With just nine races left to go, the stage is set for a tense showdown for the Formula One World Championship at the end of November. With arguably just 5 drivers left in the hunt, it really still is anyone's game.
Alonso, Webber, Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen. Each has has their fair share of up's and down's, triumphs and tribulations. So come November 25th, who will we be crowning the 2012 F1 Champion? Who is in the best shape, and who is still has more to come?
Fernando "The Toreador" Alonso (Scuderia Ferrari)
Drivers Championship: 1st (164 points)
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| Alonso is in the driving seat this year |
The man best placed to win this year is Spain's Fernando Alonso. The 2005 and 2006 World Champion has won three GP (Malaysia, Valencia and Germany) and has scored points in every race.
His driving has been immaculate and he has barely put a foot (or wheel) wrong all year. Steadily racking up the points, grabbing every opportunity by the horns and effectively being a one-man team has given Alonso the large lead he has.
Looking ahead, it is looking rosy for Alonso. Scoring another win or two, keeping consistent and staying out of trouble will keep him ahead of the rest. He may not have the quickest car but his lead is large considering that he has four or five rivals all taking points off of each other. From here on in, Alonso may be planning to run with the tactic of damage limitation; it's a safe and steady strategy and worked well for Jenson Button in 2009. But with Webber, Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen all breathing down his neck, can Alonso hold off them all?
Looking ahead, it is looking rosy for Alonso. Scoring another win or two, keeping consistent and staying out of trouble will keep him ahead of the rest. He may not have the quickest car but his lead is large considering that he has four or five rivals all taking points off of each other. From here on in, Alonso may be planning to run with the tactic of damage limitation; it's a safe and steady strategy and worked well for Jenson Button in 2009. But with Webber, Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen all breathing down his neck, can Alonso hold off them all?
Mark "Aussie Grit" Webber (Red Bull Racing)
Drivers Championship: 2nd (124 points, 40 points behind)
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| Webber is best placed to challenge Alonso |
Mark Webber has been a quite achiever in 2012; the determined and grizzled Australian has kept himself to himself, avoided the headlines and got down to business.
Whether Mark can go all the way and close the gap on Fernando remains to be seen; two podium finishes and 5 fourth's has got him this far, but he'll need to finish on the podium every race if he wants to close that 40 points deficit. And with one of the quickest men in F1 sitting across the garage, it ain't going to be easy for Webber. But then, in Mark's case, it rarely is...
Sebastian "Baby Schumi" Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
Drivers' Championship: 3rd (122 points, 42 points behind)
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| Vettel is looking to make it three titles in a row |
At this stage last year, it was as good as over. Sebastian had won 6 races and finished 2nd four times. Only once had he not stood on the podium, which sadly for him, was in Germany, his home race. Fast forward 12 months, and the difference couldn't be starker. Just one win (Bahrain) and two other podium finishes (2nd in Australia, 3rd in Britain) places Sebastian 3rd overall, 42 points behind Alonso.
Whilst last year Sebastian was invincible, the model of perfection, this year we have seen a version of Vettel more akin to that of the immature and rash version we saw in 2010. A series of incidents has blighted Vettel's reputation this year; his incident (and subsequent comments) with Karthikeyan in Malaysia, his illegal over-take on Button in Germany and yelling at his engineer in Hungary haven't painted the double World Champion in the best light.* Poor luck in Valencia also cost Vettel some vital points.
Regardless, Vettel remains one of the favourites for the the World Championship; the Red Bull is one of the best cars all round and, as in 2010, Vettel has an aptitude for turning it around in the last few races. He'll be the one to beat around tracks like Monza, Marina Bay, Suzuka and Abu Dhabi. To count him out would be a mistake.
Regardless, Vettel remains one of the favourites for the the World Championship; the Red Bull is one of the best cars all round and, as in 2010, Vettel has an aptitude for turning it around in the last few races. He'll be the one to beat around tracks like Monza, Marina Bay, Suzuka and Abu Dhabi. To count him out would be a mistake.
Lewis "The Hoonigan" Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
Drivers' Championship: 4th (117 points, 47 points behind)
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| Luck has not been on Hamilton's side in 2012 |
One of the biggest stories of 2011 was Hamilton's fall from grace; collisions in Monaco, Canada, Belgium, Singapore, Japan and India blighted his rap sheet and he ended the year a distant 5th, finishing behind team-mate Button.
A stark contrast then, to this season; Hamilton has shown maturity and a cool head on track whilst being cheery and affable off of it. He has clinched two race wins (Canada and Hungary) whilst also racking up three podium places early on.
It has been the inconsistent nature of his McLaren car and team that have caused Hamilton's Championship charge to stumble slightly. Mishaps in the pit-lane arguably cost him victories (or podiums) in Malaysia, Bahrain, Monaco and most notably, Barcelona. Add to this the poor luck he sustained at the German Grand Prix, and Hamilton has lost somewhere in the region of 40 points so far this year.
Looking ahead, the rest of the year looks promising for McLaren. A lull in pace in Silverstone was quickly turned around by Germany, showcasing the rapidness of development at the Woking based outfit. Hamilton will no doubt contest for wins, podiums and points going into every race and will be hopeful of some misfortune on Alonso's part; like his other rivals at the this stage, Lewis really can't afford any more mishaps or retirements.
Kimi "The Iceman" Raikkonen (Lotus Renault)
Drivers' Championship: 5th (116 points, 48 points behind)
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| Kimi's return to F1 has added a dash of spice to 2012 |
Raikkonen is the only serious title contender here yet to win a race in 2012. Whilst Lotus have had the pace to do so on many occasions (Bahrain, Canada, Valencia, Hungary), they have failed to convert that pace into that elusive win. To Raikkonen's credit, he has been quietly amassing points with regular visits to the podium; his F1 comeback has been so successful it hardly feels like he has been away.
To discount Raikkonen as a serious contender would be foolish; only 8 points separates the Finn from second place Webber and, much like Mark, Seb and Lewis, only needs two or three strong finishes to put him right up behind Alonso.
It is only a matter of time until Lotus score that breakthrough win; the unveiling of their double DRS system at Spa is touted as the moment they'll get on par with Mclaren, Red Bull and Ferrari in terms of results.
If history has taught us anything, it's that Raikkonen can turn it around from out of nowhere; in his Championship winning year (2007), Kimi overcame a point margin of equal magnitude to what it is now to beat Hamilton and Alonso in the final two races alone; whether he can do the same here against four rivals still remains to be seen.
So who will ultimately prevail? Leave a comment below with who you think has it in them to win the Championship!
*I've said I'll give my good friend Nick Courts a mention in one of these blogs so here it is. Mr. Courts would like to add his two cents and mention how much of a tw*t he thinks Vettel is. Lovely.
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