Sunday

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL

Today I went to check the Autosport website, as you do, and saw this article about Kimi Raikkonen. It quotes Raikkonen as saying he 'cannot afford to lose more ground' if he is to end the 2012 season as world champion. The reason why I'm mentioning this in a blog post is because I was almost amazed by Raikkonen believing that the world championship could still be his this year.

You all know that Fernando Alonso has enjoyed a terrific first half of the season and is therefore the current leader of the title battle. A lot of people are saying that the season is far from over and that Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Raikkonen all have a chance at snatching the title from Alonso. I disagree...


I am one of those annoying people who starts thinking about the title and who will emerge victorious at the end of the season after approximately the third race of the season. I still enjoy every race as an individual and as they come but I do make rash assumptions about the title outcome. Last year we would have all been saying Vettel's won it, for obvious reasons, but this year provided a lot more surprises and unpredictability and there was a general consensus that the title fight would go down to the wire! We had seven different winners from the first seven races; a statistic I never get tired of hearing and one I loved watching break records as the races went on. I was enjoying not being able to tell who will win the championship and was enjoying it even more that my preferred driver, so to speak, was right in the mix (sorry Jenson fans)!


But then the European Grand Prix changed everything! I just felt absolutely certain from then on that Fernando Alonso would definitely take his third championship this year. I don't know exactly why I was so sure of the outcome considering so much has been changing this season and he hadn't accumulated a massive lead. Since then my theory had only been confirmed by the Spaniard as he went on to win in Germany as well as picking up strong points finishes elsewhere. From my perspective everything seems to be going right for Alonso so far. His car has good reliability and his talent as a driver able to outperform his machinery is certainly shining through. On top of this, his rivals just keep taking points off each other so no single driver is able to consistently cut down Alonso's lead.

Fernando's nearest challengers are the Red Bull boys; Mark and Sebastian! The latter is the driver we all think can realistically catch up to Alonso, despite Mark actually leading Sebastian in the standings. If neither of these two can win the title this year their inter-team battle is also an interesting one to keep an eye on. The fact that Webber and Vettel are closer to Alonso than Raikkonen means he has several drivers to beat before he can reach the number 1 spot.


Nevertheless, he has the 'spirit' of a racing driver and I'm sure all of the top 5 are thinking that the title can still be theirs. And that just means the racing will get that little bit more exciting! None of them will give up and with updates coming for cars, a bit of time away and a chance to refocus and realise what they are targeting will mean they are all heading to Spa and into part 2 of the season with only one goal in mind...

Oh and as for the other title, Red Bull have got that one!

I would personally love to be proven wrong and see a lot more chopping and changing at the top of the standings; much like what we saw only a few months ago. What do you think? Has Alonso already got his third WDC wrapped up or is there another driver who can take it from him?

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

Friday

SPA- ONLY A WEEK AWAY

I just want to start by saying that I got a little bit emotional (this is going to sound more dramatic than it really was) when I wrote this post title because over four months ago I wrote a post called 'China- only a week away' and it was my first F1-related post on my blog! I just found it really strange how fast time flies and that we are already almost going into the second part of the season and I have really loved blogging about F1 these past four months and look forward to continuing it. Now that the boring emotional bit is over (we all need an outlet sometimes) and done with we can get down to the good stuff...

The last three weeks have been fairly traumatic as F1 fans the world over have had nothing to do with their weekends and we've all been counting down the days until F1 returns to our lives. And the wait, my friends, is nearly over! In exactly one week's time FP1 and FP2 for the Belgian Grand Prix will already be over. No joke, my heart rate actually rose as I typed that! I know your's just did too.



Spa will be an exciting race for so many reasons that I think it will be easiest for me to just list them in a numbered-style...list! So here's why F1 will be coming back with a bang;

  1. The title battle is just heating up- No driver has yet conceded that the title race is over and all the frontrunners think they can pose a challenge to Fernando Alonso and stop him from running away with it. The drivers I am thinking of are, of course, Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Raikkonen; Alonso's nearest opponents. You know that none of the above will settle for anything less than a win as the end of the season approaches meaning the outcome and the race will all be very thrilling indeed!
  2. Teams have been working hard over the summer- That seems more like I'm just stating a fact but because of all the upgrades team will bring and developments cars will have gone under we don't actually know who will be strong in Spa. There are no real favourites heading into this race because, not only is competition already so tight, we don't know who will have thought of a new genius idea to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack.
  3. McLaren are back- McLaren and Lewis Hamilton headed into the summer break with a race win in Hungary and seemed to have put many of their earlier problems behind them. There is no better motivation than the taste of winning so McLaren will be hungry to repeat their Hungary success in Spa! Jenson Button also has a lot to prove and with a summer off and a chance to rest and relax I'm sure he'll be eager of getting back into a car and doing what he loves!
  4. The king of Spa is back- Kimi Raikkonen loves Spa and Spa loves Raikkonen so I'm sure the Finn has been looking forward to driving his Lotus around the infamous track. He has a car that I'm sure is capable of winning a race and with a string of second-placed finishes Kimi will be hoping he can win at Spa once again. 
  5. F1 is finally back- we've been so F1-starved that it could be the most boring race in the history of the sport and I would still love it! But we all know it won't be (see reasons above!) and I have personally never been so excited for an FP1 session. It's even worth me breaking my current ridiculous, summer sleeping pattern for; not that is dedication!



Wednesday

HEROES AND ZEROES (PART II)

My long-awaited part II is finally here, hooray! I'll give you a moment to celebrate...

So this part will look at my 'zeroes' of the season; the drivers who have failed to impress me in the first part of the season and they will now be called up on it. (Refresh your memory of the 'heroes'!)

ZEROES
  • Jenson Button- I've had a little (it's not that little) say on Jenson's season so far which underlines the ups and downs of his 2012 season. It's been a strange one, I think it's fair to say, as it started with a win and has since slumped so much that his hopes of taking a second championship are over once again. I'm sure his season will improve when F1 returns after the summer break as he and his team make developments to the car but Jenson will probably be glad to see the back of 2012 after Brazil and hope for a much better 2013 season.
  • Michael Schumacher- yes, it is a bit strange to be including a seven time world champion on this list but it's no secret that Schumi hasn't had the best of comebacks and Kimi Raikkonen's comeback season is only highlighting this even more. Sure they both had different experiences when they were away from F1 and Schumacher is older than Kimi but not only do I believe that Schumacher's age shouldn't be a factor, after all he knows his body and fitness the best and he wouldn't still be in F1 if he didn't think he felt up to it, he's also the greatest F1 driver in history if we look at it in terms of number of titles won. Therefore, he has experience, knowledge and expertise in abundance and a truly lacklustre 2012 has naturally left people questioning whether he should even have a seat next year.
  • Felipe Massa- I really didn't want to include Massa in this list because I'm a quite a fan of the Brazilian  and I do think that some of the criticism aimed at him has been unfair. However, it cannot be denied that his performance in contrast to his teammate and current leader Alonso's performance has been poor. Of course his position in the Ferrari team is now under threat (that sounds overly dramatic, doesn't it?) but we don't know what will happen for Massa contract-wise and what Ferrari's long term plans are. If they want Vettel when his Red Bull contract is over it wouldn't make much sense to replace Massa for 2013 so we will just have to wait and see...
  • The Force India pair- I really didn't want to include Paul and Nico on this list because I think they are both having decent seasons for a midfield team but with their main rivals, mainly Perez and Maldonado, stepping up their games and taking wins and podiums in other midfield cars you can't help but think they and Force India have a lot of work to do! They have certainly slipped behind as a team and I think the drivers need to have more confidence and deliver better results in the second part of the season.
  • Jean-Eric Vergne- Jean-Eric is not having a great season but the fact that he is driving for the ruthless Toro Rosso team probably doesn't help. Last season I thought both Buemi and Alguersuari had seasons worthy of retaining their seats so it was a bit of a surprise to see them both dropped for 2012.  Toro Rosso are basically training talented, young drivers and giving them a chance to drive in F1 with the intention of one day promoting them to Red Bull to, presumably, partner Sebastian Vettel. However, this Young Driver Programme has had limited success because of the ruthless nature of it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vergne dropped once this season is over even though I don't think he should be.

So that's my list, I hope it was worth the wait! It was fairly hard to compile because 2012 has been a topsy-turvy season and I haven't actually been all that disappointed with many drivers, with the exception of Jenson! However, the ones I have listed are the drivers that I think have the most work to do when F1 heads to Spa; which is now fast approaching!

Monday

HEROES AND ZEROES (PART I)

I've reviewed the races of this season as they've gone by but also with some reflection on which race has been my favourite of the season so far. Now it's time to look at the men in the cockpits; the people responsible for delivering such exciting racing and review who has been a 'hero' and who has been below par. (Also, I realise calling them 'zeroes' is harsh but I had to include it for rhyming purposes.)

HEROES

  • Fernando Alonso- I had to start this list with the man currently at the top of the standings for the Drivers' Championship. At the beginning of the season many doubted whether Alonso will be able to win his third world championship in the car Ferrari had given him but it's fair to say that Alonso and the team have stepped up their game as the season has progressed. Ferrari brought updates to Mugello and improved their package but Alonso has been in another league in terms of driving and out-performing his machinery. Should he win his third title this year, which I definitely think he will, it will be extremely deserved and I don't think anyone, whether you are a fan or not, can begrudge him of that considering his performance so far this year.
  • Kimi Raikkonen- I think it is fair to call Kimi the 'comeback king' of F1 because he has settled in to his team and racing in Formula 1 with relative ease and has been able to deliver multiple podiums and strong points finishes. The only thing making his comeback less than perfect is his failure to win a race but I have no doubt that the Finn will be able to tick that off his list before the end of the season. 
  • Mark Webber- It's no secret that Webber had a difficult 2011 season when his teammate ran away with the title and he was left without a win until the very last race in Brazil but he has come back from that like a true professional and has silenced any critics who have ever said he doesn't deserve the second Red Bull seat. He currently has more wins than his German colleague and is even leading Vettel in the championship. The team clearly think that Mark is a good racer and deserves to keep his seat as they have extended his contract for 2013 as well. 
  • Bruno Senna- I can only begin to imagine the pressure Senna would have been under at the beginning of this season by joining the Williams team that his uncle is so famously associated with. This combined with him losing his seat at Renault/Lotus would have amounted to a difficult start but I have personally been impressed with Senna's season so far. He may not have a race win like teammate Pastor Maldonado but he has been fairly consistent and I don't see why he should be worried about losing his seat.
  • Charles Pic- the young Frenchman is in his rookie F1 season and that is never going to be easy but I've been impressed with the way Pic has just gotten his head down and concentrated on his own driving. You're never going to be delivering great results in a Marussia car but that doesn't mean Pic's season isn't worth mentioning. He is consistent, F1's key word this season, and gaining invaluable experience in F1. I'm sure outscoring his experienced teammate Timo Glock doesn't feel too bad either.
So there you have my stand-out drivers from the first half of the 2012 season. There have obviously been other drivers who have had/ are having good, strong seasons but it is hard to make my exclusive list so they'll just have to try harder when the season continues in Spa. Harsh I know...

Stay tuned for Part II of my 'Heroes and Zeroes' post when I'll address which drivers haven't been impressing me so far this season and need to up their game. Spoiler Alert: Jenson Button will feature!

Wednesday

CAN LOTUS WIN?

Lotus' sudden increase in form from the beginning of the 2012 season is definitely one of the big talking points of this season as they became the team to successfully make the jump from the midfield to join the frontrunners. Lotus have been consistently fast and that has shown in their results. They have now had both drivers on the podium with a string of 2nd and 3rd-placed results and Kimi Raikkonen is definitely considered to be one of the drivers that can give the main title favourites a run for their money. However, the Enstone-based team are yet to get that extremely covetable win and, despite coming close to it, head into part 2 of the 2012 season desperate to make their stamp on the list of 2012 winners.


So we know that Lotus have come close to winning; Bahrain is the classic example of this when Raikkonen had the chance to overtake Vettel for the lead but just didn't seem to grab it with both hands. That crucial 2-second window could have won Lotus that race, and left Red Bull without one after four races, but once it was gone so was the win as Kimi was to have no more chances to pass Vettel. But coming close to winning is very different to winning! Any of the drivers will be able to tell you that they race to win so I'm sure that coming so close to doing it is still quite painful and I'm sure the champagne doesn't taste as sweet as when you're on the top step of the podium.

Lotus' rivals are Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren; the traditional top teams in modern F1 and they have all, naturally, taken more than one win this season. Of course Mercedes have also taken a win; Nico Rosberg's maiden win in Shanghai, but they have begun to slip away from the leaders as the season has progressed and they don't seem to be posing much of a challenge in either championships, to put it slightly harshly! Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren are all looking strong going into part II of F1 2012 and they are heading to tracks they have experience of winning at; Spa and Monza! As the season goes on and consistency seems to have taken a hold of F1 at long last it will just get ever harder for Lotus to win. Perhaps their best chance was at the start of this unpredictable season; F1 saw 7 different winners in the first 7 races and that volatility in the race results could have given Lotus a chance to make that 8. There is no doubt that this will be harder now.


If Lotus are capable of winning a race this year we then get the question of which of their drivers will take their and the team's first win of 2012. Will it be the man they call 'the Iceman'? The 2007 world champion is definitely used to that winning feeling and his experience in F1 is showing as his comeback is proving to be a great decision for him and the Lotus team for giving him a drive. Or can the ever-smiling Frenchman Romain Grosjean do it for the team and himself? He is without a win in F1 and for him this Lotus drive is also a comeback of sorts. A rather disappointing rookie season in 2010 led to him losing his seat in this terribly competitive sport but after becoming GP2 champion he proved he does have what it takes. He has had his fair share of accidents and collisions, particularly at the starts of races, but he is a tremendous young driver with plenty of skill and that desire to win. At the moment Kimi is looking like the more consistent driver and his position in the championship standings illustrate this perfectly. However, Romain is capable of a surprise and I don't think he should be written off just yet!

The team have shown that they have a fast car that is capable of podiums and challenging the leaders. They are only marginally away from McLaren in the Constructors' showing their consistent and strong results are paying off. A part of me does think that their best chance of winning a race would have come at the beginning of the season and they didn't capitalise on that as well as they should have. Their main target must now be to improve Qualifying results; if the team can start at the front of the grid they do have the pace needed to take home that win and they have drivers that won't crumble under the pressure. Team principle Eric Boullier has said that the team wishes to keep both Raikkonen and Grosjean on which will give the drivers some confidence that the team is happy with their performances and allow them to focus solely on their driving.

The title of this post is 'Can Lotus Win?' and if I had to answer in one word I would say yes! The team can win a race this season as long as they improve their performances on Saturdays and a bit of luck going their way wouldn't hurt either. All we can do as fans is sit back and enjoy the performance of this Lotus team; a team we can now class as one of the frontrunners, and enjoy what they add to F1 this season by mixing up the faces we see on the podium.

Now I want to hear from you! Do you think Lotus are capable of winning a race when F1 resumes this season or do you think their best chance has been and gone? And which driver, Kimi or Romain, do you think is looking more likely to take that win? You know how to get in touch; comment or tweet me!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula 

Monday

RACE OF THE SEASON SO FAR...

F1 is now in its summer break and I know it's a trying time for all of us fans. The next race that awaits us is the irreplaceable, exciting (and every other superlative you can think of) Spa! However, there is still a long wait before we reach Spa with the race weekend beginning on the 31st August. I don't know why the FIA/ FOM/ Bernie Ecclestone do this to us!

We have enjoyed a grand total of eleven Grands Prix so far and, as you know, 2012 has not failed in providing thrill after thrill and surprise after surprise. The last time I did this feature I only had a few races to pick from meaning my decision was a fairly easy one to make. F1 then went on to deliver 7 different winners from the first 7 races and plenty of other amazing moments. The season has not been free of controversy and gossip but then what season has? One of the things that sets F1 apart from other sports is how important the non-sporting environment is to the fans, the drivers, the media and the public. And now we're in the summer break that doesn't mean the gossip will stop! As drivers begin contract negotiations and so on I'm sure the rumour mill will still be as active as ever. 

So now the moment you have all been waiting for; just what is my personal race of the season so far? I'm going to have to go with, rather shockingly I admit, the European Grand Prix in Valencia. It was a race so exciting and full of action and things to talk about that I actually had a second part to my race review! It is quite hard to describe why a race excites you so much but you all probably watched it, and if not read my review, so you'll know why Valencia this year was a far cry from Valencia's past. I was even struggling to put my excitement into words in the review and this was my opening sentence; "The race finished a couple of hours ago now but I'm still in a state of shock as to how incredible it was!" 


Fernando Alonso won the Grand Prix after a shock retirement for Sebastian Vettel. This means Vettel lost a total of 32 points in the Championship; the figure is 32 because Vettel would have an extra 25 and Alonso would have a further seven less! It is clear that this Grand Prix will be one with lasting effects for the championship. Had Vettel's engine not failed on him he would be very much right on Alonso's tails in the standings and life would not be quite as relaxed as it currently is for the Spaniard. 

This race was also the one with probably the most controversial Pastor Maldonado-related incident of the season so far; his infamous clash with Lewis Hamilton towards the closing stages of the race. This of course attracted many strong opinions but if you look at it from a neutral view, which can be hard I know, you'll be thinking "my God, that upped the excitement and shock factor by about 10" or something along those lines...


I just don't think that Valencia has yet been topped by the other races we've had! Some have come close like Silverstone, of course, and Canada but it definitely had to be my pick! So tell me, do you agree? Is Valencia also your race of the season so far? Or do you think I'm completely mad for picking a race that many think should be taken off the calendar? I want to know your opinions so please do comment or tweet!

We have many treats in store for us when F1 resumes for the second part of the season. I am obviously looking forward to all the races but the stand-out ones would have to be; Spa, Monza, Singapore, Japan, THE USA (can not wait!), India and Brazil! Oh wait, that was nearly all of them... 

Aqsa, @aqsasformula



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