Welcome to the first matchup of the second round. Things are getting tough now, and more importantly, unpredictable. Who could have predicted that Massa and Hamilton would be out in the first round?
Having seen off Piquet in the first round, Rosberg now faces the might of Robert Kubica. On track, the Pole has the edge, having a better car and a better success rate. However, when it comes to personality, Rosberg claws it back. Often seen gladly taking part in PR events, with a big smile on his face, Nico always seems to be having a good time. Kubica is quieter, but that doesn't mean he's lacking in character.
It’s a rollercoaster ride for Formula 1 drivers at the moment, especially for those who are teetering on the brink of expulsion from their teams. We already know Heidfeld is being observed closely, and with the Alonso-to-BMW rumours getting stronger, he’s probably quite worried right now. Bourdais is also under scrutiny, having been told to shine just that little bit more.
Le Seb has hit back, though, and said to his team that there’s no point keeping him if they think he’s going to adapt to a car that he doesn’t like and isn’t working.
If they believe in my potential and my perception of things, which I personally believe can lead to an even better car because it has always been the way I function, then yes, we should definitely give it a try, keep on working and make it better.
It does seem as though Bourdais (despite the luck) has picked up his game, so perhaps the car is working now, and maybe he does like it. Whether that gets him a place for next year, we don’t yet know, but this has made me think. Is it possible for a driver to not suit a car so much that he has to leave?
Restructuring
Some drivers are a bit too tall, aren’t they? Kubica is tall, and Webber has to fold himself in half to get into the car. Wurz has also suffered for his height. In 2005, McLaren designed their car around Raikkonen and Montoya, obviously, and believing third driver Wurz was moving on, they ignored him. He just didn’t fit in the cockpit.
It’s not just about height, either. Kubica (him again) was very vocal about his weight loss at the start of this season, something he undertook specifically to help the balance of the car.
Personality
You don’t have to look very far back at all to find a driver struggling to fit in with his team. Alonso and McLaren in 2007 were just a complete mismatch almost from the word go. Forget about battling with your team mate, if you’re not fitting in with the bosses, then it’s going to be a tough season. If you last the season. Scott Speed saw the harsh realities of this in 2007 as well.
Flavio has never been one to support a driver if he's not pulling his weight, and Kovalainen never seemed to fit in at Renault, whereas he's slipped into the McLaren role very nicely indeed. Raikkonen went the other way, presumably glad to see the back of Mr Dennis, given how relaxed and happy he was donning the red suit instead.
Mechanics
What I’m curious about is a driver just not getting to grips with the car itself. If I remember correctly, Alonso campaigned for McLaren to change his brakes from one supplier to another because they suited him better. Does that mean he would never have been as fast last year if they had refused to budge? How far should a team adapt for their driver, and does it depend on whether they rate his chances or not?
You can imagine Toro Rosso would be willing to tweak their designs slightly for Vettel, but apparently not for Bourdais. Have there been any other examples of this in the past? Does it mean that I’m judging some drivers harshly when really it’s just a bad fit?
