where has the time gone?

I can't believe that F1 2011 is history.   I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, despite Sebastian Vettel's dominance from moment the lights dropped in Melbourne.

I managed to post my first Top Ten list last year.     I found this season much harder to qualify.    Don't hesitate to comment with your own thoughts if they differ.  

Here's Vol. 2:

1)  Sebastian Vettel    

I hold no contempt toward this adolescent world conqueror even though I very much enjoyed his early departure in Abu Dhabi!  

Ok, fair enough, he's no longer an adolescent.

He is, however, a rare talent.   With the exception of Montreal, I'm having trouble recalling a single mistake that Seb made all season long.    I must acknowledge that consistency.    Seb has obviously demonstrated an uncanny knack for finding the quickest, grippiest line.

2)   Fernando Alonso

I feel like an idiot putting a number 2 in front of Fernando Alonso's name.     Let's start this again.


1)  SEBASTIAN VETTEL & FERNANDO ALONSO

If Alonso is one thing, he is that supreme pilot who can raise his game above it's already lofty perch when the occasion demands.   He is also one of very few drivers who can drive a car to race finish well beyond it's mechanical and aero threshold.  

Fernando is the best driver in the world.     Despite Seb's innate skill, I believe Alonso would beat him in equal machinery.

Several moments come to mind.    His starts in Barcelona and Monza.    His tenacity in England and Abu Dhabi.

2)  JENSON BUTTON

Button may not be the most exciting guy to watch at times but his race craft is becoming legendary.    Very much his own man . . . he gets my vote as the sportsman on the 2011 grid.
 
Stepping into McLaren Jenson has silenced his skeptics and dominated his teammate, never once displaying the slightest insecurity.     He's driving better now than when he won the title with Brawn, and I suspect he will continue to grow stronger.

I feel very fortunate to have witnessed his amazing drive in Montreal first hand.

3)  NICO ROSBERG

I find it interesting to compare Nico with his father.     I sometimes feel that he is actually a more naturally gifted driver, but wonder whether he lacks Keke's fighting instinct.     Keke Rosberg clawed his successes in F1 from drivers such as Senna, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Mansell.

To the contrary, Nico appears to qualify ahead of Schumacher with apparent ease.    Those qualifying results aren't necessarily translating into race pace, and although I feel both he and Schumi are currently handicapped against Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari, the question remains:   Is Nico too nice a guy for F1?

I greatly respect Nico for his skill and maturity, but he resides at this level on my list by default.

4)  MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Schumi had an inconsistent season, but managed to give us a few glimpses of his old self.     I personally found several of his better drives to borderline on sublime . . . granted all sub podium results, they were beyond the reach of lessor drivers.

I can't add too much other than to express my hope that AMG Mercedes will give him a more competitive car in 2012.     His 20 years in F1 have been a gift, and I will certainly break down to pathetic heap if he finds his way back to the top step.

5)  MARK WEBBER

Geez this was a tough call.      

I've joked that Mark Webber has spent too much pre-race time prepping for his post retirement broadcast career, but the serious truth is that he had a rough year.  

Mark has never been the most consistent driver on the grid . . . I've found him prone to brain fade over the years.    However this season he seemed to develop a strange habit of making those mistakes only at the start then recovering with controlled, solid drives to obtain reasonable results.

It's a mixed bag.    His incredibly brave pass on Alonso into Eau Rouge was a season highlight.    However, the late race recoveries contrast the manner in which he was so dominated by his teammate.    

6)  LEWIS HAMILTON

Another very tough call.     A solid argument can be made as to why Hamilton was not one of 2011's top ten drivers, and I came very close to expressing that belief.

That said, I don't want to belabor the ridiculous infantile moments of 2011.     Let's just say that within his wretched year I found a couple of noteworthy performances.  

I will be very interested to see how 2012 shapes up.

7)   SERGIO PEREZ

Perez demonstrated to me that he is controlled, relaxed, smooth, and exceptionally quick.    He's demonstrated that he can take care of his tires.     The on-board moments prior his crash in Monaco were something to behold.

I'm convinced that he is a force to be reckoned with in the coming years . . .

8)   PAUL DI RESTA

I don't have quite the same handle on di Resta's talent . . . I'm lacking thorough insight into why I find him impressive.     He did not finish the year as well as he started, but again I don't fully understand the reasons that he fell behind his teammate.

Despite my need to study this topic further, I've no doubt that di Resta has merited this spot in my top 10.

9)  KAMUI KOBAYASHI

Selecting a driver for this spot was a toss up.

When I ranked Kobayashi 9th on my list last year, I wondered if he'd garner similar notice in years to come.      

Kamui had a formidable teammate this time around and pretty much held his own.    It's fair to say that given the equipment, he probably could not have risen above mid-field, but I'm again curious as to how I'll rate him next year.

I hope to see more growth, less I fear he risks his potential becoming diluted to just another fixture on the grid.


Other drivers of note . . .

Nick Heidfeld.     I'm afraid we may have seen the last of quick Nick in F1.     It's sadly too easy to forget his amazing start and podium in Malaysia.      Had he survived the year I probably would have rated him, but that did not happen.

Adrian Sutil.     I've never fully understood Sutil's potential.    He started to impress me in the final races, but I'm wondering if this was coincidental or due to the threat of losing his job?    

Rubens Barrichello.     I'm sure Rubens deserves more credit but despite his experience he appears incapable of lifting Williams from disarray.    

Felipe Massa.     In all fairness, Felipe spent the year proving that it does in fact take two to tango.    He may have been the victim more often than Hamilton, but he made enough bad judgment calls to prevent my rating him for 2011.    I saw fleeting glimpses of the Massa I knew pre-Hungary 2009, but it would be a stretch to describe this as a year of growth.     I'm fairly certain 2012 will be his last season with the Scuderia.

Thoughts?

Monkey Business

I found this interview with Texas Comptroller Susan Combs revealing.  

I've questioned Bernie Ecclestone's agenda and modus operandi many times over the years, but not this time.    To say that I have a pretty clear idea on where the problem actually lies with F1 in Austin would be an understatement.

Although the USGP has proven a tenuous venture since the days when F1 was a gentlemen's pursuit, Tavo Hellmund's vision for this purpose built permanent home was in my mind genius.  

I believe the Austin iteration of the US F1 Grand Prix was destined to become a fixture for many years to come.     F1 would finally have a worthy home on US soil; a circuit which could provide a real challenge to the drivers and allow US F1 fans a chance to see the pinnacle of automotive technology perform on the absolute limit.

The annual F1 GP accompanied by the Moto GP and V8 Supercar series pretty much assured that the Circuit of the Americas would prove a boon to the region's economy.

Business is business, I respect that.     However I'm sensing, much as sports franchises are hustled from city to city with practically no regard for the paying fan, a suspect lack of stewardship.     Mr Hellmund almost pulled off a miracle, and I can't see it succeeding without his continued involvement.

Worth watching . . .

Here's some truly inspirational filmmaking from both sides of the pond . . .

24HOURS MOVIE TRAILER from STEREOSCREEN on Vimeo.

The Racer's Group: 2011 Finale from TRG on Vimeo.

Enjoy!