Lewis signs with Mercedes for 2013.

Was it the right call?

This blog is already a week late but I think Lewis Hamilton's decision to move to Mercedes was the biggest move of the year, neigh, the decade.

Lewis said earlier in the year when the speculations started that he only wants to win. Clearly, Mercedes aren't winning at all. In fact they have been struggling battling with midfield teams like Williams, Force India, and Sauber. On the other hand, his Mclaren is a winning car.

Why he moved is probably then not related to winning instantly, but taking on a new challenge. I think he wants to emulate what Michael Schumacher did with Ferrari, and I think what Fernando Alonso is trying to do today at Ferrari. He wants to build a team around him. No offense to Nico Rosberg, but I think Lewis will trounce him at Mercedes. Nico is good, but Lewis is better. With Ross Brawn at his side, he can make Mercedes a winning team.

But not instantly. He's gonna have to work hard in 2013 to get a race win. 2014 is a different topic with all the new turbo engines coming out. But 1 year to struggle in a new team will make him a real man, not that he wasn't in Mclaren, with what, winning the World Championships in only his second year in F1.

It would be very awkward to watch Lewis getting overtaken by Perez next year, if that should happen. Mexican sensation Sergio Perez was signed by Mclaren after Lewis announced he was leaving the team. Surely with the experience of Mclaren, Sergio would have the opportunity to beat Lewis in the races and in the championship next year. And if I prove right that Mercedes are still going to struggle next year, then it would be legitimately appropriate to say that Sergio Perez has overtaken Lewis Hamilton off the track.

At first, I thought it was a wrong move for Lewis because he will be struggling. Remember that Mercedes was also BAR and Honda. And a year ago, there were rumours of Mercedes leaving the sport. But after reading all the news and comments about Lewis leaving Mclaren, I think it was a good decision for him. Great drivers excel in whatever equipment they are given. And he can prove that at Mercedes next year. I only hope that Mercedes give him a winning car sooner rather than later, because the one that he regards as his greatest rival, Fernando Alonso, is waiting for him on track.

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Monaco GP

1. Webber makes it six from six.
The unpredictable season continues as Mark is the 6th winner from 6 races. It is a new record and just shows how competetive the season is. 7 out of 7 is not out of the question since Lewis is usually strong in the streets of Montreal.

2. The race was a snoozefest.
There was no overtaking except for Perez albeit I could hear my heartbeat during those last 15 laps when the top 6 were nose to tail. I think most of us were waiting for an overtake from the front runners that didn't happen.

3. Maldonado goes from hero to silly zero.
Pastor was a favorite going into the Monte Carlo weekend as he has done well there in the past. He started it rough by hitting Perez in FP3, getting a 10 grid penalty, getting yet another penalty after the team changed his gearbox, thus starting last, hitting Pedro dela Rosa, and finally retiring in the first corner.

4. Mclaren and Lotus are wasting points.
The two teams considered to be fastest going into the season took very little points. Grosjean in the faster Lotus got tangled up, and poor old form-dipping Jenson was stuck behind a feisty Heikki Kovalainen. Lewis was struggling with his tyres but the slower pitstop relegated him behind Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

5. FIA need to clear the rules about 'holes' on car floors.
A hole is defined as a hollow place in a solid body or surface. How can the 'hole' in front of the rear tyres on the RedBull not be a hollow place?

6. Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa upped their level.
Michael got round Monaco fastest during qualifying and was impressive although stuck behind Kimi Raikkonen most of the race. Felipe, under threat of his Ferrari seat, qualified impressively close to Fernando and was just a few seconds back from Fernando Alonso during the chequered flag.

7. Pirelli was unusually conservative.
All runners just had 1 trip to the pits which reminded us of the Bridgestone days although less exciting with all cars running with full fuel tanks without differing strategies on fuel.

8. Webber becomes a title contender after a brilliant drive.
After inheriting pole, Mark drove an excellently judged race, preserving his tyres, absorbing huge pressure from Nico Rosberg, and not making a single mistake during the race, even when spots of rain fell down.

9. It was not Grosjean's fault in as much as it was Alonso's during the first corner tangle.
Many blame Grosjean for his contact but footage can confirm that he just had not enough space to go after the faster starting Alonso squeezed him to the left.

10. Paddock rumors continue on who's going where in 2013 and beyond.
Webber to Ferrari? Hamilton to RedBull? Alguersuari to Force India? Di Resta to Mercedes? Vettel to Ferrari in 2014? Perez to Ferrari? I don't know about you guys but I think I would enjoy Mark driving beside Fernando and especially watching Lewis in the same car as Sebastian.


see you guys in 2 weeks time in the Canadian GP!

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Spanish GP

1. Williams needed that win.
Williams, with its rich history, went from winning to selling shares in less than a decade. Pastor Maldonado saved the team with a brilliant win over Ferrari and Alonso's fans.

2. The season continues to be unpredictable.
Most thought that with the European leg, we would be able to see the real pecking order in F1. Spain just made things more confusing with a Williams winning for the first time since 2004.

3. The German World champions need to control their temper.
Sebastian said cucumber, Michael said idiot. The German heroes are definitely not hiding their colours form the public.

4. Maldonado the pay driver is an F1 winner.
He showed that just because you are a pay driver you can't win. Pastor Maldonado does not deny that he pays to drive but now surely no one can also deny his talent and skill.

5. Lewis is not a tyre-eater.
Hamilton was able to make his tyres last despite following cars in dirty air and overtaking quite a lot of drivers. It was a remarkable feat to start last and finsih 8th with only 2 pit stops compared to most who had 3.

6. Mercedes, like this season, is so unpredictable.
They were the class of the field in Shanghai and in Spain they were not fast enough. Yes, the long straight in China helped, but it was confusing that Williams and a Sauber were faster than them.

7. Massa needs to step up or it's goodbye for him.
We could say that Fernando was overperforming the Ferrari but Massa is also underperforming. In the race, Alonso was fighting for the win while Felipe was battling with midfielders.

8. Mclaren needs to tidy up their pitstops.
The pitstop blunders in Mclaren continue and they need to clean up their act immediately and grab back all their lost points in the first 5 races.

9. Disappointed Kimi is not disappointing.
Kimi was disappointed of not winning the race because he knew they could have won if the right strategies were played. Kimi's return to F1 just proves he is a pure skilled racer, now with back to back podiums under his belt.

10. It's Monaco baby.
One of the most anticipated races of the season is coming next and everyone is hungry for a prestigious Monaco win. Will we see a 6th new winner in Raikkonen or Hamilton? Can't wait for the 27th!

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Bahrain GP

1. Never discount reigning world champions in the fight.

          The dread of another RedBull domination in 2012 was forgotten after the first 3 races of 2012 produced 3 winners not driving a RedBull car. Then came a Vettel hat trick in Bahrain. This though doesn't mean domination but rather a reminder that RedBull are still the there to fight.

2. Mclaren's pit mistakes did not cost Lewis a win, well maybe a podium at least.

          The relatively slow pace of Mclaren was baffling during the race given that they were the fastest package in the first 3 races. Their pit stop mistakes didn't help them either. Guessing if there weren't problems in the pits, Lewis would have ended 4th or 3rd the least.

3. Pirelli once again made the race a spectacle.

          It was very interesting how Force India won 6th place with their 2 stop strategy and how defeated Kobayashi was with his'. Di Resta snatched 6th with a brilliant 2 stop strategy versus the Ferraris and Mclarens who were on a 3 stop.

4. Nico got away with his racing incidents.

          Circulating around the web at this time is a rule stating, "Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted". If that is the case then how did Rosberg not get a penalty? It was clear during the race how he fought with Lewis and Fernando.

5. If RedBull can fight for victories, then so does Lotus.

         The Lotus of Raikkonen and RedBull of Vettel were similarly paced and one cannot deny that had Kimi started higher on the grid or wasn't stuck behind Massa or Grosjean, he could have been stepping on the top of the podium.

6. A whole lot got excited knowing the iceman will be joining the post race conference.

          Kimi Raikkonen's answers during the post race conference were unusually lengthy but surely listening to him produced confused looks on people's faces trying to comprehend what he said.

7. Mercedes are not quite there yet.

          In qualifying, F1 was expecting Mercedes to take pole but they did not. During the race expectations for the Merc were similar but like Mclaren, they lost some edge. Could it be the track temperature? The changing wind directions? Or their cars just doesn't suit the circuit?

8. Follow driver's twitter accounts and you can read some interesting tweets.

          Alonso tweeted, "I think you are going to have fun in future races! You can defend position as you want and you can overtake outside the track! Enjoy!" This of course, was referred to the stewards' decision not to reprimand Rosberg and Hamilton.

9. Formula 1 is turning into a preserving the tyres game.

          Not just during the race do drivers need tyre preservation but during the whole weekend, saving tyres can be advantageous as well. In Q3, cars not battling for pole run around the circuit without a timed lap and unused set of tyres in qualifying can prove critical in the race.

10. 4 different winners in the first few races make a good championship.

          We've had 4 championship leaders, too. It's still early in the season and we hope there will be more new winners coming into the European leg of the season. The regulations this year are really restricted and little updates here and there can make a difference from being 10th or being on the top step of the podium.

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Chinese GP

1. Mercedes have found the solution to their tyre wear.

          No one knew in the Mercedes camp that their tyres were going to last that long. And to even beat other teams in the tyre wear contest was something new.

2. Mclaren need to convert their fast car into race wins.

          Clearly the fastest car in the grid, Mclaren need to clean up their act and get the opportunity to win when they can. Pitstops hasn't really been solid in the team and they need to work on it.

3. Shanghai proves to be a thriller even in a dry race.

          Sepang was an epic race but who could have guessed the Chinese GP would be as thrilling even without the aid of rain! There was overtaking on all sides of the track, TV broadcasters had a hard time choosing which battle to cover.

4. Pirelli got it right for the fans while Lotus got it all wrong.

          The mystery and uncertainty of Pirelli's tyres made the race a spectacle with teams trying different strategies. Lotus got it all wrong for Kimi going 2nd down to 14th by the end of two laps.

5. The DRS-aided wing of Mercedes may be like the double diffusers back in '09.

          The wing was controversial and now that the FIA declared it legal, most teams are looking into it much like the double diffusers who made Brawn world champions in 2009.

6. Ferrari are slower than Williams.

          In race pace, Alonso could not overtake Williams in the straight as they admittedly lacked speed and traction. So now that makes them like, the 6th fastest car behind merc, lotus, and williams unfortunately. Bad news for the tifosi.

7. Lotus, like Mclaren need to convert their fast car into podiums.

          Clearly the Lotus has quite a lot of pace in their bags. The team just need to sort out their priorities and strategies to convert their early pace advantage into podiums.

8. Caterham are still far from the midfield.

          Midfield is Toro Rosso, Force India, Sauber, Williams, and now Ferrari. Caterham just couldn't keep up with them. If they don't try something new, maybe Marussia will make them have a run for their money.

9. Mark Webber seems better than world champ Vettel.

          Trying the new exhaust layout, Mark Webber sky rocketted his two front wheels but got the better of his teammate two laps from the end. Two races now that Mark beat Sebastian in qualifying and in the race. Seb should be feeling quite a lot of pressure now.

10. We are going to Bahrain! (in the midst of political unrest)

          FIA said that they are not a political organization rather a sports org which means that the race in Bahrain will push through. I just hope for safety.

-AC

Good morning sunshine

It's new day, a new  life, for me... And I'm feeling good!

Single Lens Reflex Digital Camera

I always loved to take photos and alas I have my very own SLR camera.

Here is the first shot taken with my camera: (taken by the seller)

my first shot:

 my first okay-ish shot is this:

and my first shot without a person:

You know what they say! Practice makes perfect! I'm gonna take pictures and practice until I make better pictures.