Why are they called teammates?

Justin:

Teammate is a very curious description, particularly in the world of F1, where the first objective is to beat the guy in the same equipment as you as thats how you're judged in some quarters. The other guy is hardly a mate (though ok, with Nico and Lewis I guess this is true...for now).

F1 history is littered with drivers crossing the line with their teams.

Prost, for but one example, likened the Ferrari 643 to a truck, and was thusly sacked.

Alonso famously, allegedly I should add, blackmailed Ron Dennis by threatening to take evidence to the FIA that Mclaren engineers had Ferrari data unless Ron backed Alonso for a title tilt. Dennis was quoted as saying he'd never encountered anything like that, ever.

This was during the absolutely toxic one year that saw Alonso signing for Mclaren believing he had been given number one status by Ron. Obviously Ron had sold him an image of life at Mclaren, and it turned out to be something quite different to the brochure he was given.

Before you all say (thats all..3 of our readers?) that Alonso is just as bad as Vettel, I would strongly disagree. Ron Dennis ain't exactly a saint! Do a deal with the devil and you have to play dirty I'm afraid. Besides which, Fernando was right. If the Mclaren in-fighting had ceased, Ferrari wouldnt have beaten them to the title. You could say the same for Williams in 86 too - but I guess theres always a counter-arguement in F1 to balance stuff out.

Me, I love the racing, teammates fighting and teams falling apart. Its all part of F1.

Ron....

It should go on record that I dislike Ron Dennis intensely. He always used to say drivers were treated equally and claimed to be able to manage two world class drivers in the same team. Then he always started crying when things went wrong. He always has his favourites - Mika over DC, Kimi over DC, Lewis over Fernando, Senna over Prost etc etc etc. Equal equipment perhaps, but he always preferred one over the other.

Martin Whitmarsh is a much more balanced team principal, as evidenced by his management for three years leading JB and LH. Anyway, I digress...where was I?

Oh yes, and F1 history is even more littered with teammates screwing each other over.

Mansell and Piquet, Prost and Senna, Villeneuve and Pironi, Alonso and Hamilton....the list goes on....add to that one Webber and Vettel. Curiously though, whilst most troublesome pairings self destruct after a year or two and one of the pair goes elsewhere, Webber and Vettel are in their fifth year together. Probably because if either did leave, with the Red Bull designed by Newey, it would be seen as a step backward.

Malaysia

What happened in Malaysia has made me quite emotional frankly. It has stirred plenty of memories and caused me to look back and think of teammates crossing the lines with each other and their teams. What can you get away with before you start looking for your P45?

Not bad for a number 2 mate

Mark Webber had Vettel beaten, plain and simple, today. He was the superior driver, end of discussion. The team had agreed to turn down the engines after the second stops and hold station.

I can't recall anything like this happening for a fair few years at least. Vettel disobeyed a direct team order and passed Mark.

How many times have we witnessed Webber rolling up behind Vettel, clearly faster (dont think Vettel was faster today), in the past and being asked to hold station. He doesnt like it...he hustles him a bit then backs off. If he did like it, he shouldnt be in F1, but he accepts that a team "hold station, bring home the team finish" is exactly that.

Vettel disregarded his team and his teammate today. He well and truly put the middle finger to all of them.

Vettel trying to explain himself after the race was absolutely pathetic. He alluded to the fact that in similar situations in the past they had raced....erm no....you didnt...we've seen Mark holding station plenty of times.

Helmut Marko was equally hillarious. There was a ten second pause with his gob wide open when Lee Mckenzie went straight for the jugular with her first question to him. He didnt know what to say...how about saying "my golden boy fucked up". But no, he explains it away saying the situation got out of control...the situation got out of control?!

Kinda reminds me of Turkey in 2010, when Vettel drove into Mark...the majority of the Red Bull powers that be somehow laid the blame at Webbers door.

Horner said Vettel's actions were unnacceptable, but he has apologised so we move on. Disgusting. Vettel clearly believes he is unotuchable there. If he had done similar at Ferrari he'd be sacked!

The good thing is, whilst scum Marko wants Vettel's babies, the owner Dietrich Mateschitz is very pro Webber.

Vettel's apology is total bollocks.

I must aplogise for my slightly emotional rants amidst the quality writing ;-).

Red Bull good guy

Rumour is that Dietrich Mateschitz was approached by Lewis for a drive in the middle of last year, for this season. He wanted nothing of it, insisting that he was loyal to Mark and the Aussie had first refusal on a drive with the team.

I have probably missed a lot and will no doubt rant more another time.

Race report

Lots of awesome racing and overtaking. Alonso made a cracking start, then cracked his front wing by nerfing Vettel.

Nico and Lewis had a lot of fun racing each other. Nico was eager to pass shall we say, but Big Ross Brawn managed the situation fairly well and Nico had calmed down after the race.

Has to be said, none of the top three were happy on the podium! Mark wasn't holding back with his remarks either - "Seb made his own decisions today".

As expected Lotus werent as much on the pace here, but came in...6th and 7th was it, claiming solid points at least.

Mclaren looked a lot more on the pace here, but JB was completely un-done by a dodgy pit-stop. I see they havent sorted any issues from last year.

Special mention to Force India for the most woeful race and pitstops I have seen from one team for a long time. Sort it out guys!

Driver of the day is Mark Webber - did you see his one handed driving whilst flipping the bird to Vettel?!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21915619

Most amusing moment goes to Lewis rolling up into the Mclaren pits - whoops!

Second most amusing moment goes to Alonso taking the piss out of the Red Bull friction in a tweet!

Fernando Alonso ‏@alo_oficial 13h

Today that I'm not in the podium I'm missing a good moment..! I will try not leave them alone again ... ;))) #goodMood

It was actually race 200 for Fernando, which passed quietly, in the kitty litter. He'll be back and is already beating the optimistic drum.

Here is a final pic to leave with - awkward!

Good link to BBC report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/21917899

I wont link to the full podium interview as its on sky sports website (booooo!!) - awkward doesnt cover it!

Kimi - A one stop strategy before the race ;-)

Justin:

Starting from where we left off in 2012 seems to be the main theme for Round 1 in Australia.

The three men on the podium were the top three in the title race last year and I would possibly put Kimi alongside Seb and Fernando in terms of real title contenders for 2013.

Of course, it's just one race and it's a quite particular street circuit in Albert Park. Malaysia has a lot of rather different characteristics as a track with fast, sweeping corners which may mean we'll see other cars coming to the front.

By way of a two stop strategy, and a one stop strategy before the race.... Kimi beat Fernando by over ten seconds in the end, with Vettel a further ten seconds down the road in third.

There was some great racing, nail biting stuff in the early stages with Vettel being hustled by the two very quick Ferrari's.

Mclaren are absolutely nowhere and Lewis must be loving his move to Mercedes, where he finished a solid if unspectacular fifth.

Sergio Perez's debut in his new team was frankly not good enough. Ok, its a difficult car, with JB struggling to ninth. But as we all know in F1 you must beat your team-mate first and foremost. I almost forgot Perez was in the race at all to be perfectly honest.

Mark Webber had a rubbish start yet again, from second on the grid. We learned later that he had an electronics fault AND no kers...does this guy get any good luck at all, ever?! Great recovery drive to sixth.

Adrian Sutil should get a mention - he led the race after a year out and didnt look out of place amongst the front runners at all. He faded due to differing strategies, but still finished a well earned seventh.

Good to see Massa is still keeping Alonso very honest, as he did in the last handful of races last year.

Alonso said the pace of the Lotus was a worry. Keeping things in perspective though, Ferrari have turned up with a very fast car. This time last year theirs was an absolute dog.

It seems Mclaren has brought the ugly duckling along this year.

Pecking order looks like Ferrari and Red Bull (RB may have better one lap pace but they seem to ruin their tyres in the race), Lotus then a small gap to Mercedes. Mclaren have fallen back and need to sort themselves out quickly.

To Malaysia in one week!

This isn't the Kimi we know - he usually drinks all the booze :-)