Is the baton being passed?

[Mattracer]

Only three races down in the season but Alonso and Renault have already established a fairly healthy lead with Schumacher at this stage floundering and looking a bit doubtful. Are we witnessing a significant change in the landscape for F1 or a delay to the natural order of all things F1?

[Kicking-back]

I don't know if F1 could ever be said to have a "natural order" - it's a constantly evolving thing.

[steve_r]

Michael Schumacher certainly was not floundering until his car broke down. In fact we were robbed of potentially a great scrap for the race.

[Asp]

It's very difficult to decide. There's an article on BBCi that points out that despite the season still really being in its infancy, "if the Ferrari driver[Schumacher] was to start winning from the next race at Imola, with Alonso runner-up every time, it would take him 12 races to overtake his rival.", and essentially asks your very question Mattracer.
However, it still is early in the season. When Ferrari have cracked the reliability problems on the new car, which has to be expected to happen soon, you cannot expect Ferrari not to be race-winning material. I can't really say this is going to be a significant change yet - it's been a bad start, but it can only be seen as a start so far.

[BootsOntheSide]

The current points system does make it difficult for anyone to catch up a huge lead, but Michael did it to Kimi in 2003 despite a run of races where the car wasn't suited. Alonso could easily have mechanical problems next time out - Fisichella has had 1 engine failure and 1 wing problem already, and both he and Michael will have a new not-used-in-the-heat-of-Bahrain engiens, so who knwos?

[Gt_R]

If overall driver-car-tyre package, Alonso-Renault-Michelin seem to be setting the standard.

And it's no surprise really..some where along time, some one will do a better job. That's competition.

But if its anything to go by, Bahrain shows what a driver Michael can still be. When the chips are down, once again he put the car at its ultimate best.

But whatever edge a driver has over another, it is easily masked by car deficiency and tyre deficiency. To that,i can only call for Bridgestone and Ferrari to up the reliability of their product.

[Hugh Jarce]

Yes - I believe there is a seed change which at least will have 3 to 4 teams right up there rather than 1.

Thanks goodness.

Also, IMO there are as good a technical people in other teams as at Ferrari so its only a matter of time before there are other cars as fast as the red one's.

[Dog Faced Boy]

Ferrari will challenge seriously for the title this year. There new car looked good considering it's 40 days early. I think it's nice of them to give everyone a head start to even things up. The only possible problem is Bridgestone, but with the full focus of their attentions i'm sure Ferrari will pull them up to scratch with lots of testing.

[Shoe-maker]

I think the season will be open because about five teams or so will fancy their chances of winning a race. It'll just come down to consistency in the end. In 2003 there were a lot of different faces on the top step of the podium but Schumacher was champion because he put together a strong run.

[Sodemo]

The car looked good?

Rubens' car looked like a Knightmare on wheels.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Michael Schumacher certainly was not floundering until his car broke down. In fact we were robbed of potentially a great scrap for the race.

I don't think his tyres would have held on that long.

I think there strategy was to get ahead of Alonso and then control the pace from the front in order to save tyres and increase reliability.Sadly it didn't work out that way.He was probably short fuelled as well,any more fuel than that and i don't think he would have bothered Alonso quite so much.

Interesting also that RB used TGFs settings for the race,he didn't get too far on those did he,after what looked like a promising start.

[Wrex]

After all my years watching F1, the one thing I am sure of is you can never write off the Schumacher/Ferrari combination.

This team has a gift for fighting back, and are better at it than any other team IMO. McLaren and Williams do ok, but none have made as quick turnarounds as Ferrari.

The main problem for Ferrari though is the lack of results from Williams and McLaren. Renault have it all to themselves, without anyone taking points off them while Ferrari are down. In 2003, Williams and McLaren swapped races when Ferrari were off, limiting the damage.

It all comes down to timing. If Ferrari are back on form quickly (next race or 2), then its game on. If its much longer, then I'm guessing a string of victories towards seasons end will be the only saving grace for runner up in the championship.

[mac]

I cannot see any "baton" being passed by Ferrari.

Rather, I suspect the team that ends up with the "baton" will have to break in during the night, perform all sorts of calisthenics to avoid the moving laser beams (have you seen Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment?), grab the "baton" only for the alarm to go off. The team will then have to blast their way out of the vault somehow as Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher hurl grenades, bombs and Rubens Barrichello at them in an attempt to stop the theft.

In other words, whoever wants this "baton" is still in for a rough time yet - it ain't gonna come easy.

[hamsmith]

Reanult havent showed themselves to be contistantly competitive over a whole season yet have they? I can't see why things can't change, I would love to see them provide their drivers with the best car all year and see someone else win the championship against Ferrari and Michael.It's time for another team to take the centre stage and its already exciting to watch to see if they will do it.

[N I Tram]

It's certainyl too early to write Michael, Ferrari and Bridgestone off. The new car won't've reached its full potential for a few races, we've mostly seen hotter races which tend to favour Michelin, Renault have struggled to develop the car in recent years, and Alonso has tended to go off the boil or carack under pressure until now (although he does look much mroe stable this year). If the worst comes to the worst, Bridgestone are probably already peerign over the rules in an attempt to find something Michelin are doing illegally.

[Frank Rizzo]

Mac - great post. I especially like the idea of RB/JT and MS throwing grenades, bombs "and Barrichello" at the trespassers!!

Personally, I think this will be a fantastic championship year.. MS will never give up until there is no possible way to win. And for him to win this year from this point would surely be his best ever victory, for not only is he facing a huge deficit of points so very early in the season, he also faces in Alonso/Renault what is clearly the strongest single opposition faced since Mclaren's glory days (Hakkinen).

To overtake such a strong package in the championship will require a supreme effort, and perhaps some luck - both of which MS has had an abundance of in recent times.

I have to say though, that despite my admiration for Montoya, Raikkonen and other potential championship contenders, Alonso just looks SO much like a champion, either this year or soon. Not just because of his current position, either. He entirely made Bahrain his weekend, and controlled qualifying remarkably well. TGF's face watching him complete final qualifying for pole absolutely said it all. And, like MS, he is adept at creating opportunity from back in the pack. A real racer, in my view, and perhaps the most complete driver next to MS on the grid right now.

[Kraz]

I don't think the baton is being passed, but it is nice to see so many teams reaching for it this year. In the interest of more entertaining racing having Renault, Toyota, McLaren, Williams, and (OK not yet but maybe soon BAR) actually competing with Ferrari for wins instead knowing they had to be satisfied with a spot (2nd or 3rd) a podium finish is refreshing.

[dcp2685]

Even if Alonso and Renault win the championships this year i still don't think the baton would be passed. Back to back wins while nice doesn't define it. You have to do it year in and year out like MS has.

As for the race, I believe Micheal started out light and was going as fast as he could. His tires would have lasted until about lap 25 before the lap times began to become slower, just like rubens. No matter what strategy he had, he would have fallen through the field during the second half of the race.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by dcp2685

As for the race, I believe Micheal started out light and was going as fast as he could. His tires would have lasted until about lap 25 before the lap times began to become slower, just like rubens. No matter what strategy he had, he would have fallen through the field during the second half of the race.

Agreed,RB was using TGFs settings and even accounting for different driving styles,there's no way TGF could have made those tyres last competetively for the whole race.