IT WAS a brand new adventure for Formula One last weekend, as we entered a new country. India hosted an event for the first time, but sadly produced a lacklustre debut race as far as on-track action goes. The winner was Sebastian Vettel, but I’ve already done a special blog on the talents of this incredible German. So, this week’s edition of ‘The Finishing Straight,’ will focus on the efforts of the midfield teams in India and how their performances have shaped up in comparison to the past and the future.
Before I do that though, I need to digest and give my viewpoint on the latest clash between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. The incident between the pair on Sunday was the sixth clash they have had over a race weekend this season. On this occasion, the race stewards decided to blame Massa and give him a drive-through penalty for causing a collision. Most of the contact this season has been triggered by mistakes or rash attempts at passing from a rather crestfallen Hamilton. However, this time, I had to agree with the stewards and that Felipe was in the wrong here. Lewis was down the inside line and had no more space to avoid the accident. He was even backing out of a legitimate manoeuvre before the corner, realising that he wasn’t going to get the space that he rightfully should have been allowed. From one of the televised replays, Massa was seen to be looking across to see where his enemy was on at least three occasions, possibly more, before deciding to turn in. That for me is not on. Although he was to blame, I do think a drive-through penalty was harsh, because it wasn’t like he got away scot-free. He picked up superficial damage and ultimately, the Brazilian’s race ended when he decided to stupidly have another go at cutting the Indian plastering kerbs which had wrecked his suspension in qualifying. The stewards have been far too insistent this year on dishing out penalties. Whatever happened to the traditional ‘racing incident?’ In fact, out of the Hamilton/Massa altercations this year, only one out of the six deserved its sanction (Hamilton’s terrible attempt at passing into the Loews hairpin in Monaco.) I feel sympathy for Massa on getting the penalty, but little else on another poor weekend for the Ferrari no.2.
Okay, time to analyse some of the midfield performers and let’s start with the positives. The form of Jaime Alguesuari in the second half of the season has been a revelation and a joy to see. He had another superb weekend in India and has taken the Toro Rosso team forward. He is outqualifying and outperforming Sebastian Buemi now on a regular basis. The Toro Rosso looks like a missile in a straight-line at the moment and the radical improvements they brought to Japan have prompted a massive step forward. I think they have been a real find this season and both drivers have impressed me this campaign.
The main Formula One rookies continue to shine as the season reaches its conclusion. For the second time this season, Sergio Perez failed to pay attention to yellow flags in practice; picking up a three place grid penalty for not slowing down whilst marshals recovered Pastor Maldonado’s blown-up Williams on Friday. Perez might need to check up the rules and regulations again over the winter, but the Mexican’s consistency continues to shine through. The Sauber team have slipped down the pecking order in the second half of the season, as they have been simply out developed by the likes of Toro Rosso and Force India. Yet Perez has kept the Swiss team right in the scrap for sixth place in the constructor’s championship. I would even go as far to say that he is now Sauber No.1.
Paul di Resta had a tough time in India, as for the first time since Nurburgring; he lagged behind Adrian Sutil all weekend. However, the Scot’s weekend was made up with the news that he will be staying at Force India for 2012 and rightly so. He has finished in the points on six occasions this campaign, outqualified his team-mate more often than not and firmly deserves to stay on. The second seat remains a close battle between two Germans. Sutil will hope to stay on if possible, but he has had five seasons with the team and might have to look elsewhere for options. A seat at Williams is likely to be open, so he has some tough decisions to make. It might be taken out of his hands if the Grove based team opt for Kimi Raikkonen to make a sensational return and if his current employers will put Nico Hulkenberg in the second car. Hulkenberg has been a frustrated figure all season on the pitwall and told the BBC over the weekend that he won’t stay at the team if he isn’t racing for them next season. Vijay Mallya has got a tough decision to make in the coming weeks.
However, one driver who won’t have a decision to make on his future is Rubens Barrichello. Sadly, the Brazilian’s career is whimpering towards a dreary conclusion, a real shame for a popular guy who has finished second in the driver’s championship on three separate occasions. His 2011 campaign reached a new low, when he hit the back of team-mate Maldonado on the first lap in India and limped back with damage. He finished behind Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus. With Williams looking serious at Raikkonen and considering Sutil as an option, Rubens’s days in the sport look numbered. At least he will be able to finish on home soil in Brazil in a month’s time. Another driver who isn’t delivering at the moment is Kamur Kobayashi. The Japanese driver has been outpaced by rookie team-mate Perez throughout the second half of the season and has only scored two points since the crazy Canadian Grand Prix back in June. His Indian experience only lasted a lap, collecting damage in the incident with Barrichello and Virgin’s Timo Glock. In fact, Kobayashi looks like he walked under an avalanche and out the other side came a twin who is half the driver he was in the opening stages of the season. It was the same in 2010, when Sauber had a dismal car at the start of the campaign; Kamur struggled but radically improved when the car made strides forward. I hope he can and will turn the corner in future.
Final word goes to India, who did provide a wonderful spectacle. The racing may have been disappointing, but the welcome F1 got was absolutely brilliant and the track is one of the best ever designed by Hermann Tilke. After the disasters of Abu Dhabi and Valencia in the past, it is about time he got one which all the drivers seemed to like. Hopefully the racing will be a bit more spectacular in India in 2012.
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