Of pink helmets, clean shaves and a Russian GP

I have always been considered as a second-rung driver, since right back in 2000 when I debuted in Formula 1 with Williams. Seven team changes (by name only) and a world championship later, I am still not deemed as one of the best on track. Formula 1 is about the right driver in the right car, and after a long hiatus that came true for me in 2009 with Brawn. The car clicked and we were one. Driver and car. Race after race. Regrettably, that has not been taking place after I left Brawn- now Mercedes- to join F1 giants McLaren. Joining them was a no-brainer; who in their right minds will refuse a seat at the one of the oldest teams in Formula 1?

Winning the coveted title with Brawn in 2009

At McLaren, I suppose I did pretty well against their 2007 rookie sensation Lewis. Nevertheless, McLaren had not learned their lesson from the fireworks generated by driver rivalry in 2007, resulting in a lost championship. When I came in, they were all about equal driver status again. But yeah, they had always been about equal opportunity, which is an admirable thing about a team. I liked them from the get go, except a few too many endorsements that were obligatory. Case in question: I have always had a little stubble, but when Gilette became a sponsor of McLaren I was given strict instructions to shave clean. Maybe the rigidity made Lewis leave, but I don’t mind it much.

With Kevin during the Wig Wednesday for a cancer charity for children

In 2014, Kevin Magnussen replaced the brief intern Sergio Perez, who was thrown out unceremoniously. Kevin has shown promise, but I have outdriven him on most occasions so far. Papa’s passing made a huge impact on my psyche, but I did not let that deter me from performing my best. I put on the race suit, donned my helmet, pulled down the visor and raced. That is what I know best. And yet, there is uncertainty about my future at the team. Do I have to be the one to step out to make way for whoever is coming? Am I so unreliable that my team cannot have faith in my talents? Rumour is Kevin might go out too, or both he and I might get to continue. I detest it when the driver market is buzzing with transfers and retirements and Sabbaths looming. Sebastian triggered it by saying he will move to Ferrari next year, and Fernando seems so disillusioned with Ferrari that he will definitely leave. And possibly join McLaren. 

Tribute helmet for Papa

This year has been the most difficult of my entire life, with my old man not having my back anymore. But I raced on as usual, and have had the upper hand in points to Kevin. After Japan, I needed to make a strong statement that I am still the driver that won the championship. I know I am not young anymore, but I still have got what it takes. And though I never expected Sochi to be the place where I prove my worth, it turns out it was.

Russian GP

A week was very less time to recover from what happened to Jules Bianchi in the Japanese GP. He is still fighting for his life after that freak accident, and the whole F1 world is united in their support for him. What took place is a sign that motorsports is dangerous no matter what they say. Even a sport as safe as F1 is not really safe. I hope with all my heart that Jules comes back to racing sooner rather than later.

A Formula 1 race has never been held in Russia after the sport was christened so in 1950. The last F1-like event was held in St. Petersburg in 1914. So, Sochi and Russia was a new experience for both the Russians and the drivers. On first glance, the track looks a lot like Abu Dhabi in terms of its environs, with the Black Sea replacing the Marina Bay. Hermann Tilke ‘designed’ the street circuit, and it seems he wasn’t given much leeway in terms of any ‘designing’. The flow of the track is like Valencia, and despite the praise I showered upon it on live TV, I think Sector 1 is its only saving grace. The track is not very exciting, with all the turns feeling exactly the same, and it has way too many 90-degree ones. That may have been because of the constraints of integrating it in the Olympic stadium.

A panoramic shot of the circuit

We all watched the GP 2 race for getting maximum information about the track, as no one had gone racing here before. It seems the first sector, especially Turn 2 and the sweep into Turn 3 was a good place to overtake. The start was going to be extremely crucial because it was a long 800-metre run to the braking point of Turn 1. DRS zones could also have some overtakes. The race was predetermined to be a one-stopper, because Pirelli did not want to take chances with an unknown variable and went conventional on the tire compounds. It turned out the tarmac was very grippy and not so abrasive, which is unusual about a new track. 

Sochi track map

Friday & Saturday practice sessions

Practice was mostly about getting a feel of the track and trying it out for real after all those long hours in the simulator. In FP1, I did the installation lap and then proceeded to understand the track. Six minutes into the session I start trading a few fastest laps with the boys. After the first runs, I top the list with a second clear over all. I get a spin at Turn 8 in the second run, and the asphalt run-off came in handy. The session ended with me third after the two Mercedes cars. The car continues to feel good in FP2 and I post a fastest time of the day. I start exchanging laps with Lewis and Nico, who beat me by a few hundreds of a second every time. But that was inevitable with them being Mercs. FP2 results see me 6^th on the charts with Kevin going second after Lewis. That could only mean one thing. There is pace in the car this weekend. FP3 was a slight anti-climax with me in 9^th position and Kevin in 15^th after he suffered a driveshaft problem. We had gone a bit radical with the car setup and it didn’t work out. So it was a real challenge to pick ourselves together and do better for qualifying, on the old car setup. Well, let’s see if we do redeem our performance, shall we?

Qualifying

The first few runs in Q1 saw me in 13^th position. I decided I had had enough and put up a lap that pushed me up to 5^th. The next run I go 4^th fastest, and Kevin tails me in 5^th. Q1 saw the Felipe eliminated with some problem, along with Pastor. And the Marussia and Caterhams. I do well in Q2 as well, with initial laps placing me at 5^th, but Kevin and Daniel Kvyat beat me down to 6^th place at the end of Q2. Q3 was a scrap between the Mercedes at the front and amongst the rest of us behind them.  The first runs see me go 3^rd fastest, but Lewis promptly relegates me downwards. I get a few more runs, but at the end I am not able to best Valtteri, who looked good enough to play with the Mercs. Kevin finished 6^th, and local hero Daniel Kvyat got rousing applause for a well-qualified 5^th. The pole, you ask? Lewis, of course! I was very elated to find the speed on the car again, and it was a cheery Saturday.

Race

I will not take long to finish this, because despite being a 53-lap race, nothing interesting really happened. The sure-to-feature safety car, as predicted by most pundits failed to turn up too. Fuel-saving was going to be a crucial factor, and a safety car would’ve helped with that. The race was reminiscent of the late races in 2013, when Pirelli went conventional with tire compounds, and it resulted in one-stop races. Nevertheless, flat-spotting the tires was a major concern here, so we needed to try our best not to lock-up or spin. We had gathered from the sessions so far that the race was going to be heavy on fuel, and not-so-heavy on the tires. Qualifying 4^th after the bad showing in Q3 had given me some hope going into the race. I was going in with a determination to do my best.

Marussia with a message for their driver Jules

Before the race starts, we follow some new protocols regarding the national anthem where all drivers have to line up at the front of the grid. We also shook hands with Vladimir Putin and other Russian politicians. The Russian fans had turned up in full capacity, and it was good to see that. The main objective for me in the race was to get ahead of Valtteri Bottas, and snatch the third podium step.

The race starts and I get off pretty clean. It is a long dash to the first braking point, and I see a Mercedes car having a massive lockup into Turn 1. Turns out it was Nico, who got bad flatspots and had to pit immediately. Thanks to Nico hitting the pits, I am up to 3^rd position. The start proves to be a blinding one for Fernando who started from 7^th position, and he is in my mirrors by the end of lap 6. The team reminds me on the radio that he is 0.8 seconds behind me. He is rapidly closing in on me, and Valtteri is 5 seconds ahead. Which means I am falling off on pace. By the end of another lap, I pull away slightly from him, though still within 1 second and DRS range. The Ferrari goes off my trail in the next lap by 2 seconds, when Fernando puts in a slow lap. The drop-off continues with Fernando and me, and at the end of 10 laps, he is 3.6 seconds behind me, and I am trailing Valtteri by 9 seconds. Nico’s relegation to the back may have changed things, or not. The team lets me know that he intends to run the whole race on the tires he just put on. I grin to myself saying it is too early for him to do that because he doesn’t know if the tires will last.

Valtteri and me squabbling over grid position at race start

The next few laps involve me nursing my tires and keeping Fernando at bay. He closes in, and then I start matching his pace. It was the good old back and forth, with no one losing or gaining in the end. The team and I decide to stick with Plan A, which is to do 20-odd laps on the soft tires and then pit. The Ferrari doesn’t prove to be much of a threat, and I keep Fernando at a respectable distance. I pit on Lap 21 and go out in 9^th position after a good one. I get Kimi in front of me, who pits in a while. Meanwhile, Nico has managed to overtake or stop-jump a lot of cars and is in front of me after JEV pits. Mercedes have managed to make it work till now, but will they be able to carry on with such heavily-used tires till the end? I am hoping Nico’s tires go off and I am able to overtake him in my new boots.

Fernando was in my mirrors for half the race 

The next few laps sees me maintain a steady gap to Nico at 3 seconds, and even though his tires are old, the car is working good. After lap 28, I am in 5^th position, having achieved the undercut on Fernando, who is now down in 7^th behind Kevin. Valtteri and Nico are still ahead of me, and it looks like I will finish 4^th, unless Nico’s tires go off in closing stages. But by lap 30, Nico is closing in on Valtteri, and both of them are stuck behind Sebastian, who hasn’t pitted. He pits, and they are unleashed into clear air. Nico takes the opportunity and makes a bold overtake on Valtteri. He seems desperate to do damage control.

With 19 laps to go, the result seems written for me and Kevin, in 4^th and 5^th position. Unless a safety car features. Valtteri is 3 seconds ahead of me, and I start in pursuit of him. To no avail. The Williams car too is racing after the Mercedes of Nico, who is still expected to drop pace due to old tires.

With 10 laps remaining, I am still in 4^th, and fuel consumption is looking good according to the team. The effort to rope in Valtteri proves futile as he notches up fast laps one after the other in the chase for Nico. The race ends in the same positions and that is that. I am obviously happy with a good showing, but a racer always wants to win. I feel that we did the best we could. And I hope I made my mark to be considered for the seat next year. Wrinkles or not, I beat Kevin and 45 points ahead of him in the championship. And congratulations to Lewis and Nico for the now mundane one-two and Mercedes for winning the Constructors' World Championship.

That pink helmet really stands out

- Jenson Button, driving the MP4-29 for McLaren

Phanfone & the Prancing Horse come calling

Redbull does not give me the kicks anymore. And that’s a lot coming from me considering the numerous highs that have come my way courtesy them. I am Sebastian Vettel and I was inducted into the Redbull family when I was 11 years old, after I joined their Junior Team programme. In Formula 1, I have spent 7 successful years with them, graduating from the feeder team to the main team in a matter of 1 year. The most coveted trophy in the world of motorsports has been mine for 4 straight years, some coming easy-peasy and some going to the wire. The frequent formula changes in the sport had proved to be a boon for me, with the newer rules in 2009 making aerodynamics the centre of the F1 universe. It wasn’t only about the ICEs (engines) anymore; it was about how well your car can stick to the track at turns at high speeds and how better your car is at harnessing the energy being wasted at turns into KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems). This new era in motorsports ushered in innovations like exhaust blown diffusers and holes in the car floors. And of course, it gave wings to a certain aero genius whose wet dreams had come true post announcement of rule changes. 

3rd WDC celebrations with the bosses

But the same formula changes acquired the characteristics of an utterly inconvenient bane for me this season. 2014 escorted along with it the turbo-charged engines, with many other rules handing the reins over to the ICEs(with a kickass turbo unit). Aerodynamics had a minor role left in comparison to the limelight it had bathed in in the last few years. Mind you, aero still rules the roost, how else will the cars go as fast as they do? But it matters in a lesser impactful way as compared to Redbull’s heyday. Anyway, the 2014 changes have brought forth a dry spell for Redbull’s dominating ways. And more importantly, though I hate to admit it, it has pulled down the curtain on my dominant, pole-to-victory races.

A strong sense of déjà vu takes me on whenever I look at Daniel Riccardio, because he also has been promoted to the main team in quite the same manner as I was. In 2013, when Mark announced he would be leaving the team, the driver market had come alive like a fish market. There were speculations that Kimi would come over to replace him, along with rumours that I had refused to accept him as a teammate. Helmut stepped in finally and dropped the cat out of the hat: Daniel would be promoted to the team from the feeder team Toro Rosso. And he was. With great fanfare, the man with the 400-watt smile became my teammate. No offense, he is a decent guy. 

I wonder how many selfies Daniel has

Well, Daniel, I hate to say, has outgunned me on all fronts this year. He is the better driver in this car. I am having difficulty adapting to Suzie and her feel, not to mention her jittery fronts. (Yes of course I name my car!) People are under the assumption that a world champion will be able to tame any car, but that is not the case at all. Every driver has preferences as to what kind of car setup they want, more so in a Formula 1 car where even the differential of 0.007 seconds between qualifying times is a huge deal. It is all about finding that extra two-tenths to up your nearest rival. I am used to the superbly designed aero beast that Redbull was until this year. I need a strong front on the car, which this year’s design has not been able to provide me with. I won’t argue or make any more reasons for my dismal performance, and I want to give all due credit to Daniel. He clearly has got the hang of it faster and better than I did.

Yes, I am spraying champagne. I am being nice.

The fact that Daniel has won races this year and I haven’t has nothing to do with my moving to Ferrari next year. Yes, I am donning the red overalls next year, probably alongside Kimi, if he continues at Ferrari. The driver market has been buzzing with Fernando’s increasing discontent at the Scuderia, and his alleged plans to move away next year. He is taking a leap into the unknown and unproven by negotiating a move to McLaren Honda next year. That, or Ron Dennis might seek revenge for 2007 and leave him high-and-dry by not giving him a seat at all. In which case, our Samurai might opt for a sabbatical. I think I want to move on to a new team for the necessary change of air, as Lewis did successfully. And Michael spearheading them since 1996, when they had been languishing in obscurity for two decades, and finally steering them to winning ways in the 2000s has been an inspiration for me. Ferrari are a team which every driver wants on his CV, and although I love Redbull and I am grateful to them with all my heart, I want Ferrari to feature on my resume as well.

Japanese GP

Suzuka has been a firm favourite with all drivers I know, and it goes without saying that we adore coming to this place. It is not just the track, which by the way is phenomenal, but the enthusiastic fans and the love and respect that Formula 1 receives in this country. The Japanese GP also takes place at the Fuji Speedway, but personally I prefer Suzuka for the track layout. The high speed corners and especially the Esses at the start are my favourite part of the circuit, it gives you an idea how good your car is aerodynamically. 11 out of the track’s 18 corners are taken at 200kmph or higher. I have been winning here since the last four years, and pole position is crucial because overtaking is difficult. At Suzuka, you don’t compete with the other drivers, you compete with the track. Being a technical circuit in spite of being a high speed one, Spa requires a high downforce setup on the car. The safety car has featured quite a lot of times here, so chances of that considerable.

Track Map: Suzuka, Japan

The main concern for the race at Suzuka was the typhoon coming its way on the weekend. Phanfone, as it has been christened, had gotten everyone worried because the race wouldn’t be held at all if conditions worsened. Most importantly, it was going to be followed by strong gusts of wind and torrential rains, which are both causes for red flags.

Phanfone looming over Japan

Friday Free Practice

One of my many firsts was snatched during the first practice session when Max Verstappen stepped in for Jean-Eric at Toro Rosso, our feeder team. At 17 years, he broke my record for being the youngest driver to sit at the wheel of an F1 car and compete in a session. Being Redbull’s young protégé like myself, I was a little more interested in him than others. He did well, but retired with an engine failure. It was a pretty normal FP1; we did some changes to the setup to extract as much downforce as possible without compromising on the straightline speed. In FP2, I managed to post a time worth a fifth place, though I think we had a car worth more than that. The car felt good, but we were far behind the times the Mercs were clocking.

FP2 also featured quite a lot of spectacular crashes and cars going the wrong way. We were just 7 minutes into the session when Kamui found himself in the barriers in the Esses. Daniel took a huge shunt into the final corner, when he lost control at the chicane and after a lockup, slid through the gravel into the barriers. He was ok, though he couldn’t continue further. In the last few minutes of the session, it started raining, due to which the session was cut short by a few minutes.

Gravel visit for Daniel

Saturday Free Practice and Qualifying

FP3 was not so memorable because there was nothing to remember about it, it ended before it got started. I was 35 minutes into the session and was asked to pit with a technical issue. First corner before the Esses saw Lewis crash into the barriers after he ran wide and flew off a kerb, passed the asphalt runoff and found himself land into the untameable gravel area. I came out to be 15^th fastest, and we didn’t know what to expect for qualifying as we could do fast timed laps in FP3.

Over to qualifying. Almost everyone had already done installation laps and set times before the team sent out me and Daniel. By that time, Lewis had grabbed top spot from Nico, and their scampering for the pole was well and truly on. It makes me reminisce about the Redbull era. On my first run, I post a time which slots me in 8^th (Daniel 9^th). We returned to the garage for some more tinkering, and did not come onto the battlefield for the rest of Q1. Q1 sees the usual relegates going out of the shootout. Q2 again sees us going out 5 minutes into the session, and the car slots into 9^th place (Daniel 10^th). We are not getting a lot of pace from the car, we need to be higher. With 3 minutes left to go in Q2, Daniel and I were fighting 8 other cars to avoid the relegation zone. 3 minutes left means we will have only one chance at posting a better time. Will we make it to Q3? Yes we do, as I rank 7^th and Daniel beats my time by a few tenths and slots in 6^th. It is close, because by the time Q2 is done and dusted I am 10^th and perilously close to the dumping zone.

Q3 sees me on the track one minute into it. The first lap I post is not so good, worth only a 9^th position. Is this all the pace we have? Because during practice it certainly felt we were second only to the mercs. Well, I don’t improve a lot and remain 9^th at the end of the session. What a bummer. Daniel outperforms me. Again. Dang! At the front, Nico beats Lewis to pole by 0.197 seconds.

Looking on at Suzie after qualifying

Race

Phanfone the super typhoon strikes and the race day begins wet like an infant’s nappy. We do our parade laps and duly wave to the amazing fans here in Japan from under a huge umbrella. I witness a lot of support for me in the stands and that feels good; Japan is one place where my dominant wins weren’t booed at. After the parade, we line up on the grid as our pole positions indicate. The race is to be started behind a safety car, as the heavy rains have created rivers and streams all over the track. And Suzuka being a bumpy circuit, the puddles are worse here. 

I adore the Japanese

There is no warmup lap as dictated by logic, and the five red lights go out at the appointed time, as dictated by Charlie. There is lot of water on the track, and the danger of aquaplaning ever looms. We are one lap into the race when Marshall spins at the first corner and visits the sandbox. He gets back on track with the marshals’ assistance. The race is red-flagged at the end of second lap as the rain continues to pour, and visibility deteriorates. We return to the pitlane with our baggage and wait for the weather to improve. I hop out of the car and go into the garage to speak with the boys.

Lined up behind the SC for the start

It seems no points will be awarded if the racing does not resume. Two laps need to be completed to earn half points and 75% of total laps to earn full points in bad conditions. As the race was red-flagged before the second lap was completed, it means zero points for the effort. The rain comes down a few notches and we scurry out behind the safety car to start lap 3. I climb up to 8^th place in the space of a lap after Fernando stopped with a technical issue on his car. The conditions were still bad, but the officials were getting mixed reviews on the need for the safety car on track. On one hand, drivers wanting to defend their positions on track wanted the safety car on and duly reported ‘spray and poor visibility’. (You can’t overtake under a safety car situation, and you have to hold position.) On the other hand, drivers wanting to attack and overtake wanted the safety car out, repeatedly requesting so over the radio. I was still sceptical, as the visibility was indeed poor.

Pitlane restart after first red flag

On lap 9, the safety car retreats into the pitlane and we get to racing. The Spoon curve tests me on lap 10 as I run wide but manage to hold on to the kerbs. Kevin of Mclaren is ahead of me, and I concentrate all my energies into taking that car ASAP. I get Suzie alongside him into the hairpin, but he gets the racing line. Kevin eventually dives into the pits for taking on the intermediate tires (ones used on slightly wet tracks) and as do some others. I am discussing with the guys whether to go for inters myself, because the track surely is drying and I will get better laps with inters. In all the pitting drama, I climb up to 4^th. That position is short-lived as I go for a tire change myself. The late change pays off as I come out ahead of Daniel in 7^th place, and rapidly looming large over Felipe’s gearbox. In the matter of a couple of laps, I take Felipe on the hairpin through a very narrow gap. Phew, that was close! I am now in 5^th place. There is clear air ahead and I race on, and by the time Daniel takes a dig at Felipe I am nearly 3 seconds ahead of them.

Meanwhile, the rain is back, and it starts drizzling slightly. Few laps and I am all over the back of Valtteri’s Williams. I tackle him at the same place as his teammate -at the hairpin and around the outside- for 4^th place. I feel good about it, and most importantly Daniel is behind me. I look set to beat him fair and square. That will shut the haters up. Suzie is performing well at the wet circuit, mostly owing to the fact that she can take the corners better than most cars. Thank you, Adrian Newey. Daniel though is not far behind as he has overtaken Felipe and is now targeting Valtteri. I am in clear air again and can run the race on my own terms for now.

Third-placed Jenson is 14 seconds ahead of me in 3^rd place, and he is next on my bucket list. On lap 20, the guys tell me I am the fastest on track, lapping one second faster than the mercs. By lap 22, I am 11 seconds off Jenson. And Daniel is close behind me. I lap a second faster than anyone(except Daniel) for the next few laps, and rapidly rope in Jenson to a 8.2 seconds distance. Am I trying to get to the third place as fast as I can or I am keeping Daniel at bay? Both, but predominantly it is Daniel. By lap 28, I am no longer lapping as good as earlier, and I decide it is time to pit before Daniel does and undercuts me. The team promptly calls me in and I go out to rejoin in 5^th place behind Daniel. Crucially, both the Williams are behind me. Daniel is yet to pit, but I am keen on making sure he doesn’t outdo my undercut. Rocky (my race engineer) calms me down by assuring that the undercut is quite powerful and I don’t need to push so hard.

Jenson pits on lap 31, and looks set to join ahead of me. But somehow McLaren botches up his stop and he lines up behind me. That came in too easy. Suzie sets new fastest laps in her new shoes, and by lap 35 I am 3.4 seconds ahead of him. Daniel is still ahead of me as he hasn’t pitted yet. Is he even going to pit? Or has team strategy handed him this race as well? It seems he is waiting for the track to dry and continue with inters. Now I want the rains to come lashing! And they do. I am gleeful as Daniel does pit at the end of lap 36. He rejoins behind Jenson, and I smile maniacally behind my helmet. The rain is falling harder now, and the spray makes it difficult to see ahead. On lap 39, I experience a heart-in-my-mouth moment as I slide wide and go into the gravel in the Esses. I recover and maintain 3^rd but lose ground to Jenson as he is now only 2 seconds behind me. More crucially, Daniel is close behind Jenson too.

Jenson and Daniel closing in behind me

The rain is now falling harder and everyone on track is on intermediate tires. I ask the guys if we should change over to wet and they reply that we should probably bide some time. On lap 41, Daniel overtakes Jenson and brings the fight to me. Almost. Adrian Sutil has crashed his Sauber at the end of Dunlop and the safety car comes out on lap 44. I pit for new inters on lap 45, trusting Daniel will do the same. I come out behind Daniel, and it turns out he is going to stay out on old tires for now. Rocky comes on to tell me that Jules Bianchi has had an accident at Dunlop, where Adrian crashed his car. An ambulance comes on track and the guys tell me it is serious. In a short while, the race is red-flagged and we are all called back to parc ferme, which means the race will not be resumed.

Adrian Sutil's Sauber at Dunlop

I finish 3^rd, because in spite of him being ahead of me on lap 45 when the race was red-flagged, the result is determined from the order on the penultimate lap. And that means I got the podium behind Lewis and Nico. In the podium room, we ask each other of what happened to Jules, and the atmosphere is very subdued. We get done with the necessary podium ceremony, though the champagne is not sprayed.

Jules being taken out by doctors

It was a good result considering I get beaten by Daniel every now and then. But it did not matter in the face of what happened with Jules. It turns out that he aquaplaned into the crane that came on to lift out Adrian’s car on Dunlop. He was unconscious when he was driven to the nearest medical centre and while I am writing this he has got operated for severe head injuries and is currently in the ICU. I wish him all the best. Get well soon Jules, we miss you!

A very subdued podium