Trophy Store Blog
Formula 1 Set for Exciting Second Half
9 August 2012
When Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag at the Hungarian Grand Prix by just 1.3 seconds from Kimi Raikkonen (and in the process securing his second win of the season following triumph in Canada) it confirmed just how close and fiercely fought this year’s Formula 1 contest is. With four of the top five drivers in the competition finishing in the top five places at the Hungaroring (Mark Webber finished eighth after car trouble), the result justified the feeling among fans that this championship could prove to be one of the most exciting in the sport’s history
At the halfway point of the season, Fernando Alonso leads the field followed by Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen, with the gap between the first and fifth drivers in the standings just 48 points.
These five have all appeared regularly on the podium so far. Hamilton started with three third places in Australia, Malaysia and China, races won respectively by Jenson Button, Alonso and Nico Rosberg. Bahrain saw Vettel take his first win, before arguably the shock of the season so far when Pastor Maldonado won the Spanish grand prix; the only podium placing for a Williams-Renault car so far. Mark Webber triumphed in Monaco and Britain while Alonso took the flag in the European and German races.
Webber’s and Vettel’s strong showings has put Red Bull-Renault at the top of the constructor’s table, but they are closely followed by McLaren-Mercedes, Lotus-Renault and Ferrari, who have improved no end since last season. However, smaller teams such as Sauber and Force India, while not quite mixing with the big boys at the top, have respectable points totals, showing the competition is getting stronger throughout.
The second half of the F1 season promises to be just as close as the first. Just who will lift one of the most coveted motorsport trophies in the world remains a tantalisingly unanswerable question.
The season recommences at the Belgian Grand Prix on the 28th August. With the Spa-Francorchamps circuit renowned for allowing a lot of passing, the race should provide plenty of excitement and the potential for the standings to shift once again. Alonso will be looking to repeat his back-to-back successes of last year at the Italian and Singapore Grand Prix, before the tour passes through Japan, South Korea, India and Brazil.
There’s a good chance the championship will go down to the final race on the 13th of November. All motorsport fans will be focused on the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi to see who emerges triumphant at the conclusion of a fascinating F1 season.
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