Ferrari

The 2010 Formula One season truly was a spectacular season. Not shy from any form of controversy, right from disputes over budget caps, to title-deciding team orders, the F1 fans were treated to quite an assortment of entertainment, suspense and at times, pure absurdity.

The FIA, which deals with the licensing and arbitration of Formula One, ironically has been blamed for most of the controversial incidents. The FIA monitors and governs all the sporting and technical rules and regulations, and makes the necessary changes each season. And these very changes are often fodder to the ensuing drama.

So what can we expect in the next season?

The 2011 Formula One season will see the number of races expand to 20, with the additions being the inaugural Indian GP and the returning Chinese GP (subject to homologation of the circuits). This will make it the longest season in Formula One history, and remarks have already started floating around that it could lead to fan switch-off.

Also, Pirelli returns to the sport as the tyre supplier to all teams, after Bridgestone’s contract expired at the end of the 2010 season. The Italian rubber giant was last associated with the sport in 1991.

Apart from this, following the final meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Monaco on 10th December, the FIA has outlined regulation changes that will come into effect over the next three seasons.

Here are some of the most significant ones we will see in the 2011 season:

1. Adjustable Rear Wing:

This feature is being introduced as a substitute to the F-Duct. It involves a moveable rear wing that can be briefly activated to give the driver a straightline speed advantage of his rival.

However, the adjustable rear wing would only be available under certain conditions, namely, the drivers will only be able to use it when they are within one second of the car in front, but it would not be usable in the first two laps of a race except in the case of an early safety car.

The system is expected to offer drivers an additional 15 km/h when passing, and will deactivate when the driver first hits the brakes after using the rear wing.

The concept, which has been negatively received by drivers and fans alike, could be dropped if it proves impractical or unmanageable.

  2. Minimum Weight-Limit:

The minimum weight-limit of the car and the driver as a unit has been raised by 20kg to 640kg. This was done to pave the way for a return of the KERS.

  3. Optional KERS:

  Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a system that is designed to recover kinetic energy  from the car during braking, store that energy and make it available to propel the car. It will give  the driver a power boost, which should also improve overtaking.

  The aims are two-fold - firstly, to promote the development of environmentally friendly and road car-relevant technologies in Formula One; and secondly, to aid in overtaking. A chasing driver can use his boost button to help him pass the car in front, while the leading driver can use his boost button to escape. 

 Currently, the regulations permit the systems to convey a maximum of 60kw (approximately 80bhp), while the storage capacity is limited to 400 KJ. This means that the 80bhp is available for anything up to 6.67s per lap, which can be released either all in one go, or at different points around the circuit. Lap time benefits range from approximately 0.1 to 0.4s.

 The use of KERS is NOT compulsory. A team can choose whether to use it or not. This would mean that like 2009, we can divide the field into two categories - KERS cars and non-KERS cars. Not the best way to commit to a new technology, especially since 2009 showed us that unequal specs in cars does take away the enjoyment and deprives us of natural results (2009 Belgian Grand Prix - Fisichella's Force India car was much quicker than Raikkonen's Ferrari, which ultimately used KERS to defend its position and win the race!)

 A typical KERS system weighs around 35kg. As mentioned above, Formula One cars must weigh at least 640kg (including the driver). But traditionally, teams build the car to be considerably lighter and then use up 70kg of ballast (weight which is added to the car to change the load distribution or as a penalty) to bring it up to weight.

 This means that teams with KERS will have less ballast to move around the car and hence have less freedom to vary their car’s weight distribution. Heavier drivers are at a particular disadvantage, an issue addressed by the raising of the minimum car weight for the 2011 season by 20kg.

 However, since KERS is optional, a non-KERS car will be able to have more ballast. Teams without KERS can thus, use this added ballast to get overall lap time down before worrying about over-taking.

 Considering the costs involved in implementing KERS, Ferrari and Renault have proposed that they could do KERS for less than a million euros. But what Ferrari and Renault are both saying is that unless the energy level is increased from the current 400 KJ up to 600 or 800KJ, to make KERS more beneficial, they are not prepared to commit to it at this stage.

 Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn believes the KERS systems shouldn’t simply be brought back in the same 2009 specification since he feels they didn’t contribute enough to the racing spectacle.

 Instead, the Briton reckons it would probably be better for new-generation KERS systems to be introduced to coincide with the sport’s new engine formula in 2013, for cost reasons.

4. Ban on Team Orders Lifted:

  Team Orders were banned prior to the 2010 season. But that was never going to stop the teams from employing them in their own discreet ways - something which was brought to the notice of the FIA by the not-so-discreet Ferrari.

  The rule prohibiting team orders has been "deleted" from the regulations in 2011.

This move was seen as a welcome change by most teams, bidding goodbye to pointless hypocrisy.

  5. Gearbox Rule Change:

Another change sees the one-gearbox-per-four-races rule increased to five races in 2011 with drivers receiving one penalty-free gearbox change.

"For 2011 only, except during the last Event of the Championship season, each driver will be permitted to use a replacement gearbox without incurring a penalty the first time this becomes necessary during the season. Under such circumstances the replacement gearbox will only be required to complete the remainder of the Event in question," the regulations read.

6. Unsporting Behaviour:

In an attempt to have cleaner races next season, the FIA will clamp down on aggressive, defensive driving and drivers who regularly gain an advantage by running off the track.

Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as more than one change of direction to defend a position, deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted.

This move was probably inspired by Michael Schumacher’s controversial move on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary last season.

On drivers benefiting from leaving the track the rulebook states, "Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt the white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.

"A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.

"Should a car leave the track for any reason the driver may rejoin. However, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any advantage."

7. More Power to Race Stewards:

The FIA has increased the maximum allowable penalty, from $100,000 to $250,000, that racing stewards can issue to teams, after the 2010 German Grand Prix where Ferrari were fined $100,000 for the use of team orders.

In the past race stewards were only allowed to hand out drive-through penalties, 10-second penalties or a drop of any number of grid positions for the following grand prix.

However, from next year they will be able to exclude a driver from the race classification or suspend him from the next grand prix.

8. Pit Lane Rules:

Over-taking in the pit lane will be banned from the 2011 season. Also, the Race Director has been given the power to close the pit entry during races for safety reasons.

9. Curfew on Team Personnel:

A curfew has been implemented, barring team personnel from accessing the circuit between the hours of midnight and six o'clock in the morning following concerns over mechanics spending all night performing repairs in the pit garage and the following day in the busy pit lane.

However, each team will be permitted four individual exceptions to the above rule during a championship season.

Apart from these, several new rules aimed at curbing flexible bodywork have also been introduced.

The regulations also include a raft of new safety measures including extra wheel tethers and tougher tests for the survival cell.

These are the changes that will be implemented immediately next season. There are also some changes that are slotted for the 2012 and the 2013 seasons.

Just over a week into their implementation, the new rules seem to have been well-received by all the teams. But there is still quite some time left before the first race in Bahrain on 13th March, and in this topsy-turvy world of F1, one can never be too sure. Whether they will be a success, we will have to wait and see. 

(This article was first published on http://www.isport.in)

Felipe Massa was one of the success stories of 2008 season. He came within a whisker of winning the championship, he defeated Kimi Raikkonen by 22 points and all was looking good for his future. In 2009, he struggled with a poor car and then the horror moment in Hungary.

In Hungary, an 800 gram spring falling off the rear suspension of Rubens Barrichello smashed Massa in the helmet when he was doing 162 mph on the short straight after turn 4. Massa was knocked unconscious with his two feet pressing hard on both the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. He hit the wall doing about 62 mph, but the damage was done.

Massa's skull was damaged and there was severe damage around his eye. The accident had similarities with the accident that resulted in the death of Henry Surtees, son of the 1964 champion John Surtees. Some questioned whether he would be able to race again and some thought the worst after seeing the accident.

Fortunately, after significant time had passed, Massa was announced fit to race once more but not in time to be able to compete again for the rest of the 2009 season. Felipe was looking forward to the 2010 season with his new team mate, Fernando Alonso, and hoping to mount a serious championship challenge like he had done in 2008.

Sadly he wasn't ever really in contention for the title in 2010 and some people were saying that Ferrari should be looking for a new driver. Massa had a very poor 2010, failing to secure a win, a pole or a fastest lap. So what went wrong for Felipe in 2010? Well I think there was three main problems for Massa in 2010.

Problem A) Consistent, but not consistently strong

He had some great performances at the races in Bahrain, Australia, Germany and Italy which seemed to suggest that the old Felipe was back. He did truly deserve the win in Germany and I felt sorry for him when the 'pass' happened. However, he only got five podium finishes through the season and for a Ferrari man, unless they produce a shocking car like in 2009, that isn't enough.

He was off the pace of the other front runners and too often ended up not challenging for podiums or wins but down in the lower points scoring positions. Over the season he finished nine times in between fourth and tenth. So for nearly half of the season he didn't quite manage produce the top notch drives he could that would of put him into those podium spots.

He was consistent throughout the season but sadly for him, he was consistently just behind the other front running cars. He didn't get himself fighting at the sharp end enough throughout the season. He was leading the championship early, not because he was winning races but because others had problems. Once the issues were sorted, Massa struggled to match the others.

It wasn't due to lack of trying either it just seemed like he couldn't quite match the pace of others. In Brazil as he was trying to come through the field after the pit stop issue he ran wide on a few occasions as he was trying to make his way through the field.

He also had a real moment of stupidity with the crash in Suzuka. He didn't make Q3 and then tried to go up a gap that was always going to close forcing him onto the grass before crashing into Liuzzi.

Massa didn't show anything like the form we all saw from him in 2008. By the end of the season many were speculating that Massa could be sacked. With drivers such as Kubica not able to get in the top teams then you have to say being in a top team means you need to perform. If you don't then there are drivers there too take your place. 

Problem B) Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso is one of the best drivers of this generation. This year, in a car that wasn't the strongest in the field, Fernando managed to produce a championship challenge that came very close to being successful. Fernando is a very special talent and when he is on form he is the match for anyone on the grid.

But Fernando Alonso does have his flaws. He very much likes to be the number 1 in the team and if he feels that he isn't, his performance drops and can lead to scenes such as the unpleasant ones in 2007 with Hamilton. Also in Abu Dhabi, he showed a reluctance to go for the 50/50 move. He tried once but made a complete mess of it. But considering the championship stakes he should of tried more than once.

This season saw Alonso on good form for the most part, and he was really taking the fight to the Red Bull cars. Alonso out qualified Massa 15 to 4 and one of the times Massa outqualified Alonso was at Monaco when Alonso failed to set a lap due to the accident Fernando had in practice.

Fernando was the better driver in 2010 for Ferrari by a long way. Massa, in terms of performance, was the number two driver. I don't know in terms of equipment if Ferrari favoured Alonso in any way, but would be surprised if they did as they needed to keep Felipe near the front to try and act as a rear gunner for Fernando

Ferrari had to get behind Alonso around mid-season when it became obvious he was the only one of the two that seemed to be able to take the race to the others. Felipe simply couldn't match Fernando.

Which of course brings up the incident at the Hockenheimring in Germany. As much as most (including myself) don't like it, it was necessary in Ferrari's eyes for them to do what they did. It was totally illegal but done in the way it was, unless Ferrari admitted they could do little. They couldn't prove 100% that they put team orders in place, just 99%, and that isn't enough.

There could be a reason if, like Schumacher at Mercedes, Felipe was struggling with a car that didn't suit him and did suit Alonso, then perhaps that could explain the gap. But the gap between Alonso and Massa was even wider than that between Schumacher and Rosberg in the championship standings.

I will say now that for me, Alonso is the better driver of the two. Massa is a brilliant driver but for me Fernando, as I said at the start, is a very special talent. I am not worried about all the defects Fernando is supposed to have as a person, what I am worried about is his performance as a Formula 1 driver.

Problem C) What could go wrong, did

Massa wasn't graced with the best luck during the 2010 season

A Puncture in Britain, Wheel nut cross thread in Brazil, incidents with Liuzzi and Schumacher in Canada, the safety car debacle in Valencia, gearbox failure in Singapore qualifying and the Malaysian qualifying error by the team.

Massa was often behind everyone before the race began. No matter how good you are if luck doesn't go your way then you cant challenge others. But in a season that saw everyone have some bad luck it did seem that Felipe suffered more than most.

When your trying to get the media to stop speculating on your job it can hardly do you much good to have things outside of your control effect your race in a negative way.

Overall

The jury remains very much out on Felipe Massa.

Some people say that he is a good driver and deserves to be at Ferrari,

Some say that while Alonso is there he will be nothing more than a number two driver,

Some are of the view that Massa isn't up to it that he should be sacked

Whatever you view point Massa is with Ferrari for the 2011 season. Lets hope this time next year that Massa is looked upon in a more favourable light  

Fernando Alonso has a happy knack of attracting controversy.

After going into the final race of the 2010 Formula 1 season leading the championship and in an almost unassailable position, Alonso and Ferrari conspired to do exactly what was necessary to ensure that the missed out on the championship and allow Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull to claim an unlikely victory.

Exactly how they managed to do this will be a lesson for all teams.

Instead of focusing on winning the race, Ferrari and Alonso played it safe by choosing to pit to cover a desperate move pulled by Mark Webber—who Ferrari assumed was their only rival—in an effort to overcome a terrible qualifying effort.

History tells us that this move was spectacularly unsuccessful, bringing Alonso out behind traffic that had already completed their pit stops, most notably the Renault of Vitaly Petrov.

For 40 laps, Alonso languished behind the Russian, not only showing an inability to pass what has proven to be a slower car, but also an unwillingness to take a risk in pursuit of the championship. You could count on one hand the amount of serious overtaking moves that he attempted in that 40-lap stretch.

There is no doubt that the Abu Dhabi track—a typical Hermann Tilke effort—is difficult to overtake on, but if you can't overtake, you don't deserve the championship.

When the race ended and Vettel had secured the championship, Alonso pulled alongside Petrov’s car and gesticulated aggressively—seemingly giving the impression that Petrov should have pulled over and let him past. It was an ugly and unnecessary end to what had otherwise been a spectacular season for the Spaniard.

It seems that Alonso was not the only one upset by his inability to pass Petrov. Alonso fans have bombarded Petrov’s Facebook page with abuse, accusing him of deliberately blocking Alonso throughout the race.

Alonso has defended his fans, claiming that they were probably upset by Petrov’s comments in the aftermath of the race when, in a post-race interview, Petrov is reported to have accused Alonso of having “bad manners" and a “bad education” in response to Alonso’s gestures.

After defending his fans, Alonso went on to laud his season, boasting that he was particularly pleased with how he had dominated his teammate throughout the season.

If you were to judge by the year-end points tally, his claim would seem to have some credence, but if you were to look a little more closely at the season, a slightly different picture emerges.

After the first seven races of the season, the two drivers were separated by only 11 points, and that included the result in China where Alonso ran Felipe Massa off the road in an effort to get into the pits before him.

The manoeuvre, and subsequent queuing in pit lane, probably cost Massa five places, which would have had the two drivers on almost identical points.

Massa then missed out on points in the next three races due to damage and punctures before the infamous German Grand Prix, during which Massa was forced to allow his “faster” teammate to pass.

After that, Massa was clearly disillusioned and his performance reflected his unhappiness—not to mention that his No. 2 driver status saw his teammate receive preferential treatment.

There is no doubt that Alonso had a terrific season. His resurrection of Ferrari’s title hopes after the British Grand Prix was remarkable, but his performance was, in part, the result of him being a clearly preferred driver with a compliant teammate, racing against teams with two drivers who were fighting for championship points.

Maybe a little bit of humility might be in order.

There has never been a closer Formula One season than 2010. As we head into the last race there are still four drivers who have a mathematical chance of winning the driver’s championships, with first placed Fernando Alonso leading fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton by 24 points, with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in between down eight and 15 points down respectively.

Just in case anyone believes that this is a artifact as a result of the generous new points system, if we applied last year’s points system, we would still have a four-way battle with Alonso on 99 points, Webber 96, Vettel 94 and Hamilton on 92. Going back to the old-old points system (10-6-4-3-2-1) would see Hamilton drop out of contention, but still a three way battle.

Abu Dhabi will be fascinating. Last year Red Bull took out the race in a one-two finish with Vettel and Webber, but that was only after Hamilton was forced to retire from the lead with suspected brake problems. Alonso, then in a Renault, and Ferrari were both well off the pace.

But that was last year. This year, the permutations are combinations are enough to give a statistician a nosebleed and set their trouser trinkets into furious motion.

Most of the outcomes see Alonso winning, but if he were to fail outright and Red Bull pull off a Vettel-Webber one-two, we could see the two drivers tied for first and Vettel winning on a count back.

Hamilton is the wild card. While his chances of winning the championship are, let’s be honest, thin to the point of anorexia, he is in a terrific position to influence the outcome of championship. If he again qualifies fastest, as he did last year, all of Red Bull and Ferrari’s calculations will need to be redone.

If he takes pole and leads the race, he will—barring the Ferrari blowing up or crashing and everything else going to plan—effectively gift the championship to Alonso. Given the personal animus between Hamilton and Alonso that stems back to their time together at McLaren in 2007, this would be an absolutely unpalatable outcome for Hamilton and his team.

What they will do about that is a delicious mystery that we can only hope to see unravel.

The 2010 season then, will not only come down to the last race, but it will conceivably come down the last few laps of the last race.

Vettel has already indicated that he will do what is necessary to ensure that the team takes out the driver’s championship, hinting that he will yield to Webber if necessary. The FIA turns a blind eye to team orders when the championship is on the line. Whether Hamilton would also yield is what makes this race such an exciting prospect.

Of course, should Alonso win the championship—and if he finishes first or second, everyone else’s plans are irrelevant—then all talk will focus on Ferrari’s embarrassing enforcement of team orders at Hockenheim.

There will be claims that they should have received a harsher penalty, but the fact remains that they have brought Alonso back from a 47 point deficit half-way through the season, to the point where he is a clear favourite to take out the championship.

That takes some doing.

Ferrari have proven, time and again, that they will do whatever it takes to win the championship. If that means sacrificing the dignity of one of their drivers, then so be it. If they win the championship on Sunday, that will vindicate their decisions.

If Red Bull had sent out the message to Vettel in the closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix, “Sebastian, Mark is faster than you, do you understand?” we would have had one point separating first and second in the championship and it would have been a drag race to the finish. That’s if Vettel’s radio didn’t mysteriously malfunction.

But, true to their word, RBR did not intervene in what happened on the track. We can only speculate as to what would have happened were the positions reversed.

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz can sleep comfortably knowing that they have fought hard and played by the rules. They have taken out the constructor’s championship by a comfortable margin and that, in itself, is a creditable achievement.

But, if Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari starts 2011 with the number one on its nose, it will have been an opportunity lost for RBR, and they come along far too rarely to give them away so easily.

Maybe then, they will learn that pragmatism always trumps idealism in Formula One. This is not the Olympics; winning is everything!

Following team orders: To be, or not to be. That is the question, as we head into the penultimate race of the 2010 Formula One season.

The Formula One title race has seen a dramatic change of fortunes ever since that day in Hockenheim when race leader Felipe Massa allowed his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso to pass by, following a dubious team order from Ferrari stating that Alonso was faster than he is.

The credulous little chap that he is, Massa was only too happy to comply as the Spaniard took the lead and went on to win the race.

This little shenanigan from Ferrari turned out to be just the boost Alonso needed, whose title challenge was disintegrating prior to Hockenheim, after which the Spaniard went on to get six podium finishes out of a possible seven, including four wins.

However, Ferrari were subject to heavy criticism following the incident, and were hit with a $100,000 fine.

Team orders may be a taboo topic in the F1 circle, but may well come into the picture in the remaining two races, more so in Brazil as we still have four drivers with a real chance of winning the title.

It will be interesting to see how the three leading teams strategize with their drivers, especially with each team having its own internal issues to deal with.

Red Bull

Red Bull go into the race as favourites, despite Mark Webber conceding the title lead to Fernando Alonso in Korea.

The Interlagos circuit, or Autódromo José Carlos Pace as it is now known as, demands a lot of power. It is not built on a flat terrain, and follows the ups and downs of a hilly ground, which makes it harder to drive and demands more power from the car's engines.

The Red Bulls tend to be good over bumps, and the Interlagos circuit provides many. Webber won the race in 2009, and will be favourite to win it again this year.

However, the Red Bull camp has been hit by allegations of preferential treatment, with Webber himself claiming that his teammate Sebastian Vettel is favoured by the team as he is the younger of the two.

Webber also went on to say that his lead over Vettel in the championship is turning out to be an “inconvenience” for the team.

Red Bull were pretty firm with their non-preferential policy prior to Korea. However, the double failure at Yeongam has forced team principal Christian Horner to reconsider.

Ideally, any team strategy should favour Webber, as he is closest to leader Fernando Alonso, trailing by 11 points.

Vettel, on the other hand, lies 25 points behind Alonso and has quite a long shot at winning the title.

The evident unrest in the Red Bull camp couldn’t come at a worse time, with just two races to go. However, the two Red Bulls topped both the Friday Practice timesheets, and should be strong contenders for the race.

Ferrari

Ferrari have always enjoyed racing in Brazil, winning the race consecutively from 2006 to 2008. Felipe Massa won in 2006 and 2008, and would have won in 2007 too, had it not been for yet another team order. 

Massa was asked to slow down to let teammate Kimi Raikkonen through, and the maneuver allowed the Finn to clinch the title by a point.

There were also reports stating that Massa had deliberately lost two seconds on the final sector of his in-lap in the Korean GP so that he wouldn't leapfrog Fernando Alonso in the pit-stops, thanks to the errant wheel nut on Alonso's tyre stop.

Had Felipe not dallied by an extra two seconds in what was only a 20-second sector, then both he and Hamilton would have been in front of Alonso.

In spite of these incidents, Massa still chooses to remain defiant in support of his teammate and boldly stated that he WOULD help Alonso again, if need be.

A Brazilian prosecutor has even gone on to warn Massa that he could be arrested and sentenced to six years in prison if he takes team orders to help Alonso win the title.

Alonso appears to be unperturbed by the whole bedlam, saying that the only issue that even remotely ruffled his feathers in the past couple of days was the offside goal scored by AC Milan against his favourite Real Madrid!

Alonso added to his nonchalance, saying that a Massa win in the remaining two races would only delight him, as it would take valuable points off the other title contenders. There’s some Spanish intellect for you!

It is to be noted that Alonso can lift the trophy if he wins Sunday's race, provided Webber finishes fifth or worse.

Alonso can also clinch the title if he finishes second and Webber places eighth or worse, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton is fourth or worse, and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is second or worse.

However, the Spaniard’s comments would do wonders to a passionate Brazilian crowd, who hope to see local hero Massa back on the podium after he missed last year’s race due to his head injury. Regardless of what happens, it’s a master stroke to begin with from Alonso.

McLaren

The picture is a shade clearer for the McLaren team, with Jenson Button all but out of the title race, languishing 42 points behind Alonso.

Lewis Hamilton has more of a chance, being 21 points off the top, and the Brit is apparently enjoying the chase. Hamilton will be banking on a mistake from the Red Bulls and the Ferraris, with an Alonso retirement being at the top of the wish list.

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh admitted that rival teams Red Bull and Ferrari will be quick, but insisted that the unpredictable nature of the Interlagos track means McLaren have every chance of being competitive.

However, he also admitted that if push comes to shove, Button might have to make way for Hamilton. This comes after an earlier statement which said that Button would be given every chance to go for the title.

Unity and hypocrisy are the words that will define the Brazilian Grand Prix, with team orders almost certain to come into play.

How the teams will cope with internal egos, a bumpy track, a passionate Brazilian crowd and even the possibility of another wet race will have to be seen come race day.

Ready for some Samba?

This article was first published on http://www.isport.in

There are two things that I hate: being wrong, and apologizing.

When it comes to my take on Fernando Alonso—I have been wrong, and I will reluctantly admit that I owe the man an apology. 

Do not expect me to renege on my opinion that he acted like a diva in his one and only season at McLaren. That is one position that will never change.

This year, however, I have to concede that Alonso is driving more like a champion than ever before.

Alonso kicked off 2010 by winning the season opener in Bahrain. Being the cynic I am, I said that attrition gifted him the win, that he wasn’t capable of winning a race this season on speed alone, and that it would take hard luck on McLaren and Red Bull for him to take the top podium spot.

And I seemed to be right until the German Grand Prix.

Being the champions they are, both Ferrari and Alonso refused to throw in the towel. They re-developed the car, and the Spaniard went on a tear, winning Hockenheim, and then taking three of the last four Grand Prix.

Alonso has now won more races than any other driver in 2010.

I do have to extend my sympathies to both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Vettel in particular, you really have to feel for. He didn’t put a wheel wrong on the newly constructed/work-in-progress Korean International Circuit.

The track was a mess, the weather was poor, race control seemed to act as if this was Formula 1’s first crack at racing in the rain, but that didn’t seem to matter because the young German powered-on, until his Renault engine decided to power-off.

Vettel needs to get credit for being a good sport. Despite all his woes, he can always be seen expressing his gratitude towards the Red Bull crew. While taking the long walk down pit road after his Renault went poof, he flashed a glance at the TV camera that translated into ‘Shit happens, but we have two more cracks at this thing.’

Lewis Hamilton, take note. This is how a champion soldiers through adversity.

But returning to my original point, I now find myself saying it: Alonso, I apologize. You took a fast car, worked to make it faster, didn’t make any mistakes, and made sure to capitalize on your opponent’s misfortunes. You deserve this championship.

And now it’s time for Hermann Tilk, Bernie Eccelstone, and anyone else involved with the construction of the Korean International Circuit to apologize to us, the fans, for putting such a wretched track on the schedule. 

What would do call that thing? To me, it looked like a ridiculous cross between a temporary street circuit, permanent road course, and a carnival parking lot.

The track was built in the boonies, which understandably caused some commuter issues.

But you would think the powers-that-be would look at a track in the middle of nowhere as an opportunity—an opportunity to build something special.

Instead of getting something unique and riveting, we the public have been cursed with another of these formulaic tracks I described in my previous article: take one long front-stretch, put a grandioso grandstand on one side, a state-of-the-art garage on the other, model the buildings after indigenous architecture, and then connect both ends of the front-stretch with a number of technical twists around the cheap seats. 

It is important to note that they deviated from this pattern in Korea.

The front-stretch wasn’t very long, and the beginning of it led into a controversial pit lane entrance—which was as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. 

The technical turns that connect the front stretch with the rest of the track did make their way through the cheap seats, but that meant little because said seats were still under construction!

But fear not, the Korean International Circuit will not be as boring this time next year, as the developers have grand future plans for it.

Like what you ask? Monza-style banking? A proper front-stretch? A back-stretch that’s actually near the back of the track?

Of course not. Gone are the days of pitching yourself at the top of a hill next to a turn. No longer will your weekend be about racing, good food, a cooler full of beer, and beautiful company matched only by a beautiful view of the track.

This is the modern-day Formula 1. There are plans for a convention center, a hotel, and apartments. The Yeongam circuit is sure to become Asia’s answer to Las Vegas.

I shouldn’t be such a stick in the mud. Mother Nature heard our prayers, and did her best to make the race exciting.

Webber found a way to almost hit two walls at once. Vettel made millions of people reconsider buying a Renault Clio, and for the first time this season, Michael Schumacher started to look like the man who owned Formula 1 for more than a decade.

But the fallacies of the inaugural Korean GP will loom over the circuit for years to come. At one point I had to ask myself: which side of the demilitarized zone is this race being held?

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Fernando Alonso not only propelled himself to the top of the podium, but also to the top of the Drivers Championship in treacherous conditions at Yeongam.

The Spaniard, who started the race in P3, had an arduous task in hand behind the two Red Bulls. However, Mark Webber spun out of the race in Lap 20 after losing control, taking Nico Rosberg along with him. This helped Sebastian Vettel take the lead with Alonso and Hamilton close on his heels.

Hamilton took second after Ferrari had problems changing Alonso’s right-front wheel, only to run wide in Lap 35 to allow Alonso back in front. Alonso’s day only got better after that, with Sebastian Vettel’s engine blowing up in comprehensive fashion in Lap 46, allowing Alonso to take the lead in damp, gloomy conditions.

As if the rain gods saw justice in Alonso’s taking the lead, conditions got better, with even a few of the sun’s rays poking their way through the grey clouds for a few magical minutes. Alonso was never going to lose it after that.

The light then faded rapidly as Alonso took the chequered flag, ironically so, as Alonso took the lead in the Drivers Championship with 231 points, with Webber second on 220.

Alonso, who began the season with a win at Bahrain, then went through a dip in form, finishing as low as 14th in the British Grand Prix. He revived his season in Hockenheim, albeit in controversial fashion, leading a Ferrari one-two. He has since pocketed 133 points in seven Grand Prixs, after getting just 98 in the 10 races before that, propelling him to the top of the Drivers Championship.

Ferrari have also seen their fortunes change for the better after Hockenheim, pocketing 209 points out of a possible 301. They currently sit third in the Constructors Championship with 374 points, behind Red Bull Racing and McLaren, who have 426 and 399 points, respectively.

It has to be seen whether Alonso and Ferrari can continue their surge come Abu Dhabi. But one thing is for sure, both know how it feels to win a Championship and they will be gunning for it even more as we move into the final two races of what has been an enthralling Formula One season.

(This article was first published at http://www.isport.in)

For the past few months, it was mooted that the Korean Grand Prix wouldn't go ahead. Barely two weeks ago, the 3.5-mile Korean International Circuit in Yeongam was a building site still waiting for the final layer of asphalt to be laid. Many questioned the infrastructure and the safety of the facility, as finishing touches were being made to the track just two days before the race.

Once the racing did get going, it certainly didn't disappoint. The race lived up to many others this season as the title race took another spectacular turn. A low-grip track surface and wet weather provided a huge lottery for all 24 drivers that lined up on the grid.

However, only four laps into the race, the red flag was flown and the race was stopped as many drivers complained that the track was too slippery and visibility was zero, with McLaren driver Jenson Button even telling his team that he "couldn't see his front tyres on the straight."

The ensuing stoppage lasted nearly an hour, and as the cars sat motionless on the grid, many began looking at the time. With the restart being scheduled for 4:05pm local time and sunset happening around at 5.45pm, darkness could potentially have spelt an early end to the race, possibly even leading to half points being awarded.

After another 13 laps under safety car, the race went green. Immediately McLaren's Lewis Hamilton lost fourth place to Nico Rosberg of Mercedes. Further skirmishes happened lower down, with Jarno Trulli spinning his Lotus at Turn 1.

However, next time round under green, it all went horribly wrong for championship leader Mark Webber. The Red Bull ran wide onto the wet astroturf, and spun into the inside wall. The car rebounded into the middle of the track, taking out Rosberg and almost being collected by Fernando Alonso.

With Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel leading the race, it looked like the German would take the lead from Australian Webber, with Alonso moving into second.

The safety made its second visit to the race, and when it pulled in again, Vettel made another break, pulling out a three second lead over Alonso. Jenson Button meanwhile had started to fall back into the midfield, and decided to gamble on a switch to the intermediate tyres—everyone had started on the full wet tyres due to the Safety Car start.

He pulled a similar strategy in Australia and China earlier in the season—the source of his two wins this season. His strategy was foiled, however, when Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi outbraked himself into Turn 3 and speared into the side of Timo Glock. The Swiss driver was out on the spot, while Glock retired in the pits later.

The Safety Car came out again, with the leaders pitting in as it was called out. During these pitstops, Hamilton jumped Alonso after a bungled tyre change by the Ferrari pit crew dropped the Spaniard back to third.

On the restart, that mistake was voided by Hamilton missing his braking point into Turn 1, with Alonso moving back into second ahead of the McLaren.

Further back, the second McLaren of Button was involved in more midfield tussles, being forced off the road at Turn 6 while battling with Force India's Adrian Sutil. With his title challenge seemingly slipping away, he spun a few laps before the end, and eventually finished outside the points in 12th.

Back at the front, the title race took another significant turn, as the Renault engine in Vettel's Red Bull let go less than 10 laps from the end. Alonso assumed the lead from Hamilton, with the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa rounding out the podium.

As the race neared the end, tyres became a big problem for many of the drivers. The "inters" had lost most of their treads, with lots of moisture still lining the track. Darkness was also beginning to roll in, with many drivers complaining that they couldn't spot braking markers or corner apexes.

Even with all this, Alonso managed to avoid any huge mishaps before the end and duly took the win by 15 seconds ahead of former team-mate Hamilton and current team-mate Massa.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher had by far one of his best drives of his comeback season and made up for Rosberg's retirement by bringing his Mercedes home in fourth. It was his first top five finish since the Turkish Grand Prix in May.

Schumacher's fourth place now realistically secures Mercedes' fourth place in the constructors' championship ahead of Renault. Their lead driver Robert Kubica managed to bring home his Renault in fifth, while team-mate Vitaly Petrov did his chances of retaining his seat for next year no good by crashing heavily at the final corner.

He had been running in the points but once again left his team with a hefty repair bill, and with a number of drivers being touted to replace him in 2011, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him being ousted out of the team post-season.

Another driver under pressure for next season is Vitantonio Liuzzi of Force India. Big noises are being made about his future, possibly being replaced by DTM driver and current Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta.

Despite almost taking out team-mate Adrian Sutil under the Safety Car, he drove a relatively clean race to take home some solid points for sixth place, his equal best finish in Formula One. Sutil meanwhile ended his race in the gravel at Turn 4, after damaging his suspension in a clumsy incident while battling with Kamui Kobayashi.

Tyre troubles destroyed Williams' chances of a big points haul. Fifth and sixth became seventh and 10th, with Rubens Barrichello being passed by Kubica and Liuzzi on the road. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg pitted a few laps before the end with a slow puncture. He managed to sneak ahead of Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari for the final point, but he would have hoped for much more as his future in the team is also on the line.

Sauber achieved their second double points finish in a row. Despite being assaulted by Sutil, Kobayashi kept it on the road for eighth, with team-mate Nick Heidfeld following 2.2 seconds behind with a quiet run to ninth.

As for the new teams, Heikki Kovalainen took top honours in 13th despite a pit lane speeding penalty, although the top "B-team" honours could so easily have gone to Timo Glock in the Virgin Racing car, who was of course taken out by Buemi.

And so with two races to go, the driver championship standings have been turned completely. Fernando Alonso now leads Webber by 11 points, with Lewis Hamilton now third, a further 10 points back. Vettel's engine failure means he's now fourth, rather than first, 25 points behind Alonso. Button meanwhile is all but out of the title scrap. He's now 42 points behind Alonso with only 50 left to take from the final two races.

Despite a double retirement, Red Bull still maintain their constructor championship lead, although their gap to McLaren has now been slashed to 27 points. Ferrari lie 25 points behind McLaren, and could still take the title with 86 points still up for grabs.

The Formula One fraternity now moves on to Brazil in two weeks time, with the Interlagos track almost certainly waiting to throw up another memorable race and possibly another twist in the title battle.

We’ve all been making predictions and the fantasy F1 leagues have or are starting to pick the winners of this weekend’s South Korean Grand Prix. As with many new circuits, it’s a tough call on just who will do well and who may do not-so-well. There is one man who has driven the circuit and has a thing or two to say about this weekend’s prospects so before you place your bets or pick your podium, perhaps you may spare a moment for recently-ousted HRT driver Karun Chandhok.

Chandhok drove a Red Bull car for a demonstration lap at the KAVO circuit a few weeks ago and has first-hand knowledge of its layout. While he was not driving in anger, he does feel the track may not be a forgone conclusion for Red Bull dominance. Chandhok told Reuters:

“It’s going to be very slippery, very low grip, I would imagine,” he told Reuters on Monday.

“The Red Bull is quick everywhere. But I think here, specifically though the first sector of the lap with the three long straights, they may not be as quick as some of the others. Ferrari and McLaren will be strong.

“Even if the Red Bulls qualify one-two, it will be interesting to see because of the long straights in sector one if they hold that advantage into turn four on the first lap.

“I do think the gap will be closer…I think the gap will be close enough that if (Ferrari’s Fernando) Alonso or (McLaren’s) Lewis (Hamilton) or Jenson (Button) dig deep they could sneak a win out of it.”

So there you have it, a sneaky win for Ferrari or McLaren? That’s music to their ears as both squads need a win desperately to keep them in the hunt. Alonso, fourteen points adrift of Red Bull’s Mark Webber, could certainly use the win to get to the top of the leader board but I think McLaren needs a win and some help from a faltering Ferrari or Red Bull. Perhaps an engine issue or DNF would be the thing the Woking team needs to see Lewis Hamilton back in the hunt.

So it’s prediction time! You’ve heard Chandhok’s warning…what do you think? Who will podium at the inaugural event in South Korea this weekend? Does Karun have a point on the long straights? That depends, in my mind, what the corners are like at the end of those straights. Tailing a Red Bull is one thing, getting around them is another and then you have the Webber factor which basically says you will not get around the Australian lest you like driving on the grass.