China is looked upon as an exotic place by many. A land of mysteries, martial arts, buffets and Bruce Lee. It is only fitting that a F1 race held there is comparable in reputation. The Safety Car ensured there were 2 more starts than normal and drivers went back to the starting line, just as one goes to the food bowls at a buffet.
The drivers thus made up for lost time and Alonso seemed to profit most of all. He had been through 5 stops, including a drive through penalty. To finish 4th was entirely down to the safety cars. I believe he should send race control a thank-you card for that. Above all, it was a race of challenges, changing conditions, difficult decisions and daring moves. Some got it right, some didn’t and paid the price. A lot will be said about Schumacher being the rain master and many questions will be asked regarding his ability to do so again. Critics have already got their knives, guns and daggers out against him. They say that he is beyond his prime, he shouldn’t have returned and made a mockery of himself. For a few moments he showed us today why is a great driver, albeit in an unfamiliar car. I will put my reputation at risk here and wager that he will bounce back next year, might even win the championship. In an interview yesterday, there was a smile on his face but a steely resolve in his eyes as he said, “I am happy with the way things are going”. Schumacher is not a man who is happy when he is losing. There is something going on his astute mind. Perhaps he is already working on the car and strategy for next year.
The drivers thus made up for lost time and Alonso seemed to profit most of all. He had been through 5 stops, including a drive through penalty. To finish 4th was entirely down to the safety cars. I believe he should send race control a thank-you card for that. Above all, it was a race of challenges, changing conditions, difficult decisions and daring moves. Some got it right, some didn’t and paid the price. A lot will be said about Schumacher being the rain master and many questions will be asked regarding his ability to do so again. Critics have already got their knives, guns and daggers out against him. They say that he is beyond his prime, he shouldn’t have returned and made a mockery of himself. For a few moments he showed us today why is a great driver, albeit in an unfamiliar car. I will put my reputation at risk here and wager that he will bounce back next year, might even win the championship. In an interview yesterday, there was a smile on his face but a steely resolve in his eyes as he said, “I am happy with the way things are going”. Schumacher is not a man who is happy when he is losing. There is something going on his astute mind. Perhaps he is already working on the car and strategy for next year.
It augurs well for the sport that there are a few good drivers coming up through the ranks. Some put their names in the hat today and some others enhanced their reputation. There weren’t many dull moments in the race, the rain made sure of that. Button, to me, was the driver of the day having made an early call on tyres and then nurtured them throughout the day and emerge victorious without any hiccups. Had Hamilton been in his place, he might have burned through them a lot earlier and either pitted at the very last moment or gone off the course and blew them off. McLaren certainly are pushing their limits. They still are using ride-height control, which other teams are critical about. Hamilton almost muscled Vettel in and out of the pit lane and is once again under investigation. Rumour has it that he was reprimanded, not penalised, for a weird erratic move on someone in Malaysia and has been reminded that if the conduct repeats, he WILL be penalised. Now that was music to my ears :)
If Lewis gets penalised, I suppose action must be taken against Alonso as well who similarly muscled Massa out of the way entering into pit lane. He is a very good driver, ambitious and aggressive. These qualities are a must for a F1 driver. However, Hamilton needs to couple his ambition and aggression with sensibility. It seems that he is on the chase for the top prize and knows of only one way to get there – to shove everyone else out of the way if they don’t move aside. Many times his actions seem to suggest that he wants others to know and acknowledge that he is the best. He needs to mellow a bit, accept responsibility, understand the sport rather than just play it. The day he does that, he will no longer need to chase greatness, it will automatically be bestowed on him.
For the Red Bulls it was a forgettable race of sorts, albeit a very memorable qualifying. Christian Horner summed it up nicely yesterday, “who needs ride height control” as Vettel completed an amazing and brilliant lap to get pole position. Sadly, they lost the plot today. I am sure they will bounce back in the European races. A lot of cars will be getting new upgrades for that race and all of a sudden it will be a different ball game. McLarens might suddenly make big leaps or they might head backwards. They have the straight line speed but the Red Bulls are more balanced in the twisty circuits, which Europe has plenty of. Maybe even the Mercedes team starts winning. Who knows Force India might lead the championship !
Whatever happens, I hope that we have a smattering of rain for every race. Otherwise it will be a dull, boring event. For today, I offer my gratitude to the Safety Car. They are my heroes today !
Good one mate... the rain has got to be the deciding factor in most races from now. And yes, the safety car was the hero of the day.
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