Mat F1: July 2010

I saw an article in either F1 Racing or Autosport a few months ago which used a scoring system to rate the performances of the new teams. They basically eliminated all the other cars from the classification of each race and gave the 6 perennial back markers the top 6 points positions – this gave a mini championship table. However, the problem with such a system is that it doesn’t take into account those races where the new boys have finished ahead of some of the existing teams (as Kovalainen did with Petrov in Canada). To compensate for this, I have put together a method of scoring every single position and made my own version of the aforementioned mini chapionship.

The scoring went as follows: 75, 60, 50, 42, 36, 32, 29, 26, 23, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Hamilton still leads Button at the top but I was interested in the new teams' positions:

Drivers:                                                                  Teams:
19. Kovalainen 74                                                  10. Lotus 134
20. Chandhok   72                                                  11. Hispania 127
21. Di Grassi   61                                                   12. Virgin 115
22. Trulli 60
23. Glock   54
24. Senna   50
25. Yamamoto   5

It is not a surprise to find Kovalainen and Lotus at the top of this mini table but what is interesting is that it is not his teammate Trulli in second. Instead, he is being hounded by Chandhok which reflects the way that the Indian has been doggedly dragging the Hispania to the end of races. What is more surprising though is how Di Grassi is sitting in third; news that would surely give a boost to the Virgin team and reflects how Glock and Trulli have seemed increasingly fed up with being at the back. It isn’t good reading for Senna either; he was bottom of the other publication’s table and he is bottom of this one too (it is unfair to judge Yamamoto after one race).

I will keep an eye on how these tables develop over the second half of the season so that the champion of the new teams can be crowned at the end. Not a serious point but interesting nonetheless.

Vitaly Petrov started the season well; indeed he scored points in his fourth race – China this year. However, since then he seems to have fallen back and with his highly rated teammate showing what the R30 can really do he is now under pressure to retain his seat for 2011. In fact, PlanetF1 are reporting that as many as 8 drivers are competing to replace the rookie.

Some might say that Petrov is only driving in Formula 1 because of his passport; as the first driver from Russia he certainly gets Bernie Ecclestone’s backing especially if his participation pathes the way for a race around Moscow in years to come. Furthermore, he joined the French outfit at a time of particular difficulty and the Lada sponsorship he brought with him was arguably more important to the team than performance at the time. Results this year have been good though and the guys at Enstone have produced a very neat and tidy car and are all but guaranteed to finish fifth (possibly higher if Mercedes switch attention to next year early). This success has given the team a renewed joie de vivre, as well as probably attracting a raft of sponsors for the future. For this reason the team are looking to employ a really strong second driver to help lift the team further and as all the other top teams are already fully booked they have the most desirable seat in the paddock.

Here are the candidates for the seat:

1.Kimi Raikkonen – sorely missed by the paddock; just imagine if an in form Kimi had been racing this year too (he would have been the 5th Champion on the grid). He certainly has the speed and will not cause any problems within the team but he is no number 2 and the team has promised to build around Kubica. He’s also expensive and seems to be enjoying his stint rallying (he was as high as fifth last weekend – before he crashed) I can’t see him returning for anyone other than Red Bull/McLaren/Mercedes and I certainly can’t see Renault paying the amount he expects.

2. Nick Heidfeld – the Mercedes tester runs the risk of being forgotten if he doesn’t find a race seat for next year. If the car is reliable he will deliver consistency and has a proven successful relationship with Kubica. Cheap and experienced, he seems a good bet to me but he doesn’t bring any sponsors and has had ample opportunities to prove himself but never quite made it.

3. Christian Klien – Last raced for Red Bull in 2006 he one of the drivers on the Hispania rota and will probably be seen in a race or two before this season’s out. Klien’s highest finish is 5th and he never really impressed in his time as a race driver. I doubt he is top of the list for Renault.

4. Timo Glock – Timo was close to securing a drive with Renault for this season but went with Virgin because at the time no-one knew whether Renault would be on the grid. He’s done as well as expected in the worst car on the grid and if I were him I would be pushing harder than anyone to get into a better team. He has a good chance – he would make a good number 2 and showed enough speed in the Toyota to imply he could do quite well. However, he has recently been closed up on by his teammate and Kobayashi did significantly better in his seat at the end of last year than he probably would have.

5. Heikki Kovalainen – of all the backmarkers, Heikki seems to enjoy life the most. Lotus is a low pressure environment which is suited to his relaxed demeanour. Having said that, the team is going about things in the right way and will be keen to keep a driver who finally seems to have matured into the best he can be. I think he is more likely to stay with the team and try and build them into a regular points scoring outfit. However, he is likable, known to the team and would not cause any problems. I’m undecided but can’t really see it.

6. Jarno Trulli – would be welcomed back to Renault now that Flavio is no longer in charge and is a renowned qualifying specialist but he didn’t really make the most of his time at Toyota and seems a little downbeat to be at the back of the grid. Is also being outshone by Heikki and is unlikely to ever show the same pace that took him to victory in Monaco 2004. I think there are better options.

7. Kamui Kobayashi – he started this season badly but has recently hit form as the Sauber has improved. He is now top rookie and could arguably take the title of Toyota’s best legacy (funny since he only did two races for them). If he continues this form and maybe has some sponsorship to bring too then he could be an attractive prospect. A good outside bet.

8. Adrian Sutil – possibly most people’s favourite for the job he needs to make the step-up now and ride the wave of a good season with Force India (or risk falling back if they aren’t as good next year). He crashes less (now that Raikkonen isn’t on the grid) and has comprehensively beaten Liuzzi. He may also have some sponsorship to bring. However, if he is that good then why has he spent three seasons in the Indian car?

It seems to me that the smart money is between Sutil, Glock and Kovalainen. Heidfeld and Kobayashi are outsiders and Raikkonen would happen if Renault were richer. The others are extremely unlikely. If it was me I would go with the solid and reliable Heidfeld or give Sutil his big chance (knowing that the following year there’s likely to be more movement in the market should things go wrong). However, Eric Boullier (Renault boss) need not rush – this seat is the most desirable out there. If I were him I would wait and see what happens at Red Bull; who knows, Mark Webber might yet be available.