Last Sunday, after the finish of the German Grand Prix there was a McLaren, a Ferrari and a Red Bull on the podium. No surprise there. So what else is new? Red Bull and McLaren obviously have the best cars from the start of the season, winning all the races except the previous one. Especially Sebastian Vettel has such a big points lead, that he looks to have this year’s driver’s title in his pocket even with half the season remaining.
And the Italians finally started to get their act together as evidenced by the results of the last race in Silverstone, where Fernando Alonso received his first victory for 2011, and by the much quicker pace of the aerodynamically improved Ferraris.
However, last weekend’s race at the Nürburgring was unlike any other this year. In fact, it was the most exciting one so far with fierce battles between not only the drivers on track, but also the teams’ strategists on the pits. And the outcome wasn’t clear until very late into the race, after the final pit stops.
Unlike other races this season, Vettel was not even on the podium recording his worst result. The Nürburgring race was a three-men battle between Mark Weber, who started from the pole position, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Hamilton was the fastest man on track, overtaking Webber and driving faultlessly from start to finish to take the win.
But his lead wasn’t that easy. All three drivers came to lead the race at least twice, and the last 10 laps were electrifying as the battle for the win came down to the third pit stop. Everyone knew that the McLaren was quicker in the medium-compound Pirellis than the Ferrari. But with the British team deciding to bring in Hamilton first –and their strategy paid off because, despite Alonso’s pace on the track, the Ferrari’s pit stop was much slower, costing him the first place.
Unfortunately for Scuderia, they still need to work on their pit stops. Not only because Alonso’s third one was 1.5 seconds slower than Hamilton’s, but because they were also beaten by Red Bull with Vettel grabbing fourth place from Felipe Massa after the last pit stop.
Nevertheless, with nine races remaining and Vettel enjoying a 77-point lead over his closest rival, his team-mate Webber, no one is willing to bet against the German losing his second consecutive title despite posting his worst result of the year in Germany.
However, the advantage of the Red Bulls over their competitors seems to have evaporated. Is it the new FIA rules? Is it because, being the undisputed favorites, the team is behind in development because they focus on next year’s car?
Whatever the reason, we ‘re more than willing to bet that the remaining races (the first of which will be next weekend at Hungary) will be thrilling. After years of boring races, Formula 1 might have found its mojo once again.
