funny to think of
four times consecutive world champions Red Bull, and the most successful F1 Constructor
ever, nee Scuderia Ferrari as "Left-over's!" Yet, with Mercedes
current form, that's exactly what they are at the moment...
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| The opposition wonders what Red Bull's hiding underneath its Pre-season livery. (Image source: adamcooperf1.com) |
Infiniti Red Bull
Racing
Chassis: RB11
Engine: Renault
2014 Constructor Ranking: 2nd; 405-points
Debut Race: 2005 Australian GP*
Drivers
(Car#/Name)
3) Daniel Ricciardo
26) Daniil Kvyat
History
Red Bull is the latest incarnation of two
previous less successful Grand Prix teams, beginning as Stewart Grand Prix in
1997 and then morphing into the Ford Motor Company's "Works" Jaguar
team for the 2000 season.
Sir Jackie, or 'JYS, properly known as
"The 'Wee Scot," nee Jackie Stewart took his son's Paul Stewart
Racing into Formula 1, with the successful F2 team making the transition to F1
beginning with the '97 Australian GP, as 'Rubino, aka Rubens Barrichello scored
the team's lone Pole position at the 1999 French GP, whilst Johnny Herbert
provided the team with its only victory, a somewhat surprise European GP win at
the changing conditions Nurburgring. As the team finished an impressive fourth
in the '99 F1 Constructor's chase...
Sir Jackie then coerced Ford into creating
its own F1 Team, nee Jaguar, which ran with little success, albeit the joke was
that lead driver "Irv-the-Swerve," aka Eddie Irvine was Ford's
highest paid employee, garnering more than "FoMoCo's" CEO! And then
Ford unceremoniously Dumped its ties to motor racing in 'Twenty-oh-Four, by
selling off Jaguar to an upstart known as "Deeter Majestik," nee Dietrich
Mateschitz and his Red Bull 'Kuhzillions, while also
jettisoning Cosworth to Kevin "Smiley Face" Kalkoven
and Jerry Forsythe, not to mention the selling of luxury car brands Jaguar,
Aston Martin and Land Rover!
thus, the rest is history, as chassis genius
Adrian Newey successfully created championship winning chassis in-tune with
"TWINKEYBOY'S" (Seb' Vettel) driving style, en route to four
consecutive Double world championships, a la 2010-13, whilst last year was
considered a Downfall, with Vettel failing to claim a single victory while
being mightily out shown by new-boy Daniel 'Ricky Ricciardo, who scored his
first three Grand Prix victories, much to Sebastian's chagrin!
Notes
Obviously it depends largely upon how
competitive this year's RB11 will be, along with the Renault PU currently
playing 'Ketsup to Mercedes. As I'd hazard a guess it'll be very difficult for
Ricciardo to emulate his breakout 2013 season's results by scoring three or more
Grand Prix wins. While new-boy 'DK, not Dairy King; Hooah! But 'Rooskie Daniil Kvyat
who was my choice for virtual Rookie Of-the-Year last season, who'll obviously
be targeting his maiden Grand Prix win. As somehow, this Duo, one of my favourites on the grid will be
hard pressed to usurp Mercedes, Me Thinks...
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| Ferrari Boy's pose with new Ferrari SF15T prior to getting to work in Jerez. (Image source: f1fanatic.co.uk) |
Scuderia Ferrari
Chassis: SF15T
Engine: Ferrari
2014 Constructor Ranking: 4th; 216-points
Debut Race: 1950 Monaco GP
Drivers
(Car#/Name)
5) Sebastian Vettel
7) Kimi Raikkonen
History
What can I say about the most successful team
in Formula 1's history? Being the only Constructor to contest every single
season, set to make its record extending 889th start in Melbourne. Not to
mention a staggering 221-wins, 207-poles and 237-fastest laps, along with an
amazing 16 Constructor's and 15 Driver's titles, ascertained by the likes of:
alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John surtees,
Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen!
Yet, la Scuderia seemingly fell upon hard
times last year, with the effective firing of two Team Principals, engine and aerodynamics
chief's, not to mention head cheeps Luca di Montezemolo,
along with the jettisoning of "Fredrico Suave" (Fernando Alonso)
after the Prancing Horse went winless for the first time since the 1993 season!
Notes
Obviously A-L-L eyes will be upon new recruit
Sebastian Vettel and whether or not the four-times world champion can emulate
the success of his boyhood "Hero" Michael Schumacher's reign at the
Prancing Horse.
Yet, Vettel's success will ultimately be tied
to the new car's development, as the SF15T is the first Ferrari F1 chassis with James Allison's
fingerprints all over it, as the Technical Director of Chassis, effectively
poached from Lotus, worked wonders with his Enstone designs piloted by somebody
named Kimi, who after all just wanted to be left alone! As it'll be interesting
to see if Raikkonen, the '07 F1 world champion and close friend of Vettel's can
recoup his past form or will continue being obliterated by his team-mate, nee
last year's pasting by Fernando Alonso...
Although still skeptical of la Scuderia's newest
team boss, especially being a longtime Phillip Morris "Marlboro Man,"
nonetheless, I'll admit that his quip 'bout running in the hills of Maranello
barefoot made me crack-up!