Qualifying – German Grand Prix 2006 LIVE Telecast…

Qualifying – German Grand Prix 2006

LIVE Telecast of the Qualifying was skipped once again. And this time it seemed ridiculous. Who watches a cricket match, that too between ZIMbabwe and BANgladesh. If it had been for Tennis, Soccer or any other sport which deserved attention, it would have been a little more undertsandable. I just want to ask the Star Sports broadcasting team – How many Indian audience would have actually seen the first 15 overs of the Zimbabwe batting in an utterly insignificant one day international? And if they can even provide some figures, I am sure there would have been a many more people who would have actually watched Formula 1 qualifying. Talk about advertisements and broadcast committments, this decision by the ESPN Star Sports has not made them very popular amongst the Indian Formula 1 fans.

That was that. One more time the qualifying was to be repeated, but in my case, I did not know. I was not informed by a thoroughly ignorant friend who was busy with some business of his. Inspite of asking again and again, the guy never told me that I could watch the session again in the morning. According to him the only other delayed/repeat telecast will be at 2.30 AM.

So, in effect, I missed the qualifying from Hockenheim. Now what all I am going to write about is some analysis on the lap timings and grid positions I see on the formula 1 website.

Kimi Raikkonen has surely surprised everyone with his amazing performance. Nothing new with the driver I am sure, its just that the car seemed to have worked very well. The german Grand Prix is a race which is eyed by a lot of teams. BMW Sauber’s and McLaren’s headquarters are based in Germany. For Ferrari, its the Home Grand Prix of Michael Schumacher. And there are many other teams which have major technology centers or headquarters in Germany.

Fernando Alonso finished a full second behind Michael Schumacher. Its likely that the Renault is carrying a bit more fuel than the Ferrari. This strategy can pay off well, if the team can put everythign together. But there are a lot of front runners who will be tough to overtake. Jenson Button set a very competetive lap, but the tough race is ahead for the team. There have been technical and reliability issues for the last few races. Maybe the German Grand Prix can bring an end to the misfortunes of Honda. Felipe Massa has been consistently matching the pace of team-mate Michael Schumacher. The Ferraris will start from the second and third places on the grid. Pedro De La Rosa will surely need a litte more time to get the maximum out of his car and match the performance of his team-mate. A new driver in the super Aguri Honda for this race, I am sure there are going to be some great moments in the race with two japanese drivers racing for the team. Maybe we will have two Japanese teammates adding to more dramas and action on the track.

The Ferrraris have a tough job in hand if they want to win this one. Fernando Alonso will have to try a little too hard if he is not carrying too much of fuel onboard. You never know what strategy the team has adopted, so its not easy to predict the outcome of the race. The McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen probably has the best chance of the season. So much familiar track, home race for the team and starting from P1. What more is required to win a race with a driver like Kimi at wheel? Maybe a bit of reliability and a lot more luck. This car is the one to be watched out in the race. Predictions in Formula1 are risky. I wont put my money on any team or driver. Ferrari surely have a very good chance to close the gap on Renault. The German Grand Prix is surely going to be very exciting. Its LIVE on Star Sports at 17.30 hours IST.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

Grand Prix du France 2006 Another near perfect v…

Grand Prix du France 2006

Another near perfect victory for Ferrari. A record 8th French Grand Prix win by Michael Schumacher, maximum ever by any driver on any track in the history of Formula 1™. The best trophies I have seen in recent times, were awarded to the winning constructor and the maestro Michael Schumacher.

The race was all set to be very exciting with Ferrari locking the front row. Fernando Alonso could not just sit back this time and drive home to another victory. On the home turf, expectations from Michelin were tremendous. There seemed to be nearly equal support for both Ferrari and Renault.

The five red lights illuminated, and the Ferraris were off to a good start. Fernando Alonso came wheel to wheel with Felipe Massa on the very first corner but rightly pulled back as there seemed to be no chance of getting past the Ferrari. Michael started to pull away from the rest of the pack. The first few laps of the race were very tactical, Massa held Alonso and allowed team mate Schumacher to open up the gap. It was pretty clear that the Renault was slightly faster then the Ferrari of Felipe Massa. The move cannot be considered as an unfair one beacuse no driver gives his plac on the grid at any cost. And the Magny Cours circuit is a circuit which does not provide many overtaking opportunities. There was simply no reason to let a car behind you pass by, and that too when it can possibly challenge your team-mate. Full marks to Felipe Massa for holding back Fernando Alonso. The foundation for Ferrari’s potential victory was laid in the first 10 laps.

After about 16 laps, Fernando Alonso found some clear track ahead of him as Felipe Massa dived into the pits for the scheduled first pit stop. Michael kept running, and stopped two laps later. At this stage it looked like both Renault and Ferrari were on a three pit stop strategy. A perfect race for Ferrari was in the making. Takuma Sato was the first retirement with transmission failure on his Super Aguri Honda.

Micheal Schumacher was still running strong, ahead of the rest of the pack. It was one-two for Ferrari when the second round of pit stops started. Kimi Raikkonen was the first to make the second stop, it was an unusually long pit stop and it looked like the pit work was all over for McLaren. From here on, if Kimi would put his head down and drive, he would even improve his chances of a podium finish. The second pit stops of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were separated by full 8 laps. This was the time when Renault turned the tables. A switch from a three stop to a two stop race strategy was a bit of a surprise for everyone (except the Renault pit crew ofcourse).

When Micheal Schumacher came out of the pits after stopping second time, he just joined just behind the Reanult of Fernando Alonso. You know you are one stop ahead, but it still doesnt feel good psychologically to follow your arch rival. In another 4 laps Fernando Alonso dived into the pits and stopped longer this time. This time around, Fernando Alonso joined in once again at the third spot. This was not to last long, it became pretty much clear that it was Renault who will split the Ferraris. Massa was to make another pit stop before he could possibly think of a race finish. Micheal was nearly 23 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso and was yet to make another pit stop. The gap opened up to more than 31 seconds before Micheal stopped for freshc tyres and fuel for the third time. Less than a 6 second pit stop and Renault of Alonso was not even in sight as Schumacher emerged from the pits. It was job well done for the Ferrari pit crew and the strategy had worked very well, atleast for one Ferrari (if not both).

The race started to stabalize from thereon before Kimi stopped for a third time. There had been some problem with the refuelling rig last time, and the McLaren could not have made it to the chequered flag without some more fuel. When the refuellling rig problem was not known, the move by McLaren to run the car for about 35 laps on a single set of tyres appeared to be a very brave one. But there are no magical instances in Formula 1 and it turned to be another fiasco by the McLaren engineers. One can also blame it on the equipment, but once again McLaren lost a potential podium place due to the unending problems with reliability.

The race brought mixed fortunes for other teams. Amazing performance by Toyota as Ralf Schumacher finished fourth. Had it not been for the brakes problem on Trulli’s car the team would have scored some more valuable championship points. The car looked very strong and this is one team which is to be watched for in the next few races. Technical problems with Honda seemed to be unending. Possibly the worst season for sucha a talented driver as Jenson Button. Nothing has worked for the Honda team this year. You name a problem in the technical department and they have faced it. Renault was not strong at all this weekend, it was the driving by Fernando Alonso that possibly won them that podium place. Giancarlo Fisichella could not finish anywhere near his team-mate. First race for Pedro de la Rosa after Bahrain 2005, and he managed to score a couple of points for the team. The drive during the race by Pedro had been truly amazing, especially the wheel to wheel battle with Mark Webber and some opposite lock corrections at some of the very tight corners. He has been testing the McLaren for a long time and it is time now for him to race for the rest of the season (at least). There are surely better performances to come from this very talented driver.

The race became pretty much settled and the finish brought no real surprises. It was victory numer 8 for Michael Schumacher at Magny Cours, the maximum ever by any driver on any race track in the history of Formula 1. And yes it came at a very crucial time and was truly well deserved. Felipe Massa had to settle for the third place as his three stop strategy was no mach for the second place Fernando Alonso. One- Two would have been great, but one-three is also good enough. What an expression this race victory brought on Jean Todd’s Face, never has he looked so delighted. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher are more of a family , than simply a race driver and a racing team.

Trophy presentations are most enjoyable when Michael Schumacher wins. The way he conducts the Italian national anthem and that trademark jump on the podium (which is sort of a discovery of 2006) add to the jubiliant atmosphere.

The Team had all the reason to celebrate the record win. Pit crew deserved all the credit for the near perfect stoppages.

Trophies for a special occasion, in the shape of the digit eight were presented to Michael Schumacher and the technology chief of Ferrari. the rest of the two podium finishers were presented a rather simple yet elegant trophies.

The French Grand Prix 2006 will be a memorable one for the history that has been created here by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. There has been some amazing excitement up and down the order both on and off track. The championship becomes more exciting as the teams head to Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix. No predictions for that one, but things are still looking good for Renault. The fight for the championship will go all the way to the season end. More action still to come.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

2006 French Grand Prix, Qualifying An all Ferrari…

2006 French Grand Prix, Qualifying

An all Ferrari front row in succession, but this time in the home grand prix of the rivals Renault.

The Magny Cours circuit is a very tight and twisty circuit with very few overtaking opportunities. First session was good but not for Jenson Button in his Honda. The car was just not fast enough. Vitantonio Liuzzi failed to make the cut inspite of making all the efforts. Jack Villeneuve surprisingly could not get out of the relegation zone. A very noticeable change was the replacement of Juan Pablo (more to come on him in another of my posts after the French Grand Prix) by Pedro del a Rosa. The new vertical wings on the BMW Sauber look a little funny, but who cares if they are legal and give an advantage to the team.

Q2 was more exciting than any other second session in the 2006 season so far. The new regulation of counting a lap thats already been started before the chequered flag comes out was a bit of a surprise for Steve Slator as well. Steve was all alone commenting on the the qualifying with Chris Goodwin still busy with Mclaren. It surely is a tough job and requires two people for sure, no more, no less. David Coulthard started a lap in the dying minutes of Q2 and by the new regulations, he was allowed to record a time. Result – P10 for DC and he knocked out Mark Webber. Amazing performance by Toyota kept Nick Heidfeld and Christian Klien out of the top 10. Rubens Barrichello was surely strugling with his car. It wasnt easy for any of the drivers on this very dusty track, but the conditions improved with time. The Ferraris and Renaults came out very late for the second session. Michael Schumacher was spot on and set the fastest lap. He very nearly matched his fastest lap time which he set on a V10 engine Ferrari. The McLarens made it to the final 10 but did not look as strong as the Ferraris or even the Toyotas. Nico Rosberg showed no lack of commitment on the chicanes and got himself out of the relegation zone.

Qualifying Session 3 saw more of racing than qualifying. Fernando Alonso forming an all new lane in the pits to line alongside Michael Schumacher. Schumacher turned his head and maybe he would have had grinned inside his crash helmet. Lights went green and the Renault headed the pack. Seemed like the race was already on with Michael trying an overtaking maneuver on Alonso and succeeding. The new rules have reduced the last session time by 5 minutes. No harm done, the session has become a little more exciting. Fastest lap was set by Michael Schumacher who was closely matched by team-mate Felipe Massa. The cars came out with another new set of tyres with just over 3 minutes remaining. Kimi Raikkonen drove smoothly and set a competetive lap time. Toyotas set up very good lap times ahead of Fisico in his Renault. In the dying moments of the session, Alonso, Schumacher(s) , Massa started their final flying laps. Fernando Alonso was ahead of Michael in terms of the relative location on race track. Micheal had a lot of space in front and there was no way one could think that he can possibly be bottled up behind the Renault. First sector time, Michael ahead , at the end of second sector, once again Michael was faster than all others. Looked like Alonso would beat the time set by Micheal and he did manage to do that. But seconds later, Micheal set up a faster lap. Game Over – Michael on pole and a smiles in the Ferrari pits. Was it over yet? Felipe Massa was coming towards the finish line and boy oh boy what a lap that was. Superb performance to knock Fernando Alonso from P2 and lock the front row on the starting grid. Jubilation in Ferrari pits and a grim face of Flavio Briatore (always a good sight). Toyotas will line up behind the Renault of Fernando Alonso.

My predictions on the race. Its going to depend on the pit strategy in a big way. The tyre war is on again and seems like its going to be advantage Michelin. Micheal can very well win this race. Fernando Alonso may possibly make an improvement. I would love to see the Toyotas overtaking Alonso and making it to the podium. The race is going to be very exciting for sure. All the action from Nevers Magny Cours is LIVE on Star Sports @ 1730 hours IST!

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

2006 United States Grand Prix Review to come soo…

2006 United States Grand Prix

Review to come soon

2006 United States Grand Prix, Qualifying All Fer…

2006 United States Grand Prix, Qualifying

All Ferrari front row. Fernando Alonso off the pace for the very first time in the season. A very exciting qualifying session overall with some surprising results at the back of the order.

The first session saw Christian Albers and Tiago Monteiro setting considerably fast lap and looked pretty strong. Nico Rosberg retired early in the session. Jarno Trulli would e very unhappy with the way the car has been behaving. The Toyotas of both Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli were set up so low, that they left a trail on the track when the cars were on the banking. This is a rare sight in Formula 1 and I personally dont remember seeing such an incidence on other other track in the world. DC and Klein did not perform well in the RBR Ferrari cars. Klein however managed to stay out of the relegation zone by grabbing the final position. It was Michael Schumacher all the way to the top who was later outperformed by his team-mate near the end of the first session.

The second session was bound to put some competetive racing on display. The Midland F1 cars were prepared to do the best and go fastest possible. A number of tires, but both the cars failed to make the cut to the top 10. Scott Speed did well at home to finish 13th in the machinery he has been offered. Disappointment for Montoya and Webber. Williams Cosworth were not on pace. Nico was disappointed after the first session and Mark Webber wasnt just fast enough to make it to the top 10 and later improve his grid position. Juan pablo slid on one of the corners and lost the best chance he had. No more results came from subsequent tries as the clock ran out before Monotoya could finish his flying lap. Nick Heildfeld did pretty well to secure his position in the top 10.

More than a single lane was formed on one of the widest pitlanes in the world. Alonso and Schumacher were lined side by side and it looked like the race was on from the pits. Good, competitive times were setup by the top drivers. Nick Heidlfeld retired early in the sessionwith some mysterious car problem. Rubens Barrichello and Jack Villeneuve had strong runs. Kimi was distracted by the slowing down Ferrari of Massa, aborted the lap, dived into the pits for a new set of tyres and was back on track to set the flying lap. The Mclaren did not look strong at all. Kimi could not finish better than 9th. Disappointment for McLaren overall, they will have to rely on the pit strategy tomorrow to earn some championship points. Ralf was stunning in second session. Strong run in the final session will ensure that he lines up in the 4th row on the grid. Ferrari are back on top. thanks to the Bridgestones. As always, the tyre war is on at Indianapolis. Good run from fisico but still not good enough to beat the scorching Ferraris. Fernando Alonso might be on a different strategy altogether. The lap times indicate that he might be running heavy. Barichello seems to get his feet right in the Honda. Jenson Button’s performance was satisfactory as well. Honda can look forward to some point scoring at Indy.

Race win is expected for Ferrari if things dont go wrong. Third place doesnt seem to be clear at this moment. Alonso might make more improvements if Renault can get their strategy right. Nobody else seems to have the relaibility and pace to look forward to a podium finish. Ralf needs to be a little more careful, considering last years’ disasters at Indy. My predictions for the race – Ferrari have a good chance provided they capitalize on the opportunity. Renualt are not far behind and the ferrari drivers will have to keep a careful eye on the rear view mirrors. I am expecting a different result this time and some amazing wheel to wheel racing. Ferrari said they would have challenged the teams last year had it been a complete race and with the current qualifying performance it looks like they did not over-estimate their performance. It is going to be a very exciting race for sure if the events of the previous year are not repeated. All the action coming up from Indianapolis Motor Speedway , LIVE on ESPN.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

2006 Grand Prix du Canada McLaren’s Loss is Renau…

2006 Grand Prix du Canada

McLaren’s Loss is Renault’s Gain. This time Ferrari joined the party as well. What could have been the first win of 2006 for the McLaren team turned into a bit of a disaster with Kimi Raikkonen just managing to make it to the lowest step of the podium.

The race was all set with both the Renaults on the front row of the grid. Alonso was off to a good start but Fisichella gave his position away to the scorching McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen. Michael Schumacher was nearly bottled up and had to pull of the racing line to avoid any contact and lose and further positions on the grid. Jarno Trulli had a very good start and managed to hang on to the same spot at which he started the race. Less than a second separated Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen and the Mclaren came quite close to getting past the Renault. Giancarlo was penalised for the jump start and had to dirve through the pit lane which lost him two vital positions. The Renault and McLaren seemed to run away from the rest of the pack. Michael Schumacher was closely and patiently following the Toyota of Jarno Trulli. The Ferrari was bottled up behind the Toyota for quite a number of laps but Michael did not really make an attempt to get past the Italian driver. Christian Albers and Nico Rosberg were out of the race very early. Nico had a good chance in Montreal but he did not have much luck. The race was over on the second lap with that move by Juan Pablo Montoya. This guy is highly impatient, he tries to put the nose of his car where there is just about not enough room. He spoiled the race of Nico Rosberg. I was expecting an investigation in this incidence but the race stewards decided otherwsie. Another black flag in the Montreal could have served Montoya right. Nico Rosberg did not put a foot wrong in this race and he surely deserved a finish within the top 8. Montoya said -”There is no point in saying who is to blame”. Are you really ready to take all the blame? Thats perhaps the easiest way to escape further questions on the incidence with Rosberg. Later in the race after he got the front wing replaced Montoya did overtake a couple of cars, but then he got what he really deserved, he spun off the track and damaged the rear of the car. You spoil someone else’s race for no reason, that is a perfect gift you can take back home. At the head of the field the battle was on between Alonso and Raikkonen. Raikkonen came very very close to overtaking Alonso but it was just not enough. Both cars ran wheel to wheel and Kimi managed put the nose of the McLaren ahead but pulled off on the corner at the end of the long straight. Still more laps were left and it could have been made more easy. The battle continued.

Then came the first round of pit stops. Race leader Fernando Alonso dived into the pits. Kimi still running strong and recording some quite laps. It never really seemed that Michael Schumacher was going to stop soon. Kimi went into the pits after a couple of laps. Once again reliability problems for McLaren, this time with the clutch. 8 seconds stationary for Alonso but 14 seconds for Kimi as on of the pit crew members put his hands up in the air with problems in the right rear tyre. Valuable time lost off track and for West McLaren Mercedes, that was the end of all hopes of victory in Montreal. Michael Schumacher came in late for the pit stops. Jarno Trulli had already made a stop. The order now was Alonso, Raikkonen, Schumacher, Trulli, Massa, Fisichella. Felipe Massa was yet to make a pit stop. The race did not have much of excitement from there on. The positions seemed to have stabalized a bit. There was a comfortable 23 seconds gap between first place Renault and the third place Ferrari of Schumacher. Alonso could have easily made another pit stop and still managed to come out ahead of Schumacher.

The second round of pit stops brought some more dramas for McLaren. The clutch still not operational, the car had to be given a push from the pits. About 5 vital seconds lost yet again. Kimi managed to come out just ahead of the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher who was still to make his second and fin al pit stop. Renault and McLaren were on a 3 pit stop stragtegy while Ferrari of Schumacher was scheduled to stop twice and that of Felipe Massa was on a single stop strategy. Michael challenged Kimi for the position forsing him to make a mistake. Michael had to go for another set of tyres and more fuel so there was no use pushing Raikkonen further for that second place. Michael came out of the pits and put some good lap times. The gap between the Ferrari and McLaren began to reduce. Felipe Massa came out of the pits after his only pit stop and re-joined the race in 5th position behind Fisichella. Meanwhile almost every driver including Alonso, Schumacher and Raikkonen were sliding off track due to lack of grip on track. The very hot and slippery surface forced the cars onto the grassy area, but no damage done.

Meanwhile Jack Villeneuve had a word with his race engineers on the radio, who instructed him to keep it together and finish off from where he was currently running. The lap did not last more than a couple of corners before the Williams slid across the track with tyres locked and crashed into the barriers. Safety car came out and all the gap between Alonso and Raikkonen was now reduced to a couple of seconds and to back markers. Three back markers and about 3 seconds separated Kimi and Michael. The safety car went in with only 7 laps remaining in the race. It took some time for drivers in 2nd and 3rd position to overtake the back markers. Lucky strike again for Alonso. Had it not been for the two back markers between the Renault and McLaren there would have been a great battle for the first position. And who knows with Kimi at the wheel of a McLaren it would never have been easy for the Spanish driver to clinch race victory. Lack of tyre grip or a mistake, Kimi ran wide on one of the hairpins and gave away second place to Michael Schumacher on the penultimate lap of the race. No real celebrations in the pits fro Ferrari, they are not the ones who bank upon others’ mistakes and celebrate. They accept whatever comes in this form with both hands and dont over react.

Fourth consecutive race win for Alonso, second place for Ferrari which was more of a consolation for a team which so desperate for race wins. Strong finish by McLaren which gives the team some confidence for the next few races. Fisichella scored more championship points for Renault. Felipe Massa could have done well on a single stop strategy but maybe he got it a little wrong. Toyota should be a little contented with 6th place finish by Jarno Trulli. Bitter disappointment for Ralf yet agian. The Canadian Grand Prix was not much different in terms of the number of finishes, just 15 cars made it to the chequered flag.

The race was very exciting with some wheel to wheel racing early on and some unexpected events in the later half. Races are won and lost in the pits, the 2006 Canadian GP was yet another perfect example. Had the result been a little different (just the top spot) ,it would have been a lot more exciting. The 2006 season has reached the half way mark. Its now time for a change of fortunes. I am sure a lot many people around the world want to see a different winner in the races to come. With the current form of Renault, I would be more than happy if the FIA find something wrong with the Renaults that is against the rules and regulations. The pace of the Renaults seems to be a little magical and a lot more surprising. Is there something that they have been exploiting for their benefit which is not allowed? Well, thats one question the FIA can answer provided they wonder why the Renaults have such a performance that seems to go a couple of steps ahead of the rest of the teams.

In a weeks time the teams head for United States. McLarens could be strong and the Ferraris could be the performers at Indianapolis. Given their current form one can never rule out Renault from any Grand Prix. I hope we have a different winner before we head back to Europe for more action.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

Canadian Grand Prix ‘06 , Qualifying An all Renau…

Canadian Grand Prix ‘06 , Qualifying

An all Renault front row for the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix. Was hardly a surprise with the current form of the blue team and mediocre performances by the main competitors.

The first session was a lot more interesting than it usually is. Scott Speed set the initial benchmark for the rest of the drivers. The times tumbled and so did the positions. Disappointment for Mark Webber as he could not even make it to the top 16 in his Williams. Some problem with the way the car is handling which doesnt seem to suit Webber’s smooth driving style but still good enough for Nico Rosberg. DC just managed to hang onto the 16th spot and stay out of the relegation zone. Kimi Raikkonen was just 26 thousandths of a second slower than Fernando Alonso in the first session. Micheal Schumacher once again made no attempt to improve his lap time, its hardly needed in the first session. Jack Villeneuve looked all fired up on his home grand prix from the very first lap in qualifying.

The second session did not produce any different results. Alonso topped the time sheets once again. Michael Schumacher was second after the end of this session. Down the order there was a lot of drama. This session is always a session where some of the drivers have to try the maximum they can to get into the top 10. Yet again, it was success for some and failure for others in the second session. David Coulthard tried everything he could but could not finish better than 16th. At one moment it looked as if both the Hondas of Barrichello and Button will fail to make the cut, but the scenario changed in the dying moments of the second session. Jack Villeneuve and Coulthard’s team-mate Klein were knocked off into the relegation zone. Ralf Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld were disappointing. The aggressive, on the limit drive of Nico Rosberg in the Williams should be the talk of this session. No lack of committment on any of the chicanes, no fear of shaving the wall on the exit of the ultimate corner. He did manage to stay out of the relegation zone and make it to the top 10.

Final session started with the two Renaults right in front. The Ferraris stayed at the very back and let some breathing space open ahead of them in the early stages. First 10 minutes were just for burning the fuel as usual and the first round of tyre change stops came for all teams. Schumacher and Raikkonen stopped earlier than the Renaults. Renaults were bang on target with their timing for the stops. The first new set of tyres did not seem good enough for the Ferraris to challenge Mclaren or Renault. Renault, Ferrari and McLaren all gambled for one last try as they brought their cars into the pits with just under 3 minutes remaining for the final session to finish. In the end it was Fernando Alonso who took pole. Kimi Raikkonen was P2 before he was knocked down to the second row of the grid by the Italian driver of Renault. Schumacher would be disappointed, he could have done a lot better. Jarno Trulli went a bit unnoticed with his finish, he lines up alongside 3rd place McLaren of the Finn for the race on sunday. Nico Rosberg brought some joy in the Williams garage with his performance. This guy has a long way to go, and he is improving at a tremendous pace. Felipe Massa needs to improve in the next races if he has to make an impression. He has not proven his worth to stay in one of the best teams in business, maybe he needs a lot more time to improve his driving style and gain some maturity.

The race is all set for tomorrow. Second fastest race track on the calendar with top speeds well past the 320 Kph mark. Most people would put their money on Renault and there is no reason to expect a different result. McLaren cannot hope for a strong finish (and thats synonymous with win for a team considering their potential) here with the two Renaults in the front row and Juan Pablo starting from 7th place. Ferrari will have to rely on the pit strategy to make an improvement. If any team is in the most comfortable position, its Renault. And i am sure they can relax with the fortunes favoring them. Yet again, Flavio Braitore behaved like a kid after the qualifying finished. He was behaving like a cheap moviestar trying to make some small changes in his hairstyle and twisting his eyes in all directions. Celebrate, but with a little more dignity. Not his fault, maybe his mother never taught him those things ) . An exciting race ahead. Will become exponentially more exciting if both the Renaults retire due to some reason or the other (doesnt look like it can happen in the next few weeks with their current form and some special kind of luck going). Its sunday night fever for the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal on the Giles Villeneuve circuit. Watchout for LIVE action on Star Sports !!

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

Foster’s British Grand Prix 2006 Amazing wheel to…

Foster’s British Grand Prix 2006

Amazing wheel to wheel racing, fights for the positions both on and off track, 18 finishes but the same old winner. The 2006 British Grand Prix could have been a little more exciting.

The wonderful circuit in Silverstone with those fast sweeping S-bends, one leading to another is one of the most competetive track for Formula 1 racing. And an all the more exciting race was expected with the current forms of Ferrari and Renault with Williams catching up and McLaren hoping for an improvement in the reliability department. It was all set with Fernando Alonso on pole with Kimi Raikonnen alongside him on the front row. The first corner could not have produced any different result for the Finn on any other day. Fernando Alonso held the first place throughout the race and it never looked as if there was any way the other top runners could even challenge him. The first retirement was Mark Webber, and one cannot say he would not be disappointed. The world of formula 1 has become so competetive that even winning a race doesnt seem to be enough anymore.

The current standing were- Alonso from Raikonnen from Schumacher. Then came the round of pit stops and time for the think tanks of the teams to zero onto a strategy which would suit the current conditions best. Schumacher came in earlier than both Alonso and Raikonnen. The pit crew put on the fresh set of tyres which they had saved the previous day during qualifying. A fresh set of tyres gae Schumi the on-track advantage. A couple of laps later, when Kimi was getting his car refulled the Ferrari of Schumacher went past the Mclaren. From there on it never looked easy for the Finn to snatch back his lost position. Felipe Massa was running strong in 4th place before he was overtaken by the Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella, once again pit stops brought about that change. Renault seems to be the most fuel efficient of all the teams. The car runs longer, faster, guzzles less fuel and consequently spends about a second less in the pits.

The race became pretty monotonous in the later stages. Scott Speed needs a little counselling before he steps into the cockpit next time. This isnt WRC, this is Formula 1 and you need to behave properly. The dividing line between aggression and madness is not very fine. It doesnt take too much of an effort to drive within your limitations and not spoil someone else’s race. There is a lot of talent in the American but maybe he needs a little more practice and little more time before he can race like the other drivers. Its not a good site to watch drivers like Takhuma Sato to race and bang into others trying something impossible.

Formula 1 has become predictable yet again. It was still some fun to watch Schumi do the same a couple of years back what Alonso is doing right now. Anyone can have a bet with me that there are still more Ferrari fans than Renault fans. Atleast more people would have been happy, results being still predictable. Some consolation for Mclaren with Kimi’s 3rd place finish. Good to see the Ice Man on the podium and hear a few words from him in the post race conference. Schumacher could not have done better. Perhaps had he not played that silly game in Monte Carlo, he would have finished on the podium in the Monaco Grand Prix as well.

The length of my posts may become shorter and shorter if the subsequent races produce similar results. It has been an all Renault win in 8 races till now, its time for a change and a change that persists for atleast half a dozen of races. Be it McLaren, Ferrari or even BAR or Williams. The excitement in Formula 1 will diminish if things go the same way. Everything is in the right place but I have not enjoyed last couple of races. FIA attempted to make it even stevens with the new rules and regulations, but is it working? No hopes with the current form of Renault. I have been saying this for the past 6 races and Chris Goodwin said that during the British Grand Prix – Everyone should have their share of bad luck or misfortune. And he was refering to the picture perfect performance of Renault and Fernando Alonso. Coming back to FIA, will not blame them, there have been more positives. The most exciting format of qualifying ever, and the ever increasing quest for a race winning pit strategy.

Its time to head to the West. Lets hope Montreal and Indianapolis have some surprises in store. Formula 1 season heading to the half way mark. Will the fortunes of the Blue team take a turn. Can the Prancing horse strike back or will the West McLaren Mercedes produce some miraclous results in the west. Watch out for more action as the season unfolds.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

Foster’s British Grand Prix ‘06, Qualifying Inter…

Foster’s British Grand Prix ‘06, Qualifying

Interesting qualifying but I did not particularly enjoy it as much I have enjoyed the other ones this season. Missed the sessions on saturday and it doesnt give you that feeling if you watch a repeat telecast even if you dont know the results beforehand.

Has formula 1 become predictible once again? Does one need to make an effort to guess who was on pole? Not if you have been following the races this season.

First session was not uneventful by any means. Jarno Trulli’s Toyota smoking put an end to the hopes of the Japanese teams. Their number one driver will start from the back of the grid (or from the pit lane) whichever way the team decides. Jenson Button recorded a time on an old set of tyres and made no significant improvement in times as the session progressed. The performance came as a bit of a surprise for all the racing fans and British supporters in Silverstone. The first session ended with Fernando Alonso on provisional pole. Mark Webber failed to make the cut. Scott Speed was splendid in the first session and moved on to the next session.

Second session wasnt spectacular either. The Scuderia Torro Rosso drivers made a desperate effort but could not make it to the final ten. David Coulthard was furious with something that he thought had prevented him from making the cut. Nick Heidfeld and Jack Villeneuve put some amazing lap times to get out of the relegation zone by the end of the second session. Ralf Schumacher had to try a little too hard to get into the top 10. Other main drivers made the cut fairly easily. Both the BMW saubers made it to the top 10, which should give them that boost.

The final session was the most interesting as always. Michael Schumacher set an early fast lap and took the provisional pole. With 7 minutes still remaining in the session the top runners dived into the pits for a new set of tyres. Michael Schumacher was still on pole when the drivers came in for the final change of rubber for their cars. Michael, Felipe, Fernando, Kimi, and Giancarlo had the last chance to put the final lap times and aim for any possible improvements. Alonso finished 0.328 seconds clear of Schumacher and Kimi split them later to claim P2. Massa finished 4th just ahead of the second Renault of Fisichella. Pole position for Alonso was than spectacular. The sheer pace of the Renault could only be matched by the McLaren. Kimi will line up alongside him on sunday. There will be an all Ferrari second row for the race. Juan Pablo would be disappointed with his performance. There seems to be no real excuse why the Brazilian finished 8th. Nick Heidfeld lines up in 5th row and alongside him will be his team mate Jacques Villeneuve.

There was nothing much to really appreciate in the qualifying. Quick predictions (do i really need to make an effort?). Kimi has a good chance provided his car holds good. Its all wide open as much as the track. Cornering speeds and accelerations out of the corners will decide who wins this one. As far as the race victory goes, Fernando Alonso has more chances than anyone else. Pit strategies will be more or less same for the top 5 teams. Tyre war will be on once again in this race. Its going to be very exciting. I am hoping for zero disasters for any team , any driver. Let this one be a straight forward race with minimum retirements. Alonso has never won this race before, but I am sure this time it can change. The best three drivers right up at the front of the order..its going to be an awesome race. Watch out !!! Its live on Star Sports at 16.30 hrs IST.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal

Monaco Grand Prix 2006 A very bizzare race. Les…

Monaco Grand Prix 2006

A very bizzare race. Less number of collisions and safety car periods than I was expecting but a lot more retirements due to technical failures. Who stood clear of all the drama, untouched by any incidence or any misfortune? You dont need to guess, the answer stays pretty much the same race after race, Renault and Fernando Alonso. Was Kimi expected to win this race? Think again! He could not even finish the race. If I was to sum up the Monaco Grand Prix, I would have just one line to say- “Kimi’s loss is Alonso’s gain“.

The race started in a very regular fashion but not for Michael Schumacher. He started from the pits in his Ferrari with a full tank of fuel and made up 4 places on the very first lap. The former world champion was all fired up after the last night’s decision on grid positions which followed the controversy in qualifying on saturday. Fernando Alonso lead the pack and third place Kimi Raikkonen followed Mark Webber closely. In a couple of laps Kimi overtook the Williams of the australian driver with his superb late breaking on the first turn. One of the best overtaking maneuvers I have seen this season and this one was a bit special as it was executed on the very tight streets of Monte Carlo where the overtaking opportunities are minimal (if not zero). Surprising enough, there were few collisions during the race. The first corner was pretty neat. It seems almost all drivers have realised the mistake they make in trying a little too hard at the very first corner. But it doesnt seem to go that well for Christian Albers as the Monaco Grand Prix went. He swept across from the left-hand side of the grid and promptly swiped team mate Tiago Monteiro into the pit wall. That is too aggressive a move on the streets of Monte Carlo, maybe he could have got past his team mate much easily on some other race track, in some other part of the world.

Cutting it short, now moving on to the first round of pit stops. Were drivers really stopping? Atleast Schumacher wasnt. Having moved into the 15th place already, the very obvious strategy made sure that there was absolutely no need to dive into the pits more than once during the entire race. Raikkonen had been closely following Alonso’s Renault. Very nearly bottled up behind the renault for a fairly long time. Alonso came into the pits before Raikkonen. Kimi, the race leader for about two laps before he went for a new set of tyres and more fuel. He rejoined the track behind Alonso who came back into the lead of the race. The separation between the Renault and McLaren reduced to as small as 0.4 of a second and stayed pretty much consistent for about 15 subsequent laps. The McLaren no doubt had an amazing pace and were definitely faster that ANY other car on track. But Fernando Alonso will do everything in the books and anything out of the bag to keep Kimi bottled behind his Renault. And he did exactly that. A closer analysis sent a clear indication that the current race positions can change after the next round of stops. Kimi had more fuel on board and was running on a set of tyres that were a couple of laps newer than the Michelins on the Renault of Alonso. A definite quicker and a late stop was expected from the Mclaren team. Schumacher made up some more places to join the back of the Renault of Fisichella. 11th place was not enough for him and that too behind the arch rivals Renault? Never.

Round of second pit stops started a bit earlier than expected. Safety car came on and ruined the McLaren strategy. Both Kimi and Fernando dived into the pits together and came out in the same order in which they went in. It was clear that the battle between McLaren and Renault at Monaco will resume on track. At Monaco you make it or break it in the pits as it is nearly impossible to overtack on track. First incidence – A possible win for McLaren which they could have grabbed with that pit strategy looked impossible once the safety car was out. Second Incidence – the new cooling system on the McLaren broke down as Kimi was following Alonso running behind the safety car. The nemesis of reliability on Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren in Formula 1 seems unending. Are McLaren Engineers to be blamed? Well, quite possible and I believe that is the reason for the failures we have been witnessing for the last 1 year. You know you can pull it out of the bag even after your pit strategy had failed. You have the confidence , you have the pace and the control. But what if your team lets you down? What are you supposed to do if the car starts smoking. Well, I have a very small suggestion for Kimi. You have the talent and class, look for a BETTER (more reliable) team.

The race was soon over for Mark Webber as his Williams broke down. A potential podium position lost. Blame it on reliability (once again) and you wont go wrong. Nico Rosberg had similar problems which were mistaken for a driving error before the team disclosed the reason for failure. Two top runners were out and Schumacher moved up another couple of places. Final results brought celebrations for Renault and Red Bull Racing Team. DC on podium after a very long time, looked delighted promoting the Superman movie with his superman attire on. Michael finished in 5th , just behind his former team-mate Rubens Barrichello. Honda should be more than satisfied with his performance. The talent of drivers like Jenson Button has already gone to a waste with them, and there seems to be zero improvement in reliability.

Back to Schumacher. Strating from the pits (call it 22nd, but its more like 25th) to 5th is something special. Yes, for Schumi fans it may be, but think again, was it really a sort of miracle (or Michael Magic, if you wish to use that term).? You see 3 drivers in the front retiring. The race would not have left you with more than 1 point had those cars taken the chequered flag. One pit stop strategy makes that improvement a lot easier. I still wont take anything away from Ferrari and Schumacher. Splendid 78 laps of the Monaco circuit with nearly no mistakes. Its not an easy business to take a formula 1 car round the very tight circuit with a full fuel load, and you really have to make that extra effort to look after your tyres when you have decided to go for only two sets (against three) during the entire race. Not forgetting Mclaren altogether. Juan Pablo finished second, the best position for him this season. McLaren are earning some championship points but will very soon lose their chances in the constructors championship if they continue with the current reliability standard. This is one team that has a driver who can make them win races, but have still failed to make a mark. Blame it only on reliability and there is nothing else that they are doing wrong.

Bitter disappointment for me from Monaco. Kimi Raikkonen crashing out from the strong second position with less than half a second separating him from Alonso. The car started smoking and the Finn had to pull off the racing line and jump out of the cockpit. A race win that looked a little difficult became impossible within seconds. He walked round the track with his helmet still on and his head down. The team let him down once again. What is this guy supposed to do? He does his best when it comes to qualifying and racing. I got a feeling that a height was reached in the Monaco Grand Prix. Kimi was dejected, and it seems he will not be able to take it anymore. I am sure he is thinking of other options now. You dont see a driver walking round the circuit like that too often, he could have stopped somewhere and taken a pillion ride on a scooter. He just did not want to talk to anyone and he walked alone hearing the cars race past him. Its time I believe. He needs to make a decision. It has been enough with McLaren. He needs to consider his options in Ferrari and Renault for the next season. He is bound for 2006 and will have to continue with McLaren even if he doesnt want to. McLaren need to put on their thinking caps. It has been enough. What are the indications and signs they are sending out with this kind of display? Can’t they get things right in one go? This is the highest level of technology and motorsports and being a team like the West McLaren Mecredes you cannot put up this kind of a display. McLaren are bound to lose their credibility and market value if they continue with this form in the reliablity department. A team that puts in huge amount of money, time and effort into research developments and improvements is still not able to put things together which can last for a race. They dont deserve all the attention from a driver of the caliber of Kimi Raikkonen anymore.

The Monaco Grand Prix was dedicated to the Eduoard Michelin, the Michelin boss who died in a crash just hours before the race. Fernando Alonso dedicated his win to the Michelin supremo. There were no celebrations and no shampagne was sprayed after the trophy presentation in Monaco. It is evident that Michelin will pull out of the tyre manufacturer race when the FIA introduces the clause of a single tyre manufacturer in 2008.

Monaco Grand Prix as always will be remembered for the rest of the season. It never fails to make a mark in the season and has always been one interesting venue for Formula1 fans worldwise. Foster’s British Grand Prix is next, the so called Home Race for the McLaren team. Can they hold it together in Silverstone? Well, thats a million dollar pound question. Watch out for more action as the season unfolds.

© 2006 Kamal Agarwal