F1 2014: First quarter report

This F1 season may be under fire for the flatulent sounds of the new 1.6 liter turbo engines, but it is delivering the goods where it matters most: wheel to wheel racing. 

Yes, Mercedes is dominating right now. But unlike recent years when Ferrari and Red Bull were miles ahead, at least we have a genuine battle brewing between Lewis and Nico. Also, even though it doesn’t look likely that Red Bull will compete for the championship this year, many are eager to see Daniel Ricciardo beat his four-time world champion teammate. And he’s off to a great start.

Although he may be behind on points, the forever smiling Aussie has out qualified Vettel 3-1 and out raced him in every single race. He only finished behind Vettel once, and that was only due to an unsafe release from the team in which he not only was given a drive through penalty, but a subsequent 10-place grid penalty in Bahrain –– which he still managed to convert into an impressive 4th, or more importantly, two spots ahead of Vettel.

Then comes China. Vettel is once again outclassed and asked to give way to his teammate. Vettel refuses. He responds by asking which tire Ricciardo is on and when told he’s on the same, he replies with “Tough luck.” It was the kind of arrogance we saw in Malaysia last year when he defied team orders and passed Webber. But the difference this time, is he’s not winning. 

Now some may disagree with me, but there’s a reason they have team orders. Ricciardo was quicker than Vettel. Over a second a lap quicker. And considering the fact that he was just four seconds behind Alonso in the end, there’s every chance that Vettel’s petulance cost the team a podium. And for what? 

Whether Ricciardo could have made it past Alonso is inconsequential. The mere fact that his teammate denied him that opportunity is what will be remembered by the team. And as this is a team that usually favor one driver, Vettel is not earning any favors.

In stark contrast, Mercedes have shown us just how to manage team orders. When their drivers are evenly matched and fighting for the lead, as they were in Bahrain, they allowed them to give us one of the best shows we’ve seen since Prost and Senna. 

Mercedes have the strongest pairing on the grid right now. But while many feel that Hamilton has got this one in the bag, I think it is way too early to be calling the engravers. He may have won three out of the last four Grands Prix, but he’s still up against one of the most  consistent drivers out there that could steal the championship if Lewis makes a mistake or suffers mechanical failure. Just as he did in Melbourne.  As it is now, Rosberg leads the championship by four points. 

Ferrari seemed to have found some pace, although their podium finish was more credit to Alonso than the car. He just out drove it. Again. 

The biggest disappointments this year so far have been Kimi Raikkonnen and the Lotus team. I never expected Kimi to challenge Fernando Alonso, but I expected him to be a lot closer. I’m sure he will have some great races this year, but overall, he just lacks the work ethic and dedication of his team mate to do any real damage over the course of a season.

Lotus on the other hand went from being the coolest F1 team on the grid to being the most expensive rental car company in the world. We know of their financial problems, but to take on Maldonado over Hulkenberg just sealed their fate. They have yet to score a single point this year. They had 93 at this same time last year. 

It’s shame to see Caterham doing so poorly, but Kobayashi still manages to entertain us by unlapping himself in China. Great to see Williams bounce back, but Massa needs to work on that chip on his shoulder. 

All in all, it’s been a great start to the 2014 season. It may lack the bark, but it certainly has the bite.