The Winners and Losers of 2007 - Formula1.com

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The story so far - the winners and losers of 2007

Eleven races into the 2007 season and already it's been a year of surprises for the teams on the lower half of the grid. Super Aguri are beating engine suppliers Honda; Scott Speed has made an unexpectedly swift exit from Toro Rosso; and Spyker have not only topped a practice session, but also led a Grand Prix!

In the first instalment of a two-part feature, we examine the 2007 fortunes of all the teams to date and consider what they can expect in the final third of the season…

Red Bull
If ever there were proof that a team requires more than brains and bucks to thrive, this season Red Bull would appear to be it. Despite the generous backing of the Austrian drinks company and the presence of uber-designer Adrian Newey, the RB3 has struggled. With nine retirements between them - many related to a troublesome seamless-shift gearbox - team mates David Coulthard and Mark Webber have found the going tough.

On the positive side, a revamp in May seemed to solve most of the car’s mechanical glitches and its pace has, at times, been impressive - particularly in Webber’s hands during qualifying. That pace has allowed the team to capitalise on unexpected events and secure a reasonable points haul. Webber’s third place at the rain-swept Nurburgring was perhaps the best example, bringing a much-needed end to what had seemed a rather long podium dry spell for team and driver alike.

In summary: with another upgrade expected for Turkey, surely the only way is up for Red Bull?

Toyota
Every year since their 2002 arrival, big budgets and experienced drivers have made Toyota’s prospects look good - on paper at least. 2007 has proved yet again that looks can be deceiving. Both TF107s finished a lap down at the season opener in Melbourne and getting a handle on the car has been a slow process. Ralf Schumacher in particular struggled to get to grips with it early on - to the point where many were predicting a premature exit for the German. The fact that customer team Williams have scored eight points more shows just how tough it’s been. Only the dwindling form of Japanese rivals Honda has spared Toyota’s blushes.

Things, however, are looking up. Jarno Trulli has been a Q3 regular all season and in recent races Ralf has joined him. Indeed, after trailing his team mate badly in the early rounds, Schumacher now seems to have the edge. However, both remain frustrated by their cars’ hit and miss reliability and an inability to regularly translate qualifying speed into point-scoring performance come Sunday afternoon. They are getting closer all the time, but the consistency is not quite there yet.

In summary: if the recovery can last, Toyota could yet gain ground on the midfield.

Super Aguri
In only their second year Super Aguri were never expected to shine - just improve. They have exceeded expectations. A four-point tally may not seem like much to some, but for the close-knit Japanese team it means the world - especially as it’s three more than engine supplier Honda’s works team. No doubt, Super Aguri are one of the success stories of the season.

Their decision to run a modified version of Honda’s 2006 car led many to dismiss their chances, and others - notably rivals Spyker - to cry foul. Regardless of the legalities, it has proved an inspired move and as the season has progressed the squad have become genuine mid-field contenders. Principal points-scorer Takuma Sato has largely overshadowed team mate Anthony Davidson, but both have put in several noteworthy performances, including numerous Q2 appearances (Sato even made Q1 in Australia). Boss Aguri Suzuki freely admits the team have surpassed their own expectations. They have also silenced their critics and given their ever-growing army of fans something to cheer about.

In summary: assuming they emerge unscathed from the customer car row, the future looks even brighter for the grid’s youngest team.

Honda
Honda’s fall from grace this season has been well-documented. Having finished ‘best of the rest’ behind the big three in 2006, the Japanese team were hoping to take another step forward in ’07. They have, however, been sorely disappointed and currently languish near the foot of the table with one, solitary point. Warning signs concerning the RA107’s lacklustre pace surfaced in pre-season testing, and while the team’s innovative eco-friendly livery distracted the media for a while, once the racing began, the car’s inadequacies became clear for all to see.

Intensive and ongoing development has boosted the drivers’ confidence in their steed - the RA107 was notoriously unstable under braking in the early rounds - but the programme seems to have had little impact on its pace. Last year Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were competing for points and podiums - in 2007 the duo has struggled to even make it into the top ten. To their credit, Honda have taken considerable steps to halt the decline, and with new technical signings joining all the time, there could yet be a silver lining to the team’s season - especially if suspicions of a badly-calibrated (but soon to be corrected) wind tunnel prove true.

In summary: Honda’s 2007 campaign may be a write-off, but with Button and Barrichello confirmed for next season, the remaining rounds could at least lay sturdy foundations for 2008.

Toro Rosso
As one of only two teams to have not earned a point from the first 11 races, Toro Rosso’s season hasn’t quite gone to plan. With an unchanged driver line-up, a Ferrari engine deal and an Adrian Newey-designed chassis, the team had high hopes for 2007, but reliability problems, driver disputes and sheer bad luck have left their season in a degree of disarray. The team have even been eclipsed by Super Aguri and lie a disappointing tenth in the standings.

In the opening ten races, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed rarely made it into the top-15, but shared an unenviable 14 retirements. Even the long-awaited arrival of a seamless-shift gearbox seemed only to compound the team’s strife. With such a torrid record, it was perhaps inevitable that people would start to apportion blame - be it driver on car, or team on driver - and it was Speed who bore the brunt of the fallout. After a rather public row at the European Grand Prix, the American was replaced by up-and-coming youngster Sebastian Vettel. And Liuzzi’s days are also numbered - he is to be replaced by multiple Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais for 2008. Though neither signing will make an instant impression, in the long term both are seen as steps in the right direction.

In summary: a tough second season for Red Bull’s junior squad with little sign of a swift remedy.

Spyker
After the trials and tribulations of 2006, this season was always going to be something of a settling-in period for Spyker. With what has generally been the slowest - and possibly least reliable - car on the grid, it has been a largely thankless task, though there have been highlights. Among them has been the arrival of highly-regarded rookie Adrian Sutil. The former Japanese F3 champion has extracted some unlikely speed from the F8-VII, most notably in Hungary - where he beat Honda’s Rubens Barrichello - and Monaco, where he topped a wet final practice session.

Chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne has brought valuable design experience to the novice team, a fact that will hopefully become more apparent with the arrival of a B-spec car in Turkey. And Spyker even led a Grand Prix for the first time - courtesy of Markus Winkelhock at the rain-swept Nurburgring - bringing team sponsors some much-appreciated television airtime. Overall results, though, have been predictably lacklustre. Winkelhock’s one-off appearance followed the departure of Christijan Albers, whose difficult season came to an end following sponsorship difficulties. His permanent replacement, Sakon Yamamoto, has had to little time to shine, though the early signs are good.

In summary: with driver changes, reliability issues and financial concerns taking precedence, for now at least, Spyker remain firmly entrenched at the back of the grid.

The winners and losers of 2007 - Part two

Rarely have two leading teams provided so much action and intrigue in the space of 11 races. The championship battle between (and within) McLaren and Ferrari has been gripping, but it’s the teams’ off-track dispute that has added an unexpected twist to proceedings.

Part two of our mid-season team review examines the fortunes of not just the title favourites, but also those of the blossoming BMW Sauber squad, defending champions Renault and former title holders Williams…

McLaren:
With the disappointments of 2006 firmly behind them, a new title sponsor, plus a world champion and a determined rookie in their ranks, McLaren were bursting with confidence as the ’07 season opened. Questions, however, remained. Would the MP4-22 prove as reliable as it was quick? Would Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton gel? Above all, could the team end their eight-year wait for a constructors’ crown? So far the answers have been almost entirely positive.

Five pole positions, 17 podiums and six wins mean McLaren can already smell that elusive title. But it has been far from easy. Hamilton has proved sensational and more than capable of challenging Alonso. As a result the team mates’ rivalry has brought untold strain to the squad’s dynamics, nowhere more so than in the Budapest pit lane. On top of this Ron Dennis has had to cope with the ongoing legal storm over his team’s possession of confidential Ferrari data. Their Italian rivals have been worthy adversaries, both on and off track, and it is still more than possible that McLaren could have the title whisked from under their noses by the Court of Appeal.

In summary: With a 19-point advantage, McLaren look capable of defending that lead. But in the season that brought us ‘Stepney-gate’, things might not be that simple…

Ferrari
2007 was always going to be tough for Ferrari. Aside from Michael Schumacher’s departure, the Italian team also suffered something of a technical exodus, with engineering talent Ross Brawn amongst the big names to take a step back. However, with Jean Todt remaining at the helm, the transition has proved surprisingly hiccup-free. Incumbent Felipe Massa and new signing Kimi Raikkonen quickly showed off the F2007’s race-winning potential and have enjoyed two and three victories respectively.

Reliability, however, has been a constant, niggling concern and the team have admitted they were dealt a performance blow when the FIA tightened the regulations relating to ‘moveable’ floors. Nevertheless, the points tally has increased with steady momentum and, with six races to run and just 19 points in it, Ferrari are still in a more than strong enough position to challenge McLaren for both drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

In summary: a strong outside bet for the title, especially if McLaren lose out in forthcoming appeal hearings.

BMW Sauber
Despite an upswing in BMW Sauber’s performance late last year, many forecasters had pegged Honda as the midfield’s 2007 yardstick. Not so - as the Japanese team have struggled, their German-Swiss rivals have pressed on and defiantly led the chase for third in the standings. Although not yet fast enough to muscle in on the McLaren-Ferrari fight, BMW Sauber look certain to take the ‘best of the rest’ prize this season.

With the F1.07’s pre-season reliability problems solved pretty early on, Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have had a quick and consistent car at their disposal and they’ve used it to good effect. In spite of missing a round after his huge accident in Montreal, Kubica continues to impress with solid performances, but it has been Heidfeld who has been the real revelation. The German, who many considered to have reached the twilight years of his career, has graced the podium twice and has enjoyed a further seven top-six finishes.

In summary: a season to be proud of. If Ferrari or McLaren slip up, expect to see more podium appearances.

Renault
Despite back-to-back championship doubles in 2005 and 2006, many predicted that Fernando Alonso’s defection to McLaren would have a serious impact on Renault’s 2007 performance. Whether the Spaniard’s departure was really the cause we will never know, but Renault have indeed plummeted down the order. It quickly became apparent they would not be title contenders and Flavio Briatore’s squad now look set for fourth place in the rankings, overshadowed not just by McLaren and Ferrari, but also by the ever-improving BMW Sauber.

The team have admitted that the enforced switch from Michelin to Bridgestone tyres hit them hard, but they have also struggled with the performance of the R27 in general. Giancarlo Fisichella was always going to have a tough time filling Alonso’s shoes and so it has proved, a fourth place at Monaco the highlight of his season so far. Great things were expected of rookie team mate Heikki Kovalainen, but after a difficult start to his campaign, only recently has he got on top of the car and started to show his true potential.

In summary: improving all the time, but probably a case of too little too late to secure any 2007 podiums.

Williams
After the disappointments of last year, Williams have bounced back with a renewed sense of purpose this season. The new engine deal with Toyota and a pre-season management reshuffle seem to have paid dividends and they’ve already scored almost twice as many points as in ‘06. The squad have enjoyed several tangible results, including Alex Wurz’s podium finish in Canada, and are currently fifth in the standings - eight points ahead of the Toyota works team!

As for the drivers, question marks over Wurz’s ability to get the best out of the FW27 persist, especially in qualifying, where he has fallen far short of Nico Rosberg’s sparkling performances. Then again, Rosberg’s race pace has rarely matched his Saturday speed and it’s been Wurz who has scored the bulk of the points. Either way, it seems a better and brighter future awaits the team.

In summary: a great deal to take heart from, but a lot more work required if they are to return to anything like their race-winning form of old.