Sitting here watching the morning practice session in Bahrain, I am startled to see the new Lotus-Cosworth running round some eight or nine seconds off the early pace. That’s how hard it is to compete at the highest level, a stark reminder if any were needed.
The most fascinating aspect of the 2010 Grand Prix season, to my eye, is the importance of the pitstops during Sunday’s race. With refuelling banned, you might think that the mechanics will have a less demanding afternoon. Absolutely not.
It is possible that races may be won or lost on the alacrity with which the guys can change the wheels. There will be racing in the pitlane. Tenths of a second will be crucial. Reflexes and physical fitness, especially in the heat of Sakhir, will be at a premium this weekend. Some of the top teams have new wheelguns, new wheelnuts – both designed to save tenths during the process of changing wheels. The crews have been practicing through the winter, day after day, and there are stories of all four wheels being changed in less than two seconds. In the factory simulations possibly, but something under four seconds is more likely during the race.
It is said that Red Bull has put its mechanics through a fitness programme at the British Olympic Association, bringing their fitness closer to that of the drivers. But it’s precision and rehearsal that makes a perfect pitstop, and that comes with having the right people and drilling them into a squad. Sunday afternoon will be a huge test, and there will be the added pressure of knowing how vital these stops have become in the pattern of a race. Time, then, to reflect on what a remarkable job these guys do with little public recognition.
Interestingly, the McLarens and Ferraris look the best of the bunch in this first session of a new season, just as they did in the final test at Jerez. Nico Rosberg is quicker than Mercedes team-mate Michael Schumacher at this early stage. But Schumacher is back in familiar style, searching for the limit, locking wheels and kicking up the desert dust that is constantly being blown onto the track. And let’s not forget that Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello are the only drivers on the grid who have any experience of racing without refuelling. This will mean little as the season unfolds, but it may just count in their favour this weekend.
A man who knows more than most about conserving fuel – and tyres – is former World Champion Alain Prost. And a great piece of news this weekend is that Monsieur Prost will be a race steward on Sunday. This is progress. At last we have experienced Grand Prix drivers making judgements about what happens in a Grand Prix.
Judging by the pace of the new teams, we may well see problems with backmarkers on Sunday afternoon. The stewards may be busy. Thus far it seems that the hype was right. It’s going to be a very exciting season.
It’s fantastic to know that one of the greatest single-seater/open-wheel drivers in history will be a race steward!
Wonderful!
Mr Widdows,
What is the latest with Bob Bell’s accusation that the trick device which allows the McLaren drivers to open and close an air vent – on the chassis – with their left knee (thus allowing the inlet to channel airflow to the rear wing for maximum downforce in corners while closing it on the straights to reduce drag) is totally illegal … that it drives a “cart horse through the spirit of the regulations”?
Do you agree with Bell that this trick McLaren device makes a “complete joke” of the intent of the regulations?
Looks like McLarens are set to enjoy the advantage for some time now. Good news for those who have placed money on Hamilton and Button for the early fly-aways!
I think Schumacher will need to vacate a seat for either Kubica or Raikkonen next year because he simply can’t seem to deal with the vastly superior driver era which has blossomed since the dire one which existed following Senna’s death when Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne engineered his championships, begining with that dubious, boarderline-illegal Benetton.
Being 4 to 5 tenths off Rosberg – a driver who’s yet to win a Grand Prix – simply isn’n good enough.
It’s time all the ‘pundits’ dropped the German in the all time rankings well behind Senna, Clark, Prost, Fangio…
R Tanveer, I’d say Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, and Fernando Alonso were damn fine drivers for Schumacher to compete against. Will any combo match the Prost/Mansell/Senna/Piquet era? It’ll be a while, but I’d say Schumi is a lot better than folks often give him credit for. Is he in the Clark/Fangio/Prost category? Maybe not. Equal to Senna, I’d say.
Mr Ambroson,
I agree that Hakkinen and Alonso were quality drivers for him to compete against but whenever they had a proper car, Schumacher couldn’t beat them.
Often, however, they would beat him under equal circumstances just as much, if not more.
I don’t think you need convincing that Schumacher is not the greatest F1 driver ever…but there are, indeed, some folks who think Schumacher is the greatest driver of all time.
By the way, many place Senna ABOVE Clark/Fangio/Prost.
Regardless, I think people will need to re-evaluate Schumacher’s spot amongt the All Time Greats.
In my humble opinion…and with all due respect to everyone, people will need to re-evaluate the era in which he won his championships, the way he went about the “sport”, the quality of his teammates and how they were treated by his team managers…and the FIA’s special treatment towards Ferrari during his tenure.
R Tanveer,
Thanks for your articulate response. For sure, I’m aware that many place Senna above such as Clark and Fangio even. I can’t fathom that one though, as those men accomplished their feats without any of the controversy and on-track antics (which Schumacher gets more blame for, but was no worse than Senna) that Senna was associated with from nearly the start of his F1 career.
I think Schumacher was better than a lot of people give him credit for, and that he was not the only less than positive factor in an entire era where political machinations and ethical breaches were the norm.
Frankly, for all his shenanigans, (of which I am aware, though think some are very overblown in the press in comparison to others) he still seems a decent guy, and one his crews and engineers have lots of good things to say about. (I’d say teammates to include all the team, but as noted, his driving teammates aren’t often so fond.)
It does look to be an interesting season ahead, “wewillsee”.
Cheers
Mr Ambroson, Sir:
Good debate.
There are some notable differences between Senna and Schumacher:
1. Unlike Schumacher, Senna never shied away from taking on a highly-rated teammate under co-equal conditions at a team that could field two competitve cars (he went to McLaren when it was “Prost’s Team” at the VERY TOP of the Frenchman’s game and then took on Berger, a multiple winner for Ferrari…and was then prepared to join Williams with anyone in the other seat!).
2. Senna crashed into Prost at Suzuka in 1990 because Balestre’ refused to let him (Senna) take his Pole position from the clean side of the track, thus negating the advatage of Pole. Everyone knew that whoever led into to the first bend had a very strong shot at winning the race and the championship. What was Schumacher’s various excuses v Hill in ’94, JV in ’97 and at Spa in 2000 where he nearly forced Hakkenen off at over 200 mph? Not to mention parking the car at Rascasse in 2006?
3. Senna drove won in an Era Of Giants – Prost, Mansell, Lauda, Piquet, Rosberg – and beat them all, often in inferior machinery. In addition, he was an average of 7-tenths faster than Damon at Williams in 1994…and blew away Schumacher in 1993 – 5 wins to 1 – in a car which had a Ford “customer” engine which was 2 interations older/weaker than the “works” spec engine being run by Benetton…as per contract!
Who did Schumacher beat? He certainly didn’t beat Hakkinen or Alonso ‘straight up’.
Again, this is all opinion…and i’m only sharing my own thoughts…and with all due respect to all others here on these fine blogs/threads.
Cheers.
They haven’t raced yet, so how can anyone say who’s better than who?
I think you’re spot on about the backmarkers, Rob. Come the end of the race I fully expect to see those drivers with worn tyres defending hard for position. A few ‘Giacomelli’s’ to pass in that situation should make things very dramatic.
Mr Paternoster,
Yes. They haven’t raced yet.
We do, however, know from qualifying that Vettel is VERY special…and that Rosberg’s faster than Schumacher.
The time clock doesn’t lie.
For Vettel to stun Ferrari is extraordinary.
Most pundits would have placed Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso and Massa in the “Ace” category AHEAD of Rosberg…so, for Schumacher to be so far off the pace from his younger German stable-mate is, frankly, quite ominous. For him!
Schumacher will be running out of excuses pretty soon.
Don’t forget that Prost was quicker over one lap than Lauda in 1984, but the wily Super Rat still won the Championship through canny car set up, something Prost learnt from him and applied to win his own championships later. Let’s give Schumacher a few races to acclimatise himself rather than judging him on 1 qualifying session.
Chris, you’re correct about 1984 but there are two main differences, I think:
1. The McLaren-TAGs were in a class of their own so Lauda could afford to finish a distant 2nd and then pick up points on Prost if the Frenchman finished to fail.
In 2010 the field is way too close/tight for Schumacher to give away performance like that to anyone.
2. In those days one driver could ‘hide’ his data and set-ups from the other (like Piquet did with his spare in Hungary in 1986 to Mansell’s massive disadvantage).
Now there is a huge amount of data available to both sets of race engineers and there isn’t a single serious Grand Prix team that would sanction ‘hiding’ one driver’s data/set-up/etc from the other driver. Again, the grid is too close for any one specific team to throw away performance against their enemies. The FOM prize money is too valuable for a team to allow those games to be played, let alone the fact that the race engineers share ALL the data.
Perhaps, Chris, Schumacher needs another “Odd Number” than the #3 he insisted on taking away from Nico in order to go faster?
Ha ha!
Rob,
Do you know how many pitcrew are allowed to be in pit lane during a tire change? It looks like a barbecue during pitstops! it seems too dangerous to have so many bodies in pit lane. With all the talk about saving money wouldn’t it be a brilliant idea to only allow four crew to service a car. That would be interesting to see, be much safer and open the possibilities for more mistakes and difference in pit times too!
Sorry. Been busy.
Three men on each corner plus the jacks and the ‘lollipop’man, I think. Lots of potential for chaos – but they do a superb job, I reckon. Just a shame the race was so dull but we cannot judge a season on one race.
The Sakhir track makes for a dull race and Melbourne may be a lot closer.
I do, however, think Vettel lokks like a champion this year, despite the early performance of the Ferraris. If Red Bull can sort out some reliability I sense this is a very good car indeed and Vettel has talent to spare.
The sooner these double diffusers are banned, the better. Then at least we might see some overtaking.
Racing without overtaking is just not acceptable, or sustainable.
RW
Well, speaking of ‘reliability and Red Bull’, the FIA has just signed off on Renault’s request to make some improvements on it’s engines on, partly, “reliability” grounds.
Good news for RBR’s and Vettel’s chances of taking what would definitely be a well deserved title.
The trouble is that Webber needs to be able to be in a position to take points away from Hamilton and the Ferrari pair…something which i’d like to see him be able to do.
Vettel is the best driver in Grand Prix racing right now.
I suspect either Ferrari or Mercedes will be opening up their cheque books to lock up the young German for the rest of the decade…and also to, very calculatingly, keep him away from the other team(s)!