2010 Mid-Season F1 Report

As the beautiful sunshine set on the streets of Valencia last weekend the 2010 Formula 1 Championship reached it’s halfway point. Now that Sebastian Vettel’s victorious champagne has been well and truly savoured it is worthwhile to see what we have learnt in the opening four months of the season.

By far the biggest story throughout winter testing was the ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ affair of Michael Schumacher’s return to the sport. After months of speculation the seven time World Champion announced news that left fans across the globe joyous, he was coming back and being reunited with Ross Brawn, the tactical genius who helped Schumacher win five World Championships at Ferrari. This was the most high profile, positive news that F1 had received in years and left fans drooling at the prospect of the master taking on the new breed, driving for the newly formed Mercedes GP.

Purists had hoped he’d gloriously return straight to the front of the field and secure an eighth world title. Whether these expectations were a little unrealistic, not many would have thought Schumacher’s comeback would be the struggle it has become with the former Ferrari man currently lingering ninth in the drivers standings with only thirty-four points. His team mate, Nico Rosberg has more than double the points of Schumacher and has pretty much outclassed his more illustrious countryman. Currently the prospect of Schumacher securing a podium seems out of the depths of reality, let alone him mounting a serious title challenge.

2010, has been the year of vicious team mate battles, long gone are the days of a team having a No.1 and No.2 driver. The proof of this can be seen throughout every top team this season; from the master out performed by the apprentice at Mercedes to the Brit World Champions of Mclaren. This level of competition has inevitably helped create an open title battle with the top five drivers in the standings separated by less than thirty points. This partnered with the reform of the points system for 2010 leaves much excitement promised for the remainder of the season and the potential twists we can enjoy.

Arguably, the fiercest in-team battle of the year has come from the Red Bull drivers. On Saturday afternoons Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been imperious gaining four pole positions each, from the nine races that have taken place, so far. Although on Sunday this impressive form hasn’t always been continued, partially due to the two driver’s competitive mentality. The obvious example of this was at the Turkey GP when the pair collided whilst leading one and two. Resulting in Vettel crashing out and Webber finishing 3rd behind the two Mclaren drivers. Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner, will be nervously twitching at the notion of his two driver’s bitter rivalry taking centre stage and costing them the world championship. In a similar fashion to Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso while racing for Mclaren in 2007, presenting the championship to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

What’s for certain is, Christian Horner’s team will have to make their undoubted qualifying superiority count more often with the constantly improving Mclarens and Ferraris ready to stake their claim for the 2010 World championship title.

Next stop Silverstone, where Red Bull enjoyed a one/two finish last season.

Craig Jones