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 

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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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

CANADA'S COMING

So the glitz and glamour of the Monaco Grand Prix is over for another year and the attention of the F1 world now turns to the slightly less glamourous Montreal. No offence to Montreal or anything...

The Canadian Grand Prix has a lot to live up to following the record-breaking events that took place in Monaco! The race in Monte Carlo gave us 6 different winners from 6 races; the first time this has ever happened in Formula 1. At the beginning of the year, think all the way back to pre-season testing, we all knew that the 2012 season ahead was going to be tighter and more competitive than what we've been used to in recent years but no one could have predicted just how tight things would be. Can Canada give us the 7th winner from 7 winners and add to the history books?

From what I can gather from the Twitosphere and other places online, it seems that Lotus are again looking like favourites this weekend. I, like many of you, had pretty big expectations of the team in Monaco. Many had said Lotus could take their very first race win of the 2012 Formula 1 season but instead they came home with a DNF for Grosjean and a ninth place for Raikkonen. I'm sure the team were also disappointed with their results and it will be interesting to see whether they could become the sixth constructor to win a race in Canada. They are definitely capable and strong enough to challenge the other teams that will also be looking for a win.

Red Bull will be looking for their third win of the season after they became the first team to win twice last time out. However, issues with the floor of the RB8 may mean they aren't as competitive as they'd like to be or as they were in the last few races. Whether their now illegal floor gave them an unfair advantage over other teams will become apparent in Canada if they suffer from a dip in form. Helmut Marko said that Red Bull were planning to change their floor in Canada anyway but many have been skeptical about the truth of this; why fix something that isn't broken, right?

I'm sure the race in Canada won't fail to deliver the goods! All the races thus far have had their fair share of excitement and that excitement has come in various forms so there's no reason as to why Canada should be any less thrilling. F1 this season has been so unpredictable so there really is no way of knowing what may happen or who will be strong on the day. Form has varied for every team between the races and a strong performance one week does not mean you'll be strong in the next race. Of course, tyre strategy will play a big role and, what with this being Canada and all, I'm sure the weather will also throw up some surprises. I don't think Friday's practice sessions will help improve our understanding of what will happen on Sunday but it seems that's just all part of the fun and games this year!

I guess I am getting used to the way this season will shape up but is Jenson Button right? Will fans eventually get bored of the unpredictability and become disillusioned with the sport? I know I certainly won't!

Do you think this unpredictability of this season has run its course? Is it time to see some stability in team's form? Do you want to see a clear pecking order between teams? Get in touch and tell me what you think of how this season is playing out. Also, do you have any predictions for Canada- who will get pole and who will win?

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

A FLAWED FLOOR.

Following an investigation into the floor of Red Bull's RB8, the FIA has deemed it to be illegal. There was some concern amongst teams after the Bahrain Grand Prix but, on that occasion, the FIA sided with Red Bull on the matter. Clearly, teams still felt unsure about the legality of the Red Bull's floor design after Monaco and took the matter to the FIA again. After the race in Monte Carlo, Stefano Domenicali told the BBC that his team feels no reason to protest but it seems that pressure from Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes led to the FIA reviewing it's decision.

Christian Horner and Red Bull sought clarification from the governing body after some "fuss" was created after Bahrain to ensure that the car was in line with regulations. The feedback they received from the FIA was positive and so they continued to run with this version of their car; as far as they were concerned no rules were being breached. The team had also ran the car in Malaysia and then Barcelona and Horner also added "There are other cars running in similar situations."

After Qualifying in Monaco there was further controversy and Red Bull simply put it down to people complaining whenever a car is competitive; a fair point for them to make when Charlie Whiting himself apparently told Red Bull that he's convinced the floor is legal. The issue arose over a hole in the Red Bull floor that teams felt contravenes the rules. Fully enclosed holes are not allowed to be located on the surface of the step plane of the floor. Arguments had even centred around what constitutes a hole.


Nevertheless, regardless of what Red Bull argue, the FIA have taken their final decision and this means that the Red Bull team won't get to enjoy the Jubilee celebrations too much. They have a lot of work to do over in Milton Keynes so that they have a new, fully compliant floor that keeps them competitive for the next Grand Prix which takes place in Canada in a week's time.


How will this affect the team's hopes for the race? We'll have to wait and see...


Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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!

THIS VIDEO...

...is quite awesome!

Sauber F1 cut through one of their, I believe it's 2008, cars and after two years we can see the end result. The video gives a great insight into how an F1 car is built and reveals all the components of such a high-quality piece of engineering brilliance. Formula One really is at the pinnacle of technology and development and that's what makes it so unique and stand-out compared to other sports.

I'm really interested in the technical side of F1 and all the engineering aspects of it but sadly science was never my strong point; so I'm glad teams do things like this to simplify the technical side of the sport for all of us ordinary fans!

Watch it, enjoy it and leave a comment to tell me what you think...

Aqsa

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