Bahrain Grand Prix Preview

It's back - the Vettel finger makes its 2012 debut

After weeks of debate and controversy, the F1 circus finally roared into action on the Sakhir International Circuit. For Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel it was a return to his form of 2011 as he clinched his 31st pole position of his young career after a stunning lap. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was edged out by less than one tenth of a second with Mark Webber underlining the leap that Red Bull have made this weekend by lining up third. Interestingly, the pre-qualifying favourite Nico Rosberg saved a set of soft tyres for the race and will line up fifth despite a couple of niggly mistakes on his final lap. Here’s how qualifying went:

Qualifying 1

The front-running teams took the gamble to run the prime tyre in Q1, trying to save the softs for the more competitive second session. It initially looked as though the gamble would pay off as the track was dusty and the softs simply didn’t provide any grip. In the last few minutes though and with the track constantly evolving, the time was right to make the switch onto the quicker tyres and a whole host of drivers including Massa, Webber, Vettel, Perez and Grosjean all chose to do just that. Hamilton, Button, Alonso and Michael Schumacher elected to stay in the garage and try to scrape through on the medium compound tyres. For Schumacher, it was the wrong decision as Heikki Kovalainen put in an absolute stunner of a lap, finding 1.5 seconds to send the 7 times World Champion out in the very first session. Schumacher blamed a broken DRS system but either way, he’s going to have a lot of work to do just to make the points tomorrow afternoon.

Eliminated:

• 18th Michael Schumacher (Mercedes AMG Petronas) 1:34.865
• 19th Jean-Eric Vergne (Scuderia Toro Rosso) 1:35.014
• 20th Vitaly Petrov (Caterham F1) 1:35.823
• 21st Charles Pic (Marussia F1) 1:37.683
• 22nd Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F1) 1:37.883
• 23rd Timo Glock (Marussia F1) 1:37.905
• 24th Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F1) 1:38.314

Qualifying 2

Q2 has become almost as important as Q3 this season with the field separated by virtually nothing and it was no different this time. Less than a second covered top spot down to 15th in Q2 with only Caterham’s Kovalainen further back than that with Pastor Maldonado not setting a time meaning he will start 22nd after a penalty for changing his gearbox. Anyone could have been knocked out here and for a long period of time it seemed as though both Ferrari’s, both Lotus’ and even eventual pole-sitter Vettel could be eliminated. Both Ferrari’s and Romain Grosjean elected to put on a fresh set of options to make the top 10 while a couple of impressive laps from Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo ensured that they outqualified their respective team-mates by a mile. Alonso improved, Massa didn’t while Raikkonen stayed in the garage to save a set of options for the race and he escaped a poor grid slot by ending up 11th. Kamui Kobayashi and Nico Hulkenberg couldn’t match their team-mates but Grosjean could while Senna complained of balance issues as he ended up 15th.

Eliminated:

• 11th Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus F1) 1:33.789
• 12th Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber F1) 1:33.806
• 13th Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India) 1:33.807
• 14th Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari) 1:33.912
• 15th Bruno Senna (Williams F1) 1:34.017
• 16th Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham F1) 1:36.132
• 17th Pastor Maldonado (Williams F1) No time (5 place grid penalty, will start 22nd)

Qualifying 3

All eyes were on Nico Rosberg here. Having been quickest in FP2 and FP3, he was expected to claim a second consecutive pole position but it simply wasn’t to be. He had one timed run, trying to save his tyres as much as possible from Mercedes well documented tyre woes. He also ensured he kept a fresh set for the race tomorrow so he’ll be one to watch. Further back, Daniel Ricciardo sent a huge message to Red Bull by getting into 6th place on the grid with a great lap, 12 places ahead of his team-mate and less than half a second off pole. Alonso and di Resta sat out the session with the latter’s performance lifting the spirits of a team that has had a troubled past few days. For the majority of the session, it seemed as though Hamilton would be in line to secure his third pole of the season but then the Red Bulls decided to show their hand. Webber went fastest before Vettel produced another smooth and controlled lap that so typified his march to the 2011 title. Hamilton managed to split the Red Bulls before Rosberg’s mistakes left him behind Jenson Button. Grosjean and Perez rounded out the top eight and they will be hoping that they can come home with a good haul of points.

Top 10:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1:32.422
2. Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 1:32.520
3. Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) 1:32.637
4. Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 1:32.711
5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG Petronas) 1:32.821
6. Daniel Ricciardo (Scuderia Toro Rosso) 1:32.912
7. Romain Grosjean (Lotus F1) 1:33.008
8. Sergio Perez (Sauber F1) 1:33.394
9. Fernando Alonso (Scuderia Ferrari) No time
10. Paul di Resta (Sahara Force India) No time

Daniel Ricciardo put in a great lap to end up sixth.

When I started writing these previews I thought I’d get sick of the monotony of putting P1. S.Vettel after every qualifying session but I’m actually quite pleased to see his name on top of the timesheets. It just adds an extra dimension to the long championship battle. Also, 8 tenths between P1 and P15 in Q2? This is the sort of close racing that F1 has been crying out for.

Another thing that F1 has been crying out for is for one of the ‘new’ teams to make the jump to the midfield and Kovalainen’s Q1 lap today is about as close as it’s got; it really was stunning. Special mention to Daniel Ricciardo for an absolutely stellar performance today. He outdrove the car and would love to see him get a few points for his troubles but crucially for him, Red Bull must surely look no further than the young Australian when Webber retires.

What worries me about the race tomorrow is not just the security issues but the fact that the race itself could be a bit of a snorefest. The Sakhir circuit isn’t exactly renowned for its overtaking opportunities and the Red Bull has demonstrated the best race pace on the grid so putting it on pole is giving it a bit of an unfair advantage. I expect Vettel to do what he did throughout last year and control the race from the front. If the different strategies up and down the grid provide some excitement then at least we’ll have some entertainment but I’m not holding my breath for a thriller.

For what it’s worth my predictions are:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2. Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes)

With empty grandstands and continued violence in Bahrain, the F1 community has to be questioning whether it was all worth it when the race is said and done.

Nico Rosberg Finally Breaks His Duck in F1

Nico Rosberg tastes success for the first time in F1

Three races into the 2012 Formula 1 season and we’ve seen three different winners. Nico Rosberg became the latest of them as he eased to his first victory in the sport, becoming the 103rd driver in history to win a Grand Prix. Behind him, the McLaren’s made up for a poor pitstop and a poor grid slot respectively to finish on the podium.

The cooler conditions in Shanghai aided Mercedes’ relatively high level of degradation and allowed Rosberg to take a two-stop strategy that the others couldn’t match. For a while it seemed as though it could even be a Silver Arrows 1-2 but a loose wheel nut at the first round of stops cost Michael Schumacher the chance to make the podium. The race then boiled down into a battle of strategy with the field split between two and three stoppers and it wasn’t until the closing laps that the final order started to take shape. Those on a three stop strategy had to take risks when it came to overtaking and that made for fascinating viewing. Button, on a three stop strategy, was Rosberg’s closest threat but we were robbed of the grandstand finish that we had hoped for when a issue getting the left rear tyre off in his third stop cost him valuable seconds.

Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen was second by this point but hanging onto his tyres by the skin of his teeth and once Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was passed he gave up the ghost and dropped down to 14th just two laps later. Vettel then battled to hold back the two McLarens who were on much fresher tyres but had to settle for fifth as both they and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber got past the reigning World Champion. Behind them, Romain Grosjean impressed on his way to sixth having only completed a total of 7 laps this season. Bruno Senna once again underlined his potential and grabbed a good haul of points in seventh ahead of team-mate Pastor Maldonado. Fernando Alonso couldn’t produce the performance that led him to victory in Malaysia but ensured Ferrari’s damage was limited while Kamui Kobayashi ensured that Sauber have scored at every race so far this season by coming home in 10th. The attention was all on Rosberg though as he reveled in the sweet taste of victory after 111 race starts.

Provisional Classification:

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG Petronas) 1hr36:26.929
2. Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) + 20.626
3. Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) + 26.012
4. Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) + 27.924
5. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) + 30.483
6. Romain Grosjean (Lotus F1) + 31.491
7. Bruno Senna (Williams F1) + 34.597
8. Pastor Maldonado (Williams F1) + 35.643
9. Fernando Alonso (Scuderia Ferrari) + 37.256
10. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber F1) + 38.720
11. Sergio Perez (Sauber F1) + 41.066
12. Paul di Resta (Sahara Force India) + 42.273
13. Felipe Massa (Scuerdia Ferrari) + 42.700
14. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus F1) + 50.500
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Sahara Force India) + 51.200
16. Jean-Eric Vergne (Scuderia Toro Rosso) + 51.700
17. Daniel Ricciardo (Scuderia Toro Rosso) + 1:03.100
18. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham F1) + 1 Lap
19. Timo Glock (Marussia F1) + 1 Lap
20. Charles Pic (Marussia F1) + 1 Lap
21. Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F1) + 1 Lap
22. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F1) + 2 Laps
23. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham F1) + 3 Laps

Not Classified:

• Michael Schumacher (Mercedes AMG Petronas) – Loose wheel, Lap 16

Drivers Championship Standings:

1. Lewis Hamilton – 45 Points
2. Jenson Button – 43 Points
3. Fernando Alonso – 37 Points
4. Mark Webber – 36 Points
5. Sebastian Vettel – 28 Points
6.  Nico Rosberg – 25 Points
7. Sergio Perez – 22 Points
8. Kimi Raikkonen – 16 Points
9. Bruno Senna – 14 Points
10. Kamui Kobayashi – 9 Points
11. Romain Grosjean – 8 Points
12. Paul di Resta – 7 Points
13. Jean-Eric Vegne – 4 Points
14. Pastor Maldonado – 4 Points
15. Daniel Ricciardo – 2 Points
16. Nico Hulkenberg – 2 Points
17. Michael Schumacher – 1 Point

Constructors Championship Standings:

1. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – 88 Points
2. Red Bull Racing – 64 Points
3. Scuderia Ferrari – 37 Points
4. Sauber F1 – 31
5. Mercedes AMG Petronas – 26 Points
6. Lotus F1 – 24 Points
7. Williams F1 – 18 Points
8. Sahara Force India – 9 Points
9. Scuderia Toro Rosso – 6 Points

Analysis and Comment

Well, I suppose we can only start by talking about Nico Rosberg. Boring I know seeing as every other sports news outlet has done the same but it’s great to see him get his first win after being the nearly man for so long. Yes he was helped by the conditions but he still put in a performance that was scarily reminiscent of Vettel last year. It was a shame that we didn’t get to see Rosberg vs Schumacher pan out over the course of the race but hopefully there’ll be more chances for that throughout the season. One negative note regarding Mercedes’ chances in Bahrain is the fact that the track temperature will be over double what it was in China and as we have seen in Australia and in qualifying in Malaysia, the W03 does not handle tyre degradation on warm tracks well at all. It’s a bit weird because when Mercedes were Brawn GP way back when, that is the very area that they had great success with. They actually struggled at tracks like Silverstone and in Germany because they couldn’t get the heat into the tyres but now it seems as though they’ve gone too far the other way and get too much heat in their tyres on the average track. It’s a shame because they’ve probably got the fastest car in qualifying trim but they can’t always utilise that performance on the Sunday.

He might be leading the World Championship but Lewis Hamilton won't be able to win it by settling for third every race.

McLaren will look back on this weekend with some disappointment just like they did in Malaysia. Without Hamilton’s grid penalty he could have challenged Rosberg all the way and if Button hadn’t had that costly pitstop error and then been held up by Raikkonen and Vettel for so long, we might have had a late challenge. Despite that they still outscored their rivals in the Constructors Championship and left China with Hamilton and Button first and second in the Drivers Championship. My biggest concern for McLaren is that they are not taking enough of an advantage of the fact they have the best all-round car on the grid and that when the likes of Red Bull introduce upgrades that they might lose that advantage. Also if we’re going to see tracks that suit different cars (about time too!) then losing a race that they should have won like in Malaysia could come back to haunt them. I also have a problem with Hamilton’s suggestion that he’s targeting points finishes instead of victories. He’s become the Prost to Button’s Senna; one always pushing for the win and one settling for third, fourth, fifth or sixth as long as it guarantees points. How times have changed!

Down at Ferrari, it’s been another bitterly disappointing race weekend. Alonso got home with 2 points but yet again Felipe Massa failed to score leaving him as the only driver from the ‘established teams’ on no points. As you know, there’s been a lot of talk of him being replaced (we’re no exception) and even Felipe looks like his enthusiasm has gone. I’m excited to see what Ferrari are going to bring to Europe after these flyaway races as there’s been talk of a completely re-designed car. If that’s true and more importantly if it works then just how precious will Fernando Alonso’s victory in Malaysia prove to be?

Finally onto the contentious issue of the Bahrain Grand Prix. It’s been in the headlines for a while now and it’s still a sensitive issue about whether the F1 grid should be heading to Manama in the first place. Personally I think that politics and sport should be kept separate except in times of humanitarian crises and I class Bahrain as a brewing humanitarian crisis. I know the teams have an obligation to the FIA who have sanctioned the race because Bahrain pays an extortionate amount to host a Grand Prix. Also the race hasn’t exactly got a track record of being  haven of F1 excitement and you have to question if it is worth all the hassle just to watch a procession of Formula 1 cars. I’d have it scratched off the calendar and a replacement race staged at one of the classic European racetracks instead but Bernie isn’t going to go for that.

UPDATE: I actually held off publishing this blog until it’d been confirmed that we were definitely going racing in Bahrain (and also because of an influx in Uni work). The incident involving four Force India mechanics on Wednesday night has re-affirmed the security fears and pretty much rendered the event a farce with the team sitting out second practice this afternoon. Despite what Bernie and the Crown Prince of Bahrain say, this will be remembered along with Indianapolis in 2005 as a black stain on the sport.

Ride-Height, What’s the Big Idea?

 

Would it have been these two cars at the front of the field if the ride-height system had been given the go-ahead by the FIA?

Anyone who follows Formula 1 will know that the big story in the last few weeks has been the ride-height innovation that Lotus and Ferrari had been developing over the last couple of seasons.

The story goes that Lotus (that’s the old Renault team, not the Team Lotus that entered the sport in 201o) have been developing a system that controls the height of the car under braking since the middle of the 2010 season and had initially been given the green-light from the FIA that such a device would be legal. Ferrari have also been in development of their own similar device but from a much later date, it is understood. The issue is that as of yesterday, the FIA has officially declared any such device illegal, which re-ignites political troubles within the sport.

The proposed device was attached to the push-rod on the front suspension and then reacted to braking forces that were placed on that part of the car. This means that the car remains at a constant level throughout braking and into acceleration out of the corner and it is through that rising and falling of the front of the car that causes aerodynamic imbalance. When I first heard of such a system being built, I spent about an hour trying to work out how such a device could be legal. For one, ride-height systems had been banned for as long as I could remember in F1 although I figured that because this was more of a suspension device, whose secondary (if not more effective aim) was to adjust ride-height. The other issue was that the device could not be driver operated which would leave this particular innovation in a grey area. On the one hand, it is not being directly operated by the driver’s hand but is activated by the pressing of the brake pedal which could be construed as driver activated. It was a huge gamble from Lotus and Ferrari to recoup some of the lost downforce that the banning of the blown diffuser would produce. It is perhaps the fact that it was a device attached to the suspension that made the FIA initially approve it but it also proved to be the reason why we won’t see it on the grid in 2012…

Red Bull run a pull-rod system on their rear suspension, it’s part of the fabric of their successful car and part of the reason why other teams didn’t get as much success from the blown diffuser. If the device had become legal then it would have surely been placed on all four corners of the car and it would be Red Bull that would suffer as the device had been designed for push-rod cars. When a team wins four World Championships in two years in such a dominant fashion as Red Bull then they begin to become a big earner for Formula 1 through increased popularity and competition between sponsors to be the name on the side of that car. This gives them a lot of leverage with the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone as we saw with Ferrari throughout the late 90s and early noughties and it also helps that Sebastian Vettel and Mr Ecclestone are great friends. The ban certainly helps Red Bull and although Lotus and Ferrari knew the device probably would face  stringent criticism, the ‘green light’ must have given them a false hope.

McLaren also could have benefited from a proposed lifting of the ban on ride-height systems. Does anyone remember 2010 when Martin Whitmarsh was banging on for the first few races of the season about how the secret of the Red Bull was a ride-height control system only for him to then bang on about a flexing front wing and over-exuberant blowing of the diffuser as other reasons for Red Bull’s pace when it became apparent that there was no mythical ride-height system in place on the RB6. Whitmarsh did admit at the time that McLaren had developed a ride-height system to be put on the car at the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix but that the FIA had declared it illegal. If the ban was lifted, McLaren already have a device ready made and set for the first race which may have been another factor in the FIA’s decision.

A rather complicated diagram showing how the device would work

The banning of the ride-height device is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that the field remains even – for now – although Adrian Newey surely has something lined up his sleeve. The FIA and Bernie are both trying to ensure that the field is not as distantly spread as in 2011; another dominant Red Bull season would not be good for business or for interest in the sport as Bernie tries to expand it into unchartered territories. With the smaller teams clearly unable to compete with the the big boys when it comes to spending money researching and developing complicated aerodynamic devices and so both authoritative parties would rather see a more simpler, driver dependent version of F1 of which the closest resemblance is the 2009 season which without the double diffuser issue could have been anyone’s to win. More importantly, any lifting of the ride-height ban would have seen a return to the early 90s and the days of active suspension and traction control where the only skill the driver really needed to possess in such a car was the ability to put his right foot on the throttle and brake occassionally. F1 2012 could be the year of simplicity but as with anything in the world of Formula 1, don’t bet on it.