F1 Season Update - Singapore Preview

The 2011 Formula One season could thus far be characterized by one word: dominance. I’ll not go so far as to say that the degree of competitive advantage currently exhibited by the Red Bull Racing team is rare, but it is certainly not common. At this time last year, only 24 points separated championship leader Mark Webber from fifth place teammate Sebastian Vettel. This year, the picture is much different. Red Bull find themselves in command of an even greater points differential relative to their rivals and Webber’s fortunes are reversed, achieving only 172 points to Vettel’s 284. So great is Vettel’s lead over the rest of the field that, should he win in Singapore, he will secure the World Driver’s Championship with five rounds yet to be contested. How and why did we get here? Another concise answer: development.

As discussed in my introductory piece on Formula One, the teams independently interpret the technical regulations and construct vehicles which adhere to them. Throughout the season, they are permitted to continue to refine the car and adapt it to the changing competitive climate. Just two weeks ago during the Italian Grand Prix, most of the teams ran aero parts specific to only Autodromo di Monza. Red Bull began the season with a very strong package but their aggressive developmental pace has assured them a roughly constant second-per-lap advantage on their nearest competition. The RB7 has taken ten pole positions and won eight races of the 13 completed this season; coupled with the pace of its predecessor, the RB7 appears to be the engine which could propel Red Bull to the height Ferrari enjoyed with Michael Schumacher at the wheel in the early 2000s. And with that observation I feel I’ve preemptively answered a question some were undoubtedly asking: who cares about 2011 if the championship’s already all but decided?

We’re witnessing history.

Whether amassing 30+ second gaps to second place, barely inching away from a desperate Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton, or T-boning Jenson Button at the end of the Kemmel Straight (an incident I suspect Seb will never live down), Vettel is a remarkably skilled driver. It takes equal parts manhood and dexterity to negotiate Monza’s Variante Ascari sideways. Assuming Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschits continues writing checks sufficient to keep Christian Horner, Sebastian Vettel, and perhaps most importantly Adrian Newey onboard, I don’t see any reason why Vettel might not equal or better Schumacher’s seven championships – he’s only 24 years old, after all. Schumi was 25 when he won his first WDC.

So, the historical implications of witnessing the meteoric rise of one young talent aside, what reason have we to continue to watch the 2011 season? I thought ahead and made a list.

Foremost is the sheer excitement of a completely unknown track. Anyone who recalls the exhilaration (and anxiety, owing to the track’s last-minute completion) in the run up to last year’s Korean Grand Prix is surely waiting with baited breath to see the new Buddh International Circuit nearing completion in India. It’s a rare treat to watch 24 drivers and their teams scramble to make sense of uncharted territory after only several hours of practice.

Buddh International Track Map

2011 will also be only the second running of the aforementioned Korean Grand Prix. Last year’s event was made fascinating by dynamic weather conditions; rain delayed the start and the setting sun perfectly accented the closing laps. Can the circuit stand alone? Will it need to? The peninsula is prone to fits of precipitation so inclement weather may well be in store again.

It’s probably safe to say that rain will not play a part in only the third running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The track has been nearly universally panned in light of a processional season closer last November, but organizers believe that this year’s rules will facilitate overtaking.

Rounding out this list is the human element. Lotus Renault GP (formerly Renault F1) brought in Bruno Senna, legendary Brazilian Ayrton Senna’s nephew, to replace Nick Heidfeld from the Belgian Grand Prix after a string of lackluster results. Bruno drove the HRT chassis last year but finished 23^rd with no championship points; I’m not the only one curious to know what he can do with a more potent machine. It’s also Kamui Kobayashi’s second full season in F1. Kobayashi seriously impressed the paddock after scoring 3 points at his second race, the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009. Finishing 12^th in the WDC last year with 32 points, he currently stands 11^th with 27 points and six rounds to go.

This weekend, the teams find themselves at a track largely devoid of character contesting an event that tends to instead illuminate the character of the drivers. The 5.073km course is claustrophobic, walled-in like Valencia, and consists of many near right-angle corners. The streets of Singapore feature no elevation change, and nowhere to go in case of error or mechanical failure. The racing will take place at night, the entire circuit bathed in white, artificial light.

These same streets were the site of the Crashgate controversy in 2008 that saw Flavio Briatore banished from the sport. Lewis Hamilton threw his steering wheel (watch for it about 1 minute into the clip) in frustration after making contact with Mark Webber in 2010 in what was his second consecutive retirement.

Fernando Alonso has claimed he wishes to delay Vettel’s second WDC by winning this weekend and he may stand the best chance of any man on the grid. Alonso won Singapore last year and the Ferrari has been quick lately. As always, nobody can be sure just what will happen when the lights go out so be sure to tune in to SpeedTV Saturday, Sept. 24 at 10AM ET for live qualifying and Sunday, Sept. 25 at 7:30AM or 3PM for the race.