Fernando Alonso’s poor start to 2011
Formula One drivers are facing several new challenges in 2011. In addition to managing the high wearing Pirelli tyres, they are also being forced to get the most out of KERS and DRS under the latest regulations. Drivers are able to make a real difference this year, and Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have been spectacular at different times in the opening races.
With that in mind, it’s a little surprising that Fernando Alonso hasn’t enjoyed similar success. The Scuderia driver is one of the sports finest talents but has only managed a trio of minor points finishes in the first three rounds.
Alonso’s Ferrari may not be the fastest car in the field, but has shown enough pace to warrant regular podiums. A number of key moments have stopped Fernando from realising his true potential.
Alonso’s starts have been his biggest weakness so far this season. He has lost eight places in three race starts, and that means Ferrari has been fighting every Grand Prix on the back foot. Fernando has been playing catch up whilst the others have been dictating strategy.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Alonso actually made a decent jump off the line in Albert Park, and arrived at the first corner challenging the McLarens in front. Fernando went to the left of Jenson Button, but a fast starting Nick Heidfeld was moving up on the right, and pushed Button wide into Alonso at the apex. Heidfeld took the position and created a gap on the inside that allowed Felipe Massa to pass both Jenson and Fernando as well. Alonso was pushed so far wide in the melee that he dropped two wheels on the grass, and fell further behind Nico Rosberg and Kamui Kobayashi.
Alonso drove very well thereafter. He passed Kobayashi and Rosberg fairly quickly, and also got ahead of Massa when the Brazilian scuffled with Button. Fernando used an aggressive strategy to pass Mark Webber during the final round of pitstops, but it was too late by that stage to claim third place from Vitaly Petrov.
Alonso’s poor track position at the first corner in Melbourne proved costly in the final standings.
MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX
Fernando messed up the start in Malaysia as well, but a mistake later in the race had a bigger impact on his result.
Alonso simply got off the line poorly at Sepang and the two Renault drivers made better starts immediately behind him. Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov passed Alonso on the left, whilst Massa was able to stick his nose down the inside of Fernando at turn one. When Alonso was baulked on the inside of turn two by Petrov, Felipe had to space to drive around the outside of his teammate.
Once again, Alonso launched a brilliant recovery drive, and took the lead on lap fourteen when all the cars in front of him made their first stops. Although Alonso’s tyres were destroyed at the end of his first stint, he was still able to jump Massa who had dramas in the pitlane.
Fernando eventually settled into fourth place behind Vettel, Button and Lewis Hamilton.
Alonso’s battle with Lewis, and the contact that ensued , cost the Ferrari driver a certain podium. Fernando simply drove straight into the back of the McLaren after getting a run on Hamilton heading towards turn three. Some of the camera angles were deceptive, but the onboard footage showed that it was a decent hit, and that Alonso’s reflexes let him down at a crucial moment. The contact was apparently so severe that it damaged the floor of Hamilton’s McLaren.
Fernando made a pitstop to repair his front wing and dropped to seventh, which became sixth when Lewis fell down the order as well.
Alonso had a great opportunity to finish on the podium in Malaysia, but was let down by his poor bad start and a careless mistake.
CHINESE GRAND PRIX
Alonso qualified fifth again in China but made another bad start that ruined his afternoon. Ferrari was always on the wrong strategy in Shanghai, but Alonso still finished a whopping fifteen seconds behind Felipe Massa.
Massa got ahead of Alonso on the run towards turn one, and both Ferraris were held up behind Nico Rosberg early in the race. Alonso got two clear laps on his own when the others pitted, but neither of those laps on worn tyres were particularly strong. Fernando was sixth before the stops began, but ended up seventh afterwards. Massa gained five of those fifteen seconds on Alonso in this phase of the race.
Michael Schumacher made his first pitstop six laps earlier than Fernando and, in that time, had been lapping quicker than everyone except Webber. Alonso was stuck behind Schumacher for the first half of his second stint and this had a significant impact on his tyres. Massa gained another five seconds on Alonso during these laps. Once past the Mercedes, Alonso was able to lap almost half a second quicker, but had lost too much tyre life and, in the four laps prior to his final pitstop, began lapping slower than he had behind Michael. He was overtaken by Rosberg, Button and Hamilton, and lost another five seconds of ground to Felipe.
Alonso’s final stop came around the same time as Sebastian Vettel’s, and like the Red Bull driver he struggled with pace at the finish. Fernando’s set his best times fifteen laps from the end of the race which is a clear indication that his tyres were wearing out much quicker than expected. Webber took sixth place from the Spaniard ten laps from the end, but Alonso was able to hold off Schumacher until the chequered flag.
A better start would have kept Alonso ahead of Massa, and crucially ahead of Schumacher after the early round of stops. With a solid start and a better strategy, Alonso could have been on the podium, but fourth or fifth place certainly went begging once he got caught behind Michael.
Alonso and Ferrari have the speed to race at the front but are already on the back foot this season. Fernando’s mediocre starts are proving costly and Ferrari will need to turn this around soon to avoid spending another year playing catch up.