Just Me

I’m disgusted, Fernando Alonso, a two times world Champion, ignored his pit crew and sat in the pit box as Lewis Hamilton waited for a change of tyres and have one last crack at pole position. Fernando delayed Lewis long enough that he wasn’t able to attempt his last flying lap before the qualifying ended and took pole position from Lewis.

Shame on you Fernando, you have often criticised other drivers for tactics such as these and now you do the same! To your own Teammate? of course your counting on Ron Dennis not lodging a formal complaint, as it would compromise the team, your counting on Ron Dennis not feeling the need to ‘change your engine’ or ’start you from the pit lane’ or even firing you. It was obvious from the coverage that this was not planned and approved by the team.

I’m reminded of ‘Rascassegate’ at last years Monaco GP and Flavio Briatore’s comments in particular.

“Someone who was seven times a world champion wants us to believe that he didn’t do it on purpose - it’s fairyland.”

At least there could be some debate over Schumacher’s intentions, but, in my opinion, there can be no denying that Fernando sat still despite being ordered out of the pits by the team.

This all comes right in the middle of the whole Stepneygate affair and I have to say thing’s look bad for McLaren, they were found guilty of cheating, yet not penalised as ‘they gained no benefit’ from the information. I’m sorry, but cheating is cheating and unless some punishment is applied to McLaren even as a token gesture, I believe it calls in to question the impartiality of the FIA and it almost legitimises cheating maybe that’s why Fernando did it.

I’m sure there will be a lot of comment in the next few days/weeks regardless of what the outcome this weekend and in the whole spy thing, at the end of the day, it would be easy to say the only ones losing out are the stakeholders in the sport, as they are making a mockery of what has been an incredibly entertaining season in F1 for all the right reasons.

But I love F1, have done since I were a nipper and I’m a stakeholder in the sport, granted as a spectator only but it’s the spectators that the sponsors want to entice and it’s the sponsors that provide the funds for the teams and drivers to go racing. I’m glad I’m not a vodafone customer because I would now have to change phone companies, I’m glad I don’t drive a Mercedes because I would have to change it.

First thing’s first, what a thrilling GP weekend, Qualy was like the haydays of the one hour session and Prost and Senna taking it all the way to the last thousanth of a second. The race didn’t have a dull moment, wheel banging, overtaking, mechanical and electrical failures, a crash or 2, a Fire on the pitlane, a blowout on the main straight, I think any doubt about the excitement levels in formula 1 have been well and truly done away with.

So, is it to early to speculate? Lewis Hamilton could be the 2007 world champion, personally I’m a Masa fan these days but I’ll talk about that another time, Lets just take a look at what Lewis has accomplished in only 4 races in Formula 1.

1. He has finished every race, always good for a rookie to be able to do that.
2. He has passed cars on the first lap of every race.
3. He has finished on the podium at every race so far.
4. He seems to be consistantly faster than his team mate.
5. He seems to be consistantly faster than the current World Champion.
6. He’s the youngest driver ever to lead the world drivers championship.
7. He’s never lost in Monaco (and that’s where the next race is)

And  I think he’s also the most succesful formula 1 rookie of all time with 4 podiums in his first season and there’s only been 4 races!

The Lewis Hamilton story is an incredible one and it is sure to draw more and more attention to Formula 1 as time goes on, even if he starts making “the rookie” mistakes that everyone is still half expecting. What he has achieved so far is astounding, Lets not forget the current World Champ is the man who beat the most succesful driver in history to 2 world championships and Lewis has made him look just a little silly recently

So I’m asking the question does anyone think we could have a rookie world champion at the end of the 2007 season?

The 2007 FI Grand Prix season begins tonight with the first practice session of the new season. I’m not going to stay up for it, but I have set it to record on the Media Centre, so, I’ll be watching that while I have breakfast in the morning.

Then tomorrow night I’ll be staying up for qualifying. Saturday being Paddy’s day and the race being that night, I’m really glad that Monday is a holy day. I pray I can recover, before tuesday.

Hopefully, I’ll find a minute or two over the weekend to post a little more as well.

Wow, what a weekend in F1. Where to start, the Midland sale to Spyker?

The ‘blocking’ incident that relegated Alonso to 10th on the grid? and upset him just a smidge

Kubica’s incredible start?

Kubica’s amazing drive to third place?

Alonso’s engine blow up?

Hhhhhmmm there was something else as well…

What was it again?

Oh, yeah the Greatest F1 driver of all time announced his retirement.

Where to start on that one? Well to be honest I am going to write something on this but I think I should wait till the seasons over, just to save myself revising it when he does/doesn’t win his eight championship.

Personally, I’d love to see him go out on a high note

Right, minutes from the start of the turkish GP Massa on pole, Schuey 2nd, needing to get at least 2 points more than Alonso per race, every race, for the rest of the year, to win the championship and (all signs point to) retire at the ‘peak’ of his career.

I’m hoping that’s the way it pans out, anyway, here we go, Go, GOOOOOOO!!!