smashing fun magazine 4

[1]

F1 Season 15

SM

ASH

IN

G F

UN

In case you’re used to us or bored of us churning out our usual mag every single time, you’re in luck. We’re still churning ‘em out, but our super-special-bumper-edition-collectors-issue-for-supernerds focusses solely on previewing the F1 season ahead. So it doesn’t matter what race you’re from who you race for, there’s something to interest you. Doug Walker has the dope.

THERE’S A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

[2]

SMASHING FUN

MAGAZINE

DisclaimerW e d o n o t smash th ings nor have any fun. But we sure wish we did.

As the drum rolls begin to build in intensity and the curtain raiser draws near, we realise the magnitude of our own ineptitude to cover the season’s start. But fear not, for Doug Walker is close at hand to paper over those cracks and pander to the peanut gallery.

After dying an unforeseeable death at a young age, the eulogies weren’t many for

Season 14 of the RLB F1 circus. For some, the season bore out much promise and we were witnessing a title fight that was at once titanic and momentous, the likes of

which promised full worth of the price of an admission ticket. For others, the season

couldn’t get over soon enough for it bore out much agony and heartache without the minor thrill of any sort of reward on the horizon. With the first ever truncated

season a part of the history books now, and deservedly gathering dust in some musty library, what does the future hold for the combatants of motor sports’ most

rarefied arena?

With many teams shuffling their pack and taking stock of affairs, you would expect

that those at the front would have built on their strengths, those trailing further back fortified for the winter ahead and that those dismissed as no-hopers would be

planning a thing or two to upset the apple cart. As always, there have been some

surprises and some non-surprises in the build up to this season. Ride with me on my train of thought as I take you to wondrous lands and tell you of what lies ahead

should you choose to follow the RLB in its 15th avatar of F1 carmageddon. SF

Doug Walker

Often mistake for his twinbrother Dugg, who is now afamous film star with Pixar,Dougisastarinhisownright.AfterchampioningthehumanrightsofthepeopleofEasternNewBassauandhelpinginstalla democratic government, heis now purposeless and hasturned to his other greatpassion;chasing cars.He alsowrites about people chasingone another in cars, ormotorsportsaswehumanscallit.SF

Addicted to Speed

january 2010, Volume 2, F1, Issue 4

[3]

SF: You’ve managed to impress in your first two races at Australia and Sepang and have definitely looked better than your solitary point might suggest. How would you assess your season thus far?

Warren: I think I've performed pretty well so far! Melbourne was an absolute dream debut for me, as I managed to qualify 8th and finish in that same position. Sepang looked to be a promising weekend as well but things didn't work out for me in the race. Like I

said before, nothing is really expected out of me and Williams this season, and in all honesty we aren't where we want to be in the

near future. The car is solid and easy to drive, but it's not one that can regularly mix it with the big guns at the front. But we'll keep going and keep trying for points every race!

SF: Talk to us about Sepang. You made a flying start and then just faded into obscurity. What happened there?

Warren: Yeah it was a fantastic start to the race, and I got myself up from 8th to 3rd. In practice on friday the car felt great in wet conditions, and it felt good again during the race. Unsurprisingly I got bumped down to 5th place after about 6 laps due to much

faster cars, but I genuinely felt like I had a good shot at some points. However on lap 7 I outbraked myself into Turn 1 trying to keep up with Sheasby and Karayi, and I went over a rumble strip and damaged the undertray of my car, and part of the diffuser as

well. The car was good to go, but the lack of fundamental downforce, especially in this weather, made the car an absolute horror to

drive. As a team we decided to stay out and use it as testing session to collect some data, but it was a real disappointing race for me. Poor error on my part.

Q: Some say this might be a make or break season for Williams. Would you agree with that?

Warren: I think the time is coming where we as a team need to start making improvements in all areas. We can't afford to slip any

further behind the teams ahead of us, and of course the teams who are performing similarly to us. Obviously we are on the back foot as it is with a much lower team budget compared to most of the teams, but Williams know how to get the best out of what

they've got, and have a real fighting spirit. But yes, I do think it's fair to say we need to get over the hump and start becoming

regular points scorers sooner rather than later. SF

Nothing is really

expected out of me and

Williams this season, and in all honesty we

aren't where we want to

be in the

Warren has fit right in at Williams

A long-serving member of great

distinction, a driver long hailed as the

next great hope, and a long haired

freak. On the face of it, it makes for a

very unlikely pairing but this troika is

not unfamiliar to any follower of the

RLB. Ferrari are looking strong for

next season and until Red Bull decide

to crash the party it seems like they

will be key combatants for honours.

Many have been quick to say he is

off the peak of his powers, but the

sagacity of age has wisened Liguori

and he is an august racer with much

left in the tank yet. Solfrank is the

femme fatale, the power to Liguori’s

grace and there are few combinations

on the grid that can match these two.

It might be a case of girl interrupted

as Solfrank ended up tied for points

at the summit of the championship

table, but just as Ferrari have had a

chance to regroup so too has its star

driver.

Expect these two to carry on

where they left off, with Liane picking

up more wins than the doughty

Brazilian, but don’t believe for a

moment tha t he i s a s louch .

Historically promising to pack a

wallop yet petering out in a whimper,

of late Ferrari have found their

dancing shoes and can yet waltz their

way to the title. Again.

Prediction: 2nd

V i l i f e d a s v i l l i a n s o f t h e

pantomime piece, it’s (still) all too

fashionable to put on your Ferrari-bashing hat and condemn the Italians

for putting the kibosh on when they did.

But pause a moment to think of the fine gentlemen and sole lady that

fly the Italians flag in F1. Wickham, Liguori and Solfrank have been nothing

but a credit to their profession.

Dominant, almost rampant in the season before, the Scuderia have been

accused by some of throwing their toys out because things weren’t quite as rosy

as they might have expected. But that is

just conjecture and conspiracy theory. The fact is that the nucleus of this

Ferrari team was just as disappointed, if

not more, to have

to put the brakes on. And there is

arguably no one more motivated

to set the record

s t r a i g h t t h a n these guys.

Motivation is one part of t h e

equation to success (don’t ask, it can’t

be revealed). The more important thing is whether they still have the ability and

desire. And the answer would have to be a resounding yes . They are as

financially strong as their immediate

rivals and they have managed to hold on to the very same team that has stood

them in such good stead of late. Consistency is a great thing, and Ferrari

are reaping the rewards of a sustained

period where there is strength and stability throughout the outfit. But by

how much have they been distracted?

Eduardo Liguori may have lost

some of the devastating pace that saw him power to a championship but has

lost none of the canniness that has

served him so well over the years. He may be a mercurial racer of rare and

spasmodic performance, but he is not a spent force. Couple that with Edu’s

well-documented deep affection for

Ferrari and you have a very formidable opponent in one of the two cars.

As if facing up to Liguori weren’t

enough, Ferrari have stuck with one of

the most dominant drivers of almost any RLB era, conjuring visions of

Nogueira. Liane Solfrank is the defending champion for a very good

reason, and some may say she has

inferior machinery at her disposal this

time around but may we remind

you that this car

shares the same genetic code of

t h e c a r t h a t powered Ferrari to

a breakthrough

title. It is the greatest of teams that

have to answer the stiffest of challenges and while they might have only hit a

purple patch recently, there is no

disputing the fact that Ferrari is one of the marquees on this RLB grid. It would

not be a hard sell to get anyone to buy into this Ferrari team, and I do not use

that word lightly. Ferrari of yore has

been known to be a bunch of disjointed, if brilliant, stars. This is more of a team,

with the parts showing a cohesion that is rare and of the pedigree of

champions. For that is what they are,

and don’t you forget that. SF

It was the title defense that never was. Ferrari need to now pick

up where they left off and erase memories of erroneous ways.

“Consistency is a great thing, and Ferrari are reaping the rewards of a sustained period where there is strength and stability in the ranks.”

[4]















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Her greatest distinction was

winning a race on her F1 debut,

although she might count outscoring

Preslie Hytes and running Sarah

F i s h e r R a c i n g a s g r e a t e r

achievements. Since then, however,

despite coming close on a number of

instances, Danielle Henson has never

really managed to surmount a

credible title challenge, bringing

many doubters to question whether

she still deserves a place at a top

team. This will be a gilt-edged

chance for her to silence her critics

and carry on where she left off last

season in fine form.

Never much of a dasher, James

Fotheringham has always won

admirers for his commitment in

good times and bad. And last season

definitely counts as a rough patch for

the Briton as he wasn’t just

outscored, but obliterated by his

teammate. He’ll want to set the

record straight and show his worth,

maybe as one final hurrah.

Determined they may be, but it

may not be enough to see them sail

across the finish line. They will have

to raise their performance way above

the usual and not just individually,

but as a team. Can they do it? It’s a

long shot, but they’re capable of it.

It ’s a question of translating

potential into performance.

Prediction: 3rd

How do you describe Red Bull? To

paraphrase something a friend of mine

used to describe me aeons ago, they are the kind of team that's an enigma

wrapped in a riddle kept in a labyrinth with the key thrown away in the dark

recesses of the middle of nowhere.

Nobody can make much sense of them or where they’re headed, or if they’re

headed anywhere at all.

You would have thought that by

now Red Bull’s trials and tribulations would have survived all the afflictions

that come with the sport, that they w o u l d h a v e b e e n s o m e h o w

strengthened by it all. That through the

gloom and doom prophecies they would have found some sort of hope and

humor. You would be right and wrong,

all at once. With a

technical package the envy of most

t e a m s , a n d beyond the very

vivid and lifelike

d a y d r e a m s o f most of them, you

would not be wrong to hope, almost against hope, t h a t

the Milton Keynes based team would

rise to the occasion.But Red Bull is never about

simplicity. Things have just always seemed so muddled with them, and

sorting it all out would involve a near

superhuman effort. And yet, there is a belief that Red Bull could yet walk the

straight and narrow. For hope springs eternal. Things were supposed to

change for the better with the arrival of

Liguori, a champion not that long ago. He fought his battles, but not often on

track, and left quietly not long after.

That he has been a success at Ferrari

simply raises the question again; what is wrong with this current Red Bull

team?

On paper, they have James Fotheringham, one of (if not the) most

w e l l - r o u n d e d a n d s u b s t a n t i a l candidates from those that could have

been chosen. Danielle Henson, well

known for her spats, is actually a racer of no mean calibre once you take away

all the sensation and spectacle she undoubtedly brings to the team. And

yet the only thing on four wheels that

sees more ups and downs is a roller coaster. Which is not that different from

Red Bull, but we digress.

In part, the problems with Red

Bull can be put down to infighting which

has been a large contributor to the

i n c o n s i s t e n t

nature of their p e r f o r m a n c e s .

You’d find more steadiness if you

w e r e p l a y i n g

R u s s i a n R o u l l e t e . Minus the guns, of course. How else

would you explain only one driver (wo)manfully carrying the burden in

any given year.

Over the years, several teams have

stood proud at the top of the pile and for long Red Bull have threatened to

join the few at the pinnacle. But all they

have remained are threats, empty and unfulfilled. Like Linux lovers, this too is

said to be the year of Red Bull. But with every season that ebbs and flows you

must stop and wonder; when will it be

Red Bull’s season? SF

Will they, won’t they, will they? Bulls are known to charge when they see red, but Red Bull doesn’t go on the attack often enough.

“Things have just always seemed so muddled with Red Bull, and sorting it all o u t w o u l d i n v o l v e a superhuman effort. And yet, there is a belief that Red Bull could yet walk the straight and narrow.”

[5]















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Michael Adenekan has always

shown a savoir faire, as seen in his

handling and the meteoric rise of

Panther Racing and it would seem

on the face of it that he has pulled

off yet another mini coup. In signing

Donald and Karayi in his first full

season in charge, he has aligned two

drivers of very disparate style. And

the results were there for all too see.

The two new boys rarely

performed well together, but one or

the other of them was always in

contention for a win or loads of

points, fully vindicating Adenekan’s

decision to select them. With

Ferrari’s challenge strong as ever, it

will have to be seen if Brawn can last

the distance of a full season.

There was criticism from several

quarters that Brawn were a bit off

their game last season and that their

performance was a bit unpredictable

but despite that they were still at the

front, the team everyone wanted to

beat. As Ferrari, Red Bull and

McLaren look to step on to the

pedal, Brawn will have to raise their

game to be better than ever. Can they

do it?

Logically, the answer is yes. The

personnel, the machinery, the

financial muscle, it’s all there. But

what is missing is success. And that

can’t be bought by anyone.

Prediction: 1st

It takes a special team to

showcase its best and its worst all in the

span of a single race. Lesser teams take several races to create a Jekyll and Hyde

portfolio, but Brawn has always been quicker than the rest in these and

indeed almost any other matter.

Melbourne. A win for the debutant

from pole. But it was by no more than a thousandth of a second after the KERS

broke on his car, almost costing Karayi

the win. His teammate Donald snared third, but he too suffered KERS issues

and had to settle for third.

Peruse that. Two mechanical

issues for both race cars in the same race and yet, they finish first and third.

I dare you to name me a team that

could have done

likewise. Brawn started out last

s e a s o n a s f a v o r i t e s f o r

many, but they

showed a baffling f l u c t u a t i o n o f

performance you wouldn’t associate with the wizards in

white.

But despite the yoyo-ing and

hemming and hawing, Adenekan’s men still did enough to finish at the top of

the drivers (albeit joint) and were at the

forefront in the constructors as well. The crippling combination of some

dodgy luck and baffling mechanical unreliability might have felled almost

a n y o n e e l s e . B r a w n , h o w e v e r

persevered and what was all the more heartening (for the neutral) is the

manner in which both drivers were in

contention for the title and looking

comfortable with their machinery despite being newcomers to the team.

Smarting from a defeat the previous season, this was a team

determined to rebound in some style and they could well do it this season.

With a manager and two drivers that

are the pick of the field, if not the very best, you would imagine that Brawn has

everything it needs to romp to the title. But nothing is as simple as it seems, and

Brawn will have a very hard task on

their hands with a feisty Ferrari outfit looking to defend their title from

season 13. Add some Red Bull and McLaren to that mix, and you have a

nice little battle on the menu.

Always a strong

t e a m i n t h e i r short existence,

n o n e w o u l d

d i s c o u n t t h e c h a n c e s

Adenekan’s wards have in the season

ahead. Admittedly,

Donald and Karayi have some ways to go yet before they

can equal the heroics of Aurilio and Adenekan himself, but the portents are

good. Bar that one season Donald had at

Red Bull, he has always been a steady and consistent performer at this level

and the mercurial and self-destructive Karayi showed he had lost none of the

pace and erraticism that marked him

out in Indycars. While things seem to be going well for Brawn on and off-track,

historical performance isn’t always an indicator of future performance. The

stars seem to align for them, but will

their luck hold out? SF

Brilliant one moment, banal the next, Brawn are fantastic when

on song but are equally horrific when off-key.

“Brawn started out last season as favorites for many, but they showed a baffling fluctuation of p e r f o r m a n c e y o u wouldn’t associate with the wizards in white.”

[6]















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It wasn’t the slightest bit

surprising to see that McLaren stuck

with the same lineup for next

season. Having done surprisingly

well, maybe even punching above

their weight, the bar has been raised

a n d ex p e c t a t i o n s h ave b e e n

heightened for the Silver Arrows.

You can rest assured that

McLaren (and Sheasby in particular)

will throw everything but the kitchen

sink at his opponents from the get

go while Serru will be more

restrained, just looking to finish

races and pick up the pieces as the

others fall by the wayside. But there

is no denying that the car does have

its frailties, and there is a feeling that

McLaren’s (over?)achievements last

season simply papered over some of

the cracks.

As seen last season though,

McLaren wou ld r ea l l y f ancy

themselves to set the cat among the

pigeons. Maybe at some level they

know they aren’t odds on to beat

some o f the i r more f anc i ed

opponents, but that won’t stop them

from getting in their faces and trying

to ruffle a few feathers. Valorous they

may be, but pure bluster alone might

not see them across the finish line.

They need to display quality over the

course of the season, and that will be

their acid test.

Prediction: 4th

If you had told someone at the

onset of last season that McLaren would

be a very real championship contenders in season 14, you would have either got

very good odds on that or have been run out of town as plain barking mad.

Apparently, the idea of McLaren enjoying success is not as much a blast

from the past as some might take it to be. Importantly, while many classed

McLaren as best of the rest material, at

best, the team members always went about their task with a conviction

almost rarely found on most of the grid. Simon Sheasby’s battling qualities and

skill was on display as he took the fight

to the frontrunners, even winning races along the way. Dieter Serru was never as

q u i c k a s h i s teammate but he

a l m o s t a l w a y s

backed him up perfectly when it

c a m e t o t h e crunch, and that

is just one of the

positives McLaren can take into this

upcoming season.

Surprise winners at Malaysia,

McLaren never looked back from that point on and have shown genuine pace

in winter testing as well, perhaps suggesting a return to hallowed days

when they routinely set the benchmark

for other teams to follow. A lot of the credit for this lies at the doorstep of

manager Tom Mullan, under who the team has been revitalised and have

done far better than they have in quite

some time. Season 14 was an eye-opener for many, and McLaren was

most definitely one of its stories.

Sheasby has been at the time since

before the Dinosaurs became extinct, and that means he has a considerable

amount of experience that he can put to

good use. Serru, often underrated and undervalued, is a quiet performer who

puts the points up on the board almost without anyone noticing, quite like a

Ninja. Re-signing these two was a no-

brainer, and Mullan and myriad McLaren fans hope it is a prelude to

success this season.

However, the Woking based team

face a far tougher task this season as Red Bull seem determined to put years

of ineptitude and Ferrari and Brawn will be as always a tough obstacle to

surmount. With 17 races over the

course of a season, it could well be that

McLaren fall back into the clutches

of some of their

r i v a l s a s t h e season progresses.

The onus is on Sheasby and Serru

to keep the tempo

up all season long.

For all the positives he brings to the table, Sheasby has never sealed the

deal when it matters most, deliver the

killer blow, or any other cliche you want to use. His prowess is not in question, it

is his ability to finish off what he starts. Will McLaren see the best of Sheasby?

That remains to be seen, but Simon

should still have enough to lead the line and shine for them. Serru will be solid,

but unspectacular and he is becoming, in this writers opinion, the Makelele of

his team. And that’s not a bad thing. But

is it good enough? SF

Enjoying a revival under Tom Mullan, McLaren were surprise

title contenders last season. Can they do the trick again?

“Apparently, the idea of M c L a r e n e n j o y i n g success is not a blast from the past. McLaren was most definitely one o f t h e b i g s u c c e s s stories of season 14.”

[7]















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For a team that has always

invested more than the GDP of a

couple of small nations in their car,

Toyota haven’t really had a lot of

return for their money. Little wonder

then that the Japanese stiffs in their

suits oohed and aahed, but not for

too long before deciding to pull the

plug on this pet project of the

Japanese carmaker.

Where Toyota, or the remnants

of the Toyota team, goes from is

anybody’s guess. But what it means

for the key protagonists of this team

is that they have to dress to impress

any potential suitors. And that would

mean pulling up their socks after a

lacklustre couple of seasons gone by.

Miles and Eyre showed flashes of

their ability, but it was always too

short-lived to enjoy for boss Sam

Johnston. Heads had to roll, and not

in the manner of a ritualistic sacrifice

either.

Miles will have to string together

more of his best if he has to show

the way for the red and whites. Two

point scoring finishes in 7 races is

not the stuff you expect from your

lead driver. KR Raj will be the one to

watch though, not just because of his

relative inexperience, but because

this is his big, big chance. And the

Indian is hungry to prove a point,

which could prove crucial in the end

Prediction: 5th

In some ways, the end has been

nigh, and the end has been anti-

climatic. There wasn’t much fanfare around the announcement when Sam

Johnston said that Toyota as we know it will no longer participate in the RLB FIA

F1 championship. With their future

murky, Toyota could be forgiven for being a bit glum about the uncertainty

of things. But the Japanese team, as much a permanent fixture on the F1

grid as manager Sam Johnston himself,

seem remarkably upbeat despite nearing the end of the line.

Having had mixed fortunes the

season before. Toyota made one change

to the team that commandeered their cars back then. Ash Eyre received the

golden handshake a n d m a d e a

dignified exit. His

r e p l a c e m e n t , surprisingly for

some, was Indian KR Raj, long time

tester for Toyota.

Having done a short stint with the

team some time back, these F1 machines will be no

stranger to KR as he looks to bed into F1

quickly and push on with the small matter of scoring big points.

Martin Miles stays on and will

look to fly the flag for Toyota as their

most experienced driver. The Briton hasn’t set the grid on fire with his

performances but there is ample scope to set that record straight as Toyota

enter the final stretch. Miles has the

added incentive of impressing his potential future employers by bringing

home the bacon for Toyota.

But to do that Miles will have to

fare a lot better than he did in season 14. He might have secured a podium at

Bahrain, but that was one of only two

points finishes for him and he will have to do a whole lot better if Toyota are to

challenge for any sort of honors this season. KR Raj on the other hand is one

of the most doughty customers in the

RLB. I’d go about drawing an analogy between KR and a cockroach, but it

would be so open to misinterpretation that I’d best not.

I will, however, say that KR has had a torrid time in Indycars, lumbered

with one hunk of junk after another and it seemed to be that he was waiting and

waiting for an opportunity that was just

not coming along. And after he announced

h i s i m m i n e n t departure from

Indycars, some

might felt that the talented Indian’s

time in the RLB might have drawn

to an end, but it

was not to be. In the words of Abba, KR silently serenaded

team bosses with his rendition of “Take a chance on me” and Sam Johnston

responded with the offer of a drive. The

rest is history.This may be the beginning of the

end for Toyota, but it is also the beginning of hope for them. The hope

that they put aside the disappointment

of years gone by and finally fire on all cylinders. Miles and KR can certainly do

the business for their Japanese overlords, but will need to come to

grips with the challenge at hand early,

before its too late. SF

Surprisingly listless at times, surprisingly underrated at others. Toyota must make their swan song one to remember.

“The Japanese team, as m u c h a p e r m a n e n t fixture on the F1 grid as manager Sam Johnston himself, seem remarkably upbeat despite nearing the end of the line.”

[8]















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With Sam Gordon deciding that

he had enough of F1, the mantle of

team leader falls upon Colin Nixon.

Aged and a veteran he may be, but

he is still more than adept behind

the wheel. The Aussie can still

conjure up visions of his best and

will undoubtedly grab headlines

with a spectacular drive or two. the

problem is that that might not be

enough for BMW who will have to

have to be at their very best if they

are to see off the challenges of their

rivals. Nixon will have to take the

battle to the opposite camp and

while there is no doubting his

capability of doing so, there are

lingering questions about the quality

of his chariot of doom.

Anthony Morgan was one of the

two Kiwi drivers at Renault last

season and they both suffered a

rough time with the French team.

Little surprise then that the Kiwi

chose to migrate as soon as possible

and found shelter with the German

g i an t s. L ike h i s count ryman

Andrews, Morgan was too erratic and

failed to make much of an impact in

the shortened season that went by.

He can certainly improve on his

showing last time around, but it

could be that he has jumped from

the frying pan straight into the fire,

for BMW is no less troubled than

Renault.

Prediction: 7th

If a giant were to be felled in the

woods, would anyone hear the

commotion? More to the point, would anyone care?

People certainly took note when

BMW fell from grace. The German

manufacturer, renowned for their metronomic efficiency and winning

ways (they are, in fact, one of the winningest teams in the RLB) have

suddenly struggled to find the form of

yore. A far cry from the days of glory, you can tell how far BMW have fallen by

virtue of the fact that they were thrilled to finish second at Melbourne last

season. Admittedly, it was Sam Gordon’s

home race and that added to the adrenaline flowing through the veins,

but still, it is no substitute for the

fact that they

would have been disappointed with

second until only some years back.

As always, h o w e v e r, B M W

retains the capacity to lure top drivers to its fold. Nixon

brings with him bags of experience that

is absolutely priceless and his know-how will be vital for BMW to get the

most out of their technical package. A canny customer as always, Nixon will

definitely spring a couple of big results

for BMW at some point or the other. Pairing up with him from across the

Tasman is perennial hope Anthony Morgan. On the face of it, it is not a

spectacular combination chosen by Mo

Elattar, but it could well prove an effective one that grinds out the results

as needed.

Having performed surprisingly

well last season, you’d expect BMW to probably enjoy a similar modicum of

success this time around but it may not

b e a l l s m o o t h s a i l i n g f o r t h e beleaguered greats. Their direct rivals,

such as Renault, Williams and, dare we say it, Toro Rosso, have fortified their

positions over the course of last season

and will be more than capable of launching an assault for mid-table

supremacy this season.

BMW were in superb form last

season, coming out of the blocks really fast and not letting up in the intensity

of their driving. Sam Gordon was a major reason for their excelling, but

with him choosing to depart for the US

of A, Nixon will have to fill the void left by

‘Junior’. Anthony Morgan has been

called up from

Renault to do duty for Elattar and he

w i l l h a v e t h e unenviable task of

keeping Renault,

Toyota and everyone bar the top 4 behind him.

For all their heroics, BMW might

find the challenge they face this season

near insurmountable. With a car that is the knife in a gunfight and drivers that

are very willing workers but not spectacular, you might find that while

the odd results go their way it would be

too much to ask them to finish in the top half of the constructors this time

around. The spirit is admirable and willing, but the machinery is not up to

scratch. Is it a case of Auf Wiedersehen

to the glory days? SF

Somewhere, a giant stirs. BMW Sauber are warning of a return

to form. Is it a credible threat?

“The spirit is admirable and wi l l ing, but the machinery is not up to scratch. Is it a case of Auf Wiedersehen to the glory days?”

[9]















Nothing is really




be in the


When Ben Warren was signed

by Josh Wood, the vast majority went

‘who?’ The spirited young Briton

responded by scoring points in an

absolute dog of a car at Melbourne.

And that wasn’t the last of him

either. He was consistently in the

reckoning for points and proved to

be a somewhat inspired signing for

Williams. He might not be a world

beater, but Warren knows his

limitations and has shown a great

deal of intelligence in playing to his

strengths instead. There is no clear

team leader at Williams, but if I had

to wager a bet, I’d say Ben is it.

Scott Maser is another feisty

character in that Williams team. They

are an all-British team and they

typify the British Bulldog perfectly.

Maser’s drive at Barcelona belied his

age and showed lot of acumen in a

car that is, quite frankly, lacking in

almost any real quality. However,

winter testing is proving very

promising for Williams and they

could yet turn in a surprise

performance or two.

On paper, it’s not much to look

at. But underestimate Williams at

your own risk. They might not be

much this season, but you get the

sense that this season is a buildup to

seasons ahead. It could all change for

Williams, beginning right here.

Prediction: 8th

Was it really that long ago that

Williams was one of the giants of the F1

world, graced as they were by some big names? How did this little big team lose

their way? And can they return to a semblance of pre-eminence?

In the RLB F1 era, Williams have traditionally been strapped for cash and

have thus been forced to work within the constraints of their financial

limitations. Even as some of the teams

around them are more flush with funds than they are, Williams will hope that

some of the aerodynamic work they’ve done to improve the car will be enough.

They don’t have much to invest in the

team as the season progresses and they will have to just hope that the engineers

have earned their pay cheques with some

sterling work over

the winter.

A l w a y s b a t t l e r s l a s t

season, Williams

will turn to Ben Warren and Scott

Maser to once again drive the car beyond its limits and h o p e

it all just holds together. Team manager

Josh Wood has applied himself to the task at hand in laudable fashion and is a

large part of the reason that Williams will hope to have a chance in the season

to come. Warren and Maser’s work is

cut out for them, and in this current Williams car they have a machine that

will occasionally give up on them but will also from time to time land them

into points scoring positions. The two

youngsters wil l have to acquit themselves to the task at hand very

early.

Struggling to scrape a few points

last season, one of the most notable drives last season for them was when

Maser defended his position like a

cornered Tiger at Barcelona and just refused to let Karayi past him for all of

26 laps. More of such pluck will be needed if Williams are to make inroads.

The car showed signs of being

promising last season, but with the limited facilties at Williams’ disposal,

car development will certainly not be one of their strengths.

Courageous though they are, they will need to up the ante and aim for

more than just a few points this season. As Renault, BMW and Toro Rosso

prepare for an assault to move up the

p e c k i n g o r d e r , Williams’ drivers

m u s t b e aggress ive and

look to outthink

their opponents b e c a u s e

outdriving them w i l l b e v e r y

difficult at this

point in time. In the future, probably. Not right now.

Consistently good off track,

Williams now need to try and set the

Cat among the Pigeons. There is so little to choose between those lower down

the F1 ladder that the advantage might lie in doing something that takes the

others, and maybe even the big guns, by

surprise. Never given much of a chance, Williams as a team have certainly

shown a lot of fight and tried to buck the odds. Warren and Maser are

underrated, but so is Williams. Could

they be the surprise of the season? SF

Graft over craft, more back-breaking than groundbreaking. And yet, Williams keeps on fighting the good fight.

“Always battlers last season, Williams will turn to Ben Warren and Scott Maser to once aga in dr i ve the car beyond its limits”

[10]















Nothing is really




be in the


If you believed that Samir

Achrifi just walked into the sunset

and was done for as a driver, you’d

be mistaken. If you thought Mike

Aurilio had driven his last race in

Formula 1, you couldn’t be more

wrong. But to think that you’d see

these two together would be a

laughable idea. One that could have

been thought of only in the

diabolical mind of Will Takahashi.

But it could be just what the

doctor ordered. Aurilio and Achrifi

are known to be tested and reliable

performers on the biggest stage of

them all, and after the stop-start

performance last season the last

thing Renault need is unreliability

on track. The question isn’t whether

Achrifi and Aurilio will deliver. The

question is how much.

He ightened expec ta t ions?

Perhaps. But it is only as much as

you’d expect from two of the

standout performers in the RLB F1

era. Between them they’ve scored a

championship, several wins and

podiums, albeit in much better

machinery. How much can they

extract from this aging French

warhorse? Many before them have

come and failed to revive Renault’s

fortunes. But where many have

failed, this Renault team might

succeed only because of the inter-

team rivalry. How ironic.

Prediction: 6th

At the outset, I have to admit it.

This is the team I was waiting to talk

about. Renault have seen more change recently than a vending machine, and it

is most certainly change for the better. Mind you, this is no slight on the

outgoing personnel that worked hard

for the team. It’s just that there just wasn’t enough performance to match

the potential they undoubtedly had.

You might argue that it is a similar

case here. Will Takahashi hasn’t won something since that season where Edu

set the grid alight. Mike Aurilio and Samir Achrifi have given up driving for

a couple of seasons now. Surely you

can’t expect them to come back and just make things alright. Especially when

t h e r e i s t h e undercurrent of a

bitter rivalry as

t h e r e i s w i t h A c h r i f i a n d

A u r i l i o . I t ’ s a powder keg just

waiting to explode

in your face.

But yet, there is so much promise as to make you w a i t

to see what can be accomplished.

Aurilio is a champion of no mean calibre, Achrifi a driver that proved his

mettle against Ferrari, at times doing a lot better than his fancied teammate.

And in Takahashi they have a manager

who will be very driven and will want nothing less than the best that is

possible from his drivers. If any team were to be giantkillers, this will be it.

Yes, they are hamstrung by a lack of any

money to back their ambition. Yes, they will have to drive the wheels off the car.

But would you say they can’t or won’t?

Renault have progressively grown

more comatose ever since Travy D’Souza won them that title way back in

season 3 and they’ve never come even

remotely close to replicating that sort of form every again. It would be

premature (and hugely incorrect) to assume that all of that can be set right

just like that. But Renault have two

drivers in their ranks now that are, potentially amongst the cream of the

field in any respect you can imagine. Eventually, Renault can be revived by

this team. It is only a matter of time.

Will Takahashi is notoriously

stingy when it comes to spending money on improving his team, so it is a

good thing that his team don’t have

much moolah to splash around. Instead,

Ta k a h a s h i h a s always followed a

v e r y s i m p l e

philosophy. Pick the best possible

team you can and trust them to do

what they know

best. The man has a scary knack for getting the best talents

of any given season together, and it seems on the face of it that he has done

it again. Aurilio and Achrifi won’t send

shivers down anyone’s spines, but that is only because they are driving a

Renault. And that is the truth of the matter.

Rest assured, several teams will be vary of what this unit can accomplish.

After years of underachievement, the tide might finally be turning for

Renault. The French are coming, and

you better believe it. SF

An all new team, an all new look, an all new...rivalry? Renault are promising a lot this season. Can the Frenchadians deliver?

“Renault have grown comatose ever since Travy D’Souza won them that title back in season 3. Rest assured, several teams will be vary of what this unit can accomplish.”

[11]















Nothing is really




be in the


Opposites attract, they say. That

would certainly seem to be the case

with Toro Rosso’s capitans. Randall

Ruggles has a couple of bagfuls of

experience lying around while Scott

Biggs is just to wet his feet in

Formula 1 after making the commute

from across the pond to carry on

with his career.

Ruggles and Biggs’ task is cut

out for them. Given a car that is

barely even mediocre, funds that are

barely enough and upgrades that just

barely fit the bill, they will have one

hell of a job piloting this car to any

sort of decent results, especially in a

season that promises to be so much

more competitive this time around.

Biggs and Ruggles are no

strangers to F1, having partnered

each other for a season at Panther.

Eventually, both were found wanting

and moved on from Indycars, their

futures up in the air. Little did they

know that Scottybear Moore would

bring them together again with his

Toro Rosso experiment.

But with a car that will clearly

struggle, how much can you expect

of these two? Even with the wet

weather, they only stand so much of

a chance to score points. Rosso fans

will celebrate just about any points

that come their way, and that might

well be all that they get to shout

about.

Prediction: 9th

Although I must admit I don’t get

this whole analogy about felines and

not winning races, it does leave Scott Moore in a pickle. Having received an

overwhelming mandate to run the team we know as Toro Rosso, he now faces up

to the predicament of having to win a

race with this little team that is the poor cousin of the Red Bull outfit.

Of the managers that preceded

him, Mullan and Wickham managed to

bag victories and can therefore avoid being egged in public. Caamen Soukup

had no such luck and thus fled to the United States before he was humiliated

for not winning with the Rosso. How

much better then will Moore fare, having inherited the DNA of the same

team that celebrated points finishes like

it was a major win

and wins like they w e r e

championships?

T o u s e a

theory a Professor o f m i n e o n c e

professed, Toro Rosso will follow the ‘Theory of Small Wins.’

Essentially, this dictates that even the

most miniscule of victories will be celebrated to create a sense of

accomplishment and togetherness, which in turn eggs the team on to

achieve even more so as to receive more

commendation. Rinse and repeat.

Moore’s driver choices fit in perfectly with this dictum then. Biggs

and Ruggles aren’t the most decorated

of drivers, but they are game triers and will do everything they can to cause an

upset or two.

Biggs’ is a curious case. He started

o u t we l l e n o u g h w i t h M i ch a e l Adenekan’s Panther Racing team, he

lost his way a bit after that. Eventually

sacked from the team, it seemed that he would be doomed to roam in the RLB

wilderness for a while before Scott Moore came along and decided to take

him along on an F1 adventure. It will be

interesting to see how Biggs acquits himself to Formula1, having driven

primarily in the US for most of racing career, butt driving for one of the

backmarkers as a newbie means there is

no pressure on him. Perhaps this is a boon as the pressure at Panther to get

results began to show on his results and it was best that Biggs left for a fresh

challenge. And Formula 1 may be just

that.

Randall Ruggles, besides having the

most smashing

name in the RLB, has had a long run

in F1 and this experience will

stand in good stead

for Toro Rosso as he sets about trying to keep the minnows

from going down under. Toro Rosso have a strong points scoring record for

a car as inept as theirs, and Ruggles

could be vital to unlocking its potential with his knowhow. With the car known

to be monster in the wet, Ruggles and Biggs will be hoping that the rain gods

relent or that they get a slice of luck.

Which leaves the small matter of getting a win, which we’ll leave to

Moore and company to figure out. After all, what better for the self-proclaimed

‘comeback king’ than to inspire a

comeback to beat all comebacks. SF

They say that the Toro Rosso manager that leaves the team

without having won a race is a cat. Or something like that.

“Moore has inherited the DNA of the same team that celebrated points like they were major wins and wins like they were championships. How will Moore fare?”

[12]















Nothing is really




be in the


While Bean and Kay are drivers

rated highly by managers up and

down the grid, to expect them to

rattle up points aplenty would be a

minor miracle. Think of anything

impossible, almost anything, and I

assure it would seem easier than the

prospect of driving this Force India.

While you might cringe inwardly

and call this harsh criticism, deep

down you know that there is more

than a grain of truth to this

statement.

Which is not to say that Bean

and Kay are not up to scratch. It is

just that they have to make do with a

grid of drivers better equipped than

they are to deal with the challenges

that lie ahead. But they knew fully

well that this would be no walk in

the park when they signed on the

dotted line, so they definitely believe

that Force India’s is not entirely a

lost cause.

With nothing to lose and only

pride to play for, expect Force India

to put in a few performances worthy

of note, a la Valtonen at Silverstone

in Season 13. To expect more than

that would be unfair on a team that

is trying to break free and make a

name for themselves. The only team

to remain pointless last season goes

into this season knowing they can

break their duck, but that to expect a

lot is to brace for disappointment.

Prediction: 10th

The puns come think and fast.

Farce India. A spent Force. This Force

won’t be with you. In short, they are one of the butt of jokes on the grid.

Barring that one season from Ville Valtonen that seems so long ago, Force

I n d i a h a v e n e v e r r e a l l y b e e n

competitive and even looked like moving ahead. Sure, they’ve had their

moments. But they’ve been so few and far between they make Blue moons look

like clockwork.

Valter Ferreira has the reins of the

team and keeps hold of Ian Kay and brings in Aaron Bean to replace Ville

Valtonen. Highly-rated, Aaron made

waves during his stint with Newman Haas but didn’t do

e n o u g h t o convince Karan

Karayi to make

t h e d e a l permanent. On

the lookout for a replacement for

Valtonen after the

Finn chose to head off to Indycars, Bean fitted

the bill perfectly and Valter has been quick to tie Aaron down for the

foreseeable future. Many say that Aaron

has an impossible task ahead of him, but the newcomer is as yet unfazed and

believes he can get results with his new team. Time will tell just how much

b r a v a d o f u e l s y o u n g A a r o n ’ s

confidence.

His teammate Kay is no stranger to his environs, this being his second

with the outfit if you count the

abandoned season 14 as the scene of his debut.

Kay has been undoubtedly

impressive in his time with Panther Racing, but just how well will he adapt

to F1, even with half a season of

experience under his belt? He struggled to get any points at all in his short stint

so far and the indications so far is that it will be just as much an uphill struggle

for him to make an impact as ever. With

resources scant and the car short on firepower, it will be hard for team Force

India to break through and get noticed this season.

The commitment of Ferreira, Kay and Bean to the cause seems complete,

but commitment by itself won’t get you anywhere in the cut-throat world of F1.

With competitors

boasting better c a r s , d e e p e r

p o c k e t s a n d drivers as good if

not better, Force

India might find that things get a

lot worse for them before it gets a lot

better, or any better at all.

The protagonists of this tale all

have interesting subplots. Ferreira wants to redeem himself after the

furore that surrounded him a couple of

seasons ago. Kay wants to establish him as a frontline driver and a top talent

while Bean simply wants to go out and feels he has a point to prove. In all, it

seems that Force India has the

ingredients needed to make a success story but fact is more compelling than

fiction. And the fact is that Force India will struggle to get almost anything out

of an unforgiving season. SF

It is not the size of the dog, or the size of the fight in the dog, but the size of its jaws that matter. How much of a bite does Force India pack?

“Sure, Force India have had their moments. But they’ve been so few and far between they make Blue moons look like clockwork.”

smashing fun magazine 4

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