The Formula 1 community is still in shock after the horrible
accident that has left Marussia’s Jules Bianchi with a severe head injury
confirmed as a diffuse axonal injury which usually comes from the effects of rapid deceleration of the head and affects the nerves in the brain.
No new information about Bianchi has been reported for the
past few days, but one can only hope that good news will emerge soon, but as
with Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident it seems likely that any more
information will take time and patience.
F1 also suffered a loss as former F1 driver Andrea de Cesaris lost his life in a motor bike accident. He had several shots a winning a race but was largely known for crashing a lot and being Schumacher's first team mate in a race where de Cesaris could have won if it weren't for an engine problem. But he must have had some talent as he competed in 208 races, the most without winning one.
It’s been a tough few
days just to get the show back on the road, especially with Typhoon Phanfone
slowing down the packing up process in Japan and then shipping it off to Russia for the first Russian Grand Prix based at the Sochi Olympic Park which held last
year’s winter Olympics.
There’s been a fair amount of discussion on whether
Formula 1 should even be in Russia with the conflict in Ukraine still happening but as always the FIA policy
is not to get involved in politics so if there’s no safety reason not to go,
then Formula 1 will go. It’s a market many of the big company names also want
to be seen in.
Let's focus on the racing though. The track winds its way through the Olympic stadiums and
first impressions seem to show that this will be a pretty spectacular track. Of
course the teams will have prepared themselves to the extent of having a baseline
set up aided by their simulators, although they haven’t been able to map the
track as significantly as others as Williams chief technical officer wrote in
his preview for F1 Racing magazine, it’s ‘difficult to obtain permission for
LiDAR scanning in Russia’ which helps map the topography.
But it doesn’t really matter how well prepared you are,
racing for the first time on a brand new circuit is always going to throw up
some surprises that weren’t accounted for. It looks to have a few high speed
sections and Sebastian Vettel, who has driven a road car around it, has said
there’s some technical challenges too. It’s not quite a step into the unknown
but it is a foot into a puddle you’re not sure of the depth of.
There are two DRS zones, one on the start finish straight
and the other between turns 10 and 13 which might give you a small indication
that that piece of track isn’t exactly straight. Pirelli have brought their
medium and soft tyre and are expecting the track to be quite abrasive so it
could be a three stopper but if the teams get on top of any issues quickly it could
be a two. There doesn’t look like any chance of rain, all three days are
forecast for bright sunny days with temperatures averaging 23C, so after the
racing it’s a nice day for the beach situated on the coast of the Black Sea.
Nico Rosberg won’t be thinking about the seaside though, he’s
aware he has to turn the tide against Lewis Hamilton this weekend. After
suffering three defeats in succession he really has to win this weekend to not
lose any further ground. He scored a fine pole position in Japan but yet again
in wheel to wheel combat Lewis was better and able to get ahead.
When Rosberg has been in that position such as in Bahrain or
Spain he has not managed to find a way through hence why the incident in Spa
happened. He wanted to show Lewis he wouldn’t be pushed around, but perhaps Spa
has now made even more apprehensive about taking on Hamilton in battle.
Whatever it is, he needs to show he can beat Lewis this
weekend, he can start that by simply being quicker and driving off into the
distance but the last three races have shown they’re going to be neck and neck.
Rosberg is going to have to fight hard to claw any points back.
For some reason as much as the tension is rising as we enter
our last four races of the year, I can’t help but feel that the final double
points round in Abu Dhabi is taking some of that excitement away. The
likelihood is that Lewis won’t manage to get a 50 point gap to Nico by then, so
the significance of the rounds before is diminished.
We all know it’s going to the final round, who cares if Lewis
eeks out another seven points to make a 17 point advantage, this race despite
the present gap is not a make or break round for Rosberg. I think that’s a
shame. However in terms of momentum it is significant and he has to strike back
now.
The championship battle may be the major talking point after
concern for Bianchi but there are plenty of other matters to get excited about,
many of them off track especially as regards the driver market.
It seems like Vettel and Ferrari outplayed Fernando Alonso
last weekend. Although the Scuderia has not officially confirmed either Vettel’s
arrival or Alonso’s departure this transfer is likely to take place. Vettel
will line up alongside Kimi Raikkonen, at least for now. Kimi struggled again
in Japan and will be desperately hoping for something to go right for him soon.
Alonso seemed quite happy with his situation last weekend
and so the rumours go a deal with McLaren Honda for next year might well have
been signed. Or it’s being delayed because he wants just a one year deal in
case Honda don’t bring the goods and so he’ll be available should a seat arise
at Mercedes in 2016. Hamilton wants to stay, Mercedes want him to stay but should he leave for whatever reason then Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hasn't backed away from saying they'd have Alonso but I'd say that is unlikely.
It all looks like he might be backing himself into a
sabbatical and as Autosport.com pointed out, potentially leave him unable to
get back into the sport should Mercedes, McLaren and even Williams retain their
2015 driver line ups. It’s unlikely but could this be an ignominious end for
the career of a driver regarded as the best for the last eight years.
Jenson Button did himself no harm at all with a brilliant
driver in Japan for McLaren as his team mate Kevin Magnussen floundered, while also doing a
good job was Jean-Eric Vergne, looked over by Red Bull once again beating
his senior team bound team mate Daniil Kvyat. Both Button and Vergne need to maintain this form if they want to be in Formula 1 next year while Kvyat will look to get back on track at his home race.
Back to the racing, you can only assume that Mercedes will
be leading the field with Red Bull, Williams and Ferrari in pursuit. I don’t
expect any surprises with the result, it’ll be a Mercedes win, but I do expect
the battle behind to be close again.
McLaren were good in the wet of Japan but in the dry of
Russia they’ll be scrapping for lower end points as they hope to leap ahead of
Force India finally. Toro Rosso will be tagging along in that battle while
unfortunately once again, Lotus, Sauber and Caterham will find themselves on
the fringes.
Marussia are reported to be preparing two cars for this
weekend, but it’s not yet known if or when they’ll announce another driver for
the second seat alongside Max Chilton. All the drivers have shown great concern
for their colleague Bianchi, but once the visor comes down they’ll be focused
only on being fast. The best thing they and the world of F1 can do now is put
on a great show. #ForzaJules
all photos taken for autosport.com except title picture from skysports.com/f1
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