The Austin, Texas two-hour global infomercial based on the Formula One platform was impressive. It was an image creation tool like no other. On the 50th anniversary of the news-making Dallas/Kennedy assassination, the city of Austin and the state of Texas was a more appealing news story and looked magnificent all across the globe as the world’s largest sports platform—Formula 1—performed on their doorstep.
The national pride element was pricked when American Alex Rossi left the pit lane to do the first practice session in a Caterham on Friday morning. After that Rossi was ‘rested’ and the world’s media were automatically pigeon holed into covering the genius of Vettel and what additional records he might establish as the weekend unfolded. Vettel is exceptional, but what stood out to me more was that Webber’s mistakes continued to make it a little easier for his four-times world champion team mate.
Vettel’s Gifts
On Webber’s last lap of qualifying he was .4 seconds under the pole time at the end of the second timed sector. He then made a little mistake—just a simple break of the rear traction which required a quick slash of opposite lock—which cost him two tenths. Vettel’s last lap was a good lap—not special—but good and he beat Webber to the pole by one tenth. Webber had again taken himself out of a position to be successful with a mistake because that one slash of opposite lock had cost him the pole.
Unlike a stick and ball sport whereby a team can recover from a mistake, in Formula One it is rare that a driver (hence team) can recover from a mistake (even one before the race even starts). Webbers small mistake in qualifying had a detrimental knock-on effect because he went to the start line in second place instead of first.
When the red light went out Webber made, at best, an average start and took himself out of a position to be successful for a second time in less than two laps. His poor start allowed him to get ambushed on the outside by Grosjean and Hamilton. The ‘almost’ pole sitter was now in fourth place and the race was only one corner old. The scrap for second place between Webber, Grosjean and Hamilton allowed Vettel to do what he does best—pull out a large gap in the first lap.
On lap 8 Webber was purple through the first sector (fastest car). Lap 13 saw him finally claw his way past Hamilton but he was now more than 10 seconds behind Vettel. Without that slash of opposite lock mistake in qualifying, Webber would have been on the pole. His average start would have been good enough to maintain the lead through turn one and his race would have been a lot different.
Yes Vettel is brilliant, but he gets help from just about everyone as they continue to take themselves out of a position to be successful through minor errors of judgment .
Nineteen years after his death, Ayrton Senna (May 1, 1994, Imola) was still featured on advertising billboards around the COTA. The Senna line of sunglasses reminded us of the brilliance of the man and he continues to be revered in the sport.
Who’s who?
Please, please, please, someone convince these drivers to drop the custom paint designs on their helmets. They completely loose their image and brand. Lewis Hamilton could have been Lewis Anybody when he appeared with the black helmet on Friday. The cool paint jobs might look attractive from a distance of 12 inches, but the American fans—looking in the race program and trying to match the photo with the car on track—had no idea what was going on. Worse still, there are no visible car numbers on most of the cars.
While I was attempting to explain how to know who was driving what by the use of the camera color on top of the roll over bars, I realized the F1 ‘insiders’ may know exactly what’s going on, but the American fan did not. Make the camera holders bigger and brighter and tell people about it – or make the car numbers bigger – or make the drivers helmet colors more consistent or do all of the above. My vote is that drivers have to lodge their helmet branding color schemes with the FIA before the start of the season. I still can’t tell who is who in the Toro Rosso’s.
What’s in a name?
CART might just be the worst name ever used in motor racing. Championship Auto Racing Teams raced for about 25 years with the most confusing name in motorsports. When a driver told someone he raced in CART – the response more often than not was; “oh yeah! The little kid down the road races carts?” Oh the cringe factor.
IRL is the second worst name ever used in motorsports. When a driver told anyone they raced in the IRL, they always followed up with at least two or three sentences trying to explain what “IRL” was. Cringe factor on the red line.
I absolutely admire what the Circuit of the Americas has done but COTA might just be the third worst name ever used in motorsports. The Circuit of Americas is a glorious world-class facility but when it’s reduced to COTA, it looses its oomph. Acronyms are cool and in fashion, but for America’s flag ship circuit to be reduced to COTA sends the cringe factor to the red line. Thankfully we don’t have CART & IRL racing at COTA and thankfully we did have cheerleaders and cowboy boots and hats during the pre race ceremonies.
