After two convincing wins for rookie Lewis Hamilton, it was now the turn of Ferrari and surprisingly Kimi Raikonnen to register back-to-back wins.
Surprising because Raikonnen had been outdone till then by the three other top contenders - team-mate Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton - for the Drivers’ Championship. And the way Hamilton was shaping up, one would dare still consider him as just another rookie who’s had a great start to his career.
Raikonnen has now perhaps rightfully claimed his place as Ferrari’s contender for the Drivers’ title. Massa may just be a point behind, but he’s now suffering from luck deserting him at the crucial junctures, something maybe he shouldn’t have picked up from his more illustrious colleague.
For those who may have forgotten, this season has already witnessed three drivers having consecutive wins. Massa did it in Bahrain and Spain, Hamilton in the couple of GPs in North America, and now Raikonnen in the European countries separated by the English Channel.
It may also have to do a bit with the team momentum, which is crucial in the case of races on successive weekends. This season has 10 races packed in five fortnights over the season. McLaren did well at Montreal and Indy and Ferrari bounced back with Raikonnen’s wins at Magny-Cours and Silverstone. The latter dampened the homecoming party for local lad Hamilton, who still managed to maintain a place on the podium.
Raikonnen has won the most races this season, but would need to be far more consistent to push Hamilton for the title. We are halfway into the season and Hamilton still has a 12-point lead over Alonso and a 18-point advantage on Raikonnen. Now, assuming, Hamilton continues to be at least third on the podium for the rest of the season, he going to end up with a minimum of 118 points.
That means Alonso would need more than 60 points in nine races while Raikonnen would need 66. That’s an average of approximately 7 points per race. It’s not impossible though, since the 7 points is only needed if Hamilton continues this remarkable run. And if Hamilton doubles his points to 140 at the end of the season, it would in all probability be an exceptional second-half of the season for both Alonso and Raikonnen to pip him to the post.
If Ferrari focus on Raikonnen as their No.1, then he could benefit from the internal squabble between a champion wanting to retain his crown and a potential great who is aiming to fulfil something he’s been working towards and trained on for years. For those who say that the problems have been fixed, just clear out those corneas and watch the replays of the podium celebrations at Silverstone.
It’s definitely a fight to the finish.
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GP. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
F-1: Monaco - The Inflection Point
A bizarre event. The man who replaced Michael Schumacher does an accidental replay of what the German ‘deliberately’ did a year ago. To top it, Kimi Raikonnen’s Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa nearly dislodged the Finn from the stationary position he had got comfortable in. Yes, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a ‘Salute to Schumi’ from Ferrari at Formula 1’s glitziest Grand Prix.
Massa qualified third, while Raikonnen’s brush with the surreal pushed him back to 15th. Meanwhile, on the front row a two-time defending champion managed to pip the rookie who is seen capable enough by many to win the World Championship. A lot of talk going into this weekend was about the successes McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has had at Monaco, albeit at lesser levels of motor sport.
However, teammate Fernando Alonso has once again out-qualified the Briton (a 4-1 record this season so far). But Hamilton will surely be looking to outdo the Spaniard at the start in Monaco. And a win at Monaco would definitely be one of the defining moments of world sport this year.
It is heartening to see that the BMWs have been pushed back to the fourth row, followed by the Hondas in Row 5. Giancarlo Fisichella in the Renault, Nico Rosberg in the Williams and Red Bull’s Mark Webber fill the slots 4-6. Hopefully, Monaco shall mark the inflection point for a few teams and their drivers.
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Massa qualified third, while Raikonnen’s brush with the surreal pushed him back to 15th. Meanwhile, on the front row a two-time defending champion managed to pip the rookie who is seen capable enough by many to win the World Championship. A lot of talk going into this weekend was about the successes McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has had at Monaco, albeit at lesser levels of motor sport.
However, teammate Fernando Alonso has once again out-qualified the Briton (a 4-1 record this season so far). But Hamilton will surely be looking to outdo the Spaniard at the start in Monaco. And a win at Monaco would definitely be one of the defining moments of world sport this year.
It is heartening to see that the BMWs have been pushed back to the fourth row, followed by the Hondas in Row 5. Giancarlo Fisichella in the Renault, Nico Rosberg in the Williams and Red Bull’s Mark Webber fill the slots 4-6. Hopefully, Monaco shall mark the inflection point for a few teams and their drivers.
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Monday, April 16, 2007
F1 Season 2007: Catch-22
A friend of mine and an F1 fan at it put it perfectly after yesterday’s race:
CATCH-22 SITUATION OF THE F1 SEASON 2007:
F Alonso 22 points
K Räikkönen 22 points
L Hamilton 22 points.
That’s how the standings look like at the end of the first three races. And yesterday’s winner - Ferrari’s Felipe Massa - is right behind the trio with 17 points in the bag. Interestingly, Massa is the only one out of the above mentioned drivers who raced with the same team last season. Hamilton obviously doesn’t count; he may have raced in McLarens before, but creating history in F1 is an altogether different ballgame.
Some may crib about the two-team tussle at the top, but I am surely not complaining. Other teams may catch up before the season moves to Europe in a month’s time - beginning with Catalunya. However, so far this has been perhaps one of the most exciting starts to a season, with two teams and both their drivers in contention for the top honours. Agreed, one may get a bit bored if the duopoly over podium places continues.
While the TV cameras catch the nail-biting action at the top of the grid, one cannot overlook the fact that the rest of the teams - especially the middle-rung ones - are struggling. BMW is the only exception, with Nick Heidfeld being the only driver outside the top two constructors to have have moved ahead of single digits in the points tally. His teammate Robert Kubica is catching up, scoring his first points of the season at Sakhir.
Similarly, last year’s champions Renault too are off the pace and their rookie Heikki Kovalainen has by no means had the same start to the season as Lewis Hamilton. The Williams and the Toyotas have not done anything special so far. And the less said about the Hondas, the better.
There’s a long wait for fans before the European leg of the season starts. But one thing’s for sure - it will take some catching up for the likes of Heikki Kovalainen and Jenson Button to share the podium with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikonnen.
CATCH-22 SITUATION OF THE F1 SEASON 2007:
F Alonso 22 points
K Räikkönen 22 points
L Hamilton 22 points.
That’s how the standings look like at the end of the first three races. And yesterday’s winner - Ferrari’s Felipe Massa - is right behind the trio with 17 points in the bag. Interestingly, Massa is the only one out of the above mentioned drivers who raced with the same team last season. Hamilton obviously doesn’t count; he may have raced in McLarens before, but creating history in F1 is an altogether different ballgame.
Some may crib about the two-team tussle at the top, but I am surely not complaining. Other teams may catch up before the season moves to Europe in a month’s time - beginning with Catalunya. However, so far this has been perhaps one of the most exciting starts to a season, with two teams and both their drivers in contention for the top honours. Agreed, one may get a bit bored if the duopoly over podium places continues.
While the TV cameras catch the nail-biting action at the top of the grid, one cannot overlook the fact that the rest of the teams - especially the middle-rung ones - are struggling. BMW is the only exception, with Nick Heidfeld being the only driver outside the top two constructors to have have moved ahead of single digits in the points tally. His teammate Robert Kubica is catching up, scoring his first points of the season at Sakhir.
Similarly, last year’s champions Renault too are off the pace and their rookie Heikki Kovalainen has by no means had the same start to the season as Lewis Hamilton. The Williams and the Toyotas have not done anything special so far. And the less said about the Hondas, the better.
There’s a long wait for fans before the European leg of the season starts. But one thing’s for sure - it will take some catching up for the likes of Heikki Kovalainen and Jenson Button to share the podium with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikonnen.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Massa takes pole
For anyone who assumed that this season is going to be a two-way race, think again. Though the Constructors' Championship looks for a certainty to be decided between McLaren and Ferrari, the Drivers' equivalent is perhaps a three-way affair, between Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikonnen and Fernando Alonso. McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton - fourth on the grid - may for sure find it tough to stake a claim in his first season, though unexpected things do happen in sport.
After the disappointment in qualifying at Melbourne, Massa bounced back to take pole this time around. Right on his tail are defending champion Alonso and his own team-mate Kimi Raikonnen. Massa, said later at the press conference, " Yes, I'm quite happy. Unfortunately Melbourne didn't end as I had hoped. It ended up that I started at the back but I'm not supposed to start completely last on the grid but here it looks just a little bit different, so I'm just looking forward to having a good race tomorrow."
The disappointment of the day had to be Renault. Both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovailainen stayed out of the top ten, a worrying sign for Team Principal Flavio Briatore. Renault don't appear to have the car and the talent to take them close to title contention this time around. BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg in the Williams shored up the top six, with BMW's Robert Kubica in seventh.
The Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher will start eighth and ninth, while Red Bull's Mark Webber is at No. 10. But the action is surely at the top-end of the grid. Kimi Raikonnen's suspect engine managed to make it through qualifying, but will it last the whole race? Also, will Alonso quietly sneak in a win today, upsetting the applecart of the Ferraris?
Click to vote - Who will be F1 World Champion this year?
For more on F1, log on to www.konigf1.com.
After the disappointment in qualifying at Melbourne, Massa bounced back to take pole this time around. Right on his tail are defending champion Alonso and his own team-mate Kimi Raikonnen. Massa, said later at the press conference, " Yes, I'm quite happy. Unfortunately Melbourne didn't end as I had hoped. It ended up that I started at the back but I'm not supposed to start completely last on the grid but here it looks just a little bit different, so I'm just looking forward to having a good race tomorrow."
The disappointment of the day had to be Renault. Both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovailainen stayed out of the top ten, a worrying sign for Team Principal Flavio Briatore. Renault don't appear to have the car and the talent to take them close to title contention this time around. BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg in the Williams shored up the top six, with BMW's Robert Kubica in seventh.
The Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher will start eighth and ninth, while Red Bull's Mark Webber is at No. 10. But the action is surely at the top-end of the grid. Kimi Raikonnen's suspect engine managed to make it through qualifying, but will it last the whole race? Also, will Alonso quietly sneak in a win today, upsetting the applecart of the Ferraris?
Click to vote - Who will be F1 World Champion this year?
For more on F1, log on to www.konigf1.com.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Kimi needs to be alert about Alonso
The first race of the season sent out clear signals: “Ferrari is Red-Hot, though Ice-Cold McLaren is not far behind.” Kimi Raikonnen got off to a great start in a new car and a new season, but so did McLaren Mercedes’ new drivers – the defending champion Fernando Alonso and the debutant Lewis Hamilton. The Ferraris were by far the fastest, and only a gearbox problem and engine-change pushed Raikonnen’s partner Felipe Massa to sixth, a creditable finish considering his Ferrari started the race at the end of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton was definitely the toast of Melbourne; his strong third place finish will only increase the expectations from him, especially from Britons who will finally have another driver to support along with Honda’s Jenson Button. Button, however, will be wondering if Honda can ever provide him with a car that can vie for the championship, after finishing a disappointing 15th. The BMW Saubers also had a good start to the season, with German Nick Heidfeld finishing in fourth. Compatriot Robert Kubica also did well till a gearbox problem forced him to retire on Lap 38.
2006 Constructors Champion Renault had a sluggish start, with the Italian Giancarlo Fischella finishing in fifth and debutant Heikki Kovalainen in tenth. Team boss Flavio Briatore was extremely critical of the Finn’s performance, a race where the promoted test driver made too many mistakes. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli finished ahead of Kovalainen in ninth place, with team-mate Ralf Schumacher rounding up the points table in eighth place. Nico Rosberg placed seventh in his Williams, which has Toyota as its engine-supplier. ‘Comeback Man’ Alexander Wurz’s race was cut short due to damage done to his Williams during an overtaking manoeuvre by Red Bull’s David Coulthard, who fortunately walked away uninjured after going airborne and landing in the gravel.
However, the man to watch is the one who quietly collected points from this race. Raikonnen may have won the race and Hamilton stolen the limelight, but Spain’s double F1 champion Fernando Alonso was the man in between the two, finishing second. It’s true that team-mate Hamilton led him till the final round of pit-stops. But the champion still ended with eight points, from what can be described as an ‘average race.’ The same trait also helped him see off the challenge put forth by Michael Schumacher last year. Kimi Raikonnen - Schumacher’s replacement at Ferrari – may have the best car on the track, but he needs to have consistent finishes in the points to win his first F1 championship, and perhaps add a new chapter to his rivalry with Alonso.
Lewis Hamilton was definitely the toast of Melbourne; his strong third place finish will only increase the expectations from him, especially from Britons who will finally have another driver to support along with Honda’s Jenson Button. Button, however, will be wondering if Honda can ever provide him with a car that can vie for the championship, after finishing a disappointing 15th. The BMW Saubers also had a good start to the season, with German Nick Heidfeld finishing in fourth. Compatriot Robert Kubica also did well till a gearbox problem forced him to retire on Lap 38.
2006 Constructors Champion Renault had a sluggish start, with the Italian Giancarlo Fischella finishing in fifth and debutant Heikki Kovalainen in tenth. Team boss Flavio Briatore was extremely critical of the Finn’s performance, a race where the promoted test driver made too many mistakes. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli finished ahead of Kovalainen in ninth place, with team-mate Ralf Schumacher rounding up the points table in eighth place. Nico Rosberg placed seventh in his Williams, which has Toyota as its engine-supplier. ‘Comeback Man’ Alexander Wurz’s race was cut short due to damage done to his Williams during an overtaking manoeuvre by Red Bull’s David Coulthard, who fortunately walked away uninjured after going airborne and landing in the gravel.
However, the man to watch is the one who quietly collected points from this race. Raikonnen may have won the race and Hamilton stolen the limelight, but Spain’s double F1 champion Fernando Alonso was the man in between the two, finishing second. It’s true that team-mate Hamilton led him till the final round of pit-stops. But the champion still ended with eight points, from what can be described as an ‘average race.’ The same trait also helped him see off the challenge put forth by Michael Schumacher last year. Kimi Raikonnen - Schumacher’s replacement at Ferrari – may have the best car on the track, but he needs to have consistent finishes in the points to win his first F1 championship, and perhaps add a new chapter to his rivalry with Alonso.
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