The Bold, The Brave, The Beautiful

The year, 1986

“Good morning, gentlemen. The temperature is 110 degrees.”

“Holy shit, it's Viper!”

“Great, he's probably saying, "Holy shit, it's Maverick and Goose."

Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun played the role of a nonconformist, free spirit pilot. Such was his aura that his call-sign ‘Maverick’ became an instant hit with eccentric souls worldwide.

People wanted to dress like him. People wanted to walk like him. People wanted to talk like him. Heck people even wanted to cry like him. Girls loved him. Guys idolized him. He was probably the first man to defy the rules and follow something as ‘petty’ as his instincts. Atleast that’s what the world thought.

He wanted to be everywhere. He wanted to do everything. Best of all, he wanted to be seen doing it as well. His decisions irked people. His results pissed them further. But in the end it was his charismatic demeanor that made him stand tall. He wanted people to follow him. To be drawn to his persona.

The audacity of that guy!

The year, 1997

Max Verstappen is born.

The year, 2016

“Jesus Christ! And you think I’m reckless. When I fly, I’ll have you know that my crew and my plane come first.”

Verstappen seemed inconsolable following his team Toro Rosso’s decision to not let him pass teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. on the grid. ‘Strategic decision,’ they said. ‘Stifling character,’ they never said.

For someone who’s just 18 years old (2 of which have been in Formula 1), it was indeed unbelievable. Why wouldn’t they let him fly? Was it because of his age? Maybe! Was it because of his boldness? Let’s hope not. Or maybe it was because they wouldn’t let him have a driver’s license till last year.

It’s true. Max’s father had to drive him to work in a car just so that Max could race in one. Imagine a father driving his own son to a Grand Prix where he could race in a 300 kmph supersonic speed-craft so mercurial that one can experience the line where life meets death.

Seems twisted, doesn’t it? Not to the Verstappen household apparently.

Max Verstappen was taught how to drive before he could walk. His foot would fit an accelerator much better than it would fit into a new shoe. He could put a car into reverse in his sleep and his steering wheel maneuvering prowess would have saved the Titanic from those freaking icebergs.

But who cares about that anyway? Rules are rules, right?

A team is always supposed to favour their No. 1 driver. Schumacher over Barrichello, Alonso over Fisichella, Vettel over Webber, Hamilton over Rosb…. Ahem, excuse me!

Carlos Sainz Jr. is Toro Rosso’s No. 1 driver. He drives safe races. All energy and effort needs to be put in helping him thrive. Not only that, Sainz also outranks Verstappen. Not just in terms of age, but also in terms of “Dad Experience”. Sainz Sr. trumps Verstappen Sr. and therefore the same rule will be applicable to their sons as well.

Wait. No. That’s not right!

If anything Sainz Sr. never even drove in Formula 1. Verstappen Sr. on the other hand has 2 podium finishes. Also, did I write Sainz Jr. drives safe races before? That would have been an amazing asset had we been handing out trophies to just finish races.

While one can’t argue that Sainz Jr. is definitely more ‘safe’ when it comes redeeming those no claim bonuses on car insurance, Verstappen is subliminally more supreme in all senses. His driving is as serene as the clicking sound a seat belt makes when things fall into place.

It’s bold, it’s brave, it’s just that damn beautiful!

No offense to Sainz Jr., but when a team such as Toro Rosso, which seems to always be in the shadows of big brother Red Bull, is given minimal resources then one just does not have options other than firing all cylinders.

Case Point – United States Grand Prix 2015

“You’re everyone’s problem. That’s because every time you fly, you’re unsafe. I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.”

“That’s right, Iceman! I am dangerous.”

For those who are regulars on the circuit, it is a well-known fact that one just does not mess with Kimi Raikkonen. After all they call him the ‘Iceman’ for a reason. He is a stone cold driver and can scorch even a wet track beyond recognition. Everyone fears him. Everyone bows down to him. People assemble at his behest.

Everyone except Max Verstappen!

Verstappen, racing for the first time ever in Austin, seems cool. He’s calm, he’s composed, and he’s all over Raikkonen. For a circuit as erratic as the Circuit of the Americas Max has everything in control. Sushine? Check. Rain? Check. Pitstops? Check. Tyre management? Check. Fending the iceman? Check.

For the last 5 turns Kimi has put up failed attempts to overtake Verstappen. Kimi tries the outside route at turn 7. He knows that it’s a long shot. But he sees an opening. Max, however, is too fast to block him. Too fast for a minnow like Toro Rosso. Why doesn’t he fly like that all the time? How’s he doing that?

Turn 8 up next. This is it, thinks the Finn. He tries the inside route now. He implements a textbook maneuver to shove that pesky rookie off track. But Max won’t be shoved around. He might be a rookie, but he’s pulling off blinders on those hairpin turns. It’s as orgasmic as watching Kohli hit a cover drive.

Turn 9 sees Kimi make up some ground. He’s back on the outside though. A natural disadvantage for drivers. But not for him. He’s used to these situations. He’s the king afterall. These jesters stand no chance of withstanding the wrath, fury, and sorcery of the iceman. Something is up, it’s a trap!

For the next three turns Kimi stays on the outside. He’s not doing much it seems. He’s waiting for the 0.62-mile stretch between turns 11 and 12. This is more than just racing now. This is dogfighting at its best. Like a cheetah skillfully prowls in the bush waiting for its prey, Kimi has set Max up beautifully.

Time for DRS to do its thing. Zoom go the cars. Just a matter of time before the rookie is shown his rightful place. If this was some other driver, he would have stopped the car by now, turned off the engine, prepared a speech on Kimi’s greatness, and then probably retired from racing.

However, good ol’ Max had other plans.

He sees what’s happening. He’s on top of it. He read Kimi. He read the iceman. This isn’t natural. This is something new. Is this even possible? Three-fourths of the stretch and a full DRS later Kimi is still on Max’s tail. This is unconstitutional. This is tyranny. This is supersonic evasion. Why won’t he fly again?

“You were in a four G inverted dive with a MIG-28?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Lieutenant, what were you doing there?”

“Communicating. Keeping up the foreign relations. Giving him the bird.”

“So, you’re the one?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

If Max Verstappen’s repulse against former world champion Kimi Raikkonen was not a racing equivalent of showing him the finger then what happened a minute later at turn 12 definitely was. Kimi has had enough. He’s completely weathered. This is unchartered territory for him. It should be the other way.

He tries too hard to overtake and BOOM! Wheels bang, wings break, gravel flies, and Raikkonen finds himself beside a barricade. How did this happen? Well atleast it’s over. The dogfight has finally ended. There was no winner. There won’t be any awkward glances in the pits now. The pride is still intact.

If only!

Raikkonen looks up to steal a glimpse at Verstappen. It would be good to see the spoils of the enemy war craft. Only Max isn’t there. He’s nowhere. Nowhere in near sight. Wait, where is he again? He’s driving an impeccable race enroute to finishing fourth on the grid. World champions for breakfast!

‘Max’imum power, ‘Max’imum brutality!

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix too had its share of ‘maximum power’ moments. From ripping the qualifying session apart to stalling two-time defending world champion Lewis Hamilton during the main race. Max was everywhere. Max was what made sense.

Four laps to go in the first race of the season. Max is right on Sainz Jr.’s tail now. He’s burning more rubber every second than ever before. Maximum force, maximum power indeed. He’s on fire, atleast figuratively! Toro Rosso has been fitted with last year’s Ferrari engines. This is not the time to play it safe. This is not the time to go for that single point.

“Tower, this is Ghostrider. Requesting a fly-by.”

“Negative Ghostrider! The pattern is full.”

Sainz Jr. seems to be winning this war against Max without even participating in it. Verstappen can’t believe it. He knows he has a better chance than his teammate to overtake the Renault in front of them. But right now he’s been told to hold back his position.

Three laps left. Why wouldn’t they let him fly?

He’s spun. Max has just clipped Sainz Jr. on the back. Disaster has struck. The boss will be angry. Sainz Jr. races away. There’s no damage to his car. Max, on the other hand, has just effectuated a doughnut. Round and round and round he goes. Maximum power, maximum frustration, maximum doughnuts!

“I’m losing control. I can’t control it.”

“Mayday, Mayday!”

There we have it. That answers the question. He’s still too young. He’s still too immature. He should have just listened. He could have bagged an easy point. Now he’s losing seconds. Sainz Jr. has taken a 4-second lead over his teammate now. Make that 5 seconds. Now 6. There’s no coming back. Just two laps left and a healthy lead. Time to think of a good excuse and hit the showers a little early.

But wait a minute. What’s happening?

Who’s that behind Sainz Jr.? Surely it can’t be him. But it is. It’s him. He’s back. He’s flying. He’s reduced the lead back to 1 second. How is this happening? Is this for real? How could he have gained so much so soon? Maybe Sainz Jr. slowed down. Are we sure that his car wasn’t affected? No, his car escaped unscathed from that collision. The lead’s now less than 1 second. It’s the final lap. Can he? Will he?

“Damn, this kid is good..”

Sebastian Vettel – The ‘Contract’ Killer!

Contracts, Shmontracts!

That’s what Paula Malai Ali had to say when she was asked to give her views on Sebastian Vettel’s imminent move to Ferrari. Can’t blame her anger, can we? Come to think about it contracts in any sport mean nothing if the right ‘amount’ of money is involved. Contracts have become the allegory equivalent of Novy Kapadia’s football commentary. We know that it is there, but does it really make a difference?

Football sees players signing 5-year multi mega deals every season only to leave 6 months later. Kind of a bummer, isn’t it? I mean why go through all the trouble and spend all that money just to have someone sign something that means nothing if, and when, someone else lures the said someone away by means of showering something (moolah) at ease? The answer – things need to be professional.

Okay! I guess it makes sense to an extent. I mean it’s kind of like a binding obligation that people need to respect in order to function in a civilized manner. It’s kind of like you washing your hands after using the toilet. It’s not necessary, but it’s advisable. But then why leave room for loopholes? Why have release clauses, buy-back clauses and all types of god forsaken clauses that are firm to suck happiness?

The answer to that might lie in the egocentric need of every individual to gain what’s best of a situation. All it took was a meticulously inserted clause in a sheet of paper called a “contract” and Vettel had an out. For Red Bull’s interest, I hope they too had some kind of a ridiculously repugnant clause that would guarantee them some kind of solace as well. Wait a minute. Of course they had. It was money! Right?

Now while Vettel’s move to Ferrari has still not been ‘officially’ confirmed, I guess because the “contract” must not have been signed, it’s just a matter of time that it will be. But what needs to be emphasized and scrutinized in the interim is the reason why the 4-time Formula 1 world champion decided to call it quits with Red Bull and decide that he wanted to ruin my team Ferrari for me.

Vettel seems to be at his diplomatic best when he said that the reason behind his leaving was that he wanted to "do something else, something new". Those are his exact words by the way. When loosely translated into simple English it means, “Fuck you Red Bull you couldn’t help me win those record-equaling 5 straight world titles you promised and therefore I’m off to do the implausible elsewhere.”

Not that he’s going to have any luck with Ferrari either. The Italian team are struggling themselves and run the risk of finishing outside the top three in the constructors’ championship for the first time since 1993. The last time Ferrari had a driver’s champion was in 2007 when Kimi ‘the iceman’ Raikkonen won. Mercedes on the other hand seem to have sorted their car out well for 2015 and it does not look likely that Ferrari would be able to match their ERS capabilities and present Vettel with a title-winning car.

Hmm! Okay! So if Vettel is smart enough he would obviously know that he won’t be winning anything for at least one more season. Unless of course if Ferrari pull off a Brawn. In that case Ferrari with Raikkonen and Vettel would be the undisputed coequal of Liverpool fielding Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together. Possible? All right! I got carried away there. But you get the gist of what I’m saying.

Coming back to the “something else, something new” expression, Vettel, who in exemplary fashion, has rewarded the team that made him what he is today ever since being spotted as a 12-year old nothing has failed to comprehend that no one is naive enough to fall for his jinky antics anymore. Especially not this late into the season.

What does “doing something else, something new” even mean? He got bored of racing with Red Bull? Or was it the fact that the shade of navy blue makes him look fat? Maybe red is the color for glory (ahem Liverpool). Tell me Seb! I’m dying to know what the phrase means. Because what I feel is that the one season that a rival teams literally blows the wind out of your sails you decide that you’ve had enough.

“It’s not a decision based on the current results, it’s more a voice inside me that kept growing and it’s a step that I’m very much looking forward to,” Vettel said.

Was that voice Daniel Ricciardo’s? Because to be overshadowed, by a newbie nonetheless, in stunning manner after exhibiting an aura of gnarly dominance would definitely be a hard bullet for Sebastian to swallow. A guy jumping from Torro Rosso and eclipsing a champion who has won the world title 4 times on the trot was an occurrence that none in the fraternity would have dared to call. Another year of such “debasing” and Vettel would have considered retirement.

So what was left to do? Move to a team that is synonymous with and is an epitome of Formula 1 at a time when it wants you more than you want it. Maybe that answers the “something else” part. I’m still having a hard time coming to terms with the “something new” part especially because Sebastian Vettel at 27 years of age seems to have done most of the things that any Formula 1 driver could dream of.

And as much as it hurts me to agree, he has been one helluva driver. People might say that Red Bull gave him a great car and that he was just a puppet in the cockpit following orders and being given the right instructions to do the right things at the right time, but in all fairness his records speak for themselves.

He was the youngest driver  to drive at a Grand Prix, the youngest Grand Prix pole position winner, the youngest Grand Prix winner, the youngest Formula One world champion, the youngest driver to bag a podium position, the youngest driver to score a grand slam (pole position, win, fastest lap, and led every lap) – which sadly was at the 2011 Indian Grand Prix – and many many more ‘young’ records.

In addition, Vettel currently holds the records for most championship points earned in a season, the most podium finishes in a season, the most starts from front row in a season, the most wins in a season, the most pole positions in a season, the most laps led in a season, the most consecutive wins, the most wins from pole position in a season and numerous other achievements.

Please note that I’ve left out most of his other records because it was kind of getting depressing, distressing, discouraging and dispiriting to write a note about his superiority and find out that he actually came quite close to becoming the greatest of all time. If only Mercedes had not decided that enough was enough and it’s time to “recover” some long-lost “energy”.

Hence, what I’ve understood from this is that the “something else, something new” a guy with Sebastian Vettel’s “always-wanting-to-win-and-sulking-when-losing façade” can do, with a team that has been struggling for the past seven years in a sport that it has made itself tantamount with, is -------------------------- Kill another “Contract”! J

In Formula 1, two flints indeed start a fire!

It’s been an interesting Formula 1 season thus far. Despite the fact that Mercedes, led by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, have dominated 6 out of the 7 races, one can argue the fact that the season is still quite open.  However, Mercedes’ unprecedented dominance is not what makes the season stimulating. We’ve had teams dominate F1 in the past. It’s not something that is new. The Ferraris, the Renaults, the Brawns, the Red Bulls, etc have all been there done that. What makes this season one to watch right till the end is that it’s yet again encouraging the “whether F1 is a team sport or not” debate in probably the most intriguing manner possible.

Ever since the inception of the sport and the controversies that came along with it, there have been numerous discussions about the same. Generally there is always this one team every season that has to deal the frustrating problem of managing two “hotshot” drivers. However, with the events that conspired at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the starting of the season and those at the recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix, one can safely arrive at the conclusion that this season there definitely is more than one team that is facing this conundrum.

 Interestingly, when the current season started, people thought (nay believed) that the team this season bound to be faced with “team-order issues” is going to be Ferrari. And who can blame their thinking. Fernando Alonso teaming up with the ‘Iceman’ Kimi Raikkonen would make any F1 fanatic jump up and feel that it was just a combination waiting to explode and cause chemical chaos. After all, it was Alonso’s arrival that proved to be the catalyst in Kimi’s leaving Ferrari in the first place. Both can be cocky and neither would settle for being designated as the “number 2” driver. Both drivers have statistics that speak volumes about their illustrious careers in F1. And the cherry that tops it all off is the fact that they both were racing for a team called “Ferrari”, whose history when it comes to teamwork is quite “brilliant” in itself. But, the 2014 season painted a much altered image of what one had in mind.

Enter Mercedes - the team that dominated the pre-season testing with their hybrid engine technology. The team knew clearly that this technological advancement would put the Silver Arrows right at the top. They knew that this was going to be their season to lose. And worst of all, Hamilton and Rosberg knew that they’ve been blessed with a car that could make them start dreaming again. Hamilton, who won the 2008 drivers’ championship by a single point, would surely want to bask in that glory again. And of course Rosberg, who we all know is one the most hardworking drivers on the circuit, would surely like to get a taste of being called world champion. Hence, back came the problem. Who was going to be No. 1?

 See the thing with Formula 1 “teams” is that they actually intend to function as a team to win championships by exploiting individual talents. Therefore, every team that has a limited budget would always designate their two drivers as No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 1 driver of course would be given the better car, would be given more attention and would be the “hero” for whom the No. 2 would have to always make sacrifices. And that is where every team is faced with the moral dilemma of who’s what.

No team on the face of it would come out openly and say that “X” is the No. 1 driver and “Y” is No. 2. It is unethical, immoral and quite frankly illegal to some extent as well. What they do on the other hand is to pull off certain strategies and make it sound like it’s a “team order” meant for the benefit of both drivers. For instance, at the Malaysian Grand Prix this season Williams driver Felipe Massa was clearly told on the radio to let his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who was just one spot behind and on “better tyres”, pass ahead because apparently Bottas had a shot at overtaking the driver in front of Massa.

So let’s get one thing straight, shall we? Team orders in Formula 1 are clearly meant for creating a pecking order between the drivers in a team so that they don’t run the risk of not finishing their individual races or end up colliding with each other. What cannot (or rather should not) be done is to camouflage drivers preferences/designations with team orders. When the drivers are out there racing, it’s every man for himself. They need to worry about the drivers’ championship and the team needs to worry about the constructors’ championship. What cannot be (and again should not) be done is the team worrying about the drivers’ championship. Because that is where priorities are set and predilections are created.

Let’s take another example and come back to the point I made earlier about Ferrari having a “brilliant” history when it comes to team orders. At the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix Rubens Barrichello, who had led the race for majority of the laps, was ordered at the very last lap on the radio to let teammate Michael Schumacher pass in order for Schumi to have a better chance at competing for the drivers’ championship. Thinking about the situation objectively, it would have in no way hindered Ferrari’s position in the constructors’ championship had Barrichello won the race. It would still have been a 1-2 finish for the team. And therefore, this event clearly brought out the driver designation theory in open.

Another appalling incident happened at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when Renault implemented the “team order” loophole to order Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash his car as the same would then result in a safety car being called on the track and would in return allow teammate Fernando Alonso to cruise through to victory without having anyone bothering him for overtaking. Nowadays, however, the thing that is of concern is that it is the drivers who want to be in control. They are no longer listening to these “team orders” because everyone is insecure beyond limit and almost every driver feels the only reason why the team is passing a certain order is because it, in some discreet manner, is favoring the other driver.

 And that is where the 2014 Formula 1 season comes into play with its captivating happenings. The recently-concluded Canadian Grand Prix was probably the most enthralling of all races this season. It was event-packed and full of drama ever since the five lights went out. As usual Mercedes led the rest of the pack with its impeccable driving. Rosberg was leading Hamilton and Mercedes were all set to bag their seventh 1-2 finish on the trot. However, somewhere around the 30-35 lap some interesting events started to churn up.

Mercedes, who quite frankly have been struggling the whole season with handling Rosberg and Hamilton, issued a “genuine” team order that politely asked both drivers to not exert too much pressure on their cars and save energy for ERS implementation. The order was perfectly in line with the rules as it focused on the team’s benefits and not the drivers’. But the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry that had been waiting to explode ever since the qualifying fiasco at the Monaco Grand Prix proved to overshadow the authority. As a result, Hamilton had to retire at the fag end with a brake snag while Rosberg ended up surrendering his number 1 spot to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Keeping in mind the famous saying that goes “it takes two to tango”, the problem does not just lie with F1 teams issuing driver-specific orders discreetly in the form of “team orders”. The problem is much more beyond that. It goes as deep as the teams being helpless in front of the drivers. It goes as deep as the teams feeling the need to favor a certain driver so that his image can bring in the moolah. And it goes as deep as the team encouraging this great drama that promotes the sport in a more enchanting manner. The question remains though – whose ‘flint’ are you on?