First of all, best wishes for a speedy recovery to to all those affected by the fire which broke out in the pit garages after today's race.
Before this season, the prospect of a Pastor Maldonado victory in Barcelona would have seemed fanciful at best. Before this weekend, it would have appeared vaguely possible but also improbable. However, as the Spanish Grand Prix meeting progressed, the realisation dawned that the Venezuelan and the Williams were becoming genuine contenders to ascend to the top step of the podium here. Even allowing for this, the concept of Maldonado as a Grand Prix winner is taking some getting used to! This detracts not at all from his performance and achievement;it is wonderful to see another new winner, and many will be delighted in particular for the Williams team and Sir Frank.
Alonso lost out in the second round of pit-stops, but thereafter Maldonado displayed commendable composure and maturity, not being fazed by a less than perfect third pit visit. He managed to keep Alonso at arm's length. If anything, it was the Ferrari which was looking ragged in the final laps.
Afterwards, Alonso seemed phlegmatic, and after all he is very handily placed in the standings, and may be seeing recent F1 developments in a different light to certain of his rivals. His priority has been improving the Ferrari's competitiveness, whilst some others are tying themselves in knots psychologically over tyre difficulties. That said, Alonso is keen to reserve judgement on any improvements to the car.
Some of the post-race interviews I found quite revealing. Messrs Vettel, Button and Webber all evinced varying degrees of bemusement with the outcome of the race, and the precise reasons or explanations for the failings of their cars. This seemed most pronounced in the McLaren driver, who now looks pessimistic and baffled by events.
By contrast, one driver whose weekend suffered a major setback on Saturday emerged from proceedings with his pride intact, and with some credit. Lewis Hamilton limited the damage from his misfortune in qualifying as capably as could have been expected, racing aggressively but sensibly. His post-race interview was one of some defiance.
Another strong showing from Lotus, although there may be substance to suggestions that they are not currently maximising their potential, seemingly having some performance "in hand", but not fully exploitable, towards the end of races. It surely will not take much of a realignment for them to be challenging for victories. On paper, Monaco should suit both the car and the drivers.
One other driver worthy of praise today was Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who drove a race combining slick pace with the odd audacious passing manoeuvre. His team-mate Perez might have featured more prominently but for that first-corner altercation.
A frustrating day for Mercedes, with Schumacher colliding with Bruno Senna (and picking up a grid penalty for the next race), and Nico Rosberg being another one of those bemoaning "tyre management" difficulties.
Often in the past, the commencement of the European phase of the season has seen a restoration of normality, and the natural order of things. This has emphatically not been the case this season, and I can envisage more of the same in Monaco.....
Showing posts with label pastor maldonado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pastor maldonado. Show all posts
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Saturday, 12 May 2012
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!
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.
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.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
2012 Chinese Grand Prix Preview
After what by common consent has been an intriguing start to the Formula 1 season, the action resumes this weekend in Shanghai, after a break of three weeks.
It is likely that much of the discussion will be dominated by the thorny topic of the Bahrain Grand Prix, and that is very understandable. However, here's hoping that there is another enthralling race to grab at least some of the attention.
Allowing for the weather conditions which prevailed in Malaysia, and taking nothing away from Alonso's superb drive in Sepang, the team to beat (just) remains McLaren. Jenson Button will be seeking to revert to the form and poise which he displayed in Australia, and to make amends for his uncharacteristic rush of blood in the last race.
Lewis Hamilton's cause will not exactly be aided by a five-place grid penalty in China, because of a gearbox change, but the Briton seems philosophical about this hindrance, and he will still harbour hopes of notching up a win to vindicate his pre-season buoyancy, and to consolidate his solid start to the 2012 campaign.
The three-week hiatus since Malaysia will have been employed by some teams to try to analyse their lack of form and all-round pace. Foremost amongst these would probably be Mercedes, who badly need some kind of race result in China. Red Bull, though having many more points on the board, will also have been striving for solutions.
Fernando Alonso was correct in pointing out, amidst the post-race euphoria in Malaysia, that the race victory there, welcome and merited though it was, did not fundamentally alter Ferrari's position. It is difficult to imagine a quantum leap in performance in Shanghai, but at least the triumph in Sepang may have given the team an extra spring in its step, and instilled a greater sense of impetus.
Several teams will be hoping to build on encouraging beginnings to the season. Williams, and particularly Pastor Maldonado, will be seeking to continue to convert promise into points. For Lotus, one suspects, more of the same would suffice at this stage. Sauber, following the Perez podium in Malaysia, are another outfit threatening to consistently intrude into the party at the front end of the field. It is to be hoped that the young Mexican will not be over-awed by his new-found prominence.
So, there we have it. Another interesting weekend in prospect!
It is likely that much of the discussion will be dominated by the thorny topic of the Bahrain Grand Prix, and that is very understandable. However, here's hoping that there is another enthralling race to grab at least some of the attention.
Allowing for the weather conditions which prevailed in Malaysia, and taking nothing away from Alonso's superb drive in Sepang, the team to beat (just) remains McLaren. Jenson Button will be seeking to revert to the form and poise which he displayed in Australia, and to make amends for his uncharacteristic rush of blood in the last race.
Lewis Hamilton's cause will not exactly be aided by a five-place grid penalty in China, because of a gearbox change, but the Briton seems philosophical about this hindrance, and he will still harbour hopes of notching up a win to vindicate his pre-season buoyancy, and to consolidate his solid start to the 2012 campaign.
The three-week hiatus since Malaysia will have been employed by some teams to try to analyse their lack of form and all-round pace. Foremost amongst these would probably be Mercedes, who badly need some kind of race result in China. Red Bull, though having many more points on the board, will also have been striving for solutions.
Fernando Alonso was correct in pointing out, amidst the post-race euphoria in Malaysia, that the race victory there, welcome and merited though it was, did not fundamentally alter Ferrari's position. It is difficult to imagine a quantum leap in performance in Shanghai, but at least the triumph in Sepang may have given the team an extra spring in its step, and instilled a greater sense of impetus.
Several teams will be hoping to build on encouraging beginnings to the season. Williams, and particularly Pastor Maldonado, will be seeking to continue to convert promise into points. For Lotus, one suspects, more of the same would suffice at this stage. Sauber, following the Perez podium in Malaysia, are another outfit threatening to consistently intrude into the party at the front end of the field. It is to be hoped that the young Mexican will not be over-awed by his new-found prominence.
So, there we have it. Another interesting weekend in prospect!
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Bruno Senna to Williams?
One snippet of Formula 1 gossip which escaped my attention in the pre-Christmas frenzy was the report that Bruno Senna visited the Williams team's factory at Grove, with a view to discussing possibilities for the 2012 season.
It had been generally assumed in F1 circles that Adrian Sutil was the firm favourite for the second seat in Sir Frank's team, having been linked with the drive towards the end of the 2011 season. However, the situation now seems a good deal more fluid, with Senna's overtures, and renewed efforts by Rubens Barrichello to maintain his presence in Grand Prix racing.
Looking at all this from a purely driving perspective, the range of options would appear, from the Williams perspective, to be quite enviable, but in reality they are less than inspiring.
Senna has relative youth and enthusiasm, and did show flashes of promise in his 2011 outings, but lacks experience. Barrichello represents continuity, unparalleled experience and a proven track record. There have been doubts about his motivation, but maybe the widespread presumption that his F1 days are over has stung him into renewed vigour? Sutil would, on the surface, seem to combine some of the elements presented by both of the the other two candidates. Solid experience, unrealised and untapped potential, and something still to prove.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the presence of Pastor Maldonado in the team. Maldonado's performances have not been totally convincing, and part of Willliams' thinking on the second driver must surely reflect this. This would presumably count against Senna.
Of course, all this analysis has so far disregarded the issue of sponsorship. Reports suggest that the three candidates all have access to funds of some description. The ultimate choice of driver may tell us much about the state of the Williams team's finances, and whether their "racers" ethos still remains intact....
It had been generally assumed in F1 circles that Adrian Sutil was the firm favourite for the second seat in Sir Frank's team, having been linked with the drive towards the end of the 2011 season. However, the situation now seems a good deal more fluid, with Senna's overtures, and renewed efforts by Rubens Barrichello to maintain his presence in Grand Prix racing.
Looking at all this from a purely driving perspective, the range of options would appear, from the Williams perspective, to be quite enviable, but in reality they are less than inspiring.
Senna has relative youth and enthusiasm, and did show flashes of promise in his 2011 outings, but lacks experience. Barrichello represents continuity, unparalleled experience and a proven track record. There have been doubts about his motivation, but maybe the widespread presumption that his F1 days are over has stung him into renewed vigour? Sutil would, on the surface, seem to combine some of the elements presented by both of the the other two candidates. Solid experience, unrealised and untapped potential, and something still to prove.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the presence of Pastor Maldonado in the team. Maldonado's performances have not been totally convincing, and part of Willliams' thinking on the second driver must surely reflect this. This would presumably count against Senna.
Of course, all this analysis has so far disregarded the issue of sponsorship. Reports suggest that the three candidates all have access to funds of some description. The ultimate choice of driver may tell us much about the state of the Williams team's finances, and whether their "racers" ethos still remains intact....
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2011.
A most peculiar thing happened to me today. Around mid-afternoon, I was watching TV, and a racing driver by the name of Lewis Hamilton appeared on my screen, and he was smiling, and even laughing....
It is probably too early to say definitively that the "old" Lewis is back, but his joy and relief following this victory were palpable. He didn't have to do much in the way of wheel-to-wheel racing to achieve today's win, and his cause was assisted by Sebastian Vettel's early departure, but his drive had some genuine authority about it.
Historically, McLaren always keep pushing until the very end of a Formula 1 season, regardless of whether the championship is still at stake. Hamilton and Jenson Button are reaping the dividends of this ethos. Jenson was affected by KERS maladies today, which makes his podium position all the more creditable.
For once, Red Bull seemed fallible, and in addition to Vettel's problems, Mark Webber's own car seemed slightly out of sorts, but he showed his customary tenacity to try to achieve the best possible result.
As for Ferrari, well Felipe Massa drove a solid race up until his late spin. Although this did not make much difference to the final outcome, it will hardly endear him to the team. Alonso showed real application in his valiant pursuit of Hamilton, and second place was almost certainly the best the car was capable of on the day.
One way or another, Williams had a pretty eventful race. Pastor Maldonado incurred the wrath of the stewards on a couple of occasions, and he needs to be careful that he does not acquire a reputation for being an awkward customer.
The performance, at least in the early part of the race, of Rubens Barrichello, will have raised a few eyebrows, and will no doubt prompt much debate. Granted, he was on the back row of the grid, and this indignity may have fired him up, but his drive may also be analysed in the context of recent speculation concerning the Williams team's likely 2012 line-up....
The Abu Dhabi track seems to inspire mixed reactions, but it is hard to deny that it is visually stunning, and personally I quite like its layout. It seems likely to be a fixture on the calendar, in the medium term at least.
And so on to Interlagos, for the 2011 season finale. It is fitting that the campaign ends at a traditional F1 circuit, with a great atmosphere. Will McLaren continue their late season surge? Of course, second place in the drivers' table is still very much up for grabs, so it should be a lively contest!
It is probably too early to say definitively that the "old" Lewis is back, but his joy and relief following this victory were palpable. He didn't have to do much in the way of wheel-to-wheel racing to achieve today's win, and his cause was assisted by Sebastian Vettel's early departure, but his drive had some genuine authority about it.
Historically, McLaren always keep pushing until the very end of a Formula 1 season, regardless of whether the championship is still at stake. Hamilton and Jenson Button are reaping the dividends of this ethos. Jenson was affected by KERS maladies today, which makes his podium position all the more creditable.
For once, Red Bull seemed fallible, and in addition to Vettel's problems, Mark Webber's own car seemed slightly out of sorts, but he showed his customary tenacity to try to achieve the best possible result.
As for Ferrari, well Felipe Massa drove a solid race up until his late spin. Although this did not make much difference to the final outcome, it will hardly endear him to the team. Alonso showed real application in his valiant pursuit of Hamilton, and second place was almost certainly the best the car was capable of on the day.
One way or another, Williams had a pretty eventful race. Pastor Maldonado incurred the wrath of the stewards on a couple of occasions, and he needs to be careful that he does not acquire a reputation for being an awkward customer.
The performance, at least in the early part of the race, of Rubens Barrichello, will have raised a few eyebrows, and will no doubt prompt much debate. Granted, he was on the back row of the grid, and this indignity may have fired him up, but his drive may also be analysed in the context of recent speculation concerning the Williams team's likely 2012 line-up....
The Abu Dhabi track seems to inspire mixed reactions, but it is hard to deny that it is visually stunning, and personally I quite like its layout. It seems likely to be a fixture on the calendar, in the medium term at least.
And so on to Interlagos, for the 2011 season finale. It is fitting that the campaign ends at a traditional F1 circuit, with a great atmosphere. Will McLaren continue their late season surge? Of course, second place in the drivers' table is still very much up for grabs, so it should be a lively contest!
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