F1 classic races - Brazil

FOR the final time this season and on this blog, I will be looking back at specific events from previous years of the country about to host a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.  This time, it will be a bit different, as I charter the history of the Brazilian Grand Prix since it returned to Interlagos in 1990.

        The Brazilian Grand Prix had been staged on the Rio de Janeiro circuit in the 1980s, but returned to a shorter Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo from 1990 onwards.  To locals, it is better known as the Autodromo Carlos Pace, a Brazilian driver who won his home event in 1975.  Sao Paulo has certainly put on some special events since its return to the Grand Prix calendar.

        Alain Prost won the first event in 1990 after local hero Ayrton Senna ran into the back of backmarker Satoru Nakajima whilst leading.  Senna had never won his home race, but he ended the barren run in 1991.  He started on pole position and spent the majority of the race, fighting off a stiff challenge from the Williams of Nigel Mansell.  A wild spin for Mansell led to a gearbox failure, which was the Achilles heel of that chassis.  With three laps to go, the unpredictable Brazilian weather played its usual wildcard, with Senna waving furiously for the race to be stopped.  Aided to that, he was struggling with a misbehaving gearbox of his own.  Somehow, he finished the race with just one working gear and the McLaren beat Riccardo Patrese by just two seconds.  Cue euphoria and ecstasy in the crowd.  Senna had worked so hard for the victory; he was in intense physical pain and had to be lifted out of his car by paramedics.  He was suffering from cramp in his arms and shoulders.  Undeterred, he stood on the podium to take the top prize and achieve his remaining ambition of winning his home race.  He repeated the feat in 1993, edging out Damon Hill in another wet/dry race.

      For 1994, Ayrton switched to the all-conquering Williams team.  With Mansell away in IndyCars and Prost retired from racing, surely he was going to steamroller a mediocre field and take his fourth championship.  However, the partnership didn’t work out and as we all know, it ended tragically at Imola.  However, it was already in trouble from the outset in Brazil, with the 34-year old clearly unhappy about the nervous handling of the FW16 chassis.  He did drag the machinery to pole position, but that was more down to his brilliance behind the wheel, rather than the car’s competitiveness.  In the race, he spun off and stalled his engine whilst running second on lap 56.  As Michael Schumacher coasted to victory by a full lap, the Brazilian fans heading out of the gates in their droves, unaware that this was the last Brazilian Grand Prix Ayrton Senna had competed in.

        For years afterwards, Brazil had to largely do with pay drivers in the sport, such as Pedro Diniz, Tarso Marques and Ricardo Rosset.  Their only shining light was the talents of Rubens Barrichello and when he moved to Ferrari for the start of the 2000 season, there were high hopes that he might end their long drought for a home winner.  Sadly, Rubens Interlagos jinx continued to strike at Maranello.  Hydraulics failure twice, an accident with Ralf Schumacher in 2001 and a fuel feed problem in 2003 put him on the sidelines, part of an event that will go down as a special race.

       New tyre regulations meant both Michelin and Bridgestone had not brought a full wet tyre to Sao Paulo in 2003 and with the track soaked, the race started behind the Safety Car.  An aquaplaning river at turn three turned that corner into the car version of Beachers Brook at the Grand National.  Juan Pablo Montoya, Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher were among the six victims who crashed out on this corner.  Barrichello looked set for victory, when he passed David Coulthard’s tyre hungry McLaren, but the fuel pressure issue robbed him of a certain triumph.  The incident-packed race was stopped early after almighty accidents for the Jaguar of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso’s Renault.  Both escaped unharmed, although Alonso needed precautionary checks in an ambulance, so missed the podium ceremony.  The race was initially awarded to the McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen, but a countback error meant Giancarlo Fisichella was rightfully awarded his maiden success five days later in an FIA enquiry into the incidents in Paris.

      Traditionally, Brazil had been one of the early season races, but it moved to a season ending regular from 2004 onwards.  Juan Pablo Montoya secured the final victory for Williams to the present day that year, before Interlagos became the setting for some gripping championship deciders.  Fernando Alonso was crowned champion in 2005, becoming the youngest driver to achieve this in the process.  A year later, he did it again, although this was overshadowed by Michael Schumacher’s final race of his first career, which involved a storming drive back through the field to fourth, after an early puncture.  In 2007, Kimi Raikkonen pinched the championship from under the noses of McLaren’s Alonso and Lewis Hamilton with a season ending victory and in 2009, Jenson Button put in the drive of his life from 14^th on the grid to clinch the title with a stirring performance to fifth for newcomers Brawn GP. 

      However, if you want drama, try the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, which will go down as one of the most dramatic finishes of all time.  Going into the event, Lewis Hamilton had a seven point lead over local hero, Felipe Massa.  Massa did nothing wrong all weekend, starting on pole position and never looked troubled to take his sixth win of the season in changeable conditions.  Fifth place would have been good enough for Hamilton to take the title in only his second season in the sport, but when he was overtaken by Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso with three laps to go, Hamilton had been relegated to sixth.  For the second successive year, the championship seemed to be slipping away from Hamilton, but the wet weather intensified on the final lap and left Timo Glock’s Toyota stranded on dry tyres.  He was powerless to resist Vettel and Hamilton, who passed Glock into the final corner on the last lap of the season.  Ferrari celebrated, thinking they had won, as did McLaren.  It was the latter who had it right; Hamilton had secured the title in the most sensational fashion possible. 

      This season’s title battle may have been settled a long time ago, but let’s hope Brazil produces another special event this weekend to conclude the 2011 Formula One season.

The Finishing Straight - India (by HappyDude88)

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.

2011 Indian Grand Prix: New event, same winner

NICE: Vettel tastes the champagne after another win

IT MAY have been a new event, but there was a lot of predictability yesterday about the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. World champion Sebastian Vettel crushed the field again, as he so often has in F1 2011 to register his 11th win of a record-breaking season. In a fairly processional debut race at the Buddah International Circuit, the German coasted home, having led every single lap of the event. In the process, he broke Nigel Mansell’s record of laps led in a season and now is just two wins away from equalling Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a single season back in 2004.

     With both championships in the bag for Red Bull Racing, attention focused more on the setting and venue for this new event, rather than the race outcome. Before the race started, there was poignant reflection with a dignified one minute silence held on the grid for racers, Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli, both tragically killed in accidents over the past fortnight which has raised questions again about the safety levels in professional motorsport.

     Once his visor was down, Vettel’s focus was again on producing a dominant display from his customary pole position. Once he got to the first corner first, there was little doubt about who was going to end on the top step of the podium. Further back, Rubens Barrichello outbraked himself and hit the back of his Williams team-mate, Pastor Maldonado. Kamur Kobayashi had to take avoiding action, but was speared by the Virgin of Timo Glock. Two corners later, Daniel Ricciardo ran into the back of Jarno Trulli, spinning the Lotus around and destroying one of his rear tyres. Barrichello and Trulli made it back to the pits for repairs, but their afternoons were severely compromised. Both Kobayashi and Glock retired from the damage picked up in the turn one fracas.

     Behind Vettel, Mark Webber lost second to Jenson Button into turn four on the first lap. After some resolute defending in the early stages from the Brit, Webber began to drop back into the clutches of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. Although Button did set four consecutive fastest laps between laps 10-13, Vettel was looking after his tyres by this point and still never looked troubled.

     So, with little going on at the front, it was left to F1’s biggest conflict in 2011 to take centre stage. For the sixth time this season, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa collided. This incident happened on the 22nd lap, whilst fighting over fifth place. Fighting back from a three-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in Friday practice, Hamilton had the measure of the Ferrari and got within striking distance out of turn four. He slipstreamed the Brazilian and dived down the inside into turn five. Massa looked across no fewer than three times before choosing to turn in, when Hamilton was already into the corner. The resulting connection had both blaming the other again, but it was Massa who this time got the penalty from the race stewards for causing an avoidable collision. Lewis didn’t get off lightly, as he had to limp back to the pits for a new front wing. He resumed in ninth, then toured home in seventh; not the result he wanted after a tough period for the Brit personally, which has concluded in a well-publicised split from his long-term girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger.

     It was worse for Massa, who had to pit soon after his drive-through to replace a front wing that was vibrating heavily on the track. Two laps later, he repeated his qualifying mistake by hitting the inside of the orange plastering kerbing at the turn eight chicane. The end result; a damaged front suspension and his race came to a premature and depressing end.

     Things went better for his team-mate Alonso, who managed to stay out longer than Webber to undercut him in the second round of pitstops. Out front, Vettel was so dominant, he was barely seen by the TV cameras. He cruised home to win his fifth race in the last six events. Button’s fine second place finish, combined with Massa’s DNF ensured McLaren will finish second in the constructors championship. The canny Alonso took another podium ahead of a disappointing Webber, who once again failed to maximise the opportunity of a promising grid slot.

     Michael Schumacher had an excellent afternoon to finish fifth, having started a lowly 11th on the grid. He beat team-mate Nico Rosberg to match Mercedes GP’s best team result of the campaign. Behind Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari collected more points for Toro Rosso in an impressive run to eighth place. Team-mate Sebastian Buemi suffered a rare Ferrari engine failure, which enabled Adrian Sutil and Sergio Perez to pick up the minor points in ninth and tenth. It was another difficult day for Renault, with both cars finishing out of the top ten and Paul di Resta’s risky tyre strategy didn’t work either, with the Scot coming across the line in a low-key 13th.

     With two races left in this season, the remaining question seems to be; can Sebastian Vettel break more records in this historic season. It is staggering to think that he is still only 24 years of age. He is in another zone to everyone else on the grid at the moment, so I would be very surprised if he didn’t win the final two races of what has been a vintage 2011 season for this incredible German. The twilight of Abu Dhabi awaits, in two weeks time.

F1 2011 - The half-term report

IT IS the halfway point in F1 2011, so it’s time for me to assess how some of the drivers have done in the first ten races;

Sebastian Vettel (1^st in the world championship, 216 points – BEST FINISH: 1^st on six occasions

This season, there can be no doubt that Sebastian Vettel tops the class.  Six victories, seven pole positions and over 70 per cent of laps led so far have shown that he has destroyed the opposition on a regular basis so far.  His win in Turkey, considering he missed all of Friday, due to a practice crash showed how awesome he is at the front of the field.  Sunday’s performance at the Nurburgring was below par, but everyone has a bad weekend during any Grand Prix season.  Sebastian probably needs to still shake off the tag of struggling to race in the pack, but great strategy, sensational one lap ability and a reliable car means it will take a miracle for him to be denied a second championship.

GRADE: A+ (An almost flawless campaign so far, he deserves to be where he is)

Lewis Hamilton (3^rd in the world championship, 134 points – BEST FINISH: 1^st in China, Germany)

Lewis Hamilton has had an inconsistent season so far and for his talents, some of his results have been very disappointing.  Considering where McLaren looked in winter testing, third at halfway point is not bad, but Lewis wants more and at times, has overdriven the car.  Run-ins with Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in Monaco; team-mate Jenson Button in Canada, it has either been silly mistakes or masterful drives in 2011 and nothing in-between.  His comments about the race stewards in Monaco didn’t go down very well either and his relationship with McLaren might be permanently damaged after ‘that’ meeting with Christian Horner in Canada.  Nevertheless, the victories in China and Germany showed us why we love Lewis; for his natural aggression and the ability to outperform the machinery he has at his disposal. 

GRADE: A- (Calm it down Lewis, you have shown what you are capable of)

Mark Webber (2^nd in the world championship, 139 points – BEST FINISH: 2^nd in Turkey)

Mark Webber is under pressure this season, especially as he is now definitely playing second fiddle in the Red Bull camp.  At times, he has shown his hard-charging determination and his fightback from 18^th on the grid to a podium finish in China is testimony to that.  He has consistently finished on the podium of late, but no wins in nearly a year tells its own story.  Sometimes, he can just disappear into thin air, as the races in Australia and Spain would highlight.  Considering he is in the best equipment, Mark should have won races by now, so although there is consistency, the extra edge is missing at the moment.  He knows he has it, but the question is, can he deliver it before the season’s end.

GRADE: B+ (Gradual improvements during the year – but needs to start winning soon)

 

Felipe Massa (6^th in the world championship, 62 points – BEST FINISH: 5^th in Malaysia)

Felipe Massa had a lacklustre start to the season, with a terrible opening weekend in Melbourne.  He only just made Q3 and finished an entire minute behind team-mate Fernando Alonso.  His performance in Turkey was erratic too, especially on a circuit where he has ruled before and the Spanish Grand Prix weekend was an unmitigated disaster.  However, he is a reliable foil for Fernando and on occasion, such as China and Canada, can outperform his ace team-mate.  The results haven’t quite been upto scratch, and that will need work in the second half of the season, especially as Fernando will need his help if he stands any remote chance of a shock comeback.

GRADE: B- (Shown flashes of the old Felipe, but not enough to prove he can win races again)

Vitaly Petrov (9^th in the world championship, 32 points – BEST FINISH: 3^rd in Australia)

The season couldn’t have started any better for Vitaly, as he secured a popular podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix.  Since then, he has struggled to deliver high-profile results, but that is down to the Renault’s lack of development rather than the driver failing to live upto standards.  Fifth in Canada and eighth in Turkey were days when Petrov made the most of a day when others struggled.  Valencia and Silverstone aside, he has threatened points on every weekend and with a better car and more support from a higher scoring team-mate, would achieve far more than his points tally suggests.

GRADE: B+ (A pleasant surprise so far – totally written off those critics he had last term)

Fernando Alonso (4^th in the world championship, 130 points – BEST FINISH: 1^st in Britain)

Personally, I think Fernando is driving the best he has ever done in his career.  Time and again, he has dragged even more than what the Ferrari is capable of.  Not once has he shown his general frustrations this season, even after being lapped in Barcelona having led the first 20 laps of his home event.  His success at Silverstone was fully deserved and second place finishes in Monaco and at the Nurburgring show the fire is still well and truly burning brightly.  Alonso will win another title, especially now he is tied down long-term to Ferrari, but Vettel’s sheer pace means that the wait will have to go on a bit longer.

GRADE: A (With better machinery, he would have given Vettel a run all season)

Nick Heidfeld (8^th in the world championship, 34 points – BEST FINISH: 3^rd in Malaysia)

Things didn’t start well for Robert Kubica’s replacement, as major KERS problems left him down in 13^th in Australia.  It looked much better after a brilliant Malaysia weekend, which saw Nick in the top six, run second in the first stint and end up on the podium.  However, he has failed to deliver on that promise.  He has shown a real lack of pace in qualifying and it has really hurt race efforts.  Despite being a consistent point’s finisher, he hasn’t set the world alight.  With Kubica recovering well, plus the likes of Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean pushing hard, Nick might as well begin looking around for other motorsport employment next season.

GRADE: C+ (A lacklustre campaign from Mr. Reliable, must do better!)

Rubens Barrichello (16^th in the world championship, 4 points – BEST FINISH: 9^th in Monaco)

He has started over 300 races, but perhaps the time has come for Rubens Barrichello to hang up his helmet and make a gracious exit from the sport he still truly loves.  The 2011 Williams is not a good car and his frustrations at times this season have shown, especially as the car has been unreliable too.  It might not be his decision either, especially if Williams continue to require money from drivers for the seats.  Pastor Maldonado has embarrassed him in qualifying too frequently and although he bought home valuable points in Monaco and Canada, the spark seems to have gone. 

GRADE: D (Going out with a whimper, don’t make the same mistake as many others Rubens!)

Michael Schumacher (10^th in the world championship, 32 points – BEST FINISH: 4^th in Canada)

After a shambolic season opener in Melbourne, Michael has shown flashes of the man we love best.  His drive in Canada reminded us of the glory days and he was desperately unlucky not to get a rostrum.  Like the Williams, he has been severely limited by his machinery this season, but the scrapes he has had with Jaime Alguesuari in Melbourne, Vitaly Petrov in Turkey and Kamur Kobayashi at Silverstone suggest that his judgement is not the same as it was.  He needs more days like Montreal if he doesn’t want to get the label of the ‘worst comeback’ ever!

GRADE: C- (Willing to improve the car, must start beating Rosberg on a regular basis)

Kamur Kobayashi (11^th in the world championship, 27 points – BEST FINISH: 5^th in Monaco)

Kamur Kobayashi is the hottest and greatest racing driver to have ever come out of Japan.  His thrilling attitude towards overtaking has meant that there is never a dull moment when he is around.  Sauber have given him a much better chassis this season and Kamur is starting to produce a string of strong, consistent results.  His enthusiasm for the sport can’t be questioned, especially considering the tough times his country has faced following the devastating tsunami only weeks before the season’s beginning.  Only his qualifying needs to be worked on, but a shrewd team leader he is turning out to be.

GRADE: B- (Great season so far, with few errors of judgement)

Paul di Resta (17^th in the world championship, 2 points – BEST FINISH: 10^th in Australia)

The ability to beat your team-mate on a regular basis makes you a hot property and that certainly is what Paul di Resta is.  He has left Adrian Sutil trailing in his wake at Force India this season and only Valencia and Nurburgring was he significantly outpaced by the German.  However, Paul needs to cut down on the clumsy manoeuvres he is making in races.  He missed out on point’s opportunities in Monaco and Canada by attempting almost impossible overtakes.  With Mercedes chasing after his services long-term, Paul has earnt his right to stay in F1 for the long-term.

GRADE: C+ (Shows great potential, but needs to stay out of trouble more often) 

Jarno Trulli (19^th in the world championship, 0 points – BEST FINISH: 13^th in Australia and Monaco)

Jarno Trulli was dropped from the Team Lotus squad for last weekend’s race and is not hard to see why.  The Italian has been smashed by his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen and continues to complain about the lack of power steering available to his disposal.  Lotus has a new system for him this weekend, so there can now be no excuses.

GRADE: E (Time to move over for the younger generation)

Sebastian Buemi (15^th in the world championship, 8 points – BEST FINISH: 8^th in Australia)

Until Nurburgring, Sebastian Buemi had put in a very good showing in all the races this season.  The Toro Rosso has struggled again this season, but is more firmly in the midfield and four point’s finishes show that Buemi is no slouch in the car.  He has had the measure of Jaime Alguesuari for most of the season and can surely look forward to another season at Toro Rosso next year.

GRADE: C+ (Significant improvements on last year’s horror show)

Adrian Sutil (12^th in the world championship, 18 points – BEST FINISH: 6^th in Germany)

Having been outpaced for large periods this season by Paul di Resta, Adrian has to make massive improvements in the second half of the season.  He threw away points in Canada with some clumsy mistakes and when he has finished races, the team’s strategy has often cost him points.  Nevertheless, he did well to bag some useful points in both Monaco and last Sunday in Germany and although his stock has dropped, the quality on his day is still there.  Considering criminal charges for a nightclub incident in China hang over him, Adrian is doing well to get on with the job in hand.

GRADE: C- (More needed, especially on a Saturday afternoon)

Jenson Button (5^th in the world championship, 109 points – BEST FINISH: 1^st in Canada)

Bad luck has got in the way of Jenson Button in the last few races and that’s a shame, because he has a very good season so far.  Surprisingly, he hasn’t quite managed to get the best out of the new Pirelli tyres, but he won in such brilliant fashion in Canada against all the odds.  He should have won Monaco too and a flying second place in Malaysia proves just why Button is world champion quality.  Saturday’s have been a struggle though and it has just given him far too much to do on too many occasions.

GRADE: B+ (Outstanding on Sundays, too average on Saturdays)

Sergio Perez (14^th in the world championship, 8 points – BEST FINISH: 7^th in Britain)

Although his first campaign will sadly be remembered for the horrific qualifying crash in Monaco, Sergio Perez has proven that Mexico has Got Talent!  Perez’s ability to keep his Pirelli tyres durable has seriously impressed me.  He lost a stunning seventh place in Melbourne to a technical infringement, but has made up for it with strong points results in Spain and at Silverstone.  Sergio is the rookie of the year so far.

GRADE: B- (Able to handle the pressure of Grand Prix racing extremely well)

Vitantonio Liuzzi (20^th in the world championship, 0 points – BEST FINISH: 13^th in Canada)

Tonio has got on with it this season, considering he has a pig of a car to drive.  He has more than matched the Virgin cars this term and although his best years have gone, it’s good to see him outperforming his equipment.  It’s such a shame it took too long to deliver.

GRADE: C (A good effort in rubbish machinery)

F1 classic races - Germany

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN DONE EARLIER THAN THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE GERMAN GRAND PRIX, DUE TO MY IMPENDING WORK PLACEMENT IN LONDON NEXT WEEK!

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  This is my selection, of races staged under the German Grand Prix between 1991 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1994

WINNER: Gerhard Berger (Ferrari), 2^nd: Olivier Panis (Ligier Renault), 3^rd: Eric Bernard (Ligier Renault)

FERRARI’s victory drought of nearly four years came to an end in the 1994 German Grand Prix, but it won’t be remembered for Gerhard Berger’s dominant victory from pole position.  Instead, it will be remembered for the frightening refuelling fire involving Benetton’s youngster Jos Verstappen.  Verstappen was in fifth place when he came in for a scheduled pitstop.  A fuel filter had been removed and petrol escaped from the refuelling rig, before the Benetton went up in flames.  Amazingly, Verstappen escaped with only minor burns, as did several of his team’s mechanics.  This race would also be remembered for a massive pile-up at the start of the race.  Ten cars were wiped out including Johnny Herbert, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Blundell, Michele Alboreto and Eddie Irvine.  Hakkinen was blamed and earnt a one-race ban for his troubles.  Damon Hill failed to capitalise on a rare engine failure for Michael Schumacher by clouting Ukyo Katayama at the third chicane on the first lap and winding up out of the points.  The high attrition rate allowed the uncompetitive Ligier Renaults of Olivier Panis and Eric Bernard to finish on the podium.  Oh and did I ever forget to mention that Gerhard Berger won this race for Ferrari!

1997

WINNER: Gerhard Berger (Benetton Renault), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3^rd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes)

IT WAS one of the greatest comebacks in sport.  Gerhard Berger came back from a sinus infection and the tragic death of his father in an aeroplane crash to record his final victory in F1 for Benetton.  He began in pole position and made an unfancied two-stop strategy work.  However, he did earn some fortune, as Giancarlo Fisichella’s Jordan suffered a puncture whilst leading.  Fisichella retired cruelly with suspension damage which allowed the home favourite Michael Schumacher to finish second.  Neither Williams finished; Heinz-Harald Frentzen after a first lap collision with Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve spun off whilst trying to pass Jarno Trulli’s Prost.

1999

WINNER: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2^nd: Mika Salo (Ferrari), 3^rd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan Mugen Honda

MCLAREN should have secured a 1-2 at the home of Mercedes-Benz, but they blew it, as they did traditionally in 1999 and Ferrari took the maximum points instead.  David Coulthard touched Mika Salo’s Ferrari early on and damaged his front wing.  Later, a stop-go penalty for cutting the chicane whilst passing Olivier Panis compromised DC further and he finished a distant fifth.  World champion Mika Hakkinen was cruising to another victory when a refuelling rig problem at his sole pitstop dropped him to fourth.  A lap later, he passed Heinz-Harald Frentzen, but suffered a 200mph tyre blow-out entering the stadium.  He careered headfirst into the tyres, but escaped unharmed.  Salo drove brilliantly all weekend, but handed certain victory over to team-mate and championship contender Eddie Irvine.  Frentzen completed the podium procedure and there was another notable drive from Ralf Schumacher, coming through from 11^th on the grid to a fourth place finish.

2000

WINNER: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 2^nd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes)

RUBENS Barrichello charged through from 18^th on the grid to win his maiden Grand Prix in an event full of crashes, overtaking and even a lunatic running across the track during the race.  The 2000 race started spectacularly when home favourite Michael Schumacher tangled with Giancarlo Fisichella, sending both into the barriers at the first corner.  Like in 1999, the McLaren’s of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard dominated the early stages before the disgruntled Mercedes employee walked across the road just after half-distance.  The Safety Car came out and Hakkinen was preferred over Coulthard by McLaren, leaving DC stranded back in sixth.  Another Safety Car was deployed after Jean Alesi and Pedro Diniz collided and this was followed by the rain.  Hakkinen and Jarno Trulli elected to pit for wet tyres, but Barrichello stayed out on dry weather tyres and as only the stadium section was damp, it turned out to be an inspired gamble.  The emotion on the Brazilian’s face as he broke down on the podium with his national flag showed how much it meant to him.  The two McLaren’s survived to finish second and third and Jenson Button starred in the Williams.  Having been forced to start at the back of the grid, Button finished an inspired fourth, his best result of a sensational rookie season.

2003

WRECK: Raikkonen's car in tatters, seconds into the 2003 race

WINNER: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 2^nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Jarno Trulli (Renault)

THE weekend was dominated by BMW Williams at ‘Hotenheim!’  Their drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher were quickest in every single session, but Ralf was out seconds into the start of the race.  He wandered across the circuit on the rundown to turn one and squeezed Rubens Barrichello between him and Kimi Raikkonen.  The result was the three cars made contact, with Raikkonen’s McLaren connecting hard with the tyre barriers.  All three drivers; championship contenders were eliminated on the spot.  With Ralf out of the way, Montoya was left to win as he pleased, by over a minute.  There was a battle royal for second spot between Jarno Trulli, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and David Coulthard throughout the race.  Schumacher and Coulthard both passed Trulli, but fate dealt Michael a rare blow, as he picked up a puncture with just three laps to go.  He limped back to the pits and salvaged seventh place.  Coulthard finished second; his first podium since Australia and Trulli, despite being laid by a flu bug all weekend, came third for his first rostrum since Nurburgring 1999.  The result moved Williams to the top of the constructor’s championship and Montoya to within six points of Schumacher.

2009 – Held at the Nurburgring

WINNER: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault), 2^nd: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault), 3^rd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

HAVING fought back from a leg breaking shunt in pre-season, Mark Webber finally ended years of bad luck and misfortune to win his first Formula One Grand Prix.  Webber started on pole position, but his aggressive defence on Rubens Barrichello in the rundown to turn one earnt Webber a drive-through penalty.  Despite this, he put in the drive of his life; at times lapping over one second quicker than his nearest challengers.  The cooler track temperatures, coupled with a three-stop strategy and a faulty fuel rig turned a possible podium for Barrichello into a very frustrated sixth place result.  Afterwards, he launched an extraordinary attack on his team for making him ‘lose the race.’  Sebastian Vettel was outshone by Webber on his home ground all weekend, but completed a Red Bull 1-2, whilst Felipe Massa made a welcome return to the podium for Ferrari.  Force India lost the possibility of their first points in the sport, when contact with Kimi Raikkonen left Adrian Sutil without a front wing.  Sutil was left back in 16^th at the end, when fifth place was possible at the finish.

F1 classic races - China

     

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  This is my selection, of races in China between 2004 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

2004

WINNER: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 2^nd: Jenson Button (BAR Honda), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)

F1’s first visit to China came in September 2004.  The Chinese put on an impressive show for Bernie Ecclestone and a worldwide television audience and Rubens Barrichello stepped out of the shadows of Michael Schumacher to record back-to-back wins.  Schumacher had a nightmare weekend in Shanghai.  He threw away the chance of an all-Ferrari front row by chucking his car into the scenery during qualifying.  On raceday, the German slammed straight into the side of Christian Klien, eliminating the Austrian, endured a wild spin, and then collected a puncture.  Despite setting fastest lap, 12^th was the best he could manage.  His brother Ralf annoyed his Williams team by refusing to return to the event in protest of having to make way for his team-mate’s second pitstop.  Schuey Jnr was eliminated in a clash with David Coulthard.  McLaren attempted to win the race, by employing an aggressive strategy for Kimi Raikkonen, but it cost them second place to Jenson Button’s two-stopping BAR Honda.

2005

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)

Fernando Alonso clinched the constructor’s championship with Renault, ending the V10 era on a high in the 2005 season finale.  He dominated from start-to-finish, despite two Safety Cars.  The first was for a drain gully coming up on Turn 10, which was hit by Juan Pablo Montoya’s McLaren.  Suspension damage and engine trouble finished Montoya’s day.  The second pace car was to recover the Jordan of Narain Karthikeyan, who had a spectacular accident on the last appearance for the Jordan team name.  Michael Schumacher had a day to forget, dwindling into the path of Christjian Albers Minardi on the way to the grid, causing one of the strangest crashes of the entire season.  He then spun off warming his tyres up during a Safety Car period.  Kimi Raikkonen was second and Ralf Schumacher claimed a surprising podium for the Toyota team.

2006

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 3^rd: Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)

OVERJOYED: Schumacher overcame all the odds to win in 2006

As it stands, this was Michael Schumacher’s 91^st and last F1 win.  On a wet day in China, Schumacher overcame an inferior car/tyre package to take the lead in the 2006 title race.  Having started on pole position, Fernando Alonso cruised into a 15 second lead in the early stages.  However, Renault decided to keep his old tyres on at his first pitstop, which cost them dearly.  Alonso’s lead was gobbled up by team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and Schumacher.  He was powerless to resist the pair and a sticky wheel nut at his second stop finished his victory chances.  Schumacher jumped Fisichella at the second stops to record a famous win, one of his greatest in his distinguished career.  Kimi Raikkonen would have been in the shake-up at the end, but for a throttle actuator problem.  A chaotic final lap saw Rubens Barrichello shunt into Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber on the penultimate corner.  This handed Jenson Button and Pedro de la Rosa fourth and fifth, whilst a wingless Barrichello crossed the line sixth and Heidfeld was classified seventh.

2007

WINNER: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 2^nd: Fernando Alonso (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

AGONY: Hamilton walks away, after his 07 DNF

This was meant to be the day that Lewis Hamilton completed the fairytale and wrapped up the championship in this, his rookie season.  However, it ended to be the day that his championship bid came off the rails.  Despite starting on pole, Hamilton’s tyres completely disintegrated down to the canvas.  Agony followed, as he came in for fresh tyres, the McLaren slid into the gravel and got beached in the pitlane entry.  Kimi Raikkonen went onto win the race, ahead of Fernando Alonso to ensure a three-way championship battle heading to the final duel in Brazil.  Sebastian Vettel and Vitantonio Liuzzi scored the best ever finish for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team; earning fourth and sixth place finishes for the Italian team from Farenza.  Jenson Button’s fifth place result was the best of the season for the beleaguered Honda squad.

2009

WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing Renault), 2^nd: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault), 3^rd: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes)

A very wet day and Shanghai 2009 was the start of the Red Bull revolution.  Sebastian Vettel clinched pole position on Saturday, despite driveshaft issues.  On Sunday, he drove impeccably in conditions that got worse with each passing lap.  He led Mark Webber home to a 1-2 finish, the first victory for Red Bull Racing.  Jenson Button earnt himself third place to keep his command on the early stages of the 2009 championship, with Rubens Barrichello holding off Heikki Kovalainen’s McLaren to finish fourth.  Force India lost their chance to secure championship points for the first time when Adrian Sutil aquaplaned into the barriers with only five laps to go, throwing away three points with it.  Ferrari remained without a point, after Felipe Massa retired due to a fuel pressure problem, and Kimi Raikkonen could only muster a very poor tenth. 

2010

WINNER: Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP)

Last season saw the first British 1-2 since Silverstone 1999 in another wet Chinese Grand Prix.  Jenson Button made a couple of brilliant tactical decisions to stay out on the track when an early rain shower arrived.  This meant the world champion won his second race for McLaren in only four events for his new team.  Lewis Hamilton produced an aggressive drive to seal McLaren’s first maximum score since Monza 2007.  Nico Rosberg recorded a second successive rostrum for Mercedes GP, having led the early stages.  Having started on the front row of the grid together, it was a bad day for Red Bull Racing.  Some shocking pitstops left Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber hobbled down the order in sixth and eighth come the chequered flag.  Despite a blatant jumpstart, Fernando Alonso came home in a strong fourth for Ferrari, whilst another former champion, Michael Schumacher struggled with his car all day and could only gain a point for his hard-working efforts.

F1 classic races - Malaysia

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  This is my selection, of races in Malaysia between 1999 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1999

WINNER: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2^nd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 3rd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes)

THE first trip to Sepang was for the penultimate round of the 1999 championship.  Ferrari looked on the ropes after a shambolic performance at the previous event at the Nurburgring, but played their wild card to great effect.  Michael Schumacher made his comeback here after breaking his leg at the British Grand Prix and destroyed the competition in Malaysia.  He took pole position by a full second, and insisted he would help Eddie Irvine’s bid to become Ferrari’s first world champion since 1979.  On raceday, Schumacher pulled over to let Irvine through early on, but David Coulthard bravely found a way past the German’s defences and set after Irvine.  Alternator problems put paid to DC’s hopes and Schumacher spent the rest of the day going as slow as possible to help out Irvine and harm Mika Hakkinen’s hopes of a second consecutive title.  After pitstops, Schumacher was ahead again and once again, did his duty for Irvine to claim the maximum points.  Hakkinen finished an exhausted third, but was champion hours later when both Ferrari’s were thrown out for illegal barge boards.  The Scuderia appealed in Paris and the FIA overturned the decision made by the race stewards in Malaysia to take the title showdown all the way down to Suzuka.  Michael Schumacher was well and truly back! 

2001

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 3rd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes)

SYNCHRONISED: Gravel trips from Ferrari couldn't stop them in 2001

When the results show a Ferrari 1-2, it suggests this was a boring race.  Far from it!  A typical Malaysian monsoon hit the track three laps into the event.  Combined with oil from Olivier Panis BAR Honda engine, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello both skated into the gravel in synchronised style.  After a chaotic pitstop, which saw Barrichello in the pits for over a minute, the Ferrari’s went on intermediate tyres.  It was a masterstroke, which left the rest of the opposition look like complete fools.  Barrichello and Schumacher went from 10^th and 11^th to 1^st and 2^nd in less than ten laps, and the rest they say is history.  David Coulthard was best of the rest.

2003

WINNER: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari), 3^rd: Fernando Alonso (Renault)

This will go down as the weekend when the young guns truly burst onto the Grand Prix scene.  At 21 years of age, Fernando Alonso took a stunning pole position in his only his second start for Renault, becoming the youngest ever driver to do so in the process.  On Sunday, 23-year old Kimi Raikkonen finally fulfilled his raw talent by recording his first career victory, and left Ron Dennis in tears.  David Coulthard was denied a shot at victory by engine failure, whilst Michael Schumacher made a meal of the first lap and smashed into the side of Jarno Trulli, causing chaos and ending Juan Pablo Montoya’s chances of serious points, as his rear wing was assaulted by Antonio Pizzonia.  Trulli and Schumacher wound up fifth and sixth, behind Barrichello and Alonso, who became the first Spaniard on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 1956.

2004

WINNER: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2^nd: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 3^rd: Jenson Button (BAR Honda)

Michael Schumacher may have made it two wins from two in 2004, but the day belonged to Jenson Button.  The Brit has suffered rotten luck in Malaysia in the previous two years, having been overtaken by Schumacher on the last lap himself.  This time, he managed a late engine issue to beat Rubens Barrichello across the line and join the elite of stepping onto the podium for the first time.  Juan Pablo Montoya pushed Schumacher all the way, but had to settle for second; unhappy with Barrichello holding him up just after his final stop.  Sadly, Mark Webber couldn’t convert his outstanding front row grid spot for Jaguar.  He had clutch problems at the start, a drive-through for speeding in the pits, a clash with Ralf Schumacher which punctured one of his tyres and eventually, his shambolic race ended in the kitty litter.

2005

WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Jarno Trulli (Toyota), 3^rd: Nick Heidfeld (Williams BMW)

PACKED: The midfield in 2005 was tough to separate

Two years after he truly made a name for himself in Malaysia, Fernando Alonso began his charge to his first ever championship with a dominant victory in Kuala Lumpur.  He started from the front and led every lap to beat Jarno Trulli, his former team-mate at Renault.  Trulli’s second place finish was Toyota’s first podium in Formula One.  Winner of the opening race Giancarlo Fisichella had a tangle with Australian Mark Webber, which ended both of their races.  This opened the door for Nick Heidfeld to register the final rostrum spot in the sister Williams.  Michael Schumacher was a very distant 7^th, Kimi Raikkonen finished out of the points following a puncture and neither BAR completed three laps, due to engine woes!

2009

WINNER: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes), 2^nd: Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), 3^rd: Timo Glock (Toyota)

Only half points were awarded in the 2009 race, as fading light and a tropical rainstorm halted the event after just 31 laps.  However, in the racing laps that took place, there was plenty of excitement.  Jenson Button had pole position, but dropped to fourth on the first corner, as Nico Rosberg charged into the lead.  The early exchanges saw Fernando Alonso battle bravely with a Renault that simply wasn’t up to the front running pace.  Despite his best efforts, he dropped from third to seventh in the first ten laps.  Button used the pitstops to leapfrog both Rosberg and Jarno Trulli and began to pull away at the front.  His only main threat came from the other Toyota of Timo Glock.  Glock had put intermediates on when the rain began to fell, and quickly passed a load of cars that had trundled around on the extreme wets.  The German even led the race for a lap, but was passed by Button and Nick Heidfeld, who had deployed a similar tactic to his countryman.  Mark Webber, Rosberg, Trulli, Lewis Hamilton and Rubens Barrichello were involved in a frenzied battle for fourth place, eventually won by Trulli.  The race ended as Sebastian Buemi, Sebastian Vettel and Giancarlo Fisichella all flew into the gravel trap in undriveable conditions.  It was another miserable day for Ferrari, with Felipe Massa out of the points and Kimi Raikkonen put onto wets on a bone dry track!  The Finn eventually retired with a KERS related issue.  Button had set his stall out to dominate the 2009 season, and the early season races were all about him and Brawn GP. 

The Finishing Straight - Australia (by HappyDude88)

THE first grand prix of the season is over and it is time to reflect on the opening weekend of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship in Albert Park.  Watch out everyone, because this is my personal take on the events in ‘The Finishing Straight!’

     To start off, the new rules and regulations need more time to bed in before anyone can judge them officially.  We learnt a lot today about the new formula, but it won’t be before we get to Europe when we can say whether the items that are meant to shake-up the order do so.  On first reflection, the Pirelli tyres are going to do the job required.  Well done to Pirelli for producing a tyre that not only wears down, but keeps the spectators interested all the way till the end of the race.  Once again, the race strategy effect, taken away by the refuelling ban at the end of the 2009 season is going to play a significant part.  Today, it seemed like Mark Webber and the Ferrari drivers were the ones struggling to keep their tyres in decent condition, hence their three stop strategies.  Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel seemed to have little trouble, which led to two tyre stops.  I think the nature and characteristics of the tracks will play a more pivotal role on the Pirelli tyres in relation to driver style.  As for the new DRS system, it made an unspectacular and unpromising start.  However, Melbourne is never the easiest track to overtake and the new moveable rear wing device did at least give drivers the chance to close up on one another.  Button was the beneficiary of this, passing both Kamur Kobayashi and Felipe Massa with the DRS control.  I think the DRS will work on more free-flowing circuits better, such as Shanghai, Silverstone and Brazil.  I think the FIA will tinker with the device and maybe, allowing the drivers the chance to use the device two opportunities in a single lap will help.  That decision now lies in Jean Todt’s hands.

ACTION: Massa and Button were engrossed in an early battle

     To the key moments of the race, and the best action was the early scrap between Jenson Button and Felipe Massa for fifth position.  Button made a poor start and was swamped by Vitaly Petrov and a fast-starting Massa.  It was clear that the Brit was much faster than the Ferrari, but couldn’t find a way past.  Massa was defending as if his life depended on it, and on Lap 11, Jenson had enough.  He tried to overtake the Brazilian through the fast Turn 11 chicane.  Massa gave him no space, and consequently, Button cut the chicane to gain an advantage.  McLaren alerted race control about what to do, but got no response.  Eventually, the race stewards handed Button a drive-through penalty and it was the correct decision, no matter what Jenson thinks about Ferrari pitting Massa deliberately to avoid him having to allow Felipe back through.  The replay is crystal clear and you would have thought that Button and McLaren, with the experience they have, would have done the sensible option and given the place straight back.  Alonso got penalised for a similar incident at Silverstone last year, which wasn’t as clear-cut, so there can be little symphonies with Button’s plight.  Ultimately, his actions cost him a podium position.

     The other contentious incident was the kamikaze move by Rubens Barrichello that took Nico Rosberg out of the race.  Barrichello was clearly quicker than the Mercedes driver, but came from a hopelessly long way back; expecting Nico was going to see him coming.  Rosberg had every right to turn in and would have been surprised to see the Brazilian whack his sidepod.  Rosberg’s reaction of leaving his helmet on the way back to the pits suggested his fury.  Barrichello spun and got a drive-through penalty, but a grid penalty for Malaysia might have been a bit more appropriate, because his race was screwed here anywhere and he had no chance of getting any points.  For Barrichello to claim Rosberg braked early is a barbaric comment!  More looked like you braked far too late Rubens!

SPRAYING: Hamilton's second place was a surprise to McLaren

     McLaren touched down in Albert Park in a load of trouble.  The car was not very quick, had only done an 18 lap stint, which left reliability seriously questionable and frankly, the team looked in an appalling mess.  They leave with heads held high and a chance of fighting for some competitive results.  Lewis Hamilton was terrific and looked buzzing and happy all weekend.  He put everything into the race and second place was a fair reflection of his commitment to the cause all weekend.  Button had an adventurous day by his standards, but points are better than nothing.

DISQUALIFIED: Both Saubers were thrown out after the race

     Another team that were meant to come away very satisfied were Sauber, until their double disqualification for a technical infringement.  Sergio Perez put in a phenomenal performance on his debut and thoroughly deserved his seventh place.  Kamur Kobayashi had an unexciting day by his high standards, but also picked up points.  The Sauber team have a generally fast car and could be a serious threat in the midfield.  The disqualification sounds a bit confusing and harsh.  They might as well appeal, but I can’t see them getting the points back, which feels a bit wrong for Perez and Kobayashi.  After all, they didn’t design the car, they only drove it!  A loss of constructors points sounds like a fairer outcome.

     Mercedes GP and Williams will leave the weekend with heads very well down.  Williams had a quick car in testing, but flattered to deceive badly in Melbourne.  Apart from smashing into Rosberg in the race, Rubens Barrichello spun off in qualifying with an uncharacteristic mistake and also went off on the first lap.  To make matters worse, the car looks totally unreliable, as neither car finished.  They aren’t in as much trouble as Mercedes GP are, whose pace in the final pre-season test in Barcelona looks like a storm in a teacup.  Michael Schumacher was still smiling all weekend, and was unfortunate to be hit by Jaime Alguesuari on the first lap, whilst Rosberg was the innocent party in the Barrichello crash.  However, the car lacks ultimate speed, both on one lap and more especially, in a long stint.  Even if he had survived the shunt with Rubens, I don’t think Rosberg would have finished in the points anyway.  Mercedes have a lot of work to do to turnaround a situation that looks even worse than 2010.

     Speaking about worse than 2010, the three new teams still look a country mile off the pace.  Team Lotus was a major letdown, especially in qualifying; still two seconds off the midfield!  Jarno Trulli did finish and Heikki Kovalainen was keeping up with the likes of Barrichello and Alguesuari before his retirement, but they simply haven’t delivered on what they should be capable of.  Virgin Racing also got a car to a finish in the form of Jerome D’Ambrosio, but look distant backmarkers and more like road traffic blocks.  However, in comparison to Hispania Racing, they look world class.

     Hispania Racing arrived without turning a wheel in testing and did no running in practice.  To shakedown a car in qualifying for the first race of the season is absolutely ridiculous!  Both cars failed to make the 107% cut-off and some will have to question what on earth Vitantonio Liuzzi is doing in that team!  Surely he would have been better off in a third driver role with a midfield team.  Hispania is a waste of time, a waste of money and a waste of petrol.  Quite frankly, The Simpsons could do better if they were a racing car team and not a hit cartoon family!

     Once again, Mark Webber had a disappointing weekend on home soil.  It wasn’t quite as bad as his mere of a performance in 2010, but the gap between him and Vettel in both qualifying and the race was absolutely staggering.  More remarkably, he could only equal his best ever Albert Park result, which was 5^th in a Minardi way back in 2002.  His expression after the race spoke volumes in abundance.  We have seen him fightback before in crushing fashion on numerous occasions, so it’s dangerous to write him off at your peril.  However, Vettel already has the upper hand in Red Bull from the word go this season.  Vettel was untouchable all weekend and has sent a warning to his rivals.  He looked very relaxed, calm and polished.  Considering Red Bull decided not to run KERS for the weekend, and they still had a clear advantage shows the confidence in their team.  McLaren, Ferrari and the rest will be hoping that Red Bull’s concerns over KERS reliability continue for a while to come, because once they make it work, surely they will be even quicker.

     Final word of this first blog on the ‘Finishing Straight’ has to go to the star of the weekend, which for me was Vitaly Petrov.  Petrov earnt his best ever qualifying performance and then matched it up with his first visit to the F1 podium.  The Russian is very popular within the paddock and seems to have grown massively in maturity over the winter.  When Renault signed him up on a two-year deal before Christmas, I was amazed.  Petrov really struggled in his debut season, made a load of mistakes and was especially lucky to keep his drive.  However, he showed flashes of speed last season around the glaring errors and with Robert Kubica going to be missing for a long while, looks like the real deal this season.  I sincerely hope Petrov keeps his new found form up for a long time to come.

     So, that’s it folks for round one.  I’ll be back after the Malaysian Grand Prix for more damming verdicts, more judgemental calls and more drivers being praised.  

F1 classic races - Australia

IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.  This is the first selection, of races in Australia between 1991 and 2010.  Enjoy the archive!

1991 (Adelaide)

TORRENTIAL: Senna holds off a determined Mansell

Winner: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Honda), 2^nd: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 3^rd: Gerhard Berger (McLaren Honda)

THE final race of the 1991 championship was meant to be a happy and relaxed occasion.  In the end, it turned into a farce.  In fact, it was stopped after 14 laps, due to torrential rain.  It is the shortest race in world championship history and only half points were awarded.  Ayrton Senna started from pole and led the whole race, but came under pressure from Nigel Mansell’s Williams.  The rain intensified on the Adelaide street circuit and it wasn’t long before Jean Alesi, Nicola Larini and Pierluigi Martini all crashed in a straight line on the backstraight.  As aquaplaning got worse, Mansell was caught out and smashed backwards into the barriers just before the race was eventually red-flagged.  He was carried away in an ambulance with minor injuries.  The race was a sad end to Nelson Piquet’s distinguished career.  The Brazilian finished fourth for Benetton, but was bitterly disappointed to retire from the sport after three world titles in such a damp squib.

1994 (Adelaide)

DECIDER: Hill and Schumacher collide

Winner: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 2^nd: Gerhard Berger (Ferrari), 3^rd: Martin Brundle (McLaren Peugeot)

THE first championship showdown in Adelaide since 1986 was between Michael Schumacher’s Benetton and Damon Hill’s Williams.  Only one point covered the two drivers coming into the race and they were in a class of two.  It ended controversially when Schumacher’s Benetton understeered off the track on Lap 36 at Westfield Bend.  Hill, unsighted lapping Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Sauber missed the German’s contact with the concrete barrier and immediately dived for a gap on the inside at the next corner.  Schumacher turned in and contact was inevitable.  Michael’s car was launched into the air and ended in the tyre barriers.  Sadly for the British fans, Hill’s wishbone had been bent in the contact and after a slow lap back to the pits, was forced to call it a day.  Nigel Mansell, in his last drive for Williams had started on pole position and overtook Gerhard Berger on Lap 63, when the Ferrari driver went down an escape road.  He won fantastically to earn Williams the constructor’s championship.

1999 (Melbourne)

Winner: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2^nd: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan Mugen Honda), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Williams Supertec)

AFTER 81 attempts, Eddie Irvine won his first Grand Prix for Ferrari, but it was a gift given to him by the dominant McLaren Mercedes team.  Reigning champion Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard were 1.3secs ahead of the opposition and led by 16 seconds inside of 14 laps.  A spectacular rear wing failure for Jacques Villeneuve in the BAR Supertec saw the Safety Car obliterate the McLaren’s lead.  Seconds later, Coulthard pulled into the pits to retire with a gearbox problem.  When the Safety Car withdrew, Hakkinen was crippled by a throttle issue and Irvine took the lead into the first corner.  The Finn only lasted another three laps before retiring in the garage.  Michael Schumacher was also struck down by reliability problems including a puncture and recurring gear selection problems.  He finished out of the points in 8^th place, allowing Irvine to step out of Schumacher’s shadow and earn his day in the sun Down Under.

2003 (Melbourne)

Winner: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 2^nd: Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW), 3^rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)

THE biggest shake-up in the rules and regulations since 1997 mixed-up the field and put an end to the Ferrari F2002 dominance.  Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello grabbed the front row of the grid, but changeable conditions opened the door for the Michelin-shod cars.  Barrichello crashed on lap six and Schumacher made a late switch to dry tyres on a drying track.  Kimi Raikkonen came through from 15^th on the grid and took command of the race.  The Finn even managed to have the cheek to stick Schumacher on the grass at turn one during an epic scrap.  However, Raikkonen edged 1kmh over the pitlane speed limit and earnt himself a drive-through penalty.  Schumacher was back infront, but needed to pit again when his barge boards fell off like a broken down Meccano set.  Juan Pablo Montoya inherited the lead, but the Colombian spun his Williams on the exit on turn one and this allowed David Coulthard to come through almost unnoticed from 11^th on the grid.  The Scot recorded his second Australian Grand Prix triumph and his 13^th win in the sport, ultimately his last.  With Schumacher only managing fourth behind Montoya and Raikkonen, it was the first race since Nurburgring 1999 that neither Ferrari had managed to make the podium.

2006 (Melbourne)

Winner: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2^nd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes), 3^rd: Ralf Schumacher (Toyota)

JENSON Button produced a stunning lap on Saturday afternoon to secure pole position, but his Honda Racing car was all at sea in the cooler conditions on Sunday.  He was never able to get his tyres upto temperature after four Safety Car restarts and to compound his misery, his Honda engine exploded in a bull of flame on the penultimate corner of the race.  Fernando Alonso avoided all the chaos and led the majority of the race, to win in relaxed fashion.  Kimi Raikkonen came second, despite needing a new front wing during a pitstop and Ralf Schumacher recovered from a drive-through penalty to secure a great podium for Toyota.  Juan Pablo Montoya failed to finish, when he killed his engine by pressing an ignition switch following a wild and wacky trip down the grass.  Ferrari had a miserable weekend, as neither car finished in the top ten in qualifying and then, both Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher crashed out of the race in dramatic fashion. 

2009 (Melbourne)

FAIRYTALE: Button and Barrichello complete an epic story

Winner: Jenson Button (Brawn Mercedes), 2^nd: Rubens Barrichello (Brawn Mercedes), 3^rd: Jarno Trulli (Toyota)

AVOIDING the controversy of the double diffusers, which erupted on the opening weekend of the 2009 season, a fairytale story was unfolding at Brawn GP.  In November 2008, Honda announced their immediate withdrawal from Formula One, putting the team up for sale and leaving many members of the team in limbo.  After tense and frustrating negotiations, Ross Brawn completed a management buyout and with limited testing, turned up at the final pre-season test nearly a second quicker than their rivals.  The car reignited the failing careers of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello and the pair secured the front row of the grid in qualifying.  In the race, Button led throughout, whilst Barrichello had to battle through the field, after making a poor start and making contact with Mark Webber on lap one, which damaged his front wing.  The race finished behind the Safety Car, after Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica tangled, whilst dicing for second spot with three laps to go.  This completed the Brawn fairytale, with Jarno Trulli winding up third after a pitlane start.  This is after Lewis Hamilton was excluded in Malaysia, following evidence was produced that he had lied to the Melbourne stewards after the race for a Safety Car incident with Trulli.