It’s the ninth round of the Formula 1 world championship in Montreal. Red Bull and Ferrari have dominated the season up to now, locking out the podium places across the first seven rounds, before a major underbody update for Mercedes in Baku saw George Russell take his first podium of the year by passing Carlos Sainz Jnr in the closing laps.
In Montreal, Russell and young team mate Theo Pourchaire have lined up on the third row of the grid. Back at the factory, weather data suggests that rain will fall around the exact point that the medium tyres are expected to drop off if drivers run them during their opening stint. Mercedes’ new team principal makes the call to start both drivers on the medium compound in the hope of taking advantage.
When the race starts, Mercedes settle into fifth and sixth as the leaders dart out ahead. As predicted, the rain begins to fall around lap 30. An intense shower soaks the circuit.
The Ferraris and Red Bulls pit, both opting for wet tyres due to the sheer volume of water on track. However, the weather data predicts that the rain will be brief, so switching to intermediates allows both Mercedes drivers to begin gaining ground on the cars ahead as the track rapidly dries. Eventually, the track is dry enough for both Russell and Pourchaire to pit, allowing them to emerge from the pits with a one-two lead.
As Verstappen hunts down the two Mercedes with superior pace, Yuki Tsunoda slams into Daniel Ricciardo at the hairpin and the Safety Car is deployed. The intervention allows both Mercedes drivers to recharge their ERS and preserve their medium tyres, before the race restarts with five laps remaining.
Pourchaire is given direct orders to hold up Verstappen as much as possible. He plays the rear gunner role admirably, allowing Russell to pull out a modest gap. By the time Verstappen passes Pourchaire and gets within DRS range of the leader, it is the start of the final lap. Eighty heart-pounding seconds later, Russell crosses the line to score Mercedes’ first victory of the season, with Pourchaire bringing the second Mercedes home on the podium in third.
This dramatic scenario is not from a dream, fanfiction or an episode of Ricciardo’s upcoming scripted F1 television series, but a race that played out during RaceFans’ review of F1 Manager 2022 – the first officially licensed Formula 1 management game in over two decades.
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