"Quick" run-down of all teams (Monday, March 7th, 2011)
1.RED BULL RACING - RENAULT
Still appear to be at or around the very top of the order. The performance and experience of the team and drivers in 2010, winning both championships for the first time, will give the team confidence. They enjoyed a big performance margin last year, yet there was so much room for improvement. Now, they will be able to fill in much of those gaps and prove a stronger force than ever.
However, the rule changes for 2011 may blunt Red Bull's challenge, as unlike Ferrari and McLaren, they have no previous experience of KERS from 2009. Adrian Newey has admitted the bulky system has forced him to compromise the aerodynamics to some extent.
Sebastian Vettel, with more experience behind him, and more confidence of knowing what he can achieve, looks like he will continue to rise only upwards. His role model is Michael Schumacher, so Sebastian will not have a problem being hungry for more and more success. It doesn't look like he will follow the example of so many of lifting off and becoming limp now they have won just the one title (hello Kimi!).
Mark Webber drove out of his skin last season, and managed to keep up with the drivers around him, who read like a who's who of contemporary Grand Prix greats. But he must have expended a huge amount of energy pushing himself to such a high level that he had never reached before, keeping pace with these drivers whos' natural level of talent would seem to slightly surpass even his own huge supply. How long can he keep giving this much of himself, especially given that he seemed to grow faint slightly at the end of last season?
2.FERRARI
Even though Ferrari may have lost the drivers' title at the final hurdle, 2010 was a very good comeback season for them. The arrival of Fernando Alonso brought to the team a coherency and leadership skill not seen since the days of Michael Schumacher. Alonso was a great credit to the team, and it has to be said Ferrari's decision to pay off Kimi Raikkonen with a giant sum of money, only to spend a similar amount to secure the services of Alonso, was justified. I always thought Ferrari should have signed Alonso instead of Raikkonen in the first place!
It appears to be something of a tradition for a driver to struggle somewhat in their first year at Ferrari. Schumacher and Eddie Irvine did not have it easy in 1996. Rubens Barrichello was at time disappointing in 2000 (more so in 2001 actually), Felipe Massa took some time to find his feet in 2006, while Raikkonen looked decidedly limp at times in 2007. Maybe then it shouldn't have been a surprise to see Alonso perform at a level less than his absolute best. There were uncharacteristic mistakes such as the collision at the start of Australia, the jump start in China, not to mention that practice crash that ruined his Monaco GP, followed by that weirdly under-par showing in Turkey. But following the British Grand Prix, Alonso declared he would go on to win the title. Unlike most people, I actually believed he stood a very good chance of making good that threat. His Renault days had proved that Fernando must not be underestimated.
From then on, his driving was almost flawless, except for Spa. Apart from that, he always got the maximum result possible from what wasn't the best car, and enjoyed an extremely strong second half of the year. Unfortunately, Alonso further spoilt his reputation which he had gained at McLaren, but actually exhibited before that when he was at Renault the first time. This was of course at the German GP, where having caught up to his team mate Massa who had beaten him off the start line, he failed to have enough of a speed superiority to get past. So he got on the team radio and threw all his toys out of the pram, screaming "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" He
Still appear to be at or around the very top of the order. The performance and experience of the team and drivers in 2010, winning both championships for the first time, will give the team confidence. They enjoyed a big performance margin last year, yet there was so much room for improvement. Now, they will be able to fill in much of those gaps and prove a stronger force than ever.
However, the rule changes for 2011 may blunt Red Bull's challenge, as unlike Ferrari and McLaren, they have no previous experience of KERS from 2009. Adrian Newey has admitted the bulky system has forced him to compromise the aerodynamics to some extent.
Sebastian Vettel, with more experience behind him, and more confidence of knowing what he can achieve, looks like he will continue to rise only upwards. His role model is Michael Schumacher, so Sebastian will not have a problem being hungry for more and more success. It doesn't look like he will follow the example of so many of lifting off and becoming limp now they have won just the one title (hello Kimi!).
Mark Webber drove out of his skin last season, and managed to keep up with the drivers around him, who read like a who's who of contemporary Grand Prix greats. But he must have expended a huge amount of energy pushing himself to such a high level that he had never reached before, keeping pace with these drivers whos' natural level of talent would seem to slightly surpass even his own huge supply. How long can he keep giving this much of himself, especially given that he seemed to grow faint slightly at the end of last season?
2.FERRARI
Even though Ferrari may have lost the drivers' title at the final hurdle, 2010 was a very good comeback season for them. The arrival of Fernando Alonso brought to the team a coherency and leadership skill not seen since the days of Michael Schumacher. Alonso was a great credit to the team, and it has to be said Ferrari's decision to pay off Kimi Raikkonen with a giant sum of money, only to spend a similar amount to secure the services of Alonso, was justified. I always thought Ferrari should have signed Alonso instead of Raikkonen in the first place!
It appears to be something of a tradition for a driver to struggle somewhat in their first year at Ferrari. Schumacher and Eddie Irvine did not have it easy in 1996. Rubens Barrichello was at time disappointing in 2000 (more so in 2001 actually), Felipe Massa took some time to find his feet in 2006, while Raikkonen looked decidedly limp at times in 2007. Maybe then it shouldn't have been a surprise to see Alonso perform at a level less than his absolute best. There were uncharacteristic mistakes such as the collision at the start of Australia, the jump start in China, not to mention that practice crash that ruined his Monaco GP, followed by that weirdly under-par showing in Turkey. But following the British Grand Prix, Alonso declared he would go on to win the title. Unlike most people, I actually believed he stood a very good chance of making good that threat. His Renault days had proved that Fernando must not be underestimated.
From then on, his driving was almost flawless, except for Spa. Apart from that, he always got the maximum result possible from what wasn't the best car, and enjoyed an extremely strong second half of the year. Unfortunately, Alonso further spoilt his reputation which he had gained at McLaren, but actually exhibited before that when he was at Renault the first time. This was of course at the German GP, where having caught up to his team mate Massa who had beaten him off the start line, he failed to have enough of a speed superiority to get past. So he got on the team radio and threw all his toys out of the pram, screaming "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" He
My Driver Rankings - Speed Only (predicted for 2011)
1.Lewis Hamilton
2.Sebastian Vettel +0.02
3.Fernando Alonso +0.04
4.Jenson Button +0.15
5.Mark Webber +0.17
6.Nico Rosberg +0.19
7.Felipe Massa +0.27
8.Rubens Barrichello +0.29
9.Michael Schumacher +0.29
10.Jarno Trulli +0.29
11.Heikki Kovalainen +0.29
12.Nick Heidfeld +0.38
13.Adrian Sutil +0.40
14.Timo Glock +0.41
15.Kamui Kobayashi +0.62
16.Paul di Resta +0.63
17.Vitaly Petrov +0.70
18.Jaime Alguersuari +0.74
19.Sebastien Buemi +0.76
20.Pastor Maldonado +0.82
21.Vitantonio Liuzzi +0.86
22.Jerome D'Ambrosio +1.05
23.Sergio Perez +1.12
24.Narain Karthikeyan +1.34
2.Sebastian Vettel +0.02
3.Fernando Alonso +0.04
4.Jenson Button +0.15
5.Mark Webber +0.17
6.Nico Rosberg +0.19
7.Felipe Massa +0.27
8.Rubens Barrichello +0.29
9.Michael Schumacher +0.29
10.Jarno Trulli +0.29
11.Heikki Kovalainen +0.29
12.Nick Heidfeld +0.38
13.Adrian Sutil +0.40
14.Timo Glock +0.41
15.Kamui Kobayashi +0.62
16.Paul di Resta +0.63
17.Vitaly Petrov +0.70
18.Jaime Alguersuari +0.74
19.Sebastien Buemi +0.76
20.Pastor Maldonado +0.82
21.Vitantonio Liuzzi +0.86
22.Jerome D'Ambrosio +1.05
23.Sergio Perez +1.12
24.Narain Karthikeyan +1.34
OVERALL RATINGS - Grouped as it's too difficult to call, and each driver's form can vary
GROUP 1
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica
GROUP 2
Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa
GROUP 3
Rubens Barrichello, Heikki Kovalainen, Nick Heidfeld
GROUP 4
Michael Schumacher, Adrian Sutil, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Giancarlo Fisichella
GROUP 5
Kamui Kobayashi, Paul di Resta,
GROUP 6
Christian Klien, Vitaly Petrov, Pedro de la Rosa, Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna
GROUP 7
Jerome D'Ambrosio, Sergio Perez, Lucas di Grassi
GROUP 8
Karun Chandhok, Narain Karthikeyan
GROUP 9
Sakon Yamamoto
Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica
GROUP 2
Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa
GROUP 3
Rubens Barrichello, Heikki Kovalainen, Nick Heidfeld
GROUP 4
Michael Schumacher, Adrian Sutil, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Giancarlo Fisichella
GROUP 5
Kamui Kobayashi, Paul di Resta,
GROUP 6
Christian Klien, Vitaly Petrov, Pedro de la Rosa, Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna
GROUP 7
Jerome D'Ambrosio, Sergio Perez, Lucas di Grassi
GROUP 8
Karun Chandhok, Narain Karthikeyan
GROUP 9
Sakon Yamamoto