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Part 2 of my Formula 1 mid-season report details the remaining seven teams from Sauber through to Hispania. On a team by team basis, I look at who has impressed and who hasn't so far. For Part 1, click here.
Sauber F1 Team: C+
Drivers' Championship: 9th - Perez, 14th - Kobayashi
Constructors' Championship: 6th
Sauber have had a great first half of the season; their car has been consistently quick in both qualifying and the race and they have two talented, young drivers not afraid to mix it with the leaders. Whilst not a race winner (at least not yet), Sauber's C31 is a neat piece of engineering from a team without the resources of institutions like Mclaren or Ferrari.
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| Sergio Perez has been the talk of the town after finishing second in Malaysia. |
In the hands of Mexican Sergio Perez, the C31 has thrived and has raced onto the podium twice, in Malaysia and Canada. In Malaysia, Perez came ever so close to winning and most likely should have. Had he not run wide at the penultimate corner with only a handful of laps to go, Perez and Sauber would have been the surprise of the season (until Maldonado and Williams came along in Barcelona of course). Perez's drive in Canada also showed an ability to keep cool and stay focused over long stints on the fragile Pirelli tyres. His reward was a fantastic third place.
On the other side of the garage, Kamui Kobayashi has had a fairly consistent, if unremarkable, year so far. The highlight at this point has been qualifying a career best 3rd in China, but Kamui has failed to match his Latin American team-mate. He finished well in Australia (6th) and again in Spain (5th) but three retirements and a few incidents on track (see Valencia) have seen a marked contrast between the two Sauber drivers.
Sauber have a driver line-up yearning to prove itself and a car that is a steady-earner. Perez can reach the podium on occasion before the end of the year, with it being doubtful of him winning. Kobayashi will be eager to match his team-mate to prove his talent in the second half of 2012.
Williams F1 Team: B-
Drivers' Championship: 10th - Maldonado, 15th - Senna
Constructors' Championship: 7th
Williams have come off the worst year in their long history in 2011 and completely knocked it out of the park so far this year. After scoring a meagre 5 points in total last year, Sir Frank's boys have clocked up over 9 times that already. Like Sauber, their car has been solid, a real testament to the team's pedigree. As a result, the team were rewarded with a out-of-the-blue pole position and win at the Spanish Grand Prix, their first in 8 long, long years.
The man who delivered on the day was the much derided and shunned "pay driver" Pastor Maldonado. Pastor is an interesting driver, one that certainty divides opinion; 2012 has been a mixed bag for the Venezuelan so far, from brilliant highs to shadowy lows. Taking his first win in Barcelona showed his sheer, raw pace and did much to dispel the thoughts he was in the sport because of his bank balance. He beat Fernando Alonso on home turf and hardly put a foot wrong.
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| Maldonado's broken through into F1's big league |
His team-mate, Bruno Senna has been a little underwhelming to say the least. Whilst he has the race-craft and calm head Maldonado needs, it still is in question whether Bruno possesses the true natural ability his surname has become synonymous with. He has regularly stacked up points throughout the year, but failed to set the paddock abuzz like Pastor has.
Can Williams build on their early success in Barcelona and continue to blaze a trail of redemption in 2012?
Force India Mercedes: D
Drivers' Championship: 11th - di Resta, 16th - Hulkenberg
Constructors' Championship: 8th
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| Hulkenberg has shown promise |
Force India had big expectations for this year; they talked up their chances all through testing, even remarking at the VJM05's launch that they could scale the heights of 5th in the constructors championship. A big boast, given that it would require them to skip past one the big manufacturer teams.
Half way through the year and they must be feeling a little down-trodden. Not only have they failed to challenge at the front like they foretold, but they have also failed to beat those behind them, teams like Williams and Sauber.
Di Resta and Hulkenberg have had a fairly mixed-bag. Paul has scored on six occasions, his best finish being at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April. That he is only two points behind Maldonado in the table is a testament to the Scot's great consistency and potential. He was unlucky to be knocked out so early on at Silverstone. Nico has been a little rough around the edges since returning to F1 but has lost none of the promise he showed in 2010. His highlight so far has been 5th in Valencia, whilst his low-point has been retiring on the opening lap in Australia.
In a season filled with such unpredictability there is every chance that Force India can pull one out of the bag and reach the podium, like they did at Spa in 2009. They'll have to raise their game but in di Resta and Hulkenberg, they have two promising talents to drive them forward. They aren't far behind Williams and Sauber so a couple of surprise performances will put them back in the mix for 6th.
Toro Rosso: E
Drivers' Championship: 17th - Vergne, 18th - Ricciardo
Constructors' Championship: 9th
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| Vergne takes a detour across the Silverstone grass |
Toro Rosso have had a fairly disappointing year so far. Not fast enough to challenge consistently in the mid-field, the Italian squad are more occupied with fending off Caterham from behind. Their real weakness is their young driver line-up; Neither Ricciardo and Vergne are simply not ready to lead a team.
Ricciardo did well to score in Australia, but has yet to do so again. Likewise, Vergne finished 8th in Malaysia (after a cunning tyre strategy) but has failed to score since. Their inexperience is showing, their incidents with both Caterham's in Valencia being case in point.
Buemi and Alguesuari's absence is felt and the team are stuck in a little league of their own, suspended between the mid-field and the back-markers. Their driver duo have impressed by not retiring often; only one apiece for Vergne and Ricciardo, but six points in total puts them a long way off Force India. They are most definitely confined to 9th, possibly 10th if Caterham hit form soon.
Caterham F1 Team: D
Drivers' Championship: 19th - Kovalainen, 20th - Petrov
Constructors' Championship: 10th
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| Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen in Monaco |
Caterham are rapidly making their way towards the mid-field and are closing in on that maiden points finish. It probably would have transpired in Valencia had their drivers' not been picked off by the Toro Rosso's. Given the right circumstances, track conditions and a little bit of luck, Caterham could be knocking on Toro Rosso's door by the end of the season. It'll take a lot of work, but Mike Gascoyne has built a tight little operation in the three years since the team joined the sport.
Both Kovalainen and Petrov have had their flashes of brilliance, with Heikki edging out the Russian overall. In particular, Heikki's sturdy defence of Jenson Button around Monaco was amazing to watch.
Marussia F1 Team: E
Drivers' Championship: 21st - Glock, 22nd - Pic
Constructors' Championship: 11th
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| France's Charles Pic in action |
There is very little to say about Marussia; other than beating HRT to 11th in the Constuctors' so far, there has been little progress to speak of. They are a noticeable distance off Caterham and not about to set the world alight by scoring points on merit.
Glock, in my opinion, is a driver that deserves a better seat than this and must feel frustrated languishing at the tail-end of the field. A season best 14th in Australia and Monaco is nothing to really write home about. On the other side of the garage, Charles Pic has been solid enough to keep pace with Timo. The young Frenchman may have the talent and staying power, but little opportunity to showcase it.
Whether Marussia have the ability to develop a car to move closer to the mid-field still remains to be seen.
HRT F1 Team: F
Drives' Championship: 23rd - Karthikeyan, 24th - de la Rosa
Constructors' Championship: 12th
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| Hispania's Narain Karthikeyan |
Much like Marussia, HRT's season has been more of the same in term's of disappointing results. Their car didn't materialise until Melbourne and failed to qualify for the second year running. de la Rosa is a strong technical mind with thousands of miles of testing under his belt at Mclaren; he is the team's best shot of developing the car effectively. Karthikeyan is a driver I don't rate at all and, given HRT's predisposition to alternate drivers' mid-season, it'll be a surprise if Narain isn't shown the door in favour of Liuzzi or Clos later in the year.
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