Managing Track
Conditions
Qualifying was a good example of the changeable conditions that
can come about very quickly. The sessions started dry but ended wet. If the
race was dry, it would mean the top ten could choose which tyres to start on.
This time, the race started on a wet track and this resulted in Intermediate
tyres being the starting choice. The initial period was a gamble of how long to
stay out and when to pit for the slick tyres and then the different strategies
started to come to light, especially in the Red bull team, with Mark Webber and
Sebastian Vettel both opting for a different choice throughout the race.
Alonso’s Front Wing
Ferrari have said that the decision not to pit Fernando
Alonso after he damaged his front wing on the first lap was that of the team
and not the driver. I can’t understand why they thought the wing would survive.
It was a risk, but if it was designed to have two supports, it surely was not
going to survive on one, especially with the g-forces and speeds the cars were
going at. Yes, they are meant to be robust but it baffles me. Pitting early (or
making an extra stop as would have been the case) would have damaged his race
but with the drives we have seen from Alonso last year in particular, he could
have had a strong points finish rather than nothing at all.
Force India’s Pit Problems
I feel for Force India. They had a good pace all weekend to
follow on from Melbourne last week and neither car managed to finish. The pit
stop problems meant that the safety of the drivers in their team and the rest
of the grid had to be considered. No matter how exciting a crash or incident
may look, it isn’t safe and there was no other option if they were not
absolutely certain that the cars were okay. They should have a strong season if
they keep going along these lines, though.
McLaren’s Mixed Race
With only a week since the dismal performance of the McLaren
cars in Austraila, the team seem to have made a good step forward. How much of
that was down to track and good strategy we can’t really be sure but we have
seen in the past how they can turn it around. Reminiscent of last year, a pit
stop problem caused Jenson Button a problem and the eventual retirement
followed. It’s a shame as they had a good haul of points to claim, possibly
even a podium as Button’s pace was very good. If they can keep this up over the
next three weeks before China, we might have a McLaren that can make an impact,
albeit a late one, for the rest of the season. Sergio Perez had a reasonably
quiet race but picked up two points. His pit stop at the end was strange but
the team obviously thought it through and better safe than sorry.
Mercedes Finish
Strong
It was a good result for Mercedes, with both drivers in the
top four. There will be some tension within the team in the aftermath of the
race. The team orders issue has been controversial in the past and so it will
be this week. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were both battling for third but
after an order to control the race, they settled into their finishing
positions. Rosberg was not happy about this, as his strategy meant he could
have gone faster than Hamilton but team principal Ross Brawn was more concerned
with the double points finish. Hamilton showed a lot of respect for Rosberg
after the race but he took the points and it will be interesting to watch what
happens in the team in the coming races.
Red Bull at it Again
We’ve seen on numerous occasions how ruthless Vettel can be
when it comes to winning races. This has to be the most obvious example of
that, and it cannot be swept under the carpet. How Webber kept his head as the two
cars were wheel to wheel, I have no idea. The result for Christian Horner and
the team was to have the one-two finish, which they got but Vettel was told
hold behind his teammate. The post-race interviews showed how angry Webber was,
and rightly so. This is racing, yes, but the team made a call and Vettel
ignored it, no matter how you rephrase it. It was shocking behaviour from a
sportsman but showed why he is a triple world champion.
Summary
I don’t agree with team orders this early in the season but
I can understand trying to save fuel and engines. How much this mattered in the
decision by the teams to control the end of the race, I don’t know. I don’t buy
Vettel “not getting the message.” If he believed he was being told to not make
silly moves, then he still disobeyed that by pushing so hard over a stream of
corners. We don’t get all the radio messages through media coverage but it was
clear that Webber was told he was going to be left to lead but for a disaster
on the car. The two drivers have had a strained relationship over the years but
it is coming to boiling point now. If Webber continues to race next year, it
won’t be with Vettel as his teammate, and it’s hard to see Red Bull letting
their champion go.
Lotus had a quiet race this weekend but they still got some
good points. With the drama of team orders in Red Bull and Mercedes, a lot of
the lower teams were forgotten. It is already shaping up to be an interesting
season.
Results
1 – S. Vettel (Red Bull)
2 – M. Webber (Red Bull)
3 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)
4 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)
5 – F. Massa (Ferrari)
6 – R. Grosjean (Lotus)
7 – K. Raikkonen (Lotus)
8 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)
9 – S. Perez (McLaren)
10 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso)
11 – V. Bottas (Williams)
12 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)
13 – J. Bianchi (Marussia)
14 – C. Pic (Caterham)
15 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)
16 – M. Chilton (Marussia)
17 – J. Button (McLaren) – Did Not Finish
18 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) – Did Not Finish
19 – P. Maldonado (Williams) – Did Not Finish
20 – A. Sutil (Force India) – Did Not Finish
21 – P. Di Resta (Force India) – Did Not Finish
22 – F. Alonso (Ferrari) – Did Not Finish
