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 2013 Australian Grand Prix

It’s a new year and with it, a new season of Formula 1. After months of designing, prototyping and testing, the teams were back at Albert Park for the Grand Prix of Australia.

Here are a few takeaways from today’s race.

On the back of last year’s biggest story, Lewis Hamilton made his Mercedes debut and it was a fine one indeed. Despite finishing 5th overall, Hamilton was on pace with the leaders and surpassed the expectations held by most. The Silver Arrows looked quick all weekend, but as the season moves forward, keep an eye on their reliability. Nico Rosberg’s race was cut short due to an electrical failure on lap 26.

McLaren struggled all weekend and it quickly became apparent that the MP4-28 is not on par with the rest of the front runners. Jenson Button started 10th and a bad tire strategy had him in the pits well before the rest of the grid. Sergio Perez’s debut with the team wasn’t memorable and he failed to score a single point. It’s still early and Perez may be working out some growing pains, but McLaren aren’t the kind of team to give a driver too many opportunities to get up to speed, as we all saw with Heikki Kovalainen. It was a disappointing weekend and after the loss of their top driver, technical director and title sponsor, they have some major work to do in Woking.

Mark Webber got off to another shockingly bad start after qualifying 2nd overall. It’s a trend that plagued most of his 2012 season and it’s not a good sign to see it happening again at the start of 2013. His teammate Sebastian Vettel built an early lead but fell back as the race progressed. Despite Vettel’s 3rd place finish, expect Red Bull to pull away from the rest of the field in the coming races.

Ferrari looked strong all weekend with both drivers doing well in qualifying and in the race. Felipe Massa has done a complete 180 from where he was at this time last season and even out qualified his teammate Fernando Alonso. Massa is driving with a newfound confidence that we saw glimpses of at the end of 2012 and it appears to have carried over into the new season. Alsonso had a few brilliant moments this weekend including a fantastic battle with Hamilton. Romain Grosjean should watch and learn how to execute proper wheel-to-wheel racing.

Alonso finished 2nd and Ferrari are well on their way to another successful Championship run in 2013.

Despite lots of good performances, there were 3 that really stood out. The first didn’t even get a podium finish and that was Force India’s Adrian Sutil. I’m not a fan but you have to respect a driver who spent a year away from the sport, only to come back and lead a good chunk of the Australian Grand Prix. In the end it was the tires that kept Sutil back but I doubt we’ll be seeing the last of him at the front of the pack in 2013.

Then there’s Kimi Raikkonen, today’s race winner. Could the Australian Grand Prix have ended any better? The Iceman finished the race by telling his engineer ”I told you the car was fast”, it was classic Kimi through and through. Lotus is everyone’s favorite underdog team in Formula 1 and with this strong of a start to the season, there will be more race wins to come. Expect Grosjean to improve his pace in the coming months and Kimi to keep being Kimi.

Finally, hats off to NBC Sports. We all wondered what would happen to Formula 1 in the United States after SPEED lost their broadcast rights. I think it’s the best thing to happen for American fans since Circuit of the Americas broke ground in Austin. Formula 1 deserves a proper home on American television and the guys at NBC did an absolutely brilliant job all weekend. The continuing race coverage during commercial breaks, the broadcast of delayed qualifying sessions and a fantastic post race show are just a few examples of just how seriously NBC is taking Formula 1. Well done!

Things are just getting started and it’s only going to get better! The Malaysian Grand Prix is less than a week away!

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Grand Prix Of Japan

Sebastian Vettel became the first driver of 2012 to win 2 races in a row at today’s Japanese Grand Prix. Now just 4 points behind Fernando Alonso, Vettel is well on his way to clinching his 3rd WDC in a row.

After blowing a tire in turn 1 at the start of the race, Alsonso was forced to retire, scoring no points and quickly loosing sight of his lead in the WDC.

His teammate Felipe Massa had a stellar driver and finished 2nd, earning his first podium in 2 years. Today’s success was just the boost Massa needed and may have secured him another year at Ferrari.

To the delight of the Japanese fans, Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi finished 3rd, his first podium in Formula 1. Similarly to Massa, Kobayashi is said to be fighting for his seat at Sauber next season. There’s no doubt today’s results have helped his standing with the team, especially with the looming departure of Sergio Perez.

The wounds of Lewis Hamilton’s departure are still fresh at McLaren. The team appeared out of sorts all weekend with both cars finishing 4th and 5th.

Hamilton made a comeback after starting 9th, but it wasn’t the type of driving we’ve seen from him or Jenson Button in the last 4 races. Button managed a great start and worked his way up to 3rd from 8th, but was unable to hold off Massa or keep up with Kobayashi in the closing laps. Reliability issues may still be affecting the team as Button complained of the gear box on separate occasions.

It was another tough weekend at Mercedes. After announcing his second retirement on Thursday, Michael Schumacher struggled and put the car in the wall during Friday practice. His teammate Nico Rosberg retired in turn 2 just after the start of the race. With a mediocre car and the strange hiring of Nikki Lauda as Mercedes’s Brackley “informant”, the team have a very long way to go. If history serves me correct, Ross Brawn has the tendency to follow his driver off the team. I wonder just how “good” the relationship is between Brawn and Mercedes. The Lauda hire makes no sense from a strategic perspective. One only needs to look at his time with Jaguar.

Lotus’s Romain Grosjean is the center of more controversy after making contact with Mark Webber in turn 2. He suffered a 10 second pit stop penalty, something I’ve not seen in all my time watching Formula 1. While there was plenty of chaos at the start of the race, it seems like Grosjean will never learn.

I hate to see Vettel win with such ease, especially after a clear advantage over the rest of the grid. It’ll be interesting to see how the remaining 5 races pan out. Ferrari and McLaren need to get their acts together if they have any hopes of retaining the WCC. Red Bull is on a mission.

The ever hilarious Grand Prix of Korea is next weekend. Hopefully they cleaned out the hospitality fridges from last year.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

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.

The Grand Prix Of Great Britain

The Grand Prix of Great Britain, the home race for most Formula 1 teams, including the toon-tastic McLaren. A typically British wet weekend, saw the teams practicing and qualifying in the rain. Things fared well for Ferrari on Saturday, with Fernando Alonso securing pole. Just behind was Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Mercedes’s Michael Schumacher. The hometown heroes, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button continued to struggle with grip. Button has had a notoriously bad career at Silverston and was unable to break out of Q1. His teammate Hamilton qualified 8th overall. This was not looking to be the home race McLaren had hoped for.

Experience Trumps Speed

Now that Formula 1 has reached it’s midseason crest, we’re beginning to see a couple teams pull away from the pack. While Red Bull’s RB8 and Ferrari’s F2012, aren’t the fastest cars on the grid, they’re both being piloted by seasoned war horses.

Fernando Alonso has continued to drive brilliantly, while Mark Webber has firmly established his place at Red Bull; outdriving his teammate Sebastian Vettel. The end of the race would see Alonso and Webber going head-to-head. After leading most of the race, Alonso began to lose pace because of tire degradation. This provided the perfect opportunity for Webber to overtake in the final laps, ultimately securing the victory.

He now sits just 13 points behind Alonso in the Driver’s Championship.

Something To Prove

Williams’s Pastor Maldonado routinely came into contact with another driver on Sunday. This time it was Sergio Perez who was forced to retire his Sauber. Maldonado’s overly aggressive style alludes to a driver with something to prove.

After being constantly referred to as a “pay driver” he’s eager to show his worth. While the drama may be good for marketing purposes, I’m not convinced by Maldonado, who’s become Formula 1′s new Jacques Villeneuve. In the media he comes off as an arrogant brat, with his accusations of other drivers and complete unwillingness to accept responsibility. An order of humble pie is certainly on the menu.

Home Team Woes

Following Sunday’s race, McLaren Team Prinipal Martin Whitmarsh, called for an emergency meeting at the team’s Woking fortress. Since March, the “car to beat”, has lost pace and struggeled for grip.

It’s a scenario that’s impacted most of Jenson Button’s season and is now beginning to affect Lewis Hamilton’s. For whatever reason, Pirelli’s new tires don’t seem to want to work for the MP4-27, as we saw Hamilton admit to his team, that Romain Grosjean was much faster, just before being overtaken. McLaren’s new aero improvements have done little to help the car’s pace.

In a contract year for Hamilton, this isn’t the position McLaren want to be in. Rumors have been swirling over a possible Hamilton move in 2013, but ultimately I think the driver wants to stay with McLaren. Despite the car, Hamilton has driven extremely well and stood by his team. His new-found level of composure is something we haven’t seen in years past.

American Fans Are Imbeciles

All summer long, FOX has insulted our intelligence with their Formula 1 broadcasts. It pains me to say this, but NASCAR is currently catered to a more eclectic audience in the states. During the summer months, SPEED does a 5 race swap with FOX. I can only presume this is to grow American interest in the sport. In typical fashion, FOX’s broadcasts are aimed at the lowest common denominator, rather than the seasoned fans, who likely make up a vast majority of the audience. Sunday’s race intro sums up the FOX style brilliantly, with an absolutely cringe-worthy montage of drivers, morphing into superheroes; including Alonso as “El Lobo” and Hamilton as “Two Face” (WTF?!). This combined with SPEED’s Three Musketeers explaining DRS 47 times, made for a truly horrendous viewing experience. Watching F1 on SPEED has always been for convenience, but it’s getting to the point where I’ll go out of my way to find a SKY/BBC stream. The whole situation brings up an interesting discussion of how Formula 1 is marketed to Americans. With 2 races scheduled here in 2013, it’ll be interesting to see how bad it truly gets.

The Road Ahead

With teams like Red Bull and Ferrari pulling away, Mercedes consistentely qualifying well, and Lotus setting the pace, it’s going to be intersting to see what’s in store, for the second half of 2012. Felipe Massa’s fate is at the hands of his replacement. If rumors of a Vettel move are true (doubtful), Massa may get one more season with the Scuderia, before Vettel takes over in 2014. There’s also the prospect of Sergio Perez making a move from Sauber (more likely), which could happen before the end of 2012.

McLaren have come leaps and bounds from their previous pitting strategy and are back to form. A blistering 2.8 second stop at Silverstone, cemented the fastest time of the season. Despite being back on track, the MP4-27 needs immediate attention. If McLaren hope to secure Hamilton for an extension, the car must become more competitive. Rumors of a Hamilton move to Lotus or Ferrari have been discussed, but neither team seems to be a good fit.

Sebastian Vettel doesn’t seem to be performing at the level he’s grown accustomed to. He ultimately needs to learn how to lose and should take some cues from Alonso and Hamilton. Both drivers have had to come to grips with not being the best in the past and they’re both better for it. Vettel would be wise to create some distance between himself and puppeteer Helmut Marko, who’s been making waves in the German media, with his conspiracy theories.

The Lotus boys have been quick all season. Romain Grosjean is no doubt one of the stars of the future, but he lacks intelligence and comes off as overly eager. This has proven his downfall and caused the driver to make costly mistakes. Kimi Raikkonen still seems to lack any interest in F1 whatsoever. However, with a good tire strategy, it’s only a matter of time before his first win. It’ll be interesting to see how Lotus fares through the end of the season.

Formula 1 invades Hokenheim next week.

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

The Grand Prix Of Europe

I can honestly say, this is the first Formula 1 recap, I haven’t wanted to write. How can I possibly begin to summarize the events of Sunday’s European Grand Prix? There’s so much to talk about, not only concerning the race itself, but all the rumors swirling around Sebastian Vettel’s (rumored) move to Ferrari, in 2014 and Lewis Hamilton’s contract negotiations with McLaren. On top of that, I’ve just heard Mark Webber, was nearly disqualified for using suspension, that was (almost) outside of the regulations.

For the last 5 years, Valencia Street Circuit has been home to the European Grand Prix. I’ve never been a fan of this race, if you could call it that. It’s mostly come off as a glorified testing session, that just happened to contribute to the Driver’s and Constructor’s World Championships. The drab affair has provided little in terms of passing and wheel to wheel excitement. Despite this, all of the cars are built with this track in mind and once it’s no longer on the F1 calendar, teams can begin to use smaller fuel tanks, which may affect other races throughout the year. However, 2012 was a much different affair. Would you expect anything less in such a competitive and unpredictable season?

Saturday qualifying saw more of the usual suspects on the front row for Sunday’s race. After a single, balls out lap from Sebastian Vettel in Q3, pole position was his. Lewis Hamilton, despite struggling with the MP4-27, managed to come in just behind Vettel. It was looking like Sunday’s race would be another Red Bull-McLaren shoot out. Ferrari was nowhere to be found, as neither of their drivers made it out of Q2. Fernando Alonso would start from 11th.

Lap 26 of the European Grand Prix. Ask anyone, who was going to win and they would’ve told you Sebastian Vettel. He was in his element all weekend. A typically brilliant start, had him 2 seconds a head of Lewis Hamilton, by the end of the first lap. The lead would keep increasing to 20 seconds, by the middle of the race. With the right tire strategy, Vettel would surely drive to his second victory of 2012; the first driver, in this most historic of seasons, to do so.

Vettel’s Abrupt End

A collision between Jean-Éric Vergne and Heikki Kovalainen, saw the arrival of the safety car in lap 27. Vettel was able to maintain the lead, after the race resumed in lap 34, but coming out of turn 10, his pace began to slow. There was no visible damage to the RB8, which Red Bull later alluded to a failed alternator. Vettel’s race was over. It’s a scenario we haven’t seen since Korea in 2010. A seemly flawless race from the World Champion, ended on no account of his own.

McLaren Out Of Sync

On Saturday, Lewis Hamilton seemed surprised by his success in qualifying. He mentioned that the team had a lot of work to do and he was struggling with the car. McLaren’s brilliant 2.9 second pit stop, earlier in the race, was the fastest of any team this season. It was beginning to look like the team were finally sorting out their issues. Maybe we all spoke too soon because Hamilton’s next trip to the pits was of a more typical outcome. Not 1, but 2 broken jacks, slowed Hamilton’s stop, as the mechanic’s struggled to change his tires. It cost Hamilton 2 positions and ultimately the race.

Jenson Button continued to be the invisible man on Sunday. I don’t think we’ve seen this little of him since his Honda days. Pirelli’s new tires, not only seem to have Button perplexed, but his engineers as well. For Valenca, he began using Hamilton’s tuning setup, which seemed to benefit him. What I can’t understand is why Button’s engineers have struggled so much to find a solution. The driver has always been known for his amazing ability to conserve tires, while winning races. Could this be a case of McLaren showing favoritism to the more successful of the pair? You can tell it’s another contract year at McLaren as the team tries to woo Hamilton into an extension. Button is locked in for the next 3 years.

Scuderia Year Book

The outcome of Sunday’s European Grand Prix was one for the ages. Who would’ve expected 3 of Ferrari’s greatest past and present driver’s to finish in the top 3? In many ways it was a look back in time, with Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher (both out of retirement), joining race winner Feranando Alonso on the podium.

Fernando Alonso continues to silence all naysayers. He’s proven that tools will only get you so far and in a car, that no one thought would be successful, Alonso is 2012′s first repeat winner. A stunning drive saw him work his way up from 11th to 1st, in front of his home crowd. An emotional Alonso, took some extra time on his victory lap, to celebrate the occasion with his fans and some of the race marshals. It was a fantastic sight; typically the drivers are rushed through the podium ceremonies, for post race interviews. At this point, my money is on Alonso to win it all this season. While his qualifying has been mediocre at times, come Sunday the driving has been consistently brilliant.

Kimi Raikkonen had a good drive in the Lotus, which was quick all weekend. As Hamilton struggled with his tires, Raikkonen was quick to pass, securing 2nd. But if there was anyone to steal Alonso’s spotlight, it was Michael Schumacher, who celebrated his first podium finish with Mercedes. While many will say his 3rd place finish was due to the various retirements, Schumacher was there at the checkered flag.

Grosjean & Hamilton Retired

Romain Grosjean and Lewis Hamilton were two of the top contenders, who failed to finish, alongside Vettel. Grosjean was forced to retire his Lotus in lap 41 because of an alternator failure. The Renault-powered RB8 of Vettel, is presumed to have suffered the same demise. At the time of the incident, Grosjean was in 2nd, behind Alonso. Were he able to finish the race, we probably would’ve seen a different Lotus driver on the podium. Grosjean continues to impress each race weekend.

Lewis Hamilton’s race went from bad to worse, in the final laps. His tires began to falter, forcing Hamilton to struggle for grip, with Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado closing in. Raikkonen eventually passed Hamilton, who’s tires were shot at that point. The ensuing battle for 3rd, between Hamilton and Maldonado, resulted in a collision and a 20 second penalty for Maldonado. Hamilton’s car was unable to finish the race; his first major error, in an otherwise mistake-free season. The debate over Hamilton and Maldonado’s contact, has been hotly debated, as many believe Hamilton was at fault. While I tend to agree with both arguments, the stewards made the right decision, in penalizing Maldonado. With that said, Hamilton was overly aggressive and should have moved aside, especially since he knew his tires were done. Ultimately my blame is once again on McLaren. Had Hamilton’s second pit stop, not been riddled with problems, he wouldn’t have been forced to push his tires so hard. This one was definitely on the team.

The European Grand Prix certainly threw a curve ball and ended up being one of the best races thus far. It’s impossible to think that Formula 1 keeps getting better and better, with each race. Fernando Alonso’s lead in the World Championship is only 20 points. Next in line is Mark Webber (of all people), so it truly is anyone’s game. The British Grand Prix is next weekend, the home race for most of the teams. It’s great to see Formula 1 back in Europe. The season proper is in full swing!

Photos courtesy of F1 Fanatic.

Hamilton Wins In Canada

It was all smiles, yesterday in Montreal. When was the last time you saw 3 drivers, this happy to be on the podium?

A big congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for one hell of a drive, at yesterday’s Canadian Grand Prix. Despite McLaren’s best attempts to ruin another one of his races, Lewis wasn’t going down easy. An absolutely fantastic showing, ensured his first win of the season.

A risky tire gamble cost Fernando Alonso and Ferrari a win and despite a pole, Sebastian Vettel struggled to keep the race lead. With Alonso and Vettel falling back, it allowed the two young guns Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez, to secure 2nd and 3rd place finishes. Both drivers seemed genuinely thrilled to be sharing the podium with Lewis.

Things didn’t fare well for Jenson Button this weekend. Unfortunately his season seems to have plummeted, since that first win in Australia. Button was lapped yesterday by his teammate, in the exact same car, which is all a bit fishy. The situation at McLaren is beginning to mirror Mark Webber’s mysterious problems at Red Bull last season, as Sebastian Vettel clenched the Driver’s Championship. Hopefully Button will get out of this funk because things aren’t looking good for him right now.

I may or may not be back with a more indepth analysis of yesterday’s Grand Prix of Canada. It’s a busy week and these recaps usually take hours to write. If not, the Valencia Parade is in 2 weeks.

Photo courtesy of Pirelli.

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.

The 2012 Lotus E20

Lotus are very confident about their 2012 Formula 1 contender, the E20. They’re so confident in fact, that they’ve released this press photo, giving us a proper look at the new chassis.

A number of changes have been implemented on the 2012 chassis. Following in the footsteps of Caterham, Ferrari and Force India, Lotus have also opted for the step-nose design.

This allows for the most possible airflow underneath the car, while keeping the suspension arms mounted as high on the nose as possible.

Lotus released quite a few photos and computer renderings of the E20 and virtually all of them are useless. This is probably the best look of the car as a whole and I must say, despite the fact that I hate the step-nose, Lotus have probably done the best job at making it look decent.

Most of the car’s other changes are similar to their competitor’s cars. The side pods have been reduced and the whole chassis appears to be slimmer. Without exhaust blown diffusers, the cars will be more twitchy and it’s given the aero designers a new set of challenges.

I think more important than the E20, is the fact that Kimi Raikkonen does indeed have the ability to muster a smile. Sure it’s more of a smirk but you can tell he is actually thrilled to be back in Formula 1.

Lotus have a very good shot this year. They have a former World Champion in the driver’s seat and if the car proves to be fast, they could be another point of contention for the boys at McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. Jokes aside, I’m really pleased Kimi Raikkonen is back in a Formula 1 car, I think it’s going to make for a very good season. I don’t expect the Vettel domination we’ve grown accustomed to the last couple years either.

Photos and video courtesy of Louts & F1 Fanatic.