Petrov, Trulli and Caterham

The news this morning that Vitaly Petrov will supplant Jarno Trulli in the Caterham line-up for the forthcoming Formula 1 season came as little surprise.  The Italian's seat had been considered vulnerable for some time, and Petrov's name was the one most regularly linked with it.

The announcement by the team made little attempt to conceal the economic factors involved in the decision, but I think it a little harsh to bemoan this as another case of a "pay driver" displacing a more deserving candidate.  Petrov has done just about enough to indicate that he is worthy of another opportunity in F1, and Jarno Trulli is clearly not the force he was.

Caterham have evidently concluded that having a younger, motivated and ambitious driver, with access to sponsorship, is preferable to one whose career is in decline.  The timing of the change is perhaps not ideal, and all parties may have preferred it to have happened earlier, if it was going to occur.  No doubt some observers will think that this is hard on Trulli, but sentiment does not figure prominently in F1, or many other walks of life, for that matter....

Having said all this, it is sad to see Jarno go.  His departure, coming soon after that of Rubens Barrichello, continues the "changing of the guard", and also makes many of us feel our own ages!  As the saying goes, however, time waits for no man, and the new blood in F1 has the opportunity to carve out its own niche, and become as respected as Jarno and Rubens have been.

It is characteristic of Jarno that he was very gracious and magnanimous is his words in the press release, and reading between the lines, it seems that team and driver have parted on quite amicable terms.

Korean Grand Prix 2011 - Reflections

It has occurred to me that I haven't blogged much recently about modern Formula 1.  Time to put that right, as we digest this morning's Korean Grand Prix.

In the end it was quite a comfortable win for Sebastian Vettel, even if this was not really reflected in the distance by which he triumphed. Following the early stages, Lewis Hamilton and others could never quite sustain a meaningful and concerted challenge.

The race tightened up as a competitive spectacle from around half-distance onwards, with the main entertainment being provided by Hamilton and Mark Webber. Much has been said and written about the Englishman's current mindset, but his racing instincts were still very much in evidence during his wheel to wheel dicing with the Red Bull driver.  Throughout the race, one got the impression that he was trying very hard.

In the context of the Hamilton/Webber tussle, the BBC's David Coulthard made reference to the legendary Villeneuve/Arnoux battle at the French Grand Prix in 1979. A slight exaggeration, I thought, although it was nice to have events at Dijon mentioned!

At several points in the race, Fernando Alonso's driving seemed to be a touch ragged and untidy, perhaps indicating frustration or impatience. This was also alluded to in the BBC TV commentary, with the inference that he is not altogether happy with Ferrari's progress.

Alonso was also heard to say "I give up" to his engineer late in the race. The Spaniard has subsequently clarified the remark, insisting that motivation is not a problem, and I prefer to reserve judgement on these matters. It is interesting to note, however, that questions marks are being raised about the state of mind of two of F1's most talented drivers, Hamilton and Alonso. An interesting sub-plot in the remaining races?

A few people have remarked how phlegmatic Michael Schumacher seemed to be in the aftermath of his collision with Vitaly Petrov, for which the Russian was clearly at fault.  In Michael's heyday, he would certainly have been more vocal, but today I could not even detect any cryptic expression of anger in his remarks. Maybe he is mellowing with age?

Staying with matters Mercedes, Nico Rosberg had one of his strongest races for a while, before fading slightly. It is difficult to gauge Rosberg's current standing because of the reservations being expressed about Schumacher.  I hope that he does not begin to go stale. F1 history is full of cases of talented drivers reaching a plateau, and being overtaken in the pecking order by newer, fresher candidates.

Talking of "comingmen", Jaime Alguersuari drove a combative and composed race for STR. It is possible that one or more of the top seats could become vacant in the next 18 months or so, and his name is sure to be mentioned if he continues his upward curve.

Even though the two world titles have been decided, there is still plenty to mull over!