THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL

Today I went to check the Autosport website, as you do, and saw this article about Kimi Raikkonen. It quotes Raikkonen as saying he 'cannot afford to lose more ground' if he is to end the 2012 season as world champion. The reason why I'm mentioning this in a blog post is because I was almost amazed by Raikkonen believing that the world championship could still be his this year.

You all know that Fernando Alonso has enjoyed a terrific first half of the season and is therefore the current leader of the title battle. A lot of people are saying that the season is far from over and that Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Raikkonen all have a chance at snatching the title from Alonso. I disagree...

I am one of those annoying people who starts thinking about the title and who will emerge victorious at the end of the season after approximately the third race of the season. I still enjoy every race as an individual and as they come but I do make rash assumptions about the title outcome. Last year we would have all been saying Vettel's won it, for obvious reasons, but this year provided a lot more surprises and unpredictability and there was a general consensus that the title fight would go down to the wire! We had seven different winners from the first seven races; a statistic I never get tired of hearing and one I loved watching break records as the races went on. I was enjoying not being able to tell who will win the championship and was enjoying it even more that my preferred driver, so to speak, was right in the mix (sorry Jenson fans)!

But then the European Grand Prix changed everything! I just felt absolutely certain from then on that Fernando Alonso would definitely take his third championship this year. I don't know exactly why I was so sure of the outcome considering so much has been changing this season and he hadn't accumulated a massive lead. Since then my theory had only been confirmed by the Spaniard as he went on to win in Germany as well as picking up strong points finishes elsewhere. From my perspective everything seems to be going right for Alonso so far. His car has good reliability and his talent as a driver able to outperform his machinery is certainly shining through. On top of this, his rivals just keep taking points off each other so no single driver is able to consistently cut down Alonso's lead.

Fernando's nearest challengers are the Red Bull boys; Mark and Sebastian! The latter is the driver we all think can realistically catch up to Alonso, despite Mark actually leading Sebastian in the standings. If neither of these two can win the title this year their inter-team battle is also an interesting one to keep an eye on. The fact that Webber and Vettel are closer to Alonso than Raikkonen means he has several drivers to beat before he can reach the number 1 spot.

Nevertheless, he has the 'spirit' of a racing driver and I'm sure all of the top 5 are thinking that the title can still be theirs. And that just means the racing will get that little bit more exciting! None of them will give up and with updates coming for cars, a bit of time away and a chance to refocus and realise what they are targeting will mean they are all heading to Spa and into part 2 of the season with only one goal in mind...

Oh and as for the other title, Red Bull have got that one!

I would personally love to be proven wrong and see a lot more chopping and changing at the top of the standings; much like what we saw only a few months ago. What do you think? Has Alonso already got his third WDC wrapped up or is there another driver who can take it from him?

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

HEROES AND ZEROES (PART II)

My long-awaited part II is finally here, hooray! I'll give you a moment to celebrate...

So this part will look at my 'zeroes' of the season; the drivers who have failed to impress me in the first part of the season and they will now be called up on it. (Refresh your memory of the 'heroes'!)

ZEROES

• Jenson Button- I've had a little (it's not that little) say on Jenson's season so far which underlines the ups and downs of his 2012 season. It's been a strange one, I think it's fair to say, as it started with a win and has since slumped so much that his hopes of taking a second championship are over once again. I'm sure his season will improve when F1 returns after the summer break as he and his team make developments to the car but Jenson will probably be glad to see the back of 2012 after Brazil and hope for a much better 2013 season.

• Michael Schumacher- yes, it is a bit strange to be including a seven time world champion on this list but it's no secret that Schumi hasn't had the best of comebacks and Kimi Raikkonen's comeback season is only highlighting this even more. Sure they both had different experiences when they were away from F1 and Schumacher is older than Kimi but not only do I believe that Schumacher's age shouldn't be a factor, after all he knows his body and fitness the best and he wouldn't still be in F1 if he didn't think he felt up to it, he's also the greatest F1 driver in history if we look at it in terms of number of titles won. Therefore, he has experience, knowledge and expertise in abundance and a truly lacklustre 2012 has naturally left people questioning whether he should even have a seat next year.

• Felipe Massa- I really didn't want to include Massa in this list because I'm a quite a fan of the Brazilian  and I do think that some of the criticism aimed at him has been unfair. However, it cannot be denied that his performance in contrast to his teammate and current leader Alonso's performance has been poor. Of course his position in the Ferrari team is now under threat (that sounds overly dramatic, doesn't it?) but we don't know what will happen for Massa contract-wise and what Ferrari's long term plans are. If they want Vettel when his Red Bull contract is over it wouldn't make much sense to replace Massa for 2013 so we will just have to wait and see...

• The Force India pair- I really didn't want to include Paul and Nico on this list because I think they are both having decent seasons for a midfield team but with their main rivals, mainly Perez and Maldonado, stepping up their games and taking wins and podiums in other midfield cars you can't help but think they and Force India have a lot of work to do! They have certainly slipped behind as a team and I think the drivers need to have more confidence and deliver better results in the second part of the season.

• Jean-Eric Vergne- Jean-Eric is not having a great season but the fact that he is driving for the ruthless Toro Rosso team probably doesn't help. Last season I thought both Buemi and Alguersuari had seasons worthy of retaining their seats so it was a bit of a surprise to see them both dropped for 2012.  Toro Rosso are basically training talented, young drivers and giving them a chance to drive in F1 with the intention of one day promoting them to Red Bull to, presumably, partner Sebastian Vettel. However, this Young Driver Programme has had limited success because of the ruthless nature of it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vergne dropped once this season is over even though I don't think he should be.

So that's my list, I hope it was worth the wait! It was fairly hard to compile because 2012 has been a topsy-turvy season and I haven't actually been all that disappointed with many drivers, with the exception of Jenson! However, the ones I have listed are the drivers that I think have the most work to do when F1 heads to Spa; which is now fast approaching!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

HEROES AND ZEROES (PART I)

I've reviewed the races of this season as they've gone by but also with some reflection on which race has been my favourite of the season so far. Now it's time to look at the men in the cockpits; the people responsible for delivering such exciting racing and review who has been a 'hero' and who has been below par. (Also, I realise calling them 'zeroes' is harsh but I had to include it for rhyming purposes.)

HEROES

• Fernando Alonso- I had to start this list with the man currently at the top of the standings for the Drivers' Championship. At the beginning of the season many doubted whether Alonso will be able to win his third world championship in the car Ferrari had given him but it's fair to say that Alonso and the team have stepped up their game as the season has progressed. Ferrari brought updates to Mugello and improved their package but Alonso has been in another league in terms of driving and out-performing his machinery. Should he win his third title this year, which I definitely think he will, it will be extremely deserved and I don't think anyone, whether you are a fan or not, can begrudge him of that considering his performance so far this year.

• Kimi Raikkonen- I think it is fair to call Kimi the 'comeback king' of F1 because he has settled in to his team and racing in Formula 1 with relative ease and has been able to deliver multiple podiums and strong points finishes. The only thing making his comeback less than perfect is his failure to win a race but I have no doubt that the Finn will be able to tick that off his list before the end of the season. 

• Mark Webber- It's no secret that Webber had a difficult 2011 season when his teammate ran away with the title and he was left without a win until the very last race in Brazil but he has come back from that like a true professional and has silenced any critics who have ever said he doesn't deserve the second Red Bull seat. He currently has more wins than his German colleague and is even leading Vettel in the championship. The team clearly think that Mark is a good racer and deserves to keep his seat as they have extended his contract for 2013 as well. 

• Bruno Senna- I can only begin to imagine the pressure Senna would have been under at the beginning of this season by joining the Williams team that his uncle is so famously associated with. This combined with him losing his seat at Renault/Lotus would have amounted to a difficult start but I have personally been impressed with Senna's season so far. He may not have a race win like teammate Pastor Maldonado but he has been fairly consistent and I don't see why he should be worried about losing his seat.

• Charles Pic- the young Frenchman is in his rookie F1 season and that is never going to be easy but I've been impressed with the way Pic has just gotten his head down and concentrated on his own driving. You're never going to be delivering great results in a Marussia car but that doesn't mean Pic's season isn't worth mentioning. He is consistent, F1's key word this season, and gaining invaluable experience in F1. I'm sure outscoring his experienced teammate Timo Glock doesn't feel too bad either.

So there you have my stand-out drivers from the first half of the 2012 season. There have obviously been other drivers who have had/ are having good, strong seasons but it is hard to make my exclusive list so they'll just have to try harder when the season continues in Spa. Harsh I know...

Stay tuned for Part II of my 'Heroes and Zeroes' post when I'll address which drivers haven't been impressing me so far this season and need to up their game. Spoiler Alert: Jenson Button will feature!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

CAN LOTUS WIN?

Lotus' sudden increase in form from the beginning of the 2012 season is definitely one of the big talking points of this season as they became the team to successfully make the jump from the midfield to join the frontrunners. Lotus have been consistently fast and that has shown in their results. They have now had both drivers on the podium with a string of 2nd and 3rd-placed results and Kimi Raikkonen is definitely considered to be one of the drivers that can give the main title favourites a run for their money. However, the Enstone-based team are yet to get that extremely covetable win and, despite coming close to it, head into part 2 of the 2012 season desperate to make their stamp on the list of 2012 winners.

So we know that Lotus have come close to winning; Bahrain is the classic example of this when Raikkonen had the chance to overtake Vettel for the lead but just didn't seem to grab it with both hands. That crucial 2-second window could have won Lotus that race, and left Red Bull without one after four races, but once it was gone so was the win as Kimi was to have no more chances to pass Vettel. But coming close to winning is very different to winning! Any of the drivers will be able to tell you that they race to win so I'm sure that coming so close to doing it is still quite painful and I'm sure the champagne doesn't taste as sweet as when you're on the top step of the podium.

Lotus' rivals are Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren; the traditional top teams in modern F1 and they have all, naturally, taken more than one win this season. Of course Mercedes have also taken a win; Nico Rosberg's maiden win in Shanghai, but they have begun to slip away from the leaders as the season has progressed and they don't seem to be posing much of a challenge in either championships, to put it slightly harshly! Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren are all looking strong going into part II of F1 2012 and they are heading to tracks they have experience of winning at; Spa and Monza! As the season goes on and consistency seems to have taken a hold of F1 at long last it will just get ever harder for Lotus to win. Perhaps their best chance was at the start of this unpredictable season; F1 saw 7 different winners in the first 7 races and that volatility in the race results could have given Lotus a chance to make that 8. There is no doubt that this will be harder now.

If Lotus are capable of winning a race this year we then get the question of which of their drivers will take their and the team's first win of 2012. Will it be the man they call 'the Iceman'? The 2007 world champion is definitely used to that winning feeling and his experience in F1 is showing as his comeback is proving to be a great decision for him and the Lotus team for giving him a drive. Or can the ever-smiling Frenchman Romain Grosjean do it for the team and himself? He is without a win in F1 and for him this Lotus drive is also a comeback of sorts. A rather disappointing rookie season in 2010 led to him losing his seat in this terribly competitive sport but after becoming GP2 champion he proved he does have what it takes. He has had his fair share of accidents and collisions, particularly at the starts of races, but he is a tremendous young driver with plenty of skill and that desire to win. At the moment Kimi is looking like the more consistent driver and his position in the championship standings illustrate this perfectly. However, Romain is capable of a surprise and I don't think he should be written off just yet!

The team have shown that they have a fast car that is capable of podiums and challenging the leaders. They are only marginally away from McLaren in the Constructors' showing their consistent and strong results are paying off. A part of me does think that their best chance of winning a race would have come at the beginning of the season and they didn't capitalise on that as well as they should have. Their main target must now be to improve Qualifying results; if the team can start at the front of the grid they do have the pace needed to take home that win and they have drivers that won't crumble under the pressure. Team principle Eric Boullier has said that the team wishes to keep both Raikkonen and Grosjean on which will give the drivers some confidence that the team is happy with their performances and allow them to focus solely on their driving.

The title of this post is 'Can Lotus Win?' and if I had to answer in one word I would say yes! The team can win a race this season as long as they improve their performances on Saturdays and a bit of luck going their way wouldn't hurt either. All we can do as fans is sit back and enjoy the performance of this Lotus team; a team we can now class as one of the frontrunners, and enjoy what they add to F1 this season by mixing up the faces we see on the podium.

Now I want to hear from you! Do you think Lotus are capable of winning a race when F1 resumes this season or do you think their best chance has been and gone? And which driver, Kimi or Romain, do you think is looking more likely to take that win? You know how to get in touch; comment or tweet me!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula 

AQSA'S PODIUM

Pick my top 3 drivers of the Grand Prix? Easy! This one requires little to no thought for me so read through my choices and comment/ tweet me with whether or not you agree with who I've picked or the order I've put them in.

3. Bruno Senna

The Williams driver has been under some pressure lately but I can't really understand why. He may not have a race win or podium like his teammate Maldonado but he is able to drive clean races and his less aggressive driving style means he has now finished in the points more times than Pastor and has even outscored him on more occasions.

2. Lewis Hamilton

I told you in my 'Setting the Scene' post why this weekend was all about Lewis. That's why I've put him in at number 2. And now for the real winner in Hungary...

1. Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi didn't have a great Qualifying meaning he started the race from 5th on the grid compared to his teammate's front row start. He had to look after his tyres much better than others during the race if he was to improve on his Qualifying performance and with a car that we've become used to being kind to its tyres Kimi did just that. He was able to stay out longer than others during the second stint and built up a lead big enough to beat Grosjean and Vettel who were running in second and third at that time. This race was a really impressive one on Kimi's part and further underlines the fact that he can win a race this season. It's just a matter of when...

So Kimi is my driver of the day for the Hungarian Grand Prix and if that doesn't give him something to smile about, I don't know what will!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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AQSA'S PODIUM

Ladies and gents, the moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived; I am about to announce my top 3 drivers for the German Grand Prix.

3. Fernando Alonso

Hold the front page, I've put the race winner third! Alonso did have a great race after starting from pole; wet conditions seem to favour the Ferrari in Qualifying. He also had to defend during the race against Vettel and Button (and even Hamilton) as they tried to take his lead with no avail.

2. Jenson Button

I don't want to jinx him but... JENSON'S BACK (for now). Let's all hope that the McLaren driver's worries are over because Germany proved how enjoyable it can be to see him challenging at the front.

1. Sergio Perez

Perez had a poor Qualifying that was worsened by a 5-place grid penalty. But he wasn't going to let that stop him... He eventually finished in sixth from seventeenth on the grid and enjoyed some great overtakes to get there. He may have finished behind his teammate Kamui Kobayashi but the young Mexican was still my driver of the day.

Do you agree with my choices? Comment below or tweet me with who your top 3 drivers were...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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THE CURIOUS CASE OF JENSON BUTTON

Jenson Button; 2009 world champion and British racing hero. Button had a long wait and a long F1 career before he finally took his first world championship. Then he signed to McLaren and I'm sure many thought more titles would come. That was over two years ago and I'm fairly confident that 2012 will mark Jenson's 3rd year away from F1 glory. Of course, last year he was, in harsh terms, the best of the losers when he came a very respectable second in the championship; the highest position that was actually contested due to Sebastian Vettel's dominance.

Jenson had a tremendous start to the season. He won the first race in Melbourne, Australia and he was driving what many were claiming to be the car to beat. I can't think of a better way to launch a title bid! So the F1 world left Australia for another year with Jenson Button and McLaren leading both championships. Despite a lot of initial skepticism, F1 fans and journalists started coming round to McLaren's lower nose design theory and there was a lot of "the fastest and most beautiful car" comments being thrown around. McLaren were soon to learn that looks aren't the most important thing...

It's been no secret that Jenson Button suffered from a massive slip in form after that first race in Australia. Let's go through his season, shall we? Warning for you Jenson fans, this might be painful to relive!

So it was a case of hero to zero in the space of a week for Button as he finished 14th in the Malaysian Grand Prix and picked up no points after winning and taking maximum points at Melbourne. However, it was only the second race and it was a collision with a backmarker that put him out of the points. Surely this was just one freak incident and things could only get better. Then Jenson finished 2nd in China; a truly exciting race with Nico Rosberg winning it from pole. So Button was back on the podium and order was restored in what was shaping up to be a crazy F1 season. Then we went to Bahrain. Jenson qualified well; he was on the second row and was starting the race from fourth. Sadly for him, he had to retire from the race and so took no points home. Again... This was also the beginning of McLaren's pit stop nightmares as it was the race where they made mistakes on two of Lewis' stops.

F1 was now done with the flyaways and returned home to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix. Barcelona provides a track that F1 knows well and drivers and teams are used to it because of how much testing they have done on this track. There were three weeks between Bahrain and Spain so teams had time to make updates and reevaluate what they were doing. Drivers could get away from any distractions and refocus on their racing. However, F1 2012 had other things in mind. With Pastor Maldonado winning the race we got four different winners in four races and there was even some Qualifying controversy; another mistake from McLaren when it came to refueling Lewis' car for the final part of Qualifying. Jenson's Qualifying added to McLaren's woes; he started the race from tenth and finished in ninth. So Jenson was back in the points but probably not as high up as he would have liked.

Monaco was next up; the jewel in F1's glamourous, slightly over the top crown! But for Jenson it wasn't to be a weekend of partying and having a good time; he was there to race! Having already won at Monaco in the past, something every F1 driver dreams of doing, Jenson knows what it takes to win at this street circuit. A poor Qualifying session was no excuse for his difficulties in the race. He qualified in 12th and finished 16th but Sebastian Vettel qualified in 9th and finished 4th. It was clear that he and McLaren had deeper problems. We all heard that he had no grip and, depending on the occasion, the MP4-27 gifted Button with both understeer and oversteer. However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton wasn't having the same problems as Jenson meaning the cause probably lay with Button's setup and "balance" as opposed to significant problems with the car. This was further highlighted when Lewis won the Canadian Grand Prix and Button was out of the points in 16th again. Back to Europe and Jenson is in the points; he finished 8th. As Alonso won the race to take a significant lead in the championship it was clear that consistency may well have returned to F1 and would eventually be the key to taking the title. To be fair to him Jenson has been consistent; it's just been at the wrong end of the points.

So McLaren and Jenson returned to the UK. For the team the gap to Red Bull in the Constructors' was ever-increasing and as it seemed that only Lewis was capable of taking high-point finishes the dream was dwindling. And Jenson's dream of taking his second world championship is most probably over. 8th placed Button is 11 points off 7th placed man Kimi Raikkonen. With Kimi currently in better form and a better car, Lotus have overtaken McLaren in the Constructors' standings, I think Jenson should be more focused on taking that position than challenging for the championship, something he believes he can still do. This season of F1 has been unpredictable, to say the least, so I can see why Jenson thinks he still has a chance but it seems to me that normality and consistency is returning. We now have two two-time winners in Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso and even Lewis Hamilton has a fight on his hands. 


There have been many theories as to why McLaren have suddenly gone from 'the team to beat' to 'the team desperately trying to catch up to Red Bull, Ferrari and even Lotus to keep their title hopes alive', or something slightly catchier than that! Perhaps it may be the fact that their lower nose does not leave much room for development so whilst others have made updates and progressed McLaren could not do this at the same level. They have denied that there are significant problems with the car but the British Grand Prix results tell us otherwise. There should be some concern in the McLaren camp now and as the 2012 season reaches its halfway point in Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix, they will need a big improvement in performance. 


They may have been fighting a losing battle to Red Bull at this point last year but everything was up for grabs this season. Ferrari are most definitely still in the race so for questions to be raised over McLaren's chances at this stage in the season is simply not good enough. But the team don't need me to tell them that! They've been in F1 for long enough to know exactly what is required of them. It is now just a question of whether or not they can deliver the results they need.


Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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TWITTER; FRIEND OR FOE?

This post is just my opportunity to have a bit of a rant and I know there are many other F1 fans who would agree with me on this one. If you do, or don't, drop a comment below! Now a small warning; this post is quite uncharacteristic of me!

So, Twitter is a great social networking site. I love using it and I've had a lot of fun talking to and meeting other fans of Formula 1. After a race or after some breaking news it is the go-to place for all the latest opinions. I've gotten to talk to other fans about who their favourite drivers/teams are, what they think about driver contracts and who should stay/go to another team and had so much more F1 conversations. We also talk about non-F1 related stuff because we all have other interests and it is fun to be able to share those with each other. As a fan of a lot of other sports it was great during Euro 2012 to be able to talk to some about the football and talk to others about the European Grand Prix simultaneously. We all love Twitter, that's why we spend endless hours on it, and if you're not on Twitter I do think you're missing out. However, it't not all fun and games...

There are some fans on Twitter who take things too far. A debate, whatever the topic may be, is always interesting because you get to hear the opinions and thoughts of someone you may not necessarily agree with but respect each other enough to realise that you don't have to agree on everything. How boring would we and Twitter be if everyone thought exactly the same thing on every topic? That was a rhetorical question and the answer is very! It's good to encourage different points of view and talk about what you think with others. You may end up learning new things or even changing your initial opinion. By the way, that does not make you 'flaky'! If anything I think it's a good thing and shows you're not stuck in your ways.

Lately I've had some intellectual, F1-related chats via Twitter with other fans. That's been fun! However, there have been other fans who don't seem to realise that we won't all always agree. But that's fine, some people are like that. Now we get to the thing that really annoys me and it all started because of Pastor Maldonado. Ok, we all have our different opinions on him. I think it's obvious that Maldonado has been involved in many 'incidents' this season and last year so naturally some fans of the sport won't be and don't have to be fans of him. That said, their problems should lie with his driving style and that only... There is really no need, that I can see anyway, to start attacking a driver on personal issues that are completely unrelated to his driving or on-track behaviour. You may not like that he was involved in a collision that ended your favourite driver's race but how are his looks in any way related to that? I saw some tweets yesterday that were just plain nasty and I can't understand why some fans people would need to make things personal.

Then we get on to the disgusting issue of death threats on Twitter. I shouldn't even have to explain why this is wrong so I'm not going to. All I'll say is if you are a fan threatening to kill a driver on Twitter, whether you mean this seriously or not, you may have to reconsider that fan status. You can't call that a joke because it's just not funny and we should all know the effect our words, spoken or typed, can have!

All I want to say is we will all have our favourite or preferred drivers and you don't have to 'like' every driver on the grid but, at the end of the day, your passion for the sport should come first. We should all respect what these drivers do and recent, heartbreaking events in Formula 1 (my thoughts are with Maria de Villota and her family) show just what they risk. This is why death threats and wishing a driver crashes during a race are truly disgusting and uncalled for, in my opinion. Whatever a driver does on track adds to the excitement of the sport and if something like a crash does happen the stewards deal with it as they see fit; you don't have to agree with their decision and you can/should express that but there is a limit to how far you should go. We are all united by our love for what we believe to be the most exciting sport and that should come first!

*Rant over* Let me know what you think on this topic and what your Twitter experience is like!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

AQSA'S PODIUM

Now that we've had time to reflect on the weekend's action I've been able to think about who my top three drivers of the weekend were. I thought the majority of drivers performed well considering they didn't really know what to expect for the race after a wet, rain-disrupted Qualifying session. Nevertheless, hearts will be broken as I can only choose my top 3 for this feature...

3. Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi was involved in a few interesting on-track battles during the race, particularly when he overtook Vettel at the start of the race only to lose position a turn later. He made up a position on his Qualifying place, which is always good, and all his overtaking manoeuvres were clean but effective.

2. Romain Grosjean

Kimi's Lotus teammate comes in at number 2. He qualified in 10th and finished in 6th. Romain continue to impresses me this season and he is proving why he deserved his second chance in Formula 1. I expect great things to come for the young Frenchman.

1. Mark Webber

Mark, the winner of the Grand Prix, takes the number 1 spot on my list for the second week in a row. He was my pick as driver of the day for the European Grand Prix because he moved from 19th on the grid to finish 4th. This time round it's because he kept a cool head during the race and maintained his second place well. Then, when it mattered, he really attacked leader Fernando Alonso; timing everything perfectly. A well deserved win for the Aussie who finally confirmed where he will be driving next year. So congratulations to Mark for taking the top spot in Aqsa's Podium for two weeks running. I'm sure this is the best news he'll receive all week...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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VETTEL AND WEBBER TOGETHER IN 2013

Today Red Bull Racing and Mark Webber announced that the Australian will be driving for the current world champions in 2013 after signing a one-year contract extension. Webber added that the decision was ultimately an easy one as he had a "strong" desire to continue at Red Bull Racing and that he "really, really likes working with them". You can read the full interview with Mark here. As Sebastian Vettel was already contracted for 2013 this news confirms the team's driver line-up for next year.

Before this announcement there had been a lot of rumours and debate over what Mark should do and where he should be driving next year. Unlike with Lewis Hamilton, I didn't really think there was any need for us to be discussing this. Mark and Red Bull do, despite what many say, work well together. It's a team he knows well and from the team's perspective he is a good partner for Vettel. Talking about his partnership with Vettel, Mark said it has "proved to be a successful partnership". As far as I am concerned, Red Bull have the best driver line-up on the current grid and that is why they have been able to win two Constructors' championships in a row. Both of their drivers can give them strong points finishes and both are capable of winning races. From Mark's perspective Red Bull are the best team on the grid and can give him a car with which he can always be challenging at the front; something every driver wants. And now that the talk of contracts is over Mark can concentrate on what he is paid to do; his driving and battle to win this year's championship, something that is now a very real possibility following his wins in Monaco and Britain. 

Mark admitted that he had "discussions with Ferrari" but it was his decision to stay with Red Bull. I hope he can have successful seasons, this year and in 2013, with the team and who knows, perhaps he and the Red Bull will remain together for longer than that.

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

AQSA'S PODIUM

It's time for a new regular feature on Aqsa's Formula and, as you've probably worked out, it's called Aqsa's Podium. This is something I will do after every Grand Prix and the idea behind it is quite simple; I'll choose my top 3 drivers of the day and rank them in order of who impressed me the most during the race. My podium will differ from the race's as I don't think you need to be on the podium in order to have had a great race.

So let's get the first ever Aqsa's Podium started for the European Grand Prix.

3. Fernando Alonso

I've put Alonso 3rd because he did drive a great race and pull off many great overtakes to climb to 1st place after starting 11th on the grid. The reason he isn't higher up is because he was definitely helped by the misfortunes of others, particularly Sebastian Vettel.

2. Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen did well to take his second 2nd place finish of the season. He'd qualified in 5th and so he too had to overtake in Valencia to get on the podium; the pass on Lewis Hamilton was very impressive. Raikkonen entertained during the race and a win for him this season is imminent, in my opinion.

1. Mark Webber

Qualified in 19th and finished in 4th. Need I say more?

Who were your top 3 drivers for the European Grand Prix?

Aqsa

(Image 1, 2, 3)

VETTELMAN

See what I did there? ^ Like a celeb couple name thing? Ok, moving on...

This is just a really quick post (I have a German exam tomorrow!) to add the video of Sebastian Vettel on the Late Show with David Letterman for you. Most people have probably already seen it as it's been around for a while now but I thought I'd put on the old blog in case you haven't. So enjoy...

Seb is really quite funny, isn't he? I like that we can get to see his sense of humour but this interview is nowhere near as good as the one from Top Gear, which you should definitely have a little Youtube search for if you haven't seen it.

Aqsa

PS I have my A-Level exams, German is tomorrow as I've already told you, so that's why updating has been a little slow. Normal service will resume when I finally have my freedom back.

PPS I still wrote reviews for practice, qualifying and the race for the Canadian GP despite having an exam two days later. That's dedication, that is...

PPPS When I said freedom I didn't mean to be offensive. I know I have it a lot easier than many thousands of people out there. It was just the best way to describe my exam hell.

PPPPS Just kidding, I'm done!

SEB'S GOING TO NEW YORK

After the Canadian Grand Prix the majority of the F1 circus will be catching their planes on Sunday night to head back home to Europe. Sebastian Vettel won't be joining them...

The double world champion will, instead, be taking a slight detour and visiting the Big Apple instead. A man after my own heart... He will be visiting to undertake his role as Infiniti Global Ambassador and spend time promoting the brand. He will also be promoting next year's Grand Prix of America which will be held in New Jersey with the New York City skyline as it's backdrop. He will drive the planned circuit in an Infiniti IPL G Coupe road car; part of Infiniti's performance car division. There is no doubt that this race is highly anticipated and will be the jewel in F1's crown next year. Sebastian Vettel's visit will be a great PR stunt for the circuit planners and help them attract attention to the race and increase the buzz around it; as if they need to! I'm already excited beyond words and it's over a year away!

The German will also make an appearance on a popular American chat show; The Late Show with David Letterman. Following Vettel's infamous Top Gear performance his profile amongst British fans was significantly raised. I'm sure this appearance will be great not only for Seb and Red Bull but for the sport's profile in the USA aswell. Allowing a wide audience to get to know one of the sport's biggest personalities will, without doubt, increase at least a few people's appetite for F1. I think Sebastian is great with the media and fans so I'm definitely looking forward to watching the interview. I'll post the video on here if I can find it...

Aqsa

P.S. If there are any American fans reading this, will you be watching Vettel's appearance? And are you looking forward to the New Jersey race?

P.P.S. If anyone wants to buy me tickets for the aforementioned New Jersey race, I'll be more than happy for you to do so.

THE QUESTION WE'RE ALL ASKING

Well I've asked it anyway. If you haven't, you really should be!

Lewis Hamilton is one of many drivers who aren't completely sure as to where they will be racing next season. However, unlike with some of them, I think we can be sure that Lewis will have a seat, it's just a matter of where. His McLaren contract is still valid for another 14 races but speculation has already begun over whether he will renew said contract. Or whether he should!

Many tabloids have reported that the new deal McLaren will offer Hamilton will make him the best paid driver in Formula 1; things aren't looking too bad for him, are they? The case for him staying at McLaren must include the fact that he's comfortable there. It's an environment he knows well and he has experienced a lot with the team; wins and losses alike. A move to another team would change the dynamic he's used to and, if the move is to another top team, could lead to driver line-ups Lewis may not feel very secure with. If he went to Ferrari he'd be reunited with Fernando Alonso. I can't think either of the pair would be too keen on such a reunion. A Red Bull move would mean he partners Sebastian Vettel. Vettel's relationship with Red Bull is similar to Lewis' with McLaren. Lewis may not feel appreciated in this team and would probably sense a bias towards the German; whether it was there or not. Of course, at either of these teams he would be the 'number 2' driver. This is the position he's in this season but I think he'll beat Jenson Button in the championship this year if he continues with his consistency in the points. The other option is a move to Mercedes. McLaren use Mercedes engines so it wouldn't be a move too alienating for the Brit. He'd partner Nico Rosberg and I don't think he'd feel too threatened by this. Therefore, if he were to move, I'd say Mercedes was his best option!

But why are we even talking of a potential move? The team seem eager to sign another contract with Lewis and he's won a world championship with them. The team haven't won a Constructors' championship since 1998 but that doesn't mean they can't provide Lewis with a car he can win the Drivers' championship with. They've already shown they can... Despite the team's issues during the 2011 season they picked things up towards the end and at the beginning of 2012 looked to be the team to beat. Form has slipped slightly as the races have gone by but this season is ever-changing and it won't be long before they can challenge for a win again.

Lewis has shown the raw pace the MP4-27 has. He is consistently fast in Saturday Qualifying sessions and always seems to be in with a chance of fighting for pole; can Red Bull/Vettel and Ferrari/Alonso say the same? He is fourth in the Drivers' championship at the moment but, as I've already said, things are always changing this season. More consistent results from Hamilton and he could be in the lead again. And his championship woes are seemingly insignificant compared to his teammate's...

Taking everything into consideration, I don't think Lewis should be thinking of moving away from McLaren. He is used to how the team operates and, it seems to me, he has a good relationship with team members and senior personnel. Despite McLaren slipping behind Red Bull in their championship battle, Lewis is still very much in the hunt for his second title. His car is, without doubt, competitive and fast. It will be long before contracts are read, considered and signed so Hamilton can still wait to see how the season plays out and see what other drivers and teams do. He can't move to another team if they've already signed a driver up. But if Lewis did want my advice I'd  tell him to stay with McLaren.

Do you agree with me? Should Lewis leave the team he's been with since he was a youngster for the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes? Or should he stay with a team he knows well and has proven it can win him championships?

Aqsa

P.S. It's my birthday today and if you left me a comment it would be a very nice present indeed!

MORE RED BULL RUMOURS...

Following his win in the Monaco Grand Prix Mark Webber, and his Red Bull team, were faced with speculation that the Australian driver was backing up the rest of the pack on purpose to help fellow Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel. It was said that this was done during the period of the race when Sebastian was leading; his alternative tyre strategy meant that he could stay out longer on his first set of tyres when everyone else pitted. Such conspiracy theories are commonplace in Formula 1 and accusations of team orders are always rife. However, Mark Webber has since spoken about these claims in his column on the BBC Sport website. Here's what he had to say on the matter:

"That is absolute rubbish. You just cannot be that fancy around Monaco."

Well that should answer any doubts anyone may have had over Red Bull's strategy. He went on to say, and I'm paraphrasing, that there'd be no point to risk playing these games in Monaco as you put yourself under more pressure from the guys behind you and the mechanics could always "mess up Seb's stop". 

I think both of the Red Bull drivers, and indeed the team, deserve credit for their achievements in Monaco. Webber won, which is always special, and Vettel followed up a poor Qualifying with a nice batch of points. So, can we please stop with the accusations and conspiracy theories that always seem to surround this team whenever they do well? The answer is probably not! I'm sure we'll keep hearing more of them during the season.

Despite these claims the team still lead the Constructors' so they're definitely doing a good job; after all, they're the only team to have won twice so far in 2012!

Aqsa

MONACO, MALDONADO AND MERCEDES.

The highly-anticipated Monaco Grand Prix is the next race on the 2012 F1 calendar and in just two days the practice sessions will begin; they're on Thursday for Monaco instead of Friday! Following the incredible Spanish Grand Prix just under a fortnight ago we have been left craving more racing and Monaco will most certainly live up to our expectations.

The 2011 Grand Prix, the sixth on the 2011 calendar, was full of drama, controversy, excitement and it was the fifth win of the season for Sebastian Vettel. Oh how things have changed... We are now going in to this race with five different winners from five races; Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Maldonado are the lucky ones who have been able to grab the top spot on the podium so far! So, if last year's race is anything to go by we are in for a good one! Throw in the fact that no one has any idea as to what will happen this year and the excitement factor just shoots upwards.

Maldonado won the last race in Spain and he has a good previous record in Monaco leading to some people suggesting that he could make it two wins in two races and become the first driver to win more than one. We know Williams have a good car, if we judge things on what happened two weeks ago, but we also know that means nothing considering the rate at which everything seems to be changing this season. A few of you replied to me on Twitter saying you don't think Pastor can take the win once again and, from what I can see, Hamilton seems to be the favourite on the Twittersphere. Hamilton's teammate, Jenson Button, doesn't believe the MP4-27, McLaren's car, is suited to the Monaco track and doesn't have high hopes for a win here. So if Button tells us the car isn't up to it, can we really argue? Of course, Button didn't seem to be pleased with the car's performance in Spain whereas Lewis set the fastest time in Qualifying and climbed a massive 16 places during the race. It's fair to say what suits one driver doesn't necessarily work for another.

I genuinely don't have any predictions for this race/weekend. Monaco can be home to some great overtakes so what we see on Saturday may not decide how the race ends and, as you should already know by now, tyres will also play a vital role. Once free practices 1 and 2 are over we may have more of an idea as to who the track is suited to and who can demonstrate good race pace but even then I highly doubt that many people will be certain of their predictions.

In other news, just briefly, Mercedes have confirmed their interest in Paul Di Resta, should 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher re-retire at the end of the season. I personally think Di Resta would be a good choice for Mercedes and a good partner for Nico Rosberg. There are quite a few contracts expiring at the end of this year and I think I might have to do a post on this at some point to examine who might be leaving who and who could replace them. There are a lot of great, young drivers on the grid at the moment who would be ideal to fill seats in more established teams and the likes of Di Resta and Perez and co. will have some big decisions to make before the 2013 season begins. However, that is too far into the future to start thinking about at the moment and for now they have a Grand Prix to get on with...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Image: redbull.com)

TYRED AND TESTED.

If you are following me on Twitter first of all thank you and second; you may have seen my tweet yesterday promising an article will be coming up on my blog on one of the biggest issues in F1 at the moment. That issue, my friends, is the issue of tyres! Tyres have dominated the majority of paddock-related talk and management of tyre degradation is proving to be the determining factor in how a race plays out. We have only had 5 races, a quarter of the 2012 calendar, and already the one thing we can be sure of is that tyres will play a big role throughout the season.

BUT... Is this what we want to be seeing in Formula 1? Is it fair that the best cars and drivers may not be able to win races because of their tyre management? Should tyre strategy be the most important thing on race day? These are all contentious and debatable issues and I don't think there is a single F1 fan who doesn't have something to say on this matter. Some people, yes I'm thinking of you Michael Schumacher, are critical of the Pirelli 2012 tyres and don't believe that tyres should play so big a role as it's "not what a Formula 1 event should be". Others think that tyre management is just another thing drivers will have to master and that it's good for there to be more challenges faced by drivers and teams. And others don't really care about drivers but just want to see good racing. There's no doubt that Pirelli's rubber has offered this.

With 5 different winners in 5 races we are witnessing one of the most unpredictable F1 seasons ever. Some would even say that this is a 'golden era' for the sport and, given the Red Bull/Vettel supremacy over the last few years, a bit of variety in the podiums and winners isn't an unreasonable request! When team principals and drivers are interviewed they all say something along the lines of "We have no idea why this season is playing out the way it is". That is a made-up quote but if you've watched the F1 coverage this year you will know what I mean. There can be no denying that, whilst there may be many factors contributing to this crazy season, tyres may be a reason why we have such unpredictability.

How a driver can manage his tyres during his stints is clearly favouring some people more than others. These 'others' will have to learn how to treat their tyres more carefully and they will have to learn fast as it would be a shame to see them losing out on points because they are too hard on their tyres. Lewis Hamilton demonstrated the big pay-off you could get from successful tyre strategy in Spain. He only pitted twice during the race and was the only driver to do so. As a result he finished 8th after starting 24th. I was definitely thinking, towards the end of the race, that his tyres would fall away from him and he would be left with no grip. This can, as we saw with Raikkonen in China, lead to a lot of places being lost because cars overtaking you have fresher tyres and you simply wouldn't be able to compete. Hamilton managed his second set of tyres incredibly well and he was eager to point this fact out when talking to the BBC's Lee McKenzie.

There are just so many areas of debate around this issue and so many points and arguments to look at. The above covers a few of my opinions quite well but this doesn't even scratch the surface. I could talk on this topic at length but I'm sure you don't want to read everything floating around in my brain right now. So I can foresee some more tyre related posts in the future. All things considered, I think I am on the pro-Pirelli side of the fence. The tyre-manufacturers have done all asked of them and provided us with a set of tyres that have provided closer and more exciting racing. Now, who can possible be annoyed with that? Get in touch with me via commenting/tweeting and let me know what YOU think. After all, the tyres were created with you, the fan, in mind!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Iamge 1: yallaf1.com, Image 2: blogs.bettor.com)

BRING ON BARCELONA.

I think my last post gave you an idea of just how excited I am for the Spanish Grand Prix and as promised here is my preview to the race. In just a week's time I'll be getting ready for the race to begin and what a race it promises to be.

The Circuit de Catalunya will play host to the F1 world and, considering how much knowledge and experience the teams have on the track, it will be the first circuit that may give us an indication as to how the teams stand. The opening round of fly-aways is over, as is the in-season test in Mugello, but no-one involved in F1 is any the wiser as to how teams compare in performance. Spain will hopefully answer some of our questions and doubts.

Last time out Sebastian Vettel took his first win of 2012 in Bahrain and I'm certain that acted as a confidence boost to him and his Red Bull team. He won the race in the way he knows best- a pole position on Saturday to race win on Sunday. Any critics of RBR were silenced and the team proved they did have pace in both qualifying and the race. Many have looked to tyres as the reason for Vettel's win but Red Bull had pace throughout the race weekend. Battling with his friend Raikkonen at the end also proved that Vettel can race wheel-to-wheel whilst taking good care of his rubber. This is something all drivers will have to master and gaining a balance between tyre management and pace will be crucial in determining how the season plays out. Should Vettel manage this in Barcelona, the way he did in Bahrain, I think he could be the first man to take two wins this season.

Speaking of tyres, Michael Schumacher criticised Pirelli after the Bahraini Grand Prix. He said that he doesn't think tyre management should be a deciding factor in race classification and this statement has been met with mixed responses. I personally believe that Pirelli have done a great job with their 2012 tyre range and learning how to treat their tyres is another skill drivers will have to learn. In my opinion, it will set the more intelligent drivers apart from the rest and who doesn't want drivers and teams to face more challenges during the race? Well, Schumacher clearly doesn't but sorry Michael; majority rules!

Other drivers who weren't too happy after the Bahrain Grand Prix were McLaren teammates Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finishing with 0 and 4 points respectively. Pit stop problems were partially to blame for McLaren's woes but it just wasn't their weekend. With both drivers missing from the Mugello test, they will have to adapt to any updates the MP4-27 has undergone and aim for stronger results in Barcelona. The 2012 season is so tight that reliability and pit-stop issues must be eliminated if teams are to maintain a strong title challenge.

Lotus definitely impressed in Bahrain by picking up a double podium with Raikkonen 2nd and Grosjean 3rd.  The team put their troubles in China and in qualifying in Bahrain behind them to gain 33 points in their bid to finish ahead of the rest of the mid-field and become established front-runners. If they carry their strong form over to Spain, they will definitely join the battles at the front of the pack in 2012 and both Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean can enjoy strong comebacks; something I'm sure everyone in Formula 1 would like to see.

So taking all these aspects into account and everything we saw in Mugello, I hope you understand just why Spain and the European leg of the season can't come quickly enough for me. There is so much to look out for and so much to be learnt from the race and with no-one any the wiser as to what will happen during the race weekend, a trend that we're all getting used to, the fifth Grand Prix of the season is set to be as thrilling as the first four.

Will Red Bull stay strong and increase their lead in both championships? Will McLaren sort out their pit-stop problems and return to challenging at the front? Who will successfully manage tyre degradation? All these questions and more will be answered in a week's time during the Spanish Grand Prix.

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Image 1: loxlee-loves-engines.com, Image 2: telegraph.co.uk,)

RIP AYRTON

18 years ago today Formula 1 lost one of its most charismatic and loved drivers! Not only was Ayrton Senna a great driver he had a great personality to match. He never seemed 'media-trained' and wasn't afraid to defend himself in the public eye. I'm sure the majority of you have seen the film 'Senna' and I can't imagine there being a person who wasn't affected by his story, his passion and his talent. You can read Senna's biography and about his achievements anywhere on the Internet so I won't just reel them off but whilst there are many drivers who have achieved greatness not many will be remembered in the same way Senna is.

Unfortunately Senna was before my time, but only by an exact month mind you, so I never got to witness his greatness and his genius. Ayrton may have lost his life but his legacy lives on and we should take heart from the fact that no driver has died in F1 since. Senna paid the ultimate price for doing what he loved but it is vital that the F1 community, teams and regulators alike, do all they can so that he didn't die in vain.

R.I.P Ayrton Senna, 21 March 1960- 1 May 1994

Aqsa

(Image: grandprixchampion.wordpress.com)

LOOKING AHEAD TO MUGELLO.

In -season testing is a great opportunity for teams to bring new updates to their cars and see how they will work. They already, after four races, know a lot about their cars and certainly a lot more than they know in pre-season testing meaning they have more of an idea as to what their car needs for improved performance. It's the first time since 2008 that the teams have had this chance so it will be interesting to see how much teams benefit from it and how much progress it enables them to make. And it's a great way to fill the 3-week gap between Grands Prix that we must sadly endure.

McLaren's Jenson Button and possibly Lewis Hamilton won't be at the Mugello test because "there aren't any massive updates to try" according to the former. McLaren have had impressive pace so far so they may not see the point of more updates but if their rivals, like Red Bull, do have updates McLaren may be ruing a lost opportunity. Lewis Hamilton has indicated his desire to take part in the test but the team have not yet altered their plans and their test drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey are set to drive instead. 

The next Grand Prix won't be until 13th May in Spain and the fact that there is a test before it means more unpredictability in the season is to be expected. Many of the top teams will be seeking to work on and eliminate their weaknesses thus far and that can surely only mean they will become closer in terms of performance.

More on Mugello and other F1 news as and when I can update!

Aqsa