I want to wish all the readers of the Chequered Flag a happy holidays and a great new year, wherever you are this season.
It has been a great year for this blog and I hope to take it from strength to strength in 2009. I don't plan to take a holiday break per se, but depending on whether there is anything of interest to talk about!
Money certainly remains the talking point with the business..err.. sport that is Formula One.
The latest is the spat created by Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo, calling for a greater slice of the revenue. Mind you, when I first read reports on this, it was a case of the teams looking for it (di Montezemolo is the the current head of FOTA), but these seem to quickly turn into Ferrari just looking for it.
Toyota F1 president, John Howlett, has since come out stating that they were also interested in a great slice of the pie. No surprise there, since the Japanese manufacture has just announced profit losses this year.
One reason for Ecclestone's statement is, according to rumors in the media, an attempt to drive a wedge between Ferrari and the rest of FOTA due to Ferrari having a special deal. This deal is said to provide Ferrari with substaneously more money for winning than other teams.
Such a deal, while unsurprising, is not something I think I should be in place. Just because Ferrari is the longest running F1 team and is rich in history, shouldn't give them that such benefits.
That been said, its funny how the other side of the coin looks a couple of years on. Think back a few years ago, when there was serious talk of a new breakaway series. The FIA offered Ferrari the special deal and brought the marquee back into the fold. The result eventually started a domino effect that saw the end of the breakaway league threat.
I wonder what people who talk about FIA-Ferrari bedhopping will take on the twists and turns of the 'relationship.'
So really, the situation is what it is, because of the deal done with the FIA a few years ago. After using the 'pull' the Ferrari name had to 'save' the sport, one could say they are now trying to feed it back to the dogs to possibly, according to the rumors, split the unified front of the teams.
Although, I wonder how much credibility rumors of trying to put a wedge in FOTA are. Isn't a series with a unified front vital in such an economic climate?
Of course, when money is involved, lines always become more blurred.
Last Friday, the FIA and FOTA came to an agreement on cost-cutting measures. It’s funny how when staring down the barrel of a gun can suddenly turns people who would draw this out till we are dust and bones into agreeable parties.
As for the changes, honestly, the jury is out for me.
In-season testing has been banned, with the sport taking a page out of Nascar’s book. The American series confirmed their own testing ban a few weeks ago in an effort to kerb costs. On the bright side, it should ensure that there will be plenty more action on a Friday for spectators to watch, given this will be their own test time.
On the flip side, I am concerned. What happens if one team gets a significant jump on the others? It has happened in the past and the only way they were reeled back in was via working hard on the testing front. That option is now eliminated. Will the sport resort to weight ballast like touring cars if this sort of situation crops up?
The engine unit must now last an additional race, meaning that we will see the same motor used for three races. Each driver has eight engines for the season, with four additional ones for testing. No mention of what happens if someone actually goes over that limit. Do they sit out the rest of the season? Granted, reliability has been quite good in recent years, but you have to ask.
For 2010, refuelling will be banned. Now this, I have some major concern with. Over the past decade, fuel loads have played an important part in grand prix racing. If your opponent is faster than you on track, you short-fill and hope you can pump in those fast laps to build sufficient gap. Tail-enders depend on heavy loads to try to bring them into play late in the race.
All this is now eliminated. Providing a driver doesn’t have an issue, there is no need to worry about someone throwing an exciting spanner into the works now. Does this mean we should know the results after the first few laps of the race?
With no fuel and longer equipment lives to watch out for, I am worried that the sport will become one of who can take care of their equipment best – not who is the fastest of them all.
The KERS system will not be mandatory for next year, although many will probably run with it. McLaren and Ferrari had expressed fears about the cost of it, but given that it will be mandatory for 2010, I’d expect everyone to make an effort to bolt it on. Whatever about costs, the end of the day one doesn’t want to be lagging behind in the development of it.
The standard engine issue remains an option, if only to have one cheaply available to the independent teams. This is a great way to make both sides happy. Standardised gearboxes and the sharing of information has also been talked about for 2010.
As for the proposed medal system, that is reportedly going to be put to the public, where I personally hope it gets shot down. It is a gimmick idea we just don’t need for the sport.
All this, on top of the technical changes for the coming season. It is a lot to take in.
A little late due to the coverage of the Race of Champions, here are the 'Phillies' for the Nascar 2008 season.
For details on each of the awards, see the Award Categories.
Driver of the Year:
Winner: Carl Edwards
The Missouri native was consistently strong throughout the year. He took a season high nine victories in the #99 Ford Fusion and ran Jimmie Johnson to the final race. Despite the insurmountable odds against him, he never gave up - a testament to his never say never attitude.
He backed up his second place in the Sprint Cup with the runners-up spot in the Nationwide series. In 2009, he will be gunning for the double.
Most Improved Driver of the Year:
Winner: David Ragan
A simple choice really. In the hands of Ragan, the #6 evoked memories of when Mark Martin was piloting the car. Described as a 'dart without feathers' by Tony Stewart, even the two-time champion had changed his tune by the end of 2008.
Finished best of the rest outside of the Chase, the only thing missing from Ragan's CV is a victory. Expect him to be a Chase contender next year.
Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Vacant
Lets be honest, none of the rookies showered themselves in glory in 2008. The highest placed in the standings was Ragan Smith, who finished in 34th in the standings. The open-wheel invasion failed to establish a beachhead and quickly found itself in retreat.
Flop of the Year:
Winner: The Open-Wheel Invasion
At the start of the year, many traditionalists were worried that Nascar was going to see an influx of open-wheel drivers coming into stock car, thus depriving potential talent from breaking through.
However, as the year went on - they dropped like flies. Villeneuve never returned after an attempt to qualify for Daytona. Franchitti was out after half way through the year and Carpentier soon followed once GEM had signed up Sorenson for 2008. That left Sam Hornish Jr the last man standing.
Underrated Driver of the Year:
Winner: AJ Allmendinger
AJ would definitely get an honorary mention for 'Most Improved' of the year. A difficult start to the year saw him replaced with Mike Skinner as Red Bull evaluated the program. When AJ returned, he was a different man.
Growing from strength to strength, it was a major surprise to see him ousted at Red Bull. He continued to garner creditability when he took over the #10 ride. Allmendinger is still without a ride for 2009. It would be a crying shame for him not to be involved.
Team of the Year:
Winner: #48
The combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus has been the team to beat over the last two years and this year was no different. When the Chase came along, they were the best prepared. On occasions where things could easily have gone wrong, both driver and crew chief worked to make the best out of what could easily be a bad situation.
Most Improved Team of the Year:
Winner: #18
In the hands of JJ Yeley, the former championship winning team was mired well back in the standings in 2007, never cracking the top-20. The arrival of Kyle Busch and Toyota transformed the team back to winning ways. A poor Chase puts a slight damper on an otherwise fantastic season for the team.
Race of the Year:
Winner: Aarons 499, Talladega
The first race at the Superspeedway was edge of the seat stuff from start to finish. Who needed two-wide racing when these guys can run three-wide for the majority of the race. It was fantastic stuff and a perfect example of what the competition in Nascar can offer.
Surprise of the Year:
Winner: Mark Martin signing up for one more shot
The veteran will return in 2009 for one final shot at the elusive title that has eluded him until now. Despite running a part-time schedule over the past two years, the competitiveness level has never died from the veteran.
If he continues as such in 2009, he should easily make the Chase. With Hendrick's machinery under him, it is more than possible that Martin will write his own fairytale.
Overtaking Move of the Year:
Winner: Carl Edwards versus Jimmie Johnson at Kansas
Proof that second is never good enough for a racer. Edwards launched a daring slingshot to try to get passed Johnson. The #99 barrelled past, slapped the wall and just lost the momentum, allowing Johnson to slip past by. One can only applaud Edwards desire to win.
Controversy of the Year:
Winner: Goodyear Tires
On too many occasions, tire blow-outs played too much a part in the racing. The lowest point for the issue was at Indy, where the race was reduced to short sprints between yellow flags to get everyone home safe.
The Race of Champions offered an enjoyable day of Sunday motorsport. The winter is always a dull time for motorsport fans as we wait for the engines to fire back up and the competition to begin once again.
Germany defended the Nations Cup. Michael Schumacher led by example, winning the deciding race against Ekstrom. Despite retiring from competitive racing at the end of 2006, he doesn’t look like a guy who is living it large. Lean, mean and charismatic as ever, the German clearly hasn’t lost that edge which has made him the greatest driver in the history of the sport.
The actual Race of Champions, which saw drivers racing for personal glory, saw a lot more in the surprise department. Sebastian Loeb came from smashing through some barriers to secure victory and Nascar runner-up Carl Edwards defeated Schumacher. Despite bashing up two cars, David Coulthard made it into the final for a best of three duel with Loeb. The Frenchman took victory be a mere three tenths of a second from the retiring Formula One drive.
However, while the racing was great, the coverage was decidedly second-rate from Sky. Everything just seemed ‘off’. They cut from driver promos straight into the action, hardly giving the viewer a chance to adjust to who was in the car at the time. On too many occasions, they didn’t even show up any titles of who was in which car. While some drivers are easy to spot, there seemed to be no consideration for those lesser known guys.
The interviews repeated questions over and over, with Hamilton’s dad been asked about his family’s holidays twice in two different interviews. Where is cohesion in it? But what really took the cake was the interview to Vettel, where the woman first stated it was Vettel’s first RoC, when it was his second. The interview was further botched up when she stated that Ekstrom had won it for the last four or five years, when he had the last two.
It was just an error-filled coverage on the part of Sky. When you get the basic facts wrong, that is just not right. Another example of the mess was claiming Edwards to be an eight time winner this year, when he won nine races. He was also classed both as a Nascar champion and a former Nascar champion. He is a Busch/Nationwide champion, which isn’t defined as being the ‘Nascar champion’. Or consistently stating that Sebastian Loeb won the rally championship at Rally GB, when in fact he went into that rally with his fifth title already wrapped up.
The first thing I was thought in journalism school – know your facts so you don’t look like a twat.
The overall track design was okay, although plenty of room for improvement. I can remember years back, watching RoC events and there was plenty of side by side racing. You don’t get that with the Wembley circuit. The layout of it left the camera more often than not just focusing on one driver. The thrill of watching this sort of racing is to see both in the same shot.
As for Hamilton, his gimmick race with an Olympic bike rider came to nought due to the conditions. Okay, these guys knew about this gimmick race for long enough. It was obvious; they needed conditions right for the bicycle rider to be able to compete. It doesn’t take a rocket science that the weather at this time of the year is terrible. Wembley has a roof, why not have it shut in advance to ensure it?
It is a shame not to see the new F1 champion actually competing. For the past two years, there has been plenty of talk about him taking part. I’m sure as a racer; Hamilton would want to do it. But as his dad said, the ‘politics’ intervened. Hmm, a situation where every driver is in equal machinery, I can only think of one reason for ‘protecting’ a driver. Just let the guy race. I’m sure he wants to. The fans want him too. It is a no brainer.
Just a heads up, the Nascar 'Phillies' will be announced tomorrow instead of today. The Race of Champions is on today and for quite a long time - so I'll be tuning into that to cover it.
Also, in the coming week I'll be looking at the 'bright' future of Formula One after the FIA and the teams agreed on cost-cutting measures for the future.
With all the talk about Sato and Bourdais trying to scrounge up funds to get a seat at Toro Rosso, it definitely reinforces the idea that heads clashed at the team over driver policy.
Back in May, the former driver spoke out about his desire not to employ chequebook drivers in the team. Granted, the economic climate has changed since, but given the amount of talk about the prospects having to bring money to the table, one can't help but wonder. (see: Chequebook Drivers? No Thanks!)
McLaren have joined Ferrari in calling for a postponement of the KERS system because of the cost of the system. The top-two could also have an ulterior motive for it, given that both would have had to delay work on their 2009 whilst others got the train early.
Of course, many in forums alluded to such when Ferrari made the call with the all too familiar Ferrari 'whinging'. I wonder how these same people will perceive McLaren's stance on it. I can see this issue splitting into two camps. I don't see those who already have a system in place willing to play ball.
Speaking of McLaren, team principal Ron Dennis has commented about Honda and it's Earth Dream concept, more or less saying what I have for two years now. So it has taken two years for people to notice this. And for some reason I don't have any official job in the sport.
Ending on a happy note, major props to Nascar's Jeff Gordon, who said he is willing to take a pay cut for the betterment of his team. In tough times, cuts need to be made. The biggest problem is, it is often hard to take back what is already given. People in all sectors are bitching and moaning about not wanting to even freeze their salaries until the skies clear.
With all this selfishness , Gordon's gesture is one I hope everyone, not just in the sports world, will take not of. Whether it be motorsport, football or any other sport - the money handed out has risen to a ridiculous level.
Below are the results of the first annual 'Phillies' for Formula One. These results are of my own opinion. Hopefully in coming years, there will be online voting for it. The Nascar results will be posted next weekend.
For details on each of the awards, see the Award Categories.
Driver of the Year:
Winner: Fernando Alonso
When you look at the drivers occupying the top seats in Formula One, none of them can lay claim to a perfect season. All of them had up's and down's, with some pretty ordinary performances on the way.
The same can't really be said for Fernando Alonso, who throughout the year proved why he is a two-time world champion. He consistently drew the most out of an inferior car and when the opportunity presented itself, took advantage of a situation to score two unlikely victories.
Most Improved Driver of the Year:
Winner: Felipe Massa
Many felt, including myself, that 2007 would be the best chance for Massa to win the title. He was settled in Ferrari and it offered him the best chance to get the jump on Raikkonen. He didn't and the rest his history. Two races into the season and many questioned how long Massa had left in his Ferrari career.
After Bahrain, Massa went from potential career also-ran to championship contender. Gone away was the ability to preform on certain tracks or to win from pole position. Even his wet weather driving improved. He still has a way to go, as the likes of Silverstone showed, but Massa is now a genuine title contender.
Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Timo Glock
An award that could have easily gone to Vettel, except the German ran a large portion of 2007, hence cancelling him out.
It took the GP2 champion a while to get going, especially compared to veteran team-mate Trulli. But, as one result built to another, Glock easily found himself a constant contender for the points. The highlight of the year for the young German was his podium at Hungary. Unfortunately, his name is more associated with wild conspiracy theories about slowing down on the final lap of Brazil to hand the title to Hamilton.
Flop of the Year:
Winner: Kimi Raikkonen
World Champion? At times you would be hard to believe. The Finn spent the majority of races anonymous, barring a few speedy laps. The contract extension announced at Belgium was a complete shock, given the lack of motivation from him. His reputation battered, there is no excuse for a lack of motivation for next year.
Underrated Driver of the Year:
Winner: Sebastien Bourdais
The four-time Champ Car champion endured a difficult season, like many drivers who cross the Atlantic divide. However, by seasons end, Bourdais consistently joined Vettel in the third around of qualifying. The Frenchman endured some rough luck despite the better form. The loss of a podium at Belgium, starter issues in Italy and a unfair penalty at Japan are just a few examples of where the Frenchman's luck abandoned him.
Whether he gets a chance to redeem himself is still up in the air as he vies for a seat at Toro Rosso. Bourdais recently admitted that finances as much as talent could determine if he gets the seat.
Team of the Year:
Winner: McLaren
It could have been so easy for McLaren to blame the Spygate fallout on their ordinary performances at the start of the year. Heck, ITV used it around the Spanish grand prix. The team kept their heads down and plugged away, closing the gap on Ferrari.
Most Improved Team of the Year:
Winner: Toro Rosso
It is hard to believe that this team used to be tail-enders under the Minardi name. The late arrival of the 2008 was the potent weapon that starlet Vettel required to show his raw talent. The team went from straight to straight, qualifying both cars within the top-ten on a number of occasions.
Victory at Monza for Vettel was the first for the Red Bull organisation. The icing on the cake came at the end of the season, with the team beating the sister squad in the constructors standings.
Race of the Year:
Winner: Interlargos, Brazil
Everything we wanted in a season finale and then some. I remember more bad races than good this season, but the final race of the season easily ranks in my top-five of all time. The seven point lead Hamilton enjoyed could easily have made the race a foregone conclusion. While the expected result occurred, we were left on the edge of our seats till the final lap for a Hollywood style finish.
Surprise of the Year:
Winner: Vettel's victory at Monza
With weather afflicted races, we have often seen results that are against the norm. But that doesn't take away from the raw talent on display at the Italian race. At times, he was in a class of his own, bringing back memories of what made Schumacher a wet racing maestro. I look forward to see what the young German can do in the coming years.
Overtaking Move of the Year:
Winner: Massa versus the McLarens at Hungary
As I said above, this was a season that we saw a more well rounded racing craft by the Brazilian. The start of a race is vital at Hungary, as like Monaco, overtaking chances are at a premium. It was a 'balls to the walls' move that unfortunately, didn't count for points at the end of the day due to engine problems.
Controversy of the Year:
Winner: Inconsistent Penalties
Whether you agree or disagree with the calls made, they were a major talking point. Myself, I agree with a number of them. But the main stickler I had was races decided after the chequered flag. Sending people home, not knowing if the guy they saw on the podium is a winner is not how the sport should handle itself. Once every now and then, that is fine and dandy. But the amount of times it occurred this year is unacceptable.
The ‘James Allen’ Award:
Winner: Lewis Hamilton at Montreal
The moment where the most basic of road rules went out the window and allowed BMW and Kubica to pick up their first victory. I still shake my head at the whole thing when I think about it. I still think the whole thing came down to a 'red mist' situation, given that Hamilton lost time with a vastly superior car on the day.
I will definitely miss the Canadian Grand Prix. The North American race often provided us with classic races year after year.
Rumour became fact this morning as Honda confirmed that they would be leaving the sport with immediate effect. The manufacture will support the team as it looks for a buyer, but should none be found by March, we will only have 18 cars on the grid come Melbourne.
Of all the manufactures in the sport, I think it was an easy guess that Honda would be the first to go. Stretching back to the start of last season, I highlighted the issue of not getting a replacement sponsor for British American Tobacco. (see 'Honda Go Green')
The whole 'Earth Dream' concept was nothing more than a gimmick. I thought so then and I believe even more so now. Not having a 'real' sponsor denied the team valuable dollars to fund the team. Running a competitive Formula One team in this day and age requires large wads of cash. So, it is unsurprising, after two dismal years, the Honda chiefs said 'enough'.
But that wasn't the end of the Honda money drainpipe. What about Super Aguri? The Honda assisted squad set up against the uproar for Takuma Sato to have a seat. More money disappeared through the sink-hole before the team folded earlier this year. (see 'Super Aguri on the brink.)
The team quickly gave up on 2008, focusing all their efforts on developing a car that could compete with the new regulations. Honda's best opportunity to save some face after two woeful years and they decide to get out. Even if the team is to survive, one must assume that their '09 preparations will be hampered as they will have to fit a different engine to the shape.
You have to feel for the likes of Ross Brawn, or came into the team at the start of last year with high hopes of bringing Honda back to the top of the podium, or Jenson Button, who Honda fought tooth and nail to secure a few years back.
The decision by Honda comes as teams and the FIA meet to dicuss cost-cutting measures, including the highly conterversial single-engine format.
The whole team at Brackley now face a nervous holiday period as they await to see the future of their team. All expectation of making an impression scorched to cinders in the land of the rising sun.
Reports from various sites tonight are pointing at a shocking announcement from Honda tomorrow, which would see the manufacture pull the plug on their support of F1.
Despite the economic climate, the move still registers as a major surprise, especially given the decision by the team to effectively abandon this year in the hopes of getting the jump on everyone with the new regulations.
An announcement is due tomorrow from Honda.
Here are the award categories for the first annual ‘Phillies’. Results will be announced sometime over the weekend. Each category will have a winner and I will also give a brief word on why I believe they deserve said award. There will be two sets of results, one for Formula One, the other for NASCAR.
Like I said, this will be the first annual awards. Next year I’ll try to add more categories and hopefully for more sports if I can get the time to cover them adequately in 2009. If any readers have any thoughts on how to improve this concept, feel free to contact with your ideas!
Driver of the Year:
Awarded to the driver who, throughout the year, has shown the most skill.
Most Improved Driver of the Year:
Awarded to the driver who has shown the greatest amount of improvement since last year.
Rookie of the Year:
Awarded to the driver, who in his first season has shown the most promise.
Flop of the Year:
Awarded to the driver who failed to live up to standard.
Underrated Driver of the Year:
Awarded to the driver who got canned more than he deserved.
Team of the Year:
Awarded to the team who preformed to the highest standard throughout the season.
Most Improved Team of the Year:
Awarded to the team who has shown the greatest amount of improvement since last year.
Race of the Year:
Awarded to the venue which produced the best race of the season.
Surprise of the Year:
Awarded to the person/team/moment that caused the biggest ‘what the?’ moment of the year.
Overtaking Move of the Year:
Awarded for the most interesting passing move of the year.
Controversy of the Year:
Awarded for the moment that had everyone talking.
The ‘James Allen’ Award:
Awarded to the person/team/moment for the most botched moment of the year.
Medals?
Seriously?
Have we come to the point in the sport where we have to rely on gimmicks to spice things up? I sincerely hope that this isn’t as well received as is believed. We don’t need, nor want gimmicks. Instead of working on the aforementioned, maybe spend more time on making the cars more competitive in that department.
You give a driver a decent chance to overtake, he will take it. Heck, give some drivers a sniff of it and they will have a go, even if it ends up going awry. Why can’t people overtake more? Because after years of attaching slopes and other pieces of trinkets found on the side of the road to go quicker, another car can’t get within the aforementioned sniffing distance.
We can only hope that the new regulations promote better racing.
Bernie Ecclestone believes that medals would spice things up and promote more attacking driving. I said this earlier in the year and I will say it again – where is the incentive for a driver to take a chance for two more points?
Back in the day (man, that makes me sound old), during the 10-6-4-3-2-1 points scoring era, there was clear incentive to hunt down the leader. A four point gain on your nearest opponent on the track ensured that giving up if there was even the smallest of chances for victory, it was explored.
Unfortunately, it is so easy for someone to be content with a position, given the minimal point gain made on them. So please, Bernie, no medals. The sport has gone this long without needing them. No reason to start now.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Red Bull has re-acquired the 50% stake in the Toro Rosso team owned by Gerhard Berger.
A surprising move to say the least, given that Red Bull supremo, Dietrich Mateschitz, stated earlier in the season of his intention to sell his half. At the time of that announcement, the situation regarding customer car usage was against their usage.
Of course, that was back in March. A lot has happened in the sport and the world since then. With the economic downturn and the desire of everyone to tighten their belts, there have been rumours in the media about revisiting the topic. A situation like that would definitely entice Red Bull to continue their investment in the team that they use to groom their future talent.
With that in mind though, why upset the status quo? There is nothing wrong with how the Toro Rosso team ran this year. As the old adage goes, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
In fact, one wonders if they ran too well. In the second half of the season, the junior Red Bull squad easily out-raced their sister team. Perhaps, and this is simply just my own personal thought on it, that they plan to merge the two teams in the future to get to improve the overall Red Bull package.
Honestly, that is the only thing that comes to mind with the deal. Unless of course that a decision on customer cars is further up the road than we are led to believe. Naturally, I could be completely off the ball on this. But I wouldn’t be surprised if more on this deal comes to light in the future.
With the Formula One and the Nascar season both over, one would think there wouldn’t be too much to do other than hibernate until the season starts up again.
Don’t fret though, as I will be following the important news and moves that happen over the winter months. I contemplated doing season reviews, but let’s be fair – you don’t really want me to regurgitate everything that has happened. There are already enough season reviews going around that the market is flooded with them.
So instead, I’ll have what will be the first annual awards here on the Chequered Flag. These will be called ‘The Phillie Awards’. Yeah, ingenuous ain’t it? You’ll just have to imagine in your mind all the pomp, ceremony, glitz and girls in your mind. I figure if I sent out invitations to everyone for it, I’d be classified as a nut.
I’ll be posting the categories in the coming days, before announcing the winners at the weekend.
Martin Brundle has confirmed he will be a part of the BBC F1 coverage next season.
This is news I am fairly happy about. For me, he was the only member of the ITV Sport team who came out with any sort of creditability from the last few years. What makes me happier is that none of the other members of the team seem to be on their way. No word about James Allen or Mark Blundell. I would do a little dance if my leg wasn’t sore.
There were rumours floating around about attempts by the FIA to put the kibosh on the move, but nothing really ever came of it. BBC have captured an experienced and well respected commentator – an impressive notch on their belt. It will be interesting to see how the new team builds up in the coming months and what else we learn about the new coverage.
Jimmie Johnson wrote his name into the history books on Sunday, notching up a hat-trick of titles.
The odds were heavily in favour of the California native at Homestead, but credit to Carl Edwards for making a race of it. Edwards knew it was mission impossible. But that didn’t stop him giving his be-all and end-all. He did everything he could, leading the most laps and securing victory. All he needed was for Johnson to have bad luck.
None came, but that was hardly a surprise.
Arguments rage in the Nascar community about where Johnson’s achievements stand in the sports history. Some have pointed to Johnson taking advantage of the Chase format to collect titles that otherwise he may not have earned.
It is a fair point. For those interested, Edwards would have taken the title by 16 points under the pre-Chase format. But, this is the era of the Chase. Looking back at how points would look under the old system is pointless nostalgia. Not every season of the Chase can be brilliant, like the first year of the concept.
Every driver starts the year knowing what they have to do to be champion. While Johnson didn’t have a stellar regular season compared to the likes of Edwards or Kyle Busch, he did the job when it mattered. Everyone else is afforded the same opportunity as the #48 team. It is up to them to take it.
Honestly, I hate when people start comparing achievements from different eras. Keyword here is different. When Cale Yarborough achieved his three-peat, it was a different time, different cars, and different competition – different. It reminds me back to when Schumacher achieved his fifth F1 title and the comparisons with Fangio. You can’t just look plainly at the statistics and compare one person’s title rack up to another.
His achievements should be respected on merit. Like I said above, every single one of the drivers started the season knowing what they had to do to win the title. At the end of the season, Johnson achieved those goals. Chase or no Chase, that is what should really be remembered.
It may be more than a formality that Jimmie Johnson will make history this weekend at Homestead. A result better than 36th position on Sunday will see him crowned champion for the third time in a row. But up and down the standings, a number of smaller battles will be fought out. Most enticing of which, will be the battle to remain in the top-35 points.
A few months ago, Red Bull looked like they would easily have both cars in the top-35 going into the 2009. Given how difficult their début season was, an amazing accomplishment for the energy drinks giant. Then they decided to drop AJ Allmendinger.
According to media sources, he was offered only a one year extension to say, you can’t fault AJ for wanting to look for more, even in this difficult economy environment. A driver at his age, he needs stability. A one year deal would see him stuck in the same situation this time next year.
Regardless of whether he took the deal or not, Scott Speed was always going to be in the frame. Maybe signing a one year deal would only delay the inevitable for Allmendinger. Former F1 driver Speed, has spent the year in the ARCA series and raced a number of events in the Truck series, finding success in both.
Still, you can’t help but feel Red Bull are rushing him. You would think they would have learned from Allmendinger’s experience. Thrust straight into a debut team, it was always going to be an uphill climb for him. Even experienced team mate Vickers struggled to make races last year.
The start of year was also a struggle for the likable Californian. After a failure to qualify in the opening races, he was replaced by Mike Skinner, as Red Bull revaluated the program. When he returned at Talladega, it was a different AJ behind the wheel. From there on out, his stock rose by the race. By the time the Nascar circuit left Watkins Glen, he had gotten the #84 within the top-35.
Despite this, Red Bull decided to speed up their plans for 2009. AJ finished his time with Red Bull with a career best 9th at Kansas. He was replaced again by Skinner, before Scott Speed took over. The #84 went from a car capable of running top-20, to scrapping near the back of the pack. With a race to go, the team slid outside the top-35.
As a result, the team has switched their drivers, placing Vickers in the #84 in the hope he can get the car back into the coveted spot. Teams within the top-35 are guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races of 2009, including the showpiece event, the Daytona 500. I’m not much of a fan of the move, but business and racing go hand in hand together in this day and age.
It would be a sore pill to swallow of Marcus Ambrose and the JTG Daugherty Racing team, whom will take over the control of the #47 (formerly the #00) at the end of the year. They currently occupy the 35th position after some sterling performances by the Aussie.
As for Allmendinger, he continues to prove why he was one of the most improved drivers of the year. Finishing out the year driving the #10 for Gillett Evernham, he has consistently been the most competitive driver at the team. Not bad, given that he is not only new to the team, but also adjusting from driving a Toyota all year.
It would be a crying shame for Allmendinger to be on the sidelines next year. A driver of his talent is worthy of any seat.
Top-35 Battle:
33rd - Haas CNC Racing - #66 - 2765pts
34th - Robby Gordon Motorsports - #7 - 2685pts
35th - Michael Waltrip Racing - #47 - 2655pts
36th - Team Red Bull - #84 - 2638pts
37th - Penske Racing - #77 - 2554pts
38th - Gillett Evernham Motorsports - #10 - 2495pts
Renault will retain their current driver line-up for the 2009 season.
The re-signing of Alonso is no surprise. After the surprise re-signing of Raikkonen by Ferrari for additional year and with BMW wanting a longer term commitment from the Spaniard, sticking with Renault was the easy option. Let’s be fair, Honda was nothing but a joke option, even if they think they will be competitive next year.
Alonso has resigned for two years, which of course, when all the cards fall in 2010, will make him nicely available for a Ferrari seat the end of Raikkonen’s contract. So will end what will be one of the longest courting dances in recent years.
The decision to retain Piquet is a bigger eye-brow raiser. The Brazilian looked completely out of his depth at the start of year, prompting suggestions he may not survive the year. He started his turnaround at France, picking up his first points for the team and went on to pick up a podium in Germany. His best race however would come in Japan, where came home in fourth position.
Regardless, Piquet’s results were still erratic through the end of the season. It was still up in the air whether he would be kept on. Renault are in no shortage of young talent looking to get into the seat. In an era where second chances are few and far between, Piquet finds himself with an early Christmas present. Next year, there is no excuses for him.
With the end of the Formula One season, we now say goodbye to the ITV Sport coverage of the sport.
I for one am quite happy to see them go. I have made no secret of my annoyance towards the coverage over the past few years. There is very little good that can be said about the coverage. After starting out on such a high in the early days, to finish off in such a way is disappointing. As they always say, you are always remembered by what you last did. For ITV, in the eyes of many including myself, that will be painful.
Why am I harsh on the coverage? Well, in college I was taught that the role of a journalist is to be impartial and to produce the facts. What ITV have done over the past few years is to pepper these facts that made Hamilton out to be some sort of racing messiah. Don’t get me wrong, they are fully entitled to support Hamilton. But their job, as journalists, is to give fair, unbiast commentary and I honestly don’t believe they have given that.
Heck, I remember back in late 2006, when Allen couldn’t keep quiet about Hamilton – even before he had ever signed a contract to run the next year. This all going on when he should be following the race at hand. The off mention, fine – but his constant shoving it down our throats, it is easy to see why people had a dislike to Hamilton even before arrived.
Their final broadcast was no better. To paraphrase what Allen claimed Raikkonen’s job on the day was, he said something along the lines that Raikkonen had to get between Raikkonen and Hamilton. Gee, James, there are two Raikkonen’s in F1 now?
Even more glaring was Jenson Button’s release from the pit-lane. Remember only a few races ago that they were all over it like flies onto shit when Massa was involved in such incident. Was a single word said? Of course not! It is that sort of double-standards that I am glad to see the back of ITV coverage from the sport.
Is it so hard to ask for impartiality once you live? Britain is a proud nation; they don’t need you guys trying to cajole support around Hamilton. His driving skill alone would’ve garnered the fan base he now has. Actually I’m sure a lot more people might find Hamilton a tad bit more likeable if you didn’t insist of shoving it upon us.
Of course, there is a chance the BBC could be just as bad if not worse than ITV. Believe me, that thought has crossed my mind. Maybe this time next year, I will be saying that perhaps we were better with the devil that we knew. But if it comes to that point, I don’t think I’d be watching the sport in 2011.
The funny thing is, or maybe, the sad thing is, that they actually get paid quite well for this. And I find myself hoarse from shouting at the television every grand prix weekend as I correct their obvious errors.
Happy days.
In a daring game of Texas Hold ‘Em with his fuel gauge, Carl Edwards defied the odds and ran sixty-nine laps on his final tank of fuel on his way to victory lane.
Edwards was an unstoppable force at a track where Roush Fenway cars have won six times previously. After making his way through the field, he set a blistering pace that at one point, with the aid of a limited number of yellow flags, saw only a dozen cars on the lead lap.
The #99 found himself out of position late on when a number of cars took only two ties. But, Edwards surprised everyone with a fuel mileage run to victory lane. He completed the clean sweep with five additional bonus points for leading a lap and for most laps lead.
Edwards was followed home once again by a Hendricks Chevy, but this time it was Jeff Gordon, who also played the fuel game. Title rival Jimmie Johnson suffered another difficult start to the day and again found himself one lap down. Unlike last week at Atlanta, the #48 struggled to make the same rebound. The searing pace of Edwards kept him from the coveted Lucky Dog position. In the end, Johnson came home in 15th position.
The result moves Edwards to within 106 points with only two races remaining in the Chase. Greg Biffle remains within striking distance, only 143 back after a strong run to fifth. It was a great day for Roush Fenway as a whole. All five cars spent practically the entire day in the top-15.
With two to go, that foregone conclusion that many considered to be Johnson’s three-peat doesn’t seem so certain. There is still allot of work to do for Cousin Carl to haul the #48 in, but perhaps the last few weeks are the springboard Edwards needs to dethrone Johnson.
Could you have asked for a better season finale? I doubt it. After a coma-inducing bore of China, two showers of rain at either end of the grand prix produced chaos, that nearly decided the world championship.
With only the final uphill run to go, a struggling Glock, on dry ties, slithered from left to right as Hamilton snuck by to take fifth position, securing his first world championship. Felipe Massa, who dominated the race was left to think what might have been, losing the title by a single point.
I honestly thought this race was going to be a bore, worthy of about thirty minutes of watching. All Hamilton had to do was finish fifth. Pretty easy. But, the Brit made it difficult for himself with an uncharacteristically tepid race. It was this pace that put him in the situation that almost cost him his championship.
With just a handful to go, it looked like the Massa’s fairytale was about to have its happy ending. Kubica’s rashness to unlap himself, first saw Vettel disadvantaged. But as Hamilton gave the Pole room to pass, Vettel slid by. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of people taking a swipe at Kubica for it, even more if Glock hadn’t of lost so much time on the last lap.
Against the odds he was in contention for the title that on a good day, Hamilton should’ve sown up easily. Still, the right calls had to be made and Massa had a drive worthy of a world champion. While Hamilton’s drive was less so, he is no less deserving of his accomplishment. The raw skill behind the wheel of a Formula One car from day one told us that it was only a matter of when he would pick up his first world championship. His year has been erratic, with silly mistakes and earning penalties like a rookie should. But he capitalized on the mistakes by Ferrari, aided by his bullet proof McLaren.
Fernando Alonso continued his strong finish to the season in second, holding off Raikkonen. The Finn was about as useful as a bad cold in Massa's title charge today, or about as useful as Kovalainen. Vettel finished an excellent fourth with the second McLaren in seventh; Jarno Trulli rounded out the points finishers.
Hats off to Hamilton. Like him or loathe him, he is a worthy world champion.
PC’s Driver of the Day: Felipe Massa. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, Massa has earned a lot of respect and broken down many walls this year.
Lewis Hamilton heads into Brazil this weekend on the cusp of his first world championship. The McLaren driver has a seven point lead over Massa, with a maximum of ten points on offer at Interlargos. Either way, we will have a first time world champion come Sunday evening. So, what do the championship contenders need to do to secure the title?
Hamilton will be champion if:
Jimmie Johnson took a massive step towards his third Sprint Cup title – and he didn’t even need to win at Atlanta.
That honour went to Carl Edwards, who put behind recently disappointments to get his title bid back on track. At one point, it looked like Cousin Carl would take a serious bite in the lead of Johnson. But the two time champion had other ideas.
With a big lead in the Chase, Johnson didn’t need to take a massive risk. Yet, crew chief Chad Knaus called his driver in for four fresh tires for the final sprint to the flag. With fresh rubber, Johnson was like a rocket ship has he scythed his way up the field, taking second position on the final lap from Denny Hamlin. In short, a masterstroke from the #48 team, who could’ve finished in the lower regions of the top ten had the call not been made.
It ended an eventful day for Johnson, when at times it seemed that his luck was finally running out. He lost a lap after been caught speeding on pit entry. In a time for cool heads, they kept theirs and with some slick pit, the team put the #48 in the ‘Lucky Dog’ position. The rest is self explanatory.
On a day where it could easily have gone so wrong for Johnson, he came out the winner. One wonders if Jimmie carries a four leaf clover on his race suit somewhere. With three races to go, he holds a commanding lead over his pressures. The race isn’t over yet, but one would be mad to bet against the #48.
Lewis Hamilton took one step closer to the world title with victory at China on Sunday.
You’re expecting more? Sorry, I actually ended up nodding off during the race, it was that boring. It can be summed up in one line really. Hamilton was dominant while the Ferrari’s were disappointing. Not much more to say than that really.
It was an extremely boring race, where the result was known after the first pit-stop. Raikkonen and Massa were no match for Hamilton. The Brit requires at least finishing fifth in Brazil to wrap up the title. After last year’s finale, anything is possible – but lightning rarely strikes twice.
PC’s Driver of the Day: Lewis Hamilton. Immaculate driving with a lights to flag victory. It is his to lose at Brazil.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any bigger, Lewis Hamilton’s ego landed ground troops to expand the perimeter of it.
The championship leader, quoted in The Independent, accuses Massa of purposely nailing him. I mean, seriously, come on. What are you smoking Lewis? Once more you are showing signs of the pressure getting to you. You screwed up, man up and just get on with it.
What would Massa have to gain from trying to punt him off? He entered the race seven points behind Hamilton. Given the point the impact, Massa was more at risk at damaging his car than the Brit. Instead, Hamilton has decided to throw the toys out of his pram, blaming stewards, Massa and whomever else he could. He absconded the track, only to return. My thinking is that McLaren hauled him back under strict orders more than anything else.
The situation reeks of the pot calling the kettle black. Here he is accusing Massa of trying to punt him off, while he has been cheerfully defending his own driving. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching people who race balls to the walls and are always up for it. But, I’ve cited on numerous occasions the dangerous style of Hamilton. It was only a matter of time before it caught up with him.
Maybe it is something to do with the changing of the seasons. As the summer rumbles towards the autumn, the arrogance of Hamilton grows ten-fold. He’s tolerable at the start of the year. Heck, he seems downright likable and the main source of pain is the ITV boys smooching up to him like a teenager in the back of a cinema. As the season progresses, the situation deteriorates.
Self confidence is one thing; all drivers need it some degree. But there is a line, and the media is right, no matter how he tries to spin it, as being arrogant. Hamilton claims that he has said things in the heat of the moment that can give people that impression. You mean those relaxing chats with ITV that you have on a race weekend? Oh yeah, we can see the pressure on there.
Sorry lad, I don’t buy it. Your demeanour screams of an arrogant hypocrite, who’s only saving grace is that ITV are too busy trying to sell you as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Just shut up, and concentrate on what you do best – driving.
Once more, the final race results have been changed AGAIN after the race. Seriously, is there any credibility left in this sport at all?
The bad luck of Sebastien Bourdais continues. After driving a solid race, which saw the Frenchman outscore his team-mate, has now been scuppered by a 25-second penalty for, well, I’m not exactly sure what. The incident was with Massa as Bourdais exited the pit. The Brazilian made a run down the outside and connected with the Toro Rosso, spinning the Ferrari.
Massa lost about five seconds and continued on his merry way. There wasn’t much in it and I didn’t see it for much more than a racing incident. Race stewards – how do you expect for people to see you as impartial if you make silly calls like this. You just feed the hatred and the conspiracy theories that have people cooked up in their parent’s basement, spamming forums with to get their attention.
The result moves Bourdais to tenth, propping Massa up to seventh and Webber to eight. The extra point reduces the championship gap to five points.
I thought about sleep, especially after staying up for the Nascar race. I tried, missing most of the pre-race show, which usually isn't a loss, but Martin had control of the show today and from what I saw, it was actually more balanced! Maybe Martin is practising for the Beeb next year. But sleep wasn’t coming so I decided to continue the epic night of motorsport, even if I’m going to feel it later on today. The first few laps at least made it worth tuning in live.
Lightning never strikes twice, they say? Fernando Alonso will raise a point against that. He drove through the Ferrari – McLaren melee at turn one and hooked up behind Kubica. The Spaniard was short-fuelled and was dutifully asked to pound in the lap times to make up the gap. ITV spend all their time making up words for Hamilton and saying how he is doing stuff comparable with Schumacher, Senna et al. What Alonso did, what was asked of him – was exactly what the greats did.
Robert Kubica held off Raikkonen for the second step on the podium. The result leaves him just twelve points off Hamilton. Should a freaky set of results occur in the last two races, the Pole could still be in with an outside shot of the title. It was a day for the underdogs, with Piquet coming home fourth, Trulli in fifth. The Toro Rosso’s coming home in sixth and seventh, with Bourdais out-racing his much vaulted team-mate on this occasion. For Piquet and Bourdais, the results are important towards saving their drives.
It was a disastrous race for Massa and Hamilton. Both were reckless, silly and lacking the composure that the media continue to spew that both have in unequal measure. Schumacher must be kicking himself for not sticking around a few extra years because the way these young pups are driving, it would have been an easy two championships.
On a week where Robert Kubica highlighted his and other drivers opinions to Hamilton’s dangerous driving (which of course was fobbed off by the aforementioned and Ron Dennis), he gets a penalty for such driving. It was only a matter of time before he got penalised for his reckless acts on the track.
Funny how the same people who bitched and moaned about Schumacher’s driving style are the same people now defending Hamilton. Oh lads, get your noses out of Hamilton’s arse, clear off the brown stuff and start calling the race with impartiality!
As for Massa’s penalty, well, for sim-racing, we always say the racing track is the white lines, plus the kerbs. But in real racing, that’s different. I don’t agree with the excess that the ITV chaps were lambasting Massa for it, but he did nerf him off, so a penalty was deserved.
For the first time, I used the Formula1.com telemetry, which is great to have with the amount of breaks ITV insist on forcing on us. Not to mention, when ITV go all quiet on peoples lap times, at least I can keep track. For example, we never heard anything about Hamilton’s horrid middle run which composed of 1m21’s, 1m22’s. That sort of stuff is HELPFUL to us, the viewer!
At the end of the day, the result suits McLaren to the ground. They come out of it smelling of roses despite the dodgy driving. James Allen's dodgy maths aside (claiming that even if Lewis had a seven point lead, he would still win by finishing behind a Ferrari one-two - a Ferrari one two would be four point gain per race), Hamilton enters the final two races with a six point gap and can wrap up the title in China if he outscores Massa by more than four points. On the flip side, a Ferrari one-two in the final pair of races would see Massa the champion.
Personally, I’m getting sick of his paranoia over penalties. A driver sneezes and the ITV guys are calling for heads or there is an incident to be investigated. It is getting pretty sickening at this stage. Maybe for 2009, we should have everyone drive in bubble cars.
PC’s Driver of the Day: Fernando Alonso. Like any great driver, he meticulously drilled in the laps to make his strategy worked. That is why Alonso is a double world champion and the best racer in the sport at the moment.
October 12th is turning out to be a motorsport epic morning. Nascar, live from Charlotte was my first stop of the night. The night race in the US started at 1am Irish time.
It’s the first time I’ve pulled an all nighter for Nascar. Usually I’ve taped them, because staying up without sleep for a race, it’s quiet difficult. It goes to show how things have changed, that I‘m happy to stay up till five am.
Charlotte didn’t disappoint either. The five hundred mile race had its thrills and spills before Jeff Burton ignited his title challenge with victory. The #31, who is a model for consistency, took fuel only on his final stop to maintain track position. The clear track was all important at Charlotte. On multiple times during the race, he who was out front, legged it.
Jimmie Johnson came home in sixth position after running up front all day. The #48 faded in the latter stages, but finished in front of Biffle. Carl Edwards had a torrid day. A pit under green to change tires due to a vibration but him a lap down before his car lost power. By the time the crew got the #99 restarted, he was 16 laps down.
The Coke 600 winner, Kasey Kahne finished second with Kurt Busch coming home in third. Kyle Busch put his nightmare start to the Chase behind him with fourth. The younger Busch bounced back from a lap down due to a drive through penalty is finally showing the sort of competitiveness that we saw for the first 26 races.
It was a day of what might of been for many, with the likes of Gordon, Stewart, Ragan, Vickers all running close to the front at some stage. All ended up running into difficulties, with Stewart and Ragan picking up pit lane speeding penalties. Gordon and Vickers both smacked the wall, damaging their cars. Recent performances by Vickers and Ragan show that both are due for a trip to victory lane sooner rather than later.
With his victory, Burton now moves into second spot. The question to be asked is – can he sustain a championship challenge. Consistency usually isn’t a problem for the #31, but he needs to raise his game to beat a driver of Johnson’s calibre.
Huzzah!
Okay, this is totally overdue, but I finally got my Brickyard pictures I promised and the special reports from July! To make a long story short, I thought they were lost from where they were stored and only recently managed to recover them. There are a few that didn't come through, but I got 98% of the pictures back - which is the important thing. Better than none at all!
So enjoy!
The Canadian Grand Prix has been scrubbed off the provisional 2009 calendar, released today. Once again, Formula One fans bear the scars of losing yet another track etched in history and provided great races
This isn’t the first time that we have lost a classic circuit. First Spa, then Hockenheim was butchered, followed by the loss of Suzuka. Earlier this year we found out that Silverstone was been axed in favour of Donington. Thankfully, Spa was rescued, although one must wonder for how long. And for what?! Don’t get me wrong, some of the new circuits are great, but they lack soul. Circuits like Valencia and Singapore – didn’t exactly offer a great racing spectacle.
The whole thing reminds me of the overused movie plot – after being given a home and a place to grow saw them flourish and became successful. Soon enough, they got too big for their boots, happy to cut off ties with those who had helped them in the early days as they make the grab for the almighty dollar. Well, if it can be called that.
Unlike the movies though, I doubt we will receive the happy ever after ending, where they learn of their mistakes and remember their roots.
In other F1 news, BMW announced that they will retain their current driver lineup. Despite constant criticism of Heidfeld, people show their ignorance with not looking over the stats that count the most – points gained. Quick Nick sits eight points behind his headline grabbing team-mate. Raikkonen is 20 points behind Massa. Kovalainen 33 behind his team-mate.
Not a bad job by Heidfeld at all. The decision does narrow down the list of possibilities for Alonso. Although, with rumours persisting that Raikkonen’s ’10 drive with Ferrari isn’t all that secure despite the new contract.
Those were the words most commonly said in the paddock through the race. It was nothing short of a nail biting, pulsating afternoon of racing that had me on the edge of my seat. 68 lead changes amongst 28 drivers, a record - and that was only the officially timed ones at the line.
Tony Stewart snapped a winless streak stretching back to Watkins Glen last season, after Nascar cancelled out Regan Smiths below the yellow line move. It was an unfortunate end to a great race that caused some confusion. As far as I was concerned, racing below the yellow line is a no-no for all the race, so why should the last lap be any different.
During the first half of the race, it looked like there could have been another Indy on our hands. A succession of tire blows out, accumulating in the first ‘Big One’ of the afternoon, had me thinking were we going to see another set of sprints coupled with competition yellows. Whether the issues were with the tires themselves, debris, rubbing or high pressures, they at least disappeared into the second half of the race to let them run for it.
The day saw a mix of strategy, with some of the Chasers sticking to the back to avoid any entanglements. It cost Jimmie Johnson early. The reigning champion lost the draft and fell a lap down. Johnson regained his lap later on via the Lucky Dog. Biffle and Edwards adopted a similar strategy, the latter even employing a unique pit stop strategy to keep himself out of trouble.
When the time to come forward came, it all went sour for the Roush cars. Edwards tipped into the back of Biffle, causing the catalyst for the second ‘Big One’ of the afternoon. Unlike Big One #1, which the Chasers avoided, #2 saw more than half the Chase field receive damage.
Watching Talladega is always a treat. Forget two wide, we had three wide racing for the majority of the race. Four and five when guys felt gutsy. The day saw a number of young guns, like Ragan, Smith, Almirola giving solid drives on the day. The track easily lived up to its tag as the wildcard in the Chase.
That, was pure racing enjoyment.
Ah Luca, your timing is impeccable. Like last year, when F1 was trying to remove the afterthoughts of spy-gate, you put your foot in it, bringing it up for no reason. Once more, your shoddy timing has only helped galvanize the distain for Ferrari that the likes of ITV fed in its infancy.
Luca di Montezemolo came out and said that the Singapore race was humiliating for Formula One. Of course, people only see what they want to see and have been quick to link it to simply because Ferrari had an abysmal race. Seriously, Luca, if you are going to complain about the state of things, don’t do it after a disaster for your own team.
Looking past the Ferrari aspect, he is right. If it wasn’t for the safety car period, it was looking to be nothing short of a snore-bore race, and not the first this year. The most interesting races this year have come via wet weather or safety car been called into action. So is the situation humiliating for Formula One? I say yes.
Formula One is quickly becoming a boring sport. Take out the external factors and there hasn’t been any memorable races, with most decided by the time the first pit-stop comes around. There is nothing there to keep fans on tenterhooks from start to finish, unless you are a diehard fan.
I’ve watched Formula One since 1994. Sitting down on Sunday to watch a race is as close to religion as I figure I’ll ever get. Whether it meant waking up in the dead of the night or hurrying home early from Dublin after a night of drinking for lunch time, I’d do it. Watching it live was the way to go. Even after my favourite driver, Michael Schumacher retired, I moved on with the sport, finding new people to follow. This is the first year I’ve really questioned why I should bother to keep watching.
Having the ability to watch Nascar this year has opened my eyes more to it. Of course, people will slander Nascar, claiming it isn’t good racing and what skills do you need to go around in circles. Unfortunately, the world is full of ignorance and motorsport is no different. At least when I watch a Nascar race, as I commented in my previous piece, I’m likely to get a good race. I don’t get that with Formula One anymore. We can only hope that the changes next year will inspire better racing.
The sport is in need of a major overhaul, not just in the technical department – or it stands even to lose its diehard fans. Unfortunately, I worry that when people try to point out the failings of the sport, those with no common sense will drone it in favour of shouts for their favourite driver.
After the third race of the Chase, I seriously wonder why I bother with Formula One as much anymore. Nascar, plain and simple is a better spectacle. Of course, like any sport, it is capable of producing a snore-bore, but they are few and far between.
Kansas was no different. The top three in the championship duked it out for victory and we saw the difference from a man who wants to win to one who is glad to settle. With a few laps to go, Carl Edwards could easily of decided to settle for second position. But nope, the #99 chased down leader Johnson and took an overly ambitious move to try to take the victory.
It didn’t work out, but at least he tried, even if he did mash his car up some. The icing on the cake? Edwards goes and has a chat with Johnson afterwards, wondering how much he had cleared him by when he jetted by to ensure he didn’t come close to hitting him. Now there is class.
It would still be easy to question the merits of the Chase format. On one hand, it draws everyone together and spices up the last ten races. Anyone looking at the tables after race 26, would think Bush had it in the bag. Then came the Chase, and Rowdy’s luck evaporated like Joe Gibb’s reliability.
It is pretty shocking to see a championship contender fall from grace so quick. After two events, he was more or less out. His third mechanical issue in the three races put the exclamation point on it. Busch-haters are having a field day with it. I have to feel for him. End of the day, you want the best people competing for it. Like him or not, Busch was the best in the run up to the Chase. Of course, that doesn’t explain nor excuse JGR’s shocking problems. After such a great season, it is a shame that it will end like this.
It’s a case of six of one, half dozen of the other in the Chase. Suddenly, everything is mixed up. Greg Biffle, who had horrid luck during the year when in a race-winning car, has sprung up with the opening pair of victories in the Chase, replacing Busch as the main contender to Johnson and Edwards.
Talladega next weekend, a race I am licking my lips with anticipation for. The first race of the season was an awesome spectacle. I expect no different this time around.
The cards fell in place for Fernando Alonso, who, starting 15th on the grid, benefitted from his team-mates accident to record his first win of the season. Alonso becomes the seventh different winner this year.
As for the championship battle, Ferrari more or less sent McLaren both titles wrapped up with a ‘please give a loving home to’ tag on them. Shocking, completely shocking is all that is can be said about Ferrari. We can assume we have seen the last of the automated system, with the lollipop back in operation evident at Raikkonen’s last stop. Of course, while ITV Sport were keen the slam Ferrari for it, they didn’t attack the Red Bull mishap that could easily have ended up in similar circumstances.
As for Raikkonen, I do hope Ferrari have some get-out clause. Crashing that late in the race is a joke for a world champion to do. Four non-scoring races for the Finn is completely unacceptable at this level. Even Heikki Kovalainen, who is looking more second-rate with each passing race, has provided more points for his team than the current champion.
Ferrari should’ve easily walked Singapore. Lewis Hamilton was nothing but ordinary, showing none of the racers quality that ITV vault on about. As per usual, I found myself cursing at the television as Allen lauded his ‘magnificent’ move on Coulthard – even though everyone had been doing pretty much the same thing throughout the race. The so-called ‘racer’ who never settles did a great job at settling for third. Don’t get me wrong, it is a smart game he is playing, but, don’t go telling the world your are the bees knees if you aren’t going to back that up.
After qualifying, Alonso was cursing his bad luck. How things can change in the space of a few minutes. The decision to go on aggressive strategy paid off, putting him in pole position for the victory. Alonso then showed why he is one of the best drivers in the sport still, commanding the race from the front.
Nico Rosberg finished in a career best second, despite a stop and go for pitting under a closed pitlane. Aided by a Force India chicane in the form of Fisichella, Rosberg pulled some blinding laps out, allowing him to take his penalty and come out in front of the Coulthard/Hamilton scrap.
Three races left. All Hamilton has to do is follow Massa home at each of the races to secure the championship. That is of course, if Ferrari don’t feel the urge to give McLaren more free points.
PC’s Driver of the Day: Fernando Alonso. A fuel pressure problem left him 15th on the grid. At a street circuit, the going norm would say there is probably no point in showing up for the race. An aggressive strategy didn’t work out until his team-mate found the wall. Once out front, he was unstoppable.
A master class performance from Sebastian Vettel resulted in his first F1 win, the youngest in history. It was also Toro Rosso’s, formerly the Minardi team, first win.
It has been a long time since I have seen such a performance, and after the Spa debacle, it was exactly what F1 needed. The past few races, the German has shown us glimpses of his potential. Today, in mixed conditions, he was in a different class to the competition.
Kovalainen was a depressing second. I’m sure questions would be asked as to why he had zero answer for Vettel in an inferior car. Robert Kubica, who was nowhere all day, benefitted from his long run to pit at the ideal time for the tire switch-over. Others were not so lucky, having to come in a second time.
The Ferraris were as what I expected. Fast in spurts, but overall unimpressive in the wet weather conditions. Massa made the best of a difficult situation and should be happy with scoring above Hamilton. Raikkonen was shockingly poor for the first part of the race, before finding pace towards the back end.
Lewis Hamilton was no-where for the first part of the race, continuing his qualifying form. Suddenly, he came alive and was the Lewis Hamilton we know. He played himself to make the most out of a bad situation until the lack of rain meant he had to some back into the pits.
His driving was far from inspiring though. While he could defend running Glock off the road due to the spray, I struggle to see a defence of him nearly running Webber off the road can be conjured. I can remember back to Canada many years ago, where a similar incident happened between Schumacher and Frentzen. Schumacher had a stop-go penalty for that. And Lewis fans think they get hard done by? That wasn’t all from in his unsportsmanlike conduct. He left zero room with cutting in front of people after overtaking people. His move on Alonso a prime example of this.
The championship is down to a single point. Given how bad Ferrari are in the wet versus how good Lewis should be, I’d be happy if I was Ferrari. It could have been a whole lot worse. It is on to new ground in two weeks with the first night race at Singapore.
PC’s Driver of the Day: Sebastian Vettel. A supreme drive that we haven’t seen in years. While James Allen was too busy trying to bring false comparisons between Hamilton and the great weather specialists, he should have been saving them for this man.
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