Tuesday 24 January 2012

Kimi Raikkonen is back for wins

Image taken from Autosport.com
Kimi Raikkonen completed his first test back in a Formula 1 car today (January 24th) in a two day outing with the 2010 Renault. So far there are encouraging signs that he’ll be right back on the pace after his two years crashing in the World Rally Championship.
Lotus’ s trackside operations engineer Alan Permane spoke to BBC sport saying he was sure Kimi’s comeback has the potential for success
“From the first run he was pretty much there…I don’t see any reason why he won’t be on the pace – you can tell he’s a very, very experienced driver. It was very clear we were working with a former world champion. It was a good day.”
Despite this good start, the days since Kimi was announced as the lead driver for the renamed Lotus squad has been full of speculation about his perceived lack of motivation at the end of his first F1 career in 2009 and whether he’d even be able to get back on the pace successfully after Michael Schumacher’s troubled comeback.
First of all, Schumacher was out of the sport a year longer, had suffered a fractured neck from a motor bike accident and is over ten years older, Kimi is still only 32. So to start off with he's at an advantage with his comeback trail.
What will be of most concern are the Pirelli tyres as Kimi himself has rightly pointed out. Most of the grid will have a year’s experience on them now, and with testing time sadly lacking in this current era of Formula 1 it’ll be a tough start for the Iceman from Finland.
Having said that, I don’t believe he’ll find it too tough given time, he is a world champion and Schumacher showed improved form with the introduction of the Pirelli rubber. Something else he’ll have to get used to though is having to start with a full tank of fuel.
Refuelling was still around in 2009, and he’ll have to get a feel for looking after the tyres driving five seconds or more off the qualifying pace, races are no longer out and out sprints but again it’s something he’ll have to adapt to and if everyone else can, there’s no reason for Kimi not to either.
In fact he was fine in 2005 when the regulations changed to races run on the same set of tyres. With the obvious exception of Germany that year when a tyre exploded on the last lap, he was as good as anyone at making them last, as Japan proved when he charged from 17th to first, although it took a lot to damage those Bridgestones.
The motivation of Kimi Raikkonen is the question many people have been wondering about. After his title in 2007 he went off the boil a little the following season, and was pretty much seen to be out performed by his team mate Felipe Massa, right up to the Brazilian’s accident in Hungary 2009, but it was actually still fairly even. Afterwards he was effectively dropped by Ferrari to make room for Fernando Alonso.
Even now Kimi’s said he wasn’t sure he’d even return to Formula 1 and had investigated NASCAR when he desired a return to racing. But that’s just Kimi, he’s so laid back and doesn’t care for PR speak, or even any PR. He mainly just tells it like it is, when he says anything at all.
So what if he wasn’t sure he’d return, the fact is he’s signed a deal to come back and there shouldn’t be any doubts he wants to and that he wants to win. After all despite Ferrari buying him out of his contract, it looked at the time he’d already decided he wanted to try rallying instead.
He certainly wasn't going to do Formula 1 on any condition, although perhaps that contributed to his poor motivational image, something Lotus's former guise as Renault took issue with the year before. The fact is he does what he wants, so now he wants to do Formula 1 again, that can only be because he’s fully motivated and wants to win.
I sort of take issue with this motivation question, as yes his last couple of years at Ferrari weren’t the best, but he was still quick. If you actually look at 2009, the four races from Hungary he was on the podium four times including an impressive win in Belgium, Ferraris sole win of the campaign.
The car had stopped being developed for a while by then but he also managed to drag it to another couple of top five finishes. Not bad form at all, and surely not the sign of someone not giving his all. Everyone has runs of bad form, just look at Lewis Hamilton this year.
No, the overriding sentiment should be of excitement as he completes a field of six world champions. It remains to be seen if the Lotus’s new car will give him the platform to succeed, the recent ban on reactive suspension must have been a setback, they claim otherwise but they were the team to have developed it furthest.
However, they’re no back of the grid team, they only won the title five seasons ago and are now developing for the future as Lotus. Kimi has signed a two year deal, so he’ll be looking to develop with the team over the coming seasons, and I have little doubt he’ll be right back on it soon enough. Kimi himself believes it, telling the Lotus website “I’m as fast as before”.

Saturday 21 January 2012

FIA ban reactive ride after declaring it legal

So the FIA has banned the new reactive ride height technology pioneered by Lotus and being worked upon by Ferrari and perhaps Mercedes.

Despite it being declared legal, the FIA have now decided it is illegal, that it is a moveable aerodynamic device because it effects the movement of the chassis although as Autosport reports the Lotus system was mechanical and part of the suspension, so couldn’t be classed as a moveable aerodynamic device.
What it basically did was control the ride height under braking, keeping the car stable and the front of the car closer to the ground thus effecting aerodynamic performance.
To me it seems a shame to have banned it so early, I for one would have liked to have seen it out on track as it had the potential to shake up the order a bit as the new season approaches.

Mercedes were rumoured to have delayed the introduction of their new car to be able to integrate this new device. And surely Lotus and Ferrari will be feeling pretty aggrieved, especially Lotus who have invested in it after being told it was legal.
But it appears that other teams have reacted to this and lobbied to get it banned. I do think this is detrimental to the sport, as whether you understand the technology or not, it’s nice to know that Formula 1 teams are innovating new tech to be raced.
For yet another new device to be banned (adding to the F-duct, double and blown diffusers) seems to me to be constraining creativity in a sport already full of constrictive regulations when it’s actually supposed to be the peak of motor sport where envelopes should be regularly ripped open or at least pushed.

Whether this new device should have been banned or not, there does appear to be too much restriction in the regulations. Maybe that just makes the designers work harder to refine and develop what they have.
However, in the past you came across all manner of weird and wonderful designs and constant new areas of innovation, such as six wheeled cars and fans sucking the car to the ground (although to be fair that was quickly banned). Obviously as things have become more refined it is logical those changes become less obvious to spot, especially when you get into the mystical world of aerodynamics.
I just think that with every new invention that may steal a march on the rest, that the FIA feel it should be banned to make sure the rest of the field won’t lag too far behind, but surely it’s up to the rest to develop it themselves. It would be nice to have less standardised formula and more Formula 1 innovation.
Although having said that, it’s probably more to do with money and not wanting teams to splash the cash so much in this troubled financial era. And there was nothing to say it would been successful immediately anyway, it may have taken time for the teams to work the reactive ride system, it may have been a complete flop, it would just have been nice to see if the teams which had it would shake the order up a bit and mount a challenge to Red Bull.
Talking of Red Bull, team boss Christian Horner didn’t seem overly concerned by it, saying the overall package is what counts, although you wonder if they’re feeling slightly relieved by it?

It’ll be interesting to see how much it’ll affect Lotus who had already tested it in Abu Dhabi at November’s young driver test although the BBC report that Lotus and Ferrari are not overly concerned. Perhaps it would have made for a spectacular come back for Kimi Raikkonen though, but now we’ll never know.

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Senna signs for Williams, Barrichello and Sutil left in the cold

Williams announced Bruno Senna as their choice to partner Pastor Maldonado for the 2012 season. The team have admitted that they have some financial concerns, especially after losing title sponsor AT&T, so they’ll welcome the sponsors that Senna has brought with him.
However, let us not be fooled into thinking Senna is a pay driver, his fitness, technical ability and driving were thoroughly assessed, and it was decided that he has the potential to succeed with the team as they build themselves back up from a dismal 2011 season.
I think it’s a sound decision from the team. From a marketing point of view, the linking of the Senna name with Williams brings up the associations with Ayrton Senna, who’s career with the team was so tragically short. But it conjures up a romantic image of Bruno picking up the baton from Ayrton.
To add to that, whenever he was interviewed on the BBC last year he came across as a really nice guy and very open and concise with what he’s saying, and that can only be a good thing for the team.
Obviously the main point is that he’s a good driver too. He couldn’t show much in the way of speed while with HRT in 2010, in fact it’s probably best to forget that season apart from the experience of the circuits it gained him.
It was his arrival with Renault at last years Belgium Grand Prix that truly impressed. Coming in over half way through the season replacing Nick Heidfeld was always going to be a huge mountain to climb, especially with no testing, but he dealt with the situation well qualifying seventh. Ok, the start wasn’t great, crashing into Jaime Alguersuari, but he plugged away and his pace was good.
He was generally quicker than his team mate Vitaly Petrov, and picked up a couple of points along the way in his eight races. He made some beginner mistakes, but he’s definitely done enough to deserve a place on the grid, let’s hope his untapped potential is released, as this is probably make or break year.
Barrichello and Sutil left with few options
Williams are in the process of massive restructuring throughout the team, technical director Sam Michael having left late last season, replaced by Mike Coughlan of spy-gate fame being the major name announcements. Renault are also now supplying engines, so with this upheaval it might have been thought an experienced driver would have been useful such as the one they had in Rubens Barrichello.
The engineers were apparently keen, the top brass apparently not so keen, so of course this does mean it’s potentially the end for Rubens’ Formula 1 career. In a way it’s just the natural order of things, the old make way for the new to have opportunities. Rubens has been in Formula 1 for nineteen seasons though, and sentimentally, it would have been nice to have made it twenty.
I can’t see him wanting to go to HRT just to make up the numbers without any real hope of challenging beyond 20th place, so this could be the end which is a shame for many reasons, not least another nice Brazilian (he already tweeted congratulations to Senna) despite occasional whines, but also because he didn’t really get to say goodbye.
But if any other teams have a driver issue, then I’m sure Rubens will be first on the list, with his experience, technical astuteness and speed it would be foolish not to. I hope Williams don’t feel that half way through the year.
Adrian Sutil, formally of Force India, was another driver in the frame for the Williams seat. I thought he would be the favourite; he has proven speed, and had a storming end to 2011 after a difficult start, and like my other favourite of last year Jaime Alguersuari, has been left high and dry.
I do wonder how much the announcement that he is to be charged with grievous bodily harm against Renault F1 owner Eric Lux affected Williams’ choice, but from what I have been reading in the F1 press, it seems Senna stole a march a few weeks back.
Like Rubens, I can’t see Sutil wanting the offer of an HRT drive, it would be a significant step back and he’s certainly not at the age or stage of his career to be considering a back of the grid drive, especially with a team with improving, but still limited infrastructure. Hopefully he’ll end up with a third driver role as I think he still deserves an opportunity.

Ultimately though, I think Williams have made the right choice for their race seat. We know about Rubens, we know what he has to offer. He still has speed and technical ability, but he is 40 this year, he doesn't have many years left to race and this is a team wanting to look forward and away from their downward spiral, something Rubens has unfortunately been a part of.

Sutil on the otherhand might well have been a good fit, but again he's shown speed, but has he shown world beating pace? I think despite his strong showing last season, he has been outshined a few too many times in his F1 career to be considered truly top drawer.

Which brings us back to Senna who's a raw mix of still just about youthfulness, speed and untapped potential and of course that name and the history associated with it.

There are many reasons why they might have picked another driver but Williams are in a state of change. They're a team wanting to move move back up the grid and perhaps with the signing of Senna they're showing that they're back at the table and ready to take a gamble again.
Who wants to race in Formula 1?
Which actually leaves me with the question who actually will take the last remaining seat in Formula 1? HRT, although considered the worst of the three new teams, have actually finished ahead of Virgin, now Marussia in both the years they’ve competed, so they’re not all bad but Alguersuari has already reportedly turned them down and I see no other names being linked to them in the F1 press.
Current incumbent Vitantonio Liuzzi says he has a contract, but he has not been officially announced, at the moment it almost looks like the seat will be his on the basis that no one else wants it, although that is ridiculous. A drive in Formula 1 is a precious thing, but so far it’s anyone’s guess who’ll actually get it.

Monday 9 January 2012

Why Alguersuari should still be driving

"Toro Rosso was created to give young drivers a chance. Alguersuari and Buemi had it for three years and after this time it's possible to evaluate a driver's development.
We haven't seen in them any possibility of growth. Both are worthy of grand prix racing, but for us that's not enough: we need winners."
So says Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko who was speaking to the Italian newspaper the Gazetto della sport, and I’ve rather handily stolen the quote from the autosport website.
Well I still feel as if both Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi have been unfairly treated after being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, although having said that Buemi appears to have landed on his feet by securing a Red Bull third driver role.
This leaves me feeling pretty aggrieved for Alguersuari whom in my eyes at least, and certainly in many other fans and critics eyes when you look at driver top tens, was one of the more competent drivers on display last year.
Marko is right that they’ve had their fair share of time to prove their potential, but I would say after a slow start, they both were producing storming drives in the latter half of 2011.
He says Toro Rosso was to give young drivers a chance, and yes they’ve had their chance but it seems contradictory to then take that chance away from two still very young drivers when they were both looked like they were about to produce the goods.
To get rid of one would make more sense, rather than both of them. In fact I think it would have made a good reference point for one of the two replacements at Toro Rosso.
Alguersuari particularly has grown exponentially over his time in Formula 1. We must not forget that he was thrown into Formula 1 halfway through the 2009 season while still driving in the World Series by Nissan championship.
2010 was something of a disappointment scoring only five points despite a number of strong qualifying performances, but there were signs he was a good driver. Those signs increased in 2011, qualifying may not have been especially strong, but his drives from the back of the pack were frequently brilliant showing increased maturity as well as speed.
Canada and Italy showed he could play the long game and make strategy work for him as he came from the back of the grid, while the stronger qualifying performances which ended up with good results such as Korea and India showed he could mix with the higher midfield.
It has recently been reported that he has turned down an opportunity to race with HRT in a Spanish, ‘super’, team as he thought it would be a step back.
It could be argued it’s better to keep racing, but then it hasn’t done fellow Toro Rosso refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi any favours in getting him back to the front. So perhaps he has made a wise decision, it increasingly looks as though Alguersuari will have to take a year on the side lines.
With Pedro de la Roso having left his McLaren third driver role to join HRT, there may well be an opportunity at the Woking team.
In any case, he finds himself unfairly without a drive, having been dropped after being told he was part of their plans leaving him with little chance of securing a competitive drive. But this is the world of Formula 1, life is tough, but hopefully this won’t be the last opportunity for Jaime Alguersuari, with pay drivers on the increase, his is a talent that deserves to be on the grid.