Lotus
- Qualifying: Trulli (18th) Trulli (21st)
- Race: Kovalainen (13th) Trulli (ret)
The Lotus team finished top of the new teams yet again and generally look the most likely to do something good next season. They have money behind them and a real desire to push on.
Another good race for Heikki Kovalainen who, with only three more retirements in the race, could have finished in the top 10. As it is, they’re still in the lap of the gods with their tenth place in the constructors’ championship, as one point for any of the other new teams would well and truly screw up all their good work.
Trulli suffered yet more hydraulic problems. Tony Fernandes said afterwards that “even though Jarno suffered more hydraulic problems, we have taken steps to change that for next year, and it is experiences like today that will stand us in good stead for next season and beyond.” Well, you’d certainly hope so wouldn’t you?
It would be a real shame if the driver line up changed for next season, as we at Badger feel like they’ve got a really good chance of being a surprise mid table team in 2011, given a fair and following wind.
Badger’s best: Kovalainen
HRT
- Qualifying: Yamamoto (23rd) Senna (24th)
- Race: Senna (14th) Yamamoto (15th)
HRT’s best result of the season, if such a thing can be believed. Basically, it means they trailed round last, kept going and a whole bunch of people fell off. Well done guys…
The most surprising thing for us is that HRT are beating Virgin in the constructors’ championship. Virgin are rubbish as well, but nowhere near as bad as HRT.
If you feel so moved, please add the point of HRT in the comments below. Those who describe the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy will get short shrift.
Badger’s best: Senna
Red Bull
- Qualifying: Vettel (1st) Webber (2nd)
- Race: Vettel (ret) Webber (ret)
Another weekend in which Red Bull managed to contrive to get no points. Nada. Zip.
If they had turned even half of their dominant performances into victories, one, or both, of their drivers would be so far ahead in the title race so as to make the last two races absolutely redundant.
Put simply, Vettel drove beautifully all weekend and deserved to win. There’s no other way to put it. Dominant in qualifying and majestic in the race he retired due to his Renault engine letting go in a big way. Afterwards, he looked quite smiley in the paddock, but we can’t imagine he was feeling that way inside.
Webber, usually Mr. Reliable, made a mistake, managed to bin it into a wall and then took Rosberg off for good meaure. Not ideal. When it isn’t the team cocking up or the machinery breaking, it’s the drivers making mistakes. Let’s hope they have a similarly good car next year, or they could look back on this season with sadness.
Badger’s best: Vettel
Virgin
- Qualifying: Glock (19th) di Grassi (22nd)
- Race: Glock (ret) di Grassi (ret)
Not a great weekend in general for Virgin.
Adding to the frustration was the fact that, as Timo Glock tells it, they were “clearly the quickest of the new teams”.
Again, not much to say here. Glock is a good driver stuck in a not terribly quick car and di Grassi doesn’t, unfortunately, look as though he’s cut out for F1.
Roll on next year…
Badger’s best: Glock
