I don't believe the current season is random. In every race weekend, for example, we've seen McLaren be strong. Nor are we seeing HRTs streak past Red Bulls..
I dont think you can argue that McLaren have been strong all weekend at all every race weekend
They have had at least 3 out of 5 poor races by their standards
Generally their race pace has been good rather than decent, Lewis did ok yesterday but still struggled over taking other cars (and was even losing places at the end)
I think JB had an extra stop due to flat spoting one set , but even so pace was low top ten at any rate.
No disrespect to Lewis, but I think he would have struggled to hang onto Maldonado and Alonso even if he had started from pole, his top gear was that bad. He MIGHT have beaten the lotus's but I think it would have been a close thing for 3/4/5
The tyres are more condition sensitive than before, making the teams have to work harder to produce effective setups (which is why we can see the two cars of the same team so separated - e.g. Button vs. Lewis today) and meaning that the differences between cars come into play in different ways at different races.
We've always seen this to some extent, with different tracks playing to the strengths of one team or another; it's just a stronger effect this season. Combine that with a very evenly matched field and you get the variety of winners and losers that we're seeing.
This race wasn't won or lost on random factors, anymore than other years. Maldonado won by getting the pit stop strategy right. Vettel and Webber lost time to the need to get a new front wing. Hamilton lost a place to a mechanic not moving the wheel out of the way.
Do the tyre wear patterns make tyre management more important than other years? Yes, they do. Do I think that's a bad thing? No, I don't. You're still watching something that is ultimately down to driver skill and team strategists to manage to their advantage.[/QUOTE]
