As the RB6 flew through the 2010 season… (Part 2)
Red Bull Racing kept on receiving continuous snipping by the rival teams for having an illegal design of the car. Especially the front wing of the car was speculated by all the other teams, for having far more flexibility than allowed by the FIA regulations.
However, the team survived to come out clean after facing very strict FIA tests, and proved that the pace of the car was due to brilliant engineering rather than breaching of any rule.
Despite of the fact that the car had a fierce pace, the team still wasn’t safe from the technical and mechanical issues that kept arising from time to time. Most of these problems were faced by Vettel, who kept striving hard and was able to keep his fight
going on. The first big problem came the driver’s way right at the first race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, where a malfunctioning spark plug strangled his engine. The very next race in Australia was awaiting the budding driver with more trouble,
as a problematic wheel threw the Australian off the track and straight into the gravel, bringing his race to an abrupt halt. While the last and the cruellest mechanical problem was embraced by the new World Champion at the Korean GP when his engine failed
with a throttle only when he was close to a certain victory.
On a closer look at the season, one very vividly realises that it’s not only the problems that kept on chasing Vettel rather the German also kept inviting troubles himself. The worst racing show by the driver was seen at Spa where he ended the race of the
title defender, Jenson Button, by his poor move. Following the incident, the McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh said that the young lad should drive for some ‘junior Formulae’ as he was yet too immature for the biggest series of the world. Also, Vettel’s extreme
mishandling while a restart in Hungary brought him a penalty. This did not end here as the Silverstone Circuit also saw another clumsy manoeuvre by the driver which resulted in a first-lap puncture, hampering him from dominating the race.
At the same time several surprising moves were seen by his teammate, Mark Webber, on the track. An eighth place finish at the first race of the season, in Bahrain, was nothing less than a pain for the 34-year-old driver. The following round in Australia
was yet another blow as he was not seen anywhere above 9th place. However, the third episode of the season brought the first ray of hope along the Australian’s path as he finished at second place on the podium.
From the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, there was no stopping the determined driver as he kept on blitzing all his rivals at one after the other track. The consecutive wins in Spain and Monaco granted Webber the throne of the drivers’ tally, which he kept reigning,
on and off, all through remaining season.
Finally, one of the most dramatic races of the season unfolded at the Istanbul track in Turkey. As the two Red Bull drivers headed for a 1-2 finish for the team, the rivalry of the duo came to the forefront. In chase of a race win, both Vettel and Webber,
crashed into each other, resulting in Vettel’s retirement while Webber had to settle at third place, handing his certain victory to Lewis Hamilton.
The on track drama was not all, even bigger controversy followed as the Red Bull management held Webber responsible for the crash which otherwise seemed to be Vettel's fault.
To be continued…
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