I Just Did a Jenson

That’s what Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton said after the second race of the 2013 season. And this post should have been made late last March after the Malaysian Grand Prix but I forgot to write about it so here it is now.

After spending five successful years in McLaren, Hamilton joined Mercedes for the 2013 season and after just two races, he immediately made a blunder that caused many to smile. During one of his pit stop in the Malaysian Grand Prix, he made a mistake when he pulled at a wrong pit box. That alone is already quite funny to think but could be a reasonable mistake as it was only his second race of the season after transferring from a different team.

Lewis came to a halt at the pit box of McLaren, his former team, for a tire change and he eventually drove further when he probably realized that his crew is not helping him and was signaled to move through. And I think it was only then that he noticed that he was at the pit box of McLaren and not Mercedes. No one could blame him for the mistake as he has been stopping there for several years. Then at the interview after the race, he said, I just did a Jenson. He was referring to Jenson Button who made a similar error in the past.

NB: Image from wikipedia.

Vettel Wins Again in Spanish Grand Prix

Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel withstands the pressure and fends off Hamilton in the closing laps in way to his fourth win in five races. And the McLaren’s Lewis and Jenson completed the podium by finishing second and third, respectively. The win did not come as easy for Vettel for Hamilton is not that far behind and was only six tenths of a second adrift when they cross the finish line.

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Lewis gets to the nerves of Vettel in the finishing laps when he tried to overtake and stayed to close to Vettel until the last second just before reaching the chequered flag. And the thought of having a boring and another lopsided race by the Red Bulls, turns out to be a much closely fought contest right at the very end.

Next stop is Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most interesting races that are held on a narrow course at the street circuit of Monte Carlo which includes the famous harbour.

Hamilton Snatched Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton made a superb performance from start to finish and snatched the Chinese Grand Prix from Vettel with 5 more laps remaining in the race. The McLaren driver had a late crisis before the race even started when his car did not start while still in the garage and all of the cars are already on the grid. Fortunately, he managed to get out with only a few seconds to spare before the pit lane closed.

The McLarens made a good start and was able to pass Vettel but Button made a blunder in his first pit stop, which he stops at a wrong pit lane and was eventually left behind by Vettel. It surely caused him a good amount of time as Vettel slowly regain the lead and Hamilton is trailing behind. Then Hamilton finally caught up with Vettel in lap 52 and surge to the finish line. It’s Lewis first win of the season and denied Vettel of a hat trick.

Malaysia : Vettel Wins Again

It seems 2011 is still the year of RBR though it’s still very early to tell but the way Vettel is showing off the form of a champion, it won’t be a surprise to see him more often in the podium. The second race of the season in Sepang was supposed to be a thrilling competition between Vettel and Hamilton considering the slim time gap between the two drivers. In fact, Vettel just snatched the pole position from Lewis in the late qualifying with a slim advantage.

In fairness to Vettel, he drove a faultless race from pole to chequered flag and during pit stops. While Hamilton keeps on pushing at his back throughout the race, but a late blunder near the end of the race when Alonso bumped into the back of his car caused him the most disappointment in the result of the race. It eventually landed Hamilton at the far 8th place after receiving a driving infringement.

See you on 17 April in Shanghai and hope the McLarens will keep their composed driving.

Vettel Begins Title Defense With a Win

It's the defending champion who won the season opener race at the Australian Grand Prix. Vettel claimed the first race of the 2011 campaign proving his supremacy over Lewis Hamilton. There's nothing have change since the qualification run except for the surprise podium of Renault driver Vitaly Petrov which became Russia's first ever podium finish in Formula 1. It wasn't really a tight game since Vettel build a considerable lead from the start as Hamilton suffered a broken floor that keeps him in a distance.

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Meanwhile, 2009 champions Button, was left behind at sixth place after Alonso keep him out of the loop and because of his persistence of trying to cut Alonso at Turn One, he committed a mistake thus giving Alonso a drive through pass. At the moment, standings as follows:

1. Sebastian Vettel = 25 points
2. Lewis Hamilton  = 18 points
3. Vitaly Petrov      = 15 points
4. Fernando Alonso= 12 points
5. Mark Webber     = 10 points
6. Jenson Button     = 8 points

See you in Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix on April 10 for the second race of the season.