US Grand Prix Preview

Though fully prepared for racing at The Circuit of the Americas due to endless time spent in simulators, the teams and drivers arrive at this hotly anticipated penultimate race on a level footing.  A new circuit at this point in the season provides the perfect way to inject excitement and tension into the title race, which sees Fernando Alonso trailing Sebastian Vettel by ten points.

The United States Grand Prix marks Vettel's centenary race.  Winning a third consecutive driver's title to mark the occasion would be particularly apt for someone who is as driven by statistics, records and results as he is.  In order to prevent this happening, Fernando Alonso needs to ensure he is at least fourth if Vettel takes the victory.  The German will want to secure the title in Austin as Interlagos is a track well suited to the Ferrari's, and coupled with an often high chance of rain, a Red Bull victory may not be certain in Brazil.  In terms of reliability, there are chinks in Red Bull's armour, while Ferrari's has been bulletproof so far this season.  This however, will be balanced by the extraordinary run of luck Sebastian Vettel seems to be enjoying.

The tension between the title challengers was evident in the driver's press conference today.  In an obvious ploy to create drama, Vettel and Alonso were  called to attend together,  then placed next to each other while other drivers were asked who they thought would, and should win the title.  The closed, tense body language of Fernando during the questioning was juxtaposed by Sebastian's open, jovial, and relaxed manner.  Kimi Raikkonen's usual light hearted attitude reduced the tension when he revealed he wasn't going to bother walking or cycling the track before Free Practice 1.

Vettel's demeanor was much more relaxed than Fernando's.

The practice sessions will be of utmost importance to all of the teams, as they will provide an opportunity  for the drivers to experience the track outside of the simulator, giving them information about the best racing lines and best places for overtaking.  New circuits always throw up significant engineering challenges so the sessions will also be instrumental in giving the teams essential information about car set up, in addition to presenting data about tyre temperatures, wear and grip.  The extra set of Friday tyres Pirelli have provided every team with will be beneficial in this.

In terms of wrapping things up outside of the drivers title, Red Bull will almost certainly take the Constructors crown this weekend.  Martin Whitmarsh, who believes Formula One has returned to the United States at the right time, is confident about the race following a successful young drivers test in Abu Dhabi.   The test provided information about McLaren's  update package including a new front wing which they  hope will help close the gap between themselves and Ferrari in the Constructors Championship. Lotus are chasing McLaren for third place and will be hoping to build on their victory at Abu Dhabi.  They bring with them an update on their double DRS and a tweak on their exhaust following the young drivers test.  Mercedes wish to end the season positively and will be keen to stop Sauber snapping at their heels for fifth place, while Sauber will be putting all their efforts into usurping it.

There is a buzz of excitement about this circuit from the drivers and this, together with the knife edge title race and plethora of  constructors places to be settled, should make the inaugural race at Austin a melting pot of thrills with a few fireworks thrown in.

American Feeder Series to Deliver New Talent?

Low spectator numbers have plagued Formula One in the United States over the years, resulting in moves to different circuits in the search for a 'home'.  We are yet to see whether The Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas will be the new home for Formula One in the country, although everything looks good prior to the race.  If it does deliver on its promise, and we find a home, the next step will be achieving a fully developed fan base in order to prevent spectator numbers dwindling once the novelty factor has gone.  Michael Andretti and Scott Speed are the only two American drivers to have driven in Formula One in the last twenty years with little success between them, but an American driver competing in Formula One is exactly what is needed to create interest and entice fans long term.

Michael Andretti had a disastrous time in Formula One, driving only 13 races for McLaren Honda in 1993

Scott Speed was the first American to drive in  F1 since Michael Andretti.

Historically, young drivers in America have often been lured into the world of Nascar with the promise of big money, therefore passing up the chance to drive in Formula One.  Currently though, there are two drivers from the US on the F1 radar.  Alex Rossi from Nevada, a two time GP3 winner, drove a Caterham in Free Practice 1 in Spain earlier this year.  Although hopeful of a run at his home race, it has been confirmed that current drivers, Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, will be given all the running in Texas in order to give them maximum understanding of the new track.  Rossi will, however, be involved in promotional events across the weekend.  The other young American driver is Conor Daly, son of Formula One and Indycar racer Derek Daly, who has been involved in a test for Force India.

Alex Rossi hopes for a F1 drive in the future.

There is an indication that more American drivers may make it into Formula One, as the possibility of a GP2 or GP3 style championship taking place to support the sport in the United States, Brazil and Canada has recently been announced.  The GP2 and GP3 are European feeder series for Formula One and have produced talent such as: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg, Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado.  With F1 races already being run in Austin, Sao Paulo, and Montreal, and talk of future races in Rio da Janeiro, Mexico and New Jersey, there would be enough events to create such a series.  An American series like the one currently run in Europe would be instrumental in boosting the popularity of the sport, as well as developing and nurturing more American talent, which will in turn help to cement the success of the sport Stateside.

Title shake up in America?

Lotus reserve driver, Jerome D’Ambrosio, has had the honour of being the only current driver in Formula One to have had the opportunity to drive the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Watching him complete his flying laps, it is clear that the circuit, the latest to be designed by Hermann Tilke, will be a real test for the drivers and a real treat for the fans.

D'Ambrosio drives the circuit in Austin.

It appears to be a track of two halves with the first half possessing shades of Beckets and Maggots at Silverstone which will push the cars and drivers technically.  There is a mixture of low speed corners and corners taken at high speed.  The elevation into Turn One is awe inspiring, with the hill looming up in the distance as they power up the opening straight, up over the crest in second gear, then a long sweep down the hill.  Turn eleven down to twelve is a kilometre long straight driven at two hundred miles per hour with a slow speed corner at the end providing a great opportunity for overtaking.  The double right hander through the hairpin at Turns thirteen and fourteen provides more challenge for the drivers.

The Circuit of the Americas is new to all of the teams and drivers and will therefore mean they will be starting the race weekend on a more equal footing than we have seen in recent races.  The driver’s title is expected to be decided in Austin, but the element of the unknown, together with the challenge of the track could throw a serious spanner in the works.  Hopefully we will be treated to the unexpected resulting in a knife edge conclusion to the driver's title in Brazil.

Promising future for Formula One in the US?

Formula One racing in the United States has had a chequered history over the years. 1908 saw the commencement of Grand Prix racing with the competition originally called 'The American Grand Prize'. Later, this was to form part of the Formula One championship. Altogether, there have been nine locations across the country to have had the privilege of hosting Grand Prix races, with varying success.

In 1959, Sebring International Raceway in Florida joined Indianapolis as the host of the second Grand Prix in the US in one season. This inaugural race saw the only win of the year for Bruce McLaren in a Cooper, the winning constructor that year. The following year, the venue for the US Grand Prix switched to Riverside Raceway in California, a race won in superb style by Stirling Moss in a privately owned Lotus.

Moss took victory in the Lotus 18 climax.

Between 1961 and 1980, Watkins Glen in New York hosted the race providing the stage for many exciting races during its nineteen year reign. Ten weeks prior to the race at Watkins Glen in 1976, Niki Lauda had cheated death and been badly disfigured in a crash at the Nurburgring. Though physically scarred, he showed that his spirit and passion had not been affected, bringing the car home in third to stay ahead in a closely fought World Championship. His championship rival, and eventual winner, James Hunt, took the victory. Races at Watkins Glen were well attended in the early years, but this gradually declined due to deterioration of the track and lack of hospitality facilities. The infamous 'Bog' hospitality area was the scene of rioting, burning cars and rock pelting by drunken mobs of fans.

The aftermath of the bog riots.

Following departure from Watkins Glen, other tracks were tried including Detroit in 1982 which was one of three US Formula One events that year. John Watson fought his way from seventeenth to first with some stunning overtaking and lightning progression through the field, leading to a championship fight with Keke Rosberg. A fight eventually won by the Finn. 1984 saw Dallas host the US Grand Prix, but high track temperatures plagued the race and ultimately caused its downfall, making it a Formula One one hit wonder.

Between 1989 and 1991 the Phoenix Street Circuit in Arizona provided an arena for the duelling Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The Brazilian had had the upper hand for the majority of the 1989 season, but being a track new to everyone, Prost took advantage and overcame his team mate to take the victory. This circuit was unpopular with the drivers and the local crowd, with only twenty thousand fans present to watch a Senna victory in 1991.

Prost triumphed over Senna in 1989 in Phoenix

Formula One didn't return to the United States until 2000 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Michael Schumacher accomplished victory or second place in every race he took part in. This circuit was the setting for the tyre farce in 2005 when, as a result of an explosion of a tyre on Ralf Schumacher's car, Michelin discovered their tyres couldn't go the distance in a race, having only a ten lap life. Deemed unsafe to race on the tyres, the race started with only the six Bridgestone runners.

The US Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2005 was run with only Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi taking part.

Construction on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, started in December 2010 and the track will hold it's inaugural Grand Prix next weekend. It has all the makings of triggering a beginning of a new era of Formula One racing in the United States. Hopefully an era that is one of passion and longevity.

Win by the Ice Man heats up the title race.

With a perfect lighting start, Kimi Raikkonen was victorious in a thrilling race in Abu Dhabi. Lotus have been on the verge of a win for most of the season and the Finn’s first win since his comeback has finally revealed the potential of the car. Taking second position from the start, he was then gifted the lead when Lewis Hamilton retired from the race with electrical failiure.

Kimi shows rare joy following his win

Raikkonen has been steadily amassing points all season and has been nestled just under Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in the Championship points. Second places achieved in Bahrain, Valencia and Hungary, together with thirds in Spain, Germany and Belgium, have meant that he has been loitering slightly under the radar but has now steadily climbed to third place with 198 points.

After starting from the pit lane so the team could make adjustments to the car making it more conducive to overtaking, Vettel demonstrated some great moves, slicing his way through the field into eighth place by lap 26. Having had a near collision with Daniel Riccardio, he had contact with the barriers which left him needing a replacement nose. With a tyre change completed also, all under the safety car, it meant that he was able to get himself up to second place when the other drivers made their pit stops. Another safety car on lap 39 due to the tussle between Sergio Perez and Paul Di Resta which collected Romain Grosjean and Mark Webber closed the pack, giving Vettle the chance to overtake Button for the final podium place.

Fernando Alonso took advantage of a slight mistake by Button giving him fifth place, which was then followed by a move on Webber for fourth. On lap 20, he benefited from Lewis’ retirement and Maldonado‘s old tyres to move up to second. Although pushing hard and clocking up purple laps towards the end of the race, he wasn’t quite able to snatch the victory from Kimi, instead taking the second step on the podium.

Kimi stands between the championship contenders.

Although not able to take the Championship himself now, this win by the Ice Man has certainly spiced things up regarding the driver’s title. With the difference in points between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso now down to ten points, it increases the chances of an electrifying title decider in the final race of the season in Brazil. Up to this point, Fernando Alonso has seemed more deserving of the driver’s title due to his ability to do impressive things with an inferior car. While I still carry this belief, fighting his way from the pit lane to third place has inched Sebastian Vettel a little closer.

Perez at McLaren: A good move or a pricey mistake?

Sergio Perez was handed a ten second stop go penalty for causing a multiple car incident  when attempting an overtaking move on Paul Di Resta on lap 37 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.  Perez tried to take Di Resta round the outside pushing him off the track, a move which caused him to go wide himself .  As he rejoined the track, he clipped the car of Romain Grosjean and the resulting slower pace of the Frenchman caught out Mark Webber, who proceeded to launch over the top of him.

It was another non points finish for the Mexican, who will drive for McLaren next year following the flight of Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes.  Since the announcement of his move following the Singapore Grand Prix, Perez has failed to add to his points tally for the season and stands only eight points above his team mate at Sauber, Kamui Kobayashi.  Kobayashi is yet to secure a seat for the 2013 season, yet he hasn't been particularly outperformed by his 22 year old team mate this season.

Perez and Kobayashi

 

So what has happened to Perez in the last four races since the announcement was made?  It could be a case of him going through the motions at Sauber, showing a slight lack of concentration due to having his mind half on his new team.  It is probably more likely to be an ambition to impress his new team that has caused him to buckle under the pressure slightly, and if this is the case how will he cope  when he actually makes the move?

Will Perez cope under pressure?

At the tender age of 22, is Sergio Perez mature enough to deal with the pressure that a drive at McLaren will inevitably bring?  Lewis Hamilton was the same age when he started racing in F1 with McLaren, but he had been with the team in the Young Drivers Program since the age of 15 and knew the way things worked.  McLaren haven't won the Constructors Championship for 13 years, and with that prospect looking increasingly unlikely this year, the focus turns to 2013.  Perez will need to perform and be regularly clocking up podiums and high points finishes if he is to help the team achieve the title that has eluded them since 1999.  

 

The hiring of Sergio Perez as a replacement for Hamilton at McLaren did seem to be fairly swift.  Only time will tell whether it was an inspired choice or a snap decision they may live to regret.

Furore at Ferrari?

It would seem all isn't well at Ferrari as rumours of a rift within the team have been rife this week.    Following qualifying in India, comments were made by Pat Fry, technical director,  suggesting the drivers did not do enough to get high enough up the grid ready for the race at the Buddh International circuit.   Allegedly stating that a perfect lap was needed and wasn't delivered, Fry's comments were supposedly answered by Fernando Alonso, making the point that the team don't have anyone as good as Adrian Newey, and haven't worked hard enough on developing the car this season.  The pressure the team are experiencing in trying to beat Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel in the race to clinch the driver's title, seems to be causing cracks to appear in the Maranello team.

Pat Fry.  Technical Director

Alonso has denied talk about disagreements, but there doesn't seem to be a holistic team spirit at Ferrari at present.  With Red Bull able to win the constructors title this weekend, providing they finish above Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, the focus for the Scuderia is on the drivers title. Therefore, the pressure on the team is coming from the Spaniard himself wanting the team to deliver.  There are updates on the car this weekend, including a new front and rear wing, however little difference was apparent following Free Practice 1 and 2.  Alonso was fourth fastest following Free Practice 1 behind the McLaren's and the Red Bull of Vettel.  Free practice 2 saw him lying seventh behind the Red Bull's, McLaren's and low fuelled Lotus'.

The Ferrari team with their new front wing.

Alonso has battled with an inferior car all season.  He has wrung the life out of it and has made it do things it shouldn't have been able to do.  He is an exceptional talent but he needs a team around him.  Feuding within the team could be disastrous for his title winning chances and for the future development of the car.  Now it not the time for apportioning blame, it is the time for a leader to emerge and unite the team with a mutual vision. 

When Michael Schumacher went to Ferrari they were a disjointed team, a team in a state of disarray.  His organised and hard working approach revolutionised the team and gave them a completely different approach to racing, resulting in five driver's titles and six constructors championships.   Although Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso are both able to do incredible things with inferior machinery, they are very different in terms of leadership style.  The German is very hands on, giving feedback and supporting the team in ways the car should be developed.  Alonso seems to take more of a back seat, leading from afar.  Maybe the way he puts pressure on the team needs to change, or maybe they need to step up and do their bit.  Whatever happens, they need to show a united front, because at this point in the season when pressure and mind games are at the maximum, any rift could be like gifting an 'own goal' to  Sebastian Vettel.