The Amazing Vettel...!!!



Sebastian's win in Malaysia has turned a potentially disastrously boring F1 world championship season into something that potentially could be much more interesting. No one would have predicted that the Ferrari would beat the Mercedes in a straight fight so soon into the season and whilst recognizing the unique conditions under which the Malaysian GP is run, with high temperatures and humidity, it bodes well for the rest of the year. For not since the like s of a certain Michael Schumacher has a driver been able to achieve 'the impossible' and it is fitting that it is another German in a red car that is now doing the same.

Hamilton was undoubtedly thinking that his stiffest competition in the race for the title this year would again come from his team-mate and, like Alonso, has openly claimed that Vettel's dominance over recent years came more from the benefit of driving an Adrian Newey designed car than any innate talent Vettel may have had. It looks like both drivers will have to start re-evaluating how good the German is and, just as he did at red Bull, it is clear he will be the one who may well achieve 'the impossible' and drag the Ferrari team back to the front of the field.

All I can say is - I can't wait now to see how the rest of the season unfolds because if anyone can beat Hamilton, Vettel can. The creaking of Lewis' self confidence can almost be heard as it comes under the weight of this new, unexpected and very real threat to his championship ambitions.

Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton: Three of the Very Best

It has been quite apparent to all I suspect that the fight for best of the best in F1 over the last 5 to 10 years has only really been between Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel. But of the three, who is really the best??! I guess that begs the question as to what is meant by 'the best'? By what metrics do you determine the best F1 driver? Is it the fastest? The most consistent performer? The most intelligent? Or the most mentally strong?

If all three were put in the same car under the same circumstances, who would come out on top?? It's clear there is no doubt in Hamilton's mind as to where he would be (Telegraph article here). But saying that, a certain Daniel Ricciardo has blown that idea straight out of the water with his amazing lap time on the Top Gear test track and beating Hamilton's and vettel's times in the process.

Alonso, the oldest of the three, has been quite openly contemplative of his position in the sport over the last couple of years and has openly admitted that he does not see himself as the fastest driver in F1 but rather the most consistent driver. Many claim he is the best all round driver - one things is for certain he is definitely one of the most determined drivers with his gutsy drives in almost every race he participates in. The guy rarely has an off day. Lsat year (2014), with the performances of the Red Bull and Ferrari much closer together, we saw some nice dicing between Vettel and alonso and it was invariably Vettel that came out on top.

From a mental strength point of view, the clear winner is Vettel with Hamilton needing to have 'all the pieces of the puzzle' around him to operate at his best. Some people may say Alonso is mentally the strongest but his loss of the 2012 championship despite having a 40 point lead going into the last 3 races revealed a clear kink in his mental armour. By contrast, Vettel's steely nerve was clar for all to see during his amazing recovery drive at the last race in Brazil where, after a first lap spin and collision that placed him plum last, he went on to finish high enough to secure his third world championship (and surpass Alonso in the process)!

Intelligence is another measure and by this I would say that from my experience, champions are those that can most accurately assess the situations they find themselves and clearly see the positives and the negatives and move on. Alonso and Vettel both appear to be good at this although sometimes Alonso likes to play games and try to make himself out to be in a stronger position than he really is: note his comments at the last season 'I am in the unique position of being able to go to any team and any time...' Errrr no, McLaren was your only choice and not your first choice come the end of 2014 (a sabbatical for 2015 was mooted if it meant a 2016 race seat at Mercedes).

Intelligence also means being in the right team at the right time and in this regard, everyone will agree Hamilton has played a masterstroke. I heard stories that Sebastian Vettel actually spun in the Red Bull simulator when he first heard Hamilton was moving to Mercedes. Everyone assumed Hamilton was a McLaren man through and through and Vettel and Red Bull knew as long as he stayed there, the continuing shortcomings of the McLaren team would frustrate Lewis' title ambitions. By moving to Mercedes, Hamilton fundamentally changed the game and the subsequent movements of Vettel and Alonso have been delayed attempts and counter-moves to respond to Hamilton. So far it would appear Vettel's move has been the more successful one but Alonso just might have the patience to see his McLaren gamble pay-off, which despite the new car's current performance, could materialize.

In summary, I believe Hamilton is the fastest and most naturally talented of the three. But it takes more than talent and speed to win championships, which is why Sebastian is on World Championship number 4. Vettel is the most mentally strong of the three and Alonso has displayed great perseverance, determination and consistency of performance in his continuous challenge for the top spot. Such battles are what Formula 1 is made for and parallels the Senna, Prost and Mansell battles of the 80s and early 90s - an era considered to 'Golden' in F1 history. I would say the battle that these three gladiators represent will be looked back on as another golden age of the sport in the future too and that we should make the most of their duels while this level of competition exists in the sport.

Formula E - The Future of Racing

I have been a life long Formula 1 fan... literally. Thanks to a Mum who has loved and followed F1 from before I was born (supporting a certain Nelson Piquet Snr - now there was a real character of the sport who is often not lauded for his achievements in F1!) I inevitably grew up hearing the scream of F1 engines and the shouts of excitement and disappointment from a very young age. But I have three brothers and we were all exposed to the same Formula 1 loving environment but I seem to be the one that got bitten hardest by the F1 bug!

Even so, even passionate F1 fans such as myself can get disillusioned with a sport that seems to be so preoccupied with everything but actual close, hard fought racing. As such, I was very happy to find that from the very first race of the new Formula E series in Beijing, excitement and close racing appears to the constant order of the day. The driver line up as well is top notch with a number of ex-F1 drivers who were racing as recently as last season!

The excitement of the sport, particularly noting all the current bad press with regards to the level of dominance of Mercedes in the current turbo era of F1, has to be put down to the relative equality of all the cars. Same chassis, same electric motor and powertrain and also - something maybe F1 should take more note of - the same aero-package on every car. Despite the latter the cars still look futuristic and with the differing liveries of all the various teams, it is not immediately obvious that the cars are pretty much the same.

The inaugural season of the new FIA championship for electrically powered cars began on 13 September 2014 at Beijing in China and will finish on 28 June 2015 in London after eleven races. All races are undertaken on temporary, inner city race circuits which adds to the spectacle. I for one am looking forward to the last two events that will take place in the heart of London (well Battersea Park) - a feat that even Bernie Ecclestone has been unable to achieve with F1!

I highly recommend the watching of a Formula E race just for the sheer closeness of the racing - something that perhaps the new era of F1 could learn a thing or two from...