is shaping up to be pretty interesting.

With the checkered flag dropped in Bahrain the current standings are as follows: Bottas, Hamilton (-1), Verstappen (-17), LeClerc (-18), Vettel (-22), Raikkonen (-34). This weekend's race in China is the 1000th F1 grand prix race, it's a track where power is rewarded with long straights and Merc will have their hands full once again trying to keep the red cars in check. If Leclerc takes the win in China will the team become his? We'll have to tune in to find out.

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Autosport.

What to watch this Weekend (April 5th - April 10th)

• The Grand Tour. Season 3 Episode 13. Friday (Amazon Prime) 
• IndyCar Series - Honda Grand Prix of Alabama. From Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Sunday @ 4pm - 7pm (NBCSN(HD)) live
• Chasing Classic Cars. Tuesday @ 7pm - 7:30pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Motorweek. Tuesday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (MotorTrendHD) replay
• Restoration Garage. Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (MotorTrendHD) new
• Chasing Classic Cars. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (MotorTrendHD) new

Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of TheStriaghtPipes.