The tires are being tested. The engines are not yet growling to their maximum potential. The smell of gasoline is soon to invade all paddocks and pit girls the thoughts of certain fans. Add a few video games to entertain drivers during downtime and yes, the Formula 1 2007 season is here, and it is definitely a different one.
It’s a younger version of the sport that is awaiting fans this year. Just like every other season, the regulations have changed, without any apparent reason other than to confuse anyone who is trying to get excited by a sport that has lost quite a bit of its entertainment of yester years. But the rules have never been the concern of most fans. The set up around them has however always grabbed attention.
With Michael Schumacher gone, the idea that one driver could do it all has gone too. Schumacher was the hero many loved to hate, and his retirement has allowed for a new beginning in 2007.
Drivers have changed wheels and the new generation is here. Former teammates, rivalries of other categories, or new names on the block, the fighting on the track promises to be as fearless as soccer games found on schoolyards.
Neither Niko Rosberg, Adrian Sutil nor Lewis Hamilton has made it to 25 years old yet, but they certainly have passed their driving test. Rosberg, in his second season, will be looking for an opportunity to permanently stay away from his “son of” legacy. Out of the three, he was the first to make the big move to F1 and although he had an incredible first race last year, the rest of the season was filled with disappointments.
Adrian Sutil was a frustrated teammate in GP2. He has talent, courage, and the determination, but until now, he was never the king of the road. Sutil took the wheel from Tiago Monteiro at Spyker (Former MidlandF1, which was former Jordan), and can count on Christian Albers to give him a dive without the suffocation he experienced from Lewis Hamilton last season.
But Hamilton will still very much be around, as the British sensation made the giant step to Formula 1 at the same time as his former teammate Sutil. Spotted by McLaren Boss Ron Dennis before his tenth birthday, Hamilton does not cease to amaze the world. Three races, three podium finishes, three impeccable performances. Those who do not believe in fairy tales say that these days the car does most of the work now, that this kid is no more talented than other names of the sport. However, the future will tell, and although his teammate status has changed, it hasn’t stifled his ambition. He has already become the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to lead the World championship.
“I know I can fight for the championship now. I am in the same car as Fernando Alonso and seem to be competitive,” Hamilton said in the British Newspaper the Sun. “It is up to me to keep up this level of consistency.”
Reigning double World champion Fernando Alonso has joined the most mature team in the paddock. Exit the funky hairstyles and bright colors of Renault. The Spanish driver is now a member of the McLaren Team. As slick as its silver arrows, the team based in Woking (Surrey, England) encourages a British behavior: Sober (at least during the season, as Kimi Raikkonen would know), politically correct, and above all, the clean-cut image of British gentlemen.
Many said the Spanish driver was making a mistake. McLaren did not win a single race in 2006, had shown undisputable unreliability and seemed to lack what it took to make it in modern F1. Was Alonso looking for a new challenge? A child’s dream? Three races down the 2007 road, McLaren has one victory, been on the podium from the beginning, and all cars have scored in all races. Point taken, at the opposite end, but somehow similar to David Coulthard’s move in 2004.
Coulthard spent more time at McLaren than any other driver has ever spent in one team. He unpacked in 1996, and packed again at the end of 2004! After questionable results, McLaren should have been his last team, but the Scottish driver wanted more, and made the move to former Jaguar team Red Bull Racing an unknown group managed by people close to his own age, and with a crew demoralized by years spent waiting for their breakthrough.
Since then, the Scottish driver scored points in his very first race with Red Bull Racing, has lead a GP, scored more points at the championship in total than any other driver, and brought Red Bull their first podium in Monaco last year. He’s also grown facial hair, been more honest in interviews than anybody else, and been seen smiling most of the time. Without the technical problems of which he had been a victim, so far in 2007, he would have points to his name.
This should be Coulthard’s last season, but what the “great uncle” of the paddock decides to do might yet surprise the paddock. But at 36 years of age, isn’t he meant to move to a senior category of some sort? Because in today’s Formula 1, being over thirty is getting very close to being sent to a nursing home. Out of 22 drivers, only 8 have celebrated or will celebrate their 30th birthday this year.
The “older” drivers have not been in the spotlight lately. Barichello must be reminiscing about the Ferrari days, when the horizon was clearer on the starting grid. Ralf Schumacher could be known as Schumacher now, but his results will never match those of his brother. With one point in the first GP and none since, little brother has not yet been in the highlight this season. Teammate Jarno Trulli keeps working and regularly finishes in the top 8, minding his own business and just enjoying the ride. Fisichella, however, is in a difficult situation. He was at the wheel of the most competitive car last season, but failed to live up to expectations. But like Ralf Schumacher, they stay focused, motivated, and fully aware of what is happening to their sport.
“Obviously the World Championship is the main target for every driver, and I am still pushing for that,” said Schumacher in an interview at the beginning of the season. “But at the moment it is just the pleasure of driving an F1 car that gives me motivation.”
And then there is a different group, the group which includes the likes of Heidfeld, Button or Raikkonen. Raikkonen, now a Ferrari driver, has won a race and been on the podium. But Ice-Man is still to show any sort of expression, one that could emerge at the same time as winning a World Title, a trophy that was promised to him as soon as he joined Sauber.
Nick Heidfeld is having a remarkable start of the season. He has now finished 4th in all three races, crossing the line in front of a Ferrari or a McLaren at every race. It’s a fantastic achievement for the young BMW Sauber team, and the German driver knows it.
Heidfeld explained after the race, “I feel fantastic. Currently I have a good car, a good team, I can drive good races and I really enjoy this.”
Unlike James Bond, the English have become used to settling for second place. Jenson Button has always been right up there, third overall in 2004, but has only grabbed one GP in his career. Patriotism and tradition are great and are sadly disappearing aspects of our society, but Button would not be called a traitor for his success. As long as he does it for England.
Mark Webber left Williams to join Red Bull after two years of “almost but not quite” results. He is now 30 years old, and just like Coulthard when he joined Red Bull Racing, many believe that this could be one too many for Webber. The Australian driver does not see it quite the same way. “I believe I can have a strong year this year, but I am not the kind of guy that will drive around for 12th or 14th year after year. I will not do that, so it is an important year. I want a step forward for myself. I'm excited.”
It has also been a dance of the engines in the paddock! New regulations mean that engines have restricted numbers of revs and horsepower, though spectators would not see no hear the difference. But what has changed and will be noticed by fans is the manufacturers’ relationship with the different teams.
After years of service, BMW bid farewell to Williams. The German motorist took over Swiss team Sauber last season, and decided that it could not provide for both. Toyota however does not see it the same, and despite having its own team, is also providing engines to the Williams team.
Red Bull Racing is rearing its horns in a different direction and has let go of its Ferrari engine to put its trust in the hands of Renault.
There’s a lot of mystery, tales of espionage, and unconfirmed information circulating around the F1 paddock. There is however one secret that will not be revealed until the launch date; after Star Wars in 2005 and Superman in 2006, which super hero will make the Red Bull cars fly in 2007?
