2011 Japanese Grand Prix, Qualifying. Suzuka

Hamilton the Donkey

Hamilton was a bit downcast after his
qualifying cock-up

I love formula 1. I love the technology, the aesthetics, the history, the rivalries, the petty arguments and occasionally, the races themselves. I love the way this sport has grown from a few guys dicking around in a garage to multi-billion dollar concerns fighting over a bit of tarmac and the millions of dollars that will be theirs if they beat the next team to that bit of tarmac.

But what I love most is that, despite all of those billions of dollars, all the technology and the armies of staff all ensuring that two cars make it past the chequered flag, despite the best attempts of the overpaid drivers to deny them that opportunity, is that they can get it so spectacularly wrong sometimes.

In Saturday’s qualifying for the Japanese GP, we saw the usual suspects go into Q3 to battle it out for pole position. For once it looked as if Red Bull wouldn’t have it all their own way as the McLarens and Ferraris were going very well. The Mercedes of Schumacher was up there in the mix as was Kobayashi , shining in his home race.

Tyres were always going to be an issue, in that there weren’t enough allocated to each team for the whole weekend to permit unlimited running, and three drivers elected not to go out at all in Q3, preferring to save one more set for the race. But the Top 6 all left it to the last minute to head out onto track for one last fling. Hamilton was sitting on provisional pole after setting fastest time in Q2 and many saw him as most likely to spoil the Red Bull party.

In line astern the two Red Bulls, two Ferraris, two McLarens and one Mercedes left the pits. Kobayashi had gone out right at the beginning of Q3, not intending to do a full flying lap but simply set sector times which would automatically place him ahead of any drivers who did not venture out onto the track.

So the fun and games began. Everyone was desperate to try and get a bit of a gap to the driver in front so their lap wouldn’t be compromised. Hamilton slowed to allow Button to get away. In turn Webber and Schumacher were forced to back off and risked missing the cut off time for starting the lap. So Webber decided to pass Hamilton on one side approaching the final chicane whilst Schumacher passed on the other side.

Hamilton, maybe not quite the sharpest tool in the box, was taken by surprise by this and, coupled with his inability to time himself so he got to the start/finish line in time, meant that he failed to put in a final flying lap. Not only that, but Schumacher also missed the cut after running off track at the chicane to pass Hamilton.

So it was that Vettel gratefully accepted a pole position that had been thrown away by Hamilton. It was a fantastic piece of bungling by a driver who increasingly looks disconcerted by having a team mate who is actually able to think whilst simultaneously driving a car. Button is slowly taking the role of team leader away from Hamilton and it would be no surprise to see Button go into next year with the momentum to challenge for the championship whilst Hamilton cocks around in 5^th or 6^th position in the race to ensure his proximity to nemesis Felipe Massa in his evil red Ferrari.  

However, we all know how things can turn around in a week in F1, so no doubt I’ll have to eat my words as Hamilton goes on to drive the race of his life in Korea whilst Button manages to pull into every garage in the pit lane except his own! Oh, hang on; he did that a while back…