2012 Formula 1 season holds the right balance between the driver and the machine – Formula 1
Every team in Formula 1 has their own strategy and planning behind picking the best two drivers according to the team’s needs and requirements.
The team build up of the current season for most teams has been interesting and one of the most competitive in years.
The season started off with an unprecedented six world champions taking part, only this fact gives a good measure of how competitive the season will pan out.
The top teams of the season were considered to be the usual Red Bulls, McLarens and the Ferrari’s but an interesting and promising show from Lotus and the Mercedes have also added them to the list of strong contenders for the season titles.
All the five teams have a world champion in their side, Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull, Fernando Alonso for Ferrari, Michael Schumacher for Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen for Lotus and lastly Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for McLaren.
Not surprisingly, these are the top five teams of the season, but how much of a role is a driver playing in the current season, as the 2011 season was often debated to be more of the machine dominance rather than the driver.
This season however the machines have taken a relatively back seat and the sport is somehow reverted back to its classic format where the driver is in control of his results more than the machine he is driving.
Red Bull dominated the 2011 season with 12 wins with Vettel taking 11 and his team-mate Mark Webber getting the one. This season however Formula 1 saw seven different winners from the first seven races another unprecedented feature of the season.
Thanks to FIA’s clampdown on unfair – some may refer to as clever loop holes – advantage by banning the off-throttle blown diffuser and some other modifications required for the cars to go through for safety and other purposes.
The new regulations have brought the best out of Formula 1 the fans are just as exciting and unable to name a clear winner as the people in the sport. Some drivers have called this situation boring and confusing but that may just be coming from frustrations
of actually using skills to perform rather than rehearsing the simulators in race situations and letting the cars do the talking.
The fans are more excited than ever and the anticipation of each Grands Prix have increased tenfold as unpredictability is what sports is all about.
The way Fernando Alonso worked his way towards a win at the Malaysian GP was spectacular. He drove a complex car that even the engineers admitted of having a lot of chinks that need to look into. It not only showed that a driver can still change the course
of a race regardless of the kind of car he is provided but it also showed how necessary it is to have such a balance of the driver and the machine.
The same Malaysian GP also featured a young Mexican driver going against all odds and finishing second in the race, it was Sergio Perez with his first ever podium finish. Six world champions took the grid and Perez was able to beat five of them, it was exciting
stuff.
Pastor Maldonado a Venezuelan driver in a Williams’ car marked history as he claimed his maiden victory at the Spanish GP.
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean showed just how talented he is and what a prospect he can be for years to come as he went on to secure three podium finishes in his debut season in Formula 1.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was finally able to secure his maiden victory in his third year in the sport. He won the Chinese Grand Prix, and since has been looking to repeat his performance.
Teams and drivers have been found to complain of this high level competitiveness but that is exactly what the fan is looking for that is what the sport needs to keep its viewers and followers glued on for years to come.
So far, the season has been fascinating and the fans would hope for nothing less when the teams come back from the summer break to resume the season as the fight for the titles is looking to go down the wire.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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