McLaren Reforms Partnership With Honda

After months of speculation, McLaren and Honda have announced a new technology partnership to begin in 2015. In the late 80s, McLaren and Honda formed one of the most successful alliances in Formula 1 history – winning 15 of 16 Grands Prix in 1988. For the 2015 season, Honda will supply McLaren with engines and energy recovery systems, taking the place of current supplier Mercedes. New engine manufacturers entering Formula 1 is always a good thing for the sport and should keep things interesting for years to come.

Photo courtesy of McLaren.

The 2013 Spanish Grand Prix

I had intended on posting my recap of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix last night. But after writing it, something didn’t feel right. In fact Formula 1 doesn’t feel right lately and as a ravenous fan of the sport, I’ve been struggling.

Maybe it’s just one of those seasons – it happens. But maybe it’s part of a larger problem with the sport and this is just the beginning? I’ve been rattling my brain, trying to figure out when the racing stopped.

After a 3 week hiatus, I had hoped the teams would’ve been able to regroup back at their respective bases, that McLaren would’ve had the chance to dial in their sluggish MP4-28 and that Pirelli would’ve fixed their damn tires. None of that seems to have happened and what we were left with was another mediocre race at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Before I tumble any further down the slope, praises are in order for Fernando Alonso, who’s now 4th on the all time winning list, surpassing Nigel Mansell. His drive on Sunday really was that of a consummate professional. A bulletproof strategy by Ferrari and a clean race by Alonso secured the team’s second win of the season and damn do I respect them for it.

Even his teammate Felipe Massa continued to show flashes of his former brilliance and clinched a well deserved 3rd place finish. Right now my money is on Ferrari as the team to beat.

Despite parting ways with their technical director earlier in the week, Lotus didn’t skip a beat. Kimi Raikkonen has found a home on the podium in 2013. At this point it seems ridiculous that he would ever consider a move to Red Bull in 2014. Then again it’s still early and anything can happen.

Where Lotus, Ferrari and even Force India have excelled is with their understanding of Pirelli’s hellacious tires. They’ve been a bone of contention amongst teams and fans of the sport alike. In a contract year it would seem insane for Pirelli to produce such an inferior product and more insane still that they wouldn’t offer any sort of explanation. It’s no wonder Paul Hembery deactivated his Twitter account late last season, after being lambasted by fans.

However bad Pirelli’s tires are in 2013, what’s been arguably worse is the racing or lack thereof. Formula 1 has reached a turning point where drivers are no longer pushing from start to finish. Instead they’ve adopted a more conservative strategy – one that saw Lewis Hamilton telling his engineers “I can’t drive any slower”. This is motor racing but somewhere along the way, Formula 1 seems to have forgotten that.

Everyone’s playing the blame game. Drivers are blaming team orders, teams are blaming Pirelli and the FIA, but all the outcry seems lost in what has become a rather staged piece of entertainment. What’s most interesting is how the sport has managed to convince us all that what we’re watching is indeed great racing. The off track soap opera is entertaining as ever, most notably the team drama at Red Bull. But for all of the sport’s technical advances, we’re still seeing drivers struggle to push because of a lack of tires or fuel. Maybe the races are too long? Something tells me it would make no difference to shorten them.

In the days following the Spanish Grand Prix we’ve heard plenty of public bellyaching from Red Bull. Things have gotten so loud that Pirelli made the decision to produce a longer lasting compound for the Canadian Grand Prix in June. We’ve also heard Jenson Button admit that he’s embarrassed by his McLaren team and their MP4-28′s performance.

It’s been a difficult season for the Woking boys and one that may see the exit of Martin Whitmarsh as Team Principal – there have already been rumors of his possible resignation around the paddock. Then there’s Mercedes who look great in qualifying, but have struggled on race day. Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg quickly fell into obscurity by the end of Sunday’s race. One thing’s become abundantly clear – if the tires are to blame then we may see a massive shift throughout the field in Montreal.

Many would argue with me but Formula 1 is in a slump right now. Maybe the lack of exciting venues is to blame and we’ll see the energy reignited in Monaco next week. However at some point you just have to say screw the tires, the cars and the excuses and go out and race.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

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 Great Sound Debate In Formula 1

2014 will mark a new technical era in Formula 1 with the reintroduction of turbocharged V6 engines. As car manufacturers move away from high displacement in favor of more economical setups, it makes sense that Formula 1 would follow a similar path. The switch will also invite new manufacturers to join the sport with Honda and Hyundai rumored to enter in 2015. From a business perspective, the new technical regulations make sense, however there are worries that the sport will loose some of its spectacle.

The unique and at times violent roar of Formula 1 cars has always played an important role in the sport. The Ferrari V12s of the early 90s produced a sound heard nowhere else before or since. Many including Bernie Ecclestone, are worried that the muted tones of forced induction will turn some fans away from the sport.

Many will recall the first turbo era of Formula 1 in the 80s. The manufacturers used 6-cylinder engines not unlike what we’ll see in 2014 and the roar of their turbos’ external wastegates, provided an equally menacing soundtrack to the V10s and V12s to follow. The inline 6 turbocharged engines from BMW where known to be the most power Formula 1 has ever seen – rumored to produce nearly 1500 HP and 65 PSI in qualifying trim. While the 2014 cars will max out at around 750 HP, there’s still the potential for them to sound fantastic.

The sport’s engine manufacturers are already hard at work completing the new V6s and their sound has been a closely guarded secret. However Eccelstone has complained about the sound and even suggested the use of artificial enhancements, to make things more exciting for spectators. While Formula 1 purists will scoff at that mere suggestion of artificial noise, no one really knows what to expect. No official videos have been released of the new engine sound, however one YouTube user has produced some possibilities of what we might hear in 2014.

Each engine sound has been modified to rev to 15000 RPM which will be the limit in 2014. While the modified VR38 from the GT-R sounds exciting, the actual sound may be closer to the modified Alfa 155 DTM. It’s unlikely the turbochargers will feature external wastegates which are largely responsible for the roar of the cars in the 80s. They will also be producing significantly less boost in favor of an Energy Recovery System.

The 2014 regulations all seem a bit complicated however they’re a reflection of what we’re seeing on production cars these days. BMW is one manufacturer known for pumping artificial engine noise through the speakers of their M cars. Even Mercedes are shying away from their iconic V8s in favor of more economical turbo setups.

Despite my initial reservations, I’m excited for the new turbo era of Formula 1. With added boost we may be treated to less traction in the bends. The new ERS will also provide an additional 150 HP at the touch of a button. It will increase the potential for overtaking and make for better racing in general. While the simulations are all very entertaining, my hope is that we’ll be hearing this in 2014.

Videos courtesy of ngendro & CarniftyTV.

The 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

Formula 1 wrapped up the Malaysian Grand Prix earlier today and what is typically a rain soaked procession, turned out to be one of the most dramatic races in recent memory. The events at Sepang International Circuit conjured up memories of the Senna-Prost era at McLaren and cemented Formula 1′s identity as a team sport.

There’s an infinite amount of story lines to discuss as Europe’s sporting columns are ablaze with Red Bull and Mercedes gossip. With pit stop foibles, mechanical maladies and host of very unhappy teammates, lets get straight to it.

Ferrari came out of qualifying in prime position to score their first race win of the season, with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa starting P2 and P3. After an aggressive start by the Red Bulls, Alonso fought for position, coming out of turn 1. The Ferrari driver’s front wing became dislodged after making contact with Sebastian Vettel and then Mark Webber as he fought the Red Bulls. Alsonso was expected to come into the pits after the first lap to have his wing replaced, but failed to do so.

Upon completing the first straight of lap 2, his font wing broke free, lodging itself under the F138′s front tires and sending Alonso off the track. With his race over, it left most scratching their heads at Alonso’s bizarre decision to stay on track. The assumption was a strategy to complete 1 more lap and pit for a wing and tire change, as the track began to dry. Unfortunately things ended differently and costed Alonso valuable points in his bid to win the 2013 World Driver’s Championship. It’s still early enough in the season, but as we’ve seen so many times before, mishaps from earlier in the season tend to rear their ugly face in November. His teammate Felipe Massa completed a solid drive, finishing 5th overall.

Pit stop woes followed Alonso’s retirement for the remainder of Malaysia’s first half. In an unfortunate turn, Force India had to retire both cars as they experienced a number of issues with improperly securing wheel nuts. A collision in the pits involving Caterham and a Freudian Slip saw Lewis Hamilton pull into the McLaren pits for a brief second. Early in the race McLaren displayed flashes of brilliance with some very quick tire changes and saw Jenson Button leading the race. His success was short lived after another horrendous stop in which the mechanics sent Button out, after failing to secure the MP4-28′s right front wheel nut.

The team did manage to rescuer it, only to have Button return to the track in 14th and later retire with 3 laps to go. McLaren have gotten off to another tough start in 2013. With an admittedly sluggish car, the team can’t afford to make costly mistakes in the pits. The question is how long Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh will have to right his ship before his job comes into question. Sergio Perez secured 1 point after finishing 10th overall.

With an abundance of drama happening throughout pit lane, it was Red Bull and Mercedes that stole the show. Both teams dealt with similar issues involving team orders in an effort to conserve fuel and keep both cars on the track. Mark Webber displayed some brilliant driving as he lead most of the race and it seemed inevitable that he would secure his first win since last year’s British Grand Prix. Unfortunately his teammate Sebastian Vettel struggled with playing second fiddle and had a number of exchanges with race engineers in a bid to overtake Webber. After an excellent pit stop on lap 44, Webber emerged ahead of Vettel in P1. The two drivers battled for the next 2 laps, fighting for the lead which Webber maintained. After some interjection by team bosses, the Red Bull drivers were told to maintain the gap and bring the cars home for some valuable points. The strategy didn’t sit well with Vettel as he took to the inside, nearly colliding with the pit wall to overtake Webber in turn 1. The move was a blatant disregard for team orders and a fuming Webber showed his lack of gratitude by giving Vettel the finger. The pass has been the most talked about event following the race and in many ways brings to light the internal problems that have followed Red Bull the last few seasons. It’s no secret that Webber and Vettel aren’t the greatest of friends and Webber’s response to the move and a complete lack of sympathy on behalf of Vettel go on to illustrate a mutual dislike between the teammates. Vettel ultimately won the race, his 27th career win, with Webber finishing a close 2nd.

Mercedes experienced their own issues resulting from team orders as Lewis Hamilton struggled to outpace his teammate Nico Roseberg, in an effort to maintain tires and fuel. Rosberg had a number of exchanges with Team Principal Ross Brawn, urging him to allow a pass on Hamilton. There was concern for both cars’ fuel loads following the race and Rosberg was instructed to maintain his position. Had fuel levels not been an issue for Mercedes, it’s likely that both drivers would’ve caught the Red Bulls and there may have been a different outcome. Hamilton finished 3rd overall with Rosberg in 4th. Mercedes should be very pleased with their efforts this weekend. Many speculated that the success of the team would be a work in progress for most of 2013, however in the 2nd race of the season the team are fighting for race wins. Their time will certainly come and soon.

Once the checkered flag was raised everyone was talking about the pending podium ceremonies. A very dejected Lewis Hamilton joined fueding Red Bull teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. A very uncelebratory air surrounded the podium as everyone anxiously awaited the driver’s interviews, lead by Martin Brundle.

This is a scenario where the podium interviews are useless because rarely do we get honest emotion from the drivers as they maintain composure under the spotlight. Everyone had hoped for Vettel to provide some reasoning for his actions but ended up getting a half hearted apology for not following the team’s orders. Webber was considerably more candid, however his choice in words held back most of what he was probably thinking. Hamilton showed real class in his acceptance of 3rd with his mention of Rosberg and a lack of willingness to accept his trophy. It appears as though Hamilton is desperate to turn over a new leaf this season and change people’s perceptions of himself. He certainly won a few fans back today.

It was a fantastically exciting Malaysian Grand Prix and a departure from the boring race F1 fans have grown accustomed to. It’s a 2 week break until the teams are in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Grand Prix Of Korea

Have we actually been seeing good racing in Formula 1 lately? It’s a question I’ve been pondering since the August break. Sure the venues have been glorious, but has that blinded us to the fact that nothing truly special is unfolding on track? Red Bull fans will be quick to counter this argument as the team have returned to all-dominating form. We’ve seen some surprise podium finishers and some unfortunate retirements but has the racing really been any good? The silly season has kept most of us occupied with the off-track drama in between Grand Prix weekends, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve been blown away by anything on track. Today’s Grand Prix of Korea answered that question and helped uncover a few contributing factors.

First Lap Crashes

Motor racing and crashing have always gone hand in hand, but the sheer volume of first lap crashes and subsequent retirements we’ve seen since Spa is bordering the ridiculous.

The actions of Romain Grosjean have been discussed over and over, but consider today’s race in which both Sauber’s ended the races of Jenson Button and Nico Roseberg. This was the second weekend in a row Rosberg was taken out on the first lap. Have Formula 1 drivers become that desperate to save their seats? Both Grosjean and Kobayashi have been under heavy pressure to produce for their respective teams and the careers of both drivers hang on a very fine line.

Grosjean has displayed a raw talent and blistering speed while Kobayashi has been a consistent driver and a fan favorite. But the desperation on track and resulting collateral damage has had a major effect on the seasons of some of the sport’s leading contenders. What many of the drivers on mid-field teams are failing to recognize is that races aren’t won on the first lap.

Reliability

Ferrari and Red Bull have had their issues over the course of 2012, but no front running team has suffered more with reliability than McLaren. After gearbox issues in both Monza and Singapore, suspension problems ruined Lewis Hamilton’s race in Korea.

After starting behind the Red Bulls in P3, Hamilton began to fall back in the field, struggling with the car for most of the race. In the final laps he was fighting for valuable points against Torro Rossos and Force Indias. Hamilton criticisms aside, fighting for P10 is not usually something we’re used to seeing him doing. As a team, McLaren severely need to get their act together. Since the Hamilton split, they’ve been in shambles. From a fan perspective these reliability issues have had an effect on the quality and competitiveness of the racing. We all expect to see our favorite teams at the top of their games.

While some like Red Bull have exceeded expectations, others including McLaren and Mercedes have failed to meet the mark.

Safety Cars & Incompetence

Many will say it was the safety cars that made the Singapore Grand Prix a complete wash. But what about Japan? The restart after clearing the damage of the first lap crashes saw Sebastian Vettel charging like a gazelle, while the rest of the pack were left dazed and confused. Did Kobayashi and Button not get the memo that the race was back on? Incompetence has also played a role in recent race weekends. In both Japan and Korea, we’ve seen yellow flags during the flying laps of Q3.

Kimi Raikkonen spun his car in Japan, while Daniel Riccardo experienced gearbox issues in Korea. On Sunday’s race another yellow flag affected the racing when track marshals failed to remove Nico Rosberg’s beached Mercedes. That particular instance is up for debate, as Rosberg’s car posed no apparent threat to the drivers on track. Safety is an obvious concern that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but at what point has the FIA begun to babysit the drivers? Everyone in the sport understands the risks involved but now the caution is beginning to affect the show.

The Irrelevant Grand Prix

Is the Korean Grand Prix a joke?

Apart from the financial and sponsorship advantages, what’s the point of this race? The Korea International Circuit’s gates open only once a year for Formula 1. The track is filthy and the race has failed to attract the kind of attendance FOM had originally anticipated. One only needs to watch the Korean Grand Prix to understand why this event continues to lose money.

The organizer’s incompetence is blatantly obvious from the track literally falling apart during the race, to event staff harassing the drivers during podium interviews. Lewis Hamilton’s race went from bad to worse after his McLaren picked up a chunk of astro turf which lodged itself on the car’s side pod. He spent the remainder of the race with a green streamer. As the podium interviews started, Sebastian Vettel was hounded by one of girls who handed the drivers their microphones. Apparently she wanted his hat. It’s easy to laugh at the race’s more ridiculous occurrences, but for a World-class event it’s completely unacceptable. Not to mention the fans couldn’t even be bothered to stay in their seats to support the podium ceremonies.

It’s been 3 years since the Korean Grand Prix joined the Formula 1 calendar and I’m still struggling to understand why we still have it.

Sunday’s Heroes

Despite all the misfortunes of today’s Korean Grand Prix, it wasn’t without its stars. Hats off to Felipe Massa who is winning my support week after week. We’re back to the old Massa, the one before the  accident. He’s got a smile again and his demeanor shows through in his driving. Even Ferrari can see it as they issued team orders, telling him slow down as Alonso’s pace weakened.

Rumors suggest he’s already signed a 1 year extension with Ferrari, which could very will be the case. Whatever the reason, I’m happy to see him competitive again. Another driver who made a case on Sunday was Nico Hulkenberg. I was part of the minority that said he should have replaced Hamilton at McLaren and today he showed everyone why.

His cool, collected demeanor would’ve been a perfect fit at McLaren and he could’ve flourished under the guidance of Button and the rest of the team. If the rumors are correct, Hulkenberg will do well at Sauber next year.

As much as it pains me to say this, we all have to admire what Red Bull have done in the last few races. Adrian Newey is a genius and has built another brilliant car. Even Mark Webber had a great weekend and should be pleased. No one was going to be able to stop Vettel in his RB8. However, I’m still hung up on the skills of Vettel. Is it the driver or the car? Earlier in the season he struggled when the car wasn’t performing and now that it is, he’s back to winning races.

The bottom line is that Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have quite a bit of work to do between now and the end of November if they hope to win another WDC.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Podium Interview

Why exactly do we have the podium interview? FOM would probably tell you that it’s an opportunity for the drivers to better connect with fans. But rather than the candid, face-to-face experience FOM was hoping for, we’ve been treated to awkward fidgeting, question dodging and a panel of celebrity interviewers who seem even more uncomfortable than the drivers.

The irony is that neither the drivers nor the fans seem to be on board with this style of post-race interview. Even Jenson Button made comments about the awkwardness while being questioned by Spa legend Jacky Ickx on Sunday.

No one likes being put on the spot, especially in front of 5000 fans and every member of every rival team in the sport. Maybe FOM likes watching their drivers squirm on the podium, which seems a strange contrast to the elation felt after winning a Grand Prix.

The previous style of post-race interview allowed for a much more honest discussion from the drivers and gave all of us more insight to their strategies during the race. If FOM wants to hand the top 3 finishers a mic to thank the fans, fine. But save the interview for the press, because this post-race ritual is just plain awkward.

Photo courtesy of Red Bull/Getty Images.

The Grand Prix Of Belgium

One thing you can be sure of at the Belgian Grand Prix; it’s never going to be a boring race.

After a mixed starting grid, a spectacular crash determined much of Sunday’s Grand Prix. If you’ve been reading the British or Italian newspapers then you’ll have already seen a call for Romain Grosjean’s head.

In the opening seconds of the race the Lotus driver made contact with Lewis Hamilton, causing a chain reaction that saw Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi as part of the collateral damage. Alonso’s weekend was over, as were Sauber’s and Hamilton’s, who was already dealing with more heavy criticism.

Shortly before the race Hamilton posted telemetry charts of his and Jenson Button’s cars to his Twitter account. This was after a Saturday evening spent Tweeting his frustrations about a bad qualifying session earlier. Many of the Tweets were quickly deleted with Hamilton left to explain himself. It’s obvious the McLaren contract negotiations are far from complete and the weekend’s events certainly haven’t given him any advantage.

After the crash, the race carried on and despite the lack of Hamilton or Alonso on track, it ended up being a fantastic one to watch. Jenson Button was the star of the show in his MP4-27, which clearly outpaced the rest of the grid. Button maintained the lead for every lap from start to finish and secured his second win of the season. This came after his first pole since 2009 and a long stint of bad drives in 2012.

Sebastian Vettel also had one of his best drives of the season. After qualifying 11th, Vettel managed to secure second place after battling with both Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher. Despite all the excitement of the day, the highlight was some pristine racing between Raikkonen and Schumacher.

It was F1 wheel-to-wheel at its best as the drivers battled for 3rd, ending in a spectacular pass by Raikkonen in Eau Rouge.

The talk following the race was how the FIA would handle Grosjean’s punishment and the driver was eventually handed a race suspension. A lot of people have varying opinions on the matter and while I think Grosjean’s driving was overly aggressive and at times moronic, he should not have been suspended for a race. This event marks more inconsistent governing by the FIA who seem to enjoy making examples out of drivers, rather than making fair calls. They explicitly said in their report that the crash “eliminated leading championship contenders from the race”. If this isn’t playing favorites, I don’t know what is. Something also tells me that had it been back marker drivers involved and not the championship leader, Grosjean would still be racing at Monza.

Understandably, the backlash from the British and Italian presses have been harsh, putting additional pressure on the FIA to make the situation “right”. At the end of the day, crashing is part of professional motor sports and it’s something all the drivers understand. If the FIA wants to single out a driver, why not go after Pastor Maldonado? The Williams driver has had more incidents this year and evaded the kind of harsh punishment that Grosjean was handed.

Always leave it to Spa for a great race each and every year. It’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular tracks on the F1 calendar. The talk is already shifting to the Italian Grand Prix, which is now less than a week away. The circus will be at Monza this Friday with the Tifosi in full swing!

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Grand Prix Of Hungary

The Hungarian Grand Prix. It struggles to make a case for itself as round 11 of the Formula 1 World Championship. Like Valencia and Korea, it’s a filler race. Something to keep the fans happy. Unfortunately, Sunday’s race did little to satisfy in terms of racing.

Hardly any passing saw most of the strategic moves done in the pits. For certain drivers it was about endurance. Lewis Hamilton held off the Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen for nearly 2 hours. For other drivers, it was about being the guinea pig. Jenson Button, who got off to a great start, was forced to sacrifice his race for the good of the team. The tires were unpredictable and it was Button’s 3 stop strategy, that gave Hamilton’s engineers the data they needed.

Michael Schumacher continued to struggle at pleading his case for staying in the sport. After failing to pull into the correct grid spot position, the remainder of the field was thrown off, forcing Charlie Whiting to send the cars out for a second formation lap. In fear of overheating the Silver Arrow, Schumacher cut power and started from pit lane. Ultimately he didn’t finish the race, his 6th retirement of the season.

Red Bull also struggled under the watchful eyes of the FIA. A controversial suspension modification was the latest incident for the team, who have become VIP members in the steward’s office. Sebastian Vettel was quick in qualifying, but it was clear he was feeling the pressure. In a very uncharacteristic display, the microphones picked up Vettel barking orders at his engineer to “do something”, after struggling to pass Jenson Button in the McLaren. Vettel ultimately finished 4th, keeping Red Bull in lead of the Constructor’s Championship.

Despite a great drive and eventual win by Lewis Hamilton, it was Lotus who stole the show. Both Grosjean and Raikkonen took turns in putting the pressure on the McLaren. The highlight of the race was a bought between the two drivers that saw Raikkonen overtaking Grosjean out of the pits, nearly ending both driver’s races. At this point everyone must be surprised that Lotus hasn’t taken a win this season.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso stayed quiet most of the race, finishing 5th, but maintaining a comfortable lead in the Driver’s Championship.

Formula 1 is officially on holiday for the month of August, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Hamilton saga progresses, as he enters contract negotiations with McLaren. Hamilton’s been very active on Twitter lately and even tweeted “change is good”. Whatever that is in reference to, remains to be seen. There’s a strong possibility that Hamilton will maintain his spot at McLaren, but there have been rumblings over a move to Ferrari. Felipe Massa’s fate should also begin to reveal itself over the coming weeks, with Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel all being thrown into the conversation as other potential replacements. The soap opera never ends, but that’s the beauty of Formula 1.

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francochamps is September 2, a proper race on a proper circuit.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

Racing In Slow Motion IV

I caught this video over on Axis of Oversteer earlier today and was completely floored. Racing In Slow Motion IV is a truly cinematic viewing experience, both exciting and very moving.

Even if you’re not interested in motor racing, crank up the volume and watch.

Video courtesy of Mattzel89.