Typical 2011 GP

So, I was bored and wanted to do something for this fine website as I have been neglecting my duties of late. This is mostly because there was very little to talk about F1 wise. Below is a blueprint of what I believe Bernie has

Let’s Get This Over

Next week in Singapore, Vettel can finally win the Championship. Thankfully this puts an end to the ridiculous way in which drivers are having to answer the question “can anyone else still beat Vettel this season”? They all answer the same – “well, anything can happen, I won’t give up”.

Give it a rest.

The Championship’s been over since about the 4^th race. I know they have to say all that garbage for the fans and sponsors etc, but it’s got to be pretty depressing knowing in your head it’s all over and having to say something else.

As good as the racing has been this season, I think I would have preferred the drama of the last few years in terms of last race Championship deciders. That’s what the sport is all about – fighting tooth and nail to win your life’s ambition at the least race of the season. I can still remember how I felt last year just before the start of the Abu Dhabi GP, my heart was literally racing and I was willing Alonso on more than ever before. Obviously we know how that finished, but I would go through it all again that’s for sure.

Having had to sit through the awful Norwich display against West Brom, I  watched the race on a delayed run. It’s not often this happens, so it was quite an odd experience I must say. I was very, very impressed by Michael who I thought held Lewis off extremely well. Yes, he was naughty that one time when he moved twice, but he’s desperate to show he’s still got it and this season I think he has proved that he has. His car control on shot rear tyres was sublime and the defensive lines he was taking around all parts of the track were absolutely textbook. Not much I can say about Vettel really; I think I let my bias against him get in the way of me actually writing anything good about him. Stick him in a crap car and then we’ll see how good he is. Oh and chop off that bloody finger. And ban him from saying “that’s what I’m talking about”.

Button as usual showed he has tremendous capacity behind the wheel to think about what’s going on. You just knew when Lewis was fighting Michael that Jenson was just hanging back making sure he conserved his fuel and looking after his tyres. Not exactly exciting stuff, but necessary all the same. I’m starting to like Button more and more these days – he’s certainly a better driver now than when he won his Championship.

Lewis, as always, is ever the conundrum. An enigma. On his day, he is blindingly fast and fantastic to watch, but those days are ever rarer. At Monza he was like a gifted, sulky child. The guy says that nothing fazes him to the media, but he hung behind Michael for so long it was like he was trying to make a point to people watching that he doesn’t crash all the time. Quite a bizarre thing to do when you’re an F1 driver, but then I’m not convinced his head is in the game at all. He’s had a pretty awful last couple of seasons punctuated by the odd great race, but you’ll notice no one is talking about him in the same reverential tones they once were. Maybe he needs a Casey Stoner-esque break from the sport? Who knows.

Roll on next season.

What’s the matter with Felipe Massa?

Felipe Massa. At one moment he can be lightning fast with excellent car control and a hunger to win. At another moment he exudes amateurism, has on track panic attacks and comes across like he couldn’t drive a shopping trolley.

He is a conundrum. An unknowable being. What will he do next? Where will he spin next? Will he ever finish or qualify in front of Alonso again?

I have tried to pin point the moment where Felipe become floppy, where Massa became messy. Many people say it was when a coil flew at him and almost killed him in 2009. Some say it was when the now infamous words “Fernando is faster than you” were uttered. I, however, think it was that last corner at Brazil in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton won the title at the last race. Imagine the devastation at learning you didn’t win after all, the crushing disappointment of losing the Championship on the last corner of the last race of the season. Not only that, but at his home race in front of those adoring Brazilian fans.

Wowsers.

This year he has been out-qualified by Fernando 10-0. There is something fundamentally wrong with Felipe. Hell, even Webber and Button have beaten their team mates on occasion! There is no question that Alonso is a dominating team mate and only Lewis has come close to beating him in the same team. There was that moment already mentioned at Hockenheim last year and then in China in 2010 when Alonso stuck his Ferrari in front of Massa’s car as they both came into the pits at the same time. Brutal. Damaging.

Felipe gave up.

I don’t see the improvement that people seem to mention from time to time of Massa’s form. At least in parts of 2010 Felipe was close to Fernando; he beat him in qualifying a couple of times and even finished in front of him on occasion. This year Alonso has crushed him and has beaten him in qualifying by an average of 0.6 seconds – in the same car!

Massa had 97 points this time last year, now he has 62.

There’s something not quite right with Felipe.

Disagree? Read The Return of Massa?

Back to Form All Round

A Celebrating Alonso

Yes, I am a very happy man. Fernando Alonso rocketed to his first win of the year at Silverstone and has now drawn level in the all time list with Jackie Stewart on 27 wins. All at the home of Formula 1 and 60 years since Ferrari won the first F1 race ever.

The race itself was in complete contrast to the bore-fest at Valencia a fortnight ago. This one had thrills and spills, changeable weather, pit stop mess ups, controversy and an incredible qualifying session where the new Brit on the grid Paul Di Resta qualified 6^th.

Names of Glory

*Listening to Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul*

Williams’ have been at the top of sport for decades now. You have the two sisters who, when they turn up anyway, take women’s tennis to another level. Snooker also has it’s own Williams star in the shape of fellow Welshman and former Crucible champion Mark Williams. Of course, the Welsh rugby squad boasts one or two as well, but for that I have no care.

But one, now all to often overshadowed Williams name in sport is showing signs of resurgence; that of Frank Williams’ nine time Formula One Constructors Championship winning outfit.

Resurgence, you may think to be a strong word considering Williams’ comparatively poor 2010 Formula One campaign, that is when you think of their already acclaimed sixteen titles. But be aware, this now relatively small outfit on the grid has a rosy future ahead….

Well if things go their way.

There are no billion dollar sheikhs or international businesses behind this team. They are simply a well run British outfit, remaining competitive on a frugal budget and relying purely on the talents of their backroom staff.

And when you think of it like that, it is quite astonishing that Williams have been mixing it in qualy three of late, ahead of the Vijay Mallya funded Force India’s and more than matching the Russian oil driven Renault’s and now German conquered Brawn GP.

Indeed everything pointed to a disappointing campaign before the season began. The loss of Toyota power, and the return of the unpredictable Cosworth engine that had proved so unreliable with the team in 2006, all after BMW left Willams in the lurch to take over Sauber.

Only a positive driver line-up brought some hope.

Rubens it’s last lap, let Michael past.

* Listening to Relentless Fours – Grammatics *
This is a controversial viewpoint (I have ascertained from the internet and its many discussions on the subject), but I feel that the proceedings over the weekend were not as clear cut as the consensus.

Similar to how Red Bull were well within their rights to assign front wings to whomever they desired (being the bill-payers, and as it is essentially a business first), I felt that Ferrari were within their prerogative to swap the driver positions if they thought that was best for their season. It is a team game.

There isn’t exactly much overtaking in the sport and when team mates are allowed to compete with each other it can go very wrong or it can lead to quite hairy moments.

Similar to how teams tend not to send drivers out into the same part of the circuit in qualifying, it is mere self preservation of the constructors championship. The sport should be equipped in that a driver should be able to overtake if he is reasonably faster than their target. Currently, drivers have to take a big risk, and there just simply isn’t enough reward to quantify it.

However. Once again, drawing parallel’s to the Red Bull PR woes of the previous race, Ferrari’s violation comes down to the execution. Similar to Austria 2002 and similar to taking Webber’s front wing with precious few minutes before qualifying, it inevitably leads to a fan backlash.

Overtaking Woz ‘Ere ’00

*Listening To Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear*

“Don’t you know, They’re talkin’ about a revolution, It sounds like whisper, Don’t you know, They’re talkin’ about a revolution, It sounds like whisper.”

Ok they’re not, but I am and we should be. Formula One is rapidly dying, losing credibility by the second. And there are two principle reasons, one big little man and one (two) prancing horse(s).

Just last week, Bernie Ecclestone, the biggest of cheeses in the world of Formula One went on the record saying Monaco doesn’t pay enough and that he would consider dropping it from the calendar.

Enter deafening silence. It’s not like it’s the most iconic, popular GP’s on the calendar and brings in numerous fans every year.

Should it disappear it would leave six races left in Europe, out of 19. And where do the majority of F1 fans live and can attend? Europe. Bernie has, and is, taking out one of the fundamental aspects of F1. The fans. The fans pay the tickets, but you’ll find rows and rows and rows of empty seats at most new venues.

And today he’s come out and said none of the new teams would be missed apart from Lotus and will, ney should, drop out by the end of the season. The only reason he wants Lotus to stay is because they’re called Lotus. Granted HRT are already struggling, but Lotus and Virgin will be on the heels of the back to midfield next season.

This is the equivalent of the F.A. saying Blackpool shouldn’t be in the Prem this season.