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| 2012 has been one of the best for action, drama and surprise. |
Nine races gone and 2012 is shaping up as the binary opposite of last year; by this same time last year, Sebastian Vettel had all but won the championship, and anyone who said otherwise was either a fool or an blind optimist. Fast forward 12 months and the drivers' and constructors' championships are wide upon, with little indication of who will prevail when the chequered flag falls on the Brazilian Grand Prix in November.
On a team by team basis, I look at who has impressed and who hasn't so far, as well as who might surprise in the races to come. First up, Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull Racing: A+
Drivers' Championship: 4th - Vettel, 2nd - Webber
Constructors' Championship: 1st
Constructors' Championship: 1st
Red Bull have not had it all their own way in 2012, something that many failed to predict (myself included). One win for Vettel and two for Webber is by no means a disaster, but compare that to last season and their situation looks a lot worse.
That being said, topping the constructors table and having both driver's in the hunt for the title is praiseworthy. On the whole, Red Bull have been the most consistently competitive team and their championship placings reflect this. Also, if Vettel's initial pace in Valencia is anything to go by, then Red Bull's rivals should be feeling very worried right about now.
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| Vettel's triumph in Bahrain |
Vettel has made mistakes (Malaysia, Canada) and has had some poor luck (Valencia) and is favourite to win the title in my mind. Alonso may be in the lead but Vettel has the best car to help him along. Couple that with the hunger to get three titles in a row and Vettel will no doubt be upping his game both in qualifying and the race. He's a dangerous man and his rivals know it.
Webber has been consistently quick and has been rewarded with two solid wins in Monaco and Britain. This consistency could just work in his favour however; with his rivals tripping over their own feet, slow and steady might just win the race. His second place in the championship is evidence of this. He has been great in qualifying (beating Vettel 5-4) and, unlike 2010, has not been wasting points by colliding with Seb. I said before in my British GP Overview that Webber is the dark horse this year and I stand by it; he has the potential to go all the way.
Red Bull are the ones to watch; their upgrades in Valencia mark them as pace-setters right now, but how long will that last?
Scuderia Ferrari: A-
Drivers' Championship: 1st - Alonso, 13th - Massa
Constructors' Championship: 2nd
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| Alonso has squashed Massa yet again |
Unbelievably, after all the pre-season woes that Ferrari endured, their star driver Fernando Alonso sits atop the drivers championship. Masterful wins in Malaysia and Valencia were thrilling races won by the highly regarded Spaniard. An unwavering ability to drive around the cars initial faults, Alonso has been on top form all season, being there to pick up the pieces his rivals drop and capitalise on every opportunity.
In recent races (Barcelona onwards) Ferrari have done a brilliant job at developing the pace of the F2012 and give Alonso the best chance of winning the world championship he has had since 2010. Their second place in the constructors is flattering however; without a driver of Alonso's calibre it could, and possibly would, be much lower.
On the flipside, Felipe Massa has had a disastrous start to the season; over 100 points down on Alonso, Massa has been utterly trounced. He found is feet at Silverstone, finishing 4th, but his second half of the year needs to see him challenged Alonso on a consistent basis. Even with Webber now out of the picture, his seat is far from secure and he needs to up his game.
Ferrari seem to improve with every passing race. They'll be determined to take the fight to Red Bull and win their first title since 2008.
Lotus-Renault: B
Constructors' Championship: 3rd
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| Grosjean has been a revelation this season |
Grosjean has been a complete revelation this season and having predicted he would struggle at the start of the year, I am happy to eat my words. He overcame some initial poor form in Australia and Malaysia to deliver some truly stunning performances in Bahrain, Canada and Valencia. He will hopefully take that all important win before the year is out and, if he can soon find consistent podium pace, challenge for the title.
Raikkonen has had a strong return to F1 but will probably be disappointed to have missed out on winning. Like Grosjean, Kimi will most likely get there in 2012 (Spa anyone?) and stay in the hunt for the title. He is only 40-odd points off the lead and things can, and will, quickly change before the end of the season.
They might not be right where they want right now, but Lotus have a lot of positives to take from the first half of 2012. It'll be onwards and upwards for them as they grow and develop both their car and their drivers.
Mclaren-Mercedes: C-
Drivers' Championship: 8th - Button, 3rd - Hamilton
Constructors' Championship: 4th
Mclaren have by every right to be kicking themselves after the first nine races. They finished the Australian Grand Prix 1st and 3rd with a car that looked and genuinely was the fastest of the lot. Now, in July, they are slipping backwards and need to desperately up their game.
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| Hamilton clinches his first win of the year in Canada |
Lewis Hamilton has impressed so far this season. He should be topping the standings right about now but errors in the pitlane have come frighteningly often; almost every race it seems, Mclaren mess up their star driver's pit-stops, costing the Briton vital points and places. His win in Canada was pure class however and shows the 2008 World Champion has lost none of that killer instinct. Possible wins in Malaysia and Spain have slipped through his fingers however and that has got to sting. Whilst not the favourite any longer, Hamilton is a definite contender whose stock has risen considerably since last season.
Button on the other hand has only seen his reputation shrink in 2012. Starting out in Australia with a win made it seem Jenson would be in the fight this year; 4 months later and Button has only scored six points since China. Hardly championship winning form. Blighted by lack of confidence in the car and the tyres, Jenson has been stuck in a downward spiral that has endangered his title hopes. Can he re-emerge as a contender? It's doubtful, but stranger things have happened.
Mclaren, down, but not out. Can they erase the errors and give arguably the best driver pairing on the grid chance to thrive?
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team: C
Drivers' Championship: 6th - Rosberg, 12th - Schumacher
Constructors' Championship: 5th
Mercedes will be glad to have gotten onto the top step of the podium so far this year; Rosberg win in China was commanding and full of promise. Likewise, his subsequent podium in Monaco and Schumacher's in Valencia mean that the Brackley based squad have a lot to be happy about so far this year.
They will however be concerned about their most recent results; Rosberg's dismal 15th in Silverstone hardly set the track alight. The young German is still in the hunt for the title (ahead of Button and Grosjean) but for how long? If Mercedes are to take win the crown this year they (like Mclaren) have to step up their game and win again before the summer break.
Schumacher has been immensely unlucky not to have scored more in 2012; 5 DNF's is a poor record sheet despite only one being being his fault. For the rest of the year, there is every chance Michael win notch up win No. 92 but his title hopes were over before they started. Whether his indecision to commit to Mercedes for 2013 will affect how he performs remains to be seen.
Mercedes are slipping back from the lead pack and are eager to mix it up again at the front. Can they get back on top and show us that China wasn't just a flash in the pan?
I'll be posting Part 2 of my Mid-Season Report in the next few days!
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