Three pole positions, two wins and one second place – Sebastian Vettel could not have asked for much more from his championship title defence so far.
Vettel is bidding to become the first driver since Fernando Alonso five years ago to retain his crown.
The 2011 season is still young, but the signs so far suggest his rivals are going to have a hard time catching him.
Where are the opposition?
Predictions that Alonso would pick up where he left off at the end of 2010 as the principal challenger to Red Bull have so far proved wide of the mark. As discussed here earlier this week Ferrari have started the season on the back foot and were only the fourth-fastest team in Shanghai.
Last time out Mercedes showed signs of delivering on the pace they showed towards the end of pre-season testing. Nico Rosberg led over a dozen laps and could have been on the podium had he not been forced to slow to save fuel.
But the team who are taking the fight to Red Bull are McLaren – somewhat against expectations following their difficulties in pre-season testing.
Lewis Hamilton is the only driver so far to have taken any points off Vettel. But a poor outing at Sepang means he’s already 21 points adrift – further behind than he was at the end of last season.
Number two
Mark Webber described himself as “not bad for a number two driver” last year. Now he wears the number on his car’s nose and it’s hard to see it coming off.
Vettel has out-raced his team mate in the last nine consecutive races, winning five while Webber has only placed second at best.
Since the year started Vettel has led 127 laps. His team mate is yet to complete a tour anywhere higher than third.
It’s true that Webber has had more mechanical misfortunes so far, in a reversal of the situation last year. But he’s also struggling to match Vettel’s stint times and has needed one more pit stop than his team mate in every race so far.
His fight back from 18th to third in Shanghai, though impressive, was flattered by the luxury of having three fresh sets of soft tyres available.
The best car
You don’t win anything in F1 without a fast car and Vettel has exactly that at his disposal right now. He’s been on pole position for six of the last seven races.
This time last year he was counting the cost of mechanical failures that robbed him of likely wins in the first two races. So far this year he’s been spared the gremlins.
But while the RB7 has proved stupendously fast it is not flawless. The team have struggled to get their Kinetic Energy Recovery System working and Vettel was left vulnerable without it in Shanghai, leading to his first defeat in five races.
Who is his biggest threat?
Vettel has made the strongest start to a season since Michael Schumacher won the first five races of 2004.
If anyone’s going to stop him, they can’t afford to lose much more ground.
The McLaren drivers are in the strongest position at the moment: they’re closest on points and they’re strong in the key area where Red Bull are weak: KERS.
But the rest need to make rapid progress with their cars once the ‘European season’ begins, or they might as well start focusing on 2012.
2011 F1 season
- Kubica reveals he almost withdrew from fateful 2011 rally – and had 2012 Ferrari F1 deal
- How well do you remember the 2011 F1 season? Take the F1 Fanatic quiz
- The 2011 F1 season: The complete F1 Fanatic review
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- Barrichello tipped to stay at Williams
- 2011 F1 statistics part 3: Stats and facts highlights
- 2011 F1 statistics part two: Vettel’s domination
- 2011 F1 statistics part one: car performance
- New 2011 rules produced best racing of last four years
- What F1 Fanatics really thought of the 2011 season
Browse all 2011 F1 season articles
BBT
27th April 2011, 8:36
Is there a link to an article with the gap to the leader at each race last season anywhere on this site?
Was Button leading the Championship this time last year?
I’m off to check.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:43
don’t bother to check by mate. button was leading after china last year and the year before it too. nico rogbers was second and loris hamiltom was third, just one point behing rogbers.
BBT (@bbt)
27th April 2011, 8:49
I thought so.
Position — Driver — Points
01 — Jenson Button — 60
02 — Nico Rosberg — 50
03 — Fernando Alonso — 49
04 — Lewis Hamilton — 49
05 — Sebastian Vettel — 45
06 — Felipe Massa — 41
07 — Robert Kubica — 40
08 — Mark Webber — 28
09 — Adrian Sutil — 10
10 — Michael Schumacher — 10
11 — Vitantonio Liuzzi — 8
12 — Vitaly Petrov — 6
13 — Rubens Barrichello — 5
14 — Jaime Alguersuari — 2
15 — Nico Hülkenberg — 1
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:53
look @ webber? and he almost won the title. its too early to write off ferrari and mclaren. or even webber.
JuanFanger
27th April 2011, 10:52
It’s Webber’s best ever start to a season! He’ll win for sure :)
BasCB (@bascb)
27th April 2011, 12:54
Sure, it is too early. And Webber has probably had more from the races so far than he had last year.
But the other teams are very far away, its not as if they have the speed but miss reliability like Vettel last year.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:41
Vettel will lost this this for sure. to mclaren because vettel is driving for drinks company and mclaren is the racer company. ok?
Nick
27th April 2011, 8:46
Que?
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:52
Is what I said before. Red bull has benetton written all over them. once newey and his aero staff decide to quit, the drinks company will fall just like the cloth company.
red bull is a drinks company and nothing more than that. they cannot sustain anf mclaren and ferrari will eat them in the coming years.
Dane
27th April 2011, 9:33
What about Williams?
sato113 (@sato113)
27th April 2011, 9:34
are you actually from Sydney? lol
dennis
27th April 2011, 10:32
Sounds like Greenacre…
Todfod (@todfod)
27th April 2011, 10:34
We aren’t really talking about 4-5 years from now are we? We are talking about the current season, and the drinks company is the class of the field.
Mouse_Nightshirt
27th April 2011, 14:40
Not likely.
Bennetton were a clothes company, pure and simple. There was no other branch to their business or their strategy.
However look at Red Bull – look at the massive involvement in all sorts of extreme sports. It’s what their entire drinks company is based around. From sponsoring WipEout to the flugtag, to motox, their entire image surrounds fast, extreme, and young.
F1 is the perfect platform to do this with – and winning the premier motorsports championship probably brings back advertising power worth several times the budget they spend on the team itself. It’s a no brainer for them to keep investing at their current rate.
On top of that, the team is seen as attractive to work for by being more fun. Honestly, if the two teams were evenly matched, would you rather work for Red Bull and their more “social” atmosphere, or Williams with their ultra-conformist, ultra-strict atmosphere? Not only is it currently the best team at the moment, it’s also a desirable team to work for, which is why they’ll always hold on to good staff.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th April 2011, 19:17
‘Racecar’ company or drinks company makes no difference. Talent (in and out of the cockpit) is what matters and money helps. We all know both companies aren’t short of a few quid.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:48
meh. is wrong that statement. Alonso in 05 & 06 had a stronger start. I doesn’t know why keith is exaggerating the talent of the vettel? he is lucky, just like mika hakkinen was in 98,99 to be driving in one of newey’s fluke cars. at least hakkinen had to work hard for it.
BBT (@bbt)
27th April 2011, 8:51
By the time the Spanish race is completed we will know if Vettel will have to work for it.
I think it will be a two horse race this year.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 8:56
I didn’t mean the working hard in that context.
hakkinen had to endure all those tough season in those crappy lotuses and mclarens before his big break came in 1998. Vettel like hamilton has had everything handed over to him in a fishplate.
Kpduke
27th April 2011, 18:33
I think your prejudice is showing. Vettel started in a Toro Rosso and won a race, his story is nothing like Hamiltons. I dont think any other driver on the grid could have done any better then Vettel in the Red Bull in the first 3 races this year. Hakinnen made the best of a great car in 1998, and Vettel is doing the same with the best car now, so what is wrong with you? you sound jealous.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 9:25
This I think is good for the sport. Too many drivers fighting for the title is like too many children fighting for cookies.
Two horse race is always better for viewers.
I am hoping for a classic season like 1988 or 1992 TBH.
Clay
27th April 2011, 9:42
’92 a classic? With Nige running away from the rest in a car miles better than everything else? I don’t think so…
Last year was great. So long as we have a tight fight all the way I don’t care who wins. So long as there are no bloody team orders until it one driver in a team is out of the championship running mathematically (reading this Ferrari???)…
Todfod (@todfod)
27th April 2011, 11:24
Not always man. In 2007, the three horse race was awesome, last year the 5 horse race was great as well.
Jimmy
27th April 2011, 8:56
i think that in 0’5 alonso came 3rd in australia, so was on 2 wins and a 3rd and in ’06 he came 2nd in Malaysia, so was 2 wins and a second which is the same as vettel but he didnt have 3 poles to his name… so i think keith is correct in saying this…
unnnococooc
27th April 2011, 9:42
But poles aren’t worth anything… You don’t score points for them.
If you want to get ultra technical then you look at the amount of points scored out of the maximum. i.e. Who has scored the greatest amount of points out of what is possible
in 06: 2 wins = 10×2=20points + 2nd = 8 points = 28points or 93.3333.% of available points
in 11: 2 wins = 25×2=50points + 2nd = 18 points = 68 points or 90.66.% of the points.
So Alonso did have a better start in 06 by a few percentage points.
The reason why Vettel is ahead is because he hasn’t faced any competition and had the fastest car. If you have the fastest car and no one challenging you it’s bloody easy to go about winning and the only reason why he isn’t 3 wins is because of his mistake getting off the line. (bogged down before kers even comes in).
VETTEL – Win, Win, Podium
WEBBER – problem, problem down to 10th in first lap, problem in Quali and started behind 17 cars
HAMILTON – Podium, problem, Wins
BUTTON – drive through, Podium, Slow
ALONSO – Car’s buggered, I repeat buggered, more buggered than Italian politics
Infact the mere fact that BOTH Renault drivers including the rookie who many thought should be dropped and a guy who got to Renault late and had to get himself used to Renault and learn and develop the car at once HAVE MANAGED TO SCORE PODIUMS. That alone should tell you that the title challengers have had problems.
Only in China (1 out of 3 races) did we see 3 title challengers on the podium. Other 2 races 4 of the challengers (Webber, Hamilton/Button, Alonso and Massa) all had problems.
BBT (@bbt)
27th April 2011, 9:47
HAMILTON – Podium, problem (duff set of hard tyres), Wins
BUTTON – drive through, Podium,(duff set of hard tyres)
ALONSO – Car’s buggered (best he could do), Mistake, not interested
unnnococooc
27th April 2011, 10:29
Your point being?
Massa had the same problems pretty much as Alonso and did better in 1 race, Alonso another and about equal in 1 race (Alonso slightly ahead maybe).
Webber has had problems in overall (Australia), KERS (Malaysia) and Quali (China).
BBT (@bbt)
27th April 2011, 14:36
My point being I pretty much agree. Although Button wasn’t slow in China he had the same problem Hamilton had the week before.
David-A (@david-a)
27th April 2011, 16:51
Alonso finished 3rd in the first rce of 2005. So you’re automatically wrong about that one, even if he won the next 2.
bob from sydney
27th April 2011, 9:07
The fact that Adrian Newey bashed McLaren over and over last week,gives the feeling that he and Red Bull are rattled. He knows the RB7 has reached the peak of its performance and canned be optimized any further. Anyone who has observed Newey designed cars can find this in his traits. It happened during his time at williams and mclaren. At mclaren in particular in was so clearly noticable, the declining performace of the 2000 mclaren mp4-15. It started as the fastest car,dominating in the quali,but come raceday it couldn’t hold a candle to ferrari. It eventually faded away towards the end of 2000.
The RB7 reminds me of the mp4-15,very fast in quali and average in race. in 2001 all newey did was to raise the nose on the mp4-16 & the car was a failed one,which caused mika to retard.
1998-won
1999-won
2000-lost
2009-would have won but for ddd
2010-won
2011-lost?
newey designs cars which sort of fade away after 2 years. its happened at williams too
1992-won
1993-won
1994-lost
I see 2011 as the year where newey starts to decline.
And it won be too long before he produced one of his beauties like the mp4-18 :P probably the RB 9 will be the car that never raced……?
unnnococooc
27th April 2011, 9:49
Not really. I like how your atleast going to results from the past to back it up… BUT
Willaims
1992 – won
1993 – won
1994 – Really should have won.
1995 – Probably should have lost not how it did though.
in 1993 Prost smashed Hill, in 1994 Senna was faster than Hill. After Senna’s death Hill became the main chance to win. He lost by 1 point. One could easily presume and assume that Senna would have easily won given how (the guy he matched at McLaren) Prost smashed Hill the previous year and how he beat Hill in pace terms in 1994.
Williams was back after taking 95 off in 96
Klon
27th April 2011, 11:17
That is a questionable assumption, as I have pointed out before in the Champion Of Champions final.
xanathos (@xanathos)
27th April 2011, 12:15
Well, Michael Schumacher said so himself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLjDKYIdhK0
(The translation in the video description is pretty accurate)
antifia
27th April 2011, 14:59
This is no questionable assumption. Damon Hill is neck and neck with JV in the fight for the worse F1 champion ever. Agree or disagree that Senna was the best ever, but at least compare him to the likes of Prost, Fangio, Clark… not this happy go lucky. Senna would have gone circles around Hill in 1994 had he lived – and by the way, in 1993 Senna trounced him driving a sub-par cosworth powered Mclaren against Hill’s Williams that was head and shoulders above any other car in the grid.
David-A (@david-a)
27th April 2011, 16:59
He might have won with all the penalties handed to Benetton. Without those, Williams would have lost, Senna or no Senna.
f1fanboy
27th April 2011, 10:18
lol 3 things bob.
1.McLaren can’t spend stupid ammounts of money like Ferrari to catch up that easily like in the old days.
2.Ferrari had Rory Bryne, who could only beat Newey, last time I checked he wasn’t with McLaren.
3.McLarens car was rushed towards the end of final testing. So it comes to mind how much can McLaren improve the car through the season while Red Bull are fully happy with the design they first created. I’m sure the RB7 is more flexible in terms of “evolution” than any other car on the grid.
BasCB (@bascb)
27th April 2011, 13:01
I am not going to debate those first 2 poionts you make f1fanboy, but the 3rd just does not add up.
That RB7 is already highly developed as it is based on the winning RB5 of 2009 and improved from there on. The team have ground to make up with KERS and surely the DRS can be further tuned and some other areas as well.
But that McLaren is really still a pretty basic car from a development point of view. If its basics are good (they seem to be), McLaren will be able to do a lot of improvements on that car in the coming races, helping them make up serious ground.
Another point is, that the DRS working on that RB7 helps them a lot in Qualli but far less in the race, what with being limited to that one straight. RB loses part of its advantage in the races.
unnnococooc
27th April 2011, 13:36
McLarens problem was its exhaust system, changing it back fixed much of the problems aparently.
IF you think about it, that makes alot of sense given that the exhaust gases effect downforce which in turn effects both traction aswell as balance of the car.
Mads (@mads)
27th April 2011, 15:19
Why is the McLaren a basic car? The diffuser might be, but it still scraped copy of what Red Bull is running, so the potential in that area should be about the same. Where McLaren is probably able to extract a tenth or so when they get that more perfected, where Red Bull can have tougher job extracting the same time as quickly. The rest of the Aero package don’t need to be more basic then what Red Bull is running. Just because one design is faster it don’t mean that it can’t be developed more then the slower design. Furthermore Red Bull has around 0.5 seconds laying around in the garage collecting dust, KERS. As soon as they get that system working and learn how to use it more efficient they will be able to make up a lot of time.
McLaren is probably able to catch up quite a lot over the coming months, but Red Bull still have the upper hand. Their car is a lot better. If McLaren should be able to catch them with 0.8 seconds a lap, they need to work seriously quick compared to Red Bull.
See how it looked last year. McLaren also had a “basic” car compared to Red Bull, but they were never able to catch them.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th April 2011, 9:48
I think you must have misunderstood me, mads.
I think McLaren have an advantage as their car is basically good and offers a lot of room for improvements (last year their car was highly developed around that enormous DDD, making further updated tricky). So they have a lot they can bring to that car, probalby at least another 8 tenths somehwere along the line.
Red Bulls car has far less scope for further development, probalby their main focus being wings and getting that KERS to work. They are in front, but getting a big fight to stay there.
f1fanboy
27th April 2011, 16:19
Er which to you looks to be more complete out of the two for the 2011 season though? The McLaren looks far more complicated than the Red Bull on the outside.
Whats going to happen if Red Bull copy the moose-sidepods and airduct at the top of the car?
Looks to me Red Bull can copy more things than McLaren can buddy…
bosyber
28th April 2011, 8:38
But that would completely change the concept of the car, would need, probably, different nose, and very likely beamwing. That would mean a new crashtest, if the homologation of those structures isn’t still in effect (as it was last year), to make that impossible.
Even if Red Bull found that had more potential, I would think the risk too high with their current fast car to do that during the season, leaving that to next year, if at all.
I agree that a two years evolved and refined concept (RB7) seems less amendable to tuning than a new, and therefore less refined (matter of experience working with it!) concept like that of the MP4-26.
Finally, I think looking so smooth and simple took a lot of effort on the part of Red Bull.
With a complicated machine it is much easier to just allow the bodywork/cover to open up, or deflect and become bulkier than to modify the insides to make the shrink-wrap fit a nice shape.
That’s why they seem to have their KERS problem afteral: it had to be adapted to fit the package they wanted.
IceMan
27th April 2011, 13:42
Exactly! So we can assueme there is loads of potential that can be unlocked from the car. I think in a couple of races RedBull will have to work to catch up the McLaren unless they solve their KERS issues.
f1fanboy
27th April 2011, 16:14
No it means they haven’t planned ahead on how much more they can develop the car while the Bulls did.
Rushed work means a sloppy idea and will show eventually further down the line when they can no longer improve the car.
Mike-e
27th April 2011, 9:42
In 1994 the beset designed Williams (once set up correctly) was easily the fastest car on the grid. The only reason it didn’t win was because it killed senna its number 1 driver, and hill was rubbish. (except in Hungary where he was always formidable)
BBT (@bbt)
27th April 2011, 9:43
Well they’ll be OK until at least 2015 then
Mike-e
27th April 2011, 9:44
Beset = newey……..
Stupid predictive text!!
PeteB
27th April 2011, 10:19
“His fight back from 18th to third in Shanghai, though impressive, was flattered by the luxury of having three fresh sets of soft tyres available.”
That almost suggests that some teams may start using only the hard tyre in qualifying? Is starting 8th with 3 new sets of softs better than 1st with 1?
Seems so… Could be interesting in Turkey.
Cacarella
27th April 2011, 13:23
Currently there are only 2 teams that can get out of Q1 without using a set of softs. All teams would have to put softs on in Q2 to insure a spot in Q3 where they can then run the hards.
I guess it would only be Redbull and Mclaren that could use Hards in Q1, Softs in Q2, and Hards again in Q3, leaving them with 2 sets of softs but starting further down the grid.
Oliver
27th April 2011, 11:09
Redbull have a sufficient performance advantage over its rivals that may remain unsurpassed all through the season. Newey has optimized the car for the vast majority of tracks the F1 road show visits. Even on those tracks the don’t have a phenominal advantage, they will still be in contention for pole.
Redbull have placed their priority on reliability, at least on one car. Such that they are yet to have any reliability issues apart from the slight KERS distractions.
Their initial focus is the drivers championship and maintaining an advantage and sustained competitivenss. Eventually they will turn on the other car and make a combined push for the constructors.
At the moment, Mclaren appears to be their direct competitor. But Mclaren have been making strategic blunders in their race strategy in the 3 races so far. Secondly, their excessive obssession with driver equality is getting in the way of their pit strategy. Where they can slightly compromise their strategy and challenge for the win, they compromise their lead challenger and place priority on moving the one behind forward.
Then their engineers are so in awe of their race simulator, that the don’t listen to their drivers who can feel the track cnditions and hence can make a better judgement regarding tyres. It wasn’t strategy that brought them their last win, they were already willing to accept 4th and 5th.
Todfod (@todfod)
27th April 2011, 11:41
Spot on. It is a scary thought to have an in form Vettel in that car for a whole season. If Seb has the reliability that Mark’s car had last year, I just cannot see him losing his lead in the WDC race at any point of time during the season.
DaveW (@dmw)
27th April 2011, 18:39
OK. But starting from here, in a development view. What do we see in the deck? McLaren still has the Octopus growing in the MTC moat. They ran that car, literally, half the time of RBR in testing. It still has the new-car smell, and they’re just figuring out the stereo buttons now. So the fact that it is so quick now must be ominous to Mr. Newey.
If Whitmarsh is to believed, McLaren have reams of benchmarking data from their decision to run the old car with the Pirellis. Additionally, Ferrari is actively working on a proper bendy wing, having given up with the rule book, and I’m sure McLaren is too. That is the better part of a second in that wing.
I’m not so sure RBR are going to find .5s in KERS. It’s more like .3s in overall potential. And even if they find some time in it, the benefit of KERS is absolute and capped by rule. RBR will need more than .5s to keep ahead by Silverstone.
So what else has Newey got in his little notebook? He already said he never gave any thought to a front-exhaust and it’s too late for that. I doubt he has his own octopus in the works for the same reason. And copying McLaren’s sidepods and cooling design is not realistic. It’s a totally different aero concept.
As far maintaining current design edge, McLaren have already ripped off his exhaust design and made it work well with minimal effort. And McLaren have his pull-rod rear suspension and attendant packaging benefits. Right now, McLaren haven nothing he can copy to neutralize their recent performance step.
Newey’s real path forward is exploiting the cooler Renault engine. But where else does this go? He already has sealed up the coke-bottle and exits all air on top of the gearbox. He has already suffocated the KERS system to death to futher seal up the bodywork.
Lowe may be no Newey, but Lowe has a brand new package, Newey does not. Newey has a mature package. Lowe can copy Newey’s little tricks if he can see them and also do things Newey can’t. I predict that, like last year, some of those new things will fall flat, but Lowe might find some potential in his new car to make a leap forward.
F1iLike
27th April 2011, 11:37
Hamilton is the only one in a position and has the ability to stop Vettel. Might be an epic battle between the two this year.
Vik
27th April 2011, 12:01
If RB continue to struggle with KERS, they will be vulnerable. At the moment, they can’t even get it to work, let alone optimise its effectiveness. Perhaps it will be the determining factor this year in deciding the championship?
antifia
27th April 2011, 15:10
My bet is that they will have their KERS working by the next race. To be honest, and I hope I am wrong, this last race was the odd duck of the season. Once Red Bull has its KERS working and stop trying to be too clever in the tyre strategy (they should just mirror what Mclaren does in each race, nothing more), there will be only two drivers contesting this year’s title.
David-A (@david-a)
27th April 2011, 17:04
And one of them is the guy who isn’t bad for a number 2 driver :P
Fishingelbow
27th April 2011, 12:05
“Vettel has made the strongest start to a season since Michael Schumacher won the first five races of 2004.”
How about Button’s 6 wins out of the first seven races in 2009?
GameR_K
27th April 2011, 12:19
It’s about title defence Fish. Button didn’t have to defend his title in 2009 because he didn’t have one till the end of the year.
ad3
27th April 2011, 14:52
At this point in the season, Button had 2 wins and a third in China. Vettel has 2 wins and a second in China so so far Vettel has had the stronger start.
David BR
27th April 2011, 12:43
It’s tempting to imagine Red Bull and Vettel can win easily, but a couple of gremlins, rain, etc. over the space of a few races and Vettel could be the one trailing. I’m predicting McLaren to improve strongly over the next few races with aero and maybe exhaust tweaks, hauling in the time difference. If so Red Bull will be in big trouble if their KERS isn’t sorted. What I really want to see is Vettel’s overtaking being tested. Of the world champions on track, he’s the only one with something still to prove in a major area of his racing (speed, consistency and coolness under pressure, he’s shown plenty, more than many of his main rivals, especially in the second half of 2010 and this year).
Webber really put everything into keeping tabs with Vettel last year, upsetting the latter mid-season and forcing mistakes, and benefitted from fewer problems. Red Bull clearly won’t allow the same internal strife as 2010, Webber hasn’t got Vettel’s overall pace, and apparently he can’t manage the tyres as well. Truly difficult to see how he can mount any kind of serious challenge. I think that will come from Hamilton, Button and maybe Rosberg. There’s a lot of potential locked into the Mercedes/Rosberg partnership and it’s a real shame it was put on hold while Schumacher’s vanity return plays out. If Brawn applied his talents to developing a car around Rosberg, they could compete at the front. Just my view.
Fixy (@)
27th April 2011, 14:52
And I was one of those who gave significance to pre-season tests. I knew something would have changed, but this is too much!
Oliver
27th April 2011, 15:29
Mclaren got faster, but race management got poorer.
Vishy
27th April 2011, 17:35
I think most people here are totally ignoring Ferrari’s chances. The ferrari’s are very good on their tyres. On the same strategy Ferrari’s will do much better than both RedBull and McLaren. On pure pace though they are little behind.
Have to admit though that RedBulls are slightly better than McLaren on both raw pace and tyre management. Which makes them the ideal team atm.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th April 2011, 19:13
Nice round up of RBR’s situation thus far. They will be difficult to catch, but not impossible. However, the strong start they have had means that the likes of McLaren and especially Ferrari can’t rest. They don’t have the luxury of a dodgy start from Vettel this year.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
28th April 2011, 2:19
Focusing this early on 2012 will be the silliest mistake ever, there still a lot to gain for many teams this year,especially the likes of Renault, Mercedes & Torro Rosso.So far I can’t see Ferrari coming back but Red Bull have to work on their KERS & on Webber’s car. Hamilton so far is the only challenger for Vettel as he have the pace & knows how to squeeze the life out of a bad car so Mclaren have to improve a lot before Turkey. Even if Vettel win the title, which I think he will I just don’t want him to walk away with it, it need to be a fight till the last lap in Brazil.