2013 Spanish Grand Prix

Well, the misgivings of the Mercedes drivers, and the suspicions of this correspondent, were borne out in no uncertain terms in Barcelona, as Rosberg and Hamilton's qualifying pre-eminence gave way to frustration and  mediocrity in the race itself. They were by no means alone in having to contend with the vagaries of tyre wear and performance, but detractors may point out that Mercedes seem, for a team aspiring to consistent success, to be disproportionately affected by such things.

The championship challenge posed by Ferrari is looking more solid and genuine by the race, and their confidence will be bolstered by the knowledge that this particular venue is seen as a reliable barometer of general form and performance.  In overall terms, they looked as consistent as anybody else out there.  It was nice to see Felipe Massa on the podium again.

Doubtless the debate about tyre degradation will rage with renewed vigour after Spain.  I share some of the disquiet about the way it is affecting the racing, but if it is deemed that matters need to be addressed then this is for the powers-that-be.  In the meantime, the competitors have to manage the situation as it presents itself, and adapt to the circumstances in which they find themselves.  The winner is still the chap who crosses the line before anybody else.  Of more concern is the recent batch of tyre failures....

Sebastian Vettel began to tread water, metaphorically speaking, around half-distance, unable to match the Ferraris and Kimi Raikkonen.  Frustrating for the champion, but at least some points added to his account.  I did expect Red Bull to go a little better here, I must admit.

Even by his own standards, Raikkonen was in feisty form today, combining that slick pace with the odd firm and audacious manoeuvre.  It seems odd to describe the Finn as "metronomically consistent", but that is how it looks at present. The trick once again for Lotus will be sustaining this level of intensity for the full duration of what is a gruelling season.

To discuss McLaren's current woes is almost painful, and it is perhaps a measure of their plight that getting two cars to the finish just inside the top ten was regarded as an achievement of sorts.  Whilst not exactly being resigned to their predicament, there are signs that the team recognises that it will be hard work from here on in, with any major short-term improvements unlikely.  All that can be asked is that the drivers, and everybody else, give hundred percent, and remain positive.

For all the talk of tyres and stereotyped racing, the next round, at Monaco, may well shake things up a little.

Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying - Part 2

Well, since I blogged earlier today about the outcome and ramifications of the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, Lewis Hamilton has been relegated to the back of the grid for a rules infringement.

I'm not going to go into the whys and wherefores of the stewards' decision itself, but this affair clearly has implications far beyond Lewis Hamilton's prospects in tomorrow's race at the Circuit de Catalunya. Some aspects of the McLaren team's performance cannot have inspired much confidence in its drivers, and the optimism instilled by an initially competitive car has been dissipated.

How the cumulative effect of all of these episodes will influence any decisions over Hamilton's future in particular is open to question.  Needless to day, the McLaren team will feel the pressure in the short term, to deliver an error-free race tomorrow, and more long-term to properly address these failings.

The ruling means that Pastor Maldonado starts from pole position in the Williams, and home favourite Fernando Alonso will be alongside him in the Ferrari.

We hear that wet weather has affected the circuit, not that any additional variables will really be required to make this race interesting and stimulating!

Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying

Another topsy-turvy and slightly bewildering qualifying session, with Lews Hamilton claiming pole position for tomorrow's Spanish Grand Prix, in the end by a relatively emphatic margin, even if the margin of his achieving it did not appear that tranquil as it unfolded.  As I write it this, however, Hamilton may yet face a penalty for an alleged technical infringement.

Although the composition of much of the top ten was not greatly surprising, eyebrows will have been raised by the presence of Pastor Maldonado and Fernando Alonso in second and third positions.  The Venezuelan has looked very confident and focused in Barcelona, and looked a genuine threat to secure pole, the Williams chassis working very efficiently.

Alonso managed to extract every ounce of performance from the Ferrari, his own efforts combining with upgrades to the car instituted at this event.  By contrast, Felipe Massa struggled, the onboard television pictures vividly illustrating the awkward and troublesome handling of his machine.  He languishes in seventeenth place, and has a hard task in front of him.

While Hamilton looked firmly "in the zone" today, Jenson Button was ill-at-ease, missing out on Q3, and seemingly unhappy with the handling of his car.  As we have seen before,  a lowly grid position need not necessarily be an impediment to the Englishman, but this time around the issues with his McLaren will need to be remedied to enable him to race aggressively and confidently. Some of his comments indicate that he is a little bit lost this weekend.

Of the Red Bulls, Sebastian Vettel has looked strong, but appeared to subordinate grid position to the imperatives of race tyre strategy.  He looks in good shape for Sunday.  His team-mate was afflicted by a mix-up with the pits. Unlike Button, Mark Webber seems quite content with the behaviour of the car underneath him.

As has become the norm, Lotus, Sauber and Mercedes are well placed, and Lotus at least can be expected to figure prominently in the race itself, both cars looking stable and their drivers Grosjean and Raikkonen comfortable.

One driver who will be disappointed is Bruno Senna, who suffered a spin in Q1, and starts eighteenth. Whether this mishap was a case of trying too hard in an attempt to match the pace of his team-mate Maldonado, we can only speculate.  He will require a solid race performance in order to make amends, and redeem himself in the eyes of the Williams team. With an effective chassis at his disposal, this is not beyond his capabilities.

Predicting the results of this season's races has been a thankless task, to say the least.  One thing is easy to predict though, and that is that much of the talk both before and during the race will surround those things manufactured by Pirelli which are situated on each corner of the car.

Whatever transpires, it seems that tomorrows contest may well belie Barcelona's reputation for producing sterile, forgettable encounters.

Spanish Grand Prix Preview

After a most stimulating and entertaining beginning to the 2012 season, Formula 1's pivotal European season commences in Barcelona this weekend.  The opening batch of "fly-away" races have undoubtedly whetted the appetite for the competition to come.

The Red Bull team will approach the race in Spain in good heart after their upturn in fortunes in Bahrain. Despite Vettel's victory there, there was little suggestion of the old invincibility or any permanence to this state of affairs. Some might argue that the results in Bahrain owed at least something to the shortcomings and errors of others.

McLaren's display in the last race was shambolic, and quite out of character.  Some of the wounds were self-inflicted, and unforced errors are likely to be costly in this ultra-competitive season. They seem to have taken some steps to address the failings shown last time out, and have some upgrades coming on stream in Spain. The track in Barcelona has a reputation for favouring good, all-round cars, and this should stand McLaren in good stead this weekend.  The MP4-27 has not become a bad car overnight. 

The Mugello test, not surprisingly, was largely inconclusive.  The form of Ferrari is still uncertain and hard to predict, with some modifications not emerging until the team arrives in Barcelona. Fernando Alonso will be hoping for some improvement for his home Grand Prix.  There is a danger that the competition could disappear over the horizon.

All things being equal, we should expect Lotus, Sauber and Mercedes to continue their role as realistic challengers for victory.  Of these, Lotus in particular seem to be doing all the right things, with a positive approach, and a pair of drivers who are feeding off and motivating each other.  They now need to demonstrate that they are capable of crossing that invisible barrier which separates them from becoming winners in 2012....

Mercedes have still yet to be totally convincing in race trim, but appear to be vaguely moving in the right direction.  Sauber will also be hoping to notch up more consistent race results.

The subject of tyres was very much a hot topic of conversation after Bahrain, prompted largely by Michael Schumacher's post-race remarks.   The debate on tyres has not quite escalated in the way that Schumacher may have hoped, with some F1 figures appearing to offer qualified support for Pirelli, but it provides an interesting sub-plot, and the controversy may well re-ignite in Spain, if tyre wear continues to play a central role in the performance of teams and the outcome of the race.

Occasionally in the past, what appeared to be a wide-open season has been transformed by a sudden technical breakthrough or sweet-spot being discovered by a competing team, but 2012 does not seem to conform to that description.  All the available evidence points to more of what we have been treated to in the first four races. 

Five different winners in the first five Grands Prix?  Don't rule it out.....

F1 Testing in Barcelona

I predicted in an earlier blog post that the formbook would began to "crystallize" during the testing this week in Barcelona, in the wake of events in Jerez.

Looking purely at the headline time-sheets from Barcelona, it is tempting to suggest that the situation is even more confused than following the earlier session. Even if some of the lap-times seem even more unrepresentative of the true picture, there are also signs that the cream is slowly but surely beginning to rise to the top.

Sebastian Vettel have been consistently quick, in their matter-of-fact, undramatic fashion.  The times recorded during longish runs look distinctly ominous for their rivals. McLaren maintained a lower profile in Barcelona, working methodically, and seemingly reasonably content. Positive noises were emanating from Lewis Hamilton about the performance and potential of the car, and this augurs well, even if Red Bull possess a slight but significant edge at present. After the negativity surrounding them a couple of weeks ago, there are indications that things are looking brighter for Ferrari.

Perhaps the most genuinely interesting development of the week was the first serious appearance of the new Mercedes, and the fact that it was quick straight out of the box.  Michael Schumacher seemed pleased with progress, although drivers tend to make these kinds of utterances pre-season, even when the true state of play has not yet made itself plain.  I would suggest that Michael's voice and opinion carry more weight than some other people!

Although there were reasons for Force India and Sauber being particularly swift at some junctures, both of these teams appear to be moving in the right direction.

Will the top teams show their hand, or more of their hand, at the test in early March?  Possibly, but don't bet on it....