Formula 1, Malaysia. Rain and a wet track started the day. The indication was the rain would fade and the track would dry. The team strategists began their plan for tires. Wet tread to start, let the track dry out, trade over to slicks, hard, soft, medium…
The pre-race planning was likely a discussion of just that. Control the tires and control the race. It worked well for Red Bull, finishing up one and two with Mercedes grouped together at three and four.
The post race discussions were likely a bit intense. Formula 1 showcases the top of the pyramid for technology and speed. At this level, you might expect the brightest and the best to be at the front lines.
Perhaps not…
Fernando Alonso and Ferrari were the first to show off some less than average thinking.
“What’s your job?”
“I drive the car.”
“Fine. If it’s broken, what do you do?”
“A voice in my head tells me what to do…”
To be fair to Alonso, despite the front wing and nose throwing up sparks like a fireworks show, there really wasn’t a clear voice to come in and fix it. Too bad, following the contact in the first turns the front of the Ferrari was useless. A mere moments after passing the entrance to pit, the front disintegrated and Alonso was off in the gravel and out of the race.
Lewis Hamilton, a champion, pulled a nice one.
“What’s your job?”
“I drive the car.”
“You know where you’re going, right…?”
“Yes, around and around. Sometimes I come into this place for fuel and stuff…”
“Remember, you are with Mercedes now. So go to Mercedes…”
Hamilton pitted and promptly drove to the McLaren stall. His former team mate’s crew waved hello as the jackman stepped aside to allow Hamilton to roll further down to Mercedes.
“Hey buddy! Good to see you but you’re over there now… See ya!”
“Oh! Yeah…. Bye!”
Later, that same crew had an issue with their guy Jensen Button.
“What’s your job?”
“I tighten that wheel nut thing…”
“OK… As long as you know…”
Perhaps the wheelman was still chuckling over Hamilton’s pass through but for whatever reason, Button was waved out with a loose front wheel that immediately began sliding off the pin with the exit.
“OH… That was our car… Sorry!”
Then you have race winner Sebastian Vettel who defied team strategy in the final laps and passed team mate Mark Webber…
“What’s your job?”
“I drive the car. I win.”
“Yes… But we’re a team so stay with the program.”
“I drive… I win.”
“Yes, we appreciate that. But the team…”
“I win…”
“The team comes first…”
“I win… Oh… OK… I’m sorry.”
Webber was in front with a few to go and was holding on to tires and fuel. No worries with Vettel in the 2nd slot and Mercedes comfortably back. Vettel, however, was pushing forward even as the Red Bull instructions were over the radio to hold and keep the pace for the cars, fuel, tires and the one-two finish. Call it the heat of racing or taking the opportunity over the voice in the head but Vettel overtook Webber. He went by with no real mishap but the potential was there for disaster. It was that potential that made the call to stay back combined with team points coming their way no matter which one of them crossed first.
Afterward, Vettel apologized to Webber and the Red Bull group for stepping outside of the team groove.
Interestingly enough, the Merecedes drivers were in a similar state in positions three and four. Nico Rosberg was behind Lewis Hamilton and there was chatter about moving past. The call was a negative as the teams wanted to save the cars and the fuel and the benefit was the position of the team and not which one was in front of the other.
Rosberg and Hamilton followed through with team decisions. Red Bull will likely have a “sit down” over coffee or something…
Formula 1 is off to a fine start. Two races down and the early season mistakes create drama that will likely carry forward.
Hamilton, watch those colors. Alonso, fix your car. Vettel, there is no “I” in “team”. Wheelmen… It’s a wrench…
They have a few weeks before they race in China. The race to fewer mistakes is on.