What a welcome sight it was to have Williams back on the top step of a Formula One podium last weekend in Spain. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado drove an aggressive and mature race at Catalunya to secure Williams their first victory since Juan Pablo Montoya won in Brazil, 2004. Williams' recent restructuring of technical staff under the direction of Mike Coughlan and Mark Gillan is starting to transfer to better on- track results. What a great way to celebrate team founder, boss and gentleman, Sir Frank Williams' 70th birthday. Question is, will Bruno Senna step up and match or even beat his Williams team mate?
However, more importantly, did Ferrari miss their chance of victory in Spain? At the second round of pit stops, Maldonado, running second, pitted before then leader, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Curiously, Ferrari did not cover the Williams at the next lap and subsequently got bundled up behind backmarker Charles Pic in the Marussia, losing a substantial amount of time, and thus the lead. With the undercut successful, Maldonado was able to control the race and see off an Alonso counterattack to score his maiden victory. Why did Ferrari wait to box Fernando Alonso? With the 2012 season totally unpredictable and therefore race winning points at a premium, did Ferrari make a critical error and squander valuable points that could have serious championship connotations? formulafrontrow.com would like to know what you think. Send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. Monaco's next....
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In Formula One the teams always say for a true form guide, wait until we get to Europe. With the first four flyaway races consigned to history and testing completed this week at Mugello, the picture is excitingly not clear. No doubt the teams have been testing new components this week with upgrades in mind for next week's Spanish Grand Prix. Now they have the bonus of evaluating their cars at their respective factories between races now that the European season is starting.
For the first time since 1983, the first four races revealed four different winners from four different constructors. Congratulations to Nico Rosberg fulfilling his potential with a sensational maiden victory after a mesmerising qualifying lap in China. It was also his Mercedes team's first victory as a works team since 1955. With Catalunya opening the European season, followed closely by Monaco, it's certainly not unfathomable to have six different winners six races into the 2012 season. But with car development ramping up as the European races progress, it's not uncommon for the serious championship contenders to start to gap the field. So, will the 2012 Formula One season continue to be as unpredictable as it has been to date? Or will we start to see a definitive form guide emerge? Let us know what you think. Send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com, or simply leave a comment. Monaco is a race that formulafrontrow.com waits for with great anticipation. The cars have long since outgrown the circuit. The race goes close to the 2 hour limit. The walls are close and unforgiving, and the driver can really make a difference. It's the race they all want to win, and every F1 fan wants to watch. Special... |
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