Muhammad Patel

**Muhammad Patel** is a British racing driver competing with Racing Point in the 2019 ACOC season.

## **2017: Beginnings**

Patel signed with Red Bull Racing for the first season of the ACOC, alongside Swede Alfred Clauss. 2017 proved to be a very up and down for Red Bull, as both Clauss and Patel were struggling to attain race wins in the first few races of the season. However, tides would turn for Red Bull at their home Austrian Grand Prix as Muhammad Patel won from pole, as the two Mercedes teammates of Jesper Johansson and Darabos Dániel collided with each other. This win would mark Red Bull as a competent challenger for the championship, as Patel took yet another win at the next round at his home British Grand Prix, winning comfortably after a dominant display in front of his home crowd. Patel became the first ever man to take back-to-back wins in Formula 1. A P3 in Hungary followed by two straight retirements at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. Another win would not be on the cards for Muhammad until the Japanese GP, where he held off everyone else to the flag to take a third victory of the season. Patel retired at the final round at Abu Dhabi. A very shaky season for Red Bull, but a good season for Patel saw him finishing third in the standings, two positions and a whole 35 points clear of teammate Clauss.

## **2018: Shift in power**

Both Patel and Clauss were retained for 2018, as the ACOC entered its second season. Clauss was on far better form in 2018, while Patel had a difficult time to get to grips with the 2018 Red Bull. The two teammates were basically equal at the start of the season, however a bit off Mercedes and Ferrari, as the Ferraris looked to be the championship favorites again, with Miran Evci and Dennis Graf winning the first three rounds of the season. The next round at Spain would see Alfred Clauss pull off a spectacular victory, as Muhammad Patel failed to hold on to the podium and spun. This would eventually see a shift in the balance of power at Red Bull, with Clauss asserting himself as number one, and Patel picking up the scraps. The "breaking point" for Patel was arguably the Hungarian Grand Prix, where after colliding with Mercedes' Alexander Arnold both in qualifying and the race, the damaged Red Bull of Patel took out future teammate Kai Czeresnia, and held up leading cars due to damage. Patel was forced to sit out the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix by the FIA, as he was issued a one race ban. Reserve driver Idde Weitz was in Muhammad's place, and he impressed on the spot as he secured a shock P3, overtaking Clauss for a maiden podium. This was basically salt in the wounds for Patel, as his seat would be put even further under investigation by Red Bull. Patel was eager to prove Red Bull wrong at Monza, and prove them wrong he did. Patel took a first victory of the season at Monza, securing pole, fastest lap and the race win. Unlike 2017, Patel was unable to carry his good performance towards the Japanese GP, and finished a lowly P9. Patel's season ended quietly, as he finished sixth in the drivers' championship, 48 points behind Clauss. A very poor season for Patel, and Red Bull were not happy.

## **2019: Changes**

Patel was dropped from the Milton Keynes-based team, as Red Bull were unimpressed with Patel's shaky 2018 season and an overall pace deficit to Clauss. Replacing him at Red Bull was Renault driver and 2017 F2 drivers' champion, Tomas Mandic. Mandic, unlike Patel, was having a very good season with Renault, even scoring a P2 at Hungary, at the same race that led to Patel's 1 race ban. Muhammad would be signed on by Racing Point for 2019, alongside young Polish talent Kai Czeresnia. As Patel departs to a new ventures, only time will tell how he will fare at Racing Point.