The 2012 Formula One season was arguably the greatest ever. It featured seven different winners in the first seven races, was the longest season ever with a 20-race calendar, and also welcomed the return of the hugely popular United States Grand Prix, absent from the calendar since 2007. So when the 2013 season started in Australia nearly a month ago, many fans were unsure what to expect. It was obvious that everyone hoped for another exciting start to the season: however if the season was dominated by Red Bull, as the latter stage of the 2012 season was, there would be many disappointed faces, except from in the Red Bull pit garage of course! Most fans wanted a great start to the season, an exciting race with plenty of overtaking and perhaps a surprise outcome. And that is what they got.
The Malaysian Grand Prix was perhaps one of the greatest races ever, and so we were hoping that the third race of the season, held at the highly technical Shanghai International Circuit, would be as good as the last. Luckily, few were disappointed.
Lewis Hamilton achieved his first pole position for Mercedes, and was hoping for a win in the race. Meanwhile at the Red Bull garage, controversy continued as Mark Webber ran out of fuel during Q2, and world-champion Sebastian Vettel failed to set a time in Q3, instead going back to the garage.
Sunday afternoon's race was very eventful, living up to the standards set by previous Grand Prixs (and last season). The start of the race was surprising, with Kimi Raikkonen slipping back a few places from P2 due to wheelspin. 4 laps in, and Lewis Hamilton was overtaken by both Ferraris in just 3 seconds.
At the entrance of turn 14 on lap 5, Esteban Gutiérrez drove into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India, and so they both retired, Sutil after a disastrous pit stop.
Webber's bad luck continued on lap 18 when his right-rear wheel came flying off, rolling across the track at turn 15.
Fernando Alonso won the race, followed by Raikkonen and Hamilton.
Throughout the race there were several incidents regarding DRS misuse, for accidentaly using DRS during a yellow-flag period. Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Romain Grosjean, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Max Chilton and Mark Webber were all investigated after the race.
This was overall a very exciting race, but perhaps not as exciting as Sepang. We hope for another great race at Bahrain next weekend.
If you thought 2012 was good, you should have been around in 1976! Fortunately, you'll get a chance to relive that great season when 'Rush' comes out in September.
ReplyDeleteThe cars were more interesting then - tripped of paint, you'd easily be able to tell them apart (one even had an extra pair of wheels...)
Thanks for your comment. I can't wait for Rush to come out.
ReplyDeleteI've built the P34, there's an article about it on the site.
Hi Jake.
ReplyDeleteNice report. For me personally, not the greatest race ever, but then I wasn't born in 1999. Small correction tip, "GRANDS PRIX" not "GRAND PRIXS".
STEVE
Hi Steve. Thanks for your comment. Yes, I'm sure there were better Grands Prix (better :-D ) but I haven't seen them!
ReplyDeleteJake!
ReplyDeleteYer! know, you've had me thinking. Just what is my greatest race season, ever? This is a good compliment to your report, it has made someone think. So now you know, here is an area to hone your skill, write it in an interestingly quizical way, too captivate your readers in a way to make them think and question, even their own beliefs...
I will let you know when I've remembered my greatest season, have a lot to go through.{;o)
STEVE.
Hi Steve,
DeleteI was looking through my F1 Racing magazine collection (Not a very big collection though :) ) the other day, and I found in the August 2012 issue, that they were comparing the 2012 season with the 1982 season, saying that they think 2012 was the best since 1982. I don't know if you watched the F1 in 82 though :S :(/).
Jake
Aaaah!!! 1982. Yes I watched and I remember it well. Brings back many memories, a very sad season, for Ferrari tifosi, as I am! It was the year Gilles Villeneuve crashed in Saturdays qualifying for the Belgium GP at Zolder. The Ferrari hit the back of Mass' car and was launched into the air at a speed estimated at 200–225 km/h (120–140 mph). It was airborne for more than 100 m before nosediving into the ground and disintegrating as it somersaulted along the edge of the track. Villeneuve, still strapped to his seat, but without his helmet, was thrown a further 50 m from the wreckage into the catch fencing on the outside edge of the Terlamenbocht corner at Zolder...
ReplyDeleteNot sure its my favourite for that reason... Let me think about it!!!
STEVE.
Hey Jake,
ReplyDeleteGood little article there, nice one.
I agree with you about the race begin pretty exciting - it was certainly better than watching Schumacher extend his lead over 60 laps again...
Personally, I think the current F1 is really good. It keeps people on their toes and make the whole event more about the team, rather than just the driver, but it also means that the driver has to race intelligently which i think is a much better way of racing..it mean of course that the best driver wins, not the one with the heaviest foot.
AS for my most exciting season...it would have to be 2009, when a rank outsider took the rest of a field to pieces.
We all remember who that was!
Cheers
Rich
Thanks for your comment Rich. Yeah, I'm not too young to remember that season!
DeleteRank outsider took the rest of the field to pieces: JB!