Tactical Errors

This piece is way overdue, so you will all have to excuse my lethargic nature that it has taken me a week to write this.

Ferrari. Man, oh man, you wonder where it all went wrong. There was a time when a strategic call to be made, nine times out of ten, Ferrari could come singing. In the past three years, it seems like fat lady has truly sung in regards in the tactical department.

I often wonder, are people paid to flunk? Is it like those overpaid prats in the banks, that these guys gets bonuses and commendations for a bad job? You have to wonder.

The fact that it has taken Ferrari over two years to actually do something about it, is more shocking. But then again, this is the team that continue to employ a Kimi Raikkonen that increasingly looks like he is phoning it in.

This week has seen Luca Baldisserri, Ferrari team manager, moved to a factory based role. I wonder if it has come too late. As I said above, it has taken over two years of bad decisions before this call was made.

It’s not like any of this calls have been particularly difficult. Even the most casual of armchair motorsport fans could probably have called a better strategy on some race days than Ferrari has. At this level of competition, only so many mistakes can be tolerated.

Confessions of a Sinner

Wow, what a difference a day makes. I nearly regret writing yesterday’s post because of how quick information came out on the Hamilton incident.

First off, it was great to actually get the audio files from the FIA. For the fans, this is important that we actually get to see the evidence, rather than just be told what it is. Granted, I would’ve liked to see the telemetry data myself between the pair, and a transcript of the stewards meeting. The latter however isn’t needed since the truth finally came out today.

David Ryan, McLaren’s sporting director and the man who attended the stewards meeting with Hamilton has been suspended after telling Hamilton to ‘mislead’ the stewards.

Okay, this really annoys me about the character of Hamilton. He was told to lie, and he did. Honestly, I thought the guy had more integrity than that. Why not stand up and say ‘this is wrong.’ Heck, you listen to the radio transmissions and you see how much he wanted clarification on the whole thing. He didn’t do any wrong, until he lied to the stewards.

The sporting director takes the rap for this idiotic move. In this day and age of technology where basically everything is recorded, how did they think they could get away with it? It also begs the question as to why McLaren have spent the last couple of days claiming that they didn’t mislead the stewards when they clearly did. This may have been between Hamilton and Ryan at first, but I’d bet the McLaren bosses learned pretty quickly about it once he was disqualified.

The whole thing is a stupid, unnecessary affair because Hamilton was actually in the right in regards to overtaking Trulli. They just shot themselves in the foot big time.

Apparently, he received applause from a number of journalists after the press conference when he came clean about it all. You won’t be seeing one from me. He apologised and that is all well and good – but only after they couldn’t hide from the bare face facts of it all. The fact it took this long to come out takes a lot of the shine away from the apology.

Hamilton Excluded from Melbourne

No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. Lewis Hamilton has been excluded from the Australian grand prix for giving ‘misleading’ evidence to the stewards.

Okay, now show us. Seriously, I want to see all the relevant info shown at some stage during the weekend. Obviously, widespread bitching and moaning is going to happen. The only way this is going to stop is if all the evidence is shown to the public. Granted, that won’t be enough for some, but for those of us with a rational mind it would be great.

Will we get shown? Hmm, that is a good question. We were told last year that we, the fans, would be told more about these decisions. Especially after the whole situation at Spa. We deserve to know ourselves. This can’t be just kept on the stewards side and expect us to trust them. Such trust must be rebuilt after years where their decisions have been called into question.

So, show us.

Cinderella Story

With the first weekend of Formula One racing wrapped up, I still find myself needing to question ‘did it really happen.’

This weekend has been surreal. I honestly don’t remember such a game changing moment as we witnessed. Pre-season testing has been more or less spot on, something that doesn’t always carry forward into the season.

Brawn’s one-two is nothing short of a fairytale. The whole story is sort of thing that you expect from a Hollywood blockbuster, not Formula One. It just isn’t supposed to happen, barring an intervention from Mother Nature.

Fortune as well as skill was on their side. I was surprised how long it took for the safety car to be pulled out after Nakajima found the wall. That being said, Jenson Button drove superbly; with only a slight hiccup in the pits his only blotch on his copybook. Barrichello had an eventful day but still came home second. Even watching, you can sense that feel good buzz that is around the team right now.

On the podium, we saw real emotion between the two. Not the fake stuff we often see between team-mates up there. Both were genuinely happy for each other. And why not! Up to a few weeks ago, both were written off. Button criticised for not exploring other options, Barrichello considered ‘past it’. Now they are the toast of Formula One.

It was great to see that the paddock is happy for them. I can’t remember a time where we say cars applauded down pitlane as they headed up to their parking slots. It was a wonderful gesture from the teams in a day and age where people are more likely to snipe at each other rather than pat them on the back.

As for the pre-season championship contenders, Ferrari looked strong at times. At the time of writing, we are still waiting to find out what happened to Massa. Somehow, I’m not surprised to see Raikkonen fight the wall. His race drew too many similarities to those he raced last year - quick when he wants to be, but also quick to find the wall.

Lewis Hamilton is another who deserves a pat on the back. In an inferior car and assisted by retirements, he drove the sort of race that a world champion should. He picked up valuable points that will aid his fight to retain the title down the line.

Alonso was steady if unimpressive. Kubica was the only one of the five who looked an actual threat, until he stuck it up the inside of Vettel and the two of them took each out. That isn’t the way to win championships.

As for KERS, I definitely find myself on the fence about it. To me, the way it was explained and how it affects the weight would concern me that it would alienate certain types of drivers – for example Mark Webber and Robert Kubica, because of their stature.

That been said, in the race, you could see where those using KERS could use it to their advantage. It’s definitely something to watch over the coming races. Much the same can be said about the new aero-packages.

Qualifying was brilliant. I haven’t enjoyed a quail session like that in years. It was fantastic with the field so close that not even the perceived front runners could play it safe. If the gaps stay like that for the rest of the year, it will definitely make Saturday watching mandatory!

Malaysia is next weekend, at the wonderful starting time of 9am GMT. Got to love the lie in!

Five Down...

Five races into the Nascar season and a number of traits are already developing.

The end of Bristol is always a nerve wracking time, with the dreaded Top-35 standings coming into play. Up until the fifth race, teams who were in the Top-35 last season are guaranteed a starting spot. From the sixth race on, the Top-35 is based on the current year’s owner standings.

Much like Formula One, it has been difficult to gauge how things would sort themselves out when we got racing. The testing ban adds a lot of unknown factors in the run up to a season. Already, we are seeing cases where it may be having an effect. Going into Martinsville, I want to pick out the major trends to watch over the rest of the season.

Kyle Busch is back!
It is like the last ten races of 2008 never happened. (For those of you who don’t know, the #18 crashed and burned in The Chase.) Kyle is back to what he does best, winning races – and not just in the Sprint Cup. He has already secured victories in the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. If he keeps up this pace, he could easily surpass the twenty-one wins in all competitions he took last year.

Of course, winning races in the regular season is one thing, what the #18 have to prove is that last year’s Chase was a once-off. He can all the races he wants now, but at the end of the day people remember the champion.

Jeff Gordon is back (too)!
Last season was struggle for the four time champion, who clearly was at odds with the Car of Tomorrow. Yet, despite a lack of pre-season testing, Gordon has been on fire this year. A victory is just around the corner for the #24. His consistent run through the first five races sees him perched on top of the standings, with four top-10’s out of five so far.

Rookie Struggles
I spoke above concerning where the pre-season testing ban appeared to be having an effect. Judging by the performances of Logano and Speed, the two official participants in the Rookie of the Year have both failed to set the world alight.

I still think it was too much, too soon for both. Red Bull obviously hasn’t learned from the grooming troubles with AJ Allmendinger. Speed was poor towards the end of last year, a clear indicator that there would be trouble. The Formula One exile could have done with cutting his teeth in the Nationwide Series for a year.

The same can be said about Logano. The much heralded talent has been trust into the spotlight and has yet to shine in it. All the talent in the world can’t save you from feeling the psychological knocks you take when things go bad.

Going into Martinsville, Logano is just inside the Top-35, insuring him that he will be in the field. A good result is necessary for the youngster, which may not possible on the unforgiving short track. Scott Speed finds himself on the outside looking in and will have to make the race on time.

For the second season in a row, it appears that there will be another lacklustre year for Rookies. Coincidently, Nascar has been using the new car for two years now. Is there a link? Or is it the lack of testing that is really hindering the class of ’09. Maybe Nascar should take a page out of the Indy Racing League’s book, and offer rookies additional practice sessions to make up the miles.

Stewart a success, so far
I couldn’t have predicted we would see Smoke inside the Top-12 at this early stage. Despite backing from Hendricks, I expected teething problems with the new team. But judging on Stewart’s first five, it looks like he hasn’t skipped a beat.

Team-mate Newman has been less fortunate in the luck department, with a myriad of issues giving him cause to sweat going into Bristol. A strong result has elevated him up the rankings and if the car stays together, both cars have the speed to give the front runners something to think about.

Roush Woes?
It has been hard to read the Ford super-team so far. Two wins opened the season courtesy of Matt Kenseth but the championship hasn’t been set ablaze in the way I thought it would. On top of it all, the team has had to deal with a slew of reliability issues in the engine department.

Carl Edwards has been consistent, but has shown none of that raw speed that saw him win nine races last year. The likable Missouri native still finds himself fifth in the standings. Kenseth has gone steadily backwards since his back to back wins. Biffle, Ragan and McMurray, who were all tipped for stand out years currently, find themselves mired mid-back. Granted, it is early days in the season, but gaps can quickly become too big to bridge.

Money
With the world finances up a certain creek without a paddle, it was an easy guess that by this stage, we would be looking at the loss of teams due to lack of sponsorship.

The first victim at the time of writing is Travis Kvapil. Kvapil drove most of last year unsponsored in the Yates #28. His reward was the transfer of his points to his new team-mates to ensure they made it. The Yates car qualified on time for four of the five races. Despite a valiant effort on his part, he could not get the car in top-35. It was announced at Bristol that if no sponsorship was found, the team would shut up shop.

While money isn’t an issue with the #98 Yates car, it does offer a worrying trend. Paul Menard, backed by his family company, strode in and took owner points from what was David Gilliland’s car. Now for the ironic twist. Menard is sitting outside the top-35 while Gilliland, the man he replaced, has got a guaranteed starters spot for Martinsville.

On a happier note, Richard Petty Motorsports announced during the week that they had pieced together sponsorship to run Allmendinger for additional races. That is great news, as long term readers of the blog will know I have been championing Allmendinger’s case for a full time ride.

The Californian currently stands 16th in the points, ahead of full-time team-mates Elliott Sadler and Red Sorenson. The latter finds himself down in 29th position. I wonder, if Sorenson continues to underperform, will we see Allmendinger in the famed #43 by seasons end.

New Team, Same Result
One question I had to ask during pre-season was – why break up a successful partnership. Clint Bowyer and the #07 team have been one of the talking points over the last few years.

Allegedly, sponsors wanted specific drivers. Mears had raced with Kellogg’s sponsorship during his time with Hendricks, which apparently didn’t sit all that well with new sponsor General Mills. So the drivers were swapped, landing Mears in a team that had made the Chase for the past two years and Bowyer with a new group.

I think that Bowyer is one of the most under-rated drivers in Nascar at the moment. His first five of the season go a long way to proving that. Bowyer finds himself third in the standings and continuing to pump out the consistency that has made him a Chaser for the past two years. Mears is around 25th, once more showing that he doesn’t have what it takes at this level.

F109 Countdown: McLaren

McLaren:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 1st (Lewis Hamilton x5,Heikki Kovalainen x1)
Points Scored: 151
Championship Position: 2nd
2009 Drivers: Lewis Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen

Last, but not least, we finish up the F109 Countdown with McLaren, just seven days until the start of the new season.

If we are to believe what we have seen in pre-season testing, McLaren are going to struggle mightily at the start of the season. Do I believe that will be the case? No. I’m firmly of the belief that they are sandbagging. Now, maybe they won’t have the ultimate pace, but I find it hard to believe they won’t be in the thick of things.

It has been usual to see them hovering near the bottom for most of the pre-season. For a team like McLaren, which strives for excellence, it is out of character. But not impossible.

In the past, I’ve catalogued how McLaren have failed to produce winning cars consecutively. Last year was actually a change in the norm when they produced a championship contending car. So maybe there struggles are real, and that they will be in trouble.

I still have a hard time believing it. As I mentioned in previous articles, they have known well in advance how things were going to play out. For a team the size of McLaren, I can’t imagine they would take their eyes off the ball that much.

If they are, it will be intriguing to watch how their drivers react. Especially Hamilton. Not since Schumacher have we seen a driver with such raw talent on the grid. But, sceptics will point out that he walked into a winning ride, so how he deals with what is paraded as an ‘uncompetitive car’ will be a true showing of his talent.

If it is a poor car at first, I still expect him in the hunt. Personally, I think great drivers are defined by what they can do when they are not in the best car. I read how Senna did it; I watched when Schumacher did it. Even Alonso pulled some stunning results in a dodgy Renault. This could be a real chance for Hamilton to really cement his legacy and prove to any doubters regarding his skill.

As for Heikki, I would definitely class him as a driver who needs to perform this year. There was too many up’s and down’s from the Finn last year. While the early stages of the season could be put down to bad luck, some of his latter season runs, where he was needed to back up Hamilton, were poor.

Now with a year within the team, there will be no excuses for him. He has to put it out there and show he can match Hamilton. He has to contend for victories. Any less will be a failure.

F109 Countdown: Ferrari

Ferrari:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 1st (Felipe Massa x6, Kimi Raikkonen x2)
Points Scored: 172
Championship Position: 1st
2009 Drivers: Felipe Massa & Kimi Raikkonen

If there is one thing that has become a trend during the history of Formula One, it is how well Ferrari adapts to rule changes. During my reading of Formula One’s history, Enzo Ferrari always ensured his team were ready to adapt.

It has been a trait that has been carried forward since the great man’s death. Of course, one can easily say that a good reason for this is that Ferrari was often away from the top of the field, thus had good reason to be ready for the rules.

If pre-season testing is anything to go by, the Italian team will be fine. It has only been since McLaren have come out and claimed they weren’t looking too rosy for Melbourne that Ferrari has hinted similar problems. Both have used the ‘we were fighting for a championship excuse’.
Honestly, I’ve never bought that excuse. At the end of the day, these are two biggest teams in Formula One. There is no excuse for it, nor is there any point complaining about it. They know the situation well in advance. It is up to them to plan accordingly.

Felipe Massa went from a driver many felt would be lucky to survive the year into a realistic championship contender. I always knew the Brazilian was fast, but I often questioned whether he had the end product in him to fight for it.

Last season, he proved many a doubter wrong. I still feel that Massa lacks something. Whether he gains it, I don’t know, but I don’t think anyone will ever doubt his credentials from this point on. He blitzed his highly rated team-mate, took the most wins in the season and was within thirty seconds of being world champion

It will be interesting to watch just how Massa bounces back from that defeat.
As for Kimi Raikkonen, what can I say really? The Finn was shambolic for most of the year. He came out of the box roaring, but by the middle of the season, that roar had died to a whimper. He looked disinterested, unmotivated and on his way to retirement.
Then he went off a signed a new deal.

If I was Ferrari boss, I would’ve cut my losses and paid Raikkonen off to bring Alonso in. Unfortunately, that decision isn’t mine to make. I feel Raikkonen has lost a lot of respect in the paddock after such a terrible year where he just didn’t seem to give a shit.
Much like Massa, he will be one of the stories to watch in 2009. Will Kimi bounce back, or will he simply drive for a paycheck. I hope for the sake of his legacy, it is the former. But for some reason, I expect the latter.

F109 Countdown: BMW

BMW:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 1st (Robert Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix)
Points Scored: 135
Championship Position: 3rd
2009 Drivers: Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld

Of all the teams, I feel that BMW are the ones who have no excuses regarding their 2009 performance. The team very publically dropped development on last year’s car after they achieved all their goals, much to the annoyance of Kubica. By all accounts. This is the year that BMW prove that they have what it takes to regularly contest with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.

They were first out of the traps to run their new challenger and at the forefront of the KERS technology race. When many teams were hoping for the KERS system to be delayed, it was BMW that forged ahead with the desire to use the system. I can’t blame them. They got the jump on everyone so why would they want to lose that development because nobody else was on the ball.

In Robert Kubica, they have a driver who is more than capable of winning world titles. I think whether that will be with BMW, we will learn this year. Like I said, there are no excuses for them this year. Given how vocal Kubica was towards the end of last year, he will expect to maintain the challenge over the course of the season.

Let us not forget, the Pole was still in contention for the title until the final rounds of the championship. No wonder he was left scratching his head as BMW basically gave up on his chance for the title. He is many people’s pick for the title. I would rate him in my top three. I do wonder whether, at this early stage in the career, he is just at that level to take it.

Nick Heidfeld came in for, what I would definitely label as unfair criticism last year. The German finished only fifteen points behind his much heralded team-mate. Yet alls we kept hearing was about how bad he was in comparison and that he might be on the chopping block. Compared to the other team-mates of championship contending drivers, he was the closest.

If the BMW is as good as it should be, I wouldn’t be surprised if the veteran finally takes a deserved victory. He is a driver who has earned his due over the years and not simply walked into a championship winning car as others around him have. If he can improve on his qualifying form, I foresee a great year for ‘Quick Nick’.

Common Sense to Prevail?

It appears that common sense may prevail regarding the new gimmicky Formula One rules.

After FOTA questioned the validity of the new system, the FIA announced that they would be willing to defer the new system for a year. It still wouldn’t be a perfect solution, but with a delay, it could allow for a realistic system to be put in place.

The ‘gold medal system’, which is basically what it is, has been universally condemned by drivers, teams, pundits, world champions and most importantly of all – the fans. The FIA make a big song and dance about wanting to get more in touch with the fans and then turned around and slapped them in the face. Motorsport forums across cyberspace have been set alight with disdain for the new systems.

What disappoints me most is that we are at a stage in the sport where cooperation is vital. With FOTA, we have the teams working together like never before. Could you imagine Ferrari and McLaren working side by side for the perceived ‘greater good’ a few seasons ago? If I wore a hat, I would definitely be tipping it to the teams for their concentrated unified front to try to make things better for the sport.

The FIA on the other hand, are left with egg on their face. Actually, I’d say they have the full Irish breakfast on it. I don’t think I have read one article that has stated support for the gimmicky system. We don’t need gimmicks for the sport. It has last this long on a traditional points system, so why change it now?

Better yet, what is wrong with the FOTA proposal? It was simple to understand and instilled that need to push for spots because of the additional points gained. How many fans will end up scratching their head at the end of 2008 is the driver with the most points doesn’t win? Formula One does not need to be driving fans away.

Just admit it – you cocked up. Take your lashings in good stride and give the people what they want. It is the people who you claim you want to make the sport better for. Here is a grand suggestion. Ask us, before you act.

F109 Countdown: Renault

Renault:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 1st (Fernando Alonso x2)
Points Scored: 80
Championship Position: 4th
2009 Drivers: Fernando Alonso & Nelson Piquet Junior

The French team definitely feel under the adage of a season of two halves in 2008. More than any other team, Renault benefitted from maintaining development on their challenger as last season dragged on. Their car went from one that could just about make points into a race winning contender.

But the question remains – will their late 2008 push affect their opportunities in 2009. Many of the teams around them gave up focusing while Renault kept on pushing the development. For a team in Renault’s position, it might be considered an odd decision. I suppose one reason for it was to show Alonso they could take him back to the top of the podium.

A feat they achieved twice last year. The team has been quick to hum and haw about their 2009 credentials, like so many others. Will they offer Alonso a title contending car? That is always up for debate. Honestly, even if Renault had spent half a season developing the car, I would be sceptical. They have claimed in the past that they have devoted development time to the next year, only to fall flat on their faces.

If they give Fernando Alonso a car that can get a sniff of a win, you can be sure the Spaniard will take it. He may have his critics, but there is no denying his talent. At the moment, I think he is the best all round racer in the sport. While his Singapore victory required some luck, he still had to make build the gap. In Japan, Alonso looked at his imperialistic best. I expect more of the same from Alonso, who will no doubt have the hunger and desire to prove to his doubters that he is still one of the world’s best.

He will once more be partnered by Nelson Piquet Junior. The Brazilian is one of the drivers I feel is in last chance row. A late season surge in performance probably saved his career, which at one point looked like it might end before the season did. It isn’t like Renault would be troubled to find a replacement, with any number of youngsters under contract to the French team.

In some ways, it is often best to go with what you know, rather than another unknown quantity. As I have said numerous times, when there are big changes to the regulations, it is often best to try to maintain as much continuity as possible. Still, I feel that if Piquet fails to deliver in the first half of the season, he may find himself on the outside looking in.