Monday 31 December 2012
2012 - A Year In Review
2012 was an incredible year of sport, and Formula One played its part. The longest season ever brought 20 spectacular races, each filled with excitement, drama, and controversy. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso took the title fight to Brazil; a race with enough action to fill an entire season, let alone 90 minutes. Vettel briefly lost the title, then recaptured it, completing a stunning comeback drive, reminiscent of Schumacher's Brazilian heroics of 2006. A stunning race, encapsulated a stunning year.
Sunday 25 November 2012
Brazilian Grand Prix: Race Analysis
Sebastian Vettel has today joined the exclusive club of triple world champions, taking the 2012 title in spectacular, and dramatic circumstances. Fernando Alonso performed admirably, climbing to 2nd, while Jenson Button ended the season in the fashion with which he started it, taking the victory. It was a race, which many have described, as one of the best ever.
An unbelievable season ended with a spectacular 71 laps, which had everyone on the edge of their seats. Drama, controversy, accident, this race had everything. Jenson Button's victory will be one which many will fail to remember, and was one which may well have fallen to his teammate, before an unfortunate collision with Hulkenburg, saw the Brit retire. Nico had driven an immense race, where he was able to keep pace with the McLaren's and at times, exceed that. After he and Button remained on the slicks well into the race, they managed to construct a 40 second lead, prior to the first safety car. Subsequently, Hamilton returned to the fight, and took the lead after Nico made a rare error. This was then followed by a more costly one.
Hulkenburg attempted the overtake into turn 1, which required him to move onto the damp line. Kovalainen ahead, meant that the Force India had nowhere to go, and a resultant snap of oversteer meant that he collided with Hamilton, breaking the McLaren's left frond suspension, and pull rods. It was game over for Lewis, in his final race for McLaren. A disappointing end to what has been one of Lewis' greatest seasons. Hulkenburg eventually recovered to 5th, after his car miraculously survived the accident unscathed. The German received a drive through penalty for the incident, which was perhaps slightly harsh. The team later suggested that the Caterham blocked Nico's escape route, which he would have otherwise taken in order to avoid the collision. The path was then cleared for Button to claim a 'simple' victory, and his third of a difficult 2012. An excellent way to enter 2013, the season when he becomes McLaren team leader.
As a result of the incident, Fernando momentarily found himself in a position, sufficient for taking the title. Sebastian was still in the process of recovering after a dreadful lap 1 crash almost saw his championship hopes go up in smoke. Vettel was ironically closed down by Mark Webber into turn 1, meaning that he was forced to liftoff throttle much early, to make the tight apex. As he tuned into 4, Bruno Senna was at the apex of the corner, and Vettel failed to acknowledge this. Subsequently, he spun and collected Bruno Senna and Sergio Perez. Incredibly, whilst the Sauber and Williams suffered terminal damage, the Red Bull escaped relatively in-tact. Some minor floor damage meant that drag was increased, yet other then that, Vettel's car survived the tribulations of lap 1. This was in part, a result of incredible precision and skill sown by Sebastian. When spun, he reversed down the hill instinctively to aid the oncoming cars in avoiding his stricken RB8. Watching the traffic, he was still able to think rationally and committed to a move which may have saved his season.
The moment defined Vettel's race. In circumstances when the German may have cracked, he maintained composure, and knew exactly what was needed to win. He was unfazed; whatever his fellow competitors threw at him, he emerged well. Even nature was unable to halt his recovery through the field. A race which may well have ended on lap 1, was saved by an incredible performance. Sebastian Vettel has proved his doubters wrong.
"It was an incredible race, everything that could have happened to make it more difficult for us today, happened!" said a clearly-exhausted Vettel, F1's ninth, and youngest, triple World Champion. "To win a third title, especially here where one of my heroes Ayrton Senna was from, it's difficult to put into words. I was crying in the car but my radio wasn't working, so I'm maybe happy for that!"
Christian Horner had faced many issues during the race on the pit wall. The constant threat of rain had kept the engineers guessing, while midway through the race, Sebastian lost contact with his team after an issue with his microphone. Subsequently, when Vettel stopped, the team were unsure of the tyres that he required. The Intermediates were not ready at the time, and Vettel lost around 15 seconds. Fortunately, the communication issues did not hamper the team too much, yet it certainly added to the tension. "It was such an eventful start and Sebastian Vettel got turned around at the start," the Red Bull team boss told the BBC.
"Then the rain came and the radio stopped working and we couldn't really communicate with him. But he stuck at it and he has driven with such determination this year. Congratulations to Fernando Alonso too, he has been brilliant this year. That is what makes this Championship so worthy because he has been up against the best."
Further down the grid, Caterham were also the big winners from Sunday, having acheived 10th place in the constructors. The position was stolen from the clutches of Marussia, after Petrov passed Pic to claim the all important P12. The triumph has earned the team around $10 million, and may have saved Heikki Kovalainen's future in F1, due to the demand for driver sponsorship being less prominent at the team. Many would suggest that since Petrov secured the place for the team, the spare seat should be offered to him. Tony Fernandes will no doubt have the final say.
This however, will always be remembered as Vettel's day. He battled against all the obstacles which hampered his progress, and drove with maturity and determination. He was adamant that the 2012 title would be his, and let nothing stand in his path. His third title in as many years, means that he now has to be classed among the greats.
An unbelievable season ended with a spectacular 71 laps, which had everyone on the edge of their seats. Drama, controversy, accident, this race had everything. Jenson Button's victory will be one which many will fail to remember, and was one which may well have fallen to his teammate, before an unfortunate collision with Hulkenburg, saw the Brit retire. Nico had driven an immense race, where he was able to keep pace with the McLaren's and at times, exceed that. After he and Button remained on the slicks well into the race, they managed to construct a 40 second lead, prior to the first safety car. Subsequently, Hamilton returned to the fight, and took the lead after Nico made a rare error. This was then followed by a more costly one.
Hulkenburg attempted the overtake into turn 1, which required him to move onto the damp line. Kovalainen ahead, meant that the Force India had nowhere to go, and a resultant snap of oversteer meant that he collided with Hamilton, breaking the McLaren's left frond suspension, and pull rods. It was game over for Lewis, in his final race for McLaren. A disappointing end to what has been one of Lewis' greatest seasons. Hulkenburg eventually recovered to 5th, after his car miraculously survived the accident unscathed. The German received a drive through penalty for the incident, which was perhaps slightly harsh. The team later suggested that the Caterham blocked Nico's escape route, which he would have otherwise taken in order to avoid the collision. The path was then cleared for Button to claim a 'simple' victory, and his third of a difficult 2012. An excellent way to enter 2013, the season when he becomes McLaren team leader.
As a result of the incident, Fernando momentarily found himself in a position, sufficient for taking the title. Sebastian was still in the process of recovering after a dreadful lap 1 crash almost saw his championship hopes go up in smoke. Vettel was ironically closed down by Mark Webber into turn 1, meaning that he was forced to liftoff throttle much early, to make the tight apex. As he tuned into 4, Bruno Senna was at the apex of the corner, and Vettel failed to acknowledge this. Subsequently, he spun and collected Bruno Senna and Sergio Perez. Incredibly, whilst the Sauber and Williams suffered terminal damage, the Red Bull escaped relatively in-tact. Some minor floor damage meant that drag was increased, yet other then that, Vettel's car survived the tribulations of lap 1. This was in part, a result of incredible precision and skill sown by Sebastian. When spun, he reversed down the hill instinctively to aid the oncoming cars in avoiding his stricken RB8. Watching the traffic, he was still able to think rationally and committed to a move which may have saved his season.
The moment defined Vettel's race. In circumstances when the German may have cracked, he maintained composure, and knew exactly what was needed to win. He was unfazed; whatever his fellow competitors threw at him, he emerged well. Even nature was unable to halt his recovery through the field. A race which may well have ended on lap 1, was saved by an incredible performance. Sebastian Vettel has proved his doubters wrong.
"It was an incredible race, everything that could have happened to make it more difficult for us today, happened!" said a clearly-exhausted Vettel, F1's ninth, and youngest, triple World Champion. "To win a third title, especially here where one of my heroes Ayrton Senna was from, it's difficult to put into words. I was crying in the car but my radio wasn't working, so I'm maybe happy for that!"
Christian Horner had faced many issues during the race on the pit wall. The constant threat of rain had kept the engineers guessing, while midway through the race, Sebastian lost contact with his team after an issue with his microphone. Subsequently, when Vettel stopped, the team were unsure of the tyres that he required. The Intermediates were not ready at the time, and Vettel lost around 15 seconds. Fortunately, the communication issues did not hamper the team too much, yet it certainly added to the tension. "It was such an eventful start and Sebastian Vettel got turned around at the start," the Red Bull team boss told the BBC.
"Then the rain came and the radio stopped working and we couldn't really communicate with him. But he stuck at it and he has driven with such determination this year. Congratulations to Fernando Alonso too, he has been brilliant this year. That is what makes this Championship so worthy because he has been up against the best."
Further down the grid, Caterham were also the big winners from Sunday, having acheived 10th place in the constructors. The position was stolen from the clutches of Marussia, after Petrov passed Pic to claim the all important P12. The triumph has earned the team around $10 million, and may have saved Heikki Kovalainen's future in F1, due to the demand for driver sponsorship being less prominent at the team. Many would suggest that since Petrov secured the place for the team, the spare seat should be offered to him. Tony Fernandes will no doubt have the final say.
This however, will always be remembered as Vettel's day. He battled against all the obstacles which hampered his progress, and drove with maturity and determination. He was adamant that the 2012 title would be his, and let nothing stand in his path. His third title in as many years, means that he now has to be classed among the greats.
Monday 19 November 2012
American Grand Prix: Race Analysis
Lewis Hamilton made it two out of two in the USA yesterday, after taking the win in the inaugural GP to be held at CotA, in Texas. The Brit has continued his 100% run in America after he took his second win of his career in 2007 at Indianapolis. Sebastian Vettel could only manage second, yet felt the win was snatched away from him by backmarker's blocking through the tricky sector 1 complex. Fernando Alonso finished third, taking the championship fight to Interlagos. However, Ferrari will come under fire for their unorthadox tactics, of moving Fernando onto the clean side of the grid. On the other hand, Ferrari are used to their share of controversy over the years.
Sunday 4 November 2012
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Race Analysis
Well, there is simply no other word to describe today' race, than classic. From start to finish, action was just around the corner, and the risky strategic maneuvers left everyone on the edge of their seat. Kimi Raikkonen profited from McLaren unreliability to claim a well deserved, first win of the season, ahead of a late charging, Fernando Alonso. After starting from the pit-lane, Sebastian Vettel managed an unbelievable driver through the field to claim third place. His race alone was filled with as much incident as any GP under the lights of the Yas Marina.
Monday 29 October 2012
Indian Grand Prix: Race Analysis
Sebastian Vettel took another step towards the 2012 title yesterday, with an emphatic victory in the Indian Grand Prix, with championship rival, Fernando Alonso finishing almost 10 seconds adrift. The win now puts Vettel 13 points clear at the head of the championship. He remains the only person to ever win an Indian Grand Prix, following the heroics of 2011.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Korean Grand Prix: Race Analysis
Fernando Alonso has today, lost his grip on the championship, as Sebastian Vettel wins the Korean Grand Prix, to make it three wins in a row for the German, who keeps going from strength to strength. The RB8 is the fastest car in Formula One at the moment, and it would take a brave man to bet against Vettel claiming his third world championship in succession, after today's dominant performance.
Sunday 7 October 2012
Japanese Grand Prix: Race Analysis
After today's race, the championship battle has been turned on its head. After Fernando Alonso retired in a turn 1 accident, Sebastian Vettel drove an impeccable race, to claim back to back victories, taking him within 4 points of Alonso, with just 5 races remaining.
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