Where are Mercedes?

I think it is only fair that I start this post with an apology. The blog has taken a back burner in recent weeks due to a sudden, hectic schedule so I am sorry for the lack of content. Ironically, in my absence, the Formula One world has gone crazy in the past 16 days and it will be very difficult to catch up; hopefully your F1 needs will have been satisfied elsewhere, but I cannot be sure. I have to start, as expected, with the chaotic scenes in Bahrain which has led to the opening round of the season being cancelled for safety reasons. It would have been utterly wrong if the F1 fraternity travelled to Bahrain and it would have shown a clear lack of respect to the ongoing political upheaval; Bernie Ecclestone’s acknowledgement of such events has received positive feedback.

So, unfortunately for all of you, the 2011 campaign will now begin on March 27th in Australia, which is to me the perfect setting for the opening round of the Championship. To be honest I am more than happy to wait; since the arrival of the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir Circuit in 2004, the races have been mediocre at best and darn right appalling at worst. Melbourne has always provided fascinating races and it is undoubtedly one of the most popular events on the calendar. I mean, who am I to disagree with the legendary Murray Walker? Lacklustre races are few and far between, while the overtaking opportunities are frequent; a quick YouTube search for ‘Lewis Hamilton Australia’ should reveal all (although don’t be surprised to see a rather more different style of driving from Lewis to ‘drift’ into view, if you know what I mean). Melbourne, in my opinion, should always open the F1 season and in what could potentially be the best season ever, it deserves the honour of hosting the first round of the championship.

We’ve had three pre-season tests already (it’s flown by hasn’t it?) and it's clear who the pacesetters are. Red Bull and Ferrari, the two most competitive teams from the last season, have demonstrated the speed and reliability of their cars instantly. Mclaren’s gamble to unveil their car at the second test in Jerez has backfired somewhat as they have been dogged by technical problems. However, Lewis Hamilton did complete 107 laps on the final day of the last test in Barcelona, signalling a step forward for the Mclaren MP4-26. Yet the major surprise so far in winter testing has been the apparent lack of pace from the Mercedes team, which will alarm their two drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, not to mention Ross Brawn and his design team.

I sincerely believe (could well be ‘believed’ if Mercedes’ initial pace is a true reflection of their car) that Rosberg is a serious contender for the 2011 title. With a shorter haircut and a slight beard, it’s clear he means business this season. This will be Rosberg’s sixth season in F1 and it is fairly remarkable to think he is only 25 years old. You know what else is striking? In 89 attempts he is yet to win a Grand Prix, which is a truly amazing statistic. We are almost entering Jenson Button territory here; the 2009 Champion took 113 races to break his duck. Rosberg is too good a driver not to be given a quick car as his flamboyant talents behind the wheel will be wasted. And speaking of talents being wasted, another year driving an uncompetitive car could prove to be too much for Rosberg’s more illustrious team-mate, seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher. ‘Schuey’, I presume, is a driver who does not enjoy fighting for ninth and tenth position in a car he has to manhandle and after doing this for almost the whole of last year, a second spell battling amongst the midfield could seal the end of his second coming.

Schumacher’s struggle for grip was costly last season and it could prove to be even more crucial in 2011 with the introduction of Pirelli tyres. After contacting F1 journalist Peter Windsor, host of online racing show 'The Flying Lap' via Twitter, it is clear the new tyres will have to be managed in quite a considerable manner. Windsor said: “I think some teams will do a better job of managing the Pirellis than will others. The Pirellis are currently going off at the race of about five seconds per lap, regardless of the compound. There is much more degradation than with Bridgestone, or Michelin for that matter, so teams are looking at three stop races.” Unquestionably then, the drivers will have to manage their tyres more frugally than ever and after witnessing Schumacher’s troubles with generating sufficient grip levels in the ’10 Mercedes, the 41 year old may have some rather testing times ahead this season. However, with such unpredictable tyres, he won’t be the only one.

To round up this week’s post, I would like to conclude with a question; when has the quickest car not won the World Championship? Despite Schumacher’s woes last season, he is certainly not a bad driver by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I still regard him as the toughest competitor out there; and yes I admit his actions in Hungary ’10 were bordering on desperate. In my view, a driver is crucial to whether a car can be driven quickly or not, but the fundamental aspect of F1 is whether the car is good enough to be driven quickly. Despite Rosberg’s array of superb performances in the MGP W01 last season, it was not competitive enough on a consistent basis to unsettle the frontrunners. So although ‘Schuey’ may have drifted into midfield obscurity last season, likewise Fernando Alonso in ’09 and Button in ’07 and ’08, he is clearly still a fast racing driver. However, he will not succeed without a quick car; and when I say succeed, I mean he will not win a World Championship. And let’s face it, when has a driver actually 'succeeded' without the fastest car on the grid?