After much fanfare and uncertainty, the opening Grand Prix of the season is behind us, with many talking points.
The spectacle seemed ever so slightly subdued, and it may take some time to become accustomed to the dull drone of the turbos again, after twenty-five years of screaming normally-aspirated engines of various descriptions. Similarly, people will have to re-calibrate their minds to accommodate the modus operandi and vagaries of the new cars. On the plus side, there were encouraging signs of competitiveness, despite the impression that Mercedes enjoy a significant advantage out of the blocks. Also, the cars look much less ugly in motion than they do when stationary!
Mercedes do look impressive, and their whole package looks compact and efficient. Nico Rosberg seemed to have plenty in hand, and the onboard footage from his car suggested a user-friendly and sympathetic vehicle, whereas some of the other teams have yet to fully tame and harness their new creations.
The race in Melbourne also represented a renaissance of sorts for McLaren, and it was great to see Ron Dennis much in evidence in the pits, and even on the pitwall. It must have been very satisfying for the team to witness Kevin Magnussen achieve a podium finish on his debut. The young Dane has taken to Formula 1 like a duck to water, impressing in testing as well as during his first taste of "the real thing". His pass of Lewis Hamilton early on exhibited real confidence and flair, and had the mark of real class about it.
After enduring a miserable series of tests, and having an ultimately disappointing race weekend, Red Bull cannot be discounted. Daniel Ricciardo's race display, although ending in disqualification, is a persuasive sign that the reigning champions will be a force to be reckoned with before very long.
Williams might have been hoping for slightly better than what they got from Australia, but it is great to see them back as a major player. Although Felipe Massa was taken out at the start, Valtteri Bottas' comeback drive had real swagger and vigour, and confirmed the promise of both car and driver. As an added bonus, Williams have reintroduced to F1 one of the coolest liveries in racing!
I probably sound like a broken record in my effusive praise of Nico Hulkenberg, but the German once again showed his class at Albert Park, driving consistently and unobtrusively to a solid finish in the points. Any lingering disappointment at not landing a "top" seat will hopefully be assuaged by the knowledge that Force India have adapted to the new era better than most.
It is hard to know what to make of Ferrari at the moment. Their testing form was a touch inconclusive, but they hardly inspired in Melbourne. Fernando Alonso did his formidable best in the race, maybe even flattering the machinery, but there are signs that Kimi Raikkonen is struggling to get to grips with the new technology. The "superteam" may take a while to unleash its full potential.
In a way, the better than expected reliability which was seen in Australia was a disappointment, because it meant that the shake-up in the running order was less pronounced than might have been hoped for. Mercedes might have the edge, but as demonstrated by the gremlins which afflicted Lewis Hamilton, they are as yet far from infallible. I think that we can expect further surprises in the races to come, with interlopers popping up in unexpected positions.
Showing posts with label australian grand prix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australian grand prix. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 March 2014
Sunday, 17 March 2013
2013 Australian Grand Prix
My appetite for Formula 1 was in danger of becoming dulled and diminished, for various reasons, but just the merest glimpse of the television pictures from today's race in Melbourne was sufficient to hook me in anew.
It feels increasingly facile to say this, but all the signs point to a season of comparable competitiveness and interest to that of 2012. The variable of tyre management is once again present to provide the element of unpredictability.
Having said all this, Red Bull still look to have all the equipment to succeed, and it would not be surprising if this made itself felt more acutely in the next few Grands Prix. The car looks very stable, efficient and consistent, and Sebastian Vettel, although ultimately occupying the bottom step on the podium, was in the thick of the action throughout at Albert Park.
One of the main points of speculation before the next race will inevitably be the "plight" of McLaren. They were utterly anonymous in Australia, and there has been much conjecture about the reason for their shortfall in outright pace. Is the design itself overly ambitious? Much work clearly needs to be done in order to remedy matters.
On the McLaren driver front, one has to feel a measure of sympathy for young Sergio Perez. When he joined the team, he could have expected to have a reasonably competitive machine under him, and the car's deficiencies must be compounding the pressures he will be feeling as a new driver in a top team. He may also be confronted by a dilemma. Will he be tempted to overdrive in order to surmount the car's failings, or will he be overly-conscious of the need to avoid mistakes, and consequently become excessively circumspect? How he deals with this situation may tell us much about the Mexican's ultimate potential as a Grand Prix pilot.
By contrast, Ferrari enjoyed a solid and encouraging opening to the new season. Hopefully, people will not become carried away by all this. At this time last year, the Italian outfit was going through a tough time, and just as their problems back then were overplayed, there may now be a tendency to inflate expectations on the basis of one race. At the same time, it was a heartening display, with both drivers performing capably. In particular, Felipe Massa seems to have been emboldened by the confidence placed in him by Ferrari.
The augurs for the Mercedes team look mixed. There is little sign that they have attained a major breakthrough, and any marginal rise in assertiveness and feistiness my be attributed to "the Hamilton effect". The Englishman raced manfully as ever, and we can be fairly confident that he will extract the maximum from the car. A cloud was introduced by the retirement of Nico Rosberg, raising the spectre of the spate of mechanically-related retirements which afflicted the team in 2012.
A "wild card" was provided in this race by Adrian Sutil in the Force India. Some of us have long rated his abilities, and he looked very much at home at or near the front of the field. The internal competition within that team this season could be very interesting to follow, with Sutil perhaps poised to fulfill the role undertaken by Nico Hulkenberg last year.
Turning to Lotus, it is to be hoped that they have learned lessons from 2012, in terms of how to convert strong race-day showings into regular victories. I would suggest that the jury is still out on this. As has been observed, Raikkonen will be more formidable this season than last, having got plenty of mileage under his belt, and any cobwebs will now have been comprehensively cast off. He just needs the tools to enable him to consistently take full advantage.
It is good to see a reshuffle among the teams, and the appearance of some new faces to freshen things up. Malaysia next....
It feels increasingly facile to say this, but all the signs point to a season of comparable competitiveness and interest to that of 2012. The variable of tyre management is once again present to provide the element of unpredictability.
Having said all this, Red Bull still look to have all the equipment to succeed, and it would not be surprising if this made itself felt more acutely in the next few Grands Prix. The car looks very stable, efficient and consistent, and Sebastian Vettel, although ultimately occupying the bottom step on the podium, was in the thick of the action throughout at Albert Park.
One of the main points of speculation before the next race will inevitably be the "plight" of McLaren. They were utterly anonymous in Australia, and there has been much conjecture about the reason for their shortfall in outright pace. Is the design itself overly ambitious? Much work clearly needs to be done in order to remedy matters.
On the McLaren driver front, one has to feel a measure of sympathy for young Sergio Perez. When he joined the team, he could have expected to have a reasonably competitive machine under him, and the car's deficiencies must be compounding the pressures he will be feeling as a new driver in a top team. He may also be confronted by a dilemma. Will he be tempted to overdrive in order to surmount the car's failings, or will he be overly-conscious of the need to avoid mistakes, and consequently become excessively circumspect? How he deals with this situation may tell us much about the Mexican's ultimate potential as a Grand Prix pilot.
By contrast, Ferrari enjoyed a solid and encouraging opening to the new season. Hopefully, people will not become carried away by all this. At this time last year, the Italian outfit was going through a tough time, and just as their problems back then were overplayed, there may now be a tendency to inflate expectations on the basis of one race. At the same time, it was a heartening display, with both drivers performing capably. In particular, Felipe Massa seems to have been emboldened by the confidence placed in him by Ferrari.
The augurs for the Mercedes team look mixed. There is little sign that they have attained a major breakthrough, and any marginal rise in assertiveness and feistiness my be attributed to "the Hamilton effect". The Englishman raced manfully as ever, and we can be fairly confident that he will extract the maximum from the car. A cloud was introduced by the retirement of Nico Rosberg, raising the spectre of the spate of mechanically-related retirements which afflicted the team in 2012.
A "wild card" was provided in this race by Adrian Sutil in the Force India. Some of us have long rated his abilities, and he looked very much at home at or near the front of the field. The internal competition within that team this season could be very interesting to follow, with Sutil perhaps poised to fulfill the role undertaken by Nico Hulkenberg last year.
Turning to Lotus, it is to be hoped that they have learned lessons from 2012, in terms of how to convert strong race-day showings into regular victories. I would suggest that the jury is still out on this. As has been observed, Raikkonen will be more formidable this season than last, having got plenty of mileage under his belt, and any cobwebs will now have been comprehensively cast off. He just needs the tools to enable him to consistently take full advantage.
It is good to see a reshuffle among the teams, and the appearance of some new faces to freshen things up. Malaysia next....
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Australian Grand Prix 2012
In the build up to the Australian Grand Prix, I discussed the prospects for the race with some friends online. I stuck my neck out and predicted that Jenson Button would emerge victorious, based on McLaren's assured and consistent pre-season, and an expectation that the man from Somerset would have everything "together" for the opener, in his usual neat fashion.
And so it proved. A performance of some aplomb and authority from Button, who was assertive when he needed to be, at the start of the race, and at the restart following the safety car period. Although his lead was never that vast on the stop-watch, he was not seriously challenged throughout. However, there was plenty of interest and significance behind him.
Button's confident display clearly impacted on Lewis Hamilton, whose demeanour post-race was much remarked upon. There has been major comment on how Hamilton has addressed some "issues" over the winter, but it is easy to forget that his team-mate has also worked hard and prepared assiduously, albeit with less media fanfare. Even when we make allowances for the vagaries of tyre wear, strategies and safety car interludes, Lewis clearly knows that he will have his work cut out this season, and was clearly perceptive in his recent assessment that Button constitutes his greatest threat, as things stand.
One of the major talking points of the race was the tenacious performance of Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. This must have given the Italian team some heart, after their travails during testing and also throughout practice and qualifying in Melbourne. Once again, Alonso exhibited his fighting qualities, and his ability to transcend technical deficiencies.
Felipe Massa was less impressive than his team-mate, and although he could not be totally blamed for the collision with Bruno Senna, it will not have helped his cause too much. His performance will inevitably be contrasted with the praiseworthy effort of Alonso.
Red Bull were not quite on the pace, but the remarks emanating from their camp suggest that they are not quite extracting the maximum potential from their machine, and that there is more to come. Perhaps Malaysia, a different kind of circuit, will reveal more, and give us a truer barometer of the relative strengths of McLaren and Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel stuck to his task, and showed some gritty racer's attributes. The reigning champion has acknowledged that McLaren have built an effective car, but is remaining positive.
Mercedes promised much, but the results just did not materialise in the race proper. There were hints of tyre-related difficulties. Michael Schumacher was in a good position when he was forced out, but Nico Rosberg, after a bright start, struggled to make serious headway later on. Still, it is clearly premature to discount a team with their resources and expertise.
Of the rest, Williams' rebirth has been pleasing to behold, although the outcome in Melbourne was ultimately frustrating. Of course, whether they can sustain this early form remains to be seen. Pastor Maldonado no doubt silenced some of his critics today, but equally his detractors will have nodded sagely at some of his antics, culminating in the late crash. Senna was unlucky at the start, and judging by his team-mate's pace, may have been well up the field. Race pace is all well and good, but perhaps the Williams hierarchy need to remind their drivers that the odd solid points finish would not go amiss.....
The Saubers to some degree justified the good things said about them following the pre-season tests, although they pursued what could be described as a conservative race strategy. That said, both drivers raced hard and resolutely, with Kobayashi giving us some reminders of the form he showed when he first entered F1.
Romain Grosjean was not able to build on his excellent qualifying effort, lacking momentum off the grid, and then being despatched into the gravel by Maldonado. However, things look promising for Lotus, with F1 returnee Kimi Raikkonen showing real spirit as the race progressed, clearly trying hard, and giving us the occasional glimpse of "the old Kimi".
Overall, this was an encouraging start to the new F1 season. Although McLaren have an advantage at this stage, it is clearly surmountable, and the evolution of the regulations, together with a minor reshuffling in the pack, has delivered a cocktail which looks like providing a fine spectacle. There was much good dicing throughout the field in Australia, and we can only hope that this continues.
And so on to Sepang. I,for one, am definitely looking forward it!
And so it proved. A performance of some aplomb and authority from Button, who was assertive when he needed to be, at the start of the race, and at the restart following the safety car period. Although his lead was never that vast on the stop-watch, he was not seriously challenged throughout. However, there was plenty of interest and significance behind him.
Button's confident display clearly impacted on Lewis Hamilton, whose demeanour post-race was much remarked upon. There has been major comment on how Hamilton has addressed some "issues" over the winter, but it is easy to forget that his team-mate has also worked hard and prepared assiduously, albeit with less media fanfare. Even when we make allowances for the vagaries of tyre wear, strategies and safety car interludes, Lewis clearly knows that he will have his work cut out this season, and was clearly perceptive in his recent assessment that Button constitutes his greatest threat, as things stand.
One of the major talking points of the race was the tenacious performance of Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. This must have given the Italian team some heart, after their travails during testing and also throughout practice and qualifying in Melbourne. Once again, Alonso exhibited his fighting qualities, and his ability to transcend technical deficiencies.
Felipe Massa was less impressive than his team-mate, and although he could not be totally blamed for the collision with Bruno Senna, it will not have helped his cause too much. His performance will inevitably be contrasted with the praiseworthy effort of Alonso.
Red Bull were not quite on the pace, but the remarks emanating from their camp suggest that they are not quite extracting the maximum potential from their machine, and that there is more to come. Perhaps Malaysia, a different kind of circuit, will reveal more, and give us a truer barometer of the relative strengths of McLaren and Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel stuck to his task, and showed some gritty racer's attributes. The reigning champion has acknowledged that McLaren have built an effective car, but is remaining positive.
Mercedes promised much, but the results just did not materialise in the race proper. There were hints of tyre-related difficulties. Michael Schumacher was in a good position when he was forced out, but Nico Rosberg, after a bright start, struggled to make serious headway later on. Still, it is clearly premature to discount a team with their resources and expertise.
Of the rest, Williams' rebirth has been pleasing to behold, although the outcome in Melbourne was ultimately frustrating. Of course, whether they can sustain this early form remains to be seen. Pastor Maldonado no doubt silenced some of his critics today, but equally his detractors will have nodded sagely at some of his antics, culminating in the late crash. Senna was unlucky at the start, and judging by his team-mate's pace, may have been well up the field. Race pace is all well and good, but perhaps the Williams hierarchy need to remind their drivers that the odd solid points finish would not go amiss.....
The Saubers to some degree justified the good things said about them following the pre-season tests, although they pursued what could be described as a conservative race strategy. That said, both drivers raced hard and resolutely, with Kobayashi giving us some reminders of the form he showed when he first entered F1.
Romain Grosjean was not able to build on his excellent qualifying effort, lacking momentum off the grid, and then being despatched into the gravel by Maldonado. However, things look promising for Lotus, with F1 returnee Kimi Raikkonen showing real spirit as the race progressed, clearly trying hard, and giving us the occasional glimpse of "the old Kimi".
Overall, this was an encouraging start to the new F1 season. Although McLaren have an advantage at this stage, it is clearly surmountable, and the evolution of the regulations, together with a minor reshuffling in the pack, has delivered a cocktail which looks like providing a fine spectacle. There was much good dicing throughout the field in Australia, and we can only hope that this continues.
And so on to Sepang. I,for one, am definitely looking forward it!
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