The 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix

Apologies for the lack of updates on A Class lately. Things have been pretty busy and after a fairly uninspiring Chinese Grand Prix, I decided to reserve my Formula 1 discussion for after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Lets get straight to it.

When it comes to the Bahrain Grand Prix, the political situation has long overshadowed the race itself. With the kingdom’s citizens at odds with the ruling Al Khalifa family, many have questioned the relevance of having the race at all. In typical Bernie fashion, the Don of Formula 1 was quoted saying the government was “stupid” to hold the race. It’s no secret that from a sponsorship standpoint, the Bahrain Grand Prix is one of the most lucrative on the World Championship calender.

As it turns out, Sunday’s race ended up being one of the most exciting of 2013 with lots of great battles throughout the field.

Mercedes continued to look quick at the start of this weekend with a great showing in qualifying. Nico Rosberg secured his second career pole with teammate Lewis Hamilton in P4. Hamilton ultimately suffered a 5 grid spot penalty for a gearbox change following free practice. On Sunday things didn’t fare so well for Mercedes as both drivers struggled to maintain pace.

The opening laps provided for some of the most exciting wheel-to-wheel racing at the start of any Grand Prix in recent years, with Rosberg fending off Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso – who exchanged places for P2. However once DRS was enabled, Vettel made his move and created a lead which he held for the remainder of the race.  Rosberg’s pace continued to falter, but he displayed a level of aggression we haven’t seen from him in the past. Ultimately the driver finished 9th.

Things fared slightly better for Hamilton who was quoted after the race saying the car went from “terrible” to “amazing”. Hamilton also had some nice duels with his former McLaren teammate Jenson Button and Sergio Perez. He finished 5th overall and has stayed consistent in the points since the start of the season.

Lotus have come out fighting in 2013 and amid rumors of the team’s struggles to secure more funding to keep Kimi Raikkonen next season, have produced an excellent car in the E21. Raikkonen struggled in qualifying and started P9. Things fared better on Sunday and with the car’s excellent tire management, he was able to secure a podium finish placing 2nd.

His teammate Romain Grosjean also struggled in qualifying, starting in P11, but made it count in the race. Grosjean finished 3rd after some interesting battles throughout the field. It’s amazing to see the success Lotus has achieved in such a short time. The team’s engineers have certainly discovered the secret to maintaining Pirelli’s unforgiving tires. It’s no secret that Raikkonen is one of the most popular drivers on the market for 2014, with Red Bull rumored to be courting him for Mark Webber’s seat. Ultimately he’s a major factor in Lotus’s newfound success over the last couple of seasons.

Things didn’t go well for Ferrari this weekend. After a great qualifying session for both drivers on Saturday, a series of mechanical maladies saw Fernando Alonso finishing 8th and his teammate Felipe Massa out of the points in 14th. Ferrari have gotten off to a much more successful start in 2013 with the highly competitive F138. However a broken wing on Alsonso’s car forced the driver to do without DRS in most of the race, while Massa experienced numerous tire issues. Both drives made an unnecessary amount of pit stops which ultimately cost them.

With an admittedly sluggish car, McLaren’s only goal for the weekend was to score points. As the teams head back to Europe for a 3 week break, McLaren will essentially rebuild their car in the hopes of being more competitive in Spain. For the second race weekend in a row, Sergio Perez was unable to break into Q3 with his teammate Jenson Button settling for P10 at the start of Sunday’s race. McLaren haven’t had the pace all season, however Button has managed better results than his teammate, who has been harshly criticized in recent weeks.

After scoring just 2 World Championship points in the first 3 races of the season, the pressure was on Perez to deliver in Bahrain. Some unusually aggressive driving saw him in an exciting and nerve wracking battle with his teammate. Button was unhappy with the advances by Perez which calls in to question some of his earlier comments with regards to Red Bull’s team orders debacle. When it comes to tire management their may be no better driver in Formula 1 than Button, ultimately he finished 10th on Sunday with Perez in a more successful 6th. McLaren have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks as they’ll not like being without a podium finish for much longer. Expect to see a very different MP4-28 in Spain.

At the end of the day it was Sebastian Vettel who stood at the top of the podium. In typical fashion Vettel got an early lead and dominated the remainder of the race. Vettle has become increasingly outspoken in the last couple of weeks, with regards to Red Bull’s team orders in Malaysia. At the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, he virtually did a 180 from his previous comments about overtaking his teammate and said he would do it again. The bad blood has continued to flow in the Red Bull paddock with Mark Webber suffering a dismal weekend in China, then being forced to use his teammates engine maps in Bahrain. Red Bull continue to maintain that they support both drivers equally but that is becoming increasingly harder to believe.

Webber celebrated his 200th Grand Prix in Bahrain with a small cake cutting ceremony at which neither Vettel or Helmut Marko were in attendance. The politics within the team seem to be boiling over as Marko was seen telling Niki Lauda not to be nice to Webber. At this point it seems highly unlikely that Webber with continue with Red Bull in 2014. It’s been reported the Australian is scheduled to meet with team owner Dietrich Mateschitz later this week at Red Bull’s headquarters. The meeting will presumably be about his future, as he continues to deny rumors about a a move to Porsche next year.

It was a departure from the usual procession in Bahrain with plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing across the field. The World Championship is still wide open and anything can happen after the teams get a chance to regroup in Europe. It’s hard to believe Formula 1 is already headed to Spain next with the Monaco Grand Prix just a month away!

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Grand Prix Of Bahrain

Round 4 of the Formula 1 World Championship, wrapped up yesterday in what was leading up to be, the most controversial race of the season.

Since 2011, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been embroiled in social unrest. The ruling Al Kahlifa family have been at odds with Bahrain’s citizens, over the kingdom’s political structure. Amidst reports of killings, imprisonment and torture, last year’s race was cancelled. For 2012, the Bahrain Grand Prix was again on the Formula 1 calender, a controversial decision by the FIA. From a sponsorship perspective, it’s one of the most lucrative races of the season. That and a desire to show the world the Kingdom is on the mend, are primary reasons for rescheduling this year’s event.

In the weeks leading up to the race, it was uncertain whether it would happen at all. Tensions over the race where high and there were major safety concerns, for the teams and their drivers. The media were also hesitant and recommended to stay in designated hotels, throughout the week. However, the show must go on and despite the protests, Sunday provided another unpredictable race, in what’s becoming a historic season.

I didn’t care for the Bahrain Grand Prix. I found myself frustrated throughout most of the race. The mood at Bahrain International Circuit, was at best, subdued. Despite reports that it was a sold out event, you’d be hard pressed to notice any fan presence. Blisteringly hot temperatures made tire strategy, the highest priority and most teams held back in qualifying, to conserve precious rubber.

Sebastian Vettel’s Return To Form

With temper tantrums following his race in Malaysia and a different, unsuccessful exhaust setup in China, Sebastian Vettel appeared to be out of sorts, heading into Bahrain. Ultimately, he was able to secure his first win of the season on Sunday; a drive that saw him back in Championship form.

After out qualifying Lewis Hamilton by less than a second, Vettel started in pole. A fantastic start helped him secure a 2 second gap, by the end of lap 1. The RB8 looked quick all weekend and it seems as though Red Bull are beginning to hone in, the car’s true potential. In turns 1 and 2, the RB8 was unbeatable, as Kimi Raikkonen struggled to pass Vettel, in a much faster Lotus. One victory doesn’t tell the whole story though and in a season as unpredictable as this, it’s still anyone’s game.

New Found Success For Lotus

While Lotus only managed the qualify 7th and 11th, due to a tire conservation strategy, they were podium contenders on race day. The E20 had amazing straight line speed and allowed Kimi Raikkonen to catch Sebastian Vettel. I knew it was only a matter of time before Kimi earned his first podium finish.

It’s been apparent all season, that his time away from Formula 1, has had little affect on his driving abilities. Kimi’s teammate, former GP2 Champion, Romain Grosjean also had a stellar drive on Sunday, helping Lotus with a 2-3 finish. That result moved them to 3rd overall, in the Constructor’s Championship. Lotus has certainly turned its team around in 2012 and it’s part of a very interesting development of highly competitive, midfield contenders. Lotus, Williams, Sauber and Force India have all been good so far this season and it’s made the racing that much more exciting.

McLaren In The Pits

What started off as another good weekend for McLaren, quickly ended in disaster. Lewis Hamilton put down a fantastic Q3, securing a front row start, less than a second behind Sebastian Vettel. Ultimately, Hamilton’s race was ruined in the pits. Everything that could possibly go wrong, for McLaren in the pits, has happened over the last 3 races. In China, Jenson Button’s hopes for a second victory were squashed, due to a faulty wheel gun. In Bahrain, Hamilton was held up by a wheel nut issue. The prediction, is that in a haste to get Hamilton out quickly, the wheel hub became cross threaded, which affected his second pit stop and ultimately spoiled his race.

His teammate Jenson Button, retired on lap 55, with a broken exhaust. Yet another blow to a team everyone predicted, to be the dominate force, starting the season. What’s most frustrating about McLaren’s scenario, is that their driver’s have played little part, in the team’s misfortunes. In the 3 weeks until Spain, McLaren need to seriously reassess their pitting strategy. They’re currently the only team on the grid, who don’t change tires with the nut pre-fastened to the wheel.

Stewards On Holiday

Following their success in China, Mercedes struggled on Sunday. Michael Scumacher was given a 5 grid spot penalty, for changing his car’s transmission, after qualifying 18th. Things faired better for Nico Rosberg, who qualified 5th, but had difficulty in Sunday’s race. He ultimately finished 5th. Rosberg was also involved in 2 separate incidents of defensive driving. The first with Lewis Hamilton, who was forced off the track, following the first of his bad pit stops. In an aggressive maneuver, Hamilton passed Rosberg, while off the track. A similar incident involving Fernando Alonso, happened later in the race. In both occurrences, the Stewards said they’d evaluate it after the race. Why pend a decision after the race has already ended? If drive through penalties need to be given out, do your job and take care of it immediately. Rosberg was quick to go on the defensive, calling out both opposing drivers. All Formula 1 drivers are allowed 1 defensive move, while holding a position; after which an opening needs to be left available. Unfortunately, this rule leaves a large grey area, where either argument can be made. In these cases, the Stewards should be evaluating the situation immediately.

Finicky Tires Makes For Better Racing

Long lasting, this year’s Pirelli tires are not. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Michael Schumacher was quick to voice his displeasure in the press, following Sunday’s race. He accused Pirelli of producing tires, that didn’t allow the cars or their drivers, to reach their maximum potential on the track. I tend not to agree and in many ways, the high degradation of the Pirellis, has made for some very exciting wheel to wheel racing.

We saw this first hand in China, as Kimi Raikkonen was passed by a quarter of the grid in 2 laps. Tires also allowed Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber to overtake Sebastian Vettel, in the final laps of that race. Many races are won and lost in the pits, as we’ve seen so painfully with McLaren. It’s more important than ever, to have an aggressive pitting strategy and the heat in Bahrain truly exploited the Pirellis’ weaknesses.

Is Bahrain United?

While it certainly wasn’t the primary goal of the race, many were hoping a Formula 1 Grand Prix, would help start the healing process in Bahrain. On the back of political and social unrest for more than a year, Formula 1′s presence was a controversial one.

From afar, it’s hard to get a grasp as to what is really happening there. In many ways I believe the teams and media, were kept fairly secluded at Bahrain International Circuit, well away from the actual reality. There was just news today that journalists had been arrested following yesterday’s Formula 1 and GP2 races. Ultimately Bahrain has a long way to go and one glamorized event, is little more than a bandage covering the wound. Where the sport was successful, was in it’s ability to remain neutral. Just get on with the race and that’s exactly what they did.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

Button’s Third Win

Jenson Button and Brawn took their third win of the season today at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Button finished 7.1 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastien Vettel who took second. Lewis Hamilton took fourth place and Kimi Raikkonen finished in sixth for Ferrari, their first points of the season. Ironically last night, I was watching an episode of Top Gear where Button came on the show. Clarkson was grilling him about why he’s never had a win. That was taped back in 2006, fast-forward to now and I think a lot has changed.