Showing posts with label Formula One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Formula One. Show all posts

The F1 career of Nick Heidfeld

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 Posted by the sportsloop team 2 comments
Nick Heidfeld’s impending elevation from F1 discard to Renault lead driver provides the latest chapter in a career that has seemed all but over on numerous occasions.

Dating back to his sacking from Sauber at the close of the 2003 season the German has faced career oblivion no fewer than four times. While it is remarkable that he now finds himself with a top drive for 2011, what is even more remarkable is that a man with his proven record could have faced this prospect at all.

So has it been performance or perception that has lead to the ups and downs in Heidfeld’s career? Given that an F1 driver is judged first and foremost against his team mate, let’s look at the raw numbers of his career, against those of his various team mates.

    Qualifying vs. team mates: 91-81
    Points vs. team mates: 219-203
    Podiums vs. team mates: 12-11
    Wins vs. team mates: 0-1
    Poles vs. team mates: 1-1

Heidfeld’s record stacks up remarkably well when you consider the quality of drivers he has had on the other side of the garage: Raikkonen, Massa, Frentzen, Pantano, Glock, Webber, Villeneueve, Kubica, Vettel and Kobayashi. With the possible exception of Pantano, all are proven F1 drivers, with three world champions thrown in for good measure.

However one notable feature of Heidfeld’s team mates is that many were rookies when paired with the German. Let’s take a look at his qualifying record – the default barometer of a driver’s ultimate pace - if we divide these statistics into his record against rookies and non-rookies. For the purpose of this analysis a rookie is defined as a driver competing in their first full season of Formula One.

Against rookies
    Qualifying vs. team mates: 51-28

Against non rookies
    Qualifying vs. team mates: 37-56

Quite clearly Heidfeld hasn’t had it all his way when up against experienced drivers. So has his problem been the perception that when he has beaten his team mates it wasn’t by a big enough margin? McLaren’s hiring of rookie Kimi Raikkonen over Heidfeld for 2002 certainly lends some weight to this theory, particularly when you consider Heidfeld out qualified and out scored the Finn in their season together.

Given the sometimes vast differences in machinery, driver performance will always be viewed subjectively. Whilst undoubtedly being quick, there are few standout performances from his career to date that have made people sit up and really take notice of him. A driver who puts in one stunning performance for three mediocre ones will probably appear on more team’s shopping list than a consistent performer like Heidfeld.

Much is made of his record of 172 Grand Prix starts without a win, but as the man himself recently pointed out, only a single one of those races has seen a team mate take the top step of the podium. Kubica’s win at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix could so easily have been Heidfeld’s had the team not asked him to let Kubica through mid race. It is ironic that Heidfeld’s career lifeline and potential shot at the big time now come at the expense of Kubica.

If we assume that Kubica will be back in 2012 and Petrov’s Russian connections will ensure he remains, then Heidfeld must grab the Renault opportunity with both hands if his career is to continue in any meaningful way. If he is able to convincingly lead the team at the sharp end of the grid then he stands a very good chance of landing a drive elsewhere for 2012 and beyond.

Will Heidfeld ever win a Grand Prix? He certainly has the talent, now all he needs is a car to deliver. A black and gold Renault would do very nicely.

- JOB
Labels:

Who should replace Robert Kubica at Renault?

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 Posted by the sportsloop team 0 comments
It may be somewhat of an understatement to say that Renault’s Eric Boullier would be a man with quite a bit to think about at the moment.

With Renault’s innovative front exiting exhaust system, competitive times in Valencia, and a fired up Kubica at the wheel, things were looking very promising for Renault. Now faced with the loss of arguably the team’s greatest asset, Boullier must decide who will replace Kubica, for what is likely to be an appointment for the entire 2011 campaign.

The choice takes on extra significance as the team’s number two, Vitaly Petrov, would very unlikely have gotten a second season with the team if it weren’t for the bags of Russian Rubles he brings with him. While I expect him to improve in 2011 he’s still very much a work in progress and unlikely to lead a team with aspirations of winning races this year.

Let’s take a look at some of the candidates who might be waiting on a call from Boullier this week.

Bruno Senna – The first of Renault’s reserve drivers, Senna would be a shoe-in if Kubica’s absence was short term. However would the team feel comfortable running a driver pairing with a combined total of two years experience? Questions must also be asked of Senna’s ultimate pace – whilst last year’s HRT was a bit of a dog, the usually hapless Sakon Yamamoto was able to get uncomfortably close to Senna at times. Not a good look for a driver with aspirations of moving up the field. He would be a risky choice for Renault, but
due to his role in the team must be considered a solid chance for the drive.

Romain Grosjean – The second of Renault’s reserve drivers. Grosjean drove the second half of the 2009 season for the team after Piquet was shown the door, however was trounced by team mate Alonso and did nothing to convince that he had the raw speed necessary to be a top flight F1 driver. Eric Boullier seems to have taken a liking to the lad, but it would be highly unlikely to find him in the Renault cockpit this year.

Nick Heidfeld – Now considered a veteran, having made his debut back in 2000. A very solid pair of hands, and probably the most underrated driver of recent times. Heidfeld proved a match for Webber, helped end Villeneuve’s career and, despite perceptions, was quite evenly matched with Kubica during their BMW days. Brings huge experience and reliable speed to the team, but having started more Grands Prix without winning than any driver in the history of the sport, does he have the killer edge to lead the team to victories this season? Given the right equipment I think so, and I would consider him the favourite
to take Kubica’s seat.

Tonio Liuzzi – The likable Italian is now on the market having recently been, what can only be described as ‘shafted’ by Force India. He’s quick and brings with him over 60 Grand Prix starts in addition to his experience as a test driver for Force India. His experience and speed would be assets to the team, however Liuzzi has often struggled with to perform consistently, which could be an issue for a team with Petrov in the other car.

Pedro de la Rosa – Like Heidfeld, has been around the sport for years, but  hasn’t raced a full season since 2002. Renowned as a tester, and currently working in that capacity for Pirelli, he brings incredible technical know how to the team. However, whilst a very capable driver, the fact that no one has hired him for a full season in nearly a decade tells a story in itself. I would be surprised to see de la Rosa racing for Renault this year.

Nico Hulkenberg – Showed last year that he has pace, but overall was shaded by Barrichello. Given he is another driver with only a single season under his belt I think it’s unlikely that Renault would take the risk.

Kimi Raikkonen – The man nearly everyone in F1 would dearly love to see slide into the Renault. However having lashed out at the team over their leaking details of discussions over a 2011 race seat, it’s quite unlikely they would pick up the phone to him again now. Plus, there’s the small matter of him running his own WRC team this year.


Who do you think Renault should hire?

- JOB

Labels:

Should Robert Kubica have been in a rally car?

Monday, February 7, 2011 Posted by the sportsloop team 3 comments
The F1 world is in shock as the extent of the injuries sustained by Robert Kubica
emerge. Universally liked within the sport, Kubica is one of Formula One’s good
guys.

Quotes attributed to the surgeon who spent seven hours working on the Pole’s
partially severed right hand indicate that if he is to regain full functionality of his
hand it could take a minimum of 12 months rehabilitation – if he is able to at all.
It goes without saying that my best wishes are with him at this time.

This incident brings into focus the fact that motorsport is still dangerous. People
have grown used to seeing drivers emerge relatively unscathed from monstrous
shunts – Kubica’s scary accident at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix being a prime
example. What has happened to Kubica serves as a reminder of what these
drivers risk each time they step into a racing car.

Forums across the internet have been ablaze with people commenting that
Renault were mad to let their lead driver take part in a rally in the lead up to
the F1 season. However I think Renault team principal Eric Boullier sums up
the team’s feelings on the matter rather succinctly "We've let him do it because
rallying is what he loves to do. Rallying is vital for Robert and for his sanity.
Besides that, there is a reciprocal agreement. We knew the risks and so did he.
We didn't want a robot or a corporate man for a driver."

Given the injuries many would disagree with this decision, but I for one have no
problem at all with the team letting Kubica compete in rallies. While clearly it
hasn’t worked out, no one prior to the accident seemed to object too much to
Kubica taking on this challenge, with F1 Racing magazine even running a feature
on it in their January edition.

Kubica is a man who considers himself to be a ‘racing driver’ rather than a ‘F1
driver’, and his flourishing at Renault last year, after escaping the more corporate
confines of the BMW team, certainly points to a man who’s life is enriched by
indulging his passion for racing. If doing this helps bring the best out of Robert
then Renault would have been mad not to let him go rallying.

We hear so many complaints about sportsmen being generic, corporate clones,
so I find it quite refreshing to see a world class sportsman being allowed to
participate in something as thrilling and dangerous as a rally.

I would be interested to hear some of your thoughts on this, were Renault right
to let him go rallying?

- JOB 
Labels:

The Final Frontier: Formula One and the United States

Sunday, February 6, 2011 Posted by the sportsloop team 0 comments
What do you get when you mix the world's largest economy, a nation that loves things the automobile, and loves things 'big', with the world's largest annual sporting series that showcases the pinnacle of automotive technology? Well, a bit damp squib really.

How is it that Formula One has never cracked the USA? This is something brought into focus for me this month after reading the excellent February edition of F1 Racing magazine, which contained a feature on the upcoming USA Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the state that is well known for doing things big.

The article paints quite an optimistic picture of Formule One's future in the US of A, but the same picture was being painted 11 years ago when F1 ventured to the cathedral of American motorsport, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

So, what has gone wrong and can the Grand Prix in Austin achieve what the multitude of other venues have singularly failed to do - turn Formula One into a legitimate part of the American sports diet?

The United States is remarkably insular when it comes to sport, and whilst I am very happy for American readers to prove me wrong, this is certainly the perception of those living outside her borders. How else could it be that the winners of the NFL are crowned 'World Champions'?

It is this mindset that provides the first major hurdle for Formula One to overcome, and to be blunt, it is simply too ingrained into the American sports psyche for the sport to overcome.
Anyone believing that Formula One will ever be mentioned in the same breath as the NFL, NHL, MLB or NASCAR should probably stop deluding themselves now. Or keep taking their happy pills.

So what else has held Formula One back? For a sport with some incredibly gifted minds it has an amazing ability to shoot itself in the foot. Nothing more need be said about the debacle that was the six car 2005 US Grand Prix. Never in my life have I been embarassed to be known as a Formula One fanatic.

Also, despite it's brash appearnce, Formula One is quite a subtle sport, with the major protagonists rarely duking it out wheel to wheel NASCAR style. Of course, this does sometimes occur (and is truly breathtaking when it does), but as a rule it is fuel / tyre strategies that decide the outcome of a race. This subtelty and perhaps sense of elitism that Formula One projects is completely alien to the average American sports fan, and will always prevent the sport from going mainstream. It just really can't compete with the home grown heroes found in other sports.

What can Formula One hope to achieve out of going to Austin? With a promotor who is passionate about the sport and has huge resources behind him, I think the race will be as successful as a foreign based sport could ever be in the US. For some people it will lead to a greater education in, and therefore appreciation of the sport, for others it may simply mean that they are happy to tune in for their once a year fix of 'funny sounding' European named drivers in extremely quick cars. If Ferrari manage to flog a few more cars to Texan business men that's all well and good too.


- JOB

Labels:

Formula One 2011 - Sport Imitating Art?

Friday, February 4, 2011 Posted by the sportsloop team 0 comments
The frenzy of new car launches, photo opportunities and press releases that surrounded the recent first F1 test session in Valencia left us in no doubt that F1 2011 is now upon us.

For F1 fans it is a wonderful time of year, new car images to pore over, live lap times from testing to follow, new driver / team combinations to speculate over, and of course the all too frequent regulation changes to absorb. However 2011 sees the introduction of what is quite possibly the first regulation that would seem more at home in a computer game.

For years F1 has struggled with overtaking, or more accurately the lack thereof. Recent surveys of F1 fans have found that the overwhelming majority would like to see more of it, with anecdotal evidence to also suggest that the sport would have an easier time of capturing the casual fan if this was the case.

To this end the driver operated movable rear wings (yes, it is a mouthful) have been introduced. This is how it works:

Each circuit will have a designated ‘overtaking zone’ of 600m on it’s main straight. If two cars are within one second of each other leading into this overtaking zone the following driver will be allowed to activate the car’s movable rear wing.

This will move the wing into a low drag configuration, with an estimated boost of 10kph – 15kph in top speed. This additional speed down the straight will greatly assist the following car to get past the car in front. This certainly fulfils the desire to increase the amount of overtaking, but will the sport be cheapened as a result?

Prior to 2011 overtaking moves had been something to savour, requiring large cajones, masterful car control and a little bit of luck in equal measure. The great moves vividly stick in the mind: Hakkinen on Schumacher, Alonso on Schumacher, Montoya on just about everybody.

Overtaking is obviously an important part of the sport, but it needs to be balanced so that the audience doesn’t become blasé about it.  It has always been about having the nerve to out brake an opponent, or fox them into taking the wrong line into a corner.  Simply put, overtaking should be special.

A real fear from those involved in the sport (drivers chiefly among them), is that the movable rear wings could see overtaking moves simply involving one car sweeping by another on the straight, with no real skill required from either driver. 

The word ‘artificial’ has been bandied around quite a lot by some of the sport’s major players. The IRL introduced a similar rule some years ago, and it was scrapped after a single season as a race winning strategy generally involved sitting in second place leading into the final lap.

Quite incredibly the sport could find itself in a situation where overtaking has gone from too difficult to too easy. Fortunately the FIA has promised to review the regulation after 4 races and amend it accordingly. However, this being Formula One common sense doesn’t always prevail, so the sport needs to be careful that it doesn’t indulge in too much of a good thing and turn itself into an imitation of what is played on so many PlayStations around the world.

- JOB
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)