IN THIS piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The Brazilian Grand Prix was hardly a classic; in fact it was one of the most boring races of the season. However, it bought joy for Red Bull Racing and sets up a grand finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. So, this is the round-up of the penultimate race in 2010.
Sebastian Vettel – Championship momentum
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| THUMBS UP: Vettel is delighted with his 4th win of 2010 |
SINCE his costly errors at Spa, Sebastian Vettel has driven out of his skin and proven to all of his doubters that he will be a world champion in future, although still being the 2010 winner looks a long shot. Vettel was in a class of one in Sao Paulo at the weekend and once he out dragged the surprised pole sitter Nico Hulkenberg off the startline, there was only ever going to be one winner. Vettel’s best form comes when he leads from the front. In this situation, he is almost untouchable. The momentum is with him in the championship, but he will still need a degree of good fortune to see the decisive swing head his way in Abu Dhabi. Whether he will play second fiddle, should it be required to team-mate Mark Webber remains to be seen.
Red Bull Racing – Deserved constructors champions
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| REALISATION: Christian Horner throws his hands in the air |
WHEN Vettel and Mark Webber crossed the line on Sunday to seal the team’s fourth 1-2 finish of the season, you could sense the relief on the pitwall. It is an incredible story, and in just six years. Red Bull was born in 2005, out of the ashes of the failed Jaguar squad. David Coulthard built the team up, but there were some very tough and testing times for the team, at times they were seen as the laughing stock in the pitlane. However, in Adrian Newey, they have the best designer in the business. Newey has always built world class motorcars, if a little fragile and his 2010 car is a masterpiece. The drivers and the management have done the best they could to throw all the potential away, but it all came together in the end. Although he has his critics, including myself – Christian Horner has done a great job to keep the warring Webber and Vettel together, without everything being blown out of proportion. Lastly big congratulations to everyone in the team. Long hours have been worked at the factory in Milton Keynes and some members have been with the team from the start, when it was Stewart GP in 1997, so the constructors’ championship is a fully deserved success for Red Bull Racing.
Fernando Alonso – Still in the driving seat
ALTHOUGH Red Bull had the race in their back pocket, Fernando Alonso is still the man in the pound seats heading to Abu Dhabi. Eight points clear of Mark Webber and 15 ahead of Sebastian Vettel, the consistent Spaniard only needs to finish in the top two in the desert, to become world champion. Since Silverstone, Alonso has been thinking championship points and it seems like his meticulous mathematical calculations look set to pay off. Another solid drive at the weekend led to another rostrum, his seventh in eight races. Fernando Alonso is still the safe bet for this championship.
Nico Hulkenberg – How did he do that?
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| DEFENCE: Hulkenberg did well to resist Hamilton early on |
WHEN you start on pole position and wind up finishing in eighth place, some will think – what went wrong? Not in the case of Nico Hulkenberg, who did a fantastic job all weekend, considering the limited capabilities he has against the front-running teams. His Saturday performance, in mixed conditions to shake the F1 order up and clinch his maiden pole position was awe-inspiring. It reminded me of his dominant days in A1GP in similar track conditions. His stout defence of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton may have ruined the race as a front-running battle, but it was brilliant to watch Hulkenberg go up against some of the best, and not be scared by former world champions. It maybe for commercial reasons, but Williams would be fools to let this exceptional talent slip through their fingers.
Jenson Button – A very difficult weekend
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| SERVICE: Button gained positions in the pits |
JENSON Button gracefully gave up his drivers crown at the same venue where he won it in such fine fashion in 2009. His drive from eleventh on the grid to fifth in the race was fantastic, and for once, he looked quicker than Lewis Hamilton on raceday. Button can lookback at a positive first season with McLaren and had it not been for some tricky qualifying sessions and for Vettel driving into the side of him at Spa, it could well have been a different story. In truth, it was a difficult weekend for Jenson, after his near brush with death on Saturday night (see security problems for more information). Jenson is the people and true gentleman champion, whatever you may think of his driving abilities.
Barrichello and Massa – Out of luck
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| LIMPING: Barrichello struggles on after his puncture |
BRAZIL’s main men in the field were out of luck and the pressure is building on both of their future F1 careers. Due to sponsorship being urgently required, Rubens Barrichello is fighting to hang onto his seat at Williams, despite delivering some of his best driving ever in the 18 year F1 career. His dreadful and annual jinx at Interlagos struck again, when he tagged Jaime Alguesuari very lightly in the race, yet still picked up a puncture. It just had to happen to Rubens, didn’t it? I do hope he will still be in Formula One next year, but it is starting to look very doubtful. On a short-term basis, Felipe Massa is safe, but his long-term future with Ferrari must be called into question. Massa is an expert in Brazil, having won this event twice before. Yet he seemed to have as many contacts as Piers Morgan would with celebrities. Sebastian Buemi, Barrichello and Vitaly Petrov can all testify to that. Massa was very lacklustre again, even though a loose wheel at his first pitstop did leave him on the backfoot. He has been little help to Ferrari, except the controversial Hockenheim switch, which would make Alonso winning the championship even more special, because he hasn’t needed a great deal of assistance, especially in the last third of the season.
Senna and di Grassi – Both running out of time?
WHILST Barrichello and Massa suffered misfortune, the two Brazilian rookies continue to disappoint and are starting to run out of time to prove themselves, although they are in backmarker teams. Lucas di Grassi has had a testing rookie season, but he is nowhere near Timo Glock in the Virgin team and recorded another DNF on Sunday. In fact, di Grassi seemed undecided whether to park the car, or to trundle along at the back of the field. It was maybe the highlight of the entire event! Bruno Senna may never have raced in Sao Paulo before, but he still trailed Christian Klien by nearly an entire second in qualifying, which is ridiculous, considering Senna has driven that car all season and this was only Klien’s second event of the season. When Japanese pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto starts matching you, then you realise how bad Senna has been this season. I predict that Sunday’s Abu Dhabi finale will be their last event in Formula One. Sadly, neither has been able to cut the mustard at this level.
Force India – Team mates at war!
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| AGAIN: Another Force India wreck from Tonio Liuzzi |
NICO Hulkenberg’s eighth place finish was very bad news for Force India, as it meant they slipped behind Williams in their private battle for sixth in the constructor’s championship. It doesn’t help either when you’re team-mates start bickering amongst each other. Vitantonio Liuzzi spun in Q1 and inadvertently blocked Adrian Sutil, who was on a flying lap. Sutil dropped out in Q1 and wasn’t shy in holding back. He blasted Liuzzi for his inconsistent driving standards and dropped a dig at the team’s lack of development in the second half of the season. Sutil has a tough decision to make about his future but there aren’t many options for him around. I still think that a Renault drive alongside Robert Kubica would be his best bet if he wants to move up the grid. Liuzzi qualified 17th, bottom in Q2 – then crashed another Force India in the race. He also hit out at Sutil for his driving standards, which seemed a bit harsh, considering Adrian’s improvement apart from the car crash that was Korea last time out. Like di Grassi and Senna, I think Liuzzi will be bidding farewell to the sport after Sunday’s showpiece.
Brazil’s security problems
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| ARRIVAL: Button had a traumatic Saturday experience |
2011 calendar – Good or bad?
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| SCRAPPING: Will the cars be in Brazil for a long-term future |
LAST Wednesday, the FIA ratified the 20-race calendar for the 2011 season. As expected, the new event in India will take place on the final weekend of October. The season won’t finish until November 27, in Brazil – which is far too late to finish any championship. More back-to-back events are required to prevent this scenario happening again. Most of the rest of this year’s calendar remains in place, with Bahrain hanging onto the season opener and Silverstone keeping its traditional mid-July slot. However, with more countries wanting races, changes will need to be made for 2011 and the circuit promoters at Valencia, Istanbul, Shanghai and Interlagos must be aware that they could very soon be ready for the chop, if Bernie gets his way.
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