In this piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The halfway stage of F1 2010 has now been reached, with an unusually dramatic race around the tedious streets of Valencia, home of the European Grand Prix. So, this is the round-up of Round 9, as Red Bull really does give you wings!
APOLOGISES FOR ANYONE WHO WAS WAITING FOR THE CONCLUSIONS FOR CANADA, I WAS TOO BUSY TO PUBLISH A PIECE ON THAT WEEKEND.
Miraculous Outcome At 190mph – How Mark Webber Cheated Death?
It is Lap nine of the European Grand Prix and Mark Webber is languishing in 18th position, after a shocking start and an early pitstop, which was delayed by a sticky wheel nut. He is approaching the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen, who is minding his own business, circulating five seconds off the pace. Cue one of Formula One’s miraculous outcomes. Webber slipstreams Kovalainen, who breaks for the corner, 80 metres before the Aussie intended him to do so, largely because of the incapability of the Lotus, rather than the Finn’s nervousness. In an instant, the Red Bull was launched into the air, missed a DHL advertising hoarding by millimetres, barrel rolled once and then careered off the road at almost unabated speed into the tyre barriers. Despite initial concerns about his legs, Webber was shaken, but suffered no serious injuries and is ready to go for Silverstone next week. It was a racing incident that can happen at the heat of battle, though some are questioning why Kovalainen was even defending a position he was never going to hold onto for long. There is no doubt that Mark Webber cheated death last Sunday.
Sebastian Vettel – Championship Aspirations Back On Track
It has been a rocky road for Sebastian Vettel in recent weeks, following the crash with his team-mate Webber in Turkey, then an uncharacteristically quiet weekend in Canada. He was under pressure to deliver in Europe and he managed to answer all the critics, with a measured and dominant performance. He beat Webber in qualifying for the first time since China, and on Sunday, despite constant pressure from Lewis Hamilton, was untroubled from start-to-finish. This was an almost perfect weekend, which puts his championship aspirations firmly back on track.
Fernando Alonso – Sour Grapes!
Sunday was a very frustrating day for Fernando Alonso, and that is becoming a very familiar tone in 2010. After starting fourth on the grid, Alonso was a strong third in the early exchanges and hassling Hamilton, who was nursing damage from a first lap skirmish with Vettel. The Safety Car changed it completely and Fernando was forced to do a full lap behind the pace car, before pitting, whereas Hamilton did a lap at racing speed before entering the pits. He was furious at Lewis’s driving, though he must be questioned about his own performance. He basically allowed Kamur Kobayashi to overtake him in the closing stages, which confirmed Alonso had an off-day and his mind was not on the job in hand. He will need a win very soon to stay firmly in the title battle.
Mercedes GP – Moving Backwards, Not Forwards!
When Ross Brawn shook his head, after realising that Mercedes GP had cocked up once again on strategy, and ruined Michael Schumacher’s afternoon in the process, it summed up the German’s team and their diabolical weekend. A new upgrade took the team backwards, not forwards. Two races ago, they were ahead of Ferrari, but now, they have been overtaken by Renault and are coming under pressure from Force India on a regular basis. Schumacher was nearly eliminated in Q1, and hobbled by brake issues, could only manage 15th on the grid. Birthday boy Nico Rosberg only did marginally better, starting 12th. He earned one point in the stewards’ room, when Pedro de la Rosa was penalised five seconds for going too fast under Safety Car regulations, but it was a miserable weekend to forget. Knowing Ross, it won’t be long before he abandons development on 2010 and switches focus to 2011.
Felipe Massa – Must Improve His Form
Though Alonso had an off-day, Felipe Massa is having too many of these in 2010. He produced another lacklustre display in Valencia, on a track where he dominated in 2008, his only previous visit here. A clumsy spin on Friday lost him critical track time, so to qualify only 0.1 behind Alonso in 5th showed slow signs of progress on Saturday. Sunday was a different story however. He may have been unlucky in having to queue behind Alonso under the Safety Car, which relegated him to 17th. However, he got stuck behind Vitantonio Liuzzi and didn’t even look like he wanted to pass him. It was another dismal showing and that strong opening 2nd place in Bahrain, must seem like an age ago. Many in the paddock are wondering why he just got a two-year deal at Maranello for consistently dismal showings. Perhaps his Hungary crash last year has psychologically damaged him more than he wants us to know about.
Lotus, Virgin & Hispania – Another Tough Day at the Office for Them
Another race, another tough day for the three new teams or as BBC pundit David Coulthard refers them to as: Class B! Having made slow steps towards the midfield in Montreal, Lotus dropped off again in Valencia, though they were a full second clear of the other new teams. We know what happened to Kovalainen, with the Webber crash and Jarno Trulli had a gear selection problem early on, and trundled around to the chequered flag. At least both Virgins finished again, showing the reliability is gradually improving. Timo Glock has an unnecessary clash with Bruno Senna, on a weekend where Lucas di Grassi hung him out to shame. The most impressive of the new boys so far, is Karun Chandok. The Indian is a nice guy, and keeps plucking away at the back, consistently finishing the races, which is a positive sign for his future career. However, their chances of scoring points in 2010 look further away than ever.
Kamur Kobayashi – Finally Showing Signs Of Promise
It has been a tough season for Kamur Kobayashi, as he has had to deal with an uncompetitive Sauber, plus he hasn’t helped his cause with several careless first lap incidents. Despite a poor qualifying, which saw knocked out in Q1 for the second successive race, he took full advantage of the Safety Car, to not pit and stay out on the track, in third place for 53 laps. The Japanese made full use of the prime tyre, rarely looked under threat from Jenson Button’s McLaren and then, when he had to pit to use the softer option, drove past Fernando Alonso as if he was an amateur, then outfoxed Sebastian Buemi on the final corner for 7th place. Nice driving from Kamur, if he strings more consistency together rather than shunts, he may well turn out to be Japan’s best-ever Grand Prix driver.
Williams – A Radical Improvement
Williams made a big step forward in Valencia, which is a real positive sign for the rest of this season. Although Sam Michael has recently confirmed that focus is moving towards 2011, this development step worked, with more in the pipeline for Silverstone. Last year’s winner, Rubens Barrichello qualified 9th and finished an outstanding 4th. Nico Hulkenberg produced his strongest weekend of his rookie season so far, winding up 8th on the grid and looked set for a point, but for a tyre failure with six laps to go. His disappointment was clear to see, but this was a radical improvement for a team that has underachieved badly in recent seasons.
Pirelli Wins the Tyre Battle – Can It Match Bridgestone?
Last Wednesday, the FIA announced that Pirelli had won the contract to supply tyres to all Grand Prix teams from the 2011 season onwards. Although Michelin are keen on a tyre war, it looks like we set for another period of monopoly from one tyre manufacturer. Pirelli was last in the sport in 1991, recording a lucky victory for Benetton’s Nelson Piquet in the Canadian Grand Prix. Whether it can match Bridgestone will be interesting to see at the start of next season. Bridgestone have been fantastic for sport, having entered in 1997 and will be profoundly missed by everyone in the paddock, when the Japanese manufacturer quits at the end of this season.
New Rules Agreed For 2011 – Back To The Old Days Of Grand Prix Racing?
New regulations for 2011 see the return of the 107% regulation, which means the new teams, must buck up their ideas, or face exclusion from the race. The last time this was in place was back in 2002, when Alex Yoong failed to make the cut for Minardi, on three separate occasions that season. KERS will make its expected return to the grid next season, with Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault all set to offer systems to teams. Though it isn’t compulsory, it is believed most teams will use the system that failed so spectacularly in 2009. Also being brought in is a new Safety Car rule, which forbids any overtaking on the final lap of races, after the Alonso/Schumacher incident in Monaco this year. Plus, the introduction of a near rear-wing aerodynamic flap device, which will allow the driver behind to operate and eliminate drag. Theoretically, it should make overtaking easier, but after the events of last Sunday and what happened to Mark Webber, I think that regulation may be tweaked before the cars line up next season. It seems like that for 2011, we are heading back towards the old days of Grand Prix Racing.
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