Motorsport on Monday isn't solely about Formula 1 (we promise), but with the final F1 pre-season test culminating in Bahrain last Sunday just a week after we'd learnt so much about this year's
runners and riders
, it'd be rude not to focus on the state of play heading into the first race Down Under later this month - especially since this is the biggest step in world motorsport for donkey's.
Horner, Newey and Markko 'enjoy' a little chat
It wasn't looking good for Renault and Red Bull seven days ago - if anything it's looking worse for them now. On the penultimate day of testing before the season kicks off in Melbourne, four-time reigning F1 champ Sebastian Vettel failed to put in one solitary lap.
In fact, it took his Red Bull mechanics a total of two and a half hours just to get the car fired up and rolling down the pit lane, due to a battery problem. Four corners later he was back in the pits with technical issues before being sent back out again. At which point it promptly broke down before Seb could so much as release the pit lane limiter. The final day was better but not best, with Vettel eventually setting a time good enough for ninth.
All of this playing out in front of the world's media, F1 fans and even casual observers has formulated a few gripping points. Some people have been questioning whether pre-season testing should be private? From an enthusiast's point of view - no. The first Jerez session was pretty boring as teams worked through initial checks, but it's proved fascinating in Bahrain so far as constructors developing cars and getting on the pace. Or not, as the case may be.
The lesser spotted world champ on track
The very public humiliation of Renault and Red Bull will doubtless spur them on to get to the bottom of their issues and
realise the potential
of what, chassis-wise, could be a championship contender in the RB10 (just look at its heritage). But for now, for a neutral, we really do have what is potentially the most exciting season of Formula 1 for years in front of us. When was the last time you saw an F1 car detonate its motor? Exactly.
The spec of the 2.4 rev monsters was frozen back in 2007 for each manufacturer, with a re-equalisation process following later to help reliability and power. With development of the powerplants effectively halted, it meant no crazy qualifying motors or suck-it-and-see modifications, and therefore (for motorsport) bulletproof reliability.
Interestingly, on February 28, the homologation deadline for each manufacturer's 2014 engine passed. There is a clause in the rules that allows special dispensation for mods owing to cost, safety and reliability reasons, but effectively what's just happened is Renault's forced itself to use what appears to be a problematic unit. Mercedes and Ferrari must have been laughing into their lunch in Bahrain.
Massa, meanwhile, seems to be enjoying life
From small cracks appear great fissures, too. The signs are there. Even Vettel has criticised the car, being quoted as saying the RB10 wouldn't be quick enough even if it could string some laps together, and that he's surprised the team is still struggling. It wouldn't be the first time the German's toys have been ejected from his energy drink-sponsored pram. We wonder if
a Mr M Webber
has been tempted to text his former teammate with messages of support? Doubt it.
Motorsport is an unpredictable business. We can't say with any certainty that Red Bull won't win this year's title, but while that team's fortune is on the wane here and now, F1 stalwart and former front-runner Williams is enjoying a resurgence after some woeful seasons of late.
Massa clocked a 1 min 33.258 on Saturday - the fastest time over all three tests. Teams don't disclose the dark art of fuel loads, but we can assume the Brazilian was running relatively light. All the same, in his box-fresh Mercedes-powered Williams (good move to switch from Renault, it seems), that would have put him in ninth spot on the grid last year - and that's against cars with chassis, aerodynamic packages and powertrains that have had close to seven year's worth of development pumped into them.
Old fox Williams may have played a blinder
To anybody that doubted the rule changes for 2014, said they wouldn't work and it'd be a slow, boring season - we've not even had a race yet and it's already been one of the most exciting, intriguing and unpredictable periods of Formula 1 in a long time.
A few engines lunching themselves ought to spice things up a bit and keep the title race close - exactly what we want. Now if they could just do something about those noses...