With the Formula One Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships having been wrapped up by Red Bull in India, the battle for second place has come down to the final round in Brazil.
Mercedes, Ferrari and Lotus are in the thick of a three-way duel for that second place,the reward of more prize money on the line.
For the likes of Ferrari and Lotus, the thought of extra funding is crucial for the future. Especially Lotus, who are currently embroiled in a financial crisis which has already claimed their star driver, Kimi Raikkonen.
Lotus have still not yet announced their second driver for 2014, with the decision hanging in the balance between the talent of Nico Hulkenberg or the big bucks of Pastor Maldonado.
Extra money from the Constructors’ Championship would be a blessing heading into 2014.
From a technical viewpoint, Ferrari is also in need of extra money by finishing second. They came into the 2013 season with a strong package, however as the season progressed, their car became more and more uncompetitive.
The lack of an up-to-date wind tunnel facility is partially to blame. And with their ‘dream’ driver line-up for 2014, the extra euros wouldn’t hurt.
The Silver Arrows team currently heads the three-way stoush by 15 points over Ferrari. Lotus sits fourth, trailing Mercedes by 33 points.
The two podium finishes that Nico Rosberg picked up in India and Abu Dhabi have helped Mercedes to take advantage of the dip in the form of Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso has been unable to finish on the podium since the Singapore Grand Prix, which was five races ago, though the Spaniard has finished fifth in the last two races.
Felipe Massa, meanwhile, failed to score points in Austin, and his best finish in the second half of the season has been two fourth places in Italy and India.
The driver on the charge at the moment is Romain Grosjean. It seems ever since his teammate Raikkonen announced he’d be off to Ferrari next year, the Frenchman has stepped up to the plate at the new leader at the Lotus F1 Team.
When you combine the total points over the last five races, Grosjean has outscored everyone bar Sebastian Vettel. Another podium finish in Austin has ensured that Lotus at least oust Ferrari for third.
Lotus’ only problem in this situation is that Raikkonen has opted to end his season early for back surgery. For the final two races, the team had pondered a variety of replacements for the injured Finn, from the likes of their reserve driver Davide Valsecchi to the retired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
Eventually, the experienced Heikki Kovalainen was brought in. He did impress during the early part of the United States GP weekend, however in the race ended up in 14th.
It would be safe to say that Mercedes have that second place sealed, even with Grosjean’s recent run of form. Lotus would need to rely on both drivers bringing in a big haul of points in Interlagos to trump the Silver Arrows, but it is more likely they may snatch third from the red team.
Nevertheless, this is Brazil. If history is anything to go by, then the race will be full of drama and uncertainty.
It is also the last time that Sao Paulo local boy Massa will be in the seat of a Ferrari, so there will definitely be added incentive for him to bring his fans a good result. Ferrari would have to rely on changeable conditions for any hope of overtaking Mercedes, and the current forecast is for rain and storms.
The final verdict then is that Mercedes will finish second and that Lotus is more likely to take third off Ferrari, provided Kovalainen fares well.
With the form that Ferrari are in, they will have to pray for rain to get both Alonso and Massa ahead of the other four cars on track.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Five-years is a long time in motorsport, let alone the general state of the world – especially given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic…
Red Bull and Max Verstappen vaulted right back to the top of the charts with a win in Suzuka, after his DNF in Melbourne.
Japan Grand Prix has been the most entertaining of the season to date, but Max Verstappen was back to his winning ways.
This season is only four races old, but Fernando Alonso needs to decide on his future beyond this year sooner rather than later. Formula…
It’s a pretty good time to be a Tasmanian sports fan right now. After years in the sporting wilderness with not much to celebrate,…
The question remains where the Australian Grand Prix winner will be in 2025 and whether it’ll be somewhere his value can truly be appreciated.
