ALONSO RED HOT TO START NEW SEASON
(Image taken from Yahoo)
OK, one major change in the F1 for 2010 was the points system. The winner now picks up 25 points. 2nd place gets 18 points. 3rd place gets 15 points. 4th place gets 12 points. 5th place gets 10 points. 6th place gets 8 points. 7th place gets 6 points. 8th place gets 4 points. 9th place gets 2 points. 10th place gets 1 point.
With that out of the way, the F1 show was back on the road again. First stop was Bahrain which of course is familiar territory to me from my trip out there in '08 and in '09 it was Jenson's turn to do the business there with another of his early season wins. This time around, it was the season opener for the first time since '06, and back then I didn't appreciate the little rock's awesomeness. Either way refuelling was one of the picture so that this rumble at the BIC would be all about tyre wear. And not forgetting...heat. Twenty four cars, seven ditched after each qualifying session and the Hispanias were forced to treat qualifying like a very public test session. No one really knoew what to expect.
Neither of the McLarens had an issue in Q1 though, that always looked likely to be the graveyard of the new teams this time around and last year's poleman Trulli got given a reality check. Q2 turned out to be relatively straightforward for Lewis but Jenson wound up having to dodge a bullet in the last seconds, knocking Barrichello out of the picture. The early stages of Q3 were pretty quiet though Alonso was the best of the early runners before Vettel outgunned him to start the first race of 2010 from pole position. Behind him, Massa was P2, his best qualifying performance since Brazil '08. Alonso would start P3, and Lewis P4. Further down, Jenson opened his title defence at P7. Not ideal for the McLarens.
Well Jenson's start wasn't the greatest of all time and his early pace wasn't too hot either, easilly burned by Webber into 8th before needing a hurry up from the McLaren guys. The big as-yet unmentioned rule change for F1 this year is no fuel stops, pit stops are tyres only and relatively quick it seems. As a result the reigning world champion made his way back up to 7th and started to pick up more pace. Soon though he was having to defend against Webber again but this time held the Aussie off to secure 7th place in the opening race of 2010. Not really what the reigning world champion would have had in mind but at least it means he doesn't go away empty handed.
Lewis didn't have the best of starts either with Rosberg taking him easilly and sending him down to 5th. After that neither McLaren seemed to be going anywhere and Lewis was pitted early in the hope that he could clear Rosberg at some later point. That eventually happened, partly due to the Mercedes driver being held back due to Jenson's stop so that when the dust settled, Lewis was 4th. And then when Vettel's exhaust went, Lewis was able to get past the fading Red Bull to open 2010 with a 3rd though the top two spots never looked in reach. Solid enough run given that it looked like the McLaren's didn't come to the BIC with quite as much pace as expected.
The major battle of the race though turned out to be the one between the two Ferraris and they were the first two cars past the stricken Vettel with Alonso the leader of the pair, having taken Massa at the first corner. After they got past the German though there was never really much competition from anyone. There wasn't even much of a battle between themselves as Massa wound up cruising to the finish to save fuel allowing Alonso to easilly take the chequered flag for his first win since Japan '08 with Massa's 2nd being his best finish since winning Brazil '08. Combo that and you have the first Ferrari 1-2 since France '08. The red cars are certainly back in business.
So the championship lookas like this. Alonso leading with 25 points, Massa 2nd on 18, Hamilton 3rd on 15. Further down, Jenson is 7th on 6 points.
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