Well, Red Bull have sustained their relentless progress, and only the intervention of KERS gremlins for Mark Webber prevented a second consecutive 1-2 finish for the team.
As is usual, Fernando Alonso did all in his power to forestall the progress of the Milton Keynes based equipe. The Spaniard was putting on a brave face after the race in New Delhi, but the pronouncements from both himself and the Ferrari team are sounding rather hollow now, even if the optimism is laudable. The mechanical malady which afflicted Webber was a chink of light for Alonso, and reward for his dogged pursuit of the Red Bulls, but the resulting limiting of the points deficit may prove to be largely irrelevant.
The fact remains that Sebastian Vettel was not threatened all afternoon, and Red Bull are not committing the errors or mis-steps which their opponents might be relying on. They are displaying an irresistible unity and impetus, appearing to enjoy a small, but significant, advantage in several areas which, when added together, account for their current supremacy. This factor is the one which may be most frustrating for the rest, particularly Ferrari and McLaren, and which makes it tricky for them to decide which areas to address in the limited time now available between the closing races of the year. There must be the temptation to take risks, but this carries the danger of heading up blind alleys.
It would seem that Ferrari enjoy an advantage in terms of straightline speed, but that they have a deficiency in grip in comparison to Red Bull. Surveying the remaining Grands Prix, it is difficult to conclude whether this confers any sort of advantage on the Italian cars, and in any event they may sacrifice some of this by striving for extra grip and balance. All in all, it must be said that Red Bull hold all the aces.
The auguries for the race pace of McLaren seemed promising, and before the race I had hoped that Lewis Hamilton, with the title beyond him and his future decided, might feel less bound by strategic strait-jackets, and try something different. In the event, their pace was so lacklustre as to make all this, and good grid positions, academic, and there is a danger of their season petering out quite lamely, which would be very deflating.
Showing posts with label indian grand prix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian grand prix. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Indian Grand Prix 2011 - Talking Points
I must confess that until Sunday I had not given the Indian Grand Prix my undivided attention, because of other commitments. However, having now watched the race, and caught up with some of the gossip and paddock talk, I thought I would offer a few observations.
First of all, the circuit itself. Granted, it is not exactly the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but equally it is a cut above some of the other much-criticised "identikit" tracks which have come on stream in recent seasons. There are some nice sweeping corners, a good long straight and, (whisper it quietly,) some changes in elevation.
By and large, the track seems to have received a favourable verdict from the assembled drivers, pundits and fans. Admittedly, we did not witness a particularly scintillating contest at the front of the field today, but the racing lower down the field served notice that the Buddh International Circuit is a worthwhile addition from a spectacle viewpoint.
For me, another thing to emerge from the weekend has been the continuing crystallization of Sebastian Vettel's status as the undisputed "benchmark" driver of the present era, the man whose sheer excellence all others drivers must now aspire to. His name may not yet resonate like those of Senna, Clark, Stewart, Schumacher et al, but the German increasingly sets the standards against which others are judged.
Of course, the pre-eminence of Vettel brings with it problems for the sport itself. While fans and those directly involved would no doubt champion F1 as the ultimate triumph of excellence over mediocrity, not everyone sees it that way. Indeed, it is surprising that the non-specialist mainstream media has not made more capital out of Vettel's perceived domination. Perhaps I am doing them a disservice, and even they may have taken note of some of the spirited racing going on throughout the field this season.
On the question of the Hamilton/Massa incident, my initial reaction was "six of one, half a dozen of the other", feeling that whilst the Brazilian did turn it, Lewis could hardly claim that the corner was "his". I'm not sure whether mine is a minority view. In any event, Massa received a penalty from the stewards!
The collision with Massa was just another disappointment for Hamilton. One can only hope that he is able to enjoy a positive, problem-free winter, and emerge reinvigorated for the 2012 season. Of course, one of the issues he will have to face is the shifting balance of power within the McLaren team, as Jenson Button continues his quiet ascendancy.
Further back, Toro Rosso had another solid race, and in particular Jaime Alguersuari. There was some good dicing involving the Force India cars, the Renaults and Perez. Mercedes were only slightly less lacklustre than usual.
On a slightly lighter note, two other things occurred to me from this weekend. Michael Schumacher is still in great physical shape, and Alguersuari currently has the best "designer stubble" in Formula 1!
Bring on the last two races!
First of all, the circuit itself. Granted, it is not exactly the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but equally it is a cut above some of the other much-criticised "identikit" tracks which have come on stream in recent seasons. There are some nice sweeping corners, a good long straight and, (whisper it quietly,) some changes in elevation.
By and large, the track seems to have received a favourable verdict from the assembled drivers, pundits and fans. Admittedly, we did not witness a particularly scintillating contest at the front of the field today, but the racing lower down the field served notice that the Buddh International Circuit is a worthwhile addition from a spectacle viewpoint.
For me, another thing to emerge from the weekend has been the continuing crystallization of Sebastian Vettel's status as the undisputed "benchmark" driver of the present era, the man whose sheer excellence all others drivers must now aspire to. His name may not yet resonate like those of Senna, Clark, Stewart, Schumacher et al, but the German increasingly sets the standards against which others are judged.
Of course, the pre-eminence of Vettel brings with it problems for the sport itself. While fans and those directly involved would no doubt champion F1 as the ultimate triumph of excellence over mediocrity, not everyone sees it that way. Indeed, it is surprising that the non-specialist mainstream media has not made more capital out of Vettel's perceived domination. Perhaps I am doing them a disservice, and even they may have taken note of some of the spirited racing going on throughout the field this season.
On the question of the Hamilton/Massa incident, my initial reaction was "six of one, half a dozen of the other", feeling that whilst the Brazilian did turn it, Lewis could hardly claim that the corner was "his". I'm not sure whether mine is a minority view. In any event, Massa received a penalty from the stewards!
The collision with Massa was just another disappointment for Hamilton. One can only hope that he is able to enjoy a positive, problem-free winter, and emerge reinvigorated for the 2012 season. Of course, one of the issues he will have to face is the shifting balance of power within the McLaren team, as Jenson Button continues his quiet ascendancy.
Further back, Toro Rosso had another solid race, and in particular Jaime Alguersuari. There was some good dicing involving the Force India cars, the Renaults and Perez. Mercedes were only slightly less lacklustre than usual.
On a slightly lighter note, two other things occurred to me from this weekend. Michael Schumacher is still in great physical shape, and Alguersuari currently has the best "designer stubble" in Formula 1!
Bring on the last two races!
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