Auto Gallery Dominates Sonoma

Originally published in the June, 2013 issue of DrivenWorld
May 2, 2013

Inspired by their strong start to the season, Auto Gallery Motorsports played momentum, focus, and team work to full advantage to achieve fantastic results in the third round of the North American Ferrari Challenge at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma.

Seasoned drivers John Farano and Carlos Kauffman both emerged victorious with race wins in the Trofeo Pirelli Championship.

Qualifying 2nd (Farano) and 4th (Kauffman), the Auto Gallery drivers staged an intense fight for the top step in Saturday’s first race.

Farano leads Kauffman through Infineon's Turn 2


Farano held off a tenacious charge from Kauffman to net his second win of the season, while Kauffman's determined drive gave Auto Gallery a spectacular one-two finish.

Farano, center, Kauffman, right, celebrate Auto Gallery 1-2 Finish

Farano stated, “This (458 Challenge) is probably one of the nicest racecars I’ve ever driven and I’ve driven a few . . . a very, very enjoyable car to drive.”    Farano relied on experience and race craft to hold off a determined attack from teammate Kauffman, keeping Carlos at bay entering the final chicane.

The team refused, however, to merely rest on their laurels.     A very determined Kauffman laid down an invincible pole position lap for Sunday’s second race, “Yeah, I’m happy to be able to do it finally in the season. I really had a great lap.  I heat up my tires, just came out, pretty nice, no traffic, inspired by yesterday’s race.”

Pole position assured, Kauffman parks his steed well prior the end of session

Carlos drove a hard race to keep Ferrari Quebec’s Emmanuel Anassi and Ferrari of Houston’s Mark McKenzie at bay, taking his second 2013 race win thus giving The Auto Gallery both races for the Sonoma round.    Commented Kauffman, “the cars are awesome, you know, it’s a Ferrari, you’re always glad to be on it.”

Kauffman leads Anassi and McKenzie

Kauffman accepts trophy for Sunday's victory from Ferrari of North America's Marco Mattiacci

The team also did well in the Coppa Shell (Amateur) category, with first timer Jim Weiland finishing sixth in class.

Auto Gallery Motorsports is a close knit, cohesive team.    Racing Director Ryan Negri and Crew Chief Rudy Courtade run a tightly focused operation, and are seasoned in what it takes to win.

Courtade and Negri: at home with The Auto Gallery

 

“Ryan and I have been business partners for about 22 years. We started with Go-Karts and progressed into formula cars. We did some Porsche Motorsport stuff and then jumped into the Ferrari Challenge in 2000.    We’re in a nice home with great support and a great dealership in the Auto Gallery,” said Courtade.

Negri added, “The biggest challenge really is staying ahead of the program, making sure the cars are ready, making sure that logistically we’re there, making sure that the cars are fast and reliable.”

Story & Images by
Jim Hunter

...of Hypercars & Countach posters

The unveiling of Ferrari's limited series hypercar "LaFerrari" at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show may have challenged the single minded character of today's high end sports car market.

LaFerrari looks like a Le Mans prototype; its DNA is derivative of almost everything Ferrari have learned in competition.    Even among fierce competitors so exacting in their technological precision, LaFerrari's promise of horsepower, speed, agility, and energy efficiency is immediately astounding.

Ferrari revel in their competition history.    It was once claimed that Ferrari built and sold road cars strictly to finance their racing operations.   Over six decades in F1 and sports car racing, Ferrari have faced many competitors, but probably none more tenacious than McLaren.    Over that same period Ferrari also built and sold many  of the world's most revered sportscars.   Ferrari "the brand," is defined by speed, exceptional performance, beauty, and a legendary history in motor sport competition.

By contrast, McLaren have only recently entered the high end sports car market despite their own lengthy and storied history building racing cars.   Much like their posture in the F1 World Championship, McLaren have entered the game straight away targeting Ferrari.    It is because McLaren lack decades and eras in their approach to producing road cars that they provide a great reference marque for this story.

McLaren's first road car, the BMW powered F1,  actually came in the early 90's and was designed by Gordan Murray.    The car was sort of a one-off, backed by McLaren Supremo Ron Dennis at a time when McLaren was not focused upon making road cars.    Scarcely over 100 examples were made, and McLaren as a company did not introduce any other such vehicle once construction was discontinued in 1998.

Murray is renown for his innovative thinking when it comes to designing racing cars.    His incorporation of Jim Hall's Chaparral 2J into the Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT 46 resulted in a fan car that demolished it's competition in a single outing before being deemed illegal and thus retired to the history books.   Murray mounted a large powerful fan to the rear of the BT 46 chassis to answer Colin Chapman's then all dominant ground effect Lotus 79.    The fan literally sucked all of the air pressure from underneath the car, thus gluing Niki Lauda to the circuit who had but to simply drive around the Lotus, as well as the entire field, to easily win the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.     

Murray later introduced the super low slung Brabham-BMW BT 55, in which he mounted the engine on it's side to allow less restrictive airflow over the vehicle.   Although this car did not achieve success, Murray's design later came to fruition at McLaren, where he, the team, and Aryton Senna enjoyed great success with the MP4/4.   The BT 55 can however be defined as the car which introduced the severely reclined, recumbent seating position we've now grown accustom to in modern F1 and prototype racing cars.

Yet despite these contributions to modern race car technology, Murray's McLaren F1 road car may prove his most influential design.   The F1 arguably raised the influence of technology born performance in modern sports cars above all other considerations in a fashion the world had not previously seen.     As the F1 arrived prior today's climate of logarithmically decreasing shelf life, its resulting legacy is only becoming more apparent with the passage of time.

The McLaren F1 remains to this day, performance wise, one of the most astounding road cars ever produced.    It boldly stated that form can and should follow function, not the other way around.  

Flash forward to 2013, and McLaren have also recently rolled out their hyper car, the "P1."     Counting the MP4-12C and it's accompanying Spider version . . . the P1 arrives as McLaren's third entry since becoming a complete automobile and drivetrain constructor.

If LaFerrari and P1 have one thing in common, it's that they were largely developed in wind tunnels by computers.   Both cars produce staggering performance; both cars utilize cutting edge technology to push beyond boundaries we've come to expect from the most advanced road going automobiles.    They are derivative of the Murray approach in that they are the pure in their pursuit of pace.

Thus they also share another critical similarity . . . virtually no aspect of either vehicle exists outside that performance objective.        

Reaction to "LaFerrari" and the McLaren "P1" has been largely mixed.   Christened with high concept names, embarrassed skepticism has rippled across the internet.    It is immediately clear that neither moniker resonates with enthusiasts, and it is more likely that the true problems with those names reside far below the surface.

Today, Ferrari, McLaren, and host of other ambitious manufacturers find themselves embroiled in a game which shames shortcomings to the most minute, infinitesimal increments.    Should either of these manufacturers dare produce a vehicle that sheds .001 g in cornering ability, they would find themselves roasted on a skewer across web blogs and the international motoring press.  

Have we become so seduced by technology born performance that the notion of taking LaFerrari on a casual twilight drive along the coast seems absurd?     For those lucky enough to drive or own a modern hyper car, how many of their glorious afternoon trips up the coast will be timed by anyone aside from revenue seeking police officers?    Record shattering statistics make headlines and produce tingly sensations, but what criteria truly define a great automobile, especially a great sports car, especially among die hard enthusiasts?    We all know performance is important, but what of styling?  
More importantly, will these owners prove capable enough as drivers as to begin to taste the limits of these cars safely?    With rare exception, I'd guess not.

I wonder whether manufacturers and enthusiasts alike have so fallen prey to media frenzy and focus group marketing to lose sight of the fact that there is indeed something more to the enthusiast experience than strict performance?    Truly great cars are often elusive, almost accidental, and beyond the reach of technology, public opinion, and marketing objectives.

There was a time when styling might have had slightly less mathematical objective.

The Petersen Automotive Museum and the Southwest region of the Ferrari Club of America recently hosted a Ferrari Cruise-in in honor of the late Commendatore's birthday.

A reasonable number of SoCal Ferraristi risked Mid-Wilshire potholes, pedestrians, and errant LA drivers to bring their cars, representing almost every era, for a casual celebration across the top of the Petersen parking structure.   From the early 60's 250 GT Lusso to more recent examples of the FF and 458 Spider, the casual gathering allowed owners and visitors a chance to appreciate the marque which has inspired and influenced the dreams of enthusiasts for decades.

Computers and wind tunnels are valuable, worthwhile tools, but if one were to step back, stroll amongst these machines, and recall the excellent segment Top Gear produced on the ex-James Coburn Ferrari 250 California, it's hard to escape that the sense that something is missing.

James May waxes emotionally about the 250 California's peculiar eccentricities . . . almost as if he's reciting a litany of everything the car does which would certainly be distilled in today's approach.   May is at no loss when pointing out aspects of the car which would make modern engineers cringe, and he does so with a huge grin, enthusiastically tossing out terms such as magical and fantastic to describe the driving experience.   May aptly states: "the performance is not about the figures, it's about the nature of the delivery."
 
The reward in driving great sports cars might not be so much their performance but instead their raw, pre-technology, visceral feedback.     It might also be found in the styling and materials utilized which have nothing to do with performance.    I would argue that unique personality traits, more so than the degree to which they translate into  performance, actually define the enthusiast experience.    

Of course, I'm certain that both LaFerrari and P1 serve up gobs of visceral feedback.     I'm also certain that they are both astonishing automobiles, and I've no real issue with their performance-born styling.     However, I do wonder whether we'll ever see a hypercar which celebrates that casual twilight drive along the coast as much as it does defying the laws of physics.

Era

I'm going to miss Michael Schumacher.    

His decision to retire for good is not all together a surprise . . . but I'd hoped he was to find a seat at Sauber and give it one more go.

I was fascinated with Michael when he first arrived in F1, but fell against him during his early days at Ferrari and the incredible battles with Mika Hakkinen in '98 and '99.    I was at the time and remain to this day very impressed with Hakkinen as a driver and as a person.    In hindsight, my favoritism probably wasn't as much a slight against Schumi as it was a nod for Hakkinen's merit as a competitor, as a sportsman.  

It would prove, however, a few years later before I attended my very first Grand Prix: Imola 2004

I will never forget walking across the bridge toward the start/finish straight, hearing for the first time the ultra-violent, screaming banshee shrill of a Ferrari V-10 exiting the pits.    By the time I'd launched into high gear to run inside the circuit to find the quickest perspective through an obstructing fence, Schumi blasted by at absolute flat chat.   It was surreal.

Schumi on his way to another uncontested victory at Imola in the V-10 F2004

Therefore, it was only during the latter third of his career that I would see him drive in person.    Schumacher won, outright, the first three Grands Prix that I attended.  Despite being in Italy attired in one of my standard Ferrari shirts, I actually hated his victory at Imola, probably because I was afraid he might win every race that year.

2004 was indeed a banner year for Michael and Ferrari.     Together they absolutely demolished the field, and I remember like yesterday the demeanor Schumacher carried to Melbourne to start the 2005 season.    

To this day I've never seen an F1 driver as confident in his place as Schumacher was as the circus arrived for the start of the 2005 season in Melbourne.    Unfortunately for Schumacher and Ferrari, the party was just about to end.  

Renault came into 2005 with a new car, the kind of car Fernando Alonso needed to steal Schumacher's crown and firmly stamp his name as the next great force to be reckoned with in F1.

Most notably, it was the 2005 Imola race where, at least symbolically, the baton of passing eras in F1 history was passed.   Ferrari looked to have regained their footing after a rough start to the year, but Alonso held a resurgent Schumacher at bay.

I did not manage to make a Grand Prix in 2005 . . . I was quite fortunate to have dodged the disaster in Indianapolis that year, but I did make it to two Grands Prix in 2006:    Indianapolis and Monza!

Schumi's '06 win at Indianapolis came complete with his standard exuberance

Stunned to have been so rudely toppled from their throne, Ferrari rebounded in 2006 with the 248-F1, a much improved chassis from the F2005, and although they were nowhere near the same dominant force, Schumacher pulled off an amazing victory in Monza to come within range of wresting the title from Alonso.  

En route to his last victory in Italy, mere laps from the flag

To witness a Ferrari victory at Monza is indeed something special.     Given the significance of this victory in the World Championship, bringing Schumi within a couple of points of Alonso's lead, the atmosphere amongst thousands of Tifosi on circuit was electric.

I was actually standing near Raikkonen's pole position grid slot when Michael announced his retirement

However the Monza plot was also thick with rumor of Schumacher's pending initial retirement, soon confirmed by his announcement in the post race FIA press conference.  Certainly everyone realized that this might prove to be his final victory in Italy for Ferrari.

Schumi's ambitions for an 8th World Driving Championship were further boosted by his 91st and final Grand Prix victory two weeks later in Shanghai.   He equaled 2nd place finisher Alonso's point tally for the first time as the circus moved to Suzuka for the penultimate round, the Japanese Grand Prix.     

Things were at first looking good for Schumacher.    He was leading before his Ferrari engine suffered a uncharacteristic melt-down, handing the Japan victory and probable title to Alonso as Michael was left thanking his crew in the Ferrari garage.     

What was allegedly to be his final race came at Interlagos, where he and Alonso were separated by 10 points.    The elusive 8th title was only possible if Michael won the race with Fernando scoring nothing.
The win would have brought the pair even on points, but Michael would have managed 8 victories to Alonso's 7, thus giving him sole possession of the crown.   Even had the race gone Michael's way these were pretty high odds, and Alonso emerged with his second consecutive World Championship.    

The 7 time World Driving Champion left Interlagos and F1 holding just about every record in the book, and Ferrari allegedly gifted Michael his 248-F1 as a going away present.

Therefore, 2007 began minus Schumacher and with Kimi Räikkönen now leading Ferrari to a dominant victory in his first race for the Scuderia in Melbourne.    Michael briefly slipped away from the paddock, but with increasing frequency through 2008 and into 2009, he slowly began reappearing as a consultant along Ferrari's pit wall.   

Then came mid 2009, and Massa suffered a horrendous collision with a wayward spring from Barrichello's Brawn in Hungary.   Felipe fortunately ultimately recovered, but he was finished for the 2009 season.   The team immediately turned to Schumi to fill Massa's seat.   

Testing restrictions were already in place by 2009, but Ferrari uncovered a loophole which allowed Schumi some much needed time in an older car . . . the F2007.     Schumacher was still recovering from an accident he endured while dabbling in motorcycle racing, and it was far from certain that he would be fit enough to handle the g forces a F1 car unleashes on the driver.

Excitement and speculation were piqued . . . many were elated by the possibility that Schumi would be on the grid in a Ferrari for Valencia.    Unfortunately, the medical results were not good regarding his healing from the bike accident and Ferrari, out of loyalty, turned to long time test driver Luca Badoer.

So although temporarily deprived, the stage had now been set for Schumacher's return.     

As the 2010 season approached, Luca di Montezemelo strongly campaigned the FIA for permission to field three cars.    Montezemolo wanted Michael back driving for the Scuderia, but not at the expense of losing Räikkönen and Massa, the former having won the '07 Championship and the latter . . . so closely knit as to being almost family . . . having lost by merely a single point on the very last corner of the last race in '08.

Schumi's actual F2007 test chassis at the
2011 Ferrari Racing Days/Challenge weekend in Monterey

Sadly the FIA said no, that no team could have more than two cars on the grid . . . a questionable policy in it's own right . . . and Schumacher, having opened the doors to competing again on the world's grandest stage, was not to be denied.

Ironically, Mercedes had already decided they wanted back into F1, and had negotiated to takeover Brawn F1, the former Honda factory outfit.     Given his relationship with Ross Brawn, and that Mercedes played a role in Michael's early career, it was no surprise when they announced that Schumacher would be joining Nico Rosberg on the squad for 2010.

There was some minor controversy prior season start with Brawn handing Schumi the lower car number (normally indicating team leader) strictly on Schumacher's vocal superstition against even numbers.

Schumi tosses his W-01 into Lesmo during practice for the Italian Grand Prix, 2010

High expectation greeted Schumi's re-entry into the world's highest form of motor sport, but the season did not go as planned.   Michael was hardly competitive in the season's Bahrain opener.   By the time the team's closed the European season at Monza, Schumacher had not even managed a podium, with 4th place at Catalunya being his best result to date.

Schumi's faithful fans second guessed his return, and whispers rose to normal conversation that he had perhaps jeopardized his legendary status in returning.

All the same, I personally found myself extremely fortunate to have another chance of watching Schumi drive at Monza.     The area just outside the Mercedes garage and pit box was a busy spot on Thursday's Pit Walk.   No doubt I was somewhat oddly fascinated seeing the former Ferrari Champion in Italy, working for Germany's Silver Arrows . . .

Schumi acknowledging his Monza fans

. . . and I was apparently not alone in that sentiment!

In the eyes of many, Schumacher belonged at Ferrari

Schumacher was also upstaged on several occasions by his teammate Nico Rosberg, and actually finished a couple of places down from him in the final championship tally.     This trend continued through 2011.    In fact, the 2011 season proved at times more frustrating than 2010.

I attended one Grand Prix in 2011 with my very first trek to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix.    After a much delayed, drenched, but absolutely stunning race on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Schumacher netted his best result of 2011, coming very close to his first podium since returning.

There was even one moment when it looked as though he could challenge for the win.     Either way, the driver I saw that day was the Michael of old, and I'm certain many considered the race a turning point in his comeback.

Close call for the podium in Montreal . . . 

My next Grand Prix was Belgium, 2012.     I did not realize this prior our arrival, but it happened to be Schumacher's 300th Grand Prix.     Considering that he began his F1 career at Spa, I considered myself fortunate to be in attendance.  

2012 initially looked to offer more promise, but Michael was still being upstaged by his teammate with Nico taking the team's very first victory in the third race of the year at Shanghai.    Schumi finally found himself on the podium with a 3rd place finish in Valencia, but there were no indications that the car nor Michael's driving were ready to fight at the front.

One off lid for Schumi's 300th Grand Prix start . . . appropriately at Spa

Schumacher's 7th place finish in Belgium equalled his second best results of the year to date, but it would be the following race at Monza where he finished 6th, moving his 2nd best result up one notch.

Free Practice:   Ascari

Following a disastrous outing in Singapore, where he lost track of where he was to slam straight into the back of Jean-Eric Vergne, many joked that Michael experienced a "senior" moment.      It was not long after that Schumacher called a press conference to announce that he would not be back in 2013, and that this retirement was for good.

Heading to Austin for the inaugural United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas, I wondered what it would be like to experience, again, what I believed to be the final time I'd see Schumi compete in F1.

USGP: good quali, yet 16th in the end

Schumi qualified well, but the race proved consistent with these trying days at Mercedes, and as he passed our seats on the cool down lap against the rakish late fall Texas sun, I did not see the exuberant Michael Schumacher of old.

USGP cool down lap:    the final time

I doubt that many foresaw the struggles Schumacher would face since returning in 2010.

On one hand, we should realize that as Schumi simply did not step back into the fray and trounce everyone, it speaks very highly of F1.    Today's grid is indeed formidable.

On the other, the past three seasons have shattered myth, revealing Michael to be merely mortal like the rest of us.

I've heard close friends argue that Schumi threw away his legacy.     I see their point.    Given the contrast from his time at Benetton and Ferrari, it's almost as if he enjoyed walking as a living legend, protected in the safe confines of retirement.     Many believed that he would quite simply step into a F1 car after three years and pick up where he left off.

Although I never believed it would be that easy, I have very much wanted to see him win again.  I have missed his exuberance on the top step.

Who can forget Schumi conducting his orchestra (the Ferrari team) to the Italian National Anthem?  I'd hoped to see a new iteration of his musical prowess to the German Anthem.  I expected him to find the podium more than once, and much prior this year's mid season European Grand Prix at Valencia!

I'm thankful that I probably witnessed the best performance of his comeback in that soggy Montreal race.

Michael made enemies over the course of his F1 career.    Questionable incidents in championship deciding races against Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve remain the most fabled.  

There were also bizarre, funny moments, such as parking his Ferrari 248-F1 at the exit of Rascasse during the closing stages of Monaco qualifying in 2006.    I will never forget Flavio Briatore's exclamation "he's parking the car, he's just parking the car" accentuated with the sound effect of a handbrake on the FIA review video.

Sadly, many will permanently label Schumi a cheater, and I've had to accept that we will most likely never witness his 92nd Grand Prix victory.

Saying goodbye (symbolically) to US fans in Austin

As the 2012 season winds down to a close this weekend in Brazil, and as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso duel to determine who will become the youngest three time World Driving Champion in history, I'll have a hard time ignoring the man whose records pale their accomplishments in comparison.

Michael Schumacher brought a lot of passion and fascination to the sport I love above all others.    Although I was not always his number one fan, I will respect him more and more with each passing year.

I feel fortunate to have witnessed one of the greatest drivers in history compete at the highest level, and no matter how elated or disappointed I may find myself with the outcome of the 2012 World Championship, I will feel the impact of this passing era.





ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT JIM HUNTER
MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT

The Right Move?

There are a number of reports coming out of Italy suggesting that world champion Sebastian Vettel has signed a contract to drive for Ferrari starting in 2014, where he will race alongside Fernando Alonso.

Vettel, who is currently leading the drivers’ standings and is looking good to wrap up a third successive world title, has been backed by Red Bull for pretty much his entire single-seater career, and apart from one race with BMW Sauber in 2007 where he stood in for an injured Robert Kubica, has spent his whole time in Formula One with one of the two Red Bull outfits.

Since joining Red Bull Racing in 2009, Vettel has won 24 out of 71 races, taken 33 out of 71 poles and won two world championships. That is significantly higher than the amount of both wins and poles that Ferrari (with 10 wins, 4 poles and no title wins) have taken in the same period. In addition, Vettel is all but officially the number one driver at Red Bull.

So it would seem strange that he would leave the Milton Keynes-based team to join the Scuderia and race alongside Alonso who is, and still will be in two years time, the undisputed favourite in Maranello.

It’s also worth considering that 2014 will see huge changes to the regulations in Formula One. Whilst the biggest change involves the introduction of new engines to the sport and could well favour Ferrari over Red Bull, there will also be rule changes which focus on both front and rear wings and a potential introduction of some form of cockpit protection, which leaves plenty of room for the designers to get to work.

There is little dispute that the best designer in Formula One is Adrian Newey. That’s Adrian Newey of Red Bull. No matter what possible advantage the new engines could give to Ferrari, with Adrian Newey Red Bull will always have a car that will challenge and will most likely master the aerodynamic changes as well as anyone. So, if you’re Sebastian Vettel, why leave Red Bull to go to Ferrari just when F1 will go through a major change in regulations?

You could argue that Vettel wants to test himself against Alonso, widely regarded to be the most complete driver of his generation, and the only way of doing that is to go up against him in the same team. It could also be argued that Vettel still feels he has something to prove. Since being in Formula One, the German has always either had inferior team-mates (such as Vitantonio Liuzzi and Sebastien Bourdais) or the best car. By going to Ferrari, where he will not be given preferential treatment, will be up against someone equally as good as him and where there is no guarantee he will be driving a dominant car, Vettel has the opportunity to prove himself to be indisputably the best driver in the world.

In many ways it is to be admired that Vettel wants to go up against a team-mate as strong as Fernando Alonso. It is something that Michael Schumacher never did in his first career, and something that Ayrton Senna never even contemplated (infact he vetoed the arrival of Derek Warwick in his Lotus days on the grounds that he was too much of a threat to him). It is a risk that Vettel has shown he is willing to take and one that takes a huge amount of courage.

Seb could easily have waited at Red Bull until the end of 2016 (when Alonso’s Ferrari contract expires and at what will be 35 it is perfectly feasible for the Spaniard will decide to call it a day at that point) to try and get his foot in at Maranello, and no-one would’ve batted an eyelid. As a team that likes a big name driver Vettel would’ve been an obvious choice to succeed Alonso at the team. He could’ve gone to a team like Lotus as a stop gap and waited until Alonso’s seat came available. But he hasn’t, and for that he deserves huge credit.

Vettel’s move could go one of two ways. On the one hand, if he goes up against Alonso and gets the better of him, his reputation will be enhanced and he will go down in the sport’s history as one of the true greats. On the other hand, if Alonso beats him, and beats him soundly, then he runs the risk of having his reputation discredited and his achievements merely put down to having the best car.

Is it the right move? Only time will tell.

A clear picture . . .

The clock is spinning way too fast.   F1 2012 has now truly entered the home stretch and although much remains to be decided, I can't help but wonder where the latter part of the European season went, even when it evaporated right before my eyes.

I also can't help but ponder 2012's new found schizo personality . .  we've lost the crap shoot of the first seven or eight rounds to find ourselves back where we started:   Red Bull, McLaren, wondering if Ferrari can rise in answer.    Clearly everyone has finally figured out Pirelli's tricks and have returned to the annual ritual of out tweaking each other to Brazil.

Spa proved to not be much of a race this year.      Sure, I was excited to be there . . . no complaints, how can there be? . . . but even without the first corner calamity I doubt anyone had anything for McLaren.    Sans Hamilton's departure, we probably would have seen a McLaren 1-2 finish.  Thankfully everyone emerged from the first corner with all of their "attachments" in tact, living to fight another day.

I'd high hopes for Kimi as he always drives so well in Belgium, but he simply did not have the car for the job.    The Lotus-Renault has no doubt proven competitive and did initially look strong . . . but Saturday was odd and it was as if the other teams, between a single FP3 session and quali, found a pace that they could not.     Although Räikkönen survived the first corner melee, Button simply drove away from him in the race.

Given Kimi's command of the circuit, that was really saying something.  

Alonso could've wound up on the podium, and perhaps even mounted a challenge to Button, but my instincts counter that the McLaren pace could not have been matched.  

This was not the case in Monza where for all intents Fernando should have won from pole.      He was clearly quickest in FP3, Q1, and Q2.     Then came Q3.   Many suggest that the broken rear sway bar was merely a cover story . . . perhaps so . . . but from my vantage at the Prima Variante, the cause was not as clear as the immediacy in which that pole was lost.      The Ferrari struggled through the left hand exit of the chicane onto the opposite curbing.     The resulting lack of launch into the Curva Grande spelled disaster, and I wonder whether Fernando immediately backed off, knowing his day was done.

Alonso recovered on Sunday, driving a magnificent race to claim what initially looked to be a 2nd place finish.     That was until Sergio Perez served up another stunning example of how to preserve one's tires to their fullest advantage and stole the 2nd step from Fernando in what Niki Lauda later described as the drive of the race.  

Fernando still managed to leave Monza increasing his lead in the driver's title, but Singapore has since rendered that buffer merely a brief respite from his competitors who are getting quicker.

So despite all of Alonso's tenacity, despite his busting Ferrari's collective tails to haul the F2012 from obscurity, his real work begins now.  

There isn't a circuit remaining on the calendar where Alonso and Ferrari can rest.   Suzuka will prove favorable to Red Bull and McLaren, and they will be more likely suited to the heavy dose of Tilke circuits which carry us to Interlagos.

I've heard that provided Alonso can stay on the podium he'll preserve his lead and take the title, but my math does not support that theory.     Ferrari are faced with a battle they know all too well . . . a car that does not maximize tire performance.     It will be upon Ferrari's ability to respond where Alonso's much deserved third driving title will hinge.

Alonso's driven beyond the F2012 all season.  He's already merited the title in a fashion few world champions before him have.   However, his skill alone probably can't answer the rising challenge ahead.

Speed bump?

I adore the new Ferrari F2012, and challenge the wildly popular contention that the new "low" nose configurations incorporated by Ferrari, Lotus, Caterham, Red Bull, etc. for 2012 are ugly.

Specific to the F2012, I find the car to offer a more balanced overall footprint.     Compare the image above to this profile of 2011's F150 Italia:

Of note, I find there to be several key points to consider.     

The F150 looks bottom heavy.    I'm no aerodynamicist, but I can't help but think this may have contributed to Ferrari's issues with front tire temperatures throughout 2011.    In contrast, the contour of the monocoque dropping to the keel, under and around the radiator side pods, gives the F2012 a more aggressive stance.    All four corners now appear firmly planted upon the asphalt.     

The new airbox configuration looks fantastic.    I also dig the deeper hue that Ferrari have opted for the 2012 red and the new OZ wheels don't look too shabby either.

I suggest that too much emphasis has been focused solely on the "speed bump"joining the nose/wing to the monocoque.    

I can understand where if one were to look at that particular facet of the car alone, then "ugly" might be fair commentary.    However, when stepping back to take the car as a whole, I fully expect that the F2012 will not visually disappoint when attacking the world's great corners.

Observations, Round 2

Perhaps it's the high definition, but I previously did not realize there was quite the degree of elevation change on the very fast left right sweeper leading up to the back straight.     IMHO, Sepang is a great circuit.    It offers at least four, arguably five turns great for overtaking not to mention two long straights excellent for exploiting tow.

Pretty good race.    I could not help but notice (perhaps due to DRS) that there was so much overtaking that it all started to look a bit easy . . . a personal fear previously noted.

Great to see Heidfeld fight so hard to live up to my early praise (LOL).    Poor Petrov.    His race looked more like the Vitaly of latter 2010.    I like Petrov.    It's clear to me that he's a good guy.    Unfortunately, he appears prone to brain fade in the mold of the Monza Gorilla, Vittorio Brambilla.    I had to laugh at Brundle's bemusement when Petrov kept his foot in it returning from his off course excursion late in the race.    

Fortunately, Petrov was not injured but it reminded me of a cynical moment in the "Road Warrior" when he found himself holding a completely useless steering wheel.

Kubica.    The Lotus Renault is strong . . . and for all we know he might be leading the championship now.     Let's hope he continues to recover and returns sooner rather than later.

Not up on the details regarding the penalties handed down to Hamilton and Alonso, but off the cuff my take on this embarrassingly awful moment was that it was purely a racing incident . . . the FIA should not penalize racing.  

I've watched the on board several times and don't see any wrong doing on Hamilton's behalf.    I simply think Alonso got caught out by underestimating his closing speed on the McLaren.     On close inspection it is surprising how slow Hamilton appears in contrast to the Ferrari.  

In the end it was a great shame as Alonso put forth an otherwise noble fight to make the podium.     As my friends across the pond might say, "its early days," but I'm hoping Ferrari can pull it together sooner rather than later.  

There was great analysis on the BBC from Coulthard, who demonstrated via recorded engine note Hamilton's ability to take one of the super quick left right sweepers flat where Alonso was clearly lifting.     My impression is that Ferrari historically struggle with grip, and much as in recent years past, the optimum setup for the 150 remains elusive.

Finally, I have to feel for Mark Webber.     I hope his fortunes take a turn for the better soon.

. . . the year ahead

It sounds funny saying that now.    Late March, no really . . . late March.   I'm already looking at 2012.

We begin in Melbourne.     The F1 season should start in Melbourne.    It is perhaps too convenient to simplify events in the Middle East as westernization,  but in light of Ecclestone's insatiable thirst to push the sport east, it is ironic.

So under clouds of worldwide political turmoil and catastrophic events, F1 moves into a new season . . . and not a moment too soon.    We need this spectacle, the ultra violent pitch of 18,000 rpm, especially now.

I have not kept as keen an eye on winter testing as normal, but there is much to be excited about.     My observations are not unique, but I hope they may help turn focus away from turmoil if only for a brief moment.    

Off the cuff, here's my head space as we enter the 2011 campaign

Testing suggests that Mercedes have in fact built a car to Schumi's liking and that he will thus be competitive.      I would love to see BOTH Mercedes drivers win this year . . . Nico is due his first race win.     Seeing Schumacher back on the podium . . . the top step of the podium . . . might erase the short term memory many formed about the driver previously remembered as a 7 time world champion.

The season hasn't started and I already miss Robert Kubica.   I find his fortunes incredibly cruel.    The (Lotus) Renault was the first F1 car built specifically for him and it has looked very strong in testing.     How tragic would it be that Kubica could have in fact been a top three contender for the title?

I can't help but wonder that should Kubica return mid season, whether we'll see him reunited with Heidfeld for the remainder of the year.     Despite his disciplined drive in Abu Dhabi 2010, Petrov left me with more questions than answers concerning his place on the grid.

Despite their version of the F-150 looking very strong, Ferrari have their work cut out against Red Bull.      Massa must perform this year.      He must consistently place on or just off the podium this year to stem the points haul Red Bull look set to claim.      

No matter how great a driver Alonso clearly is, should Red Bull overcome their technical woes of 2010 ( brake and engine), he probably will not be able to defeat them alone.

Should the new McLaren fail to keep pace, it will be interesting to see how Button and Hamilton get on.   

Speaking of getting on, Webber may find himself on the back foot if he doesn't start strong.    This weekend, he may start to feel the true pain that comes from losing the title to his teammate. 

Unfortunately, I've not much comment on the latest overhaul in technical regulations.     

Good to see Pirelli back in the sport but I can't help but wonder if the purpose built obsolescence of their tires will do more to destroy great drives than create artificial drama. 

I don't know.    It seems nowadays that they rewrite the rule book every year . . . but after 35 years I keep coming back.     They can't shake me and they can't destroy one the greatest spectacles of modern competition.