Reno Air Race Champ on Quest for Perfect Lap

On September 15, Steven Hinton piloted Voodoo to his fifth consecutive championship in the Unlimited Gold class at the 50^th Reno National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada. The youngest Unlimited Gold champion ever, Hinton has won every Unlimited Gold Final he's competed in. On the Friday of this year's races, Hinton sat with me on top of his Voodoo team'strailer and provided a description of racing at nearly 500 miles per hour, 50-100 feet off the ground, at Reno.

The race starts at 1,000 feet

"Coming down the chute, there are up to ten airplanes, lined up wing tip to wing tip, ten feet apart, 1,000 feet off the ground. The pace plane makes a call, 'Gentlemen, you have a race,' and that point he ...

Click here to read the rest of the post on Yahoo.

Race along on Twitter @RayHartjen. 

Bits here and there from Silverstone

Round eight of the 2013 Formula One World Championship is complete, and as the teams head to Germany for the next race a week’s hence, a few points come racing top of mind.

Pirelli has a problem, and it’s huge

It’s too early in the investigation as to what properly caused the severe tire woes experienced by teams over the course of the weekend, with at least three left rear tires and one front tire delaminating catastrophically during the race, and numerous other close calls reported from pit lane. It’s hard pressed to imagine kerbing at Silverstone to be responsible, leaving the tires to bear the brunt of responsibility. Pirelli has less than a full week to come to a solution and provide tires for the entire field, a time limit that rules out compounds and constructions that are not already under way. Additionally teams are going to have to make adjustments to how they set up the car, namely with greater air pressure to alleviate the tires “rolling” over the sidewall during heavy lateral loading around high speed corners. It’s a publicity nightmare for Pirelli, whose tire engineers are undoubtedly hoping – praying - for steady rain and the use of rain tires in Germany.

Mercedes is solving its own tire woes

The Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have had the pace all season long, winning poles and locking up front rows of starting grids at a wide variety of tracks. The Achilles heel, of course, had been extravagantly harsh tire degradation, particularly on the rears, bringing its race pace to a crawl relative to other front running – and in some cases the mid-field – teams. Rosberg’s second win of the season on Sunday may have been a bit of a gift with Sebastian Vettel’s retirement, but it did serve further proof that Mercedes in making steady progress in curing its chassis’ appetite for chewing and spitting tires. Think Mercedes benefited from over 600 miles of illicit tire tests in the days following the race in Barcelona? You bet they did, and don’t think the rest of the paddock don't notice either, as they also noticed the light slap on the wrist of punishment. Mercedes rolls onto the German Grand Prix with tremendous momentum, and Rosberg and Hamilton will enter the weekend as solid favorites.

Reliability, or the lack of, once again rears its head

Watching Vettel’s Red Bull slow down dramatically and retire was very much a shock, not only to Vettel and his team, but to viewers worldwide. The reliability of the modern day Formula 1 car is staggering, with retirements due to mechanical failure being extremely rare, despite regulations limiting the number of engines used during the season and penalizing excessive gearbox changes. Much of F1’s era of reliability can be attributed to a relatively stable package of Technical Regulations, particularly those governing engines. All that changesin 2014, as cars will have to be completely redesigned to accommodate a dramatically different engine configuration. Everything in the engine will be different, with just six cylinders, the introduction of a turbo charger, a new ignition system to accommodate the turbo, and an increase in the amount of energy created, stored, and spent by the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) system. For the rest of this year, non-contact related retirements should remain pretty rare; however, expect it to swing next season to the opposite direction, particularly early in the year. That is if the Pirelli tires don’t get them first.

Mark Webber is on a mission

Don’t let Webber’s comments on the podium of not knowing where the next race’s location is fool you. Webber knows exactly where the race is, and while as a competitor he no doubt wants to win at every track, he especially wants to foil teammate Vettel’s attempt to win his first home country Grand Prix. With Webber announcing this week his move to Porsche and sports car racing next season, he’s racing for himself and for race wins. After falling to 15^th on Sunday’s first lap, he stormed back magnificently to finish second, and if the race had been a lap or two longer, he might just have won.  Always a fast, fair driver and a fierce competitor, Webber will be fun to watch over the rest of this, his final F1 season.

The best part of the Formula 1 season is upon us, with a quick succession of one race after another. Here’s hoping the tires become much less of the story next Sunday at the Nürbergring. 

Throw down hot laps on Twitter @RayHartjen

Early season F1 drivers’ grades

With a short schedule gap before the 2013 Formula 1 season resumes at Silverstone, it’s time for a look back at the first 7 races and hand out slightly early mid-term grades. It’s not as easy as going down the rankings and giving A’s to those on top and F’s to those on the bottom, as expectations vary widely up and down the grid. So, without further ado, below is one take on grades for F1’s group of drivers.

Sebastian Vettel - A

Three victories from 7 races and a comfortable 36 point lead in the Drivers’ Championship gives Vettel his familiar “top of the class” position. Vettel looks to be the odds on favorite to win his fourth consecutive championship, and at only 25 years of age, it might just be the beginning. He’s coming off a dominant performance in Canada, and his form of late has most people forgetting his huge dick move on teammate Mark Webber in Malaysia. 

Fernando Alonso - B

A tough grade for Alonso, but one deserved after his boneheaded move in Malaysia, where he passed on coming into the pits at the end of the first lap to fix his damaged front wing, only to see his race end spectacularly in the first corner of lap two, the result of the complete failure of said wing. That one mistake cost Alonso podium point, and the 36 point gap to Vettel might be more than the talented  Spaniard can make up over the remaining 12 races.

Kimi Räikkönen - B

It can be argued Räikkönen deserves a higher grade, what with one victory and 3 second place finishes, and a belief in the paddock that the Lotus chassis is as good as it’s going to get with very little developmental funds on hand. However, Räikkönen’s last two results have been sub-par performances, from him at least. Räikkönen is still Mr. Consistency in scoring points, but he needs much more than 9^th and 10^th as race results if he’s going to maintain his status as a championship contender.

Lewis Hamilton – A-

Hamilton has done better than many pundits expected in moving from McLaren to Mercedes this season, a move that in the rear view mirror looks like a stroke of genius by the young Brit. Hamilton has secured three podium finishes for Mercedes, and has shown pace in qualifying. Only the chassis’ disastorous showing in Spain has held up Hamilton, that and the pace of his teammate, Nico Rosberg.

Mark Webber – B-

After suffering a second place in Malaysia after teammate Vettel’s ultimate dick move, Webber needed to respond by soundly out qualifying and out racing his teammate and rival. That hasn’t happened. Rather, Webber looks a bit inconsistent and lost with this year’s Red Bull, and his results are not in line with what the expectations are for arguably the best car in the field. It’s not too late for Webber to turn it around, and he’ll need to in order to enjoy any satisfaction in what certainly is his final year at Red Bull.

Nico Rosberg – A-

Rosberg has stepped up his game with the arrival of close friend Hamilton as teammate, outpacing his more esteemed teammate more often than not and being rewarded with a win at Monaco, only the second Grand Prix victory of his career. Rosberg’s struggle continues to be tire degradation in his recalcitrant Mercedes, and the resultant inability to keep race pace with the title contenders. However, if Mercedes can learn to be kind to its tires while still maintaining its blistering pace, Rosberg has a real chance to climb the top step of the podium several more times this year.

Felipe Massa - D

Massa’s season can be summed up in 3 words: !) Not, 2) Good, and 3) Enough. He’s had brief flashes of brilliance, out-qualifying teammate Alonso on a couple of occasions. However, those great days have been outnumbered by bad race finishes and crumpled race cars. Massa’s job for the remainder of the season is to out-score Red Bull’s Webber if Ferrari has any hope of the Constructors’ Championship. He needs to do that in each of the next five races before “silly season” blooms full. If not, expect Webber in the Ferrari seat next season, and Massa in IndyCar.

Paul Di Resta - B

Di Resta has been quick in practice and the race, and deserving of a grade higher than a B. But, it’s a team sport, and Di Resta’s Force India team has hampered him with a couple of costly qualifying miscues, requiring some Sunday heroics just to gather a few odd points. If Force India can put together a complete weekend, don’t be surprised to see Di Resta visit the podium before season’s end.

Romain Grosjean – D

Grosjean’s is a familiar story for him. A flash of brilliance – this year a nice podium finish in Bahrain – punctuating a dismal year of crashes and inconsistent driving. Grosjean has an opportunity – perhaps his last opportunity – in a fairly competitive car. He has the rest of the season to take advantage of it.

Jenson Button C-

Button is known as a smooth, steady racer that can make the most of a car’s ability. However, he is unproven as a lead driver directing the creation and development of a car, and his McLaren is in dire need of development. Moreover, Button has been pushed, and often surpassed, ,by his brash young teammate, Sergio Pérez, and his holding onto an increasingly tenuous position as team leader.  

Adrian Sutil – C+

Two good races, 5 poor ones; put together and Sutil struggles along at the middle of the class, not particularly noticed. However, considering Sutil had to knock the rust off of a year away from F1, he has shown good form. Like  Di Resta, if the Force India team can put it together, Sutil can eye a possible podium, particularly on circuits like Spa and Monza later this summer.

Jean-Éric Vergne – C+

Vergne has responded to the challenge and his Toro Rosso team is moving toward being the class of the mid-field runners. With Webber’s Red Bull seat likely open for 2014, both Torro Rosso drivers will be considered as potential replacements, and Vergne’s form of late puts him squarely in that conversation.

Sergio Pérez - C

Pérez’s start to the year was abysmal, and then he turned a bit of corner in races 4-6, showing great aggression and determination, and developed to be quite the pain in the neck of teammate Button and others like Lotus’ Räikkönen. Pérez’s second half will be dependent on how the McLaren team develops its chassis, as one gets the feeling Pérez is pushing the car to its absolute limits.

Daniel Ricciardo – C-

Riccardo’s rather strong start to the season has faltered of late, but his Torro Rosso seems to be on the upswing. The next 5-10 races will be critical for Riccardo, with results determining where he might race next year, with everything from a seat to Red Bull to a seat on the sidelines as a spectator a possibility.

Nico Hülkenberg – C-

A season to forget thus far for Hülkenberg, with his former team Force India looking strong while his new team Sauber taking a rather big step backwards this year in relative performance. Hülkenberg has plenty of reason to race the next couple of months, as he’s a strong candidate to be driving the second Ferrari next season.

Pastor Maldonado – D

A race winner last year for Williams, Maldonado is not a factor this year, and continues to find creative ways to cause contact with other cars. Never boring to watch, Maldonado is being watched closely, as his Venezuelan financial backing is at considerable risk, and without quick improvement, Maldonado might be enjoying his final races in F1.

Esteban Guitérrez – C-

Guitérrez’s horrible start to the season left no room but to go upward, and he has done just that, albeit in baby steps. With his Sauber improving gradually as well, Guitérrez appears to be on the cusp of earning his first world championship points.

Charles Pic – D

Switching from Marussia to Caterham this season hasn’t changed much for Pic, as he is still on the outside looking in for his first championship points.

Giedo van der Garde - D

Formula 1 is tough on any rookie, particularly a rookie with a back marker chassis. Van der Garde has struggled to find his way, and in Canada even struggled to stay out of the way.

Jules Bianchi - I

Bianchi earns an Incomplete, as he’s done enough with the handcuffed Marussia to draw attention up and down the pit lane, but hasn’t really delivered results in practice, qualifying, or races. The riddle remains, what can Bianchi do in a competitive chassis?

Max Chilton - D

Although in a different color car than van der Gaarde, Chilton is in the same situation. He’s gaining experience and learning the circuits, but Chilton can only hope the stars align for Marussia to compete for a point this season.

Valterri Bottas – I

Bottas gets an Incomplete. Clarly talented, the Finnish rookie showed the best of his skills in qualifying third under slick and changing track conditions in Montreal. However, his Williams is a sitting duck on a dry race track, unable to contend positions with any teams other than Caterham and Marussa. 

Race along on Twitter @RayHartjen

Will an aggressive Sergio Perez force a change of how F1 is governed?

In the past several years, Formula 1 officials have made it clear that causing “unnecessary accidents” with other drivers will result in penalties. A relatively minor infringement might garner a time penalty of twenty seconds. More serious mistakes might bring a grid penalty of five to ten positions at the next grand prix. Repeated offenses can even bring a race ban, like that experienced by Lotus driver Romain Grosjean just last summer.

At the Monaco Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago, the racing was a predictable single file affair of follow the leader, as the tight, twisty circuit through the streets of Monte Carlo traditionally makes overtaking nearly impossible. If you don’t pass cars through pit stop strategy and execution, you’ll likely finish where you started, moving up only through the attrition of others.

Unless you’re super aggressive.

Unless, like two weeks ago, you’re driver Sergio Perez racing your McLaren. 

On several occasions, the super aggressive Perez barreled out of the tunnel and dive bombed a rival under heavy breaking into the Nouvelle Chicane. Without touching other drivers, at least during the majority of the race, he was able to make it work, even without executing a clean overtaking maneuver.

How?

Drivers like Ferrari’s esteemed Fernando Alonso fell victim to the tactic. With a quick glance in the left side mirror, Alonso determined if he stayed on course, Perez would likely run into him, ruining both of their races. Prudence suggested he short-cut the chicane, to prevent an accident and continue the race in one piece, in his current position.

All of that sounds great until … stewards penalized Alonso for shortcutting the course to maintain the position. The judgment required Alonso to give up the position on the track, and at Monaco, unless it’s raining and you’re Aryton Senna, that’s a position not likely to be recovered.

What’s the difference between a hero and a zero? Imagine the consequences if Alonso stayed on his line through the chicane. The corner would clearly be his, and any contact from Perez, from behind and on the side, would be squarely the preventable cause of Perez; a preventable accident perhaps punished by a penalty.

Requiring Alonso and others to relinquish a position kept by likely preventing an accident the cause of the aggressive Perez raises an interesting dilemma. The rules are black and white. Short-cutting the course to save or gain a position requires giving up that position. Negligently causing preventable contact requires a penalty. But, what if one does one to avoid the other? After all, getting caught up in another’s poor judgment ruins your race to.

Monaco is a unique circuit and often delivers unique circumstances and results (OlivierPanis, anyone?). However, don’t expect Perez’s aggressive driving style to be a Monaco one-off.  Plus, don’t think for a second every other driver is going to school and thinking, “Hey, that seemed to work.”

Canada is next up on the F1 schedule this weekend. There’s a lot to suggest this is a story that just might have legs the rest of the season.

Run hot laps on Twitter @RayHartjen

Winners and Losers from Indianapolis

More than any other race, the Indianapolis 500 can make or break an entire season, and in some cases – Buddy Lazier and Buddy Rice, for example- entire careers. Sunday’s race proved no exception, as the month of May saw its winners and losers at Indianapolis.

Winner:  Tony Kanaan

Of course, the obvious winner was the, uh, race winner, Tony Kanaan. A sentimental favorite of both the IndyCar community and the fans at Indianapolis, Kanaan broke through his hard-luck past and finally celebrated with his long-awaited drink of milk. Since his rookie year in 2002, Kanaan had led races – at least one lap in each of his first seven starts - and even qualified for the pole in 2005. Frustrated by a second and third place finishes, and finishes under the yellow preventing him from any last lap dramatics, karma came full circle and provided Kanaan a win when the yellow caution flag flew moments after Kanaan burst into the lead on a restart on lap 197. Always a master at starts and restarts, it’s fitting Kanaan’s victory came as a result of one of his primary strengths.

Winner:  Andretti Autosport

So, neither Marco Andretti or any of his four teammates at Andretti Autosport ended up in Victory Circle, the entire organization flexed its muscles as the team to beat for the remainder of this year. Recall, it was just a couple of years ago when Andretti Autosport had difficulty even qualifying for Indy, with Danica Patrick barely squeaking into the field and Ryan Hunter-Reay missing out entirely (he raced only after owner Michael Andretti bought the qualified car of Bruno Junqueira and put Hunter-Reay into it). This year, Andretti drivers were fast off the truck, and showed their muscle in the race, with Carlos Munoz, Hunter-Reay and Andretti taking 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th.

Loser:  Honda

First, traditional series stalwart Honda was locked out on pole day, as the fast nine qualifiers shooting out for the pole position all boasted Chevy power plants. Then, race day provided insult to injury, with various Chevy drivers continually shuffling the lead, allowing Honda-powered drivers a spot at the front only when green flag pit stops temporarily shuffled the order. Honda looked lost all month, and it appeared they lacked the needed power to overtake down Indy’s long straights.

Winner:  Carlos Munoz

Sunday’s Indy 500 was not only Munoz’ IndyCar debut, it was also the first race of any kind where pit stops were necessary. All Munoz did was run up front all day, battled for the lead and positioned himself for a last lap dash at victory. If it wasn’t for the yellow flag ending the race toward the checkereds, he very well might have found himself in Victory Circle.

Loser:  Target Chip Ganassi Racing

Target Chip Ganassi struggled all month at Indy, with Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti qualifying mid-field and then seemingly anchored there throughout the race. When defending champ Franchitti wrecked in Turn One with three laps to go, he essentially ended the race and provided a fitting close to what proved to be a frustrating and forgettable month for Ganassi. 

Winner:  IndyCar

A record number or leaders and a doubling – yes, doubling! – of the record number of lead changes from just one year previous showed Indy has begun to regain its lost mojo of the early 90’s heyday. True, the racing was more or less single-file, but at least the point car changed often, as the leader had a “sitting duck” aura about him.  The race was another step in the right direction, and it’s up to IndyCar to maintain the momentum through what has in the past been the humdrum part of its season.

Go two-wide on Twitter @RayHartjen

4 reasons the best racing isn't always in the highest formula

For race fans, we often cast the majority of our attention to the height of a particular series.  F1 gets our attention to the detriment of GP2 and GP3.  Sprint Cup gets the NASCAR love over the Trucks and the Nationwide cars.  And in North American open wheel racing, the IndyCars overshadow Indy Lights.

Maybe not anymore?

Today's Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might have delivered the best race finish.  Ever.

You don't run three-wide at Indianapolis in any formula and get away with it too often.  These young drivers did it for two full turns.  You don't often run four-wide down the straight either, but these four drivers did it.  Racing for the win at the most famous track in the world and they raced it clean and without a hint of blocking.

That, my friends, is how you do it.

Congratulations, Peter Dempsey, on your first victory - and what a victory that was!  Congratulations also to Gabby Chaves, Sarge Karam, and Carlos Munoz. Your performances in Friday's race might just be the highlight of the entire weekend, the biggest weekend in worldwide motor sports at that.

Race along on Twitter @RayHartjen

Will Monaco Soothe Mercedes’ Tire Ails?

Early in the 2013 Formula One season, Mercedes has proven it has the pace to run at the front of the F1 field, as evidenced by its 3 pole positions and its lock out of the front row in the most recent Grand Prix, the Barcelona race just two weeks ago. Unfortunately, at least for Mercedes, is the flip side of that coin is an unrelenting and rapid degradation of its tires, particularly the rear tires, and an inability to keep abreast of race winning contenders. To add insult to injury, the tire degradation problems are even making it difficult to keep the mid-field pack at bay – Lewis Hamilton finished an uncompetitive 12^th in Spain, lapped by the leading cars.

On race day, at best, the Mercedes has been a moving chicane offering up a rolling obstacle for front-runners to overtake. However, as the series moves to the twisty circuit at Monaco this weekend, there is some optimism and hope in the Mercedes camp – not from developments back at the factory, rather from the race course itself.

Twisty means slower speeds, delivering a break to the tires

Monaco is the most twisty course on the F1 race calendar, and the twists and turns of the course mean the slowest speeds on the schedule too. Simply, slower speeds place fewer demands on the tires, lessening the degree of degradation. Of course, Mercedes won’t be the only team to receive this benefit – all chasses will be easier on their tires. Key for Mercedes is keeping up with the other teams on the number of pit stops. The fewer pit stops, the better, and nowhere is this more true than at Monaco.

Tight means a premium on track position, as passing can be … damn near impossible

In addition to its twists, the streets of Monaco are notoriously tight as well, surrounded not by gravel traps and runoff areas, but rather unforgiving Armco barriers, presenting tremendous difficulties in overtaking, even with applications like the Drag Reduction System (DRS). Track position is a premium. If Mercedes can keep its qualifying pace and start upfront, its hopes lie in the course not offering an opportunity for cars to overtake.

At least it’s fast

F1 is a sport of compromise, represented by the tradeoff between speed and reliability. Which one is most important? Can the answer be both? Up and down the paddock, it’s generally regarded that pace is the best place to start. If you’re fast, you have an opportunity to work on reliability, tire degradation included. It’s much more difficult (read: “expensive”) to make a reliable albeit slow car fast than the opposite.

Mercedes has proven it has the one lap pace to match the best cars in F1. Now it sets it attention to solving its chassis’ tendency to aggressively abuse its tires, an endeavor that will undoubtedly take the balance of the summer to develop and refine an engineering solution. But, this weekend, a temporary solution is likely to be put forth by the race course itself, and it will be paramount for Mercedes to take advantage of its gift in waiting. Points from this point on are going to be even tougher to score.

Turn laps on Twitter @RayHartjen

The Hottest of F1 Hot Seats for Vergne

Bahrain’s fourth round of the 2013 Formula One World Championship already sees several teams and drivers on the proverbial hot seat. McLaren has woefully underperformed for a team very much used to contending for race wins and championships, in part to the struggles of Sergio Perez; of course, perhaps Perez has struggled in large part to the recalcitrant McLaren chassis. Romain Grosjean has been roundly outperformed by Lotus teammate Kimi Räikönen. Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde’s rookie season now has the long shadow of new reserve driver Heiki Kovalainen looming over it. But, the hottest of seats may well be at Toro Rosso, under the rear of driver Jean-Éric Vergne. 

There’s a lot to race for at Toro Rosso, as it’s the de facto junior team of F1 powerhouse Red Bull, and – news flash! – Red Bull might have an open seat for2014. And, while Räikönen will have something to say about filling that potential front-of-the-field vacancy, Toro Rosso drivers Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo clearly have a large carrot dangling in front of them. Moreover, there is also Toro Rosso’s infamous lack of patience with young drivers – you either prove yourself and do so quickly, or you’ll be moved over for the next young hot shoe. Just ask Scott Speed, Sébastien Bourdais, Sébastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersauri, and others.

In his second season in F1, this much is clear:  Vergne is slower than his teammate Ricciardo. Last season, Ricciardo outqualifiedVergne in 15 of the 20 races, with an average starting position of 14.7 versus 16.7. This year, Ricciardo is again on top, faster in 3 of the 4 qualifying sessions thus far.

Vergne’s saving grace, at least thus far, has been in earning points. In 2012, Vergne outscored his teammate 16-10, the beneficiary of four 8^th place finishes. However, while lower in total points, Ricciardo showed better overall competitiveness and consistency, finishing six total races in points paying positions.

This year, Ricciardo has upped his game, finishing a career-high 7^th in last week’s Chinese Grand Prix, and performing as befitting his pre-season comments stating his goal is to outrace his teammate and earn a drive at Red Bull. Under pressure, Vergne’s response in the face of increased competition has been just a single point.

Toro Rosso has its drivers on a short leash, and it is certain team management is debating whether Vergne is better racer than current reserve, and former driver, Buemi. Buemi has experience with the organization, can assist in the development of the car, and has the experience and track knowledge to be at least as competitive as Vergne on the grid.

Come Monday, F1 teams will have 20% of the season in its rearview mirrors and will begin the European campaign of the 2013 season. If Vergne’s performance doesn’t pick up and pick up quick, he might not be around to enjoy much of the homecoming.

Trying some overtaking on Twitter @RayHartjen. 

Not tired of tires - yet

Some race fans, not to mention drivers, race team management, and other race personnel, bemoan the impact of tire strategy and its importance over the course of the race weekend. Instead of managing a sometimes wildly speculative variable, they prefer to run flat out, non-stop. We hear you, Michael Schumacher. However, as fans, we’ve seen that before, and the result is a team-by-team, single file procession around the race track, an affair that quickly becomes mind-numbingly boring.

I, and I doubt I am alone, am looking forward to this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, round three of the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship. After three rounds of practice and three rounds of qualifying, one thing is abundantly clear:  this race will be entirely about tire management.

Pirelli has brought the medium and soft compounds to Shanghai this week, and as usual there is a performance gap between the two compounds of a little over a second per lap – the softs offer more grip and are therefore quicker. However, that pace comes with a price, as thermal degradation of the soft tires see them fall off quickly, with lap times soaring upwards as quickly as the tires wear out. Teams are seeing performance tail off abruptly after only a few laps.

Formula 1 sporting regulations require competitors to start the race on the tires they qualified with on their fastest lap. Q3 on Saturday saw the Red Bull of defending three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and the McLaren of former world champion Jenson Button take a gamble and elect not go gunning for pole on the softs, the strategy taken by the rest of their competitors. Rather, they went out on the much more durable tires. The result is Button will start 8^th and Vettel 9^th, but they will both be on medium tires. Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and the rest of the top seven qualifiers will start on the soft tires, requiring pits stops as early as lap 5 or 6. This brings the race right into the hands of Button, Vettel, and to a lesser extent, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, starting 10^th, also on medium tires.

Rest assured, computers up and down the pit lane are buzzing and working overtime running scenario simulations, with teams working feverishly to devise a strategy that gets them to the end of the 56 lap race distance in the shortest cumulative time possible. Will starting on medium tires bring the race to Button and Vettel? At first, yes. If they get past the first few corners – always a threat for the mid-pack on the first lap – they will lead the first half of the race. The bad news, of course, is this tire strategy gamble developed for a reason – both the McLaren and the Red Bull are not quite at the pace around Shanghai as the Mercedes, Ferraris and Lotuses.

How will the race pan out? I don’t know. But, I can tell you, I can hardly wait to find out.

Catch a flying lap on Twitter @RayHartjen

Malaysia’s big winner … Daniel Ricciardo?

The big winner in this weekend’s second round of the 2013 Formula 1 season wasn’t race winner Sebastian Vettel or even the resurgent Mercedes, resplendent as they were in a validating 3^rd and 4^th position. Rather, the big winner in Malaysia just might have been Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who finished 18^th, retiring his Toro Rosso after 51 laps. 

 Come again?

A rather lively Malaysian Grand Prix became even more riveting after the final pit stops as the 1^st and 2^nd place Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, along with the 3^rd and 4^th place Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, were ordered by team leadership to conserve both fuel and tires and ensure the cars made it to the finish with maximum points toward the ever important Constructors’ World Championship. The dutiful soldiers Webber, Hamilton and Rosberg obeyed. Vettel did not, racing Webber, taking the position, and driving off to victory.

One need not make a career of observing human behavior to recognize Webber was incensed at his teammate’s autonomously made decision to rebuke team orders. On the post-race podium, after ignoring Vettel in the celebratory spraying of the Moet champagne, Webber even went so far as to suggest Vettel would be “protected as usual,” a reference to Vettel’s preferred standing in the team.

Red Bull certainly gives Webber his best chance at Formula 1 victories, but not his only chance. As he will never usurp wunderkind Vettel as the team’s number one driver, and as assuredly the team will not voluntarily depart ways with the defending 3-time World Champion and 27 race winner Vettel, Webber is racing for racing sake and the opportunity for ever-so-difficult-to-come by F1 race victories, and with nary a realistic thought of winning a World Championship.

With an already tense and somewhat fractious relationship between Webber and Vettel, Malaysia may very well have been the final straw, the one that broke the camel’s back. With a one year contract, Webber is most likely gone at the conclusion of the current season, either through his own impetus or with a gentle push from the team. With a departure by Webber, a seat at Red Bull, the defending 3-time Constructors’ World Champion becomes available.

All that supposition brings us to Ricciardo, one of two drivers (along with Jean-Éric Vergne) of Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s de facto “junior team.” Ricciardo has made no secret of his ambitions for 2013:  Outrace teammate Vergne and secure a ride with Red Bull for 2014. Malaysia’s intra-team fireworks gives him the opening to squeeze into.

It’s now up to Ricciardo, a driver who routinely outpaces his teammate Vergne in qualifying, to press to the most of his abilities. At stake is a ride in a car fully capable of race wins and championships. Granted, 2014 brings new technical specifications for the teams, perhaps leveling the field. But with the wizardry of Adrian Newey being sketched on the whiteboard, is there a team better positioned for success than Red Bull?

Three cheers to this weekend’s podium finishers, Vettel, Webber and Hamilton. But, save the biggest cheer for perhaps the weekend’s big winner, 18^th place Daniel Ricciardo.   

Rub wheels on Twitter @RayHartjen

An Rx for IndyCar’s Ills

Today, Will Power won his fourth consecutive pole for the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, the annual opener of the IndyCar season, which beckons the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Just 20 years ago, IndyCar, then known as CART, was the premier motorsports series in the world, and that included the global circus of Formula One. Now, thanks to a divisive split engineered by Tony George, IndyCar once again starts a season awash in a sea of irrelevance. It’s a long race back to the top, but the prescription for IndyCar can be really simple.

It’s TV, stupid

Perhaps no sport is as much a live spectacle as motorsports – the sights, sounds and even smells bring the event to a roaring life, and most every fan who goes to a race becomes a fan for life. Simply, there’s no sporting event like a day at the racetrack.

However, IndyCar won’t grow racing to fans at the track alone. Success is dependent on TV for two purposes: 1) selling the sport to fans who have yet to attend a race in person, and 2) bringing in sponsors and their marketing dollars, the funds of which are crucial for all motorsports, as funding equals speed, in turn equaling competitiveness. 

Key for IndyCar is finding one single network family for its series, and a network that can broadcast not only the race, but qualifying sessions and perhaps even practices. Currently, fans have to jump between NBC and ABC to find IndyCar. In this era of nearly countless entertainment options, if it’s not easy, it’s often ignored. The IndyCar brand can only grow with a partnered affiliation with its broadcaster.

Variety is the spice of life

IndyCar is essentially a formula-spec series, with a single chassis for all teams, the status quo for the last several years. Car development, and hence differentiation by teams, have been limited pretty much to shock absorbers and mirrors.

I nearly fell asleep writing that sentence.

The introduction of Chevrolet engines last year, to battle alongside long-time series runner Honda, was a start. Differentiation means unequal cars, and unequal cars means overtaking on the track, good for those in attendance, and great for those watching on television.

 IndyCar needs to develop technical specifications and invite constructors to design and build chasses to a set of common rules. The heyday of CART saw three chassis builders and multiple engines, allowing for a variety of “mix and match” possibilities, with competitiveness up and down the field, and storylines carried throughout the season.

Close the gap

With nearly six months from the last race of 2012 to the first race of 2013, any momentum created last year has disappeared quicker than a scheduled pit stop. NASCAR only takes a three month break and benefits by opening its season with its crown jewel, the Daytona 500. Formula one likewise takes a three month break, but is buoyed by an off-season of constructor and car development news, along with three organized, multi-day test sessions.

IndyCar needs to both close the gap between one season and the other and create a reason for news to hit, much like player trades and drafts in other sports. One is easier than the other, of course, and running the last race in October and the first in February would be a good first step.

A new track experience

IndyCar can learn a lesson from the NHRA drag racing series, the motorsports series with perhaps the most loyal fan base. The secret? Everyone at an NHRA event can walk through the paddock and watch the crews prepare the cars and motorcycles.

A long-standing tradition in most motor sports series is the prevalence of “knucklers,” those fans holding onto a chain link fence, their knuckles on the other side, peeking at a part of the race where they desperately want to be. 

It’s not realistic for every fan to be able to walk through the garage on race day, but walkabouts on Friday of race weekend, and even Saturday after qualifications, would give fans a more complete experience and an opportunity to rub elbows with their heroes, much less post awesome photos to Facebook and other social sites. It’s all about growing the sport.

A big deal

The Indianapolis 500 is the crown jewel of the series, although it’s popularity has also waned over the past two decades. This year, more superspeedways return to the race calendar. Like the horses do, IndyCar and its horsepower should create a “triple crown” or “grand slam,” and offer up a staggering monetary award for anyone who can sweep all the races, like $5 million, and lesser amount for the driver who scores the most accumulated points in the select races, say $1 million. It’s a storyline that covers multiple months, garnering attention for a sport and series that much needs it.

So, there you have it, a short five-step prescription to fix the ills of IndyCar. Time is short in the sports universe, and the time to move fast, like the cars, is now.

Run hot laps on Twitter @RayHartjen

F1 Mid-Fielders Turn to Malaysia for Answers

In the final year of a relatively stable rules package for Formula 1 constructors, pressure is on the mid-field to catch up with the front runners, the rationale being time affords teams to develop when tighter financial resources hamper initial development. At the end of this season, time runs out on the old car and big financial resources will help the front runners with the new chassis.

Last week’s season opener in Melbourne saw the mid-field in many story lines. This week’s second round will go a long way in telling a more complete story, either validating first impressions or turning them on their heels.

Maybe, but not quite yet

Force India and driver Adrian Sutil were somewhat the revelation of the Australia Grand Prix, holding the lead for a number of laps and finishing in a solid 7^th position, one place in front of Paul Di Resta in the second Force India. Race results suggest a possible breakthrough to the top of the mid-field, and maybe even a latching onto the bottom of the front-running cars.

Not so fast.

Sutil started the Melbourne race on the harder, more durable “medium” Pirelli tire and greatly benefited from a longer first stint before pitting. As front running teams come to grips with, well, grip, and the durability of the Pirelli rubber, those types of good fortunes are likely to be much harder to stumble upon. Perhaps a truer test of the Force India’s capabilities lies in the outright pace of the car in qualifying. Di Resta managed to break into Q3 for the first time in a long while, while Sutil managed 12^th in his first race weekend in 15 months.

Melbourne was a solid start for the Force India team and final positions were certainly earned on merit. Malaysia’s second round will provide observers more data on whether the team’s start was as best as it’s going to get in 2013.

Needing a U-turn

Pastor Maldonado spent the season’s first weekend talking about how his Williams chassis was “undriveable.” That’s quite a statement coming from a driver whose sponsorship funding is considered by many in the F1 paddock as his most serviceable skill.

Williams had a very decent car early in 2012 and Maldonado provided a long overdue victory for the team with his magical win at Barcelona in early May. From then on, though, the rest of the season was pretty dismal, with then Williams driver Bruno Senna most often outperforming the often crashing Maldonado.

Maldonado’s race in Melbourne ended in the gravel trap after Maldonado spun in first corner, a fitting end considering the car’s performance in the first 34 laps. Despite showing promise in pre-season testing, Williams managed only 16^th and 17^th in qualifying and a 14^th place race finish by rookie Valtteri Bottas. Malaysia is the team’s first chance to turn it around and will go a long way in determining the prospects for 2013.

To start, you have to … start

Sauber got off to the shakiest of all possible starts when lead driver Nico Hülkenberg had his car withdrawn before the race’s start due to fuel system issues, spoiling an 11^th place qualifying position. Rookie teammate Esteban Gutiérrez improved upon his 18^th place in qualifying to finish the race in 13^th.

The Sauber car has garnered a reputation over the past two seasons as being very kind on its Pirelli race tires, and if ever an opportunity was squandered, last weekend’s tire management-plagued Australian Grand Prix was it. Having team leader Hülkenberg, one of the top young drivers in the sport, on the track is critical for this team to succeed. Mistakes like last weekend have to stop. Now.

A second chance to make a first impression

With teams going directly from Australia to Malaysia, most developmental upgrades will wait until next month’s third round. As such, this weekend provides the second of back-to-back opportunities for teams, and observers, to evaluate car and driver prospects for 2013. There are many races in F1 and sometimes the closest and most compelling happen away from the sharp end of the field. The mid-field looks to Malaysia to confirm or rebut the season’s first impressions, with some teams looking for a change while others look for more of the same.

Run laps on Twitter @RayHartjen

Lessons learned from the Daytona 500

Sunday afternoon, Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500, this one a relatively boring single-file, follow-the-leader affair punctuated by two multi-car accidents and 1,489 on-air Danica Patrick references. As the series moves to its second round in Phoenix, the following is what we learned from Daytona:

The first 2/3rds of the race are still there to get to the last 1/3

The 500 was way too much fizzle, not enough sizzle, and maybe with what happened at the endof Saturday’s Nationwide race, that was okay. Still, the lack of moves made the race almost unwatchable. The fact it was the first race of the year and the Daytona 500 – about as exciting as it gets - made it just barely bearable. But, what happens when the series moves to Phoenix?

NASCAR can tend to be a repetitive, monotonous left-turn affair, particularly with so many 1.5-mile ovals on the schedule. On TV, it’s frequently difficult to discern where the race is actually taking place. The good news is Phoenix is decidedly different, both in track layout and in how the cars will be configured.

The new generation cars will run a rear spoiler twice the size as the ones run at Daytona and, of course, be freed of the restrictor plate. Look for cars to be more responsive, and with the draft minimalized, it will be more rewarding for drivers to dip out of the top line and run low in the corners to argue positions.

Still, the first half isn’t as much about the racing as it is biding time. For the drivers, it’s to stay on the lead lap; for the viewer, it’s time to make sure you’re fed and well rested for when the racing gets serious toward the end.

New cars or not, the field is deep

NASCAR’s new generation of cars bring distinct shapes back to each car manufacturer, something fans wanted to see. With different aerodynamic shapes, there’s always fear that one car will outperform another. Daytona saw each marque spend time up front looking like the car to beat.

The field is deep. At every race this year, there will be at least 20 cars out of the 43 car field that will be strong, realistic contenders for the win. But, did you notice the final results of the Daytona 500? Reagan Smith finished 7^th, Michael McDowell finished 9^th, and J.J. Yeley finished 10^th – all underfunded underdogs in the garage, yet top ten finishers in the sport’s biggest race.

New cars mean most teams are together at this point in the learning curve. In time, the best organizations with the biggest resources will make their way to the top. In the meantime, look for the mid-level teams to sneak into high finishing positions. They might not win, but they will be taking points away from contenders for the season championship, a story you’ll see plenty of as the season progresses.

Danica Patrick will receive the majority of media attention this year.

Danica Patrick won’t simply receive more media attention than any other driver, rather she will receive more media attention this season than all the other drivers. Combined. Together.

Patrick has always been a media darling, no small part to her good looks, which thus far in her career has far exceeded the results she has delivered on track – without some victories, she’s in danger of becoming racing’s version of Anna Kournikova. This year, Patrick seems more comfortable in front of media and the fans, and her performance at Daytona showed when she’s comfortable, she can produce.

Unfortunately, she’s not going to be comfortable at most tracks. Patrick has always shined at the biggest, most storied tracks in the series she has raced – Indianapolis and Daytona. At both places, she excels, as she’s most comfortable running flat out and breathing the throttle to adjust her pace.

Where Patrick has struggled in her career is braking and rolling back on the throttle. Look for her to be mid-pack in most races that are contested at tracks other than Daytona or Talladega. Regardless, you’ll still hear about where she is, no matter where she is. Just like you will always know who is in the lead, all year you will know where Patrick is running.

You might not hear “Paul Menard is running in 21st,” but you’ll certain hear “Dana Patrick is running 22nd.”

Run hot laps on Twitter @RayHartjen