When it comes to the countries in which Formula One is the most popular, the three that spring to mind first are the UK, Germany and Italy. Why is it, then, that while the first two nations in that shortlist account for over a third of the current grid, F1 is currently devoid of Italian drivers?
Inevitably, the popularity of a sport in any given country often boils down to whether the nation in question can boast a successful player or team in that particular sport, which generates news coverage and thus public interest.
Sebastian Vettel's three world titles, coming not too long after Michael Schumacher's dominant streak, has made F1 one of the most popular sports in Germany. Likewise, the recent successes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have kept F1 in the headlines in the UK in spite of some strong competition from numerous other sports.
On the other hand, Italy hasn't had so much as a race winner in F1 since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006, and you have to back much further to find an Italian finishing in the top three of the championship - Riccardo Patrese in 1992. As for an Italian champion, there hasn't been one since Alberto Ascari racked up his second title all the way back in 1953.
So, while the popularity of F1 in Italy can't be accounted for by the presence of star drivers, a certain revered constructor - the one constant factor throughout the sport's history - most certainly can.
For all the herculean efforts of the likes of Michele Alboreto, Patrese, Fisichella and Jarno Trulli, Italian F1 fans remain fixated on Ferrari, and most likely will continue to do so while the Maranello concern remains in the sport.
It doesn't matter who drives the distinctive scarlet cars - whether it's a German, a Finn, a Brazilian or a Spaniard - as long as they have what it takes to ensure Ferrari come out on top, the roars from the grandstands at Monza will be equally as deafening.
But, therein lies something of a problem for young Italian drivers hoping to scale the single-seater ladder.
Though F1's popularity in Italy means there are no shortage of hopefuls hoping to follow in the footsteps of Ascari and Alboreto, because it is the Ferrari, and not the driver, that matters to the Italian public, little interest is paid to where the next Italian driver is going to come from.
Since GP2's inception in 2005, every champion of the series has progressed to F1 with the exception of two, both Italians. Giorgio Pantano is the first, winning the championship in 2008, but his age (29 at the time) and his underwhelming previous F1 attempt with Jordan in 2004 prevented him from getting what would have been a deserved second crack of the whip.
The second is last year's champion Davide Valsecchi, who was seemingly never in real contention for a race drive this year, even amongst the backmarking teams, but has been able to bag himself a reserve role at Lotus. Better than nothing, but still hardly a just reward for the 26-year-old's prowess in GP2.
Though you might argue Valsecchi's age and considerable GP2 experience would count against him when it came to securing an F1 seat, it's worth bearing in mind that these factors didn't prevent the older, equally experienced, but better-funded Giedo van der Garde landing a drive with Caterham this year.
Cigarette brand Marlboro used to be a prolific backer of Italian talent during the 80s and 90s, but in more recent times funding shortages has proven an even larger obstacle than normal, resulting in many promising Italians missing out on F1 altogether - Valsecchi and GP2 runner-up Luca Filippi chief among them.
Since 2000, the only Italians that have managed to break into F1 have been Pantano and Gianmaria Bruni in 2004, both of whom only lasted a single season, and the Red Bull-backed Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2005, who dropped off the grid at the end of 2011 after driving for Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT.
Because so little attention is paid to Italian drivers in their homeland as a result of the national obsession with Ferrari, it makes it extraordinarily difficult for them to raise sponsorship. Contrast that to a driver from somewhere like Russia or Mexico, countries for which success in F1 is a complete novelty, who would have a far easier time assembling the necessary budget to advance their career.
There are nonetheless a couple of drivers in the lower formulae who have what it takes to buck this rather paradoxical trend. What it takes, as Valsecchi and Filippi can tell you, is more than sheer talent alone, though.
Anybody who follows Formula Three will no doubt have their eye on a young Italian by the name of Raffaele Marciello, who currently leads the championship comfortably following a triple victory at the Nurburgring. What marks Marciello as different to the promising Italians that have come before, though, is that he is a member of Ferrari's Driver Academy.
That crucial link means that Marciello, who is clearly a prodigious talent, won't run into funding problems as many of his compatriots have done as he ascends the single-seater ladder. And, when it comes to stepping up to the highest level a couple of years after that, he will be ideally placed to slot into one of Ferrari's customer teams.
Further down the ladder, another Ferrari-backed Italian youngster, Antonio Fuoco is leading the championship in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series. He may only be 17, but it's not inconceivable that his Ferrari backing could see him break into the ranks of F1 five or six years from now if he continues to deliver the results.
Not since Ivan Capelli way back in 1992 has there been an Italian driving full-time for Ferrari, but as a result of their Driver Academy, it's possible in years to come that having at least one Italian driver at Maranello could become de rigeur - something which would surely do much to bolster the popularity of F1 in Italy.
There is a danger that, with no representation on the grid, Italian interest in F1 could drop off very quickly indeed should Ferrari ever decide to quit the sport. Thus, by investing in some promising Italian talent, Ferrari stands to give Italy's passion for the sport a somewhat more solid footing as well as to end the Italian paradox.
31 August 2013
25 August 2013
Belgian Grand Prix 2013 - Report
For everyone besides the hardiest Sebastian Vettel fans, the Belgian Grand Prix was an enormous anti-climax after what was the most exciting qualifying session for quite some time on Saturday.
After the famous Spa-Francorchamps weather threw up a thrilling spectacle that saw Lewis Hamilton emerge on top of a nail-biting three-way showdown on a drying track, a dry race saw Vettel take the upper hand on the first lap and simply cruise away into the distance to take a fifth win of the year.
The German now has a championship lead of 48 points, which will make it extremely difficult for any of his rivals to deny him a fourth successive championship crown over the course of the eight remaining tracks.
After the famous Spa-Francorchamps weather threw up a thrilling spectacle that saw Lewis Hamilton emerge on top of a nail-biting three-way showdown on a drying track, a dry race saw Vettel take the upper hand on the first lap and simply cruise away into the distance to take a fifth win of the year.
The German now has a championship lead of 48 points, which will make it extremely difficult for any of his rivals to deny him a fourth successive championship crown over the course of the eight remaining tracks.
At the start, pole-sitter Hamilton held the advantage through La Source, but a better run through the fearsome Eau Rouge corner was what enabled Vettel to slingshot his way past the Brit before the braking zone for Les Combes on the very first lap.
Behind, Rosberg made his way from fourth on the grid up to third initially, ahead of Jenson Button who made a great getaway from sixth on the grid. Both soon found themselves demoted by Alonso however, who was able to vault from ninth to fifth at the start and make his way up to third by the end of the sixth lap, passing both Button and Rosberg at Les Combes.
Webber also passed Button on the fifth lap to demote the McLaren driver to sixth, with Paul Di Resta, who dropped back two places from an impressive fifth on the grid, Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez completing the early top ten.
The Mexican would soon find himself dropping down the order with a drive-through penalty, which he earned for forcing Grosjean off the track at Les Combes as he made his way past the Frenchman on lap 8.
During the first pit-stop phase, Alonso was able to close the three second gap to Hamilton, who lost time stuck behind Grosjean after an earlier first stop. Once Alonso came in three laps later, the Ferrari driver rejoined the circuit right behind Hamilton and took second place at La Source on lap 15.
There was nothing the Spaniard could do about Vettel however, who was already seven seconds clear at this stage and would extend his advantage to 17 seconds by the chequered flag. Vettel's 31st career victory sees the championship leader draw level with Nigel Mansell in the all-time list.
Hamilton held on for third position, unable to respond to Alonso after being passed but never threatened by his teammate Rosberg behind. Having seemed on the cusp of passing the German at first, Webber settled into fifth position behind Rosberg, where he would remain for the duration of the race.
Button seemed set to attempt a one-stop strategy, briefly leading after Vettel and Alonso made their second stops, but dropped back to sixth place at the finish after making a second visit to the pits himself 10 laps from home.Romain Grosjean successfully got by with a single stop, only dropping seventh place to Felipe Massa with a handful of laps remaining.
Massa had originally passed Grosjean when the Lotus driver ran off track at Les Combes, and steadily climbed up the order in a solid drive. Nonetheless, he'll have to do more at Monza to stand a chance of keeping his seat, after which time it is said that Ferrari will make their decision on who will partner Alonso next season.
Completing the points finishers were Adrian Sutil and Daniel Ricciardo, who demoted Perez three laps from the finish at Les Combes in the battle for the final point. It seems only a matter of time before the Aussie is confirmed at Red Bull for next year; a well-deserved promotion after another excellent performance.
Kimi Raikkonen’s incredible points-scoring streak finally came to an end, suffering brake failure at around half-distance. The Finn's car had been puffing black smoke from the front-left wheel for much of the first half of the race, so it was little surprise to see the Lotus plough straight on at the Bus Stop chicane whilst Raikkonen battled Massa for position.
His first non-score of the year drops Raikkonen down to fourth place behind Alonso and Hamilton in the championship.
There was more drama to come at the Bus Stop yet, however. During the second pit-stop phase, Pastor Maldonado's Williams began to held up a queue consisting of Esteban Gutierrez, Sutil, Di Resta (who had made his second stop at this stage) and Nico Hulkenberg.
Having been passed by Esteban Gutierrez into the first part of the chicane on lap 27, Maldonado clipped Sutil, who drove around his outside of the second part, damaging his front wing and clattering into Di Resta as he attempted to steer into the pit-lane for repairs. The Venezuelan was given a 10-second stop and go penalty for causing the chaos.
Jean-Eric Vergne took advantage of Di Resta's retirement to finish twelfth, with Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, the second Williams of Valtteri Bottas next to cross the line.
The impressive Giedo van der Garde, who qualified 14th thanks to rain during qualifying, managed to finish a creditable 16th, ahead of the penalised Maldonado, with Marussia drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton, who dropping back quickly having qualified 15th and 16th respectively and rounding out the finishers.
The only other retirement besides Raikkonen and Di Resta was Charles Pic, who retired after eight laps due to an oil leak.
The next race at the ultra-low downforce Monza circuit will be a crucial opportunity for Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen to regain ground on a seemingly unstoppable Vettel. With nearly all of the remaining 'flyaway' tracks considered strong venues for Red Bull, another win for the reigning champion would in all likelihood effectively end the title contest.
And it seemed just a few months ago that we were in for such an exciting championship battle, didn't it?
21 August 2013
Belgian Grand Prix 2013 - Preview
Formula One's four-week summer break is almost at an end, with the action getting back underway this weekend at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The Belgian venue, nestled in the heart of the Ardennes Forest, almost invariably ranks among each driver's two or three favourites on the calendar, and it's not hard to see why. Despite having been significantly shortened in 1981, Spa is still one of the fastest and most challenging tracks anywhere in the world - and drivers can really make all the difference at such fearsome corners as Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont.
Overtaking tends to be relatively straightforward at Spa, although two DRS zones - one along the start/finish straight and the other on the Kemmel Straight approaching Les Combes - will make matters even easier. The tyre allocation for the weekend consists of the medium and hard compound tyres, though if current weather forecasts are to be believed, the intermediate or wet tyres may also be making an appearance.
Speculation regarding the state of the driver market has been rife throughout the summer break, and this weekend it seems as if the first piece of the puzzle may finally slot into place. Kimi Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson effectively ruled out a move to Red Bull for the "Iceman", paving the way for Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo to make the step up to the reigning champion team in place of the soon-to-retire Mark Webber.
According to some sources however, Red Bull aren't ready to throw in the towel in the fight for Raikkonen's services yet, with one final offer reportedly to be made to the Finn this weekend. If true, this seems to smack of desperation on the part of Red Bull, who, in my opinion, would be better off going for the younger, more malleable Ricciardo in any case.
Speculation has also escalated in recent days that Raikkonen is poised to return to Ferrari, for whom he won the title in 2007, but this seems unlikely when you consider the terms on which the Finn left Ferrari at the end of the 2009 season - in order to get Fernando Alonso in their car a year sooner, the team terminated Raikkonen's contract a year early and paid him handsomely to remain on the sidelines.
Were Ferrari to take Raikkonen back in place of the ailing Massa, it would represent a significant loss of face for the team, in particular for Ferrari President Luca di Montezemelo. And, even if that obstacle could be overcome, would Raikkonen really want to play second fiddle to Alonso in a team clearly galvanised around the Spaniard?
The smart money thus remains on Raikkonen - a four-time winner at Spa - remaining at Lotus next season. But, while their driver technically remains a free agent, it's imperative that the Enstone outfit are able to perform well in order to convince Raikkonen they can be a championship-winning force.
On the other side of the Lotus garage, Romain Grosjean returns to the scene of his infamous first corner shunt last year that saw the Frenchman slapped with a one-race ban. While Grosjean's prospects of being retained for next season have significantly improved in light of his pace at the last two races, any incident at Spa is likely to bring memories of 2012 flooding back and put his drive in renewed doubt.
Though Sebastian Vettel took a convincing victory at Spa two years ago, the Belgian track isn't generally considered a happy hunting ground for the German or the Red Bull team. That makes this weekend's race, as well as the next one at Monza, which has a similar character to Spa, a crucial opportunity for Vettel's rivals to make up precious ground in the title race.
Arguably, his emphatic win last time out at Hungary makes Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton the biggest threat to Vettel, despite the Brit being 48 points in arrears of the reigning champion in the standings. With the W04 seemingly at home on the revised Pirelli tyres at the Hungaroring, it will be fascinating to see how the car goes around a circuit which offers an altogether different challenge.
Alonso meanwhile will be hoping that Ferrari is able to perform better at Spa following a rather indifferent performance at Hungary which saw the two-time champion slip to third in the championship behind Raikkonen. A strong result is not only imperative to claw back some of the lost ground to Vettel, but also to show that the Scuderia can be a genuine title contender in the latter half of the year.
Following two successive races with both cars in the points for his McLaren, Jenson Button will no doubt be optimistic of his chances of a strong result in Belgium, even if a repeat of his win from last year remains well out of reach. The Woking team has now closed to within two points of Force India in the fight for fifth in the constructors' standings, and it would surely be a great morale booster for McLaren to take that place this weekend.
With the driver market set to fall into place quickly once Raikkonen's future has been determined, the next few races will be pivotal for those looking for a step up to a top team - principally Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil - to show what they are capable of. What better place to do exactly that than at a proper drivers' circuit such as Spa?
Qualifying Prediction
1. Hamilton, 2. Vettel, 3. Rosberg, 4. Webber, 5. Raikkonen, 6. Alonso, 7. Grosjean, 8. Massa, 9. Sutil, 10. Ricciardo
Race Prediction
1. Raikkonen, 2. Hamilton, 3. Vettel, 4. Alonso, 5. Grosjean, 6. Rosberg, 7. Button, 8. Perez, 9. Ricciardo, 10. Hulkenberg
After a couple of near misses, Spa virtuoso Raikkonen will finally take his second win of the season and take a chunk out of Vettel's points lead, with pole-sitter Hamilton keeping his title hopes alive with second place. Nico Rosberg meanwhile will show solid qualifying pace once more but will lose places to Alonso and a sensible Grosjean during the race.
Meanwhile, McLaren will once again end up with both cars in the points, with Button and Perez crossing the line within a couple of seconds of one another and Force India struggling to score once again. Completing the top ten will be Ricciardo, buoyed by a likely promotion to Red Bull, and Hulkenberg, who will squeeze every last tenth out of his Sauber in a bid to impress Ferrari and Lotus.
The Belgian venue, nestled in the heart of the Ardennes Forest, almost invariably ranks among each driver's two or three favourites on the calendar, and it's not hard to see why. Despite having been significantly shortened in 1981, Spa is still one of the fastest and most challenging tracks anywhere in the world - and drivers can really make all the difference at such fearsome corners as Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont.
Overtaking tends to be relatively straightforward at Spa, although two DRS zones - one along the start/finish straight and the other on the Kemmel Straight approaching Les Combes - will make matters even easier. The tyre allocation for the weekend consists of the medium and hard compound tyres, though if current weather forecasts are to be believed, the intermediate or wet tyres may also be making an appearance.
Speculation regarding the state of the driver market has been rife throughout the summer break, and this weekend it seems as if the first piece of the puzzle may finally slot into place. Kimi Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson effectively ruled out a move to Red Bull for the "Iceman", paving the way for Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo to make the step up to the reigning champion team in place of the soon-to-retire Mark Webber.
According to some sources however, Red Bull aren't ready to throw in the towel in the fight for Raikkonen's services yet, with one final offer reportedly to be made to the Finn this weekend. If true, this seems to smack of desperation on the part of Red Bull, who, in my opinion, would be better off going for the younger, more malleable Ricciardo in any case.
Speculation has also escalated in recent days that Raikkonen is poised to return to Ferrari, for whom he won the title in 2007, but this seems unlikely when you consider the terms on which the Finn left Ferrari at the end of the 2009 season - in order to get Fernando Alonso in their car a year sooner, the team terminated Raikkonen's contract a year early and paid him handsomely to remain on the sidelines.
Were Ferrari to take Raikkonen back in place of the ailing Massa, it would represent a significant loss of face for the team, in particular for Ferrari President Luca di Montezemelo. And, even if that obstacle could be overcome, would Raikkonen really want to play second fiddle to Alonso in a team clearly galvanised around the Spaniard?
The smart money thus remains on Raikkonen - a four-time winner at Spa - remaining at Lotus next season. But, while their driver technically remains a free agent, it's imperative that the Enstone outfit are able to perform well in order to convince Raikkonen they can be a championship-winning force.
On the other side of the Lotus garage, Romain Grosjean returns to the scene of his infamous first corner shunt last year that saw the Frenchman slapped with a one-race ban. While Grosjean's prospects of being retained for next season have significantly improved in light of his pace at the last two races, any incident at Spa is likely to bring memories of 2012 flooding back and put his drive in renewed doubt.
Though Sebastian Vettel took a convincing victory at Spa two years ago, the Belgian track isn't generally considered a happy hunting ground for the German or the Red Bull team. That makes this weekend's race, as well as the next one at Monza, which has a similar character to Spa, a crucial opportunity for Vettel's rivals to make up precious ground in the title race.
Arguably, his emphatic win last time out at Hungary makes Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton the biggest threat to Vettel, despite the Brit being 48 points in arrears of the reigning champion in the standings. With the W04 seemingly at home on the revised Pirelli tyres at the Hungaroring, it will be fascinating to see how the car goes around a circuit which offers an altogether different challenge.
Alonso meanwhile will be hoping that Ferrari is able to perform better at Spa following a rather indifferent performance at Hungary which saw the two-time champion slip to third in the championship behind Raikkonen. A strong result is not only imperative to claw back some of the lost ground to Vettel, but also to show that the Scuderia can be a genuine title contender in the latter half of the year.
Following two successive races with both cars in the points for his McLaren, Jenson Button will no doubt be optimistic of his chances of a strong result in Belgium, even if a repeat of his win from last year remains well out of reach. The Woking team has now closed to within two points of Force India in the fight for fifth in the constructors' standings, and it would surely be a great morale booster for McLaren to take that place this weekend.
With the driver market set to fall into place quickly once Raikkonen's future has been determined, the next few races will be pivotal for those looking for a step up to a top team - principally Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil - to show what they are capable of. What better place to do exactly that than at a proper drivers' circuit such as Spa?
Qualifying Prediction
1. Hamilton, 2. Vettel, 3. Rosberg, 4. Webber, 5. Raikkonen, 6. Alonso, 7. Grosjean, 8. Massa, 9. Sutil, 10. Ricciardo
Race Prediction
1. Raikkonen, 2. Hamilton, 3. Vettel, 4. Alonso, 5. Grosjean, 6. Rosberg, 7. Button, 8. Perez, 9. Ricciardo, 10. Hulkenberg
After a couple of near misses, Spa virtuoso Raikkonen will finally take his second win of the season and take a chunk out of Vettel's points lead, with pole-sitter Hamilton keeping his title hopes alive with second place. Nico Rosberg meanwhile will show solid qualifying pace once more but will lose places to Alonso and a sensible Grosjean during the race.
Meanwhile, McLaren will once again end up with both cars in the points, with Button and Perez crossing the line within a couple of seconds of one another and Force India struggling to score once again. Completing the top ten will be Ricciardo, buoyed by a likely promotion to Red Bull, and Hulkenberg, who will squeeze every last tenth out of his Sauber in a bid to impress Ferrari and Lotus.
17 August 2013
What next for World Superbikes?
Last week, a fairly bold new set of rules for the beleaguered Superbike World Championship, aimed at reducing the cost of competing in the series and bolstering grid sizes, was announced for next season.
The most striking feature of these 2014 regulations is the fact that motorcycle manufacturers will be obliged to provide official equipment to all competitors at a fixed cost, effectively preventing them from favouring a single 'factory' team.
Though six manufacturers are represented on the 2013 grid in World Superbike, just three - Kawasaki, Aprilia and BMW - are full factory efforts, with Suzuki (Crescent), Ducati (Alstare) and Honda (Ten Kate) relying on favoured third-party outfits to run their bikes.
Even before the new rules were announced, BMW already confirmed their departure from the championship at the end of the season, leaving only Kawasaki and Aprilia in 2014 - that is, if they decide to continue competing under the new rules, which would all but eliminate the advantage of their respective factory teams.
Another major rule change for the 2014 World Superbike season is the introduction of a secondary 'EVO' class, which will cater for Superbikes conforming to more production-based engine and electronics regulations currently seen in the third-tier Superstock series.
Such a move is very reminiscent of MotoGP's decision to add the CRT class last year; this should come as little surprise after World Superbike fell under the control of the same commercial rights holder as MotoGP last year, the Spanish-based Dorna Sports organisation.
The CRT class served to blur what was hitherto a clear distinction between MotoGP and World Superbike - that the former was for prototypes, and the latter for production-derived machinery, a dividing line that gave World Superbike its raison d'être.
Now, Superbike engines from Kawasaki, BMW and Honda are to be found powering a range of different prototype chassis in the back half of the MotoGP grid. To confuse matters further, there are also a brace of machines that amount to little more than re-badged Aprilia Superbikes dominating the CRT class.
Even the most casual observer would have no problem in spotting the remarkable similarities between this CRT bike, entered under the 'Aprilia Racing Technologies' banner, and the Aprilia RSV4 World Superbike.
What's more, proprietary electronic software, which is said to be key to the success of the Aspar-run ART machines relative to their CRT competitors, is to be banned in the CRT class (or the 'non-factory' class, as it is to become known) next year in favour of spec software written by Magneti Marelli.
That means, that if Aprilia wants to continue to use its own software, it must become a full factory team and take on the might of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. That in turn means conforming to a rigourous 20-litre fuel limit, an enormous barrier to entry that the 'big three' manufacturers are in no mood to see removed.
Whether Aprilia has the resources to overcome this obstacle isn't clear. But, the new rules that have been announced for World Superbike must make taking on the challenge of MotoGP a more attractive proposition than it may have been otherwise.
That potentially leaves Kawasaki as the only remaining works operation on the World Superbike grid, and it would surely be a matter of time before they also departed with the marketing value of competing in the championship significantly diminished by the presence of only one full manufacturer entry.
Thus, it seems World Superbike is in the midst of an identity crisis. It's probable that, after several seasons of trialing 'EVO' bikes, the two classes will meet somewhere in the middle, leaving a fairly tightly-packed grid made up of independent teams with limited factory support.
That would surely signify the end of the two premier motorcycle racing championships trying to compete with one another, which would be the only logical outcome given that World Superbike and MotoGP are now under the control of a single commercial rights holder.
Instead of pretending to be the pinnacle, World Superbike would be able to market itself as an alternative route for riders reach MotoGP, one where young talents can test their skills against those who have already been there and done it.
This make sense, as ever since Grand Prix Racing adopted four-stroke bikes back in 2002, World Superbike has constantly suffered from its best riders leaking away to MotoGP.
The high-water mark for World Superbike was arguably the 2002 season, which witnessed an epic duel for supremacy between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. The following year, both men made the leap to MotoGP.
World Superbike has struggled to scale such heights since, and the past decade has seen three more of its champions - Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Ben Spies - switch to MotoGP. With several Grand Prix riders going in the opposite direction, most notably Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, World Superbike came to be defined by its relationship to MotoGP rather than by its own merits.
There simply are not enough financial resources available to make both MotoGP and World Superbike global successes, meaning that the latter is going to have play second fiddle now it is under the Dorna Sports umbrella. That doesn't mean that World Superbike can't enjoy a healthy future, though.
A combination of up-and-coming talents and past MotoGP masters competing on less expensive, more production-based machinery would be make a thoroughly entertaining spectacle. Dorna should therefore leave the elite riders and full factory entrants to MotoGP, and allow World Superbike to evolve into its perfect compliment.
The most striking feature of these 2014 regulations is the fact that motorcycle manufacturers will be obliged to provide official equipment to all competitors at a fixed cost, effectively preventing them from favouring a single 'factory' team.
Though six manufacturers are represented on the 2013 grid in World Superbike, just three - Kawasaki, Aprilia and BMW - are full factory efforts, with Suzuki (Crescent), Ducati (Alstare) and Honda (Ten Kate) relying on favoured third-party outfits to run their bikes.
Even before the new rules were announced, BMW already confirmed their departure from the championship at the end of the season, leaving only Kawasaki and Aprilia in 2014 - that is, if they decide to continue competing under the new rules, which would all but eliminate the advantage of their respective factory teams.
Another major rule change for the 2014 World Superbike season is the introduction of a secondary 'EVO' class, which will cater for Superbikes conforming to more production-based engine and electronics regulations currently seen in the third-tier Superstock series.
Such a move is very reminiscent of MotoGP's decision to add the CRT class last year; this should come as little surprise after World Superbike fell under the control of the same commercial rights holder as MotoGP last year, the Spanish-based Dorna Sports organisation.
The CRT class served to blur what was hitherto a clear distinction between MotoGP and World Superbike - that the former was for prototypes, and the latter for production-derived machinery, a dividing line that gave World Superbike its raison d'être.
Now, Superbike engines from Kawasaki, BMW and Honda are to be found powering a range of different prototype chassis in the back half of the MotoGP grid. To confuse matters further, there are also a brace of machines that amount to little more than re-badged Aprilia Superbikes dominating the CRT class.
Even the most casual observer would have no problem in spotting the remarkable similarities between this CRT bike, entered under the 'Aprilia Racing Technologies' banner, and the Aprilia RSV4 World Superbike.
What's more, proprietary electronic software, which is said to be key to the success of the Aspar-run ART machines relative to their CRT competitors, is to be banned in the CRT class (or the 'non-factory' class, as it is to become known) next year in favour of spec software written by Magneti Marelli.
That means, that if Aprilia wants to continue to use its own software, it must become a full factory team and take on the might of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. That in turn means conforming to a rigourous 20-litre fuel limit, an enormous barrier to entry that the 'big three' manufacturers are in no mood to see removed.
Whether Aprilia has the resources to overcome this obstacle isn't clear. But, the new rules that have been announced for World Superbike must make taking on the challenge of MotoGP a more attractive proposition than it may have been otherwise.
That potentially leaves Kawasaki as the only remaining works operation on the World Superbike grid, and it would surely be a matter of time before they also departed with the marketing value of competing in the championship significantly diminished by the presence of only one full manufacturer entry.
Thus, it seems World Superbike is in the midst of an identity crisis. It's probable that, after several seasons of trialing 'EVO' bikes, the two classes will meet somewhere in the middle, leaving a fairly tightly-packed grid made up of independent teams with limited factory support.
That would surely signify the end of the two premier motorcycle racing championships trying to compete with one another, which would be the only logical outcome given that World Superbike and MotoGP are now under the control of a single commercial rights holder.
Instead of pretending to be the pinnacle, World Superbike would be able to market itself as an alternative route for riders reach MotoGP, one where young talents can test their skills against those who have already been there and done it.
This make sense, as ever since Grand Prix Racing adopted four-stroke bikes back in 2002, World Superbike has constantly suffered from its best riders leaking away to MotoGP.
The high-water mark for World Superbike was arguably the 2002 season, which witnessed an epic duel for supremacy between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. The following year, both men made the leap to MotoGP.
World Superbike has struggled to scale such heights since, and the past decade has seen three more of its champions - Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Ben Spies - switch to MotoGP. With several Grand Prix riders going in the opposite direction, most notably Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, World Superbike came to be defined by its relationship to MotoGP rather than by its own merits.
There simply are not enough financial resources available to make both MotoGP and World Superbike global successes, meaning that the latter is going to have play second fiddle now it is under the Dorna Sports umbrella. That doesn't mean that World Superbike can't enjoy a healthy future, though.
A combination of up-and-coming talents and past MotoGP masters competing on less expensive, more production-based machinery would be make a thoroughly entertaining spectacle. Dorna should therefore leave the elite riders and full factory entrants to MotoGP, and allow World Superbike to evolve into its perfect compliment.
14 August 2013
Has F1 become less talented?
Last week, Autosport reported that Red Bull driver Mark Webber made the assertion that the quality of talent that makes up the Formula One grid has declined since he made his debut in 2002, largely owing to the increased prevalence of paying drivers.
After reading this article, my initial impression was to dismiss Webber's comments as completely false. After all, in 2002, nobody could hold a candle to Michael Schumacher, whilst we currently enjoy no fewer than five different world champions on the grid as well as a host of other talented race winners.
Upon closer inspection however, I discovered that there was indeed some merit in Webber's comments. Let's have a closer look at the respective line-ups of 2002 and 2013:
NB: By 2002, Alonso had already completed a full F1 season for Minardi and was test driver for Renault.
When you compare these two lists, Webber's claim that there are more paying drivers on the grid than there were eleven years ago is difficult to ignore. In 2002, only Enrique Bernoldi and Alex Yoong could truly be classified as pay drivers, and even then, the former was the first graduate of the nascent Red Bull junior scheme.
Now, Esteban Gutierrez (Telmex/Claro), Pastor Maldonado (PDVSA), Giedo van der Garde (McGregor) and Max Chilton (Aon) could all be said to be in their current seats almost exclusively by virtue of their funding, whilst Romain Grosjean (Total), Adrian Sutil (Medion/Capri-Sun) and Charles Pic (IDEC/Lagardere) at least have their sponsors partly to thank for their drives.
But, just because there are more paying drivers on the grid doesn't necessarily make them less talented. With the exception of Sutil, who has now racked up 100 starts in F1, all of the above have placed in the top five in the GP2 series; that doesn't happen by accident.
Admittedly, they may not be the absolute best candidates that the lower formulae have to offer, and Webber makes the valid point that the talented Robin Frijns is set to miss out on F1 because a lack of sponsorship funds. But, just because some deserving drivers miss out shouldn't automatically lead us to dismiss the ones that do make it as no-hopers.
Sergey Sirokin, the 17-year-old Russian who is set to race for Sauber next year as part of a financial rescue package, has come under much criticism. But, as I explain in my "Ones to Watch" article, he in fact has a fairly formidable record in the junior formulae for someone of such a tender age.
Equally, many fans were dismayed that talented veteran drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock had lost their seats for this season for want of sponsorship funds. In an ideal world - one where the F1 grid is made up of the best drivers in the world - both Kovalainen and Glock would undoubtedly still be around.
You could in fact argue that the early-to-mid 2000s was about the closest we've had to that ideal world. The combined monetary might of the tobacco companies, eager to take advantage of sports advertising before stricter regulations came into force, and the car companies ensured that nearly every team had a healthy budget in place.
In 2002, tobacco companies backed the Ferrari, McLaren, Jordan, Renault and BAR teams, while Williams-BMW, Jaguar and Toyota were all funded generously by the relevant car manufacturer. Sauber also had a big-money deal in place with oil giant Petronas, leaving only Arrows and Minardi as teams genuinely struggling for cash.
This meant the 2002 season featured such "journeymen" as Olivier Panis, Eddie Irvine, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Mika Salo - drivers whose careers had evidently peaked by this stage, but whose experience proved attractive to the well-financed midfield teams.
Now, only the 'big four' teams - Red Bull (Infiniti), McLaren (Vodafone), Ferrari (Marlboro) and Mercedes (Petronas) - can so much as boast a title sponsor, leaving the rest, including the race-winning Lotus outfit, in a somewhat precarious fiscal situation.
Such a sad state of affairs means that drivers today typically only have two to three seasons to be snapped up by a top team before they disappear from F1. Since the start of 2010, 17 drivers have made their F1 debut; among them, only Sergio Perez has so far done enough to establish himself in a financially secure team.
It's hard to imagine drivers like Nick Heidfeld or Jenson Button being afforded as much time to develop as they were back in the early 2000s without some serious cash in their pockets. Likewise, someone such as Kamui Kobayashi would probably still be on the grid if he had emerged on the scene at the height of the tobacco/manufacturer era.
But, if there's no space on the grid in 2013 for a talented youngster like Kobayashi, there certainly isn't for the Kovalainens and the Glocks. Unless Hulkenberg is able to bag a top drive for next season, the underfunded German could find himself on the sidelines next year, too.
This would of course be an enormous shame, and it goes without saying that more needs to be done to reduce the cost of competing in F1 (I personally favour the idea of customer cars, but that's for another post). But, as things are, young talent just isn't being given the required breathing space to survive.
Perhaps, then, a fairer way to surmise would not be to say that the field featured more talent eleven years ago, but to say that there were more "known quantities" on the grid - drivers who in the past had demonstrated great talent, even if their best years were behind them.
Conversely, the grid is currently populated by many drivers whose ultimate potential is unclear. And unless the top teams give these drivers a break, the sorry financial situation of F1 means we might never know whether any of them are good enough to become world champion.
After reading this article, my initial impression was to dismiss Webber's comments as completely false. After all, in 2002, nobody could hold a candle to Michael Schumacher, whilst we currently enjoy no fewer than five different world champions on the grid as well as a host of other talented race winners.
Upon closer inspection however, I discovered that there was indeed some merit in Webber's comments. Let's have a closer look at the respective line-ups of 2002 and 2013:
| 2002 | 2013 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | ||
| 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull | ||
| 3 | David Coulthard | McLaren | 3 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | ||
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | McLaren | 4 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | ||
| 5 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams | 5 | Jenson Button | McLaren | ||
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams | 6 | Sergio Perez | McLaren | ||
| 7 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Lotus | ||
| 8 | Felipe Massa | Sauber | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | ||
| 9 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Jordan | 9 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | ||
| 10 | Takuma Sato | Jordan | 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | ||
| 11 | Jacques Villeneuve | BAR | 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | ||
| 12 | Olivier Panis | BAR | 12 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber | ||
| 14 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 14 | Paul Di Resta | Force India | ||
| 15 | Jenson Button | Renault | 15 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | ||
| 16 | Eddie Irvine | Jaguar | 16 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | ||
| 17 | Pedro de la Rosa | Jaguar | 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | ||
| 20 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Arrows | 18 | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso | ||
| 21 | Enrique Bernoldi | Arrows | 19 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | ||
| 22 | Alex Yoong | Minardi | 20 | Charles Pic | Caterham | ||
| 23 | Mark Webber | Minardi | 21 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham | ||
| 24 | Mika Salo | Toyota | 22 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia | ||
| 25 | Allan McNish | Toyota | 23 | Max Chilton | Marussia |
NB: By 2002, Alonso had already completed a full F1 season for Minardi and was test driver for Renault.
Now, Esteban Gutierrez (Telmex/Claro), Pastor Maldonado (PDVSA), Giedo van der Garde (McGregor) and Max Chilton (Aon) could all be said to be in their current seats almost exclusively by virtue of their funding, whilst Romain Grosjean (Total), Adrian Sutil (Medion/Capri-Sun) and Charles Pic (IDEC/Lagardere) at least have their sponsors partly to thank for their drives.
But, just because there are more paying drivers on the grid doesn't necessarily make them less talented. With the exception of Sutil, who has now racked up 100 starts in F1, all of the above have placed in the top five in the GP2 series; that doesn't happen by accident.
Admittedly, they may not be the absolute best candidates that the lower formulae have to offer, and Webber makes the valid point that the talented Robin Frijns is set to miss out on F1 because a lack of sponsorship funds. But, just because some deserving drivers miss out shouldn't automatically lead us to dismiss the ones that do make it as no-hopers.
Sergey Sirokin, the 17-year-old Russian who is set to race for Sauber next year as part of a financial rescue package, has come under much criticism. But, as I explain in my "Ones to Watch" article, he in fact has a fairly formidable record in the junior formulae for someone of such a tender age.
Equally, many fans were dismayed that talented veteran drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock had lost their seats for this season for want of sponsorship funds. In an ideal world - one where the F1 grid is made up of the best drivers in the world - both Kovalainen and Glock would undoubtedly still be around.
You could in fact argue that the early-to-mid 2000s was about the closest we've had to that ideal world. The combined monetary might of the tobacco companies, eager to take advantage of sports advertising before stricter regulations came into force, and the car companies ensured that nearly every team had a healthy budget in place.
In 2002, tobacco companies backed the Ferrari, McLaren, Jordan, Renault and BAR teams, while Williams-BMW, Jaguar and Toyota were all funded generously by the relevant car manufacturer. Sauber also had a big-money deal in place with oil giant Petronas, leaving only Arrows and Minardi as teams genuinely struggling for cash.
This meant the 2002 season featured such "journeymen" as Olivier Panis, Eddie Irvine, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Mika Salo - drivers whose careers had evidently peaked by this stage, but whose experience proved attractive to the well-financed midfield teams.
Now, only the 'big four' teams - Red Bull (Infiniti), McLaren (Vodafone), Ferrari (Marlboro) and Mercedes (Petronas) - can so much as boast a title sponsor, leaving the rest, including the race-winning Lotus outfit, in a somewhat precarious fiscal situation.
Such a sad state of affairs means that drivers today typically only have two to three seasons to be snapped up by a top team before they disappear from F1. Since the start of 2010, 17 drivers have made their F1 debut; among them, only Sergio Perez has so far done enough to establish himself in a financially secure team.
It's hard to imagine drivers like Nick Heidfeld or Jenson Button being afforded as much time to develop as they were back in the early 2000s without some serious cash in their pockets. Likewise, someone such as Kamui Kobayashi would probably still be on the grid if he had emerged on the scene at the height of the tobacco/manufacturer era.
But, if there's no space on the grid in 2013 for a talented youngster like Kobayashi, there certainly isn't for the Kovalainens and the Glocks. Unless Hulkenberg is able to bag a top drive for next season, the underfunded German could find himself on the sidelines next year, too.
This would of course be an enormous shame, and it goes without saying that more needs to be done to reduce the cost of competing in F1 (I personally favour the idea of customer cars, but that's for another post). But, as things are, young talent just isn't being given the required breathing space to survive.
All of that said, it's the top
teams where the quality of the drivers has undoubtedly improved. With the
retirement of Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher was left relatively
unchallenged at the head of the field in 2002, with Kimi Raikkonen and Juan
Pablo Montoya - widely tipped as the next big stars at the time - only in their
second seasons of F1 and yet to mature into genuine rivals for the dominant
German.
Fast-forward
thirteen years, and it's hard to choose a single stand-out driver. You could
make a convincing case for any of Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis
Hamilton or Raikkonen to be the best on the grid, whilst Button, Webber, Nico
Rosberg and Felipe Massa (at least in pre-2009 spec) certainly aren't far
behind.
But, excluding this group of eight drivers, the remainder (excluding Sutil) have all started fewer than 50 Grands Prix. That makes it very difficult to assess just how good they are, even if many have shown flashes of brilliant potential.
Perhaps, then, a fairer way to surmise would not be to say that the field featured more talent eleven years ago, but to say that there were more "known quantities" on the grid - drivers who in the past had demonstrated great talent, even if their best years were behind them.
Conversely, the grid is currently populated by many drivers whose ultimate potential is unclear. And unless the top teams give these drivers a break, the sorry financial situation of F1 means we might never know whether any of them are good enough to become world champion.
10 August 2013
Ones to Watch 2013
With so many junior championships available to aspiring Formula One drivers in the modern age, it should come as no surprise that there are perhaps more promising hopefuls than ever before tearing up the tracks and getting themselves noticed in various formulae.
Here, I take a look at some we could be seeing in F1 paddocks within the next few years, whilst assessing the progress of some drivers I have tipped for success in the past two years.
Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium, 21)
With Robin Frijns proving last year that it's more than possible to make a big impact in your first year of Formula Renault 3.5, expectations were high for Vandoorne - the Dutchman's successor as Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion.
Vandoorne wasted no time in living up to such expectations, taking victory during his maiden outing in the 3.5 class at Monza for his Fortec team. Since then, the young Belgian has chalked up an additional three wins, including a dominant double at Moscow Raceway, and has proven the closest challenger to series leader Kevin Magnussen.
Vandoorne was picked up by McLaren to join their junior scheme early in the year, incidentally putting him in the same fold as title rival Magnussen. With the Danish driver set to graduate to F1 next year, Vandoorne will no doubt start next season as red-hot favourite to win the Formula Renault 3.5 title (assuming, of course, he doesn't do so this year).
With the financial might of McLaren behind him, there's no reason to think why Vandoorne couldn't, in time, become the first Belgian to take a Grand Prix victory since Thierry Boutsen in 1990.
Sergey Sirotkin (Russia, 17)
Sirotkin has been in the headlines recently, and, to most, having the teenage Russian in a race seat next year is the price the Sauber team must pay to remain afloat. But, such a viewpoint does an enormous disservice to a driver who has achieved a lot in his short career so far.
By the time of his 18th birthday, Sebastian Vettel was Formula BMW champion and had achieved three fifth places in F3 Euroseries. By the same stage, Fernando Alonso, in his first season of car racing, had taken a couple of race victories in the Euro Open by Nissan series, whilst Lewis Hamilton had placed third in British Formula Renault.
Compared with the above, the record of Sirotkin, who turns 18 later this month, stacks up well: so far, he is Formula Abarth champion, a race winner and regular podium finisher in Auto GP, and, as of this year, a podium finisher and regular points-scorer in Formula Renault 3.5.
Admittedly, an F1 race seat would probably be too much, too soon for Sirotkin, particularly in an age with severely limited testing. But, if he is thrust inside a Sauber cockpit next year, Sirotkin has the potential to make a success of his situation and could be just the man to ignite Russian interest in the sport.
Tio Ellinas (Cyprus, 21)
It's been tough to pick a stand-out driver from the GP3 Series this year, with the top seven drivers in the standings separated by just 31 points. But, top of the pile for now is Ellinas, who is on track to become F1's first ever Cypriot driver.
Ellinas has gone from being impressive debutant in GP3 last year to being a major threat for the title this year for the Marussia team. Consistency has been key to his challenge, being one of only two drivers (the other is reigning British F3 champion Jack Harvey) to have scored in eight out of the ten races so far.
Ellinas has undertaken straight-line work behind the wheel of the Marussia's F1 car, as well as having taken part in the Silverstone Young Driver Test for Marussia. Team principal John Booth was said to be impressed with the way Ellinas handled the enormous step up in performance from his usual machinery.
A step up to GP2 is the next logical step for the Cypriot, along with some more track time on Fridays with Marussia. If he continues to perform, the chance of an F1 race seat will surely loom on the horizon.
Daniil Kvyat (Russia, 19)
The latest product of the conveyor belt of talent that is the Red Bull junior scheme, Kvyat has measured well against his Arden teammate and fellow Red Bull-backed driver Carlos Sainz Jr. so far this season in GP3.
Stepping up from Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, where he was pipped to the title by Vandoorne, Kvyat has been a regular points-scorer in GP3, taking his first podium last time out at Hungary. With three rounds still to go, there's every chance that the Russian could eclipse Sainz Jr. before the year is out.
Kvyat has also impressed in his F3 outings this season, having taken four pole positions and as many podiums in his appearances for the Carlin team. In fact, had he been eligible for points, he would be comfortably inside the championship top ten.
Kvyat made his bow in F1 machinery with the Toro Rosso team at the Silverstone Young Driver Test, and given his Red Bull links, a drive with the Faenza-based team will be just the thing upon which the Russian has his sights firmly set in years to come after gaining more experience in the lower formulae.
Felix Rosenqvist (Sweden, 21)
It may be Rosenqvist's fourth season at Formula 3 level, but there is still something to be said for taking one's time moving up the rungs of the single-seater ladder. In particular, F3 has proven to be a reliable indicator of a driver's potential in the past, which bodes well indeed for the Swedish driver.
Indeed, Rosenqvist has now emerged as a real championship contender in the FIA-backed European F3 series. A superb run of recent form, including a hat-trick of victories at the Red Bull Ring, has brought him within touching distance of points leader Raffaele Marciello.
After finishing runner-up to Antonio Felix da Costa at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix last year, Rosenqvist also managed to notch up a second win in the blue-riband Masters of F3 event last month - emulating the feat of a certain Williams F1 driver Valtteri Bottas - for his Mucke Motorsport team.
The extent of his F3 experience should make Rosenqvist better placed to tackle the rigours of either GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 than many of his rivals. If he can continue to deliver the results, interest from one or more F1 teams will surely follow.
Lucas Auer (Austria, 18)
With the Red Bull Ring set to return to the F1 calendar next year, the Austrian fans are going to need a new home hero for whom to cheer. Who better to fill such a role than the nephew of Gerhard Berger, the last Austrian to win a Grand Prix back in 1997?
Enter Lucas Auer, who in just his third season of car racing has made quite an impact in the FIA European F3 series - he has been one of the championship's front-runners this season, racking up a maiden win at Brands Hatch (albeit after on-track victor Marciello was disqualified) and five other podium finishes.
Auer finds himself battling with Prema teammate and fellow European F3 rookie Alex Lynn, who has moved across from the British series, for 'best of the rest' honours behind Marciello and Rosenqvist.
A full title challenge in the series likely beckons for Auer before a step up to a more senior category. And, it's worth noting that having 'Uncle Gerhard' as President of the FIA's single-seater commission can hardly hinder matters as the young Austrian seeks a path to F1...
Of the drivers highlighted in my previous 'Ones to Watch' articles, Esteban Gutierrez, Jean-Eric Vergne, Charles Pic and Jules Bianchi have all made it to Formula One. Read on for a summary of how the others are currently faring...
Felipe Nasr - running second in the GP2 standings for Carlin having scored in every round bar one; his Brazilian sponsors give him a good chance of joining the F1 grid next year regardless of whether or not he comes out on top in his title battle with series veterans Stefano Coletti and Fabio Leimer.
Alexander Rossi - in his debut season of GP2 with the Caterham team, for whom he has participated in Friday Practice at the Canadian Grand Prix this year. A race seat with the Leafield-based team is a possibility for the Californian, either for next year or the year after, if he continues to impress.
Mitch Evans - currently the highest-placed rookie in the GP2 standings, the Kiwi driver has taken four podiums (including two at Monaco) for the Arden team so far and will be looking to fight for the championship next year before making the step up to F1 with the help of mentor Mark Webber.
Robin Frijns - has impressed in a series of GP2 outings this season for the Hilmer Motorsport team, particularly at Catalunya where he won the feature race and came second in the sprint. A lack of funds has nevertheless curtailed his season, and despite driving for Sauber during the Silverstone Young Driver Test, the prospects of him landing an F1 seat now appear slim.
Kevin Magnussen - leading the Formula Renault 3.5 series for the DAMS team, having taken two wins and a further six podium finishes. It seems likely that the McLaren junior will appear on the F1 grid next season, possibly at Marussia, having tested for the Woking team at Silverstone.
Antonio Felix da Costa - has failed to live up to his billing as pre-season favourite in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, but fifth in the standings for Arden isn't a fair reflection of the speed he has shown. Red Bull links means he remains favourite to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Toro Rosso next year if a vacancy emerges.
Carlos Sainz Jr. - one of eight or nine drivers still in with a chance of title glory in GP3, having scored two podium finishes so far for Arden. Tested for Toro Rosso at Silverstone but is still a few years away from being ready for a race seat, even by his own admission.
Raffaele Marciello - has seen his championship lead in FIA European F3 narrowed considerably by Rosenqvist in recent races, but his Ferrari backing should see him in either GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 next year; an F1 test can surely only be a matter of time.
Felix Serralles - has been a regular points scorer in European F3, but is still suffering the after-effects of a crash last season in the British series. Pending a return to full fitness, the Puerto Rican will be eyeing the Euro F3 title next season.
To read my previous 'Ones to Watch' articles, click here (2011) and here (2012).
Here, I take a look at some we could be seeing in F1 paddocks within the next few years, whilst assessing the progress of some drivers I have tipped for success in the past two years.
Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium, 21)
With Robin Frijns proving last year that it's more than possible to make a big impact in your first year of Formula Renault 3.5, expectations were high for Vandoorne - the Dutchman's successor as Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion.
Vandoorne wasted no time in living up to such expectations, taking victory during his maiden outing in the 3.5 class at Monza for his Fortec team. Since then, the young Belgian has chalked up an additional three wins, including a dominant double at Moscow Raceway, and has proven the closest challenger to series leader Kevin Magnussen.
Vandoorne was picked up by McLaren to join their junior scheme early in the year, incidentally putting him in the same fold as title rival Magnussen. With the Danish driver set to graduate to F1 next year, Vandoorne will no doubt start next season as red-hot favourite to win the Formula Renault 3.5 title (assuming, of course, he doesn't do so this year).
With the financial might of McLaren behind him, there's no reason to think why Vandoorne couldn't, in time, become the first Belgian to take a Grand Prix victory since Thierry Boutsen in 1990.
Sergey Sirotkin (Russia, 17)
Sirotkin has been in the headlines recently, and, to most, having the teenage Russian in a race seat next year is the price the Sauber team must pay to remain afloat. But, such a viewpoint does an enormous disservice to a driver who has achieved a lot in his short career so far.
By the time of his 18th birthday, Sebastian Vettel was Formula BMW champion and had achieved three fifth places in F3 Euroseries. By the same stage, Fernando Alonso, in his first season of car racing, had taken a couple of race victories in the Euro Open by Nissan series, whilst Lewis Hamilton had placed third in British Formula Renault.
Compared with the above, the record of Sirotkin, who turns 18 later this month, stacks up well: so far, he is Formula Abarth champion, a race winner and regular podium finisher in Auto GP, and, as of this year, a podium finisher and regular points-scorer in Formula Renault 3.5.
Admittedly, an F1 race seat would probably be too much, too soon for Sirotkin, particularly in an age with severely limited testing. But, if he is thrust inside a Sauber cockpit next year, Sirotkin has the potential to make a success of his situation and could be just the man to ignite Russian interest in the sport.
Tio Ellinas (Cyprus, 21)
It's been tough to pick a stand-out driver from the GP3 Series this year, with the top seven drivers in the standings separated by just 31 points. But, top of the pile for now is Ellinas, who is on track to become F1's first ever Cypriot driver.
Ellinas has gone from being impressive debutant in GP3 last year to being a major threat for the title this year for the Marussia team. Consistency has been key to his challenge, being one of only two drivers (the other is reigning British F3 champion Jack Harvey) to have scored in eight out of the ten races so far.
Ellinas has undertaken straight-line work behind the wheel of the Marussia's F1 car, as well as having taken part in the Silverstone Young Driver Test for Marussia. Team principal John Booth was said to be impressed with the way Ellinas handled the enormous step up in performance from his usual machinery.
A step up to GP2 is the next logical step for the Cypriot, along with some more track time on Fridays with Marussia. If he continues to perform, the chance of an F1 race seat will surely loom on the horizon.
Daniil Kvyat (Russia, 19)
The latest product of the conveyor belt of talent that is the Red Bull junior scheme, Kvyat has measured well against his Arden teammate and fellow Red Bull-backed driver Carlos Sainz Jr. so far this season in GP3.
Stepping up from Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, where he was pipped to the title by Vandoorne, Kvyat has been a regular points-scorer in GP3, taking his first podium last time out at Hungary. With three rounds still to go, there's every chance that the Russian could eclipse Sainz Jr. before the year is out.
Kvyat has also impressed in his F3 outings this season, having taken four pole positions and as many podiums in his appearances for the Carlin team. In fact, had he been eligible for points, he would be comfortably inside the championship top ten.
Kvyat made his bow in F1 machinery with the Toro Rosso team at the Silverstone Young Driver Test, and given his Red Bull links, a drive with the Faenza-based team will be just the thing upon which the Russian has his sights firmly set in years to come after gaining more experience in the lower formulae.
Felix Rosenqvist (Sweden, 21)
It may be Rosenqvist's fourth season at Formula 3 level, but there is still something to be said for taking one's time moving up the rungs of the single-seater ladder. In particular, F3 has proven to be a reliable indicator of a driver's potential in the past, which bodes well indeed for the Swedish driver.
Indeed, Rosenqvist has now emerged as a real championship contender in the FIA-backed European F3 series. A superb run of recent form, including a hat-trick of victories at the Red Bull Ring, has brought him within touching distance of points leader Raffaele Marciello.
After finishing runner-up to Antonio Felix da Costa at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix last year, Rosenqvist also managed to notch up a second win in the blue-riband Masters of F3 event last month - emulating the feat of a certain Williams F1 driver Valtteri Bottas - for his Mucke Motorsport team.
The extent of his F3 experience should make Rosenqvist better placed to tackle the rigours of either GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 than many of his rivals. If he can continue to deliver the results, interest from one or more F1 teams will surely follow.
Lucas Auer (Austria, 18)
With the Red Bull Ring set to return to the F1 calendar next year, the Austrian fans are going to need a new home hero for whom to cheer. Who better to fill such a role than the nephew of Gerhard Berger, the last Austrian to win a Grand Prix back in 1997?
Enter Lucas Auer, who in just his third season of car racing has made quite an impact in the FIA European F3 series - he has been one of the championship's front-runners this season, racking up a maiden win at Brands Hatch (albeit after on-track victor Marciello was disqualified) and five other podium finishes.
Auer finds himself battling with Prema teammate and fellow European F3 rookie Alex Lynn, who has moved across from the British series, for 'best of the rest' honours behind Marciello and Rosenqvist.
A full title challenge in the series likely beckons for Auer before a step up to a more senior category. And, it's worth noting that having 'Uncle Gerhard' as President of the FIA's single-seater commission can hardly hinder matters as the young Austrian seeks a path to F1...
***
Of the drivers highlighted in my previous 'Ones to Watch' articles, Esteban Gutierrez, Jean-Eric Vergne, Charles Pic and Jules Bianchi have all made it to Formula One. Read on for a summary of how the others are currently faring...
Felipe Nasr - running second in the GP2 standings for Carlin having scored in every round bar one; his Brazilian sponsors give him a good chance of joining the F1 grid next year regardless of whether or not he comes out on top in his title battle with series veterans Stefano Coletti and Fabio Leimer.
Alexander Rossi - in his debut season of GP2 with the Caterham team, for whom he has participated in Friday Practice at the Canadian Grand Prix this year. A race seat with the Leafield-based team is a possibility for the Californian, either for next year or the year after, if he continues to impress.
Mitch Evans - currently the highest-placed rookie in the GP2 standings, the Kiwi driver has taken four podiums (including two at Monaco) for the Arden team so far and will be looking to fight for the championship next year before making the step up to F1 with the help of mentor Mark Webber.
Robin Frijns - has impressed in a series of GP2 outings this season for the Hilmer Motorsport team, particularly at Catalunya where he won the feature race and came second in the sprint. A lack of funds has nevertheless curtailed his season, and despite driving for Sauber during the Silverstone Young Driver Test, the prospects of him landing an F1 seat now appear slim.
Kevin Magnussen - leading the Formula Renault 3.5 series for the DAMS team, having taken two wins and a further six podium finishes. It seems likely that the McLaren junior will appear on the F1 grid next season, possibly at Marussia, having tested for the Woking team at Silverstone.
Antonio Felix da Costa - has failed to live up to his billing as pre-season favourite in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, but fifth in the standings for Arden isn't a fair reflection of the speed he has shown. Red Bull links means he remains favourite to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Toro Rosso next year if a vacancy emerges.
Carlos Sainz Jr. - one of eight or nine drivers still in with a chance of title glory in GP3, having scored two podium finishes so far for Arden. Tested for Toro Rosso at Silverstone but is still a few years away from being ready for a race seat, even by his own admission.
Raffaele Marciello - has seen his championship lead in FIA European F3 narrowed considerably by Rosenqvist in recent races, but his Ferrari backing should see him in either GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 next year; an F1 test can surely only be a matter of time.
Felix Serralles - has been a regular points scorer in European F3, but is still suffering the after-effects of a crash last season in the British series. Pending a return to full fitness, the Puerto Rican will be eyeing the Euro F3 title next season.
To read my previous 'Ones to Watch' articles, click here (2011) and here (2012).
7 August 2013
2013 Half-term report
With ten races down and nine to go in this year's Formula One title race, it's the perfect time to look back upon the first half of the 2013 season and how each of the 22 drivers have fared. Who have been the top performers and who has work to do retain their seat for next year?
Sebastian Vettel (D, Infiniti Red Bull Racing), 1st - 172pts A+
When choosing a stand-out driver of the first half of 2013, it's difficult to look beyond Vettel. Besides a rare gearbox problem at Silverstone which denied the reigning champion a likely victory, he has finished in the top four at every race, establishing a level of consistency unmatched by anybody else in the field. Furthermore, only once has he qualified outside the top three, something which has been key to his four victories at Malaysia, Bahrain, Canada and on home turf in Germany. The only real criticism one can make is the way he conducted himself en route to the first of those wins, but his fans will retort that the single-mindedness he demonstrated at Sepang is exactly why he is firmly on course to match Alain Prost's tally of four titles by November.
When choosing a stand-out driver of the first half of 2013, it's difficult to look beyond Vettel. Besides a rare gearbox problem at Silverstone which denied the reigning champion a likely victory, he has finished in the top four at every race, establishing a level of consistency unmatched by anybody else in the field. Furthermore, only once has he qualified outside the top three, something which has been key to his four victories at Malaysia, Bahrain, Canada and on home turf in Germany. The only real criticism one can make is the way he conducted himself en route to the first of those wins, but his fans will retort that the single-mindedness he demonstrated at Sepang is exactly why he is firmly on course to match Alain Prost's tally of four titles by November.
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN, Lotus F1 Team), 2nd - 134pts A
With Lotus once more punching well above its financial weight, Raikkonen has been able to put himself in genuine title contention this season after a highly promising comeback year in 2012. Things couldn't have started better at Melbourne as the "Iceman" took a well-deserved win, and despite not having revisited the top step of the podium since, Raikkonen has scored in every race (the only man to do so this year), having finished second on no fewer than five occasions. Qualifying however has been a weak point; the Finn's average grid position so far has been sixth, leaving himself slightly too much work to do on race day - hence only the one win so far. It's a statistic upon which Raikkonen will have to improve in order to keep Vettel in his sights.
With Lotus once more punching well above its financial weight, Raikkonen has been able to put himself in genuine title contention this season after a highly promising comeback year in 2012. Things couldn't have started better at Melbourne as the "Iceman" took a well-deserved win, and despite not having revisited the top step of the podium since, Raikkonen has scored in every race (the only man to do so this year), having finished second on no fewer than five occasions. Qualifying however has been a weak point; the Finn's average grid position so far has been sixth, leaving himself slightly too much work to do on race day - hence only the one win so far. It's a statistic upon which Raikkonen will have to improve in order to keep Vettel in his sights.
Fernando Alonso (E, Scuderia Ferrari), 3rd - 133pts A
After a strong start to the season marked by two imperious victories at China and Spain, Alonso is now faced with the daunting task of closing a 39-point deficit to Vettel in the latter half of the year. With the exception of Monaco, it's hard to find much fault with the Spaniard's driving so far, and if not for the operational errors on the part of his Ferrari team at Malaysia and Bahrain, he would be right up with Vettel in the standings. The trouble is, whereas Alonso's machinery was capable of wins early in the campaign, Ferrari has slipped to fourth in the pecking order behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus in recent races. There's no doubt the man behind the wheel is capable of delivering - the onus is on the Scuderia to ensure he isn't left behind.
After a strong start to the season marked by two imperious victories at China and Spain, Alonso is now faced with the daunting task of closing a 39-point deficit to Vettel in the latter half of the year. With the exception of Monaco, it's hard to find much fault with the Spaniard's driving so far, and if not for the operational errors on the part of his Ferrari team at Malaysia and Bahrain, he would be right up with Vettel in the standings. The trouble is, whereas Alonso's machinery was capable of wins early in the campaign, Ferrari has slipped to fourth in the pecking order behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus in recent races. There's no doubt the man behind the wheel is capable of delivering - the onus is on the Scuderia to ensure he isn't left behind.
Lewis Hamilton (GB, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), 4th - 124pts A-
Few were expecting Hamilton's first year of his Mercedes adventure to be especially successful, but it's fair to say that the Briton picked a good juncture at which to make the switch from McLaren. Whilst it took him a few races to get used to his new surroundings, with new teammate Rosberg providing a sterner challenge than anyone had foreseen, Hamilton has now emerged as perhaps Vettel's biggest threat for the balance of the season. The disappointment of losing a potential home victory at Silverstone was soon made up for by a brilliantly aggressive drive at Hungary which saw the Brit take a superb first win for this new team. That victory could well turn out to be the start of a title charge that transforms this season into a memorable one indeed.
Few were expecting Hamilton's first year of his Mercedes adventure to be especially successful, but it's fair to say that the Briton picked a good juncture at which to make the switch from McLaren. Whilst it took him a few races to get used to his new surroundings, with new teammate Rosberg providing a sterner challenge than anyone had foreseen, Hamilton has now emerged as perhaps Vettel's biggest threat for the balance of the season. The disappointment of losing a potential home victory at Silverstone was soon made up for by a brilliantly aggressive drive at Hungary which saw the Brit take a superb first win for this new team. That victory could well turn out to be the start of a title charge that transforms this season into a memorable one indeed.
Mark Webber (AU, Infiniti Red Bull Racing), 5th - 105pts B-
Those fateful events at Malaysia - where Vettel ignored team orders to pinch what was, by rights, Webber's win - set the tone for what has so far been a slightly underwhelming season for the likeable Australian. There have been two subsequent trips to the podium for Webber, at Monaco and Silverstone, but with the exception of the latter, where Vettel lost a likely victory to gearbox failure, the 37-year old has failed to outscore his teammate at any race. What's more, he is the only driver on the grid besides Esteban Gutierrez to have been out-qualified by his teammate 10-0. His form looks to have taken a turn for the better since news of his impending departure from F1 broke; no doubt many will be willing Webber on to add to his win tally before the year is out.
Those fateful events at Malaysia - where Vettel ignored team orders to pinch what was, by rights, Webber's win - set the tone for what has so far been a slightly underwhelming season for the likeable Australian. There have been two subsequent trips to the podium for Webber, at Monaco and Silverstone, but with the exception of the latter, where Vettel lost a likely victory to gearbox failure, the 37-year old has failed to outscore his teammate at any race. What's more, he is the only driver on the grid besides Esteban Gutierrez to have been out-qualified by his teammate 10-0. His form looks to have taken a turn for the better since news of his impending departure from F1 broke; no doubt many will be willing Webber on to add to his win tally before the year is out.
Nico Rosberg (D, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team), 6th - 84pts B+
For the first time in his career, Rosberg has been partnered with a gold standard teammate in Hamilton, and so far he has responded to the challenge positively. Any doubts over Rosberg's raw pace were extinguished when he took three pole positions in a row, the last of which propelled him to a memorable victory at Monaco, and he did well to resist the pressure of Webber during the closing stages at Silverstone even if his second win owed much to the problems of Hamilton and Vettel. In spite of some mechanical problems of his own however, Rosberg has more often than not been out-qualified and outraced by Hamilton so far - the German will have to lift his game if he is to keep up with his on-form teammate during the second half of the season.
For the first time in his career, Rosberg has been partnered with a gold standard teammate in Hamilton, and so far he has responded to the challenge positively. Any doubts over Rosberg's raw pace were extinguished when he took three pole positions in a row, the last of which propelled him to a memorable victory at Monaco, and he did well to resist the pressure of Webber during the closing stages at Silverstone even if his second win owed much to the problems of Hamilton and Vettel. In spite of some mechanical problems of his own however, Rosberg has more often than not been out-qualified and outraced by Hamilton so far - the German will have to lift his game if he is to keep up with his on-form teammate during the second half of the season.
Felipe Massa (BR, Scuderia Ferrari), 7th - 61pts C
Having been fortunate enough to retain his drive at Ferrari for an eighth consecutive season, the pressure was immediately on Massa to prove that the Italian team hadn't made the wrong decision. Three top-six finishes in the first three races was an auspicious enough start, and third place at Spain seemingly marked a long-awaited return to form for the Brazilian. Since that point however, Massa has made an unacceptable amount of basic errors for a driver of his experience, missing qualifying at Monaco after a practice shunt, crashing during Q2 at Canada and spinning out early on during the race at the Nurburgring. He can ill-afford any more mistakes of that ilk with a series of young, talented hopefuls in lower teams eyeing up that prized Ferrari seat for 2014.
Having been fortunate enough to retain his drive at Ferrari for an eighth consecutive season, the pressure was immediately on Massa to prove that the Italian team hadn't made the wrong decision. Three top-six finishes in the first three races was an auspicious enough start, and third place at Spain seemingly marked a long-awaited return to form for the Brazilian. Since that point however, Massa has made an unacceptable amount of basic errors for a driver of his experience, missing qualifying at Monaco after a practice shunt, crashing during Q2 at Canada and spinning out early on during the race at the Nurburgring. He can ill-afford any more mistakes of that ilk with a series of young, talented hopefuls in lower teams eyeing up that prized Ferrari seat for 2014.
Romain Grosjean (F, Lotus F1 Team), 8th - 49pts B-
Like last year, Grosjean continues to show a frustrating inability to translate his evident potential into hard results. The Franco-Swiss has not been able to provide quite the challenge to his teammate Raikkonen as he was able to last year, having only finished ahead of the Finn once and having out-qualified him twice in ten races. Additionally, his error-strewn weekend at Monaco combined with a dash of misfortune has left Grosjean with just 37% of his teammate's points, a lower proportion than Massa (who has 46% of Alonso's points). On the other hand, he could have won at Germany if not for the Safety Car and showed great pace at Bahrain and Hungary, meaning it's still too soon to write Grosjean off. But time is running out for him to deliver.
Like last year, Grosjean continues to show a frustrating inability to translate his evident potential into hard results. The Franco-Swiss has not been able to provide quite the challenge to his teammate Raikkonen as he was able to last year, having only finished ahead of the Finn once and having out-qualified him twice in ten races. Additionally, his error-strewn weekend at Monaco combined with a dash of misfortune has left Grosjean with just 37% of his teammate's points, a lower proportion than Massa (who has 46% of Alonso's points). On the other hand, he could have won at Germany if not for the Safety Car and showed great pace at Bahrain and Hungary, meaning it's still too soon to write Grosjean off. But time is running out for him to deliver.
Jenson Button (GB, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes), 9th - 39pts B+
Though things looked excellent on paper for Button this season, who would no longer have to share equal number one status with Hamilton and have the car optimised to his driving style, it didn't take long to establish that McLaren's revolutionary design philosophy would fail to pay dividends. Given the circumstances, Button has performed admirably, getting the most out of the car at the majority of the races this season, fifth place at China being the highlight so far. The gap in pace between he and new teammate Perez has nonetheless been fairly slender, which arguably reflects poorly on a driver considered by many to be in F1's elite crop. What's more, the challenge from his teammate is likely to only increase as time goes by.
Though things looked excellent on paper for Button this season, who would no longer have to share equal number one status with Hamilton and have the car optimised to his driving style, it didn't take long to establish that McLaren's revolutionary design philosophy would fail to pay dividends. Given the circumstances, Button has performed admirably, getting the most out of the car at the majority of the races this season, fifth place at China being the highlight so far. The gap in pace between he and new teammate Perez has nonetheless been fairly slender, which arguably reflects poorly on a driver considered by many to be in F1's elite crop. What's more, the challenge from his teammate is likely to only increase as time goes by.
Paul Di Resta (GB, Sahara Force India F1 Team), 10th - 36pts B+
Going up against former teammate at Sutil was always going to be a thankless task for Di Resta - if he came out on top, it would have been expected; if he didn't, any chance of getting a top drive would be blown out of the water. So far, Di Resta has just about been the more impressive of the Force India drivers, but the 13-point gap between them can largely be explained by the bad luck that has plagued Sutil. That said, the Scot's drive to fourth place at Bahrain was excellent, whilst the fact the qualifying record between the pair stands at 6-4 in Di Resta's favour despite some strategic mishaps is also a positive. With the car seemingly not working well with the revised tyres however, standing out from the crowd will prove more of a challenge in the second half of the year.
Going up against former teammate at Sutil was always going to be a thankless task for Di Resta - if he came out on top, it would have been expected; if he didn't, any chance of getting a top drive would be blown out of the water. So far, Di Resta has just about been the more impressive of the Force India drivers, but the 13-point gap between them can largely be explained by the bad luck that has plagued Sutil. That said, the Scot's drive to fourth place at Bahrain was excellent, whilst the fact the qualifying record between the pair stands at 6-4 in Di Resta's favour despite some strategic mishaps is also a positive. With the car seemingly not working well with the revised tyres however, standing out from the crowd will prove more of a challenge in the second half of the year.
Adrian Sutil (D, Sahara Force India F1 Team), 11th - 23pts B
After a year on the sidelines, Sutil wasted absolutely no time in re-establishing his F1 credentials, boldly announcing his comeback by briefly leading at Melbourne and bringing home his Force India in an assured seventh place. Since then, he has been largely a match for his highly rated teammate Di Resta in terms of race pace, if not during qualifying, and his less consistent points scoring has been for reasons largely out of the German's control. The highlight of Sutil's season so far has undoubtedly been his storming drive to fifth at Monaco, a reminder to the paddock that the mild-mannered 30-year old would more than likely be capable of winning a Grand Prix given the right car. He'll have to do more than just match Di Resta to ever get the chance, however.
After a year on the sidelines, Sutil wasted absolutely no time in re-establishing his F1 credentials, boldly announcing his comeback by briefly leading at Melbourne and bringing home his Force India in an assured seventh place. Since then, he has been largely a match for his highly rated teammate Di Resta in terms of race pace, if not during qualifying, and his less consistent points scoring has been for reasons largely out of the German's control. The highlight of Sutil's season so far has undoubtedly been his storming drive to fifth at Monaco, a reminder to the paddock that the mild-mannered 30-year old would more than likely be capable of winning a Grand Prix given the right car. He'll have to do more than just match Di Resta to ever get the chance, however.
Sergio Perez (MEX, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes), 12th - 18pts, B
Though Perez's appointment to McLaren in place of Hamilton was greeted by scepticism in many quarters, the Mexican has done a very solid job thus far, with the Woking outfit's poor form having taken the pressure off him to an extent. He hasn't been able to squeeze quite as many points out of what has been a recalcitrant car as his veteran teammate Button, but he has given the Brit far closer run for his money than many thought possible, most notably at Bahrain where Perez finished a creditable sixth. The campaign hasn't been without its errors, his largely self-inflicted retirement Monaco sticking out as the low point, but the evidence so far suggests that Perez is maturing and will be capable of enjoying a successful career at McLaren in years to come.
Though Perez's appointment to McLaren in place of Hamilton was greeted by scepticism in many quarters, the Mexican has done a very solid job thus far, with the Woking outfit's poor form having taken the pressure off him to an extent. He hasn't been able to squeeze quite as many points out of what has been a recalcitrant car as his veteran teammate Button, but he has given the Brit far closer run for his money than many thought possible, most notably at Bahrain where Perez finished a creditable sixth. The campaign hasn't been without its errors, his largely self-inflicted retirement Monaco sticking out as the low point, but the evidence so far suggests that Perez is maturing and will be capable of enjoying a successful career at McLaren in years to come.
Jean-Eric Vergne (F, Scuderia Toro Rosso), 13th - 13pts B-
2013 has seen Vergne make some solid progress in his journey towards becoming a top Grand Prix driver, even if he is yet to quite convince the bosses at Red Bull that he is a viable candidate to drive for the reigning champion team. Though the Frenchman's qualifying has largely remained lacklustre in comparison to Toro Rosso stablemate Ricciardo, he caught the eye with back-to-back points finishes at Monaco and Canada whilst his teammate struggled in the midfield. That Vergne was unable to build on this momentum at subsequent races perhaps shows why he may not be ready for the big leagues just yet, but the fact his Toro Rosso seat is seemingly safe for next year gives the 23-year-old a stable platform on which to continue building his career.
2013 has seen Vergne make some solid progress in his journey towards becoming a top Grand Prix driver, even if he is yet to quite convince the bosses at Red Bull that he is a viable candidate to drive for the reigning champion team. Though the Frenchman's qualifying has largely remained lacklustre in comparison to Toro Rosso stablemate Ricciardo, he caught the eye with back-to-back points finishes at Monaco and Canada whilst his teammate struggled in the midfield. That Vergne was unable to build on this momentum at subsequent races perhaps shows why he may not be ready for the big leagues just yet, but the fact his Toro Rosso seat is seemingly safe for next year gives the 23-year-old a stable platform on which to continue building his career.
Daniel Ricciardo (AU, Scuderia Toro Rosso), 14th - 11pts B+
Despite the limitations of the Toro Rosso machinery at his disposal, Ricciardo's performances have thrust himself right into the frame for a promotion to Red Bull next year in place of his countryman Webber. His strongest suit has undoubtedly been his one-lap pace, which has seen him qualify inside the top ten on five of a possible ten occasions this season and out-qualify his teammate Vergne 7-3. Sundays haven't always been as straightforward, but the easy-going Aussie demonstrated real star quality with his drives to seventh at China and eighth at Silverstone. The fact that Ricciardo has upped his game, with four straight Q3 appearances, just as the pressure to perform has intensified shows that he is made of the right stuff to partner Vettel at Red Bull next season.
Despite the limitations of the Toro Rosso machinery at his disposal, Ricciardo's performances have thrust himself right into the frame for a promotion to Red Bull next year in place of his countryman Webber. His strongest suit has undoubtedly been his one-lap pace, which has seen him qualify inside the top ten on five of a possible ten occasions this season and out-qualify his teammate Vergne 7-3. Sundays haven't always been as straightforward, but the easy-going Aussie demonstrated real star quality with his drives to seventh at China and eighth at Silverstone. The fact that Ricciardo has upped his game, with four straight Q3 appearances, just as the pressure to perform has intensified shows that he is made of the right stuff to partner Vettel at Red Bull next season.
The Rest
It's been a bruising year for Sauber so far, with the talented Nico Hulkenberg (B) struggling to make much of an impact on the scoreboard; the German must be desperately hoping that an opening at either of Ferrari or Lotus appears for next season. Esteban Gutierrez (C-) meanwhile has hardly disgraced himself in his rookie year, but the young Mexican will have to up his game to avoid becoming a one-season wonder, particularly as Russian investment at the Sauber team threatens to render his Telmex backing moot. A flawless performance at Hungary prevents Pastor Maldonado (C-) from getting the lowest ranking of all the drivers, with his season up to that point having been largely overshadowed by that of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas (B+), who has been one of the season's more impressive debutants (qualifying third at Canada standing out as a particular highlight). The same goes for Marussia driver Jules Bianchi (B+), who has proven himself worthy of some more potent machinery for 2014 and has single-handedly kept his team ahead of rivals Caterham in the constructors standings. Max Chilton (C) has made very few errors despite his steep learning curve, but like Gutierrez really needs to begin showing what he is capable of if he is to prolong his F1 career beyond the end of the year. Charles Pic (B) has done a solid job of being team leader at Caterham given his limited experience, even if a promotion to the midfield doesn't seem likely any time soon, whilst Hungary has been the most impressive race to date for Giedo van der Garde (C+), who has shown flashes of pace during a somewhat erratic first season.
It's been a bruising year for Sauber so far, with the talented Nico Hulkenberg (B) struggling to make much of an impact on the scoreboard; the German must be desperately hoping that an opening at either of Ferrari or Lotus appears for next season. Esteban Gutierrez (C-) meanwhile has hardly disgraced himself in his rookie year, but the young Mexican will have to up his game to avoid becoming a one-season wonder, particularly as Russian investment at the Sauber team threatens to render his Telmex backing moot. A flawless performance at Hungary prevents Pastor Maldonado (C-) from getting the lowest ranking of all the drivers, with his season up to that point having been largely overshadowed by that of his Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas (B+), who has been one of the season's more impressive debutants (qualifying third at Canada standing out as a particular highlight). The same goes for Marussia driver Jules Bianchi (B+), who has proven himself worthy of some more potent machinery for 2014 and has single-handedly kept his team ahead of rivals Caterham in the constructors standings. Max Chilton (C) has made very few errors despite his steep learning curve, but like Gutierrez really needs to begin showing what he is capable of if he is to prolong his F1 career beyond the end of the year. Charles Pic (B) has done a solid job of being team leader at Caterham given his limited experience, even if a promotion to the midfield doesn't seem likely any time soon, whilst Hungary has been the most impressive race to date for Giedo van der Garde (C+), who has shown flashes of pace during a somewhat erratic first season.
To see my MotoGP half-term report, click here.
3 August 2013
MotoGP mid-season review
With MotoGP midway through its annual summer break, it's time to look back at the first part of what has so far been a captivating season and rate the riders - who have been the star pupils and who needs to do more homework?
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda), 1st - 163pts A+
As early as the second round of the season at Austin, when Marquez became the sport's youngest ever race-winner, it was clear that the reigning Moto2 champion had the potential to go all the way in his debut season at this level. In a campaign that so far has even put Valentino Rossi's 500cc debut season back in 2000 to shame, Marquez has notched up three wins, two second places and three third places, meaning he has been on the podium at every round bar one - when he crashed in the closing stages at Mugello. It will be fascinating to see how the 20-year old responds to the challenge of preserving his 16-point lead for the remainder of the year.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda), 2nd - 147pts A-
Just as Pedrosa was finally set to emerge from the shadow of the two-time champion Casey Stoner, the pint-sized Spaniard's title aspirations have been dealt a body blow by the arrival of Marquez in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage. Pedrosa responded well after his defeat at Austin with back-to-back victories at Jerez and Le Mans, consolidated by a pair of second places, but his challenge has faltered since his injury sustained in practice at the Sachsenring. He'll need to be firing on all cylinders for the rest of the year if he is to overcome Marquez to take a well overdue first premier class title.
Jorge Lorenzo (E, Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd - 137pts A
Like his countryman Pedrosa, Lorenzo has seen his title aspirations damaged by injury. More impressive than any of his three victories at Qatar, Mugello and Catalunya was his superhuman ride to fifth in the Dutch TT just two days after suffering a fractured collarbone in a crash during practice. He was forced to miss the following race at Sachsenring after he aggravated the injury in another crash, but soldiered to sixth position a week later at Laguna Seca. If titles were won on virtue of sheer bloody-mindedness, Lorenzo would be champion already, but there's a lot of work ahead to reel in the Repsol Honda riders in the latter half of the year.
Valentino Rossi (I, Yamaha Factory Team), 4th - 117pts B+
Rossi's season started auspiciously enough with a strong second place at Qatar behind teammate Lorenzo, but things appeared to tail off somewhat after that. Five more races went by until he returned to the podium, taking advantage of his teammate's injury to take a universally popular victory at Assen, backed up by a brace of solid, if unspectacular podiums in the next two races. Those results prove "The Doctor" can still cut it at the front of the MotoGP field, albeit perhaps not as consistently as we have been used to previously. A title challenge is still within the realm of possibility, but more wins will be essential to keep Rossi's hopes alive.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 5th - 116pts A
2013 has seen Crutchlow blossom into one of the championship's most impressive performers. The Coventry-born rider managed to take his satellite Tech 3 bike to an incredible four podium finishes in five races, including the second step twice at Le Mans and the Sachsenring, as well as to a superb pole position at Assen. His early fall at Catalunya and a mysteriously indifferent ride to seventh at Laguna Seca have been the only noticeable blots on an otherwise unspoiled copybook for Crutchlow, who must be desperately hoping he can bag a maiden win before he moves to the struggling Ducati team for the 2014 season.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda), 6th - 84pts B+
It was a shaky start to the season for Bradl, who fell from his bike in three of the first four rounds, but since then the German has begun to rival Crutchlow for the honour of the year's outstanding non-factory rider in his sophomore year in the premier class. Fourth place at Mugello marked the start of five successive top-six finishes, the latest of which was a highly impressive ride from pole position to second place at Laguna Seca. That upturn in form has proven sufficient to guarantee Bradl another season within the HRC stable, though he'll have to do more to be in with any chance of a full factory ride in years to come.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team), 7th - 81pts A-
Much like last year, it's difficult to find too much fault with the performances of Dovizioso, who has been the only rider in the field to have scored points at every race this season. Unlike last year however, when the Italian could be expected to challenge for a podium on a good day with the Tech 3 team, Ducati's struggles have largely relegated the talented Italian to a series of private battles with teammate Nicky Hayden in the lower half of the top ten. Fourth place at Le Mans, when the conditions masked the bike's lack of pace to a degree, has been the highlight, along with a well-earned fifth place on home turf in the dry at Mugello.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda), 8th - 71pts C+
The latter half of 2012 seemed to suggest that Bautista may be ready to prove his worthiness of factory machinery, but the first half of this year's campaign has been underwhelming in comparison to his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl. In addition to back-to-back crashes at Mugello and Catalunya, the Spaniard has been largely outpaced by the former Moto2 champion, his best finish of fourth at Laguna Seca coming on a day where Bradl was busy fighting Marquez for the win. Bautista will need to find a way back on to the podium before the year is out to be assured of maintaining his seat at the Gresini outfit for next year.
Nicky Hayden (US, Ducati Team), 9th - 65pts B
The MotoGP paddock will be a poorer place next year if, after losing his factory Ducati ride for next year, Hayden takes the opportunity to bid the series farewell. While the "Kentucky Kid" may have been outscored by teammate Dovizioso, the pair have finished very close together at the majority of races this season, no more so than the most recent round at Laguna Seca where he narrowly pipped Dovizioso to eighth place in front of his home fans. Hayden still undoubtedly has much to offer; it's simply a question of whether any other team is willing to eschew youth and exuberance in favour of the 2006 champion's services.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Power Electronics Aspar), 10th - 52pts A
Quite simply the class of the CRT field, it's a huge injustice that Espargaro looks set to be overlooked for a prototype ride in 2014. The Spaniard's crash at Laguna Seca was his first real mistake of the season, before which he had been the first CRT rider home in each and every race. Admittedly, the Aspar-run ART bike is demonstrably superior to its rivals in the class, but the way Espargaro has put more experienced teammate Randy de Puniet to shame - as well as certain prototype riders on occasion - has been highly impressive.
Bradley Smith (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 11th - 51pts C
Though it's not unreasonable to expect most MotoGP rookies (Marquez aside) to take half a season or so to find their feet, there comes a time when they need to begin showing what they are made of. It's been an underwhelming first nine races for Smith, who could probably have benefited from a further year of Moto2 competition before making the step up. Still, the Oxford-born rider has made commendably few mistakes, taking a best finish of sixth at the Sachsenring, but it's time Smith added some more speed to his consistency.
Michele Pirro (I, Pramac Ducati), 12th - 36pts B
In addition to two outings as 'wildcard' for the beleaguered Ducati team, test rider Pirro has found himself thrust into the limelight on no fewer than four other occasions as a result of Ben Spies' injuries. The Italian has acquitted himself well in both scenarios, making few errors and measuring up well to his principal opposition, compatriot Andrea Iannone. Taking the 'lab bike' to a creditable seventh place at Mugello has been Pirro's finest hour so far, and if Spies remains on the sidelines there could be more assured performances to come.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati), 13th - 24pts B-
The transition from Moto2 to MotoGP for the rider they call "Crazy Joe" has not been an easy one, and the volatility that prevented Iannone from reaching his potential in the intermediate class shows little sign of mellowing. Crashes at Jerez and Catalunya have taken their toll on the Italian's points tally, as has an injury sustained in practice for the Sachsenring which has seen Iannone miss two races. There have been some solid finishes though, not least of all back-to-back top tens in the first two rounds of the year ahead of teammate Spies.
Hector Barbera (E, Avintia Blusens), 14th - 24pts B
Stepping down from a prototype to a CRT bike must have been a difficult pill to swallow for Barbera. Despite that, the Spaniard has put his teammate and former 250cc sparring partner Hiroshi Aoyama in the shade so far this year, and more often than not he has been the first user of the FTR chassis across the line, even breaching the top ten on two occasions. It's not all been plain sailing for Barbera though, with a crash at Catalunya and a subdued ride at Assen among the low points of the first half of the season.
Randy de Puniet (F, Power Electronics Aspar), 15th - 19pts C
Whereas Aspar teammates de Puniet and Espargaro were relatively evenly matched in 2012, this year the pendulum has swung decisively in favour of the latter. The Frenchman continues to crash far too frequently for a rider of his experience, more than likely trying to compensate for the inadequacy of his CRT bike, and has been regularly outpaced by Espargaro all season. That de Puniet is being linked with Suzuki's forthcoming MotoGP return shows nevertheless that he is still highly regarded; it may be just the thing to reinvigorate his career.
To see my Formula One half-term report, click here.
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda), 1st - 163pts A+
As early as the second round of the season at Austin, when Marquez became the sport's youngest ever race-winner, it was clear that the reigning Moto2 champion had the potential to go all the way in his debut season at this level. In a campaign that so far has even put Valentino Rossi's 500cc debut season back in 2000 to shame, Marquez has notched up three wins, two second places and three third places, meaning he has been on the podium at every round bar one - when he crashed in the closing stages at Mugello. It will be fascinating to see how the 20-year old responds to the challenge of preserving his 16-point lead for the remainder of the year.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda), 2nd - 147pts A-
Just as Pedrosa was finally set to emerge from the shadow of the two-time champion Casey Stoner, the pint-sized Spaniard's title aspirations have been dealt a body blow by the arrival of Marquez in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage. Pedrosa responded well after his defeat at Austin with back-to-back victories at Jerez and Le Mans, consolidated by a pair of second places, but his challenge has faltered since his injury sustained in practice at the Sachsenring. He'll need to be firing on all cylinders for the rest of the year if he is to overcome Marquez to take a well overdue first premier class title.
Jorge Lorenzo (E, Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd - 137pts A
Like his countryman Pedrosa, Lorenzo has seen his title aspirations damaged by injury. More impressive than any of his three victories at Qatar, Mugello and Catalunya was his superhuman ride to fifth in the Dutch TT just two days after suffering a fractured collarbone in a crash during practice. He was forced to miss the following race at Sachsenring after he aggravated the injury in another crash, but soldiered to sixth position a week later at Laguna Seca. If titles were won on virtue of sheer bloody-mindedness, Lorenzo would be champion already, but there's a lot of work ahead to reel in the Repsol Honda riders in the latter half of the year.
Valentino Rossi (I, Yamaha Factory Team), 4th - 117pts B+
Rossi's season started auspiciously enough with a strong second place at Qatar behind teammate Lorenzo, but things appeared to tail off somewhat after that. Five more races went by until he returned to the podium, taking advantage of his teammate's injury to take a universally popular victory at Assen, backed up by a brace of solid, if unspectacular podiums in the next two races. Those results prove "The Doctor" can still cut it at the front of the MotoGP field, albeit perhaps not as consistently as we have been used to previously. A title challenge is still within the realm of possibility, but more wins will be essential to keep Rossi's hopes alive.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 5th - 116pts A
2013 has seen Crutchlow blossom into one of the championship's most impressive performers. The Coventry-born rider managed to take his satellite Tech 3 bike to an incredible four podium finishes in five races, including the second step twice at Le Mans and the Sachsenring, as well as to a superb pole position at Assen. His early fall at Catalunya and a mysteriously indifferent ride to seventh at Laguna Seca have been the only noticeable blots on an otherwise unspoiled copybook for Crutchlow, who must be desperately hoping he can bag a maiden win before he moves to the struggling Ducati team for the 2014 season.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda), 6th - 84pts B+
It was a shaky start to the season for Bradl, who fell from his bike in three of the first four rounds, but since then the German has begun to rival Crutchlow for the honour of the year's outstanding non-factory rider in his sophomore year in the premier class. Fourth place at Mugello marked the start of five successive top-six finishes, the latest of which was a highly impressive ride from pole position to second place at Laguna Seca. That upturn in form has proven sufficient to guarantee Bradl another season within the HRC stable, though he'll have to do more to be in with any chance of a full factory ride in years to come.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team), 7th - 81pts A-
Much like last year, it's difficult to find too much fault with the performances of Dovizioso, who has been the only rider in the field to have scored points at every race this season. Unlike last year however, when the Italian could be expected to challenge for a podium on a good day with the Tech 3 team, Ducati's struggles have largely relegated the talented Italian to a series of private battles with teammate Nicky Hayden in the lower half of the top ten. Fourth place at Le Mans, when the conditions masked the bike's lack of pace to a degree, has been the highlight, along with a well-earned fifth place on home turf in the dry at Mugello.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda), 8th - 71pts C+
The latter half of 2012 seemed to suggest that Bautista may be ready to prove his worthiness of factory machinery, but the first half of this year's campaign has been underwhelming in comparison to his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl. In addition to back-to-back crashes at Mugello and Catalunya, the Spaniard has been largely outpaced by the former Moto2 champion, his best finish of fourth at Laguna Seca coming on a day where Bradl was busy fighting Marquez for the win. Bautista will need to find a way back on to the podium before the year is out to be assured of maintaining his seat at the Gresini outfit for next year.
Nicky Hayden (US, Ducati Team), 9th - 65pts B
The MotoGP paddock will be a poorer place next year if, after losing his factory Ducati ride for next year, Hayden takes the opportunity to bid the series farewell. While the "Kentucky Kid" may have been outscored by teammate Dovizioso, the pair have finished very close together at the majority of races this season, no more so than the most recent round at Laguna Seca where he narrowly pipped Dovizioso to eighth place in front of his home fans. Hayden still undoubtedly has much to offer; it's simply a question of whether any other team is willing to eschew youth and exuberance in favour of the 2006 champion's services.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Power Electronics Aspar), 10th - 52pts A
Quite simply the class of the CRT field, it's a huge injustice that Espargaro looks set to be overlooked for a prototype ride in 2014. The Spaniard's crash at Laguna Seca was his first real mistake of the season, before which he had been the first CRT rider home in each and every race. Admittedly, the Aspar-run ART bike is demonstrably superior to its rivals in the class, but the way Espargaro has put more experienced teammate Randy de Puniet to shame - as well as certain prototype riders on occasion - has been highly impressive.
Bradley Smith (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 11th - 51pts C
Though it's not unreasonable to expect most MotoGP rookies (Marquez aside) to take half a season or so to find their feet, there comes a time when they need to begin showing what they are made of. It's been an underwhelming first nine races for Smith, who could probably have benefited from a further year of Moto2 competition before making the step up. Still, the Oxford-born rider has made commendably few mistakes, taking a best finish of sixth at the Sachsenring, but it's time Smith added some more speed to his consistency.
Michele Pirro (I, Pramac Ducati), 12th - 36pts B
In addition to two outings as 'wildcard' for the beleaguered Ducati team, test rider Pirro has found himself thrust into the limelight on no fewer than four other occasions as a result of Ben Spies' injuries. The Italian has acquitted himself well in both scenarios, making few errors and measuring up well to his principal opposition, compatriot Andrea Iannone. Taking the 'lab bike' to a creditable seventh place at Mugello has been Pirro's finest hour so far, and if Spies remains on the sidelines there could be more assured performances to come.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati), 13th - 24pts B-
The transition from Moto2 to MotoGP for the rider they call "Crazy Joe" has not been an easy one, and the volatility that prevented Iannone from reaching his potential in the intermediate class shows little sign of mellowing. Crashes at Jerez and Catalunya have taken their toll on the Italian's points tally, as has an injury sustained in practice for the Sachsenring which has seen Iannone miss two races. There have been some solid finishes though, not least of all back-to-back top tens in the first two rounds of the year ahead of teammate Spies.
Hector Barbera (E, Avintia Blusens), 14th - 24pts B
Stepping down from a prototype to a CRT bike must have been a difficult pill to swallow for Barbera. Despite that, the Spaniard has put his teammate and former 250cc sparring partner Hiroshi Aoyama in the shade so far this year, and more often than not he has been the first user of the FTR chassis across the line, even breaching the top ten on two occasions. It's not all been plain sailing for Barbera though, with a crash at Catalunya and a subdued ride at Assen among the low points of the first half of the season.
Randy de Puniet (F, Power Electronics Aspar), 15th - 19pts C
Whereas Aspar teammates de Puniet and Espargaro were relatively evenly matched in 2012, this year the pendulum has swung decisively in favour of the latter. The Frenchman continues to crash far too frequently for a rider of his experience, more than likely trying to compensate for the inadequacy of his CRT bike, and has been regularly outpaced by Espargaro all season. That de Puniet is being linked with Suzuki's forthcoming MotoGP return shows nevertheless that he is still highly regarded; it may be just the thing to reinvigorate his career.
To see my Formula One half-term report, click here.
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