Despite having won six of the eight races and been second in the other two, there are many predicting that this week’s European F1 Grand Prix in Valencia will see the beginning of the end of Sebastian Vettel’s and Red Bull’s reign as the kingpins of the 2011 F1 season. This is surely nonsense!
The reason why that prediction is nonsense is simple; Vettel has a 60 point lead in the Drivers Championship while his Red Bull team are 69 points clear in the Constructors. The German world champion has qualified in pole position in every race bar one and even then he was on the front row in second place. Admittedly there are 12 more races still to go and it is possible that Jenson Button, who is nearest to Vettel in the F1 Leaderboard, and co, can win further races. Additionally there is proof to suggest that McLaren and Ferrari are getting quicker as the season unfolds, but to bridge such a gap is surely beyond them.
Even if Red Bull lose some of their early season dominance it is almost impossible to see Vettel and his team mate, Mark Webber not achieving regular podium finishes. This, at least in Vettel’s case will be more than ample to secure him and the team top spot by the season’s end.
It is agreed that the European Grand Prix could play a significant role in the long term, but it should not be forgotten that Vettel won here last year after claiming ‘pole’ and Webber started on the grid in second. It is also agreed that the Red Bull team will feel more pressure after the last three races which has seen their chief rivals take closer order. That pressure possibly led to the mistake made by Vettel two weeks ago in Montreal when he lost the race on the last lap to Jenson Button.
Qualifying will be more important than usual in this race as Valencia, traditionally, has been a very difficult track for overtaking. That said the double DRS (Drag Reduction System) which will be in use in Valencia will allow for easier overtaking, as it did in Montreal, but it will not necessarily make up for a decent position on the grid. Both McLaren and Ferrari will be happier than Red Bull with the double DRS but they will be even happier if any of their drivers can start from ‘pole’ for which the betting market makes Vettel a long odds on favourite to achieve.
If Vettel makes ‘Pole’ then Vettel takes the chequered flag on Sunday, it is as simple as that and he is favourite to do so in the latest F1 odds for this race! Besides, even f he doesn’t he will almost certainly claim a top three finish, giving him sufficient points to take a further significant step to the Championship.
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