Jimmy Croul A 16 Year-olds View On Formula One

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4/6/2014
Today in F1 we hear that Valtteri Bottas is still very much of the opinion that he can rip it up the
Red Bulls. Valtteri Bottas is an incredible driver, he really hasnt done anything wrong in his short time as
a driver. But does he really think that he can beat a Red Bull? Now it can be safe to say that the old
energy drink boys havent had the best start to this topsy-turvy season. They may have the best chassis,
grip? Heaps mate. The overall package though, still quite questionable. After spending four years
demolishing everything that could possibly be demolished they find themselves languishing. The
Williams on the other hand, had a marvelous preseason. They were looking like being the closest
challengers to the silver arrows, or should I say bullets. Ever since this initial success theyve been
rubbish to be frankly honest. They should have been on the podium and yet we find them languishing in
the mid pack. Id say this is attributed to a lack of development. Williams have gone through a big
restructure in recent times to rectify the challenges of the last ten years. In 2003, in the middle of the
year anyway they had a car that could urinate all over the competition. The next year was horrendous, I
remember watching the races in 2004 as a six year old boy, my first memories of the sport I love. I
looked at the screen and thought to myself this thing is absolutely repulsive.
it looks like a supermodel with a fat nose. They had near enough to the best car and they ruined it
with a nose job. Its times like these when the principle of evolution rather than evolution should take
precedence. All they needed to do was work on the things that were a downfall the year before and it
would have been the first championship since the man with the glasses drove the car. It then took them
six months to think oh no, weve gone the wrong way here boys. After this they fixed the hideous
walrus nose and JPM won. The next year, to counter having a droopy nose they had an exceedingly high
one. The year after this the car would break down if you looked at it the wrong way, like someone on
steroids getting aggravated after a hard stare. It all fell apart, in a big hole and in a bad way. Since then
theyve only been able to get onto the podium when everything has played out just perfectly. In the
more recent times theyve only been able to score points when everything has gone well. This of course,
neglects that odd occasion in Spain when Pastor Maldonado didnt crash and he won. Pastor Maldonado
must be some form of bad luck, when Rubinho arrived at Williams in 2010 after his rejuvenation year
the car performed admirably. Then came Maldonado and everything since has been terrible. Maldonado
has now left to cast a shadow of unreliability and lack of speed on Lotus. The black and gold machines
were on the podium regularly last season and now they break down before the engines started. This is
probably due to all the bits of the car being broken by Maldonado up against a wall. Or probably more
often when hes acting like a toddler and playing with things that arent in his best interest to play with.
Ill recall a story to you about my grandma, when I was five I owned a go kart. I too had ambitions to
become a formula one driver until the money ran dry. Anyway, I used to lap the cul-de-sac outside of my
house all afternoon. One day my grandma decided that if I could do she could too. Long story short, first
lap in the thing and she rolled it onto her poor head. To tell you the truth she isnt very good at driving
but she was probably capable of crashing less than old mate Maldonado. Returning to the topic now, I
find it terribly hard to believe that Williams could come back and topple Red Bull. I highly doubt that
Adrian Newey would let such a thing happen. The problem lies with Renault I fear, if they hadnt have
spent the whole of last season on their pedestals eating croissants they may have been able to engineer
Jimmy Croul A 16 Year-olds View On Formula One

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an efficient engine. The last time f1 cars had turbo engines they arrived on the scene about four years
before anyone else. Now possibly as result of some 30 year old complacency theyve arrived late to the
party. Now Mercedes whove never made a turbocharged formula one engine have taken a stand. The
Williams started the season, admittedly pretty impressive. In the last race one of the cars parked having
been converted to a steam chimney. Red bull started the season with its drivers in tears, mostly Vettel.
By the first race the homeboy was on the podium, albeit not officially but the point (not points) stands.
The Red Bull is only getting stronger, the last time that Williams was competitive was before Felipe
Massa could grow chin hair and when Valtteri Bottas was learning multiplication. I fear that the only way
for Red Bull is up, as Newton says the opposite reaction is to the detriment of Williams. Though its no
surprise that what I really want is the Martini in first place, I will then have to scrunch this piece of paper
up and eat it.