So, another season of Grand Prix racing comes to an end, with Interlagos witnessing another victory for the imperious Sebastian Vettel. It is worth reflecting on the year just passed, and looking forward to what 2014 may have in store.
After the (freakishly) competitive and close-fought 2012 season, expectations were high for another riveting campaign. Although victories were shared about amongst some of the leading contenders in the opening half of the year, there were ominous signs of the underlying strength of Red Bull and Vettel. I remember thinking around the time of Canada that the die was already cast, but few were expecting the Vettel steamroller to render the remaining races so disheartening and one-sided.
As a few people have remarked, F1 was "due" a less than sparkling year. The dividing line between what spawned this year's fare and that of the 2012 season was comparatively thin, and we were lucky to get 2012 as it was. I am far from despondent. Some of the issues which contributed to how 2013 unfolded will not necessarily be there next year;they will doubtless be replaced by new variables and imponderables. To me, Vettel's dominance did not somehow "feel" so overpowering or overwhelming as, for example, Williams in 1992 or McLaren in 1988. The slender margins were focused in areas where Red Bull personnel excel, and their weaknesses are not ones which are greatly magnified by the current F1 format and circuits.
The sense of ennui and disgruntlement engendered in many quarters by Vettel's domination should not be allowed to obscure the other sub-texts and feats which characterized the season. The gallant and relentless efforts of Fernando Alonso are so taken for granted these days that there is a danger that they become under-valued. He coped with the adversity, and came out it still exuding some buoyancy. Although the performance of the 2014 Ferrari out of the box gave grounds for cautious optimism, there were a few races where things dipped alarmingly. How many other drivers could have finished runner-up in the championship under those circumstances?
The presence of Mercedes at or near the front of the field has acquired a greater sense of permanence, and although second place in the Constructors' standings is a fine accomplishment, in a strange away it only serves to underline what still needs to be done. More changes may be in the pipeline, but fine-tuning rather than radical measures may be all that is required, provided that they don't make a mess of embracing the new regulations. By and large, Lewis Hamilton appears to be adjusting to his new surroundings, and a tolerably harmonious partnership with Nico Rosberg has been established.
Some may advance the view that Lotus simply trod water, failing to make that further step, but others may interpret this as consolidation. There is clearly change ahead, and the loss of Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari deprives the team of its catalyst and spearhead, but the rehabilitation of Romain Grosjean was one of the good news stories of the Formula 1 year.
For McLaren it was a year to forget on the track, but sweetened by the tantalizing prospect of a renewed partnership with Honda in 2015. Even Jenson Button's renowned good humour and forbearance were severely tested at times, and for Sergio Perez, though an opportunity he could not turn down, it was a hugely challenging season, culminating in his departure. The young Mexican, who occasionally showed glimpses of his raw talent, has much to offer, and it is good to hear that he is likely to remain in Grand Prix racing. There is inevitable speculation that 2014 will be an interim year for McLaren, with the impending change in engine suppliers, but you never know, they might just produce an effective chassis this time around!
So, we move on to the new turbo era. The most radical change in engine regulations since the move to 3.5 litre normally-aspirated units in 1989?. There are a few ways of regarding this new dawn. There is a school of thought which maintains that all major regulation changes unduly favour the larger, well-financed teams, whose resources give them the capacity to concentrate on the current season's contest, whilst at the same time laying substantial groundwork for the new requirements. Also, the perceived tightness of the modern rules does not perhaps allow such fluctuations and dislocations as occurred, for example, in the early 1980s, when turbo units were becoming more commonplace. On the other hand, the "envelope of uncertainty" surely makes it more than likely that one team or engine manufacturer could hit a sweet spot, and prosper in this new age, while others may struggle to adapt initially. Added to the continued vagaries of the tyre situation, this is surely a recipe for potentially greater volatility fluidity?
Whatever reservations or cynicism one may have, however jaded we may have become by the predictability of the recent Grands Prix, once the New Year is upon us, and the car launches and testing commence, the spark and buzz will ignite anew, and we will relish the prospect of a new season.
A couple of other random thoughts. It is great that Felipe Massa is to remain in the sport. The move to Williams could herald a new lease of life for the likeable Brazilian. Their driver line-up looks to be a perfect blend of experience and youthful vigour. My other abiding hope is that Nico Hulkenberg also finds a race seat for next year. If he does not, then there is genuine reason for us to be disgruntled. Encouragingly, we are hearing rumours of a Hulkenberg/Perez pairing at Force India. That should be worth watching....
Roll on 2014!
Showing posts with label interlagos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interlagos. Show all posts
Monday, 25 November 2013
Sunday, 25 November 2012
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix Review
A wonderful season of Formula 1 competition deserved a gripping, tense and eventful finale, and that is what we saw at Interlagos today. It was an "old fashioned" championship decider too, with a "race within a race" determining the destination of the title honours, whilst others contested the Grand Prix win itself.
Despite the effects of the first-lap incident, it would be stretching things to say that Sebastian Vettel made a spectacular comeback;he did not lose that much time, and was helped by the general mayhem and attrition ahead of him and around him in those early stages. Sensibly, once he established himself back in the points-scoring positions, he did not attempt any unnecessary heroics. This would have been foolhardy in the tricky conditions. Good sense and measured and prudent overtaking moves did the job of ensuring that he kept within the requisite points margin to Fernando Alonso.
Of the race itself, McLaren continued their late-season surge, and it was heartening to see a lively battle between their two drivers, which Jenson Button confessed to having enjoyed. His victory may be overlooked in the maelstrom of hype surrounding Vettel and Alonso, but at least his rollercoaster season ended on a high note. He had the opportunity to show off his renowned guile and finesse in changeable conditions, but also gave, and asked, no quarter when matters became wheel-to-wheel. Yes, he was helped by the Hamilton/Hulkenberg contretemps, but it must also be borne in mind that Jenson lost out greatly during the earlier pace-car period, when he and Hulkenberg looked well set.
Lewis Hamilton again raced with the clarity of vision and panache of someone who has had a burden removed from his shoulders. He can leave McLaren with his head held high, and look to the challenges awaiting him at Mercedes.
Although he made a couple of important errors when under pressure, Nico Hulkenberg once again made a huge impression, exhibiting that unfussy but highly effective driving style. After earlier relinquishing the lead to Hamilton with a half-spin, he then lost control at Turn 1, and took the Englishman out of the race. Hulkenberg had earlier complained of gear-change difficulties, and I wonder whether these problems contributed to the incidents? Whatever the case, he could hardly complain when subjected to a drive-through penalty.
I thought that Alonso did everything that he realistically could. The McLarens were just that little bit out of reach, and Hulkenberg's intervention was not completely unexpected. The Spaniard was ably and admirably supported by Felipe Massa, who delivered the kind of performance which makes him so valued in the current Ferrari set-up.
Mention should also be made of a couple of other drivers. Kamui Kobayashi raced purposefully and tenaciously all afternoon, in the knowledge that he was possibly fighting for his Formula 1 future. It was good to see him show such spirit, and I earnestly hope that we have not seen the last of him in a Grand Prix car. The latter sentiments would apply to Heikki Kovalainen.
The final race in the F1 career of the great Michael Schumacher passed with comparatively little fanfare, because of the title showdown, but after an unpromising beginning to the race, it was nice to see the seven-times champion achieve a creditable points finish. After Michael had seemingly let Vettel through in the closing stages, it was significant that they exchanged gestures of mutual affection and respect immediately after the race. Symbolic of a torch being fully passed at last?
So what of the merits of Sebastian Vettel's third consecutive championship? It is fair to say that Red Bull only attained any form of all-round superiority towards the end of the season, and even then the margin involved was not sizeable. At some races during 2012, the German had to show real nous and resolve to salvage points from unpromising situations, and at times the car's deficit in straightline speed was a handicap. Due to these factors, and also simply because he won more races than anybody else, Vettel is a worthy champion.
In fairness, Fernando Alonso would also have been a deserving world champion this year, performing wonders to remain in contention, and extracting every ounce of performance from the car, whilst the Ferrari team laboured constantly to boost the strength of the package, and to give him the tools to compete on something like an equal footing with Red Bull and McLaren.
Of 2012 in general, I think that it will be remembered as a superbly competitive and entertaining season of Formula 1 racing. 2013 will have a real task to surpass it.....
Despite the effects of the first-lap incident, it would be stretching things to say that Sebastian Vettel made a spectacular comeback;he did not lose that much time, and was helped by the general mayhem and attrition ahead of him and around him in those early stages. Sensibly, once he established himself back in the points-scoring positions, he did not attempt any unnecessary heroics. This would have been foolhardy in the tricky conditions. Good sense and measured and prudent overtaking moves did the job of ensuring that he kept within the requisite points margin to Fernando Alonso.
Of the race itself, McLaren continued their late-season surge, and it was heartening to see a lively battle between their two drivers, which Jenson Button confessed to having enjoyed. His victory may be overlooked in the maelstrom of hype surrounding Vettel and Alonso, but at least his rollercoaster season ended on a high note. He had the opportunity to show off his renowned guile and finesse in changeable conditions, but also gave, and asked, no quarter when matters became wheel-to-wheel. Yes, he was helped by the Hamilton/Hulkenberg contretemps, but it must also be borne in mind that Jenson lost out greatly during the earlier pace-car period, when he and Hulkenberg looked well set.
Lewis Hamilton again raced with the clarity of vision and panache of someone who has had a burden removed from his shoulders. He can leave McLaren with his head held high, and look to the challenges awaiting him at Mercedes.
Although he made a couple of important errors when under pressure, Nico Hulkenberg once again made a huge impression, exhibiting that unfussy but highly effective driving style. After earlier relinquishing the lead to Hamilton with a half-spin, he then lost control at Turn 1, and took the Englishman out of the race. Hulkenberg had earlier complained of gear-change difficulties, and I wonder whether these problems contributed to the incidents? Whatever the case, he could hardly complain when subjected to a drive-through penalty.
I thought that Alonso did everything that he realistically could. The McLarens were just that little bit out of reach, and Hulkenberg's intervention was not completely unexpected. The Spaniard was ably and admirably supported by Felipe Massa, who delivered the kind of performance which makes him so valued in the current Ferrari set-up.
Mention should also be made of a couple of other drivers. Kamui Kobayashi raced purposefully and tenaciously all afternoon, in the knowledge that he was possibly fighting for his Formula 1 future. It was good to see him show such spirit, and I earnestly hope that we have not seen the last of him in a Grand Prix car. The latter sentiments would apply to Heikki Kovalainen.
The final race in the F1 career of the great Michael Schumacher passed with comparatively little fanfare, because of the title showdown, but after an unpromising beginning to the race, it was nice to see the seven-times champion achieve a creditable points finish. After Michael had seemingly let Vettel through in the closing stages, it was significant that they exchanged gestures of mutual affection and respect immediately after the race. Symbolic of a torch being fully passed at last?
So what of the merits of Sebastian Vettel's third consecutive championship? It is fair to say that Red Bull only attained any form of all-round superiority towards the end of the season, and even then the margin involved was not sizeable. At some races during 2012, the German had to show real nous and resolve to salvage points from unpromising situations, and at times the car's deficit in straightline speed was a handicap. Due to these factors, and also simply because he won more races than anybody else, Vettel is a worthy champion.
In fairness, Fernando Alonso would also have been a deserving world champion this year, performing wonders to remain in contention, and extracting every ounce of performance from the car, whilst the Ferrari team laboured constantly to boost the strength of the package, and to give him the tools to compete on something like an equal footing with Red Bull and McLaren.
Of 2012 in general, I think that it will be remembered as a superbly competitive and entertaining season of Formula 1 racing. 2013 will have a real task to surpass it.....
Monday, 28 November 2011
Brazilian Grand Prix 2011
So, the 2011 Formula season has reached its end. Not the most riveting race to sign off with, but there are plenty of side issues and subtexts which are worthy of discussion. In some ways, it is unfortunate that the threatened rain did not materialise in Interlagos, as this would have spiced things up slightly!
Whether Mark Webber could have won if Sebastian Vettel's gearbox maladies had not intervened is a matter of conjecture, but the form from practice and the early laps of the race itself would seem to indicate that the German would have notched up another victory. The nature of the Interlagos circuit worked in his favour, making the problems manageable.
Even though the win in Brazil was fortunate, it was some compensation for the frustrations and setbacks endured by Webber throughout 2011. It still seems mildly extraordinary that he won only the single race in the whole season.
The race ended up being a bit anti-climactic for McLaren, not quite living up to the pre-race hopes and expectations. Jenson Button's late surge on to the podium appeared to vindicate his strategy, but only belatedly. Second place in the championship was reward for Button's consistency and intelligent driving during the season.
Lewis Hamilton's gearbox failure, coming after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi, was symptomatic of his roller-coaster year. Hamilton was in quite philosophical mood after the race, the inference being that he will put 2011 down to "experience" and do his best to come back stronger (and luckier) next year.
One of the major talking points of the race was the coming-together between Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. It did seem that Senna moved over slightly , but by the same token it was an optimistic, and far from straightforward, move by the seven-times champion. I am no expert, but I think that allowances have to be made for the nature of the track layout at that point, which may have contributed to the Renault driver's line. It seems that I was not alone in considering the penalty imposed on Senna quite harsh...
In what may turn out to be his F1 swansong, Rubens Barrichello did not quite have the race that he was looking for on his home turf. However, he did at least exhibit some spirit after difficulties early on.
Of course, Williams are being linked with a move for Adrian Sutil, and some eyebrows may have been raised when Sutil was very impressive in Brazi, battling tenaciously and finally finishing sixth. A job application in all but name? To be fair, Force India as a team were pretty much on form all weekend. The performance cannot have done his Williams prospects any harm, at the very least.
The chances of Kimi Raikkonen joining Williams for 2012 have faded, so it is looking increasingly like it may be a Sutil/Maldonado pairing at Grove next season. Hardly inspiring you might say, and the pressure would be on Sutil to step up to the plate and genuinely begin to fulfill his undoubted potential.
On another Williams-related note, it seems that Patrick Head will be withdrawing from major involvement in the F1 project. Following the case of Ron Dennis, this is another sign of the changing of the guard in Formula 1 generally, with new faces taking over from those who have been so prominent in the past two or three decades.
Just to finish, a word about the Interlagos circuit itself. Watching the television coverage yesterday, I was reminded what a superb track it is, certainly one of the best on the calendar. It remains a breath of fresh air in this homogenized age, with its anti-clockwise direction, elevation changes and quirky mixture of corners.
So, 2011 is over. Roll on 2012!
Whether Mark Webber could have won if Sebastian Vettel's gearbox maladies had not intervened is a matter of conjecture, but the form from practice and the early laps of the race itself would seem to indicate that the German would have notched up another victory. The nature of the Interlagos circuit worked in his favour, making the problems manageable.
Even though the win in Brazil was fortunate, it was some compensation for the frustrations and setbacks endured by Webber throughout 2011. It still seems mildly extraordinary that he won only the single race in the whole season.
The race ended up being a bit anti-climactic for McLaren, not quite living up to the pre-race hopes and expectations. Jenson Button's late surge on to the podium appeared to vindicate his strategy, but only belatedly. Second place in the championship was reward for Button's consistency and intelligent driving during the season.
Lewis Hamilton's gearbox failure, coming after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi, was symptomatic of his roller-coaster year. Hamilton was in quite philosophical mood after the race, the inference being that he will put 2011 down to "experience" and do his best to come back stronger (and luckier) next year.
One of the major talking points of the race was the coming-together between Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. It did seem that Senna moved over slightly , but by the same token it was an optimistic, and far from straightforward, move by the seven-times champion. I am no expert, but I think that allowances have to be made for the nature of the track layout at that point, which may have contributed to the Renault driver's line. It seems that I was not alone in considering the penalty imposed on Senna quite harsh...
In what may turn out to be his F1 swansong, Rubens Barrichello did not quite have the race that he was looking for on his home turf. However, he did at least exhibit some spirit after difficulties early on.
Of course, Williams are being linked with a move for Adrian Sutil, and some eyebrows may have been raised when Sutil was very impressive in Brazi, battling tenaciously and finally finishing sixth. A job application in all but name? To be fair, Force India as a team were pretty much on form all weekend. The performance cannot have done his Williams prospects any harm, at the very least.
The chances of Kimi Raikkonen joining Williams for 2012 have faded, so it is looking increasingly like it may be a Sutil/Maldonado pairing at Grove next season. Hardly inspiring you might say, and the pressure would be on Sutil to step up to the plate and genuinely begin to fulfill his undoubted potential.
On another Williams-related note, it seems that Patrick Head will be withdrawing from major involvement in the F1 project. Following the case of Ron Dennis, this is another sign of the changing of the guard in Formula 1 generally, with new faces taking over from those who have been so prominent in the past two or three decades.
Just to finish, a word about the Interlagos circuit itself. Watching the television coverage yesterday, I was reminded what a superb track it is, certainly one of the best on the calendar. It remains a breath of fresh air in this homogenized age, with its anti-clockwise direction, elevation changes and quirky mixture of corners.
So, 2011 is over. Roll on 2012!
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