What does Australian Grand Prix say about the F1 season?

They didn’t come into this race with a lot of self-assurance and their concerns were correct for the most part.  Jenson Button and Sergio Perez were never much of a factor during the race with Perez missing out on points.  McLaren’s new car generally doesn’t seem to have enough speed and yet doesn’t have decent downforce either – a bad combination that might make for a long season in 2013.  And yet the car did wonders at times in preseason practice, so it’s not a completely dismal situation for the folks at Woking.If Australia is any sign of who may be competitive this year, then the rest of the teams may have to worry about Lotus.  Expectations were limited heading into 2013 but many around Lotus insisted they would be as good as or better than last season.  Their management of the tires was key to Kimi Raikkonen’s win in Melbourne but Romain Grosjean’s eighth might temper their enthusiasm.  Whether Australia was a one-off circumstance remains to be seen, but Kimi’s domination at the end of the race was a powerful statement to the rest of the teams.They came into this season with more confidence than ever; certainly Lewis Hamilton was materializing as a serious contender.  But Nico Rosberg had electrical issues while Hamilton didn’t seem capable of running consistently with the leaders.  Probably a darkhorse entering 2013, Mercedes may have shown they can compete this year.  Questions remain but this team would be one to watch as the season progresses.View the list »
2013 qualifying grid for Australian Grand Prix

Motorsports newsletter

The 2013 Formula One (F1) season is 19 races long that will involve many twist and turns as some teams get the handle on their cars while others do not. Still, the 2013 opener at Melbourne was somewhat of a surprise for most as Kimi Raikkonen won handily in his Renault-powered Lotus (source: Belfast Telegraph). What does this tell us for the rest of the season?

Related topics

Advertisement

For starters, prognostications are just that, predictions prognosticated on a likely future – but, likely isn’t factual and Kimi showed us that at the Australian Grand Prix. A top five finish for Raikkonen’s Lotus was the best most would have predicted.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel dominated practice and qualifying with his cohort, Mark Webber right behind him. Mercedes looked strong with the Ferraris and McLarens figuring behind them. Where was Lotus? The boys from Enstone appeared a tick behind the leaders. However, that’s why they race. It may have affected how some teams performed but normal qualifying was rained out so the drivers had to qualify early Sunday morning.

Here’s a list of the top five teams (Constructors) – okay, make it six with a surprise – as to what may or may not have been learned from the first event of the F1 season in Australia.

Additional source: Formula One

View the list
  • They came into this season with more confidence than ever; certainly Lewis Hamilton was materializing as a serious contender.  But Nico Rosberg had electrical issues while Hamilton didn’t seem capable of running consistently with the leaders.  Probably a darkhorse entering 2013, Mercedes may have shown they can compete this year.  Questions remain but this team would be one to watch as the season progresses.
  • If Australia is any sign of who may be competitive this year, then the rest of the teams may have to worry about Lotus.  Expectations were limited heading into 2013 but many around Lotus insisted they would be as good as or better than last season.  Their management of the tires was key to Kimi Raikkonen’s win in Melbourne but Romain Grosjean’s eighth might temper their enthusiasm.  Whether Australia was a one-off circumstance remains to be seen, but Kimi’s domination at the end of the race was a powerful statement to the rest of the teams.
  • They didn’t come into this race with a lot of self-assurance and their concerns were correct for the most part.  Jenson Button and Sergio Perez were never much of a factor during the race with Perez missing out on points.  McLaren’s new car generally doesn’t seem to have enough speed and yet doesn’t have decent downforce either – a bad combination that might make for a long season in 2013.  And yet the car did wonders at times in preseason practice, so it’s not a completely dismal situation for the folks at Woking.
  • Both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa had looked very competitive heading into Australia and for the most part, that was confirmed with Alonso and Massa both grabbing the lead for short spells.  Their pace was good but tire management kept them from winning.  It’s not known if the bit of moisture towards the end of the race had any effect but already a contender, Ferrari seems ready to emerge as a favorite this year.
  • Vettel and company seemed on the precipice of yet another win and championship run.  But what happened?  Well, first off, finishing third isn’t bad – it’s just that when you’re expected to win, standing on the podium in third isn’t exactly good.  After starting on the front row, Mark Webber fell a bit off the pace and ended up sixth.  Essentially, the Red Bull cars were the fastest on new tires but they ground them up too quickly.  Red Bull and car designer Adrian Newey will make some tweaks to the new car and be right back in the thick of it for the championship.
  • Assuredly, coming into 2013, the best of the rest looked like a battle between Williams and Sauber.  However, if the first race of the year is any grounds for team on the rise, Sahara Force India is that team.  The Indian owned race group has never been much more than a backmarker or mid-pack quality racecars since its inception five years ago.  After a year off, Adrian Sutil is back and looked good with a chance at winning while leading several laps.  However, Sutil ended up finishing seventh after strategy didn’t play out in the team’s favor.  His teammate Paul di Resta was right behind him in eighth and established Sahara Force India as a new potential challenger to the super teams on top.
View the list

, Paso Robles Motorsports Examiner

Daryle Hier has been involved in business as an owner for 30 years with many of them involving the auto industry. He also has been a sports fanatic with motorsports and football as his true loves. Other interests include Hawaii and the California Central Coast. He is a Top 100 writer for...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...