The 2012 Season was a season to remember. 2013 promised to be a great season and it has not disappointed.

2013 saw the absence of Michael Schumacher after the German decided to retire for good. Valencia ( European GP ) withdrew from the 2013 season, Spain's financial status to blame for the loss. So 2013 would feature 19 race weekends.

The First 10 has brought its fair share of controversies and even chaos on some occasions. Lets do a quick review of what has conspired in the first half of the season for the teams.

Red Bull Racing :

Red Bull lead the Constructors' Championship by 69 Points. Vettel leads the Drivers' Championship by 38 points over Raikkonen while Webber is 5th at 105 Points.
Its been a satisfactory first half for the team but it has not been a smooth ride. Vettel and Webber had a big disagreement at the Malaysian GP and the friction between the two is still at an all time high. Vettel has been consistent notching up 4 wins and 3 podiums. He suffered one retirement at Silverstone ( Gearbox failure ). Webber has been very unlucky and some questions have been raised about the Australian being provided with inferior machinery compared to his team-mate. 3 Podiums ( One sure victory was robbed ) coupled with one retirement have left him down in 5th. He leaves at the end of the season and the talk of who replaces him have been dominating the Paddock.

Red Bull might not be strong in Spa and Monza but the car's capabilities come to the fore in the final fly-away events. Still Favourites for the Title

Mercedes AMG Petronas :

Mercedes have had a mercurial First Half. Inspite of Multiple Pole Positions, they have failed to hold on and win races. Tyre Degradation has been their Achilles' Heel and they tried to address the situation post the Spanish GP. The Illegal Test attracted a reprimand and a ban from the Young Drivers' test at Silverstone. The team has openly admitted their inability to understand the tyre performance and degradation but their recent victory at Hungary suggests that their bad days are behind them.

Lewis Hamilton is 4th in the Drivers' Championship and got his first victory with the team at the recently concluded Hungarian GP. He also managed 3 podiums. Nico Rosberg is in 6th on 84 points and has won 2 races. If the team has been able to resolve their tyre problems, ( there have been false assurances earlier ), then Red Bull have a fight on their hands.

Ferrari :

Ferrari made a solid start to the season but seem to have lost their way a bit. The lack of a wind tunnel for testing has meant that the upgrades have failed to deliver the required results. The technical progress has stagnated and the team has hired James Allison ( Ex-Lotus ) to help them overcome the problems. He joins the team from the Italian GP weekend.

Fernando Alonso is 3rd in the standings with 2 victories and 3 podiums. The Spaniard has done well in the Ferrari so far. His recent rant about the car's lack of performance has not gone down well with Ferrari's top boss.

Massa has had a disappointing season with only one podium at Catalunya. Ferrari have reiterated their faith in him but the Brazilian would have to step up his game and deliver some really strong results to have any chances of retaining his seat next season.

Lotus F1 :

Lotus F1 are 4th in the Constructors' and only 5 points behind Ferrari. The Enstone based team has embarassed many bigger spending teams with their amazing performance this year. The Race Pace has been exceptional and Tyre Degradation has been less compared to other teams. The Team have come close to victory on many occasions this year but have won only one race. They need to work on their Qualifying Pace ( One Lap Runs ) to start higher up on the grid and improve their chances of winning even more.

Kimi Raikkonen has finished every race ( but one ) in the points since his return to F1 in 2012. He is 2nd in the Drivers' Championship at 134 points. One Victory ( Australia ) and 5 Podiums where he has finished 2nd have shown that the team could have scored more had their Qualifying Pace been stronger. Kimi's consistency has helped him stay in the title hunt.

Romain Grosjean has had another mercurial season this year. He is 8th in the Championship on 49 points and has had only 2 podiums. He has made less mistakes compared to last year but he too like Massa needs to better his results to keep his seat for 2014 if Kimi stays.

Force India :

Force India are 5th in the Constructors' Championship on 59 points and have had a great first half so far. The team uses Mercedes' Engines and McLaren's Gearbox Technologies and have managed to keep the latter behind them up until this point.They have been really strong at certain circuits and that has helped their charge up the standings.

Neither Di Resta Nor Sutil have got on the Podium but the team has earned points in almost all races up until Silverstone. The Recent slump in Germany and Hungary has meant that the McLaren have gained ground on them.

McLaren Mercedes :

McLaren Mercedes have had a Horrible Season so far. A Team of their Stature and Spending Ability shouldn't be languishing in 6th, 220 points behind the leader Red Bull. The Car has not been good enough and heavy upgrades have come in to improve performance The Woking based team are making steady progress but Damage Limitation is all that they can expect from this season

Jenson Button has been steadily delivering points. Sergio Perez took some races to come into his own. Neither has enjoyed a podium so far.

Toro Rosso - Ferrari, Sauber - Ferrari & Williams - Renault :

Toro Rosso have had a better season compared to 2012 and Ricciardo and Vergne are locked in a battle for supremacy. The Former though is a better performer and might just edge out the latter towards the end.

Sauber Ferrari have had a horrendous first-half. Their performance is nowhere near last year's. Financial Crunches have meant that the upgrades have been meagre. Hulkenberg has not been paid and been released from his contract. A Russian Sponsor had promised financial influx but the promise is yet to be fulfilled. Hulkenberg and Gutierrez though have done well with whatever machinery they have had.

Williams Renault has suffered the same fate as Sauber. Their Performance is nowhere near 2012 where Maldonado even won a race. The team has had forgettable races, thanks to reliability issues and mistakes committed throughout the season. Maldonado and Bottas have faced an uphill task. The former brought the team their first point this season at Hungary. I don't see an improvement happening in the near future.

Marussia Cosworth, Caterham Renault :

These Teams might be the back-markers or the ''also-rans" but both deserve to be applauded for their efforts so far. Marussia have outperformed Caterham for many races. However the new construction of tyres has meant that the latter has gained some ground. What follows in the second half would be intriguing to watch.

I still believe that Lotus F1 is the Dark Horse in the Constructors' battle. If they can sustain their challenge in the second half then a 2nd place finish isn't too far from their reach. Do they have the finances to sustain such a challenge is the question...

Mercedes can trouble Red Bull if they have put their tyre troubles to rest. Ferrari right now seemed to be lost but one cannot discount their abilities. I believe they shall recover but will it be too late a charge?

McLaren Mercedes are on the road to recovery and their financial position should help them surpass Force India. Catching the ones in front would be a different story. However they might just play spoil-sport in the latter half of the season.

Sebastien Vettel seems favourite for the crown this year too but it won't be a walk in the park. Lewis Hamilton has added more spice into the mix and Vettel's lead of 38 points can vanish very quickly if he fails to finish races. Kimi Raikkonen will remain consistent as long as he has a strong and reliable car under him. Fernando Alonso shall continue producing gutsy drives for Ferrari. He must get a competitive car to challenge those at the front to have any hopes of winning his 3rd championship.

The Second Half only promises to be more exciting. The wait for the Belgian GP continues...

We are halfway through the 2013 F1 Season and I had the privilege of being at the Malaysian GP thanks to Tourism Malaysia.

My First Paddock Club of the season was at the German GP at Nurburgring with the Lotus F1 Team.

3 Fantastic Days and a double podium for the Team was the Icing on the Cake!! Met many new faces in F1.

As always, let the pictures say it all!!

Davide Valsecchi, Current GP2 Champion and Lotus F1 Reserve Driver. A Great Guy, extremely humble and definitely Championship Material!! GO DAVIDE!!!

Damon Hill, 1996 F1 World Champion!! Had a nice chat about the Tyre Crisis.

KIMI RAIKKONEN!!! THE ICEMAN COMETH again & again & again!! Go KIMI!!

Sebastien Vettel too made an appearance

Romain Grosjean, The Flying Frenchman!!

Mark Webber visited the Paddock on Sunday Morning. He will be missed!

The Team enjoyed a double podium!! So had the opportunity to get photos with the Trophies!!!

The Team Members with the trophies!!!

Photo - op with the Team Members!

Our Beloved Accolades that No One can take away from us!!

3 weeks have gone by since the Canadian GP weekend on 9th June. The long break also meant that a lot would happen outside the track as well.

In the weeks leading upto the British GP weekend many talking points have emerged and the British Grand Prix itself has caused more unrest in the world of F1.

1) The International Tribunal Verdict on the "PirelliGate" scandal :

The Verdict was out on 21st June after the hearings in Paris. Mercedes AMG Petronas & Pirelli received reprimands and the former was excluded from the Young Driver's Test to be held at Silverstone.

Mercedes would view the verdict as fair but the others felt it was a big let-off. Ferrari and Red Bull made their feelings known publicly but the verdict was given. The results of the last 3 races ( including Silverstone ) clearly indicate that Mercedes has gained an advantage through the tyre-test held at Catalunya. Hamilton was successful in carrying out a 2 stop strategy ( including the damage tyre stop ) to finish 4th after being bumped down to 22nd due to a tyre burst at the British GP. His race pace clearly suggested that the team had made giant leaps and seemed to have ironed out their tyre degradation problems.

The results have helped them leap-frog both Ferrari and Lotus F1 to 2nd in the Constructors' Championship and Hamilton has closed in on Raikkonen for 3rd place in the Driver's Championship.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal was livid when news emerged that Ferrari were planning to run a similar test on a 2011 chassis with 2013 aerodynamic parts. He has written to the FIA wanting clarifications on the prerequisites of a legitimate test and what chassis should be allowed to run.

2) Mark Webber announces his retirement while Vettel extends his deal for another year at Red-Bull :

Mark Webber chose Silverstone as the appropriate weekend to announce his retirement from the sport. He shall switch to Le Mans with Porsche. Red Bull were caught unawares and will have to move quickly for a replacement. Vettel extended his contract for another year and it was no surprise for the 3 time F1 World Champion. 2014 though see new power units so he has kept his options open for 2015. The Incident in Malaysia and his non-cooperation in helping Vettel for his 3rd Title would have

The Big Talk in the Paddock though is : "Who should replace Webber for 2014? "

The Canditates : Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne.

Daniel and Jean-Eric drive for the sister Red-Bull ( Toro - Rosso ) and have moved up the ranks in the Red Bull Driver Program. The duo definitely will make the promotion to the " A " team one day but a move in 2014 would be a bit premature. Kimi Raikkonen is the favourite to land the seat.

I feel that Kimi Must Stay at Lotus F1 for 2014.

Kimi has finished every race since his return to F1. He has beaten Michael Schumacher's record of 25 consecutive points finishes. Its a big feat considering that Kimi didn't finish as many races ( let alone in the points ) even in his championship winning year in 07. He was riddled with incidents and unreliability in his past seasons but Lotus has helped him finish all races since his return. Kimi has claimed that he enjoys life at Lotus. A Blunder in Silverstone might not cause him to defect but it will definitely cause him to lose some confidence in the team. It is paramount for the team to hold onto a driver like Kimi. He is a World Champion and his contribution over 2 seasons has helped a mid-table team become a top team in F1. The team can attribute their position in this year's championship to his consistent performances. Grosjean has been mercurial and still needs to develop as a challenger to the title. Kimi would be irreplaceable and another driver of his calibre might not come to Lotus. Maldonado is being looked at if a replacement is needed but he would not be a Kimi. I also dread the prospect of having Maldonado and Grosjean in one team considering the reprimands and penalties both have incurred in the past 2 seasons. The Team must do a rethink if such a move is being hinted at.

Kimi enjoys being No.1 in the team and enjoys life outside F1 too. He has many interests and was on a leash during his time at Ferrari. Lotus has allowed him to pursue other interests and brought in the people he enjoyed working with ( Mark Slade who was his engineer at McLaren ). Red Bull might not follow the same philosophy and Vettel has been the favoured driver throughout his time there. Dr. Helmut Marko wants to land Raikkonen and I see it more like a stop-gap arrangement for Red Bull until the time is right for the Younger Toro - Rosso Drivers to make the big leap. Red Bull is the best car on the grid but is prone to Failures, the most recent being Gearbox Failure for Vettel at Silverstone. However Kimi will do what he thinks is best and our opinions won't really matter.

"Just Leave Me Alone, I know what I am doing" - Right, Kimi !

3) Suspension Change for Lotus F1 before Nurburgring, Launch of "The Device" :

Lotus F1 was reported to the stewards by McLaren Mercedes after the latter spotted an anomaly in their suspension. Article 10.5.2 of F1's Technical Regulations states: "The loads from the suspension members and wheel bearings must individually and entirely be carried by the suspension upright. Exceptionally up to three suspension members may be connected together by titanium, aluminium alloy or steel components before their load is passed into the upright."

It is suggested that the Lotus design could be interpreted as having four suspension members connected together, rather than the maximum three.

The Team has been instructed by the FIA to modify the same prior to the Nurburgring Grand Prix next week and the team has agreed to do so. The Effects of such a modification would only be known by the end of next week.

The Team also ran their talked-about innovation at Silverstone - The Device or the Passive DRS. Kimi Raikkonen ran this configuration on his car's rear-wing throughout the weekend. The Race Pace was good and a strategic mistake caused him to lose a sure podium. The performance though of the system cannot be doubted and will definitely aid team performance on faster circuits like Italy, India.

4) De-lamination at Silverstone, Pirelli pulled up :

Pirelli has already been at the centre of controversy due to the "PirelliGate"  Scandal. They came into Silverstone hoping to put the worst behind them but their problems haven't left them. Perez Suffered a left rear de-lamination in the Final Practice and the Race Saw 4 Tyre Bursts - Hamilton, Massa, Vergne and Perez. Hamilton was the biggest loser as the tyre burst robbed him of sure victory. Massa too missed out on the podium after a strong start in the race.

The Tyre Burst for Hamilton jeopardized Track Safety causing the Safety Car to come out and other 3 drivers also suffered on track. Pirelli were left red-faced and Paul Hembery was summoned by the FIA President Jean Todt and Race Director Charlie Whiting over safety of the tyres. Reports are also hinting at Razor-Sharp Kerbs at turn 4 close to where 2 of the blowouts occured. Cuts on the Tyres were also reported so Pirelli might not have to bear the brunt but a change in construction would now be mandatory.

Pirelli had expressed their desire to replace the Steel Belt with a Kevlar Belt to improve tyre durability but Lotus F1 and Ferrari voted against such a move and the plan was scrapped. A Steel Belt Construction also helped Pirelli to keep costs in check but a change is imminent now starting from the Hunagarian GP. Lotus F1 and Ferrari would feel hard done by such a move as their cars are kinder on their tyres. Tyre Bursts occured with the usual suspects but Pirelli can't shy away from the incident.

Anthony Davidson of Sky Sports F1 also pointed out a change in construction of the tyres. Video Evidence Shows that Tyre De-Lamination at Bahrain wasn't as damaging as the ones in Silverstone as Pirelli had a wider belt in Bahrain allowing Cars to maintain form unlike Silverstone which caused extensive Floor Damage.

5) Introduction of Mid-Season Testing for 2014, Point Systems for Penalty applied :

The Decision for Mid-Season Testing has been made and it makes a return for good. The Young Driver Tests, held to allow teams to evaluate potential drivers, will be abandoned in favour of a return of mid-season testing. Four European venues will each host a two-day test in the week following the Grand Prix held at the circuit. The move will definitely rule out the possibilities of secretive tests and encourage healthy competition.

The teams agreed upon the introduction of a "penalty points" system for driving offences. Driving offences would carry a pre-determined points value based on their severity that would be tallied up over the course of a season, with a driver receiving a race ban after accumulating twelve penalty points. The points would stay for 12 months and there would be a possibility of drivers carrying the same into the next season which I am a bit skeptical about. More changes have been introduced, most notably a downgrade from the 2.4l V8 to 1.6l V6. Drivers shall have only 5 engines as against an allocation of 8. A 21 Race Calender shall not help teams putting immense strain on the resources and personnel. Hopefully Racing isn't compromised amongst all this.

A lot has conspired in the 3 weeks gone by. A lot of unrest has been caused and the Sport is going through a rough phase. However the racing has been fantastic and hopefully will stay that way.

I look forward to the German GP Next Week as I shall have the privilege of being in the Paddock with the Lotus F1 Team and meet my hero Kimi Raikkonen again.

F1 was missed, Welcome Back!!

Championships are won by consistency and more importantly, consistently winning. It was no surprise that we saw Michael Schumacher dominate from 2000 to 2004. 

Red Bull too have portrayed a similar consistency and have won 3 championships on the trot. 2013 too has seen them score big whenever the opportunity has presented itself and one can say that pegging back their lead would demand a herculean task from the rest.

Ferrari and Lotus F1 have played catchup after having their fair share of success this season. Lotus F1 has seen a sudden loss of form recently and I would like to explore the reasons behind this.

1) James Allison leaving the team.

James Allison had been a fantastic addition to the Enstone based team. Respected within the Formula 1 Fraternity, James was instrumental in the championship winning years of Ferrari from 2000 to 2004. He also enjoyed success during the Benetton days. His departure on the Spanish GP weekend left everyone in shock and the team seemed to have lost direction after his departure. They put up a brave front and Kimi finished 2nd in the race. Grosjean suffered suspension failure and retired from the race. Grosjean had a big shunt in final practice in Monaco and tailgated Ricciardo putting both out of the race and earning a 10 place grid penalty for the Canadian GP.  Kimi would have finished in the Top 6 at best but contact with Perez left him on a damage limitation drive and he finished 10th in Monaco. Canada saw him struggle in Qualifying. The Race was riddled with multiple problems for him and 9th was the best he could manage. Grosjean couldn't maintain his strategy and a 2nd stop bumped him out of the points. 

The Recent spate of bad results could point to a certain unrest within the team. James brought a stability to the team. The Same could be said for the trio of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Nigel Stepney for Ferrari or the quartet of Ron Dennis, Adrian Newey, Martin Whitmarsh and Nobert Haug for McLaren Mercedes.

"Ferrarigate" saw Nigel Stepney leave Ferrari, Jean Todt and Ross Brawn too left for other endeavours.The Team made several errors in Stepney's absence who was in charge of trackside operations. It took some time for the Team to recover and they are yet to win a championship since 2007.  Martin Whitmarsh is the only one left in the McLaren team with Ron Dennis taking a more passive role and they have had similar experiences since 2008.

One might say that James Allison isn't the sole deciding factor and this cannot be denied. However his contribution and sheer presence was assuring for a team which is smaller in size and has limited resources to work with.

Nick Chester, his replacement has big shoes to fill. Unlike James, Nick was permanently stationed in Enstone but is now trackside and it would intriguing to see how he handles such a challenge.

2) Sponsorships and Finances :

A report suggested that the Team posted a record loss in the 2012 season. The Team performed well last season and left many bigger spending teams red-faced. The Team has got some new entrants in sponsorships and it would be wrong to quote figures without proper knowledge. However in the aftermath of a loss posted, it seems logical to offload some personnel and cut back costs. This could be one of the major reasons for Allison's departure. Holding onto Kimi Raikkonen might also be a big ask for the 2014 season. The Team would really hope to be in Championship winning positions to attract more sponsors and earn the vital money that one gets after finishing higher in the championship.

3) Dent to the Charge :

The Team enjoyed being 2nd in the Constructors leading into the Spanish GP but the results of the last 2 races have meant that the Competitors have closed in and they are now 4th in the standings at the end of the Canadian GP. The Financial constraints have also meant that upgrades have been hard to come by. It can be said that the last two races ( Monaco and Canada ) weren't best suited for the car but no points for Grosjean and only 3 for Raikkonen meant that even damage limitation couldn't be achieved.The Team would hope to hit back at Silverstone and they must as any more slip-ups would leave them with too much to do at the business end of the season.

The Driver's Championship too has seen Raikkonen being demoted to 3rd after the Canadian GP. He trails leader Vettel by 44 points. We still have 12 races to go but I do not foresee Vettel dropping too many points from hereon. It might be premature to say that Raikkonen is out of contention but the team must ensure that no more mistakes are made in the upcoming races to keep him in the hunt. The disappointment would be evident for the Finn as he has had only one victory to show for his efforts.

Kimi Raikkonen would have the opportunity to break Michael Schumacher's record of consecutive points finishes in Silverstone. Grosjean too must iron out errors and ensure strong finishes in the points to aid the team in the Constructors' Battle. 

Hopefully the team might prove its doubters wrong and produce a resurgence. The Team has won championships in the past and a comeback would only spice up the battle at the front of the grid.

3 weeks until Silverstone, a lot of questions to be answered. F1 please come back soon.

Common Kimi Raikkonen!! Common Romain Grojean!! Common Lotus F1!!

The Spanish Grand Prix started the European Leg of the F1 Calender. Fernando Alonso powered his Ferrari to Victory in front of his adoring fans. Kimi Raikkonen drove a very smart race to finish 2nd and Felipe Massa made it a Ferrari 1-3 on the weekend.

The Race though would be remembered for the "T" Word as everything revolved around it.

The Influence was so much that most were left ruing their race pace.

The "T" Word is the ( Pirelli ) Tyre.

Teams have always been suspect about the longevity of the tyres over a race weekend and the Spanish GP has only added fuel to the fire.

The Race saw a total of 82 pit stops and Paul Hembery, the Motorsport Director of Pirelli later admitted that there were too many pit stops and Pirelli shall address this issue starting from Canada.

Vettel said that he had to race at the pace of the tyres while Kimi was not bothered about it. Kimi finished his race using a 3 stop strategy while Alonso accomplished the same on a 4 stop.

Pirelli had chosen the hardest tyre compounds for the weekend. The Lap Time Difference between the two was marginal. However with the exception of Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, everyone opted for a 4 stop strategy for the race. The Lotus E21 has always been easy on its tyres and the team has made little noise about tyre performance.

The Reaction has mostly been negative but I feel the criticism is somewhat harsh.

The Tyre Characteristics have been such that certain tracks have favoured certain cars up until now. We would definitely not hear Red Bull complain about tyres when they won in Bahrain or Malaysia. Ferrari seemed to have found a sweet spot and have kept mum about it.

Formula 1 has changed a lot since the Schumacher days. Schumacher with his Bridgestone Tyres made it very difficult for the rest to win and to some extent finished the excitement in F1. Races were boring as the German smoked his opposition taking victories after starting from pole positions.

Martin Brundle said that in the early years of Formula 1, the fastest car would be on pole, the slowest on the back of the grid and the order would stay the same as the tyres never degraded and the grip levels were always the same.

The Pirellis though have spiced up the races. A driver can afford to be in a slightly slower car and yet finish well if his car is easy on its tyres running the right balance. The Tyres musn't always be the sole deciding factor in the championship battle though and that is the issue that Pirelli needs to address.

Incidents of Frequent Punctures and Sudden De-Lamination have not aided Pirelli's Cause.

Pirelli did bring in better rubbered compounds and more tyre options this year but the struggle continues for most teams.

It might be hard for Fans to see their teams struggling but for a neutral, every race turns out to be an intriguing one.

The Sport would need to take certain steps to appease the affected parties :

1) Pirelli has already promised and is working towards offering tyres with better longevity Candian GP onwards. Hopefully the promise delivers for those affected on track.

2) Pirelli needs to have a test-car during the winter months which would help them in understanding the issues that teams are facing while running different setups in the Pre-season tests itself.

3) In their quest to reduce pit stops for a driver in a race, the company must ensure that the minimum requirement of stops be maintained and not make the mistake of making non-degradable tyres and end the importance of pit stops.

4) Address the Issue of De-Lamination which has become a frequent occurrence off late.

Pirelli's entrance into F1 was like a breath of fresh air and a great leveller. All the teams had to start from scratch with Pirelli and the field has closed up quite nicely.

I hope they continue to the Sole Tyre Supplier for the Sport. I am sure that they have the technical expertise and personnel to iron out the issues that teams are facing.

The Season is getting interesting.....

2011 was a season of Dominance. Sebastien Vettel & Red Bull simply pulled away from the Competition. The rest were left battling to be the " Best amongst the Rest ".

2012 though had Big Surprises in store. The return of Kimi Raikkonen to Lotus F1 Team was one such Surprise. His Return ensured that I would follow the sport with renewed vigour. 2012 also took the accolades of being the longest season in F1 History and the only season which featured 6 World Champions - Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen and Schumacher.

Many Predicted that status quo would be maintained but it turned out to be otherwise.

7 different winners won the first 7 Grand Prix! - Another Record!!

Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel, Maldonado, Webber, Hamilton stood on the top step of the podium.

Ferraris were expected to struggle and Alonso's Victory in Malaysia was simply down to smart strategy in changing weather conditions. Maldonado's victory for Williams at Catalunya & Roberg's for Mercedes at Shanghai too was a famous victory for both teams in a long long time.

Lotus F1 too had a nice start with Kimi notching up 2 Podiums in his comeback year.

The Biggest Disappointment though was for Red Bull who simply couldn't repeat their performances of last season. Ferrari had put all the disappointments of pre-season testing behind as they lead both the Drivers' and the Constructors' Championships.

The Return to Europe in Valencia didn't do Red Bull's Cause any good as Alternator Failure robbed Vettel of a sure victory. Grosjean too suffered the same fate, the Frenchman too had a shot at victory. Alonso was the beneficiary again as he used all incidents to his advantage. Alonso was the first driver in the season to have 2 victories while Raikkonen and Schumacher made it a famous podium. The signs looked ominous...

Mark Webber helped Red Bull to have a comeback of sorts after the Spanish Debacle with a victory at Silverstone and Vettel in 3rd.

Alonso maintained consistency by finishing 2nd in Silverstone and notching up victory in Germany the week after Silverstone. Vettel's Efforts to impress in his home race fell short as he was demoted in the race result from 2nd to 5th for an illegal move on Button. Button and Raikkonen completed the Podium.

Hungary saw the resurgence of Hamilton's Title Challenge with the Lotuses of Raikkonen and Grosjean completing the podium.

Alonso's lead now stood at 40 points and the Spaniard seemed to be favourite to win the title.

Belgium saw a Horrific First Lap incident where Romain Grosjean made contact with Lewis Hamilton and they both slammed into Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez, eliminating all four on the spot. Vettel reduced the lead by 18 points by finishing 2nd. Button won the race with Raikkonen showcasing some daring moves to take 3rd.

 Hamilton's victory in Italy threw the title race wide open. Vettel's lowly 22nd left him in the lurch. Perez produced a special drive to finish 2nd and Alonso ensured that he kept scoring well by finishing 3rd.

The European Leg ended and the rest of the races were all " Fly Away " Events. Singapore saw Hamilton's Retirement due to Gearbox Failure and Catapulted Vettel to victory. Hamilton was now out of the Title Race. Vettel was now in Title Contention.

Alonso suffered another retirement after contact with Raikkonen on the First Lap and Vettel took advantage of the same to score a full 25 points. The championship fight became as close as it had been all season long. Massa and Kobayashi completed the podium with the latter overwhelmed by the Home Support, first podium for a Japanese Driver since Suzuki in 1990 ( At Suzuka ). Schumacher announced his retirement on the same weekend, this time he wouldn't return.

The Tables turned in Korea. Vettel was now on a rampage as he wrestled back the lead from Alonso with a victory. Webber ensured a Red Bull 1-2 and Alonso ensured damage limitation in 3rd.

The Next Stop - India!! Vettel was in no mood to slip-up and dominated the race to be a 2 Time winner at the Buddh International Circuit. Alonso Benefitted from a Failed KERS unit on Webber's Car to take 2nd while the Australian held off Hamilton to take the final spot on the podium.

Abu Dhabi seemed to have changed the dynamics of the Title Race again. Sebastian Vettel's dominant run was derailed in Abu Dhabi when his car was found to have insufficient fuel after qualifying and he was subsequently moved to the back of the grid. Hamilton's March to Victory was again cut short due to a mechanical failure while Vettel kept moving up the grid, a couple of Safety Car Incidents helping his cause. KIMI RAIKKONEN the ICEMAN was leading the race. Lotus F1 went through a lot of tension and just wanted to ensure victory by ensuring everything was in perfect order. The Iceman though just asserted his authority on the team radio amusing one and all with two sentences that have become world famous. Kimi Raikkoen held off a closing Alonso to take a Famous Victory for the Lotus F1 team. Fernando Alonso was 2nd and was shocked to see Sebastien Vettel sharing the podium with him!

Alonso was only able to reduce Vettel's Lead by 3 points.  

Austin Texas saw United States of America make a return on the F1 Calendar. A Fantastic Circuit saw a fantastic race. Vettel was on the receiving end this time. He was held up by a backmarker with Hamilton closing in on him. Vettel as a result lost the lead to Hamilton. Hamilton took victory with Vettel and Alonso completing the podium. The Result meant that the Driver's Championship would go down to the wire, to the last race in Brazil. Red Bull clinched the Constructor's Title.  

Brazil would produce the last bit of drama. Sebastian Vettel was involved in a first-lap clash with Bruno Senna that damaged his exhaust and spun him around, relegating him to last place. Senna retired on the spot, as did Sergio Perez, who was caught in the crossfire. Changing Weather Conditions saw the race change lead multiple leads. Hulkenberg and Hamilton lead the field and a move by the former on the latter went awry to take Hamilton out of the race. Vettel slowly moved up the field, his car's damage slowly aggravating. His 7th then became 6th. A Paul Di Resta crash on the penultimate lap brought out the safety car. Alonso couldn't improve on his 2nd position as a result.

Vettel had overcome all odds to win his 3rd consecutive Driver's title. Alonso was left contemplating as to what could have been.

Three days after the Brazilian Grand Prix, reports began to surface suggesting that Sebastian Vettel's championship was under threat and that Ferrari would be filing a formal protest against the race results. The challenge centred on a pass Vettel made on Jean-Eric Vergne early in the race ( Under Yellow Light Condition ) The FIA cleared the confusion & both Ferrari and Red Bull Racing announced that they were satisfied with the ruling, thereby preserving Vettel's championship.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top 3 in the Championship. Kimi Raikkonen was the sole driver to have finished every race in the season, finishing outside of the points only once in the season, setting a new record in the process.

It was a great comeback year for the Finn.

Sebastien Vettel and Christian Horner with their Trophies :

Fernando settles for 2nd Place :

Kimi, Ice Cool as ever in 3rd Place :

2013 is already on us and the competition would be looking to deny Red Bull Racing another title. Only Time will Tell.....

Formula 1 returned to USA after a 5 year sabbatical. A new track was built in Austin, Texas and it promised state-of-the-art facilities and varying gradients on a very challenging track.

The first turn itself was a steep climb towering at 41 m, a recipe for incidents at the start of the race. This track would test the true prowess of the drivers.

However this race was pivotal for 3 reasons. The outcome of this Grand Prix would influence future ventures for Formula 1 in North America.

Red Bull Racing were on the brink of winning their 3rd consecutive Constructor's Title while Sebastien Vettel was on the verge of becoming a Triple World Champion. Ferrari had nothing too lose and it was clear that they would channelise all their efforts in ensuring that Alonso still has a shot at the title at the final race of the season in Brazil.

Let us see how the drama unfolded!

FREE PRACTICE :

Sebastian Vettel was the fastest driver in both FP1 and FP 2. He set a time 1.5 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton in FP1, and 2 seconds faster than title rival Fernando Alonso. The session was run without incident, though drivers reported that there was very little grip around the circuit. Ma Qinghua was the only reserve driver to take part in the session, replacing Narain Karthikeyan at HRT. He finished the session in twenty-fourth and last position, 10 seconds behind Vettel.

Vettel was again fastest in the FP2. Mark Webber and Alonso completed the top 3. Vettel's running was limited by a water leak that forced him to spend half the session in the pits, while Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen suffered a puncture when he made contact with Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne.  Pastor Maldonado suffered an engine failure in his Williams late in the session.

Vettel topped the timesheets in FP3 too. Hamilton was 2nd Fastest. The hour-long session was marked by a collision between Sauber's Sergio Perez and the Marussia of Charles Pic that damaged the floor of Pic's car. Perez escaped without penalty. much to the annoyance of Marussia. Jean-Eric Vergne also ran into further trouble, breaking his front suspension when he hit a kerb and stopped on the circuit.

QUALIFYING :

There was very litte grip on the circuit in Q1. Every team sent their drivers out for extended runs  with the objective of laying down enough rubber on the circuit to improve their overall lap time, and trying to time their final flying runs to take full advantage of the circuit.

HRT were initially concerned that they would fail to qualify inside the 107% cut-off, however their decision to send Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan out on the softer option tyres, paid dividends as they made the cut. Karthikeyan's session ended early when he pulled over onto the tarmac run-off at Turn 2, the victim of a mechanical fault.

Caterham's Vitaly Petrov struggled early in the session with traffic, and spent most of the twenty minutes outside the 107% cut-off. His final flying lap saw him qualify 21st for the race, one place ahead of team-mate Heikki Kovalainen. Daniel Ricciardo was the seventh and final driver eliminated at the end of Q1.

Sebastian Vettel, who had recorded the fastest time in Q1, went on to beat his best time in Q2. The faster lap times now meant that the softer option compound was a necessity. Despite narrowly beating Ricciardo in Q1, Nico Rosberg was unable to improve his time in Q2, and qualified in 17th overall. The Saubers of Perez and Kobayashi filled out the 8th row of the grid. Jean-Eric Vergne overcame his free practice dramas to qualify 14th. Paul di Resta was disappointed to be eliminated in Q2 when team-mate Nico Hulkenberg comfortably progressed to Q3. Jenson Button had to settle for 12th overall when his McLaren MP4-27 lost all power late in the period, and he later admitted that he was afraid of getting caught up in what he called a "chaotic first lap". Bruno Senna was the last driver eliminated in Q2, qualifying in 11th place.

Sebastian Vettel took pole position with the fastest lap of the weekend. In spite of this, Lewis Hamilton was closer to Vettel than he had been all weekend, missing pole position by just one tenth of a second. Mark Webber qualified 3rd, ahead of Romain Grosjean, who was later demoted to 9th when he received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. Kimi Raikkonen , Michael Schumacher,  Felipe Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Pastor Maldonado completed the top ten.

Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber were summoned to the stewards' office after qualifying. Schumacher had been cited for blocking Alonso during Q2. Schumacher escaped without punishment, as he had been on a flying lap of his own at the time, and blocking Alonso had not prevented him from advancing to Q3.

Webber, on the other hand, was called to answer charges of missing the mandatory weight check at the end of qualifying. The stewards accepted that Red Bull Racing had made an error and saw that the car was immediately sent to scrutineering once it was realised. Webber escaped with a reprimand, thereby allowing him to keep his grid position for the race.

However Ferrari would produce the greatest story of the day. The Team broke the seal of the gearbox of Massa's car causing him to accept a 5 place grid - penalty which would demote him from 7th to 12th and promoted Alonso from 8th to 7th. This allowed the Spaniard to start from the cleaner side of the track and help keep his title hopes alive.

Red Bull too could have countered this move in a similar fashion using Webber and send Alonso back to the dirtier side. However they chose otherwise. Sportsmanship lacking again in this decision by Ferrari.

RACE :

The Grip on the grid varied drastically between the Cleaner side and the Dirtier side of the Track.

The Five Lights went out and a lot happened going into the First Turn. The Prediction was right, starters on the Dirty Side suffered lack of Traction and lost places rapidly. Sebastian Vettel pulled cleanly away from P1. Mark Webber attacked Lewis Hamilton around the outside in the battle for 2nd. However it was a sensational start for Fernando Alonso who climbed from 7th to 4th in his Ferrari ! Lewis Hamilton lost out to Mark Webber for second, but managed to hold off Alonso.

Michael Schumacher, who started 5th had a terrible lap. First he lost out to Nico Hulkenberg and then to Kimi Raikkonen only to fight back and reclaim his place but in doing so, left the door open to Romain Grosjean who passed both in one move ( Lap 2 )

Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber were squabbling for 2nd place while Vettel pulled away from the pair. Hamilton's efforts finally paid dividends on Lap 4 as he passed Webber for 2nd.

The Formula 1 Fraternity returned to the Middle East after completing the Races of the Far - East.

The Turn-Around time was very short for the teams as the Race at Abu Dhabi is only a week after the Indian Grand Prix.

"We shall fight to the end, we shall not give up." These were the words of Fernando Alonso who knew that his chances of a 3rd World Championship were fading fast.

"The Twilight Race" has its own aura and is a popular destination for Formula 1 Fans.

The Circuit at Yas Marina delivered a Race which definitely deserved a place in the History Books!!

FREE PRACTICE :

FP1 saw Ma Qing Hua feature again for HRT while Valtteri Bottas got some Track time instead of Bruno Senna ( Certain Rumours gathering pace ). Jules Bianchi replaced Paul di Resta during FP1. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were the Pace - Setters in FP1 while Sebastien Vettel and Fernando Alonso slotted into 3rd and 4th Respectively. Max Chilton too was given a run and was 22nd at the end of the session.

FP2 was pretty straightforward barring a spin by Karthikeyan. The Times were coming down as the track grip increased. Vettel dethroned Hamilton to go fastest but the McLarens looked sharp. The Lotuses looked the part too with Grosjean and Raikkonen 6th & 7th.

FP3 saw everyone stay on track as Hamilton continued the McLaren Domination with Button while the Red Bull duo of Vettel and Webber stayed in touch of the leaders. Alonso was a distant 8th and his chances of qualifying strong seemed a distant dream.

QUALIFYING :

Q1 saw Hamilton, Rosberg and Webber as the fastest 3 of the session. Q1 didnt spring any surprises as the usual backmarkers were relegated.

Q2 saw the ouster of Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Perez, Di Resta, Senna, Kobayashi, Ricciardo. Hamilton was closely followed by Webber and Vettel.

Q3 would be one of the most exciting Qualifying Sessions ever. Raikkonen set the early pace but it was quickly eclipsed by Hamilton and Vettel. Lewis Hamilton's time couldn't be challenged and Alonso's title hopes took a big hit when he couldn't improve his overall 6th Fastest time. Webber went 2nd fastest while Maldonado produced a stunning lap into 3rd only to be dumped down to 4th as Vettel slotted into 3rd. Raikkonen, Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Grosjean completed the top 10.

However it wasn't over. Vettel's car came to a stop under the Yas Hotel after being instructed by the team to do so. The resut of this action would add a different dimension to the Title Race!

Red Bull and their engine partner Renault announced that the German had been excluded from qualifying as he did not have required amount of fuel left in his tank to be tested by officials. The result was that Vettel was sent to the back of the grid - but Red Bull opted to make set-up changes before the race, which meant that Sebastian Vettel had to start from the pit lane

A very big decision by the Stewards !! Let us see how the race unfolded!

RACE : 

At the start of the parade lap, Pedro de la Rosa stalled on the grid in his HRT which caused him to have to start from the pits behind Sebastian Vettel. When the race began, Hamilton led into the first corner, while Kimi Raikkonen passed Mark Webber and Pastor Maldonado to take 2nd. Contact between Bruno Senna and Nico Hulkenberg caused the Force India driver to retire from the race. During the first lap, Fernando Alonso overtook both Button and Webber. Paul di Resta, Romain Grosjean and Nico Rosberg also had damage and headed into the pits. Meanwhile, up front, Lewis Hamilton reported that he had got cold tyres as Kimi Raikkonen tried a bold move around the outside of the McLaren driver. It didn't pay off, though, and Hamilton retained the lead. While this was happening, Vettel took some slight damage to his front wing as he had made contact with Senna while attempting to overtake. ( Lap 3 ). The German was already upto 16th.

On Lap 5, Romain Grosjean made a move on Nico Rosberg at Turns 8 and 9, but ended up with a puncture on the right front which made contact with Rosberg's front wing. Both drivers had to pit - Grosjean for a set of tyres and Rosberg for a new nosecone.

Four laps later, on Lap 8, Rosberg and Narain Karthikeyan were involved in a collision. Karthikeyan braked due to a steering problem, causing Rosberg who was right behind him to crash into him, bringing both out of the race but unharmed, and sending out the safety car. During the safety car period, when Daniel Ricciardo was weaving and braking, Sebastian Vettel was unaware, and he swerved to avoid the Toro Rosso and hit the DRS board at the side of the track, causing more damage to his front wing. Red Bull soon gave the instruction to fit a new front wing on Vettel's car, along with a set of soft tyres. It was the call Vettel was hoping to avoid. Vettel rejoined the field 21st and last.

Vettel tried a move on Grosjean at the end of the long straight, but the Frenchman fought back and retook the position. Vettel didn't give up through and slotted down the inside at the next corner. This time, there was no way back for Grosjean Sebastian Vettel however was told to let Romain Grosjean past to avoid a penalty. Vettel crossed a white line, and went onto the blue part of the track during the overtake. He let Grosjean past only to retake the position a couple of corners later.

On Lap 20, the race leader Lewis Hamilton slowed to a halt as a technical issue with his McLaren put him out of the race. Kimi Raikkonen inherited the lead as a result. No safety car was required as he had parked his car in a safe position. On the next lap, Fernando Alonso managed to overtake Pastor Maldonado with the assistance of DRS. On lap 23, while attempting the same move on Pastor Maldonado, Mark Webber made contact with the Williams, causing him to spin and lose places to Button, Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez, dropping the Australian from 4th to 7th. By this time, Sebastian Vettel had fought his way up to 10th place. Lap 24 saw Jenson Button pass Pastor Maldonado for 3rd.

Lap 24 witnessed something hillarious. The Lotus team told Kimi Raikkonen that he had a five second lead over Fernando Alonso in 2nd. The Finn repliesd: "Leave me alone I know what I'm doing!"

Mark Webber tried a move on Felipe Massa but there was contact and Webber was forced off track. Massa spun the car as he hit the gas. ( Lap 26 )

Alonso pitted on lap 29 and rejoined in 6th just behind Vettel. Webber received a Radio Message a Lap later : "Mark, if Sebastian gets a run, don't fight him,"

By lap 31, Vettel was up into second, about twenty seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen, and his subsequent pit stop on lap 37 put him down to 4th. Inspite of a slow pitstop Red Bull managed to get him out before the train of cars from 5th to 11th.

Kimi Raikkonen pitted on Lap 32 and the Finn rejoined the track in the lead, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

Drama continued on lap 39 as Paul di Resta and Sergio Perez tried to overtake Romain Grosjean. Perez ran wide, and when entering the track again, he collided with Grosjean who then collected Mark Webber, taking the Lotus and Red Bull out of the race and earning Perez a ten-second stop and go penalty. This sent out the safety car once more.

McLaren told Jenson Button that Fernando Alonso had struggled on the restart so he should do his best to get close at the restart. Button acknowledged the message but added: "He's very quick in a straight line, very quick." ( Lap 41 )

Kimi Raikkonen's race engineer Simon Rennie ( I have had the privilege of meeting him a couple of times, great guy ) reminded him to keep warming his tyres ahead of the restart to which the Finn snapped back: "Yes, yes, yes, yes. I'm doing it all the time. You don't have to remind me every second." ( Lap 42 )

This is what Formula 1 lacked!! Sheer Entertainment from the ICEMAN!!

In the closing laps, Fernando Alonso put in quick laps to catch Kimi Raikkonen but the latter maintained the gap to around a second. Vettel took advantage of the safety car to close up to Jenson Button and get past on lap 51. Raikkonen after immense pressure managed to do just enough to hold off the Ferrari to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his first win in 2012, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

Kimi Raikkonen punched the air as he crossed the line to take Lotus's first victory in their current guise.

Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Vettel were the podium finishers. Jenson Button, Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10.

This was his First Victory since the Belgian GP 2009. The Iceman had proved all the doubters wrong as he made more than just a fantastic return to Formula 1.

The Lotus Team went beserk in the Pit Garage and I shouted my lungs out at home!!

The Iceman Deserved it! The Team Deserved it!! They had shown great character the entire season with the limited resources that they had!

The Win had finally come, albeit slightly late. A Win is a Win though!

Sebastien Vettel too produced a stunning drive to climb upto 3rd from the back of the grid, a feat that speaks volumes of the Racer in him. Fernando Alonso would be disppointed as he would have hoped that the gap would be considerably less at the end of the weekend.

On a Personal Note, I am really glad that Kimi Raikkonen got a win under his belt in his comeback year. He has also been the only driver to finish all the races, not to forget that he has finished in the points in all the races except one.

He consolidated his Position ( 3rd ) in the Championship too with the full 25 points. Lewis Hamilton was left to rue what would have been after having the perfect weekend up until that point.

This truly was the Best Race of the season.. it had it all - The Controversies, the Incidents, the Safety Cars, the Retirements, the Stunning Drives, the Fantastic Overtakes, the Hillarious Radio Messages and at the end of the day, A WORTHY WINNER!!

Lets indulge and savour the celebrations through some stills post-race!

ALL HAIL KING KIMI!! THE ICEMAN COMETH!! and the ICEMAN KNOWETH WHAT HE DOETH!!

The Formula 1 season is now coming to a close. I have had the privilege of being at 3 Grand Prixs and the Indian Grand Prix was the 4th and Final Race I would be at.

Once again I was a guest of the Lotus F1 Team. A Big Thank you to God and my Dad for their support and for understanding my love for Motorsport.

A Big Thank you to www.excluvsivegp.com too for all the arrangements and making the experience really memorable.

Lotus F1 Team didn't have many guests this year and a Team Suite couldn't be organised. We were accomodated in the Club Suite near the entrance of the Pit-Lane ( 3rd Floor ). It eventually turned out to be a Blessing in Disguise as the Suite was shared by 5 other teams... so the chance to meet other Drivers was bright.

I won't write more.. let the Pictures say it all. ENJOY!!

Jerome D'Ambrosio - Lotus F1 Reserve Driver :

Lotus F1 Team Pit-Crew ( Celebrities in their own Right )  :

Star Sports Presenter Sanjeev Palar ( Engine Block Fame ) :

Sebastien Buemi ( Red Bull Racing Team's Reserve Driver, Ex-Toro Rosso ) :

Johnny Herbert ( Ex-F1 Driver, 3 time British GP Winner ), Simon Lazenby, Sky Sports Presenters. I Love Sky Sports Formula 1 HD. Best Coverage of F1 Races!

Bernd Maylander ( Formula 1 Safety Car Driver ) : 

Chris Goodwin ( Ex Co-Commentator with Steve Slater for Start Sports ). Remember listening to him when I was a newbie in the Worldwide followers of Formula 1. Fantastic Presenter. Now he manages Bruno Senna ( Nephew of the Late Great Ayrton Senna ) :

David Coulthard ( Ex - McLaren Mercedes, Ex - Red Bull Racing, Now a BBC Co-presenter ). Mika Hakkinen's tem-mate. Was a fan of Mika until his Retirement in 2002 and subequent replacement by KIMI. ( Jake of BBC getting Wired-up for the post-qualifying show ) : 

Daniel Ricciardo ( Scuderia Toro-Rosso Driver ) :

Pastor Maldonado ( Williams F1 Team Driver, Catalunya GP Winner ) :

Bruno Senna ( Williams F1 Team Driver, Nephew of the Late Great Ayrton Senna! ) :

Valtteri Bottas ( Williams F1 Team Reserve Driver ). Another Finn in F1. Had a nice chat. Might support him once Kimi Retires..

Timo Glock ( Marussia F1 Team Driver ) :

Charles Pic ( Marussia F1 Team Driver ) :

Harbhajan Singh ( Indian Cricketer, 400 Scalps to his name!! Fantastic Player ) :

Martin Brundle ( Ex - F1 Driver, Now a Co-Presenter for Sky Sports F1 ) :

( L to R ) - Oliver, Fleur, Mable ( Lotus F1 Team ). Thank you Guys for all the Love and Hospitality. Shall Cherish this all my Life!

Once again a Special Thanks to www.exclusivegp.com for all the efforts and all the arrangements done.

Stay Tuned.. More to Come!

Formula 1 travels back towards the West and its First Stop is Korea. The Results of the Japanese Grand Prix have thrown the Championship Wide Open. Fernando Alonso knew that Ferrari needed to be on the top of the game and expressed his concerns at the lack of performance when compared to that of the Red Bulls.

Sebastien Vettel had pegged back Alonso's lead to 4 points after back-to-back victories in Singapore and Japan.

The Results of the Grand Prix would be pivotal in the Championship Battle....

FREE PRACTICE :

The first free practice session took place in dry conditions. Lewis Hamilton ended the session as fastest driver, Fernando Alonso who had led most of the ninety-minute session was 2nd while Mark Webber finished in 3rd place.

Sebastian Vettel was fastest in FP2,leading Webber and Alonso. FP2 was an incident free session although Sergio Perez was forced out after 45 minutes of running when his Sauber lost all power and ground to a halt at Turn 12. Perez was able to safely park the car, allowing the session to continue uninterrupted.

Sebastien Vettel continued his dominance into FP3 while the two McLarens of Hamilton & Button slotted into 2nd and 3rd respectively. Red Bull's Mark Webber was 7th after electrical problems with his engine prevented him from getting a run at the end of the session on the 'super-soft' tyre most drivers are expected to use in qualifying.

QUALIFYING :

Q1 was a very tense one for many teams. Sebsatien Vettel, Jenson Button and Mark Webber were the top 3 of the session.Narain Karthikeyan lost the rear end of his HRT and narrowly missed a Force India who was slowing for Turn 3. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton had big hiccups as they just made it into Q2 in 16th and 17th Positions respectively. Bruno Senna joined the Caterhams, Marrusias and the HRTs in the Elimination.

Q2 saw Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso come to a halt. Sebastien Vettel was the quickest again. Jenson Button was the Suprise Elimination from the Session. Both the Saubers, Toro Rossos, Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta were also eliminated.

Q3 saw another incident when Michael Schumacher was released in the path of Lewis Hamilton however the incident was not pursued. Sebastien Vettel made a rare mistake in the first sector of his Second Flying Lap. The Mistake cost him Pole Position. Mark Webber pipped his Team-Mate to Pole Position. Vettel and Hamilton were 2nd and 3rd respectively. Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Schumacher completed the top 10.

Daniel Ricciardo received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. Charles Pic was given a ten-place grid penalty for exceeding the maximum number of engines permitted for use over the course of the season. Narain Karthikeyan failed to set a time after having a brake failure. He was allowed to race at the stewards' discretion.

 RACE :

The Five Red Lights went out and Sebastien Vettel jumped Mark Webber into First Place on the First Turn. Mark Webber fought back on the Straight into Turn 3 but the German held. It also ensured that no other car had space to challenge the duo on the straight. It was a great start from Fernando Alonso who leapfrogged Lewis Hamilton who got squeezed out at the start. The McLaren driver had a think about a move down the middle of the two Red Bulls, but the gap closed and he was forced to back off. This allowed the championship leader Alonso squeeze down the inside.

The Saubers had an eventful First Lap as both drivers had incidents. Jenson Button was a big loser. The McLaren driver made a good start, but a wreckless Kamui Kobayashi came flying down the inside at Turn Three, missed the braking and smashed into the front right tyre of Button, breaking the suspension and ending the 2009 world champion's race. A Frustrated Button later stated that the drivers should be wary of the techniques adopted as incidents such as these are unforgivable at this level of Motor-Racing. Rosberg too was another retiree, his car hit first by Kamui Kobayashi. Massa passed Raikkonen for 5th place while Kobayashi had to pit for a new front wing. Ricciardo had a brilliant start, rising from 21st to 15th, in his Toro Rosso. Kobayashi was penalised for hitting Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton, Hulkenberg, Grosjean pitted on Lap 14 while Mark Webber, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen a lap later. Sebastien Vettel and Fernando Alonso pitted on Lap 16. Alonso emerged just ahead of Perez whose attempt to move past him backfired and he eventually lost a position to Hamilton. Perez on his wearing tyres was now falling backwards as Massa, Raikkonen passed him in the space of 2 laps. Kamui Kobayashi drove into retirement on Lap 18, a disppointing weekend for the Japanese driver after the joy of being on the podium in his home race only a week earlier.

Vettel was now 6 seconds ahead of Webber who was in turn 3 seconds ahead of Alonso.

Lap 21 saw another twist as Hamilton complained of Loss of Grip ( Attributed later to a Broken Anti-Roll Bar ) and was powerless to fend off Massa who overtook him comfortably using DRS. The Next Couple of laps saw some competitve and safe racing between Hamilton and Raikkonen. Raikkonen tried getting past under DRS on Lap 23 but Hamilton had enough to keep his position into the corner. However a lap later, Kimi was closer and went past him on the outside at the end of the DRS zone. However Hamilton made use of his remaining KERS to wrestle back the position from Raikkonen a turn later. Hamilton finally pitted on Lap 26 and the team had some trouble with Front Right Tyre causing a slight delay.

The Gap at the front was more or less unchanged until the second round of pitstops. Mark Webber was the first to blink when he pitted for a new set of soft tyres on Lap 32. Fernando Alonso pitted on Lap 34 and even a clean pitstop wasn't good enough to get him close to the Red Bull of Mark Webber. Sebastian Vettel had a huge lock-up on Lap 35 and was told by his team to pit immediately.

It was Status Quo at the front after the final round of pitstops.

Lap 38 saw Vettel set the Fastest Lap of the race and he had to be assured by the team that the gap to Webber was adequate enough and there was no need to push unnecessarily. Meanwhile Felipe Massa had closed in on Fernando Alonso and the latter found it to be a little too close for comfort. Ferrari however ensured that Massa would not harry Alonso by asking the former to stay withing 2-3 seconds of his team-mate. Ferrari's customary tactics did the job again as Massa yielded. Meanwhile Paul di Resta finally went past Michael Schumacher who had made this really hard for the British driver up until that lap. Their duel had given Perez an opportunity to close up and try a move on Schumacher but the German kept the door shut.

Lap 40 saw some more action as drivers started experiencing wear on their tyres. Grosjean went on the outside of the McLaren of Hamilton at the end of Turn 3. Hamilton, struggling on failing tyres positioned his car well and forced Grosjean wide; that allowed Nico Hulkenberg to close up and the three of them almost went three abreast towards Turn 4. Hamilton defended again, but Hulkenberg went around the outside of both Hamilton and Grosjean in an absolutely stunning move!!!

Fernando Alonso was now struggling and falling into the hands of Felipe Massa who was setting Blistering laps but the Brazilian had to hold station as instructed by Ferrari.

Hamilton did his 3rd Stop on Lap 43 and rejoined 10th. It had been a race to forget for the team with Button's retirement and Hamilton's lack of race pace after qualifying in such a promising position.

Hamilton's newer tyres had given him the much needed performance and he closed in on Jean-Eric Vergne ( Lap 47 ). The McLaren driver couldn't make a move stick down at Turn Three, but saved some KERS and used it in the run down to Turn Four. Hamilton pulled to the outside and tried to cut back, but Vergne didn't yield his position.

The track was falling apart by Lap 50, a huge embarassment for the organisers. Charles Pic ran over a bit of astroturf which has lodged itself free. A Williams ran wide at the same corner and kicked another piece up in the air.

Fernando Alonso seemed to have some life left in his tyres and was now catching the Red Bull of Mark Webber ( Lap 51 ), the latter however tried to maintain the gap around 4 seconds. The duo of Vergne and Hamilton had caught up with Ricciardo and an interesting battle was in store for the last 5 laps. Lap 53 saw Vergne go past his team-mate Ricciardo although Hamilton had to wait another lap.

The fight at the front was getting really intriguing. Red Bull was asking its drivers to nurse their tyres home!! Vettel was warned of unpredictable braking and the last couple of laps were tense for both Team and Driver.

An absolute nightmare awaited Lewis Hamilton on Lap 54. The McLaren driver picked up a piece of astroturf that attached itself to the side of the car and was seen flapping around. The Briton dropped back from the Toro Rossos as he struggled to keep control of an ill-handling car.

Sebastian Vettel's race engineer was on the radio again, telling him to be careful. The German backed right off and and coasted towards victory.

South Korean Rapper Psy waved the chequered flag as Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to take victory!! Mark Webber with Fernando Alonso were the other podium finishers.

Massa, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Vergne, Ricciardo and Hamilton completed the top 10. Hamilton had to fend off a late charge from Perez on the last lap to grab the Solitary Point.

So Red Bull Celebrated its First 1-2 of the Season. Ferrari moved ahead of McLaren in the Constructor Battle but the Drivers' Championship now had a new leader.

Vettel had leapfrogged Alonso to lead the Championship by 6 points. The Red Bulls are now going from strength to strength. Vettel notched up his 4th win of the season, 3 consecutive wins for the German.

The Lotuses of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean gathered good points as Kimi extended his lead over Hamilton to retain 3rd place in the Drivers' Championship Standings.

Kimi Raikkonen was also the only driver to have finished every race this season.

The Next Round is India!!! I shall be in the Paddock again as a guest of the Lotus F1 Team, so lots of photos coming your way... soon.

Watch this Space!