Back in the saddle (well, the seat)

I know it’s been a while since my last blog (“Why were you not constantly updating us on each and every piece of F1 must-know info?” I hear you cry.  That’s right, I do hear you say that), but I’ve come out of hibernation just before the Australian Grand Prix in just over 2 

weeks.

So much has happened since Vettel crossed the line in tearful realisation that the 2010 Championship was his.  There’s been good news, expected news, pointless news and unfortunately some bad news.

Everyone was touting Robert Kubica’s 2011 to be the one that, although probably wouldn’t seal him the Championship, would guarantee his ascendancy further up the ranks with some outstanding performances in a good, but not quite good enough Renault.

It was really depressing for me and for most other F1 fans, then, to hear that he’d badly severed his hand and fractured his arms and legs in his accident whilst competing in a rally.  As well as being genuinely concerned for one of my favourite drivers, from a selfish point of view it is frustrating to feel like the season won’t be as exciting as it could have been with him in it.

Kubica's miraculous escape

Another unheard of event, in terms of F1 standards anyway, was the news that the Bahrain Grand Prix was to be cancelled with the slim promise of being ‘fitted in’ towards the end of the season.  Whilst I agree with the reasons for the sport not visiting the country this year, I cannot see it being allotted the said space; there are already enough races this year.  Who knows, it could be a slight blessing in disguise; last year’s race was not what the sport needed, although many members of the press wrote the whole season off in advance just from one processional Grand Prix.

These two major headlines aside, the out of season happenings in F1 have been pretty standard.  Testing times are still treated by the media as exact markers of which team will be fastest this year, when in reality they are all on completely different testing strategies, tyres, fuel loads etc.  It’s kind of like timing two runners, one who runs 1000 metres and one who runs 1000 metres with an army backpack on.  What is more interesting is that as at today, Sauber top the timesheets as they did last year.  Look how their year inevitably turned out to be…

And then we come to yet another excellent idea by Bernie Ecclestone who’s thoughts went along the lines of: “I know what – F1 is more exciting when there’s a rare wet race.  Let’s artificially create one with sprinklers.”  This idea has been bandied around for years, with no more than a second thought put towards it.  In many peoples’ opinion, a wet race is exciting because it’s rare.  The feeling of anticipation either when the cars start in the rain or when a monsoon suddenly starts to fall is unequalled in the sport and shouldn’t be diluted down to wondering when Bernie orders the ‘more excitement needed’ button to be pressed.

Still, a cynical part of me wonders whether it’s a PR stunt to gain F1 some tabloid space before the season kicks in.

With the new Pirelli tyres this year, as Bridgestone officially left at the end of 2010, which they have promised will have a much faster degradation, it should be interesting to see which drivers and teams have got used to them the quickest.  Lewis Hamilton is a very vocal critic of the reduction of pace the tyres bring to the car, however there other drivers like Jenson Button who must be rubbing their hands together with glee at the way the tyres suit their less aggressive driving styles.

Still, none of the above will matter when the lights go out in Melbourne on 27 March.  That’s unless there’s an Australian civil war brewing…

They think it's all over! Well it is...

So the 2010 Formula One season has drawn to a close and the flames of the championship which were fanned by nine months of bitter rivalries and intense on-track action have been well and truly put out by Sebastian Vettel. 

His extreme dominance of the last race of the year at Abu Dhabi, now more than a week ago at this time of writing, well and truly cemented not only his eminence as the new World Champion, but crowned him with that extra respect and admiration for driving so well.  Indeed, it is worth pointing out Jenson Button’s similar late surge last year to be part of the elite World Champion club, by sealing the deal with some breath taking drives in the last few races, risking his position on-track with some crucial overtakes.

Upon reviewing the 2010 season, however, it seems to me that one word was a narrative for the whole fracas of regular championship top spot-shifting and teammate relationships being strained and sugar-coated with as best as some teams’ PR machines could manage.  This word would be mistakes.  Now I know it’s easy, as with any sport, to criticise the mistakes made by its participants whilst sat comfily in your armchair and this is not how I intend to reference the errors made by certain drivers.  On the contrary, I believe that these miscalculations made along the season show two positive things; that on the technical side Formula One is as on the edge as it has ever been and that the drivers are more than willing to put themselves in danger and risk sabotage to their own race in order to gain that extra vital place.

To start with, let’s consider the World Champion, Vettel and his coming together with Mark Webber in Turkey in May.  This was a collision, which in my opinion was 100% Vettel’s fault but at least showed that he is afraid of no one and willing to battle against even his teammate; something which is considered almost sacrilegious by most teams.  

And again in Belgium where Sebastian wrecked his and Jenson Button’s race by misjudging the track conditions on a slippery entrance to the last corner.  From these driver errors alone, he would have ended up with at least 28 more points than he ended up with, sealing him the championship many races before the eventual finale.

Next under the microscope comes Lewis Hamilton, a man who will freely admit that his nature got the better of him on a number of occasions this year which lost him the title.  The best example of this is undoubtedly the Italian Grand Prix where he shot up the inside of Felipe Massa, who gave him just about enough room to get by, but trashed his front right tyre and suspension on Massa's left sidepod and rear tyre and was forced to retire.  The position he was in could have granted him at least 12 more points for the eventual shot at the title, something which he was just out of the running for in the last race.

Finally, before I go through each driver in the field and write a stupidly long blog, there is the man who at one point in the season had a commanding lead and petered out towards the end, which no one could have predicted would have happened.  Mark Webber’s unfortunate incidents this year appear more spectacular than other protagonists’, but lead to the same outcome; a lot less points than he deserved for that final Abu Dhabi showdown.  The moment that stands out in my mind, along with many other fans who watched with wincing expressions and held breath is best summarised not by words, but the picture below.  Webber was fighting his way back up the field when he misjudged a slow-going Kovalainen and literally took off of the back of the Lotus’ rear tyres.

Overall I thought the season was one of the most entertaining, both in terms of on and off-track action and drama.  The point standings going into the final Grand Prix was exactly what the sport needed from a commercial and fan-attracting point of view and it made for tense but pleasurable viewing.  I find it comforting to know that the sport hasn’t shut down entirely for the three month break; Pirelli entering the sport next year in the experienced and successful place of Bridgestone has created much more need for testing, something which is rigorously controlled and limited.  I’m sure the momentum from this excellent season will continue from March next year and a thrilling battle will commence straight away.

A fight to the finish

After an utterly fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka two weekends ago, it is all too obvious that the 2010 season is almost complete.

The three remaining races, Yeongam in South Korea, Interlagos in Brazil and Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, should be exhilaratingly tense and spectacular right up to the final chequered flag  That is of course provided things play into the hands of the main chasers Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton and unfortunately to a lesser extent the reigning world champion Jenson Button.

However there is a chance, and it’s a fairly big chance, that Webber will maintain the momentum he’s gained throughout the season and clinch the title, converting 16 races so far into 9 podiums; 4 of them being victories. His convincing win at Monaco would be the crowning achievement of the 35 year old’s most impressive season to date.

But as notable as Webber’s performance has been throughout 2010, especially when pitted against Vettel in the sister car, with all the allegations of unfair team bias being lobbied towards the latter’s season, I genuinely believe that the sport as a whole needs a climactic battle right down to the last lap of the last race.  The Yas Marina circuit also needs a good race after 2009's less than thrilling Grand Prix, even with Button's championship being sealed at its end.  This can only do the sport a favour in the eyes of many who would normally change the channel on a Sunday afternoon, as well as the F1 ‘unsubscribers’ who have become less and less attracted by the sport because it’s “Not like the good old days”.

With four World Champions in the top 9 of the points haul so far after Suzuka, as well as 2 widely forecasted future drivers deserving of the crown in Vettel and Kubica, my hopes are that new South Korean track produces a historical race, one which erases the troubled and close-to-call run up to its development and construction. Let’s try to forget that the FIA broke their own rules, inspecting the circuit just 2 weeks before the race weekend, when all rules state it should be 90 days. I wonder, would the location of the British Grand Prix have been at Donnington afterall should such leeway have been granted?

Anyway, enough off-topic speculation. All sights are now on a possibly spectacular 3 race season finale. With the maximum of 75 points up for grabs, it’s Webber’s to lose and the other’s to race for.

Belgium...?

I have to admit, my knowledge of Belgium is extremely limited, and would take a large bet that yours is too (sorry to patronise any hardcore geography enthusiasts there).  Three things come to mind when I think about this small country; chocolate, the film In Bruges and Spa.

I’m sure F1 fans would probably agree with this narrow view of the country’s global notoriety, however if you agree with the first two and wonder what the hell I’m talking about for the third, read on…

Belgium, particularly the Spa Francorchamps circuit buried deep in the woods between the towns of Francorchamps and Malmedy, plays host to what I consider to be the best Grand Prix event on the Formula One yearly calendar.  Forget Monaco, it’s all hype; Spa retains the full attraction of what a racetrack should be, in an age where the modern circuits are starting to look like and take on the personality of (if tarmac can have a personality..) supermarket car parks.  I’d like to thank Martin Brundle for that observation there.

Let me give you four great reasons why.  Firstly, Spa has one of, if not the most revered corners in the world, namely Au Rouge.  After the tight La Source hairpin after the start/ finish straight, the cars build up the speed and enter an uphill, blind corner at 190 miles per hour, before hitting the apex at the top of the hill and lightly correcting the car for the next straight.  Words (unfortunately for a blog) cannot describe how blindingly fast the cars take this corner, so it’s probably worth watching this clip onboard with Raikkonen on a hotlap a few years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p2ACbYKmfE

If you fail to get goosebumps watching him hurtle through Au Rouge, not to mention the rest of the track, then I guess F1 isn’t for you.

But it’s not just the physicality of the track that makes it almost every driver’s dream and every fan’s hotly anticipated highlight of the season; it seems to have a certain magical ability to create legendary and mythical moments that you see repeated again and again in Formula One folklore.

I hate to have to tear you away once again from my blog, but I think it’s worth it.  Widely regarded as pretty much the best overtaking manoeuvre of all F1 time, Hakkinen overtook Schumacher for the lead at the end of the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes whilst using a backmarker, almost cheekily, to his gain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-aR9cK7w8

The next moment which would be pencilled near the top of any Formula One fan’s list of memorable Spa moments was when Schumacher ploughed his Ferrari into the back of Coulthard, losing a wheel, not the mention the race, in the process.  And it wasn’t only the on-track action that produced remarkable scenes that day.  Schumacher’s angry march down the pit lane once the two drivers had parked up, boiled over into him being held back by his own mechanics whilst shouting “You tried to f*cking kill me!!”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irhBKH6AnS8&feature=related

And finally, the moment in Formula One history I remember the most (one more video to watch, children..); the largest pile-up of F1 cars ever to have happened.  Trust me, this is worth watching.  David Coulthard’s McLaren drifts off to his right, due to the severity of the weather, and smashes into the wall at the opposite side of the pits.  He then slides back into the path of 12 or so other cars, before carbon fibre starts flying out of the mist created by the standing water being thrown into the air.  Sadly, a trackside marshal died due to a high-flying tyre which was forced over the safety fencing due to the impact of one of the cars into the other:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e287pHZNUcs

I hope I’ve put up enough of a case for you to watch the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend (the race start is at 1pm on Sunday 29^th).  After seeing all that the track has offered spectators over the years, why would you not want to get in on the action?

But if you still weren’t impressed by my portrayal of what one of the most historically rich, technically challenging and visually stimulating races in the world can offer, then I guess, as I said earlier, F1 might not be for you after all.

Is it last orders?

Yes, you’ve guessed it from the title; I’m jumping right on the bandwagon and entering the debate about team orders in Formula One.

Although the pub where I was watching the German Grand Prix did not have sound (yes, that’s right, Formula One in a pub…), it was painfully obvious what Massa had done when he slightly let off the pedal and Alonso slipped by.  One lap before this race leader swap, Rob Smedley, Massa’s race engineer ‘informed’ his driver that Alonso was faster than him and asked him to confirm whether this was understood.  On paper this sounds completely legitimate, however it’s only when you weigh certain things up that 2 and 2 add up to 5 in terms of Ferrari’s intent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8852816.stm

For a start, I’ve never heard Smedley ever speak as sombrely and with as much regret in his voice.  As well, Massa did not actually provide a confirmation to this message; the only immediate contact after this on the radio was from Smedley saying “Ok… Good lad… Sorry”.  Finally, from all accounts, Alonso was effectively throwing his toys out of the pram on the radio (to quote the way one F1 fan, although maybe not Alonso’s, on Sky Sports’ forum in response to the Grand Prix’s events) right up until the moment he was gifted the lead.

Underneath are some of the other fans’ impressions (beware: bias warning):

“Ferrari are once again allowed to hold on to a victory that makes a nonsense of the sport F1”

“The rule is ridiculous. F1 is a TEAM sport. Why you’d bring in a rule that stops the drivers working as a TEAM is completely beyond me.”

“F1 is becoming a farce. The rules and their interpretations change every year and then you get this sort of result. It’s obvious that this is no longer a sport, it’s just business now.”

“What a lot of fuss about nothing!! The WRC teams do this openly all the time on a regular basis. They call it TEAM strategy!! It is TEAM sport.”

(And finally stating the obvious): “Be annoying if you had money on Massa to win!”

So what of my thoughts?  During the race and directly after it, I was of the opinion that the use of team orders was completely wrong; Massa aced the start, seeming like he had twice as much horsepower as anyone else on the grid, and was in control of the race right up until the fateful moment.  Also, it was a bit more of a procession than some of the more exciting races we’ve seen this year and you might say that this decision affected it to a greater degree.  But mulling it over, as well as reading countless conflicting views on the subject (see above for the most passionate ones, haha), I have to admit I’m fairly undecided as to whether it’s a good or bad thing that team orders were used.  You have to weigh up the common sense sentiment, swaying towards the idea that Alonso was significantly ahead in the championship with the more ‘perfect world’ attitude that Massa deserved the top step on the podium.

However whether it’s right or wrong for the sport and the racing, the fact remains that Ferrari broke article 39.1 (geeky, I know) of the regulations and were fined $100,000 accordingly.

I thought I’d end this rather vaguely weighted blog with the thoughts of a person who’s more than qualified to give judgement about the theme of team orders as he’s the reason the current rules banning it are in operation in the first place:

"I have been criticised in the past for exactly that (using team orders) and I have to say that I would do exactly the same if I was in their situation. At the end of the day, what are we here for? It's fighting for a championship and there is only one that can win it.”

Any thoughts on who?  Well you don’t win seven world championships by being Mr nice guy all the time…

Is it time to stop patronising F1 fans?

I hate to begin my first blog about all things Formula One with a cliché, but I think I shall anyway; 'I watch it for the sport.'

There, cliché over with.  But this sums up my love for the highest peak of motor racing; I'm more of a neutral fan who is intrigued and fascinated by the racing, developmental and technical side of the sport.  Ever since I went to my first British Grand Prix way back in 1997, seeing Jacques Villeneuve flash past to victory, I was overawed by the speed, sound and atmosphere which surrounded one of the most glamorous passtimes in the world.

But recently, this neutral support and lack of a preferred team of mine has been called into question.  Ferrari in particular seem to be constantly questioning the rules of one of the largest sports in the world.  One of the most irritating quotes I've read, not just in terms of F1 but in all media this year, was by Luca di Montezemolo, President of Ferrari, who said:  "Do we need to race at two in the afternoon when everyone is at sea?  Could we have two races per meeting? Do races need to last so long? F1 is not an endurance race. We need races to be short and tough."

Um... When everyone is at sea?  Last time I checked, not everyone has a fifty-footer moored up in the cote-d'azure and a private helicopter to whisk them effortlessly to it on a Sunday afternoon!  Also, Grand Prix's should be treated as endurance races; it's the best drivers driving the best cars, both of which are tested to the limit over a race and a season.

As well as this, Stefano Domenicali vented about the safety car issues at the European Grand Prix at Valencia:  "We have to ensure that our sport remains credible in the eyes of those involved and those who follow it, at the track and in front of their TV screens."

Again, I felt a bit patronised by this, as it was obvious to everyone that whilst there was a slight flaw in the rules, whereby Lewis Hamilton inadvertently crossed the safety car line (a brand new venture brought in for 2010), the appropriate penalties were dished out and the rules were adjusted.  If anything, I'm sure that most fans (including myself) thought the race was exciting, especially towards the end where Kobayashi held his own after pretty much staying on the same set of tyres to finish a well deserved seventh.

Finally, various heads of Formula One seem to think that the majority of the audience is not interested whatsoever in the technical side of the sport, be it the development of various updates as the season evolves, or the way a car can be set up differently to maximise the performance on any given track.  This confuses me a bit and leaves me scratching my head as to why this is such a major consideration the FIA feels it needs to take. In football, you have fans who watch the games simply for the goals and nothing more.  Then you get the technical fans, who can name every player on the field, what height, weight and foot he is, what he had for lunch eighteen days ago and the training regime he's put under.  Not only this, but the formation, player and team records and manager's statistics are put under intense scrutiny.

Obviously I'm not trying to say that each sport's technical points are the same; F1 is a completely state-of-the-art affair where the height of technology is used to gain a fraction of the time it takes for you to blink on the racetrack.  But the same level of sport 'geekiness' exists wherever you look.  I think it's time to stop analysing this as a bad thing in Formula One and let the fans decide whether they want to watch it, rather than executives deciding for them.

Obviously my take on the above issues is just my opinion, as it is rightfully Ferrari's to bring the audience in as a bargaining chip when contesting race results or the rules of the sport.  But I think that talking down to fans is not the right way to go about getting the changes you desire.

And any way, people who don't like the sport and don't watch it are always going to say "it's just cars going around in a circle".  If the real fans didn't enjoy it like some high level F1 personalities believe, it wouldn't be as popular as it is :)