An eventful and closely contested Grand Prix, but much of what occurred has been overshadowed by the internal ructions at Red Bull.
If nothing else, the team orders controversy offers persuasive evidence that Vettel's desire and motivation remain undiminished, even if he was apologetic afterwards. How this episode will affect his relationship with the team is unclear. As there seems little immediate prospect of the German leaving Red Bull, it is something which the hierarchy will be required to manage.
The post-race interviews were painful to watch. Mark Webber chose his words carefully, but it seemed to me that he was placing the onus on the team to resolve this one way or the other. The Red Bull personnel on the pitwall were decidedly subdued immediately after the chequered flag. They clearly realise the extent of their dilemma. They dare not risk alienating Vettel too much, and there is perhaps an argument for saying that this compromises their ability to exercise real authority over him in these matters. For all Vettel's contrition today, he must know that he is in a very strong position. It is tempting to regard many of today's utterances as mere public relations.
The furore should not be permitted to obscure some of the other noteworthy elements of the Grand Prix, the most significant of which may be further hints that Mercedes are a more substantial and consistent proposition this season. They had their own team orders issue to contend with, but the outcome of this suggested much more harmony and unity than exists at Red Bull. Despite Nico Rosberg's frustration at being told to hold station late in the race, all parties at least seem to be moving broadly in the same direction.
After the nightmare in Australia, some tentatively positive noises are emanating from McLaren, notwithstanding the error which was so detrimental to Jenson Button's race. It goes without saying that margins are very slender in this current era of Formula 1, and the signs about McLaren's prospects are mixed at present. People will only be convinced when more concrete results are achieved.
The Lotus results in Malaysia were disappointing, in the light of what happened at Albert Park. The car appeared to have an aversion to the early slippery conditions, and the rest of the race was conditioned by lost places, and resultant traffic. Even allowing for these factors, the machine looked a handful at times, with Kimi Raikkonen enduring a few lurid moments. It is unclear whether these issues are fundamental, or simply related to the peculiarities of the set-up at Sepang.
There is now a three week break before the Chinese Grand Prix. Something tells me that the F1 news-wires will be far from tranquil during that time!
Showing posts with label malaysian grand prix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malaysian grand prix. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Malaysian Grand Prix 2012 - Review
Well, few people saw that result coming, although when the weather began to close in just prior to the start of the race, Fernando Alonso must have fancied his chances a little. Those conditions were tailor-made for the Spaniard's finesse and awareness.
Almost as impressive as Alonso's assured display out on the track was his realistic and pragmatic attitude afterwards, being keen to stress that the result, although welcome, did not alter some fundamentals about Ferrari's situation. The wet weather, and Alonso's delicate touch, will have masked some deficiencies in the car, which still need to be tackled and alleviated.
Receiving almost as many plaudits as Alonso's performance has been that of Sergio Perez in the Sauber. Showing commendable maturity for a relative newcomer, he took all the fluctutations and strategic intrigues in his stride, until that minor error near to the end. The conspiracy theorists were unsurprisingly out in force when some advice was directed to Perez over the radio, which was swiftly followed by his mistake. Personally, I am inclined to think that the charges are wide of the mark; the radio message from the pits merely seemed to be imploring the young Mexican to "be careful", and to be mindful that second place is preferable to no place at all.
Perez has unobtrusively made a favourable impression since he entered F1, although not perhaps generating the headlines and hysteria which tend to accompany some rising stars. Consistently solid performances, and sometimes placing the car where it doesn't really belong, have helped to build up a picture and reputation of someone who has a bright future. Rumours have been circulating about his whereabouts in the future, and they are sure to intensify after today's events, particularly when cross-referenced with the problems being endured by others.
Those who dominated proceedings in Melbourne had mixed fortunes in Melbourne. Jenson Button made an uncharacteristic error of judgement when trying to pass Narain Karthikeyan, and thereafter suffered a race plagued by niggling difficulties. There was to be no repeat of his famous win in Canada last year.
After the red flag, Lewis Hamilton had a solid if unspectacular run, although his progress was impeded by a couple of dramas at pit stops. Lewis is racking up the points at the moment, and although he is a born winner, he must realise that these points-scoring finishes could be crucial in what looks set to be a closely-fought campaign. I was pleased to see that he alluded to this in his post-race comments, sounding measured and philosophical.
Red Bull continue to mystify slightly. A lack of inspiration, and outright pace, is affecting them at the moment. Other teams have upped their game, but Red Bull are just not the formidable force on the track of the past two years. After Australia, the team was at pains to stress that they were not fully up to pace, and we expected a bit more at Sepang. The rain in the race naturally complicates any assessments, and a dry weekend in China may enable us to reach some more definitive conclusions.
After promising signs in qualifying, the Mercedes team once more singularly failed to deliver on race day. True, Michael Schumacher was seemingly blameless when tipped into an early spin, but after that he and Nico Rosberg were largely anonymous. There may be some soul-searching in the hiatus before we go to China.
The Williams team continued its encouraging opening to 2012, with a fine and combative display from Bruno Senna, finishing sixth, and Maldonado had not done himself any harm before his late retirement. The car is clearly a good one, and it is to be hoped that this form can be prolonged.
The Lotus team also sought to build on its Albert Park exploits, with a good if unexceptional drive from Kimi Raikkonen. He will be pleased to have finished both races in the points, and also to have got more mileage under his belt, although I think theories that his five-place grid penalty adversely affected his race prospects are overplayed. By contrast, Romain Grosjean again failed to finish, and needs a result or two to add substance to his undoubted ability and flair.
All told, however, this race was won by the panache and all-round skills of Fernando Alonso, aided in no small part by the slick pit work of Ferrari. This is one thing which the Scuderia certainly has mastered so far this season! Admittedly, the frailities of others, as ever in changeable conditions, also helped the Ferrari cause, but this in no way detracts from their achievement.
The first two races have certainly given us plenty of entertainment, and there is much to mull over for the teams, drivers, media and fans in the three weeks before the Chinese Grand Prix....
Almost as impressive as Alonso's assured display out on the track was his realistic and pragmatic attitude afterwards, being keen to stress that the result, although welcome, did not alter some fundamentals about Ferrari's situation. The wet weather, and Alonso's delicate touch, will have masked some deficiencies in the car, which still need to be tackled and alleviated.
Receiving almost as many plaudits as Alonso's performance has been that of Sergio Perez in the Sauber. Showing commendable maturity for a relative newcomer, he took all the fluctutations and strategic intrigues in his stride, until that minor error near to the end. The conspiracy theorists were unsurprisingly out in force when some advice was directed to Perez over the radio, which was swiftly followed by his mistake. Personally, I am inclined to think that the charges are wide of the mark; the radio message from the pits merely seemed to be imploring the young Mexican to "be careful", and to be mindful that second place is preferable to no place at all.
Perez has unobtrusively made a favourable impression since he entered F1, although not perhaps generating the headlines and hysteria which tend to accompany some rising stars. Consistently solid performances, and sometimes placing the car where it doesn't really belong, have helped to build up a picture and reputation of someone who has a bright future. Rumours have been circulating about his whereabouts in the future, and they are sure to intensify after today's events, particularly when cross-referenced with the problems being endured by others.
Those who dominated proceedings in Melbourne had mixed fortunes in Melbourne. Jenson Button made an uncharacteristic error of judgement when trying to pass Narain Karthikeyan, and thereafter suffered a race plagued by niggling difficulties. There was to be no repeat of his famous win in Canada last year.
After the red flag, Lewis Hamilton had a solid if unspectacular run, although his progress was impeded by a couple of dramas at pit stops. Lewis is racking up the points at the moment, and although he is a born winner, he must realise that these points-scoring finishes could be crucial in what looks set to be a closely-fought campaign. I was pleased to see that he alluded to this in his post-race comments, sounding measured and philosophical.
Red Bull continue to mystify slightly. A lack of inspiration, and outright pace, is affecting them at the moment. Other teams have upped their game, but Red Bull are just not the formidable force on the track of the past two years. After Australia, the team was at pains to stress that they were not fully up to pace, and we expected a bit more at Sepang. The rain in the race naturally complicates any assessments, and a dry weekend in China may enable us to reach some more definitive conclusions.
After promising signs in qualifying, the Mercedes team once more singularly failed to deliver on race day. True, Michael Schumacher was seemingly blameless when tipped into an early spin, but after that he and Nico Rosberg were largely anonymous. There may be some soul-searching in the hiatus before we go to China.
The Williams team continued its encouraging opening to 2012, with a fine and combative display from Bruno Senna, finishing sixth, and Maldonado had not done himself any harm before his late retirement. The car is clearly a good one, and it is to be hoped that this form can be prolonged.
The Lotus team also sought to build on its Albert Park exploits, with a good if unexceptional drive from Kimi Raikkonen. He will be pleased to have finished both races in the points, and also to have got more mileage under his belt, although I think theories that his five-place grid penalty adversely affected his race prospects are overplayed. By contrast, Romain Grosjean again failed to finish, and needs a result or two to add substance to his undoubted ability and flair.
All told, however, this race was won by the panache and all-round skills of Fernando Alonso, aided in no small part by the slick pit work of Ferrari. This is one thing which the Scuderia certainly has mastered so far this season! Admittedly, the frailities of others, as ever in changeable conditions, also helped the Ferrari cause, but this in no way detracts from their achievement.
The first two races have certainly given us plenty of entertainment, and there is much to mull over for the teams, drivers, media and fans in the three weeks before the Chinese Grand Prix....
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying
Just a few quick observations on this morning's qualifying session from Sepang.
If not wholly surprising that the McLaren team monopolised the front row of the grid, there were some interesting developments behind them.
The major talking point may well be Michael Schumacher's creditable effort to end up in third position. Although this is not altogether a shock, when taking account of Mercedes' testing form, it will give a boost to the seven-time champion, and perhaps mollify some of those who have been questioning his continued presence in Grand Prix racing. It remains to be seen whether the team can improve on its rather anti-climactic outing in the race in Melbourne.
One of the pleasing aspects of the session was the solid and convincing form of Lotus, with both cars in the top ten, even though Kimi Raikkonen will start from tenth place because of his penalty. A heartening state of affairs, and the approval for Raikkonen's comeback becomes slightly less qualified by the hour.
Many people expected Red Bull to return to something like their "rightful" place in the scheme of things in Malaysia, but things have not quite worked out that way. They are not sounding in any way downcast, but there still appears to be room for improvement in some elements of the car's performance, and the decision by hedge their bets on strategy is quite revealing. We shall see what, if anything, Red Bull have up their sleeves for the race.
Not unexpectedly, Ferrari continue to struggle, with Alonso striving manfully to extract some performance from the car, and Massa, rightly or wrongly, continuing to be under the microscope. The margin of their deficit on the stopwatch to the top teams should be the concern, rather than the grid position. A damage limitation exercise may be the limit of their hopes in tomorrow's contest.
So, McLaren in the driving seat, but others could well have a say in how tomorrow pans out. Almost everybody is mentioning tyres as the major imponderable.....
If not wholly surprising that the McLaren team monopolised the front row of the grid, there were some interesting developments behind them.
The major talking point may well be Michael Schumacher's creditable effort to end up in third position. Although this is not altogether a shock, when taking account of Mercedes' testing form, it will give a boost to the seven-time champion, and perhaps mollify some of those who have been questioning his continued presence in Grand Prix racing. It remains to be seen whether the team can improve on its rather anti-climactic outing in the race in Melbourne.
One of the pleasing aspects of the session was the solid and convincing form of Lotus, with both cars in the top ten, even though Kimi Raikkonen will start from tenth place because of his penalty. A heartening state of affairs, and the approval for Raikkonen's comeback becomes slightly less qualified by the hour.
Many people expected Red Bull to return to something like their "rightful" place in the scheme of things in Malaysia, but things have not quite worked out that way. They are not sounding in any way downcast, but there still appears to be room for improvement in some elements of the car's performance, and the decision by hedge their bets on strategy is quite revealing. We shall see what, if anything, Red Bull have up their sleeves for the race.
Not unexpectedly, Ferrari continue to struggle, with Alonso striving manfully to extract some performance from the car, and Massa, rightly or wrongly, continuing to be under the microscope. The margin of their deficit on the stopwatch to the top teams should be the concern, rather than the grid position. A damage limitation exercise may be the limit of their hopes in tomorrow's contest.
So, McLaren in the driving seat, but others could well have a say in how tomorrow pans out. Almost everybody is mentioning tyres as the major imponderable.....
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Malaysian Grand Prix preview
It is often foolish to read too much into the outcome of the first race of the season, and this weekend's event in Sepang should provide us with additional pointers.
For me, one of the most telling features of the post-Melbourne media maelstrom has been the self-assuredness being evinced by McLaren personnel. They have expressed confidence that their car will perform capably on all circuits, thereby refuting some of the theories that McLaren's advantage in Australia was down partially to the nature of the circuit, and the MP4-27's compatibility with it.
Of course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and other teams may contend that the Albert Park track masked the true potential of their own machines, and flattered others. However, it seems reasonably clear that the onus is on McLaren's rivals to improve, rather than relying on the Woking-based equipe to fall from grace or suddenly become "lost" technically.
These days, F1 is too complex, some would say clinical, to allow for teams to be freakishly quick and dominant at the beginning of a season, and then fall away precipitately. Examples of this would be Shadow in 1975 and Ligier in 1979. The peculiar circumstances, and technical sweet-spots are simply not there anymore. Rather, in modern times progress in Grand Prix racing is more measured in small increments rather than wild oscillations. Hence McLaren's small but tangible advantage, and the measures needed by the competition to bridge that gap.
My hunch is that we may even have to wait until the Spanish Grand Prix for any sort of demonstrable pecking order to reveal itself, and even then we can expect form to be quite volatile, particularly amongst the "middle order" of the field.
Despite McLaren's impressive display in the opening race, Red Bull in particular are not exuding any signs of panic or concern, confident that they are there or thereabouts, and that some fine-tuning, hard work, and a bit of luck, will remedy matters. Expect Red Bull to be more prominent this weekend, and Mark Webber to be less peripheral than he was on home turf.
Prospects amongst the other teams fancied pre-season are decidedly less certain. Notwithstanding Alonso's determined drive Down Under, there is clearly still disquiet at Ferrari. Changes to the car are to be anticipated, and the team's likely form in Malaysia is difficult to foretell with any degree of confidence.
A team which failed to totally convince in Melbourne was Mercedes, the jury still being very much out on their prospective race form. They need to demonstrate that they can consistently challenge the "big two". Or are they destined to remain in a kind of limbo, occasionally troubling the front, but just as regularly being subsumed into the pack behind? It is premature to judge, but Malaysia may offer up some additional clues on this score.
With luck, we will be treated at Sepang to the same type of spectacle in the midfield to which we were witness in Australia. This should involve Force India, Sauber, Williams, Lotus and possibly others. One of these teams could even intrude into the higher echelons, capitalising on any frailties at Ferrari or Mercedes.
Returning to McLaren, another sub-text in Malaysia should revolve around the Button/Hamilton dynamic, which will be interesting to behold. Expect some kind of reaction from Hamilton, who seemed somewhat taken aback by his colleague's resolute race performance at Albert Park. Happily, it is quite clear that the two of them will be allowed to race each other, subject to the usual provisos about civility and overall team welfare.
The Sepang track does not exactly luxuriate in a reputation for throwing up pulsating F1 races. Not only is there a chance that the nature of the circuit will supply us with a truer barometer of form, but this may also spread the cars out. I hope that I am proved wrong in this, and it may be that the pre-season feelings of some pundits will be further realised, in a tightly contested event. Some rain, as ever, would spice things up appreciably.
My prediction? Well, I won't make a precise one, other than to say that McLaren and Red Bull could be difficult to separate this time around.
For me, one of the most telling features of the post-Melbourne media maelstrom has been the self-assuredness being evinced by McLaren personnel. They have expressed confidence that their car will perform capably on all circuits, thereby refuting some of the theories that McLaren's advantage in Australia was down partially to the nature of the circuit, and the MP4-27's compatibility with it.
Of course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and other teams may contend that the Albert Park track masked the true potential of their own machines, and flattered others. However, it seems reasonably clear that the onus is on McLaren's rivals to improve, rather than relying on the Woking-based equipe to fall from grace or suddenly become "lost" technically.
These days, F1 is too complex, some would say clinical, to allow for teams to be freakishly quick and dominant at the beginning of a season, and then fall away precipitately. Examples of this would be Shadow in 1975 and Ligier in 1979. The peculiar circumstances, and technical sweet-spots are simply not there anymore. Rather, in modern times progress in Grand Prix racing is more measured in small increments rather than wild oscillations. Hence McLaren's small but tangible advantage, and the measures needed by the competition to bridge that gap.
My hunch is that we may even have to wait until the Spanish Grand Prix for any sort of demonstrable pecking order to reveal itself, and even then we can expect form to be quite volatile, particularly amongst the "middle order" of the field.
Despite McLaren's impressive display in the opening race, Red Bull in particular are not exuding any signs of panic or concern, confident that they are there or thereabouts, and that some fine-tuning, hard work, and a bit of luck, will remedy matters. Expect Red Bull to be more prominent this weekend, and Mark Webber to be less peripheral than he was on home turf.
Prospects amongst the other teams fancied pre-season are decidedly less certain. Notwithstanding Alonso's determined drive Down Under, there is clearly still disquiet at Ferrari. Changes to the car are to be anticipated, and the team's likely form in Malaysia is difficult to foretell with any degree of confidence.
A team which failed to totally convince in Melbourne was Mercedes, the jury still being very much out on their prospective race form. They need to demonstrate that they can consistently challenge the "big two". Or are they destined to remain in a kind of limbo, occasionally troubling the front, but just as regularly being subsumed into the pack behind? It is premature to judge, but Malaysia may offer up some additional clues on this score.
With luck, we will be treated at Sepang to the same type of spectacle in the midfield to which we were witness in Australia. This should involve Force India, Sauber, Williams, Lotus and possibly others. One of these teams could even intrude into the higher echelons, capitalising on any frailties at Ferrari or Mercedes.
Returning to McLaren, another sub-text in Malaysia should revolve around the Button/Hamilton dynamic, which will be interesting to behold. Expect some kind of reaction from Hamilton, who seemed somewhat taken aback by his colleague's resolute race performance at Albert Park. Happily, it is quite clear that the two of them will be allowed to race each other, subject to the usual provisos about civility and overall team welfare.
The Sepang track does not exactly luxuriate in a reputation for throwing up pulsating F1 races. Not only is there a chance that the nature of the circuit will supply us with a truer barometer of form, but this may also spread the cars out. I hope that I am proved wrong in this, and it may be that the pre-season feelings of some pundits will be further realised, in a tightly contested event. Some rain, as ever, would spice things up appreciably.
My prediction? Well, I won't make a precise one, other than to say that McLaren and Red Bull could be difficult to separate this time around.
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