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One of the things that gives me hope is seeing the likes of Richard Hammond and Felipe Massa suffered from massively violent head trauma, only to make a full recovery. I very, very much hope Michael Schumacher can recover in the same way these men have. At least he’s being seen to by friends and experts in the area. He’ll have the very best medical treatment available.
@Journeyer That sounds very promising. I hope the news continues to be as good from here on out. Thank you for the link.
I hope it’s false, and if it isn’t false, I hope he’ll make a full recovery. Michael Schumacher was my childhood hero, and I don’t want to see the man leave us for a long, long time.
22. Max Chilton – He was woefully off the pace of his team mate for much of the year and was a constant presence at the very back of the grid. He showed some improvement through the season, and was highly consistent even if he was also consistently underwhelming. Never looked to threaten Bianchi on merit.
21. Charles Pic – Possibly the most anonymous driver on the grid. He did nothing remarkable this year, and his rookie team mate was often ahead of him in qualifying and the race towards the end of the season. He was merely competent in 2013 and you expect more from supposedly one of the best 22 drivers in the world.
20. Adrian Sutil – He had a good start to the season with a competitive drive to 7th in Australia. This remained the highlight of his season with Sutil being comprehensively beaten by his team mate. Sutil never looked like he deserved his second chance in F1, and although he was unlucky with a few retirements the overall impression is that he just isn’t good enough for F1.
19. Giedo van der Garde – He enjoyed some fantastic qualifying sessions such as Monaco and Spa. In Hungary he had a fantastic result of 14th. These highs were tempered with several collisions such as in Canada, Japan and India. He may remain somewhat error prone but became more of a match for his more experienced team mate as the season progressed.
18. Pastor Maldonado – After the rollercoaster season he had in 2012, this year Maldonado was highly unimpressive. The speed he had shown at times last season seemed to have deserted him and he was comprehensively outclassed by rookie Bottas over the season. He was fortunate to score a point in Hungary, and only that saved further blushes.
17. Esteban Gutierrez – He made several junior formulae mistakes at the start of the season and looked like only got into F1 due to his backer’s deep pockets. Improvement was a long time coming but as the car improved, so did Gutierrez, culminating in a fantastic 7th at Suzuka. In some of the later races he even started to look close to Hulkenberg on performance!
16. Jean-Eric Vergne – On the basis of this season it’s not hard to see why Vergne isn’t in a Red Bull for 2014. He was often disappointing in qualifying. While his car wasn’t a consistent points scorer he was still only in the top ten three times in 2013. He had a fantastic race in Canada, but he needed far more races like that to be considered on a par with Ricciardo.
15. Jules Bianchi – It’s hard to know just how good he is at the back of the grid and against a team mate that seems as poor as Chilton. Still, he impressed me in how big the gap was in qualifying between the two and he regularly fought and beat the Caterham duo in the races. A few errors aside this was an impressive debut year for the Frenchman and he looked far better than the drivers he spent the season fighting with for the minor positions.
14. Felipe Massa – Felipe started the season strong, and there was hope that the quick, tenacious Massa of old was starting to return. Sadly this proved short lived and after a deserved podium in Spain Massa went on to crash in every race weekend from Monaco to Germany. His form plummeted, and he once again was inferior to Alonso in every way. Strong showings in Italy and India were not enough to save his seat after failing to deliver for the vast majority of the season.
13. Paul di Resta – He comprehensively outscored his team mate and was in the running for a podium in Bahrain, only to just fall short. He made the most of the Force India’s early form and scored in every race up to Germany, bar Malaysia. However as the car became less competitive he became frustrated and made several mistakes as well as lashing out at his own team. His form seemed to follow his mood, and there were races where it appeared that he wasn’t motivated, and happy to blame his poor performances on his engineers to anyone who would listen.
12. Valtteri Bottas – He was by far the most impressive rookie this season. Like his team mate he struggled with an uncompetitive car, but nevertheless showed his talent several times, especially that incredible qualifying session in Canada. He out-qualified Maldonado who is considered very quick 12 times, was consistent in his results and was calm under pressure to manage his Williams to a fantastic 8th at the Circuit of the Americas.
11. Sergio Perez – Perez started the year with a few scrappy races before becoming calmer and more consistent after the summer break. He showed he was a brave (if at times foolhardy) wheel to wheel racer in Bahrain and Monaco. He was often close to his vastly more experienced team mate in both qualifying and the race. With a bit more restraint behind the wheel Perez could have done better, but he learned from his mistakes and was consistently in the points as the season went on.
10. Daniel Ricciardo – He was a regular in Q3 this year, further showing his one lap pace. He qualified an excellent 6th in Silverstone and the Nurburgring, two tracks known for their technical difficulty. He often went backwards during the races, but that can be levelled more at the pace of the car than Ricciardo’s racecraft. He was a more consistent points scorer than Vergne. His error at Singapore was the only black mark on an otherwise impressive season in uncompetitive machinery.
9. Mark Webber – Webber had his usual terrible luck and several retirements, but even that cannot excuse his many sub-par performances this season. He often looked like he was driving a different car to his team mate, only finishing in the points while Vettel was winning. He remained a fierce racer wheel to wheel as shown in Malaysia, Italy and the USA and had a fantastic pole at Suzuka. However the highlights were too few and his performances too poor this season, especially when his team mate won thirteen races and Webber failed to win one.
8. Jenson Button – He was beaten by his less experienced team mate several times and qualifying remains Jenson’s weak spot. He was however massively consistent and several times produced results that were the maximum achievable with the tools he had. He was very good but fell a little short of being excellent.
7. Romain Grosjean – This was a breakthrough year for him. He had some unspectacular races at the start of the season but by Germany looked like a man poised to take his first win. This form continued through the second half of the season and he was often the only driver challenging the Red Bulls. Unfortunately he didn’t get that win but he developed into a team leader in 2013 and was arguably more impressive than Raikkonen as the season progressed.
6. Lewis Hamilton – Hamilton had a season that was by his high standards quite poor. In China, Canada and Belgium he did all he could and reached the podium. In other races like Bahrain, Spain and Italy he struggled hugely with the tyres. He was unlucky in Britain and Japan. He took a fantastic win in Hungary, where he looked like the Hamilton of old. After the summer break his performances were as in 2011 often oddly muted, with Hamilton picking up a handful of points in races his team mate finished on the podium.
5. Nico Rosberg – He took a well-judged win in Monaco and held off Webber for a win in the lottery that was the British GP. He continued his several years of being excellently consistent and was regularly more than a match for his superstar team mate. When Hamilton’s form dipped towards the end of the season Rosberg was fighting for podium places.
4. Kimi Raikkonen – After the Spanish Grand Prix Raikkonen looked like a genuine title contender. Unfortunately the E21 was no match for the RB9 but Raikkonen remained a regular visitor to the podium. As the relationship between himself and Lotus deteriorated Raikkonen was outshone by Grosjean in several races.
3. Nico Hulkenberg – He had an excellent season and cemented his reputation as one of the best drivers in F1. He had a number of highlights such as leading in China, holding off Rosberg in Italy and his giant killing drive in Korea. This year he was consistent, calm under pressure and capable of delivering results that seemed beyond the car.
2. Fernando Alonso – This was not Alonso’s best season. He made several mistakes in races like Malaysia and Monaco, and his qualifying performances were questionable. Despite these flaws, in 2013 Alonso remained one of the absolute best drivers in the sport. When the Ferrari was competitive Alonso took two wins that were as dominant as any of Vettel’s. His starts remain breathtaking and he was as ever a fierce competitor in the races. He battled to the podium in many races and fully deserved his second place in the Championship.
1. Sebastian Vettel – Vettel’s achievements can now only be compared to those made by the legends of this sport. Comparison with the other drivers on the grid this year seems almost unfair, as if he truly was driving in a different Formula. The above only goes to underline how incredible his performances have been this season. Very rarely has a driver and car been in such complete harmony. He obliterated his team mate and in Malaysia showed the ruthless desire to win that inhabits all the great champions of our sport. His complete dominance wasn’t exciting to watch but it should be viewed and appreciated for the truly awe inspiring achievement that it is.
Lewis Hamilton: 2012 – Didn’t leave himself down like in 2011, was constantly let down by his car.
Kimi Raikonnen: 2005 – Quite similar to Hamilton in 2012, he was superb but the car could barely last a race
Fernando Alonso: 2012 – One of the best seasons I’ve ever seen from any driver.
Jenson Button: 2011 – Really made McLaren his own, proved he could fight with the best.
Sebastian Vettel: 2013 – He’s almost on a par with Alonso’s 2012 season. Consistent and dominant and making it all look easy.I’d love to see Nasr in F1, he’s been in GP2 for almost two seasons now and he looks promising. He’s pretty consistent and I enjoy watching him race. The only thing holding him back to my mind is that he hasn’t won a race this year. Hopefully that’ll come soon.
As soon as Lauda’s Ferrari came into shot right at the start of the film I thought “this is going to be good!”. Although I did not live through the 1970’s to experience the stories of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and have only seen the 1976 season through season review shows on the tv, I thought they captured the look of the era almost perfectly. That, to me, was a huge part in immersing the viewer in the storyline. The attention to detail was phenomenal, whether it was the complete replication of the cars themselves, to accurate replicas of cans of coca-cola on a table in the background of the shot.
I thought Chris Hemworth did really well in his role as James Hunt, and brought out the wild, almost childish side of his character very well. He certainly looked the part. I thought that maybe he was a bit less nuanced as a character than Lauda, but nonetheless Hemworth did a great job. For me, Daniel Bruhl stole the film in his portrayal of Lauda. In every scene you can see how driven, proud, calculating and at times hugely unlikeable a character Lauda could be. However, Bruhl does a fantastic job of keeping Lauda sympathetic as a character where some lesser actors might not have been able to do so given the challenges of the role.
While the subject matter is of Formula 1, and two drivers, I think it’s a very accessible film for the non-F1Fanatic. The camerawork ensures that the racing constantly enthrals, with quick cuts, unique camera angles of the cars themselves and some great source material to work with all combine to make the racing look exciting even to someone unfamiliar to F1.
The majority of the film focuses on the characters of Hunt and Lauda themselves, and so while the racing provides context and motivation for the characters, it is the personalities of the two drivers that the film is really about. As stated earlier the lead actors do a great job of providing nuanced portrayals of these men. The script is to be praised too, as there is no hero or villain. Rather it’s a look at two entirely different personalities, pitted against each other and how an antagonistic relationship can grow between them into something more. The scene where Hunt meets Lauda in the pits at Monza after Lauda returns from his near-death crash is absolutely fantastic, and is just one example of the development this relationship undergoes through the film. Even though this film is by turns exciting, loud, hilarious and engrossing, for a film about the noisiest sport in the world it has a lot of quiet moments. It’s here that the acting shines and we see the personalities come through. At times these can be overwrought – Lauda’s midnight conversation with his wife about happiness during their honeymoon, in particular – but mostly they are key to letting us see the personalities behind the helmets.
The film doesn’t ditch the reality of the 1976 season for some big Hollywood storytelling either. Lauda still comes 4th at Monza after returning from his crash, even though the Hollywood thing to do would probably have him win triumphantly. Equally, while the temptation must have been there to have Lauda and Hunt battle to the last lap at Fuji, the film stays true to reality and the drama remains undiminished. I’m not going to go into the ending in any detail, but I found the final scene to be particularly moving and I think it gives a nice closure to the relationship (and therefore for the film the story) of these two men.
All in all I thought this film was fantastic, with so much to enjoy for the F1 fan and non fan alike. 5/5.
1. Vettel
2. Raikkonen
3. Grosjean
4. Alonso
5. Massa
6. Button
7. Hulkenberg
8. Hamilton
9. Rosberg
10. PerezWebber will have his customary bad luck at his home race and something will keep him from making Q3. Lotus will turn up and surprise everyone with how fast they are, Ferrari will be 3rd fastest as usual, Massa continuing his strong form from 2012, McLaren will have poor qualifying as Perez and Button get to grips with the car and Mercedes will disappoint many but will definitely have closed the gap to the front since 2012.
1. Michael Schumacher
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Sebastian Vettel
4. Lewis Hamilton
5. Kimi Raikkonen
6. Mika Hakkinen
7. Jenson Button
8. Felipe Massa
9. Juan Pablo Montoya
10. Mark WebberI’d have found this list a lot easier if it was a post-Senna (say 1995 onwards) list, as there are some drivers like Hakkinen, Coulthard and Alesi that were around in the early 2000’s but no longer at their peak. Still, loads of fun to do!
24. Narain Karthikeyan – convincingly outclassed by his 41 year old team-mate, who himself has never been considered anything more than average. He was out-qualified by his team mate at every race until Monza. In the vast majority of races he finished dead last. His best result? 18th and last in the chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix. Many drivers deserve a place in Formula 1. Based on this year, Karthikeyan does not, even taking into account his woefully slow machinery.
23. Pedro de la Rosa – Did a good job for the most part, and comfortably beat his team mate, although that probably isn’t saying much. One has to wonder what he got out of thanklessly and anonymously trundling about near the back of the grid at the twilight of his career.
22. Timo Glock – Despite a valiant drive to 12th in Singapore, I feel Glock has underperformed this year overall. Pic gave him a good run for his money, although in qualifying Glock showed his experience and skill at more technical tracks such as Suzuka. In the race it seemed Pic was much more competitive, and often brought the fight to Glock. Timo has been in the sport a while, and is widely considered an underrated driver. However he was outshone by his rookie team mate a bit too often this year.21. Bruno Senna – While more consistent than his team mate, he was a great deal slower. He made simple errors (spinning out of Q1 in Spain, colliding with Kobayashi in Valencia) and while he was a solid points finisher ten times this season, I think the car was capable of much more.
20. Heikki Kovalainen – I thought Heikki did a fantastic job last year, despite being in one of the slowest cars on the grid. Perhaps on this year’s evidence he was being flattered by an abysmal Jarno Trulli. Heikki started the season off strong, but as it went on he found himself regularly behind his new team mate. Several times the Marussias gave him trouble when they really shouldn’t have. In the race Kovalainen never really seemed to have the tenacious fighting spirit that he so often displayed in 2011, and was beaten by Petrov many times.
19. Vitaly Petrov – A slow start to the year, he was regularly out raced by Kovalainen.
However, towards the end of the season Petrov regularly had the beating of his more experienced (and in my view more talented) team mate. A fantastic, opportunistic 11th in Brazil capped off a very strong end to his season.18. Romain Grosjean – Lightning fast at some races, he was on the podium three times and out qualified his team mate several times at the start of the season. He was also unlucky to have a potential win taken from him in Valencia due to a mechanical failure. Despite showing speed and promise, he was entirely at fault for too many first lap incidents for a driver at the pinnacle of motorsport.
17. Charles Pic – A promising rookie season, he often took the fight to the experienced and quick Timo Glock. Out qualified and out raced his team mate several times, this is a young talent that will hopefully continue to grow next season.
16. Pastor Maldonado – A calm, collected drive to victory in Barcelona was an aberration in an otherwise torrid season. Maldonado surprised several times in qualifying with several visits to the front two rows. You don’t win a race or qualify second in Singapore without talent. Despite crushing his team mate in qualifying the races were a different matter and he failed to score points in a car very capable of doing so far too often. He used his car as a weapon against Perez in Monaco, and too many times he made foolish decisions that cost him dearly as happened in Australia, Monaco, Europe, Britain, Hungary and Belgium. The talent is there, but the temperament is not.
15. Daniel Ricciardo – He started the season well, with points in Melbourne and a great qualifying in Bahrain that put him 6th on the grid. He dropped back spectacularly in that race, and a pattern emerged throughout the season. Ricciardo would qualify well, but drop back in the race. His season was not clear cut, and he had the beating of his team mate when the car was not capable of finishing in the points.
14. Jean-Eric Vergne – A solid first year, Vergne was the leading points scorer in Toro Rosso. This does not tell the whole story. Ricciardo easily had the measure of him in qualifying, and there was little to separate them after a year of racing. Vergne had his mistakes – clipping Kovalainen in Valencia for example – but he also had some great moments, like his 7th in Monaco and coming home in the points in Brazil.
13. Paul di Resta – Had the beating of Hulkenberg over the first half of the season, only to drop back as time went on. Had some great drives to 6th in Bahrain and 4th in Valencia, but towards the end of the year found himself lagging behind his team mate in both qualifying and the race. Solid, but unspectacular.
12. Kamui Kobayashi – In many ways a season of what could have been. He drove to solid points in several races, but squandered his grid position in China and was desperately unfortunate to have his best qualifying position ruined by Grosjean at Spa. A mis judged lunge in Korea ended what looked like a promising race. He took the feel good podium of the year in front of a jubilant home crowd at Suzuka. He looks unlikely to be in F1 next year, which is disappointing considering how exciting of an over-taker he is. Fans will miss seeing the ‘Kamui kiss’, but at least he got his picture.
11. Felipe Massa – A season of two halves for Felipe Massa. He was obliterated by his team mate until late into the Championship. Before his upswing in form it seemed like he was driving a totally different car to Alonso, so bad were his performances. However he was strong from Italy onwards and out qualified and out raced Alonso in some of the later races. He dutifully played the role of number two to Alonso after finding his form, but his great late season performances cannot wipe from the memory how truly useless he was for most of the season.
10. Nico Hulkenberg – This year he has shown he has the speed to deserve a place in F1. It didn’t take long before he was beating his team mate in qualifying and the race. A 4th in Europe and his late season form show that Hulkenberg is quick, while his thrilling race in Brazil showed that he is yet to truly marry his raw speed to a consistent, mistake free racecraft.
9. Nico Rosberg – He capitalised on his car’s early season pace, appearing on the podium twice and finally getting his elusive first victory with a dominant win in China. However it must be said that he botched several important Q3 laps, notably in Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain. But for that more podium appearances may have been possible. As the season progressed Rosberg fell into anonymity through little fault of his own, as the car was bereft of pace.
8. Michael Schumacher – A podium and the Monaco pole that never was showed that even in 2012, Schumi could still show flashes of absolute genius. This was by far the strongest of his comeback seasons. He was by no means perfect and made inexplicable mistakes for a man of his ability (Barcelona, Singapore). Dogged by unreliability he deserved far more than he received but in true Schumacher fashion his final race showed that he would not go quietly into retirement, with a stunning display of skill in the mist of São Paulo.
7. Sergio Perez – A fantastic second season, Perez shot to stardom with a virtuoso performance in Malaysia that was his to win but for one mistake. He was a consistent points scorer and beat comfortably a team mate that is no slouch behind the wheel himself. Despite three brilliant podiums, his late season form has taken some of the sheen off what has otherwise been a great season.
6. Mark Webber – At the halfway point it looked like 2010 all over again. Mark had the beating of Vettel early in the season, and took two great wins. His form deserted him late on in the season, as did reliability.
5. Jenson Button – Jenson Button proved this season that he can still keep pace with an on form Lewis Hamilton, and that says a lot for a driver. Unfortunately he only drives his best when the car is at its best, and was shockingly off the pace in Valencia and Canada. His three wins were dominant.
4. Kimi Raikkonen – The two years spent driving into ditches have not dulled Kimi’s speed. He was in contention for victories at several races, and after he got the car to his liking he dominated his team mate. He got a long overdue comeback victory and had a remarkably consistent season, with few mistakes. He always found himself in the points when the car was capable, and quietly went about his job in true Iceman style. He knew what he was doing, and he did a damn good job.
3. Sebastian Vettel – There are no undeserving Champions in Formula One, and Sebastian Vettel truly deserved his third title. He battled with a car that wasn’t to his liking at the start, and score important points. When the car was to his liking, he dominated. When events conspired against him he put in awe inspiring drives in both Abu Dhabi and Brazil, under immense pressure. He battled for positions in many races, and dismissed the view that he wasn’t a real racer. Vettel still has some maturing to do, with frustration clouding his judgment in a few races. The fact that he is still developing as a racing driver must be a sobering thought to his rivals.
2. Lewis Hamilton – Hamilton should have dominated this season. He drove with speed and consistency throughout the year, and never put a wheel out of place. In stark contrast to 2011, when things didn’t go his way Hamilton handled the many failures of his team with grace and maturity. In Italy and Hungary Hamilton was crushingly dominant. He remains a thrilling driver and an absolute pleasure to watch behind the wheel. But for his teams’ mistakes and terrible reliability he would surely have had several more wins than the four he took, and with them his second Championship. His best year yet.
1. Fernando Alonso – Persistent, tenacious, imperious. Very few drivers have ever had the talent Alonso possesses, fewer still have utilised it so flawlessly. Fernando Alonso in 2012 was a driver of a generation on the top of his game. His ability to get more out of a car than many would think possible is a rare gift, and he utilised everything at his disposal to take a car unbefitting of his talents to three wins and thirteen podiums. Alonso may not be the fastest over one lap, but over a race there are very few who can touch him, and his starts and opening laps were often a thing of beauty. A truly remarkable season, Alonso seemingly through sheer force of will, dragged what was for most of the season the third fastest car to within three points of a championship he most richly deserved.
I was convinced after Quali for Singapore that Hamilton had the championship. He was driving brilliantly, and his car had been the class of the field arguably since Germany. And yet here we are, with Hamilton only mathematically in the hunt by the tiniest of margins, but not realistically so.
My point is that seeming dominance is not an assurance of anything this season. Sure, Vettel looks super strong right now, but if McLaren get back ahead of Red Bull, Alonso would be able to mix it with Vettel much more easily without him starting from pole. Chipping a few points off Vettel without Alonso having to win himself (and provided that Hamilton/Button do instead) looks like a real possibility. This would be improved even further if Ferrari bring some real improvements to the F2012.
McLaren to the rescue for Alonso’s chances?Alonso – 4. Hopefully this year then another right at the end.
Vettel – 5. He’s got two, he’s very young, and he’ll have no problem staying in demand at top teams.
Hamilton – 3. He’s bound to McLaren in my view. He lives and dies with them. If he wins it this year then I think he’ll win 4 and Alonso 3. Hamilton’s the greatest unknown – can everything that he seems to be caught up in (the contract negotiations, ‘strained’ relationship with his team, celebrity lifestyle and over the past few years somewhat inconsistent form) – be overcome? If he can, then who knows?
No. Perez is the new star, Kamui will be a decent midfield runner for several years but no higher.
Edit: Forgot to say ‘When it’s all said and done’,
Will Toro Rosso still be a feeder team for Red Bull in 5 years or will it get sold?Unfortunately he’ll be more remembered for his poor performance in the last 3 seasons than what’s gone before.
When it’s all said and done will HRT or Marussia still be around in 5 years?
I think it’s totally Karth’s fault, he should have slowed down a lot more to avoid any possible contact. Yes, Vettel could possibly have stayed to the right for a bit longer and not cut in as sharply, but it’s the HRT that jinked to the left and shredded Vettels tyre, after Vettel had completely lapped Karthikeyan and was going in a straight line.
HRT are racing nobody, they’re terribly slow. While they have a right to be on the grid and race, they in my opinion should do everything in their power to ensure they don’t impede any driver who’s actually competing for positions, whether it be a Red Bull, Ferrari or a Caterham.I can see why Vettel was angry, but calling Karthikeyan an idiot is highly disrespectful. I was disgusted with Hamilton’s behaviour after Monaco last year, and this is a similar thing. I’m happy to see drivers speak their minds, but not when they sound like immature brats.