The Canadian Grand Prix of 2011 was the most exciting race I have ever watched, not that I matter a great deal. Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team boss, called it ‘one of the best wins in the history of F1’ but he is biased as his driver pulled off a remarkable victory after what, under normal circumstances, would have been a disastrous race due to five pit stops, two minor accidents, and a drive-through penalty. If the critics still had doubts about this new generation of F1 before Canada, I’m sure they ate most of their words for supper that Sunday night.
Changes in 2011
Part of the excitement thus far in 2011 has been due to the movable rear wing (DRS) which enables drivers within a second of the car in front to open their wing to reduce downforce, giving more opportunities to overtake. The change to Pirelli as the sole tyre manufacturer has also introduced a new strategic element as the tyres have been developed so that they wear out far quicker than the drivers have been used to before.
The result is remarkable: not including Canada, the average number of overtakes per race this year has been 75.5. The number of overtakes had been decreasing steadily where, in 2005, a depressing low was reached with 10.89 moves per race. Though, in 2006, this jumped to 16.17, the following years saw this number drop once again.
Despite this, if you follow Formula 1 a little more casually (that is only tuning in for the result), you may not see a great difference from last season: Sebastian Vettel is still dominating the championship standings. Though the races have been nail-biting edge-of-the-seat affairs, the outcome is still largely unchanged. It is for this that I think the 2012 season could be even better.
Regulations
The rule changes for 2012 are by no means as controversial or set to be as instrumental in improving the quality of the racing as we’ve seen in 2011. Where there will be more changes to increase driver safety, the main bulk of the regulations are to remain unchanged. Both the additions of DRS and Pirelli still have to be honed at each track so only by 2012 will we know how each element reacts to each individual track.
There is still some speculation about Red Bull’s ‘blown exhaust’ mechanism, but an FIA ban on the technology is expected imminently. This could well be the step that closes up the gap between the top three teams (Red Bull, McLaren & Ferrari) and potentially dislodge Sebastian Vettel from his perch at the top of the table.
Red Bull
Something like this could be a big blow to Red Bull. Mark Webber hasn’t been able to perform as his teammate’s rear-gunner this season, leaving Vettel vulnerable to the likes of Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren in China and Jenson Button’s McLaren in Canada.
What Red Bull need is someone to push Vettel inside the team and, controversially, the name on the lips of the paddock at the moment is that of ‘madman’ Lewis Hamilton. Whether you want to believe the gossip or not, a move like this would surely spice up the championship and seriously challenge Vettel like never before.
McLaren
If Hamilton were to move to Red Bull, that would leave a free seat next to Jenson. My personal preference would be to see Kimi Raikkonen take up his old spot again. After several unsuccessful years in rallying, the Finn would be welcomed back into a championship that would then have six contenders that, in the past, have all taken the big prize.
Ferrari
Felipe Massa was Ferrari’s nearly-man in 2008 and considering his teammate Fernando Alonso has signed with the team until 2016, the Brazilian’s future is dubious. When a drive like this comes up, Robert Kubica is always a name bandied around; however, with his pre-season accident, it is unclear if he will be able to race to the same standards for which he leapt to fame. The driver that I would therefore like to see accompany the Spaniard is not actually a driver at all. With an incredibly poor showing so far in 2011, Valentino Rossi could do worse than switching to a drive at Ferrari. If health reasons are preventing him reaching his potential in MotoGP, then he is better off moving to a new challenge in a new sport.
So the future is looking even brighter for Formula 1 at the moment. The tweaks that have arisen so far in 2011 will be ironed out by the opening of next season with the drivers' market set to throw up a few surprises along the way. All in all 2012 could be better again – I really don’t think the BBC should make a move too soon about axing their F1 coverage.
Sources:
- Overtaking - making the impossible, possible at Barcelona – Formula1.com
- FIA Technical Regulations 2011
- Jenson Button's charge to victory hailed as one of F1's greatest ever performances – Mirror.co.uk
- Red Bull preparing for blown exhaust ban – Autoblog UK
- Hamilton in fresh Red Bull link – Autosport
- BBC F1
Hannah Brownlow - If something is there to be written, chances are I've had a go at it. Articles, analysis, blogs, book reviews, scripts, stories - I've ...
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