The 2014 Formula One season got off to a very controversial start in Melbourne last Sunday, with most fans complaining about the flatulent sound of the new V6 turbos. But it didn’t matter in the end, because lap in and lap out, you couldn’t hear anything above the cheers of the crowd when local hero, Daniel Ricciardo, became the first Australian to ever finish on the podium around the streets of Albert Park.
The 24-year old Red Bull driver from Perth, Western Australia, had a fairytale start to his career with his new team, holding off a fast charging McLaren of new Danish sensation, Kevin Magnussen (who raced against our very own Marlon Stockinger in the Renault World Series last year) and achieved in his debut what his more experienced predecessor, Mark Webber, couldn’t do in the last 7 years in same seat.
But it didn’t take long for the dream to turn into a nightmare after race stewards discovered some irregularities with his fuel regulator.
Under the new rules this year, which bring more changes than the testimonies in the PDAF hearings, cars are only allowed to deliver a maximum of 100kg of fuel per hour. After post-race scrutinizing, however, the Red Bull of Ricciardo was found to "consistently" deliver more than the allowed amount, forcing stewards to exclude him from the results.
Red Bull plan to appeal the decision, of course, but win or lose, aside from the points loss, it doesn't change anything for Ricciardo. He cannot un-feel what he felt on that podium. Nor can the fans un-feel that pride, hope and respect--I know, because I was one of almost 40,000 people who stormed the track and cheered on what could turn out to be the new face of Formula One. And this could be the story of 2014.
Because while Vettel needn’t worry about the fans, he may need to be a bit careful about the guys who build the cars and sign the checks that saw this all unfold in HD. Because fuel regulator or not, there’s no escaping the fact that Ricciardo out-performed his 4-time world champion team mate all weekend. He was able to get comfortable with the car a lot quicker and made a name for himself when he out qualified Seb by 11 spots and split the two Mercedes drivers.
He then backed it up with an inch perfect race to finish second in front of his home crowd. But the scariest part was neither the screams from the grandstands or the cheers from the garage, but the expression on Dr. Helmut Marko’s face, who gave him the nod of approval that was once only reserved for his golden boy, Sebastian Vettel.
Now I’m certainly not declaring that Vettel is done. But he’s probably looking at his toughest season yet. And his success this year will be heavily hinged on how he handles this defeat. Because as glamorous as his arrogance is to never see losing as an option, the reality is that it happens; and the danger is that Sebastian has become so used to winning, he’s forgotten how to lose. And the irony here is that he needs to start getting better at it if he wants to keep on top.
Look at Jenson. He’s had to deal with being beaten by Hamilton, Sato, Ralf Schumacher, Sergio Perez, and now his rookie team mate on the kid’s first outing around Albert Park. But he keeps his cool and always comes out on top. Because instead of sulking, he sucks it up when he knows it can’t be helped, just like in Melbourne, and focuses on his own game.
Vettel, on the other hand, just like Hamilton in 2011, can’t seem to accept it. And in Hamilton’s case, it got inside his head. He pushed too hard to compensate and made more and more mistakes. Breaking up with Nicole being one of the biggest ones. So as much as everyone seems to rate Hamilton as the better driver, the fact is that Jense out scored him over their 3 year partnership. And he has finally learned to live with that.
Racing at this level requires incredible mental strength and Ricciardo could prove to be Vettel’s toughest team mate yet. Not necessarily because we saw him do anything supernatural out there last Sunday, but because he’s driving with the expectations of being beaten. The problem, however, is that unlike Webber, the kid never seemed to have gotten the memo. And his ‘ignorance’ to that fact is kind of refreshing to the team and the fans.
And we all know that at the end of the day, Red Bull is in the business of , well, refreshment.
