The Holy Pasty?

After last year we cannot help but speculate about the outcome of the 2008 Formua 1 World Drivers Championship. Last year it was all in Lewis Hamilton’s pocket, with a 7 point advantage going into the final race! He didn’t win it!

This year, his second chance, ironically with 7 points heading into the final race once again, but some things are different this year. For a start, he’s a year older and hopefully wiser. He says that he’s coming into this race in a better mental condition this year and that can be no surprise when you consider the difficulties Lewis and the team had last year. A team-mate that was contesting for the title and not generally a good relationship all around and then the red car behind closing on the championship, but supposedly a long way off and looking out of it in Kimi. Of course we can’t forget the whole scandal that hung over the team and the massive penalty handed down from the powers that be, and the extra levels of scrutiny on the team.

Hamilton didn’t get pole, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think Massa is fuelled light, it’s probably the same for the other surprises in the top few cars like Trulli. Unfortunately this means that Hamilton is starting further back than McLaren wouold have expected and this could bring them some problems down into the first corner. If he can start fourth and stay there he will have the championship wrapped up nicely. If Massa is too short on fuel Hamilton may find he is back in contention with a heavier car coming light as Massa has to stop. I don’t know if Massa will be able to pull away into the distance at the start but I do hope that there isn’t a “Trulli Train” that Hamilton gets stuck behind.

All these things can happen, but we seem to overlook that this, regardless of outcome, is quite an acheivement for someone of Hamilton’s age, to be fighting for the championship for the second year in a row (and only his second year in F1) with a 7 point advantage. OK so he got into one of the best cars on the grid, true, but he also has to face the immanse pressures and PR responsibilities that go with that other drivers don’t face. Also Heikki, considered a prodigious talent, is in the same car, but rarely matches Hamilton for pace and result. So yeah there was some advantage, but there’s also a supreme skill that has brought him to this point again. It would be good to have a British World Champion and in my completely biased opinion he totally deserves it. Massa has been gifted a number of the points, but he has fought hard, he has become a worthy competitor and lasted a championship distance in sight of the lead – all credit to him, but Lewis has my vote!

Tags: Felipe Massa, Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, Motorsport, Trulli

Yes, Valentino only required a third place or higher to clinch the MotoGP championship for this year, but he’s not one to settle. He drove a sensational race from the second row and even when he was second behind Casey Stoner it still didn’t look like he was going to have the pace to catch him and overtake. Casey’s bike was much stronger on the short straights, but Rossi was pulling it back under breaking and conering. Eventually Rossi passed Stoner and got up into first place, but bearing in mind the differences already mentioned could Rossi pull away to establish his lead? Yes!

He crossed the line to take the race victory and the world championship. Yamaha have also wrapped up the constructors and Fiat Yamaha have taken the team championship, overall a pretty good day for the Yamaha organisation. Valentino’s world championship is his sixth in the top class of MotoGP and he had wins in both the lower classes too, making a total of 8 world championships!

Will Yamaha’s title sponsor (Fiat) be celebrating later today when Felipe Massa lines up alongside Hamilton in the night race at Singapore? The track looks fantastic under the lights. I was critical of Valencia from a viewers point of view the circuit was dull with only the crash barriers to really look at, however Singapore with similar track edging is much more interesting, possibly because there are more points of note. 2 bridges, that three part chicane that really shows off the cars (and launched Fisichella in morning practice yesterday) and the Grandstand, where the track goes beneath the grandstand – all fantastic elements of the track. All of that in a super bright light. Let the second race of the day commence…oh just a minute it’s not on until 1pm!

Tags: Casey Stoner, Formula 1, Massa, MotoGP, Rossi, Valentino Rossi