2012: Make Or Break For Ferrari

Ferrari have won just seven races in the last three seasons. No mean feat, you might say; but Formula One's most successful team haven't won a driver's championship since 2007. With mixed noises coming out of Maranello this week about the team's new car, the F2012, the upcoming season looks like it will be an important year for the Scuderia.

Critics have been quick to build up against the F2012

In honesty, the figures quoted above may seem unfair. The team came painfully close to the driver's championship in both 2008 and 2010. Fernando Alonso alone took five wins in 2010. So what has gone so wrong?

The first person to take the wrap is the team principal - in this case Stefano Domenicali. Viewed by many in the paddock as likeable yet hard-working, it is fair to say that he lacks the 'edge', the out-and-out need to win that drove his predecessor Jean Todt. Indeed, if the team endure another barren year in 2012, then Domenicali could be booted out. The team have already replaced all sorts of technical staff below him, and this season looks to be Domenicali's hero or zero year.

Another question to be asked is that of the drivers - nabbing Fernando Alonso for 2010 was a coup, despite it being rumoured for many years. In Alonso, Ferrari have a solid and quick driver; many believe him to be the most-rounded on the grid, and it's not difficult to see why. His contract renewal to stay with the team until the end of 2016 has given the team some much needed stability - although despite this, I cannot see Alonso staying around for five winless seasons, and it is likely he would jump ship if the team do not give him a championship-contending car soon. The team's second driver, Felipe Massa, remains as more of a question mark. 2012 is very much his last chance - he's been at the team as a full-time driver since 2006, yet he became the first Ferrari driver for thirty years not to take a podium after completing a full season last year, and it is safe to say that if he does not step up his game in 2012, he will be replaced for the following season by someone like Sergio Perez or even a Sutil or Bianchi.

The last piece in the jigsaw is arguably the most important; the car. It is difficult to draw any real conclusions from testing times, but it is perhaps more revealing to listen to what the team says about the car. Massa is clearly not overwhelmed by the new chassis, saying it needs 'a bit of work' and that it is not a 'complete package' yet. It must be questioned why Ferrari felt the need to create a completely new car when their previous car won the sole 2011 race where the regulations were closest to what they will be for this season. That they were fastest at a race where exhaust regulations were temporarily tightened - as they will be this year - and that they did best on softer Pirellis - all tyres are becoming softer this year - to a casual, and even trained, observer, it is troubling to try and work out why Ferrari have chosen to create a completely new car, rather than create an evolution of their last, which could soon prove to be a rod for their own back.

2012, then, is going to be a very important year for Formula One's oldest and arguably best-loved team. There will be no doubt that the Tifosi will stick around, but how long will Alonso? And how long can Massa and Domenicali cling on for? Only time will tell.

Testing starts again next week at Bareclona.

Image (c) Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo/F1 Fanatic

Toro Rosso Unveil Explosive New Line-Up For 2012

Toro Rosso shocked the paddock today by revealing an all new driver line-up for 2012, comprising Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Frenchman Jean Eric Vergne.

Vergne was in action at the Young Drivers' Test for Red Bull last month.

Vergne drove for Red Bull at the Young Drivers' Test this year, as did Ricciardo last year. The news leaves 2011 drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi without a race seat for 2012. It will be a particular kick in the teeth for the ever-popular Alguersuari, who managed to qualify an amazing sixth on the grid at Spa, only to be wiped out at the first corner through no fault of his own.

Ricciardo, who started eleven races for HRT this year, said: “To be honest, I am still jumping up and down with excitement at the news. In the second half of 2011 I learned a lot from the people I worked with, and I want to thank them for the opportunity they gave me. I have to say that joining Scuderia Toro Rosso was always my real goal, so a big thank you to Red Bull for giving me this fantastic opportunity and now I can’t wait to get to work once testing begins.” The Australian drove in the Young Drivers' Test at Abu Dhabi last season for Red Bull, and drove in first practice sessions for Toro Rosso at the start of this season before being promoted to the race seat at Hispania.

Jean Eric Vergne, who will be the third Frenchman on the grid in 2012, joining Romain Grosjean and Charles Pic, has started no Grands Prix, but set the pace on all four days of this years Young Drivers' Test, much like his new teammate did last year.

The line-up is a complete unknown for Toro Rosso, who have not changed both of their drivers at once since 2006, yet team principal Franz Tost maintains it is not a gamble for the Italian squad. He reminded the press of Toro Rosso's main goal: "One has to remember that when Scuderia Toro Rosso was established in 2005, it was done so with the intention of providing a first step into Formula 1 for the youngsters in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme. It is therefore part of the team’s culture to change its driver line-up from time to time in order to achieve this goal." He wished well to both Buemi and Alguersuari, both of whom have been with the team as drivers since 2009. With spaces on the grid closing up fast, it will be a race against the clock to see who will end up where. With Force India set to announce their 2012 line-up soon, as well as Williams, race seats in the midfield look like an increasingly valuable entity come 2012.

Should teams be allowed to change their names?

I recently wrote a guest article for the Formula One Fans Association about whether teams should be allowed to change their names. You can find it here. Make sure to check out the rest of the website too. It's smashing.

Should a country be allowed two Grands Prix?

Spain is already the home of both the Spanish Grand Prix near Barcelona and the European Grand Prix in Valencia. Before that it was Germany that held two Grands Prix a year, at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, but they now alternate between one another year on year. However, rumours emerged this morning that Bernie Ecclestone is set to announce a race in New Jersey from 2013. With the new American Grand Prix at Austin starting a ten year contract next season. But should a country have two races? Or should they let other countries hold a race?

Valencia holds a second race in Spain each year, dubbed the 'European Grand Prix'

First we have to examine why a country would want to hold more than one race. In the case of Spain and Germany before it, Ecclestone and FOM decided to make a quick buck from the popularity of a driver in the form of Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher respectively. However, in the case of this second US race, it's not as clear cut - the race in Austin might struggle to fill all of its grandstands straight away, so why would America need two races? For one, America is one of the biggest markets in the world, which Formula One teams and their sponsors want to tap into. Austin is on the far-Western side of America, whilst the New Jersey race will be on completely the opposite side of the country, on the Eastern seaboard. Bernie Ecclestone himself has always wanted to hold a race in or around New York, and if this rumoured deal comes to fruition then his dream will have been realised. However, if a country must hold two races, is it financially viable to have one specially built for the purpose and the other to be a temporary facility? I'm not so sure - Formula One can't return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but what would have been so wrong with using Daytona? This would have to be the Road Course, naturally, but this wouldn't have been a bad option. Formula One could have also tried its hand at an oval circuit, but this will be set back for many years to come after the untimely and tragic death of Dan Wheldon in Las Vegas 5 days ago.


So should countries be allowed to hold two Grands Prix? The answer is yes, but only in certain circumstances, if it is a big market like America. And races should never, ever alternate between two countries like France and Belgium are planning to do. But what do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Paul di Resta - Future World Champion?

Paul di Resta’s storming drive in Singapore took him to a personal best sixth place, silencing the few critics that remained. But di Resta’s more subdued drive in Japan, finishing only one place behind Suzuka specialist Adrian Sutil in equal machinery is arguably more impressive.

di Resta has managed to keep Sutil behind for most of this year

One thing to remember when analysing the Singapore race is the turning point of the Grand Prix - the safety car caused by Michael Schumacher’s almighty shunt after an attempt at overtaking Sergio Perez went awry. This actually disadvantaged di Resta, as his strategy relied upon him delivering fast lap times exactly around when Bernd Maylander appeared on track. Despite this, he still managed his best ever race position with sixth. But it could have been so much more.

Force India went to the Japanese Grand Prix quietly confident - compared to their previous vehicles, this years VJM04 is an all-rounder, not just a car for fast tracks with plenty of straights on which it can utilise its Mercedes engine. However, they faced a rejuvenated Renault, who should have done well at the much more open track, a world away from the track which has served as their nemesis - Marina Bay. Then, unexpectedly, di Resta developed a flu of some sort, similar to the symptoms which Sergio Perez also suffered this weekend. To make matters worse, Suzuka is a track which suits experience - its lines and grip are in places which conventional drivers might not expect, only with experience of the track can a driver learn them. It was always going to be difficult to beat Sutil - a driver who had driven at the Japanese track many times before - and with an illness it would be even more difficult. But di Resta was only two tenths away in Qualifying, and as we know Sutil is no slouch.

The race, for di Resta however, was even more impressive - he capitalised on home favourite Kobayashi’s tardy start and was into eighth by the end of lap one - up four positions from his grid slot. He was jumped by Sutil at the first stop by virtue of the undercut on fresh tyres, but returned the compliment at the second stops. Switching to the medium tyre, both drivers knew they had to put in some fast laps - but yet again the safety car ruined this strategy. di Resta was caught towards the end of the race and passed by his team-mate, Petrov and Rosberg after a brave move at Dunlop. However, he still managed to finish in the same place that he had started, and was only just behind is team-mate at the finish.

But will di Resta be able to carry this skill on through his entire career? And will he ever get the car to do so? It’s obvious to paddock insiders that he has the speed; he has beaten Sutil more often than not in Qualifying this year and he beat team-mate Vettel in Formula Three in 2005. Not only this, but his recent drives have shown a level of maturity and intelligence reminiscent of ‘The Professor’ Alain Prost, and to more contemporary audiences, Jenson Button. With the inevitable retirement of Michael Schumacher coming either at the end of this year or the next, it’s only a matter of time before he can get himself a race seat at the Mercedes works team, who are likely to be able to give him a race winning car in 2014 if they cope with the rule changes like they did into 2009. Until then, it’ll be Paul’s job to impress in a minnow team against a fast team-mate. Will you be keeping an eye on him? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Image (c) Force India