4 posts tagged “nico rosberg”
Formula 1 is a prestigious racing event and is where you’ll see top automakers in the industry battle it out for the world championship. During the period when Michael Schumacher dominated the race, F1 for me was boring. It seemed too predictable that Ferrari would be finishing first in each race. If it’s not him, it was definitely going to be his former teammate Rubens Barrichello. But since Schumacher’s retirement, the race has changed a lot. Drivers from other teams, who haven’t shined because of the domination of the Ferrari has stood out. But despite the changes in the race and the switches in the standings, there are still other drivers who haven’t been at their best. Among the drivers that haven’t shown their best is Nico Rosberg.
Rosberg is a Williams driver and has finished 42 races in his career. But during his 42 races, his only got to the podium once and never had any chance to win for his team. He also never had pole position in his career. Though many believe that he’s one great driver, not many take him seriously. That’s mostly because his car isn’t good enough for him. Yes, his Williams’ car obviously doesn’t bring out his best. The only good thing that I noticed during his career is that he had at least one podium finish and that happened during the Australian GP. That seemed like a long time ago and it definitely has been awhile since had won.
The midseason of F1 is in full circle and the battle between the toughest teams, as I’m sure it will, is about to start. The first venue for that battle? The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, France. Rosberg still has time to prove himself and it would definitely be a challenge for him given that Lewis Hamilton is starting in the 11th position on the grid because of the pit lane blunder that has happened during the previous Canadian GP.
Rosberg’s Williams’ car isn’t the only reason why he hasn’t made any wins for himself and for his team. Among the reasons for his zero win since 2006 is the tough competition against the Ferrari, the McLaren, and the BMW teams. And by looking at the standing right now, there’s also the threat posed by the Red Bull-Renault and the Toyota teams. What Rosberg needs right now to win is to compete by making the most his car and his skills and of course apply a better strategy to get points for his team.
Nico Rosberg’s crash on the 60th lap on the Swimming Pool chicane was something really serious. The Williams’ car was terribly damaged especially the right side. The front wheel was missing and when the car was brought to the pits, it was still smoking. Accidents can really happen during a race especially if rain is pouring on the circuit. The chances of having accidents are actually higher because of the soaking wet track. Not only do Formula 1 drivers have to go through the challenging circuit of Monte Carlo, they also have to double their caution because of the rain.
Despite the rain and the accident, Rosberg is fine and is feeling good about his FW30. He even said that his car was doing well during practice sessions and the qualifying race. That’s actually good news for the Williams’ team, which is currently tied with the Red Bull-Renault team. Rosberg, on the other hand, is on the 10th place in the driver’s standings. If Rosberg prevents himself from getting into an accident, he’ll definitely be able to bring his team the lead it needs. As for the dominating teams, they’d probably be staying on top and the Williams’ team will definitely be the wall that separates the best from the so-so.
Yes, the qualifying round is over and the final lineup for tomorrow’s race is set. I really thought Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes would battle it out during the qualifying round, I was wrong. McLaren-Mercedes dominated the Albert Park getting pole position. This is the final lineup in tomorrow’s race, the driver’s name and his corresponding team:
1 Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
2 Robert Kubica - BMW
3 Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
4 Felipe Massa - Ferrari
5 Nick Heidfeld - BMW
6 Jarno Trulli - Toyota
7 Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
8 David Coulthard - Red Bull-Renault
9 Timo Glock - Toyota
10 Sebastian Vettel - STR-Ferrari
11 Rubens Barrichello - Honda
12 Fernando Alonso - Renault
13 Jenson Button - Honda
14 Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
15 Mark Webber - Red Bull-Renault
16 Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
17 Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Ferrari
18 Sebastien Bourdais - STR-Ferrari
19 Adrian Sutil - Force India-Ferrari
20 Takuma Sato - Super Aguri-Honda
21 Nelsinho Piquet - Renault
22 Anthony Davidson - Super Aguri-Honda
I really thought Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes will battle it out for pole position during the qualifying round. I was wrong. The only Ferrari that I see near the top spot is Felipe Massa. Kimi Raikkonen is nowhere to be found at the top. I am a K Raikkonen fan, so, I was a bit frustrated to see him at the 16th spot. But like MotoGP, being on the pole position does secure a win. The win would still depend on the driver’s skills and the team’s strategy. So, I really expect Ferrari to kick some butt as soon as the race starts.
When I heard that Michael Schumacher has retired, I was actually glad because Formula One is gonna be exciting. I admit, I got bored with Formula One because M Schumacher always wins and none of the opposing teams could take him out even for just a single race. Even his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, is boring. So, I switched to MotoGP, which has actually started and the next race will be in Spain. I am not saying that he’s not good. I am just saying that the race just gets boring every time he wins. It is like doing the same things everyday or like watching Titanic for a hundredth time. With M Schumacher nowhere near the race track, F1 is going to be more exciting.
With the start of the F1 drawing nearer, teams prepare their race cars and their drivers for the practice. And like the NBA, F1 teams change their drivers. These are the following teams racing for the upcoming F1 season:
- Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa
- BMW - Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica
- Renault - Fernando Alonso, Nelsinho Piquets
- Williams-Toyota - Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima
- Red Bull-Renault - David Coulthard, Mark Webber
- Toyota - Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock
- Toro Rosso - Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel
- Honda - Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello
- Super Aguri - Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson
- Force India - Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella
- McLaren-Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen
You are not probably familiar with Kazuki Nakajima. It is because he’s a newbie in F1 racing who is replacing the retired Williams-Toyota driver Alexander Wurz . If you’ve been watching GP2, which is a type of auto racing, you have probably seen him or known him. Among the GP2-turned-F1-drivers are teammate Nico Rosberg and McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. After finishing his GP2 career in 5th place, K Nakajima is set to race on one of the most prestigious auto racing in the world.
For aspiring F1 drivers, Kazumi Nakajima is one lucky guy. No, I guess I shouldn’t be saying he’s lucky because he’s really worked hard to get to where he is right now. He’s used to racing but F1 is no ordinary auto racing. He’ll have to try his best to win championships or earn points together with his Williams-Toyota teammate, N Rosberg. Best of luck to Nakajima!