Formula One Review: The Best of the Rest from 2010
The Formula One season this year was arguably the most competitive term in the multi-million dollar motorsport’s recent history.
A sport dominated by a Ferrari monopoly in the past decade, Formula One, in the eyes of many, has evolved into a spirited battle. While Renault was the first to break the Schumacher hold on the championships back in 2005, the likes of Brawn GP and McLaren
Mercedes have also stepped up. This year however, the constructors leading the resistance were in the form of Red Bull Racing.
The feature of the year, however, would have to be the Turkish Grand Prix. While the sport has been reputed for its breakneck speed, the race from Turkey brought with it the distinguished flavour of controversy! The season till then had gone rather quietly;
it was competitive no doubt about it, but lacked the missing ingredient that literally exploded it into life: Controversy. Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were on course for a Red Bull 1 – 2 until the duo finally decided to put the aggregate constructor’s
total behind them and started racing each other for the top of the podium. Vettel, committed into making a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre on his teammate, ended up clipping the other Red Bull – The result? Both Red Bulls out of the race, leaving a clear road
for both McLarens to cash in.
The season also saw a couple of contenders for their individual brilliance. Robert Kubica, for starters, despite finishing 8th in the driver’s standings, was notably Mr. Consistent for the year 2010. Fernando Alonso displayed his ability of handling
the stick at 300 km/h with a sparkling run and ‘nearly’ going onto win the title in his debut year with the Italian team. Mark Webber was always a prominent presence himself. However, the best driver for the season would have to be Sebastian Vettel. The young
German literally set the track on fire as he dominated the rest of the pack with 10 poles, 5 race wins and making F1 history by being the youngest champion in the motorsport’s six decade history.
The season also had its lows. One prominent moment would have to be Mark Webber’s accident at Valencia. The Australian Red Bull driver had a collision with Heikki Kovalainen that saw both car and driver flip upside down at full throttle. Thankfully, however,
the 34 year old came out unscathed.
Another more prominent disappointment for the season was the lack of overtaking on track. True, it has been an ever running debate in the course of the motorsport’s history, but seeing the F – duct system in action, cars were expected to be a touch adventurous
on track. The weather played an integral part in deciding the outcomes of a lot of races – However, the wet conditions further increased the gap between the elites of the game and aspiring players.
The season also had its fair share of unsung heroes. Nico Rosberg, arguably overshadowed by his teammate Michael Schumacher, could be regarded as one of the success stories of 2010. While Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber along with Robert Kubica for the Renault
could be categorized in the same category, none of them had to contend with the pressure of competing against a 7 time world champion - Which in this case, added to motivation rather than demoralization in the Mercedes camp.
The season also saw its fair share of arguments. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello had a reunion of their own as the German nearly forced the Brazilian into a concrete wall in the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, the most frowned upon incidents of
the 2010 season would have to be the ‘team orders’ scandal involving Ferrari. Felipe Massa was allegedly asked over the radio to let his teammate through. The incident led to a lot of fireworks in the media, which at the end of the day, made for interesting
reading as the team orders are set to be legalized for the coming season.
To conclude, 2010 was an action packed and memorable chapter in the Formula One book. As the sport continues to gain popularity, it is sincerely hoped that it continues to quench the thirst for speed for motor-heads worldwide and give us journalists the
need to scratch pen on paper!
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