7 Most Impressive Drivers So Far: Valtteri Bottas

My personal favourite rookie this year has done quite a lot to show he deserves his spot at the Williams team over that money grabbing monkey Bruno Senna. Bottas was one of the highly anticipated arrivals this year after his impressive FP1 performances last year, often outperforming many drivers with full time drivers.

Despite not scoring any points, he has certainly lived up to the hype. It was highly disappointing to see him not only retire for the first time in Hungary, but also to see Pastor Maldonado to win Williams first and so far only single point. With the pace of the FW35 being highly disturbing, no one could have predicted what would happen in the wet.

During a wet qualifying session in Canada, The Flying Finn managed to put his car on the second row of the grid, P3. It certainly shocked us all but as great as the lap was, the end result was the complete opposite finishing away down in P14. 

What sets Bottas apart from the other four rookies this year is where he came from. The other rookies all came from GP2 (Jules Bianchi has raced in the series but came from Formula Renault 3.5). I'm not the biggest fan of the GP2 series, I think it breeds a different kind of driver in a negative way. Bottas is the best of the rest after finishing P11 in Malaysia, and until Maldonado scored the single point he was beating him. I'm not saying GP2 is a bad series, but it hasn't really produced a champion since Lewis Hamilton and it doesn't look as though it'll produce another one any time soon. 

Concern is expressed over where he'll be next year. Formula 1 really needs this guy, he is by all definitions a well rounded driver. He never has tyre problems, he manages his race strategy really well and he has a great arsenal of overtaking moves. In a series that is become more and more crowded with pay drivers and over hyped youngsters, Bottas is the breath of fresh air this sport needs. Give him a quicker car and it will pay dividends.

Though his score tally or lack of TV coverage may not be impressive, I think he's one to watch for the future, and I always get excited when he's racing.

2013 Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Canada always throws up an exciting race, in my opinion it is the best Grand Prix to watch because of the unpredictability. The 2011 race was my absolute favourite of all time, and I hope this years will be just as good!

Q1 started under wet conditions, a few drivers such as Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen and Marussia's Jules Bianchi tried slicks but soon found themselves straight off the track.

Ferrari Mishaps

When Ferrari called both their drivers in to change their tyres, they didn't look to closely at each drivers track positions. Felipe Massa wasn't prepared to leave his pit box when team mate Fernando Alonso came in to change his tyres. The encounter looked awkward but hilarious!

However the second mishap wasn't so funny. In an even wetter Q2, Massa had a second qualifying disaster when he took his car onto the slippery wet lines in sector 1. The result was a huge sideways smash, clocking in 5 G's and a red flag for the session.

Massa after the accident.

Felipe was able to walk away unharmed, the frustration in the car was adamant after he banged on his steering wheel immediately. After a Monaco crash that seen him sent to hospital, this isn't what the resurgent Massa needed. A dry race will be his only hope if he is to salvage anything.

Phenomenal Bottas Shows His Salt

Just whenever the critics start hitting him, he throws a huge left hook back. Valtteri Bottas not only shocked the world in Q1 & Q2 by setting quick times, but he managed to grab P3 in Q3 after setting a blindingly quick lap.

I have always believed the boy is talented but being held back by his team and car, but something went very very right for the Williams team today, and I am very glad it happened to him and not Pastor Maldonado, that would have been an opportunity wasted.

Strong Push From Raikkonen and Alonso

Sebastian Vettel was the overall quickest driver by nailing pole position, but the man sitting in second place in the championship could only achieve P9 and then got set back further by a grid penalty. There is no doubt in my mind that Kimi Raikkonen will throw us up a strong push tomorrow, providing a hugely entertaining race.

That is until he gets stuck behind a Mercedes and forgets how to overtake. Kimi give us those final two laps in Monaco again, but make them last a whole race. Please?

Likewise, Fernando Alonso will need a monster drive from P6 if he is to achieve anything. Because his car is so kind to his tyres (like Kimi) he is not so effective in wet weather conditions. This is bad because the weather is ridiculously unpredictable. 

I couldn't honestly begin to fathom a prediction for tomorrow. Common sense dictates Vettel, but the motorsport fan in me says Kimi could achieve greatness if he would just bloody take a chance. Being Mr. Conservative won nobody a title ever! Alonso is the in the better position and if it's a dry race, I think he'll start on the harder compound. I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

Lewis Hamilton didn't look to happy with P2. That's maybe because he knows he'll slip away down the field and hold up Raikkonen!

Thanks very much for reading! Please let know what you think in the comments section!

RESULTS (NOT INCLUDING PENALTIES) (AUTOSPORT):

Pos Driver                Team                 Time           Gap   
 1. Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault     1m25.425s  
 2. Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes             1m25.512s  + 0.087s
 3. Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Renault     1m25.897s  + 0.472s
 4. Nico Rosberg          Mercedes             1m26.008s  + 0.583s
 5. Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault     1m26.208s  + 0.783s
 6. Fernando Alonso       Ferrari              1m26.504s  + 1.079s
 7. Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m26.543s  + 1.118s
 8. Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes 1m27.348s  + 1.923s
 9. Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault        1m27.432s  + 2.007s
10. Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m27.946s  + 2.521s
Q2 cut-off time: 1m36.811s                                   Gap **
11. Nico Hulkenberg       Sauber-Ferrari       1m29.435s  + 1.786s
12. Sergio Perez          McLaren-Mercedes     1m29.761s  + 2.112s
13. Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault     1m29.917s  + 2.268s
14. Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes     1m30.068s  + 2.419s
15. Esteban Gutierrez     Sauber-Ferrari       1m30.315s  + 2.666s
16. Felipe Massa          Ferrari              1m30.354s  + 2.705s
Q1 cut-off time: 1m24.776s                                    Gap *
17. Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes 1m24.908s  + 2.590
18. Charles Pic           Caterham-Renault     1m25.626s  + 3.308
19. Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault        1m25.716s  + 3.398
20. Jules Bianchi         Marussia-Cosworth    1m26.508s  + 4.190
21. Max Chilton           Marussia-Cosworth    1m27.062s  + 4.744
22. Giedo van der Garde   Caterham-Renault     1m27.110s  + 4.792

The Story So Far... Part One

We're a good way through the season now and I think it's time to look at the progress of all the teams and drivers. I had promised to do a driver a day but that would have interrupted Canada which is shaping up to be the most exciting Grand Prix yet again.

Nobody could have guessed who would have won the first race, and no one could have predicted the controversy we have already faced. But we've had a new Monaco winner, progression from some teams and regression from others. Over the next few days I'll be taking a close look at each team and how they have performed so far. Please enjoy!

Marussia
Currently chilling above Caterham in the Constructors Championship which is their goal, I'd say their season is off to a blinder. KERS has appeared to boost their performance and the attitude around the team seems to be rather positive. Keep this up and good things will happen. The disappearance of the 10th place money prize could either make or break their existence in the future however.

Max Chilton
Like a typical pay-driver, he hasn't met the standard. I love the fact he's a Brit, however his performances compared to the rest of the back markers (especially when it comes to qualifying) is poor. I can see him getting better though as the season progresses. The boy will learn but unfortunately he'll always just be a cash flow to Marussia. When they no longer need it, he could find himself replaced.

Monaco proved a low point when he miscalculated the gap between him and Pastor Maldonado, resulting in a major collision. Regardless, Max achieved his best position (twice) and unlike the other three back runners, Max has finished every race so far.

Jules Bianchi
It nearly didn't come together for the young Frenchman! He was overlooked for the Force India seat after they elected to go for Adrian Sutil. In my eyes (and hopefully the masses) they made the wrong decision. This guy is quick. Pure speed and class. He relishes having an unheard of second chance and he is refusing to waste it.

Bianchi constantly out qualifies his team mate and his Caterham counterparts, and places his team in 10th place because of his P13 finish in Malaysia. The guy will not be at the back for long. Someone like Sauber who love young aces like this guy will want him. When Paul di Resta moves up the grid, Force India should definitely give Jules first preference. 

What's even more promising is the fact he is a member of Ferrari's Driver Academy. Future World Champion?

Caterham
Despite having the nicest livery, I've been really disappointed. Caterham's goals just keep on getting bigger and bigger, but their achievements keep getting smaller and smaller.

It's not come together for them yet despite major updates in Spain. A huge design flaw is holding them back, and an inexperienced driver line-up isn't helping matters.



Charles Pic
Last year, I thought Pic's move from Marussia was a smart one. Little did I know Pic would take two steps back. I don't think he's driven badly, I think it's the car holding him back.

If Tony Fernandes would get serious about F1 and stop dicking about with ridiculous second rate soccer ball teams, then we might have Caterham spectacle to watch.

It's impossible to judge based on the awful performance of that CT03, but at least he's remained relatively incident free.

Giedo van der Garde
Not amused lad, not amused (said Nathan to VDG).

He's not impressed me one bit, in fact I think he is very dangerous. His ridiculous move in Bahrain on Jean-Eric Vergne resulted in him t-boning the Toro Rosso driver, this is on top of many instances of poor control and lack of mental confidence.

Why he's driving instead of Heikki Kovalainen I will never know. Caterham are probably trying to milk his cash and then bring the Flying Finn back. Anybody is better than this Dutch clown.

NOTE: I am a firm believer that both these teams are bluffing to prepare for next year. With a Russian Grand Prix due in 2014, the Sociologist in me is saying that Russian President Vlad. Putin will want a Russian driver on the grid (Vitaly Petrov).

Williams
To say they have gone backwards is fair in many respects, but bare in mind, the blocks to the bright future for Williams are there. I've discovered them here.

The best thing they could have done was deport that useless waste of space [Bruno] Senna out of the sport, and thank Christ they did.

Pastor Maldonado
The Pastor Disaster that we seen in the early stages of last season seemed to have disappeared towards the end, and his no incident streak has continued since. The big accident in Monaco wasn't his fault and he has seemed to calm down overall as a driver.

However while cutting down the number of incidents, he has also cut down strong results. While not being helped by the abysmal form of the car, Maldonado failed to out qualify his rookie team mate for some time.

Pastor has failed to finish half the races and hasn't even looked like scoring a point. Constantly complaining about the car isn't going to help matters, but focusing on 2014 is key. Not that Maldonado is safe for next year...

Valtteri Bottas
Is his great form a surprise? Not to me. I called it well before the start that this guy would be an enigma and while not totally evident as of yet, signs and patterns are strongly emerging.

His results have been impeccable, winning the qualifying battle with Maldonado and coming close to scoring his maiden point in Malaysia have all shown signs of supreme driving talent.

It's a pity the only thing holding him back is a crap car. I really hope it doesn't dictate his 2014 drive. If it does, the sport will have passed up on a great star, and a definite future world champion.

The Next Step For Williams

I think it's safe to say, Williams need some sort of paradigm shift. Yesterday they confirmed reports that as of next year they will run Mercedes Benz engines. Team Principle Sir Frank Williams released a statement yesterday:

“I’m delighted to announce our new association with Mercedes-Benz for the 2014 Formula One season and beyond. Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport’s most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will have an extremely competitive engine package. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Renault for their continued hard work since we renewed our engine partnership at the beginning of the 2012 season. We have enjoyed a strong relationship that has resulted in much success over the years, including powering us to winning ways once again last year at the Spanish Grand Prix,”

It really does give the impression of a match made in heaven. Mercedes Benz love to innovate driving and Williams are world renowned for technological and local innovation, but is this enough to bring back the good ol' days?

First of all, no. The current partnership with Renault only began last year, they made the switch from Cosworth and although it brought them a race win in 2012, afterwards everything went down hill from Pastor Maldonado going on an all out rampage against decent driving, and Bruno Senna displaying that he couldn't be quick on an empty track. In fact, with seven different engine manufacturers (Cosworth twice) since their last drivers and constructors championship's in 1997, history shows it'll take a little more.

Indeed, they definitely took steps forward this season by getting rid of that waste of space [Bruno] Senna by replacing him with the absolute prodigy, Valtteri Bottas. However something went horribly McLaren (or wrong) in the development of this year's car, the FW35. Maldonado called it a step backwards. Had they provided Bottas with a car of last years potential, big points could have been achieved, podium points.

All is not lost however. While an engine change is clearly not a race winning change, Williams already have the blocks for success. It's just a matter of putting them together.

The first step is looking towards next season. My Formula 1 has always placed strong emphasis on next season's formula change, and I believe Williams are playing a decoy here. Let's be blunt, the car this year is crap. It struggles for race pace and rarely exceeds Q1, it's almost like they haven't tried. There is a very good chance they are focused entirely on 2014's challenge, and I wouldn't blame them. Potentially we could see Caterham's (long shot, I know) getting big points next year, so count nothing out.

The next move that Williams should play is to do with their drivers, and I bet you're all thinking the same. Get Maldonado out. He's no worth to anyone. After the death of his country's leader, funding for Maldonado has been under threat from the new government, and since that's all he's there for, it's safe to say he wont have a drive next year.

In terms of Bottas, to start winning races or even performing consistently, that man needs high level Vettel/Alonso treatment. He needs to marked outright as team leader and number one driver. The young Flying Finn has multiple world championships in him, he needs the team to rally behind him. It would be stupid not to!

This year also saw Sir Frank appoint his successor (and daughter) Claire Williams to take over when he retires. A breath of fresh air like this could seriously lift the team to better heights. It could also see the push for Susie Wolff to become a full time driver. This might give women in F1 the push it finally needs. There are a lot of people opposed to having female F1 drivers, but the times are changing rather fast. Indycar seen four women race at the Indy500, and Danica Patrick is breaking records for female NASCAR drivers. As a market, F1 could look unappealing if it doesn't show it's a 21st century organisation.

Everything Williams need is right at their finger tips. While losing Toto Wolff to Mercedes is a big deal, it has bound to have played a part in securing a "long term" Mercedes engine deal. It's whether or not Williams can take a step back, look at the mess they are in, and say "right this is what's happening." 

As a British-Irish F1 fan, it's sad to see Williams fail as they are doing. it's actually a joke. Enough is enough with the whole Maldonado thing, Claire should take over the running and Bottas needs to be given the support he deserves. A new engine deal is the first step, not a revolution. That will only come when big changes are made.

Barcelona: Day One

Here we are. One step closer to the beginning of something very beautiful, the 2013 Formula 1 season. Barcelona hosts yet again another four days of testing, raising a couple of issues; will the rain play havoc once again? And will we see pace closer to the race pace we'll see in Australia? Fan favourites like Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa are all in action today. Rookies Valtteri Bottas and Max Chilton were also piloting their Williams and Marussia's respectively. Chilton looks to be in the car for the whole four days unless Luiz Razia can get his sponsorship issue sorted.

Final Standings

  1. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:22.693s

  2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:24.348s

  3. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1:25.017s

  4. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:26.458s

  5. Sergio Perez (McLaren) 1:26.538s

  6. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) 1:26.574s

  7. Paul di Resta (Force India) 1:27.107s

  8. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:27.541s

  9. Max Chilton (Marussia) 1:28.166s

10. Charles Pic (Caterham) 1:28.644s

11. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 1:34.928s

Well... What can I really say? Other than, it looks as if we're in for another 2011. If you're unsure what that means, essentially it boils down to puppet boy getting controlled by the wonderful mind that is Adrian Newey. If you're unsure what THAT means, Sebastian Vettel will fly away to another title that someone has won for him. Red Bull's Mark Webber dominated the session by going 1.6s quicker than Lewis Hamilton in second place. That is an insane pace made on a drying track after rain hit the circuit all morning.

The Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne and Williams of Valtteri Bottas enjoyed quick pace as did Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez who at one point had the quickest time. Max Chilton also continued Marussia's quicker pace over their rivals Caterham.

Felipe Massa had to end his day early after his Ferrari ran out of fuel on track. Reports are that this was deliberate and part of a data programme designed to read how the car reacts under dangerous amounts of low fuel. Going by earlier pace, Massa could have been closer to Webber if he had continued the session, this could contribute to the difference in speed. Another factor that reciprocates throughout every single session is that no one knows just how much fuel anybody has on board at one time, thus affecting the time sheets.

Lotus's misery continues for another day as Romain Grosjean drifted off the racing track. The E21's brilliance from Jerez seems nothing but a distant memory at this point for the fans.

Barcelona: Day One & Two

Testing resumes again this time at the beautiful Circuit de Catalunya in sunny Barcelona. The 2.8 mile circuit plays host to the Spanish Grand Prix, an event that could soon be shared with the Valencia Street circuit. This test will be a more representable picture of race pace for the beginning of the season, unlike Jerez which was mainly used for sorting out reliability issues.

One of the key figures missing from the Jerez test was 2012 runner up Fernando Alonso who was not featured at all. Day one marked the first time that he has been in the F138. Positive performers such as Lotus, Red Bull and Force India will be looking to build on their current foundations while under performers like Mercedes and Williams who were in their brand new FW35 for the first time will be seeking ways of improving.

Day One Final Standings

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 1m.22.616s
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) – 1m.22.623
3. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 1m.22.952
4. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) – 1m.22.965
5. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) – 1m.23.733
6. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) – 1m.23.884
7. Sergio Perez (McLaren) – 1m.24.124
8. Paul di Resta (Force India) – 1m.24.144
9. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) – 1m.25.124
10. Max Chilton (Marussia) – 1m.26.747
11. Charles Pic (Caterham) – 1m.27.534

The top spot was in constant change throughout the day with numerous drivers setting quick laps, some even went on to beat themselves. In the end, it was Nico Rosberg who put his Mercedes on top at the end of the day, finally putting behind all of the mechanical issues of Jerez. Ross Brawn's team look as though they have finally put their demons to rest. Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen also continued to show their unbelievably quick and consistent pace setting the overall second quickest, he was follwed by Fernando Alonso who was the early pace setter. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel also continued a theme of consistency keeping his RB9 within mere tenths of the top spot.

Sergio Perez and McLaren finished a disappointing 7th overall, some have argued that their lack of pace is not a good showing for their 2013 title ambitions. 

On a positive note, the back marker teams of Marussia and Caterham (driven by Max Chilton and Charles Pic respectively) were not too far off the midfield teams. Don't read too much into it though, odds are they'll still cause havoc again this season.

Day Two

A few drivers changed around, Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to emulate his team mate Nico Rosberg's success in day one and the young Flying Finn Valtteri Bottas hops in for his first full taste of the new FW35.

Final Standings

1. Sergio Perez (McLaren) 1m.21.848s
2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1m.22.197s
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 1m.22.697s
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m.22.726s
5. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1m.23.247s
6. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1m.23.561s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) 1m.23.718s
8. Paul di Resta (Force India) 1m.23.971s
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) 1m.24.205s
10. Max Chilton (Marussia) 1m.25.115s
11. Charles Pic (Caterham) 1m.26.243s

Day two marked an event with very little red flags. In fact there were only two towards the very end of the session. Therefore all the simulation work the teams carried out will have collected very rich data, very beneficial as the start of the season looms. The man on top today could not have contrasted any further from his performance yesterday, Sergio Perez drove his McLaren to the top of the time sheet putting a considerable amount of daylight between himself and second placed Sebastian Vettel who was at the top for a considerable portion of the day.

Disappointment and even less laps for Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus today as the E29 suffered it's worst bout of reliability issues yet after suffering a gearbox problem. Not enough to stop him from setting the  third fastest time, but still a cause for concern as Kimi set an unprecedented record last season for completing every single lap in the year. Lotus were not alone, Red Bull and Ferrari both had reliability concerns. Hamilton completed a series of laps to put his crash nightmare of Jerez behind him, moving forwards in good strides.

I must say, the one team who have continued to impress me throughout every single test session this  year is Toro Rosso. They are doing an excellent job and I hope it brings them good fortune this year. I need someone at Red Bull whom I actually like instead of a German 'yes man.'

Check back here tomorrow where I will have a run down of day three!

Note

There will be no review of the Williams FW35. The car is very much unaltered and I am not particularly fond of the idea of Pastor Maldonado still retaining his seat. I think Valtteri Bottas will surprise quite a lot of people this year, I have my eye on him. I will say though that despite my previous Renault engine theories, Williams have decided to go with the vanity cover, a move I am very pleased to see.

Force India will not be receiving any further coverage from me on my blog. I am totally appalled by their decision not to announce a second driver. It is terrible management and they will be putting someone in the car with little laps under their belt. It doesn't matter if they run every lap of the third test, they will still be at a disadvantage and therefore a risk to drivers around them plus a potential threat to our viewing pleasure. 

Jerez: Day Four

Jerez's hosting came to an end at the final day of testing on day four. The track has been unbelievably hospitable to our sport, despite what some tosser at Pirelli thinks.

Felipe Massa gave way to reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa for the final day. Alonso's presence has been missed but he'll give it a real go in Barcelona. 

At the beginning of day one I stated I believe there is no way test pace and race pace are related and I stand by that. But I really hope this result is the way it stays!

Final Standings

1. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 1m.18.148s
2. Jules Bianchi (Force India) 1m.18.175s
3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1m.18.565s
4. Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), 1m.18.669s
5. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) 1m.18.760s
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 1m.18.905s
7. Sergio Perez (McLaren), 1m.18.944s
8. Valtteri Bottas (Williams), 1m.19.851s
9. Pedro de la Rosa (Ferrari), 1m.20.316s
10. Charles Pic (Caterham), 1m.21.105s
11. Luiz Razia (Marussia), 1m.21.226s
12. Paul di Resta (Force India), 1m.23.435s

The Iceman tops the time! The Flying Finn finished up wonderfully well, marking Lotus's second time be remaining on top. Their lowest position in Jerez testing was 4th (day three), proving that the E21 is off to a great start which is exactly what they need if Kimi is to mount a serious title challenge this year.

Force India are really coming off as the dark horse from the midfield after Jules Bianchi finished near thousandths off Raikkonen. Sauber would need to watch out, although Esteban Gutierrez impressed with his quickest lap yet. Lewis Hamilton completed a serious need of a load of laps, although his time is indeed questionable.

Pedro de la Rosa had a first day to forget as his Ferrari bursted into flames. Gearbox issues rearing their ugly head already. The top seven drivers were separated by under a second and hopefully after these past four days, all the little issues have been sorted and all the drivers are comfortable.

Barcelona kicks off their test on the 19th of February and I'll be providing similar coverage (but in better time) so stay tuned!

FACTS

Quickest Time: Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1m.17.879s (Day Three)

Slowest Time: Max Chilton (Marussia) 1m.24.176s (Day One)

Talent Replacing Money!

"I don't see any reason why I can't do well in Formula 1." - Valtteri Bottas

Today I received the news that I had been waiting for since FP1 at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix. For those of you who have not heard, I shall not spoil the news for you:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20524465

Yes so at long last the ghost that is Sir Frank Williams and the powers within have decided that they finally have milked both the money cows that are Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna to the point where they can afford to let the latter go, and in his place appoint a driver with that one trait you think all drivers should have: TALENT.

Quick rewind back to 2010. The 2009 season had finished, we had a British champion in the ever impressive Jenson Button. Brawn transforms into Mercedes, but as an entirely new outfit with new executives and new drivers in Rosberg and God (Schumacher). Jenson (with no surprises) replaces the outgoing  Kovalainen at McLaren, leaving the other contributor to Brawn's championship double unemployed. Enter Williams.

Williams hire the ever consistent Barichello and the new exciting rookie, Nico Hulkenberg. We didn't know it at the time, but because it's clearer than a pane of glass now, the Hulk has got it! So they had a promising young talent, and Rubens had finally been able to shake his number 2 status (Mark Webber, Felipe Massa take note). They had a great 2010! The Hulk was on pole for goodness sake! It was a great time and things were looking good.

What went wrong in  2011? For reasons unknown, the team fell away. They collapsed. The Hulk had been dropped for the bank of Venezuela. It was a disaster unknown to this day. But no matter what you think or say, it was the last time (to date we see Rubens in a Formula 1 car). His replacement in 2012? A young boy who did not buy his seat with money (although it was plentiful) but with his name. I'll say no more other than, funding was low, so they increased their cash flow with a boost from Toto Wolff and the bank of Brazil. 

The disaster of that is Maldonado essentially ruined the majority of races or more importantly, endangered lives. And Senna? Lets just say it made us think we forged his application. Let's not forget, this isn't the first time Williams had hired a man who was detrimental to the sport. Montoya was no Keke Rosberg or Alain Prost but that's a different story.  But after everybody caught a grip, and Sir Frank Williams stranglehold over the team is loosening has resulted in THE best move for the team since hiring the wonderful talent that is Jacques Villeneuve (to name one).

I honestly believe Senna's exit is honestly far far too late. I would've loved to seen a mid season switch (first season in a long time we haven't had one) to give Valtteri Bottas a real showing. But I guess he doesn't need it. After all, he is Finnish. I would love to give him the title of the Flying Finn, but I believe this chap is still learning. He'll love to follow in the steps of Kimi Raikkonen, Keke Rosberg or Mika Hakkinen, and I believe he will. Watch this man, I guarantee you'll be well impressed.