Valencia!

Such is life, but 2012 is flashing by while throwing up challenges of greater complexity and frequency than I'm used to.      Therefore, it is somewhat a shame that I'm not free to sit back in further dissect this amazing F1 season.

This season has already produced more uncertain outcomes than the prior five or six seasons combined.     If I had more time, I'd do some serious research to back up that assessment.

The European Grand Prix at Valencia was no exception.  

Valencia looks a blast to drive . . . especially the practically flat out blind weaving back to the start/finish straight . . . but until yesterday the venue had never offered much in terms of racing.   Last year's GP was probably the most boring in recent memory.

Therefore it was very much a surprise on Sunday to be treated to the stuff from which F1 legends are drawn, and Fernando Alonso's sensational drive from 11th to an emotional victory in front of his native Spanish fans will be replayed on highlight reels for years to come.   

It's hard for me to ignore the potentially symbolic nature of the Valencia podium:     Alonso, overcome with emotion, standing between Ferrari's two most recent world champions.    This crazy season is a long way from becoming subject to internet trending but if I were a betting man I might put a small fortune on this moment.

Alonso won from midfield on this circuit aforementioned for guaranteeing lackluster racing.     He came into 2012 with a dog of a car that would confound most drivers, and has demonstrated remarkable tenacity driving beyond the car's capability and respect for his team in patiently, diligently working for improvement.      Sunday Alonso and Ferrari were rewarded.   

I found Alonso parking his somewhat revitalized F2012 in front of the grandstand and unrolling his newly gifted Spanish flag reminiscent of Senna's celebrations at Interlagos.

What makes this year's European Grand Prix so exceptional, however, is that Alonso's drive was not the only noteworthy performance on display.

Alonso benefitted from a couple of key retirements, most notably Sebastian Vettel, who in typically ho-hum fashion sped away from the front.   Whatever I personally feel for the marketing entity he drives for, I have to hand it to Vettel for remaining a driver not to be discounted.    

Romain Grosjean was also sensational, and had his Lotus Renault electrical system not packed up he might have ultimately robbed victory from Alonso.     Grosjean's path into F1 has been rocky, but his speed and fight are very real.     Despite that his 2012 has so far proven a collection of peaks and valleys, he's holding his own against Kimi Raikkonen.    If he can continue to mature and avoid some of the mistakes which have cost him, he may very well finish ahead of Kimi in the final tally.

Raikkonen put in another solid drive to 2nd.    Kimi capitalized on good fortune when Hamilton's tires went off in the closing stages, but after what happened in China that pendulum was due to swing his way.     I still find Kimi perplexing.    His flashes of brilliance are often segued by moments where it appears some young lady in the grandstands might have caught his attention.      That said, he's an amazing talent, a great benefit to the sport, and I fully expect him to provide quite a show over the remainder of the year.

It was great to see Michael Schumacher back on the podium.     Two and one half seasons following his 2010 return?     I doubt most of us thought it would take that long.      It was fantastic.   I'm hoping he finds his way one or two steps up before year's end.

Finally, a word about Hamilton.    I really have to feel for the guy.      He has been thwarted by his own crew at some point in practically every GP this year.      I'm not anti-McLaren, but when it comes to how passionately and fervently many McLaren fans lash out at Ferrari, I can only laugh at their calamitous pit stops.  

I lost respect for Hamilton several years ago because he'd spend more time on the radio yelling at his team than driving the car.     The irony is that if he were doing that now I'd probably back him up!    LOL

Regarding his clash with Maldonado, I laugh at claims that Hamilton was an innocent victim of an overly aggressive overtaking attempt.     Hamilton was not t-boned.    Much to the contrary, he drove over Maldonado's wheel as result of an ill conceived attempt to squeeze Pastor and protect his position.     The accident was a racing incident, nothing more, with both drivers carrying equal blame.

All in all an absolutely fantastic European Grand Prix . . . and we've much to look forward to as the circus now moves to the core of the European season and some of the fastest, most fabled circuits on the calendar.

  

Future for European GP?

As a standalone event, the European Grand Prix has been held 23 times in Formula One history. Held at five different circuits, the event has conjured up some memorable moments which live in the memories of every F1 fan. Ayrton Senna’s classic drive at Donington in 1993, Michael Schumacher’s drive to victory at the Nurburgring in 1995 and the German’s controversial move on Jacques Villeneuve in the title decider of 1997 are amongst the greatest spectacles in Formula One history. The race’s move from the Nurburgring to the newly built street circuit in Valencia in 2008 promised so much for race fans but has instead failed to produce the magic it promised when it was admitted to the calendar. With a 100% record at producing what one can only describe as processional races, and with the event organizers struggling to find the funds to continue holding the race past 2014, question marks hover over the future of the Grand Prix of Europe, and with increased competition from other countries to host Grands Prix it is difficult for Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA to continue to justify the existence of this particular race.

 If you go back 20 years the F1 calendar consisted of 16 races and was kept mostly to the confines of the major car markets in Europe and the Americas. Although Japan and Australia also held races the competition to host a part of the World Championship was not as vast as today and with what was very much a Euro-centric feel to the season the allowance of countries to host a second race under the moniker of the European Grand Prix was much more understandable. However, the world has changed in that time and as the economies of several countries across Asia have grown so has the desire of these nations to showcase themselves to the planet through hosting a Grand Prix. Since 1999 races have been added in Malaysia, Bahrain, China, Turkey, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and South Korea with India holding its first round in October. America will return to the fold next year and Russia is also set to join the party in 2014. In the last week alone there have been mutterings that Argentina, Mexico and France all want to rejoin the sport in the near future and with the schedule for 2012 already oversubscribed it raises questions as to why the powers that be continue to allow Spain (or any other country for that matter) to host a second round.

Although one can argue that the success of Fernando Alonso means that races in both Barcelona and Valencia means that both the Spanish and the European rounds draw large crowds and are commercially successful, the fact remains that over countries throughout the world are capable of replacing one of these races and would take the sport to a new area of the globe which would allow it to become more accessible to a larger demographic. Despite the popularity of the two races amongst Spaniards there is a case to be made that the situation actually splits the potential audience between both rounds, meaning that each could potentially be more successful without the other. Neither circuit exactly sets off a fan’s excitement radar and so it could be said that visiting two dull circuits in the same country represents a case of racing overkill. It can also be argued that drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel boost just as large a domestic profile as Alonso and would attract people to a second race in Britain and Germany respectively, yet no much repeat visit awaits either country, and at the same time other countries that want a race are ignored to allow this situation to continue.

If Bernie does not want either Barcelona or Valencia dropped from the sport, then there should be no issue with alternating the Spanish Grand Prix between the two tracks. Such an arrangement works fine in Germany and an identical system with the British Grand Prix worked for over 20 years. Doing this would allow both tracks to spend less whilst retaining some F1 action, would still give Spain a race each year and at the same time would open up a space on the calendar for another country. The fans would still go and Spaniards would be kept happy, as would the nation that happened to benefit from the vacancy. And with the sport continuing to enter new territories and return to old there is no reason why the European Grand Prix should be allowed to stay with F1 as it moves into a new era.

Stephen D'Albiac