The Late Season Roundup

Well it's been a cracking season so far with plenty of outstanding races, stacks of action, seven different winners from five different teams. There have been some highs and lows from most drivers, Massa getting lucky here and then having devastating bad luck there, Lewis making silly mistakes here and getting the cane from the FIA there.

There have been some surprises too, even the most dedicated Felipe Massa fans would have had to concede at the beginning of the season that he would have an up hill struggle to get one over team mate Kimi Raikkonen. It hasn't turned out that way at all, Massa has dominated the Fin, specially in qualifying and most of the time in race conditions as well. Kimi has managed to get fastest lap after fastest lap but by then the bus has already gone...

In the silver team Lewis Hamilton has been making a mockery of his team mate Heikki (I will make you fall asleep ) Kovalainen as well. Lewis apart from Monza this year has been totally on it all the time and would be a deserved champion as would Felipe Massa.

Kubica has had a brilliant season but has suffered from BMW's decision early on to concentrate on their 2009 car. His team mate Nick Heidfeld has not been as close as he was last season and could be under pressure to be replaced for next year.

Fernando Alonso has also been a revelation, he's still a bit childlike in his attitude but it's a big improvement over last season. Mostly he's kept his mouth shut and got on with doing a brilliant job in a difficult Renault. Like Hamilton and Massa he has shown the way to his team mate. Nelson Piquet has had a rough season, he had a lucky second place in Germany but that was a result of the FIA's idiot safety car/no pit stop rules. The rest, when the chips were down has been a bit mediocre.

Williams and Nico Rosberg have just come off a great result in Singapore, 2nd place a just reward for an iconic team and a rising star who drives the wheels off the Toyota powered Williams. I think Kazuki Nakajima has surprised a few people with his pace, he was top ten in qualifying in Singapore and finished eighth. What Williams will do with him for '09 is not clear yet. He will probably stay on with his Toyota links...

The Red Bull/Scuderia Torro Rosso story has been interesting, the A team started the year well with Mark Webber gathering a long string of finishes in the points but his ill fortune continues, just when a top three finish was on the cards in Singapore last weekend the gearbox went. The 'box has been perfectly reliable all year. Coulthard has been consistent, announced his retirement, snatched a podium in Canada and then some more points in Singapore. Not a bad way to go out, he will appear as a consultant ala Schumacher for Red Bull next season.
The B team on the other hand had a slow start to the season but then they got the upgrade car from RB and started to make some head way culminating in a brilliant display at Monza in the pouring rain from Vettel recording his and Red Bull/STR/Minardi's first win - under Ferrari power no less...

THERAT
29th September

part two next....

PART 2:
2nd October

Toyota's two drivers, Trulli and Glock have had a steady season, so have Toyota. Always not quite there in performance and seemingly dropping off the pace in the last few rounds. Major development push for the new 2009 rules. Probably. Timo Glock has had a few good races as well and anyone who manages to out qualify Jarno Trulli even occasionally must have some speed behind the wheel.

Toyota's problem is that they are not yet looking like upsetting the top three yet, not even an inkling, not a sparkle in performance. THey really need to step up to the next level next year.

Honda have had a strange year, horribly off the pace, the car is a dog once again, they are openly concentrating on next years car but occasionally they have a good run but only Force India are behind them in the constructors championship. They too have to start delivering next year. If I was in charge I would immediately get rid of Barrichello, no point in having to 'older' drivers in the team if it/they are not performing, get a new fast young gun in there to stir it up and get some motivation running through the blood of the team. Get Bruno Senna in, he's a big name if not yet an accomplished driver.

BMW. Openly working on 2009 with only a few updates filtering through to the cars from mid season onwards. Kubica has been outstanding this season. Quick Nick Heidfeld has had a bit of Kimi Raikkonen this year in terms of getting the performance out of the car in practice/qualifying but has been steady and may just keep his seat.
They have scored their first win, shocked their mechanics (KERS incident) while testing and generally been almost there in terms of the top two. Yet another sleeper for 2009 but with large increments in performance from them each year will 2009 be BMW's year? Could be.

Force India have made steady progress from being well off the pace to mixing it up with Honda's the odd Red Bull/STR at the back of the grid. Sutil has shown the odd burst of speed but usually chucks it off the track and a real no go zone in terms of driver selection for NNF1!!! The Fisi has had a reasonable year, generally brings the car home but like Barrichello is nearing his part life in F1.

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