This is the beginning of a series of articles from Awl Sports Blogger about, well, sports.
On Sunday 14th November 2010 there wasn’t any good news coming from the world of Formula One if you happen to be an Aussie …
The brightly lit Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi was not a place of raw hope as you watched for lap after lap, Mark Webber’s bid to claim the 2010 World Drivers Championship end in an anti-climax. All coming down to an unlikely strategy gamble that didn’t pay off, played out on yet another brand new circuit where somehow it’s impossible to overtake.
It’s like waiting to go in to the Dentist’s chair … you just know what pain is coming next. As soon as Webber and his Red Bull team made an early pit stop, enticing Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso to do the same, it was clear for all to see that Webber’s team mate and fierce rival Sebastian Vettel would cruise to an easy race win and collect the title.
(If you’re a Vettel fan or still just wondering how it all went wrong, full results and video highlights are available from www.f1.com ).
So a mere few days after and your humble author is surfing round the net … something to do in between crying into my cornflakes and wording my Xmas card to (F1 Circuit Designer) Hermann Tilke … when what do I see but news of an Aussie Red Bull driver dominating in Abu Dhabi!!
Not waiting for the resentment to really build up, I was all ready to take aim at whichever group of Vettel fans were hoaxing and trying to rub the salt in to the still very raw, open, possibly infected wound in my Aussie pride. Of course I was overreacting, this was no hoax and the story was quite real.
Now it wasn’t our mate Mark Webber sliding the dual championship RBR6 race car back into the headlines. While poor old Mark was already off on his holidays, ruefully remembering the piece of Korean curb where he left his 2010 world title hopes two weeks ago. Australia’s next world champion was putting a Red Bull F1 car through its paces. F1 diehards will know whom I talking about—Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull F1 reserve and test driver. If you don’t know the name check out his official website at: www.danielricciardo.com.
Just a mere few days after the chequered flag fell on the final F1 race for 2010, the teams were at it again with a young driver test being held at the same Yas Marina circuit as last Sundays Grand Prix. Yes it was our man Dan hitting the headlines by setting the fastest lap time on both days of the test. (If you want the lowdown www.pitpass.com has a very good archive of all race and test results).
So what’s the big deal you say?? Well let’s look a little deeper …
Across two days Ricciardo has just blitzed his competition, his nearest rival on each day being no closer than 7 tenths of second adrift—which is gaping daylight in F1 terms. Let’s make no mistake the drivers at this test are some of his closest rivals for F1 race seats for 2011 and beyond and they have all been left trailing in his wake, with the people who matter in F1 sitting up and taking notice.
Given the different track conditions from day to day it can be hard to judge, but F1 insiders say his lap time would have seen him line up 3rd on the grid had it been posted during qualifying for last Sundays Grand Prix. (See article from Autosport ). So not only would his effort have edged out the time of former double world champ Fernando Alonso but also … say it quietly … the offering of the veteran Mark Webber.
Keep in mind here … Ricciardo is a young guy who has four days total driving in the seat of an F1 car and he’s matching drivers with many thousands of laps run in testing and racing. Ricciardo’s performance is both impressive and well-timed. What with the minimal testing in modern F1, you always need to make a great first impression. Job done mate. Now Ricciardo adds this test to his already impressive CV, notable was his performance last year in winning the notoriously tough British F3 junior category in dominant fashion. Could we have an Aussie Schumacher or Alonso in the making?
(If you want to find out more about the man himself—check out his official website: www.danielricciardo.com ).
So what’s to play for? With both drivers in the Red Bull 2nd team Toro Rosso (means Red Bull in Italian) namely Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Algesuari both underwhelming after multiple seasons in F1, how long will the Red Bull family resist giving our guy a look in? Maybe even as early as next season if one of those boys doesn’t start bringing home the bacon.
Of course the real carrot is a seat with the A-team itself at Red Bull Racing. Rumours abound that 2011 might be Webber’s swansong … If true then a straight swap Ricciardo for Webber sure would be a neat solution for Aussie race fans! Then again recent comments made to the media by Sebastian Vettel just days after securing his and Red Bull’s first championship might have the Red Bull boss men at Milton Keynes planning for the future.
If Vettel is ready to jump ship to Ferrari or another marquee team at the end of next year and Webber stays on, might we see an Aussie dream team? Picture it … Webber and Ricciardo, do or die battle for the crown! Beautiful … Is it far-fetched? Maybe … maybe not …
It’s now been 30 years since Alan Jones piloted his Williams to a World Drivers Championship—the last Aussie to do so. Many hearts (mine included) were pretty low when what appeared to be our best chance to capture a title after years of manful toil from Mark, slipped by in sight of the finish line. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a bash at Webber, he’s a great driver, he still has my support … but I still think the next Aussie to win a world title, will be driving a Red Bull car, but it won’t be the man we all thought.
This series follows on with Can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t throw?