Here is part 2 of the mid-season review, focusing on the five teams which battle for the lower end of the points scale, but which is just as competitive as at the top.
Toro Rosso (22): Sebastian Buemi (12) and Jaime Alguersuari (10)
This small Italian team looked great in pre-season testing, but they’ve not got the big results that that pace promised. They’ve not finished higher than 8th, but in reality you can never trust testing so they haven’t done too badly at all. Qualifying may be pretty poor, especially in recent races, but they haven’t been scared to try different strategies often stopping less than the front runners to score some of the minor points, and they’ve been doing it fairly consistently of late, so much so that Buemi has targeted sixth place in the constructor’s championship. On present form it’s certainly not impossible.
As I’ve written about before, both drivers were looking over their shoulder for the first few races as the threat of Daniel Ricciardo loomed behind them. His drive at HRT has given them some respite for the rest of the year, but they’re still fighting for their seats for next season. Buemi started off well scoring four points in Australia, since then it’s been a bit hit and miss. Often having the edge in qualifying over his team mate, his race performances were decidedly less inspiring especially with Alguersuari scoring points in four of the last five races. He came back strong in Hungary, 23rd to 8th, he’ll want to keep that up.
Alguersuari has been in great form, he’ll want to continue that into the last eight races. There’s a Formula 1 career at stake here and he’ll know his qualifying pace needs to be upped, but race pace is great, often utilising alternative strategy to great effect. Expect them either to be scoring or near the points for the rest of the year.
Force India (26): Adrian Sutil (18) and Paul di Resta (8)
Despite two point scoring performances in the opening rounds, it was a slow start for Force India, they lacked consistency. However, they have progressed solidly towards the midway point culminating in two top seven finishes in the last two races. Traditionally Force India go well in Belgium and Italy where their Mercedes power will count for extra, so watch out for them, otherwise I think they’ll be making a play for the top 6 in the constructors.
di Resta is already being talked about in more esteemed circles than Sutil has ever been in over four seasons of Formula 1, even being marked as the replacement for Michael Schumacher for when he next retires. Quite remarkable for a rookie, he’s out qualified his more experienced team mate 7-4, but despite this he lies 10 points adrift. He’s been involved in a few scrapes, but it takes nothing away from him, he was on for big points in Canada and Britain which escaped him for various reasons. His 7th place in Hungary is bound to give him more confidence in the last eight races.
Sutil is having a Fernando Alonso moment this year. He didn’t expect a young British talent to come in to Formula 1 and pretty much blow his doors off from the start. It’s taken him a while to get going this year, but despite this he’s outscored di Resta by 10 points so far, and has out qualified him in the last two races. He’s ridden the storm now, I think it’ll be a lot closer in the second half. Watch di Resta become Scottish if he’s beaten consistently!
Sauber (35): Kamui Kobayashi (27) and Sergio Perez (8)
Sauber have punched above their weight quite successfully so far. They’ve been hunting around the lower points fairly consistently, so much so, Kobayashi lies only five points adrift of Schumacher. They’re another team that have gained a lot from using an alternative strategy, often stopping less than those in front. However, they’ve pretty much hit they’re peak as they won’t catch Renault, all they can do now is hold on to sixth which will be a struggle with Force India coming on strong.
Kamui Kobayashi continues to impress. He races well, overtakes brilliantly and is able to use team strategy to his advantage. He’s signed on for Sauber next year, but it would be great to see him in a top team. However, he’ll have to start upping the pace in qualifying, he’s been slower than Perez on a Saturday a bit too much for comfort, it’s something he has admitted needs to be worked on if he is to reach the very top.
Perez has been solidly impressive. After an remarkable, albeit disqualified performance at the opening race he went a bit quiet, but was always close to Kobayashi. He looked strong at Monaco before his accident in qualifying, but has since scored an eighth place at Silverstone. He’s being given a test drive in an old Ferrari later in the year, but he’ll have to start getting regular points results if he’s to prove himself. It’s one thing out qualifying your team mate, it’s a very different thing to be 19 points behind.
Renault (66): Nick Heidfeld (34) and Vitaly Petrov (32)
Two podiums in the first two races, happily nestling in the top four of the constructors championship in the early part of the year and all without star driver Robert Kubica. It’s gone wrong since then, development hasn’t produced the results they’d been expecting, they’ve experienced two fairly serious fires and have been gradually falling away during this half the season. To be honest, I don’t expect them to start challenging for podiums again this year and it won’t be a surprise to hear they’re focusing on 2012 in the next few races. A season that looked like it could be exceptional has fallen into mediocrity.
That’s nothing against the drivers though, they’ve tried hard. Both had a podium and have been fairly equally matched. But as much as Petrov has improved, and regularly puts it into the top 10 on Saturday, the mind does stray , and you begin to wonder what would Kubica have done? Slightly unfair I know, but nevertheless a natural thought.
Heidfeld has been unspectacular, I expected a bit more from him, he matched Kubica most of the time when they were team mates, but he’s not grasped this opportunity. There are even rumours Bruno Senna may replace him at some point this season, possibly as soon as Belgium. Renault have missed a leader this year and I’m afraid Heidfeld and Petrov don’t look like they can pull a result out of the bag when things go against them that perhaps Poland’s best could have done.
Mercedes (80): Michael Schumacher (32) and Nico Rosberg (48)
Originally I was going to put Mercedes in a top four teams of the year, but they’ve been so out classed this year it would be quite wrong to think of them as being anywhere near the top 3. After testing it looked like they might challenge for the odd win, but they’ve comprehensively failed to even get a podium. The developments haven’t worked, they’ve not understood the car, it eats its tyres and then asks for seconds, something which certainly doesn’t help in the races. The starts have been great, but they often slip back. They’ve already announced they’re concentrating on 2012, perhaps like last year, leaving the car alone and merely fine tuning it will help them find better pace. Still, they’re probably safe in fourth place and could perhaps sneak a podium if we get another wet race.
I’ve written a bit about the Mercedes drivers before, and they can be summed up easily. Nico Rosberg qualifies well above where the car should be then slips back in the race. Schumacher qualifies badly, makes great starts, often has pretty decent race pace, then hits someone and fights back.
Both could have had better results, but only once in Canada where Schumacher had a great race could they possibly have managed a podium. They should be doing better, certainly Rosberg at this stage of his career will have wanted more from the car, but at least he’s still hovering around the top 6 or 7. Schumacher just needs an incident free race, and despite often actually having good fight backs you do often start getting a bit nervous any time he’s near another car. Both I believe could have done better this year.
Next I’ll review the top three teams of the year with a look ahead to Belgium, where the title contest could really start to kick off.
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