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Formula 1
HOBBS: An Unstoppable Force
Nothing seems to go wrong for Fernando Alonso in 2012...
Fernando Alonso remains in command of the World Championship. (Photo: Getty Images)
Many racers are fond of saying, “I’d rather be lucky than good.”
However, Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso does not have to utter those words; he simply embodies them.
Alonso has proven both lucky and good thus far in 2012. While I do not favor discussing luck in racing, I cannot argue that the Ferrari driver has been incredibly fortunate this year, a blessing that nicely complements his driving skill and his Ferrari’s reliability.
Call it the “Midas Touch” or what have you, but nothing seems to go wrong for Alonso. When it’s your year, it’s your year, and this season has belonged to Alonso. There is no stopping him. His car isn’t always quick enough, but it perpetually is reliable to a fault, and he drives it exquisitely. Additionally, Alonso rarely makes errors on the track – certainly not significant ones – and also successfully circumvents his fellow competitors’ flubs and resulting accidents. If Alonso continues to finish on or near the podium, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to surpass him for the championship, regardless of how many podiums any of them might score.
As we head into Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, consider this hypothetical scenario for a moment: Suppose Alonso again finishes third as he did at Singapore. I fully expect McLaren to be fast at Suzuka, so let’s say that Lewis Hamilton wins at Suzuka and Sebastian Vettel, who should run well, drops out while Alonso nets a third-place finish? Under those circumstances, Alonso would again extend his lead without even winning the race. There absolutely is no stopping him. He may get beaten, but he continues to increase his lead on the competition when he does, regardless of his spot in the race results. If Alonso has an off day and finishes back in the field, rest assured the drivers racing him for the championship will be somewhere behind him. It is all quite bizarre.
If I had to choose one driver who potentially could challenge Alonso if the stars aligned in the closing races of the 2012 season, it would be Vettel. Hamilton already is all but eliminated from that conversation. Despite rocketing to the race lead at Singapore, Hamilton suffered a mechanical failure that relegated him to last in the finishing order. He now trails Alonso by 52 points. It is mathematically possible to close that gap, but the chances are unrealistic, particularly now that it has been announced Hamilton is leaving McLaren at the conclusion of the year.
If anyone possesses lofty aspirations of launching a full-on assault on Alonso, they have six races to do so. The good news for those hopefuls is the divergence of the remaining tracks should foster a fairly even playing field in the championship landscape because those tracks don’t collectively favor one certain driver.
Red Bull Racing and Vettel always have run well at Suzuka in years past. He sat on the pole in 2011. Jenson Button won the race, followed by Alonso and Vettel. Korea follows Suzuka but it’s only the third race there. The inaugural Grand Prix was very wet, and last year was much saner. However, we still don’t have a good grasp of which driver or team Korea best suits. India also is still relatively new to these drivers and hasn’t favored anyone in particular.
Abu Dhabi plays to Vettel and Hamilton. Afterward, the much-awaited Circuit of the Americas will be a wild card of sorts as no one has any notes on it yet. Finally, in my observation, Brazil doesn’t favor any particular driver, either. However, all six of these tracks do suit the best car, which at the moment is McLaren. But McLaren is not necessarily the most reliable. Anything, however, can happen, on any given weekend. But it is ill-advised to bet against the bulletproof Alonso at the moment.
In closing, I’d like to go back to Circuit of the Americas for a moment. The FIA’s Charlie Whiting inspected the Austin track several days ago, was quite impressed with the facility and declared it “race ready.” So many Formula One competitors and fans also are eagerly anticipating racing at Austin. Returning a Grand Prix to America is a wonderful occasion, and this is a fabulous track at which to do so. Circuit of the Americas has a great shape, is long and features good elevation changes. We are hearing of terrific response in ticket sales, as well, so if you have an opportunity to attend, you should seize it.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
However, Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso does not have to utter those words; he simply embodies them.
Alonso has proven both lucky and good thus far in 2012. While I do not favor discussing luck in racing, I cannot argue that the Ferrari driver has been incredibly fortunate this year, a blessing that nicely complements his driving skill and his Ferrari’s reliability.
Call it the “Midas Touch” or what have you, but nothing seems to go wrong for Alonso. When it’s your year, it’s your year, and this season has belonged to Alonso. There is no stopping him. His car isn’t always quick enough, but it perpetually is reliable to a fault, and he drives it exquisitely. Additionally, Alonso rarely makes errors on the track – certainly not significant ones – and also successfully circumvents his fellow competitors’ flubs and resulting accidents. If Alonso continues to finish on or near the podium, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to surpass him for the championship, regardless of how many podiums any of them might score.
As we head into Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, consider this hypothetical scenario for a moment: Suppose Alonso again finishes third as he did at Singapore. I fully expect McLaren to be fast at Suzuka, so let’s say that Lewis Hamilton wins at Suzuka and Sebastian Vettel, who should run well, drops out while Alonso nets a third-place finish? Under those circumstances, Alonso would again extend his lead without even winning the race. There absolutely is no stopping him. He may get beaten, but he continues to increase his lead on the competition when he does, regardless of his spot in the race results. If Alonso has an off day and finishes back in the field, rest assured the drivers racing him for the championship will be somewhere behind him. It is all quite bizarre.
If I had to choose one driver who potentially could challenge Alonso if the stars aligned in the closing races of the 2012 season, it would be Vettel. Hamilton already is all but eliminated from that conversation. Despite rocketing to the race lead at Singapore, Hamilton suffered a mechanical failure that relegated him to last in the finishing order. He now trails Alonso by 52 points. It is mathematically possible to close that gap, but the chances are unrealistic, particularly now that it has been announced Hamilton is leaving McLaren at the conclusion of the year.
If anyone possesses lofty aspirations of launching a full-on assault on Alonso, they have six races to do so. The good news for those hopefuls is the divergence of the remaining tracks should foster a fairly even playing field in the championship landscape because those tracks don’t collectively favor one certain driver.
Red Bull Racing and Vettel always have run well at Suzuka in years past. He sat on the pole in 2011. Jenson Button won the race, followed by Alonso and Vettel. Korea follows Suzuka but it’s only the third race there. The inaugural Grand Prix was very wet, and last year was much saner. However, we still don’t have a good grasp of which driver or team Korea best suits. India also is still relatively new to these drivers and hasn’t favored anyone in particular.
Abu Dhabi plays to Vettel and Hamilton. Afterward, the much-awaited Circuit of the Americas will be a wild card of sorts as no one has any notes on it yet. Finally, in my observation, Brazil doesn’t favor any particular driver, either. However, all six of these tracks do suit the best car, which at the moment is McLaren. But McLaren is not necessarily the most reliable. Anything, however, can happen, on any given weekend. But it is ill-advised to bet against the bulletproof Alonso at the moment.
In closing, I’d like to go back to Circuit of the Americas for a moment. The FIA’s Charlie Whiting inspected the Austin track several days ago, was quite impressed with the facility and declared it “race ready.” So many Formula One competitors and fans also are eagerly anticipating racing at Austin. Returning a Grand Prix to America is a wonderful occasion, and this is a fabulous track at which to do so. Circuit of the Americas has a great shape, is long and features good elevation changes. We are hearing of terrific response in ticket sales, as well, so if you have an opportunity to attend, you should seize it.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
Grand Prix of Bahrain
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