Singapore saw Sebastien Vettel win. Fernando Alonso would now be looking over his shoulder and digging deep to keep his lead in the Championship Alive. The 15th Round of the Formula 1 season was held at Suzuka Japan. Lewis Hamilton's retirement in Singapore left him 4th in the Standings 50 points behind the leader, his title chances now seemingly over.

The Japanese Grand Prix would however produce a result which would bring ecstasy to one driver and angst and frustration for another. Lets see how it all unfolded!

 

FREE PRACTICE :

 

Every car used the option tyres during the second part of qualifying. Di Resta complained over his pit-to-car radio after he had to weave in and out of Webber and Grosjean on a flying lap approaching the final chicane. Felipe Massa, Paul Di Resta, Michael Schumacher, Pastor Maldonado, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne failed to make it into Q3. Schumacher's penalty from Singapore demoted him to 23rd from 13th. Vergne after serving his penalty for Impeding started the race from 19th. Thus Senna, Kovalainen and Glock started 2 places further up on the grid in 16th, 17th and 18th respectively, and behind Vergne, de la Rosa, Pic and Petrov moved up 1 place on the grid to start from 20th, 21st and 22nd respectively in front of Schumacher and Karthikeyan.

 

Q3 began with a lack of action on track. However, the McLarens, Red Bulls and Lotuses all chose to do two separate flying lap efforts. Vettel and Webber had set the 1st and 2nd fastest times on the first timed runs. Button was 3rd, followed by Grosjean and Raikkonen and Hamilton's McLaren. During the 2nd timed run, Kimi Raikkonen ran wide at Spoon curve, and whilst returning onto the track, spun and stopped at the edge of the track. Yellow flags were brought out, and Perez was the only driver in front of Raikkonen who did not have to slow down.

Vettel and Webber were both on faster laps than their previous ones, but were unable improve their times because of the yellow flags. They maintained their grid slots, though, as the team took their 1st front row lock-out of the season!!

Vettel claimed his 4th successive pole at the Suzuka circuit, maintaining his 100% record. This was his 34th pole postion. He moved into third in the all-time list for pole positions, behind Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. Vettel had held Fernando Alonso up during his flying lap, but he was given a reprimand. An Important Let-off.

Button marginally improved his time, remaining in 3rd place but would eventually become 8th on the grid due to a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.

Kamui Kobayashi took an impressive 4th place for Sauber, but immediately after he set the time it was suggested that he had not slowed down in the yellow flag area.He had gone green in that sector on the Timing Screen. However he was allowed to keep the place on the grounds he had not used KERS or DRS as normal. Button's gearbox penalty promoted him to 3rd on the grid. This was the best Qualifying position for a Japanese Driver in his Home Race.

Grosjean, Perez, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Hulkenberg completed the Top 10. Hamilton moaned about the setup change which robbed him of a better Qualifying position. Hulkenberg's Gearbox change demoted him to 15th on the grid.

The components were now becoming limited for many teams and everyone would have to be careful about the stipulated number of components over a season.

 

 

 

RACE :

 

Every driver except Jean-Eric Vergne, Charles Pic and Michael Schumacher started the race on the softer compound 'option' tyres.

At the end of the safety car period, and the beginning of lap 3, Vettel sprinted away from Kobayashi, quickly establishing a 3 second lead and building on it. Sergio Perez attempted to overtake Raikkonen for 5th place at Turn 1, but was forced wide and slotted in behind 6th place Hamilton. He managed to overtake Hamilton at the hairpin after a few laps of closing him down, locking his tyres and creeping around the apex. He then began to move back towards the 5th placed Lotus of Raikkonen.

Heikki Kovalainen had surprised everyone when he was at running in 11th position. The incidents of the First Lap were investigated and Romain Grosjean was handed a ten-second stop-go penalty for the collision he caused. He ended up at the back when his Penalty was served. Michael Schumacher meanwhile had climbed his way from 23th to 14th, despite the German losing telemetry to the team.

Vettel and Massa were the drivers showing good pace when Button became the first driver to make a scheduled pit-stop in the race on lap 13. Raikkonen and Hulkenberg pitted on lap 14 from 5th and 8th positions repsectively, having to make their way past Vergne and Kovalainen after their pit stops.

Kobayashi pitted on lap 16 to promote Felipe Massa to 2nd place, but kept Button behind him as both were temporarily held up by drivers yet to stop. Vettel and Massa pitted on lap 20 and maintained their positions. Massa had leap-frogged both Kobayashi and Button with a quick stop and the Brazilian was clearly having a fantastic resurgence. Perez attempted the same move he had overtaken Hamilton with the previous time at the hairpin on lap 20, but this time Hamilton moved to the inside line and Perez carried too much speed into the corner, sliding round and getting stuck in the gravel trap.

On lap 22, Senna was given a drive through penalty for his contact with Rosberg at the start of the race. By this point, Mark Webber had worked his way back up to 9th place, but had to pit a few laps later.

Hamilton and Kobayashi pitted on lap 31, one lap after Raikkonen, who Hamilton was competing with now for 5th spot. He overtook him at Turn 1 on the following lap. Kimi tried overtaking Lewis on the outside and both left enough racing space for each other. Both Veterans showed how racing should be done

Button, Massa and Vettel piited on laps 35, 36 and 38 respectively, and all retained their positions in 4th, 2nd and 1st, with Kobayashi in 3rd. Michael Schumacher opted for a different tyre strategy and was the only driver on the softer tyres when he pitted on lap 37. He spent much of the remainder of the race behind the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo, fighting for 10th place, but never eventually gaining it due to some impressive defending.

Button spent the final stint of the race closing to within one second of Kobayashi, but never managing to overtake the Sauber driver.

Sebastian Vettel took the 24th victory of his career and became the 1st driver to take consecutive victories in the 2012 season.

Felipe Massa ended the longest streak a Ferrari driver had ever had without a podium by finishing 2nd, taking his first since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix. Kobayashi became the 3rd Japanese driver to score a Formula One podium, in front of his home crowd, with his best result of 3rd place. The McLarens of Button and Hamilton finished in 4th and 5th places, followed by Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Webber and Ricciardo who completed the top 10. Romain Grosjean retired on the final lap due to a gearbox problem. It was a smart decision by Lotus F1 as the reitrement allowed them to change components for the next race.

As a consequence of his victory and Alonso's retirement, Vettel closed the gap between himself and championship leader Alonso to just 4 points. In an interview after the race, Mark Webber desribed Romain Grosjean as a "first-lap nutcase" with regard to the collision Grosjean caused between them at the race start.

Alonso also questioned Kimi's refusal to lift the throttle, something he feels would have avoided the incident. However Alonso must remember that every driver is here to race. No one will yield positions easily. Ferrari are renowned for influencing decisions and Alonso thought something would be ruled in his favour. However I don't see the reason for his discontent. Fernando was the one who moved across the track, he was the one who tried to block Kimi's run into the First Turn. Kimi has every right to defend and take a position and Fernando must realise that every driver isn't going to capitulate easily.

Mark Webber was frustrated by the shunt he suffered at the start due to Grosjean. He also indicated that the One Race-Ban wasn't enough for Romain. I am sure Grosjean would emerge stronger from this incident and mature as a driver. I pray that we wouldn't see another incident caused due to him.

The Japanese crowd deserve credit for the atmosphere. The Stand were shouting " KAMUI KAMUI !! " for Kamui on the podium.

The Result has thrown this Title race WIDE OPEN! Vettel has the momentum, Alonso has to muster all his resources to keep his lead.

We now turn our attention to Korea and who would have thought that Vettel would be a Contender this season!! Red Bull Racing have turned it around since Singapore!!!

We have reached a very interesting stage in the season. Its that time of the year when Whispers are heard in the Paddock, Rumour Mills are running Overtime and Speculations abound.

 

Some Drivers stay with the Existing Team. Some have the liberty to choose their Drives next season while some wait expectantly for Developments and are chosen based on performances.

 

This Season has sprung big surprises and the "Driver Merry-Go-Round" has been no different.

 

 

The Biggest News over the past couple of days has been Lewis Hamilton's Move to Mercedes AMG Petronas.

 

The Move will have great influence on both this season and the next.

 

McLaren Mercedes have already made a decision and signed Sergio Perez as Lewis' Replacement for the next 3 years. Sergio Perez has had a commendable season producing some outstanding drives with Sauber Ferrari F1 this season.

 

The Movements of these two drivers has added more spice to the Driver Lineups of next season.

 

   

Let us study the signifance of these decisions :

 

The Lewis Hamilton Situation :

 

Hamilton's relationship goes a long way with McLaren and his move away to Mercedes hasn't been received well within the British Media.

In December 1995, at the age of ten, Lewis approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis at the Autosport Awards ceremony and told him, "I want to race for you one day ... I want to race for McLaren." Less than three years later McLaren and Mercedes-Benz signed him to their Young Driver Support Programme.

The Team comprised of the British Supercar Maker McLaren and German Automaking Giant Mercedes-Benz.

Both worked as a deadly duo to bring great success to the 2nd longest serving team in Formula 1. Lewis entered Formula 1 in 2007 when Kimi Raikkonen left McLaren Mercedes for Scuderia Ferrari. Lewis went on to become the Champion in 2008.

2009 brought a Rapid Change of Events. Brawn GP a debutant team headed by Ross Brawn won the Drivers Championship with Jenson Button and the Constructors Championship.

Mercedes parted ways with McLaren to only become an Engine Supplier to the team till 2015. The 40 % Buy-back by McLaren was completed in 2011.

McLaren lost a good amount of funding from Mercedes but their experience in Formula 1 helped them stay in contention every season. 2010 was a closely contested one while 2011 was just sheer domination by Vettel. Lewis had a season to forget with incidents that questioned his presence in Formula 1. ( 2011 ) 

The team has suffered from the perennial problem of Reliability. They have always had the pace and quality to challenge but reliability issues have always hampered the team's title charge.

 

 

Mercedes went on to aquire Brawn GP and the team was re-christened "Mercedes GP Petronas F1 " ( This year changed to "Mercedes AMG Petronas F1" ) in 2010 with Micahel Schumacher and Nico Rosberg heading the Title Charge.  

Mercedes comprised of an all-German team while McLaren acquired the services of Jenson Button to become the all-English team.

Michael Schumacher joined Mercedes AMG Petronas in 2010 after returning from Retirement but has struggled since. One Pole Position ( taken away due to a gearbox penalty ) and One Podium is all he has been able to achieve up until now.

The team on a whole has enjoyed limited success and were rewarded with their First Victory when Nico Rosberg won in Shanghai this year. Reliability Problems, Driver Errors have dogged their campaigns.

 

 

On Paper Lewis' move seems like a step-back. What influenced such a decision?

  

 

McLaren were quite slow in approaching Lewis for a new deal. They underestimated the prowess of their earlier ally and their lack of urgency cost them.  

Lewis suffered a big setback recently when his Gearbox failed in Singapore while leading the race. Lewis' victory in Monza ( the previous race ) was accepted coldly by Ron Dennis and he was hounded all weekend with questions of Lewis' Contract talks. He stated it was Martin Whitmarsh's responsibility to do what he had to do.

Lewis thanked the team on the radio after his Monza Victory. He sounded quite emotional and it seemed this result might want him to extend his contract with the team. The Retirement at Singapore completely changed the scenario.

McLaren seemed to offer a pay-cut only to improve their contract later to make him the highest paid driver on the grid if he accepted it. He would have earned 25 Million Pounds with all bonuses if he stayed for 5 years.

Lewis has signed a three-year deal, believed to be worth approximately £45m over its duration at Mercedes.

Lewis' Management XIX Entertainment have a strong track record when it comes to delivering lucrative contracts and this is a sweet deal for Lewis.

 

According to me, its a big victory for Mercedes AMG Petronas.

 

They have acquired the services of a driver who knows how to win Championships, they have the necessary funding and their interests are very much at being successful in Formula 1. They are also developing their 2014 Engine as that season will feature a completely new Engine Spec.

 

Lewis will have his Friend and former Karting Team-Mate Nico Rosberg as co-driver and it would be interesting to see the partnership they form from next season.

 

 

McLaren Mercedes have played smart by acquiring the services of Sergio Perez. The Mexican is backed by the World's richest man Carlos Slim and the Woking Based team will have Big Sponsorships from next year. Perez is young and talented and at the age of 22 definitely seems Championship Material.  

The Mexican will earn about £3million a year, a fraction of the annual retainer of £15m which could have climbed to £25m with bonuses and extras for titles if Hamilton had signed for another five years - Wise Saving for the Team.

 

 

McLaren seem to emerge stronger than Lewis from this situation. Lewis will have to earn the top-spot at Mercedes and no longer enjoy the "Special treatment", something he might rue later.

 

   

How does it affect the other Drivers??

 

Felipe Massa should heave a sigh of Relief. The greatest contender for his seat in Scuderia Ferrari has gone to McLaren Mercedes. Perez who was monitored by Ferrari all season and shortlisted to replace Massa for next season has given Massa a new lease of life. Massa seems to be the only driver who would complement the guile and ability of Alonso, so for me he should stay put.

 

Michael Schumacher's indecision for next season cost him his seat at Mercedes AMG Petronas. It remains to be seen if Hamilton's appointment will signal Schumacher's second - and permanent - retirement from the sport. Ross Brawn has hinted at giving Schumacher a role next season but the German seems to be more interested in Racing rather than take a passive role with the team. Scuderia Toro Rosso, Williams F1 and Sauber Ferrari F1 have vacancies and the next few weeks should give us a clear picture.

 

Bruno Senna has some tense weeks ahead of him. His season has been mediocre and his perfromances have been eclipsed by team-mate Pastor Maldonado. Senna has to produce results in the next 2 races to strengthen his chances of a drive next season. Valtteri Bottas, the team's test-driver is shortlisted as his replacement and the chances of seeing 3 Finns on the Grid Next Season seem bright.

  

Lotus F1 Team seem to have the same driver line-up next season but Kimi Raikkonen's Fantastic return to Formula 1 has caused some bigger teams to have a look at him again. Ferrari, his ex-employers and the team with whom he won the Drivers Championship in 2007 seem to be interested but having Alonso and Raikkonen in one team would be too hot to handle for the Italians.

 

Raikkonen is happy at Lotus and the team is continuously improving the car to help him with his title-bid this year. HE SHOULD STAY PUT according to me.

 

   

Red Bull Racing will see no driver movement until next year as they have confirmed the extension of Webber's contract for another year.

 

 

This Season isn't done yet and we have a lot of racing left. The Next Season promises to be a more exciting one though!!

 

Bring it on!!

 

 

 

MONZA, ITALY - The Mecca for Ferrari Fans. The Land of the Tifosi. Great Motorsporting History!

Formula 1 arrived here with the title race wide open. The Fastest Race on the Calender promised to deliver a great weekend and it definitely did.

The Italian Grand Prix was the Last European Race of the Calender and the last 7 races are all "Fly - Aways".

Two DRS Zones ( same as 2011 ) ensured that a lot of overtaking would feature in the race! However DRS was shortened this year . The first DRS zone, located on the straight between the second Lesmo corner and the Variante Ascari, was shortened by 50 meters, while the DRS zone on the front straight was shortened by 5 meters.

Ferrari Powered and Mercedes Powered cars would have an advantage against the Renault Powered Engines ( Better Horsepower ).

Teams have to run the lowest downforce setup and Straight line speed is what counts over clean aerodynamics.

 

PENALTIES :

Another Race dominated by Penalties Galore!

Lotus F1 driver Romain Grosjean received a one-race ban for his involvement in the first-lap incident at the Belgian Grand Prix He was replaced by the team's test and reserve driver, Jerome d'Ambrosio

Pastor Maldonado received a ten-place grid penalty for jumping the start of the Belgian Grand Prix and causing an avoidable accident with Timo Glock.

Paul di Resta was also demoted five places for an unscheduled gearbox change on Saturday morning, his second gearbox penalty of the season.

 

FREE PRACTICE :

Ma Qinghua became the first Chinese driver to take part in a Grand Prix weekend when he drove Narain Karthikeyan's HRT in the first free practice session on Friday morning. Valtteri Bottas drove Bruno Senna's Williams F1 in the same session, while Jules Bianchi took Paul di Resta's place at Force India.

Mercedes AMG driver Michael Schumacher was fastest in the first practice session, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg completing the top 3. Jerome d'Ambrosio finished the session 15th. Pastor Maldonado and Fernando Alonso suffered technical problems and Stopped on the Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest driver in the second session, edging out Button and Alonso. Alonso had another disrupted session with a series of technical problems surrounding the gearbox and brakes that limited his time on the circuit. Schumacher went off-track and finished the session in 10th. He was highly-critical of the speed bumps placed around the Variante della Roggia chicane, claiming they were a safety hazard that could result in serious injury if a driver hit them at speed.

Hamilton was once again fastest in the third session, just one thousandth of a second ahead of Alonso. Paul di Resta finished the session third, while Sebastian Vettel suffered a loss of power on his final lap and pulled over at the Roggia chicane. The Red Bull RB8 was consistently one of the slowest cars through the speed trap. This circuit was the one where the Red Bulls would be the weakest.

 

QUALIFYING :

Nico Hulkenberg failed to set a lap time when his car stopped on the circuit during the first qualifying period. As he was unable to get the car restarted, he was not allowed to take any further part in qualifying. His entry to the race depended on a special dispensation from race stewards, which was subsequently granted. Q1 saw no other surprises.

Q2 saw the exit of Webber, Maldonado, Perez, Senna, Ricciardo and D'Ambrosio. Maldonado was demoted to 22nd after serving his Penalty.

Q3 dealt a big blow to Ferrari's hopes of a victory at their Home Race. Alonso who had topped both Q1 and Q2 headed out with Massa and Failed to set a competitive time in the First Run. The last run left him languising in P10!! It was later revealed that the Anti-Roll Bar had broken on Alonso's Car. This explained the lack of pace.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button made it a McLaren Mercedes 1-2. Massa qualified 3rd. Paul Di Resta was 4th but was demoted to 9th for a gearbox change. Schumacher, Vettel, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Kobayashi, Alonso completed the top 10.

 

RACE :

Everybody got a clean start into the First Turn. Massa jumped Button and almost overtook Hamilton into the First Corner. Button tried to retake the position after 2nd chicane but failed.

It was a brilliant start from Fernando Alonso who jumped upto 7th from 10th.

Hamilton built his lead over Massa while Vettel took the help of DRS to shoot past Schumacher into the First turn ( Lap 4 ). Rosberg and Senna banged wheels with the latter going over bumps. Alonso was now challenging Schumacher for 5th position. Senna went off-track again on Lap 8 while challenging Di Resta and lost a position to Webber in the process.

Lap 9 saw the First Retirement. The rear end of Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso suddenly stepped out on him as he was braking for Turn One. The car spun around, bumped across the kerbs and sleeping policemen with a heavy impact on landing.

Paul Di Resta was now going backwards ( Lap 11 ) as he complained of tyre degradation. Schumacher too came under intense pressure from Raikkonen. 

Schumacher pitted on Lap 16 and it was clear that he was on a Two Stop Strategy. Button closed in on Massa and passed him on Lap 19, the latter complaining of Telemetry Issues.

Massa pitted on Lap 20 but got stuck behind Ricciardo on his exit.

Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso pitted together on lap 21 from 4th and 5th respectively. A brilliant stop for Ferrari made him rejoin almost side-by-side with the Red Bull driver. They both exited the pit-lane just behind Felipe Massa who was trapped behind the slower Toro Rosso.

Felipe Massa finally overtook the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo to give himself some breathing space on Lap 22. Vettel almost hit the back of the Toro Rosso as it suffered from lack of Traction out of the Corner.

Jenson Button pitted on Lap 23. The Team struggled with one of the wheel-nuts and he was delayed. However the Quick in-laps ensured that he rejoined the track just ahead of Massa.

Hamilton pitted on lap 24 and Sergio Perez who had started the race in 12th on Hard Tyres was now leading the Race!

Kimi Raikkonen made a move on Nico Hulkenberg's Force India in the first corner for eighth place. ( Lap 25 )

Meanwhile Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel battled it out. Alonso tried a move down the outside at Turn One. Vettel then squeezed the championship leader onto the grass at the first Lesmo corner.  The Spaniard got off the gas and eased back on track. He was quite frustrated on the Radio.

Lap 28 saw Hamilton retake the lead from Perez, the Mexican still to pit for medium Tyres ( Options ).

Alonso finally succeeded and passed Vettel on Lap 29. The incident earlier between the two was under investigation by the Stewards.

Lap 31 turned out to be the most interesting lap. Perez made his only stop and emerged 8th. Vettel was given a Drive-Through Penalty for pushing Alonso onto the grass. Then it all changed for one of the McLaren Mercedes.

Jenson Button lost Fuel-pressure in his car and retired on Lap 33! His Car simply came to a stop as he lost drive. A Potential 1-2 lost. Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez battled and the Finn had to dig deep to hold his place. However the latter muscled his way past on Lap 36. Massa Received the following Radio Message on Lap 37 : "Think about how you're going to manage the tyres. Think about how you're going to manage the tyres, Felipe. Fernando is behind."

Hockenheim 2010 anyone??

Schumacher was down to 11th after his 2nd pitstop. Alonso passed Massa who hardly put up a fight after being told that his team-mate was 0.9 seconds behind ( Lap 40 ). A lap later Vettel went past his team-mate Webber into 6th position and was closing in on Kimi Raikkonen.

On Lap 43 Mark Webber was informed that Sebastian Vettel had a car problem which might stop him suddenly. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was taking chunks out of the Felipe Massa's lead.

Perez overtook Massa on the backstraight just before Parabolica on Lap 44. This move might just change the driver lineup for Ferrari next year. Massa drove brilliantly but Perez seemed simply better. Perez was now closing in on Alonso and passed him without fuss using DRS around the outside at Ascari. ( Lap 46 ).

Lap 48 saw another big retirement. Sebastien Vettel was asked to stop his car immediately and retire from the race. Radio Message : "Stop the car, we must save the engine."

Perez was slowly closing in on Hamilton but catching him would be difficult considering the remaining number of laps. Mark Webber suffered a big spin on lap 50 as he came out of Ascari hit the kerbs and lost the backend. However a couple of laps later he was cruising to the pits into retirement after suffering massive flatspots. The Red Bulls had scored NO Points!!!

Lewis Hamilton had done a flawless race losing his lead only for his Pitstop. The Victory also revived his championship hopes.

Sergio Perez produced a Fine Drive to finish 2nd after having started 12th!! Fernando Alonso gave the Tifosi something to cheer by finishing 3rd.

Massa, Raikkonen, Schumacher ( who was charging up the field ), Rosberg, Di Resta, Kobayashi, Senna completed the Top 10.

 

 

Alonso now had a 37 point lead ( 179 points ) over Lewis Hamilton ( 142 Points ) and KIMI RAIKKONEN's Consistent performances helped him to jump up into 3rd at 141 points.

 

  

VETTEL - ALONSO INCIDENT :

Alonso had closed in on Vettel and tried a move on the outside of the First Lesmo Corner. Vettel held the racing line trying to get the best traction out of the Corner. Vettel would have seen Alonso right behind him in his mirrors and left racing space. However that racing space dwindled as Alonso finally out of tarmac was pushed onto grass. 

According to me it was a Simple Racing Incident and Alonso's Rant is unjustified. Rather he should have taken it in his stride. Ferrari is known to influence decisions and the Stewards' decision here is Questionable. 

 

MASSA - ALONSO Situation :

"Fernando is faster than you" - Hockenheim 2010. Fernando was the driver challenging for the Championship and Ferrari deemed it fit to use such a transmission to change the result of the race to favour Alonso's Title Bid.

This Race the Transmission was slightly different but the end result same.

"Think about how you're going to manage the tyres. Think about how you're going to manage the tyres, Felipe. Fernando is behind."

Massa has been talked about a lot this season. Experts have felt that he has lost his drive and is a mere shadow of himself after his accident in Hungary in 2009.

However if Fernando claims to be the driver he is, I would prefer seeing Real Racing between the two rather than an easy capitulation by Massa caused by Ferrari's Coded Transmissions. Someone else might not accept this the way Massa does. Alonso is a great driver and is the best driver on the grid this year according to me. He just has to live up to his reputation.

 

With the European Races over, its now time to head to the "Monaco of the East", The Only Night Race on the Calender - The Singapore Grand Prix.

 

I shall be at the event. I hope you join me too!!  

Formula 1 returned after the Summer Break. The Venue? - Spa Francorchamps at Belgium.

One of the fastest circuits on the calender and also known for its inclement weather, Spa produces some of the most thrilling races of the season.

A lot happened this year too, both on and off-track. Michael Schumacher celebrated his 300th Grand Prix Start! The Veteran really loves Formula 1. The Red Bull Duo of Webber and Vettel knew they had to score big to curtail Alonso's lead upfront.

 

FREE PRACTICE :

The Practice session was spoilt by Torrential Rain. Rain in both the sessions minimised running for the teams. Lotus F1 were unable to test their improved version of DRS that they call the 'Device'.

Kamui Kobayashi was fastest in the First practice while Marussia's Charles Pic was the fastest in Second Practice. Massa suffered a scare in FP1 when his car grounded to a halt as he was about to enter the pits at the end of the installation lap.

The Final Free Practice on Saturday gave teams some much needed Track time. Fernando Alonso topped the Final Practice.

 

QUALIFYING :

Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg were on the backfoot after being penalised 5 places for a Gearbox change.

Q1 saw the Elimination of Nico Rosberg, the German being demoted from 18th to 23rd due to the penalty.

Q2 brought in more shocks as Vettel, Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Massa failed to make the cut. Red Bull expected Vettel to be the lead driver but the German's poor qualifying seemed to have dashed their hopes.

Q3 was exciting as teams tried to outdo each other. However it was Jenson Button who dominated Qualifying topping the time sheets in Q2 and Q3.

Button was joined by Kobayashi!! Maldonado and Raikkonen completed Row 2. Perez and Alonso were P5 and P6. Webber, Hamilton, Grosjean, Di Resta completed the top 10.

Webber's gearbox change demoted him from P7 to P12.  Pastor Maldonado received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Nico Hulkenberg in Q1 ( P3 to P6 ).

 

 

RACE :

Kobayashi had smoke coming from his Brakes after the cars lined up for the start. What followed though was shocking. The Five Lights went out and Maldonado seemed to have made a jump-start. Button and Raikkonen were clear into La Source but right behind them unfolded a carnage that was as bad as the Spa in 1998. Grosjean's Lotus went over Hamilton's and Alonso's. Perez lost his rear wing the accident and Kobayashi suffered heavy damage. The sheer amount of Debris meant that the Safety Car had to be summoned. Alonso was too shaken by the accident and the Medical team took their time attending him. The incident meant that the Red Bull Duo of Vettel and Webber had a golden chance of reducing Alonso's lead in the Championship.

The Force Indias catapulted to 3rd and 4th after the incident.

The Race restarted on Lap 5 and Button had a clean getaway. Raikkonen was passed by Hulkenberg on Kemmel Straight. Pastor Maldonado drove into retirement without a Front Wing at Les Combes. Michael Schumacher had moved upto 5th from 13th on the grid and passed Paul Di Resta for 4th Position on Lap 6.

Vettel moved up the order passing Massa and Webber. Schumacher powered past Raikkonen at the top of the hill around the outside at Les Combes. ( Lap 10 ). Kimi Raikkonen complained to the team about the lack of grip.

Raikkonen and Webber pitted on Lap 11 switching to hard tyres. Raikkonen then passed Rosberg and jumped Hulkenberg after the latter's pitstop.

Another Incident happened on Lap 16. Caterham F1 performed an unsafe release of Heikki Kovalainen in the pit lane and he hit the back of the HRT that was pulling into pit box just in front.

Hulkenberg, Ricciardo & Webber passed Rosberg on Lap 17 as the German's One Pit Stop Strategy seemed to be failing him.

Sebastien Vettel was closing in on his compatriot Schumacher and tried to pass him at the Bus Stop chichane at the outside ( Lap 20 ) However at that same instant Schumacher dived into the pits and miraculously there wasn't any contact between the two drivers.  

Button also pitted on Lap 20 and the team performed the pit stop in a blistering 2.6 seconds! Vettel pitted on lap 22 and emerged 6th just ahead of Ricciardo and more importantly Schumacher who had got stuck behind the Toro Rosso.

Button was slowly building his lead at the front while Vettel and Schumacher started moving back up the grid.

Hulkenberg, Massa, Webber made their final pitstops on Lap 27 and Kimi Raikkonen a lap later. Another incident occured as Red Bull released Webber from the box just before Massa entered his.

The positions on lap 30 : Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg, Mark Webber, Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo.

Raikkonen was now piling pressure on Schumacher and almost made the move stick passing the German on the outside of the Bus Stop Chichane but Schumacher with the help of DRS reclaimed 3rd place going into Les Combes.

Michael Schumacher locked up out of La Source which compromised his exit. ( Lap 34 )  As a result, Kimi Raikkonen was all over the back of the Mercedes as they approached Eau Rouge. Unprepared to wait any longer, the Flying Finn overtook him on the outside at Eau Rouge. A very brave overtake!!

Schumacher Struggled to hold onto 4th as Hulkenberg was now all over him. He finally passed him for good when Schumacher switched to "Plan B" and pitted.  Massa on newer tyres passed Webber and was up into 5th place on Lap 37.

A lot was happening at the back of the field too as the Marussia Drivers battled for 15th place and the HRT and Caterham F1 of Pedro de la Rosa and Heikki Kovalainen went head to head.

Senna running in 8th on worn out tyres came under intense pressure from  Jean-Eric Vergne and Ricciardo and pitted on lap 41.

The top 10 at the Chequered Flag : Button, Vettel, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Massa, Webber, Schumacher, Vergne, Ricciardo, Di Resta.

A great revival for Button who went through a considerable slump after his victory at the opening race in Australia. Sahara Force India F1 had a great day with both the drivers in good point scoring positions.

However the biggest beneficiaries were Vettel, Webber and Raikkonen who cut down on Alonso's lead at the front.

Incidents between Webber and Massa and the Caterham and HRT concerning Unsafe release from the Pits were Investigated after the race. No action taken. The incident concerning Schumacher and Vettel on lap 20 didn't affect the results either.

However Maldonado received a Double Penalty. A 5 place demotion at Monza for jumping at the start and another 5 place penalty for the collision with Timo Glock on lap 5. The collision was avoidable according to race stewards and this explains Maldonado's retirement of Lap 5. Maldonado later stated that his fingers slipped off the clutch causing the Jump-Start.

The Biggest News was concerning the First Lap Carnage. Romain Grosjean was fined 50,000 euros & was given a one-race ban at the Italian Grand Prix for his role in the crash at the start.

 

 

The Incident at La Source :

Grosjean made a better start than Hamilton alongside him and cut sharply across the track, squeezing the McLaren driver up against the white line. Contact was inevitable, and as Hamilton lost control of his car the McLaren pushed the Lotus into the cars ahead which were slowing for the first corner. The Lotus cut across the front of Alonso's car, passing close to his helmet. Hamilton's car hit the side of Kamui Kobayashi's, and the other Sauber of Sergio Perez was knocked into Maldonado. Only Kobayashi and Maldonado emerged from the crash, Kobayashi with a substantial hole in the side of his car. Kobayashi who had started on the front row for Sauber, pitted after the accident and resumed in last place.

This clearly was Grosjean's Mistake.

I remember what Sir Jackie Stewart talked about in the paddock at Silvertsone! He stated that young drivers in F1 are too impatient. They don't realise that they can wait for one corner and attack the car in front at the next. They dont think strategies or about pacing themselves. They want to push all the time. This is one reason that Veterans of the Sport lead the Championship and the rest are languishing in positions they shouldn't be in.

Maldonado is ending up in the bad books more often than not. When he isn't dashing others, he impedes, does jump starts and all other sorts of things he shouldn't be doing at this level. Grosjean is too impatient, rather he seems restless. He is a great driver but he needs to realise that you cannot do everything in one lap. Most of his retirements have resulted from sheer haste. He needs to learn from Kimi. Its extremely important to give racing room to your opponent. Today's move was too immature. Hamilton would not have backed out. La Source just didnt have enough room for the cars and the drivers just missed the braking point to make matters worse. Hope Eric Boullier helps Romain to channelise his abilities for good.

Thankfully No one was Injured!

Some Stills captured of the Crash :

 

Looking ahead to MONZA :

Looking on to Monza, Ferrari would definitely want to mount a counter attack. The Renault Powered Red Bull and Lotus Cars were struggling in Straight Line speed at Spa. Lotus F1 really need to test the Device at Monza to give Kimi Raikkonen a chance to win. The races that follow are also high speed circuits, so this should be of utmost importance. High Downforce setups don't compromise the Straight line speed for the McLaren Mercedes too much but it isn't the same for the Renault Powered Cars.

Lets Hope for the best!! Time to greet the TIFOSI!!

11 races of the season done and dusted. 9 races to go! The season is just past the halfway mark and a lot would have been made clear by this time of the year.....but this isn't that year!

11 races and so much has happened in this season. This isn't a season of dominance for a Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso or Sebastien Vettel.

Six World Champions and some more in the making have made it a season to remember!

 

List of Winners this Season :

1) Australian GP - Jenson Button ( McLaren Mercedes )

2) Malaysian GP - Fernando Alonso ( Scuderia Ferrari )

3) Chinese GP - Nico Rosberg ( Mercedes AMG Petronas )

4) Bahrain GP - Sebastien Vettel ( Red Bull Racing )

5) Spanish GP - Pastor Maldonado ( AT&T Williams F1 Team )

6) Monaco GP - Mark Webber ( Red Bull Racing )

7) Canadian GP - Lewis Hamilton ( McLaren Mercedes )

8) European GP - Fernando Alonso ( Scuderia Ferrari )

9) Silverstone GP - Mark Webber ( Red Bull Racing )

10) German GP - Fernando Alonso ( Scuderia Ferrari )

11) Hungarian GP - Lewis Hamilton ( McLaren Mercedes )

 

A New Record was set this season as the first 7 races were won by 7 different drivers!

 

Fernando Alonso has amazed everyone with his performance this season. Experts thought that the Ferrari was not good enough for a title challenge. Alonso thought otherwise and is comfortably leading the championship by 30 points ( 164 Points ). 3 wins so far for the Spaniard

Mark Webber has lead the charge for Red Bull. The Australian trails Alonso by 30 points in second place ( 124 Points ). His performance this year has been more than just commendable. He has been successful in giving his team-mate and Two Time World Champion Sebastien Vettel a really hard time.

The Defending Champion Vettel trails Webber only by 2 points ( 122 Points ). This season the German has been inconsistent and has only one win under his belt. His ragged performances have still helped him to stay on his team-mate's tail. This season is going to be very difficult for the German.

Lewis Hamilton is 4th and behind Vettel by 5 points ( 117 Points ). Hamilton came to the fore in Canada and did exceptionally well in Hungary. His performaces have been mercurial over the whole season.

Kimi Raikkonen has not won a race but is 5th one point behind Hamilton in the Standings ( 116 Points ). The Flying Finn has been amazingly consistent scoring points in every race except one ( Chinese ). The Car has performed well although it needs to be perfect to fetch Kimi a victory. It is a matter of when rather than whether.

Nico Rosberg ( 77 Points ), Jenson Button ( 76 points ) and Romain Grosjean ( 76 Points ) are locked in battle in Positions 6,7 and 8 respectively. Nico and Jenson have wins apiece and Romain still needs to step on the top step of the podium. Nico hasn't had much to offer after his win in China.

Jenson too has had a season to forget after a very promising win at the opening race. Misfortunes have troubled the British Driver.

Grosjean has been mercurial in his performances. He could have been higher up in the championship had it not been for some mistakes that sent him into retirement in 3 races and a component failure in Valencia robbed him of a possible victory.

 

The Constructors' Battle is a hard fought one.

Red Bull Racing sit pretty in First with 246 points. McLaren Mercedes, Lotus F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari are locked in a heated battle for 2nd place with 193, 192 and 189 points respectively.

The Sauber Ferrari F1 have had a decent season and the Williams F1 won a race. However both the Williams' drivers have been prone to incidents dashing thier chances of better finishes.

 

Fernando Alonso seems to be the clear favourite. He deserves praise for the way he has performed even with a Ferrari that isn't the best car on the grid.

This is also the time when Teams decide their lead drivers . The Decision is an easy one for Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes and Lotus F1. Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen should get full backing from the respective teams. I still have doubts for Hamilton and Raikkonen. Button and Grosjean are trailing by a good number of points, so giving support to their team-mates would be a wise decision now.

Red Bull clearly face a dilemma. Webber has played second fiddle to Vettel long enough. He is leading the German but the gap is only 2 points. I reckon that a duel between the two might just aid Alonso's Title Charge. The Duo of Hamilton and Raikkonen are within Striking distance. The Driver's Championship is too close to call.

This Championship is Alonso's to lose.

 

The Trio of McLaren Mercedes, Lotus F1 and Scuderia Ferrari have to play catch - up in the Constructors. The position at the top seems safe for Red Bull Racing. Scuderia Ferrari have struggled due to lack of results from Felipe Massa. Alonso has borne that burden all along.

Lotus F1 can boast of a good season as both drivers have performed well and Raikkonen has been more consistent of the duo. Race Victories are of utmost importance and the lack of this till now might just affect the team's challenge to the title.

McLaren Mercedes have benefitted from both their drivers albeit it hasn't been consistent. The Team has had a rough season but they have dug deep to keep themselves in contention.

This might be a bold prediction... Red Bull wins the Constructors, Lotus F1 in 2nd, Scuderia Ferrari in 3rd and McLaren Mercedes in 4th.

 

Mercedes AMG Petronas and Sauber Ferrari F1 are also battling for 5th place and the duo of Williams F1 and Sahara Force India F1 for 7th. I expect Mercedes AMG Petronas and Williams F1 to come out on top.

 

We now look forward to the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa - Francorchamps. Kimi Raikkonen is called the KING OF SPA.

Lets hope that the Iceman stays cool, flies around track like the Flying Finn and emerges at the end as the King.

 

The Season is a long one and a lot can change over the final 9 races.

 

Whatever the Outcome, I Am Loving It!!

 

Hungary was the final race ( 11th Race on Calender ) before the 4 week break. Formula 1 teams knew the importance of doing well at this race. This race brought to an end a fascinating First Half of the season.

A good race would definitely help drivers going into the break and Hungaroring did not disappoint.

 

QUALIFYING :

Q1 saw the elimination of the usual suspects. Q2 however sprung a surprise as Schumacher and Rosberg failed to make it into Q3, the Mercedes AMG -  Petronas were clearly struggling. Both the Sauber Ferraris suffered the same fate. However the biggest shock in Q2 came in the foorm of Mark Webber, the Australian gave his best but the balance of the car was simply not right.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were dominating the sessions. The McLaren Mercedes are known to produce excellent results in Hungary. Hamilton just humbled his competition by topping the Timesheets in all 3 sessions!!

Romain Grosjean sprung a surprise as he finished 2nd Fastest in Q3 to take a Front row position next to Hamilton.

Vettel and Button qualified 3rd and 4th. Kimi Raikkonen and Alonso 5th and 6th Respectively. Kimi had been competitive all weekend and had a chance to qualify better but a rare mistake on his flying lap cost him a couple of Places.

Nevertheless the Lotuses had now qualified in positions from where they could launch an attack for Victory.

Alonso knew that this racetrack wasn't the best for his car and was more focussed on getting maximum points.

Massa, Maldonado, Senna and Hulkenberg completed the top 10.

 

RACE :

An Intriguing battle awaited us on Sunday. All the drivers in the Top 10 started on the Soft Compound tyres.

The Drivers came lined up on the grid after the Formation Lap but the Start was aborted after Michael Schumacher's Engine shut down on the Grid. The German now had to start from the Pit Lane...

The Five Lights went out and there was action into the first turn itself. Hamilton had a clean getaway as Button jumped Vettel into 3rd. Webber had a flying start and was already up into 7th from 11th. Alonso Jumped Raikkonen to take 5th.

Schumacher came back into the pits for Tyre Change on the 3rd lap but his woes weren't over. He was penalised for Speeding in the pitlane and was way behind the pack after serving his penalty on 7th lap.

Hamilton was building his lead at the Front but the more interesting battle was between Alonso in 5th and Webber in 7th. The Gap at the front stayed constant at around 2 seconds.

Kobayashi was in a similar situation as Schumacher after his pitstop which demoted him to 21st.

The Battle between Hamilton and Grosjean swung back and forth as the former opened up a gap only for the latter to peg it back on the next lap. Vettel was closing in on Button and it was evident that Button had lost the performance. An offtrack excursion on turn 4 on Lap 16 convinced him to pit and switch to Medium Compound Tyres on Lap 17. He came out P10. Maldonado and Senna also pitted on the same lap.

Lap 18 saw Vettel and Alonso pit and Button Stayed ahead of Vettel.

Hamilton and Grosjean pitted on consecutive laps ( 19 and 20 ) and both suffered blips. They maintained track positions but used different tyre strategies, Lewis on medium and Romain on softs.

Raikkonen played the undercut on Alonso but Webber emerged behind the Spaniard after their pit-stops on lap 21.

The difference in Tyre Performance helped Grosjean close in within a second of Hamilton and Vettel had Button in his sights ( lap 25 ).  However a couple of Laps later, Grosjean's over enthusiasm with his soft tyres cost him as he seemed to lose grip allowing Hamilton to restore his lead at the top. Lots of rubber was being deposited on the circuit now as the tyres started to wear for Drivers.

Lap 29 saw Raikkonen being told on the Radio to extend his stint on the soft and Grosjean peg back the gap to about a second. Vettel was trying his best to get past Button but the latter seemed to hang on to his position. Vettel urged his team to do something as he knew he had the pace to challenge the cars in front ( Lap 31 ).

Button was asked to switch to Plan "B" and Grosjean now was within the DRS Zone to Challenge Hamilton on Lap 34.  Hamilton was informed of the same as the team sprung into action.

Button pitted on Lap 36 and another quick stop of 2.8sec got him out in 8th position. The Clear Track helped Vettel put in some quick laps. His pace was emulated by Kimi Raikkonen and it was clear that his Lotus was in a different league.

Button Struggled to get past Senna while Raikkonen was closing in on Vettel. Vettel pitted on Lap 39 for Medium Compound Tyres and emerged ahead of the Senna - Button battle. The Slower Williams had cost Button the position.

Hamilton pitted on lap on 41. He came out 2nd behind Kimi ( who was yet to pit ). Kimi Raikkonen was on series of scorching laps and the gap between Kimi and Lewis was 14 seconds.

A Flurry of Pit Stops followed and Kimi was asked to make a final push before his Final Stop. The Same message was relayed to Romain. Kimi came out of the pitlane ( lap 46 ) and both Kimi and Romain were side by side into turn 1. Raikkonen came out on top as Romain ran wide.

THE FLYING FINN HAD JUMPED FROM 5th to 2nd!! What a Drive!!

Button pitted again on lap 47 and a problem with the left-front tyre prolonged his pit-stop. Webber was upto 5th while Raikkonen was making up ground on Hamilton. Webber pitted and emerged 8th.

It was now a fight to the finish. Hamilton seemed to be holding of Raikkonen while Vettel tried a last throw of the dice. He pitted on Lap 59 and got engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Alonso. He came out on top and continued his pursuit of Grosjean who was in 3rd.

Michael Schumacher finally retired on lap 60 bringing to an end a dismal race for him.

Sebastien Vettel was lapping 2 secnds a lap faster than Grosjean but the 17 seconds gap with 8  laps to go seemed too much.

Hamilton held off Raikkonen to take the chequered flag. Grosjean held off a charging Vettel to take 3rd. Vettel finished only a second behind Grosjean. Alonso, Button, Senna, Webber, Massa, Rosberg completed the Top 10.

 

Hamilton would gain great confidence from this victory. He used a smart strategy to hold off the Lotuses. Alonso would be glad to finish ahead of Webber and extend his lead at the top.

The Lotuses did an exceptional job and the Flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the driver of the day for me. I would have loved to see him on the top step of the podium though...

Now a 4 week break awaits us.. Can't wait for SPA - FRANCORCHAMPS!!

 

Will the King of Spa KIMI RAIKKONEN reign supreme at Spa??? Who knows!!

Germany is one of the most popular races on the Formula 1 calender. The Country has produced some of the best racing drivers. Sebastien Vettel, 2 Time F1 World Champion was yet to win a race in his homeland. Could this be the year??

 

QUALIFYING :

Qualifying was a mixed bag in terms of the weather, with a little bit of everything. It started out dry before the rain came and saturated the track.

Kimi Raikkonen topped the Q1 session Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q2. Nico Rosberg was the first casualty as he failed to qualify into Q2. Q2 sprung some surprises as Massa, Perez, Kobayashi and Grosjean failed to make the cut.

The Ferrari and Red Bulls dominated Q3. Fernando Alonso snatched pole from Vettel and Webber completed the top 3. Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Button, Hamilton, Di Resta and Raikkonen completed the top 10.

However Penalties galore caused many changes in the grid. Romain Grosjean suffered Gearbox problems in Silverstone and had to opt for a new one. 5 places lost. Rosberg and Webber also suffered the same fate. Sergio Perez was handed a 5 place grid penalty for impeding Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen in Q2.

 

RACE :

Red Bull was the centre of all attention over an alleged Engine Mapping Issue. However the FIA chose Not to penalise them.

As the Five lights went out, Alonso led into turn 1. Webber and Raikkonen jumped Hamilton at the start. Button got a good start and was 5th behind Hulkenberg. A lot was happening at the back though. Grosjean ran wide, Massa drove into Ricciardo's car damaging his front wing. A Lap Later the debris on the track took out another victim - Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton pitted but the handling of the car became so bad that the Brit wanted to retire.

Raikkonen soon wrestled past Di Resta into 9th, fantastic racing by both drivers as they left space for each other. Perez who had started in 17th had made a fantastic start and moved upto 10th after overtaking Ricciardo. Button made a move on Hulkenberg at the end of the DRS into the hairpin and took 4th position.

Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher, Button, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Webber, Raikkonen. Perez & Di Resta were the top 10 after 10 laps.

Button then made the move on Schumacher and moved up into 3rd. Raikkonen jumped the duo of Maldonado and Webber after the first round of Pit-Stops. Hulkenberg overtook Schumacher for 7th on the 15th lap but the latter regained it on the next lap. Raikkonen took advantage of this and tucked in behind Schumacher to demote Hulkenberg into 9th. Alonso pitted on Lap 19, Button on 20th and Vettel on 21st. The top 3 remained unchaged after the first round of Pit-Stops. Vettel was slowly closing in on Alonso and the gap reduced to only 1 second on lap 27. Hamilton pitted for the third time on Lap 30 and emerged 18th. A lot was in store in the next few laps.

Kobayashi overtook Webber for P7 on lap 33. Hamilton was lapped by Alonso and Vettel on lap 34. The battle at the front had helped Button to close in on Alonso and Vettel.

The top 4 comprised of Alonso, Vettel, Button and Raikkonen ( The Finn ran an extra 4 laps on the soft and was doing exceptionally well ).

Hamilton was within 1 second of Vettel and unlapped himself on lap 36. A frustrated Vettel gestured foolishly as Hamilton seemed to impede him. Hamilton soon harried Alonso ( Lap 39 ) but the Spaniard was focussed on the job at hand.

Vettel lost KERS on lap 38 and Button was closing in on the German.

Button pitted on lap 41 and Raikkonen set the fastest lap. Button's Crew set a new world record in pitstops : 2.4 Seconds!

Alonso and Vettel pitted on Lap 42. Button managed to jump Vettel as the latter came out of the pits and was into 2nd!!

Vettel ran wide though turn one on Lap 43 and Button now had Alonso in his sights.

The top 10 on Lap 48 were Alonso, Button ( less than a second behind ), Vettel, Raikkonen, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Perez, Rosberg, Webber, Di Resta.

Lap 58 saw the Retirement of Lewis Hamilton. A wise decison as a points finish seemed difficult. A sad end on his 100th Grand Prix Appearance. Schumacher was setting a series of fastest laps.

Lap 60 brought more surprises. Button's tyres were suddenly losing grip and Vettel was now catching up. Alonso now had a clear run to the chequered flag.

Lap 64 had Vettel only 0.4 seconds behind Button. The fight for 2nd Position had become interesting.

Lap 66 was the lap where Vettel used DRS to great effect. Button and Vettel were side by side coming out of the hairpin but better grip pushed the latter ahead. Button however reported on the radio that Vettel had all 4 wheels off-track.

The Chequered Flag was waved and Alonso extended his lead in the championship. Vettel, Button completed the podium. Raikkonen fought through the field to finish a fine 4th. Grosjean had a race to forget as he finished a dismal 18th.

Button informed Vettel about the investigation initiated by the Marshalls concerning the overtake.

Post Race the FIA summoned both Vettel and Button in regards to the incident. Vettel was subsequently punished. 20 Seconds were added to his time and he was demoted form 2nd to 5th.

The Revised top 4 now were Alonso, Button, Raikkonen and Kobayashi!!

A Fine Reward for Raikkonen for all the efforts he put to move up from 3rd.

 

Alonso had now extended his lead in the championship to 34 points. Webber's 8th position didn't do his Championship aspirations any good.

 

Lets analyze the 2 incidents...

The HAMILTON - VETTEL Incident :

Vettel was in hot pursuit of Fernando Alonso and the duo had just lapped Hamilton. ( Lap 34 ) However on Lap 36 the DRS got activated on Hamilton's car ( less than a second behind ) and Hamilton unlapped himself hindering Vettel in the process.

Was the action Justifiable?

There is No Rule which says that a Driver Cannot Unlap himself. If there was one, then such a Rule would rarely come into effect. Backmarkers normally would not have the pace to catch up on the Lead Drivers and try a manouevre to unlap themselves. Safety Car Periods however authorize drivers at the back to unlap themselves.

This simply was a very rare incident. However there are a few things that one should take a note of. Hamilton unlapped himself against Vettel but did not do so with Alonso. He stuck himself behind the Ferrari and Vettel's pace dropped significantly.

At the same time, Hamilton's team-mate Jenson Button was third behind Alonso and Vettel. Hamilton's "impeding" of Vettel helped Button to bring down the gap.

McLaren Mercedes played smart too. Hamilton was running 18th when lapped by Alonso and Vettel on lap 34. Hamilton positioned himself behind Alonso ( he tried to unlap himself against the Spaniard too ) after the Vettel incident. Hamilton was matching the pace of the leader and they quickly came up to other backmarkers. Blue Flags ensured that both Alonso and Hamilton went through, the latter making up positions quickly, thus saving him the trouble of fighting for the same.

Hamilton eventually retired after it was clear that a points finish was a remote possibility.

 

Was Hamilton's Move Illegal? - NO.

Could Hamilton be Penalised? - NO.

Hamilton escaped punished thanks to the absence of such a rule. However Considering the Circumstances & the Experience of Lewis Hamilton, I would have expected a more Sportsman-like attitude from him. He should have opted to stay away from the LEAD BATTLE.

This incident could have serious consequences in the Championship Battle.

 

 

The VETTEL - BUTTON Incident :

Vettel lost 2nd position to Jenson Button after the final round of pitstops. However the German persevered and closed in on him. Button was having trouble finding grip into the final stage of the race. Vettel was on his tail in the DRS zone and both were battling wheel-to-wheel going into the hairpin. Vettel jumped Button after getting a better exit out of the hairpin. Button however reported that Vettel had all 4 wheels off-track while completing the overtake. Vettel was later Penalised. The 20 second penalty demoted him from 2nd to 5th.

Analysis :

Button's tyres had "gone off the cliff". Vettel with his Fresher set of tyres was all over him. Lets analyze the overtake. The McLaren Mercedes has better Horsepower than the Renault Powered Red Bull. Button took a defensive line going into the hairpin ( the inside ). As a defensive measure a driver always tries to brake later than usual. I suspect Button did that. Button was also aware of the straight just after the hairpin, so if he could get a good exit, Vettel would find it difficult to overtake him. However the lack of grip pushed Button slightly wide on the exit. Vettel who was on the outside was left with little room out of the hairpin. Button also suffered a slight twitch on the exit. Simply put, There wasn't enough racing space for both drivers. So Vettel used the run-off area for his overtake.

Button was always going to stick to the racing line ( lack of grip on worn out tryes ) and the line was a wide exit from the hairpin. Vettel on the outside should have known this. If we study the Throttle Usage out of the hairpin, we see Vettel floor the throttle earlier out of the turn ( at that moment only two wheels were off-track ). This pushed the German's Car further away from the track. The Better Grip and Traction obviously propelled Vettel of Button.

Was the overtake legal? - The Rulebook says NO.

Was the Penalty Justified? - Its harsh but YES

The Driver can't overtake another car by having all 4 wheels off-track. Vettel could have escaped Penalty had he conceded the position back to Button and attacked him again into the next turn. The Urgency or rather Impatience of the German got the better of him. Button was going to make it diffcult for Vettel. Vettel should have backed off. However you can't blame the German in the heat of the moment.

Red Bull would feel hard done by the Decisions taken by the FIA. Rules are Rules.. However Harsh they may seem. Hamilton's actions in the earlier incident were those of an amateur driver. I am sure he would have been penalised if there was a rule in place.

 

So another Race done and dusted. Vettel went away from his Home Race as an unhappy man. He would have to do it all over again next year. Red Bull was in the news for all the wrong reasons. They simply had to pick themselves up and girder their loins for Hungary in a week's time.

 

ADVANTAGE ALONSO.

SUNDAY :

Sunday was D-Day. The Day I was really looking forward to.

I reached Silverstone early braving all the Traffic Snarls and the torrential rain that came with it.

I passed the F1 Village on my way to the Paddock Club. Sky Sports was very enthusiastic about Batman - The Dark Knight Rises and Showcased the Batmobile :

 

I Reached the Suite and Preparations were in full swing ( on track ) for the start of one of the Support Races ( GP 2  ). A couple of F1 Reserve Drivers seemed to be quite interested.

 

Lotus F1 Team had ensured that they would give the best of the Goodies to the Guests today.

 

It was almost 10 am. As usual I had a nice chat with the Team Members at the Suite. It was now time for the Arrival of the Man I admire in Formula 1. The Flying Finn, The Iceman, The King of Spa are some of his nick-names. The Clock ran down and I couldn't wait to see my hero upfront. And then he arrived. I quickly got into the queue ( Thanks to the Table's Proximity to the Stage ). Then I cherised the Moment. The moment that I could treaure for a lifetime. Today I met KIMI RAIKKONEN!!! He obliged many with autographs and left to start preparations for the Race.

 

Kimi's Departure was followed by the Final Pit-Lane Walk of the Weekend. One of the Porsche cars ( From the Support race ) being rolled out of our way.

 

This is also the Time when the Big Boys of the Media go to work. Sky Sports had their team ready to start the Pre - Race Show. ALAN McNISH and MARTIN BRUNDLE were the       Co-hosts.

 

I also the met the Man I had met in Malaysia. Some might remember him. JOHNNY HERBERT!!

 

A Great Gesture by the LOTUS F1 TEAM.... RESPECT!!

 

McLaren Mercedes have had bad pit-stops all through the season. Well some Extra Practice would do them no harm

 

The Stands were full as the Fans waited to catch a glimpse of their F1 Stars.

 

The Drivers Spending time Together before Leaving for the Driver Parade.

 

AHEM AHEM

 

I have Learnt to respect this Man more and more. He has a great heart, is approachable and I would love to know this man better. My efforts to meet him over the weekend finally bore fruit on Sunday as I got to spend a few Minutes with him. Friends..... MICHAEL "HERBIE" BLASH ( FIA Deputy Race Director ).

 

As I made my way back up the Pitlane, I got the chance to share a moment with TONY FERNANDES ( CEO - AIR ASIA, TEAM PRINCIPAL - CATERHAM F1, CHAIRMAN - QPR FC ). Also got a quick picture of Nobert Haug ( Mercedes AMG Petronas ) and another near the Pit-Box of the Lotus F1 Team.

 

ROB SMEDLEY ( Felipe Massa's Race Engineer ) arrived a bit early and mingled with the fans. Great Guy. Martin Brundle smiled for the Shutterbugs. Got Introduced to a couple of people too. Some Marshalls know how to dress up for the Race!

 

The Lights that Signify the Start and End of Sessions :

 

Red Arrows - The Highly Acclaimed Aerobatic Team. The Pride of the RAF.

 

Final Checks before the Big Event.

 

We Returned to the Suite and were soon joined by MR. ERIC BOULLIER ( TEAM PRINCIPAL -LOTUS F1 TEAM ). He answered a few questions and did a quick review of the Team Performance so far ( which has been more than just Commendable ). A moment with The BOSS!!

 

Very Rarely does Food take a back-seat in my life. But Today was different. Here is a quick peek at what was the served. The Food - LIP SMACKING and the Hospitality Impeccable!

 

All the Guests then Hurried to the Balconies to witness the Start of the Race. Silverstone has changed in its Track Layout since 2011. Alonso, Webber, Schumacher started in the Top 3. However it didn't stay the same at the end of the race. Mark Webber was victorious. Alonso and Vettel completed the Podium.

KIMI RAIKKONEN finished 5th ( set the Fastest Lap of the Race )

ROMAIN GROSJEAN finished 6th ( a Fine drive after being pushed back to 22nd due to the incident with Paul Di Resta )

 

Lotus F1 Team has been running a competition on all three days rewarding the guest who predicted the name of the Driver who would set the Fastest Lap Time of the Session. I supported Kimi to do it & the Flying Finn didn't disappoint. I won a pair of Romain Grosjean Autographed Racing gloves!! Thank you Lotus F1 Team and Thank you Kimi!!

 

The TEAM that made this weekend more than just Memorable ( L to R : Gaby Mills, Matt Johnson & Gary Rosewell ). A Special Thanks to Gary for the experience of being right there during the Saturday Practice Session.

 

THE ENTIRE TEAM THAT TOOK CARE OF US ON THE WEEKEND!! MET ALL OF THEM. GREAT PEOPLE. HOPE TO MEET THEM AGAIN... SOON

 

As I bid Farewell to the Suite and to New Friends I had made, A Couple was gracious enough to take me down to the LOTUS F1 TEAM Motorhome!!

 

The Pirelli - PZeros. All Compounds were used this weekend.  Another Photo just before entering the Motorhome.

 

 

Hospitality in the Motorhome is World - Class. Some more shots of the Mobile Motorhome.

 

 I also had the Opportunity to have a quick chat with one of KIMI RAIKKONEN's ENGINEERS

( FORGOT HIS NAME... LOTUS F1 TEAM need some help here )

 

The Motorhomes of all the teams. Its Just Amazing to see how good teams are in Assembling and Dismantling all these.

 

I made new friends. A Special thanks to the Couple for their graciousness!! Thank you Eddie Sir!!

 

Its Amazing how quickly Friends are made. Great to meet them!!

 

 

 

Well what follows now might make people envious of me... SORRY

 

KIMI RAIKKONEN Autographed the Visor of his Mini-Helmet :

 

The Racing Gloves autographed by  ROMAIN GROSJEAN :

 

The Mini - Helmet and the Gloves :

 

I didn't have time to Take Photos of all the Goodies.. :

 

 

Finally I want to THANK GOD & My Parents for Fulfilling my Dream.

A BIG THANK YOU to the LOTUS F1 TEAM for Bringing back KIMI RAIKKONEN into the WORLD of FORMULA 1. F1 isn't the same without KIMI. I had a great weekend. Thank you for all the Hospitality!

THANK YOU www.exclusivegp.com for giving me an experience that I would never forget. FRIENDS If you want to have experiences such as mine, www.exclusivegp.com are the guys that can make it happen.

 

 

NOW FOR SINGAPORE AND INDIA!!!

SATURDAY :

Day 2 started early in the morning. I reached Silverstone at arond 7:30am and just in time for the Pit-lane walk. The first 45 minutes of the day were PIT - STOP Practice Sessions for the team.

 

The FIA Garage where the Cars are Weighed post each session :

 

Marussia, HRT & Caterham go about their Pit - Stop Practice!

 

 

Red Bull, Mercedes AMG Petronas showcase their perfection :

 

LOTUS F1 Team showing their guests how Harmonic and Synchronized their Pit - Stop Practices are!!

 

Got a Chance to hold the Steering Wheel while Kimi Raikkonen's Car is rolled back into the Garage!

 

Some of the Spares of Teams on display.. well the more confidential ones are in the back of the Garage!

 

The Gates opened at 8:30 am and we were ushered back into the Paddock Club. Entered the Lotus Suite and I knew that I had an action packed day ahead !

Just like Friday the Team had goodies packed into bags for their guests. I had a nice chat with a couple of the team members. The Glum Weather was disappointing for all. Getting into the Circuit had become a big hassle.

 

Soon it was time for the Final Practice Session before the Qualifying! All the Teams were thankful as the weather opened up and sunshine trickled in. The Session was going to be a dry one and this was a welcome change for all teams!!

Everyone opted for the High-Fuel Runs in order to determine their pace during the race. The Session lasted for hour and the half.

The Lotus F1 Team had a surprise in store for me!!

There were only 10 mins left for the session to end and I was escorted down to the GARAGE to see the way the Mechanics and Engineers went about their task. The Team performed like a well - oiled machine. We were given the Pit - Radio Headsets and were able to hear conversations happening in the Pit Lane!! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE

Here are some captures... Guess who decided to join us??? - SIR JACKIE STEWART!!

 

The Session ended and we were escorted back to the Suite and we had Sir Jackie Stewart enthralling the fans with his stories. He Talked about his Racing Career, His Family, His Mother's fears about him racing because of the incidents with his brother. He also stressed on the Importance of EXPERIENCE in FORMULA 1 using the examples of KIMI RAIKKONEN and FERNANDO ALONSO who have been more successful than their team-mates as they have played it smart. In Short - HE WAS AT HIS CHARMING BEST!!

 

His Depature was soon followed by the arrival of another Formula 1 Legend.. the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion : DAMON HILL.

I managed to get his autograph on Friday and He obliged me with a photograph on Saturday. He made some more visits to the Suite but all were hasty ones.

He is a busy man thanks to his associations with SKY SPORTS :

 

 

Lunch was served and like Friday it was quite a spread. Well its important to be well fed to keep yourself going! Post - Lunch we all joined in for the 2nd Pit - Lane walk of the day.

As we waited for the Gates to be opened, the RAF entertained us with their Acrobatics in the sky :

 

Silverstone went through a re-haul in 2011 and the Start - Finish straight was changed. Well this is a shot of the New Paddock Club Building :

 

I walked down the Pit - Lane towards the FIA Race Control to say a quick Hello to Sir Charlie Whiting and Sir Herbie Blash. I met the Former but had to wait till Sunday to meet the other.

However I had the Privilege to see Martin Whitmarsh ( McLaren Team Principal ), Niki Lauda ( 3 time Formula 1 World Champion ), Eddie Jordan ( Team Principal of now extinct Jordan, now a BBC Presenter ), David Coulthard ( Formula 1 Driver and a Co-host at BBC )

 

 

A Car - Lover would drool if he / she saw the Gull - Winged Car from close. However the Mercedes SLS AMG was made to look ordinary by the Formula 1 cars. Here is a picture of the Safety Car driven by Bernd Maylander. He has been with Formula 1 since 2000. RESPECT!!

 

I left the FIA Race Control just in time before the Qualifying Started. The Rain came down again and worsened conditons caused suspension of the the Q2 session.

 

Q2 Restarted 92 minutes later ( only 6 minutes remained ). All Drivers sensed the urgency to set a competitve time :

 

Eric Boullier looks on Intently as the Session Restarts :

 

Dr. Vijay Mallya seems to be relaxed and content as one car makes it to Q3.

Alonso reigned supreme in Qualifying. Webber and Schumacher completed the Top 3. Kimi Raikkonen Qualified in P6.

 

Romain Grosjean made it to Q3 but spun out at the end of Q2 and couldn't set a time in Q3. Obviously the Frenchman was disappointed. However he didn't let this show and managed to be his charming-self when he came down to the Suite to meet his guests.

 

A Moment with Romain. Definitely a World Champion in the Making!!

 

As usual there were other Support Races happening too, most notably GP2 Race 1. As I made my way back to the Main Entrance I stopped by to take a quick pic of the GP3 Cars Hurtling down the track :

 

All in all a Fantastic Day but D-DAY was yet to come.. the Dream was still Not Complete......

PATIENCE.....

 

Would like to Appreciate the Effort of www.exclusivegp.com for helping me fulfill this dream.

I WOULD NOT DO JUSTICE TO THIS DREAM IN ONE POST! SO THIS IS PART 1 !!

We all have dreams. Many of us strive to fulfill our dreams. I got to live my dream! A Big Thank You to God, my Wonderful Dad and www.exclusivegp.com for helping this dream come true.

So whats the dream?? READ ON.....

 

 

I have been a follower of Formula 1 since the Mika Hakkinen Days.

However it was the arrival of another Finn into Formula 1 that changed the way I followed the sport.

The Man was KIMI RAIKKONEN.

I had seen him perform for Sauber in 2001. Then the switch to McLaren Mercedes & finally the World Championship year in 2007 with Ferrari.

I always wanted to meet the man I had grown to respect and admire over the years that I had been watching Formula 1. So when Kimi Raikkonen made a return to the world of Formula 1, I knew this was my chance to meet my favourite athlete!!

I could see my dream finally being fulfilled!!

The plans were drawn, then executed and I patiently waited for the day.

The 2012 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the Venue.

I got the Opportunity of being a guest of the Lotus F1 Team at the 3 - Day Extravaganza!

So the fun was doubled!! - LOTUS F1 Team Paddock Club Hospitality and a chance to meet Kimi Raikkonen!! - Too good to be true.

 

 

FRIDAY :

I reached at the Hospitality Suite early on Friday Morning and was ushered in by Mr. Matt Johnson ( Lotus F1 Team )

The Team Suite :

 

The Ambience was perfect. Lotus F1 had many car components on display and the components were like art-work. Carbon - Fibre made components ( World's Strongest and Lightest material ) were awe-inspiring.

No sooner had I settled into the Suite and it was time for the First PIT - LANE Walk of the Weekend ( The FIRST OF MY LIFE!!! ).

It was a very familiar site however. The Engineers of every team were busy with their Car - Setups for the weekend. Some were busy gathering track & weather information and some others explained their guests the complexity of Formula 1 as a Sport.

Engineers preparing for the weekend :

 

The Helmet & The Steering Wheel : EXQUISITE PIECES OF ENGINEERING!

 

The Man at the Helm :

 

I thought I must try my hand at the simulator and I must say its very tough

I returned to the Suite and then had the opportunity to meet Jerome D'Ambrosio ( Lotus Reserve Driver )

 

Some Captures of the Boxes of teams during Friday Free Practice 2 :

 

 

The Icing on the Cake was the time spent with Sir JACKIE STEWART!

He Explained his role at GENII EXCHANGE, The Company's association with the Lotus F1 Team, a quick recap of the season so far and his experiences at Silverstone!

A MOMENT WITH THE LEGEND!!

 

BATAK : An Exercise for a Formula 1 Driver to improve his Peripheral Vision. A    Formula 1 Driver scores 70 hits in 30 seconds ( randomly glowing lights )

Motorhome : Temporary Headquarters / Briefing - Debriefing Centre / Technical Hub for Formula 1 teams over a Race - Weekend

 

Once Again a Special Thank you to www.exclusivegp.com for offering me this unique experience!!

So this was DAY 1. More to follow.... WATCH THIS SPACE!!