Well that was pretty entertaining.
Very dominant show from Alonso, who always looked like he was going to win that one.
The Mercs on the other hand looked to be all over the shop trying to keep up. One has to observe that the race pace is just not there.
Have to admire Vettel, who just kept pumping the laps in all day, and got the best out of an indifferent strategy. Still, serves them right for giving up on qualifying.
Rosberg must be wondering what is going on after being on equal or better terms than Schumaker for two years, he is in the process of being wiped by Hamilton. In the race, one has to wonder if the collision with Ricciardo had something to do with the stabiliser failure. Even still, he was not in the running at any point.
Massa nearly had a corker - again. At the end though, he was being hunted down by a fast-finishing Ricciardo, and was not showing the agression in his lap times from ealrier in the race.
Of course that brings us to Mark Webbber. Good grief! When it's bad, it is very bad. You kind of understand that he thought that he would get a free run through Vergne, and it did look as though the latter was letting him through, but in the end, he just crashed into a car that had the corner. Worth a 3 place grid drop? The stewards have a sense of humour. The really sad thing is that the team did a fantastic job of getting him back into the race before that happenned. The strategy of starting from the pit lane, and then boxing on the first lap was bloody inspired. It meant that he could get the crap tyres out of the way, get some space to drive fast in, and with the front runners planned to pit after a few laps, it actually got him right back in the running. Absolutely cool! Shame he then screwed the pooch.
Hulkenburg was looking the goods until he had to have a go on the soft tyres. After he changed them, the car went backwards. Same with Perez for that matter.
Big kudos for Danny Ricciardo who nearly blew it in the back of Rosberg before showing wonderfully consistent laps through the race, to go upwards through the last stint. He put passes on Perez, Hulkenberg and Grosjean to get there, so full marks to him. The proof of course, is in the pudding, and he really needs to consolidate some good race results to get a future out of this game. Actually, it was noticable that both of the Toro Rossos were good on their tyrers. Both of them managed to put faster laps on their tyres after they had already been on the car for 12 lpas, so that may be interesting for the season if they can exploit this feature.
Finally, it is clear now that Boulier needs to have someone come out of the workshop with a sledge hammer at the first tyre change and lay into the nose of Kimi's car. Hey, it works!
Comments
Flappy wings and joke tyres are not Formula One. This is simulated 'racing' for the casual viewer. Certain circuits will suit certain teams: who did well at Albert Park will do well at Bahrain, Canada, etc.
Good job Alonso, Kimi and Danny but its a complete lottery. I find what is happening now as dull as the red wash years of Schumi (tyres were dominant then, as well, I seem to remember).
I am aware that purists are irrelevent. Its why I come here.
I wished he won just to prove that's there's something not right with F1.
Oh, and I too thought Vergne was letting him by. Anyhoo...
I thought Caterham's and Marrusia did a good job, as just over 1 lap behind at the end of the race. Not 2 or 3. And Caterham is in an interim car, so looking good there :)
It is difficult to accept a lot of the nonsense in regard to tyres, DRS, underfueling slowing cars down at the end of the race, etc, etc, but this is where it is right now.
Hell, I can recall the introduction of turbos, with qualifying engines pumping out 1200hp, and then switching to the slighlty less brittle race engines. And what about super, super, sticky qualy tyres, which Minardi once used to get to the front of the grid, only to be immediately swallowed after the start. How much less artificial was that compared to now.
Go back further to the incredible difference between front and rear engined cars, and how that innovation must have seemed to those who sat behind monster-capacity engines. Fan cars, six wheelers, ground effect, fueling, no fueling, long-lasting tyres that see you through the whole race, it goes on and on.
We cannot all like the way they do it now. It is so much more about the television audience than it ever was, but it is no different than it ever has been. Not really. It's a formula you see. F-O-R-M-U-L-A
Not two, three, four or the good ol' boys.
Qualifying can be as artificial as you like. Couldn't care less about the Saturday championship.
[Edited on 17-4-13 by viges]