The Sky F1 pundit reviews Hockenheim, defends track limits and Nico Rosberg, and reflects on F1's sprint to a much-needed break
Wednesday 3 August 2016 12:13, UK
This is my 33rd year in and around F1 and they seem to fly by faster every season. Twelve down and nine to go, we have seen a remarkable turnaround in the championship battle these past few weeks.
It's only the second time in F1 history that we have had four races in a calendar month. The first was in 2005, the next will be in October to remind us that this is the first 21-race season. This recent medley has all taken place in Europe, in October it's a global expedition.
Nico Rosberg did a fine job to take pole position with only one run available, but that was all wasted by lighting up his rear tyres in third gear in the mad rush down to the first corner. I often say that 'you can't win a race in the first corner, but you can certainly lose it'. Well that philosophy has been wrong twice in eight days in both Hungary and Germany. Such is the pace and reliability of the cars, and the consistency and accuracy of the drivers, that the races have largely been dictated by the outcome of the start and the run down to turn one.
The reality is that Lewis Hamilton was cruising for some of the race to conserve his precious motor and he had the flying Red Bulls sufficiently covered, and the disappointing Ferraris well beaten by over half a minute.
I enjoyed Rosberg's lunge on Max Verstappen in turn six for position, it's the type of aggression he needs to show now if he has any hope of securing a title which a few weeks ago looked like his to lose.
There is no doubt that Rosberg's wheel-to-wheel race craft sometimes lacks finesse and control but his arrival speed on the dirty side of the track would have made the car very difficult to slow, especially with an added swerve to avoid Verstappen. His front tyres must have been on the absolute edge of adhesion but he didn't lock up and spear his rival as we often see.
Could he have turned earlier? Possibly not. Should he then have turned more? Without doubt yes. Some say that in those circumstances it's better to lock up to demonstrate clear loss of control to avoid a penalty which seems counter intuitive to me when it comes to penalising errors.
We very often see drivers on the racing line carrying on while rivals chancing their luck on the outside are simply run out of space. This is rightly deemed acceptable, although after his 'last of the late brakers' dive Rosberg inevitably wasn't on the racing line.
That said, I wouldn't have given a penalty. I don't think we should penalise hard racing when there is no contact to affect another's race. I want to see this kind of thing sorted out between them on the track season-long.
Then something laughable, but in a strange way most reassuring, happened. When Rosberg had to serve his five-second penalty at his next stop the mighty Mercedes team's pit wall stopwatch didn't work. They didn't have a spare and Rosberg waited eight seconds instead, which probably cost him third place and more valuable points.
In this multi-billion dollar high-tech world of F1 with the might of so many global brands, it's a good reminder that in reality it's a human challenge with all of our frailties included.
Given my opening sentence you'd think not much surprises me in F1, but plenty did over the German GP.
The Strategy Group had a meeting in Geneva on Thursday and revised some rules with regard to cockpit Halo introduction, radio communication and track limits with immediate effect. Now you may well wonder how that can happen given an official governing body in the form of the FIA, and vertical administration processes such as F1 commission and World Council in place, whatever they really count for if teams can force instant changes with the tail wagging the dog.
Binning the complex team radio rules was almost as welcome as getting rid of the knock-out qualifying process earlier in the year. When every team pitwall stand and commentary box has a long list of radio do's and don'ts pinned to the wall in the hope of vaguely knowing if a much-reduced radio call is legal or not, then you know it's complete tosh. The drivers were even more bemused as the plied their trade at 200mph.
I had a few valid tweets saying that it wasn't fair to change mid-season when the likes of Rosberg and Button had already received penalties and lost actual or potential championship points.
The decision to delay the Halo cockpit device made some sense until it was tested more, although it begs the question as to why it hasn't been out much so far this season in tests and practice sessions, and also wondering why that will change in the next few months if it quickly overheats cars along with other issues.
Visibility can't be the issue. Closed sports cars, like the one I raced at Le Mans in June, are much harder to see out of but in the end you simply find different track reference points. Driver extraction must be a key issue, along with the aesthetics and sanitising of our sport. It appears that the device is nailed on for 2018 introduction but I suspect this will run a while yet.
I can tell you one fact: the drivers are privately nowhere near as unanimous on approving its introduction as some would have you believe, although it does have significant support.
I like Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, they speak a lot of sense - except, in my view, regarding track limits. I consider myself an F1 fan, and although I would never presume to speak for fans, I know from social media and meeting many that this issue frustrates enormously in terms of clarity and consistency.
Toto and Christian said over the weekend that drivers should be free to make their own line if it was faster because that's more exciting. Where on earth will that end if they can just make their own track up? We have to have a defined track just like any other sports arena needs defining and refereeing. And the easiest thing for all to see are the two white lines at each edge of the track.
Otherwise speeds will be much higher in reduced run-off areas taking cars nearer to the barriers and grandstands, and which have surfaces not suitable for regular use. Eventually these run-offs will become rubbered-in and the standard line. In Hockenheim, we saw broken suspensions again and flying cars, and a host of expensive new under floors fitted for race day. And then we hear all about safety. This is madness.
Given the impressive development of the cars it can't be beyond the skills available to design a suitable kerb which also works for bikes and GT/Sports cars. Non F1 tracks manage somehow.
Also, we have the GPS and sensor technology to control the cars. It should not be arbitrary and relying on stewards, if a car runs wide in key corners then immediately reduce its power for a few seconds so it's automatically penalised. One team boss told me they get a beep in their headphones when one of their cars leaves the track, it's already in place!
A light can let a following driver know the car in front will de-rate but with clearly defined track limits he will know anyway, as will the trackside fans and TV audience. Let's reward the drivers who can carry speed while staying on the track, like Monaco does.
Not only is this kind of GPS, pressure pad and camera combination transferable to national racing, it's already happening. And now F1 wants to tell young drivers 'help yourself, drive where you fancy to gain speed'.
In fact, as we bury the drivers ever deeper in the cockpit, I'd like to see more lights on the cars for the fans. Three big green/magenta lights to show who's on a personal best or fastest sector for example, or fastest lap of the race. Maybe a bit too crazy, but how about a cockpit/POV/footwell camera and big video screen on the side of the car? Let's open our minds and make the fans feel more part of it and see the mysterious drivers at work.
The three greatest drivers from my era were Senna, Schumacher and Hakkinen. I had the torture of one as my rival in F3, and the other two as F1 team-mates. I'm very pleased indeed I don't have to find a way to cope with an on-form Lewis Hamilton.
Have a great summer.
MB
