Nico Rosberg fended off a charging Mark Webber to take victory in an exciting and eventful British Grand Prix that was marked by a series of spectacular tyre failures.
No fewer than four drivers - Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez - saw their rear-left tyres disintegrate over the course of the race, raising potential safety concerns over the current construction of the Pirelli rubber.
Lewis Hamilton, having secured an emphatic pole position to the delight of the Silverstone faithful on Saturday, led away from Sebastian Vettel only to suffer from tyre failure on just the eighth lap of the race.
That handed the Red Bull driver a comfortable advantage, which he maintained throughout the Safety Car period that followed as the marshals rushed to remove the debris caused by the tyre dramas of Hamilton as well as Massa and Vergne, which occurred a handful of laps later.
Vettel looked to have a fourth win of the season in his pocket until his car suffered a gearbox failure with just eleven laps to go, the reigning champion grinding to a halt just after the pit-lane entrance.
The Safety Car was scrambled once more, with Rosberg assuming the lead of the race at this stage having dropped behind Vettel at the start from the front row but re-taking second after Hamilton's woes.
With the Mercedes team detecting the beginnings of a puncture for Rosberg just as the Safety Car was deployed, the Brackley outfit were able to bring their man in for a change of tyres without losing the lead.
The race resumed with just six laps remaining, with Rosberg stretching his advantage over second place man Kimi Raikkonen, who questioned his team's decision to not pit for fresh tyres under the Safety Car.
It proved to be the wrong call however, as the defenceless Finn slipped behind Webber, Alonso and a recovering Hamilton - all of whom pitted under the Safety Car - in the closing laps of the race.
Webber proceeded to make major inroads into Rosberg's advantage at the head of the field, but couldn't do quite enough to overhaul the German in the last four laps, who took his third career win by a margin of seven tenths of a second.
It was a fine drive by Webber in his last visit to Silverstone as an F1 driver, especially considering a poor start dropped him from fourth on the grid to fifteenth on the first lap.
Alonso completed the podium in third place, narrowly ahead of Hamilton, with another strong drive, cutting Vettel's points advantage down from 36 to 21. Raikkonen, who had to be content with fifth, is now 32 points away from the championship lead.
Like Hamilton, Massa did an excellent job of re-gaining the places he lost after his tyre failure, clawing his way up from the very back of the grid to cross the line in sixth. The Brazilian was running in a competitive fifth at the time of his tyre blowout after a sensational start from eleventh on the grid.
Adrian Sutil ended up seventh for Force India, plummeting from third behind the Safety Car as a result of opting to not pit like Raikkonen. Next up was Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo, who drove solidly after turning heads at a crucial time on Saturday with a career-high grid slot of fifth.
Paul Di Resta had qualified in fifth, but was sent to the back of the grid after his Force India was found to be underweight. However, that didn't prevent the Scot from battling his way back to score points from a lowly grid slot for the third race in succession, finishing a creditable ninth.
The final point went to Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber, with the Williams drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas just missing out on points in eleventh and twelfth places.
Jenson Button endured a miserable home race, crossing the line in a pitiful thirteenth place after being muscled back several positions after the final Safety Car. Perez's tyre failure, whilst running comfortably in the points, made it two races in a row where McLaren have failed to score.
Esteban Gutierrez brought the second Sauber home in fourteenth, ahead of the four perennial tail-enders; Charles Pic beat home Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton and Giedo van der Garde.
Joining Vettel, Perez and Vergne on the list of retirements was Romain Grosjean, who appeared to make contact with a slow-starting Webber at the start and faded from a likely points finish late in the race before coming into the garage with a lap to run.
As exciting as the finish between Rosberg and Webber was, the British Grand Prix will be remembered principally for tyre failures. Coming just over a week after appearing before the International Tribunal, events at Silverstone will come as another major PR headache for Pirelli.
The teams have hitherto failed to reach an agreement that would allow the Italian firm to change the construction of the tyre - something which Pirelli wanted to do in order to avoid a repeat of the de-laminations seen most notably up until now during practice at Bahrain.
Alonso was perilously close to launching over the back of Perez's car as the McLaren suffered its blowout; only the Spaniard's lightning reflexes prevented a serious accident from taking place. As Hamilton said after the race, it's not acceptable to wait until such a calamity occurs before action is taken.
The rules nonetheless state that changes to the tyre specification can be made mid-season for safety reasons, but Pirelli have hitherto insisted, perhaps understandably, that previous failures were not unsafe and so were thus unable to make modifications.
Such an argument is unquestionably no longer valid after today. That means it's time for Pirelli to put its pride to one side and work together with the teams to ensure a solution is found in time for the German Grand Prix in a week's time.
30 June 2013
27 June 2013
British Grand Prix 2013 - Preview
With the British Grand Prix at Silverstone just a few days away, it's time for me to re-calibrate myself from Le Mans mode and give my take on what will happen this weekend as Formula One returns to action at the historic Northamptonshire circuit.
Based on an airfield perimeter road, Silverstone was the scene of the first ever Grand Prix in 1950, and despite having shared British GP hosting duties with Aintree and Brands Hatch over the years, it ranks alongside Monaco, Monza and Spa as one of those circuits difficult to imagine absent from the F1 calendar.
The track layout itself has evolved throughout the years, with the ultra-high speed character of Silverstone having been gradually eroded through a series of modifications - most notably in 1991, when Becketts, Club and the final section of the lap were all given an overhaul, and in 2010, when the new infield section of circuit that links up with the Wellington Straight was added.
In spite of such additions, Silverstone remains one of the fastest tracks on the calendar, and also one of the most aero-dependent. Additionally, after two relatively easy races on the tyres, managing the Pirellis is likely to be a challenge even with the relatively durable hard and medium compounds on offer. Bearing in mind slightly cooler temperatures and a degree of car development, somewhere between what we saw at Catalunya and Montreal is what we're likely to see in terms of degradation.
The other variable Silverstone is liable to throw up is the weather; despite plenty of wet practice and qualifying sessions recently, we're yet to see a wet race this year, something that could change this weekend. As for DRS, there will be a second zone along the Hangar Straight to join the existing one along the Wellington Straight this year - any hopes you may have had of somebody attempting a Mansell-style move into Stowe are hereby dashed.
Hot off the press this morning is the news that Mark Webber is leaving F1 at the end of the season to pursue a career in sports car racing with Porsche. This development should hardly come as a surprise to those who have been paying close attention to driver market news in recent months, although I have to admit I was shocked by just how early the announcement has been made.
It's a sensible decision by the Aussie. He had the option to move teams (Ferrari and Lotus being the most likely suitors), but some of the comments made by Webber - particularly with regards to tyres - sounded as if they were being made by someone no longer entirely enamoured by F1 as a whole. It was clear he was ready for a fresh challenge, and a combination of the new rules coming into force for next year and events at Malaysia earlier in the year made 2014 the perfect time to jump.
37-year-old Webber, who previously raced at Le Mans for Mercedes in 1998 and 1999, has potentially a whole decade to make his mark on endurance racing - after all, Audi driver Rinaldo Capello retired last year at the age of 48 with three Le Mans wins to his name. With the might of Porsche behind him, who would bet against Webber enjoying similar success? Even if he comes away with nothing, the sheer satisfaction of driving flat out around Le Mans - or indeed, just flat out full stop - will be sufficient to outweigh that.
Rumours that Kimi Raikkonen is on the verge of signing will inevitably intensify in the wake of the Webber's impending departure. Lotus are said to be in a difficult position financially, and thus may not be able to offer the 'Iceman' the kind of salary required to keep him at Enstone. Kimi himself will see it as a more reliable opportunity to gun for the title, whilst Red Bull will likely opt for the Finn's services over those of either Daniel Ricciardo or Jean-Eric Vergne in the interests of the constructors' title.
The other big story since the Canadian Grand Prix three weeks ago has been the verdict of the FIA International Tribunal on the Mercedes tyre-test saga. Essentially, the Brackley outfit's punishment amounted to being forced to miss the upcoming Young Driver Test - a lenient punishment which will hardly discourage other top teams from holding their own 1,000km tyre test if they see fit.
As for this weekend's race, Red Bull have to start as favourites. Not only have the team won three of the last four races at Silverstone, but it seems Vettel is really beginning to hit his stride. Tyre wear may temper the kind of pace we saw at Montreal for the German to a small extent, but it will take a monumental effort to prevent the reigning champion taking a fourth win of the season.
Fernando Alonso, winner at Silverstone two years ago, has to be the most likely man to stop Vettel. His pace at Canada was solid, if not quite enough to challenge his arch-rival for the victory, but the tyre wear advantage of the Ferrari could result in a more closely-fought contest between Alonso and Vettel. Raikkonen may also be in the ballpark on this basis, but Lotus are running out of time to prove that their E21 still has the pace to keep their man in title contention.
Mercedes appeared to have made some progress at Canada in terms of looking after their rubber, but Silverstone will be a far sterner test. Expect, as per usual, the Silver Arrows to go well in qualifying, but a home podium finish for Lewis Hamilton looks to be a tall order. Unless it rains, in which case anything is possible, beating Nico Rosberg in the sister car is likely to be the 2008 champion's primary goal for the race.
Jenson Button would be well-advised to moderate his ambitions ahead of his home race in light of McLaren's recent struggles - some points would come as a welcome relief to a team that dismally failed to get either car inside the top ten at Montreal. Indeed, for Button, getting back on top of upstart teammate Sergio Perez - who is set to make his Tooned debut officially this weekend - on home turf must be a priority.
On the other hand, a good qualifying session could set up Paul Di Resta for a good result after two impressive recovery drives from poor grid slots at the last two races. A podium finish, whilst not especially likely, may not be as outlandish a prediction as it seems at first glance when you consider how kind the Force India is on its tyres. Such an outcome will nonetheless probably depend of some of the front-runners hitting trouble.
Qualifying Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Hamilton, 3. Rosberg, 4. Alonso, 5. Webber, 6. Raikkonen, 7. Massa, 8. Di Resta, 9. Grosjean, 10. Ricciardo
Race Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Alonso, 3. Raikkonen, 4. Webber, 5. Di Resta, 6. Hamilton, 7. Grosjean, 8. Button, 9. Ricciardo, 10. Perez
Unfortunately, I can't see past a Vettel victory this weekend. The conservative tyre allocation will favour Red Bull, and if the German can seize pole, as I expect him to, I fear he will sprint into the distance just as he did at Canada. The only hope is if one of the Mercedes to hold him up in the opening stint as to allow Alonso or Raikkonen - who will complete the podium in my view - to remain in touch.
Webber will take a solid fourth at his final outing, in an F1 car at least, to Silverstone, with Di Resta first of the Brits across the line ahead of Hamilton, whose tyre woes will return to haunt him, and Grosjean. McLaren meanwhile will be over the moon to get both cars inside the points, with Button and Perez finish either side of Ricciardo, who will be out to reverse the recent trend of being beaten by teammate Vergne. Massa will be eager to re-assert himself after his error strewn races at Monaco and Canada - resulting in a collision with a fading Rosberg...
26 June 2013
Musing on Le Mans 2013
Having just returned from my fourth trip to what is undoubtedly, in mind at least, the world's greatest motor race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I've decided to start a new blog to allow me to share my thoughts on the race itself and the future of sports car racing.
This new blog, which I hope to update weekly alongside my F1 blog, will feature articles concerning a diverse range of motorsport disciplines, including MotoGP, WRC, IndyCar, Touring Cars and more.
Tom Kristensen's ninth victory in Le Mans was a fitting outcome considering the tragic events that occurred early in the race. Kristensen dedicated his latest triumph to his fallen countryman Allan Simonsen, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a heavy crash at the Tertre Rouge corner in his GTE-Am class Aston Martin on just the third lap.
Simonsen was not only a great driver but also a great personality - something that always came across whenever he was interviewed in Channel 4's British GT programming. Coming just two weeks after the death of marshal Mark Robinson at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Simonsen's demise serves as yet another reminder that our sport may never be made totally safe.
Audi were always odds-on favourites for the race victory, whilst expectations were relatively modest for rivals Toyota based on their subdued performances in the opening two rounds of the WEC at Silverstone and Spa. Sure enough, the Japanese manufacturer couldn't hold a candle to Audi in qualifying, but nonetheless put up a surprisingly brave fight during the race.
A combination of French patriotism and anti-Audi sentiment saw the crowd erupt as Nicolas Lapierre overtook two of the three German machines in the cool and somewhat damp opening laps before the safety car was scrambled in the wake of Simonsen's accident. Anthony Davidson in the meantime forced his way up to third in the sister TS030; it seemed at this stage as if we had a real race on our hands.
As the conditions improved, so did the pace of the Audi R18s - Andre Lotterer, Allan McNish and Lucas di Grassi ensured that the Joest-ran cars were all back inside the top three within a few laps after the green flags were waved. Lotterer proceeded to sprint away from his teammates, but his hard work was undone when the #1 car was forced to spend around 45 minutes in the pits to fix an alternator problem.
When the #3 Audi suffered a puncture soon after, costing it around a lap, the Toyotas were back into second and third positions by nightfall. Neither had the pace to challenge the leading #2 Audi of Kristensen, McNish and Frenchman Loic Duval however, with the tricky conditions negating the petrol-powered Toyota's fuel consumption advantage to a degree.
Such was the pace advantage of the Audi that the #3 car was able to catch up and pass the third-placed #7 Toyota in the final few hours of the race, and any chance of the getting both Toyota crews on the podium ended when Lapierre buried his car in the tyres at the Porsche Curves as the rain started to fall once more with less than an hour to go.
Still, such a sequence of events ensured that there was a British driver in each of the top three crews - McNish in the winning #2 Audi, taking his third win at the French classic, Davidson in the second-placed #8 Toyota and Oliver Jarvis in the #3 R18 e-tron quattro. What's more, retirement for both Rebellion Lolas handed privateer LMP1 class honours to the all-British line-up of the #21 Strakka Racing HPD.
Not only that, but the top four crews in the LMP2 class each featured British drivers as well. Martin Plowman and Alex Brundle, son of 1990 Le Mans winner and F1 commentator Martin, drove the winning #35 and second-placed #24 OAK Racing cars respectively; IndyCar race winner Mike Conway and Nissan-Playstation GT Academy graduate Jann Mardenborough also turned heads in their Le Mans debuts.
Aston Martin were also looking good for honours in the GTE-Pro class for much of the race, with the team opting to continue in spite of Simonsen's death with the blessing of the Dane's family. The #99 car had established a healthy class lead, but the morning rain caught out Frederic Makowiecki who lost control and shunted his Vantage at the Forza Motorsport chicane.
The #97 car looked like it could potentially pick up the slack, as the ultra-tight battle for second with the #92 factory Porsche became the battle for the class lead. A late rain shower prompted a strategic miscue by Aston Martin however, relegating the #97 car to third place at the finish behind the second of the Manthey-run works Porsches - a source a great irritation to me, as I had drawn the #97 car in our campsite GTE-Pro sweepstakes!
Few would have predicted a victory, let alone a one-two finish, for Porsche in the first year of competition for their new 991-based contender. Such a result bodes well for the Stuttgart marque's impending return to the LMP1 ranks at Le Mans next year, with Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and the recently added Rebellion driver Neel Jani confirmed as pilots for the new prototype.
That still leaves Porsche in need of a further three drivers, assuming they plan to run two cars next year. Rumours of Kimi Raikkonen signing for Red Bull in F1 refuse to go away, meaning Mark Webber, who drove at Le Mans in 1998 and 1999 for Mercedes-Benz, could well be on the market. Paradoxically, modern endurance racing would afford the Aussie far more opportunity to drive flat-out than he currently has in F1.
It's unlikely that Porsche will look to poach any drivers from sister brand Audi, but high-profile German speaking drivers such as Alexander Wurz and Nick Heidfeld may well be among those who are approached between now and next June. Failing that, Porsche have a host of top-line GT drivers on their books whom they could choose to promote, including Jorg Bergmiester, Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. As the most successful manufacturer ever at La Sarthe, a comeback victory for Porsche cannot be ruled out.
Indeed, it's not completely implausible to think that Toyota may have won at their first attempt last year had one or both cars survived to take advantage of Audi's late mishaps, and the problems for the #1 and #3 cars this time around serve as a reminder that the R18s are far from unbeatable.
It could be a case of third time lucky for Toyota - the second place finish for the #8 car marks the fourth time, after the 1992, 1994 and 1999 races, that the Japanese manufacturer has taken the runner-up position at Le Mans. So far, the TS030's record has mirrored that of its predecessor, the awe-inspiring GT-One - a double retirement in year one and a promising second place finish in year two.
Of course, Toyota pulled the plug on the GT-One programme to focus on its upcoming F1 entry in 2000, but this time around there are no such distractions; be in no doubt that the boys from Cologne will be working flat out to secure the first Le Mans victory for a Japanese manufacturer since Mazda in 1991.
Likewise, after almost a decade and a half of near-dominance, don't expect Audi to do anything besides pull out all the stops to keep hold of its crown. A mouthwatering three-way fight between a trio of sports car racing's most illustrious brands is thus what is in prospect for next year, and the fact Nissan is also making its return via an electric-powered 'Garage 56' entry next year is another positive omen for the future.
Privateer participation is set to be healthy as well. Rebellion Racing, armed with an all-new ORECA chassis, and Strakka Racing both intend to be back next year, while OAK Racing and the Lotus-sponsored Kodewa team are both poised to graduate from the LMP2 ranks to the LMP1 division. Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo, who drove the safety car to start this year's race, is also reportedly looking to relaunch his famous équipe after its disastrous showing in 2012.
Things look healthy in the GT ranks too, with Corvette re-affirming its commitment to Le Mans with the introduction of its new C7 model for next year to take on Ferrari's 458, the Aston Martin Vantages and the SRT Vipers, which did well to both reach the finish at the first time of asking.
The future appears bright for endurance racing. The recent influx of ex-F1 drivers into sports car racing is a hugely encouraging development - whereas 20 years ago they would have joined national touring car championships, or joined DTM ten years ago, sports car racing has re-established itself as the place for F1 refugees to continue their career.
That's a direct result of the recent boom in manufacturer interest, and in turn is cause for ever-increasing fan interest. The WEC has now firmly established itself as a true successor to the old World Sports Car Championship, and it's surely only a matter of time before a McNish or a Davidson is crowned world champion and the British public really start to sit up and take notice.
This new blog, which I hope to update weekly alongside my F1 blog, will feature articles concerning a diverse range of motorsport disciplines, including MotoGP, WRC, IndyCar, Touring Cars and more.
Tom Kristensen's ninth victory in Le Mans was a fitting outcome considering the tragic events that occurred early in the race. Kristensen dedicated his latest triumph to his fallen countryman Allan Simonsen, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a heavy crash at the Tertre Rouge corner in his GTE-Am class Aston Martin on just the third lap.
Simonsen was not only a great driver but also a great personality - something that always came across whenever he was interviewed in Channel 4's British GT programming. Coming just two weeks after the death of marshal Mark Robinson at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Simonsen's demise serves as yet another reminder that our sport may never be made totally safe.
Audi were always odds-on favourites for the race victory, whilst expectations were relatively modest for rivals Toyota based on their subdued performances in the opening two rounds of the WEC at Silverstone and Spa. Sure enough, the Japanese manufacturer couldn't hold a candle to Audi in qualifying, but nonetheless put up a surprisingly brave fight during the race.
A combination of French patriotism and anti-Audi sentiment saw the crowd erupt as Nicolas Lapierre overtook two of the three German machines in the cool and somewhat damp opening laps before the safety car was scrambled in the wake of Simonsen's accident. Anthony Davidson in the meantime forced his way up to third in the sister TS030; it seemed at this stage as if we had a real race on our hands.
As the conditions improved, so did the pace of the Audi R18s - Andre Lotterer, Allan McNish and Lucas di Grassi ensured that the Joest-ran cars were all back inside the top three within a few laps after the green flags were waved. Lotterer proceeded to sprint away from his teammates, but his hard work was undone when the #1 car was forced to spend around 45 minutes in the pits to fix an alternator problem.
When the #3 Audi suffered a puncture soon after, costing it around a lap, the Toyotas were back into second and third positions by nightfall. Neither had the pace to challenge the leading #2 Audi of Kristensen, McNish and Frenchman Loic Duval however, with the tricky conditions negating the petrol-powered Toyota's fuel consumption advantage to a degree.
Such was the pace advantage of the Audi that the #3 car was able to catch up and pass the third-placed #7 Toyota in the final few hours of the race, and any chance of the getting both Toyota crews on the podium ended when Lapierre buried his car in the tyres at the Porsche Curves as the rain started to fall once more with less than an hour to go.
Still, such a sequence of events ensured that there was a British driver in each of the top three crews - McNish in the winning #2 Audi, taking his third win at the French classic, Davidson in the second-placed #8 Toyota and Oliver Jarvis in the #3 R18 e-tron quattro. What's more, retirement for both Rebellion Lolas handed privateer LMP1 class honours to the all-British line-up of the #21 Strakka Racing HPD.
Not only that, but the top four crews in the LMP2 class each featured British drivers as well. Martin Plowman and Alex Brundle, son of 1990 Le Mans winner and F1 commentator Martin, drove the winning #35 and second-placed #24 OAK Racing cars respectively; IndyCar race winner Mike Conway and Nissan-Playstation GT Academy graduate Jann Mardenborough also turned heads in their Le Mans debuts.
Aston Martin were also looking good for honours in the GTE-Pro class for much of the race, with the team opting to continue in spite of Simonsen's death with the blessing of the Dane's family. The #99 car had established a healthy class lead, but the morning rain caught out Frederic Makowiecki who lost control and shunted his Vantage at the Forza Motorsport chicane.
The #97 car looked like it could potentially pick up the slack, as the ultra-tight battle for second with the #92 factory Porsche became the battle for the class lead. A late rain shower prompted a strategic miscue by Aston Martin however, relegating the #97 car to third place at the finish behind the second of the Manthey-run works Porsches - a source a great irritation to me, as I had drawn the #97 car in our campsite GTE-Pro sweepstakes!
Few would have predicted a victory, let alone a one-two finish, for Porsche in the first year of competition for their new 991-based contender. Such a result bodes well for the Stuttgart marque's impending return to the LMP1 ranks at Le Mans next year, with Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and the recently added Rebellion driver Neel Jani confirmed as pilots for the new prototype.
That still leaves Porsche in need of a further three drivers, assuming they plan to run two cars next year. Rumours of Kimi Raikkonen signing for Red Bull in F1 refuse to go away, meaning Mark Webber, who drove at Le Mans in 1998 and 1999 for Mercedes-Benz, could well be on the market. Paradoxically, modern endurance racing would afford the Aussie far more opportunity to drive flat-out than he currently has in F1.
It's unlikely that Porsche will look to poach any drivers from sister brand Audi, but high-profile German speaking drivers such as Alexander Wurz and Nick Heidfeld may well be among those who are approached between now and next June. Failing that, Porsche have a host of top-line GT drivers on their books whom they could choose to promote, including Jorg Bergmiester, Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. As the most successful manufacturer ever at La Sarthe, a comeback victory for Porsche cannot be ruled out.
Indeed, it's not completely implausible to think that Toyota may have won at their first attempt last year had one or both cars survived to take advantage of Audi's late mishaps, and the problems for the #1 and #3 cars this time around serve as a reminder that the R18s are far from unbeatable.
It could be a case of third time lucky for Toyota - the second place finish for the #8 car marks the fourth time, after the 1992, 1994 and 1999 races, that the Japanese manufacturer has taken the runner-up position at Le Mans. So far, the TS030's record has mirrored that of its predecessor, the awe-inspiring GT-One - a double retirement in year one and a promising second place finish in year two.
Of course, Toyota pulled the plug on the GT-One programme to focus on its upcoming F1 entry in 2000, but this time around there are no such distractions; be in no doubt that the boys from Cologne will be working flat out to secure the first Le Mans victory for a Japanese manufacturer since Mazda in 1991.
Likewise, after almost a decade and a half of near-dominance, don't expect Audi to do anything besides pull out all the stops to keep hold of its crown. A mouthwatering three-way fight between a trio of sports car racing's most illustrious brands is thus what is in prospect for next year, and the fact Nissan is also making its return via an electric-powered 'Garage 56' entry next year is another positive omen for the future.
Privateer participation is set to be healthy as well. Rebellion Racing, armed with an all-new ORECA chassis, and Strakka Racing both intend to be back next year, while OAK Racing and the Lotus-sponsored Kodewa team are both poised to graduate from the LMP2 ranks to the LMP1 division. Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo, who drove the safety car to start this year's race, is also reportedly looking to relaunch his famous équipe after its disastrous showing in 2012.
Things look healthy in the GT ranks too, with Corvette re-affirming its commitment to Le Mans with the introduction of its new C7 model for next year to take on Ferrari's 458, the Aston Martin Vantages and the SRT Vipers, which did well to both reach the finish at the first time of asking.
The future appears bright for endurance racing. The recent influx of ex-F1 drivers into sports car racing is a hugely encouraging development - whereas 20 years ago they would have joined national touring car championships, or joined DTM ten years ago, sports car racing has re-established itself as the place for F1 refugees to continue their career.
That's a direct result of the recent boom in manufacturer interest, and in turn is cause for ever-increasing fan interest. The WEC has now firmly established itself as a true successor to the old World Sports Car Championship, and it's surely only a matter of time before a McNish or a Davidson is crowned world champion and the British public really start to sit up and take notice.
19 June 2013
F1 Stat Attack Part II: Most Points
Having previously looked at the all-time win list, it's time to examine the points-scoring record in the second of this three-part 'stat attack' series.
The all-time top ten points scorers, as of the Canadian Grand Prix, are as follows:
1. Michael Schumacher - 1566 points (1991-2012)
2. Fernando Alonso - 1460 points (2003-)
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1186 points (2007-)
4. Jenson Button - 1024 points (2000-)
5. Lewis Hamilton - 990 points (2007-)
6. Mark Webber - 917.5 points (2002-)
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 874 points (2001-)
8. Alain Prost - 798.5 points (1980-1993)
9. Felipe Massa - 753 points (2002-)
10. Rubens Barrichello - 658 points (1993-2011)
The extent to which this list is dominated by current F1 drivers should come as no surprise when you bear in mind that a win is now worth 25 points, rather than 8, 9 or 10 points as it was in the past. This change, made in time for the 2010 season, has allowed Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to amass more points than Alain Prost managed in his entire career in just six years.
Additionally, Fernando Alonso is firmly on course to take the record for the highest career points total by the end of this season - the Ferrari driver is just 106 points - four wins and a seventh place finish - away from surpassing Michael Schumacher's tally of 1566, despite having taken just over a third as many victories as the German in his career.
In the short-term, the battle to set the new standard will thus likely be between Alonso and Vettel. Considering the former's advantage stands at just 274 points, easily attainable in two seasons driving for a top team, the odds strongly favour Vettel making his way to the top of the table not too long after, or perhaps even before, Alonso's retirement.
It's likely Hamilton will also be able to score the 576 points needed to surpass Schumacher, but his near-200 point deficit to Vettel will be difficult to address unless the Brit is able to replicate a Red Bull-style scenario for himself. As for the others in the top ten, 1566 points will probably remain out of reach even with the aid of the current system.
The overwhelming bias towards current drivers in the above list is why I have taken it upon myself to construct a 'normalised' points-scorers list, which reflects how the table would look if the 9-6-4-3-2-1 system, used from 1961 to 1990, had not been amended:
1. Michael Schumacher - 1244 points (1991-2012)
2. Alain Prost - 791.5 points (1980-1993)
3. Fernando Alonso - 681 points (2003-)
4. Ayrton Senna - 599 points (1984-1993)
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 511 points (2001-)
6. Rubens Barrichello - 493 points (1993-2010)
7. Nelson Piquet - 484.5 points (1979-1991)
8. Nigel Mansell - 467 points (1981-1994)
9. David Coulthard - 455 points (1994-2008)
10. Sebastian Vettel - 434 points (2007-)
This list much more closely resembles the all-time win list, albeit also featuring drivers more notable for being among the most experienced ever, such as Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard, at the expense of more celebrated drivers from previous eras. Just outside the top ten are Button (414) and Hamilton (408), with Massa (314) and Webber (292.5) in the lower reaches of the top twenty.
Under this system, Schumacher's record seems far more secure than it is in reality - in order for Alonso to make up the 563 point shortfall, he would have to match his normalised 2012 tally of 83 points a further seven times before the end of his career.
Vettel meanwhile would have to replicate his winning total of 88 points nine more times to overtake his compatriot, which seems a somewhat more realistic prospect given that the Red Bull driver is six years Alonso's junior.
When you consider that points are only awarded down to sixth place, rather than tenth, under the above system, it should come as no surprise that the points tallies of the remaining current drivers would suffer badly.
Under the actual system, Nico Rosberg, with 456.5 points to his name, is up to 15th place in the all-time points scorers list ahead of such illustrious names as Mika Hakkinen and Niki Lauda. Normalise that figure, and the Mercedes driver drops all the way down to 104 points and just 63rd place in the list behind the likes of Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld.
Likewise, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez would be outside of the top 100 with just 24 and 18 points respectively, while Adrian Sutil (12), Pastor Maldonado (11), Nico Hulkenberg (9) and Paul Di Resta (8) would be well among the sport's also-rans. Jean-Eric Vergne would have only just scored his maiden point at Canada with sixth place, whilst Daniel Ricciardo would be yet to score having never finished higher than seventh.
So, while 'normalisation' makes the top of the scorers list seem more palatable, it undoubtedly does rather a disservice to those drivers yet to taste major success. After all, the change from awarding points from sixth to tenth place reflects the increasing number of finishers in modern-day F1.
During the 1992 season, just 49% of the starters on average made it to the finish line; ten years later (the final year of awarding points down to just sixth place), improvements in mechanical reliability had increased that figure to 59%. Last year, in the era of near-perfect reliability, the finishing percentage rate was a rather hefty 81%.
That means that it is now extremely difficult for midfield drivers to finish in the top six compared to ten or twenty years ago. This season, the top six drivers have been made up almost entirely of the Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus drivers, with the other teams having been shut out of the top six in all but a small handful of cases.
Near-perfect reliability has also made it much harder for new teams to score points, even with only having to finish in tenth position as opposed to sixth in order to do so. A team like Caterham would probably have had little trouble scoring numerous points twenty years ago, much as Jordan did in their maiden season in 1991, but have yet failed to do so in almost three and a half years of trying.
On that basis, you could make the case for extending the points system down to twelfth or even fifteenth place based on the current average number of finishers - not since the 2010 Australian Grand Prix have there been fewer than fifteen classified finishers in a race.
That of course would do nothing to address the overwhelming bias towards current drivers at the sharp end of the all-time list, but as the paltry 'normalised' scores of the likes of Perez and Di Resta prove, it would be impossible to ever produce a list that would truly reflect the merits of each driver on it. In that respect, alas, we can but continue to speculate...
The all-time top ten points scorers, as of the Canadian Grand Prix, are as follows:
1. Michael Schumacher - 1566 points (1991-2012)
2. Fernando Alonso - 1460 points (2003-)
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1186 points (2007-)
4. Jenson Button - 1024 points (2000-)
5. Lewis Hamilton - 990 points (2007-)
6. Mark Webber - 917.5 points (2002-)
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 874 points (2001-)
8. Alain Prost - 798.5 points (1980-1993)
9. Felipe Massa - 753 points (2002-)
10. Rubens Barrichello - 658 points (1993-2011)
The extent to which this list is dominated by current F1 drivers should come as no surprise when you bear in mind that a win is now worth 25 points, rather than 8, 9 or 10 points as it was in the past. This change, made in time for the 2010 season, has allowed Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to amass more points than Alain Prost managed in his entire career in just six years.
Additionally, Fernando Alonso is firmly on course to take the record for the highest career points total by the end of this season - the Ferrari driver is just 106 points - four wins and a seventh place finish - away from surpassing Michael Schumacher's tally of 1566, despite having taken just over a third as many victories as the German in his career.
In the short-term, the battle to set the new standard will thus likely be between Alonso and Vettel. Considering the former's advantage stands at just 274 points, easily attainable in two seasons driving for a top team, the odds strongly favour Vettel making his way to the top of the table not too long after, or perhaps even before, Alonso's retirement.
It's likely Hamilton will also be able to score the 576 points needed to surpass Schumacher, but his near-200 point deficit to Vettel will be difficult to address unless the Brit is able to replicate a Red Bull-style scenario for himself. As for the others in the top ten, 1566 points will probably remain out of reach even with the aid of the current system.
The overwhelming bias towards current drivers in the above list is why I have taken it upon myself to construct a 'normalised' points-scorers list, which reflects how the table would look if the 9-6-4-3-2-1 system, used from 1961 to 1990, had not been amended:
1. Michael Schumacher - 1244 points (1991-2012)
2. Alain Prost - 791.5 points (1980-1993)
3. Fernando Alonso - 681 points (2003-)
4. Ayrton Senna - 599 points (1984-1993)
5. Kimi Raikkonen - 511 points (2001-)
6. Rubens Barrichello - 493 points (1993-2010)
7. Nelson Piquet - 484.5 points (1979-1991)
8. Nigel Mansell - 467 points (1981-1994)
9. David Coulthard - 455 points (1994-2008)
10. Sebastian Vettel - 434 points (2007-)
This list much more closely resembles the all-time win list, albeit also featuring drivers more notable for being among the most experienced ever, such as Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard, at the expense of more celebrated drivers from previous eras. Just outside the top ten are Button (414) and Hamilton (408), with Massa (314) and Webber (292.5) in the lower reaches of the top twenty.
Under this system, Schumacher's record seems far more secure than it is in reality - in order for Alonso to make up the 563 point shortfall, he would have to match his normalised 2012 tally of 83 points a further seven times before the end of his career.
Vettel meanwhile would have to replicate his winning total of 88 points nine more times to overtake his compatriot, which seems a somewhat more realistic prospect given that the Red Bull driver is six years Alonso's junior.
When you consider that points are only awarded down to sixth place, rather than tenth, under the above system, it should come as no surprise that the points tallies of the remaining current drivers would suffer badly.
Under the actual system, Nico Rosberg, with 456.5 points to his name, is up to 15th place in the all-time points scorers list ahead of such illustrious names as Mika Hakkinen and Niki Lauda. Normalise that figure, and the Mercedes driver drops all the way down to 104 points and just 63rd place in the list behind the likes of Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld.
Likewise, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez would be outside of the top 100 with just 24 and 18 points respectively, while Adrian Sutil (12), Pastor Maldonado (11), Nico Hulkenberg (9) and Paul Di Resta (8) would be well among the sport's also-rans. Jean-Eric Vergne would have only just scored his maiden point at Canada with sixth place, whilst Daniel Ricciardo would be yet to score having never finished higher than seventh.
So, while 'normalisation' makes the top of the scorers list seem more palatable, it undoubtedly does rather a disservice to those drivers yet to taste major success. After all, the change from awarding points from sixth to tenth place reflects the increasing number of finishers in modern-day F1.
During the 1992 season, just 49% of the starters on average made it to the finish line; ten years later (the final year of awarding points down to just sixth place), improvements in mechanical reliability had increased that figure to 59%. Last year, in the era of near-perfect reliability, the finishing percentage rate was a rather hefty 81%.
That means that it is now extremely difficult for midfield drivers to finish in the top six compared to ten or twenty years ago. This season, the top six drivers have been made up almost entirely of the Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus drivers, with the other teams having been shut out of the top six in all but a small handful of cases.
Near-perfect reliability has also made it much harder for new teams to score points, even with only having to finish in tenth position as opposed to sixth in order to do so. A team like Caterham would probably have had little trouble scoring numerous points twenty years ago, much as Jordan did in their maiden season in 1991, but have yet failed to do so in almost three and a half years of trying.
On that basis, you could make the case for extending the points system down to twelfth or even fifteenth place based on the current average number of finishers - not since the 2010 Australian Grand Prix have there been fewer than fifteen classified finishers in a race.
That of course would do nothing to address the overwhelming bias towards current drivers at the sharp end of the all-time list, but as the paltry 'normalised' scores of the likes of Perez and Di Resta prove, it would be impossible to ever produce a list that would truly reflect the merits of each driver on it. In that respect, alas, we can but continue to speculate...
9 June 2013
Canadian Grand Prix 2013 - Report
Sebastian Vettel consolidated his championship lead with a dominating performance at the Canadian Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, the Red Bull driver was never truly threatened at a circuit at which the Milton Keynes team had never hitherto won. Fernando Alonso rebounded from a subdued qualifying to finish second, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.
Vettel ended Nico Rosberg's pole position streak during a qualifying session that saw mixed conditions, narrowly securing the top spot from Hamilton. The star of the session however was Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, who, thanks to the adverse weather, hauled himself up to a sensational third on the grid. Behind were Rosberg in the second Mercedes, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and Alonso's Ferrari.
Race day was a far sunnier and warmer affair, and Vettel made a clean getaway from pole position to lead the race away from Hamilton. Bottas, no doubt a touch nervous about starting from by far his best ever grid slot, was slightly slower away, giving away positions to Rosberg and Webber in the first sequence of corners. Later in the lap, Alonso demoted the young Finn to sixth along the back straight approaching the final chicane.
With tyre wear much less of an issue than it had been in recent races, Vettel immediately began t o press home his advantage. Within two laps, the gap between the reigning champion and Hamilton in second had grown to 2.7 seconds, and after a further five laps, the gap was up to 4.4 seconds.
Despite having free choice because of the rain in qualifying, all of the front-runners opted to begin the race on the super-soft compound tyre, and as such the pit window opened relatively early. Webber was the first of the top five to pit on lap 13, equipping a set of medium compound tyres, with Rosberg coming a lap later for a fresh set of super-softs.
Vettel surrendered the lead to Hamilton as he made his first visit to the pits for medium compound tyres at the end of lap 15, by which stage he had built his advantage to around eight seconds. The Mercedes driver led until he made his stop at the end of lap 19, Vettel subsequently re-taking the lead.
Rosberg's choice of super-soft tyres for the second stint of the race left him exposed to attack from his medium-shod rivals Webber and Alonso, who also pitted on lap 15. The three ran in close formation for many laps as Vettel and Hamilton escaped at the front.
It wasn't until lap 30 that Webber finally took third place, from Rosberg doing so with the help of DRS on the approach to the final chicane. With the Mercedes clearly struggling for pace on worn super-softs, Alonso wasted no time in demoting the defenceless Rosberg a further position, doing so at the very next corner and moving up to fourth.
The Spaniard wasn't done yet - Webber had little opportunity to break clear of Alonso before battle recommenced, though both had been closing on second place man Hamilton once Rosberg had been dispensed of. Suffering less from tyre wear, Alonso was able to pass Webber to take third at the first corner in similar style to his move on Rosberg.
It was at this stage that the second round of pit-stops began to loom on the horizon (although Rosberg had made his second stop at the end of lap 31), and it was Webber who blinked first - pitting for more medium tyres - on lap 46; Alonso, Hamilton and finally race leader Vettel all made their second stops in consecutive laps.
Whilst Vettel continued untroubled at the head of the pack, the final stint of the race saw Alonso dramatically close on Hamilton for second place. After a couple of near misses, Alonso seized the position at the usual location of the first corner at the start of lap 63, with Hamilton unable to respond and forced to settle for third.
Vettel however had a gap of over 15 seconds over the closest opposition by this stage, effortlessly reeling off the remaining laps to secure an emphatic third win of the season and the 29th of his career and thus extending his points lead over Alonso to 36. Webber, who earlier damaged his front wing whilst colliding with a lapped Giedo van der Garde, and Rosberg, after a precautionary third stop on lap 57, completed the top five.
Sixth position went to Toro Rosso's Jean Eric Vergne, who put in a quietly assured performance to secure his best ever F1 finish. The Frenchman started a creditable seventh on the grid, moving ahead of Bottas on the sixth lap, and built an advantage over his pursuers he would maintain for the remainder of the distance.
Behind Vergne finished Paul Di Resta, who was one of only a small handful of runners to start on medium tyres from a lowly 17th on the grid following another disastrous Q1 exit on Saturday. The Scotsman managed to make his tyres last for a mammoth 56 laps, by which stage he was up to seventh, and was able to retain the place to the flag after his sole pit-stop to secure a solid haul of points for Force India.
Teammate Adrian Sutil had been on course to finish eighth, a good recovery after spinning whilst trying to pass Bottas in the opening laps, but lost two places thanks to a drive-through penalty for ignoring blue flags. That promoted Felipe Massa, who had made good progress having started 16th after a crash in Q2, to eighth place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. From tenth on the grid, the Finn failed to make the expected progress, losing time stuck behind slower cars in the first stint after a poor start.
Finishing just outside the points were the McLaren drivers Sergio Perez and Jenson Button, with the Woking team finishing with no points on the board for the first time since the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The cars were never really on the pace all weekend despite more updates being brought to Montreal - the team's prospects for their home race at Silverstone appear gloomy.
Romain Grosjean, who followed a similar strategy to Di Resta but making an unexpected second stop, came home thirteenth in a lacklustre race for Lotus, with Bottas slumping all the way to fourteenth at the flag with Williams still struggling badly for pace. Daniel Ricciardo also appeared to be working his tyres harder than most and could do no more than fifteenth despite running in the top ten early on.
Completing the finishers were Pastor Maldonado, who compromised his race with a drive-through penalty for making contact with Sutil at the hairpin early on, Marussia drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton and Charles Pic's Caterham. The sister car of van der Garde failed to finish after being carelessly squeezed by Nico Hulkenberg whilst being lapped, ending both drivers' races, whilst Esteban Gutierrez rounded off an abysmal afternoon for Sauber by connecting with the barriers with only a handful of laps to go.
Vettel ended Nico Rosberg's pole position streak during a qualifying session that saw mixed conditions, narrowly securing the top spot from Hamilton. The star of the session however was Williams driver Valtteri Bottas, who, thanks to the adverse weather, hauled himself up to a sensational third on the grid. Behind were Rosberg in the second Mercedes, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and Alonso's Ferrari.
Race day was a far sunnier and warmer affair, and Vettel made a clean getaway from pole position to lead the race away from Hamilton. Bottas, no doubt a touch nervous about starting from by far his best ever grid slot, was slightly slower away, giving away positions to Rosberg and Webber in the first sequence of corners. Later in the lap, Alonso demoted the young Finn to sixth along the back straight approaching the final chicane.
With tyre wear much less of an issue than it had been in recent races, Vettel immediately began t o press home his advantage. Within two laps, the gap between the reigning champion and Hamilton in second had grown to 2.7 seconds, and after a further five laps, the gap was up to 4.4 seconds.
Despite having free choice because of the rain in qualifying, all of the front-runners opted to begin the race on the super-soft compound tyre, and as such the pit window opened relatively early. Webber was the first of the top five to pit on lap 13, equipping a set of medium compound tyres, with Rosberg coming a lap later for a fresh set of super-softs.
Vettel surrendered the lead to Hamilton as he made his first visit to the pits for medium compound tyres at the end of lap 15, by which stage he had built his advantage to around eight seconds. The Mercedes driver led until he made his stop at the end of lap 19, Vettel subsequently re-taking the lead.
Rosberg's choice of super-soft tyres for the second stint of the race left him exposed to attack from his medium-shod rivals Webber and Alonso, who also pitted on lap 15. The three ran in close formation for many laps as Vettel and Hamilton escaped at the front.
It wasn't until lap 30 that Webber finally took third place, from Rosberg doing so with the help of DRS on the approach to the final chicane. With the Mercedes clearly struggling for pace on worn super-softs, Alonso wasted no time in demoting the defenceless Rosberg a further position, doing so at the very next corner and moving up to fourth.
The Spaniard wasn't done yet - Webber had little opportunity to break clear of Alonso before battle recommenced, though both had been closing on second place man Hamilton once Rosberg had been dispensed of. Suffering less from tyre wear, Alonso was able to pass Webber to take third at the first corner in similar style to his move on Rosberg.
It was at this stage that the second round of pit-stops began to loom on the horizon (although Rosberg had made his second stop at the end of lap 31), and it was Webber who blinked first - pitting for more medium tyres - on lap 46; Alonso, Hamilton and finally race leader Vettel all made their second stops in consecutive laps.
Whilst Vettel continued untroubled at the head of the pack, the final stint of the race saw Alonso dramatically close on Hamilton for second place. After a couple of near misses, Alonso seized the position at the usual location of the first corner at the start of lap 63, with Hamilton unable to respond and forced to settle for third.
Vettel however had a gap of over 15 seconds over the closest opposition by this stage, effortlessly reeling off the remaining laps to secure an emphatic third win of the season and the 29th of his career and thus extending his points lead over Alonso to 36. Webber, who earlier damaged his front wing whilst colliding with a lapped Giedo van der Garde, and Rosberg, after a precautionary third stop on lap 57, completed the top five.
Sixth position went to Toro Rosso's Jean Eric Vergne, who put in a quietly assured performance to secure his best ever F1 finish. The Frenchman started a creditable seventh on the grid, moving ahead of Bottas on the sixth lap, and built an advantage over his pursuers he would maintain for the remainder of the distance.
Behind Vergne finished Paul Di Resta, who was one of only a small handful of runners to start on medium tyres from a lowly 17th on the grid following another disastrous Q1 exit on Saturday. The Scotsman managed to make his tyres last for a mammoth 56 laps, by which stage he was up to seventh, and was able to retain the place to the flag after his sole pit-stop to secure a solid haul of points for Force India.
Teammate Adrian Sutil had been on course to finish eighth, a good recovery after spinning whilst trying to pass Bottas in the opening laps, but lost two places thanks to a drive-through penalty for ignoring blue flags. That promoted Felipe Massa, who had made good progress having started 16th after a crash in Q2, to eighth place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. From tenth on the grid, the Finn failed to make the expected progress, losing time stuck behind slower cars in the first stint after a poor start.
Finishing just outside the points were the McLaren drivers Sergio Perez and Jenson Button, with the Woking team finishing with no points on the board for the first time since the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The cars were never really on the pace all weekend despite more updates being brought to Montreal - the team's prospects for their home race at Silverstone appear gloomy.
Romain Grosjean, who followed a similar strategy to Di Resta but making an unexpected second stop, came home thirteenth in a lacklustre race for Lotus, with Bottas slumping all the way to fourteenth at the flag with Williams still struggling badly for pace. Daniel Ricciardo also appeared to be working his tyres harder than most and could do no more than fifteenth despite running in the top ten early on.
Completing the finishers were Pastor Maldonado, who compromised his race with a drive-through penalty for making contact with Sutil at the hairpin early on, Marussia drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton and Charles Pic's Caterham. The sister car of van der Garde failed to finish after being carelessly squeezed by Nico Hulkenberg whilst being lapped, ending both drivers' races, whilst Esteban Gutierrez rounded off an abysmal afternoon for Sauber by connecting with the barriers with only a handful of laps to go.
6 June 2013
Canadian Grand Prix 2013 - Preview
Formula One makes its first trip to the North American continent this weekend, as the teams and drivers arrive at the much loved Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the Canadian city of Montreal for the seventh round of the championship.
Much like Melbourne, the Montreal circuit often provides one of the most entertaining and memorable races of the season. Perhaps this is because the layout of the track is fairly atypical of modern tracks, featuring long straights punctuated by slow and medium speed turns, and the close proximity of the walls - not least the infamous 'Wall of Champions' at the end of the lap - which lends Montreal the aura of a street circuit.
That in turn means that the Safety Car is a regular occurrence at the circuit, whilst inclement weather can further add to the unpredictability of the race - anybody who witnessed Jenson Button's 'last-to-first' victory of two years ago is unlikely to forget it anytime soon. Montreal has also seen a disproportionate number of first-time winners, with Thierry Boutsen (1989), Jean Alesi (1995), Lewis Hamilton (2007) and Robert Kubica (2008), as well as Gilles Villeneuve himself at the track's first F1 race back in 1978, among them.
Like last time out at Monaco, this weekend's tyre allocation consists of the super-soft and medium tyre, although the teams will also be able to test a modified rear tyre, which Pirelli are hoping to introduce in earnest from the next round at Silverstone onwards, during Friday practice. This year's race will see a return to the double DRS arrangement last seen in 2011 after a single zone was used last year; the zones are to be found along the back straight approaching the final chicane and the start/finish straight.
Mercedes are the team everybody is talking about at the moment, and, sadly for the Daimler executives, that's not only because of its first race win of the year at Monaco. On the morning of that particular Grand Prix, it emerged that the German team had conducted a 1,000km tyre test with Pirelli at Barcelona several days after the Spanish Grand Prix, supposedly with the blessing of the FIA but without the knowledge of the other teams.
The sporting regulations of course prohibit any kind of testing with a current-spec car outside of the agreed pre-season testing sessions, as well as filming events and straight-line aerodynamic work; Red Bull and Ferrari immediately launched a protest, believing the test to be a grossly unfair advantage. Mercedes pointed out that it is within Pirelli's contract to be able to request such a test with a particular current-spec car - the W04 being chosen as the car which places the most strain on its rear tyres.
The FIA's response to the matter was that the test would only have been permissible on the basis that Pirelli ran the car themselves and that every team was given an identical opportunity to participate. Clearly, neither of these conditions were met, and, whilst Nico Rosberg's Monaco victory stands, the matter has been referred to the International Tribunal with little indication given thus far of what punishment will be meted out to Mercedes.
Asking a tyre supplier to create deliberately defective products in the name of the 'show' is not compatible with the current testing restrictions - Pirelli were desperate to test with a current car to develop the tyres they have been asked to (after all, what use is a 2010-spec Renault for that purpose?) for the remainder of the year and beyond, assuming of course that the Italian firm do indeed stick around. They have hinted that a loosening of testing rules may even be a prerequisite of an extension to their contract.
It should come as no surprise that both Hankook and former suppliers Bridgestone have recently scotched suggestions they could enter the F1 foray anytime soon, given the immense pressure Pirelli are currently under from the teams, with all of their differing agendas, the fans and the FIA; I for one wouldn't blame Pirelli if they did decide to pull the plug on their F1 activities at the end of the year.
Back to the racing, and Mercedes are likely to be in contention once again at Canada. With four successive pole positions under the team's belt, their car's one-lap prowess is beyond doubt. However, whilst tyres will not be under the same strain at Montreal as they were at tracks such as Catalunya, overtaking will be a relatively straightforward exercise with the help of DRS, meaning Rosberg cannot count on controlling the race from pole position as he did at Monaco.
That said, assuming tyre degradation isn't overly severe, both Mercedes drivers will be aiming for a podium finish. Hamilton in particular is no stranger to success at Canada, having won an additional two times (2010 and 2012) since his maiden victory of six years ago, and will be keen to get back on top of Rosberg having been outperformed at the last two Grands Prix.
Canada is one of two current circuits, the other being Austin, where Red Bull have never won, the slow corners and long straights traditionally not suiting their machine. But, with tyre wear perhaps set to be less of a factor here than previous races, Sebastian Vettel certainly has the opportunity to right that. He did after all run strongly in both 2012 and 2011, leading much of the race until Button passed him at the eleventh hour to steal the win.
Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez both finished on the podium here last year, but are both under pressure heading to Canada after their performances at Monaco. Grosjean didn't exactly endear himself to the Lotus team with his litany of shunts during the weekend, and his ten place grid penalty for his shunt with Daniel Ricciardo during the race will likely severely limit the impact he makes this weekend. A clean run is an absolute must, however, with Eric Boullier's patience with Grosjean reportedly starting to wear thin.
Perez drew the ire of several drivers at Monaco, most notably Kimi Raikkonen, who suggested the young Mexican ought to be 'punched in the face' after their collision. It was nothing if not a spirited performance from Perez however, and he should be applauded for having a go even if he pushed his luck one stage too far. Like Grosjean, a sensible, error-free weekend is what's required of Perez at Canada if he is to avoid providing further ammunition to his critics.
Raikkonen was irritated that Perez's misdemeanour cost him so much ground to Vettel in the points standings, but he has the opportunity to close that gap this weekend on Red Bull's 'bogey' circuit, particularly if he can get away with one less pit-stop than his rivals. After a sub-par race at Monaco, Fernando Alonso must also fancy his chances of closing in on Vettel and perhaps taking Ferrari's first win at Canada since 2004 having ran a strong second for much of the race last year.
Qualifying Prediction
1. Hamilton, 2. Vettel, 3. Rosberg, 4. Alonso, 5. Webber, 6. Raikkonen, 7. Massa, 8. Perez, 9. Button, 10. Di Resta
Race Prediction
1. Alonso, 2. Raikkonen, 3. Hamilton, 4. Rosberg, 5. Webber, 6. Massa, 7. Perez, 8. Di Resta, 9. Sutil, 10. Ricciardo
With the help of a good start and less tyre wear than the opposition, Alonso will come through from the second row of the grid to scoop his third win of the season, with Raikkonen making similar progress to take second. Despite slipping from pole with Mercedes lacking race pace in relation to Ferrari and Lotus, Hamilton will take the final podium spot, crucially re-taking the upper hand over Rosberg on a track that has been kind to the 2008 champion.
Webber will come home fifth in a steady and unspectacular run, just shading Massa and Perez, who will prove wrong his critics with a measured drive. Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil will make it a double points finish for Force India, with Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the points-finishers with tenth. No sign of Vettel though, who is seriously overdue some bad luck - perhaps the 'Wall of Champions' beckons...
Much like Melbourne, the Montreal circuit often provides one of the most entertaining and memorable races of the season. Perhaps this is because the layout of the track is fairly atypical of modern tracks, featuring long straights punctuated by slow and medium speed turns, and the close proximity of the walls - not least the infamous 'Wall of Champions' at the end of the lap - which lends Montreal the aura of a street circuit.
That in turn means that the Safety Car is a regular occurrence at the circuit, whilst inclement weather can further add to the unpredictability of the race - anybody who witnessed Jenson Button's 'last-to-first' victory of two years ago is unlikely to forget it anytime soon. Montreal has also seen a disproportionate number of first-time winners, with Thierry Boutsen (1989), Jean Alesi (1995), Lewis Hamilton (2007) and Robert Kubica (2008), as well as Gilles Villeneuve himself at the track's first F1 race back in 1978, among them.
Like last time out at Monaco, this weekend's tyre allocation consists of the super-soft and medium tyre, although the teams will also be able to test a modified rear tyre, which Pirelli are hoping to introduce in earnest from the next round at Silverstone onwards, during Friday practice. This year's race will see a return to the double DRS arrangement last seen in 2011 after a single zone was used last year; the zones are to be found along the back straight approaching the final chicane and the start/finish straight.
Mercedes are the team everybody is talking about at the moment, and, sadly for the Daimler executives, that's not only because of its first race win of the year at Monaco. On the morning of that particular Grand Prix, it emerged that the German team had conducted a 1,000km tyre test with Pirelli at Barcelona several days after the Spanish Grand Prix, supposedly with the blessing of the FIA but without the knowledge of the other teams.
The sporting regulations of course prohibit any kind of testing with a current-spec car outside of the agreed pre-season testing sessions, as well as filming events and straight-line aerodynamic work; Red Bull and Ferrari immediately launched a protest, believing the test to be a grossly unfair advantage. Mercedes pointed out that it is within Pirelli's contract to be able to request such a test with a particular current-spec car - the W04 being chosen as the car which places the most strain on its rear tyres.
The FIA's response to the matter was that the test would only have been permissible on the basis that Pirelli ran the car themselves and that every team was given an identical opportunity to participate. Clearly, neither of these conditions were met, and, whilst Nico Rosberg's Monaco victory stands, the matter has been referred to the International Tribunal with little indication given thus far of what punishment will be meted out to Mercedes.
Asking a tyre supplier to create deliberately defective products in the name of the 'show' is not compatible with the current testing restrictions - Pirelli were desperate to test with a current car to develop the tyres they have been asked to (after all, what use is a 2010-spec Renault for that purpose?) for the remainder of the year and beyond, assuming of course that the Italian firm do indeed stick around. They have hinted that a loosening of testing rules may even be a prerequisite of an extension to their contract.
It should come as no surprise that both Hankook and former suppliers Bridgestone have recently scotched suggestions they could enter the F1 foray anytime soon, given the immense pressure Pirelli are currently under from the teams, with all of their differing agendas, the fans and the FIA; I for one wouldn't blame Pirelli if they did decide to pull the plug on their F1 activities at the end of the year.
Back to the racing, and Mercedes are likely to be in contention once again at Canada. With four successive pole positions under the team's belt, their car's one-lap prowess is beyond doubt. However, whilst tyres will not be under the same strain at Montreal as they were at tracks such as Catalunya, overtaking will be a relatively straightforward exercise with the help of DRS, meaning Rosberg cannot count on controlling the race from pole position as he did at Monaco.
That said, assuming tyre degradation isn't overly severe, both Mercedes drivers will be aiming for a podium finish. Hamilton in particular is no stranger to success at Canada, having won an additional two times (2010 and 2012) since his maiden victory of six years ago, and will be keen to get back on top of Rosberg having been outperformed at the last two Grands Prix.
Canada is one of two current circuits, the other being Austin, where Red Bull have never won, the slow corners and long straights traditionally not suiting their machine. But, with tyre wear perhaps set to be less of a factor here than previous races, Sebastian Vettel certainly has the opportunity to right that. He did after all run strongly in both 2012 and 2011, leading much of the race until Button passed him at the eleventh hour to steal the win.
Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez both finished on the podium here last year, but are both under pressure heading to Canada after their performances at Monaco. Grosjean didn't exactly endear himself to the Lotus team with his litany of shunts during the weekend, and his ten place grid penalty for his shunt with Daniel Ricciardo during the race will likely severely limit the impact he makes this weekend. A clean run is an absolute must, however, with Eric Boullier's patience with Grosjean reportedly starting to wear thin.
Perez drew the ire of several drivers at Monaco, most notably Kimi Raikkonen, who suggested the young Mexican ought to be 'punched in the face' after their collision. It was nothing if not a spirited performance from Perez however, and he should be applauded for having a go even if he pushed his luck one stage too far. Like Grosjean, a sensible, error-free weekend is what's required of Perez at Canada if he is to avoid providing further ammunition to his critics.
Raikkonen was irritated that Perez's misdemeanour cost him so much ground to Vettel in the points standings, but he has the opportunity to close that gap this weekend on Red Bull's 'bogey' circuit, particularly if he can get away with one less pit-stop than his rivals. After a sub-par race at Monaco, Fernando Alonso must also fancy his chances of closing in on Vettel and perhaps taking Ferrari's first win at Canada since 2004 having ran a strong second for much of the race last year.
Qualifying Prediction
1. Hamilton, 2. Vettel, 3. Rosberg, 4. Alonso, 5. Webber, 6. Raikkonen, 7. Massa, 8. Perez, 9. Button, 10. Di Resta
Race Prediction
1. Alonso, 2. Raikkonen, 3. Hamilton, 4. Rosberg, 5. Webber, 6. Massa, 7. Perez, 8. Di Resta, 9. Sutil, 10. Ricciardo
With the help of a good start and less tyre wear than the opposition, Alonso will come through from the second row of the grid to scoop his third win of the season, with Raikkonen making similar progress to take second. Despite slipping from pole with Mercedes lacking race pace in relation to Ferrari and Lotus, Hamilton will take the final podium spot, crucially re-taking the upper hand over Rosberg on a track that has been kind to the 2008 champion.
Webber will come home fifth in a steady and unspectacular run, just shading Massa and Perez, who will prove wrong his critics with a measured drive. Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil will make it a double points finish for Force India, with Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the points-finishers with tenth. No sign of Vettel though, who is seriously overdue some bad luck - perhaps the 'Wall of Champions' beckons...
1 June 2013
F1 Stat Attack Part I: Most Wins
Over the
past few weeks, I have been doing some trawling of the Formula One record books. In
particular, I have looked at most wins, most starts, and most points, all of
which I will be covering in a three-part series.
The
all-time win list as it stands, as of the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, makes
for very interesting reading:
1. Michael
Schumacher – 91 wins (1994-2006)
2. Alain
Prost – 51 wins (1981-1993)
3. Ayrton
Senna – 41 wins (1985-1993)
4. Fernando
Alonso – 32 wins (2003-present)
5. Nigel Mansell
– 31 wins (1985-1994)
6.
Sebastian Vettel – 28 wins (2008-present)
7. Jackie
Stewart – 27 wins (1965-1973)
8. Jim
Clark – 25 wins (1962-1968)
9. Niki
Lauda – 25 wins (1974-1985)
10. Juan
Manuel Fangio – 23 wins (1950-1957)
Also
knocking of the door of the top ten are Lewis Hamilton (21 wins), Kimi
Raikkonen (20 wins) and Jenson Button (15 wins), with Felipe Massa (11 wins)
and Mark Webber (9 wins) a little further down the order.
The most
striking thing about the list is the sheer lead Schumacher holds over his
closest opposition. It seems unlikely however that the German’s mighty total of
91 wins will ever be surpassed, given the unique advantages, other than his
incredible talent, he possessed in his pomp.
These days,
more or less perfect reliability for every team bar Caterham and Marussia is
the norm, but the Schumacher-Todt-Brawn era Ferrari team were the first to achieve
this in the early 2000s with the help of a virtually limitless budget and
endless testing at Fiorano. Between 2002 and 2004, Schumacher retired just
twice (Brazil 2003 and Monaco 2004), neither of which were caused by any
mechanical issues.
It took the
likes of McLaren, Williams and Renault a few seasons longer to get to this
state, providing Schumacher with many more opportunities than his rivals to
rack up the wins. In addition, between
1994 and 2006, there were only two seasons when Schumacher lacked a ’top’ car
(1996 and 2005); that's no coincidence when you consider his role in
developing the machinery at his disposal.
Compare
that to Damon Hill (22 wins), who had four seasons in a very competitive
Williams before being shuffled away to Arrows in 1997, Mika Hakkinen (20 wins),
who only enjoyed three seasons in a fully competitive McLaren (1998-2000), and
Jacques Villeneuve (11 wins), who had just two seasons with Williams in which
to squeeze an entire career’s worth of wins.
Moving on
to the next generation of drivers against whom Schumacher fought, before this
year, Raikkonen has had two seasons in a McLaren (2003 and 2005) and a further
two with Ferrari (2007-08) to do most of his winning. Alonso meanwhile has so far had his two
title-winning years with Renault, one with McLaren and two with Ferrari (2010
and 2012) in addition to 2013.
Alonso now
sits fourth in the winners’ list with 32 wins, the highest of any active driver.
Assuming the Spaniard remains with a competitive Ferrari team until his contract
expires at the end of 2016, it’s not unrealistic to think he can surpass Senna’s
total of 41 wins fairly easily, or perhaps trouble Prost’s tally of 51. There
nonetheless simply aren’t enough years however, even with 19 or 20 races on the
calendar, for Alonso to catch Schumacher.
Vettel is
the second highest active driver on the list in sixth position, reaching such
heady heights at just 25 years of age. By way of comparison, Schumacher was 28
when he broke into the top six in 1997, whilst Prost, Senna and Alonso were all
29.
Assuming
Vettel remains in competitive machinery for the bulk of his career, it’s not
hard to imagine him surpassing Senna and Prost. But, securing a 92nd
victory will be a far taller order – if we assume, for the sake of argument,
Vettel remains in F1 for another dozen years, he has to win an average of 5.3
races per year in order to overhaul his compatriot.
Lewis
Hamilton probably has another decade to run in his career (assuming he doesn’t
defect to NASCAR to spend more time with girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger), and
thus will need an average of two wins per year to beat Senna’s record, which
seems entirely feasible, or three to overtake Prost, which is still doable if
he is able to remain in a top car for the majority of that period.
As for
Raikkonen, it seems the Finn is unlikely to remain in F1 for more than a couple
more years, meaning passing Stewart for seventh in the list may be about as far as he goes. Button
meanwhile needs another eight wins to level with Fangio and breach the top ten;
if the Briton can achieve that in the remainder of his career, he can retire a
very happy man indeed.
It comes as
little surprise that the top six in the all-time winners list are dominated by
drivers of the ‘Bernie’ era, i.e. since 16 or more races a year have been de rigeur. Though such a state of
affairs will be short-lived, it is fitting that the remainder of the top ten
are made up by, arguably, the greatest drivers of their respective eras.
Fangio took
over as top dog at the start of 1955 from Alberto Ascari, and El Maestro’s record of 24 victories (in
an era when there were as few as six to eight races per season) remained
untouched until Clark notched up a 25th in his last ever F1 start before
his death in 1968.
Five years
later, and another Scot took over at the top of the leaderboard in the form of
Stewart. Lauda came close, drawing level with Clark, but it wouldn’t be until
1987 that Stewart’s record would be toppled as Prost took his 28th
win.
As the
Frenchman retired from the sport at the end of 1993, it seemed probable that
Senna would take the 11 extra victories necessary to surpass his great rival,
but the tragic events of Imola ‘94 put paid to any such hopes. Had Senna
survived, something about which I’ve written in the past, he may have reached
60 wins, and perhaps Schumacher’s record would only stand around the 80 mark
instead of the present 91.
Schumacher’s
success was the perfect storm of a number of factors, not least of which was
the immense investment made by the manufacturers and the tobacco firms in the
early 2000s. It’s hard to see such a state of affairs ever being replicated, meaning
in turn that it will extremely difficult for any team achieving the kind of sustained
dominance required to propel a driver beyond 91 wins. Even Red Bull appears to
be faltering somewhat in this tyre-dominated 2013 season.
Seven
titles may well be equalled, as may be 68 pole positions – after all, Vettel
only needs a further 31 to break that record. But, of all Schumacher’s many
records (unless, of course, the F1 calendar is dramatically expanded in the
future), 91 career victories appears to be the most untouchable.
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