Drivers Poised for Strong Second Halves in 2010
The conclusion to the 2010 season is shaping up to be a fantastic fight for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Titles. The McLaren team is currently on top with their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button currently residing in the first and second in the world title chase. However, the Red Bull duo of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are within striking distance and the McLaren team might have to worry about each other as much as any outside forces.
However, there is also plenty of intrigue among teams and drivers outside of the title chases. While only a few drivers have realistic world championship hopes, every team is looking to improve on their early-season performance during the second half of 2010. A strong close to the season can bring momentum, confidence and renewed sponsor support and pave the way for a successful 2011 season.
Here are three drivers who could see their fortunes improve during the second half of this year’s Formula 1 campaign.
Michael Schumacher: It’s easy to dismiss the seven-time Formula 1 champion when reviewing drivers who could possibly surge in the second half of the season. After all, his return to racing with Mercedes following a three-year retirement has been anything but smooth during the first half of the season. He’s had several on-track incidents which have cost him valuable positions in some races and just been not fast enough in others. While his teammate Nico Rosberg has been strong, Schumacher has struggled, leading to some speculation that he could be replaced by 2011.
However, there is little chance of that happening. In fact, expect the Mercedes team to redouble their efforts on behalf of Schumacher in the second half of the season. Team principal Ross Brawn didn’t lure his good friend out of retirement only to have him embarrassed. Brawn has taken great pains to remind fans and media critics to have patience with Schumacher and that his comeback would be a lengthy process. If Schumacher can find the same speed and consistency that Rosberg has achieved, Mercedes could have momentum going into 2011.
Kamui Kobayashi: For the early part of the 2010 season, it looked like Sauber’s decision to hire former Toyota driver Kobayashi was a disastrous choice. He failed to finish the first four races of the season and only had a 12th place finish in Spain to show through the first six races of 2010. However, things have turned around for Kobayashi since then. He scored his first points finish of the season in Turkey and has scored points in the last two races (seventh in the European Grand Prix and sixth in the British Grand Prix).
Kobayashi came to Sauber as a reputation as a fast but often needlessly reckless driver. His recent run of success might be showing that he is gaining the comfort level within the car and the maturity to take a major step forward in the second half of the season. Sauber will debut several changes to the car at Hockenheim and Kobayashi is confident they will help him to improve his 12th place standing in the Drivers’ Championship.
Adrian Sutil: After the British Grand Prix, Force India driver Adrian Sutil was “annoyed” with Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel after a last-lap pass which Sutil thought involved far too much contact. It was the second time this season that Sutil and Vettel have exchanged words following close on-track racing. The fact that Sutil is in a position to race with one of the top drivers in the world speaks volumes about Sutil’s performance this season.
After scoring just one points-placing finish last season, Sutil has already finished in the points in seven of the first 10 races of 2010 to crack the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship. This has been the result of both his new-found maturity along with the reliability of the new Force India car: Sutil has retired from just one race so far this season.
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