Heading into Sunday's European Grand Prix in Valencia, Team McLaren Mercedes have won the last three races. Can either Lewis Hamilton or Heikki Kovalainen make it a grand slam of four in a row? It's certainly possible since the silver cars have been sharp on the previous street circuits during the 2008 season thus far. Then again, based on Friday's practice times Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen may have something to say about just who is going to take the checkers on Sunday.
The middle portion of the Formula 1 season has definitely seen a resurgence from McLaren, and after Kovalainen's victory in Hungary at the last GP they have closed the gap to Ferrari in the Constructor's Title to a manageable 11 points. Lewis Hamilton still leads the Driver's Title in somewhat shaky fashion, and every time it appears as if he's about to take control of the championship the young Brit encounters a snag.
Speaking of snags, what the hell has happened over at BMW Sauber? The white cars were solid and consistent during the first third of the season and at one time owned the lead in the Constructor's Title and even placed Bob Kubica at the top of the Driver's standings. But no longer. Sure, the reliability is still there, but the pace is most definitely not. It makes me wonder if BMW ever really had the outright pace to challenge Ferrari and McLaren in a straight up fight. Early in the season I thought they did, and since they had made such rapid gains from 2007 to early 2008 anything seemed possible. Now it's safe to say that Ferrari and McLaren have upped their games respectively during the mid-season, and it's also safe to say that BMW have just not been able to respond.
A turn-around of another sort has quietly been happening at Toyota. Yes, they are still more known in F1 for their deep pockets but in recent times both Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli have been making impressive strides. Most notably Glock qualifying well and running well at Hungary for an eventual second place finish after Massa's engine went boom and Raikkonen's late desperate charge fell short. Is it possible that the red and white cars have finally found some F1 magic? Is the TF108 actually competitive?
Well, I'm not brave enough to answer those questions, after all, we've been anticipating F1 greatness from Toyota ever since they opened up their checkbook and jumped into the sport.
Valencia marks the two-thirds point of the season, and the championship fight is once again shaping up between old rivals. Heikki Kovalainen is surely full of confidence after his first career victory and that combined with the tenacity that Lewis Hamilton has shown make McLaren Mercedes a formidable challenger. It seems as though Ferrari have experienced more reliability issues the past two seasons than they did during the entire Michael Schumacher era. If the team from Maranello can ward off their gremlins for the remainder of the season, then they certainly can fill the role of the favorite. But fending off those gremlins is a big 'if'.
As things stand now, McLaren have the momentum and you bet they aim to keep it.
Top Five in Driver's Championship after 11 of 18 rounds
Lewis Hamilton McLaren Mercedes 62 pts
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 57
Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari 54
Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 49
Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 41
Top Five in Constructor's Championship after 11 of 18 rounds
At the midway point of the season, and with the racing action for this weekend to be held here in Illinois at Chicagoland Speedway, it seemed like a good time to blog out a few Nascar Sprint Cup thoughts.
Kyle Busch. As the dude continues to win races (and slowly win over more and more fans), he continues to collect nicknames. To my knowledge at various times he's been known as "Shrub", "Rowdy", and "Wild thing", and I think it's a well known fact in motorsports that the more nicknames you have, the better. I'm sure nicknames such as "Kay-Bee Toys", "Burning Busch", and "Special K" are not far behind. Even with the breakout season that Kyle has had, I don't think that HMS made a mistake by releasing him to make room for Dale Jr. I think it's been a blessing for both drivers and teams, and I believe that both drivers needed a fresh start in order to have the type of seasons that they're having (currently 1st and 2nd in the points).
Toyota. If anyone truly believes that Toyota are somehow dominant, they need to flush out their headgear. Toyota aren't dominant, JGR aren't dominant - only the #18 car has been dominant, that's it. I keep reading and hearing about some magical horsepower advantage for the Toyota cars that ranges somewhere between 20 and 50 hp over the other car mfr's. Who exactly started this rumor and how did it gain credability? Because if it's actually true, we're not seeing it out on the track (other than that 18 car of course). Look at the cars currently sitting in the top 10 ... GM cars occupy five of the top ten spots (and four of the top six).
The Chase. Speaking of the points standings, that brings me to this concept called The Chase. Whose brilliant idea was this? Let's see, we'll complete 26 of 36 races and then at that time we'll reset the top 12 drivers point totals to 5000 with a measly 10 point bonus thrown in for each "regular season" win? Do I have that right? 10 points per win, that's all? And why 12 drivers? Why not 10, or 15, or 20? How do we know where to make the cut-off?
Look, I understand the intention of keeping the championship exciting and putting more emphasis on late season race wins, but let the season play out as it would under a season long points system. This 10 race "chase" is just bizarre - especially when you have a season that is 36 races long! Matt Kenseth won a title prior to The Chase format by being consistent and "racing for points", and I guess that just didn't sit well with the fans and Nascar. Okay, fine. Hasn't the #88 car (and the #31 car) been racing consistent and finishing well so far in 2008? Funny that I haven't heard many people complaining about that #88 car "racing for points".
I've really enjoyed following Sprint Cup racing so far, but I'm getting a feeling that I'm not going to be a fan of this Chase format for the last ten races.
Will They or Won't They. It's been interesting to see the traditionally strong drivers (and past champions) have issues coming to grips with the new car. I like that, and I like to see how each driver responds to adversity. Do they fight and scrap or do they whine and complain. My guess is that eventually before the season is done that drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth are going to get to Victory lane.
Sprint Cup Standings (after 18 of 36 races completed)
Kyle Busch Toyota 2686
Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 2504
Jeff Burton Chevrolet 2484
Carl Edwards Ford 2437
Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 2319
Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 2249
Denny Hamlin Toyota 2240
Kasey Kahne Dodge 2177
Matt Kenseth Ford 2166
Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 2159
Greg Biffle Ford 2153
Tony Stewart Toyota 2145
I've also been playing in a Fantasy Racing League here on Fox Sports, and that's really been alot of fun for me. Much to my surprise, I've actually been pretty consistent and at least managed to post a respectable score at the end of segment 1 for the season.
The Back Seat Driver Standings (at the end of segment 1)
GLK Racing Gerrel 6687
Paws4Racing miznoodle 6456
ramchargers lyndon 6443
AMP Champ Kristen 6370
Never Lift Racing Johnny M. 6261
Hot Wheels bc525 6240
Mystique Tezgm99 6172
IDK YeeMum 6016
Reigning Champ Qen 5596
GGW Racing 2 Forensic 2 5554
Bear Down Corp Saintdpa 5439
Paulori Racing HotfootLori 5375
3Fan Racing Inc frevr3fan 4597
Mondaca Dynasty Jorge M. 2482
Ramchargers took an early season lead but has struggled a bit since, and GLK Racing and Paws4Racing have overtaken the top two spots. Our league sponsor, the AMP Champ, has been lurking in fourth and was making a strong charge until a couple of recent hiccups slowed her down a bit. Never Lift Racing held off my late rally by a scant 21 points to round out the top five. At one point my team had a comfortable lead over team Mystique (the once New Zealand operation now based out of Canada), but with a monster 639 point explosion at Daytona in the last race the gap closed to 68 points. Yikes.
Team IDK (I Don't Know?) has had a roller coaster ride for the first half of the season, posting big scores followed by some less than stellar scores. Fortunately the three lowest scores for segment 1 get erased from the scorecard. Beyond 8th place there's a bit of a dropoff, with Reigning Champ Racing, GGW Racing 2, Bear Down Corp, and Paulori Racing all hovering in the mid 5000 point range. I'm not sure what's happening over at 3Fan Racing Inc or The Mondaca Dynasty, it's looking as though they've pulled the plug on their racing teams.
Well, at the halfway point of the season, the race for the title of Best Back Seat Driver is definitely shaping up to be a wild one.
With a one-two finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, the white cars let it be known that they intend to be players for the 2008 Constructor's Championship as well as the Driver's Championship. There will be no waiting for the future, the future is now.
Sure, it can be argued that the main reason for the BMW-Sauber sweep (and David Coulthard's podium finish) was the pit lane mishap which knocked Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes out of the race. More about that incident in a minute, but first, I don't think it can be denied that BMW-Sauber are for real and have a realistic chance of winning a title. But until a white car defeats the two elite teams in a straight up fight for the win, there will certainly be some doubters - but not me.
I'm a believer, and in fact, I'll go one step further and predict that before the season is done Robert Kubica or Nick Heidfeld will notch another victory and they'll do it in a "fair" fight over Ferrari and McLaren. My guess would be the night race in Singapore, but that really is just a guess at this point. That also raises the question about the hierarchy at BMW - is Heidfeld still considered the team leader or has Kubica assumed that role with his incredible start and monumental first victory? I doubt anything has changed in that regard, but Heidfeld is certainly being outpaced by his younger Polish teammate.
Looking ahead to this weekend's French GP at Circuit de Nevers in Magny-Cours, the favorites have to be Raikkonen and Massa of Ferrari. The red cars traditionally run very strong at Magny-Cours, and Raikkonen upheld that tradition last season by posting the victory. McLaren's best hope for victory will ride with Heikki Kovalainen since Lewis Hamilton has been given a 10-spot grid penalty for his role in the pit lane crunch in Canada.
Yeah, about that crunch.
In Monaco, Raikkonen slammed his Ferrari F2008 into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India machine, knocking both cars out of the race. That raised the dander of some F1 fans, and there was a call for apologies or penalties or fines or something. There would be no apology from Ferrari (that I'm aware of) nor would there be any penalties or fines levied against Ferrari or Raikkonen by the FIA. I'm still bummed about the crash at Monaco, but I stand by the Kimster. It was a racing accident, and I didn't think (and still don't think) any apologies or penalties were necessary.
In Canada, Lewis Hamilton slammed his McLaren MP4-23 into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari F2008, knocking both cars out of the race. Little bit different situation as the accident occurred while Raikkonen was stopped at the pit lane exit waiting for the light to turn green. Why was the light red? I can only assume that the pit exit was closed as the Safety Car (and whatever cars that hadn't pitted) passed by on the track, therefore trying to prevent any collisions between cars leaving pit lane and those still out on the track. That's the only reason I can think of as to why the light was red.
The 10-spot grid penalty seems harsh to me. Just as before, I look at the event as a racing accident, and I don't think McLaren owe Ferrari an apology nor do I think Hamilton's actions warranted a penalty (certainly not 10 positions on the starting grid in France!). Naturally, Scuderia Ferrari whined about the incident, and that's to be expected, but to me it was just unfortunate that Raikkonen was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hey, that's racing.
The Iceman didn't whine about what happened, to my knowledge he's just said it was a bad break, and he's putting it in the past. I've said it before and I'll say it again here, I'm not a Ferrari fan, I'm a Raikkonen fan - he just happens to drive for the Scuderia. I think you can tell that I don't like whining in racing and I don't really believe in bringing down penalties for things that happen during a race. #### happens in racing, deal with it and move on.
Anyways, the races in Montreal are usually pretty crazy and the 2008 Canadian GP was no different. The hairpin provided some of the wildest racing and some of the most exciting passing we've seen all season, such as Massa's double pass late in the race or Piquet's bizarrely aggressive dives.
Magny-Cours is not known for crazy races, and in fact, overtaking is usually fairly scarce at the Circuit de Nevers (should we call it Never-Never Land?). Sorry, that was bad wasn't it. Not to say overtaking can't be done there, just that it's extremely difficult, which doesn't bode well for Mr Hamilton in the silver car. In contrast, BMW-Sauber have shown they can qualify very well, but will that be enough to hold off the Ferrari's in a straight up fight? Probably not, but as we've seen if the red cars have troubles or reliability issues, the white cars are ready to pounce.
With three teams legitimately contending for the Constructor's Championship and five pilots legitimately contending for the Driver's Championship, 2008 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting F1 season.
Top Five in Driver's Championship after 7 of 18 rounds
Robert Kubica BMW-Sauber 42 pts
Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 38
Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari 38
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 35
Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 28
Top Five in Constructor's Championship after 7 of 18 rounds
I've tried several times to form a comment over on jbroomy's blog about the Monaco GP and each time I try to contain myself within a character limit I only come up with gibberish. So when faced with gibberish commentary, naturally I decided to turn it into a blog entry. Some Coors Light has also helped the gibberish process along too.
First off, I'm bummed that Adrian Sutil of Force India did not get the race result that he fully deserved. He had posted an inspired drive to that point at Monaco, there is no denying that, especially when you look at the fact that he completely outclassed his veteran teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. And I'm sure the prying eyes of F1 did not miss that drive by Sutil. Fisi is no slouch. For a young driver trying desperately to make a name for himself, I fully understand Sutil's anguish regarding the accident.
But it was just that. A racing accident.
Let's not use this as an opportunity to belittle and attack Raikkonen as if he were some reckless and incompetent hack behind the wheel. I understand that he has made some haters across the F1 fan landscape, and that's cool. I have my hates too. I can't stand Fernando Alonso. Can't stand the guy. Every time he did those goofy little animal-impression dances after a GP win, I went into a tirade about how much I hated the guy. My friends that witnessed some of those beautiful tirades thought they were laugh out loud funny occasions. I didn't see the humor, but hey, we each have our quirks.
I watched the crash at Monaco that jbroomy has highlighted. I saw Raikkonen get bad loose under acceleration on a wet track and start swapping. I mean bad swapping, like really nasty swapping. Three swaps maybe four, but Raikkonen kept the car off the walls ... at Monaco. Off the walls at Monaco while being out of control is not a/n {expletive of jbroomy's choice} driver, that's not a car breaker, that's a car saver. A driver worthy of a World Championship title and a race seat at Scuderia Ferrari and a Ferrari car that has number 1 stenciled on it.
The argument being, "Well, if Kimi was so great he shouldn't have been out of control in the first place."
Amen. I agree. He shouldn't have been out of control, but doesn't that go with racing? He did make that mistake under acceleration, and as pro racers do, he saved it. If the track had been clear leading into the chicane, Kimi would've had a "moment" and he would've corrected and gone about his business of chasing down Sutil (which he was doing). Sutil was in front of the faster Ferrari by racing clean and smooth and being mistake free, and I love that about Sutil's drive.
I don't think Ferrari owe Force India or Adrian Sutil an apology for anything. I genuinely don't. If Sutil and Force India are that sensitive, well, Formula 1 is probably not the place for them.
Should I go into the times that Kimi Raikkonen has been screwed? A rear wing flying off? Anyone remember that? How exactly was that Kimi breaking the car?
But you don't hear Raikkonen complaining. That's the kicker right there. The dude that has every right to whine about bad luck doesn't do that (at least to my knowledge). The Iceman just continues to go about his business of driving an F1 car as best he can, which in my humble opinion is pretty damn good. I tend to think that being an F1 Champion takes some talent.
I admit that I sound like a crazed Raikkonen fan, and yeah, I am a crazed Raikkonen fan.
Pick a driver and cheer very loudly, or pick a team and cheer very loudly. That's a big part of being a race fan. I've followed Raikkonen from Sauber to McLaren to Ferrari and will follow him to the point that he calls it quits, and believe me I know when to #### at the Iceman for driving like a ####. Monaco was not one those times.
Memorial Day honors those that have lost their lives in our nation's service. The spiritual and symbolic center for this holiday weekend is at Arlington National Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknowns as the Honor Guard sentinel walks the mat, pacing out 21 steps then turning and marching back 21 steps. Rain or shine, night or day. And the changing of the guard is something every American should witness at least once. Honor all of our veterans and our men and women currently serving our nation by just taking a quiet moment out of your weekend to say a little prayer of thanks to them.
This weekend is also known for racing, most traditionally the Indy 500, but also Nascar's 600 mile marathon at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Throw in the glitzy crown jewel of the F1 season (the Monaco GP) to start Sunday off in style and you've got quite a racing line-up there. Plus the added bonus of having Monday off from work as a recovery day. As I sit here at my Dell home computer, anxiously looking forward to watching the races with friends and to drinking too much beer and to burning various meats on a Coleman grille, I can't help but also reflect back on some racing history as well.
It's good to stop and remember.
Racing is inherantly a dangerous sport, always has been, always will be. It's just the nature of the beast. Everyone involved realizes that, the drivers, the track officials, and the fans. I'm amazed at how far safety in motorsports has advanced, but the danger from pushing vehicles to go faster and faster, closer and closer to the absolute limit will never completely be eliminated. Engineers design and build cars that test the technological boundaries, and race drivers take those cars right to the edge of the precipice. And sometimes beyond.
Ayrton Senna. My all-time favorite Formula 1 driver was killed on May 1, 1994, at the San Marino GP in Imola. That was a dark day, in fact, that entire Grand Prix seemed cursed. During qualifying Rubens Barrichello was injured in a crash, and then during a practice session Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed when his car slammed into a wall. Then finally during the race, Senna was leading but being pushed by a young German driver named Michael Schumacher when in the Tamburello corner of the Imola circuit Senna's car went airborne and struck the outer barrier of the track.
Something like that happens so fast. In an instant, and you blink. Did I just see that? Some crashes just have a bad look to them, I can't really describe it, but maybe it's from watching enough racing and seeing enough crashes or maybe as humans we just have a natural understanding of physics that some crashes you know to disregard and some you know to hold your breath. Because that instant can have long effects.
Track officials later found a folded red and white Austrian flag in the cockpit of Senna's car. Apparently he was planning to wave it as a victory flag in tribute to Ratzenberger.
Senna is still my favorite driver for many reasons but mainly because the dude was almost psychotically driven to win and he had plenty of talent to go with that passion. That combination certainly made him alot of enemies in his day too. His days at McLaren-Honda were obviously the most memorable of his career, and the interesting part of it was that McLaren didn't give him team leader status. McLaren was an equal opportunity team, there was not a team leader and a support driver - there were two team drivers. Anyone that witnessed the incredible 1988 season and the bitter rivalry between Senna and Prost can vouch for that. People that argue Michael Schumacher is the greatest F1 driver of all-time should consider the fact that during his days at Ferrari, Schumi had everything slanted in his favor, while during most of his days at McLaren, Senna had to fight for every pole position, every fastest lap, and every GP victory.
Dale Earnhardt. Sometimes nicknames just don't seem to make sense, while other times nicknames just embody a person's image perfectly. The man that was basically the image of the Nascar Winston Cup Series became known to even those of us who didn't regularly follow Nascar as "The Intimidator". That right there is a race driver's nickname, and it was only fitting that at the pinnacle of his career, the 3 car was painted in black. Like the old western movie in which the bad guy wore that signature black hat.
Dale Sr played that part perfectly too.
Similar to what made me a fan of Senna, I liked the attitude of Earnhardt. He had that aura about him. For me he was Nascar. I didn't watch many Nascar races other than the big ones (Daytona, Talladega, the Brickyard, etc.), but when I tuned in most often it was because of him. Earnhardt's career was intertwined with Daytona, and when he (finally) managed to win one in 1998, it was just one of those feelgood moments in motorsports. Dude deserved it very badly, and it was very cool to see him get to victory lane at that event.
Then on Feb 18, 2001, on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Earnhardt's car speared the concrete wall of Turn 4. He was most likely killed instantly. I did happen to be watching when that crash happened, and unlike Senna's crash I honestly don't remember initially thinking that it was too bad. I suppose the fact that there was a dash to the line for the win going on while Earnhardt hit the wall might've been a distraction from the wreck. The replay isolation on the 3 car showed just how severe that impact really was, and in many ways I truly believe that crash and the loss of Nascar's icon led to great advancements in safety throughout stock car racing.
And that's probably the best tribute that racing can give to these two icons. Just keep racing, and just keep improving for the future.
I know that's an odd pairing: Ayrton Senna and Dale Earnhardt. But as I was thinking and remembering about past drivers that we've lost, those two names immediately came to mind. For sure, two very different people, but yet very similar in many ways. I also thought of the story of Bill Vukovich who was killed May 30, 1955, in a crash during the Indianapolis 500. Of course I wasn't around to see that crash, but naturally I've done my fair share of reading about the history of American racing. Anyone who has read about the history of the Indy 500 has no doubt read about Vukovich, who has been called by racers of that era, "the greatest driver in American motorsports history".
But there's no sense in me just reposting the Wikipedia entry about him, so I'll let you research all of that for yourself.
Are BMW-Sauber for real? As Formula 1 comes out of the three week break and heads to Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, BMW sit atop the Constructor's Championship with a one point lead over the surging Scuderia Ferrari. Everything that I've seen and read has certainly reinforced the idea that BMW have continued to improve their game, and most notably the team were on pace with the red cars in Bahrain.
In the desert three weeks ago, Polish driver Bob Kubica qualified his BMW F1.08 in the pole position (yes, a Pole on pole), and despite struggling during the opening laps and allowing both of the red cars to get past him, he stayed on the radar screens of the two front running Ferrari's. Teammate Nick Heidfeld brought his F1.08 home in 4th place, and all in all, it was a strong weekend for BMW Sauber.
But do they have enough to take the fight to Ferrari? Staying in contact with the Ferrari's is one thing, but defeating the Ferrari's .... well, that's something else.
In Bahrain, the outfit from Maranello finally showed the championship form that most were expecting from them. After two disastrous rounds to open the season, Felipe Massa finally screwed his head on straight and got down to business. For Phil, the season opener in Australia and the following Malaysian Grand Prix yielded a whopping total of zero championship points. That's not so good. Bahrain proved to be much kinder to Ferrari, with Massa taking the checkers, well ahead of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. At one point during the middle portion of the race, the two cars were trading fastest lap times, but eventually Raikkonen backed off for whatever reasons, allowing Massa to cruise to a relatively comfortable victory.
It's a little ironic that Massa has had a very Raikkonen-like start to his season. Race results for Felipe = engine failure (0 pts); spin (0 pts); win (10 pts). That's the type of results that Kimi usually puts up. Either take the win or get a DNF.
Speaking of the Iceman, he's done enough to still be considered the favorite for the Driver's Title (he leads BMW's Nick Heidfeld by 3 points), and he is possibly showing some patience as a driver. In the not-so-distant past, Kimi's mode and modus operandi, his central kick, was just to win at all cost, and honestly it appeared as if he wasn't aware they actually gave out points for finishing in second place. While he has been far from what I would call dominant at the start of 2008, I like what I see from the Iceman. Have no fear though, Kimi will probably not run away with the title, I believe he will keep things interesting.
That win at all cost attitude is probably why I'm a big fan of Raikkonen.
At this point, only 3 races out of 18 have been completed, and I'm sure the Kimster has many thrills and spills yet to accomplish, so stay tuned. Massa will have his moments as well, and Ferrari must be at least a little satisfied with the early pace of the new F2008, although reliability might still be a little shaky for the once bulletproof Ferrari cars (especially after the calamity of a two engine failure at Albert Park).
As for the third team of the Big Three, McLaren-Mercedes squandered a strong start to the season at Albert Park. Hamilton took the victory in Australia and new teammate Heikki Kovalainen brought his shiny new ride home in a respectable 5th place, and McLaren looked ready to put the debacle that was the 2007 season behind them.
Oh, not so fast.
McLaren is quickly becoming known for Mickey Mouse goofiness and a knack for drawing the wrath of race officials everywhere. Case in point, both McLarens were penalized in Malaysia for impeding the progress of BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Renault's Fernando Alonso during Q3 qualifying. Their crime? Not moving off the racing line quickly enough while other drivers were on a hot lap. Their punishment? Both McLarens were docked five positions on the starting grid for their rudeness. The question with Hamilton has been can he challenge for the win when starting back in the grid? So far, the answer has been 'no'. Hamilton's five F1 victories have all come from pole position, and in the past we've seen that he's prone to make mistakes when starting further back in the pack. So a five grid penalty was a big deal for him.
For a racing team that has been traditionally known for its precision and professionalism, McLaren-Mercedes in more recent times appear to be operated by the Marx Brothers. In 2007, a car that was at times very dominant yielded no driver's title, and a goofy spy scandal ("StepneyGate") forfeited all constructor's points for the season. Is 2008 going to be more of the same slapstick from the silver cars? We'll see, but it has not exactly been a fantastic start for McLaren.
As Formula 1 rolls into Spain, what should be of more concern to Ferrari is BMW Sauber's continued improvement and not the comedic drama of Team ... M-I-C .. K-E-Y .. M-O-U-S-E .. er, I mean Team McLaren. The Spanish GP will be interesting to see if BMW will defeat Ferrari in a straight up fight, or if Ferrari will begin to assert the dominance that we've been expecting. McLaren are by no means drowning, but they better start swimming in the right direction.
Top Five in Driver's Championship after 3 of 18 rounds
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 19 pts
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 16
Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 14
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 14
Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 14
Top Five in Constructor's Championship after 3 of 18 rounds
I'm a newbie to Nascar and I like Nascar. I mean I really like Nascar. This was not supposed to happen, after all I'm a fan of road course racing, of motocross racing, of basically everything that flies in the face of Nascar. To me Nascar = turn left, turn left, turn left ..... yellow flag pitstops ..... then turn left, turn left, turn left. Any driver could win at any time because there seemed to be no rhyme nor reason to it all. The luckiest driver just seemed to win. That's basically what it looked like to me as an outsider.
My first love is motocross. Beyond that I will always be loyal to road racing such as F1, ALMS, SCCA, what was Champ Car, and other series. I will acknowledge that Nascar goes road racing twice a season - at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. I love those races.
This all started when a friend here on the blogs asked me to join a fantasy racing league. I considered the offer genuine enough, but in reality I was simply telling a friend what she wanted to hear. Okay, okay, I'll give this silly fantasy racing #### a try. This friend is a fellow UofA alum, so I figured that I'd cut her some slack.
Well, now after 6 cup races, I'm hooked on Nascar.
I live and die with the four drivers of my fantasy racing team. I'm not a fan of any particular driver, so I love/hate them all very equally. One week Kyle Busch is my hero, the next week I'm hoping he has some "mechanical" issues. Hey, I'm a competitive person, and I always always struggle to win, even if it's against the niece and nephew at Sorry - I'm in it to win it. No worries, my sister will clean up the crying kids after I whup them at Sorry.
Don't even get me started about Stratego. I dominate.
This week's racing brings Nascar to Texas, and I have absolutely no idea why I'm picking the way that I'm picking. I'm sure the leader of our league will know it all before they race, that leader of our league would be some tightwad by the name of ramchargers by lyndon. Whatever. This ramchargers person has picked the winner 5 out of 6 races so far! That's just ridiculous!
He and/or she must be cheating!
I have selected my drivers for this week based on the guess that this week will be similar to Atlanta - I'm going with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, and Brian Vickers. Obviously lil'E and cousin Carl are some upfront choices, but keep in mind that in our fantasy league you can only use a driver 4 times over the course of the first 18 races. That throws some strategy in this for the long haul, or at least that's how I look at it.
The truth is, I'm trying my very best at this fantasy racing league stuff. I really am. If I get my butt kicked, then so be it - but I'm bringing all of my meager racing fan skills to the table. That may count for something.
Let's be honest, it ain't where you start but where you finish that matters.
Some personal thoughts about Nascar racing that I've watched:
(1) Kyle Busch is for real. I'll be honest when I say that the dude's driving style freaks me out a little bit, but I can't deny that he's a racer .... and he's a winner. I keep reminding myself that he's very young and that he'll mature as a driver. I'll be very surprised if Kyle Busch doesn't win a championship (or multiple championships) in his Nascar career.
(2) There is no tire controversy. Look folks, Goodyear is the sole tire supplier, and that is a good thing. Tire supplier for Nascar is not about capitalism where competition is good, tire supplier is about safety. Goodyear as the sole tire supplier is better for safety than tire competitors trying to outdo each other for more speed. Even as a newbie to Nascar I know this. (Please refer to F1 USGP of 2005).
(3) I'm becoming a fan of Kevin Harvick. The Richard Childress Racing team seem to be on their game, and all of the team drivers (Burton, Bowyer, Harvick) look strong to me. Harvick seems to be a little abrasive and a little arrogant, and believe me, that is very cool in a race driver. They are not out there to make friends, they are out there to win no matter what.
I'm throwing down right now that I'm pulling for the #29 to win it all - and of course by doing this blog I have now jinxed the #29 team. But hey, I'm an opinionated cuss even when I have no idea what I'm cussing about.
In the beginning, there was no television or intrawebs. The sports fan enjoyed seeing sports in person, and the people rejoiced. But somewhere along the way technology consumed the sports fan, and the scourge known as the "media expert" somehow became the voice of the sports fan's experience. And the people were sad.
Sure, I'm as guilty as the next sports fan when it comes to being lazy and choosing the couch potato route instead of getting my pasty white butt out to the game, or race, or whatever sporting event. Look, I live in a house constructed of balsa wood so you won't see me casting stones at other sports fans or fueling the flames of debate.
No, no, my fragile environment cannot withstand that. My messages are very positive in nature.
Watching a sporting event in person is what being a sports fan is all about. Let's never forget that. Sure, watching the Super Bowl at home (or at a party) is a great thing, and quite honestly, getting a cold beer from my fridge is a helluva lot easier than standing in line doing the pee-pee dance whilst I wait for nacho stand Bobby Ricky to draft foamy beer into little plastic cups.
NCAA football and NFL games have a certain affinity for television, I won't deny that. With high-def tv in my living room, I get to see in great detail the bewildered look on Eli Manning's face just as if he were next to my stereo trying to understand the lyrics to a Jane's Addiction song. To some extent baseball works on tv too, but not quite as well as football. The crack of a wooden bat resounding thru the park is still the stuff of great memories, and a trip to Wrigley Field should be a required experience for every sports fan. You go to Wrigley and you get drunk on Old Style, that's just a law. I have a buddy that likes to go kung-fu fighting over at the Cubby Bear after a Cubs game, but hey, that's a story for him to tell, not me.
Here are my two favorite sports to witness live and uncensored ....
MOTOCROSS
No, I'm not talking about the prissy stadium Supercross version of motocross, which is designed to be marketable and digestable for the masses on their flat screen. I'm talking about the true outdoor nationals - real motocross. Middle of the summer, with enough heat and humidity that some of the less vital organs in your body dry up and shut down without you even noticing. Heat index so high that marathoners from Kenya would say, "That's just ridiculous!" AMA motocross in the midwest is raced in these conditions.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Being a fan of motocross takes that type of dedication and attending a race is really not for the whiny or the weak. I'll speak from experience here because over the years I've attended the Red Bud National MX event (near Buchanon, MI) maybe 11 or 12 times. Forgive me for not remembering an exact count, but there has been alot of alcohol involved and many brain cells have perished taking their precious memories with them.
I only have a slight understanding of what it's like for the pro riders. Two motos, each 30 minutes plus two laps while pushing the pace to your personal limit. Not to mention that most of the privateer dudes have to qualify to make those main event motos by running laps in the early part of the day.
For anyone that has attempted to race motocross at any level (like me), you realize how tough this sport is.
HOCKEY
Straight up, I have never competed in this sport and to some extent the true intricacies of the game elude me, but I love watching hockey in person. Always have, always will. To put it plainly and simply, television just can't do this sport justice. Not even close. The speed of the players, the violence of the hits, and the crash of the boards are all lost on the television audience. I remember a network trying to highlight the puck and put all sorts of special effects on the screen to liven the game for tv, but of course that just failed miserably.
Trust me, to truly be appreciated, the NHL must be seen in person.
I've seen a handful of Blackhawks games, and each experience has been tremendous to me. And I even have to qualify that statement ~ all of my experiences have been at the United Center, I never did catch a Blackhawk game at Chicago Stadium. By those that I've talked with, a Blackhawk game at Chicago Stadium back in the day was comparable to a religious experience, like an epiphany.
Getting drunk with my buddies and screaming "Snap his neck!" at the top of our lungs is certainly pleasant and all, but usually that's when we're in the nosebleed sections. Let me say though, all joking aside, the top of the arena seats are where the very knowledgeable fans can be found. Those are the dudes you enjoy listening to during the game, and their comments are things of poetic profane beauty.
But when I've had the great blessing to be in very choice seats for a Blackhawk game, oh man, the sport has really mesmerized me. The skill of the players is incredible, and the vicious speed at which the game is played just made me truly appreciate the sport.
I'm not going to carry on like I understand some grand strategy in hockey or even that I fully comprehend the sport, because I don't. Without a doubt I can say that each time I've attended a Blackhawks game it was well worth every penny that I spent at the United Center.
After all, in this day and age of capitalism gone wild that seems to be the really true measure of a sport's value.
Testing for the upcoming F1 season has gotten under way in places like Jerez and Valencia, and the early results have been interesting. Ferrari have looked strong with the new F2008 as have McLaren's new MP4-23 and BMW's new F1.08. Of course testing is not racing, but all indicators are that the strong teams from 07 are off to a strong start for 08.
Some of the new cars have been unveiled in January while some have yet to be launched, but the official driver line-ups are set. Here are some thoughts about who will be racing with which team in 2008 ....
Scuderia Ferrari (car no's 1,2): Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa
Defending champ and entering his second season with the Maranello outfit, the Iceman seems to be the early favorite of the pundits for the Driver's title, and since topping the charts for Day 3 of the test session at Valencia, the Kimster looks to be in good form. However, teammate Phil Massa will have something to say about who's the favorite for that Driver's title. Massa has steadily improved over the last two seasons, and I'd expect that trend to continue for him. But when push comes to shove, I count myself as a Raikkonen fan, and I anticipate that Kimi will emerge as the champ again.
BMW Sauber (car no's 3,4): Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica
When BMW left Williams, it was a puzzler. Turns out they knew what they were doing. Turns out BMW was ready to operate their own F1 team, and purchasing Sauber (with their new wind tunnel facility) proved to be a good move. After a respectable 07 the prospects for Heidfeld and Kubica look very good in 08. Quietly lurking just below the radar, Nick has his best opportunity for F1 victories and a considerable point total. Last year was a bumpy ride for ol' Bob Kubica, especially that yard sale he left behind in the Canadian GP. Bob will continue to push the pace, but I still look at Heidfeld as the clear team leader at BMW.
Renault (car no's 5,6): Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet Jr.
The prodigal son returns. Which begs the question, should Fred have ever left Renault? It's tough to say, but it seems like a good move for him to return to the team that helped him win back-to-back titles. Alonso is undeniably good at working with his engineers and developing the car throughout the season. Renault will need every bit of that skill. Is Piquet Junior ready for F1 racing? I'm not sure. He did spend last season as a test driver, so that will certainly help. For me, I felt that Renault made a big blunder by releasing Heikki Kovalainen.
Williams Toyota (car no's 7,8): Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima
The tradition rich Williams F1 team has fallen on difficult times the past few seasons, and they enter 08 with questions looming. Nico Rosberg has quickly risen to team leader status, and while he has shown moments of talent, there remain doubts about his true ability, as well as his dedication and toughness. Like Piquet Jr, Nico is the son of a former F1 great, and naturally that makes some people wonder how much his last name has helped him. Of course, there's one surefire way to quiet the critics, and that's to post results at the races. Kaz Nakajima is also a question mark, but obviously a race seat with Williams is a great opportunity for him. Time will tell what he makes of that opportunity.
Red Bull Renault (car no's 9,10): David Coulthard, Mark Webber
Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey was brought onboard to develop a winning car, and if progress is going to happen, well, it had better start happening in 08. Two veteran pilots at the controls in DC and Webbo, so it is fair to say expectations are understandably high. Believe me, I've had those expectations of Team Red Bull before, and hopefully this time we can believe the hype. Let's just say, I'm looking at RBR with "cautious optimism".
Toyota (car no's 11,12): Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock
Oh boy. Toyota released Ralf Schumacher and his hefty contract. Good move. But then with an empty race seat they went out and got .... Timo Glock? Really? Nothing against Timo, he's a very capable F1 driver, but then again, he's not going to go out and do anything special either. He's consistent and proven, which is nice. Same with Jarno, he's a solid F1 driver, but somewhat less than inspiring. There may be improvement with the new TF108, but a top notch racer in the cockpit is still needed to get results out on the track. Or how about taking a chance on a young aggressive driver? All in all, I'm still shaking my head at Toyota's F1 operation.
STR Ferrari (car no's 14,15): Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel
Any driver line-up of Sebastien & Sebastian is peculiar enough, but when one Seabass (Bourdais) is a veteran racer making his second F1 attempt and the other Seabass (Vettel) is in his first full F1 season and looks like he's about 15 years old, it's like a comedy routine that almost writes itself. Okay, who's up first? Seabass. And who's second? Seabass. Wait, so who's first? Seabass. I thought he was second! heh heh. But no laughing matter, Vettel has talent and I'll bet good money that other teams are alertly watching how the young German handles 08. Toyota, are you paying attention? Bourdais left Champ Car domination to pursue his F1 dreams once more, and I can't help but worry that he's made a mistake by doing so.
Aerodynamic miscalculations apparently plagued Honda in 07. With the rise of British wonderboy Lewis Hamilton, some of the luster has worn off Jenson. Once upon a time he was hailed as the Brit who would be F1 King, but a single lonely GP win does not make one royalty. Poor career moves have also hampered his development, but the arrival of Ross Brawn (he of past Ferrari glory) has brought new hope to Honda. Rubes is still a fan favorite, and always will be, even if his best days are behind him. Honda can't do any worse than 07, can they?
Super Aguri Honda (car no's 18,19): Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson
Actually last season was quite a step in the right direction for the Super Best Friends. Taku's banzai pass on Alonso at the Canadian GP was a thrilling sight, and Ant's collision with a ground hog (at Canada as well?) was oddly amusing. Look for more of the same in 2008 - not collisions with ground hogs, but rather I mean the continued improvement by Honda's "support" team. In particular, Ant seems poised to have a very good season, and hopefully he'll find his way into the points at several GP's.
Force India (car no's 20,21): Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella
Jordan --> Midland --> Spyker --> Force India. Well, it's been a bizarre journey, but things finally seem a bit settled with the current team owners. Fisi has seen his F1 career take a step backwards in going from Renault to Force India, and it will be interesting to see how he reacts. Can he fight and claw and wring the most out of a questionable car? Or will he simply go thru the motions and circulate the tracks far from the sharp end of the field? Sutil is mired in the mystery that all young drivers saddled with inferior equipment must battle, what sort of true potential does he possess? This "new" team will need every bit of the Force, because they are far from becoming Jedi just yet.
McLaren Mercedes (car no's 22,23): Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen
Following a historic rookie season Hamilton has been locked up by McLaren to 2012, but he's still got much maturing to do. Gone is Alonso, after he and Lewis fought like spoiled children on and off the track. Enter Heikki as the new teammate, which is good for Lewis and good for McLaren. But the loss of Fred's abilities with car development will definitely be felt. Will McLaren's past gremlins return? Were those old gremlins more attributable to Raikkonen than the car?
I don't know about all that, but what I do know is that Kimi Raikkonen will be driving a red car with #1 on it, while in 2008 the silver cars will have #22 and #23 on them.
Scuderia Ferrari's entry for the 2008 F1 season. Even sitting still it looks fast.
You've heard the saying, "Winners never quit, and quitters never win." Generally, it's true. But not in this case. I'm quitting, and I'm gonna be a winner .... I think.
Here are some belated New Year's resolutions for 2008 that I may or may not keep.
Warning: Some of these are not sports related.
I'm quitting alcohol. That's right, I'm never going to drink again. (yeah, who am I kidding, this resolution won't make it thru the weekend)
I'm quitting caffeine. Sure, that withdrawal headache is going to be brutal, but just think how much extra sleep I'll be getting in return! And my hands will be steadier too.
I'm quitting the living room sofa. No more sports tv couch potato for me, and some day I will read an entire Tom Clancy novel from beginning to end - just not right now. While I watch the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl I shall do jumping jacks. While I watch the Daytona 500 I shall do sit-ups. While I watch March Madness I shall do burpees. Then I shall go for a 10 mile run just for the heck of it.
I'm quitting procrastination. Except for that Tom Clancy book thing of course.
I'm quitting my Green Bay Packer hate. One morning I just woke up and thought, "Maybe that Brett Favre ain't so evil after all." (Exception: whenever the Packers play the Bears, my hatred shall return)
I'm quitting every bad habit I've ever had. It just makes good sense.
I'm quitting my desires to date a supermodel. Too many restraining orders, it seems like I can't even leave the house without a police escort. I'm setting my sights on tennis hotties such as Maria Sharapova. Hot and sweaty tennis babes grunting in short skirts is what 2008 will be all about for me.
I'm quitting my desires to become a Formula 1 driver. At some point, I just had to face reality. I am shifting my racing dream to the Craftsman Truck Series, and seeing as I drive a Chevy Silverado I'm already half way there! And I even have a helmet and black leather driving gloves too! Oh yeah, this is going to happen.
I'm quitting any and all bad thoughts towards others. I will love my fellow human beings, even if they attended Arizona State University. Even the most offensive and criminally insane among us shall have my respect. As an addendum to this resolution, I will quit throwing things at people. Most don't seem to like it when I do that.
I'm quitting sarcasm. Words can be hurtful, and as my previous resolution clearly stated, I'm not doing that in 2008. I do reserve the right to irony. And maybe a little innuendo. Just a little.
I'm quitting my plan to tryout for QB of the Chicago Bears. I may be crazy, but I ain't stupid. Playing QB for the Bears is like breaking a mirror - you get 7 years bad luck!
I'm quitting my fear that the Chicago Cubs will never win the World Series. I will publicly embrace the many years of futility and proudly wear my Cubs jersey to each and every sporting event that I attend this year. God Bless Wrigley Field.
Amen.
So there you have it, in 2008 I will be a (somewhat) sober and relaxed Chevy truck racer smiling and waving to everyone while wearing a #4 Green Bay Packer jersey with Maria Sharapova closely by my side.
Yep, the silly season is in full force for the Formula 1 teams and drivers. Most of the unveiling for the new team cars will be done in January (and beyond), so naturally the focus of December has been on exactly who will be driving which car.
The biggest story of the off-season thus far has been the switch of two time champion Fernando Alonso from a seat with the strong team of McLaren-Mercedes to the once strong (but now struggling) Renault team. Actually I think it's a sensible move for Alonso. It was obvious that he and Lewis Hamilton were not working and playing well together, so a move for Alonso does seem logical. McLaren have been known for favoring a two driver equal system as opposed to the Ferrari approach during the Michael Schumacher years with a dominant team leader and a support driver.
Alonso will clearly be given team leader elite status at Renault, it's the way Renault operates. And Nelson Piquet Jr is not the talent that Lewis Hamilton is. Maybe Alonso expected to get the "team leader" special treatment at McLaren, who knows. If he did, he was wrong in doing so.
His return to Renault, combined with the promotion of young Piquet from test driver to race driver means that the French team will be attacking 2008 with a new driver line-up. What does that mean for Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen? Probably means trouble for Fisi the veteran, but Heikki will likely land in a race seat next season (with Toyota?). Another disappointing season from Toyota, and the joke becomes, "So how much money will they waste now?" Toyota have not deciphered F1 just yet, and with the debacle that was Honda's season, the teams from Japan had a 2007 to forget. Enter Ross Brawn, as he re-unites with former driver Reubens Barichello to try and figure out what has gone wrong at Honda.
Can money buy victories? I doubt it, but Brawn is a crafty dude. He might yet work some magic.
Getting back to Heikki for a moment, if not for Hamilton's extraordinary season, Kovalainen would've gotten major consideration for Rookie of the Year (at least during a "normal" season). I'm a fan of the young Finn, and I'd certainly like to see him racing F1 next season.
And 2007 was anything but "normal". It was a fascinating season in Formula 1.
Many congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen for finally winning that elusive Driver's Championship! It was well earned, that's for sure. As always, the Iceman endured his fair share of struggles during the season, but Ferrari stayed the course and provided the Kimster with enough machinery to battle to the very end. Still, McLaren let the title slip from their grasp. Mistakes highlighted Hamilton's last two drives, and the fabulous rookie came up a bit short in securing a title in his first season.
McLaren also have a black cloud hanging over them because of (a) the shady "Stepney Gate" spy scandal and (b) the bizarre "cool fuel" protest after the Brazilian GP. As a race fan, in my eyes, not only have McLaren garnered a "cheater" image, but they've also summoned the dreaded "whiner" label as well. That's not such a good combination right there.
Other news worthy of note have been the additions of some new GP's and the loss of the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. Sure, the new GP in Singapore at night should be very cool, but I'm seriously bummed that F1 will not be coming to the States in 2008. I've been to the USGP at Indy since 2003, and I'd become completely hooked on attending that race. Alas, no joy, there will be no F1 cars screaming around the Speedway next year, and so if I want to see and hear F1 cars in person in 2008 I'll have to bust out my passport and travel to Montreal for the Canadian GP (which I'm planning to do). In fact, when the time comes I'll try and post a blog about my trip and the race. So stay tuned.
The elimination of traction control is also noteworthy for 2008. And I think that's a good thing too. Sure, there is the glamour of making Formula 1 the most "technologically advanced" racing in the world, but I will always believe that focusing on driver skill and racing ability should trump the technical aspect. F1 cars, by their nature, are technical marvels, so we have no need to worry about that. Let's put more responsibility in the driver's hands.
Should more "driver's aids" be eliminated? What impact would the possible return of slicks for 2009 have? The constant quest in F1 has been to provide for more overtaking. Track designers always speak of creating opportunities for the drivers to make a pass, and obviously, we the fans want to see more and more passing. It's interesting though, that the truly great drivers find a way to make that critical pass when it's needed most, no matter what. As an example, take a look at the drama a rain race produces. So I say, make the drivers more and more accountable for the performance of the car, and we'll see more passing. (And this comes from an engineer!)
Note: for the record, I think the elimination of traction control favors Raikkonen and Hamilton, and hampers Alonso (he seems to rely on "driver aids" more).
We shall see. Man, waiting for a new season to start is always the toughest part of being a race fan.
Rain or shine. Formula 1 runs rain or shine, and the last 2 GP's in Japan and China have most definitely been rain races. That's one of the many things that makes F1 so cool for me, that the environment has a major effect on the racing and the drivers must be skilled at pushing the limits no matter what the conditions.
The 2007 F1 season has been a very entertaining one, and as preparations are being made for the final Grand Prix in Brazil, three drivers have legitimate title hopes. Of course, as things stand now, the title is Lewis Hamilton's to lose, but his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen still have realistic chances to steal the Drivers Title away from the rookie pilot. I can remember in 2003 when three drivers (Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Juan Pablo Montoya) each had a shot at the title with 2 GP's left, but by the time they got to the final round it had been whittled down to just Schumacher and Raikkonen (with Michael ultimately taking the crown).
With three drivers still alive at the final race, this is some cool stuff right here. Hamilton is clearly in the best position, but as we saw in China, he's not above making a major blunder - and possibly handing the title to one of his rivals. I'm a big fan of Raikkonen, and it's good to see him still in the hunt after all the bad luck that just seems to haunt him. Actually, I like all three of these drivers. Hamilton has shown incredible talent and resolve for a first year driver, and Alonso has shown the true grit of a defending champion, fighting all the way to the finish.
Outside of the championship contenders, Renault's rookie Heikki Kovalainen scored his first ever podium (a second place finish) at the Japanese GP. Were it not for the incredible season posted by Lewis Hamilton, Kovalainen would be Rookie of the Year. He has far and away outperformed his more experienced Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella in what has been a tough season for the defending Constructor's champs.
The Japanese GP at Fuji Speedway two weekends ago was weird, wet, and wild. A typhoon blew thru the area and soaked the Fuji track to the extent that the race began behind the safety car. Ferrari played some games and tried to start the race on intermediates (instead of the full wet tires the FIA had mandated), claiming "Hey we never got the email saying that we had to start on wets." And while we're at it, why is the FIA issuing race orders thru email? Is it too much trouble to go to each garage and say, "You will start on wets"?
That's okay. Both Ferrari cars were soon in the pits slapping on the full wet treads anyways. No harm, no foul. Eventually the race was turned loose, and chaos followed.
Toro Rosso's young rookie driver Sebastien Vettel drilled the backend of Mark Webber's Red Bull while both were trailing Lewis Hamilton behind a stretch when the safety car was again deployed. They claimed Hamilton was "driving erratically", but upon further review it was determined that Vettel just plain messed up. Hamilton would go on to win the race, while Renault's Heikki Kovalainen incredibly fended off Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for second. What a drive from the young Renault hotshot, since there was one section on the track that Raikkonen was clearly much quicker. Kimi took several runs at a pass, but ultimately couldn't get it done.
But the big drama at Japan involved an accident by Fernando Alonso - and the resulting zero points for him. Dropping him 12 points (at that time) behind Hamilton.
Then came China, and more rain due to another typhoon. Is it monsoon season in the Far East? Doesn't matter, because it made for some more interesting events.
China boiled down to tire choice, and adapting pit strategies to the ever changing conditions. Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen got it right. McLaren and Lewis Hamilton got it wrong. Once Raikkonen finally caught and passed Hamilton for the lead, it all spiraled out of control for the young Brit. He missed a pit window by about two laps (according to him), and his tires went completely away. With the tread of his intermediate tires gone, he tried to enter the pit lane, but the sharp turn at the pit entrance was still rain soaked. Hamilton, essentially on slicks now, slid off the track and smack into a gravel trap. What ensued was something out of a Marx Brothers film. In a literal Chinese firedrill, a few track workers tried vainly to push the buried McLaren MP4-22 out of the gravel trap by hand, but once they realized they couldn't budge the car, well, they simply ran away.
As Speed announcer Steve Matchet likes to say, it was Game Over for Lewis.
However, that means Game On for the title chase. It's refreshing to put all of this junk with McLaren's "spying" and the goofy bickering between Hamilton and Alonso behind us, and let the racing on the track be the focus again. Fernando Alonso has been given new life, now trailing Hamilton by a mere 4 points, and the Iceman despite all of his troubles this season is still alive for the championship, trailing Hamilton by 7 points. Think how big those 2 points are that Raikkonen missed out on at Japan by not being able to get by Kovalainen. Whew, those 2 points could be huge for Kimi.
Every point counts.
Which brings us to the Brazilian GP on Oct 21. Bridgestone has already declared that they will be bringing the "Soft" and "Super Soft" compounds to this race. I believe that favors McLaren, since the MP4-22 seems to like these tire compounds better than the Ferrari F2007. The title contenders will all have fresh engines for this race, and being the last race, they can each take chances with engine settings that they might not normally do if the engine had to last for the usual 2 races. I believe this favors Ferrari, since they are the hunters - time to let it all hang out.
The wild card in all of this is Felipe Massa of Ferrari, who won the Brazilian GP (his home race) last season. With his own title hopes gone, he will be doing all that he can to help his teammate Raikkonen. That could be something to keep an eye on. My prediction that Alonso will emerge with the Drivers title still stands, but hey, whoever wins it will have fought hard and deserved to win it. As a race fan, that's all I ask - make 'em earn it.
Top Five in Drivers Title standings:
Lewis Hamlton McLaren-Mercedes 107 pts
Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 103
Kimi Raikkonen Scuderia Ferrari 100
Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari 86
Nick Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 58
Top Five in Constructor's Title standings:
Scuderia Ferrari 186 pts
BMW-Sauber 94
Renault 51
Williams-Toyota 28
Red Bull-Ferrari 24
(*) Note: McLaren's Constructor's points have been deleted by FIA.
I'm a mechanical engineer and sci-fi geek by nature, and I love sports. Once upon a time I played some sports and was pretty good at them, but somewhere along the line I found I could actually make good money in the engineering business. So now I will write about sports and my goofy thoughts about them. Somewhere in these ramblings there might be some value for someone. I'm not sure.
