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.
No comments:
Post a Comment